Our Daily Baths

John baptized with water, but not many days hence, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Before and during the time of Christ, the Jews entered the temple between two huge vats, or "baths:"  one contained water and one contained the sacrificial blood.  So, too, we enter the temple of God's presence through blood ----the death of our "flesh," or the natural man, which is crucified with Jesus on the cross----and through water, or the new life given by the Spirit of God.  We enter through the death of the old man and the birth of the new.  Paul says, We are dead to sin, but alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Both processes are continuous and on-going.  Daily, the "works of the flesh" die within us, and the Spirit Himself prays within us and gives us the spirit and nature of the Christ.  In the letter to the Galatians, Paul shows us both natures:

Now the works of the flesh are obvious:  immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.  ... By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

I remember a great lesson given to me by a counselor at the Cenacle.  For years, I had attempted Transcendental Meditation, Yoga, Unitarianism, and a host of other techniques to keep my life from spinning out of control.  When I finally broke, emotionally, and went to the Cenacle to rest for a couple of days, a sister there said to me, Gayle, you cannot give yourself peace.

I don't know why this was such a revelation to me, but it was as if a light had entered my soul with those words:  you cannot give yourself peace.  Certainly, if it were possible, I would have done it.  Now I know that peace is a gift of the Spirit of God; He alone has it to bestow, and we have only to ask. 

Both the bath of blood and the bath of water are gifts--we cannot on our own either put to death the works of the flesh, which have been bred into us with our DNA, nor can we "do" the works of the Spirit of God.  Everything is received from above, and it is daily received, not once and forever.

Paul says, If we live in the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.  He will accomplish in us all that the Father wills.

Advent

As a child, I never "got" Advent.  Why were we pretending to await the birth of the Savior when He had already come?  Why were we re-creating the 400 years between the time of the last prophet and the coming of the Christ Child to Bethlehem?  I never felt like I was "waiting" for Jesus when I was receiving Him in Communion every Sunday---waiting for Christmas, yes, but not for Jesus.

Now I know that as a child, my world was complete.  How could I know all the dark, cold, empty corners that existed in the world outside my own little nest?  How could I know that in my own heart there were corners and caves without light, without life, without warmth?  Now I know what it means to wait:  to look at the homeless lying on a cold sidewalk, to look at countries whose leaders imprison and persecute its citizens for dissenting views, to see within myself areas that need healing and warmth from the only One who can reach into the chaos and bring His Own Light. 

The world--my world--- is waiting to be born, is waiting for the entrance of God in the person of the Christ Child, is waiting for the One Who does not mind being born in the darkest, coldest, most isolated corner of the world---the One Who will enter a cave and light it up with His Presence. 

The world is waiting; we are not in the 400 years before Christ.  We are in the moment before He arrives.  Come, O Come, Emmanuel--God With Us!

loaves and fishes

A cleaning woman where I worked once gave me a deep purple glass-blown single-stemmed flower that had the edge of one petal broken off.  I thought it was beautiful, and kept it in a vase on my desk until I retired.  I still have that flower, and whenever I see it, it still reminds me of her love and friendship, and of the joy with which she gave me that flower.  I knew it was the best she had to give, and in my eyes, it spoke volumes of her love for me.

What we have to offer God is like that flawed flower--broken, perhaps fished out of a trash can (in the eyes of the world, fit only to be thrown away).  But it is the best we have to give, and in His eyes, our gift is eternally beautiful because it is offered to Him in love. 

The Littlest Angel, a classic book for children (and for adults) tells of a newly-arrived-in-heaven small boy who misses the box hidden under his bed back home---a box containing a butterfly, a frog, and a baseball glove, a rock he found one day, and other small treasures.  He asks the head angel if he might have that box, and his wish is granted.  When it comes time for the birth of Jesus on earth, all the angelic choir prepare their best gifts for the celebration.  The littlest angel shyly offers his box of treasures to the new-born child.  Of all the gifts of heaven, it is his gift alone that is chosen to be illumined forever as the Star of Bethlehem. 

That book is a charming tale, but once a real boy on earth offered Jesus a basket containing two fish and five loaves, and his small gift fed 5000 men, women, and children.  There is, in truth, no telling what God will do with our very small gifts to Him.

Gift of the Father

Why was Jesus anxious for us to receive the "Gift of the Father"?  (He spent almost the entire night before He died talking about the HOly Spirit, and before ascending into heaven, His last words were, "Wait for the Gift of the Father.)

What is the Gift of which He spoke?  What can the Holy Spirit do for us?

1.  The Spirit of the Lord hovers/ broods over the chaos of our lives in order to bring light and order, balance and harmony.  He delivers us out of the hands of our enemies who are too strong for us and who threaten to overwhelm us (Ps. 18).

2.  The Spirit reveals to us the face of Jesus:  He sheds abroad in our hearts His word and His light.  He illumines all the dark places and brings to light our sins that we may be healed.

3.  He trains us for battle and builds up strength within us.

4.  He teaches us how to pray, and Himself prays within us.

5.  He makes known to us the ways of God and gives us wisdom regarding the hearts of others.  He makes us "see" the truth hidden before the foundation of the world.  He Himself is the truth, but He reveals Himself only in love and in an I-thou relationship.  No one can know the truth except that the Spirit of God brings them into relationship with the Father through the heart of His Son.

The Presence

All things in heaven and earth are filled with the Presence of God.  He has filled the earth with His wonders; what is in heaven cannot be imagined.  He has made us to respond to beauty at every turn.  In the smallest things, there is design and wonder; in the largest, there is grandeur and scope.  How blessed are those who can see Him in the work of His hands!

Joy

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior,

Because He who is mighty has done great things for me

Mary's song is the song of one overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, the One who opens our eyes to see the wonders of God acting in us and for us; the One who makes our spirits sing.  Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot even "see" the kingdom of God to rejoice in it. 

Saul fell to the ground under the annointing of the Holy Spirit, who made Jesus real and present to him.  From that time on, Paul rejoiced in the Lord.  Philip baptized the eunuch, who "went on his way rejoicing."

If we are not rejoicing in the Lord, we have not yet been annointed by the Holy Spirit.  If we cannot see the mighty things the Lord has done for us, we have not yet received the fullness of His Spirit in us.

St. Dominic Savio said this:  Joy is the unmistakeable sign of God's presence in us.  Jesus said at the Last Supper:  I tell you these things that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Can we even begin to imagine the joy of God, who "laughs in the face of His enemies"?  If we are not full of joy, let us not even hesitate to ask for this gift.  It is a gift God wants to give us, a gift Jesus died that we might have.

Seeking direction

He leads me in right paths for His Name's sake (Ps. 23)

Though we ourselves do not know our right hands from our left, He is able to guide us and teach us His ways.  Thought we cannot tell right from wrong, He is able to lead us in right paths by the Spirit He places in us:  whether you walk to the left or to the right, you will hear a voice behind you saying, 'not that way; this way'  (Is.30:21) And then you will know that I am your God, Who teaches you the way in which to walk, Who gives you songs in the night.

Christ gave His disciples two commands (after the first, which was to love one another).  He told them to "go into all nations and teach..." but first, to "wait for the Gift of the Father."  If we go before we wait, we find our own paths.  But if we wait, the Spirit Himself will send us forth with His own power and energy, to find the paths of God.

Childhood dreams

As a child, I wanted to be a missionary.  Now I know that I am no more equipped to preach the Gospel than I am to fly to the moon without assistance.  I do not know what is in the hearts and minds of other people, nor do I know the words that will touch them and bring them to know and trust in the one God, abandoning the gods of the universe to whom they now give allegiance.

What I could not know as a child is that there are "powers and principalities" (Eph. 6) of this world that hold men in their grasp.  Satan is a liar and the father of lies, but he appears as an angel of light to those whose minds and eyes are blinded by what he promises.

Jesus had to fast in the desert 40 days and 40 nights to come to the end of Himself and to be endued with the very wisdom and power of God to overcome the prince of this world.  Be we think we can do battle in our own strength and wisdom.  Paul advises us to "put on the armor of God: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God), and the shoes of the Gospel of peace."  And then he tells us to stand, knowing we are clothed with the power of God Himself, given to us in Christ.  He (Christ) has already met and defeated the prince of this world, and the battle is no longer ours to fight.

Conversion is the work of God.  We must, like Abraham, speak with God about His plans for the souls of those we love.  Abraham could not save Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah -- the angels themselves had a tough go of it--- but he could and did trust God to protect and draw out his family from the destruction of the city.  We pray to the God Who hears our prayer and Who is not powerless to save. We know that when we pray according to His will, He is ready to answer us and to grant our heart's desires.  Will He refuse us anything we ask according to His own Spirit of truth and righteousness?

Worship

When we worship God, our eyes are opened to see clearly; our ears are opened to hear the words of God, and our minds are opened to knowledge from the Most High (Numbers 24:16).  Luke 24 tells us that "their minds were opened to comprehend the Scriptures"  -- in fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, in communion/ conversation with Christ.

Prayer aligns our spirits with the Spirit of God, harmonizing our desires with the desires of God.  Then we can ask in confidence for what we want, knowing that we have been formed in God's own image and likeness.  No wonder Jesus said we must be born again to worship in Spirit and in truth.  Just as we once bore the image of our earthly father, so now let us bear the image of God.

The Breath of God

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim.3:16)

Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in His paths." 
       The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Micah 4:2).

Why does "Salvation come from the Jews" except that they "ascended the mountain of the Lord?"  They worshipped the true God, and He spoke to them.  Worship is indispensable to hearing the voice of God.  It is clear that Scripture is used by God for teaching us His ways, for training us in truth and righteousness; that, not only was it originally "God-breathed," but it continues to be God-breathed in those who "ascend the mountain of the Lord."

Jesus said, "No man can come to me unless the Father draw him."  God is still drawing men to His Word, His teaching, His truth, His way.  He is still breathing His Spirit into the hearts and minds of men:  Then He opened their minds to understand the words [He spoke].

If we want to receive the very words of God, they still must be received Spirit to spirit, from the very heart, mind, and breath of God Himself.  Nothing else will do.  If we do not first "ascend the mountain" of the Lord [to worship Him], we cannot hear His words of spirit and of truth.  If God is not "breathing" into us, we cannot receive His words to us.  Like Adam formed from the dust of the earth, they are there, but they are not alive to us.

When the breath of God blows into us, it blows away all that is not God, all of our false gods and pre-conceived ideas of God.  Nicodemus approached the "mountain of the Lord" when he came to Jesus at night, and Jesus clearly told him that without the Spirit, he could not even see the kingdom of God.  I believe that Nicodemus was experiencing at that moment the breath of God, the Spirit moving within him, and Jesus' words were explaining/ revealing to him what he was feeling.

Like Nicodemus, let us come to Jesus, ascend the mountain of the Lord, that we might receive from Him the very words of God:

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel...declares the Lord.

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God,

and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor or a man his brother,

saying, "Know the Lord," because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,

declares the Lord   (Jer. 31:33-34).

God's Delight

According to Mother Teresa, God delights in us; not only does He love us---He likes us, despite all our flaws and failings.  He thirsts to be with us, to spend time in our presence.  And it doesn't matter whether we are being "good" or not; He just wants to look at us with favor.  He can make us good, but He cannot make us spend time with Him or pay attention to Him.

Each morning, I grab a cup of coffee and visit my garden.  Walking slowly and attentively, I make the entire round of the property.  This is my creation; since Katrina, I have carefully chosen each plant, rid the beds of stubborn weeds, and prepared the soil.  Now I want to see if my plants are thriving where I put them, or if they need to be moved to a more nurturing environment.  Each one has a name, and I know each by name.  Each has its own characteristics; each has its own delight; each has its own weakness.  Some will bloom wherever I put them; others need special conditions to coax them to be their best.

Recently on my rounds, I noticed a lantana that seemed to be struggling in the wet soil and partially shaded garden where I had it planted. Its leaves were curling up and turning grey on the edges, and I saw only one weak bloom at the end of a branch.  That day, I pulled it out of that bed and moved it to a recently cleared spot in full sun with drier soil.  Ever since then, the lantana has been "jumping for joy," in the words of my 5-year-old granddaughter.  As I arrive at its new spot each morning, I can almost see it laughing with multiple bright blooms, almost too many for the few little branches it now has.  It smiles at me, and I smile back at it, knowing that it is now in a place that makes it shine.

Nothing brings more joy to a gardener than to see his/her plants thrive and be happy where they are.  When they are obviously not happy, or when they are struggling to survive, the gardener immediately diagnoses the problem and goes to work on it, shoring up weak branches, composting its roots, or even moving it if necessary.  Truly, the gardener, like the Good Shepherd, will "leave the 99" to pay attention to the one most in need of care.

Each plant is loved and cared for according to its own nature and requirements.  Tall strong trees are loved for their shade and dependability and movement in the wind.  But small fragile flowers are loved for their bright colors and delicate scent.  They are not treated "equally" by the Gardener, but both are deeply loved and appreciated for the gifts they bring to the entire garden.  He does not ask the rose to be an oak, nor does He ask the oak to be a rose.  Be who you are, He says, and ask for what you need.  I am your God; I will provide.

Walking With God, Sitting With God, Standing with God

Abraham "stood before God" pleading for the lives of those in Sodom who were just, begging God not to destroy the city for the sake of 10 who were just.

But, like us, he could not have done so unless God had first revealed to his friend Abraham what He was about to do.  And God could not have revealed His plans to Abraham unless Abraham had first "walked" with God and "sat" with God.

Abraham's journey from his father's hous to a land "I will show you" taught him to walk with God.  At every step along the way, God revealed His Presence and His friendship/ support/ love/ fidelity to Abraham:  I am here; fear not.  Walking together, they became friends; Abraham learned that he could trust and rely upon God, Who would not fail or abandon him.

Sitting with God under the shade of the great tree at Mamre, Abraham first heard of God's plan for Isaac--a name which means "laughter/ joy:"  By this time next year...

Knowing God intimately, sure of His nature and friendship, Abraham finally had the boldness to "stand before Him."  Like the priests entering the Tabernacle wearing the ephod/ breastplate which bore the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, we too enter the Presence of God bearing on our hearts the names, lives, situations of those we love.  Standing before the Divine Presence, knowing Him and His heart of love, friendship, and divine compassion, we pray:

Let Your Face shine upon them, O Lord.... let them see your radiance; open their eyes and bring them out of darkness into Your marvelous light.  Untie their shackles and set them free to praise You, their Creator and great Lover. 

Poisoned Apples

Sin is recognized by the pain it causes.  (Julian of Norwich)

At the moment of sin, we do not see ahead to effects it will bring.  The famous "poison apple" of folklore appears on the surface so perfect and delectable , but it holds in its core the seeds of death and destruction.  Without wisdom, we can see only the surface of things.  That is why we need instruction from God, who sees all things and who knows the end from the beginning.

"Thou shalt not...."  And we, in our ignorance, ask, "Why not?"  What we cannot see is the pain we will cause to ourselves and others.  Inevitably, man must taste of the tree of experience/knowledge of good and evil before he believes God.  We are proud; we are independent; we can make our own decisions; no one can tell us what to do--we are like gods. 

Wendell Berry once wrote, "Man always thinks he can release a few demons into the world and then control them."  When we are in charge, we create the chaos that eventually overwhelms and destroys us.  When God is in charge, He "wipes away every tear" and "makes all things new again."

Happiness consists in movement--the brain is ultimately designed for action.  We reflect on incoming information:  What does this mean?  How does it connect to what is already known and recognized?  How can I categorize/ identify/ name this?

Once we "know" what it means or what it is called, the executive center of the brain takes over to determine action/ planning:  What do I do with this information?  How do I use if (for survival/ advancement/ growth?  Once the plan is formed, the motor center of the brain acts, and we receive feedback, or new information about our deduced meaning and plan. 

As we move, or act, we discover new things along the way, and that discovery brings pleasure.

So God continually calls us forward, "out of the empty way of life lived by your fathers" (Romans, I think).  We move on Abraham's journey from what we already know/ are used to/ toward what we cannot guess, what we do not know.  We move toward discovery, delight in the revelation of the new:  "Morning by morning, you open my ears to hear your word/ instruction/ revelation"  (have to locate the reference).

We are designed to move forward; it is when we refuse to move, when we are afraid to move, when we are stuck in all we "know" that we are unhappy, for the past has us chained to itself.   God's path for us is a journey of constant discovery and delight, of breaking free from what holds us bound.

All God asks of us is that we allow Him the freedom to dwell fully in us and to act in us.  God is He Who acts:  He eternally and always creates, gives life, fills the earth with His fullness;  He eternally and always redeems, re-creates what has been damaged, makes all things new again;  He eternally and always sanctifies, inspires, enlightens, breathes life and animates, unites, gives hope and enfolds us in love

No particle of creation is too lost that He canot restore it; no sin is so great that He cannot redeem and make new what has been destroyed; no soul has grown so cold that He cannot warm it.  Why must man feel always lost and abandoned when the Spirit of God begs entry and permission to act within us?

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the sorrowful with the warmth of your love!

Friends and Lovers

Do we enjoy God?  Do we take delight in His ways and laugh at the days to come because He is our lover and husband and shepherd and provider?  Do we walk with Him, sit with Him, stand with Him in all things? Do we study His face as a lover studies the beloved?  Do we marvel at His works and praise His beauty?  Are we friends and lovers of God? 

Only His own Spirit in us can produce these effects.  After God breathed into Adam His Ruah (breath, wind, spirit), Adam enjoyed God in the garden.  After Adam preferred knowledge of something else to intimacy with God, he hid from God in fear.  Ever since, man's natural reaction to God has been to hide his nakedness.  But lovers uncover themselves to one another without fear or shame, not because they are perfect and want to be admired, but because they are loved and because love sees perfection.  Let us uncover ourselves before God and delight in His love for us.  Perfect love casts out fear.

The power of stories

If I had never heard of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I would not have known to ask for it.  I would not have believed that God was still at work in the world today as He was at the time of Pentecost.  But in His great mercy, He sent to me a simple child to could testify to the power of God in her own life, and from her testimony, I was drawn to ask for the same power in my own life.  All of my education and "knowledge" had not led me to faith, but more to unbelief.  But seeing and hearing what God had done for this child brought me to faith. 

As in Scripture, it is not about scholarship, but about stories.  And the one thing each of us has is a story.  It's that simple:  here is what God has done for me.  He has delivered me out of the power of darkness into His marvelous light.  If we do not have a story, all our theology is in vain.

Here, also, is where we connect with one another--in our stories.  Our beliefs may not coincide, but our stories connect.  And the man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument.

Jesus said to the man who wanted to follow him:  Go home and tell what God has done for you.  Nothing can be more powerful than that.

Holy Shit

It is totally appropriate and good to give thanks for every working system and organ in the body, for when one system or organ begins to fail, the whole body begins to die.  A moment of real conversion for me early in life was in studying the excretory system of a frog when I was in college. 

I was alone in the lab on a Friday afternoon; the floor-to-ceiling windows opened to a gorgeous spring day in New Orleans, with a breeze blowing through the lab.  As I cut open the frog and began to trace the excretory system, I realized how perfectly the body functions to filter out non-nutrients and toxins and to store them without any thought on our part.  Finally, at the end of the process our conscious mind assumes control, and the poisons are expelled. 

At that moment, I was overcome with awe and appreciation of the intricate design of the human body, and I wanted to worship its Designer and Creator.

Often since then I have laughed at God's sense of humor in using the excretory system as a way to make me see and worship Him.  But someone has to see the beauty and design and be a voice of praise and thanksgiving for that system too, for if it fails to work as it should, the whole body fails.

Growing things

I want to be a fertile field that God has planted and tended.  The land does not determine what is planted upon it---that decision belongs to the tiller of the soil; nor does the land determine the times of growth and blossoming--that decision belongs to its creator.  The land remains obedient and quiet, hoping only to be cultivated and productive, not overrun with weeds and snakes.

Backing into the light

The Jehovah's Witnesses go to great lengths to explain away the plain sense of John 1:  The Word was with God and the Word was God.  If those words are not plain to the simple and lowly, if they were written only for Greek scholars, then they can benefit only those who are learned in Greek. But the insistence of the Witnesses actually drove me to investigate for myself what the Apostle John believed about Jesus:

Through Him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world

...though the world was made by Him, the world did not recognize Him.

No one has ever seen God, but the only (begotten) Son, who is at the Father's side, has made Him known.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.

For this reason, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbeth, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal to God.

(and Phil.2:5):  who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross.

Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Finally, in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus tells Satan: "The Lord, your God, shall you worship, and Him alone shall you serve."  However, after the Resurrection, the apostles worshipped Jesus just prior to the Ascension.

I read someplace that weeds help the flower roots go deeper than they could on their own.  I suppose I have to be grateful that the Jehovah's Witnesses are out there; in their own way, they make me find things I probably would have glossed over without their help:)

Wisdom

Prayer is spirit-to-Spirit communication with God; it goes beyond the thoughts of our minds, reaching into our very souls in ways we do not always understand or even comprehend how it occurs.  If we ask for wisdom, we will neither know that we have received it nor how it comes to us.  All we know is that something has happened to us that we ourselves did not cause to happen through study or contemplation. 

Wisdom arrives quietly, as a humble servant slipping in the back door of our hearts; she sets about her task before we even realize she is there.  We begin to see where she has been at work somehow after she has already rearranged and tidied up the disorder of our minds and emotions, when peace begins to reign instead of fear and turmoil, when the mind is at ease even in the midst of horrible events, when the Spirit of Jesus Himself says, "Peace, be still" in the midst of storms. 

Wisdom instructs her children all the days of their lives, bringing order out of chaos, just as she did at the beginning of time.  To pray is to invite wisdom as a guest in one's home and to be attentive to the aura of one's guest---never rude or insistent, but gentle and quietly resting in one's soul.