John 16:12-15

Pentecost +1 - Year C

John 16:12-15

Here we are. We have much knowledge accumulated over time. We don't yet know how to bring it to fruition.

We take a few factoids and begin to construct a leaning tower of truth that will topple if a different piece of information should land on it. Not being able to bear not having our creed, we prop-up and prop-up our tower to withstand any discordant data.

While our nature would say it has ever been thus, a nurturing spirit reminds us that this is not the end — there is more to come. We will see, like in playing with a Rubik's cube, we need to move pieces out of position in order for them to come back into position with new neighbors. Our carefully crafted tower of truth has a helpful piece or two, but it needs to be taken out of our formulation to be placed by a neighbor's helpful pieces to move us closer to what might yet be.

Build the best you can, now. At the same time, be ready to salvage only a part to carry forth into a new context. To aid us in this, rephrase: "We still have many things to learn. This is hard to bear. May a spirit of truth gently remind us of our current limits and boldly beckon us to see a larger picture — so we can have the joy of introducing past and present to one another on a blind date in our presence and present.
 

image of G*D images G*D

Pentecost - Year C

image of G*D
desiring
to live
up
to image

remembers G*D
imaging
all
within
G*D

in G*D
hovering
deep
down
dark

before G*D
beckoned
sister light
brother dark
together

within G*D
recognizing
G*D
day by day
so far

living G*D
reveals
next days
calling forth
new wonder

G*D's image
provokes
new creation
within G*D
between all

Romans 8:14-17

Pentecost - Year C

Romans 8:14-17

Again and again it must be asked, "Who is not a child of G*D?" because, again and again, for one reason and then another, we keep dividing ourselves by subtracting one one Child of G*D after another from the whole of creation.

We can be very rational and persuasive in determining discriminatory criteria. Whether by a single characteristic or through a more sophisticated multivalent set of characteristics we formalize our areas of uncomfortableness and fear by projecting them on to someone else. This dynamic seem to arise with no second thoughts while it takes a number of intentional thoughts to begin to counteract them and include back in what was never really excluded.

Discrimination is reverse idolatry — it constrains an expansive love. Where run-of-the-mill idolatry simply covers up G*D through addition of an easier to deal with overlay, discrimination audaciously refutes G*D's basic intention to create multiple images, each legitimately whole.

Pentecost is yet another nonviolent civil and spirit rights movement. It is hard to battle when we are telling the best we know and, through the witness of others, hearing additional bests with wonder and thanksgiving.

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

Pentecost - Year C

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

What does "bless the lord" mean when everything depends on the whim of said lord?

The psalmist is not accepting of a lord, in season or out. There is a plea that the psalmist's action will be pleasing, that the psalmist will have an edge. Blessing here is contextually restrained by a desire to have "sinners" get their comeuppance and for the psalmist to have access to all the perks - to get fed.

To push this psalm into a later experience of Pentecost is not particularly helpful, other than filling a liturgical slot.

A human desire for uniqueness and excitement can lead to limiting Pentecost to the visible movement of spirit. Pentecost is also the assembling and/or waiting, whether the spirit is anticipated or given up on. It is not particularly Pentecostal to not be willing to wait together while out of season. Death and resurrection are all around — waiting for power to be revealed and shared is not. We seem to be enamored of the heightened times of crosses and empty tombs, less so of ordinary processes such as waiting together.
 

Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost - Year C

Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost is an artificial way to gather. Any excuse could work. Gathering is critical to the presence of new life.

An individual can gather their various identities together through bodywork, counseling, spiritual disciplines, or just being open in nature (and these only scratch the surface of possibilities). When gathered, new life (creation/resurrection) becomes an option (reducing the ways in which one part can subvert another).

Any size group, from a pair to the world, can gather their various identities together and find an opportunity for not only a new vision, but a new practicality of policy and practice. Again, any opportunity will do. While the odds are it will be in the face of a common crisis, it may also be some idea(l) to avoid repeating a recent difficulty.

Those gathered become kindling for refining the current dross and extending light into the dim recesses of tomorrow with the effect of seeing further and beginning to act now as we see it is possible to act then (bringing heaven to earth, so to speak, bringing health to disease).

In and of itself, gathering is but background for possibility. Here silos of experience engage one another and an "Aha!" arises out of previously set apart aspects of a larger whole. In learning to speak another's experience/language there is set in motion a new culture leading to new common governance and nurturing of commonalities (new wine) rather than differences (old wineskins).

From the outside this is out-of-control behavior - drunkenness or new love. From the inside this is engagement with prophetic wisdom - imperative and consuming.

And then we are back into our various venues of experience and begin schism-ing ourselves, unable to gather based on being consumed by our variant imperatives. We grudgingly await a next inevitably needed gathering, a new creation from dark water and lightning word. The next one won't be called Pentecost, as neither G*D nor Neighbor nor Self seem to grow through repetition of past or present.

Ready - or not - gather. Who knows, this may be a "Day" where we could only have expected a "day".

John 14:8-17, (25-27)

Pentecost - Year C 

John 14:8-17, (25-27)

“Show us!”

The universal cry of freshmen trying to delay a test.

“Just show your work.”

The universal instruction of teachers of freshmen.

“No, you’re the teacher. Show us again and you’ll improve your required test scores.”

“Nope. Keep at it, you’ll get it.”

“Wait! Wha...?”

“Be not troubled”, said Jesus with a wink at all the meanings therein and to come.

[end scene]

on our own behalf

Easter 5 - Year C 

I’m on my way

to a promised land

already available

right here

and now

the journey knows

a secret lurking

in every heart

less difference

more similarity

but shortcuts

oh those shortcuts

play false with progress

distracting hearts

disheveling minds

lead to detours

there are no shortcuts

to trusting others

its done

or delayed

no destination

can be beamed

only walked 

as seed

as fruit

all destinations

grow from

where we are

come grow

grow together