Robert Rhor “Everything Belongs”
As I have read this book, amidst many comments there are a few in particular that have engaged my imagination. It makes me wonder what it would look like for a group of people to commit to living such a way.

1. Return to the Sacred
It begins with the transition from chapter five to chapter six comming out of the idea that we can learn from our fears and anxiety instead of having to fix them, Rhor makes the statement,
” For me, the utter powerlessness of God is that God forgives. I hold myself in a position of power by not forgiving myself or others. God does not hold on to that position of power. God seems to be ready to surrender divine power. God forgives the world for being broken and poor. God forgives us for not being all that we thought we had to be and even what God wanted us to be. ”

Instead it seems that we want to live in positions of power and status quo. It seems that Jesus was more of a prophet that challenged the status quo of how christians might live in deconstruction of the “norm”. “Cheap religion teaches us how to live successfully in a sick system. ” Rhor challenges us to interrupt the way things are and instead of living in an unjust and corrupt environment learning to” accommodate ourselves to a world based on power, prestige, and passions”. We should let go and re shuffle out of normalcy. This might look like what the scriptures teach about dieing to ourself. Instead of our ego leading us we would allow God to move out of our fear, out of normalcy, and into “scared space”. Rhor mentions that this will fell like suffering, letting go of what we are used to isn’t easy. It is a place where “opposites collide and unite, and everything belongs”. He continues with the idea that here “secular becomes sacred” and one is not faced with living the dichotomy of two worlds. He illustrates this with the tearing of the temple curtain. Jesus died and “for those who learn to see” the sacred and secular were no longer separated and “there is only one world, and its the supernatural one”. He later continues talking about letting go and allowing the spirit to work the detachment of our egos and its needs and accomplishments delighting in and moving toward nonpower, nonaggression, nondomination, nonwealth, and nonsucess of the american shadow. Can we imagine being happy without our money, our many options, and substituting freedom of choice for the freedom of the soul?
Yet “God sees the divine image in you”, and “God judges us by our true inner nature, which is always kept whole in him, safe and sound forever…in his judgment I saw him assign no whit of blame to us.” Julian of Norwich

So if the work of the spirit is often detachment we may find the work of the soul is attachment. When the tension of these collide the dance between the two Rhor calls “the Third Way”. This is a way that stands between not fighting to take on, or fixing, or rearranging the world. Nor is it running denying the problem. There is a contemplative stance realizing we “see the dark side of reality and the pain of the world, but we hold it until it transforms us, knowing that we are complicit in the evil and also complicit in the holiness”. This is the “place of grace where newness comes. Creativity comes from here, and we can finally do a new thing for the world”.

Could we, do we dare, can we move toward such a place?

If we could would our neighborhoods, cities, world be the same place?

This is my poor attempt to summarize my take away, which I hope would catch your interest to read this book and/or discuss this Third Way.

God is so great, so bottomless, so empty, that God can absorb even the contraries, even the collisions of opposites.

Thus salvation often feels like a kind of universal amnesty, a total forgiveness of ourselves and all other things.True contemplation, true religious experience, dissolves the fortress of “I” by abandoning its defenses. It looks out from a place of perfect simplicity. You can’t stay there, I know, but if you know this simplicity once, it is enough for a whole lifetime. If the veil parts once and you know life is radically okay, then you are – to use the normal Christian language – a child of God. You are in union. There is nothing to prove. Nothing to attain. Everything is already there. It is simply a matter of recognizing and honoring and trusting. All spiritual disciplines exist to help you trust this personal experience of yourself, which is not surprisingly, also and experience of God. People are usually amazed that the two experiences coincide: when we know God, we seem to know and accept our own humanity when we meet ourselves at profound levels of recognition, we also meet God. We don’t have any real access to who we are except through God, and we don’t have any real access to God except though forgiving and rejoicing in our own humanity.

Richard Rohr, “Everything Belongs”

I’ve been making some good progress on getting ready to move. I did find out Saturday that I need a new hot water heater at 1500. It will be nice to get the hotwater heater out of the corner of the kitchen in to a closet across the room. I posted some rough pictures and now there are only a few items left on my list, the biggest being painting.

I met two of my nighbors today. Both were glad someone was moving in to the house. They both said it has been empty for two years. Which means no one has lived there since the Psalters who moved in the the 50s. I’m getting excited for the move, but still no leads or much intrest in a buyer or renter for 9519. I’m trusting that there will be some divine intervention.

It is nearly the end of the second day I’ve been prepairing my new house for moving. I was able to install a new therostat to control the heat properly, turned the water on, installed a new light in the kitchen, and begain cleaning. The next question is paint….oh how I love painting….well not really.

Reflections on Lent

I went to hear Peter Rollins last night and was encouraged, released, and challenged. I don’t think I can separate these three outcomes, instead they are cohesive.  The concepts that he was discussing were excellent, and he was able to present them with understanding and humility. He stirred my heart and calmed my heart when he spoke of the Church as a place where people gather to voice their full feelings about God. Not to just receive and be told God will provide, or Jesus can help you. But instead where we would come to voice our frustration, our feelings that God is distant, or inability to understand and comprehend him. I wish I remember how he stated this better, because it was so good to hear that he has similar feelings and that is ok.  It released some of my frustration with Christianity and with God.

I resonated with his works about the disconnect when we have met God and are doing the church thing in our buildings but when we leave are still driving the SUV, living in excess, and not connecting our actions with our God. It really made me freak a little because I begin to wonder why I still drive a SUV and live in excess.

I really want to explore his writings and hope to continue to think and dream about what it might look like to live with a better connecting between my heart, head, and actions. Also dreaming about a Christin gathering where all people can come together and know they are loved, wrestle with God, wade in grace, and find the peace we all long for without western mondern expression of God.

I went to Tom Sine’s workshop and I enjoyed it very much. I actually enjoyed the entire conference and the conversions though out the weekend.  It is always a blessing to enter discussion and conversions with people who are connecting their understanding of God with every aspect of how they live. In Tom’s workshop there was a brief discussion about how the Kingdom of God might influence our residential architecture. How often do we consider this when we are building neighborhoods, and spaces with in our homes? I think with my home I want to invest in making the lower level floor plan more hospitable. With enough room to sit numerous people at the dining table, and where the central focus of the sitting room is not the television. The idea extends beyond my home, into how I use my home, and allowing Kingdom ideas to influence every aspect of life…even the mundane. I know this is not by any means a new thought, but it too often becomes an after though or forgotten thought.

I’m in Minneapolis with Daniel, Matthew, and Catherine sitting in Second Blue Moon coffee shop killing time until the conference starts at 4pm. I’m looking forward to this conference and the conversations we will have. When I got to Daniel and Alicia’s at 4:30am they said Matthew wasn’t coming due to his illness and fever, but Matthew decided to come. I’m glad he is here, I just hope we all don’t fall ill.

I can’t decide what workshop to go to tonight they sound good.

1. Christine Sine: creating spiritual practices for lives and communities at the margins of the empire
2. Tom Sine: creating new communities of sustainability, subversion, and celebration in the shadow of the imperial mall
3. Jeff Wright: Cultivating Urban Kingdom Communities, pt 1 (planter’s track)
4. Tanden and Erin Brekke: Resisting the Evil of Racism–Confronting Racism from a White Perspective

Dainel might go to #1 and Matthew #4.  I think those sound good and #2.  Thankfully I have a few hours to decide.

The bank has accepted my offer on the house at 1500 N 23rd. I’m caught in between several emotions. Much of me has been looking for some type of change in life, and I’m very excited to be closer to people that I enjoy and learn from. I feel the stress of trying to rent or sell my current house, and the stress of moving. It will be a big change and I pray that for a smooth entry into the neighborhood. But for now I’m looking forward to and hoping for a smooth closing.

Isai 62:1 (NRSV)
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

As the season of Advent comes to a close, I don’t feel that I have really participated in the celebration of the coming of Jesus. So I stopped to read the Lectionary and found a blessing in Isaiah 62. Often I find myself trying to be worthy of God rejoicing over me, but I know it is so impossible to do/be worthy.  I am especially made aware of this when I’m hanging out with my family, and my brother like to get under my skin. Then when I’m ticked he’ll say, “That’s not very Christlike”, as if he hadn’t pushed far enough. Thank goodness Jesus was born, and walked as we walk, grew as we grow, struggled as we struggle, and yet he loved/loves so much better.

May you find Joy, Peace, and Hope in celebrating the birth of Jesus this year, knowing that you are not forsaken, your land will no more be desolate, you are called “My Delight is in Her”, and may the nations see our vindication.

As we give gifts, may they help us to think upon the goodness of God’s gift of grace has been poured out in the Spirit of Jesus for our vindication. As we share meals  may they remind us that we are feasting to celebrate that God’s dream is for the world to be reconciled, renewed, and reborn through Emanuel, the prince of peace, the Lord Jesus. May the grace and pease of God be with your on this blessed Christmas day.