"...for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (For this post I'm endebted to my long term good blogging Friend David McKay.)
FEAR! It drives most of us through life. It has filled up the psyche of our unfortunate country to the point where it may well lead to the destruction of the whole world.
We were in similar straits in the 30's when our President told us that "all we have to fear is fear itself". That's as true today as it was then.
911 led to the death of some 2600 people (a great many of them foreigners incidentally). That's about as many as we slaughter on the highways every two weeks. For some reason there's no hue and cry about the highway fatalities, no terrorized people practically losing their senses.
That was reserved for the Twin Towers. What's the diff? Well we ourselves kill motorists, but those people were killed by FOREIGN TERROISTS!! OMG. Since then a big part of the population has lived in a state of frenzied fear.
Strange! the whole world has been subjected to these kinds of atrocities for many many years. But it wasn't supposed to happen here in our blessed country. Hard to believe, but this particular fear dominates our politics to the exclusion of our personal liberties and our common sense.
It's no good, I tell you; don't do it. Learn to live like the rest of the world has done; go on about your business. If you live in fear and let it dominate your politics and everything else, then to use a foolish hackneyed phrase the terrorists win, .
Looking back on my life I perceived that from 12 to 30 I lived in fear; I didn't realize it (like most of us don't); I thought I was a tough nut, like Humphrey B, a don't-give-a-damn type of person.
But then I met love and most of the fear evaporated. At least I thought so. 15 years later it dawned on me that fear had an entirely too prominent place in my feelings (always carefully disguised of course).
Fear is like an onion. Subdue a layer and discard it and there's another (more subtle) layer underneath. Half the population appear to fear most of all that they may go to hell. They never got that from Jesus!
Jesus constantly harped on this subject to his intimates. The primary thing that separated him from them was their fear.
And it's still true.
Luke 29-32 "What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself" (The Message).
That's for you and me, friend.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Blockquote
I found this html tab used in a blog recently and wonder if it might apply to his software:
That's it. Let's preview it and see what it looks like.
--------
Wow! we do seem to have that capability with blogspot.
this stuff is indented.
will it show up in the
post, indented?
That's it. Let's preview it and see what it looks like.
--------
Wow! we do seem to have that capability with blogspot.
Monday, July 17, 2006
So What's so Good about Blake?
This post was inspired by encouragement from my friend Meredith: ("I am eager to hear Larry speak more about Blake." Like most of my blogs it's more about me, and the subject:
"I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's."
That did it for me! It's practically the story of my life.
Raised in a parsonage, wedded to the church (with the usual adolescent rebellion included) I set out to serve mankind, via the Methodist parish ministry for 8 years, and thereafter with a much larger mission (with the bishop's blessing). The sap was rising.
"But your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more.
They're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for,
And your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more."
This little chorus by John Prine was dinned in my ears for months by my adolescent sons (ca 1972). It was a cute thought, but it meant little to me at the time. But God has a strange way of bringing little things like that together over a period of time for long range consequences.
8 years later, with an uncreative job I had to do (for groceries) I came across Northrup Frye's Fearful Symmetry. I read it five times and was hooked. Over the next five years I wrote my Blake book.
Meanwhile Ellie and I were commited to a nationally famous small church in D.C. After serving it for ten years it was beginning to lose its charm for us (too much structure, too much discipline, too much being told what to believe).
We tried UU (they had too lavish a worship service). The next Sunday we walked into Langley Hill Friends Meeting: oh joy, no 'authority', just seek God in your own way, at your own pace.
Looking back now (23 years later), and with Meredith's inducement to reflect on Blake it came to me how he had influenced our lives and our faith. Every other 'system' had fallen short; we must create our own. (Quakers believe the Light Within is what drives your life.) Blake spent his whole life looking at the light within-- and reporting to us what he had found.
Other men have been driven exclusively by that light within, Nietzsche, for example and Van Gogh, but they both went crazy. Blake of course was considered crazy by many or most people. The difference is while they got lost in their visions he came back from his, to sober rationality.
Blake set us free from the emotional ties of conventional theology and organized religion; they were all "another man's system". He proved that you could do that and keep your sanity. Of course he and Katherine were as poor as church mice, materially!, but spiritually a prince.
He was 42 when he "met the Lord" (to use a hackneyed term). He spent many years excoriating Old Nobadaddy, as he called God (and he had a few other names for him, too). But all that negativity, like Isaiah's, had a happy outcome.
Early in his career he coined two important terms: innocence and experience. They represent two phases or stages of life, or perhaps two roads to take; some choose innocence; he chose experience. He descibed the first choice with Thel; his life is the second choice, a long and torturous road; but both end at the same place.
With his acquaintance with Jesus he referred to him as The forgiveness, and he considered it to be the greatest (and even the only) tenet of life (completely in accord with the Lord's Great Commandment). For me that substantailly leaves all other theologies in the dust.
Further it completely discounts the support of war, of which practically all established churches through the years have been guilty. They are hard to forgive for that, and in polite society there is a strong taboo against mentioning it.
"I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's."
That did it for me! It's practically the story of my life.
Raised in a parsonage, wedded to the church (with the usual adolescent rebellion included) I set out to serve mankind, via the Methodist parish ministry for 8 years, and thereafter with a much larger mission (with the bishop's blessing). The sap was rising.
"But your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more.
They're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for,
And your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more."
This little chorus by John Prine was dinned in my ears for months by my adolescent sons (ca 1972). It was a cute thought, but it meant little to me at the time. But God has a strange way of bringing little things like that together over a period of time for long range consequences.
8 years later, with an uncreative job I had to do (for groceries) I came across Northrup Frye's Fearful Symmetry. I read it five times and was hooked. Over the next five years I wrote my Blake book.
Meanwhile Ellie and I were commited to a nationally famous small church in D.C. After serving it for ten years it was beginning to lose its charm for us (too much structure, too much discipline, too much being told what to believe).
We tried UU (they had too lavish a worship service). The next Sunday we walked into Langley Hill Friends Meeting: oh joy, no 'authority', just seek God in your own way, at your own pace.
Looking back now (23 years later), and with Meredith's inducement to reflect on Blake it came to me how he had influenced our lives and our faith. Every other 'system' had fallen short; we must create our own. (Quakers believe the Light Within is what drives your life.) Blake spent his whole life looking at the light within-- and reporting to us what he had found.
Other men have been driven exclusively by that light within, Nietzsche, for example and Van Gogh, but they both went crazy. Blake of course was considered crazy by many or most people. The difference is while they got lost in their visions he came back from his, to sober rationality.
Blake set us free from the emotional ties of conventional theology and organized religion; they were all "another man's system". He proved that you could do that and keep your sanity. Of course he and Katherine were as poor as church mice, materially!, but spiritually a prince.
He was 42 when he "met the Lord" (to use a hackneyed term). He spent many years excoriating Old Nobadaddy, as he called God (and he had a few other names for him, too). But all that negativity, like Isaiah's, had a happy outcome.
Early in his career he coined two important terms: innocence and experience. They represent two phases or stages of life, or perhaps two roads to take; some choose innocence; he chose experience. He descibed the first choice with Thel; his life is the second choice, a long and torturous road; but both end at the same place.
With his acquaintance with Jesus he referred to him as The forgiveness, and he considered it to be the greatest (and even the only) tenet of life (completely in accord with the Lord's Great Commandment). For me that substantailly leaves all other theologies in the dust.
Further it completely discounts the support of war, of which practically all established churches through the years have been guilty. They are hard to forgive for that, and in polite society there is a strong taboo against mentioning it.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
New Index
The Matter of Constantine 8-30-04
The Prodigal 8-28-04
Akenson and Matthew 8-27-04
Sources for the Last Judgment 8-25-04
Immortality 8-24-05
Saul-Paul 8-23-05
Visit to Orlando 8-21-04
A New Beginning - with your help 8-19-04
Prophets Now and Then 9-29-04
American Religion 09-28-04
Friendly Eight 9-25-04
Wesley, the 18th Century Liberal 9-20-04
The Elite and the Ordinary 9-15-08
Evil 9-12-04
Tribes, Individuals and Visions 9-11-04
Magnificent Sunrise 9-1-04
Christian 10-30-04
Spiritual
Guidance 10-26-04
Spiritual Authority II 10-25-04
Spiritual Authority 10-22-04
Is this heaven? 10-19-04
The Two Origins of Faith 10-16-04
An Esoteric Interpretation of the Bible 10-14-04
Hang all the Creeds 10-12-04
Mood Swings 10-8-04
Buddhism (Christianity) without Belief 10-1-04
What is Love? 11-2-04
Sick and Healthy Religion 11-6-04
Bi-Polar 11-13-04
Books in my Life I 11-16-04
Books in my Life II 11-16-04
A Memorable Trip 12-1-04
Christian Personal Faith 12-5-04
Preachers' Kids 12-8-04
Prophets and Priests I 12-9-04
Lawyers I Have Known 12-12-04
The Trinity 12-14-04
Refugees or Graduates 12-15-04
Reflections on Jung 12-18-04
Awakening 12-19-04
A Member of the Human Race 12-20-04
Laws or Men? 12-22-04
Back to the Bible 12-24-04
Reflections on William Blake I 12-25-04
A Memorable Christmas 12-31-04
Metaphors 1-26-05
Fallen 1-19-05
The Myth 1-17-05
Two Gods 1-13-05
A Memorial Service 1-9-05
Upanishads 1-5-05
A Quaker Message 1-2-05
The Two Kingdoms 2-1-05
Putting Away Childish Things 2-5-05
Omnipotent Benevolence 2-7-05
A Personal God 2-10-05
Two Kingdoms II 2-11-05
Experience 2-15-05
Non-violent 2-16-05
Levels of Consciousness 2-20-05
Id, Superego, Ego, Self 2-24-05
Google and the Bible 2-25-05
Friendly Eights 2-26-05
Two Paradigms 3-1-05
Inerrant 3-3-05
Age and Worship 3-6-05
Ah, Sweet Love 3-08-05
Spirit Affects Everything 3-10-05
Pain-Compassion-Joy 3-15-05
Laughter is the Best Medicine 3-17-05
God on the Tennis Court 3-18-05
St. Francisville 3-31-05
The Church of the Savior 4-01-05
Potters House 4-02-05
The Leaderless Group 4-08-05
Let it Be 4-13-05
Biblical Nationalists? 4-15-05
Honest to God 4-18-05
Who Leads? 4-19-05
Theosis 4-23-05
Hearts and Minds 4-29-05
Langley Meeting 5-29-05
Unitarian 5-18-05
A Cross for Everyman 5-09-05
God the Mother 5-08-05
The Creed 5-07-05
Universal and Particular 5-06-05
Superpower 5-04-05
God Haters II 6-29-06
God Haters 6-25-06
Patience!! 6-22-06
The Whole World at my Feet 6-17-06
D.C. 6-13-05
Personal Creed II: Appreciation 6-11-05
Wife and Kids I 6-10-06
The Spiral Staircase 6-06-06
A Personal Creed? 6-02-06
Those Crazy Quakers 7-25-05
Who Closed the Cannon 7-18-05
When Jesus came to Harvard 7-15-05
The Trinity 7-6-05
Awakening 7-1-05
Blogging Family 8-5-05
"Leaders" 8-7-05
Meat 8-8-05
The Tree of Life 8-9-05
The Mystery 8-9-05
Theosis Revisited 8-11-05
The Closet 8-12-05
Tribe -- Community 8-13-05
The First Garden 8-17-05
Treading Down 8-24-05
Higher Consciousness 8-29-05
Let My People In 9-10-05
Did You Notice It? 9-12-05
Bishops and Such 9-14-05
Thou Art That 9-17-05
The Canon 9-21-05
The Canon
II 9-26-05
The Myth of a Personal God 9-29-05
Sunday Special 10-2-05
On Prayer 10-5-05
Patriarchal Christianity and Culture 10-6-05
Religious Tradition 10-10-05
On Writing 10-13-05
Ex-Catholic 10-14-05
Arrogance of Power 10-17-05
A Study of Thomas I 10-22-05
Thou Art That II 10-22-05
Myth I 10-26-05
Liberal-Conservative Friends 10-30-05
Kingdom - In and Out 10-30-05
Guru or Grail 10-30-05
Primer of Christian Myths 11-3-05
Reprise of an Old Post 11-7-05
Two Insights 11-11-05
Politics and Spirituality 11-12-05
Closing the 'Gates of Ijtihad' 11-13-05
Thomas and Theosis 11-18-05
Who is Jesus? 11-19-05
"God and Zen" 11-23-05
The Words of Jesus 11-26-05
Myth of the Hero 11-26-05
Another Viewpoint on Christianity 12-1-05
The Kingdom of God 12-5-05
Creative Event - Created Good 12-12-05
What Have You Missed Most? 12-16-05
Principle of Interpretation 12-19-05
Early Rising 12-29-05
Giving Up 1-4-06
Peace and Self-Control 1-10-06
Strange Journey: CSL 1-24-06
The Cultural Rut 1-28-06
The Great Division 1-31-06
Visions 2-3-06>His Last Day? 2-8-06
Liberal Christian 2-13-06
Perfect Peace 2-13-06
On Prayer 2-19-06
A Quaker's Vision of God 2-19-06
An Appeal 2-24-06
John and Phil 2-28-06
Christocentric and Other Quakers 3-4-06
The Isha 3-12-06
The Bible as Poetry 3-21-06
Quaker Peace 3-25-06
A Besetting Sin 3-29-06
A Blasted Mirrow 4-04-06
Directing the Unruly Mind 4-08-06
Damn Small Linux 4-12-06
Perfect Peace 4-13-06
One 4-20-06
Mesmerized by Everyday Living 4-24-6
Refuge in the Trivial 5-01-06
Logos and Mythos 5-06-06
Critique of C.S.Lewis 5-09-06
John's Wisdom Reading 5-09-06
Illusions 5-15-06
Bloggers and Preachers 5-19-06
Challenges 5-24-06
Mantra 5-28-06
Ruts 6-06-06
Awakenings 6-08-06
Created Good/Creative Event 6-12-06
Baby and Bathwater 6-15-2006
Praying for Sheetrock 6-17-2006
Plato's Salvation and Day of Judgment6-21-06
Grace 6-30-06
Two Kinds of Language 7-02-06
Beginning of Blake 7-14-06
Good and Evil 7-17-06
Fear not, Little flock 7-31-06
In the World but not Of it 8-08-06
Only One Way 8-11-06
Ellie's Divine Economy 8-19-06
Dorrit 8-28-06
8-19-06
8-19-06
8-19-06
8-19-06
8-19-06
8-19-06
8-19-06
8-19-06
8-19-06
8-19-06
Friday, July 14, 2006
Beginning of Blake
Most of this blog is found at Kwakesaur.
It was at a relatively uncreative moment in life that I got bit by the Blake disease. I spent 5 years studying it intensely and consolidated my thoughts and feelings about the poet in a book, now published at Larry's Blake.
For me his poetry had become one of the
primary "fountains of life". As a life long
student of the Bible I found an interpretive
principle in Blake, just today beginning to
be understood and used. His theology has now
become my own in a large degree. One of the
great keys is here:
"Throughout Eternity, I forgive you, you forgive me.
As the dear Redeemer said, this the wine and this the bread."
He was talking to God, but the idea applies to
all human relationships. Forgiveness is an
eternal activity and process. Jesus also
expressed that poetically with his 7 times
70 rejoinder to Peter's query about how many
times.
Forgiveness does not depend upon any
statement of the offending party such as
"I'm sorry". Those who have the faculty of
forgiveness never wait or feel dependent on
any "I'm sorry". God forgave us before we
commited the offending act.
All this forgiveness of others depends upon
our first forgiving ourselves and God. The
trinity found in the Great Commandment is
God, others, self. You can do it, but you
must first 'forgive God'. But what does
that mean? To me it means to accept the
universe as it is. Don't kick over the traces
like Paul did before the journey to Damascus.
All this, and a world of other good stuff, you
can find in Blake.
It was at a relatively uncreative moment in life that I got bit by the Blake disease. I spent 5 years studying it intensely and consolidated my thoughts and feelings about the poet in a book, now published at Larry's Blake.
For me his poetry had become one of the
primary "fountains of life". As a life long
student of the Bible I found an interpretive
principle in Blake, just today beginning to
be understood and used. His theology has now
become my own in a large degree. One of the
great keys is here:
"Throughout Eternity, I forgive you, you forgive me.
As the dear Redeemer said, this the wine and this the bread."
He was talking to God, but the idea applies to
all human relationships. Forgiveness is an
eternal activity and process. Jesus also
expressed that poetically with his 7 times
70 rejoinder to Peter's query about how many
times.
Forgiveness does not depend upon any
statement of the offending party such as
"I'm sorry". Those who have the faculty of
forgiveness never wait or feel dependent on
any "I'm sorry". God forgave us before we
commited the offending act.
All this forgiveness of others depends upon
our first forgiving ourselves and God. The
trinity found in the Great Commandment is
God, others, self. You can do it, but you
must first 'forgive God'. But what does
that mean? To me it means to accept the
universe as it is. Don't kick over the traces
like Paul did before the journey to Damascus.
All this, and a world of other good stuff, you
can find in Blake.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Two Kinds of Language
Literal and figurative!
"Proper language" and "poetry"
In college I studied Science, majoring in Biology and Chemistry. Then I spent a year in Medical School; later I worked for three years as a research chemist.
In seminary I found that language was used very differently.
Science used precise terms, each with one definite, exclusive meaning. In contrast religion used metaphors-- pointing toward the ineffable.
Among the characteristics of metaphors is that they often mean two (or more) things, sometimes directly opposite. Take fire for example: in the Bible we read about both divine and demonic fire. Another characteristic of metaphors is that they are in a sense optional: among the many connotations of fire very different metaphors may serve the same purpose.
"Everyone shall be salted with fire". When you read that, if you have any curiosity about what it might mean, you begin to try to interpret it, that is, you cast about in your mind other metaphors! that might serve to make the meaning clear.
Metaphors are allusive, suggestive; they imply rather than specify as scientific terms do.
In the seminary I soon learned that to attempt to describe spiritual values precisely was unrewarding, unless, that is, one lived with a purely material consciousness. In that case it was the only recourse.
Our culture has been deeply affected by scientific learning and influence. People in general (unfortunately) have an almost purely materialistic consciousness; few people are comfortable talking about spiritual categories, often because they just don't have the mental equipment).
So we have a materialistic culture: things that can be observed with the senses, measured, weighed, evaluated in physical terms; these are what people talk about almost exclusively.
This is unfortunately true of religious discourse. So we talk about abortion, gay marriage, flag burning, etc. etc. and never say a word about love or integrity or honor, much less about purity, meekness, gentleness, and faithfulness.
A purely literal interpretation of the Bible condemns one to a purely material viewpoint about God. But God is not matter; God is Spirit!
"Proper language" and "poetry"
In college I studied Science, majoring in Biology and Chemistry. Then I spent a year in Medical School; later I worked for three years as a research chemist.
In seminary I found that language was used very differently.
Science used precise terms, each with one definite, exclusive meaning. In contrast religion used metaphors-- pointing toward the ineffable.
Among the characteristics of metaphors is that they often mean two (or more) things, sometimes directly opposite. Take fire for example: in the Bible we read about both divine and demonic fire. Another characteristic of metaphors is that they are in a sense optional: among the many connotations of fire very different metaphors may serve the same purpose.
"Everyone shall be salted with fire". When you read that, if you have any curiosity about what it might mean, you begin to try to interpret it, that is, you cast about in your mind other metaphors! that might serve to make the meaning clear.
Metaphors are allusive, suggestive; they imply rather than specify as scientific terms do.
In the seminary I soon learned that to attempt to describe spiritual values precisely was unrewarding, unless, that is, one lived with a purely material consciousness. In that case it was the only recourse.
Our culture has been deeply affected by scientific learning and influence. People in general (unfortunately) have an almost purely materialistic consciousness; few people are comfortable talking about spiritual categories, often because they just don't have the mental equipment).
So we have a materialistic culture: things that can be observed with the senses, measured, weighed, evaluated in physical terms; these are what people talk about almost exclusively.
This is unfortunately true of religious discourse. So we talk about abortion, gay marriage, flag burning, etc. etc. and never say a word about love or integrity or honor, much less about purity, meekness, gentleness, and faithfulness.
A purely literal interpretation of the Bible condemns one to a purely material viewpoint about God. But God is not matter; God is Spirit!
Friday, June 30, 2006
Grace
She stands at the door of Walmart; she's 83; she started with the company in 1970. She buried her husband last year. I asked her why she didn't retire; she said, no way; nothing to live on.
Her body's going down; she drags one leg behind the other one. When she was 80, she was a lot sprier. I told her I couldn't possibly do what she did every day; she was disconcerted, seemed to be afraid of me; there's obviously an enormous social distance between us.
One day she sat down on a customers' bench to rest a minute; I sat down there, and we got into a conversation. I convinced her I wanted to be her friend. (After all I don't do anything but sit around while Ellie shops.)
She used to smile at every customer who came in (she's called a greeter). A few years ago she seemed to know everybody; people gathered around her. But that time is past; she's obviously suffering, and nobody wants to be around suffering.
Last week I walked up to her and told her that sometimes I feel older than she is. She said "honey, you don't know...." I didn't really get much of what she said.
I often think of her: "there but for the grace of God....". But I have stronger feelings about Grace. I want to do something for her. I thought about writing about her; maybe I'll bring her a copy.
Her body's going down; she drags one leg behind the other one. When she was 80, she was a lot sprier. I told her I couldn't possibly do what she did every day; she was disconcerted, seemed to be afraid of me; there's obviously an enormous social distance between us.
One day she sat down on a customers' bench to rest a minute; I sat down there, and we got into a conversation. I convinced her I wanted to be her friend. (After all I don't do anything but sit around while Ellie shops.)
She used to smile at every customer who came in (she's called a greeter). A few years ago she seemed to know everybody; people gathered around her. But that time is past; she's obviously suffering, and nobody wants to be around suffering.
Last week I walked up to her and told her that sometimes I feel older than she is. She said "honey, you don't know...." I didn't really get much of what she said.
I often think of her: "there but for the grace of God....". But I have stronger feelings about Grace. I want to do something for her. I thought about writing about her; maybe I'll bring her a copy.
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