Words from a Journal - #19

Words from the Journal of a student of spiritual discipline

September 7 - 8, 2011 - As I have indicated in previous writings, I long for and watch for affirmation of the words that come to me. This week I experienced one of the strongest so far. The story has three parts. On 9/7/2011 I wrote in my journal and, as shown below, focused on discipline. I then decided that these words definitely were to be posted as soon as possible. So that afternoon while waiting in my Dentist's waiting room, I composed an introduction, which as you will see below, also focused on discipline, entitlement and a society with no limits. The next morning, 9/8/2011, I decided to continue reading in a book titled, "Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life" by Richard Rohr. As I continued my reading on pages 49 and on, I see my introduction coming right back at me. Words like entitlement, no limits and too many folks wearing "I am special" buttons - in essence no discipline. So I know that the words were given to me in order to share with you, the reader.

The introduction: While in my journal this morning, I once again became aware of my lack of discipline. I then dwelt for awhile on how discipline is probably different for everyone. I reflect back on a Spiritual Discipline class I participated in several years ago. Most of the class gave up! Not to criticize anyone, but I think the D word - discipline - has a bad connotation in contemporary America, First we have been led to less and less "discipline" of our children by, in my opinion, a bunch of nut case sociologists and psychologists. Our society is and will continue paying a severe price for our misguided ways, Secondly, we have also become impatient and unwilling to spend the necessary time in learning a trade or business. No one wants to be an apprentice anymore. Everyone wants immediate gratification and expects big paychecks without the necessary skills. Our entitlement society is crumbling around us. Thus, not surprisingly, we don't have the discipline to study, pray or even read our Bibles.

From the journal: "... My dreams last night were standard dreams of frustration - how to progress when every step in every direction comes up short. I awoke and came to write! I know I was guided through the dreams to get up and come to the Holy Spirit for guidance and my words for this time. Not just for today, but for years to come - for others to read, digest and act upon. Of course, the "me in me" gets in the way. My lack of discipline has weakened my connection with Sophia (Holy Spirit). I am as a stranger! We talk and understand different words. It is only through discipline and concentration that one's spirit is released to soar with the eagles - to receive the love of God. Pastors tend to push "staying in the word (Bible) or staying in prayer." Both good and excellent, but I believe that we have all been given spiritual gifts - those listed in the Bible plus others that we can't even understand. We must use our personal gift to approach God thru Sophia, I know that mine is to journal! It is a form of prayer for me and of communing with the holy ones. It is how I "see" into the great beyond. But back to discipline - one must practice - long and hard! We must use our spiritual muscle constantly to make it strong. A muscle we can rely on when the going gets tough. It's a matter of faithfulness. Not that we are denied because we wander away, but our ability to receive and accept is diminished. Our window to God's guidance becomes dirty and clouded when we lose discipline! Exercise your spiritual muscle! all the time! Amen"

R. Jeremiah

Words from a Journal - #18

Words from the Journal of a student of spiritual discipline

August 9, 2011 - Oh, Sophia(Holy Spirit)! where is my discipline? I just read several days of Merton and read one I missed last year. It was for August 4th and was titled "Getting Things Done" from his book titled "Contemplation in an World of Action." This one really hit me at my core; it is short, but profound. "Let us start from one admitted fact: if prayer, meditation and contemplation were once taken for granted as central realities in human life everywhere, they are so no longer. They are regarded, even by believers, as somehow marginal and secondary. What counts is getting things done." That is me - that is always my excuse. Interestingly enough I am here at this place because of attending a class on "Getting Things Done". I have spent my life reading books on efficiency and Getting Things Done. I spent the most rewarding part of my business career helping manufacturing folks become more efficient in of all things cleaning large 6 story chemical facilities between product change overs to avoid contamination. What a coincidence that yesterday out of the blue Pastor switched our Bible study topic and moved us back into a contemplative mood to do "Lectio Divina." A slow deliberate reading of scripture.

Sophia, I know that I have wandered away from my discipline and in some not so subtle ways you are putting me back into my Jeremiah mode. Recently Pastor asked me about my vision for the church. At first I drew a blank and then it hit me - a transformed church that will contrast with the traditional model! I see famous old church buildings standing empty and deserted or with just a few parishioners. The buildings are not the church! The people are the church! We have created our own idols. Why have we not learned? The building has always been a distraction down through the ages. In contrast to the Old Testament we find very few, if any, words from the Lord about building "temples" out of mortar and wood. The temple is within us - in our hearts. I envision a church unhampered by "erroneous" traditions. Free to commit its time and treasure to doing God's mission. A change - a transformation - in mind set and focus is required!

R. Jeremiah

Words from a Journal - #17

Words from the journal of a student of spiritual discipline.

June 21, 2011 - As I was writing it hit me that I either stumble or simply pay lip service to many Bible words that are just not part of our language or even relevant in 2011 in the USA. What are the words that we should use to show respect, thanks to and honor toward? We use the words for God of Lord or master. These terms have little true visceral meaning to us. Now there is yet another idea for a class on spiritual words and terminology. Such a class would have profound effect on our public prayers. I suspect that one reason folks hesitate to pray in public is a hangup on terminology, i.e., using words outside of our day to day experience.

I have been pretty frustrated with myself these past several months. I maintained little discipline and was easily distracted. I think this morning my spirit is like an old engine that is being started after a long time of just sitting. There is a lot of sputtering and banging and clanging and coughing. The spark plug is dirty and the spark is only periodically causing combustion. When this happens the person trying to start the engine gets tired, frustrated and angry, not to mention out of breath and ill tempered. Wow! sure sounds like me Lord. I know that the battery (the Holy Spirit) is fully charged. It is I who needs to keep my plugs clean and provide for clean, plentiful fuel - the word of God. I must come to the Lord every day with an open spirit grasping for truth and a clean windshield to give me vision but to protect me from the "bugs" of life!


R. Jeremiah

Words from a Journal - #16

Words from the journal of a student of spiritual discipline

July 6, 2011 - Today's words are actually from today! As is frequently the case, I was reading from Daily writings of Thomas Merton and was shocked to be aimed in a different spiritual direction than that in which I thought I was going. For several weeks the idea for a new Bible study has been formulating in my mind. Since it is really the topic of another writing, I will simply say that the subject is "The Ignored Gifts of the Spirit."

For as long as I can remember I have had the title of my book (if ever, it will be the first!) "Anarchy of Place." Our lives are so intrinsically wrapped up in where we are born or where we live. We will root for and in some cases even fight for our home team and so on. Merton wrote for July 8th about "Ones Place on Earth." After speaking to the beauty of the hills and valleys around his monastery, Gethsemane, he ends with "We do not realize our own setting as we ought to; it is important to know where you are put on the face of the earth." This is from his book, "The Sign of Jonas." My premise all along is that place is irrelevant! That's easy to say when you are blessed to live in the USA at this time! At this point I felt that the Holy Spirit was really challenging me with such diverse thoughts. But then I paused, maybe they are not that diverse and there is a common thread.

Where you are placed is not necessarily your place of birth. It is a temporary place in to which God placed you to do service and to learn and grow. We must recognize our "mission" at each of our "changing" earthly locations. Consider what happens when individual missions are similar in the same place. An EXPLOSION! - like at St. Philips in Wilmington. We speak of the church's mission in this place at this time, but fail to recognize that the whole is composed of all the individual missions! It is possible that most folks don't know their personal mission at this time in this place. They may even be fighting it since they are now retired and just want to do their own thing.

God has sent your spirit to this place at this time - Obviously for a purpose! There is no such thing as a siding to the railroad of life. Other than to nourish our bodies, each of our lives is on the main line of our track through time. At this time we are HERE! To do God's will! Just as Merton was enthralled with the beauty of his surroundings, his spirit caught him and reminded him that "it is important to know where you are put on the face of the earth!" Amen.

R. Jeremiah

Words from a Journal - #12

Words from a journal of a student of Spiritual Discipline

It is now June 20, 2011 - I just discovered that this writing had never been posted! A bit out of season, but I am sure the meaning is still the same. Wow! a voice from the past! R. Jeremiah

"February 10, 2010 - In reading "Better Prayers" this morning I opened right to page 43 and read a strong affirmation of yesterdays call to be humble. "Your work for Christ must be Christ's work in you or else it will be good for nothing" Wow! Sophia, you surprised me so early this morning. I don't know why I am surprised, you are working in me all the time. It is I who am intermittent! ... I was going to pray for no more snow today, but snow is a part of winter so why should I be so presumptuous as to not understand the value of snow. Yes, snow has value. The moisture it returns to the soil is necessary - a redistribution of water from one place to another. Look at the value to painters and other artists - at the recreation associated with snow. Oh! Sophia, where are you taking me? What is it about church that is so necessary, but yet we avoid it and even may pray against it? Could it be the work required to operate the church; the work required for ministry! Is the concept of cheap Grace being driven home? Maybe it's not "work" in the classical sense, but the time and dedication and DISCIPLINE that is really required to be in Christ. Yes, we know we are saved through Christ, but to grow closer to Christ, to truely abide in him, takes time and effort! Significant discipline is required. As snow is beautiful, so is God's grace! Coping with snow - receiving the value from it, is the same as receiving the bountiful love of God by coping with the disciplines of Spiritual Growth. Look beyond the inconvenience of the snow or of keeping the disciplines to the beauty which lays beyond. Salvation is free, but pleasing God more and more each day requires growing in him. The disciplines are extremely demanding; perhaps if I had had real instruction as a young man I would have had the time to grow more into them. My growth has been spurty at best - a lot 30 plus years ago and then very little. But in the past year - WOW! Sophia was hiding behind a tree for many years. Every once in awhile she would jump out and say peek-a-boo! But now she is right in front of me, gesturing for me to hurry up and follow her up the trail to yet another vista of Gods creation and our role in pleasing him - it takes my breath away - it is work, but oh, such good work!"

Talk to your Pastor as to how to grow more into Christ. Which Discipline is the right one for you? Pray earnestly for guidance from Sophia. the Holy Spirit.

R. Jeremiah

Words from a Journal - #15

Words from a journal of a student of Spiritual Discipline


June 15, 2011 Jeremiah has been on a sabbatical so to speak! The last "Words from a Journal" that were posted on the blog were on September 21, 2010. This does not mean that journaling has not been taking place – it certainly has! Satan really got to working on me – throwing doubt into my mind. Perhaps a better word would be “Reluctance” to share with others or even to question my “calling” to share words given to me by the Holy Spirit with others.

This has been crystallizing in my mind over the past several months, but has finally been confirmed by several events over the past several weeks. A number of “coincidences” occurred which have certainly clarified a direction for me. Several weeks ago Pastor Bettye mentioned during her sermon that new procedures have been established by The Order of St. Stephan Deacon to train Deacons. She then presented me with a copy of the literature saying that she just wanted me to be aware of the program. Well my wife and I read the literature and discussed what it all meant. Between my age and our family health issues, it seemed to be a physical impossibility for me to even consider. But the real issue is that the ministry of the Deacons is one of Word and Service that we both know is not my calling. So what is my calling? A week or so previously I had journaled that my wife was probably afraid that I would get back on council again. (as it turns out just the opposite is true!) I wrote that I must pray real hard about this one. In one sense it would seem that church administration is a calling of mine, but Jeremiah has a calling also and that has been slipping away. But the crowning coincidence was Pastor Tim’s sermon on June 14, Pentacost Sunday, when he preached on "What is it that I am to do?" The Holy Spirit will tell us if we but listen.

Listening is usually pretty easy, once the Holy Spirit has our attention. Well it seems that I needed a 2X4 to the side of my head to get my attention. Ok God I hear you. I will put some discipline back into my spirituality! Stay tuned.

R. Jeremiah