I had been away from home for two weeks, away from my beloved fat, cuddly cat Buster. Buster pretends to be a cat but really is a dog in disguise . affectionate, playful, loves people and any attention they pay him, plays fetch, greets us at the door, likes to have his tummy rubbed. You get the picture . I.m nuts about this cat.

When I go away, I arrange for a cat- sitter to visit Buster. He gets the attention he craves, gets his fur brushed, and his basic cat needs met. But it.s not the same as .Mom. and Buster let.s me know he is not pleased with this arrangement.
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The Soul of Christianity by Huston Smith is like talking with a friend on the journey to authentic Christian faith and practice. To quote from the book cover:

“In this elegant and passionate treatise, the dean of world religions defends the essentials of Christianity, the worlds largest religion. Bestselling author Huston Smith stakes out a path between that of culturally rigid, intolerant evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity and the nontranscendent, liberal Christianity. He presents a convincing argument for a vital alternative that is a deeper more authentic faith, a faith that guided the Church for its first thousand years.”

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Matt Stone contributed a comment a few weeks ago about meditation. I’m new to this whole blogging adventure so it took me a while to figure out that clicking on his name took me to this marvelous website. I recommend it to you: Matt Stone

From his website, I discovered another one that has Christian classics on-line: Christian Classics Ethereal Library I know that the internet sometimes provides more information than we can handle but I, for one, am quite thankful for it. As with anything else, it can be used for good or ill.

The one thing that stands out to me in these troublesome times is that secrets are much harder to keep. With the information traveling between all countries and time zones, it seems to me that the truth eventually rises to the surface, if one is patient and diligent in seeking that truth.
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The following prayer of St. Basil speaks from a place of such deep presence and awareness of the Holy. I read it each day and find something transformative in it. In these dark times of both earthly disasters and national disgrace, I often find I do not know how to pray. What can I say? I am ashamed not just of my own insensitivites and insecurities, but I am ashamed of the actions of our government done in the name of Christ and the expectation of God’s blessing. My own beloved country, using chemical weapons, on men, women and children….using torture and denying it…I am deeply embarassed for us all. In the midst of this, two lines from this prayer help me: grant us to pass through the night of the whole present life and this reminder that this time too shall pass: For Thou are the true Light that enlightenest and sactifiest all, and all creation doth hymn Thee unto the ages of ages. Doth hymn Thee May we hymn thee, ture Light and may we worship in truth as well as in spirit.
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Lectio Divina is a form of prayer that involves pondering one section of scripture. This morning, as I said my morning prayers, this phrase from the 51st Psalm in a Russian Orthodox prayer book jumped out at me.

“Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me.”

For some time, in the silence, the phrase “with Thy governing Spirit establish me” kept ruminating in my mind. After a time, things about my life which sorely need to be put into order came to my mind and I prayed over them “with Thy governing Spirit establish me”. With each one, I let them lift from me like the smoke from the candlelight, and soon I was filled with utter peace.
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I have often been asked: “How do you pray for someone else?” and likewise, “What difference does it make?” For many years, I only prayed for others out of obedience rather than conviction. This only changed when I was the one being prayed for! Then, I knew the difference it made to me.

How to pray for another: This is called intercessory prayer and literally means we pray as if we were the other person. We stand in their place before God and pray on their behalf. The simplest form is to pray: “Lord Jesus, the other’s name” followed by silence. Then repeat for the time you have set aside to pray. As you do this, you may find images or words coming to you. Simply say (silently or out loud) “Lord bless.”
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2000 years ago, in the middle of the ancient city of Ephesus stood one of the seven wonders of the world – the temple of Diana. 360 feet long and 180 feet wide, it was supported by 100 marble columns. In the center was the statue of Diana; beautiful art sorrounded her. There is a resurgence of the worship of Diana as a denomination of the Wiccan tradition in our time.
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I came across this definition of meditation recently:

“doing one thing at a time with your whole being” Lawence LeShan How to Meditate

I mentioned in my last post that this is very difficult for those of us in Western cultures to do because of our neurological “wiring” so to speak. There is, however, technology based on sound that I have found helpful. To learn more about this see Centerpointe Research.

When I was a college student, a wise man told me: “All truth is God’s truth.” The current mind-set of our government would lead us to be suspicious of science and to embrace a literal view of scripture, as if the Bible were a book of science or history rather than sacred scripture. When I’m not totally shocked that such a mind-set has seemingly taken over our government, our seminaries, and our churches, I am angry and frightened. Mostly, I tell myself, “this too shall pass” and hope it once again becomes fashionable to have a brain and use it.

Recently, I saw a video of pictures from the Hubble Telescope set to music. The beauty was so powerful that I was moved to tears. God creation is generously beautiful, wastefully so if it is just for us. And it is science that makes it possible to view this creation.

O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God.what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 11:33 12:3 NRSV

Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions by Gerald May
A Different Christianity by Robin Amis; originally published by State University of New York , Albany1995; currently published by Praxis Institute Press, Chicago 2003
Job and the Mystery of Suffering by Richard Rohr
Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament; Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Powers That Determine Human Existence; Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination by Walter Wink
On the High Road to Surrender by Frances J. Roberts
Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home by Richard Foster
The Book of Mystical Chapters: Meditations on The Soul.s Ascent from the Early Church Fathers; Translated by John Anthony McGugkin; published by Shambala Press2003
The Forgotten Desert Mothers by Laura Swan; published by Paulist Press 2001
The Jesus Sutras by Martin Palmer; The Ballantine Publishing Company 2001
The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church by Vladimir Lossky
The Power of Myth Joseph Campbell
The Road Less Traveled & Further Along the Road Less Traveled & People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck