Saying 28
Jesus said: I stood in the midst of the world. I came to them in the flesh. I found all of them drunk. I found not one of them to be thirsty. My soul was saddened by the sons of men for they are mentally blind. They do not see that they have come into the world empty and they will go out of the world empty. But now they are drunk. When they sober up they will repent.
The last sentence is LITERALLY true in my life. It has taken physical sobriety for me to weep over what I had become, can be, and what we all are capable of and have done. Now, I do repent and do not subscribe to the "screw guilt" adage for someone like myself. I need to feel guilty and work through the wrongs I've done. My repentance is a sign of awakening. It signals a genuine experience of the effects of my self-centeredness, a lament of the lost. It takes sobriety to show me my on-going need for God; I am forever grateful for practical tools to live in a one-day-at-a-time state of awakening rather than "blindness." One paradox is that the more I awaken, the more I see my blindness!" But grateful? YES. Joyful? Yes.
True. Jesus has been here my whole life and I couldn't hear him. I still do feel blind so much of the time and yet am thirsty enough for God's presence and living water to ask for it each morning; I fall short every day even though I'm physically sober many years and do live this way of life to the best of my astoundingly imperfect ability. God is here with us and I miss him all the time, distracted or as mentally blind as I am by my varied reactions within my relationships, self-centered emotions, changing circumstances.
Money! Time! Food! Talents! Without God, I'm stingy or over-generous to suit my whims rather than taking the time to pray into the space and listen for how Spirit guides. I'm afraid to share "my" time or afraid of too much time rather than moving through time active, slowing down, or stopping as guided. I devour and vomit the raw whole alone rather than cook, savor, and share. I diminish my own and others talents rather than empower and be grateful for them.
Jesus said: I stood in the midst of the world. I came to them in the flesh. I found all of them drunk. I found not one of them to be thirsty. My soul was saddened by the sons of men for they are mentally blind. They do not see that they have come into the world empty and they will go out of the world empty. But now they are drunk. When they sober up they will repent.
The last sentence is LITERALLY true in my life. It has taken physical sobriety for me to weep over what I had become, can be, and what we all are capable of and have done. Now, I do repent and do not subscribe to the "screw guilt" adage for someone like myself. I need to feel guilty and work through the wrongs I've done. My repentance is a sign of awakening. It signals a genuine experience of the effects of my self-centeredness, a lament of the lost. It takes sobriety to show me my on-going need for God; I am forever grateful for practical tools to live in a one-day-at-a-time state of awakening rather than "blindness." One paradox is that the more I awaken, the more I see my blindness!" But grateful? YES. Joyful? Yes.
True. Jesus has been here my whole life and I couldn't hear him. I still do feel blind so much of the time and yet am thirsty enough for God's presence and living water to ask for it each morning; I fall short every day even though I'm physically sober many years and do live this way of life to the best of my astoundingly imperfect ability. God is here with us and I miss him all the time, distracted or as mentally blind as I am by my varied reactions within my relationships, self-centered emotions, changing circumstances.
Money! Time! Food! Talents! Without God, I'm stingy or over-generous to suit my whims rather than taking the time to pray into the space and listen for how Spirit guides. I'm afraid to share "my" time or afraid of too much time rather than moving through time active, slowing down, or stopping as guided. I devour and vomit the raw whole alone rather than cook, savor, and share. I diminish my own and others talents rather than empower and be grateful for them.
Saying 29
Jesus said: If flesh came into being because of spirit, it is wonderful. If spirit came into being because of the body, it is exceedingly wonderful. I am amazed that this great wealth has appeared in this poverty.
"Wonderful" that my spirit needed a body so I was conceived in my mother's womb.
"Exceedingly wonderful" that body drove me to Spirit! and true. At 28 years old through the spiritual poverty of me without alcohol, without bulimia, I hit bottom and worked the Steps and lo! behold! Spirit came into being. I had a rebirth into Spirit.
"Amazing!!" that "Wealth" did appear in the midst of "poverty" my utter powerlessness and unmanageability. With us, Jesus is amazed at what God does!!!
Jesus said: If flesh came into being because of spirit, it is wonderful. If spirit came into being because of the body, it is exceedingly wonderful. I am amazed that this great wealth has appeared in this poverty.
"Wonderful" that my spirit needed a body so I was conceived in my mother's womb.
"Exceedingly wonderful" that body drove me to Spirit! and true. At 28 years old through the spiritual poverty of me without alcohol, without bulimia, I hit bottom and worked the Steps and lo! behold! Spirit came into being. I had a rebirth into Spirit.
"Amazing!!" that "Wealth" did appear in the midst of "poverty" my utter powerlessness and unmanageability. With us, Jesus is amazed at what God does!!!
Saying 30
Jesus said: Where there are three Gods they are Gods. Where there are two or one, I am with him.
funny... when I was taking a class at my church, the leader asked us to discuss which part of the trinity came clear to you last.
Everyone at the table said, "the Holy Spirit" but me. I said, "Jesus." You would have thought I committed heresy... But to me, their answer was a shock, too. I started to pray to God when I got sober but it was the Spirit that led me to believe, that allowed me to see and hear God moving every day.
Jesus was shrouded in misinformation and mystery... Through study of Scripture, I have come to believe that Jesus is not God. Rather, God is God and expresses itself in the Holy Spirit, the Helper. The Spirit expresses itself in each of us including Jesus but we are so so so much less linked in, connected than our brother Jesus. My identity is shrouded from me in myriads of mental blocks, old ideas, mystery!
I love the concept of the "dance of the trinity" but deep down it doesn't work.
I can conceive of two as one but not three as one. The wind and me, my sponsor and me, you and me (two as one), nature and me, Jesus and me, God and me. All that works, flows. It's me that surrenders into the larger whole.
When there are three, I see and experience the confusion of three. When there are two, I readily see and experience that as one. One God! "The Lord is ONE." One is the infinite number, there is always room for another within the whole, the one.
Jesus said: Where there are three Gods they are Gods. Where there are two or one, I am with him.
funny... when I was taking a class at my church, the leader asked us to discuss which part of the trinity came clear to you last.
Everyone at the table said, "the Holy Spirit" but me. I said, "Jesus." You would have thought I committed heresy... But to me, their answer was a shock, too. I started to pray to God when I got sober but it was the Spirit that led me to believe, that allowed me to see and hear God moving every day.
Jesus was shrouded in misinformation and mystery... Through study of Scripture, I have come to believe that Jesus is not God. Rather, God is God and expresses itself in the Holy Spirit, the Helper. The Spirit expresses itself in each of us including Jesus but we are so so so much less linked in, connected than our brother Jesus. My identity is shrouded from me in myriads of mental blocks, old ideas, mystery!
I love the concept of the "dance of the trinity" but deep down it doesn't work.
I can conceive of two as one but not three as one. The wind and me, my sponsor and me, you and me (two as one), nature and me, Jesus and me, God and me. All that works, flows. It's me that surrenders into the larger whole.
When there are three, I see and experience the confusion of three. When there are two, I readily see and experience that as one. One God! "The Lord is ONE." One is the infinite number, there is always room for another within the whole, the one.
