thesoulpurposedotorg

I’ve been reading two books with seemingly opposite points of view. The first, If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person is a short some what rambling description of two Quaker pastor’s journeys into embracing universal grace. The second, Facing East: A Pilgrims Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy by Frederica Matthewes-Green is a year, a liturgical year in the life of a convert to Eastern Orthodoxy. These are excerpts from each – the first a vision of heaven; the second a description of beginning such heaven on earth.

“This work of reconciliation must continue until every last person is redeemed. I do not know where we will sit at the final banquet, but I suspect who will sit beside us. On our right will sit the person whom we have harmed the most. On our left will sit the person who has done the greatest evil to us. We will be seated between grace received and grace required.” If Grace Is True p. 190

This description continues in such a way that every person in that gathered church recieves and gives forgiveness to every other person.

“Each interchange is an intimate moment, and I feel on the wobbly border between embarrassment, laughter and tears. Just to pause and look at each fellow worshiper for a momment, to see the individual there, is itself a startling exercise.” Facing East p. 19-20

I don’t believe in eternal damnation in the sense of hell-fires to which God condemns anyone who doesn’t quite get the forgiveness of Christ. I actually agree with the premise of Philip Gulley and James Mulholland in describing the vast and unlimited love of God for all of creation. However, I struggle with this. There are clearly consequences for our actions or lack thereof. And this life certainly is connected with the life after this one – the eternal timelessness. I think it has to do with who or what is God to us. I like C.S. Lewis view of this in The Great Divorce described well by the Jolly Blogger:

“The best way I can describe this book is to say that it is an allegorical study of the psychology of the hell-bound vs the psychology of the heaven-bound.”

I keep reading about Eastern Orthodox worship and practice. I’ve even attended one Sunday service. It seems to be a way to live heaven on earth. Heaven is experienced here and now and Heaven is a demanding place as well as a lucious celebration of love and grace. Except for one thing – patriarchy reigns. God is decidedly male and culturally bound to medieval times from what I can see.

And so I continue to seek heaven on earth and to live in ways that testify to this. Living out God’s grace is not a foo-foo thing to do. It’s demanding, much more demanding than hell.

A few days of a cold turned in to a couple of weeks of moderate misery! A reminder, once again, that health is a fragile and lovely gift. But then, illness has it’s lessons as well. I re-read a short book I wrote for my children during this time and am thinking I just might try to re-write it for an audience greater than two. I called it “Vessels of Grace” and wrote about the lessons of life that I have learned through my various and asundry ill-health and personal failures. Here’s an excerpt on Giving and Receiving

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the
Lord Jesus himself said:
`It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:34-35 NIV

“She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Mark 14: 8-9 NIV

“It is better to give than receive” are the words of common wisdom. I would add to these words, “It is easier to give than receive.” Contrary to popular wisdom, the experience of receiving often leaves one feeling vulnerable, lesser than the giver, dependant, perhaps even helpless. The receiver usually has no say in what is given. The giver has the power and the choices.
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I think I have to postpone this year for a bit. Is that possible? I have some sort of virus and my brain is on pause. Perhaps traveling 2200 miles in 12 days to visit family and friends was a bit much for this old body. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Friends, whether relatives or not, are worth the time and effort and a few days of blowing my nose. Happy New Year to all of you. May we each become the peace on earth we so desire.

An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me…It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, pride and superiority. The other wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside of you and every other person too.”

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied…”The one I feed.”

On the mystical paths, there are a variety of disciplines (see Mystical Christianity). Eastern Christian mysticism speaks specifically about the ascetic life. This is the life of the monastery where part of the monastic orders are to “do without” so to speak.

A teacher of such spiritual matters clarified for me what this means for those of us who are not monastics. It seems that the discipline of the “householder” is not that of asceticism but that of generosity. I have found this concept very helpful.

I come from a generous family with parents who demonstrated generosity to each of us, to our friends, to our neighbors…actually, even now, if they know of a need they can fulfill, they will do so. They have been good examples to me. But the “discipline of generosity” has less to do about things than about an attitude. For example, in my marriage, I practice this discipline by looking for ways to care for my husband rather than ways to get my own needs met. In my reactions to others, rather than “reacting” I say a silent prayer: “Lord Bless” and then listen. Listening to another, truly listening deeply to what they are saying and not to what I am thinking about what they are saying, is perhaps the most profound gift of generosity.

It’s called the “Discipline of Generosity” because like any other discipline is doesn’t come naturally. It takes practice and choosing, failing and trying again.

Bethlehem more than a manger scene

By Phil Haslanger
The Capital Times
Dec. 24, 2005

On greeting cards, in Christmas carols, in nativity scenes the images of
Bethlehem that the world clings to are those of a small town, a crowded inn,
a quiet night punctuated by the sounds of animals and later the voices of
shepherds.
But even 2,000 years ago, Bethlehem was a more complex place than
that. Today, it stands at the junction of the conflict between Israel and
Palestine with a forbidding security wall snaking through its streets.
Yet a visit to Bethlehem last month found a city that could still
revel in the many strains of religious tradition that have made it far more
than simply a place to remember the birth of Jesus. Consider a few images
from that week.
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We attended a Christmas Eve service at a Canadian German Lutheran Church last night. The church itself is glorious in it’s beauty with the stories of Christ painted in pastels on the ceiling, angels, cherebim and seriphim standing in attendance in the alcoves. The pipes of the organ sorrounded the congregation, the voices of the choirs and the congregation raised in joy and expectation, children pointing at the sights and sounds, poinsettas arranged in tree shapes, violins and flutes…just awesome. Just awesome. But best of all, our sharing the moment with our only grandaughter cuddled on our laps.

Wishing you all a Christmas in which your hearts expand to feel the uncompromising, unconditional, patient and generous Love to which you belong.

It is Christmas Eve and all is well with my soul. Life has begun to flow easily for me, not so much struggle, far more grace. It wasn’t always this way.As I reflect on how I got to this place, I remember one very wise counselor who told me at age 24 to “lean into the pain.” There were layers of things for me to lean into with each episode of despair. Sometimes it would take months or years of facing myself, seeing the dark stuff, braving the fear, tolerating the anxiety, riding the pain like a wave, not knowing it would come to an end. And then I’d have a grand “ah-ha!” Once I could see whatever truth there was for me to see, I could not shut my eyes to it again. But always a struggle – I have not gone gently through this life. I’ve wrestled and questioned and fought back and wondered and resented and wanted to understand the mysteries, fascinated with the paradoxes, the contradictions, the messiness of it all.

It is counter-intuitive to lean into pain. I have a physical pain disorder and I can give strong witness to the difficulty of leaning into the pain, relaxing into it rather than running from it or becoming bitter. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is above all to me, God leaning into our pain – diving into human misery and despair, living it with us, fully embracing our limited sight, our inability to sense the generosity of the universal joy that sorrounds and supports us. God dives into this all, this messy mix of life, and dives deeply, deeply with us that we might wake up and taste the sweetness of it all.

Brahmanism: This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.: Mahabharata 5:1517

Christianity: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.: Matthew 7:12

Islam: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother what which he desires for himself. Sunnah

Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.: Udana Varga 5:18

Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not to your fellowmen. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.: Talmud, Shabbat 31:a

Confucianism: Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.: Analects 15:23

Taoism: Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.: T’ai Shag Kan Ying P’ien

Zoroastrianism: That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good: for itself. : Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5

Courtesy of Doug Hunt