Dear All of Us,
"Hey, Come on!
I'm just kidding."
Real Life Translations:
"Don't take it seriously."
"Nothing of consequence."
JUST KIDDING
around
Kidding
Well, we like kids,
but
they don't figure big in
our social calculations
of success and count
until and less
they are competent,
competitive achievers.
That's when they are
of consequence and
to be taken seriously,
no kidding about it!
That's the current
culture curve.
That's essentially
how the disciples
felt when they
were trying
to shoo the kids
away from Jesus.
Kids don't qualify
for prime time.
Oh Yah?
But Jesus called
the children to him
and said,
"Let the little children
come to me, and
do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of God
belongs to such as these.
I tell you the truth,
anyone who
will not receive
the kingdom of God
like a little child
will never enter it."
Luke 18: 16- 17
Is Jesus just being
a bit poetic here,
a touch of soothing
Hallmark
kid cute stuff
but decidedly
JUST KIDDING?
What's he talking about?
His talk just isn't
in the language of
Wall Street,
Madison Avenue,
The World Bank,
politics,
clergy advancement,
military ranking,
Walmart,
sports,
entertainments.
Definitely not in
the curriculum at
The Harvard School
of Business.
That's for sure!
That's because
all those are
articulations,
dialects of
Empire.
Jesus speaks an
altogether different
life lingo.
Jesus invites us to
take a pass on Empire.
Sure, we have to
live and work
in the midst of it -
in it but not of it.
Jesus invites us into
Kingdom of God
Realm Real
in our
here and now
our forever
And yes, Jesus is
JUST KIDDING
The only way in
is the way of kids
- simple, straightforward,
unqualified, wholehearted
receiving of a good:
"I tell you the truth,
anyone who will
not receive the
kingdom of God
like a little child
will never enter it."
It's pure gift.
All it takes is
a lived yes,
indeed,
a lively yes
just like kids.
You know what?
This is so simple
I'm having
a hard time
trying to say it.
Hey, I'm going
to take a brake.
Be back!
******
GONE SWIMMING
******
OK, I'm back on
the blog job.
Talk about
"kidding" around.
I got to our pool.
There was a dad
and his kids already
in the water.
They were having
one uproarious,
heaven of a good time,
the kids squealing
in delight
as their dad
flipped them,
swirled them,
squirted them,
danced them around.
Dad was delighted
in delighting.
No letup or
slow down to it.
Sheer glee all round.
THAT'S
what receiving the
kingdom of God
like a child is.
ACCEPT
ALL IN
totally engaged
as dad delights.
And if things tangle up,
God Dad
straightens them out.
Now, here's
the really hard part.
The single most
terrible sin the
Establishment Church
has ever committed is
to have watered down,
papered over,
dumbed up,
what it takes
to get life right,
to get in on the
Kingdom of God.
It complicated,
compromised
entrance
to kingdom life
at the pass.
The Establishment
Church,
bought into Empire,
it's ways and deceits,
established itself
as absolutely necessary,
as the only key into
The Kingdom of God,
clergy at the controls.
Rules, routines, rituals,
doctrines, dogmas,
disciplines, hierarchies,
to choke the soul.
So, lots of folks took a look,
didn't see much heaven
in it all, said
"The hell with it"
and bailed.
See the
damnable damage done.
Others were seduced
into life-long struggling,
trying to qualify,
wrack up the points,
and be able
to get a ticket
to the Kingdom
Hereafter
through
Church Incorporated.
See the perversion,
the distraction from God.
The Establishment Church
has either run people off,
or duped the majority
who stick around
into settling for
a surface religiosity
- believe these things,
- observe the rules and regulations
- show up for the required rituals
- avoid sin, most especially
cooking the books at work,
having sex outside of marriage,
loosing your temper or fibbing
- for the eager beavers,
work hard at the spiritual disciples,
wrack up even more points
getting holy
so you can go first class
to the kingdom of Hereafter.
A lot of chasing the wrong rabbit.
By contrast, when we simply,
like a child invited
to a birthday party,
accept the gift of
kingdom life,
we joyously join in
going full court
living the Gospel
together in community.
Our valve system, lifestyle,
finances, family and social life,
practical commitment
to justice for the earth
and all her people
are God's Love Lived
at our address.
Please know there is
a vast void between
The Church
and
The Establishment
Church
My experience pastoring
over fifty-five years
in two denominations,
in parishes, teaching,
administration,
clergy mentoring,
spiritual companioning,
retreats and writing
has shown me that
denominations,
churches,
religious institutions
are all a mix of
The Church
and sadly
The Establishment Church
It's critical to know that
and the degree of that.
I hear Richar Rohr on this.
He counsels living on
the edge of the inside.
Often that's the best
we can find and do.
Whatever our
ecclesial address,
we can do the Jesus
JUST KIDDING
Jesus revealed that
Kingdom Life
is
God in the pool
inviting us to come on in,
be loved alive.
Jesus lived and taught
Kingdom Life
He modeled it for us.
His Spirit
energizes us for it.
We just need
to jump in.
Just for the record, the
Establishment Church
has done much good.
Horribly, though,
it tried to take
God's place.
It got in God's way
and our way in God.
Meister Eckart
nailed the simple
in a simple way:
"All God wants
of you
is to get out
of the way
and let God
be God in you."
That goes for
each of us,
all of us
The Church
"The Gathered"
around dad in the pool.
Come on!
Let's head for the pool.
I mean that in
the best sense of
keeping it simple,
like the little ones
Jesus holds
before us by his
JUST KIDDING
******
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groups from
CZECHIA
and
COLUMBIA
who jumped in
with us this week
here at
frankly speaking
spirituality for the street
johnfrankshares.blogspot.com
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July 16, 2024
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Here's to a wonderful week.
Love to all.
God Bless,
John Frank
******
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