email: whitpresby@charterinternet.com
Spiritual readings "Greetings from Whittier Presbyterian Church"
October 2004 William Law: Be
all you can be Election 2004: Natalie
Merchant’s “Motherland” Francis DeSales on “everyday virtues” Election 2004: Garcia/Hunter’s
“U. S. Blues” Tyrus Clutter’s print of Christ: “Exemplar” Election 2004: Natalie Merchant’s “This House Is
On Fire” Burghardt: “Long
Loving Look at Reality” One of my favorite small books (less than 100 pages) is
“Daily Readings with William Law” edited by Robert Llewelyn and Edward Moss,
Templegate Publishers, Springfield, Illinois, 1987. Here’s a selection about God’s universal love from that
book The original source is Law’s
“The Ground and Reasons of Christian Regeneration,” (originally published in
1739). “As the light of the sun has only one common nature
towards all objects that can receive it, so God has only one common nature of
goodness towards all created nature, breaking forth in infinite flames of love
upon every part of creation and calling everything to the highest happiness it
is capable of.” This is the Christian version of “be all you can
be.” What is the highest
happiness you are capable of? To
reach that highest happiness, or even to be striving towards it, is, to my mind,
the essence of the life of faith. As
God is love, so our living in that love and offering that love to others enables
us to participate in God. That is a
powerful way to live life. Are you
being all you can be, or striving towards that fullness of life? May you find God’s power in your life this day, leading you
towards being all that God would have you be. Grace & peace Geoff Today begins a series of emails for Tuesdays leading up to
the election on Nov. 2, 2004. From
my music library I’ve selected some songs that, if not intended to do so, can
be seen as songs to or for our nation, the USA.
Many of you know how to hear these songs over the internet.
Today’s is a song by Natalie Merchant, from her CD “Motherland,”
Electra CD 62721-2. The whole CD
was dedicated to the victims of Sept. 11, 2001. “Where in hell can you go far from the things that you
know, far from the sprawl of concrete that keeps crawling its way about 1,000
miles a day? Take one last look
behind, commit this to memory and mind. Don’t
miss this wasteland, this terrible place. When
you leave keep your heart off your sleeve. Motherland cradle me, close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep.
Keep me safe, lie with me, stay beside me don’t go.
Don’t you go. Oh, my five
and dime queen tell me what have you seen?
The lust and the avarice, the bottomless, the cavernous greed, is that
what you see? Motherland cradle me, close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep.
Keep me safe, lie with me, stay beside me don’t go. It’s your happiness I want most of all and for that I’d
do anything at all, oh mercy me! If
you want the best of it or the most of all, if there’s anything I can do at
all. Now come on shotgun bride what makes me envy your life?
Faceless, nameless, innocent blameless and free, what’s that like to
be? Motherland cradle me, close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep.
Keep me safe, lie with me, stay beside me don’t go.
Don’t go.” More about Ms Merchant can be found at http://www.nataliemerchant.com/ This a time of concern for our motherland, as the election
approaches. I desire my motherland
to cradle me, yet I know that if my values were dominant in the land, there
would be others who would feel alienated, just as I feel alienated when my
country’s behavior does not reflect my values.
It is the longing for such, and the ability to work towards achieving the
desire of that longing, that gives this nation such vitality and is why this
nation is still a beacon to many in the world.
We are freer to shape our nation than many other parts of this world.
Hence, the importance of this and all elections.
May you be in prayer for this upcoming presidential election. Grace & peace Geoff I’ve been carrying around the book, “Authentic
Devotion” for some months now. It
is a modern interpretation by Bernard Bangley of the spiritual classic
“Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Francis De Sales (Shaw Books,
Colorado Springs, 2002). The book
is a series of lessons from a spiritual director to his ‘directee’ and is
just full of nuggets of wisdom. Here’s
one: “While we may not be required to practice courage,
altruism, and great self-sacrifice in many circumstances, we are constantly
called upon to exhibit mildness, restraint, honesty, and humility.
Such virtues as these are always in demand.
They affect everything we do. We
may prefer sugar, but salt is used more frequently.
We need a good stock of the basic virtues.” While it is enticing to think of ourselves performing
such great virtues like courage and altruism, the reality is that our daily
lives provide lots of opportunity for the simple, quieter virtues that Francis
De Sales talks about here. Sometimes
I find my head in the clouds thinking about altruism or self-sacrifice, only to
find myself feeling interrupted and put upon by someone asking some simple thing
of me. My fantasies of the great
virtues get in the way of my demonstrating the basic virtues! That’s what I like about DeSales, his practicality and
specificity. That is the essence of
a well-developed spirituality, practicality and specificity. May you find the opportunities to practice a specific
virtue this day. Grace & peace Geoff One of my favorite Rock & Roll bands of bygone years is
the Grateful Dead. In the series of
emails for Tuesdays leading up to the election on Nov. 2, 2004 I’m choosing
selections from my music library that, even if not intended to do so, can be
seen as songs to or for our nation, the USA.
Today’s selection is one of the Grateful Dead’s, "U.S. Blues,"
Words by Robert Hunter; music by Jerry Garcia, copyright Ice Nine Publishing.
Many of you know how to access these songs over the internet. Red and white/blue suede shoes I'm Uncle Sam /how do
you do? Gimme five/I'm still alive Ain't no luck/I learned to duck Check my pulse/it don't change Stays seventy two/come shine or rain Wave the flag/pop the bag Rock the boat/skin the goat. Wave that flag, wave
it wide and high Summertime done come and gone, my oh my. I'm Uncle Sam /that's who I am Been hidin' out/in a rock and roll band Shake the hand that shook the hand Of P.T. Barnum/and Charlie Chan. Shine your shoes/light your fuse Can you use/them ol' U.S. Blues? I'll drink your health/share your wealth Run your life/steal your wife. Wave that flag, wave
it wide and high Summertime done come and gone, my oh my. Back to back/chicken shack Son of a gun/better change your act We're all confused/what's to lose? You can call this song the United States Blues Wave that flag, wave
it wide and high Summertime done come and gone, my oh my. Summertime done come and gone, my oh my. On a less tongue-in-cheek vein, here is a prayer for
elections, which I will repeat with each email from now until the resolution of
the upcoming election. It’s taken
from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, Church Hymnal Corporation, New York,
1979. Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers
and privileges: Guide the people of
the United States (and/or your local state/community) in the election of
officials and representatives that, by faithful administration and wise laws,
the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your
purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. May you continue in prayer for your community and
state and our nation as we approach this election. Grace & peace Geoff No emails next week, I’m on vacation. Christian Century Magazine had a picture in its Oct.
5, 2004 edition of a print by artist Tyrus Clutter.
The print showed a man caressing one of the feet of someone hanging above
him. The title of the piece is “Examplar”,
and this is what Clutter had to say about it. (He) began with the idea of creating an image of
footwashing. “The image of the
hanging feet kept appearing to me.” As
he worked on cutting the woodblock, he suddenly had a sense of the image’s
meaning: “The feet are actually
the hanging feet of Judas, who had his feet washed by Christ just moments before
going out to betray him. The title
then refers to Christ as the ultimate example of love. He was able to do this servant act to someone he already knew
was his betrayer.” I’ve always found it fascinating that Jesus gives
the bread and cup of Communion to Judas before Judas goes out to betray him.
If there is room at the Communion table for Judas, there is room for me. Tyrus Clutter’s work can be found at an exciting website,
www.civa.org which is the web site for
Christians in the Visual Arts. Go
there for some great and inspiring art. Remember that there is room in God’s great enveloping
love for such as you and me, no matter what we have done or thought. Grace & peace Geoff Prayer for elections, from the Episcopal Book of
Common Prayer, Church Hymnal Corporation, New York, 1979. Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers
and privileges: Guide the people of
the United States (and/or your local state/community) in the election of
officials and representatives that, by faithful administration and wise laws,
the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your
purposes; through Jresus Christ our Lord. Amen. Continuing the series of emails for Tuesdays leading up to
the election on Nov. 2, 2004, today we hear from Natalie Merchant again.
From her CD “Motherland,” Electra CD 62721-2 comes “This House Is
On Fire.” The whole CD was
dedicated to the victims of Sept. 11, 2001. “This house is on fire Kick off your boots, come sit a spell Listen to me worry, come and listen well All you better best come and lean in boys I don't dare to raise my voice I've been sitting here for the longest time reading all the warning and all the danger signs I don't have the gift of prophesy telling everybody how it's gonna be Soon come, soon come the day this tinderbox is gonna blow in your face I don't have the gift of prophesy telling everybody how it's gonna be You go passing wrong for right and right for wrong people only stand for that for just so long It's all gonna catch like a house on fire spark an evil blaze and burn higher Well, I don't have the gift of prophesy telling everybody how it's gonna be You go passing wrong for right and right for wrong people only stand for that for just so long I don't have the gift of prophesy telling everybody how it's gonna be There's a wild fire catching in the whip of the wind that could start a conflagration like there has never been This house is on fire.” There are plenty of warnings around in this year’s
election, with each side saying the worst thing that could happen is for you to
elect their opponent. Natalie
Merchant’s song echoes some of those fears.
I hope that if you know how to hear these songs over the internet you
will try and do so. Is she promoting fear or stating the obvious?
How much fear is there in your life these days?
Are you susceptible to the propaganda that we are awash in for the next
week or so? Or can you recall the
Bible’s constant message that we have only to fear God, and all other threats
and anxieties will become properly prioritized. May you find comfort and security in your faith this day. Grace & peace Geoff Prayer for elections, from the Episcopal Book of
Common Prayer, Church Hymnal Corporation, New York, 1979. Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers
and privileges: Guide the people of
the United States (and/or your local state/community) in the election of
officials and representatives that, by faithful administration and wise laws,
the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your
purposes; through Jresus Christ our Lord. Amen. I began reading an article the other day in preparation for
a class in January, and the subtitle of the article really captivated me.
I’m always interested in short epigrams that can capture the essence of
something. The article was
“Contemplation” by Walter Burghardt, found in the Roman Catholic periodical
“Church” Winter, 1989. Burghardt
was a theologian in residence at the time at Georgetown University, in
Washington, DC. Burghardt asks the question “What is contemplation?”
and gives the simple answer “Contemplation is a long loving look at the
real.” I shortened that to “A
long loving look at reality,” and it has been dancing about in my mind for the
four days since I read it. I found
it such a powerful summary of
Christian life in the spirit that I just had to pass it on to you all.
Here is my short parsing of the phrase. LONG – not a sound bite, but an extended reflection, even
leisurely. LOVING – Our God is a god of love and sees creation with
loving eyes. Can we do the same? LOOK – What is around us, what do we perceive and how do
we feel about it? REALITY – this involves great honesty, not sugar-coating
life or our hearts, but looking at the naked truth of life and our hearts. “A long loving look at reality” is a good definition of
a life with Christ. May you take
the time, be loving as God is loving, and see what is real around you this day. Grace & peace Geoff Prayer for elections, from the Episcopal Book of Common
Prayer, Church Hymnal Corporation, New York, 1979. Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers
and privileges: Guide the people of
the United States (and/or your local state/community) in the election of
officials and representatives that, by faithful administration and wise laws,
the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your
purposes; through Jresus Christ our Lord. Amen.
