Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Devotional Pts-Week of Nov. 9

Sunday-Ps. 78 is a long prayer of Asaph. Our assigned verses are through v. 7 today, where the psalmist, like Jesus will speak in parables.This vehicle seems to be a way to remove the veil over our minds and hearts; it tears down our defenses. the trouble is that I don’t usually get the story, so the hidden things remain hidden. What is an effective way to reach you religiously?

Monday-For the longest time I didn’t know that the Spirit was speaking. That’s the beauty of the Spirit: it’s always speaking, even when I’m not listening. I caught a sound here and there, not sure where it was coming from, or maybe it was my imagination. More often than not, I forgot all about it. But the Spirit keeps speaking—calling. That’s the word: calling. I think the Holy is calling me—to do, to be.Abbey of the Arts"

Tuesday-Guard against anger. But if it cannot be averted, let it be kept within bounds. For indignation is a terrible incentive to sin. It disorders the mind to such an extent as to leave no room for reason."— St. Ambrose\\-An old acquaintance posted this quote recently.It Is a salutary warning to keep anger within narrow bounds. While I applaud the catharsis of anger, it doesget out of control easily.How doyou controlyour anger?

Wednesday- I Saw Interstellar recently. Like much of science fiction it broadens my imagination to deep things. For instance, it flatly denies natural evil, but sees evil aswithin human beings, even when nature is destroying the planet for human life.It promotes love as the force that can transcend time and space, and these words come from a scientist.

Thursday-”We want life to be like a train, but it turns out to be  more like a sailboat.” Barbara Brown Taylor. I very much like her analogy. I want life to be quick and have a definite direction, but my plans go awry. Instead, I drift at time and have to steer a course by tacking and taking the long way to a destination.

Friday-I want my kids to be dirty, messy, even bored — learning to become human. I want us to have a kind of existence where we can pause, look each other in the eye, touch one another, and inquire together: Here is how my heart is doing? I am taking the time to reflect on my own existence; I am in touch enough with my own heart and soul to know how I fare, and I know how to express the state of my heart.(Omi safid, from Second Pres.Indianapolis)

Saturday-Richard Rohr We are but a tiny flicker of a much larger flame:life itself...love itself...God's very Self. Where do you detect a flicker of the divine within you? where do you detect its opposite. Where does our limitation come into play here? Where is it dangerous to even claim divinity within?

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