Feb. 3 Sunday-Ps. 71 is one of the few psalms written
explicitly from the perspective of growing older. This psalm has a great sense
of God being with us in all periods of our lives. it also sees aging as an
important place for continuing to be
able to speak of God to others. I often say that the relative quiet of aging
permits more fervent prayer than the harried lives of the middle-aged. As you
have grown older, where have you noticed improvements or decline in the quality
of your spiritual life?
Monday-Patience is a virtue I continue to work on. One of my
issues is that I have a little timer in my head that goes off when I think
someone should be finished with some task. I also seem to be overly sensitive
to what I consider rude behavior when people in a line seem to act as if they
deserve special treatment. One starting point is to admit the impatient feeling
and then have some ways to counter it. Often my impatience is a symptom that I
am feeling stressed about something else.
Tuesday-I’ve been thinking about politically correct speech
lately. I do realize that words do hurt. I realize that words create
stereotypes. It seems to me that we sometime equate words with actions. Speech
with which I disagree, to paraphrase Jefferson ,
“neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” It seems ot me that actions or
behaviors are of more concern. Isn’t that why we seek integrity, as in walking
the talk?
Wednesday- We talked about boundaries in church yesterday.
Yes, we are social creatures, but if we permit others to invade our privacy,
our choices, even our attitudes, it confuses things. We can keep our boundaries
to tight, impermeable and then buffer ourselves from life. We can keep them too
porous and act as if everything is our business, our fault, our concern. What
should we let in and what should we defend against?
Thursday- I am preparing for a short trip. I am looking up
material about the city and its environs: things to do, places to eat. I wish I
were that assiduous in preparing my spirutal maps. Planning for a trip has joy
and expectation connected to it, but spiritual planning feels like a dutiful
behavior to me. If you could snap your fingers and move your spirutal life ot a
new plane, what would it then look like? Come back to reality, what are some
ways to reach that place? Could you at least take a few steps in that
direction?
Friday-I’m listening to a radio station as I write this,
WTTS. They play songs A through Z for a while. Some psalms use a similar
format. It gives a sense of completeness, of having a chance to say your
speech. A-Z also has a sense of closure. When one reaches the final letter, is
it not time to move on? As a spiritual exercise, consider writing out an A-Z
prayer on some virtue or vice, some facet of your relationship with God, some
hope or frustration?.
Saturday-We had a talk at Rotary recently from Pere
Marquette’s naturalist on bobcats, eagles, and other wildlife in our area. We
are fortunate to have such a great facility in our area. When does wildlife
make you appreciate creation and when does it threaten something you hold dear?
How do you balance respect for creation and economic developments?
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