Another challenging reminder from Henri Nouwen.
Creating Space for God
Discipline is the other side of discipleship. Discipleship without discipline is like waiting to run in the marathon without ever practicing. Discipline without discipleship is like always practicing for the marathon but never participating. It is important, however, to realize that discipline in the spiritual life is not the same as discipline in sports. Discipline in sports is the concentrated effort to master the body so that it can obey the mind better. Discipline in the spiritual life is the concentrated effort to create the space and time where God can become our master and where we can respond freely to God's guidance.
Thus, discipline is the creation of boundaries that keep time and space open for God. Solitude requires discipline, worship requires discipline, caring for others requires discipline. They all ask us to set apart a time and a place where God's gracious presence can be acknowledged and responded to.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Lenten Reading
I have a couple of good links for you, if you're interested in reading what are people are reflecting on through this Lenten Season.
First, this article by Winn Collier.
Second, Phyllis Tickle has a Lenten blog, which you can find here. I particularly enjoyed the entries for February 24, and February 25.
First, this article by Winn Collier.
Second, Phyllis Tickle has a Lenten blog, which you can find here. I particularly enjoyed the entries for February 24, and February 25.
Quiet Thoughts
Funny how we vascillate to extremes.
For most of the last week I avoided silence - filling every space with background noise. Last night a friend pushed me into creating a space of time that was filled with nothing but silence, stillness, prayer. Today I find myself pulling back from noise (internal and external).
I came home from work at noon. I was feeling queasy, achy, exhausted, and had a headache and probably a fever (I don't actually own a thermometer, so it was kind of hard to confirm that). I thought I had the flu. Maybe I do - who knows? But usually when I have the flu, I get the extraordinarily high fever and constant puking for three days kind. I was hungry when I got home. So I made chicken fingers and french fries for lunch (a favorite comfort food AND a quick meal) ate, and then fell asleep on my couch.
I slept on and off for two hours on the couch. What does it say about the way I've been able to sleep lately that I've slept something like 7 hours in the last 24, and two of them were on the couch in the middle of the afternoon when I should have been at work?
So, I'm laying here, enjoying quiet.
Funny the things you notice in the quiet.
Like how the heat vents in our house are actually really creaky. And how the neighbors upstairs don't often walk - they run from place to place in their house. Or when they do walk, it's heavy-footed and purposeful.
I'm enjoying quiet.
For most of the last week I avoided silence - filling every space with background noise. Last night a friend pushed me into creating a space of time that was filled with nothing but silence, stillness, prayer. Today I find myself pulling back from noise (internal and external).
I came home from work at noon. I was feeling queasy, achy, exhausted, and had a headache and probably a fever (I don't actually own a thermometer, so it was kind of hard to confirm that). I thought I had the flu. Maybe I do - who knows? But usually when I have the flu, I get the extraordinarily high fever and constant puking for three days kind. I was hungry when I got home. So I made chicken fingers and french fries for lunch (a favorite comfort food AND a quick meal) ate, and then fell asleep on my couch.
I slept on and off for two hours on the couch. What does it say about the way I've been able to sleep lately that I've slept something like 7 hours in the last 24, and two of them were on the couch in the middle of the afternoon when I should have been at work?
So, I'm laying here, enjoying quiet.
Funny the things you notice in the quiet.
Like how the heat vents in our house are actually really creaky. And how the neighbors upstairs don't often walk - they run from place to place in their house. Or when they do walk, it's heavy-footed and purposeful.
I'm enjoying quiet.
Monday, February 25, 2008
I bless the starless night
I recently put the song "Dark Night of the Soul" by Steve Bell (adapted from the poem of the same title by St. John of the Cross) on a playlist I created for a dear friend. Every song on the list had deep significance to my journey of late except that one. Song lyrics speak to me, often give words that I just don't have for the deep places of my heart, and I'm committed to sharing those deep places with this friend. So, every once in a while I stick some songs on a cd, and send them to her, with a list of their titles, and a few words of commentary on why that song.
I couldn't figure out why I put "Dark Night of the Soul" on the latest disc. Not sure I know exactly even now. I pressed the skip button at least twice today, as I was listening to that playlist on my ipod at work.
But just now, as I spent some time alone, silent, still, and ultimately on my face, I could not get bits of the song out of my head. I entered into a deep quiet, where my thoughts mostly ceased, but the melody kept playing...
I understood, just a little, when I finally emerged and looked up the lyrics. Three bits in particular caught me, and are catching me...
I went out by myself
Seen by no one else
A somewhat reckless journey from the start
Pressing through the night
Without light or guide
Save the fire that consumed my heart
I bless the starless night
A night by far more lovely than the dawn
Oh happy chance
To discover in the barren dark
The one I knew so well
And there with my love I rested
Fanned by a cooling wind
Wounded by love's caresses
Suspending all my senses...
I couldn't figure out why I put "Dark Night of the Soul" on the latest disc. Not sure I know exactly even now. I pressed the skip button at least twice today, as I was listening to that playlist on my ipod at work.
But just now, as I spent some time alone, silent, still, and ultimately on my face, I could not get bits of the song out of my head. I entered into a deep quiet, where my thoughts mostly ceased, but the melody kept playing...
I understood, just a little, when I finally emerged and looked up the lyrics. Three bits in particular caught me, and are catching me...
I went out by myself
Seen by no one else
A somewhat reckless journey from the start
Pressing through the night
Without light or guide
Save the fire that consumed my heart
I bless the starless night
A night by far more lovely than the dawn
Oh happy chance
To discover in the barren dark
The one I knew so well
And there with my love I rested
Fanned by a cooling wind
Wounded by love's caresses
Suspending all my senses...
Wardrobe Issues
I’m having wardrobe issues, and financial issues. The financial issues are exacerbating the mild stress I’m feeling over my wardrobe issues.
It would seem that the weight I inadvertently lost while traveling (astounding given the fact that I ate meals consisting primarily of pasta, bread, meat and chocolate), in combination with the bit of weight I lost due to stress and illness before I left to begin traveling, has rendered all of my dress pants basically unwearable. I can wear one pair with a belt, if I wear a long top over it to hide the bunches of fabric. The other main pair doesn’t even have belt loops, and now sits on my hips in approximately the way a pair of low rise jeans would – which would almost be wearable, except that sitting that much lower has now rendered the pants about two inches two long.
I own many skirts, and thankfully, most of those seem to fit. However, those of you who know what winter is like in Alberta will realize that someone who commutes via walking and public transportation is not able to just wear a skirt. That someone will require tights, and possibly boots to wear with the skirt. I presently own one pair of tights, and one pair of boots. Both in brown. Which is fine, but only matches half of my clothing. So, despite the fact that I have only about $100 to my name (and all but $100 of the paycheque I receive this week will go to bills – travel is wonderful isn’t it??), I am going to be forced to spend $10-15 on a pair of black tights (in order to expand my work wardrobe options), with the logic that it is better to spend $10-15 on tights when money is tight, than $40-60 on a new pair of dress pants.
Ah, well… I suppose clothes being too big is a problem most women would jump at having… I’m certainly not upset about the weight loss, just the financial difficulties of the inability to wear certain key pieces of my wardrobe!
It would seem that the weight I inadvertently lost while traveling (astounding given the fact that I ate meals consisting primarily of pasta, bread, meat and chocolate), in combination with the bit of weight I lost due to stress and illness before I left to begin traveling, has rendered all of my dress pants basically unwearable. I can wear one pair with a belt, if I wear a long top over it to hide the bunches of fabric. The other main pair doesn’t even have belt loops, and now sits on my hips in approximately the way a pair of low rise jeans would – which would almost be wearable, except that sitting that much lower has now rendered the pants about two inches two long.
I own many skirts, and thankfully, most of those seem to fit. However, those of you who know what winter is like in Alberta will realize that someone who commutes via walking and public transportation is not able to just wear a skirt. That someone will require tights, and possibly boots to wear with the skirt. I presently own one pair of tights, and one pair of boots. Both in brown. Which is fine, but only matches half of my clothing. So, despite the fact that I have only about $100 to my name (and all but $100 of the paycheque I receive this week will go to bills – travel is wonderful isn’t it??), I am going to be forced to spend $10-15 on a pair of black tights (in order to expand my work wardrobe options), with the logic that it is better to spend $10-15 on tights when money is tight, than $40-60 on a new pair of dress pants.
Ah, well… I suppose clothes being too big is a problem most women would jump at having… I’m certainly not upset about the weight loss, just the financial difficulties of the inability to wear certain key pieces of my wardrobe!
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