January 10, 2016

We call this Meeting for Worship.  But that does not mean this hour is just for praising and thanking God or Jesus Christ as external powers.  Believing as we Quakers do that there is that of God in every person, this is a time for praising and thanking and supporting that of God in ourselves, and in each other.  This is a safe space.  This is a place for asking big questions and listening with care and patience for answers from within. 

Here we can admit – or at least try to understand - how small we are in the universe, in our society, and in relation to our potential.  And here is a place we can grow.  Here we can reflect on ways in which our ties with family members, friends and neighbors have become frayed or broken – and on ways to repair those ties. 

Here, by doing our best to discern the leadings of the Holy Spirit, we can clarify our values and increase our courage to live in accordance with them.

January 3, 2016

It is said that God or, as some prefer, Life does not give us more than we can handle.  I think that is true.  But I also think that is a truism: each of us consciously or unconsciously chooses what we will handle.  Each of us is the steward of our gifts - our present and potential powers.  Each of us is constantly deciding whether and how to deal with life's challenges, losses and opportunities - personal growth, grief, family issues, workplace issues, economic and political issues, environmental care, war and peace, for examples – and how hard we are willing to work to make our contributions.  
Fortunately, there is a power within each of us - the Holy Spirit, or call it what you will - which is always present to assist us.  Especially when asked.

December 27, 2015

On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of One who so clearly perceived His mission and so fully manifested faith, love, forgiveness and service that a couple billion people call Him the Christ, Son of God.  Today, I think that Jesus might say, “I welcome celebration of my birth, particularly the sharing of love and joy with family and friends.  But, more important, I could use a little help here.”

May Christmas be a time when we ask ourselves, “What is my mission?  How might I better fulfill it?  How well do I manifest faith, love, forgiveness, and service?"

Power

Much is said about empowerment of oneself and others. 
Today I realized that I prefer to have power when it is convenient; that is, when I find I am able, or can easily become able, to influence something in a way that is important to me. 
Then I realized that I'm not so keen on empowerment, even for profoundly important uses, when it is difficult or costly in time or comfort to achieve. The question becomes, "How willing am I to work, to experience discomfort, to develop and to use my talents, my power?"  
<I say I will work for joy.>  I choose to do so when the work is hard, the cost is high, the frustrations many, and the joy requires a sense of humor.

Imagining trouble and loss

Getting up, walking the dog, going to work, working, going home, an evening of NewsHour, some fun, some chores, going up and down stairs, going to bed, to sleep.  Same tomorrow.  It is easy - and tempting - to imagine more exciting things to do and places to be.  
It's not so easy - but much more important - to imagine being deprived of one's present degree of health and abilities, one's comforts - shelter, enough food, clean running water, a warm bed; one's freedoms, reputation, job and  opportunities; and the health and lives of friends and family members.  Such imagining is much more important than easy fantasies because from imagining trouble and loss naturally flow greater peace where one is, more gratitude for what one has and an increase in the desire to help others, from which we derive self-worth.

Reality check #5

In one of my favorite books, The Road Less Traveled, Dr. M. Scott Peck wrote, "the only way to be assured of being loved is to be a person worthy of love."  To God, I suppose, everyone is worthy of love without effort.  I'd call that grace - whether love without effort comes from God or a person.  
But I think Dr. Peck is right as to sustained human love.  To be worthy of love requires the commitment to live as best we can see to live and the effort to ask whether we are doing that.
Today, how willing am I to live the best life I can see to live?  How willing am I to grow?  How willing am I to extend myself for the sake of this relationship?  For the sake of this family, organization, community or society?  And ultimately for my own health and peace of mind?

Writing one's life story

Each person is an author, writing his or her life story one sentence - one choice - at a time.