Dark Night of the Soul

Good Morning Beloveds!

Have you ever heard of something called the Dark Night of the Soul?  I first heard about it in the sometimes not so hallowed halls of seminary, as professors shook their heads concernedly with students who were working out a form of spiritual “darkness,” better called uncertainty. 

St. John of the Cross first wrote about those feelings in the midst of his own spiritual journey in a poem and subsequent writings back in the 16th century.  It’s not an unusual experience—where one feels a darkness, almost an abandonment, or a time with little sense of light—in the midst of prayer and spiritual disciplines.  But when one is in the midst of the moment, the doubts and confusion are scary, as feelings frequently cloak themselves in what appears to be reality. 

Feelings are just that.  Feelings.  On their own, they have no power, unless we give them power.  Sometimes, of course, the power is good, noble and admirable—when they are rooted in love.  Sometimes, if the feeling is fear-based, unless it’s life or death, those feelings should be explored a bit as to their source.

I have experienced that Dark Night of the Soul.  You may have too.  In the exploration of those scary feelings, St. John of the Cross reminds us that what feels scary is actually a spiritual gift, often leading to a deeper spiritual maturity.  If our faith is built on a feeble foundation, or one that needs shoring up, the dark nights are simply construction phases.  Anyone who’s been through a remodeling job knows the confusion, frustration, and sensation that this “darkness” will never end.  And if you think the feelings are new, check out Psalm 13, or 22, or 44.  Rest assured however, it does come to an end and the sun rises, Beloveds.  Even if we can’t see the spark of light at the moment, darkness can never swallow up the Light.  Just like a rebirth of sorts, the pangs of labor will be met with a sweet and glorious release, with new life, even though the work at the moment is hard, hard, hard.  God promises, and God’s love is steadfast.  Forever.

Grace and joy,
Julie

Living Out Loud!

Good Morning, Beloveds!

The 'Crafty Cupids,' also known as The Wild Wonderful Women of West End, are meeting at my house tomorrow to practice acts of kindness, in our wild and wonderful way.  For some, this is pushing the envelope, as we are better known as Fumble Fingers, but that won't stop us.  Hasn't stopped us from grinning over the smiles we hope to spread in the next few weeks, anyway.

Which reminds me of a cartoon I saw recently.  I wish I could reprint it here, but that doesn't appear to be happening at the moment.  So picture this:  Jesus and his disciples are standing between a bonfire and a stone wall, practicing shadow puppets.  John, Peter, Andrew, et al are projecting some mighty fine dogs, birds, dinosaurs, but none of them can outdo Jesus' mennorah, complete with flames.  While the disciples are bemoaning the fact they can't compete, therein lies the lesson.  It's not about the competition, it's about the doing. But don't compare.  It would stop you in your tracks before you even get started.

In other words, if you want to be, you have to do.  The Wild Wonderful Women of West End want to be loving, compassionate, laughing disciples of Jesus, together on the journey.  They are doing just that, without comparison.  Here's a sample of their Living Out Loud Manifesto:
I, _____________, hereby choose to make the following beliefs a part of my daily life...
...make play a priority
...dream expansively
...live out LOUD
...create abundance from what I have at my fingertips
...reinvent myself when necessary
...give back to the world
...encourage gratitude
...challenge my greatest fears
...recognize my unique talents and gifts
...share these gifts with the world
...surround myself with beauty
...release all judgment of my creative expressions of love
...praise God with thankfulness in being part of God's creative spirit!

We can all do such magnificent things/actions.  Even if you are a Fumble Fingers.
Speaking of which, the first person to respond to this blog may just receive one of their crafty blessings.  I hope it's you!

Grace and joy,
Julie

Remembering Our Baptisms

Do you remember your baptism?  Consciously, I don’t.  I’m a cradle Methodist.  I have my certificate and a picture of the pastor who baptized me in Fairborn, Ohio.  Mom vaguely remembers I slept through the sacrament. 

But with every baptism we experience in the church, I remember mine.  We are all called to remember our baptisms, and be grateful.  Even though I don’t remember the water on the back of my tiny head at the time, I know that my parents loved me enough to schedule the baptism, the congregation loved me enough to welcome me into the Kingdom officially through the sacrament and renewed their vows to be faithful disciples as they helped raise me.  More important than that, God loved me enough, even before I was aware of it, to rejoice in me even before my conception!  It’s a little thing—er, make that a BIG thing, called Prevenient Grace.  We don’t have to DO anything to get God to love us, because he’s beaten us to the punch already.  God loved us first, and continues to love us, warts and all.  We are God’s beloveds, and that is extremely comforting.  It’s from a place of gratitude, then, that a yearning to work for the good of the Kingdom, and not be an obstacle, that my motivation is nurtured.  I didn’t, and I can’t, earn grace—that unconditional, unmerited, and unearned love that God has for us.

That’s why I call you Beloveds.  It’s a good thing to be reminded of our baptisms which gave us that status publicly.  See you Sunday, as we remember once again!

Grace and joy,

Julie

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! And a continued Merry Christmas, as we are in the liturgical time for
Christmas! If you are like me, I find myself cringing when I see decorations from the holidays
still up, and wrap myself in a warm blanket of guilt knowing that I’ve not taken the time as my
neighbors have to remove the wreaths and pack up the ornaments and tree. During staff meeting
this past week, however, we remembered that while the world says Christmas is over, for we
Christians, it is not. Actually, all the hoopla scripturally BEGINS after the birth of Jesus. So
actually, we should be celebrating again and again, I think! But the real question is probably:
Did I really let Advent slip by this year without letting the Christ Child change me in some way
with a re-birthing of my own? No, I didn’t. So it’s a good thing NOT to pack Jesus away until
Easter.

My prayer for us is that we remember the birth, and experience a re-birth, not just for a season,
but for every day. I know good and well that if I say every day, it’s an easy thing to slip
to “no day.” If I learned anything this past year, it has been to make a conscious effort to live
intentionally, and if that seems overwhelming, then just for the next minute, just for today. If
love is not love unless it’s demonstrated, re-birth is not re-birth unless we are open and willing
to be intentionally transformed, every day, every moment. Right now, just for today. Before we
know it, our todays will become our weeks, months, years and life. Hooray!

So throw off any guilt blankets and lift another cup of hot cider to Christmas! You even have
my permission to sing another carol or two….

Grace and joy,
Julie