In Yoke

In our Sunday School class at Calvary, I have been studying Ephesians 4 in preparation for teaching. Paul talks in that passage about being “worthy of the calling” with which you have been called. So, the Spirit has led me to very closely consider my own calling. Here goes. First of all, I think one’s calling is informed by Paul’s poetic exhortations in Philippians 2: 1-13: 1 Therefore… if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ , if any comfort from his love , if any common sharing in the Spirit , if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded , having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind . 3   Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves , 4   not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others .   5   In your relationships with one ano...

In a similar way, each of us is led astray by the passions, but if he is at peace with God and his neighbor he overcomes them all. These passions are “the world” that St. John the Theologian told us to hate(I John 2:15), meaning that we are to hate, not God’s creatures, but our own worldly desires. The soul is at peace with God when it is at peace with all men, even if it suffers terrible things at their hands. Because of its forbearance it is not perturbed, but bears all things( I Corinthians 13:7), wishes good to all, loves all, both for Gods’ sake and for the sake of their own nature. ~St. Peter of Damaskos Many times I misdirect my angst against people rather than against the worldly desires of my lower nature that constantly confuse my emotions. The ‘passions’ are erupted due to my own immature, overweening desires for the esteem and affection of others, the pursuit of personal wealth to enhance my own sense of security and survival, and the urges to assume power or c...

Philip Kapleau’s, timeless classic, “The Seven Pillars of Zen” speaks to the “art” of listening: “Everyone should listen with his or her eyes open and upon the speaker – in other words, with their whole being – because an impression received only through the hearing is rather shallow, akin to listening to the radio.” What does it mean to listen with the whole of being? Most of the time we are unable to truly listen to other people; we are completely dissolved in a field of associations. One has to attend to oneself to be able to listen with one’s entire being. In speaking with people you can study what takes your attention away or where you feel the words in the body. Dag Hammarskjöld describes this process beautifully in his book, “Markings”: “The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you hear what is sounding outside. And only he who listens can speak.” It is also difficult to remember that when we are speaking with one another, we are ...

“Apt silence bridles anger, moderation in food bridles mindless desire, the single-phrased Jesus prayer bridles unruly thought….The spiritual aspirant must restrain his sense through frugality and his intellect through the single phrased Jesus prayer. Having in this way detached himself from the passions, he will find himself caught up to the Lord during prayer.” ~ Ilias the Presbyter , as quoted in The Philokalia. How quietly true is this teaching from this monk of the Eastern tradition. I very much appreciate his use of the term “unbridled” when he is teaching about the passions. For indeed I believe that is what Jesus meant when He preached “blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." The word for meek in the Greek is "praus"--(pra-ooce) which means   mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness. It is sometimes translated "blessed are the gentle". Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings wi...

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.   – Proverbs In the interest of good health, in the interest of a long life, in the interest of loving relationships, it is essential to learn how to deal with our anger creatively and constructively. If we do not, in time it will no longer be isolated outbursts of anger; we will become the victims of an unending stream of rage, seething just below the surface of life, with which no human being can cope. Through meditation and the mantram(Jesus prayer) every one of us can learn to reduce the speed of our thinking, and install a reliable speedometer in our mind. Then, whenever the speed of thinking goes over, say, fifty-five, one of those recorded voices will automatically whisper, “Be careful. You may not be able to keep your car on the road.” Positive thoughts travel slowly, leisurely. The slow mind is clear, kind, and efficient; in the beautiful phrase of th...

At the center of our being is a point or nothingness which is untouched by sin or illusion, a point of pure truth which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes of our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us. It is, so to speak, His name written in us, as our poverty, as our indigence, as our dependence, as our son-ship. It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. ~Thomas Merton, essay-“A Member of the Human Race”, as quoted by Cynthia Bourgeault

The best, like water, Benefit all and do not compete. They dwell in lowly spots that everyone else scorns. Putting others before themselves, They find themselves in the foremost place And come very near to the Tao.   – Lao Tzu Easwaran muses : In today’s competitive climate, often those who are aggressive about imposing their will on others are labeled “successful.” But the accomplishments of such people are often sadly short-lived, while the damage they do themselves and others can be far-reaching. When competitiveness is excessive, we end up offending others, feeling offended, and lashing back, and that undoes everything worthwhile we might achieve. People who do not compete, on the other hand, seldom get upset when life goes against them. They do not try to impose their way on others, or get agitated or depressed or defensive when people hold different views. Gandhi was an excellent example of this. It is said that he was at...