So Much To Think About

God’s Presence

God is already present. God’s Spirit is dwelling within us. We cannot search for what we already have. We cannot talk God into coming “to” us by longer and more urgent prayers. All we can do is become quieter, smaller, and less filled with our own self and our constant flurry of ideas and feelings. Then God will be obvious in the very now of things, and in the simplicity of things. To sum it all up, we can never get there, we can only be there. 

Richard Rohr

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Don’t make much of it.

James Finley offers wisdom he learned from Thomas Merton (1915–1968), who was his novice master when Finley was a young monk: 

Often, when I’d go in to see Thomas Merton for spiritual direction, he’d say, “How’s it going?” 

And he’d say, “Don’t make much of it; it’ll get worse.” 

And I’d say, “I’m doing well!” 

And other times I would go in really down about something. And he’d say, “Don’t make much of it; it’ll get better.” 

It ebbs and flows, it ebbs and flows.

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Deconstruction

…what is the point, goal, or aim of “deconstruction”? Well, the goal is purportedly to update an inherited faith to make it more strong and vibrant. Sometimes that means leaving outdated or dysfunctional beliefs behind. Sometimes that means breaking down walls and old taboos. Sometimes that means becoming more open, hospitable, and inclusive. Sometimes that means questioning tired dogmas.

…many deconstructing evangelicals deconstruct themselves right out of any recognizably Christian faith, or just leave the faith altogether. 

  …is the point of “deconstruction” to question until you no longer are a Christian? Or should it be a healthy process where you update, mature, and grow in your faith? Shouldn’t you be a stronger, more committed and passionate Christian after deconstruction, rather than a weaker one?

The issue here is if deconstruction should go hand in hand with reconstruction. And if so, where are all the “reconstructing” narratives out here? Or is deconstruction just a one-way street, from faith to apostasy? Because if deconstruction is mainly functioning as a one-way street, deconstruction has become destructive, rather than a vital and necessary journey to mature and deepen your faith.

Richard Beck

http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2023/04/deconstruction-versus-destruction.html

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Healthy Church

“If you want a healthy church, you are going to need to imagine a cure that doesn’t depend on the secular age.”

Because the secular age separates the secular and the sacred, making belief private and the immanent the agreed-upon public reality, the church has a hard time imagining what a public faith that witnesses to the transcendent looks like. Our imaginations are secular, so when we try to imagine the sacred, try to see God at work in our lives and in the world, we can do so only in secular terms. … It is as if we have looked at the world with a secular lens for so long that when something sacred appears, we can’t see it for what it is, nor do we even have the language to describe it.

Resonance is an experience of fullness, of being In Sync, of being so present to someone or something else that we feel like we have discovered ourselves again. We can resonate with something whether we are moving fast or slow. Often resonance is timeless. … Or the moment is so full, so powerful, that something that takes seconds feels much longer period resonance is all about connecting with the world, with the people in our lives, and finding a meaning that is greater than what we can see and explain. Resonance is about the sacred, the public, and the transcendent.

Andrew Root and Blair D. Bertrand

https://scotmcknight.substack.com/p/our-secular-lens

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Reducing Gun Violence

To achieve the social and cultural changes necessary to reduce gun violence, we need individuals and communities of faith — not just progressive people of faith, but all people of faith — to stand against the idolatry of guns in America.

I know of churches that would never hire a pastor who smoked but have shooting events at their yearly men’s retreats. I know Christian parents who warn their kids about the dangers of marijuana use but don’t hesitate to buy them firearms. I know conservative people of faith who affirm the need for legal and systemic change when it comes to limiting abortion but only look to personal choice and endlessly invoke the language of individual rights when it comes to gun violence. This is hypocrisy

Trish Harrison Warren

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Following Jesus

following Jesus is less like math and more like white water rafting. It’s less like writing down the right answers to a test and more like trusting yourself into the hands of a doctor. It’s less like standing on concrete and more like bungee jumping. 
Imonk 

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Spirituality

All great spirituality is about letting go. Instead, we have made it to be about taking in, attaining, performing, winning, and succeeding. True spirituality echoes the paradox of life itself. It trains us in both detachment and attachment: detachment from the passing so we can attach to the substantial. But if we do not acquire good training in detachment, we may attach to the wrong things, especially our own self-image and its desire for security. 

Richard Rohr

STILL ON THE JOURNEY