Reading the Psalms

If you are ever in need of inspiration, open up the book of psalms and start reading. In there you will find  a whole array of human emotions, from joy to anger, hope to despair, gratitude to questioning God and his ways.

I'd like to share what I read this morning from psalm 91: You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, Say to the Lord, "My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust."

I love the image of abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. It implies being so close to God that you are never farther away than a shadow can throw, and you are there "abiding" meaning, that's your regular spot. That image reminds me how as kids we tended to stay close to mom or dad, just because it felt safer. We sensed if they were close, nothing bad could happen to us.

Abiding also implies sensing a presence. For us mortals, that sense has to be a gut sense, an intuition, an awareness of something not seen. Becoming aware of God makes us also aware of the spiritual. And that leads us into a whole new realm of life.

I'd love to know what psalms you opened to this morning, and your thoughts on them.

The Lessons of Nature

Fall. Funny how a time when things are preparing for sleep is also the time of harvest. I never experience fall without being reminded of my youth, when we spent autumn picking apples and making cider at our apple farm.

Perhaps it is a lesson for life-that when life seems to be dying it is also preparing fruit. I for one prefer sunshine and mild weather. But I also know that apples cannot grow unless they have a certain amount of dormant days. Without that "rest" they simple cannot rejuvenate. And dormant days for apple orchards mean freezing temperatures.

Nature gives us so many lessons. That's why stillness and quiet in nature can be very instructive. Take can apple, and sit where you can imbibe the energy of nature around you, and learn.

Being A Single Voice

Echos. They fascinate us. Sometimes they do more...they draw us into a "following" mode. Now being a follower is not bad. But it isn't authentic either. When you are following someone, you are not being your best self.

To be authentic means to be brave enough to learn who you really are, when no one is around, when you are in your room by yourself, when there is no danger of criticism or shock or dismay. For we all fear the reaction we will receive if people really knew us.

We are meant to be clear, single voices. Each person has her part to sing. And when we sing our part, clearly and unabashedly, the melody only becomes more beautiful.

What happened to our dreams?

We all once had the desire to follow a dream. It's what propelled us forward. Think of yourself as a kid, and the daydreams you once had.

What happened?

Did you seek out that dream until you found it? Or did life get in your way?

Braulio of Saragossa writes for everything that is thought over and  meditated frequently becomes easier. (201).

Let us not forgo a dream because life has become difficult. Instead, let us think of that dream more often. In so doing, we gain the strength to step forward into making it happen. Meditating on such things will clarify our vision, strengthen our courage, energize our desires. And what is life if we are not pursuing a dream? It is old, bitter, and brittle.

Life is not a Tragedy

Attitudes toward life color everything we see and do. L Giussani writes Life is not a tragedy. Tragedy is what makes everything amount to nothing. Yes, life is a drama. It is dramatic because it is the relationship between our I and the You of God, our I that must follow the steps which God indicates. (343)

 The I and the You of God. We balance our whole lives on that phrase. In seeking God, we must not forget we are uniquely made and that our I will live forever. In caring for the I, we must not forget we are made for God.

The I is likened to the tree planted near running  water (God) that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. (Ps. 1) 

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

Self-reflection. A way to look into the soul. No personal growth, no hidden treasure can be found without it. It requires more than stillness and silence. Nor is it a habit of comparison. Rather, it is a communication of mind and soul, a quiet dialogue with the self and God, a pause that ponders more than judges.

Self-reflection makes us wiser, calmer, more assured of who we are. It makes us less judgmental because we look at both sides of a story, and know that no one is totally innocent, so no one should bear all the blame.

Self-reflection requires courage, because what we find isn't always what we want to see. But that is the glory of it; we learn the truth about ourselves, which helps us shed the oblivious "me" of our dreams.  Such shedding reveals a very organic honesty, one that  refreshes simple because it is authentic. And isn't that what we all want?

Seeking the Deity Within

Recently someone shared with me the difficulty she had seeking  her true self. "I'm afraid to look inside of myself for fear of what I  might find," she admitted.

We often feel that way without realizing it.  We look for fulfillment outside of ourselves when we have a great treasure right inside our soul. Not that we don't need the outside stimulus or activity. Simply put, what it offers us pales to what we already have.

I admit, this is a hard concept to swallow. I too look for recognition, accolades, growth from the outside. I read constantly in an effort to learn more about myself and my journey. I forget that right in my soul is a Deity waiting patiently for me so that we can get to know one another better.

Its like having a great car, gas tank full, all the whistles and stops. And I look for something else to pull that car. Maybe a donkey,or a mule, or even a dog. All the time, the key is in the car, and if I would just sit down and turn the key, I would find the car has its own power to move.

True, all these thoughts require a certain balance.  But I still believe, we forget about the Deity within us, waiting to share with us the secrets of our hearts that even we aren't aware of.

Self-reflection in Spiritual Vision

How many times in life do see or hear of someone trying to "fix" a situation? Countless. It's almost as though we believe life should be smooth, and when it isn't our job should be to "fix" it.

We bring that attitude to our life of faith. Faith should bring comfort, should bring peace, should make life "easy". After all, we believe. But faith doesn't remove all difficulties in life. The road of faith is full of rocks, bumps, confusion and darkness. Does that mean we are lacking in faith? Far from it. But if our goal is only to "fix" things when they are rough, then we miss the gifts waiting for us in the end.

Sometimes the things that happen are "messages" for us to hear. If we look at them as problems, we miss the message. To see them as message means to stop the flow, take stock, listen, be still, and ponder. It means to examine the problem or difficulty, and self-reflect. In fact, I would be so bold as to say, no true faith can exist without self-reflection.

Faith is not your ticket to heaven. Faith is the ability for you to transform a very tangible, worldly view into one of insight into the unknown and spiritual world. We cannot achieve such insight if our very attitude is geared to "fixing" all life's problems. Some problems exist to teach us something about ourselves. When looked at from this point of view, we open our souls to greater spiritual vision. And spiritual vision, that is faith.

Sailing the Sea of Life through Surrender

Recently I listened to a talk given by Richard Rohr. It really blew me away. Rohr looks at life as though he could visibly see the spiritual world. And, the insights he offers are quite challenging.

One of his challenging concepts is the idea of perfection. We always want to climb higher, he says. Yet, if we read the gospels, Jesus never said anything about climbing higher. He spoke of becoming little, of being humble, of carrying the cross. Rohr says we should take note of this, that what Jesus is asking is not for us to accomplish some great work, but to have the faith and trust for a total surrender. Surrender is not a "giving up" but an active "letting go" of those things that bind us, tie us down, keep us from following The Way.

Surrender requires vision, honesty, truth and faith. It consist in refusal to settle for the trinkets life offers us and believe that there is more, if we just continue to stretch ourselves. Surrender goes hand in hand with the unsettled soul that cannot find rest in the here and now. Surrender lets go of the hurts or slights, refusing to clutch that which can embitter. Surrender is like casting off from the dock, knowing God is the wind in our sail, and our job is to use the rudder to find the path destined for us.

All of this is very abstract. Yet, we start with what is in our mind, and work to get our spirit to follow.

The Journey Reveals only what we Accept

Honesty. It is so necessary in our lives, our spiritual even more than our temporal. Honesty requires awareness. None of us can step back and look at ourselves and see what is really there. Not at first. It takes years of self-reflection, evaluation, discussion. Honestly must start with ourselves.

Honesty must also direct our relationships with those we hold dear in any way. To have a relationship that reaches beyond the superficial requires a trust that allows me to share with another my authentic self. To do so, I must trust in her ability to respect who I am. Such trust invites reciprocity, begets transparency, and yields honest conversations.

This brings us to our relationship with God. 1 John 4:20 says for the one who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. Our ability to be honest with a brother, sister, friend, partner really affects how honest we truly are with God. For the pattern begins with the tangible here, and only an authentic relationship will teach us how to relate with the God we cannot see.


I believe the first step really begins with myself. My ability to see God depends on my own honesty with self. It's as though the looking glass to God is me, and until I clean the mirror, I cannot find the God within. The cleaning solution is honesty, a true sense of myself, an acceptance of the who I really am.

In  effect, our journey can only reveal to us what we are first willing to accept.

Sharing the Joys of Journey

Recently I attended a conference on Meditation. The meeting was open to all faiths and beliefs. As I listened to others speak about their meditation practices, I realized more clearly just how necessary it is to be on a journey to understand what it is all about. If you aren't on the journey, then such things as faith, silence, destination will mean little. It would be like watching cricket while having no clue to the rules or purpose of the game. Interesting, perhaps, but not exciting.

To be excited about the journey, one needs practical experience of it. But there is something more...those of us actively pursuing our journeys need to share our thoughts and goals with one another. Such sharing enriches, comforts, encourages, enlightens, and generally assists.

I encourage you to share your journey with someone. Talk about the process, the humiliating failures (they can be quite comical), the deep insights, the joy of pursuing something as wonderful as God. By sharing your journey, you can reap rich rewards.

Finding the Answers

Answers. We all want to know. So it was with keen interest that I listened to a speaker tell the group that if you comb the gospels, you will not find Jesus offering any answers, but instead, he keeps the dialogue going. I haven't combed the scripture, but this sounds to me just the kind of thing Jesus would do.

Answers prove both helpful and harmful. When we battle with a question, we seek with a unique earnestness.  That in itself is healthy for our soul, so long as we do not become neurotic. But there are many questions in life we cannot answer. Continuing the dialogue helps us to understand the question more fully, to live the question, and to grow in the question. You may ask, what's the point?

The point is that sometimes questions are more important than answers, simple because there is more than one answer to that question. Or, the answer for you is different than the answer to someone else. Or if you think you have the answer, you will cease searching.

Some of our greatest writings  and discoveries came from someone seeking answers. John Powell said many years ago, first we must live the questions. Then, when the answer comes, we will understand it.

Followers of The Way

Followers of The Way. That's what early believers called themselves.  It was that simple, it was that hard. But it best told the story.

In our sophisticated day and age, we are wary of such simplicity. And yet, life bears stripping down to the bare bones.  All truth does. Because  the more you elaborate truth, the harder it is to find. And anything that is true can and will come through all stripping.

In our own lives, we do well to find the bare necessities of our belief.  Those are the rock bottom pillars that root us in our life. How do we sort through all the doctrine, theology, and ritual that clutter our faith? It is not easy. But daily meditation, daily reflection, daily prayer will show the way.

Finding our Dream

We are all on a journey, whether we are conscious of it or not. In his book, The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho addresses this issue. He chronicles a young man and his dreams. In the beginning, all the boy wants is to be a shepherd. This is not the trade of his father or family. This is something he chose for himself, and he works hard to buy sheep and leave all he knows to travel around his country, selling his wool. He is happy, for a time. But then something happens to change all that: he has a dream.

In his dream, there is greater treasure to be found, but not in his land. He must go to Egypt. The boy is troubled, and seeks advise and counsel. All point to the same truth: if you want to really fulfill your dream, you will have to take the steps necessary, even if that means great sacrifice. The boy sells his sheep, and armed with this money, sails for the coast of Africa. He barely arrives when he is robbed of everything. It could be the end of this story, but it is not. He takes a job working for a crystal shop, learns how to read omens, and saves up enough money to continue his journey. Where most of us might give up, he goes forward.

In Coelho's story, this is just one of many trials that the boy encounters. On and on the boy goes, never letting the difficulties or dangers he faces keep him from following his dream. As he moves, he grows, changes, intuits more and more, and does in fact come to find his treasure. When he discovers it, he finds the best aspect of his journey is the change he experiences within himself.

Our journey is unique to each of us. Failure will happen on our journey, and threaten to end it all. It is for us to continue to hope and believe, to continue forward in another direction, to never give up. Such are the things great women and men are made of. Such is the goal of our lives. And in this very goal, we will become transformed.

Vulnerable Light

Silverdale, UK

I love pictures of sunrises and sunsets. It's when the light of day shatters and become vulnerable, so that we see what is has hidden from us, its brilliant colors, its shadows and darkness, its play on water. Not every sunrise or sunset. But enough for us to get the point.

Life is often painful, so that we want to protect ourselves with a hard shell. But shells work only to isolate, and that brings more pain. Being vulnerable requires great strength, and the ability to find shadowed light even in darkness. Vulnerability means openness, acceptance, and great inner strength. It is one way we can powerfully show we are followers of the Way: that we allow no darkness to obscure our light, no matter what color or shape it may take.

Blossoming in the Mountain Tops

Flowers in Mountain Top of Pyrenees

If flowers can grow on the mountain top of the Pyrenees, in the midst of stones and gravel, harsh climate and endless winds, why cannot we weather any storm? I wouldn't say it has to do with faith. I would say, it has to do with heart. And for a heart to stay strong, we need a network, a network of family, friends, and soul mates. They become like rain, sunshine, and soil to help us stay strong and blossom. Just like the wild flowers in the mountain tops.

For the Sheer Beauty of It

Flowers of the Wild

I like to think of the flowers in the wild. Here they are offering their beauty to all, whether seen or unseen, appreciated or unappreciated. It doesn't matter. They stand in their own splendor and follow the seasons for the sheer sake of it.

If only we could be so sure of our worth, sure enough not to need the compliments of passerbys. If we were more in touch with our God within, we would know the loveliness we have to offer. It isn't so much standing in our own splendor and follow the seasons of life with greater joy and confidence. It's conscious giving to that One who cares, and not caring about all the rest. Hard, I agree. But a worth while pursuit.

To Be Found Naked

Lake Ontario - so much water!

The past 15 years I've been attracted to the sense of nakedness. Oh my gosh, you say. No, not that kind. The nakedness of Genesis, where suddenly aware of their natural state, but guilty of their act of eating the forbidden fruit, the first parents try to hide from the God who knows all. Pretty stupid, I say. But then, when we try to cover things up, it is quite obvious to all what we are doing. We tend to be the only ones fooled.

Nakedness as finding the truth, yes, that is what attracts me. And with that thought, I'd like to return to the thought of water, to its life giving properties, and its destructive ones as well. Olivier Clement writes of baptism that the water we are immersed in is a sort of tomb. The water closes over the neophyte like a tomb. For the tomb to become a womb the Holy Spirit must supernaturally intervene. The Spirit given 'from above' brings the human being to a new birth, clothing with incipient but real light the whole being, the heart, the mind, the desires, all the faculties, the very senses (Roots of Christian Mysticism, 104).

The thought is consistent with nakedness, as well as water. To be naked in scripture is to be without pretense, which means we are grasping truth. To be baptized means we are throwing off the old and putting on the new. What Clement suggests is that what is clothed is the heart, the mind, the desires, etc. with the light of God. Quite a thought.

Baptism also addresses how to channel water from destructive to fruitful: the Holy Spirit. The very water we are practically drowned in (in some rites) becomes the vessel for the Holy Spirit to descend (better than a life guard, even the most athletic one). For the Spirit doesn't come to save us. He comes to sanctify. To cloth us with light, a transparent light that reveals, not covers.

Now do you understand my attraction?



Attitude - Our Wave of the Sea

By the Sea

Water. So necessary for life. So pervasive over the earth. Yet, water can destroy as much as it gives life. A lesson for us to be sure. What we have can only be gift by how we accept and deal with it. Our attitude in life tempers everything. We make the storms or the floods, or we make the gentle rain. And, we also make the sunshine which invites life from the sodden mass.

Finding beauty in Waning Light

Upper Amherst Cove, Newfoundland

The waning light in nature can bring out colors we do not see in full sun light. We call them sunrises and sunsets. In our own lives, we need not have the fullness of light to enjoy the best of life. We need only be aware that darkness and clouds have their own gifts to bestow, and offer their own kind of beauty.

The Truth will Set You Free

In John 8:32 we read, If you remain in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.  A recent discussion on this verse got very combative, with others maintaining that truth is relative, that it is perceived differently by each individual, that believing you have the truth is what starts persecution and wars and causes terrorism. I must confess, such a twist on these words of Jesus confuse me.

As I see it, our search for God is a search for truth: the truth about ourselves, our journey, what we must do, where we must go, what we need to accomplish, what we need to leave behind. I see truth as a search for that something inside of us usually called God, and which waits for us to recognize and respond. But recognizing something is only a partial step.

Jesus says the truth will set you free. So, we seekers of truth, what keeps us bound? I believe that we are bound by lethargy, by fear, by satisfaction of knowing the truth in itself. Such knowledge does not set us free. To be set free, you must take that truth and make it your own. You must believe in it enough to move in the direction of truth, even if that means making major changes in your life; especially if that means making major changes in your life! For truth to set you free, you must become the truth you discover.

It's true that truth seekers vary in what they find, and that the whole subject is wet and slippery ground. But if one does not actively seek truth and then act on it, well, I can't see how we as a spiritual people can say we are sincere. To say truth accomplishes wars and terrorism is to twist the meaning of Jesus words. And as personal as truth can be, a person honestly seeking truth does not attempt to force others to her truth. She only asks others to respect where her truth may take her.

A Different Way to Be--Lectio Sharing

Few joys can compare with a intimate group practicing shared Lectio. It comes from the level of the sharing. You are not there exchanging pleasantries, or discussing the ususal kids, spouse, jobs or weather. You are in the midst of others who are tied to you by belief system. You are sharing at the deepest level, how your journey is going, and how it is influenced by your own Lectio.

For anyone who has not tried this form of community, I encourage you to form a group. The sharings may be awkward at first, simple because of its newness. But that is fine. As you go forward, as you find deeper and deeper meaning in the texts you discuss, you will also find you feed one another's inspirations. And that is the best part of a shared Lectio.

Lectio is a practice not well established among the laity. Yet it is a practice more fruitful than many of the more common rituals christians use.  Sharing your inspiration, telling of your own journey, listening to others do the same; this is a real christian community.

For we are all on the journey. Our efforts are to make ourselves more conscious of God, which means learning more about our real selves. Shared Lectio can be the rich banquet along the journey where what you share and what you learn from others fuels your soul for another day's walk. And can't we all use that?

A different way to Read--Lectio Divina

There is in the monastic culture an age old practice called Lectio Divina. Though often considered particular to monastics, Lectio Divina or simply Lectio is beneficial to all who desire a deeper spiritual life. I would like to share a little about this monastic posture in the next few postings, to share with you how it is done, the fruits of a shared Lectio, and the benefits you will reap from practicing Lectio.

Lectio Divina translated literally from the Latin means simple divine reading. The name refers to the material normally used in this practice. From ancient times, the most preferred reading material was scripture. But the important part of Lectio is the way it is read, not simple as text, but as nourishment. You take a portion of scripture, you read through it thoughtfully, and then you stop and ponder. The important part is pondering, letting a verse or passage speak to your heart. And then discern what it means to you, at this time, in this place. In a way, Lectio is "chewing" on a passage, getting the most out of that line, staying with it until it speaks.

To reap benefit from this practice takes time. Most of us are familiar with scripture, perhaps even too much so. To delve into it with Lectio means to listen more with the heart than with the ear or mind. It means being in touch with the deeper message. It means in a way, getting to know your soul more deeply as it sits with and communicates with the very same spirit that wrote these verses. Such a practice ultimately deepens your spiritual life, planting your foot firmly in the spiritual world, giving you spiritual vision and insight.

Believing beyond belief

Much of life means using common sense. Yet, in this spiritual journey we are on, we go beyond what common sense tells us to reach out for things unseen. How do we keep the balance between the two?

I suppose it comes down to trial and error, and never leaving common sense totally behind. It also means being willing to make mistakes, to realize there is a difference between the "pie in the sky" and the authentic calling to something beyond.

I say this because I am again moving forward, and dreaming big, and waiting on the Lord to enlighten. And I find myself balancing common sense with the fire within that makes me believe great things are still ahead.

Are you dreaming? Are you believing great things still lie before you, and that you must sometimes risk to find them?

It comes as the psalmist says, "Trust in the Lord and do good. And he will grant you your heart's desire." (37)

Power of God

Reading today psalm 91, I love the verses: You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, Say to the Lord, "My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.

Such verses remind me of the power we have with God, a power I think we sometimes forget. Lately I've heard people blame the "devil" for the difficulties in their lives. Well, remember, the spirits come to "guard you in all your ways." If there are spirits out there, many more are out to help us than to destroy us.

What are spirits but vessels of God? And if God is within his spirits, just as he is within us mere mortals, can we not have the greatest trust? Why do we forget our strength and give in to fear?

Today is a good day to take up that trust and go forward. For psalm 91 says No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent. For God comands the angels to guard you in all your ways.

Living that Interior Level with God

Consciousness. That is the fundamental task of the dedicated Christian. I got into a discussion on this recently. One person felt she lacked that consciousness because God didn't come to mind when she was really busy working. We argued back and forth, that consciousness isn't something so external, but rather an intention, a state of awareness, a level of living.

That got us into a discussion on formalized prayers. I believe that the more interior our lives become, the less we need the externals. Thinking back on formal prayers, I'm reminded of the many I once did. I believed that the presence of God was made conscious to me by some repetitious formal prayer repeated over and over again. Now I know better.

Now I know that real devotion comes from so deep within the soul that the externals, though helpful, are not necessary. That intention resides where the voice is silent. That when you have really handed on your life to God, that life continues on a new level, with different needs and different manners of expression.

I'm not saying you don't need external formalized prayer. What I'm saying is, that if that is all you have, you are missing the best part of a relationship with God.