September 11, 2017 Chapter 3 A World of Meaning
Dear Fellow Pilgrims,
Long before I was a priest and a teacher at the High School level, I taught eighth grade at a parochial school in Indianapolis...Go SPN Chargers! Each year I would start he year with four different number patters on the four walls of the classroom. The first three were like the ones that started this chapter:
1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26... or 1, 4, 2, 5, 3, 6, 4... or 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21...
Then I added this one... 8, 5, 4, 1, 9, 7...
I would tell my students that the first student to complete all 4 puzzles would win a steak dinner at a local restaurant. No one ever got all four. I'll give you a chance before I reveal the answer next week. What do you think is the pattern to the last one?
I loved the following lines in this week's reading... "In John's Gospel, we are inspired to look for the pattern in a poor man traveling across the land with a band of students and friends, telling stories, confronting injustice, helping people in need. If we learn and trust the wisdom that comes in creation and in Jesus we will live our lives in a new way, John says." I have always maintained that most Christians know about Jesus but few know Jesus. I like that McLaren invites us to find the pattern in the Word made flesh...to find the pattern of the life of Jesus.
It is easy for me to give into other kinds of patters...the pattern of the good pastor....the pattern of a generous friend...the pattern of a dutiful priest...Sometimes those patterns fit the pattern of the Word mad flesh and sometimes they don't. How much better of a pastor, or friend, or priest would I be if I truly followed the pattern of Jesus?
I try now to live my life a little bit differently by rooting myself in the one who gives me life!
Fr. Tom
(PS...Only a couple of people have been posting thoughts...How about a few more of you jumping in and sharing your thoughts. If you aren't sure how, give me a call and I'll help you out.)
I take this week's readings from the perspective of oneness with the Source and its relation to the battle between scarcity and abundance.
ReplyDeleteI was raised with a scarcity mindset (rivalry). I am now learning about abundance and oneness with the Word.
As I read the proposed scriptures I ended with the phrase "in the beginning was the Word, Wisdom was with it, and they both became flesh."
In Jesus, I can see the evidence of wisdom. A mindset that fueled the pattern of giving, regardless.
Its something I struggle with because there's a side of me that wonders, what am I taking away from when I choose to give something of me to others?
How can I continue creating when most people around me are trying to get everything for themselves?
There's something about being so connected with the Word that generates enough perspective for me to see that by staying the course of oneness I will never be in lack.
I find it challenging to maintain this state of mind.