Abi and Oprah....

I saw the link to this post on Facebook today, and was glad to see it!  Saved me some of what I knew I had to say myself.  Go ahead and read the post.  Here's what I had to say in the comments.

Thank you for this ... I will be linking to it when I get around to blogging about yesterday's episode.  I had to get my journal out and take notes.  It was a striking moment ... a moment when, yet again, the church has shown that it is just behind the curve when it comes to so many things.

The church is still behind the curve when it comes to women and equality ... and it is behind the curve when it comes to the message that God is Love ... and that each human is an Eikon of God and that makes them worthy of God's love.  Not what they do or say or believe or attend ... but being a precious Eikon whom Jesus left Heaven to come to earth to serve and save. 

And when the church becomes the source of so much "negative energy" -- it becomes a tool of the Enemy.  Those who name Jesus as Lord need to be mindful of the energy they bring to every life and every circumstance and every place and every word.

There's plenty of time to work on doctrine ... but if you don't get the bit that God loves you more than you can even imagine -- right in the midst of your mess -- then nothing of your precious doctrine will transform your life or the lives in your sphere of influence.

...I kept thinking:  "Preach it, Sister!"

I will be back later to process the rest of the notes I took ... and I am hoping to get a chance to see it once again before I do.

Blessings to you ... remember that you are loved by God ... remember that you are a gift of God to this world -- so figure out your calling and get busy sharing the love!

Abi

Abi and Idea-ism

I have a number of posts written over the years which speak to my indebtedness to Bishop George Berkeley and his life-changing statement:  to be is to be perceived.  He goes on to explain that the ultimate perceiver is God.

Scot McKnight is starting a series over at Jesus Creed:  Are we more than matter?  So, I had to comment -- because I am thrilled at the opportunity to share the dear bishop's amazing insights.

So, here are my various posts concerning perception as being:  first, second, third and fourth.

Blessings....

May Synchroblog -- Letting go....

While I've been working on my perichoresis series off-line, I have been seeing the many posts pop up for this month's synchroblog.  And even though I have not even been able to read one of them yet, I finally felt this morning that this wee, purple abbess needed to chip in a few words.

Those of you who have wandered through the posts here know that I have been letting go of ever so many things over the past few years ... but today I just want to say that the most important thing that I have had to let go (and let go again and again and again) is the desire for the approval of man.

When I have been concerned over the approval of man, my ability to listen to the voice of the Spirit and follow the example of Jesus in being obedient to the Father's will has been compromised.

I'm not talking about the approval of the "worldly culture" here ... I'm talking about the church culture that has been institutionalized.  (If you want to get a better understanding of what it means to be institutionalized, watch The Shawshank Redemption -- as Red talks about what happened to Brooks, and again at his last parole board hearing.)

I'm looking forward to reading The Faith of Leap, by Hirsch and Frost ... as I'm pretty sure this will be part of what they're talking about....

Letting go of the approval of man in favor of the approval of God is risky business in the church.  Turning away from the security of conformity to the conventions of man in order to embrace the risky freedom of being love by God, loving God in return, and loving others as ourselves is not for the faint of heart, it seems.

While there are many things that could use letting go, I have found that as I let go of this one -- the approval of man -- there are many others that fall away almost without thinking.  When we live in the reality of the cHesed of God, his love and grace and mercy set us free so that we may live full.

It's like that old story of the monkey with his hand in the peanut jar ... stuck because he has grabbed a fist full of peanuts and so can no longer slide his hand out of the jar opening.  Only when he lets go of the peanuts can he escape ... and then learn that he can get the peanuts out by dumping the jar out.  The prisons we get caught in by holding on greedily to that which has been freely given, eh?

Peace to you all ... and may our Father give you the courage to let go of whatever is keeping you stuck.

...and I am sorry that I have not posted all the other synchroblog posts.  I think you can find them here.  [Note on 5/16...updated the link.  Sorry about that :^(  ]

Abi