This is my offering to improve people’s and communities' well-being. i incorporate lessons from The Way Of Love, The Circle Way, and other forms of sacred circles.
Jim attempts to explain his current feelings of loneliness and anxiety. Jim views himself as participating in the "Great Resignation" and is striving to frame his circumstances in a spiritual as well as vocational fashion. Are you lonely? How are you addressing your loneliness? What might you share with Jim and other listeners that is valuable and wholly good.
Sabbath - We conclude with a conversation of how Jesus' mortal death transcends death into a period of creative sabbath time. We also explore the relationship of rebirth in Christ by considering Nicodemus' presence at Jesus' tomb. There are cosmic implications for both topics. The world and life as we know it changes when Jesus dies and sets God's victory over death into rebirth- beginning with Holy Saturday's quiet and silence.
Episode Six of Lenten Contemplations is live and ready for your viewing/listening. Atonement - At-One-Ment - Jesus' death on the cross is an archetypal moment in human history. For some believers, it is the pinnacle moment for forgiveness of sins. For other believers, it is the moment when Easter actually begins with Jesus mortal death and metaphorical and salvific effort to reconcile humanity and creation to God and to one another. Whatever it may mean - this 'death' is not an end. It is a transformation of a life of faith from one depth to another. Perhaps this conversation with Dean Andrew McGowan of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale may shine light on the all understandings of atonement and Jesus' death on the cross. The images, silence, and music by Chris Keeney may provide resources for deeper contemplation and wisdom too.
https://youtu.be/KxU9iTu-6TA Andrew McGowan in CircuOsity's fifth episode of Lenten Contemplations helps listeners and viewers alike to consider the depths of thirstiness Jesus is experiencing on The Cross. The conversation flows from the heart of Jesus' mortality and his divinity. His statement of need is also an invitation to at-one-ment. He is, in John's Gospel, instituting deeper communion between Jesus and Jesus' followers who observe this horrible yet miraculous interchange between life and death. Chris Keeney returns with more oud music that sets the stage for periods of mediation and reflection. All of this provides those who take it in something special as Holy Week draws nearer.
Lent offers a time for reflection, repentance and biblical studies. Jesus' Seven Last Words on the Cross provide a provocatively profound framework for such activities. CircuOsity, in partnership with Dean Andrew McGowan, invite you to take in a fully sensory devotional set of Lenten Contemplations. The series begins on March 4th and continues through Good Friday in April. Listen, learn, and love God in a newly sensory way. This week's episode speaks to God's apparent absence from The Cross as well as God's full human participation in The Cross' pain. What might we imagine about The Christian God's attributes with regards to pain and suffering. Does God allow evil? Why? Why not? Would we prefer a Divine tyrant. These and some other questions are central to this podcast. We blend in portions of The Episcopal Church's Noonday Office along with oud music and illuminations for contemplation and prayer.
Jesus does not die without ensuring that his mother is cared for following his last breath. His act of completely compassionate love should not be lost on us. Sometimes we think that love only happens in the best of times. Perhaps the greatest acts of love happen under traumatic circumstances. SImple acts of kindness are possible when two people like or care for one another. What does it mean to offer love beyond mortal death. How does God's providence happen in such places - if not especially so. This podcast episode seeks to unravel some of these questions along with articulating the truly gut wrenching acts of kindness we witness between Mary, Jesus, and John the Beloved Disciple. There are audio segments of the podcast that are 1 or 4 minutes in length offering time for reflection, meditation, and other contemplative practices. Enjoy and may your soul be enriched.
The cross Jesus of Nazareth dies on may be the most pivotal of human moments. It stands as a symbolic edifice of the costs that imperial evil and power place upon humanity. And yet, in this space and time, Jesus declares that he and those who seek the Kingdom of God will be together in paradise? What is he offering - salvation for the repentant? rallying cries for the zealous? Andrew McGowan posits that Jesus invites us - along with the penitent thief - on the cross not just a nostalgic view of what life was life before our suffering began. Rather, the invitation speaks to Golgotha's horrifically positioned powers of Grace. Will imperial Rome and all other forms of human demonic forces destroy life or will suffering, outcast prophets, martyrs, and saints receive God's Grace to inbreak God's reign of justice, peace, and co-existence. There are no clear answers perhaps to these questions - there are faithful ones. This week's episode explores all of these themes along with periods of music for silence, reflection, journaling, and more Lenten disciplines.
Luke 23:34 Jesus' first words from the cross offer forgiveness to his persecutors - and to all of humanity. Andrew McGowan - in his book - Seven last Words - offers that Jesus' greatest work happens on the cross and this he initiates this work by forgiving instead of choosing another form of power. God forgives in a manner that human beings do not usually nor can typically fathom. How then can we follow in Jesus' manner of being. How shall we balance Christian justice with Christ-like forgiveness. Both virtues are important to the Christian religious traditions. This first contemplation offers some possibilities in understanding these concepts as well as moments for musical and silent reflection. We welcome questions and comments. We also invite you to watch the video version of this podcast on Christ Memorial Episcopal Church's YouTube webpage. The "visio divina" portion is quite meditative.
Epiphany is one of the Church's oldest and yet least understood holidays. Epiphany offers Christians and other people of faith an opportunity to celebrate God's overt presence in our midst. The Church celebrates the sacramental power of living into baptismal faith as well as a plea to go and find God as well as share the great news of God's Love as it is born and reborn into creation. We sought out one of the Episcopal Church's brightest stars. The Rt. Rev. Robert Wright is the diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. Bishop Wright is a powerful preacher, adaptive leader, and motivational bishop. He covers the themes of purpose, mission, leadership, and a concluding Epiphany message that invites listeners to get on their feet, go into the world with purpose, and be agents of God's reconciliatory and redeeming love. This podcast concludes the "I Wonder" series and it is a must listen! Pay particular attention for educational words about adaptive leadership and some great military reminiscing.
As we approach Christmas we share a chat with The Rev. R. Casey Shobe D. Min. Casey leads one of The Episcopal Church's most vitalized congregations. We talk a lot about the wonderful programs happening at Church of the Transfiguration in Dallas, TX. There's more too including about the holy nature of cycling and how the Magi's imagination might better shape the life of Christians today. Casey's humility and graciousness really stand out in this chat. Listen especially for themes of yearning, vulnerability, and hope. Also, think about how stories such as Narnia and Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" prompt and shape your faith and relationships with God and people.
This week's episode takes us to the islands of Hawaii. The Rev. Katlin McCallister has traveled many, many miles in her pilgrimage to become the Rector of Holy Apostles Episcopal Church - Hilo, Hawaii. Katlin started her journey in New Jersey relocated to Tucson, AZ where she discerned a call to ordained ministry as a member of the University of Arizona Episcopal Campus Ministry. She experienced a true gift of the Holy Spirit while on pilgrimage in Ireland. Now, she advocates for the rights of indigenous persons and communities while serving a wide array of parishioners. Her pilgrimage is unique as she has found her voice and sense of call often while traveling far and wide across this wonderful planet. You'll enjoy her humor, , candor, and deep presence of Christian faith. Listen especially for her detailed and reflective view of Anglicanism and American Christianity's impact upon the people and cultures of the Hawaiian islands. Pay heed also to her struggle to hold fast to her own sense of well-being and priestly responsibilities in the unique situations she has found herself.
There is no greater expert in the field of Adaptive Leadership than Hugh O'Doherty. From his roots in Northern Ireland until his present day work with leaders in Ghana as well as with students at the Harvard Kennedy School, Professor O'Doherty has wandered wisely far and wide to create a safer, reconciled world into being. Hugh sits down w/ Jim and Howie to share some of his stories. Pay particular attention for the "Saturday matinee" and "Mr. X." narratives to learn why justice is so important to Hugh and to us. Jim brings up the concept of bids based upon the Gottman Institute's relational counseling work while Howie brings it all down to the family, friendship levels. All of this undergirded by the notion of searching for God when God is already present. Listen closely for this closing conversation. Happy Advent 2
Howie and Jim begin this series by sitting down with one of their closest friends and colleagues. Amy Welin (Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Stephens - Harrisburg, PA) joins in exploring themes of wandering, the meaning of Advent, hope, and other important seasonal and religious topics. What do the Magi teach us?
Howie and Jim take a few minutes to offer their thanksgivings and hopes for the Beatitudes for the 21st Century series. Each host shares some of their "lessons learned." They express a sincere yearning that the podcast series' website (beatitudes.online) will not become dormant. Rather, there's time and space to continue the learning and indeed bring the beatitudes more into life now that all of the episodes are completed. CircuOsity's duo then introduces their next series "I wonder as I wander." This series begins in early December. It is a collection of conversations about wandering and wondering thru the holiday season. The story of the Magi's pilgrimage to follow the star to the Christ Child's manger offers a scriptural and living backdrop for each episode and the series as a whole. Listen and look into this concise production that includes some clever comments and some beautiful music.
In sum, Jesus' Beatitudes are for all of us. "Blessed are you." The challenge is whether or not we believe in Jesus' abiding presence to participate in his sacrificial example of "blessing." Will we allow other human beings to revile us on behalf of the Gospel? Will we seek actively to support and defend the dignity of every human being? Will we offer peace in times of conflict? Will we rejoice when we have accomplished the hard work of being employed with Judeo-Christian virtues of patient hope, diligent discipleship? We sought out the advice of The Rt. Rev. Dr. Audrey Scanlan to discuss and respond to these and more questions. Bishop Scanlan brings her insightful and enjoyable wisdom to this podcast. She understands and is willing to take controversial stands on issues such as gun control. She advocates for women and children thru her deeds as much if not more than her words. She's one of the Episcopal Church's brightest lights shining brilliantly on the issues of our day as well as how best to be missional and "reshaped by faith." Enjoy and heed her solid advice and interpretation of scripture. You will be "embraced by God." (A. Scanlan, July, 2021)
There are hundreds of mentions of righteousness in the Bible. Righteousness - the right relationship w/ God and one's neighbors and environment is central to Judeo-Christian theology and ethics. Jesus himself, when speaking of his baptism in Matthew's Gospel directs us to understand that his baptism indoctrinates righteousness into his own ministry. The Rev. Russ Bohner, TSSF enlightens us about righteousness in this podcast. He shares his own faith journey to include belonging to the Tertiary Order of St. Francis to place righteousness at the core of the Christian Gospel. This is a wise and deep wellstream of conversation about what some might say is the most important theme in The Beatitudes.
Blessed are the peacemakers. Peace-making is a planetary as well as a parochial matter. Peacemaking begins within ourselves and then extends outward into the relationships and walkways of our world. There is no other beatitude that is more incarnational and intentional than peacemaking. Today's conversation with The Very Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan explores ancient as well as contemporary examples of peacemaking. Professor McGowan explores the work of Jesus himself, as well as Paul, Begin, Sadat, Carter, and Martin Luther King. Jim and Howie invite Andrew to explore secular as well as sacramental aspects of peacemaking while also sharing wisdom from Andrew's most recent book (Seven Last Words: Cross and Creation (Cascade, 2021). Enjoy the content from a world-class New Testament scholar and good mate. Pay particular attention to his thoughts regarding Eucharistic celebrations, peacemaking in an ecological sense, and his concerns regarding welcoming exclusion.
Blessed are the pure-hearted. We think of this beatitude in absolute terms. Purity=perfection. We don't tend to think of pure-heartedness as raw, vulnerable. even perhaps behaviorally maladaptive. And yet, as The Rev. Dr. Gil Stafford points out the truth of pure-heartedness in absolutely loving and honest terms. Howie, Jim and Gil walk through miles of thought as they discuss themes such as soul friendship, blessings at the point of mortal death, and purity of heart filled residing in communities. Pay particular attention to Gil's conversation around his new book "Meditations on Blue Jesus." The video edition of this podcast includes artwork painted by Gil's Sister - Dinah. You can learn more about her and her life here . In sum - Jesus the Christ's pure heartedness is inherently human and lived out in a deepening search within and without rather than a dogmatic pursuit of perfection.
Matthew 5: 7 - Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the merciful, not the nice or the pitiful. Jesus offers this beloving beatitude in the Spirit of compassionate care. Mercy (hesed) is a shower of blessings between the giver and receiver. Bishop Caryle Hughes wisely points out that such bold mercy in our time requires baptized and confirmed Christians who are practicing Adult Christianity. Going to Church is one important thing. Living into the Church's mission is a much more just adventure. You'll delight in Bishop's humor, sincerity, and grace as she converses with Howie and Jim in this episode.
Matthew 5:6 builds upon 5:5. Disciples who suffer in want of, ( Hunger - πεινάω 0) & are desperately thirsty ( διψάω ) for a upstanding relationship with/for God (righteousness - δικαιοσύνη) will be satisfied ( χορτάζω ) . Satisfaction isn't descriptive enough. Stuffed is better. The Rev. Canon Mark Harris is an artisan and artist on behalf of Christ's righteousness. He is a preacher as well as a printmaker. He is a consultant and a creative blogger. Mark brings all of these talents to this episode in our effort to unlock more understanding of God's reign in the beatitudes and more broadly in Matthew.
The value of meekness is under siege these days as well as misunderstood. Many people, especially people with authority view meekness as undesirable and weak. They and we would be wise to explore the term of meekness as Matthew's Jesus uses it in Matthew 5:5 as well as elsewhere in the Gospel. Ancient Greeks understood meekness, (Praus) as an intentional effort to possess “strength under control.” A meek person was a self-disciplined person who was graceful and artful under pressure, not passive and frail. People of the economic and social underclass might have learned meekness because of the domination they experienced from intruders and those persons who existed in higher castes than they did. However, beginning with Alexander The Great and Plato, meekness for Ancient Greeks was a self-disciplined praxis for rulers and philosophers alike. We find evidence of tasks to develop meekness in ancient royalty training manuals. Today, on CircuOsirty .21, Jim and Howie sit down with Canon Dr. Deirdre Good to discuss meekness within the context of the 1st Century Beatitudes and the 21st Century Beatitudes. Deirdre uses her own text, Jesus The Meek King, along with many other references to tease out the essence of what it means to be meek in the Reign of God as well as how we who desire to follow Jesus may develop the resilience to seek meekness rather than power. The three participants engage in sharing numerous stories of courageous meekness and hospitality they have experienced as well as how Jesus would have us to be meek when it Is necessary.
We have a wonderful episode this week Beatitudes - Conversations of Blessing. This week's beatitude is Matthew 5: 4. (Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. I once heard that if someone loves you they will share a story with you. Allison Carnahan must love us because she shares her heartwarming, heroic, and holy life stories with us this week on Beatitudes - Conversations of Blessing. Allison talks about her life growing up in MN. She speaks to her enduring relationship with Russell Carnahan as they suffer and thrive through their time in the USAF and her battle with a life threatening disease. There is so much here that has and now inspires the people of St Pauls Episcopal Church Harrisburg, St. Paul's Episcopal, Christ Memorial Episcopal Church, and Church of the Resurrection Episcopal Mission. Now you can hear her inspiring story too. Have some tissues close by and be loved and then share your stories of mourning and comfort @ https://beatitudes.online/share-the-good-news - Watch and listen to the vlog @ https://youtu.be/A3xZC7UEK_I
The Rev. Canon Dr. Manoj Zacharia is the Rector of St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Annapolis, MD. He visits CircuOsity .21 to guide through a powerful conversation regarding Matthew 5: 3. Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount by noting that those persons and are downtrodden are blessed by God. Rev. Dr. Zacharia guides us through an exploration of how he has witnessed this phenomenon in his own life - a life lived in a myriad of cultural settings and with profound ancestral foundation. Enjoy as we embark on this verse by verse series.
We begin our Beatitudes Series with a delightfully informative and rich conversation with Professor AJ Levine. Professor Levine (along with Jim and Howie) talk about many personal, spiritual, and faith community topics. AJ shares a bit of her personal life story. She mentions some particularly blessed moments in her life. Listen for a quick clip about friendship and Job's friends in contrast to AJ's friends. The trio then moves on to chat about the Gospel of Matthew and its 2nd Temple Jewish context. There's rich comparisons here discussing how Jesus' followers and crowds were similar as well as distinct from today's American contexts. The conversation then ventures into the variety of meanings (translated and otherwise) for the term "blessed." Who is blessed and why? What is the manner of blessings for Jesus that somehow identify God's reign uniquely. Finally, AJ offers some pertinent, holy ideas about what the Beatitudes teach us and how to share such wisdom in our faith communities - ecumenically and in interfaith environments. She closes with her own translation of the Beatitudes. This episode in and of itself offers rich material for Christian educators and congregations. It is also a great ladder for climbing us the rest of our Beatitudes pilgrimage in the weeks to come. Blessings along The Way
Well, we've started - #Letusbegin #podcastlive - CircuOsity 's Beatitudes - Conversations of Blessing introductory episode is live and online. You can join in on our #vlog #beatitude #pilgrimage today. Bring your questions, joys, hopes, and more as we climb toward Jesus' on the Mount. Like and follow us too!
Photo (The Fresh and The Ancient) Credit -Photo by Joey Kyber on Unsplash Jim enjoys a half-hour chatting with Tenneson Woolf. Tenneson, as you'll learn by listening is a poet, sage, spiritual inquirer, and in the best of terms - a well-above average human being. Tenneson, for the past 25 years or so, has been facilitating teams and groups using a variety of participatory leadership style. His work and collegiality with Margaret Wheatley, guided him to learning about The Circle Way. Tenneson, since that time, has introduced persons, individuals, and teams into circles in a variety of communities. For Tenneson, this work is Spirit-Led and essential to the circumstances human beings face in their families, jobs, faith communities, and the broader world. Jim and Tenneson spend the majority of their chat discussing the concepts of leaning into trouble. They discuss what trouble is and why people naturally avoid it. They also chat about why it is often most difficult yet most rewarding to lean into unknown, chaotic, fearful circumstances because creating islands of sanity, as Meg Wheatley states, is essential to humanity'swell being in this day and age. All of these topics flow into and through Tenneson's purpose of "striving to help people be smart together." Watch M. Wheatley's presentation on Choosing who we desire to Become. Tenneson and Jim share their stories, offer their appreciation, and wrap much of their thinking about the way forward as they stand on the frontier of entering into an 18-month rite of passage and leadership pilgrimage entitled Fire and Water. Fire and Water's participants will explore their ancestry, lean into the unknowingness of new relationships with self, fellow pilgrims, and The Divine. This CircuOsity episode offers hope for the Fire and Water adventure as well as similar leadership and communal endeavors going on around the planet. Thanks to Tenneson for his wisdom and presence in this space and all of his endeavors. You can learn more about Tenneson on his website or by clicking on the Fire and Water site. Enjoy the pod and offer your comments and questions. Tenneson in one of his contemplative moments.
Artist's Credit - Mother of God of Tenderness - Icon written by Caroline Furlong Jim dedicates this episode to the art of becoming a faithful, asture, ethical observer. A good friend introduced Jim to Dr. Jordan Peterson's work and words. Jim was especially motivated by Peterson's podcast concerning scriptural and psychological tenets for guiding a person's virtuous decisions. Peterson offers a quote that shapes the essence of today's episode. "The frontier is the edge between what you know and what you don't know. You want to put yourself on that edge." (Jordan Peterson - Wikiquote) Jim uses a variety of resources to gather observations about observation. These include: Suggestions from his spouse, The Rev. Dr. Howell Sasser, Scientific Method process, Developing a Third Eye, learning about resurrection through the process of observing and assisting Monarch Butterflies. Butterflies have symbolized the process of birth, life, death, and resurrection across a wide spectrum of spiritual and religious cultures for centuries. Their story, especially the story of Monarch Butterflies is all the more morally and environmentally critical because monarchs are at severe risk of becoming extinct in a very short period of time. Jim has undertaking an active process into observing, learning more about, and assisting monarchs for the past three summers. He is coming to understand that he doesn't know much about what he doesn't know. He also sees this joyful process as a practical and spiritual way to learn more about himself,his moral choices, and how his thoughts,words,actions, and deeds have a much larger butterfly effect upon the world than he and probably anyone else comprehends. If you're interested in becoming a more holistic, spiritually grounded, proactive human being,then listen to the podcast. If you have less than 20 minutes right now. check out these guidelines. Be curious and patient Take into account your biases and assumptions. Find joy in love, suffering, awe, sorrow, alike. Don't intervene when there's already 400 millions years of wisdom inside the miraculously minute brain of a butterfly or something/someone else you don't understand. Watch this video. Blessings along The Way,
Photo Credit to Hazel Bartram-Birchenough - Transfiguration (Oil on Canvas) - as seen at The Episcopal Church Visual Arts' "Worship The Lord in the Beauty of Holiness" display. There's lots of talk on lots of levels about courage. Jim takes up the topic in this episode. He opens by thanking the folks at Insight Timer, especially Glenda Cedarleaf, for offering a courageous meditation. Glenda cites E.E. Cummings with this quote: It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. Jim uses Cummings' quote as a foundation for discussing courage.(curiously). He offers perennial wisdom from a variety of Perennial Tradition sources including (falsely attributed to) Buddha, Jesus, Brene' Brown, and Pat Metheny to develop wholehearted, compassionate courage. You'll find his detailed podcast outline over at Musings from the Corner of Market and Pine. Be courageous on your pilgrimage. Blessings along The Way.
Jim promises that CircuOsity and more thoughts about living into loving relationships via The Circle Way will be on later this week. For today - Jim considers the deepest meaning of Christ Jesus' instruction to his followers to be fearless and wholehearted. Jim provides an example of someone, Becca Stevens, and her work with Thistle Farms and Magdalene House transforms the lives of thousands of people. Jim's sermon suggests that it is possible for a trip with $2.42 to a foreign land is indeed life-changing and that love heals along with faithfulness to live into an uncertain and divine future is worth the trip. Listen especially for Becca's ABCs to transform your life and the lives of the people around you. 32 “Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights in giving you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out—a treasure in heaven that never runs out. No thief comes near there, and no moth destroys. 34 Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too. (Luke 12 32-34)
J.R. Korpa's photo "Mannequin Models" courtesy of Korpa and Unsplash. Jim Opens up this week's episode with a welcome and explaining of CircuOsity's purpose. He then introduces today’s theme - learning to seek awareness in order to reduce ignorance. He uses one of Silas Day's Insight Timer meditations as a primary resource for ruminating upon this important topic. Our development of a meditative practice offers us intentional time and space to shine out awareness onto our ignorance. We focus mindfulness onto our views, experiences, and attachments (Christian terms, passions or sins). Ignorance is based upon our presumptions of reality. A Fool who discerns his ignorance gains understanding and therefore becomes wiser. A Fool who assumes that he is wise expresses and shares his foolishness. (chime) Complaining is a common place and almost always inconsequential habit in and of itself for increasing awareness, reducing suffering, and gaining insight. Jim uses this podcast to summarize how bringing awareness to his habitual complaining is helping him to shift his way of being. Silas' meditation "A Contemplation on Ignorance" shines light upon the importance of developing a meditative mindfulness practice. Complaining is a consequence of our attachments to ignorance. Jim's shadow resides in unexplored or unrefined awareness of childish desires to possess control and impatiences with himself, other people, God, and countless other circumstances residing outside of his sphere of influence. Complaining only offers wisdom when someone gains awareness of the circumstances, experiences, attachments (passions) provoking the complaint. Ignorance means to lack wisdom or unknowing. (Complain derives from the Latin term for lamentation - an expression of suffering) Buddhism teaches us to express our awareness of sufferings existence. Christianity teaches us that it is through suffering that resurrection becomes most possible. If true, and complaining or other unhelpful habits (patterns) exist, what might we do? Jim suggests that bringing awareness to this issue renders solutions. Such opportunities include paying attention to Buddhism's Eightfold Path , Christianity's Gifts of the Spirit, and The Circle Way's principles. And, the Plan (Prayer), Do (Devote), Check (Contemplate), Act (Adapt) model, (PDCA) provides a proven contemplative and actionable means for increasing awareness and compassion as well as for reengineering work in sacred and worldly settings. Here is some of what Jim learned and is learning as a consequence of undertaking a 21-Day Complaint-Free Challenge experience. The process requires an intentional examination of his complaining. The work begins with observation and continues with creating a prayerful (mindful) plan. The purpose in this endeavor has been to Identify a meaningful improvement opportunity, Jim loves learning and thereby understands that he needs to shine light upon the ignorance of his complaining. You should listen in order to hear about the rest of his work rather than read his probably boring explanation here. :) In sum, this opportunity (and similar intentions) all possess capacities to establish new ways of being. Jim concludes with another summary of Silas Day's wisdom. He refreshes some of today's episodes of learning: Small rituals such as meditation shine awareness onto the shadows of our personalities – our soul’s and ego’s suffering Offering Love depends upon enlightenment and devotion toward something bigger and better than ourselves. SMART Goals are excellent for any intentional practice to reduce ignorance, acknowledge suffering, and gain wisdom and joy. Emotions are fluid and fleeting. God’s presence is always available. Working on one attachment, one pain, one burden, one wound at a time will encourage further growth, and a possibility or renewed body, mind, and spirit. . Jim says Good Bye with a Blessing, Thank you for listening, and a hope that you will share CircuOsity. Blessings along The Way, Jim Visit Silas Day's website and follow him on Insight Timer.
Jim takes an adventure on how to be navigate our pilgrimages with our emotional elephants. He calls upon Jonathan Haidt's Happiness Hypothesis work to understand why our emotions more often than not govern our gifts of reason. Haidt uses the metaphor of a rider upon an elephant that cannot force the elephant to go in a particular direction. The rider is the rational part of our brains whereas the elephant is the emotional (automatic) portion of our brains. It takes courage and compassion for human beings to create a synergistic relationship with ourselves,neighbors,and God. (Read the Happiness Hypothesis for deeper learning). Jim refers back to last week's episode and the Plan (Prayer), Do (Devotion), Check (Contemplate), and Act (Adapt) [PDCA] cycle as a model for talking with and riding the elephants in our living rooms who we avoid, or fear to tame . Jim shares how he is using this model to hold the reigns of his emotional, complaining elephant with more wisdom, patience, and maturity. His current work is with a 21 day Complaint Free Challenge. Emotional elephant joy riding can be awesome when you have a purpose, plan, and flexible course of action. You shouldn't be afraid of falling off either. Check out Michelle McQuaid and Peggy Kern's podcast to learn more about developing emotionally well elephants in workplaces. Check out Marc Chernoff's elephant metaphor to better understand how old and outdated habitual patterns and beliefs keep us tied down. 'Hope that you enjoy this adventure and your own ride w/ your elephants and the emotional opportunities to grow in your self, families, and communities. “Happiness is not something that you can find, acquire, or achieve directly. You have to get the conditions right and then wait. Some of those conditions are within you, such as coherence among the parts and levels of your personality. Other conditions require relationships to things beyond you: Just as plants need sun, water, and good soil to thrive, people need love, work, and a connection to something larger. It is worth striving to get the right relationships between yourself and others, between yourself and your work, and between yourself and something larger than yourself. If you get these relationships right, a sense of purpose and meaning will emerge.” Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom Blessings along The Way, Jim
A curious thing happened on Facebook today. Amy Welin invited her friends to join her in complaining less. Amy is the Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Stephen's in Harrisburg. She seemingly has somethings unsettling her. Jim has been kinda frazzled recently and consequently been complaining about many things rather than contemplating and acting upon potential improvements. Jim decided to take Amy up on the 21 Day Complaint Free Challenge. Amy referenced Rabbi Brian's Not to Complain blog post as a resource. Jim decided to blow the dust off of an old continuous improvement friend - The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model. Jim revises the PDCA model a bit to frame it in a more spiritual fashion. You can learn more about Jim's adaptation here. Today's podcast uses Lisa Lahey and Robert Kegan's Immunity to Change model as a basis for initiating today's conversation. Learning to complain less means making an adaptive change - a gut-felt yearning for choosing a different way of living. The PDCA Model offers a template for undertaking such an transformational learning process. (Jim offers a somewhat detailed description of the PDCA model from 5:27 - 11:28 in the episode). Jim lays out his proposed plan and do stages of his complaint-free journey. Thankfully, there are lots and lots of models to work happily with for the next three weeks. Jari Roomer recommends achieving success one step at a time. SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely) are handy for keeping track of progress. WOOP is a quick and imaginative way for visioning a healthier future. And of course, taking a challenge with friends is more fun than doing it alone (except for truly introverted people) Ultimately, this 21 Day Challenge like any transformative growth is about letting go of established habits of thinking believing, most likely because a person's love for a greater goal is more powerful than the status quo. Have a listen and follow along with Jim and others as they strive for less complaining and more compassion.
Jim offers his reflection on the themes of freedom, liberty, and independence. The July 4th holiday in the United States is next week. Politicians and citizens alike will celebrate the United States' freedom. Yet is independence such a great value? Does valuing one's greatness and/or a nations status really invoke the highest virtues of liberty and justice for all. Jim suggests that the greater good is to be found in interdependence. Such virtuous living begins with one's self and one's own transformation. Jim uses an article from Ron Esposito of the Conscious Living Center to support his ideas. He also builds upon one of his heroes, Robert F. Kennedy's as a foundation for truly understanding American justice and freedoms. Jim references John Donne's No Man is an Island poem too. In sum, Jim suggests that living spiritually well as a person and nation is to strive for interdependence and honest self-understanding. The Circle Way offers principles for shared understanding and maturation. Spiritual paths grounded in contemplative meditation and holistic communal collaborations will also promote freedoms beyond The Declaration of Independence and unhealthy proclamations of national greatness and privilege.
Jim invites Gil Stafford into CircuOsity's space. Gil shares a bit of his writing to set the space for this chat. Gil shares how his writing shapes him as much as he crafts the writing. Jim then invites Gil to talk about his personal pilgrimage using the Enneagram as a frame for the discussion. Both Jim and Gil claim the Enneagram 4 (or the Enneagram 4 claims them). Gil describes how his own understanding of his life experiences shapes how he shows up in the world, shapes his writing, and how he leads because of this wisdom and intentional work. Gil and Jim then shift the conversation toward understanding how the Enneagram provides an excellent foundation for exercising leadership using The Circle Way as a purposeful way for guiding groups towards wellness and effectiveness. Gil and Jim both endorse the importance of holding silence, listening attentively, and validating how one's individual work is being carried out into a person's circles (families, neighborhoods, towns, and more broadly into the world). In summary, Enneagram and Circle Way. are methods that are accessible and fruitful for personal and shared wellness. Gil checks the duo out with another reading of how our writing - words have meaning beyond the page. They both offer what was this most important lessons from the conversation. Jim offers a blessing for Gil and all listeners as they travel on their pilgrimages. May the Road Rise to Meet you and Blessings along The Way, Cathy and Gil's Wisdom Way School. Gil's Webpage Gil's Blog Gil's Books on Amazon
I use a quote from Linda Thompson to converse about the relationship between pain, suffering, and compassion. Thompson said: "Our uniqueness, our individuality, and our life experience molds us into fascinating beings. I hope we can embrace that. I pray we may all challenge ourselves to delve into the deepest resources of our hearts to cultivate an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance, tolerance, and compassion. We are all in this life together." I begin by mentioning that our brains are hypersensitive to pain. Human brains do distinguish between psychological and physical trauma. And emotionally charged people tend to react rather than respond to painful circumstances. We're built that way. Conversely, in less emergent circumstances, we may delay, defer, or deny that we're suffering. The Buddha offers the Eightfold Path as a means for encountering and overcoming suffering. Christian moral theology offers the virtues of faith, hope, and love as devoted means for attending to our own suffering as well as the suffering of other people. I then offer some quick blurbs about Marc and Angel Chernoff's recent post on Hack Life. Angel writes about 20 Tiny Thoughts that crush our dreams. She lists the inner critic statements we tell ourselves that cause chronic pain and diminished achievements. ("I'm not good enough," "It is too hard," "I wasn't meant to do it anyway,)" She concludes by suggesting that we should seek out the opportunity in everything. I think opportunity is most likely to be found by truly diving into the sorrowful moments of our lives. That is where we will find God. The Way of Love and The Circle Way offer resources for creating rituals and practices for honoring ourselves and other people with patience and compassion. Living in dynamic times such as ours requires us to be truthful yet gentle with ourselves so that we bring grace and determination with us into our communities of faith, families, neighborhoods, and the broader world. Blessings along The Way, Jim
Hi there, Jim will be producing a "Circle Way" based podcast tomorrow (May 17th). For now, here's Jim sermon from last Sunday's worship at Christ Memorial Episcopal Church. The church had a unique opportunity to worship with a limited Heritage Edition of the Gospel/Acts Saint John's Bible. Jim reads from and shares his personal experiences of Mother's Day memories. He offers how Christians and other people of faith may interpret the Bible's examples of Good Shepherding. Mothers are shepherds of God's love in their own unique and faithful ways. The Saint John's Bible recognizes the more than important place and leadership of women in The Bible. Jim highlights 3 "Bs" (believing, belonging, and be-loving) as The Way for Christians to listen to the Gospel of John and become Good Shepherds ourselves, today. Blessings along The Way
Today's podcast consider true wisdom. Jim considers a couple of problems he had during the week. He uses the Enneagram Institute's and Essential Enneagram resources. He explains how he has a Type 4 tends to be creative and intuitive. These personality characteristics may be virtuous and/or shadowy depending upon Jim's and other 4s frames of reference and willingness to evaluate what is truly happening here and now versus what may have happened or is desirable in the future. Jim then moves along to discuss how the Ladder of Inference tool may be very helpful for all personality types regardless whether are positioned in the Instinctive, Feeling, or Thinking Centers. Check it out and consider how wise you are and what solutions you use, inferentially or otherwise. Blessings along The Way, Jim
Photo credit - Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Jim returns to his exploration of circles and The Circle Way. Today he considers the paradoxically token nature of life and death. He ponders how tombs and wombs often are present with one another in the same sacred space. He enters into this conversation through Ysaye M. Barnwell's captivating lyrics and music in her song Wanting Memories. He loves Cantus' version of this song and shares it as well. Memories inform who we are. They shape the nature of our path as well as the contents of our being. They may hold us captive and/or offer an essence for reclaiming our new life, especially when we invite God to enter into the conversation. Memories need not bind us to some chronological and static path. Rather memories may wind and unwind us into a new and more holy space for our lives to occur. Moveover, memories along with daily experience interconnect us to one another, to God, and beyond our human sensibilities. Jim offers one scriptural analogy thru an interpretation of St. Thomas' encounter with the Risen Christ. Thomas doubts that Jesus is resurrected, especially given Jesus' crucifixion. Thomas demands to physically encounter Christ. His circle of friends invites him to do so with them. In this space, all of Thomas' doubts and fears are extinguished by Christ's invitation to see God's incarnate love in a new way. So it may be with us, regardless of our religious tradition, when we possess enough courage to love our past experiences and let go of them in the paradoxical tomb/womb moments of our lives. Circles create space and time for such order, disorder, and reordering to unfold. Enjoy the podcast and share it graciously as the Spirit leads you. Blessings along The Way, Jim Photo Credit - Inner Quest - a quilt made by Pearl Squires
Here's my tribute to the The Doobie Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's music. I use their tunes and themes to wind my way thru Holy Week and Jesus' Just Alright w/ Me Resurrection. The audio is a bit shaky but listenable. I preach about my experiences this Holy Week. I offer a playlist as a backdrop to understanding Jesus' last mortal week and his ongoing resurrection with us. The associated playlist is at here on Christ Memorial's webpage. Blessings along The Way, Jim
Jim offers a special Holy Week episode. He opens with a reading from Proverbs. Work committed to God is established in a holy way. This passage makes fertile soil for considering Holy Week's questions. What does it mean for contemporary people of faith to follow Jesus into his passion? Are we willing to die as he did? Was his death necessary? Jim explores the work of Ernest Becker, the Episcopal Prayer Book's Collect for Palm Sunday, and his observations regarding the conflictual paradox in finding one's life by confronting death and losing what we most deeply value. One of CircuOsity's followers invited Jim to more fully explore the virtues and flaws of clinging to Jesus. Jim discusses his own confusion regarding Jesus' innocent death on the cross. He offers some thoughts about why substitutionary atonement is a flawed yet often accepted remedy for human sinfulness. And, he offers that Christians are indeed called to live into Jesus' death as much as celebrate his resurrection. Jim doesn't mention it here by name while he does speak to emerging ideas regarding Participatory Atonement. We are Christ's disciples (for those of us who are Christian). We are called to his death, burial, and resurrection in daily small deaths as well as more heroic ones. Jim closes by offering a Holy Week blessings and farewell. Blessings along The Way - especially in The Church's paradoxical and most abundant days.
Howie and Jim approach the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. They discuss the healing as well as the terrifying emotions we experience in the presence of God. The pair chat about how Jesus caused the people around him to be full of awe (awful?). He challenges and provokes emotions in opponents and friends alike. Jesus also encounters angels and demons around himself too. Howie and Jim discuss the importance of community members sharing their stories, especially in uncertain and sacred time and settings. Holy Week creates space for living into Jesus' last mortal week. The people around Jesus such as the soldiers, the Women of Jerusalem and other human beings. Jim highlights how important was to him to hear Bishop Audrey Scanlan share snippets of her life's stories and the gratitude she feels in the kinship she shares with the clergy in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. Jim also offers how Susan Scott's fierce Mineral Rights Conversation would be an excellent tool for Christians to share with themselves and the beloved people around them throughout this coming Holy Week. Howie reminds us that descent into spiritually shadowy spaces to include Christ's Passion is understood in the bright life of Easter. Howie and Jim close with reflections about how our lives mirror and evidence the same emotions that the women and men around Jesus did. This week's Path concludes with a couple of plugs. Howie finished his run between St. Thomas' worship services last Sunday. Folks from St. Thomas rallied around him. There's news about Howie's run to support local children. There's lots of photos and captions on St. Thomas' Facebook page. Jim shared the good news about WNEP's Ryan Leckey's visit to Christ Memorial's awesome Model Trains program. Bob Bomboy and other faithful "conductors" have let this joyous ministry since 2005. There's a video of Bob's interview with Ryan here. Check out Christ Memorial's Facebook page too. May all of you experience what God intends for you throughout this Holy Week. May your ascents not be too lofty nor your descents too dreadful. Blessings along The Way,
Howie and Jim take some small, struggling steps to understand an ascent toward securing a closer relationship with God. They begin w/ Howie's reading of today's Path. Howie then describes how he continues to focus on taking small steps as he learns The Way as priest at St. Thomas. Jim describes his struggles with asserting himself physically and spiritually as he ages. Howie suggests that we take the proper steps based upon where we are rather than where we've been or expect to go. The pair next takes a look at St. Paul's "racy" verses in Philippians. Paul strives to abide in deeper relationship with Christ, not because of his gain or strength. Rather he believes in God's yearning for him to obtain the goal of a deeper spiritual truth. Jim follows up with a summary of St. Patrick's return to Ireland. Here too, Patrick's goal wasn't to boast about his own ego. His visionary call was to return to the place of imprisonment in order to proclaim God's love in Christ. In both cases, sacrifice and struggle were the hallmarks of the spiritual ascent. Jim then pivots the conversation to a discussion regarding our societies' and organizational needs for elders. Jim introduces a recent "musing" from Bill Plotkin (founder of the Animas Valley Institute). Plotkin writes: "When too many of us don’t grow into true adults, our cultures deteriorate into not-fully-human collectives — immature and dysfunctional societies. Contemporary Western societies are clear examples of this — with the U.S. perhaps in the lead ... he reality is that most contemporary people are lost and languishing on a vast deserted plain on the far side of which arise the gates to true adulthood — and few of them find their way across that plain." (Plotkin, April 5, 2019, paras. 2&4). Truer words have never been authored inside or outside of The Bible or many religious and cultural domains. Jim and Howie talk about their personal experiences of striving to be elders. The path is a climb to be sure but it isn't about personal gain or status. It is about seeking to make the world more livable and loving. The podcast concludes with a plug for Howie's and St. Thomas' participation in this Sunday's Crush Your Run. They take a quick look at coming off of the mountain tops and diving into the creative and murky depths of next week's "descending path." There's everything in here from laughter to blessings. Enjoy and share! Blessings along The Way, Jim and Howie
Extenuating circumstances prevented Jim from producing and publishing a podcast today. You'll find Howie's reflection regarding the ascending path on Christ Memorial's Paths webpage later today. Jim invites you to listen to his sermon he offered yesterday. Jim reflects upon the wisdom of Jesus' Prodigal Son parable. Jim looks thru the lens of his own teenage and young adult experiences to shed some light on the over-abundant yet realistic realities of recognizing and receiving Christ's Grace. Perhaps this message will help us all to understand that sometimes our greatest achievements begin with our harshest lessons. Perhaps? Blessings along The Way
Howie calls in to help Jim explore the Circular Path. Job 26:10 provides the backdrop for this week's summary: (God) traced a circle on the water’s surface, at the limit of light and darkness. The opening question then is: If we assume that this is a poetic way of saying that God has brought order to the universe, what signs of it do you see around you? Jim and Howie's reflections range from the maintenance of the piscina to the esoteric realities of people's use of psychedelics in the 1970s. The duo then settles into exploring what is seen and unseen within the wanderings of living spiritually upon a circular path. Jim references a conversation that Krista Tippett's with Paulo Coelho on OnBeing's Becoming Wise podcast. Tippett and Coelho discuss pilgrimage. Coelho says: I also do believe that we have this possibility of doing a pilgrimage every single day — because a pilgrimage implies — in meeting different people, in talking to strangers, in paying attention to the omens — basically being open to life. We leave our home to go to work, to go to school, and we have every single day this possibility, this chance of discovering something new. So the pilgrimage is not for the privileged one who can go to Spain and to France and walk this 500 miles but to people who are open to life. A pilgrimage, at the end of the day, is basically — get rid of things that you are used [to] and try something new. So it is within the seen and unseen boundaries of a circle. Jim and Howie check out with a "shout out" for Howie's participation in an upcoming running event. Howie's going to get out and run a 5k between Sunday morning worship services on April 7th. Crush Your Run supports Preston's March for Energy - an organization that provides adaptive bikes for children with special needs. He's also living into "Hitting the Ground Running" - an effort to promote St. Thomas Episcopal Church's congregational life and connections with the community. And it is a way to get out of the usual circle of Sunday church activities as well as to invite neighbors to share in the church's Holy Week and Easter activities. It should be fun and faithful. In sum, the circular life is an exploratory one - one when and where a pilgrim is willing to leave home, explore the world, see what's going on while knowing that much of what happens is taking place beyond our control or comprehension. Blessings along The Way,
Jim hosts another conversation on Paths. He begins with a reading from John Climacus' Ladder of Divine Ascent. Jim offers Howie's question of the day: "In what ways is love a circle, or does love form a circle?" Jim uses Howie's writing from the 27th of March "Path" to further explore this question. Faithful people understand that the way of "divine timelessness" nothing valuable is lost or forgotten when traveling upon a circular path. Jim draws upon Thomas Merton's Wisdom in his poem Hagia Sophia to explore how a circle is a container for living into "hidden wholeness." Merton provides a portal for understanding how Divine Wisdom reaches out and touches us from "a place of wordless gentleness" and flowing grace "from the unseen roots of all created being." Jim transitions then to considering Parker Palmer's wisdom in his book "A Hidden Wholeness." Palmer explains that our yearning to discover our hidden wholeness is soulful work. Our souls desire to keep us: rooted in the ground of our being, connected to communities of life and thriving relationships, speak the truth to us about ourselves, our world, and the relationship between the two, and, Give us life and guide us to become life-givers in a world where death is ever-present. (Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness, pps. 33-34) Jim then shares his thoughts about view the circular path and the circles we abide in as wells. We need good and lifegiving water in the desert, Lenten times of our lives. We need circles of truth, vulnerability, and trustworthy love to offer more depth and reason for our being. Our souls are anchored in Divine Love, as Merton and Palmer, and Jesus suggest through their wisdom. Enjoy exploring hidden wholeness on today's Path. Blessings along The Way
Jim begins the Third Week in Lent by discussing the vital importance of our cores. Yantras and mandalas offer geometric patterns for understanding the cosmos as well as ourselves. A mandala, circle in sanskrit. offers an observable shape for comprehending life. The mandala core is a bindu. The Divine, Source, God, Presence - whatever definition offers you wisdom for life emanates from the core of our being. Jim offers his perspective as a Christian who admires and appreciates learning from the religions and philosophies that preceded it and stand alongside. Jim then explores the joy of the Feast Day of the Annunciation: This joyous day, in the middle of Lent, announces that God constantly reaches out from the core of our faith to remind us of our purpose in life and our connections with God and one another. Jim then transitions into how a spiritual discipline such as a walking a labyrinth prompts us to seek connections with the core of our circular path. Such patterned rituals focus our attention on the center of who we are as well as the source of our being. Enjoy and Blessings along The Way.
Jim and Howie sit down to discuss what they learned during the curving 2nd Week in Lent. Howie's cat Cato joins in with their exploration as he wanders upon the podcast production table. I wish I would have had a camera. Howie shares a delightful story of visiting a young parishioner's elementary school class. The young person shares his interest in pouring orange juice onto a graham cracker. You have to listen to Howie share the tale. Jim then gets much more serious in talking further about his time in Durham's Cathedral. Jim then invites the duo to spend time chatting about Richard Rohr's concept of living into life's two tasks or halves of life. The first task is to construct a human life thru a process of creating and practicing our identity - especially as our ego understands it. The second task - a more soulful endeavor - is to discern and live into what our identity is truly about in reality and more broadly. Pivotal moments (curves) present themselves as a means or connecting point between these two tasks. The couple quibbles a bit about the truth of Rohr's model. They then chat about Moses' encounter with God and possible meanings for dealing with life's curviness. Jim closes this section from a current conversation taking place on the School of Life's Community page. Jim talks about our minds' needs for controlling the future. We seek security when we're on holy and unstable ground, nonetheless such aspirations provides anxiety that comes from seeking such comfort. The couple concludes today's podcast by summing up what they learned and what they look forward to with next week's "Circling Path." Check back in for more conversation and contemplations. Thanks for listening to the podcast. Please sign up to be a follower. Invite others to participate too. Blessings along The Way, Howie & Jim
Today's Path orients us to the importance of seeking out good markers and guardrails. Howie writes: " Finding reliable guides is essential. .... The best guides point away from themselves and toward the goal - on the physical path to safety and the way ahead, on the spiritual path, to Christ." (Sasser, Paths, 2019) Jim considers the life, faithfulness, and testimony of St. Cuthbert. Cuthbert is perhaps the most beloved saint in Northern England. He was a devout man of prayer, a fearless missionary, especially to impoverished people, and a pious, obedient religious leader. In later life, he wrestled with striving to be a hermit and a bishop at the same time - not an easy feat. Cuthbert became more venerated and admired following his mortal death. According to the Venerable Bede, Cuthbert's sarcophagus was opened eleven years after his death, his body was found to have been perfectly preserved or incorrupt.[30] Numerous miracles were attributed to his intercession and to intercessory prayer near his remains. Thousands of contemporary pilgrims travel to Cuthbert's tomb at Durham Cathedral. Jim is one such pilgrim. Jim traveled to Durham a few years ago to attend a conference at Durham University's Centre for Social Justice and Community Action. His purpose was to learn more about Action Research and how to use it in his ministries. While in Durham he and Howie visited Durham Cathedral. It was a transformational and defining moment in Jim's life. It happened at sunset in the Chapel of Nine Altars as the cathedral was closing for the night. He recounts some of that experience on this podcast. It is important for pilgrims to occasionally look back upon the paths they have traveled to recall and offer thanks for the guides - pragmatic and transcendent who shape our lives and our purpose for living. The podcast's purpose is to shine the light upon one such Saint, Cuthbert, who indeed points toward Christ and opportunities for living a memorable, hopeful life that shared God's love with neighbors and creation alike. Blessings along The Way, Jim
Jim begins the 2nd Week in Lent with a reading from Proverbs. He then offers Howie's March 18th reflection from Paths. Howie raises a key question for finding our path and The Way throughout Lent and beyond. "What qualities or practices enhance our souls' abilities to bend?" (Sasser, Paths, 2019). Jim considers pop music songs that describe how life winds around. He mentions Sheryl Crow's Every Day is a Winding Road, Bruce Hornsby's Valley Road, and U2's I still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Climbing hills and wandering through fields to find love and God has been a lifelong adventure for Jim. How about you? Augustine of Hippo's quote provides a prayerful compass for such sojourning: "How shall I call upon my God, my God and my Lord, when by the very act of calling upon him I would be calling him into myself? Is there any place within me into which my God might come? How should the God who made heaven and earth come into me? Is there any room in me for you, Lord, my God? Even heaven and earth, which you have made and in which you have made me – can even they contain you? Since nothing that exists would exist without you, does it follow that whatever exists does in some way contain you? " (Augustine, Confessions) Jim then segues into his trips from Tucson, AZ -> Mt Lemmon in the Coronado National Forest about an hour's drive away from Tucson. The only way to get up the mountain is on the Catalina Highway. it can be a treacherous trip, especially on a bicycle. Yet, many people go up the hill to escape the heat, enjoy their summer homes, and relish the beauty of Mt Lemmon's "sky desert" forests. Jim suggests that trips up to the mountain to encounter God and ourselves are worthwhile if not risky. Such is The Way through Lent as well. "What qualities or practices enhance our souls' abilities to bend?" (Sasser, Paths, 2019). Enjoy the podcast. Share it with your friends and family. Offer us feedback that will help us to provide you what you're looking for today and throughout Lent and/or other seasons of your life.
Howie and Jim discuss their pilgrimage through the First Week of Paths. Howie speaks to his inspiration for considering straight lines, practically and spiritually. Both guys talk about various automobile and religious adventures they've taken. They then speak about the process of figuring out what internal and external circumstances and experiences may cause someone to remain steadfast or their chosen path in contrast to wandering (lost or otherwise). The guys' conversation concludes with a look ahead to Week 2 and venturing out onto crooked or curved paths - something that all of us are familiar with, especially during Lent. Please like us on Facebook and here on Podbean. We've got a bottle of lovely champagne to enjoy when we reach 100 hundred followers. It would be cool to enjoy it before Easter :) Blessings along The Way, Jim and Howie
Today's reflection invites listeners to consider how to be joyous with preparing for the wilderness with God - joyfully. Howell Sasser writes "It is tempting to take the widest, most visible path. For some it may be consumerism, for others, fashionable cynicism. But, even for those seeking to follow a faithful path, the easiest of most conventional one may not be the most Godly. (Sasser, Paths, p.8, 2019). Jim describes his discomfort as well as his curiosity for the wilderness he observes congregations dwelling in during these complicated days. Financial and spiritual deficits are causing church communities strife and despair. Jim references Dwight Zscheile's wise words in The Agile Church. Zscheile writes: "the realities facing the church today are complex and ambiguous, realities for which there are no quick or easy solutions. ... We look to leaders to resolve this ambiguity by providing quick fixes, giving us a clear map of where to go..." (Zscheile, The Agile Church, p.60, 2014). Jim suggests that Jesus' prayer reminds us to seek daily bread, no more than that amount. Jesus example harkens back to the Israelites wandering in the wilderness and the manna God sustained them with each day. Jim references Eckhart Tolle's teaching that gratitude in the present moment provides the key we need to open up the spiritual dimensions of our lives. (Tolle, Present Day Reminder, March 10, 2019) In sum, contentment, surrender, and awareness of reality as it is and discovering bread for nourishment may be enough to dwell with God as we discern where and how we should be living our lives. Blessings along The Way.
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