A joke. Ask how she might differ with Jesus, Anita Bryant responded -- Jesus passed a date tree barren of fruit. He could have, maybe should have, magically caused fruit to sprout, as with the loaves and fishes. He would not fruit the date! Whereas, I'd never date a fruit. Though Michelle Bachman married one.
I've not latched onto a sustainable spiritual discipline, one which I eagerly make the time and take the time to practice. I've started attending a weekly bible study breakfast. It's not terribly convenient, but at least one day has the possibility of an early start. Now almost 11, I've yet to get started today. Even this blog is kind of a dilatory exercise at the moment. I mostly dread my days, though once into them, there's never much to dread.
Anyhow, for years I've tried the weekly meditations on the Sunday readings from time to time. False starts each time. Not sure why I'm drawn here, if I can't dwell here, but here I come to visit again. First Sunday of Advent, year A. I've versed the Psalm, another practice I keep coming to visit. Psalm 122, Glad when they said to me, Hey -- Let's go to God's house. This is my visiting. He dwells, more than in most places, in our Canon of Scripture. "God's Word" implies things our culture of evangelical Christianity imputes -- plenary inspiration and such -- that I think profane rather than exalt Scripture. More blasphemy than profanity, I guess, to believe that God composed the Bible. Both, though. But God is not His House. He resides there. Carry on the metaphor, He my have lifted a rafter and nailed some siding, but the dwelling was erected by hands not His own.
I've reflected on my versifying. Pronoun attribution is something that keeps throwing me off in my exegesis. throwing others off, perhaps. Who is 'you' in verse 9? The city? The 'they' of verse 1? Some audience being sung to? In my verse, I made that you, whose well being I seek, to be rivals for God's favor. Beyond a certain threshold (indistinct reference to the city gates of verse 2), rivalry ought cease. Does it ever, though. Why cease? Because the city is commodious -- my take on verse 3. There's abundance to share, not scarcity to divide. Beyond a certain threshold, that is. There's justice, not contest. A place to seek, recognize, and enter. Only to visit, perhaps. But then again, perhaps to dwell.
I was moved to blog upon reading Romans 13:14, "make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." What better Scripture verse for an OA blog -- a powerless over gluttony blog. And at the very beginning of the Church calendar. The beginning of the beginning. Dawn approaches. Start each day with thoughts of gratitude, not gratification. Judith would like that word play --- Judith being an OA mentor. She's quite fond of wordplay.
The Gospel is a challenge to my way of thinking. A symptom of depression, which I've experienced a brief acuity of late (on top of the morning blues chronicity) is sometimes called hypervigilance. I want to read Matthew 24:43-44 in a way other than promoting hypervigilance. My reflections draw me toward an attitude of "God is good. Be careless of outcomes -- God owns those. Care for conduct, for its own sake." A bit of "consider the lilies." Can I appease an angry God? My brand of Christianity says NEVER!. But then, God's anger is nothing for me to fear. Why? Because I've been introduced to a different vision of God than the bearded sky-bully. And if that truly is the character of God, then so be it.
When preparing for the day that must come, what expectations? What preparations? What lay beyond that certain threshold? Do I store food and water and oil and batteries, like the wise virgins? Or do I bring only myself? Despite my investment in that latter proposition, I need this Advent to consider the former -- the need to sustain vigil in the face of disappointment.
I'm drawn in the end toward Eisenhower's great observation --- Plans are worthless, but planning is priceless.
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