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Mind your manners! Mind your ways! Mind your mother! Who hasn’t heard these things during their lives? Notice that they all have an exclamation point. That is because these are usually commands given to children. There are other “minding” phrases that are less commanding: A mind is a terrible thing to waste (from UNCF) or I don’t mind at all.

The commonality of these phrases is the idea of the mind as a verb. What is really being said is use your mind, either to remember your manners, your behavior, or your mother. Never mind is another one that is used often in exasperation and means to stop thinking about something. Or does it? Doesn’t “never mind” really mean, “since  you are not listening to me, I am wasting my time?”

And yet, we know that our minds are extremely powerful, able to heal us when nothing else can or to lead to places few have gone before. The capacity of the human mind is beyond all computers invented to date. And yet, how mindful are we each day? How often do we actually apply our mind to a particular thing during the day? Learning to be a contemplative is learning to be mindful of the little things. St. Francis would say that by being mindful we can discover the very presence of God in everything in the natural world.

Living mindfully is also a Zen activity. It is a way to control diet (mindful eating) and heal the body. Henry Ford once said: “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” But I wonder, is it really such hard work or are we afraid of what we will actually discover about ourselves when we do it? Will we discover that I don’t need another glass of wine or serving of food? Or, more importantly, will I discover by thinking about things that I have ignored my loved ones, my responsibilities, the poor among us?

To live mindfully is to open oneself to the possibilities of each moment. Be forewarned, however, the possibilities can be scary. When we see ourselves as we really are, before the Creator of the universe we are engaging in the most meaningful “minding” there is. The Bible references this as “awe” or “fear of God”. That is the challenge, to be brave enough to be mindful. Ford was right and wrong, it is hard work to think but it is hard work because of what it can reveal to us and about us. Be brave dear ones, be mindful.

 

TMM

I wonder if you have ever had an experience that humbled you? Often this comes at the hands of an innocent child, who suddenly says or does something that makes us feel very small in comparison to that child. I have had several of those in recent weeks. Or perhaps it is a particular moment when you see nature in all of its glory.

In the past several weeks, I have had a large number of these experiences. Driving through Ireland, I was humbled by visiting sites and cities where the Vikings had come years before the birth of Christ. I looked at the Cliffs of Moher, an 800-foot drop to the sea. I found myself to be very insignificant in comparison to these places and these views.

I drove to my beloved Abbey of Gethsemani and the sheer silence and thunderous peace of the place made me very humble indeed. As I walked through the church to receive the evening blessing of the Abbott after Compline, I was humbled. I am of no importance and yet I receive a blessing.

I drove to Pennsylvania to visit my daughter and through West Virginia and southern Maryland, I was humbled by the sheer beauty of the mountains I drove through along the way. I did not realize such beauty was right there along the road for me to see. And, on that same trip, I heard a new pastor preach a sermon to the congregation that was so intimate, I was humbled to be present.

And yet, through this veil of humility, I have discovered that I do matter. That I am not insignificant, though that is how it feels. This is the “fear of God”. Not fear as in afraid to be seen by God, but fear in terms of seeing that I matter so much to the Creator of the universe. That I am a necessary part of creation is a fearful thought.

You are precious as well dear ones. It is how you are created and the purpose for which you are created is to be loved by God. It truly is that simple, we are the objects of God’s purpose and love. God needs us to be in the world. That is humbling and makes all of the difference, to know that we matter!

TMM

I have two rescue dogs, one Golden Retriever and one Terrier. When I call them, the Retriever comes immediately. The Terrier, well not so you could tell it. I know he hears me but he just might lay down where he is and look at me.  So much for “knowing his master’s voice”. The Retriever is a female so maybe the whole “alpha male” thing has something to do with it, I just don’t know. I do know lots of women who would understand the Terrier’s (guy’s) response of just sitting there. Usually, there is a chore involved.

All of us are called. By parents, spouses, children, bosses, and the list goes on. How we respond to those calls involves our attitude, our perception of the need involved, our opinion of the one calling and how that call is going to impact us. Maybe that is why my little Terrier just lays down, his perception is that there is no emergency and that he will be inconvenienced.

This is just an observation of human behavior. We most often respond to a call with a goal in mind, a reason for our response and perhaps hopes for some reward or another tangible expression of thanks. This is usually called doing what is right, following the rules or the request because it is rational and logical and direct.

The African American church tradition has something called “call and response” which amounts to a dialogue between the congregation and the minister. It is important to the worship process. Those services are filled with energy and expression.

Jesus came to show us a different sort of call and response. He kept dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees. He would give the call, but they couldn’t seem to respond. They were too busy doing what is right (again, following the rules) to understand that the response is to do the right thing. And, to do it just because. Like love your enemies. No one enjoys that or even the thought of it, but that is the call. Our response is not to determine if the rules have been followed or the enemy repented. No. the response is to love.

As a professor of social work, I often hear that I am a bleeding heart who just wants to give everything to the poor or the lazy or the undeserving. I try to explain that I am called to do the right thing. To forget the rules and love, with no greater motivation than it is what I am called by Christ to do.  As I remember, Jesus just fed people. No paperwork, no job, no justification, no repentance. He just fed the poor, he just loved.

What if we all answered the “call” from Christ by doing the right thing? What if our laws just said, if you are hungry we will feed you. If you are sick, we will heal you. If you are naked we will clothe you. Would someone take advantage? I am quite sure that would happen. But I remember another quote, “forgive seventy times seven”.  Are you responding to the call?

TMM

A lot of folks see that word, “relationship” and are uncomfortable. It is usually because they have failed relationships that come to mind. We have all had them and each has its own pain. It can be romantic, friendly, familial, or work-related. Whichever one it is, our first thought flies to the pain of one of those ending or in the case of family, the realization of old business.

I have had them as well. Getting fired has been my least favorite way to end a relationship. Having to be the one to do the firing has also not been a favorite. The termination of any relationship is messy. The worst ones are when we have to take responsibility for our part of the relationship. Looking into that mirror is very personal and what we see is often not pretty.

I think that is why we have our eyes on our smartphones, tablets, and computers and why social media is so popular. We do not have to be “in a relationship” with anyone. It is amazing what people we say in an email, tweet, or text that they would never have the courage to say face to face. It is also why we do not hand write letters anymore. Putting things on paper is very personal. I have journals, many journals, on my shelves and they are full of the very personal things of my life. Writing them out is healing, frightening, cathartic and self-assuring.

I think this is why contemplation and monasticism are not so popular. At the Abbey where I go, there is silence and worship and long walks that all push me to take a good look at myself. The monks at any abbey do not just join the order. They spend the first year living the life, being a novice. Then the decision to stay comes about. You cannot go to an abbey to run away from yourself or life. At the Abbey, you have no choice but to look at yourself and your relationship with God.

These things can be painful to experience. We see ourselves as we really are: filled with ego, hurt, anger, pain, and fear. And the only “balm” for these pains is grace. Our unmerited favor with God. We can only work through these things in the relationship we have with the Divine. It is only in God’s gaze upon us that we can find peace. It is only in relationship with God that we can know God and ourselves.

Richard Rohr noted recently that all the world is held together by relationships. That dynamic tension between things. Things like atoms, molecules, animals, and humans are all in a dynamic tension with each other and the environment, In Colossians, it says that Christ holds all things together. Our relationship to God and God to us literally holds the universe together. Maybe we each should work on our relationships.

TMM

It is springtime. That glorious time when I get to play in the garden. Make the grass just so when I mow it. Plant flowers and shrubs and grass and, well, all of that. I could spend all of my hard earned money on the yard and on the garden. I have to really control myself.

I have always enjoyed working in the garden, mowing the lawn, and doing things outdoors. It has kept me sane. As a professor and a therapist, I never really get to know if what I have done or taught was successful. Yes, grades for students and growth for clients can be seen, but I have no control over it, learning and change are in the hands of Another. The yard and garden are places where I can see the fruit of my labor. The yard is mown and perfect, the flowers fill the world with color and I get to say I did that.  Well okay, I really didn’t create flowers or grass but you get the idea, I get to see what I have done.

I find it interesting that the Resurrection and Pentecost are set in the Spring. I really don’t think that is accidental. Spring is the time of starting over, of our own resurrection from the dark of winter. In Celtic spirituality, it is Beltane, that time when the world is fertile and full of potential and full of new growth. I find myself drawn to a spirituality that honors creation, honors the earth, honors the seasons. By doing so, it honors this wonderful creation that the Divine has made us all a part of.

I think the phrase “grow where you are planted” is a bit trite but it does call us all to a most important point. We only have this moment and this place in time. We are often so busy, we do not enjoy this moment. We want so badly to be in control and often to be somewhere else and that causes us to miss this moment. It takes energy and determination to get a plant to grow. How much more for us to grow.

Yes, it is Spring. Everything is beginning to bloom. Are you? Have you nurtured that tender young seedling so that it can grow into what it was meant to be? Think of it this way, every day is a resurrection for us all. We only have to be willing to nurture ourselves, to allow ourselves to be who we are each created to be. To bring forth the best blooms from our lives, now and in this moment.

TMM

 

Do you follow the rules? If you were raised in the late 50s to early 70s, the rules were a big deal. You obeyed your parents, your teachers, your government and your church. There was little self-determination in all of those situations. You did as you were told. Then this thing called Vietnam happened and suddenly, we no longer wanted to trust authority.

This change started to put an end to blindly following rules or people or governments. It was (and is) a good thing. If you are going to do something, do it knowingly. But, be forewarned, it is a more difficult path, this one of making your own choices. This path requires you to think, to be fully engaged and that is much more challenging.

Let’s face it, it is just easier to do as you are told. And this is how the Christian church has operated for centuries. The pastor or priest told you what the rules were and that God expected you to follow them. If that sounds like how you treat sheep, you are correct. The assumption in so many churches is that we are all sheep. We don’t know any better and we cannot be trusted to make our own choices or go our own way.

This is also why the Christian church has become so good at condemning other ways of knowing God, like for instance Judaism or Islam. It is a matter of control and that is just like the 50s and 60s. It is sad that rules have become more important that mysticism. It is sad that being rational is prized above having emotions. God did not create us to be automatons. We were intentionally given free will, but the Church wants to always remove it from us.

I have a dear friend, who is brilliant. Brilliant as in perfect recall of anything she reads. She does not forget things. This eidetic memory means if she ever reads it, she will always know it. My friend, at age 12 asked questions at her church that stumped the adults. She did it enough times to be asked not to come back to Sunday school. She sought out a spirituality that honors thinking and questioning and, big surprise, it isn’t Christianity. Her spiritual path honors choice and thought and self-examination.

My question is this: is that not exactly who Jesus was? He said, over and over again, following the letter of the law blindly will always lead you away from Grace. The Beatitudes, those are the utter exposure of legalism. Is that not what most of our churches expect of us? To be legalistic? To just follow the rules? To never ask the hard questions?

As I have grown as a mystic/contemplative, I have discovered that so much of what Church taught me is intellectual and behavioral legalism. I still have to let go of some of those faulty teachings from time to time. We are called to a higher path, one that says it is not about rules but about love. It is about us making a choice, using our own volition to follow God or not; using our own volition to enter into a relationship or not. The commitment is much greater if it is by choice, freely given.

So, today, let’s take that “road less traveled by” and choose free will. Let’s stop being sheep and start being what we are created to be, unique creations of a loving God. It is a harder path, it means you have to think, emote, choose, and experience things that you might rather avoid. Don’t! Take the narrow path and truly live.

TMM

As a college professor, I have no small number of students who “multitask”. At least that is what they appear to be doing when they have their phones out and are also supposed to be involved in the class discussion. Are they really multitasking? I have read a lot about this new generation that can do several things at once. It is and it isn’t true.

My students may have three things going on at the same time: reading, music, and texting, for example. The issue is quality. Are they enjoying any of those three things? Are they performing well at any of those three things? Nope, I really don’t think so. I see their work and hear their discussions. But the biggest issue is not the quality of their work or discussion. The real issue is the lack of commitment to anything.

Sadly, my students in particular and college students, in general, are not committed to anything in particular. They have a notion of where they want to go but are not committed to the process of getting there. I think the word to describe them is “Omni-focused”. How is that for a new word? Omni-focused. Focused on everything and enjoying nothing. Committed to nothing. I guess they want it all!

Before you judge college students, you must ask yourself if you are just like them. Are you omni-focused? Another way to discuss this is are you too busy? As much as I want to say I am not like my students, the truth is I am exactly like them. No, I don’t go to meetings and listen to music, discuss important issues and text my wife, well I don’t listen to music. In the field of stress management and biofeedback, we have long had a name for this: hurry sickness. I want and try to do too much. Part of this is the job(s) I do professionally, but part of it is our society and the pace of that society.

This is why I love my Abbey and my visits there. There is no hurrying there, though my monk friend has said otherwise. And maybe he is right in the sense that they have a list of things to get done. Yes, even monks have jobs, duties, and chores. The difference is that they do them one at a time. This makes for high-quality work, they are totally focused on the moment.

And this is where I and my students and you are missing the boat completely. We lose focus, or we have no focus. We do not enjoy the trip because all we care about is the destination. If we don’t enjoy the trip, what is the point? Maybe it is time to repent. Repent means to go a different direction. I  need more focus and less hurry. I need to broaden my perspective. I must say no more often, mostly to myself. There is so much I want to do but perhaps quality should win out over quantity.

How about you join me and let’s slow down, ease up and enjoy the trip? Come on, you know it’s right. You know our Creator made this wonderful and miraculous world for our enjoyment. I think we will all feel better, live longer and be richer for the effort.

TMM

Everything evolves. It is sad that the word has become something bad. Hundreds of years ago, the Western world became rational, developing what is called a “dual mind” where everything fits in a good and evil, or yes and no category.  The modern Christian church has labeled evolution as ungodly and some have gone so far as to explain that the world is a mere six thousand or so years old and that dinosaurs were on the Ark.

Now, think of this clearly………all of creation has been static and unchanging for the last six thousand years! Does that fit your life experience? Are you the same now as you were at age 8? Of course not, we are ever evolving, ever changing to become more or better. Even scripture says to ‘work out your own salvation”. This is very hard to do if everything in your world is black and white, yes and no.

I think this happened because we have lost the mystery of life, of faith, and of ourselves. We have to have an answer and we become frightened when all we can say is “I don’t know”. Why do we have to know? Our ancestors saw the world as either or both. They saw spirit and flesh as one. How can we say we follow Christ if we do not have the same viewpoint? Do we not follow a Savior, a God that came to put us back together? To show us that spirit and body are one thing, one glorious creation?

Throughout the Christian scriptures, the picture is of the Creator putting the world back in order. Jesus was not Plan B. He was and is always plan A. Scripture clearly teaches that. And he came to embody the living God in human form. Perhaps instead of using an ancient Greek philosophy to deny that we are really human, we should embrace our humanity and our good Earth, our good creation.

If we do not evolve, we are dead already. If your faith is not growing, if your relationship to a very personal Creator is not evolving into the beautiful think it should be/can be, then what is the point? We are called to be more than we think we can be. Don’t fight it, let go and grow. Live life with mystery and curiosity. Never, ever be afraid to consider not having all of the answers.

I do not want to have an answer for everything. I want to keep the mystery in the sunrise. I want to marvel at our beautiful world and weep with Mother Earth when we damage her and/or her children. I never want to explain the mystery, I just want to marvel at it and revel in it. Come on, quit stalling and evolve!

TMM

It is an expression that I hear often at the college, “speak truth”. It is a phrase regularly used in the African American church. Not so much in the white church and I really don’t have to wonder why. In every church I have ever been a member of, there is a limit to how much the members are willing to hear before they internally rebel. No one really seems to want to hear “truth”.

In the Gospel of Matthew, the church leaders of the day (Pharisees and Sadducees) very quickly got a dose of not wanting to hear truth. Most don’t realize that they came to John to be baptized. I have read it for years and not noticed. They were not mocking John, they were hedging their bets, wanting to get baptized, “just in case”. They were not seeking truth, they were seeking, as we said back in my Baptist days, fire insurance.

Then, John spoke truth: “You brood of vipers” he said. He knew they wanted just another certification, another guarantee of being the good and spiritual people they believed themselves to be. And he spoke truth. And they were not happy at all. John confronted their ego, their self-centeredness, and their hollow view of spirituality. Speaking truth, both then and now, has cost more than minister their “head”. In churches that are independent, the minister has to be very leery of speaking truth. Making the wrong deacon or elder angry gets the minister fired.

This is why, in reformed churches, the minister is not a member of the church and is appointed by the governing body, synod, presbytery, district. The bishop or district superintendent makes the choices. Sure, a church can request a change with good reason, but the minister can speak truth with much less fear for their professional livelihoods.

How does that relate to us? Question that I asked myself was this: how many times have I sought “baptism” for the wrong reason? How many times have I gone to God, truly wanting to receive God’s presence (baptism of love) but wanting things my own way? Wanting that presences for how it might make my soul feel, not for how it would further the Kingdom.

There is nothing wrong with loving God and wanting to be loved back, but it is not truth. We do not get God all to ourselves and we do not just get what we want from God. We will always get what we need and on a few occaisions, it will line  up with what we want. Let us all set out to seek and speak truth……let’s start with ourselves. Then, we can seek to be baptized in God’s love for the right reasons.

TMM

The whole wide world, that is how I learned it as a child. When you wanted to describe something as really good, you said: “it is the best in the whole wide world”. Now that is a really big place and when you are a child, this phrase really captures the world as seen through the eyes of the child.

As a grown-up, I have watched the world grow smaller and smaller due to instantaneous communications and electronic information. And with this change, I think we have lost the magic of having a “whole wide world”. That makes me very sad, to ever lose the magic and mystery of anything, but most especially of God’s creation.

You see, that is what we have done. We no longer have any mystery to see, we have nothing to wonder about with regard to our world.  People have taken their responsibility for this world too lightly. We have taken from it but rarely given back. We have abused Mother Earth without apology. We act as if we have someplace else to go. And I have just named the real issue.

Christian folk, good Christian folk, often see this world as a transient place that they pass through to get to Heaven. Dr. Stan Hauerwas helped author a book called, “Resident Aliens”. Don’t get me wrong, it is a good book with a good point, but it is wrong. We are not aliens to this world, we are part of it. We are part of God’s glorious creation. Too often, the Church has taught that we are just visiting here, on our way to heaven and that quickly leads to our destruction of this world.

I think Franciscan theology is a “more excellent” way. It places us squarely in creation. Not as lords and masters, but as fellow creations. We are called by God to be good stewards of all of creation. We are called to see God in every part of this creation. We are not just passing through, we are the crown jewel of creation, humans are the only ones with free will and that makes us responsible for all of the rest of creation that does not get to choose.

Think of this………what greater thanks can we, as creations, give than to accept our roles as shepherds and stewards of all of creation. Are we not called to care for the “least of God’s children”? Are we not to be the voice for all who have no voice? That is the Christ we follow, we speak for all of creation. In this way, the mystery and joy of the whole wide world will return.

TMM