ONBOARDING

Dear All of Us,

Imagine someone 

having coffee 

in the airport restaurant

waiting for their flight to be called

and the flight is just that - in flight?

That person is going nowhere fast.

A lot of things in life can be like that.

The wait is a waste.

We're stalled still.

Sure, there are times and things 

that do require waiting.

We have to wait

for the shift to end,

for the kids to graduate.

for the tomatoes to ripen.

We absolutely do not have to wait 

for real and robust wholeness, 

as in holiness, 

as in divine intimacy,

as in joyous community,

as in grace full discipleship,

as in Spirited justice doing,

as in vigorous regeneration

    of self, society and all creation,

            right now life in

        THE KINGDOM OF GOD

     

        "Thy kingdom come " 

          has & is coming,

            Matthew 6:19

            "I tell you, 

 now is the time of God's favor, 

 now is the day of salvation."

        2 Corinthians 6:2

"...the Kingdom of God 

is in your midst." 

        Luke 17:21

"Repent for the 

Kingdom of Heaven 

is at hand."

Mathew 4:17

The flight plan  

filed and followed is 

The Be-Altitudes,

The Sermon on the Heights.

Sad to see and say

too many Church people 

are stranded still in a

  not now, not yet 

    KINGDOM

  ONBOARDING

They are stuck 

trying to earn

reward miles for an 

after death take off and

missing the divine flight of 

       Right Now.

There's no earning to it

and no waiting for it.

There's only extraordinary

offer and immediacy.

The offer is for a

completely countercultural

freedom and flourishing, 

      an uplifting 

sky high and unending,

divine incorporation.

The acceptance is a

      Lived Yes

   to divinization

in a community of 

     adhesion 

to God, each other,

    all Creation. 

The ancients called it

       Theosis   

The air fare is accepting

the flow of God Good

        in us,

    through us 

    for others.

Active Onboarding

When we follow 

the flight pattern

we see a panorama of 

joyous good, 

things like;

- a lightness, a lite-ness,

  free from the drag of

  "gotta have" getting,

  ego defensiveness,

  Empire's anti-culture

  distracting us to death

 - a wondrous merger

        with the 

        Mystery

      that is God

 - Deeper and fuller

     togetherness

        with all 

    in our shared

    Creation Flight 

- a tender toughness

  resisting social injustices

- a pouring out of 

  self and means for

  The Common Good

- for real and felt

  spiritual community, 

  the sweet and sweaty of it.

 The heck with 

"not yet, not now"

   wasting still.

Our Flight Divine Delight

          is now

     ONBOARDING

        ******

There's open seating

            for all

        here at 

   frankly speaking

    as we take off

          for

      THEOSIS

  Welcome Aboard

NEXT ONLINE POSTING

Tuesday morning/afternoon

East Coast USA time

June 3, 2025

NEXT EMAIL DELIVERY

Friday

June 6, 2025

Sign Up top above right

All the best.

Love to all. 

God Bless,

Up, Up and 

Away We Go.

John Frank

 ******

    

 

OFFER

Dear All of Us,   

Lots and lots of life ago

I had a student in class

whose father was 

a major Mafioso Boss.

That was a challenge!

It's also a story 

probably not for 

another day.

A bit more tame was

having a different student 

in another class

who had a bit part  

in the movie, 

The God Father. 

With ever more rampant

cerebral stall out 

in this my dotage, 

I can't remember his name. 

What I do ever so clearly 

remember, though, 

is that telltale, tell-all line 

in the movie spoken by

the Mafioso Chieftan, 

Don Corleone:

 "I'll make him an offer

  he can't refuse."   

Refuse it and you die.

That's in absolute and direct

opposition to Jesus and his

            OFFER

            to us

Accept it and do we ever live!

Jesus offers us himself as our 

lifesaving and life-giving 

          Sheperd 

         That's an 

          OFFER

we don't want to refuse.

     John 10:1-18

"I have come that

you might have life

and have it to the full." 

   John 10:1-18

 Accept and we live 

full torque, 

all eight cylinders,

an unstoppable forever 

of God Good 

Kingdom Life.

Me-ism, commercialism,

a culture of consumption, 

mass media's and Empire's 

indoctrination of diabolic lies,

arrogance and social pressure

        rival for our 

attention and acceptance. 

    Do so and we die 

into a forever nothingness

           and 

that so sadly sure would be

              Hell

   Could have been,

    never will be.

Our whole life,

how we live it,

speaks our 

choice and 

consequent forever.

There are no 

two ways about it.

We can't straddle a

        YES

trying to live both

the lie of Empire

and life in the

Kingdom of God.

That attempt 

at compromise 

has stalled

and neutered 

Christianity terribly 

over the centuries.

So, faithfully, religiously, 

driving to church 

every Sunday,

and that in a

high end set of wheels. 

doesn't quite cut it for 

thy Kingdom coming.

That rattles,

challenges, 

cushy, comfortable 

church goers, 

and yet it's 

God Gospel true.

 "It is easier for a camel 

  to go through 

  the eye of a needle 

  than for a rich person 

  to enter the 

  kingdom of God." 

  Mark 10:24-25

Accepting Jesus' offer

is not primarily nor mostly

a matter of moral purity 

and orthodox belief. 

We all stumble 

and stammer 

over those.

What matters is

      FAITH

Faith is lived trust,

a cohesion, a oneness

with God in Jesus.

We entrust ourselves

flat out, fully. 

We accept a folding in.

We follow, 

give ourselves over

to Jesus and 

let ourselves 

be filled with 

the life and love

He is and gives us.

       

Out here on 

the street 

of everyday life

that means 

a spirituality 

      of

   All in All 

     Yes

      to 

discipleship 

    and

community 

lived out really, 

practically, vigorously 

          in

our value system,

our employment,

our lifestyle,

our address,

our car,

our wardrobe,

our entertainments,

our recreations and vacations,

our "collectables"

our friendships

our portfolio 

our meditation and prayer

our soaking in scripture

our sharing of time and means

our care of others in their needs

our media morals

our robust Christian community life

our earth care

our dedication to social justice

our home life and friendships

  

In short it is not 

       WWJD

What Would Jesus Do.

Way, way better it is

        WJID

What Jesus Is Doing

       for us 

       in us

       through us

       really

       personally

       practically

       communally

 right here and now. 

And that is inclusion in 

The Kingdom of God, 

            a 

       Spirit Life

     in community

     joyous

     positive

     creative

     regenerative

     divinely intimate

     altruistic

     generous

     vigorous

     strongly gentle

     fulfilling and fulfilled

     care full

     one with all that is

     God and Creation centered

     open 

     justice dedicated

     given and giving

It's reaping,

experiencing,

   living,

delighting 

     in 

the fruits of 

the Spirit:

   love

   joy

   peace

   patience

   kindness

   goodness

   faithfulness

   gentleness

   self-control

Galatians 5:22-23

        WOW!!

No two ways about it.

     What an

      OFFER

     ****** 

     Together

     here at 

 frankly speaking

 we are sharing a

       YES

 to Jesus' Offer.

    We live it in 

many ways and lands.

We articulate it

in many and varied

accents of response.

 We welcome and support

             ALL

           in our 

    Affirmation of Yes

          ******

NEXT ONLINE POSTING

Tuesday morning/afternoon

East Coast USA time

MAY 27, 2025

NEXT EMAIL DELIVERY

Friday

May 30, 2025

Sign Up above top right

LAST FIVE POSSTINGS

      AVAILLABLE

 Simply scroll down

       beneath

    this posting

       ******

  A Major League

      THANKS

    for sharing 

 frankly speaking

    with others

      ******

                 As a 

             Memorial 

   this weekend let's deepen 

     our commitment to

     The Peace of Christ

 Great to be together.

       Thanks for 

the wonderful company.

See you next week.

      All the best.

      Love to ALL.

       God Bless

       John Frank

      frankly speaking

    spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

             ******

            

                                                                            

FINAL EXAM

Dear All of Us,

Remember those 

good old student days

about this time of year?

It sure felt great to be 

wrapping up the academics 

and heading for

summer vacation. 

For me and many, though, 

that good feeling was tinged 

with a degree of angst, 

 most notably and formidably 

               the

  

         FINAL EXAM

    So much rode on it.

I not too fondly remember

The New York State Regents.

Course work didn't count.

The grade for the year 

was exclusively that of

       The Regents

           the

       Final Exam

Well, the memory 

of that angst factored 

into the teaching 

I did later in life.

For instance,

I taught World Religions

at Centenary University

for the first five years 

of my retirement.

Loved those kids.  

More than a few of them 

every semester would ask,

half humorously, 

half hopefully,

 "Professor, 

  what questions 

  will be on the 

  final exam?"  

          I told them. 

Those questions addressed 

the core of the course.

Answer them completely 

and you sure qualify to pass.

Jesus does that for us. 

It's literally Gospel

(Matthew 25:31-46)

With the clearest of candor, 

He tells us 

there will be a

 

  Final Exam

and exactly and 

comprehensively 

what questions 

will be on it 

and how it will be 

 

      scored

       and 

    

      mark 

       our 

    forever.

Jesus shares that 

we answer  

those questions

by enacting 

our responses

in the right now, 

in the right here.

Jesus keeps it 

simple, clear 

and oh so definitive:

   The way we treat others 

       in their needs

  

        is exactly 

     how we treat, 

     how we relate, 

     how we connect 

          with 

          God

     

Others and their needs 

 are where and how 

 we connect with God

now and its consequent 

        forever.

         It's a

        Match 

         Its a

       Oneness

      

   That Oneness 

     in our now 

    graduates to 

  unending oneness 

 with God in glorious 

   Forever Fullness

  

To mess or miss 

others in need 

in this now and here

        is to 

mess and miss God 

     in horrid 

               

Nothingness Forever

To skip over or trivialize 

the questions on our

    FINAL EXAM

undercuts any 

and all efforts 

at spirituality

no matter how trendy,

no matter how esoteric, 

no matter how devotional,

no matter how ascetical.

Ours sure is a 

"spirituality for the street."

All along life's way 

and its intersections

God is waiting for us 

in the needs of others.

The homeless, 

the beggar for sure.

Just as surely, though, 

the needy 

in our own home, 

at work,

sitting next to us 

on the plane, 

in our social circle.

Let's look around 

out here in 

the flow of now

for God awaiting 

our notice and loving care

in the least and lost,

those in need.  

Some of them are 

financially broke.

Some are

physically battered,

some psychically bent,

some even violently 

bend and break other.

Some of the 

MOST NEEDY

     though 

have lots of money, 

are socially and 

professionally 

well placed and are

painfully, desperately 

       

       NEEDY

Over the next whiles 

     let's do a 

 

  Finals' Review.

          

    

    Examples 

        of 

 

  key questions 

        and 

right real answers 

 follow below in our 

   FURTHERENCE

Praying us all a

passing grace grade. 

         Our 

    Final Exam 

     will have 

    everything 

  to do with our 

  FINAL FOREVER.

    ******

   

    

    FURTHERANCE 

  What's at question:

Are we open 

to life flowing 

to and through us

in the immediacies 

of right now,

to filling the emptiness, 

the need for it in others?

That life flow is God.

As it flows now 

it opens wider and fuller

to the ocean of 

Forever Life.

It would be 

a damming shame 

to damn it up.

How does/did 

the flow go?

"I was hungry and 

 you gave me food."

- We support local food banks 

  with at least as much as 

  we spend on 

  dining out and 

  on take out.

- We nourish those starved 

   for notice and inclusion 

   with time, invitation, attention.

- There are so 

   many hungry for 

   contact and 

   companionship. 

  

   We can visit 

   lonely elders,

   even have them 

   over for dinner.

   We can become a 

   Big Brother/Sister

   and feast a kid 

   on weekly 

   company, care, 

   love and activity.

"I was thirsty and 

 you gave me to drink."

- We can help quench 

  the thirst of those 

  

  seeking social justice 

  by voting into office 

  people of proven principle, 

  courage and 

  caring competency.

- We can walk a stretch 

  with a friend 

  who is in a 

  spiritual or emotional 

  desert. 

"I was a stranger and 

 you welcomed me."

- We make sure 

  the ugly duckling 

  in our social pond

  gets to be in 

  the swim of things.

- We are cordial 

  to those whom we peg as 

  somewhere between 

  weird and outstandingly so.

"I was naked and 

  you clothed me." 

- At work we stitch together

  cover for a colleague 

  needing extra time off 

  to deal with 

  a troubled teen. 

- We cover a car payment 

  for a friend out of work.

"I was sick and 

 you cared for me."

- We are patient with 

   a family member 

   stuck sick with depression.

- We baby sit for an exhausted 

  single parent.

"I was in prison and 

 you visited me."

- We correspond with 

   someone doing time.

- We organize an 

  Intervention 

  for a a family member 

  locked into addiction.

- We patiently stick 

  with a friend who is 

  an inmate of 

  self-absorption.

 Matthew 25:31-4

          is

well worth regular 

    attention 

 

       and

   discerning 

       the 

practical particulars

of lived response.

Now and forever 

    depend 

      on it.  

Seeing with eye and soul

             we 

 God Spot and Respond

       in the needy.

 

         ******

           WHAT A WEEK

  The Roman Catholic Church

     has been blessed with a

 

        Wonderful New Pope

          From our many 

             religious 

  locations and persuasions

 we pray clarity and courage for

          Pope Leo XIV

      "Ad multos annos"

       

        Last Week's Blog, 

         Embassy Day,

   focused on the richness

              

              and

         enrichment 

              of 

         our many 

   spiritual traditions.

        

       In tandem 

    is the blessing

        of our

 global togetherness

        here at 

  frankly speaking.

Last week we gathered 

  with sizable groups 

          from

  The Netherlands

     Singapore

 

     Vietnam

       USA

     Russia

     Brazil 

and sixteen other 

  homelands.

"How good and 

 pleasant it is 

 

  when we 

dwell together

  in unity."

  

Psalm 133

NEXT ONLINE POSTING

Tuesday morning/afternoon

East Coase USA time.

May 20, 2025

NEXT EMAIL DELIVERY

Friday

May 23, 2025

Thanks for sharing 

frankly speaking 

with others.

    

     ******

LAST FIVE POSTIGS

    AVAILABLE

      

         by

 

  scrolling down

     beneath

   this posting

See you next week.

All the best with the

    FINAL EXAM

     Here's to

     FLOW GO.

     Love to all.

   

     God Bless,

 

    John Frank

        

         frankly speaking

   spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

             ******

  

 

           

                 

EMBASSY DAY

  

     3 May 2025

    Dear All of Us,

     Today is the

     first Saturday

        of May.

       My wife 

       and our

  little Grand Son

      are out

     and about.

It's the annual

 EMBASSY DAY

     here in 

Washington, DC.

Grandma and Ollie

are going to

some of the

fifty or so 

embassies

that welcome folks

to come by for 

a visit, 

a cultural offering, 

a taste of 

their unique treats.

All sorts of all sorts

get to mix it up

in wide open welcome.

It's people positive plus.

It gets me to realizing that

  spiritually all of us are 

    embassy people.

We all represent, reflect

        to each other

            Reality

          Goodness

             God  

   variously experienced 

       and expressed 

        in wondrous

   accents of articulation,

     custom and culture.

    Our welcome widens

        and enriches.

            

           As the 

     United Methodist 

           put it

     "Open Hearts, 

      Open Minds, 

      Open Doors."

We invite others in.

Others invite us in.

 We greet, share, 

    visit, host

      Other

 in a rather divine 

 UNION of UNIQUES

Catholics have a lot 

to enrich Protestants.

The flip is sacred so.

     Same such

Jews, Orthodox,

Buddhists, Moslems, 

Sheiks, Hindus,

Indigenous

     and 

 welcome 

  blessed

   more.

Our spiritual lives 

  are just that - 

spiritual and ours.

We welcome the

enrichment of other

and offer ours

as we all share our

sightings and sayings 

         about

          The

 Source and Center

   The Ultimate

      Fullness

      Existence

       Reality

        God

     

         We 

      and our 

      spiritual 

    communities

         are

     embassies

          of

    enrichment.

 

FOR EXAMPLE:

"God is one."

   Jewish

"God is love."

  Christian

  

  All is One

    Sheik

"Does God only pucker 

 at certain moments 

     of one's life?

       No way!

He is the wildest of us

         lovers."

         Hafiz

          Sufi

"All is change 

in the world 

of the senses,

But changeless is

the supreme

Lord of Love.

Meditate on him,

be absorbed by him,

Wake up from this

dream of separateness."

   Shvetashvatara

     Upanishad

       Hindu

"You will not 

 be punished 

 for your anger, 

 you will 

 be punished 

 by your anger."

Gautam Budha

     Love 

     God, 

  neighbor, 

     self

Jesus Christ

"Let's state it clearly: 

One great idea of

the biblical revelation

is that God is manifest,

in the ordinary,

in the actual, 

in the daily,

in the now,

in the concrete

incarnations of life,

and not through 

purity codes and

moral achievement 

contest, which are 

seldom achieved anyway."

Richard Rohr

 Christian

"And while I stood there 

I saw more than I can tell, 

and I understood 

more than I saw, 

for I was seeing 

in a sacred manner 

the shapes of things 

in the spirit, 

and the shape 

of all shapes 

as they must 

live together like 

one being." 

Black Elk

Native American

"Therefore, we are 

 ambassadors 

 for Christ..."

 2 Corinthians 5:20

    Christian 

       

"Matter is spirit moving 

 slowly enough

 to be seen."

  Teilhard de Chardin

       Christian

  

"God asks one thing of us,

 that we get out of the way

 and let God be God in us."

      Meister Eckhart

         Christian

   Happily and spiritually 

      Embassy Day 

         means

       we share 

     who and how

        we are

enriching each other

   

     Embassy Day 

       happens

      everyday,

    lots of ways,

    lots of places,

       among 

    lots of people.

        

      Embassy Day

            is

      ONEDERFUL

        ******

Our little Embassy Day here

                at

       frankly speaking

this past week was blessed 

with a profusion of visitors 

               from  

           Singapore

       The Netherlands

             Russia

              USA

  and many much other.

          WELCOME

    ONLINE POSTING

Tuesday morning/afternoon

East Coast USA time

     NEXT POSTING

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

NEXT EMAIL DELIVERY

      May 16, 2025

Sign Up top right above

           HIGH FIVE

        to all who share

          with others

       frankly speaking

   spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

LAST FIVE POSTINGS AVAILABLE

                    by

        scrolling down beneath

             this posting

        Have a great week.

            Love to all.

           God Bless,

           John Frank

            ******