This links to an article in Harper's magazine comparing the Deist faith of Thomas Jeffferson with the christology of the Gospel of Thomas.
Thought F/friends might find it interesting in light of recent discussions here.
Jesus Without The Miracles: Thomas Jefferson's Bible and the Gospel of Thomas ERIK REECE / Harper's Magazine v.311, n.1867 1dec2005
January 01, 2006
December 30, 2005
Come dance with Me
Just a quick post on Psalm 150. Sorry I'm so late.
Something that stands out to me is the commonality of dance among spiritual traditions. There is the Stomp Dance of the Cherokee, the Whirling of the Sufi, the Jewish circle dances, the moving meditation of the Tibetan monks....and on and on and on.
Dance is common. Why? I think there is heard, again and again in different places and eras the call - "Come dance with Me."
Come dance with Me. Dance as an expression of spiritual joy. Dance as a means of drawing close to the Lover.
Personally, (though it has been awhile) I have been known to put in a CD (perhaps the David Crowder Band or Rita Springer...or something totally unexpected), close the blinds, crank up the volume, grab my prayer shawl to use as prop --- and dance my heart out. Whirling, clapping, singing, shouting, kneeling, whispering, whirling again. Somewhere in there self-awareness stops and I notice that I am not alone. I am answering the call to dance with my Love and my heart is opened and healed.
I didn't realize how much I had missed this until now. Thanks for the reminder!
Something that stands out to me is the commonality of dance among spiritual traditions. There is the Stomp Dance of the Cherokee, the Whirling of the Sufi, the Jewish circle dances, the moving meditation of the Tibetan monks....and on and on and on.
Dance is common. Why? I think there is heard, again and again in different places and eras the call - "Come dance with Me."
Come dance with Me. Dance as an expression of spiritual joy. Dance as a means of drawing close to the Lover.
Personally, (though it has been awhile) I have been known to put in a CD (perhaps the David Crowder Band or Rita Springer...or something totally unexpected), close the blinds, crank up the volume, grab my prayer shawl to use as prop --- and dance my heart out. Whirling, clapping, singing, shouting, kneeling, whispering, whirling again. Somewhere in there self-awareness stops and I notice that I am not alone. I am answering the call to dance with my Love and my heart is opened and healed.
I didn't realize how much I had missed this until now. Thanks for the reminder!
December 29, 2005
Housekeeping
I'm hoping folks have been thinking a bit about where we might grow next. Thus far two options are on the plate:
I suspect there are more possibilities out there. In particular I would like to have a general consideration of what we find helpful here and what we don't so we might incorporate changes in how we do things.
December 28, 2005
Quiet Praise
We have now reached the last summit of the mountain chain of Psalms. It rises high into the clear azure, and its brow is bathed in the sunlight of the eternal world of worship, it is a rapture. The poet prophet is full of inspiration and enthusiasm. He slays not to argue, to teach, to explain; but cries with burning words, "Praise him, Praise him, Praise ye the LORD."
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92)
***
I read that the book of psalms parallels the spiritual journey. Two paths are outlined, the way to life and the way to death. If we choose God’s way to life, we still face blessings and sorrows, joy and grief, success and obstacles. All of these experiences of our lives can be found in the psalms. At the end of our journey, we may find ourselves inhabiting a place that not only revels in God’s grace, but also where we find God's grace to be immanent and transcendent. When this is experienced, gratitude and praise are the natural emotions one feels and is movedto express.
My personality is not very extroverted; indeed, I am mostly drawn inward, to silence and to quiet conversations rather than to outward displays of exuberance (no surprise that I have the personality of a Quaker or a Buddhist…) This is not to say that I don’t feel a tremendous gratitude and praise for God. When the psalmist suggests all these outward displays of singing praise, I smile. Yes, we may praise in these noisy and jubilant ways – with the sound of the trumpet, or the high sounding symbols, the beat of the tambourines, and with the timbrel and dance as was once introduced into the temples and tabernacles, and is found today in modern churches. However… this jubilation and praise also happens in the heart, in the depths of our silence, in which we may be moved to tears with gratitude and love for this Absolute wonder of our lives. This is the feeling of rapture, of being so in love with the beloved, that one feels drunk with love and praise. And how does the silent heart sing God’s praise? Perhaps by being truly mindful, and by truly loving – by noticing and loving in a rich and warm and full manner for all that breathes, all that is experienced, and all that is given. Our own soft smile is a song of praise.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92)
***
I read that the book of psalms parallels the spiritual journey. Two paths are outlined, the way to life and the way to death. If we choose God’s way to life, we still face blessings and sorrows, joy and grief, success and obstacles. All of these experiences of our lives can be found in the psalms. At the end of our journey, we may find ourselves inhabiting a place that not only revels in God’s grace, but also where we find God's grace to be immanent and transcendent. When this is experienced, gratitude and praise are the natural emotions one feels and is movedto express.
My personality is not very extroverted; indeed, I am mostly drawn inward, to silence and to quiet conversations rather than to outward displays of exuberance (no surprise that I have the personality of a Quaker or a Buddhist…) This is not to say that I don’t feel a tremendous gratitude and praise for God. When the psalmist suggests all these outward displays of singing praise, I smile. Yes, we may praise in these noisy and jubilant ways – with the sound of the trumpet, or the high sounding symbols, the beat of the tambourines, and with the timbrel and dance as was once introduced into the temples and tabernacles, and is found today in modern churches. However… this jubilation and praise also happens in the heart, in the depths of our silence, in which we may be moved to tears with gratitude and love for this Absolute wonder of our lives. This is the feeling of rapture, of being so in love with the beloved, that one feels drunk with love and praise. And how does the silent heart sing God’s praise? Perhaps by being truly mindful, and by truly loving – by noticing and loving in a rich and warm and full manner for all that breathes, all that is experienced, and all that is given. Our own soft smile is a song of praise.
December 27, 2005
Praise the Lord
Looking up the definition of the word "praise", I read that it means "to set a price on", or "to commend the worth of, to express approval or admiration of, to laud the glory of, to extol". And it is offered in response to what another has done ... in response to their deeds.
I don't normally think about praising Jesus/God and when I hear the phrase "Praise the Lord", my mind adds the next line, "... and pass the ammunition" :-) (link) But sometimes I am grateful for the things I think he's done for me, for his deeds, and then sometimes I sing to him.
The one thing I miss the most about going to church is the music, and if , as Psalm #150 says, music qualifies as praise, then I did participate in it. Now that I'm not at church, I still sing to Jesus/God ... I sing the songs from a few "religious" music CDs (Taize and Robin Mark) but I think what he most likes are the songs of Peter and Gordon ... :-)
Nobody I know could love me more than you
You can give me so much love it seems untrue
Listen to the bird who sings it to the tree
And then when you've heard him, see if you agree
Nobody I know could love you more than me
I don't normally think about praising Jesus/God and when I hear the phrase "Praise the Lord", my mind adds the next line, "... and pass the ammunition" :-) (link) But sometimes I am grateful for the things I think he's done for me, for his deeds, and then sometimes I sing to him.
The one thing I miss the most about going to church is the music, and if , as Psalm #150 says, music qualifies as praise, then I did participate in it. Now that I'm not at church, I still sing to Jesus/God ... I sing the songs from a few "religious" music CDs (Taize and Robin Mark) but I think what he most likes are the songs of Peter and Gordon ... :-)
Nobody I know could love me more than you
You can give me so much love it seems untrue
Listen to the bird who sings it to the tree
And then when you've heard him, see if you agree
Nobody I know could love you more than me
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