Monday, August 25, 2014

Ask, Search, Knock (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Today's reflection comes from an anonymous Carthusian monk, regarding perseverance in prayer:

“Once we have understood that God is disposed towards us as a father, confident perseverance in prayer is a natural consequence.
‘Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.  For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.’ (Luke 11:9-10).
The one who gives and opens is God. Ask, search, knock. Ask for everything, ask for the Spirit, seek God, knock at the door of the Kingdom (‘Lord, open to us,’ 12:25-7).  Knock at the door which is Christ, he who is the way to the Father; through his wounds we have access to the Father, who, the first, is seeking after us in his Son. ‘Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come to you and eat with you, and you with me’ (Revelation 3:20). So, when I pray, my prayer is only an echo of God’s prayer.  In that case, how could he refuse, refuse himself? What a mystery prayer is.”
(From “Interior Prayer” by a Carthusian, p. 29)
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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Lutheran Monastery Virtual Tour - A Return to Germany

Last year, I embarked on what I called a "Lutheran Monastery Virtual Tour", where I wrote about several monasteries and convents in the Lutheran tradition.  Judging by what Google statistics tell me, those posts are the most consistently popular posts on this blog, and each week, people arrive here by typing phrases such as "Lutheran nuns" and "Lutheran monks" in their search engine.  You can click on the "Lutheran Monastery Virtual Tour" tag at the bottom of this post to see all the previous stops on the tour.

During the Tour, I made several stops in Germany, where it appears there are more functioning Lutheran monasteries and convents than any other country.  A few months ago, the "Lutheran Forum" periodical published an essay by David Zersen, entitled "Lutheran Convents in Germany".  Of course, the article piqued my interest, and it offers fascinating insights into the history and current status of Lutheran religious sisters in Germany. (The following image is from the Lutheran Forum website - http://www.lutheranforum.org/extras/lutheran-convents-in-germany/ - you can see more pictures by going to the link):


Lutheran Convents 3

Zersen's article contains the following summary of the state of German Lutheran convents, which summarizes why I think it is important for Lutheran monasteries and convents to continue their unique witness within our tradition:

"Today's Lutheran convents, challenged by changing social structures and new spiritualities, continue to explore the dimensions of the faith in both interaction and silence.  Margot Käßmann, former presiding bishop of the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, notes how many people search for faith and meaning in esoteric religions, all the while forgetting that meditation and mysticism are not foreign to Lutheranism.  And Dorothea Wendebourg insists that by claiming their baptism and knowing that salvation is complete through faith in Christ, women will in freedom continue to choose forms of discipleship including communal life.  The Lutheran churches in German want to nurture this choice that has been so meaningful to women for almost five centuries.  Convents still have much to offer. Uda von der Nahmer, abbess at Stift Fischbeck, remarks, 'Tradition involves passing on the fire, not worshiping the ashes.'"

(You can read the rest of Zersen's article here: http://www.lutheranforum.org/extras/2014-1_38-41_Zersen_Lutheran-Convents-In-Germany.pdf).

Monday, August 18, 2014

The Contemplative Way (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Perhaps some people practice contemplative prayer to see visions or have dramatic experiences.  That is not the reason why Christians should practice contemplative prayer.  The reason why we are called to a life of contemplative prayer is to die to ourselves, follow the way of Christ, and to be drawn into the presence of God.  Regarding the contemplative way, Merton once wrote:


"The contemplative way is in no sense a deliberate 'technique' of self-emptying in order to produce an esoteric experience.  It is the paradoxical response to an almost incomprehensible call from God, drawing us into solitude, plunging us into darkness and silence, not to withdraw and protect us from peril, but to bring us safely through untold dangers by a miracle of love and power.  The contemplative way is, in fact, not a way.  Christ alone is the way, and he is invisible. The 'desert' of contemplation is simply a metaphor to explain the state of emptiness which we experience when we have left all ways, forgotten  ourselves, and taken the invisible Christ as our way." (From "Contemplative Prayer" by Thomas Merton, p. 92).

Thursday, August 14, 2014

St. Jonathan Daniels

The news this week from Ferguson, Missouri, reminds us we still have a lot of healing and reconciliation to do in this country.  When I was on the Pine Ridge Reservation a few weeks ago, I experienced firsthand how events like the Wounded Knee Massacre still cast a long shadow on relationships between people of different races and ethnic backgrounds.

Today's saint, Jonathan Daniels, was a martyr during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s - as I wrote about last year (http://benedictinelutheran.blogspot.com/2013/08/modern-martyrdom.html), he was a an Episcopal seminarian from New England who answered Martin Luther King Jr.'s call for assistance, and he ended up on the wrong end of a shotgun blast as a result. 


After spending time in Selma, Alabama in 1965, Daniels returned to seminary, and would have lived if he had stayed there.  But, he felt God was calling him to return:  “[S]omething had happened to me in Selma, which meant I had to come back. I could not stand by in benevolent dispassion any longer without compromising everything I know and love and value. The imperative was too clear, the stakes too high, my own identity was called too nakedly into question...I had been blinded by what I saw here (and elsewhere), and the road to Damascus led, for me, back here.”

Why was he called to go back to Alabama, a decision which cost him his life? He also wrote:  "I began to know in my bones and sinews that I had been truly baptized into the Lord’s death and resurrection...with them, the black men and white men, with all life, in him whose Name is above all names that the races and nations shout...we are indelibly and unspeakably one."

On Pine Ridge, I learned that the Lakota have a phrase for the kind of unity that Daniels spoke about: "Mitakuye Oyasin", or in English, "we are all related".  May God give us the strength to follow the example of St. Jonathan Daniels, so that we may continue the struggle for justice, peace, and reconciliation. 

If you are interested in learning more about Daniels, you can watch an excellent documentary about his life here:  http://vimeo.com/14117023

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Mental Illness

The apparent suicide of Robin Williams yesterday has once again put the subject of mental illness in the national spotlight.  No family that I know of has escaped unscathed from mental illness, but our society still struggles with how to deal with it in our communities.  Physical illnesses and injuries are tangible, identifiable things which automatically lead to a response of sympathy and support.  While our response to mental illness is improving, it could be better - amidst the outpouring of sorrow about Williams' death, there have still been some remarks in the media which reveal a lack of understanding of how mental illness can affect someone.

The blog of Deacon Greg Kandra has a beautiful prayer about mental illness, based on Psalm 23, which I find appropriate this morning - it is long, but it is worth praying:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Although sometimes we feel we lack everything. Sometimes we cannot see what you have given us through the lie of what has been taken away. Show us how to see your blessing. Show us how to see your provision when the world teaches us an economy of fear and scarcity.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

Refresh us, Lord. Let the raging waters be quiet. Let dry pastures be watered. Let us lie down and rest without fear.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

We so often turn from your path—believing lies about ourselves, about others, about you; taking on burdens that are not ours to bear; struggling to entrust you with ourselves, our family, our friends, and our circumstances. Guide us along your path of trust and contentment.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

The valley of depression, the valley of medication, the valley of sorrow, the valley of pain and abandonment, the valley of past wrongs done to me, the valley of despair, the valley of derision, the valley of fear, the valley of waiting, the valley of misunderstanding.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of the valley in which you walk, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

Although we sometimes feel abandoned, you have not left us alone. You have not left us alone with our depression, with our sorrow, our pain, our illness, our despair, our fear, our waiting. You have not left us alone with the past wrongs that have been done to us, with the derision and misunderstanding of others. You have not left us alone. You are with us.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

With your rod, you protect us from ourselves. With your staff, you protect us from the harm of others. Your truth comforts us, as we find our identity wholly and firmly locked up in you.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

Although we are surrounded by people who do not understand the weight we bear, the struggles we face, we gather to eat at your table. Although we suffer ignorant comments, laughter, and sometimes shame—we are worthy to eat at your table. We can eat our fill—even feast—because you have not despised us. You have made us welcome.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

You have made us worthy. You have made us chosen. You accept us with all our flaws, with all our illness and frailty, with all our failings. You have anointed us, us, to serve with you—our cup overflows with joy.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

Surely goodness and love will follow us. Surely goodness and love will chase us down—despite ourselves, despite others, despite our circumstances—goodness and love, by the power and grace of your Spirit, have found us. And will never let us go.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Forever. In health, in strength, in love, in mercy. Forever. Amen.

The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

And as we rest in that assurance, we pray for those who live without it, and who live with the pain and stigma of mental illness. We ask that you would watch over those who live on the street, without the medication they so desperately need. We pray that you would hold accountable those systems that have let these precious children of yours down, that have left them destitute. We pray for those who are in positions of power—that, as they make policies and work to improve existing structures of care, they would faithfully and carefully consider the welfare of those who struggle with mental illness. We pray that you would prevent us from putting distance between ourselves and those struggling with mental illness. That you would grow in us the love we need to take action, and to make their struggle our own.

Comfort those who live with the darkness of depression. May we be a light in the darkness for them. Teach us to avoid false cheerfulness, and instead give us wisdom to know how to help our friends and family who struggle in this way to come up for air. To see, again, your goodness. Lord, watch over those who are, even now, contemplating suicide. Stop their hands. Send someone to intervene.

Guard our tongues from unthinking and unkind words that contribute to feelings of worthlessness. Empower us to use our words, instead, to speak for those who cannot. To proclaim your worth over those our culture denigrates. To defend the powerless, and stop others from contributing to the stigma that mental illness so often carries.

Bring the comfort only you can bring to those who have lost a loved one to mental illness. And use us to bring comfort. May we, your church, be a healing presence, a safe community, a strong advocate for the mentally ill.

Thank you for the assurance that you do not let go. That you are always with us. May we in turn extend that hope to every person we encounter.

Amen."