Thursday, July 10, 2025

ORDER

Dear All of Us,

Please let me take

too long to make

a critical point.


By the time I was seven

I had life by the tail.

I was tight with the

folks at church,

enjoyed a devout 

little boy religious life, 

had a bunch of buddies

  with our own clubhouse

  in my backyard

 "NO GIRLS ALLOWED,"

was a Cub Scout,

could wander 

all over town

on my own

(1940's middle 

class America), 

published

The Neighborhood News

    hand printed carbon copies 

    nailed to neighborhood 

    utility poles,

had my favorite radio shows

     (pre-TV days)

     The Lone Ranger, 

     Mark Trail

     Mr. District Attorney 

             and 

     The Shadow,

went to The Bijou Theater

Saturday mornings

     cartoons, a serial and 

     feature film for a quarter,

     popcorn ten cents.

Was chummy with 

the staff at

Coggan's Florist Shop

and stopped in once a week

on the way home from school

for a chat (and free flower).

Life was good!


Then at eleven

puberty hit and 

and blew 

the whole deal 

to heck!!

What are all these 

strange things 

going on

with my body?

Why do I suffer 

such scruples 

about sin?

How do I get off 

this whiplash 

mood roller-coaster,

up, down, 

spinning me

all around?

Why don't I like 

to do some of my

favorite things 

anymore? 

Where do I fit in 

and how do 

I get there?


By fifteen I

had it together,

was happy as a clam

in high water

living in community 

at the minor seminary,

stepping into 

the beginnings  

    of adult 

life and spirituality.

Integration and 

expansion on

   all levels.


Then the 

turbulent twenties

trying this, that and 

perplexing more.

Clear, confused, 

lost, seeking,

and most of all 

searching for  

the real me

    and 

real spirituality.


By thirty 

on the road as 

a junior officer

serving proudly

in the corps 

of adult life.

Achievement, vigor,

making a difference.

Deepening spiritualty.


Forties and 

  Mid-Life 

Shift & Settle.

Brother Bod

showing a bit of

ware and tare.

Denominational

transfer.

Waving goodbye to 

any vestiges of youth.

Marriage and family.

    Settling into 

being more settled.

Doing good things, 

but in a new, steadier 

and deeper way.


Then the 

sobering fifties.

A lot of life 

now in the 

rear view mirror and

getting ok with that.

Still road worthy and 

significant miles to go.


About seventy-five

at the front door of

      old age, 

a really different 

  address for 

body and soul

Took some doing 

to be at home there. 


Now at eighty-five

soulful simplicity and

wordless intimacy,

close to the back door 

           of

       old age

and so darn peaceful 

about that and soon

  the final move 

   all the way

     HOME


I share all this 

to underscore that

life has its seasons

and seasonings,

sweet and sour,

pretty much settled, 

decidedly unsettled, 

newly resettled.

 

Things either ware out

or we outgrow them.

Order gives way 

to disorder.

Eventually 

a new order

emerges

   BUT

it's never

   One 

   and 

  Done


What goes on 

for individuals  

goes on for society.

Things are 

worked out,

come undone 

and eventually 

a new way is

worked out.


That is so spiritually.

We are never 

soul set and settled.


All human experience 

is anything but 

set and static.


Richard Rohr puts it 

so simply clear.

Self and society 

are constantly in flux:

       Order

       Disorder

       Reorder

 and that ongoingly


Here in the USA

we had a somewhat 

consistent run 

from the end of the

Second World War

to just now,

1945 - 2025.

Allowing for 

hiccups and hurts,

it was a fairly set 

culture and condition.


That order is now being 

dismantled in a demolition 

of meaning and practice.

We are in a season of

revolt and reaction

to what is and 

in conflict over 

what will be.

Governance, 

religion, 

media, 

truth,

health care, 

education, 

economics,

military 

the needy,

family life

sexuality,

environment,

accommodating

sharp differences,

arts, parks & books,

privacy, 

international 

involvements,

global immigration,

The Common Good,

    are all on 

the chopping block.

     There are 

      concerns 

        and 

     casualties 

beyond count all across 

the landscape of 

our current field of 

     disorder.


Variations of such

traumatize globally:

order disordered

and hurtfully so

in land after land.


Our lot right now is 

to negotiate societal

turbulence and 

uncertainty.

It's like going from 

a pony ride 

to trying to stay

on a bucking bronco

and getting thrown

to a hard landing.

In other words,

 we deal with

 rough upset -

 DISORDER


Why Disorder?

How to deal with it?

Some slants 

and a few ways

foreword:

- Creation continues 

   to evolve.

  Human nature outgrows 

  an established order.

  It is disestablished 

  to clear way for 

  a fuller new order.

  It's what puberty 

  does to childhood 

  opening to adulthood.


"Or do you not know that 

   all of us who were baptized 

   into Christ Jesus were 

   baptized into his death?

   We were therefore buried 

   with him through baptism

   into death in order that, 

   just as Christ was raised 

   from the dead through 

   the glory of the Father, 

   we too may live a new life.

   If we have been united 

   with him in his death,

   we will certainly also 

   be united with him 

   in his resurrection...

   The death he died, 

   he died to sin once for all; 

   but the life he lives, 

   he lives to God."

     Romans 6:3-5&10

As a society we are now

experiencing that

and in spades.

There's a lot of 

dying to sin 

going on 

all around.

It hurts!

Our hope is that 

it clears way for  

newness of life 

resurrecting

somehow, some day.


Like Paul, we do our part 

"...in filling up what is wanting

(not yet realized in our now)

in Christ's afflictions, 

for the sake of his body, 

which is the church."

    Colossians 1:24

   We're in on it with 

    Jesus the Christ

      in our now


We're in a growth spurt

and that can hurt.

We are growing to be

"...efficient and graceful

in response to God's Son, 

fully mature adults, 

fully developed 

within and without,

fully alive in Christ." 

 Ephesians 4:16

  The Message 

Being fully alive 

takes the stress  

of stretch.

 

All this is tough stuff.

We need more than 

a few extra vitamins

to keep on keeping on.

There really is 

no escape hatch

or hideout.

     We need 

growing up spirit 

       and 

   spirit filled 

  community.


From the get-go 

of his ministry 

Jesus told us that we are

"the light of the world."

    Matthew 5:14

We have plenty 

to be and do

in this disordered,

darkened world.

Together we 

blend light bright

living as a 

Christ Community

in the disaster zones 

of our here and now.

That light will warm 

the freezing fearful,

expose what's dark,

radiate hope.


We can go right ahead 

full torque as a community

in care for those nearby,

being and breaming Jesus,

The Light of the World

in all sorts of close in, 

practical ways,

very practical:

- have block parties

- get neighbors busy

  and together in

  community gardens

- start supper groups 

- take turns spotting 

  single parents

- get barbershop and 

  other music groups 

  harmonizing away

- invite pick up and 

  informal softball games, 

  horseshoe matches

- secure counselling for those 

  starting to unhinge

- get kids media freed 

  and having 

  free play groups 

  in the neighborhood

- invite folks 

  to come share

  informal and joyous 

  prayer together

- organize 

 "Borrow-A-Grandparent"

  groups for kids way distant 

  from their grandmas and pas

- have a neighborhood 

          Art Fest   

    come paint, chisel, 

    sculpt, model, color,

    do readings

         and have 

      some hot dogs

         together

 - get old-timers busy 

   reading stories to 

   preschoolers

- have a 

     FIX IT GROUP

  that does just that for

  neighbors and shares tools

- as a community 

  get together 

  for soul share, 

  prayer, scripture,

  communion 

- have a comedy night 

     

          In dark days 

               BE 

      LIGHT BRIGHT

               DO 

 LIGHT- SOME THINGS


   That will help us 

   and others deal with 

        our painful, 

      dark disorder 

      as we engage 

   and work together 

        toward 

 a good, bright right,

       renewed, 

       reordered

        ORDER

       ******


         NEXT WEEK

         A first ever

           here at 

      frankly speaking

- if I can get a license for it -

  Does that prick curiosity?

      Sure meant to!


A Sunny Summer Welcome

            to all.

       Great to have 

       our first ever

         visitor

          from

       Armenia


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        frankly speaking

    spirituality for the street

johnfranksharess.blogspot.com

           with others

            Thanks!


Looking forward to us all

being together here 

next week for, well,

here's hoping 

it will as worthwhile  

as markedly different 

it will be from

our usual fare here.


          Love to all.

          God Bless

          John Frank

           ******

  


  

   






             




  





   

  







 






Thursday, July 3, 2025

TAKE

Dear All of Us,

"Take it or leave it."

      Really?

Are there such?

Does that hold for 

marriage vows,

a job offer,

The Constitution,

the price of a car,

taking an oath?

"Take it or leave it"?

          Well,

not always or exactly.


Take Good Old Boy 

           TJ 

           of 

     Monticello (1)

      He wrote a

foundational document

affirming that all men 

are created equal 

and have certain 

inalienable rights

such as life, liberty, and 

the pursuit of happiness.

TJ bought and sold 

enslaved human beings. 

   "Take it or leave it."?

            Well, 

   not always or exactly.


TJ had a Bible.

He actually took 

his scissors to it.

TJ cut out the

sayings and actions 

      of Jesus 

that he didn't like.

"Take it or leave it"?

          Well

not always or exactly.



As for the Bible, 

       well,

TJ hasn't been 

the only one

to give the Bible

a scissor cut,

trimming out 

what he didn't like 

in the teaching and 

doings of Jesus.

I confess that 

in more than 

a few ways and days

I have tailored 

what Jesus 

said and did 

to my specs 

and satisfactions.

For me it's not always

 "Take it or leave it."

I take it and I leave it.

In leaving out 

I have missed out

and too often caused

hurtful gaps for others.

"Take it or leave it"

         Well

  - not so well -

not always or exactly.


Over two thousand years

institutional religion

has cut out and pasted in

interpretation and practice

so much and often

     that what 

presents and passes 

      for the

     living of 

      Jesus

   The Word 

 in community

   is seen as 

 more forgery

      than 

   authentic

     actual

God Love Life

  copied right

(paper and practice).

"Take it or leave it"   

   Regrettably 

for that forgery

  many don't 

   take to it

     at all

  and many 

   who did

  are taking 

  their leave.

    "I'll believe in 

     your redeemer 

     when you look 

     more redeemed."

    Fredrick Nietzsche


Pope Francis asked 

what's with

the Christians 

who look like 

"Lent without Easter"?

He prayed:

    "May the world 

     of our time...

     be enabled 

     to receive 

     the good news 

     not from those 

     who are dejected, 

     discouraged, 

     impatient or anxious,

     but from persons 

     whose lives 

     glow with fervor, 

     who have first 

     received the 

     joy of Christ." (2)

   (Now there's a Taker) 


Right about now 

our dear, 

imperiled 

world community

sure could use an 

undiluted,

unredacted, 

unfudged, 

uncompromised,

uncut

edition of

Jesus Lived

that they can 

     TAKE

   to heart

  and live out

    joyfully,

in community,

 authentically 

  and fully.

That would be

       US

  What's our

     TAKE

       ******


OUR NEW NOW

Online Postings

Thursday afternoons

East Coast USA Time


(1) We here are a community

     from many different lands,

     peoples and histories.

     For those unfamiliar 

     with USA history, 

              TJ 

              is 

     Thomas Jefferson, 

     a Founding Father of 

     The United States.

(2) Quotes from

    Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cerelli   

                   FORGE

           April 2024

            Foundry

   United Methodist Church

        Washington, DC



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******


     A WARM WELCOME

               to

       frankly speaking

  spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

      And What A Week!

 A wondrous community from

              Brazil

              Vietnam

              The Netherlands

              Nepal

              Morocco

              Germany

              Bangladesh

 among multiples of many more.

         So God to be One

              ******


 The Last Five Postings 

      Are Available

  by scrolling down 

  below this posting.


    FOURTH OF JULY

     OBSERVANCE

       Let's free 

  every enslavement 

      and share 

   every freedom

      we can.

     God Bless,

     Love to all,

     John Frank

      ******

  












Thursday, June 26, 2025

GARDEN


     FRIENDS

May I please have 

a word with you?


As many here know,

I am eighty-five.

I am also a rather 

mild mannered

  old fellow.

  However,

Given The Givens 

  right now, 

this posting and

some recent ones

  are decidedly 

  strong and 

straight forward,

not my usual fare.

That's because

frankly speaking

      is about

   "spirituality 

    for the street."


Out here on 

the streets 

of our striving

right now 

things are rough

getting rougher.

How do we walk 

these streets of stress?

That calls for 

     strong, 

straight forward

  spirituality.

I pray this is.

Thus the staunch 

tone and tenor.


Thanks for letting me

be as candid and clear

      as I can be.

     Much love,

     John Frank

       ******


 

Dear All of Us,

Here we go again! 

The Middle East roils 

in turmoil and tension.

It springs bad from wrong.

So, too, the fiery flames

of war: 

The Congo, 

Russia-Ukraine,

Isreal and Gaza, 

Isreal and Iran

Sudan ...

So, too, the trend 

to autocracies,

cultural dictatorship,

the global migration 

shift and crisis,

exclusionary nationalism,

Nature violated ... 

We need to see 

the patterned folly

from which it erupts

 

   The pattern

   shows that 

all through history, 

  and to this day, 

   one percent 

       of us

dominate and hoard 

 - power and stuff -

      check out 

the Bezo's wedding

     and weep. 

The one percent 

develop and indulge an

       upper class 

to manage things for them.

Bread and circus reward

      a middle class, 

some to secure and fight, 

others to grind out 

product and profit.

    The enslaved and 

    impoverished 

are herded to service 

dirty and demeaning, 

dumped in trash piles 

     of neglect.

Such evil is Empire.

     It wrongs.

     It’s into 

    full blown 

    wronging 

    right now.

 

What’s particular 

to our current plight 

are technologies of 

mass destruction 

(nuclear and AI) 

   the push for

   autocracies

 degradation of 

    Nature

      and 

   cultural 

 dictatorship

in the hands of 

the one percent.

They are not 

  innocent,

sweet, pure,

 choirboys.


It is said that asteroids 

whipped out the dinosaurs. 

We are close to

being whipped out by these

   myopic, heart, head,

       soul dulled

       narcissists 

          and 

     egomaniacs

      They are 

duping and doping

large swaths of many

       societies.

        

“Is there a prophet in the house?”

 

To get our grounded bearings,

let’s scroll back to our start up.

It was pretty darn good.

 

Genesis is the story 

of God’s delight.

    It portrays 

    an artisan 

ecstatically creative, 

lavishly generous.

“…and it was good, 

very good”, very God.

   

        The First Folks

            lived in a

      Garden of Delight

              Eden 

       from the Hebrew

            "eden" 

   "delight, pleasantness"


It didn’t stay that way.

Those First Folk

  gifted with 

God closeness,

entrusted with 

Creation’s Care 

    violated  

 gift and trust.

They walked 

the Garden 

with God.

They were blessed 

   with knowing 

    only good.

           For the 

ancient Hebrew writers 

       of Genesis

       "to know" 

         meant 

"intimate experience"

 At the genesis of us

          it was

        Paradise

          Bliss.

       All they 

      "knew" 

     was good.

      

              BUT

       They insisted on 

          "knowing" 

    its opposite, it's lack.

       The symbolic 

    tree of "knowing" 

     good and evil

             Their

 "intimate experience" 

             of

            evil

    that lack of good

     hurt like hell.

   Their self-exile 

 confirmed by God.

     Paradise lost.

   Entrusted with

   Creation Care, 

 they took it down

    with them.

   Now good 

  AND EVIL.

Place and people

  off balance.

         

We have "known" evil 

       ever since.

 

God Good got busy, 

formed a team to be 

“A light to the nations.”

From them sprung one, 

a God Good union of 

human and divine.

He came to recreate, 

right the wronged, 

repair the breech,

redeem, rebalance.


A whole new and 

wonderous community, 

a kin domain of

God Good people 

being repaired 

   and to be 

agents of repair,

was initiated.

It's ours for the

   Goodness

     of it.


While we have time, lets!!!

 

That will not be 

a top-down deal.

It will spring bottom up.

We need to unload 

the illusion that 

politicians, programs 

pundits, policies 

and military might,

can pull this off.


We need to stop fretting 

about the whole mess 

and get busy 

cleaning it up

as best we can 

where and 

as we are.

Fretting saps 

the life out of us 

and we are then 

"double done", 

unable to do 

what and where 

we can.

Remember, 

Jesus told us 

to carry our cross, 

      not his, 

nor everyone else's.

 

          To be 

faithful and effective 

we need to break free from 

soft, safe, domesticated, 

culturally conforming 

and acceptable, 

limp religiosity. 

Check the record.

It not only 

hasn’t been up to 

the task nor real enough.

It gets in the way and 

slows us down 

often and a lot.

“By their fruits…”

 

A way forward:

We find or form

     a small group

     of "all in" folks 

             for

     actual, practical, 

     Gospel living

        together.

We all deep dive into 

    divine intimacy.

We take real care 

    of each other.

We work our toes off 

    helping the needy.

We live justice.

We soak in scripture.

We worship, pray 

      and be a 

     Holy Communion.

We are deliberately

    counter cultural.

We thrive in 

     a modest lifestyle.

We reverence and 

     care for Nature.

We let The Spirit 

     turn where and 

     how we live 

         into a

      Garden of 

 God Love Lived

    through us.

As more and more 

just plain folks do so, 

earth well be canopied 

    right and real,

a freshness and beauty

right in the midst of

      dark, dirty

       Empire


“Thy kin domain come 

  on earth as in heaven.”

               a

         Garden 

            of 

  God Love Lived

         ******


         REMINDER

       frankly speaking

        is now posted

        THURSDAY 

      AFTERNOONS

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      Next Posting

       Thursday

    July 3, 2025


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Friday, July 4, 2025

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Lots and Lots

of new friends

have joined us 

     lately

particularly many 

      from

     Brazil

The Netherlands

    Vietnam

    Russia

   Argentina

  and a first ever 

    group from 

    Ecuador

Many from many 

other lands have 

     as well 

 and well it is!

 WELCOME

      ALL


LAST FIVE POSTINGS

     AVAILABLE

      by scrolling 

         down

       beneath 

   this posting


How great to be part of 

         God's 

    Rebalancing

     Love to all.

     God Bless,

     John Frank


                   frankly speaking

               spirituality for the street

           johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

                       ******