We welcome Evelyn Pope, lover of our community and spiritual director, to lead the Wed. night and Sunday 10am discussion. (drawing also from lectionary text, James 3:13-4:4, 7-8a.)
At times, we all need a guide: Someone who listens to our life story with an ear for the movement of the Holy. Spiritual direction as a practice in the Christian tradition flourished during the time of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (between 300-600 CE). Something about being alone out there in the desert, looking to a) survive and b) grow as a Jesus- follower really foregrounded the need for some wise companionship. Someone to help you trust in the process and to say again and again “you are not alone” and “God meets you in this very moment.”
I have felt alone in the desert before. Thirsty for some sweet water. Spiritual direction is one gift from our tradition that we can turn to for solace and to center in God. Evelyn as a practitioner of this craft is characterized by warmth and a lightness of touch. She is extending an invitation to lead a spiritual direction small group or to meet with individuals from our community one on one. Join us tonight and Sunday at 10am to hear more of her story and to learn more about this powerful practice of resting in God.
Community Dinner tonight at 6:30 atJen Mauldin’s home. Join us for barbecue brisket, pasta salad, and birthday cake for Jiri. 2732 Ivandell Ave Dallas 75211. Jen’s # 214.914.5222 Folks are invited to bring drinks/dinero to chip in.
“Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see the real Director — the Holy Spirit hidden in the depths of our soul.” (Thomas Merton, Trappist monk, USA).
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Music this week comes to up from both the verses in James about wisdom and the sad news about the death of Mary Travers of the folk trio, Peter, Paul & Mary. Teri Walker’s request Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” as a tribute to Mary Travers.
Typically interpreted as an anthem to the social changes that took place in the 1960s, “Blowin’ in the Wind” was actually written by Bob Dylan (just twenty-one years old at the time) as a means to understanding the world around him. Talking about this song in 1962, Dylan states,
“There ain’t too much I can say about this song except that the answer is blowing in the wind. It ain’t in no book or movie or TV show or discussion group. Man, it’s in the wind—and it’s blowing in the wind. Too many of these hip people are telling me where the answer is but, oh, I won’t believe that. I still say it’s in the wind and just like a restless piece of paper it’s got to come down.”
Also suggest by Teri and Wes Holloway is the hymn Sanctuary which lends itself to the idea of making ourselves open to the Wisdom that comes from heaven which James speaks about in this week’s verses.
Furthering this theme, “Jesu, Tawa Pano” and “Woke Up this Morning” speak to the theme of making ourselves present to the Spirit and the wisdom it brings.
A couple of good quotes to consider:
A lot of people approach the environment by saying, ‘We can do better.’ But we have to start by saying, ‘We have sinned.’ We have to deal with what we’ve done wrong – by admitting that we have allowed our air, water, and land to be polluted – before we can begin doing better. If you push deeper, you find attitudes that we have allowed to become commonplace – the consumerism, the relentless desire for more and better.“ – Jonathan Merritt, Christianitytoday.com
“Our task is to bring God back into the world, into our lives. To worship is to expand the presence of God in the world.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel