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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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
******
