Category: gathered wisdom

Gathered Wisdom, Aug 14, 2024

Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey.  From The Wisdom Years.

Listen: Open a window to God and breathe.
Delight yourself with what comes through that opening.
The work of love is to create a window in the heart ….

-From Rumi’s poem “Open the Window” published in
Love’s Ripening: Rumi on the Heart’s Journey

Know Limits

Br. Lain Wilson came up against his own limitations in the bicycle trip. He could not push one more rotation of the pedals. How do we react when we meet our limitations? Can we allow them to teach us something instead of seeing them as failure?

Read the essay.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

Listening to the Stories

We tell our stories because we all have survived something. “Our stories are a witness to the next generation and an opportunity to understand the universal as well as the particular in tales of trauma, healing, and survival,” says Barbara Holmes.

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Loving Your Own Church and Your Neighbor’s Church as Well

Fr. Ron Rolheiser of Oblate Seminary reports that students from various Christian denominations have come through their PhD program in the 15 years of its existence. Happily, he says, not one of them has left his own denomination for another. That is part of the goal – not to foster conversion to another denomination but to strengthen the love and understanding of our own denomination. That will bring Christian unity.

Read the reflection.

From Ron Rolheiser’s blog.

Sacrifices, Crossing the Divide

Our sacrifices may not be grand, but every sacrifice we make for another person is applauded in the kingdom of God. And the first sacrifice we are called upon to make is to listen to others, especially to those with whom we disagree.

Read the reflection.

From Joanna Seibert.

Inner Softness and Prickly Exteriors

Is it really hard to hug a cactus? A sweet children’s book tells the story of Felipe the cactus whose family did not believe in giving hugs. So he went in search of some. Hint: the balloon thing didn’t work so well.

Read about it.

From The Marginalian.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

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Gathered Wisdom, July 16, 2024

Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey.  From The Wisdom Years.

I pray that I may serve by doing what is mine to do, knowing I will remember and forget, find and lose, knowing too that your infinite grace is everywhere when I choose to be attuned.

-Danna Faulds, “Prayers to the Infinite” 
From Well for the Journey

What Is New and What Is Old

There are going to be tears and holes in the fabric of our lives. That is when we must remember our history – that Christ has always been with us, has always rescued us. “Remember your past, draw on your past, how you’ve been provided for, sustained, protected, healed, empowered up until now,” says Br. Curtis Almquist.

Read the reflection.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

May You Live Long Enough

To be able to laugh at your most embarrassing moments in the past; To side with your former adversaries, if only for a glancing moment; To experience prayer as the automatic breathing of petitions for others’ good; and other short bits of wisdom.

Read the reflection.

From Joanna Seibert.

The Point Is to Grow 

It was out of deep grief that Paula D’Arcy’s heart was opened. “Now that suffering was a lived experience, I realized there was so much I needed to change about how I understood life,” she says. “I had to move beyond my old conclusions.”

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Learning To Trust The Slow Work Of God

How long does it take to become more like Jesus? Oh, a lifetime or so. “Transformation almost always happens at a pace slower than we would expect or desire,” says Carolyn Arends.

Read the reflection.

From Renovare.

Have I Been Saved?

That is the wrong question, says Fr. Ron Rolheiser. The real question, especially at this stage of life, is “How can I help?” “A non-negotiable part of meeting Jesus,” says Rolheiser, “means being sent out, and not just alone on some private spiritual quest or individualized ministry. It means being called into community . . .”

Read the reflection.

From the blog of Ron Rolheiser.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.

Gathered Wisdom, July 10, 2024

Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey.  From The Wisdom Years.

The compassion that I am learning to offer myself expands outward into compassion for others, as well. 

-Katrina Kenison, Magical Journey
From Well for the Journey

Reweaving the Apocalypse

We may think that the tapestry of our life is ended. But perhaps there is a new tapestry to weave in these later years.

Read the reflection.

From William Martin.

Gospel Challenge

Fr. Ron Rolheiser reminds us that “gospel” means “good news,” not “good advice.” The gospels, says Rolheiser,  “are not so much a spiritual and moral theology book that tell us what we should be doing but are more an account of what God has already done for us.” Zacchaeus is our model.

Read the reflection.

From the blog of Ron Rolheiser.

The Eagle And The Chicken

The baby eagle grew up in a chicken coop and consequently thought he was a chicken. A naturalist came along and convinced him he was really an eagle. What is your reaction to this interesting fable? Would you have left the bird alone to be a happy chicken, or keep urging him to embrace his true nature?

Read the reflection.

From Awakin.

Life and the Living God

Br. Lucas Hall reminds us that God is not simply a concept – a set of principles or a series of instructions that we simply need to download into our brains and then we’ll be good. God is active, because life is active. Life moves. Life responds. We are invited to participate in that living.

Read the reflection.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

A Foundational Practice

The ego insists on knowing and being certain; it refuses all unknowing, says Richard Rohr. “We cannot grow in the great art form, the integrative dance of action and contemplation, without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain a certain degree of anxiety, and a willingness to not know—and not even need to know,” says Rohr.

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.

Gathered Wisdom, July 4, 2024

Marjorie George

In this special version of Gathered Wisdom, we ask God’s blessings on our nation. We will be back next Tuesday with Gathered Wisdom’s usual offerings.

Prayers for our nation, from The Book of Common Prayer

For Our Country

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our
heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove
ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will.

Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and
pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion;
from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.

Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes
brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.

Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust
the authority of government, that there may be justice and
peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we
may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth.

In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness,
and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail;
all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(BCP page 820)

For Social Justice

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the
people of this land], that barriers which divide us may
crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our
divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(BCP page 823)

In Times of Conflict

O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us,
in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront
one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work
together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
(BCP page 824)

Listen to My Country ’tis of Thee

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.

Gathered Wisdom, June 25, 2024

Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey.  From The Wisdom Years.

Seas and winds, mountains and trees, sun, moon, and stars, and all the animals and people have become sacred windows offering us glimpses of God.

-Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey

Road Food

Yes, some days are hard. When there is little and we want for more, we see only the lack. Can we instead give thanks for what we have, what has been given, like the manna in the wilderness.

Read the reflection.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

Giving One’s Death Away

The mystic John of the Cross said we have three essential struggles in life: to get our lives together, to give our lives away, and to give our deaths away. But what can it mean to give our deaths away? “How we die leaves behind a legacy, a particular spirit, which either nurtures or haunts those left behind,” says Fr. Ron Rolheiser.

Read the reflection.

More about Ron Rolheiser.

A Transformed Heart

The young man wanted to be exceptional, so he piled up accomplishments in every arena of his life.  Then one day he saw a flower. He named it Fran.

Read the reflection.

From Sabbath Moment.

Job’s Emotional Courage

In his anger and distress, the biblical Job wishes he had never been born. He finally feels his feelings. He acts out. “I am convinced that people who do not feel deeply finally do not know deeply either,” says Richard Rohr.  Job’s grief becomes both “whole and holy.”

Read the reflection.  

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

From Me To We: True Love Is A Process Of Humility

A community as a body has more wisdom, strength, and courage than any one of us alone, says Thich Nhat Hanh. “This is called community building. It is the most precious work a monk, nun or layperson can do,” he adds.

Read the reflection.

From Awakin.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.

Gathered Wisdom, June 18, 2024

Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey.  From The Wisdom Years.

God’s invitation is not for the select few, but rather for all who long to drink deeply from the well of eternal life. And that is good news, no matter where you are from, your situation in life, or what others think of you.

Br. James Koester, Society of St. John the Evangelist
Read More

Dolphins and Going Deeper

Dolphin lovers know that they are best seen when seas are calm, not choppy. Just so, says Joanna Seibert, when the waters of our lives are stormy, it may be hard to see the path ahead. We must find a sacred place each day where we can rest in calm seas.

Read the reflection.  

From Joanna Seibert.

Healing Takes Place Here

A Vietnam combat veteran worked for years to overcome his insomnia. Then one day he discovered that it was in the midst of suffering and confusion, that healing and transformation could take place, if he stopped trying to escape.

Read the story.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Making Companionship With God a Priority at All Costs

Thinking about how little rest African American slaves got, this  thought-provoking reflection offers an invitation for us to let go of all the “doing,” be still, and focus our attention on enjoying God.

Read the reflection.

From Renovare.

Religious Coinage

We misunderstand the biblical story about Jesus driving the money-changers out of the temple. It is not justification for losing our tempers and being angry with those who differ from us. It is about everyone’s access to God.

Read the reflection.

From Fr. Ron Rolheiser.

I Double Dare You

the edges of things are always deceptive.
because we are taught to believe
in endings and beginnings.
 
but the truth is:
There Are No Borders.

Read the rest of the poem.

From Daily Good.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.

Gathered Wisdom, June 11, 2024

Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey.  From The Wisdom Years.

Take a few moments to contemplate the question: “What gifts do I bring to share with my Earth family?” Go within and take an inventory of all the qualities that make you who you are …. Today, commit to seeking new ways to open up the gift you are by sharing it with others. 

-Dennis Merritt Jones, The Art of Being

From Well for the Journey

Sacred Mess of Nature

A seed grows into a flower through the mud and mess of nature without questioning nature’s plan. In the same way, “We can only meet what is truly here now, deeply and earnestly, and choose to keep opening to what is,” says writer Lucy Grace.

Read the reflection.

From Awakin.

Nutritious Food of Life

A blind man went traveling alone. When people realized that he was blind they invited him to squeeze things as a way of perceiving them. So it is in our lives: we may have to “squeeze” life to find the reality of it.

Read the reflection.

From Terry Hershey’s Sabbath Moment.

When Fear is All Around

Our society seems to be in the grip of fear these days, not unlike the fear the disciples experienced when the storm came up while they were fishing (Matthew 8:23-27). “Our country is more polarized than at any time in recent memory,” says Bro. David Vryhof, and fear is the result.

Read the sermon.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

Sitting in Silence

How must we pray? Sit down. Sit down alone. Sit down alone in silence.

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

How must we pray? Sit down. Sit down alone. Sit down alone in silence.

Some Advice on Prayer from an Old Master

Fr. Ron Rolheiser recalls a seminary professor of great wisdom who taught that at the least we must pray the Lord’s Prayer every day. It is, says Rolheiser, both a challenge and a consolation.

Read the reflection.

From Ron Rolheiser.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.

Gathered Wisdom, June 4, 2024

Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey.  From The Wisdom Years.

Be Brave
Little Things
Still Matter Most

Naomi Shihab Nye, Voices in the Air
Found at Well for the Journey

Practicing Light in the Darkness as We Age

Sometimes, getting older feels like the “dark night of the soul” that St. John of the Cross wrote about. Most significantly, says Alice Fryling, “the dark night is not a sign of failure or weakness but a means of growth—growth that happens through surrendering.”

Read the reflection.

From the De Pree Center at Fuller Seminary.

The Way of a Pilgrim

The Apostle Paul calls us to “Pray without ceasing”  in his first letter to the Thessalonians (5:17). But how exactly do we do that when there are so many worldly demands on our time?

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Permission to be Sad

“Today neither our culture nor our churches give us sufficient permission to be sad,” asserts Fr. Ron Rolheiser. But sometimes our soul is telling us to be sad, and we best pay attention.

Read the reflection.

From the blog of Fr. Ron Rolheiser.

Fox-Walking

Fox tracks are almost always in a single straight line. That is because the gait of a fox is such that their back paws land exactly in the print of their front paws. “It speaks to me of purpose and direction,” says  Deacon Joanna Seibert. “So, what stride, direction, and pace do I strive to follow?” she asks.

Read the reflection.

From the blog of Joanna Seibert.

Longing for a Palliative World

It was sitting around a picnic table where Courtney Martin found neighbors who practiced palliative care with her demented father, just by being kind and caring.

Read the story.

From The Examined Family.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.

Gathered Wisdom, May 28, 2024

Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey.  From The Wisdom Years.

Both the gospels and science are showing us the potential of finding short interludes of time to be still, to let go, and to create that nanosecond of pause that can open us to the power of God in us to transform our lives and the world around us.
-Caroline Oakes, Practice the Pause

Synchronicity

Have you ever been feeling blue and lonely when suddenly your best friend calls? Carl Jung called it synchronicity.  We call it “a God thing.”

Read the short reflection.

From Joanna Seibert.

Mastering the Art of Forgiveness

We’ve been told over and over that the person most being harmed when we refuse to forgive is us. But, says Dr. Robert Leichtman, forgiveness is more than demonstrating our good manners in words and gestures of kindness.

Read the essay.

From Insight Timer.

Life-changing Witness: The Feast of St Alban

The story says that St. Alban was converted to Christianity by watching and listening to a priest at prayer. Perhaps the Christianity that we show by our lives will bring others into God’s kingdom in ways we may never know.

Read the reflection.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

Knowing Our Neighbors

Do we more easily care for our neighbors whom we know than for total strangers? Do we not recognize the dignity of every person in each of them? Can we at least not look away?

Read the meditation. 

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

When Birds Nest in the Doorway, Go Out the Window

What would you do if mama birds were sitting on nests above both of the doors into your house? This family grabbed a ladder and went in and out the kitchen window.

Read the story.

Found in Daily Good.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.

Gathered Wisdom, May 21, 2024

Marjorie George

A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey.  From The Wisdom Years.

No one ever knows what divine narrative God may be writing with the crooked lines of someone’s struggles, misdeeds, and omissions. 

-John O’Donohue, Eternal Echoes
From Well for the Journey

The Day the Wind Blew and the Church Grew

Brother David Vryhof reminds us that there are two Pentecost events in scripture. The first occurred when Jesus breathed on his disciples on the night of his resurrection. A gentle giving. (Jn 20:22). The second, in the Book of Acts, was a violent event (2:1-21). Are we brave enough to light a fire under the Church?

Read the sermon.

From Society of St. John the Evangelist.

Welcome the Holy Spirit

It is only by living in the spirit that Jesus’ disciples – and we – can do what Jesus did. Richard Rohr translates Jesus’ invitation to “Be compassionate, just the way your Father is compassionate” (Luke 6:36). 

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Consecrated by Circumstance and Need

Moses would rather have been left alone to tend to his sheep. Send Aaron instead, he said to God. But God had need of Moses; he was chosen for the job because he had seen his people’s suffering.

Read the reflection.

From Ron Rolheiser.

Music, a Place of Sanctuary

Terry Hershey recalls that during the Bosnian War, Serbs surrounded the city of Sarajevo. Even while the war raged and people were killed, even in the midst of gunfire, members of the city orchestra brought their instruments into the town square, where they played day after day. Did they have some internal fortitude that the rest of us do not?

Read the reflection.

From Sabbath Moment.

A Further Baptism

God gives God’s holy spirit not to those who are worthy, for none of us is worthy. God gives God’s spirit to those who want it, says Richard Rohr.

Read the reflection.

From Center for Action and Contemplation.

Gathered Wisdom is an offering of The Wisdom Years, a ministry devoted to the spiritual journey of the last third of our lives.

If this post was forwarded to you, sign up to receive Gathered Wisdom in your email by subscribing at wisdomyears.org.

To learn more visit our website.