I have been talking about the road to perfection for us humans. It's a long one. One of the reasons I became a priest was to expedite a shortcut. I had spent most of my early life at a very low level of being. When I came to and recognized the opportunities in this life, I knew I had a lot of ground to make up. Thus the priesthood.
The rude awakening came when I realized that being a priest guaranteed nothing. The whole calling was blasting itself apart just when I got ordained in 1992. Believe me that was confusing. I was determined to stick with it but I was being manipulated by "holy" powers that refused to let me expand my being. So, in the name of altruism I left the priesthood and got married. Oy!
If you are seeking contemplative spiritual growth, do not get married. Unless you find a saintly fool who is willing to accept your concept of total giving. One who is not afraid to piss off all the powers that might make your life easier if you would only be like them. One who is not afraid of homelessness and a credit rating in the three hundreds. So, as I said, marriage is not an option for those who take up Jesus' challenge to sell all you have and give it to the poor if you want to follow me.
I do not know how Protestant ministers and rabbis do it but I really do not think that priests should be married. Not for the priest's sake but for those who would be their life's partner.
Instead I think a priest should look for a more equitable companion. I have always wanted an emu. They do not talk back much. They love to go for long quiet walks and you do not have to talk down to them. They are at eye level. They are also not ashamed about laying the occasional green egg.
Yes, this is my new goal, to have my canonical status ratified and to have an assignment where an emu would be seen as a plus.
Fr. Rod
Friday, March 23, 2012
On The Level
Remember a few essays back when I compared our levels of being here in this life to the old teaching about there being nine choirs of angels? This is reflected in Jesus' comforting words that there are many rooms in my Father's house.
In my last essay "Have Gun - Will Shoot" I ended with an admonition about us all being ready to be slain rather than to slay. About forgiving the unforgivable. I indicted that there are probably not many of us that are ready for that level of being. I suspect that if somebody surprised me by breaking into my house and I happened to have a crowbar at hand, they would be sporting a bas relief of the Grand Canyon at twilight in the midst of what was left of their skull.
I am not at a level where I automatically forgive and recognize all persons as God's children. However, I believe that I am making progress by avoiding situations and confrontations that may lead to my animal nature taking control. In the meantime I am comforted by Jesus' telling me that even if I screw up badly, He will find a shack somewhere in the afterlife where I can contemplate and grow more like Him.
I suspect that the people who would attack me and steal from me and cheat me are at a low level of being. They are just starting out and they hardly know that they are human. God loves these, these are potential stars of the future. At one time you and I were at this level. God wants us to help the spirit guides form these wild children into loving beings. You cannot form anyone whom you shoot on sight. We form by example. It was the way of the early church. People then said that you knew they were Christians by their love. It was also the time of the martyrs. Man, many offered their lives in the name of love. They would not surrender to the crass laws of survival that were demanded of them by a pagan society.
I wonder if the time for martyrs has come around again? I wonder if we are ready to offer that ultimate love as did Sydney Carton in The Tale of Two Cities? If not then we still have Jesus' promise to fall back on. But me, I am an over achiever, I do not want to fall back. I aspire to move up as many notches as I can in this life. I do not want to go through this circus ever again. How about you? Are you satisfied with living life as a good person and accepting any level in the after life?
Me, I gotta get as near to God as I can and I gotta accept the sometimes frustrating and exhausting challenges that go along with this goal. Hey man, I'm on the level!
In my last essay "Have Gun - Will Shoot" I ended with an admonition about us all being ready to be slain rather than to slay. About forgiving the unforgivable. I indicted that there are probably not many of us that are ready for that level of being. I suspect that if somebody surprised me by breaking into my house and I happened to have a crowbar at hand, they would be sporting a bas relief of the Grand Canyon at twilight in the midst of what was left of their skull.
I am not at a level where I automatically forgive and recognize all persons as God's children. However, I believe that I am making progress by avoiding situations and confrontations that may lead to my animal nature taking control. In the meantime I am comforted by Jesus' telling me that even if I screw up badly, He will find a shack somewhere in the afterlife where I can contemplate and grow more like Him.
I suspect that the people who would attack me and steal from me and cheat me are at a low level of being. They are just starting out and they hardly know that they are human. God loves these, these are potential stars of the future. At one time you and I were at this level. God wants us to help the spirit guides form these wild children into loving beings. You cannot form anyone whom you shoot on sight. We form by example. It was the way of the early church. People then said that you knew they were Christians by their love. It was also the time of the martyrs. Man, many offered their lives in the name of love. They would not surrender to the crass laws of survival that were demanded of them by a pagan society.
I wonder if the time for martyrs has come around again? I wonder if we are ready to offer that ultimate love as did Sydney Carton in The Tale of Two Cities? If not then we still have Jesus' promise to fall back on. But me, I am an over achiever, I do not want to fall back. I aspire to move up as many notches as I can in this life. I do not want to go through this circus ever again. How about you? Are you satisfied with living life as a good person and accepting any level in the after life?
Me, I gotta get as near to God as I can and I gotta accept the sometimes frustrating and exhausting challenges that go along with this goal. Hey man, I'm on the level!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Have gun - Will shoot
I wonder sometimes if people believe God. I'm talking about all the brohaha about carrying firearms. The only time I was armed was when I was in the Navy. I carried a Smith and Wesson 38 police special in my shoulder holster. It sure impressed the other sailors when I swaggered by in my best John Wayne impression on my way to my aircraft. Even then I would chuckle to myself knowing that on certain flights we would be armed with a nuclear depth charge that would make my little pop gun look benign.
As I said in an earlier blog, I had THE button that released the bomb if the pilot armed it.
Since then guns have never impressed me much. I know I will never shoot a gun because I refuse to own or handle a gun.
There are those who argue that the police cannot be everywhere and that we have a duty to be armed. They certainly take that to heart here in Arizona. I do not know how many other places where you stand in the check out line of a grocery store behind a thirty something mother with her kids behind her and her Glock 9mm tucked in her waist holster. And those 50 something men riding around the neighborhood on their Harleys with their choice of weapon prominently displayed. It kind of reminded me of Beirut. When I was there everybody had a gun but me.
I guess St Peter would have been a big NRA fan in the early days. That was until Jesus told him to put up his sword after he cut off the guy's ear in the Garden of Gethsemane. It sure confused Peter and it must still confuse a lot of other Christians who refuse to turn the other cheek or comprehend what Jesus was saying when he said that the meek will inherit the Earth. This understanding of who we are as God's children is a hard pill. Even those who have progressed well above the reptilian or animal nature of humans find it so hard to let go of the survival instinct. That is because they have misinterpreted what survival and repentance are all about. Survival means adopting Jesus' fullness in this life. Jesus who let the soldiers beat Him and kill Him. What he said to Peter in Gethsemane holds throughout His ministry, with one word His father could send millions of angels to wipe out all that displeased God. But He did not. He forgave them. And that's where repentance comes in. To repent does not mean to beg forgiveness for sins. Repent means change. Change to the model that Jesus presents us. That is when you and I will be readied to advance to the next level of being. Shooting people, even those who threaten you and your family and your nation will only hold you back. You will be repeating life experiences here or somewhere over and over until you can let go and be slain. Slain while praying that your slayers be forgiven. This is the beginning of eternal life. You will never die again. I think that beats revenge and heroic last stands all to hell.
Do you think that this is impossible? It's exactly what the God that was just a flickering image when you went inside yourself is looking for.
Rev. Rod McRae
As I said in an earlier blog, I had THE button that released the bomb if the pilot armed it.
Since then guns have never impressed me much. I know I will never shoot a gun because I refuse to own or handle a gun.
There are those who argue that the police cannot be everywhere and that we have a duty to be armed. They certainly take that to heart here in Arizona. I do not know how many other places where you stand in the check out line of a grocery store behind a thirty something mother with her kids behind her and her Glock 9mm tucked in her waist holster. And those 50 something men riding around the neighborhood on their Harleys with their choice of weapon prominently displayed. It kind of reminded me of Beirut. When I was there everybody had a gun but me.
I guess St Peter would have been a big NRA fan in the early days. That was until Jesus told him to put up his sword after he cut off the guy's ear in the Garden of Gethsemane. It sure confused Peter and it must still confuse a lot of other Christians who refuse to turn the other cheek or comprehend what Jesus was saying when he said that the meek will inherit the Earth. This understanding of who we are as God's children is a hard pill. Even those who have progressed well above the reptilian or animal nature of humans find it so hard to let go of the survival instinct. That is because they have misinterpreted what survival and repentance are all about. Survival means adopting Jesus' fullness in this life. Jesus who let the soldiers beat Him and kill Him. What he said to Peter in Gethsemane holds throughout His ministry, with one word His father could send millions of angels to wipe out all that displeased God. But He did not. He forgave them. And that's where repentance comes in. To repent does not mean to beg forgiveness for sins. Repent means change. Change to the model that Jesus presents us. That is when you and I will be readied to advance to the next level of being. Shooting people, even those who threaten you and your family and your nation will only hold you back. You will be repeating life experiences here or somewhere over and over until you can let go and be slain. Slain while praying that your slayers be forgiven. This is the beginning of eternal life. You will never die again. I think that beats revenge and heroic last stands all to hell.
Do you think that this is impossible? It's exactly what the God that was just a flickering image when you went inside yourself is looking for.
Rev. Rod McRae
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Assignment #1
Ok, all of you have had it easy so far. Time to put into practice the grace of contemplation. Put some time aside and go deep within yourself. Set up an appointment with God. Keep the appointment. If God does not show up, do it again and again until you have at least a shadow of His presence. Ok, now comes the real fun. The God you are meeting is a liberal or conservative. If you are liberal make God conservative and if you are conservative make God liberal. Then present your best stuff of why you are who you are. Get it all out. For the purpose of this exercise stop there. Watch God. Listen if you can but by all means watch God even if He is barely a shadow fading in and out.
Fr. Rod
Fr. Rod
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Invitation to Love
Firstly, there are those of you who seem to have perceived the previous blog on abortion and birth control as unreasonable and hard church line. I invite you to read it again. It is about love and growth in spirit. Those who found it judgmental may benefit from this reflection motivated by Fr. Thomas Keatings' book INVITATION TO LOVE.
Fr. Keating mirrors Dr. Freud in much of his work. That is, Dr. Freud as seen through Christian spiritual eyes. This comes in handy in this time of polarised thinking, i.e. conservative vs. liberal. Fr Tom sees all of us starting out with what he calls a reptilian concept of life. The need for nurturing and personal survival is the only motivation at this level. He moves on to describe later stages as egoist and superegoist. You can read the book to get a nice presentation on these stages of being.
For now I will compare conservatism with the reptilian stage. This can be seen as a very basic survival mode. Almost all things are black and white and if these things do not provide me personally with better nurture and safety, they are worthless.
For now I will compare liberalism with the superegoist. All is for the common good. Anything that is perceived as parochial or self-serving to the extent of excluding minorities is worthless.
The problem here is that both sides write off the other as worthless.
That's where the egoist comes in. The egoist is your true self. The egoist is not concerned with categorizing life as good or bad but with living it. Our task then is to educate the true self, the egoist, to its true purpose. The true purpose lies in the depths of our sub conscious. The place where you and I encounter our creator. Our creator's purpose is to educate us in the greatness of infinite love. In order for you and I experience this education, we must be willing to put time aside for contemplation. If we don't listen we will not hear. If we do not hear we may assume that there is no one trying to communicate with us. If we think that we have no spiritual centering from which to draw we will make one up.
The reptilian and the superegoist in us are only too willing to take over. It is mostly a matter of our cultural upbringing which wins out. Being a conservative or a liberal is a convenient hiding place for those who do not want to put aside the false self. Many of these are afraid of their real selves because they may not interpret very well in the society/culture that we have made our home.
Bottom line is, God is our home. If our society/culture is willing to accept us as God's child then it is worthwhile. Otherwise please look elsewhere. Your spiritual life depends on it.
Fr. Rod
Fr. Keating mirrors Dr. Freud in much of his work. That is, Dr. Freud as seen through Christian spiritual eyes. This comes in handy in this time of polarised thinking, i.e. conservative vs. liberal. Fr Tom sees all of us starting out with what he calls a reptilian concept of life. The need for nurturing and personal survival is the only motivation at this level. He moves on to describe later stages as egoist and superegoist. You can read the book to get a nice presentation on these stages of being.
For now I will compare conservatism with the reptilian stage. This can be seen as a very basic survival mode. Almost all things are black and white and if these things do not provide me personally with better nurture and safety, they are worthless.
For now I will compare liberalism with the superegoist. All is for the common good. Anything that is perceived as parochial or self-serving to the extent of excluding minorities is worthless.
The problem here is that both sides write off the other as worthless.
That's where the egoist comes in. The egoist is your true self. The egoist is not concerned with categorizing life as good or bad but with living it. Our task then is to educate the true self, the egoist, to its true purpose. The true purpose lies in the depths of our sub conscious. The place where you and I encounter our creator. Our creator's purpose is to educate us in the greatness of infinite love. In order for you and I experience this education, we must be willing to put time aside for contemplation. If we don't listen we will not hear. If we do not hear we may assume that there is no one trying to communicate with us. If we think that we have no spiritual centering from which to draw we will make one up.
The reptilian and the superegoist in us are only too willing to take over. It is mostly a matter of our cultural upbringing which wins out. Being a conservative or a liberal is a convenient hiding place for those who do not want to put aside the false self. Many of these are afraid of their real selves because they may not interpret very well in the society/culture that we have made our home.
Bottom line is, God is our home. If our society/culture is willing to accept us as God's child then it is worthwhile. Otherwise please look elsewhere. Your spiritual life depends on it.
Fr. Rod
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Birth Control and Abortion
Abortion is taking a life. All life is precious. Abortion is not an option for fully matured Christian spirits. Sometimes when two lives, mother and child, are in a life or death situation because of medical complications, very difficult decisions must be made. If a life can be saved we are bound to try our best to save that one even if it seems like we are sacrificing our moral standards. Life is difficult, not all situations are black and white. Prayerful deliberance and common sense are gifts from God. Use them. When we all reach the level of spiritual being that knows that all life is precious, abortion will dissappear.
Birth Control is not an option for fully matured Christian spirits. Few of us are fully mature spiritually. When the time comes that all of us are at a grace filled advanced spiritual level, unnatural birth control will dissappear. In the meantime pray for those whose life journey includes this unnatural method. They and you are God's children. Encourage them and yourself to aspire for higher levels of being.
Birth Control is not an option for fully matured Christian spirits. Few of us are fully mature spiritually. When the time comes that all of us are at a grace filled advanced spiritual level, unnatural birth control will dissappear. In the meantime pray for those whose life journey includes this unnatural method. They and you are God's children. Encourage them and yourself to aspire for higher levels of being.
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