A Blessing for Renewed Common Good

This week’s OEP is a prayer given to open the U.S. House of Representatives on September 10, 2015. I hope it will have meaning for you today.

I'm taking a little break from One Eternal Presence for a few weeks. In the mean time, each week I'm sharing one of the fourteen Opening Prayers for the U.S. House of Representatives I've had the honor and privilege to deliver through the years.  I'll be back after Labor Day.

As vacations and recesses draw to a close, we give thanks for the gift of rest and recreation afforded us while so many in our country and world have spent those same days in fear and suffering.

May we leave business as usual in the shadows of yesterday, seeking to shine with renewed purpose, inspired wisdom, and transformative action.

May every person associated with these Halls of power remember their calling as public servants to humbly hold the hopes, dreams, and trust of people from every walk of life in every State, city, town, village, and neighborhood of our country and world.

As numerous streams of opinion, interest, and need flow into the procedures, process, and decisions of this day and days ahead, may there be wisdom and patience to allow them to find their way to pools and ponds of peace, rivers of mercy, and eventually oceans of compassion and common good for all people. Amen.

Read the prayer here.

See C-span video here.

A Blessing of Possibility and Potential

This week’s OEP is a prayer given to open the U.S. House of Representatives on March October 7, 2011. I hope it will have meaning for you today.

I'm taking a little break from One Eternal Presence for a few weeks. In the mean time, each week I'm sharing one of the fourteen Opening Prayers for the U.S. House of Representatives I've had the honor and privilege to deliver through the years.  I'll be back after Labor Day.

Creator God, Eternal Presence, Spirit of Life in whom we breathe and live, we come into another day that has never been, a new day, an empty day waiting to be; its possibility and potential filled with only that which we bring to it. 

As we pause in this moment may we have the wisdom, humility, and grace to lay aside the fear, scarcity, pain, mistrust and violence that has consumed so many of our yesterdays. 

Where discord has been our nemesis, may harmony be our friend.
Where suspicion shades our perspective, may trust bring light to see clearly and know your Presence in ourselves, in others and in all Creation. 

This is our prayer. Fill us with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self–control, so that these may be the gifts we bring to this day, to our work, our lives, our country, and our world.   Amen.

Read the prayer here.

See C-span video here.

A Blessing of Interdependence

 This week’s OEP is a prayer given to open the U.S. House of Representatives on March 18, 2013. I hope it will have meaning for you today.

I'm taking a little break from One Eternal Presence for a few weeks. In the mean time, each week I'm sharing one of the fourteen Opening Prayers for the U.S. House of Representatives I've had the honor and privilege to deliver through the years.  I'll be back after Labor Day.

We come today with thanks and gratitude for the eternal presence of God, known by many names, that is within, around, and throughout all creation.

May each person in the human family be reminded today in every breath we take of the Spirit that binds and connects us to one another. With every morsel or drop of nourishment taken into our bodies may we remember our interdependence with the soil, streams, seas, plants, and animals of Earth. As we gaze to the sky above may we allow the mysterious vastness of the unknown to stir our imaginations toward creative care of that which is known.

As citizens not only of Nations but also of the Earth itself, may we live this day and every day in harmony with all. And may this Spirit of harmony be that which guides the ideas, conversations, debates, and decisions of our Nation's leaders today and always. Amen.

Read the prayer here.

See C-span video here.

Blessing The Day

I'm taking a little break from One Eternal Presence for a few weeks. In the mean time, each week I'm sharing one of the fourteen Opening Prayers for the U.S. House of Representatives I've had the honor and privilege to deliver through the years.  I'll be back after Labor Day.

Today's prayer was given on February 4, 2010. I hope it will have meaning for you today.


In thanks and gratitude we breathe the life giving Spirit of a new day 
filled with creative potential and possibility.

As on the first day, may this day be "in the beginning."
May we see the goodness and abundance of creation.
May we embrace the name given to us, Human, – from the earth.

May we look into the eternal waters and see in our own reflections 
the image of the Name that cannot be named, 
the Eternal Living Presence we call by many names. 

May we see both the Human and Divine 
in ourselves and every other person. 
May we see the Eternal Presence of Life in all of creation.

May the Light of the first day be our guiding vision for every day 
particularly within the deliberations and decisions 
among the minds, spirits, and imagination of these chambers, 
leading us to see and respect the sacred dignity and worth of 
every one and every thing, everywhere.

Amen.

Read the prayer here.

See C-span video here.

August Recess

It's that time of year again! Time for me to take a little break from One Eternal Presence. 

In the past, during this time I've posted some previous OEP reflections. This year, each week I'm sharing one of the fourteen Opening Prayers for the U.S. House of Representatives I've had the honor and privilege to deliver through the years.  I'll be back after Labor Day.

Today's prayer was given on July 23, 2012. I hope it will have meaning for you today.


Creating God, we come together today in a simple prayer. 
May we be who we are created to be, reflections of your image. 
May we live as we know we should, as caretakers of creation. 
May we participate in the purpose of life, as companions to God and to one another. 
May we truly embrace the equality of humanity as ‘‘self–evident'' and know 
that just beneath the surface of disagreement, conflict, discord, and even violence and death, 
there is a deep river of grace, love, and forgiveness that truly binds us. 
May this stream of eternal presence be solace for any pain in our lives; 
but, more importantly, inspiration and hope of reconciliation and peace 
in personal relationships, in our Nation, and throughout the world.

May the deliberations and decisions of this day and all days 
take place in the spirit of common good, the spirit in which we are created.
Amen.

Prayer on House Chaplain's website.

See C-span video here.

  

If there is...It is we...

“You are the light of the world...you are the salt of the earth.” ~ Jesus

“The love you take is equal to the love you make.”  

~ Lennon and McCartney

The world we have 

is the world we made 

and continue to make. 

If there is hatred, 

it is we who hate.

If there Is love, 

it is we who love.

If there is violence, 

it is we who are violent.

If there is peace,

It is we who are peaceful.

If there is restlessness,

It is we who are restless.

If there is contentment.

It is we who are content.

If there is cruelty,

It is we who are cruel.

If there is kindness,

It is we who are kind.

If there is ugliness,

It is we who are ugly.

If there is beauty,

It is we who are beautiful.

If there is despair, 

it is we who who are desperate.

If there is hope,

It is we who are hopeful.

The Universe is.,

Creation is,

pure Possibility. Potential,

Our tiny piece. Earth,

the world, our world, waits,

not for a savior, 

not for a Deus ex machina,

but for us.

The world we have 

is the world we made 

and continue to make. 

Epiphany

A couple of days ago here in Estes Park, Colorado as I hiked with Peg and dear friends a slight breeze led my attention to a small Aspen tree. I took a deep breath and remembered.

Eight years ago as I sat under a much larger Aspen tree in Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, the sun crept over the hundred million year plus, layered walls of Kitchen Mesa. The early morning chill had begun to recede into Box Canyon, ancient home to dinosaurs. The sky was blue, and deep in the way it can be on a late Spring morning on the Colorado Plateau. A gentle breeze suddenly became stronger and with it came a sound as if a flock of birds were overhead. Looking up, I saw, not birds but leaves, thousands of them shimmering, glistening, singing, dancing. Breathing in, eternity collapsed into one moment. Breathing out, one moment became eternal.

I can’t say for sure but that moment may have been the beginning of this weekly blog. What I do know for sure is it was an epiphany that shifted my perspective and perception from one of an autonomous individual to that of a participant in and expression of a wonderfilled, mysterious, on going process of One Eternal Presence.

Rain

"We sure could use some rain."

"When will it ever stop raining."


We have all felt and expressed the above in some form, depending on our location and time. Rain is a fact of life. In fact, it is necessary for life. Without rain there would be no life. So, how come we humans are always grousing about rain?

Maybe our basic problem is we insist on keeping on regardless of rain while most of the rest of nature simply takes it in stride and waits it out. There are exceptions of course like hurricanes and floods when we are forced to acknowledge rain.  But for the most part rain is seen as a major inconvenience to "normal" life.

We have this audacious notion that somehow we are separate from and apart from the rest of creation. Unfortunately, this notion of environmental autonomy has led humanity to abuse our planet to the point that weather is becoming more and more threatening, not only to our comfort, but to our existence.  Places that need more rain don't get it and places that could use less get too much. Our climate is changing and we are a major factor in that change.

It is long past time for humanity to stop hiding our heads and sipping lemonade and realize that rain or shine we have an effect on our environment. In the end regardless of what we do or don't do the weather will be fine. But will we?


Rain - The Beatles

If the rain comes
They run and hide their heads
They might as well be dead
If the rain comes
If the rain comes

When the sun shines
They slip into the shade
And sip their lemonade
When the sun shines
When the sun shines

Rain, I don't mind
Shine, the weather's fine
~ Lennon and McCartney

 

from Andrew to Andrew

Dear Andrew,

We welcomed you into this world less than a week ago. You surprised us and came early. But that’s ok because you’ll discover that some of the best things in this life come as surprises.  Your early arrival is a pretty good example of that.

Coming early the way you did also means you need a little extra care. That’s another thing you’ll learn about living. It is awfully tough to make it alone in this world, practically impossible. Even though you’ve shown us you have a strong will to thrive, you need other people in order to survive and thrive.  As your Mama Carina, recently pointed out, it really does take a village of family, friends, and community --all of whom have already surrounded you with support and love. 

Always remember, it is ok to ask for help. It is natural to need other people. This wonderful creation you have entered is mysteriously and amazingly interconnected and interdependent in ways that you have already experienced without even knowing.

That’s another thing. There is a whole lot of information in the world that you will learn, but simply knowing something doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve experienced it, or vice-versa. So many of the best things like joy, peace, gratitude, and love are experienced before we know what has happened. 

There is so much more you need to learn and know about life in this universe, but there will be plenty of time. Right now, you just keep on thriving, surviving and experiencing the sounds, touches, smells, and tastes that tell you, not only are you loved, but also that you bring joy, peace, gratitude and love to Mommy Jayme, Mama Carina, Brother Oliver and all of us other family and friends. Come to think of it, you bring love into the whole world. 

So one day I hope you’ll look back on these days and truly know that you are deeply loved and that you are the presence of love in this world! I also hope you’ll never forget this!

Well that’s all for now. I’m sure there will be more later.

Your Papa, Andrew.

Children

Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me…If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.
~ Jesus, Mark 9

Teach your children well
Your father's hell did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks
The one you'll know by
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you
~ Graham Nash (Crosby, Still, Nash, & Young)

And when I die and when I'm gone, 
there'll be one child born,
and a world to carry on, to carry on.
~ Laura Nyro (Blood, Sweat, & Tears), (Laura Nyro)

The quotes above invite you into a couple of ear worms I have this morning - two songs from my youth, two songs among many about how the past becomes the present, becomes the future. 

If you want a glimpse at the future look at how children in the world are being treated today. There is a wide range from total neglect and cruelty to obsessive attention and smothering love. Countless children are born into fear, poverty, and violence, while others come into comfort, wealth, and safety. The divides that exist in the world today become tomorrow's, or not, depending on how we welcome, teach, and nurture all children, not just our own.

Today, as the song says, "there'll be one child born," one child, and another, and another and... "and a world to carry on."  May we do our part to "teach them well."
  

A Father's Day To Remember

On Father's Day this past Sunday I remembered something that Peg and I experienced on Father's Day back in 1976. My reflections on that day were subsequently published in a religious weekly publication in 1981. It took me a couple of days to find my yellowing copy. So I'm sharing it now.  

On a technical note, in order to make it readable I inserted a large photo copy that requires using the vertical and horizontal scrolling bars on a computer and/or the zoom functions on phones and tablets. Sorry for this inconvenience. I hope you are able to read and enjoy. 

Believing

"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." ~ Thomas - John 20:26

"Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."  ~ Jesus - John 20:29

"A man [sic] hears what he [sic] wants to hear and disregards the rest." ~ Paul Simon - The Boxer

"I'll believe it when I experience it," said a deputy sheriff as we told him about the good experience friends had at the local small community hospital. "Don't go there unless you have to," one person after another told us. But our friends "had to." And what they discovered was a hospital under new management, a recently remodeled facility, a friendly, efficient staff and highly qualified physicians -some local and some resourced from other "big city" hospitals. The once inefficient, sketchy hospital has evidently taken a turn for the better.  It is changing.  But that doesn't change the past experiences of many people in the community who continue to believe their hospital is bad.

Which comes first - belief or experience?  In the Gospel of John, Jesus' disciple, Thomas, won't believe Jesus is alive until he sees and touches his wounds. Then Jesus blesses everyone who will believe without seeing and touching.

There are also those who say, "I can't believe this is happening." in spite of their experience and evidence all around them - hearing and seeing what they want to hear and see.

Believing can save us or it can lead us into destruction. What we believe, how we believe, and why we believe is a tricky thing.  I really believe this!

"words" Expressing Word

“Words make worlds” — because it’s true...language in poetry is magical language. It creates a world. It summons a world into being. The existential necessity of poetry — lyric poetry and song — emerges from the magical power of language to create worlds that dramatize both our experience of disorder and our need for order — vividly present, both.   

~ Gregory Orr, from On Being with Krista Tippett

In the beginning is the Word. The Word becomes flesh and lives among us.  

~ John 1:1, 14, my paraphrase

Language constitutes our reality. It is the expression of the human experience of the essence of existence. The Word (Logos) is the embodiment, the becoming flesh, of experience. And words give shape and meaning to The Word. 

My Old Testament professor at Columbia Seminary, Walter Brueggemann, once said in a lecture, "Yahweh lives on the lips of Israel's praise." This is truly Incarnation! If this is also true in our time, that God lives on our lips, then God may very well be on life support today.

In the same interview quoted above, Gregory Orr shares the following lines from William Wordsworth:

“Let’s remake the world with words.
 Not frivolously, nor 
To hide from what we fear,
 But with a purpose. Let’s remove
 the dust of custom so things
 shine again, each object arrayed 
In its robe of original light. And then we’ll see the world
 As if for the first time.
As once we gazed at the beloved
 Who was gazing at us.”

In order for humanity to survive and thrive we must "remove the dust" of the current, rampant abuse of language, stop "tweeting," and sing in full measure of the great goodness of all people and all creation. 

Words matter. Language makes a difference. We must pay attention to what we say, write, and hear because in the end "The Word" is expressed through our "words."

"ins" and "outs"

According to an online dictionary the word "in" has at least eleven different meanings and functions, and "out" has at least six. Both can be prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, nouns, prefixes, suffixes, and more. The function determines the meaning.

For example, when I say I "believe in love" am I saying I believe something called "love" exists or am I believing while surrounded by love?  If something is considered "out" is it physically away from you or not under consideration?

What is in and what is out may very well be the primary decision process of most of human thought as we continually choose which objects and ideas receive and hold our attention. Attention then becomes thoughts, which become actions that become our life. Much of this process takes place subconsciously in the routines, habits, preferences, and prejudices of our lives. We choose one thing/person or another without realizing we are choosing. We also make conscious choices, but my guess is that even most of our conscious choices are somewhat predetermined by subconscious ones.

Another tendency of this process is that whatever is "in" probably provides comfort and love, and the "out" stuff generates suspicion and fear. This does not necessarily mean that one or the other is good or bad. We can embrace bad things and be fearful of good things.

My point in all of this is to heighten awareness of what/who is "in" and what/who is "out" in our lives, and to realize that we make choices every moment of everyday whether we realize it or not. Our "ins and outs," whether conscious or not, determine our lives 

  

 

Rest Patterns

Do you remember TV test patterns?  Recently in a conversation with some peers we were reminiscing on those odd looking, but familiar, mandalas that occupied TV screens while stations were off the air. 

Among the several purposes for test patterns was the need to occupy the frequency of the broadcasters signal while programming took a break. The patterns also gave technicians reference points for adjusting things like focus, contrast, and eventually color. Perhaps the most beneficial purpose of the test pattern was hidden and even unintentional - they gave the world a break, time off from the consumption of images and sounds. They helped sustain rhythms and cycles of activity and rest, awake and sleep. They even mimicked the mandala, an ancient art form of introspection, contemplation, and meditation of the universe.

I've rarely been one to pine for the "good old days" but wouldn't it be nice to have test patterns again, not just on televisions, but also radios, computers, phones, and all of the "smart" devices that occupy so much of human time, energy, and imagination? Wouldn't it be nice if the whole world, within our respective time zones, could pause each day, take a deep breath, and get off the media grid if only for a few minutes?

Of course we can do this as individuals and groups. We humans have been meditating, worshiping, gathering, relaxing, and sleeping since our beginnings. However, we also have a strong tendency to be drawn toward whatever is flashing and shining in front of us. 

Our current reality is one of constant exposure to all manner of media containing information and data in imagery and sound. There are no more test patterns. This leaves us to our own devices. And, we do have a choice. We have on/off switches. We have imagination. An amazing creation surrounds us and already provides seasons, cycles, and rhythm, if we will only turn away* from flashing shining screens on our walls, our desks, and in our hands. We may not have test patterns on our media today, but we can develop and practice "rest patterns" in our lives!

*"repent" - to turn from one thing and toward another 

Propaganda

Propaganda: the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person; ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause.  ~ Merriam-Webster online dictionary

Our modern lives are fueled by information, so much so that we've labeled our time as the "age of digital information." An older friend recently shared that several months ago he had given in to  his children's chiding to trade in his flip-phone (now considered ancient technology) for a "smart" phone of which the "phone" part is the least used. "Now," he says, "I can't imagine not having it with me,  and I feel disconnected if I don't."

The more we learn about the technology in our lives, the more we realize how we literally live in a multilayered maze of manipulation of information that feeds our desires and fears while shaping our perspective of the world. Remember the phrase (I suppose we call it a "meme" now) "you are what you eat." Updated a bit, it becomes "you are what you read, watch, and hear on the various screens in your pockets and on your desks and walls." Swirling about in this sea of information, sometimes surfacing enough to see it, is propaganda.

The original meaning of the word "propaganda" was religious.

The Congregatio de propaganda fide (“Congregation for propagating the faith”) was an organization established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV as a means of furthering Catholic missionary activity. The word propaganda is from the ablative singular feminine of propogandus, which is the gerundive of the Latin propagare, meaning “to propagate.” The first use of the word propaganda (without the rest of the Latin title) in English was in reference to this Catholic organization. It was not until the beginning of the 19th century that it began to be used as a term denoting ideas or information that are of questionable accuracy as a means of advancing a cause.  ~ Merriam-Webster online dictionary.

Of course the "faith" being propagated was that of the Doctrine of Discovery, a Papal Bull from a previous century that sanctified domination and exploitation by European "explorers."

The only thing that seems to have changed in five hundred years is the means of communication - from Papal Bull to Presidential Tweet.

Our dilemma, and task, is first being aware that we live in this maze and sea of propaganda, and second to discern how our own desires and fears are being fed by the information we consume. Humans have a tendency to gravitate toward things we desire and hide things we fear.

There is a reason most spiritual traditions hold at their core detachment from unbridled desire and release of unfounded fear. These are truly worth propagating.



   

The Breakfast Tree

Sorry about the late OEP this week. I've been kinda busy because my grandson, Oliver, and his Mommy and Momma are visiting us this week. A four and half year old boy in the house keeps you pretty busy! He's up early and goes 100% all day long!

Oliver is into super heroes theses days and his favorite is Cat Boy on the animated series "P.J Masks." Picking up on this we've had fun imagining some other "boy" names connected to all of the things he's been doing this week.  Oliver now has a string of aka's like Pool Boy, Beach Boy, Surfer Boy, Noodle Boy, Drip Castle Boy, - The different "boys" just keep showing up.

This morning I made Oliver his favorite breakfast - a ham and cheese omelet and, you guessed it, Omelet Boy appeared. While enjoying our omelets and some fruit, Oliver made the observation that we could save money by planting orange seeds in our back and then pick our own oranges for breakfast. So, I suggested why not go for the whole works and plant an omelet tree!

You can imagine where the conversation went from there. 

"What if it were a breakfast tree with any kind of breakfast on it?"

"We could have a lunch tree too!"

"And a dinner tree!"

"What would be on the dinner tree?"

"Tacos!"

That's when it occurred to me -

"You know, Oliver, actually it all comes from seeds and plants."

"What? Even meat? And eggs?"

"That's right. Even meat and eggs. Meat comes from animas that eat plants that come from seeds. Eggs come from chickens that eat grain that comes from plants, that come from seeds."

Thanks, Oliver, for reminding us that we are all connected to each other and to all of creation.

There really is a Breakfast Tree!   

Life is a Poem

"We’re taught that poetry is some kind of elevated language about an elevated life we don’t live. It’s ordinary language about an ordinary life that we live." ~ Dionne Brand

April is National Poetry Month. I discovered this from my car radio last night as I drove home form a church meeting.

As is the case for many of us who spend time in and out of automobiles, I caught a snippet of a radio program. The program is "q" with Tom Power from the CBC and it airs on our local NPR station when I'm driving home from evening church meetings. I've never listened to an entire program, only snippets, but I usually like what I hear.

The bit I heard included the above quote from Dionne Brand an acclaimed Canadian poet. Brand, in the interview, goes on to describe poetry as where "...the music and matter of language come together..."  Her ordinary poetic definition of poetry sent my thoughts to an OEP blog I wrote last year about poetry. It also inspired me to ponder the extraordinary reality of the ordinary in our world.

The convergence of music (spirit) and matter (body) is how I have come to think of, believe in, and experience religion and spirituality. We are spiritual bodies. This is an ultimate teaching and tension in every religious tradition. Our problems seem to come when we think of spirituality as "elevated" beyond our grasp, when in reality it is forever within our reach in the ordinary. Even our rituals, sacraments, and holy days point us in the direction of talking, listening, eating, bathing, giving, receiving, living, and dying.  It's all so ordinary yet so poetic.

We are God's poetry, created in One Eternal Presence to be artisans and poets of good as we live in God's eternal poem.  Ephesians 2:10 (my translation)

Where is Your Jerusalem?

It's Wednesday of Holy Week. According to the biblical Gospel stories, this is the week Jesus finally went to Jerusalem, the place where he knew he would be killed. During the days (at night he went to safe places outside the city) he taught in the temple, mostly about the corruption of the religious leaders in Jerusalem, and their capitulation to imperial powers. By Friday afternoon he was dead.

I know it sounds cliche (probably because it is always true) but we live in such times. Imperial powers, which include untethered corporate greed, threaten not only human dignity, but also human existence. And religions in which many of us participate prop up these forces with theological acrobatics, but mostly through apathy.

What would happen if all the people who claim to follow Jesus actually did? What would happen if people of all faiths began to live by the basic values of these faiths - love, compassion, generosity, justice, grace, hope...? What would happen if each person of faith was to identify a threatening place in their life, a "Jerusalem," and enter proclaiming and living true values of human dignity? 

Would we be killed? Maybe. But like a man on the news last night who escaped starvation in Northern Africa by crossing the Mediterranean in a small boat when asked, "Why risk your life crossing the water?" said, "What did I have to loose. I was already dead."

There is life and there is the illusion of life. In which are we living?





   

Space and Time

Thirty-five thousand years ago a human migration began in East Asia and for thousands of years made their way across frozen oceans to what we now call Alaska, eventually spreading east and south into North, Central, and South Americas. My daughter and son-in-law recently flew from Beijing, China to Newark, NJ in less than thirteen hours.

It took only five hundred years or so for European conquests to decimate most of those ancient people. Today a "tweet" can span the globe in seconds and affect millions of lives.

We have always been One Planet, One Creation, and One Human family. Space and time are just getting smaller and faster.

One Eternal Presence still holds it all together.