"Everything Belongs, the Gift of Contemplative Prayer"
Spring 2003 Bible Study

Chapter 3

"St. Joan of Arc Bible Study is an open and growing group that meets for fellowship and to discuss the Bible and other faith-centered literature. Our informal study group draws from biblical scholarship, historical perspectives, current events and personal reflections. We welcome, honor and respect the personal ideas and spiritual journeys of all who join us."

Greetings

We had a short-stack * (metaphor) tonight at the old country church and missed those that couldn't attend, but there was no shortage of love and excellent conversation.

BC Whelan did a marvelous job of facilitating a huge and hugely good chapter.

We started by sharing the saddening news about a decision by the Archdiocese to exclude a fellow parishioner from receiving an award for 18 years of dedicated service to the church.

We then heard two really striking readings that set the tone for the evening.

The discussion was fast and furious and even though I brought my treat back to group with me (I think the idea was that if my mouth was busy chewing, I wouldn't be babbling so much) it was hard not to discuss the material. For the second week in a row we did not make it through the entire overview. We suppose that is ok as there is so much to discuss with this book. There were only about 16-17 of us and we stayed in one group after break.

Here follows the overview:

Two disclaimers:

BEGINNINGS
Please read aloud the opening phrase on page 60.

Discussion and comment

Same for opening centering reflection on the top of page 62.

Discussion and comment.

God is in the now or not at all. (pg. 60)

The calculating mind is the opposite of the contemplative mind. The first is a system of thought and the second is of the spirit. (pg. 61)

John 12:24 Unless the grain of wheat dies it remains just a grain of wheat. The true "I", vs. the small "i" / ego. The ego, or self-preoccupied mind flourishes on control, comparison, judgment, and competition blinding us to God's love and compassion. (pg. 63) Examples would be fixation on political correctness, vegetarianism (health). The sign of an ego obsession is just that obsession and lack of balance with the mind, heart, spirit and soul. (pg. 65).

FRIENDLY UNIVERSE

What our mother's eyes tell us about ourselves we believe and become. Mirroring. Prayer much like this is receiving and returning the divine gaze. (pg. 67) The garden is an analogy for that child like ideal state. What is important to have a garden to remember. The gift of true religion is that it parts the veil between reality and garden and lets us know our primal experiences are trustworthy (pg 69).

The most common phrase in the Bible is "Be Not Afraid"?. (pg. 69)

In about the year 1500, the mirror was invented splitting the mind/body. Today's Madison Avenue media culture, with celebrity entertainers. This culture and mirrors allow us to live outside of ourselves. (pg. 70). Rene Descartes observation of "I think therefore I am" is another facet of this self absorption and lack of contemplation. It is the start of a focus on self and the ego allowing the mind/body split to flourish. (pg. 76).

The soul doesn't now itself by comparison or differentiation. It just is - everything belongs, both dark and light. (pg. 72)

THE PRORITY OF CONTEMPATION

The failure of revolutions comes from both the right and left (politically speaking). Matthew 12:45 Leaving the place swept and tidy then 7 other demons returned making it worse than before. (pg. 74)

Matthew 6:6 When Jesus is lead by the spirit into the wilderness the first things that shows up are the wild beasts. (Analogies for our untamed mind). The only way to quiet these beasts is to go into the "desert" and limit the feedback, data we receive. (pg. 75)

Social climbing: I'm got my MBA from Harvard, I've got a lake cabin, etc. I am X. You are not any of these things. These are what Rohr says are the debts and debtors to be forgiven as mentioned in the Lords Prayer. (pg. 76)

I am part of a river that at its foundation is made of love and compassion. Life is about God and God is that love/compassion that makes up the river. When we're disconnected from this river we are restless, violent, full of hate, anger, rage and disappointment. What these thoughts and feels do to us, even when not acted on, are what destroys and hurts people - lack of connection. (pg. 79)

The self is surrounded by a semi-permeable membrane, our aura? A lot of information flows through this space. Pay attention to the flow of data around us. (pg. 80)

INSIDE & OUTSIDE

It is a matter of truly seeing, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Prayer isn't about speech, language, talking to God. It is about your attitude or stance. Paul says: Pray unceasingly / Always. This would not be possible if it was about our human language abilities it is about being part of the River of God. It is above God's love and compassion. The spirit intercedes to help us. By being with and part of God's river we Pray unceasingly and always. Prayer heals the split with life itself (pg. 87)

Enlightenment can be found by daily returning to pray and meditating, becoming one with the God's river. (pg. 82)

"I know" is an illusion and shows ignorance. The person who says "I know" is precisely the blind one. John 9:41. (Pg. 84)

The self/ego/I is ethereal / ephemeral like a cobweb. Blow a puff of air on the cobweb /ego and it is gone. The ego and self are fragile, what is here today will be gone tomorrow. (pg. 85).

SALVATION

The contemplative life can handle and absorb contradictions, ambiguity, & mystery keeping them all in balance in tension. God can absorb contraries and the collision of opposites. Again pray can heal the split with life itself. (pg. 87, 88).

Spiritual disciplines exist to help you trust the experience of yourself and the experience God. We don't have any real access to God except through forgiving and rejoicing in your own humanity. (pg. 88)

Rituals are good and needed by God's people. But God likes you before you do the ritual. God doesn't need then, but we need them to tenderly express our childlike devotion & desire to connect with God, to connect with that desire. (pg. 89)

Rohr says, that what he has come to learn with his experiences working at the "Center for Contemplation and Action" for eight years is that the most Important word in center's title is the word AND. (pg. 91)

Thanks Bruce

At about 8:05 God told Bruce it was high time to head to the snack shack. Oh, my gosh. We were treated to a pan of homemade raspberry crispy cake pie. Here's the deal. The pieces were big and they were thick. The body had this gorgeous brilliant red color the texture kind of like raspberry jam which was held in place by a granola-type bottom crust and topped high with fluffy homespun whipped cream with nuts displayed ever so delicately upon the white clouds of bliss.*(metaphor) No wonder I was still eating when we got back to large group. Hey! Who got the last two pieces?

I also need to thank Nancy for helping me wrestle and finally subdue my ego during the break. You're the best N.R. Like I continually tell folks, there is rarely a dull moment!

We came back and our facilitator did his best to get through the overview and we almost made it. There is even talk of taking two weeks per chapter or just going through one chapter at a time and then doing the book again. It is that rich.

We closed with a centering prayer Rohr likes to use at his retreats...

Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am
Be still and know
Be still
Be

God is now telling me it is high time to hit the ol' haberdashery so we bid you a fond good evening and hope to see you next week for chapter 4, Cleansing the Lens(!) You don't want to miss it.

Privileges for next week:

Ta ta iciya wo - Be still. Make yourself as dead.

Rik


Rik Murray
(612) 872-8694

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