Thomas Merton and the Contemplative Life

Yesterday in Sunday class we discussed Chapter 5 of Leighton Ford's The Attentive Life, and the name of Thomas Merton came up several times. Sharing our thoughts about contemplative prayer, two of Merton's books were mentioned: Contemplative Prayer and The Inner Experience. If you’re interested in reading Merton, you might wish to take a look/see at this video; it nicely captures Merton’s contemplative spirit:

Preparing for Next Sunday, October 5: The 21st Sunday after Pentecost

At Journey with Jesus David Gill--author, pastor, professor, and organizational ethics consultant--offers a guest essay this week on the 10 Commandments. Scott McKnight reviews Gill's book on the 10 Commandments called "Doing Right: Practicing Ethical Principles" (2004). For poetry, enjoy reading "Aaron" by George Herbert.

For film Clendenin reviews Arranged (2007) about two young women who are teacher colleagues. One's an Orthodox Jew and the other a Syrian Muslim, but both of them struggle with marriages arranged by their families. It's worth a watch.

Dan says that he's got some great essays coming up: October 12 considers idolatry old and new, and for October 19 Adam Hamilton, pastor of United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, offers his reflections on faith and politics. What sorts of issues ought believers to consider as we approach a national election?

September 29: St. Michael and All Angels

The Collect for September 29, St. Michael and All Angels

Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals. Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your apppointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

From The Lutheran Book of Worship

Image: The world of Angels by Solomon RAJ, India

Watch out for hoaxes

A day or so ago I posted a notice that I'd received from a Benedictine nun who warned me about all of our cell phone numbers becoming publicly known nationally so that all sorts of advertising companies will be calling us. I posted that notice, thinking that I'd alert all of you to a potential problem inasmuch as calls received on your cell phones often come at a cost. Now I know differently. Leslie sent me the following message (and it's one I absolutely trust!):

Hi Andy,

The cell phone message is a hoax - you can always check out a these types of emails at http://www.snopes.com/ . Many of the emails that you get will now tell you that a sender checked it out at snopes and it's for real- check it out yourself- most of these are spam and many that you forward on have spy ware or cookies attached. Don't believe everything you get in an email - check it out for yourself.

Hope you and June are well, miss seeing you.

In Christ, Leslie

Well, there you have it! And so do I. I've deleted the original posting. Thanks, Leslie! I miss seeing you too--although I saw Jim at the Spoonbread Festival last week in Berea.

Theosis: Deification in Christ and the Jesus Prayer

Christianity Today in its October, 2008, issue has published James R. Payton's fine essay, "Keeping the End in View: How the Strange yet Familiar Doctrine of Theosis Can Invirgorate the Christian Life." Among the Orthodox theosis is a well-known Biblical way of envisioning what happens in the Christian life, and among Lutherans there is renewed interest in theosis inasmuch as Luther articulated its dynamics in his sermons and commentaries on Scripture. This morning I received the following quotation excerpted from William Ryan's Entering the Stream of Mercy in the Jesus Prayer (Avalon Counseling Contemplative Spiritual Resource), and made available by CENTER-L@heartoftexas-co.org. If you've not familiar with theosis and the Jesus Prayer, this quotation may give you much to meditate upon:

Living the Life of Christ in the Jesus Prayer

Jesus said "I came that they should have Life and have it fully. " (Matt.10:10). The goal of our life is to unite our human life, our human soulutterly with His Life, and to receive the gift of himself that he wants togive. This is a life-long process of opening and receiving and bringingf orth this union with Jesus, so that he can live fully in us. In the JesusPrayer we open and receive this union. When we are in a relationship of love or close friendship, there are times when we simply abide in the presence of our human beloved one. There are other times when we express ourl ove and givenness in words and rituals of love. My path is that of innercommunion with Christ, my Beloved, the emanation of the Godhead as Person. My practice is the disciplined daily self-offering in love that I make toand with Yeshua, giving of the gift of my person and receiving the gift of His Person. My day begins and ends with the invocation in vocalized chant,"Yeshua (Jesus), Yeshua (Jesus), You in me, I in you." Everything else is the actualization of that singular desire, that singular intention. This is Theosis, Christ living in us and we living in Him, the foundation of spirituality and transformation in Eastern Christianity. We are the beloved disciple; our calling is to "abide in his love." In this way over time we can begin to say as St. Paul does, "I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me." (Gal. 2:20)

Image Credit: http://www.byzantinecatholic.com/images/THEOSIS.gif

O, That Weather Forecasting Might Be Like This!

Some among us sing the Psalms appointed for Morning and Evening Prayer to various tones. Lutherans and Epicopalians, along with dear Presbyterian and Methodist friends, are especially prone to such psalmodizing. In the spirit of good-spirited communion, Fr. Tim Graham, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Covington, Georgia, has sent this delightful uTube video for everyone's enjoyment:



Thanks, Fr. Tim!

Getting Ready for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: June 15

Preparing for Sunday's worship? Spend some time with "Repentance: Cleaning Up the Messy House," Daniel B. Clendenin's essay on the lectionary readings. You may also wish to read his review of Martin Marty's The Christian World; A Global History by Martin Marty. And don't forget, on Monday, September 29, we celebrate St. Michael and All Angels.

Image credit: Ezekiel, 1308-11, Tempera on wood, 43,5 x 16 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Guardian Angels

I think it was last night that one of the evening news programs presented a short report on the high percentage of Americans who believe in angels. That prompts me to say a few words about Luther's Morning and Evening Prayers. In his Small Catechism (which I had to memorize at a young boy), Luther provides instructions on "How the head of the family should teach his household to pray morning and evening." Within those instructions, Luther urges that I ask the Heavenly Father to "let Thy holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me." In the Defense of the Augsburg Confession those who agreed with Luther said that they "grant that the angels pray for us," that is, because we need protection, the angels pray for our salvation.

One of my favorites hymns, "Ye Watcher and Ye Holy Ones," is a song addressed (the technical term for the rhetorical figure is apostrophe, a turning aside and speaking to someone or something not visibly present) to the seraphs, cherubim, among other heaveny dignitaries and saints. In the second stanza, we singers ask the Blessed Virgin Mary (she who is "higher than the cherubim, more glorious than the seraphim") to "lead their praises"; that is, we ask the Mother of God to be our lead voice as we sing praises to God with the angelic choirs.

In the Eucharistic Liturgy, as a preface to our singing the Sanctus--Holy! Holy! Holy!-- the pastor chants or says, "Therefore, with Angels and Archangels, and the whole Company of Heaven, we laud and magnify Your glorious name, singing . . . ." During the Liturgy we join our voices with the heavenly choir. We sing to God with angels.

In the prayerbook June and I use for Evening Prayer, after singing Psalm 141, there's a quiet call for meditative silence (allowing perhaps a review of the day), and then we say these words:

Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your loving kindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavening host, and may glorify you forever and ever.

After that prayer, we sing several Psalms, aware that we are singing with "the whole heavenly host," that is, with all the saints and all the angels.

Sometimes when I'm with a small group of Christians gathered for worship and I find the sanctuary a bit empty of people, I like to remind myself that the place is crowded with the angelic hosts, who are always presenting themselves with us before God. There is no such thing as an "empty" church. The pews are filled with the choirs of angels.

I confess that generally speaking, I no longer use Luther's Morning and Evening Prayers (using instead the more traditional and historical daily offices). June and I do, however, pray before we travel from Kentucky to Georgia and back, asking God to send his accompanying angels with us as we speed down the highways at 70 mph. We need all the protection we can get.

All of which is to say that as I grow older, I'm also much more aware of who is with me. So I'm wondering: does the presence of angels and your awareness of their protection and assistance in worship find expression in your prayer life and adoration of God? Just curious.

Two New Sites for Pilgrimaging

Today I'm adding two websites to our list of Places to Visit.

The first is Monasterion; it announces itself as an "international (real and virtual) online monastery, fraternity open to anyone." Providing "information and answers (e.g., on vocations, contemplation, links, and so on), Monasterion emphasizes that it does not proselytize; it does, however "promises vast prayer-related resources (texts, exercises, links).

The second, for our readers interested in the Orthodox Tradition, is Silouan, the blog of an Assembly of God pastor who was received into the Orthodox Church. His posts are often excellent.

The Family Monastery

This morning the mail brought me the September 2008 issue of the Forum Letter, a newlsetter published monthly by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau. One wonderful essay caught my attention: "The family monastery" by Pastor Brad Everett. It first appeared in The Forum, a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada's Synod of Alberta and the Territories. Inasmuch as it's available on the Web, I'm trusting it's all right (editing it ever-so slightly) to post it here for your convenient reading. I hope you like it as much as I do.

The Family Monastery

When asked what was the difference between a monk and a married man, St. John Chrysostom replied, “The married man has a wife.” I don’t think any violence would be done to this sentiment if the terms “nun” and “married woman” were inserted instead.

Think about that for a minute. Not in terms of the obvious difference between the two states of life, but what it says about those things they have in common. The monastic life conjures up images of a life set apart for simplicity, prayer, work, service to others and above all service to Christ, which, if Chrysostom’s statement is correct, should be said about families as well. But truth be told, those likely aren’t the first things that come to mind when talking about families these days—even Christian families.

But why not? Why shouldn’t our families and homes be places of prayer and work, simplicity and service? Some might say that comparing monastic and family life I am comparing apples to oranges, and besides, Chrysostom was an unmarried bishop in the 4 C, so what does he know about Canadian famil life in 2008?

No one told us

A reading of his book On Marriage and Family Life (a collection of his sermons and letters on the topics) shows the good bishop did understand families and proves the truth of the saying “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Of course, there are differences between then and now, monasteries and family homes, but the question remains—why shouldn’t our families and homes be places of prayer and work, simplicity and service?

Picking from the variety of answers to that question I’d choose this one. No one told us our families and homes could be like that, or that it was within our power, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to do it. Overwhelmed by stresses, strains and societal pressures, our judgment was sufficiently clouded to prevent us from seeing this very real possibility.

While certainly much in our lives is beyond our control, we lost sight of those things we do have within our grasp—for example, our schedules. Life in a monastery is built around prayer; that is, the times for prayer are established first and then the rest of the day’s activities are slotted in around those times. Many of us unintentionally or otherwise, do the exact opposite. Appointments and activities get first priority in the schedule and prayer is slotted in afterwards (or not at all).

Yet there is nothing stopping us from reversing this process—from sitting down with a day-timer or calendar and establishing times and opportunities for family prayer, and letting the rest of life fit in around them.

Fair warning—this is hard and for the most part thankless work. We live in a world where one’s value is measured by what and how much we “do.” Prayer and devotions are not understood to be “doing” much of anything and so are not valued. But we need to remind ourselves that the world around us is not the final arbiter of what is important and necessary for our lives. Our time as individuals and families in this life is finite. We need to prayerfully set our own priorities for how to spend it, rather than allowing someone or something else to do it. We find time for those things most important to us. So before claiming a shortage of time, we might want to see if our practice reflects our priorities.

Removing the obstacles

Having set aside time for prayer the next question is often “What do we do?” In monasteries this is an easy one since services of prayer have developed over the centuries and are simply followed as a matter of course. But things like praying all 150 Psalms each week isn’t a realistic option for most individuals, let alone households with pre-schoolers. Unfortunately this is where many homes get hung up—obstacles block their view of the options.

So instead of being intimidated by what you can’t do, look at what you can. As a first step, take a look at your home, the personalities, gifts, inclinations and of course ages of the people that make it up. Looking for resources, the Lutheran Book of Worship has orders for the daily prayer offices, with notes on how to modify them for family use. This might not be for everyone, but don’t dismiss it out of hand as, at the very least, it’s a place to begin. It gives a framework
families can adapt to their situations and for those starting out, it will be trial and error, but that’s half the fun, because you are doing it as a family.

One family's way

Further, the times of prayer and practices of devotion a family develops are not necessarily all formal. By way of example (and not the best example by any stretch) here are some things our family has done. At every meal we hold hands and pray grace in unison. Doesn’t matter who is here or how old they are, the practice is the same. Before bed-time we gather at the kitchen table, light the candle in our Camp Kuriakos lantern and read a story from a children’s Bible. Now that the older two kids are reading we share this duty. We then sing a song of their choosing, usually “God Our Protector” or during Advent/Christmas “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

Prayer follows, sometimes everyone takes a turn, or requests are shared and I’ll pray. The time ends with the blowing out of the candle (or candles if it is Advent) and heading off to bed where we pray before tucking children in. Sometimes we sing the Nunc dimittis from the service of Compline (“Guide us waking O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace. Lord now you let your servant go in peace…”). Yes, our children can sing Compline, much like they can sing most of the Sunday liturgy—kids pick up things much quicker than adults, it’s just a matter of them hearing it regularly.

At the bedside we pray the same prayer every night. “Dear Jesus, thank-you for today and for all the fun that Christopher, Maren, Bennett and Abbey had. Give them good night sleeps and happy dreams. Help them be all warm and snuggy and sleep all the night through. Help them to know how much you love them and how much mommy and daddy love them. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Oodles of blessings

We conclude with kisses and making the sign of the cross on their foreheads. We have blessed our children in this manner from the time each was born. As each child grows older, they do the same for their mom and me. And such blessings aren’t restricted to bedtime. Blessings are exchanged when one is going on a trip or staying overnight somewhere else. When guests leave our home, or we leave a home where we have been guests, our kids will regularly give blessings, something they started doing of their own accord.

These are some of our family’s practices. Some were intentional and others not, but the goal behind it all was to make the home a place of prayer. Or at the very least a place where prayer could happen, trusting that the other points of work, simplicity and service would grow out of the practice of prayer. We are not where we want to be in our family prayer life, because there is always room for growth. But we know there is the possibility and promise.

Pr. Brad Everett, lives in Standard, AB, with his wife Manny and children: Christopher (9), Maren (7), Bennett (4) and Abbey (11 months) and a large orange cat named Jens. He has served Nazareth Lutheran for over 7 years.

Pray for and help our Haitian neighbors

As you know, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike ravished the little country of Haiti. Many died, many are suffering, many are hungry. Our Haitian brothers and sisters need our prayers and help. Visit my September 16 posting at Peaceful Christians for information.

September 17: Hildegard of Bingen, Visionary

On September 17 we remember, celebrate, and thank God for Hildegard of Bingen, Visionary and Abbess, d. 1179.

Hildegard of Bingen, also known as Blessed Hildegard and Saint Hildegard, was a German abbess, artist, author, counselor, linguist, naturalist, scientist, philosopher, physician, herbalist, poet, visionary, and composer. Elected a magistra in 1136, she founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and Eibingen in 1165.

She is the first composer in the Western world with an extant biography. One of her works, the Ordo Virtutum, has been called the first form, and possibly the origin, of opera. She wrote theological, botanical, and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs, poems, and the first surviving morality play, while supervising brilliant miniature illuminations. Listen to her O aeterne Deus, 1. Antiphon with Ps 109/110 from Vespers by von Hildegard von Bingen.

Source: prosepp's Channel on uTube

O God, by whose grace your servant Hildegard, kindled with the fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Preparing for Next Sunday: September 21

To prepare you for attentive listening to this coming Sunday's lectionary readings, Daniel B. Clendenin offers this essay: "Are You Envious Because I am Generous?" The Economy and Geography of God's Grace.

Clendenin also reviews The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a movie June and I watched about two weeks ago. Well worth the watching!

As some readers of this blog are likely aware, Thomas Keating founded the spiritual community of Contemplative Outreach and has been the central figure in guiding it.

Each year the community convenes a conference. This year it is scheduled for 24-28 September 2008, in Pittsburgh and the theme is "Unity: Oneness in Contemplation." Fr. Thomas and Fr. Laurence Freeman of The World Community of Christian Meditation are featured presenters. Their presentations will include dialog on how Centering Prayer and Christian Meditation (involving the use of a Christian mantra) each have distinctive features as methods yet serve a common purpose.

There will be a conference blog this year. Here is part of its Welcome message:

Guest bloggers at the conference will share session updates, perspectives and reflections to provide you with a window on the proceedings and a form of participation" even if you are not present. It is hoped this outward extension serves to share community.Words, still and moving images and sounds will be
posted daily.

The communities of Contemplative Outreach and WCCM are invited to visit here throughout the five days of the conference, read the latest posts and share comments, conversation and community." You are invited to visit the conference blog at http://contemplativeoutreach2008.blogspot.com/

Ron Barnett (Blog Host)

"What it is can't be said, but you have to say something." Thomas Keating

September 1-13: A Quiet Few Weeks

Looking at my calendar, I see that the days ahead are relatively quiet ones. Lutherans will be remembering several of our fathers in the faith: September 2, Bishop Gruntvig, Renewer of the Church, d. 1872; September 4, Albert Schwitzer, Missionary, d. 1965. Among those of other traditions in our calendar over the next two weeks: on the 9th, Anglican Peter Claver, Priest, d. 1653; on the 13th, Bishop John Chrysotom, d. 407. On September 8th, we remember the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and on September 14, we celebrate Holy Cross Day. At Faith Lutheran Church in Lexington, we have a good tradition for Holy Cross Day; weeks in advance, parishioners bring any old, extra, unused crosses to church, and then on Holy Cross Day, we take them out and around the city, to be given to those in need, the poor, the house-bound--anyone who wants a cross to remind them of God's love. As I have time and opportunity, I'll post a few remarks about each person and/or day.

In the meantime, I'll be posting some reflection on The Attentive Life that you might like to read. The book, by Leighton Ford, is a joy to read.

In the middle of this week June and I are driving down to Georgia by way of Nashville (to visit my son, Kirk), and on Sunday morning next, we board a bus for a tour up the coast to New York City. Sponsored by the Senior Center in Barnesville, Georgia, the whole thing is a ride with some of June's girl friends. "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'

On the way I'll be working on a few more lessons in my study of The Benedictine Rule and reading a few books to while away the time. When we unload along the way, I'll try to get online with my laptop and share a few thoughts. In case you're interested, in addition to Benedict and Ford, here's what I'm taking along to read: John Chryssavgis, In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality ofo the Desert Fathers and Mothers, Brian McLaren, Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices, Graham Greene, The Comedians, Mark Galli, Beyond Smells and Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy, and Matthew Levering, Ezra & Nehemiah (newly published from the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible).

We'll be staying three nights at some casino in Atlantic City. Can you imagine? I find no joy in gambling (nary a dime in a slot), so I suppose I'll watch in amazement. Or be up in the room, reading. Thank God for the psalms.