Posted on

An Invitation

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

Jesus Christ – the Message, Matthew 11:28-30

IMG_1613

Learning to live

in the unforced rhythms of grace

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion/the pressure of work/the stress of family life?

It seems so hard to find any real rest these days.  We rush about from one thing to another, and life never seems to stop.  It is so easy to feel burned out.

That is why I so love this invitation.

And I think it is an invitation to all of us.

Not just those who claim to be Christians.

Not just those who are super-spiritual and somehow above the rest of us.

This is an invitation for anyone – Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Atheist, Agnostic, or just plain not sure.

It is an invitation for anyone who is just feeling tired.

 

 

Come and take a real rest

Learn to live freely and lightly

Discover the unforced rhythms of grace

 

Posted on

Inheritance and Idolatry

bookThe common interpretation of the word ‘inheritance’ is ‘what you get from your parents when they die’. In reality, though, an inheritance is far more than the material possessions left to you by your parents. What a child inherits from her parents is richer, deeper, and more profound than a sum of money. Who you are and what you become is a product of your inheritance: both the genes that are passed on to you, setting your potential, and the environment that you grow up in – your parents’ attitudes and behaviour, your wider family, and your influences outside the family – all combine to mould you into what you finally become.

No matter how hard we may try not to, as parents we inevitably pass on some of our values to our children. If what we value is riches, a comfortable life with all we could need or wish for, that is what our children will inherit – along with the binding greed, the fear of loss, and the indifference to the needs of others that such idolatry brings with it. If what we value is achievement, status, and power, that is what our children will inherit – along with the low self-esteem, the constant striving to be good enough, the bullying, and the exploitation that come with that idolatry. If what we seek is pleasure and indulgence, an easy life, fun and action, and a wide circle of friends, we will pass that on to our children – along with the emptiness that so often sneaks in with this idolatry, the fear of pain, and the loneliness of absent love.

Growing up to be a child, chapter 10

 

In this latest contemplative guide to Growing up to be a Child, we reflect on what we have inherited from our parents, both good and bad, and what we in turn may be passing on to our children…

Click here to go to the latest contemplative guide to Chapter 10 of Growing up to be a Child.

 

Posted on

Attachment: a contemplative companion to chapter 7 of Growing up to be a child

Esther 1992Chapter seven of Growing up to be a child explores a child’s social development, how she learns to relate to other people, and in particular, the importance of attachment relationships:

In essence, attachment refers to a close emotional proximity between one person and another. We see this most clearly between a baby and her mother. The attachment bond provides security for the baby, along with emotional closeness that works both ways. Interestingly, attachment only really becomes significant in the context of separation. Indeed, the very purpose of attachment is to provide a secure base from which the developing child can explore the world; its ultimate goal is to enable independence. This is really quite important.

Continue reading “Attachment: a contemplative companion to chapter 7 of Growing up to be a child”

Posted on

Humanness: a contemplative companion to Chapter 4 of Growing up to be a child

This contemplation, based on chapter 4 of Growing up to be a child, explores what it means to be a human being.

 

Esther 2002006In his gospel, Luke recounts how the child Jesus ‘grew in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and with the people.’  Luke’s description suggests four domains or areas in which children grow and develop into adults: mental development (‘wisdom’), physical development (‘stature’), spiritual development (‘favour with God’) and social development (‘favour with the people’)…

 

 

 

 

One of the most powerful aspects of Judaism and Christianity is that all these elements of our humanity are combined in our relationship to God. We are not just spiritual beings temporarily housed in physical bodies. We are human beings: physical, mental, social, and spiritual.

This is reflected in the great Shema prayer in Deuteronomy: ‘Shema Yisrael Adonai eloheinu Adonai ehad’[4] (‘Hear O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one’).[5] The prayer affirms the unity of God and his relationship to his people. It goes on to focus on our response to God: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’[6] This response comes from the totality of our humanness.

Pause for a while; reflect; celebrate who you are – a wonderful person, body, mind, heart and soul.

Click here to go to the contemplative companion to Chapter 4 of Growing up to be a child.

Posted on

Love: a contemplative companion to chapter 3 of Growing up to be a child

Our world is fragmented:

creatures disconnected from creation,

nations torn by powerful interests,

families broken by arrogance and addiction,

children crushed by violence and abuse,

nature spoiled by thoughtless consumption.

 

sieger koder clown

 

In this contemplation, while receiving God’s love for ourselves, we cry out to God – Earth Maker, Pain Bearer, Life Giver – for all those who do not or cannot feel that love.

 

Click here to go to the contemplative companion to chapter 3 of Growing up to be a child

Posted on

Growing up to be a child: a contemplative companion

In Growing up to be a child I have explored what Jesus might have meant when he invited each of us to become like a little child.  This is a radical and challenging invitation, one that calls us to a whole new process of development, one in which our heart and soul, and perhaps ultimately our body and mind too, will become all that our Creator intended them to be.

If we are going to take this challenge seriously, it surely cannot mean just reading about it, thinking how good and inspiring Jesus’ teaching is.  Jesus himself challenged us not just to hear his words, but also to put them into practice (Luke 6: 46-49).

But any authentic response to Jesus’ words has to stem from an encounter with the living God, the one who loves us as a child.

one candle 3

 

With that in mind, I am developing a contemplative companion to the book.  Continue reading “Growing up to be a child: a contemplative companion”

Posted on

Dabbling with Ducks

All along the backwater,

Through the rushes tall,

Ducks are a dabbling,

Up tails all!

 

Ducks’ tails, drakes’ tails,

Yellow feet a-quiver,

Yellow bills all out of sight

Busy in the river.

 

– Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

 

 

I love Eddie Askew’s ability to take something as simple and as laughable as ducks dabbling, and draw deep spiritual truths from it.  Apparently the verb, ‘to dabble’ is used to describe a duck’s activity in feeding, head down, tail up, grazing on the plant life just below the surface of the water:

 Maybe we should all dabble a bit more.  Try to get below the surface of life and take hold of some of the possibilities that could open up if we just went a little bit deeper.  And, who knows, maybe one day we’ll be ready to dive.

– Eddie Askew, Dabbling with Ducks. TLM publishing, 2007