Category: Where the Spirit leads

There Is Only One Who Captures My Passion

Published by mhelbert on February 19, 2024

A whole bunch of years ago a co-worker who followed my blog told me that when I wrote about myself; my passions; my heart that the writing was much better. I allowed some of the ‘me’ that I keep bundled up in the corner to peek out. She said that when I wrote about technical stuff like the Church and theology the writing just wasn’t compelling.
I took that to heart. Of course I want people to read what I write. That’s why I write it! Her comments sent me down a road of constant concern for how I present myself through these little blog thingies.
A problem that I found with this is that there are things that I am passionate about that don’t necessarily reveal anything other than my thoughts on various topics. They’re not some kind of heart revealing story that may be anywhere near what my co-worker spoke about.
But, they are things that I am passionate about.
I am passionate about God. Who God is. What God speaks to me. Where God leads.
I am passionate about worshiping this God. The act of sharing my heart with God is irresistible.
I am passionate about sharing this God with others. Not in the way evangelicals do. But, in ways that I think may actually introduce the God I love to others. ANY others.
In all of this, I am passionate about Orthodoxy. Not the Eastern kind. The word ‘Orthodox’ is made of two Greek words. Ortho, meaning straight, right, or correct. And, Dox derives from a word that means belief. So, literally, Orthodox means Correct Belief.
Now, as a disclaimer, I am making no claim at all that what I believe is all correct. Nor is it my belief that everyone else follows what I think. I’m just an old white guy with some opinions. Nothing more than that.
As an open disclosure, I find my way to Orthodoxy within a fairly large community. There is my local parish and the people who attend there. They get to listen to me and respond to the things that I think. We don’t always agree. But, that’s ok. I am part of the larger diocese of Ohio as well as the Episcopal Church in the U.S. Again, we don’t always agree, but I find that the larger church does have some guardrails in place that help me to not go flying off of the road. I am in constant dialog with the Academy and the Scholarship that comes from it. Greater minds than mine have wrestled with the same things that I do. I avail myself of that. And, my community includes the ancient Church and Church Fathers who produced our framing documents defining Orthodoxy, the Creeds.
All of that to say, when I write on technical issues that affect faith and the Church, I stand on a fairly firm foundation. That foundation allows my passions to gain their footing and present to the world.

There are many others who make claims to a form of orthodoxy. They, like me, define orthodox as correct belief. Their right belief, however, is in dogma and doctrine rather than the Scripture, the Church, and the Tradition. Many of them reduce God to a series of systematic attributes. They call that Systematic Theology. The church I came from used a particular book as their sole education to theology. Reading the book, they said, was all that was necessary to be orthodox. If you read the book and believe what the writer said, you’re good to go. The problem with that is that people who write systematic theologies are usually old, white guys who are trying to justify all of the money that they wasted on education. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Wayne Grudem. God for them becomes little more than bite-sized bits of scripture texts taken out of context. These ‘theologies’ offer nothing that may actually bring life to people. It’s sterile academics at its worst. Probably, a lot like my co-worker thought of some of my blog posts.
Because of my passion for God, I will continue to push back against those who would put God into a systematic or doctrinal box. Too much of that has been done over the centuries. And, millions have suffered because someone said, “This is the only way to serve God. Follow these rules. Memorize these propositions. Do what I say. Not what I do.” If that’s to technical or doesn’t reveal who I am, so be it. I can only write the words that express what I am passionate about.
This IS me.
Deal with it.

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Misrepresenting the Church in Media

Published by mhelbert on February 17, 2024

I’m pretty much giving up on watching or listening to what the media claims is ‘news.’ It doesn’t matter what perspective the particular medium holds politically, socially, or economically. They all seem to be nothing more than providing scintillating gibberish in order to garner clicks or viewer. Gotta make the advertisers happy! No matter how much the stories must suffer.
And, suffer they do.
Some subjects seem to be considered “hands off.” We don’t want to offend our cash cow, er, constituent followers. This already tints the reporting. There is necessarily a bias toward any story that may make some folks uncomfortable.
That is truly devastating to people’s ability to know what’s going on. We aren’t trusted to be able to determine how an event or story will impact us. We are spoon fed the useless pablum of the current news cycle. Then we wonder why so many people miss the reality that is our life together.
One of my pet peeves, (you had to expect that there would be a peeve in here somewhere!), is how the media misrepresents the Church in the U.S. The most common misrepresentation is how the conservative evangelical church has become the action wing of the GOP. When religion and politics mix anywhere it’s a bad thing. When that happens within a reactionary political environment the outcome gets down right dangerous. Religion politicized is theocracy. Theocracy breeds things like the Inquisition. It makes the genocide of Indigenous People acceptable. Or, so says the Doctrine of Discovery. What we’re seeing in today’s world politic is the weaponization of religion in culture wars. In those, all are punished.
There is another side to this, however. One that isn’t so obvious. Yet, it is just as detrimental to the so-called sanctity of the Fifth Estate. This is how those who are progressive or liberal also use the news as political cannon fodder. They project their perception of their god onto the same social and cultural issues that there conservative sisters and brother. God is pro whatever it is that they believe holds people back from attaining their greatest potential. Of course, that potential is defined by themselves without the benefit of opinions of those who are affected by their humanitarian sensibilities.
Then, of course,there are the majority who really don’t give a damn. All they want is the weather forecast and the sports news. The rest is just something that allows them time to go to the bathroom and get a snack.
Some of you readers may wonder why I wrote this during the season of Lent. It all sounds like a rejection of turning religion into a political tool. And, it is that, to be sure. However, it’s also a call to repentance. And, repentance is kind of a key element to the Lenten season. It’s a time to reflect and introspect. During Lent we are told that from dust we come, to dust we return. Our perspective on our own importance and raison d’etre is held up to the Light of Messiah Jesus. In that light we may be able to see our folly and foibles as they are. Our politics may be important to us. But, in that bright light they may become transparent, unable to be seen at all.
When I consider this, I see God shaking the Divine Head. I’m not sure whether it’s in wonder, disbelief, or disgust. For when we put our politics and our perceptions of what’s good and important above the knowledge and love of God, well, repentance is necessary.
So, in this Lenten season I would call on the Church, big “C,” to repent. Put aside privilege and priority in order to sit and listen. Listen. Listen.
Perhaps once we shut up we will be able to actually hear God weeping.

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Next Step: Violence in the Bible

Published by mhelbert on March 13, 2023

It’s Monday. Monday after a time change. Monday after the time change that costs us an hour. Why is it that humans have to try to tweek stuff that ain’t broken? Nature kept time for millions of years without our help. So, of course we have to fix it. Because we can. Sheesh!
Anyway, this Monday after the bitchiest time change is a snowy one here on the North Coast. Seven days from the start of astronomical spring and we’re getting more snow than in the whole of February. Again, Sheesh!
If it sounds like I’m complaining, it’s because I am. Well, at least I’m trying to stall for time. Yesterday we finished a Bible study on the Gospel According to John. It only took us 13 months. John can be a bit involved. For the past few years we’ve taken a book of the Bible and worked our way through from beginning to end. We looked at the culture at the time, who wrote it, to whom was it written, and why. I tried to follow a particular method that allowed the text to speak for itself. That meant trying to keep presuppositions and other baggage out. Yeah, it’s not easy. But, it gives us a better glimpse into what the writers were trying to say. Not what we would like them to say.
This next week I promised that we would begin a different kind of study. Instead of studying a particular book, we’re going to dig into a topic: Violence in the Bible. The idea that a loving and benevolent God could engage in acts of extreme violence has been a topic of study since the beginning of the Church. As early as the 2nd century folks were looking for ways to explain what the heck was going on with all of that warfare and dashing kids’ heads against rocks. Not to mention the conquest of Palestine by the Chosen People of God. It seems that blood and guts is something that the God of the Bible has no problem with.
Of course, I’m not going to get into this here. A blog isn’t a forum that allows for the in depth reading that something like this requires. So, consider this a teaser. I may write other posts as we go along.
One thing that I would like to say, though, is that the identity and character of God is quite clear. It doesn’t involve the bully-like portrait that so many paint when looking at the Scriptures. So many people, particularly those who read the Bible as a literal narrative of what happened over 2,500 years ago in the Ancient Near East, (ANE). For these folks the writers pretty much wrote what happened either as it happened, or through some supernatural understanding given by God. So, of course what the Bible says is 100% accurate history. (Spoiler alert: it’s not.) In this “history” God is completely justified in stomping out entire ethnic groups because, Sovereignty. Or, something like that. God is NOT that. At. All.
The big theology word of the day for this is hermeneutic. That’s a fancy way to say how a particular text or event in scripture is interpreted by the folks reading about it. Those mentioned above use a hermeneutic of inerrancy in order to interpret the text. What they should be using is a hermeneutic of the cross.
Ok, ok, before I go further, a bit of explanation is needed. People have told me that when I write stuff on the here blog thing that is about me and the experiences that I have, it’s a better read. They like the personal stories. So do I. Most of the time. These same folks say that when I start to wax academic I tend to lose them. Yeah, I get that. So much of the stuff that I write can seem to be cold and ‘matter of fact.’ Two things about that. 1) It’s my blog and I’ll write what I feel is necessary to write at the time. No explanation necessary. 2) The theological and Bible stuff IS who I am. It is ALL personal. So, yeah.
Sorry about the digression. I’ll flog myself later.
That hermeneutic of the cross thing is all about what happened when Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. This one event revealed the total loving heart of God. God the Son, gave His life in order to create a way for all of creation to have life. Through that action a way was opened that allows all folks everywhere to have access to God. There would no longer be a special, what, “caste” of priests that held that privilege. It was God’s choice to do this. I could go on and on ad nauseum about this. But, I’ll save you the Pepto Bismal. Just suffice it to say that the lens of God’s love on the cross is the only lens through which we can see ‘what else’ was going on in all of those violent stories.
I’ve been prepping for this new study since last fall. I still feel woefully inadequate to the task. I guess that’s why I was wasting time at the beginning of this post. We’ll see in a few weeks if this direction was a fruitful one to take. God is a pretty big topic to discuss. How God acts and why is damned near impossible.
But, we’ll give it a shot.
Sheesh!

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Love My Enemy? Well Then, Who IS My Enemy?

Published by mhelbert on August 4, 2020

While wondering about the lack of a Voice in today’s chaotic culture. A Voice that would lift up the call for Freedom; for Equality; for Life and that could help to unite and inspire people to reach for the Heavens of Hope.
I am straining my ears, attentive to the slightest vibrations of air that just might signal someone stepping into the role of Messenger of Hope. I try to position myself on the highest hill where the clear, cool air may reverberate across the landscape that a Voice has finally sounded that call to take up the arms of Love and Peace that we so desperately need to hear.
Then, I wonder…
What would that message actually be?
Would it be some of the “‘same ol’ same ol’” that promises changes to policies that discriminate against certain segments of our population? Can we truly hope that political change alone will cast the demons of Racism, Classism, or Gender out like a priest who sprinkles holy water out of an airplane? Are not the issues facing us today more daunting than implying that simple bandaid solutions wrought by well-meaning and benevolent people continue to offer?
As I study and meditate on people who actually did create a persona that inspired millions to respond positively to the glaring injustices of their time, I began to see something that I alluded to yesterday that powered the engines of change of which they stood at the helm.
Both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi before him spoke of the need to follow the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
“Love your enemies and bless those that persecute you.”
How revolutionary those words were when they were first spoken!
First century Palestine was in the iron grip of Rome. Caesar and his armies imposed something called the “Pax Romana,” or the “Roman Peace. Caesar Augustus established himself as the Emperor in Rome after a bloody civil war with Marc Antony and his Egyptian ally, Cleopatra. The ensuing peace became the symbol of Roman strength and established her military as the primary tool for enforcing that peace. So, Jesus was well aware of who those following him considered the “Enemy”. It was Rome. When Jesus uttered those words in what we now call his “Sermon on the Mount” he touched a nerve within everyone who heard him. In fact, just before Jesus mentioned this about enemies, he told the people that if “anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” Every person who heard that would know that the ‘anyone’ that Jesus mentioned referred to Roman soldiers. An edict was on the books that stated any Roman soldier could require any other person to carry his pack for him up to one mile. Jesus pretty much told those listening that not only should they bear the burden of their sworn enemy the required distance, but they should shoulder it for double the distance! Holy crap! What in the world was Jesus trying to do?
The short answer was that Jesus desired that they, in fact, Love their Enemy.
Ok, ok…it was easy for Jesus to say this. But, did he actually ever do it himself?
Well, besides allowing his enemies to crucify him, yes, he did.
I mean, crucifixion was an extreme to be sure. And, Jesus did tell those who followed him that they would need to “take up their cross and follow Him.”
Plus, after Jesus’ arrest, everyone knew that crucifixion was coming. He had no choice in that matter. One could make the argument that Love wasn’t really a factor. Rome did to him whatever they wanted. Love or not.
But, did he practice what he preached while his life was still in his own hands?
I think so.
I was meditating on the passage of the Gospel according to John that recounts Jesus’ actions at what’s called “The Last Supper.” Countless writers and poets and artists have attempted to convey what Jesus did that night. The part of this story that I considered was the scene during the meal when Jesus got up, girded up his tunic, tied a towel around his waist and washed his disciples’ feet. This passage has been used ever since it was written as an illustration of Jesus’ humility. He even told them, “You call me ‘Teacher and Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
I thought long about this scene.
Who was there?
What were they all talking about around the table?
What were their thoughts?
Was this simply a ‘teachable moment’ for Jesus?
Or, was He making a statement about life itself?
I can’t speak to the last four of these questions with any certainty. No one can.
But, the first one is rather obvious.
The Twelve whom he had called to follow from day one.
So, let me set the stage for you.
Jesus washed the feet of:
1) Peter—who would in just a very few hours deny that he even knew Jesus.
2) Thomas—would not believe the testimony of the others that Jesus had been raised from the dead. He would forever be known as “Doubting Thomas.”
3) James and John—These two brothers tried to conspire with Jesus in order to have the places of honor in Jesus’ kingdom. They tried to use Jesus for their own gain.
4) Judas Iscariot—the text tells us that before Jesus began to wash his feet that “the devil had already prompted [him] to betray Jesus.
5) ALL of the disciples deserted Jesus when the Temple guards, led by Judas, appeared in the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus.
Are all of these men Jesus’ enemies?
No, hardly.
But, they are good examples of the kinds of people that we will encounter in our daily comings and goings. They are the kind of people who will assert their rights over everyone else’s. They won’t wear masks. They will aim their AR-15 at you for saying that Black Lives Matter. They will be the ones who like to say, “It’s the economy, stupid.” These are our neighbors who don military gear and pin a badge on their chest just before they use a baton on the ribs of a person who is exercising their right to assemble and protest.
And, they are the oligarchs who comprise that “One Percent” who seem to own the rest of us.
Jesus said, “Love these. Yes, they hurt people and despitefully use them. Yes, they are selfish and unloving. They are also afraid. They are also your neighbor. Oh, and never forget…God Loves Them, too.”
God Loves Them, too.
How easy it is to forget those few words.
That’s the “Why” we should consider loving our enemies.
Perhaps, tomorrow we can discuss the “How.”

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“Think” Is Not A Dirty Word

Published by mhelbert on February 9, 2020

I’m not going to post every day about my health. I know, I know, you’re all waiting with bated breath to find out the next tidbit of information about my new war with cancer.
I will continue to update that regularly.
But, this is my blog and I get to decide what to write about.
And, today I want to spend a little time to talk about ‘Thinking.’

Specifically, thinking in the context of the Church.

I’ve shared some about my current journey with the community at St. Barnabas and the Episcopal Church.
I have been walking with them for almost a year and a half.
And, I am enjoying the journey a lot.

This morning I was talking with someone who has been a regular at the Sunday morning Bible Study that I help out with. She shared that she had never attended any kind of Sunday School before. For whatever reason, they never interested her. This study, though, seems to have piqued her curiosity. She stated that what I bring to the study is a desire to make people think.
As we continued to talk she mentioned that Thinking seemed to be what inspires me to lead this way. That I seem “at home” here because of that.

I thought for a second.
You know, she was right.
One of the things that I really appreciate about the Episcopal Church is that it is not afraid of ‘thinking’ people. It’s not afraid of questions. And, more importantly, it’s not afraid of Paradox or Ambiguity.

I think that lies at the heart of how the Church should truly be.

I have been in churches where the leadership tells parishioners how and what to think. Several years ago one pastor told us that, although he couldn’t tell us how to vote from the pulpit, if we wanted we could see him after the service and he would be happy to convey that information. The scariest part of that would have been if anyone actually took him up on it.
These church leaders try to make themselves out to be the chosen oracles of God on Earth. People are expected to hear their words as Gospel.
Yeah, I know, many of them pray before they speak that only the words that God would desire should come out of their mouths. At best, this is a false humility that anyone with a brain should see through. The pastor is going to say whatever was prepared, God’s words or not.
The biggest problem with that is that all of the words that are spoken after such a prayer are then regarded as God Ordained. After all, God allowed them to be spoken! Right?
Wrong.
On so many levels that’s wrong.
But, that’s a subject for another post.

What I want to emphasize here is that churches with authoritarian leadership want everyone to accept what they say as the Certain Words and Position of God.
No questions will be accepted.
No other opinions are welcome.
God said it, (through them); I believe it, (Cause they said so); That settles it, (got no choice!).

The Episcopal Church, however, is not like that at all. While there are boundaries, as there should be, anything within those bounds is up for discussion. I am welcome to think for myself and assert my own thoughts on any number of topics regarding God, Jesus, the Church, and anything else that presents an interest to me.
Perhaps more importantly, I am allowed to give others the same grace and latitude to think and believe as they are led by God’s Spirit.
After all, isn’t that what this is all about?
Being led by God’s Spirit?
Trusting that God speaks through the multitude and not simply the ordained?

“Think” is Not a dirty word.

“Think” is a Gift from God that we are obligated to do.

“Think” is how we emulate God whose Image we are.

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In The Stillness Of This Hour

Published by mhelbert on January 22, 2020

Back in the days when I followed a rather narrow, evangelical theology, I was what we called a “Worship Leader.”
For those not indoctrinated into that culture, a Worship Leader is the person who ~~performs~~, leads the church congregation in music and praise before the main speaker comes on to deliver a ~~sermon~~ lecture.
This person is essentially the warm up act before the headliner comes on stage.

When I had that job I did try to do what everyone thought we should do. That was to “invoke the Presence of the Holy Spirit.” Through music, prayer, and sometimes testimony, we sought “God’s Face” and “prepared our hearts” for the soon-to-be-delivered Word of God.

It was all very holy and, you know, uh, holy.

There were moments when it did seem as though God had condescended to join our little gathering. These occurred, not when the person leading yelled, “Hallelujah!” loud enough. Nor did God show up when someone or other began rambling in unknown ‘tongues.’ “Leaping and dancing and praising the Lord” didn’t usually attract the attention of the Lord of the Cosmos.

No.
In those rare moments when it seemed that time was suspended and you could reach out and touch the Holy One, silence reigned.
It was when we closed our mouths and put our emotions back in their storage unit that the Ineffable Presence of Yahweh walked among us.

I was reminded of this as I reflected on the time we shared last night at St. Barnabas. We began to learn how to be still. Sitting silently; expectantly.
It was a good time. At least, I thought so. And, no one else complained. So, I’m going with that!

There is one song that I remember from my days of standing on the platform with a guitar in hand. It’s one that I still find myself singing to myself as I sit at my desk in the wee hours before old Sol raises his head above the Eastern horizon. While I know that this song, nor any song, can invoke God’s Presence, sometimes a song can touch a part of our own heart and mind to focus our attention and help us be intentional about God in that moment.

Here are the lyrics to that song.
If you want to hear it, I’m sure that Google or YouTube can help you out.

In The Stillness of This Hour

In the stillness of this hour
I worship you my lord
Singing holy is the lord on high
In the quiet of my heart
I sing this song of praise
Crying holy is the lord on high

And for all of my days
I will bow down before you
Giving glory and honor to your name
And for all of my life
I will worship and adore you
Crying holy is the lord on high
Singing holy is the lord on high

Sit. Settle. Stillness. Silence.
See God.

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Unseen, Yet Known

Published by mhelbert on January 16, 2020

The poet sings, “Where is the birthplace of the wind?
From what distant lands and shores does it arise?
And, wither does it go on its unceasing journey to World’s End?”

Such is the Unseen Universe.
We see not. Blind to the brightness of its light.

Yet, as the wind is felt and the reality of its life can be
Seen in the swirling dust; the trees genuflecting to their Unseen Benefactor.
So, too is the Realm that neither eye has seen, nor ear heard.

We feel the reality in the peace that passes into our Hearts and Minds
When seated in the midst of the Glories of Nature.
Drops of Grace in the Morning Glory and the flitting Monarch.

The Finger of God cannot be seen.
Yet, it is felt in snack offered to “the Least of These” when they hunger.
The Breath of God fills the heart with joy and gladness as fine wine fills the Bride and Bridegroom on their Nuptial Day.

So, too, can the darkness of lesser gods be felt in the lust and greed that their
Systems of Race and Caste endow with power.
Powers and Principalities they were once named.
Loosed abroad to entice the weak and the gullible.
Promises of Power and Riches flow from their lying tongues.
We do not hear the word spoken aloud.
We do not need to.
The evidence…the reality…may be seen in the subjugation of Others.
We may touch their handiwork in those left homeless and without
Food, Clean Water, Warm Clothing, Companionship and Love.

We cannot know from where the Wind blows.
However, we can know that it exists.
We can join with it to produce life.
We are also able to shelter against its ferocity and appetite.

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Enlightenment, Spirituality, and the Breath of God

Published by mhelbert on December 19, 2019

Spirituality is something that is embedded deep in my bones.
I have no idea why this is so. Lord knows I’ve tried my best to leave it all behind. The toxic theology that pawns itself off as Real True Christian almost fried me. I could no longer agree with that worldview that states all thing human are totally depraved. The idea that there is no redeeming characteristic AT ALL in the Cosmos is a fatal flaw in that closed, religious mindset.

I turned my mind to think critically about religion, theology, Holy Writ, and what some call spirituality, (whatever that means). I saw the inconsistencies and contradictions that seem omnipresent in all of those things. So, I tried to leave it behind as a relic of a bygone era before what was considered Supernatural became routine science. I began to listen to the voices of the Enlightenment. The collected voices of those people were raised up in a chorus that sounded out the harmony of the Human family. The striking melody of Human Reason cut through the Cosmos. We were on our way to Perfection at last! The Mind was lifted up on a pedestal where all could see it and bow before its magnificence. A whole universe of possibility opened up before us.
Of course, two world wars and the real possibility of nuclear annihilation tempered that idea a bit.

I noticed that a version of this had birthed itself out of the Christian faith. It was named Progressive Christianity. “Wow!” I said. “Rationalism married spirituality and Poof! Look at what came out!”
I was excited. Things were looking up. A theology of the Kingdom of God developed that stated that we, the Church, are the Body of Christ. We are to work for the same things that Jesus did. We are tasked with welcoming the ‘Other’ and caring for the widow, orphan, and stranger. And, eventually, we will see the realization of God’s reign on Earth! Yay!!!

But, even this seemed to lack. It looked like the same view that came out of the Enlightenment. That somehow or other, the trajectory of the Universe is bent toward justice.
That’s a really nice thought. I do like that idea. A Lot.

But, my eyes tell me a different story.
All over the world I see war, hate, distrust, greed, death.
There seems to be something innate in the human character that simply drives us to the most abhorrent actions that we can imagine.
And, no, it doesn’t look like things are improving.

There MUST be another way, I thought.

So, I sat.
In silence.
Listening.
For hours and days.

Slowly, I noticed changes in the way I looked at things.
I no longer saw things in a closed system like those Real True Christians seemed to love. Life, and God, cannot be reduced to black and white. There is a whole rainbow of colors that lie between those poles.
I found that God is a really, really Big God Who cannot be stuffed into those decorator boxes that Real True Christians carry around.

I also found that the Progressives miss the mark as well. Their idea of the Kingdom of God opening up before us as we do the work lacks the Spark of Life that actually identifies the Kingdom.
To simply reduce God’s purposes to humans continuing the outward work of Jesus is just as anemic as the RTC view of God-In-A-Box.

So, what other possibilities are there?

“In the beginning the Cosmos was empty. And Ruach Elohim hovered over the waters.”

Ruach Elohim. The Breath of God.
Hovering.
Seeding God’s Good Grace into the waters.
Order growing out of Chaos.

That is the missing piece.
Yes, the human heart is capable of creating horrible things.
We all know it. We all see it every. single. day.
And, no change of philosophy or theology that pits human will against the darkness in that heart will change it.
Not possible.
Been there; done that.
But, when the Breath of God blows, chaos is calmed. Life germinates and flourishes.
Hope pushes up through the fertile soil of the soul and metamorphosis is possible.

I do think that we all are capable of feeling the gentle breeze of God’s Breath as it hovers above the chaos. I have hope that God will one day fulfill the promises made so many years ago. Promises of peace, justice, life, and Love.
But, it won’t come through human effort alone. Yeah, there must be effort on our part. We must be willing to be open to transformation.
Most importantly, though, we must be open to the voice of the Breath of God.

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Wednesday Morning Musing

Published by mhelbert on December 4, 2019

“How big is God?” the young child asked.
I scratched my chin and thought.
“Well, Peter Gabriel thinks that God is a Really. Big. God,” I mused to myself.
The god that I used to pray to was pretty small, I guess.
That god was always pissed off at the pettiest things. He was the Cosmic Grumpy McGrumperson. He seemed ready to just send everyone to Hell and take names later.

Then, I realized that God isn’t like that at all.
No, God is as big as the Cosmos.
God’s love extends beyond the reaches of the Universe.
God laughs!

“My child, God is bigger than your imagination.
God smiles as God hides inside a Nebula.
God puts Diviner hands over God’s laughing eyes and plays
Peek-a-boo with a comet.
God races across the Cosmos to send a Pulsar spinning like a top.
Yet, God finds Joy resting within your little heart.
God wraps up in your love and your desire just as you wrap yourself in your favorite blanket.”

“So, how big is God?”

“As big as you need God to be.”

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Confirmation

Published by mhelbert on October 14, 2019

Well, tonight I begin the official process of becoming an Episcopalian. I have been attending a local parish for a bit over a year.
I had promised myself that I would spend a full year before making this leap. Over the course of that year I found a place to call ‘Home.’
I was kind of surprised to find the lively Presence of God there. I had come to this church with no expectations, really. I was simply looking for a liturgical church that I could show up to on Sundays. And, go back home on Sundays.
I knew that I would find Life in the Eucharist. There was no doubt about that. My own faith would carry me through that.
But, what I found was something well beyond my meager expectations.
I found a place where God seems OK with hanging out.
The people, simple folk, really seem to love each other. They even seem to LIKE each other!
Yeah! Go figure! Right?
So, tonight I, and several others, are beginning Confirmation classes.
Really.
Confirmation classes. Just like I went through when I was, what? 13?
Fortunately, everyone tonight will be adult.

Is this a lifetime commitment?
I don’t know.
But, for now, St. Barnabas will be my home.
I’m kind of excited about it.
It’s a new experience for me.

But, then again?

It feels like coming home.

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