Jonah

Hello dear readers!

Some of you have asked for a copy of the sermon preached last Sunday at St. Paul’s.

Here is the link to the church website. I’m listed under Epiphany 2012.

Enjoy!

The Roominess of Jesus

THEY MADE IT!

And we welcome our new wise ones,

pulled from the prospect of a

Permanent Advent.

There is always room with Jesus.

Always.

Blessed Epiphany to All!

Collect for Epiphany

O God, who by the leading of a star

manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:

Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence,

 where we may see your glory face to face;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Permanent Advent

Me:  I wonder how the wise ones are faring after their "experience" of yesterday? 

 Let's check in, shall we?

Hello again wise ones.  How are we doing this evening?

Wiseman #2:  As we reconsider these words of Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB,

We are wondering if what you have shown us so far could be classified as

"nourishment to sustain the journey" or just a strange mirage to feed our nightmares?

Me:  Well, I think you need to see the bigger picture and how we are all connected. 

That in itself should serve as a spiritual oasis - knowing that you are not alone in your calling -

that at this time we are all drawn toward Bethlehem,

fulfilling the promise of seeing the new King.

Speaking of which, I'd like to show you this picture:

Here are 3 young wise ones who have found the location of the star but the stable is empty. 

They are waiting in what you might call a "permanent Advent." 

Wiseman #3:  How discouraging to go all that way and not find the Christ child.

Wiseman #2:  Yes, we do take it for granted that we always find Jesus.

Wiseman #1:  Um, am I the only one here who thinks that gigantic reindeer

might have scared away Mary and Joseph?  Look at that behemoth! 

I bet he ate them for a snack! 

Me:  Stop being so dramatic! He looks very friendly to me.

Wiseman #2:  You are not 2 inches tall as we are. 

Me: That's true.  I do have the habit of looking at situations through my own eyes. 

I bet he does look intimidating to someone of your stature, 

but those red polka dotted ears are a good sign he's not a threat.

And I did feel badly for the little ones and so I brought them home.

Wiseman #1: You mean you BOUGHT them!   Tell me you paid more than 99 cents?

Me:  As I recall I paid $1.49. 

Wiseman #1:  Oh! Wow!  That's great news! 

 Let's see, that breaks down to about 50 cents a piece. 

It saddens me to think that's all we are worth to the Good Will.

Me:  The goal of the Goodwill is not to make exorbitant profits

but to provide employment to those in need while supplying household goods

 to those who can't afford to purchase new items. 

Wiseman #2:  Your clarification is helpful dear Landlady...I think we can live with that. 

Wiseman #3: I don't want to speak for my friends here,

 but this idea of living in a "permanent Advent" is giving me a deep desire to see Jesus. 

What say you fellas?

Wiseman #1:  I too am experiencing a stirring deep within. 

We owe it to all the other wise ones to continue to seek Christ.

Wiseman #2: And I'll do anything to not have to see any more of these vignettes!

Me:  What?  But I have this really cool photo of a golden angel at the manger and the cross!

 Wisemen #1,#2,#3:  AAUGGHHHH! 

Growing Wiser?

Last night, the wisemen caught their first glimpse of life for another wise one and they weren't sure what to make of it.  Shall we continue the saga?

Me:  Good Evening my favorite wisdom seekers!  Are you ready for the next story?  

Wiseman #1:  We think we are.

Me: OK. Tell me, what do you see?

Wiseman #2:  Another wise man with another 99 cent price tag!  Is that all wise ones are worth in this place of Good Will!

Wiseman #3:  WAIT! What is that sticking out of the top of his head?

Wiseman #1:  Is that a candle wick?  HOLY MOTHER OF GOD! There is a wick coming out of that man's head!  He's a self-immolating wise man!

Wiseman #2:  The horror! The shame!
 
Me:  Well it's not like he's been "lit"...

Wiseman #1:  I surely hope he ends up in a match-free environment.  Oh this is just too much!

Wiseman #2:  I can't bear to think of what happened to his compadres.
 
Me: Calm down.... Is this enlarging your world view?

Wiseman #3:  Only if you move on to another picture.

Me: I'd love to.  Here's our next scene:

Wiseman #3:  That's a refined looking wiseman with a fine gift of gold!

Wiseman #1:  But what and who is that next to him?

Me:  That's a cowboy 'wise one' bringing gifts to the baby Jesus - I think he's holding a nutcracker?

Wiseman #2:  Cowboy?  Cowboys can't be wise! And what kind of a gift is a nutcracker?

Me:  Stop being so judgmental.  Cowboys can be wise ones.  And the nutcracker appears to be the gift he's bringing.  It's the gift he has to offer.  Jesus accepts all gifts.  All.  From everyone.   Now here is the full picture:

Wiseman #3:  IS THIS A JOKE? 

Wiseman #2:  ARE YOU MOCKING US?

Me:  No, this is not a joke and I'm in no way mocking you.  Nativity scenes are depicted in a myriad of ways - different sizes, different cultures, even different species, but all with the same message.  LOVE is BORN.....And if these wanderers who have found themselves in this temporary place of Good Will, have found a way to live out their calling, what is stopping you 3 from continuing your journey?  That step which you fear to take is the one that leads towards life.

Wiseman #1:  Perhaps you speak truth dear landlady.  We will take all of this into consideration.

Me:  I have more pictures to show you!

Wiseman #1:  Not tonight.  We need time to digest.  Come and see us tomorrow.  But can you remove the matches from the top of the commode on your way out please? 

Me:  No one's going to light you on fire!  I promise.

Wiseman #2:  For our peace of mind, please take them away.

Me:  OK, will do....Sleep well little ones...sleep well.

Good Will to Wise Men

In our last installment, our 3 wise ones were left to ponder the words of Mary Lou Kownacki's words from 100 Graces.  Shall we continue the story? Come with me into the the wisemen's domain - the guest bath!

Me:  How are you feeling today?

Wiseman #1:  A bit under the weather... Such dreary rain outside our window today.

Wiseman #2:  Yes, dear landlady, we don't think this is the best day to visit the other wise ones as you suggested the other day.

Me:  Well, lucky for you, we don't have to journey anywhere today.  I will be bringing images to you!

Wiseman #3:  Oh?  You have caught the attention of our collective curiousity!

Me:  Allrighty then.  Several weeks ago I journeyed to a very sacred place called the Goodwill.

Wiseman #1:  As in good will towards men?

Me:  Yes. Something like that.  It's a place that people take their things to that they no longer want or need. Then other people come to this place and purchase these things to take to their homes.

Wiseman #2:  What?  That's awful!  Are you considering taking us there?

Me:  I would never part with any of you! I'm actually bringing the GoodWill here to you today.

Wiseman #2:  We do not understand...

Me:  Just look at this picture and tell me what you see:

Wiseman #1:  A wise one? 

Wiseman #2:  With a price tag!  99 cents?  How can a price be put on a wise one?  WHERE'S THE GOODWILL IN THAT!

Wiseman #3:  Are you trying to upset us?  What is that creature beside him?  A bloated marshmallow wearing clothes?

Wiseman #2:  Watch out for the one behind you, oh wise one!  He's about to attack with that broom!

Me:  Everybody calm down!  This wise one is fine. The snowman is not going to attack! This is a shelf in the Christmas decor section of the Goodwill store.  The point I'm trying to make is that there are many ways to live out one's calling.  

Wiseman #1:  But where are his wise mates?  Isn't he lonely?  How did he end up all alone? 

Me:  I don't have the answers to any of those questions.  But, I do know that he is serving exactly where he is.  And he is NOT alone.   So what if it's with snow people and a comfy clapboard house?  He's still about bringing his gifts, just as he was created to do.

A short silence ensued.....

Wiseman #3:  Can we go to visit this sad man? 

Me:  No, because he's not there anymore.  And I don't see him as being sad.

Wiseman #1:  Did someone buy him for the paltry sum of 99 cents?  I am appalled.

Me:  I'm sure he found a wonderful home.

Wiseman #2:  We are more confused than anything by this news.  Why did he not set out for the holy land? 

Me:  Goodwill was his holy land.

Wiseman #3:  We must have time to process. Can you leave us now, dear landlady?

Me:  That's probably a good idea.  We'll continue our journey tomorrow. In the meantime,  in the words of Luke 2:14, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will towards men.

a joyful and arduous journey

As you recall from yesterday's post, our wise men are in a bit of a funk.

I left them with 100 Graces as it is a smallish book perfectly suited

for smallish readers.

Me:  So, have you found any words of wisdom in this book?

Wiseman #3:  We believe that this writing by Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB,

 was written just for us. We have read, meditated on, and discussed it all day. 

Me:  And may I ask what you have learned?

Wiseman #2:  We are drawn to the second paragraph.  Would you like us to read it?

Me:  Yes please. That would be lovely.

Wiseman #1:  "It is both a joyful and arduous journey.  Sometimes the star shines

brightly, the promise seems certain, and the pilgrims can sing,

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring God's peace." 

Often the star disappears, clouded over, hidden from view,

 and the pilgrims grope blindly, grow discouraged, get weary, give thought

to settling down, to forgetting the promise of peace."

Me:  Ahhh, this speaks to the "both/and" aspect of our spiritual journeys.

Wiseman#3:  Yes, in the past we have felt so certain of our calling. 

We were overjoyed to follow the star.

But this year we know that we have grown discouraged, and have given

thought to settling down right here on this shelf. 

Me:  Well there's nothing wrong with living here on this shelf - 

unless God is calling you to move towards something else. 

Are you being called?

Wiseman #1:  We're not sure because we really haven't spent any time reflecting on our calling or listening for the whisper of God. 

We are sad to say that we focused entirely on keeping our gifts safe -

especially in the face of these tough economic times. 

The leprechaun advised us to keep them close to our hearts.

Me:  What did I tell you about trusting leprechauns who horde gold?  

Wiseman #3:  We know but he convinced us that we should hold on to our gifts.

Me:  How hard can that be when they are attached to your hands?

Wiseman#2:  Your sense of humor is once again teetering on cruelty....

Me:  I know, I know...sometimes I just can't help myself....I apologize.  

 I have an idea that I think might help. 

It involves your seeing how you are connected to other wise ones. 

Tomorrow we will talk again, but before I go,  

can you read the last paragraph to me?

Wiseman #1: "One thing is certain:  All pilgrims need nourishment to sustain the journey.

An occasional oasis for the spirit is essential, a time to feast on the refreshing waters,

the rich food of the spirit, in order to get strength to continue the pilgrimage

through darkness, star-shine or not."

Me:  Oh, those are beautiful words.  I'll leave you to ponder those.

Good Night my little leprechaun lovers!

They're back (the wise ones, that is)

'Twas 3 days after Xmas, and all through the house,

there were shouts of glee because Bethany had

finally transferred most of my files from my

"almost dead" computer to my new one:)

So now I'm able to bring you the latest adventures

of the Wise Men.  And if you are not familiar with their previous

 adventures, I invite you to click here to read all about them.

And yes, they are STILL here.  I thought they had left for

the Holy Land last week so I was surprised to see them

on their bathroom shelf this morning.  I have to admit,

they have been in quite the funk for the past few months.

They tell me it's because of the world wide recession but I know

it's because of all the time they have spent with that leprechaun

they've been sharing their bathroom shelf with since March. 

Me:  So why are you guys still here?  Didn't you see the star

shining in the night with the tail as big as a kite?

WM#1:  Yes we saw it but Laddy (the Leprechaun) told us that

we should let some other wise ones visit the Christ child this year. 

After all, why should we always be the one ones who share our gifts? 

Me: You share your gifts because that is what God created you to do.

Wow...you really have been influenced by Laddy.  Haven't I

told you not to trust him?  Just look at that smirk on his face.  All

he cares about is his pile of gold. Not only is he not interested in

sharing it with you, he wants your gifts  too!  Good thing your gifts

 are attached to your arms or they would be in his pile by now!

WM#2: Dearest landlady, is there any conversation during which

you do NOT mention our affliction?  We do have feelings you know.

Me:  I'm terribly sorry.  I forget that you can be quite sensitive about that.  

Please accept my apologies.  In the meantime, I will remove Laddy

from the sill, which I should have done long ago.  Tomorrow we'll have a

 real conversation about your impending journey. 

 In the meantime, I've brought you new reading material.  

100 Graces.  It will help your mind and spirit settle down. 

May you find wisdom inside its pages which will enable you to recall your own story. 

You do have one you know, and it is sacred.

Good Night my wee wise men.

eclipse of the soul

"A self-absorbed soul eclipses itself."

Rabbi Dennis S. Ross

Our journey into Egypt

One of the main hallmarks of Ignatian spirituality is imaginative prayer - the placing of yourself inside the telling of a biblical story. In the poem below, Antoinette Voute Roeder places herself in the second chaper of Mathew, verses 13 and 14.  Here is yet another Epiphany moment - a time for Mary and Joseph to enter unknown territory with this child who is already making their impossible life even more complicated. From the art above we can see that this must have been a harrowing journey.

I recently received news that the path I thought I was on is no longer the path that I am on.  This has led to deep lament, anger and sadness - i.e. the process of grieving.  And with it came a huge desire to chuck God in the bin.  Of course that desire must have passed because here I am once again talking about my desire for God.  Sigh...So like the Holy Family, I'm packing my knapsack and heading towards all the unknowns that Egypt may hold, choosing to focus not on what might have been but on what is and is to come.

journey (in the way of Ignatius)

"We watch them until they are mere specks

on a wide and vacant desert:

woman huddled in her shawl

jouncing on the donkey's back,

man beside her, walking tall,

into Egypt.

I say to you, let us go too.

Let us start upon this journey

into unknown lands and future

where we have no friends, no home,

no kin waiting, no work to perform.

At our feet I see two backpacks,

royal blue, festooned with straps

of leather and with shiny buckles

Bulging with their contents,

they are equal size and weight,

heavy with the same provisions.

As I hand one on to you

and look into your eyes

I know you pack no miracles.

I can expect no angel bands

or acts of God along the way:

just all things needed for the journey

and your priceless company

until we reach that other country,

an extraordinary banquet,

that long promised feast.

Mathew 2: 13 & 14

Ignatian prayer:  St. Ignatius of Loyola left us a prayer practice which involves

the use of one's imagination with scripture passages."

This passage is from Antoinette Voute Roeder's Weaving the Wind, p. 101,102

If you would like to learn more about Ignatian Spirituality please click here.

If you are interested in receiving spiritual direction drop me a line at

robertahiday@gmail.com

artwork by James J. Tissot taken from here

Epiphany Joy!

"May this holy season be for each of us

A time of moving beyond what is “reasonable”

And toward the star of wonder;

Moving beyond grasping tight to what we have

To unclenching our hands and letting go,

Following the Light where it leads;

Moving beyond competition toward cooperation,

Seeing that all humans are sisters and brothers.

Moving beyond the anxiety of small concerns

Towards the joys of justice and peace.

May the transforming acceptance of Mary and Joseph,

The imagination of the shepherds,

And the persistence of the wise men

Guide us as we seek the Truth,

Always moving toward the Divine promise.

Always aware God can be hidden in the frailest among us,

Always open to the unexpected flash of Grace,

To the showing forth of that Love that embraces us all."

From Education for Justice - www.educationforjustice.org.

Adapted by J.M. Deren from "Blessings and Benedictions,"

by W.L. Wallace in Shine On, Star of Bethlehem, CAFOD, 2004.

And if my wee wise guys have shown us anything at all this year,

they have definitely modeled persistence in their search for the truth!

Let us enter the Season of Epiphany with gratitude and joy.

Almost to the Light

As the wise ones faithfully follow the light,

which will guide them to the Light,

let us ponder our own epiphanies.

Messenger of truth and mystery,

Opener of doors and windows,

Source of both day and night,

We come to you as the sages of long ago did,

Somewhat frazzled, confused and amazed

by what you have chosen to reveal to us.

We walk on in the journey of life,

struggling to accept the gifts you give,

to figure them out, to make sense of them.

Bless us with the capacity to live

With unanswered questions,

To trust that even a child can lead us,

To step over the threshold into your wisdom.

In the name of the one who revealed your love,

we pray. 
Amen.

Prayer by Sherri Alms, Liturgist

Look! They're back!

My little guys have made it back home, safe and sound. 

Don't they look happy?

Feast of Epiphany

Finally! Those very wise Gentile priests from the East

have arrived to bring their gifts to this newborn king!

"The magi who traveled long and hard to worship Jesus with extravagant gifts remind us that He is not only the King of the Jews; he's the King of all nations and peoples. In contrast to our propensity to privilege one ethnicity or people (usually "mine") over another, to view one's own people as exceptional to God and others as at best unexceptional, and to exclude other people who are different (usually "yours"), the pagans from Persia show that God welcomes the worship and the gifts of all people everywhere."  (excerpt from a reflection written by Dan Clendenin)

I'd love to know the artist for this rendition of the Magi.  Anyone know?