What Do We Believe?

I finished a book several months ago, titled,  "Heretics: The Creation of Christianity" by Jonathan Wright. It is/was very interesting read. His main premise is that Orthodox Christianity likes to suggest that it has always believed the basic things since the church's inception--but in fact,this has not been the case. The Church has worked out what it defines as "Orthodoxy" over the centuries. What has been labeled as heresy is often what has been needed to help spur the church on to clarify its stance on various doctrines. The truth is, there has been great variation within the Church on what is believed to be orthodox teaching.

In fact, as I read the book, I became a bit concerned. Why? Because as an adult, right this very minute, I hold at least 5 beliefs that people at one time in church history were chased out of town, punished or even martyred for:
      1. Believer's (adult) Baptism (vs. infant baptism).
      2. Having the Bible in your own language (vs. Latin).
      3. Ordination of Women to the Priesthood (vs. soley men)
      4. Importance of Icons.
      5. Active gifts of the Spirit.
Yes-people--fellow Christians were once punished, excommunicated--and even murdered over these beliefs by other Christians. This is appalling to me! What really sobers me is this: that right now, we may hold "orthodox" beliefs now that we might determine are wrong in the future! Yikes!!! And this is no small question. Just as in the past, people's well-being, and even their lives are at stake.

So, my next thought is, what does it look like to humbly say: "We don't know?" Many times we act as if every belief we hold is required for eternal salvation. I once heard a very well-respected Christian theologian say in a chapel service, "The older I get, the fewer things I am willing to die for." I think I am coming to the same conclusion. St. Augustine of Hippo wrote:
              "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
So, given that Augustine said, "in all things charity," we may do well to start from there while we try to determine the" essential" from the "non-essentials." It is my guess that the "essentials" are a lot fewer in number than we might like to admit. And we as the Church may find many more people coming into our doors vs. being told they can't come in unless they believe as we do. God help us.

Rumi-nations....

     Well-my new favorite read is Rumi--the 13c Persian mystic. How I got a copy of "The Essential Rumi" ( a 300+ page collection of his works/translated by Coleman Barks) is a great story. I was in a bookstore, looking at a small collection/sample (less than 50 pages) of his poetry. I felt guilty--the inner voices said "he is a Muslim mystic--wont you be unfaithful to God if you read it?" So--I put it back on the shelf and went up to the checkout with my other purchases. THREE DAYS LATER, I was with a good friend having brunch, when she whipped out a bag and said--hey--I got you a Christmas present--I hope you don't already have it...and it was--you guessed it: THE ESSENTIAL RUMI !!!! :) I laughed out loud right there and felt God saying--"Well, if you can't buy it for yourself, I will GIVE IT TO YOU!!! YOU NEED TO READ THIS!!!"

     Rumi's work--prose and poetry is simply some of the most incredible work I have ever read. His reflections, or pardon the pun, Ruminations :), on God, the contemplative life, and spiritual growth, are like a glass of refreshing ice water to the soul...I don't even know where to start--my words would seem effusive unless you have read it and know what I am talking about...so, here is an appetizer for you all: one of his poems, called "The Pickaxe:"

The Pickaxe
Some commentary on "I was a hidden treasure,
and I desired to be known"; tear down
this house. A hundred thousand new houses
can be built from the transparent yellow carnelian
buried beneath it, and the only way to get to that
is to do the work of demolishing and then
digging under the foundations. With that value
in hand all the new construction will be done
without effort. And anyway, sooner or later this house
will fall on its own. The jewel treasure will be
uncovered, but it won’t be yours then. The buried
wealth is your pay for doing the demolition,
the pick and shovel work. If you wait and just
let it happen, you’d bite your hand and say,
“I didn’t do as I knew I should have.” This
is a rented house. You don’t own the deed.
You have a lease, and you’ve set up a little shop,
where you barely make a living sewing patches
on torn clothing. Yet only a few feet underneath
are two veins, pure red and bright gold carnelian.
Quick! Take the pickaxe and pry the foundation.
You’ve got to quit the seamstress work.
What does the patch-sewing mean, you ask. Eating
and drinking. The heavy cloak of the body
is always getting torn. You patch it with food,
and other restless ego-satisfactions. Rip up
one board from the shop floor and look into
the basement. You’ll see two glints in the dirt.  --Rumi

So, start digging for your treasure my friends--don't settle for anything less. --Pam

Top Reads of my 45 Year Life....

Hi gang! Thought I would share with you my favorite books, i.e., those texts that have been the most formative in my own personal life. These are the books that I revisit and have re-read regularly over the past decade or so. Ironically, two of them were purchased from "sale racks" which given their incredible content, I can only assume the bookstore owners never read them or they would have instead charged triple! Nonetheless--here they are:

       1. New Seeds of Contemplation (by Thomas Merton) a wonderful, thoughtful read on being a contemplative.

       2. The Impact of God (by Ian Matthews) A very accessible primer on St. John of the Cross--basically his profound ideas for the regular person like you and me. I have never read his actual stuff--I understand it is thick to wade through.

       3. A Clearing Season:Refections for Lent (by Susan Parsons) A gentle approach on Lent...good for those of us who tend tend to live an introspective life...and can overdo it if not careful during lent :)

       4.The Suffering of God (Terrence Frietheim). Highlights all the verses about God's deep love in the Old Testament that "Hellfire" preachers unfortunately seem to have forgotten...I am changed each time I read it.

       5. Gospel of John--my fav gospel. How can you go wrong reading the reflections of the disciple whom "Jesus loved?" Interestingly enough, John's main theme is indeed love. How much God loves us and how much God wants us to love one another. A mystic if there ever was one!

Keep Warm!  :) Pam