POST ON GREEN WOMAN

Fishing in a meadow over on Green Woman.

OF GNATS AND SPECKS

“You strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.” Jesus in Jesus of Nazareth. He was just a little…upset with certain Temple officials at the time. The allusion is similar to “you keep pointing out the speck in your neighbors eye while ignoring the four by four in your own.”

I was reading some reviews of The Shack on Amazon and came across a comment with the curious (to me) assertion that contemplative prayer was “unbiblical.” Googling the subject led to some interesting websites. I find this curious since the material I've read on praying the office style of prayer is all based on the Bible. Some may add a hymn or short piece for meditation but they all have at least one reading from each testament and a Psalm.Depending on the monastery or convent the prayer cycle might go through the all the Psalms in as little as two weeks or take up to a month. And Kathleen Norris comments in Cloister Walk that the Abbey (St. John’s I think) where she’s an oblate would go through whole books i.e. Jeremiah in the run up to Eastertide, at a time. Personally, I love contemplative prayer and the Desert Fathers were praying it before it was decided exactly what the Bible was. So, has anyone run into this and what is the basis for these opinions?

This started a discussion thread in the Creation Spirit community I joined a couple of months ago. There have been some good responses and I’ve learned a lot. Maybe more than I really wanted to.

I’ve had to take myself firmly in hand and decide that researching the critics is not only futile but depressing. Nothing that I or anyone else outside their communities will change their minds. I don’t really mind that we don’t agree on how to approach God/dess in prayer. It’s that they seem so…..bleak and joyless. Heck, the different authors don’t even agree among themselves. It’s an interesting and dare I say arrogant world they seem to inhabit. Two thousand years of tradition out the door. Forever seeking to correct the imperfections they perceive in everyone around them. But, it isn’t for me.

I AM YOUR MOTHER

I AM YOUR MOTHER

I am your mother, do not neglect me!
Children protect me-I need your trust;
My breath is your breath, my death is your death,
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

I am your nurture; do not destroy me!
Love and enjoy me, savor my fruit;
My good is your good, my food is your food,
Water and flower, branches and root.

I am your lodging, do not abuse me!
Tenderly use me, soothing my scars;
My health is your health, my wealth is your wealth,
Shining with promise, set among stars.

The Creator is our maker, do not deny,
Challenge, defy or threaten this place.
Life is to cherish, care, or we perish!
I am your mother tears on my face.

Adapted from a prayer by Shrley Erena Murray in a Methodist Womens’s study guide for mom's UMW fellowship.

FACEBOOK'S GOT RELIGION-OR DANGER SMALL RANT AHEAD

Or at least it looks that way all of a sudden. There's been a spike the "let's see if there are five million people on Facebook who believe in God." or "let's see how many on Facebook are true Christians" push like style entries on my page.


Hey, I do believe.......most of the time. But, tracing the links back gets me to Evangelical style websites with all the depth of my oversize mug when the tea runs out. Safe to say I haven't pushed any "like" buttons. I also suspect that if most of these folks got a look at my to be read sooner rather than later pile the door would close very quickly. Let's see; there's Thomas Merton, Matthew Fox and a guy named Tom Cowan: He's a shaman. There's also a book on Paganism and an autobiography of Hildegard of Bingen. The stack runs heavy to heretics or at least to people who believed in tipping over the pot to see what would fall out.


I guess what irritates me the most is the shallowness these links. For one thing what I believe or don't believe is between me and the Creator of All Things. Two, I strongly suspect that my vision of the Almighty will not agree with theirs. Three, like? I like corn on the cob, squirrels and daisies. I really like the cats. I love mom, my family and chocolate. Not necessarily in that order. But, Whoever or Whatever created the universe isn't exactly in the same league. Four, you can't put the Creator on a bumper sticker or capture Him/Her in a cute little quote. He/She won't fit.

SUMMER

We didn’t have much of a summer. Tonight, with two weeks to go until the Autumn Equinox, summer is fading. And, I’m thinking, not so fast buddy, I’ve got tomatoes and peppers to ripen.

Started cutting herbs today. The first of the basil with go in the dryer tomorrow. I’ll pick some more but I want to leave some of the flowers for the bees. Same with the mint and oregano. Haven’t seen a lot of bees this year; and we have enough to share. The pineapple sage didn’t bloom but there’s plenty of leaves to dry. It’ll be interesting to mix the sage with the orange mint and see what kind of tea results. The lemon cucumbers are doing well and the Franken zucchini have been fairly productive. The leave on the plants are big enough to provide an umbrella for a small child.

Had a deer make its way around one of the rhodies the other morning while I was taking a break from weeding. He looked at me, I looked at him and he eventually ambled on his way. These black tails are so small. If I could get close enough we’d probably be nose to nose. Just leave my peppers alone. It’s funny, really. The little pepper that could is over by the tomatoes and they walked through that bed during the winter. They nibble on that pepper plant but don’t bother the ones that are in the herb bed just a few feet away, Maybe the scent of the rosemary and oregano throws them off. Who knows? Just stay warm for a little longer please.

BLUEBERRY SCROUNGER

I wish I had my camera yesterday morning. Heard a rustle and spotted a squirrel perched in the biggest blueberry bush. I knew there were a few berries left and obviously the squirrel had found some of them. He(?) had a good time munching and I had a fantastic time watching him.

THE LITTLE PEPPER THAT DID

I did an entry at the end of June about the pepper plant that lost it "head" after we put it in the trunk for the ride home.

Not only did that baby grow it's outdone the other two plants. Of course it had to come from behind. It not only set more peppers than the plants that had a head start, but I've had to pick these while they're still green (they'll be great in soup or relish) because they were literally pulling the plant over. I picked one yesterday and got these this morning.

It's pick 'em green or lose 'em when the plant goes belly up from the weight of the fruit. BTW the larges one is about six inches long.