Beginner's Mind, from Richard Rohr, OFM

This essay came in an daily email I get from Richard Rohr. I read it over and over. First I saw faces of a few people I know who live in absolute certainty yet I consider to be pretty ignorant. Then I wondered, "Ooh, who says that about me?" May I consider things prayerfully, and not just go with my knee jerk reaction. I've done that before, and been badly burned. Like Fr. Rohr says, that's ego. Without opening oneself to further wisdom, that person operates at an infantile level. Ouch.

BEGINNER’S MIND
December 28
Feast of the Holy Innocents


Question of the Day:
How can I incorporate waiting for wisdom into my day?

Ignorance does not result from what we don’t know! Ignorance results from what we think we do know—but don’t! Most ignorant people are, in fact, quite certain. “Holy innocents” just don’t know. And what is so wrong about that?
Wisdom is not just knowledge (i.e. data, facts, information), but putting knowledge in larger frames, and frames where I and my groups are not the reference point. It’s connecting new information with other perspectives and goals than my own. Wisdom is the combination of momentary text and full context. Knowledge is about words and definitions. Wisdom includes what is written between, above, and below the lines.
Most people's first reaction is usually based on knowledge, data, and facts, but not necessarily on wisdom. Beginner’s mind is willing to wait and pray for the full picture. So it does have a lot to do with patience—it’s refusing to trust my knee-jerk reaction. The knee-jerk reaction is almost always ego. So you wait and you pray and you listen. And then you might have something wiser to say—something a little more truthful than my little story—or even more than our group story—something that might possibly approach The Story.

Adapted from Beginner’s Mind

Mantra:
Let each moment be a new beginning.

Praying

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

Mary Oliver

(From today's inward/outward online newsletter)

Prayers, prayers and more prayers

Please pray for the people affected by the tornado in OK yesterday as well as their families and friends.

Please pray for Australia, as many recover from the horrific wildfires.

Please pray for our government, that those who serve seek the wisdom and knowledge to discern the right path to take in this economic crisis. Pray that they will consider the common well being of this nation.

Please pray for the family of X, a long term hospice patient whose body gave up yesterday. They have had many hard losses recently. Please pray for the repose of X's soul.

I pray for my friends both near and far, those met in person and those met through the electronic word.

My prayer is one of thankfulness for the many blessings I have. I approach the altar with a grateful heart. I gripe and complain, but my life really is a good one.

Oh Lord, hear my prayer.

Prayers requested

Please pray for my rector and her family. Her husband has developed serious health issues that necessitated some incredibly life changing surgery. This came up pretty much all of a sudden, from what I understand.

Heavenly God, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve your sick servant R, and give your power of healing to those who minister to his needs, that he may be strengthened in his weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

My birthday

Today I am fifty-one years old.

(Don't tell my mom. She still thinks she is fifty-five!)

Reflection is the order of the day. I have lots for which to be grateful, and lots yet to do.

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new year: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

God's Irony

Yes, God does answer prayer. Not always in the way one might want it, but God does answer prayer.

Part of the reason I've been doing the interior work I mentioned a couple of days ago is that I'm in a situation that has no end in sight that is causing me lots of plain old resentment. My innards are usually in a knot that burns and bubbles and has me seething while I paste a fake smile on my face. As a result, I'm feeling very sorry for myself. I tend to be a whiner anyway, and it sure has gotten worse lately.

This is not how children of the Light should live their lives.

I've been praying, meanwhile. My prayers are spent trying to climb out of this self pitying pit I've dug for myself. And what has God done? Sent me lots of stuff reminding me that while my issue is important to me, there are lots of folks all around me who really have it bad. For example, I just got an urgent prayer request from a seminary pal whose brother's addictive behaviors required an intervention yesterday, but the guy still won't go to treatment. Another web pal has severe side effects from cancer treatment. And of course, there are my hospice patients who have lost their homes and have to go live in a facility to await their deaths. It is a nice, attentive facility, but still a facility and not a home. When I am at work, occasionally I walk by a closed door and hear fierce weeping coming from in the room. Of course.

When I am at work, I never feel sorry for myself. There isn't time, for one thing, and I just can't when surrounded by my patients. I wish I could work more.

If I am praying for others, I can't feel sorry for myself either. I think that is part of the answer. Take the focus off of me and put it on others. I wonder if this is why God is showing me the situations of others.

Friday stuff--and THEY'RE GONE!

Yesterday our Rapid City neighbor called to tell us the recalcitrant tenants moved out. She said it took them five days. (They do have lots of stuff, which is probably why they have no money for things like rent and water.) But anyway, the gas company had shut off the gas, and the electric company was transferring the account into our name, appropriately, today. The beleagered property manager, who usually does not have to deal with this type of tenant, is supposed to go out today to inspect. Of course, I'll be flying into Rapid tomorrow night for a week. I'll stay in town with my friend Pamela from Emmanuel Church.

T and I did the happy dance last evening. We were positively giddy. I actually felt safe in beginning to do change of addresses for magazines. And T was the most relaxed and happy I've seen him in months. He spoke with the neighbor a bit to hear about all of the changes in the neighborhood--and there are several. We're looking forward to getting back and into the swing of things.

Meanwhile, there is an 18 wheeler parked across the street and all of Monica's worldly goods are being loaded upon it as we speak. Her husband John already has a house at the other end and so they get a door to door move, always a good thing. We will not be in Rapid City in time for that, but that is ok. We have work to do on the house before we can take delivery.

This peripatetic life we have led the last couple of years has really messed up my prayer discipline. Everytime I start a new one, we undergo another upheaval. I'm trying fixed hour prayer right now, and so far that seems to work. It is remembering that I need to pray 4 times a day, instead of an hour at one time once a day in my prayer closet, which is what I did prior to seminary. This 4 times a day takes essentially the same amount of time, but is easier to fit in, and can be done anywhere. I'll let you know how that goes.

Wanted: New Rector for Emmanuel Rapid City

See here.

Also, I know I'm not the only person to notice that mainline Protestant pastors were absent at many National Day of Prayer celebrations (I read the Washington Post, the Sedalia [MO] Democrat, and the Rapid City [SD] Journal). Just another event stolen by the Religious Right.

Enough of that. I've been cleaning all day in preparation for the arrival of Only Son and his family tomorrow afternoon. I even mopped and buffed my wood floors. They look great and the house smells like Murphy's Wood Soap. I shopped two days ago for food for them but the bag of Honey Nut Cheerios is mostly gone--Taciturn and I don't buy it usually because that is like crack to us. I need to go back to the store tomorrow!