BIG PICTURE: That “intense burning” that I wrote about last Friday continues. Bob and I said Morning Office together yesterday at the farm and his energy and passion and impatience reflect and contribute to mine. We are walking the same path in so many ways. The focus for both of us right now seems to be how do we maintain this passion, this desire, the DRIVE that is spoken about in MBE (the drive that left Blake for a few years, that has apparently gone dormant in Rick and that I am currently annoyed by in myself) and at the same time, be patient, and wait on God to bring what he has.
For me, THIS is central for this leg of the Sabbatical. Yes, there is component of developing, actively seeking a clear “vision” for the next 10 years. But it seems that MECHANISM for solidifying the vision and aligning with it is to sit still in this tension and wait.
I H-A-T-E to wait.
So I will simply lay down the seven pieces of a potential future that I do have; let go of them and live today in gratitude, HOPE and PATIENT ENDURANCE. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
Celtic
Contemplative
Social Action
Simplicity
Business as Mission
My Dad’s house
Intentional Community
CLASSWORK: I’m really enjoying the “Life of Christ” class. So far it’s been a review of the Synoptic Gospels, and setting up the political/historic context for the Messiah’s arrival. I really like this stuff. Mr. Payne, however has descended once again into the arid, waterless wastes of text-book-dom. Oh my gosh .
READ/RITE/REFLECT; THE SILENCE OF THE HEART: I really don’t like this book. I can totally get behind a couple of the central themes: personal responsibility, embracing things that would normally be seen as “bad” or “wrong”. But the author states his “objective” truths from a classic place of subjectivity: “Listen to me! Nobody can know anything for sure! Except me…and I know THAT.”
Whatever. Village pluralism.
I’m a little surprised at how mad it makes me, though. The emphasis on self-love, trusting yourself, that no one is really “wrong”….this prosaic existence where you just levitate; blissfully neutral.
Ick.
He goes on to say in a segment about sex that the only “wrong” sex is sex without love. Seriously?! Oh and he prescribes a weekly “spiritual gathering” where beliefs are never discussed, but love and care and heal and blah, blah blah, blah…no judgment, blah, blah blah..and THEN he goes on to say, “To maintain intimacy and integrity, spiritual communities should not exceed one hundred active adult members. Anything larger becomes an institution and ceases to be responsive to the needs of it’s members.”
Wha?!
This is a classic example of left-wing fundamentalism. It’s all joy and tolerance and “whatever works for you” and “all truth is embraced, and healing and open-ness”…UNTIL you hit something that’s important to the author.
Here’s what’s interesting about what this book is doing: When I disconnect my emotions from it: I am in agreement with 90% of the PRACTICES and basic values this guys espouses. For example, I would recommend keeping communities small. But I would NEVER prescribe it in the way he did! It’s so ironic.
It’s syncretism. He’s pulled in all kinds of stuff that HE likes, things that make him feel warm and fuzzy, and line up with an un-seen value system of HIS creation, then he casts out anything he doesn’t like, certifies the “self” as the ultimate arbiter and calls it a legitimate faith in something larger than himself. But in the PROCESS, he has STOLEN his best ideas from Jesus of Nazareth. He even has the balls to speak with his voice! So now any practice that a true disciple of Christ might espouse that also aligns with the stuff this guy has deemed “approved” is corrupt.
Once again: it is the Christ who is shut-out, but his gifts are seized and claimed as OUR inventions.