Dear All of Us,
Bill
The Bard Boy
of
Avon
penned
life
playing
itself out.
He scripted
life
comedic to tragic,
As You Like It
or don't.
So are we
as we
play out
our spiritual lives
and
there's a lot of
"AS"
to how
we script it
and how it
plays out
Spirit Script
Play Prompt:
First of all
and always
we deal with
God
and all that is
AS IS
not
as we wish it were
as we think it should be
as we're trying to make it be
as it used to be
as we hope it will be
as social pressure pushes it to be
as media presents/mispresents
as pop culture persuades
as spiritual fashions proliferate
if not pontificate
as pride and/or fear demand.
If we do, we are either
dancing with the wrong partner
or
playing God.
NEITHER WORKS
BOTH DEBILITATE
They slow, misdirect,
waste our spirits
and
the God Good
that wells up
deep down
from our
God base
and emanates
from us.
Our soul's
Reality Check
is first of all
and always
are we
dealing directly
with everything
self
other
object
condition
cause
place
people
and
most of all
GOD
AS IS
That's the
first connection
if there is to be
connection.
When it comes to
God
the first thing
we do is
is align with
with God
as God presents,
as God gives himself -
God
AS IS
As an old man now,
I see so clearly
in the rear-view mirror
how I wasted years of
spiritual energy
and grace
trying to be a
spiritual success
with a god that isn't,
a god I had to achieve,
a god for whom I had to perform,
a god denominationally defined demanding -
a god quest
up to me,
powered by me,
directed by me,
mega-watts
of soulful
Strum und Drang.
All kinds
of intensity
to be Holy
to rack up
promotion points:
fasting, self-denial,
mortifications,
pious practices
tripping over
each other,
read every syllable
of Merton and
a whole library
of writers on
the spiritual life
best seller list,
lots of monastery stays,
numerous spiritual
retreats and workshops,
tries upon tries at being
constantly conscious
and responsive to
the presence of God,
grasping at contemplation,
a full court press to win
the Biggie - to be a
spiritual super star -
MYSTIC
Was I ever misaligned.
God just patiently waited
for me
to fall in line,
to fall in love,
accept his embrace
as he offers it
when and where
He offers it -
the smile of a baby,
sticking with
someone
writhing in chaos,
in a phrase of scripture,
in the affection and also
in the needs of
spouse and children,
awash in the
ebb and flow of chant,
in cooking a dinner
that goes just right,
during prayerful intimacy,
in Nature revealing and reveling,
transfixed in the arts,
making love,
as per Matthew 25:31-46
in feeding the hungry,
(body, soul, psyche)
in caring for the sick,
(bodily, emotionally)
in visiting the imprisoned,
(the isolated in
nursing homes)
in welcoming the stranger,
(the newbie at work
or in the land)
in a tiny acorn
in the mighty oak,
and ...
Now,
like a child
I simply
stop, look and listen.
I follow
the
words and way
of Jesus
AS IS
The Gospels
pure and simple
The conditions,
direction,
timing, tempo,
experience and results
are God's not mine.
Whatever
Whenever
However
It is beautifully freeing
to
God Go
not
me go
(as in ego)
and that
nowhere fast.
God has been
incarnate
face forward,
heart warm
to me
in my
Mother and my Wife,
my daughters, relatives,
friends. associates,
all the way to the
cashier at the supermarket.
I have been
immensely blessed
by Richard Rohr
and
Franciscan
Spirituality.
They help me
understand
and align with
Jesus
and
Kingdom Life
AS IS
in the
Gospels
not in
highly processed
spiritual food fads
or with heavy
church cultural
overlays.
I am also
profoundly
blessed
by my
Spirit Brother.
He and I
Soul Huddle
every Saturday
seeking to
align with God -
God and us
AS IS
Yet another blessing -
I am immersed
in for real
spiritual community.
We are a bunch of
all sorts of us
slowly saying yes
to God
AS IS
All of what
I share here
about myself is not
at all proscriptive.
It is offered
in witness
and support.
There are other
spiritual kin,
other for real
Gospel Communities,
other Richard Rohr's,
other traditions of
responding to God
AS IS
May we all
get out of
our own way
and
while we're at it,
get in
God's "Way"
and let
God be God,
loving us to life,
joyous life,
Gospel Life,
Kingdom Life,
God life
AS IS
offered in the
Gospels
and
Kingdom Living
May we be
a wide open
YES
writ large
played out
in God
AS IS
******
So good for all of us
to be here together
AS IS
ONLINE POSTINGS
Thursdays
East Coast USA time
LAST FIVE POSTINGS
AVAIABLE
by
scrolling well down
beneath
this posting
LENT LEAD
Should you care for a
Second Cup Of Blog,
please do brew up
a bracer for
LENT
SWAP OUT
Judgment jawing
for
affirmative accents.
Buzz
for
chill.
Demolition derbies
for
barn raisings.
Jealousy
for
diversity
relish.
Grouch'n
for
Glow'n.
Gotta have
for
can't wait
sharing.
Anger
for
pulse
positive.
Downer
for
delighter.
Attention grabs
for
others promotion.
Ticked off
for
harmony
hum.
Injustice
for
RIGHT
on.
Social apathy
for
all in
participation.
Soul slough
for
Spirit vigor.
Anxiety
for
"In God
we trust."
Selfish
for
share
and
help.
Media mania
for
calm beauty.
As we
stop look listen
this
Lent
may we catch on to,
get caught up in
Spirit Connection
aligned right tight
with God
AS IS
******
Every goodness.
See you next week.
Love to all.
God Bless,
John Frank
******
WELCOME
to
frankly speaking
spirituality for the street
johnfrankshares.blogspot.com
*
