I am enjoying dipping into the longest Psalm in the Bible (119) and was amazed and rather excited to learn that in many monastic communities it is often a daily part of their worship (https://christdesert.org/prayer/opus-dei/approach-to-the-psalms)

The entrancing words of verse 18 are echoed in this musical prayer of longing to help us see God/The Divine/Reality in everything

Richard Rohr subtitles his wonderfully ‘heart opening’ book The Universal Christ with the words ‘seeing Christ in all things’. The first chapter recounts the joy of a lady who experienced just that on a Tube train in London.

I heard this lovely way of describing Jesus some time ago

and was thinking about it again this morning whilst listening to

Richard Rohr on a CAC blog about hisinspirational and controversial book ‘The Universal Christ’https://cac.org/podcast/another-name-for-every-thing/

Jesus , in Christian theology, is both God and Man. It took the early church over three centuries to try to put this great mystery into the words of the Creeds (Apostles, Nicene & Athanasian to name the three major ones)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_creed.

“The Universal Christ” invites readers to rethink their understanding of Christ and spirituality, offering a vision that transcends traditional religious boundaries. emphasizing the interconnectedness of all creation and the divine presence within it. This book serves as a guide for spiritual renewal and deeper understanding of the Christian faith in a contemporary context.

On my walk this morning I saw this spider’s web on the wet grass and so was able to spend a few moments in awe and worship. The subtitle of the book is ‘seeing God in all things’ !

I’m enjoying one the documentary series bt Professor Jim-al-Khalili

about this strange and still very much unknown and unexplored view of reality . It is a very enjoyable exploration of a fairly new and unknown , to me at least, understanding of reality. As an offshoot of this I have been trying to read the book by Diarmuid 0’Murchu entitled ‘Quantum Theology’–so far for over two years!

Living with the unknown is so challenging as most of us seek certainties in our lives. Yet , it seems to me, this ‘curiosity’ or ‘why-ness’ was (and is) an important part of our growing up.

I enjoyed , in the Lidl’s queue this morning, seeing and hearing the joy on a young baby’s face/voice, and his proud Mum having a joyful conversation with her chattering babe in his pram.

This sense of joy and wonder is , of course, so important in our spiritual lives. Perhaps the lovely word ‘awe’ helps understand what it is/can be.

Richard Rohr has explored it deeply in his book ‘The Universal Christ’ -with it’s subtitle of Seeing Christ in all Things – and like ‘Quantum Theology this is a book that takes me a lot of time to read and ponder over.

Plenty of You Tube videos to explore too https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+quantum+world&qpvt=the+quantum+world&FORM=VDRE

by John Carvosso – Thursday, 30 April 2020, 9:08 PM To my inner life ..lived joyfully (Ps16v11) with God’s indwelling Spirit (Col.1.v27)

I started attending Quakers about 4 years ago -until last Dec. intermittently when Sunday duties did’nt take me elsewhere- when I felt God saying to me ‘John , now is the time to learn more about being’ .So also started learning more about contemplation ++

Did  6 online courses with Centre for Contemplation & Action (www.cac.org) over this period of 4 years

1. The Franciscan Way  –led by Richard Rohr

2. Breathing under Water–led by Richard Rohr

3. Interior Castle  –led by James Finley & Mirabai Starr

4. Mary Magdalene-led by Cynthia Bourgeault

5. Immortal Diamond–led by Richard Rohr

6. Introductory Wisdom School–led by Cynthia Bourgeault

Now so look forward to being quiet in the Lord’s Presence and trying to cooperate with the Spirit’s leadings

-very imperfectly

Have a small framed Bible quote on my bookshelf..John the Baptist’s words about Jesus

‘He must increase but I must decrease’ (John 3v30)

Have been to a few Woodbrooke residential courses/conferences and am now doing this 3rd Woodbrook online course

1. Militarisation in our Society (Residential conference)

2. Quaker Universalist Conference -‘The Mystery of Mysticism’-Residential

3. With 4  others from our meeting attended the residential ‘Walking with a Smile into the Dark’

Online courses

1. Inspiring non-violence

2. Quaker God-Talk (Twitter weekend)

Attended the QPSW conference in 2018 at High Leigh

One of Richard Rohr’s books (Falling Upward) talks about the spirituality of the 2nd half of life

and I very much identify (75 next month) with reflecting on all that has happened in my life until now.

I listen to a lot of audio books and one especially seems so all-embracing in it’s authors comprehensive understanding of 6 differing -and all very valuable- streams of spirituality

So Richard Foster in ‘Streams of Living Water’ identifies these Traditions which were all perfectly blended in Jesus’ life (as RF explains in the first chapter ‘ The Divine Paradigm)

1. The Contemplative Tradition-Discovering the Prayer-Filled life.

2. The Holiness Tradition-Discovering the Virtuous life.

3.The Charismatic Tradition-Discovering the Spirit-Empowered life.

4. The Social Justice Tradition-Discovering the Compassionate life.

5. The Evangelical Tradition-Discovering the Word-Centred life.

6. The Incarnational Tradition- Discovering the Sacramental life.

Paul , led by, filled with, enabled through the Holy Spirit, longs to introduce others to God’s Love for he knows how it can transform their lives (see especially 1 Cor, 2 v9)

As a master-builder, a description he gives to himself in 1 Cor 3 v10), he seeks to lay the foundation (which is Christ , himself, -verse 11) in their hearts/lives to enable them to grow into that love.

My Haiku, (written after a dream of being in captivity and of our captor Chen-just as I was waking up yesterday- who found and was transformed by God’s love) sought to express this.

Chen longs for God’s  Love

Finding it brings tears of Joy

For him and me too.

My friend, Chris, shared this with me yesterday and another friend , Ivan, sent the video of a new and inspiring song . Both , to me, help understand the Wonderful Mystery of the Divine realm.

I think John Polkinghorne – a Scientist and a Christian . when asked if there needed to be any conflict between a scientific and spiritual understanding made a lovely analogy from hos eyesight

One eye sees scientifically whilst other sees spiritually

This wikipaedia article and You Tube video give a flavour of

his very helpful. challenging and eirenical explanations

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Polkinghorne

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=You+Tube%2fJohn+Polkinghorne&qpvt=You+Tube%2fJohn+Polkinghorne&FORM=VDRE

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=You+Tube%2fJohn+Polkinghorne&qpvt=You+Tube%2fJohn+Polkinghorne&FORM=VDRE

For Ruth and me 50 years of loving companionship

As we celebrate , in the words of the old chorus

God’s gift of love

The chorus starts with these words

‘ Come on and celebrate God’s gift of Love . Celebrate and sing’

I certainly was’nt consciously looking for a wife when I went to work

as an auxiliary nurse at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester but God was leading me to my companion

Bible story I was reading at the time had these words ‘I being in the Way, God led me ….’ (Genesis 14 verse 27)

I was doing the job while waiting to start Theological College and so meeting and falling in love with Ruth was to me as if God was saying

You’re on the next step of your faith/spiritual journey now meet your companion

Learning from him/her on this morning’s walk

I am definitely slowing down – having reached 80 two months ago and starting walking with a stick – and benefitting from 

seeing more on my daily walks.

This lovely bush, with delicate spiders webs on top and view over our local Torrington countryside, really fascinated me with it’s

wonderful colour. delicate bud-type leaves +.

How much for us to see and enjoy in our lovely though fragile world.I love some words from St. Paul about this way of seeing and have used the Biblical reference in my email address <ph.4v4to8:gmail.com)

‘And now, my friends, all that is true,all that is noble,all that is just and pure, all that is lovable and gracious, whatever is excellent and admirable – fill all your thoughts with these things (Philippians 4 verse 8)

Hebrews 12:2

The phrase “who for the joy that was set before him” is found in Hebrews 12:2 KJV, which states: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” This verse emphasizes Jesus’ willingness to endure suffering for the joy of fulfilling His mission and the salvation of humanity.

What an unusual way of looking at this ‘beautiful quality’ yet it so fits in with what Billy Graham entitled ‘the beautiful attitudes’ (or Beatitudes–

The Beatitudes are a series of blessings pronounced by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (5:3-12). Here is a list of the Beatitudes:

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
8. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..

These teachings that highlight the qualities valued in the Kingdom of Heaven and serve as a guide for Christian living.

Visually I found it so good to see the ‘happiness’ shown in The Chosen when Jesus was able to help others –examples are in these You Tube clips:

Water into Wine at Wedding in Can (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPD3fY35968)

Miraculous Catch of fish (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxV9BK_LQgw)

Feeding of the 5000 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZLiBG8lG3w)