A Deep Place of Contentment

What I have discovered is that the stillness is in my soul. It is a deep place of contentment in the path set before me and I walk it with confidence in the direction that has been set. It does not mean I do not stumble and fall, that is the way of life, it is the getting up and continuing that we are measured by. The stillness and knowing operate at a soul level that creates a foundation for the activeness of my life.

The “be-ing” is a way of viewing myself as a part of the new humanity that Christ calls us to live in and as. We are part of the kingdom of God, a group of people that live to see others operate in new found peace and vitality to pursue their dreams. Becoming a human being rather than merely a human doing is essential for our growth and well being. The doing is not the problem in itself but doing without being is empty of life-giving power. George Bernard Shaw gives us a wonderful sense of how to live fully being and fully doing.

"This is the true joy in life, The being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a great one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievance complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

Shaw gives us the four “beings” of life. These are the four “be’s” of being still and being empowered to fully life out our callings.
1. “Being used for a purpose”-when we are still before God, we are affirmed in our purpose in life. He communes with us to give us strength and direction.
2. “Being used for a great purpose”-seeing ourselves as part of Christ’s new humanity, we are involved in greatness as we follow Him.
3. “Being thoroughly worn out by the end”-we need to run the race with all we have, using the resources that we are given to act upon the call we have received.
4. “Being a force of nature”-the stillness of God is not passive, but powerfully connected to the creative forces that shaped our universe, our world and the transformation of our souls.

So it is with confidence that I share a part of my journey with you, that God will reveal his call upon your life and empower you to walk in the way he has set before you. Be still and know that you are an essential part of the creative work of God on the earth.

Wrestling with this notion

All of my adult life I have wrestled with this notion that we should be “still” before the Lord. When I am still, I fall asleep because I have been doing so much that exhaustion takes over when ever I stop. I have sought out much advice from those more mature in the faith and usually have received the comment that I am doing too much and should lighten the load I carry, and then I would be able to find stillness in the Lord. As you probably know, that has not been the answer that I have found for my life.

The following is a brief look at how I have come to terms with the energy level I have, the vision that drives me and the way I have found stillness in my life. I used to be accused of having multiple adrenaline glands and how unfair that is to others that move more slowly. I find that rather than comparing ourselves to others. We need to seek out what it is that God has called us to do and use whatever resources available to us to accomplish it. I have been gifted (and cursed, if you watch MONK on USA) with an active mind, where ideas never cease and the will to see them actualized. I have patience to pursue them over many years and the endurance to weather much criticism. When I finally stopped listening to advice that was contrary to how God has made me, I have found much peace.

In the cool of the day

It is no wonder that we crave the quietness of a garden. The air is filled with the scents of blossoms and the colors are a delight to our eyes. The mixture of light and shade, the arrangement of the plantings, the texture of the air, it is healing to our souls. A place of refuge, walled off, gated and closed except to the few we trust to linger with us for a brief time. We can be honest in our gardens, we choose what voices to listen to and we accept our limitations. The abundance of our failures makes for great fertilizer. As we forgive ourselves and others, the nutriants from the release fill our soil with potential for new growth. The seasons allow us to bloom with intensity, endure the heat of summer, let go of much in Autumn and rest deeply in the barren cold of winter. The garden becomes a rich metaphor for the wholeness of our souls we so desparately desire.

Word power

"In the beginning Elohim bara(ed)". A simple phrase. Like all stories, they tend to start at the beginning. And in that part of this story, God created (but the word for God here is plural). So what does it mean for there to be a plural God creating? The creative act has many elements: the idea, the editing, the material choices, the "hands on" activity, the critique, the reworking, the stepping back and evaluating the progress, the interaction with the work, and the final "it is finished" and then the resting after the work. Is this the pluralistic work of a mutifaceted God? The word bara, implies intense or loud creative power. The sound comes up from the diaphram with strength, latent with expectation. And then this multi-dimensional being is interested in joining with us in our creativity. Let us bara with Elohim.

Sap and cells

Recently I was admiring some trees due to the beautiful blossoms that adorned their branches. One tree in particular looked almost dead except for these brilliant yellow trumpet shaped flowers.

It struck me how easily we judge what is visible without knowing what lies under the surface. What looked to be a tree in its death throws was in fact, a tree preparing to give us an incredible visual treat.

I think people are like that, they do not always show what is being prepared inside. The sap is moving and cells are lining up for new growth of which there is no apparent clue of what is to come. This is faith in what is not seen, hope for what has been promised. Do we have the faith to trust in the work of our God below the surface, unseen, unknown, preparing to burst forth in due season?

What defines us?

As I have been contemplating shadows this week, I was struck by the awareness that without shadows we lose our defining visual realities. Imagine a simple line drawing of a smiley face, now think of a black and white photograph of someone's face. What is the difference? Both have rounded outer edges, a nose, eyes, and mouth, but the photograph has value, in art that means gradation of black to grays to white. It is this shadowing that shows the textural structure of our faces, the distinguishing shapes that allow us to identify each other. We move from generic cartoon images to idividuals with unique features that encase our personhood. It is the tension between light and shadow that brings out the humanity we all share in. The same basic elements in diverse arrangements, exposed by the light and defined by the areas of shadow.

Happy Birthday Dad

On January 11, 1920, Thomas Catling was born. He was raised in rural central California, he grew up on horseback-as comfortable in the saddle as behind the wheel of his truck, he served as a Marine in WWII, he operated cranes that built some of the most amazing buildings in downtown San Francisco, he died in May of 1984, he was my father. He now rests in the arms of Christ and I am thankful for all he gave me.