Hopewit

Boquete Flower Festival, Panama A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.   (Galatians 6: 7 & 8, NIV) If you’re like me, Paul’s ubiquitous reference to Christian life as a war between flesh and spirit can be a puzzler. Flesh , to me, has always had connotations of meat; like a raw tenderloin of pork or a carcass of beef hanging in a butcher’s cooler. Or in the human body, flesh wound as opposed to a broken bone. Muscle, in other words, comes to mind.  The Greek word Paul was using, s àrks, can denote flesh but also connotes the person before Christian regeneration. The person as physically born. In effect, then, Paul would be saying in verse 7, “If you persist in thinking and living like you did before you heard and accepted the good news, you are sowing daily the seeds of your own disappointment.”  Parsing spiri...

Jill Mitchell Art, https://www.facebook.com/pg/jillmitchelloriginalart/posts/ This is what the Sovereign Lord , the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. (Isaiah 30:15, NIV) It's nearly 9:00 o'clock on a winter Wednesday morning . I've just read Father Richard Rohr's column on “Inner Silence,” the contemplative life that makes space for renewal and maintenance of the spirit. “Inner Silence,” I conclude, is the opposite—roughly—of thinking. Thinking/doing is mind-busyness while resting in inner silence is a gift to the mind as sleep is a gift to the body. (Rohr would probably recoil at this analogy.) I'm obviously not in a contemplative state right now, at least not of the kind Rohr describes. I couldn't be writing these words if I was because this task takes thinking. And obviously, Rohr was not in that state either when he typed out his des...

Catedral de la Asunción de María Santísima -Guadalajara, Mexico Eigenheim Mennonite Church, Rosthern I'm currently leading an adult study group in a series of four lessons from I Kings concerning the building of Solomon's Temple. We're being reminded about the symbolism that's present in structures Jews and Christians have built over the centuries. Only some archaeological bits of Solomon's temple remian in existence, and no cathedral construction comparable to St. Peter's in Rome, St. Paul's in London or St. Isaac's in St. Petersburg is currently being contemplated, at least not to my knowledge. (An exception might be the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which remains unfinished although begun in 1882.) How we construct worship sites says a great deal about the nature of our beliefs regarding whatever higher being we imagine. In the case of the temple of Solomon and the subsequent temple destroyed by the Romans, location was apparently ...

The “O” in “Now” Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present All time is unredeemable. (From T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton) Were there no dog doing odd gyrations in the street in front of the post office, Sol would spend less time on the balcony and the unbelievable coincidence would not happen. The purpose behind the canine’s pirouetting is of no particular interest to Sol; it's the spectacle that rivets him. Over the tips of the spruce trees backgrounding the post office, sun dogs form tall pillars as if framing the red brick of that ancient structure—with the date of its nativity, 1902, above the shiny aluminum-and-glass doors. So anachronistic, it seems to Sol, and so not in keeping with the stateliness of the Victorian flounces and curlicues, the arched windows.  Sol lights a second cigarette; the dog—a nervous rat terrier—stops his dance long enough to ...

The Oxen By Thomas Hardy Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock. “ Now they are all on their knees,” An elder said as we sat in a flock By the embers in hearthside ease. We pictured the meek mild creatures where They dwelt in their strawy pen, Nor did it occur to one of us there To doubt they were kneeling then. So fair a fancy few would weave In these years! Yet, I feel, If someone said on Christmas Eve, “ Come; see the oxen kneel, “ In the lonely barton by yonder coomb Our childhood used to know,” I should go with him in the gloom, Hoping it might be so. Many of us brushed up against the pastoral tales of Thomas Hardy in high school and college, I think: Tess of the d'Urbervilles, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Far From the Madding Crowd, Jude the Obscure. Hardy grew up Anglican and although he retained a lifelong affection for the church and some of his best friends were ministers, he would probably be best described as an “...

A phone call yesterday asked me to donate to the Legion for the production of tribute books honouring veterans, the books to be placed in school libraries and other places. My donation would also support Leadership Training Camps, she said. I declined and told the woman on the phone that I'm a pacifist and not keen on supporting camps that promote military thinking and habits. She said something about defending freedom, etc. and then hung up on me as one does when one feels offended. I thought I was being at my civil best. I've read the guidelines for participants in these Leadership Training Camps. In effect, they're boot camps for kids: uniforms must be worn at all times, neatness and cleanliness of quarters will be enforced, punctuality mandatory, alcohol strictly forbidden, etc. Put in its best light, it's self-discipline training. Another point of view would characterize it as obedience training. Military “leadership” is not the same...

Shekinah Christmas 2, 2008 Shekinah Christmas 3, 2008 I preached an advent sermon this past Sunday and chose for the text, Psalm 37:1-9. I've paraphrased (very liberally) that psalm with a few comments. I chose it because it seemed to me to contain the essence of living the advent: the patient, hopeful, expectant waiting for joy, peace and justice to become our everyday. "Don't fret because of those who do evil, and don't be envious of people who do wrong because like the rest of us, they'll wither away. And while you're waiting for and expecting a better world, here are some pointers to brighten the days you've been given. Keep trusting in God and keep doing what you've learned to be best; loving God and your neighbour to the length and breadth of your ability, Make the best home you can in the place you find yourself, and when there's peace, take the opportunity to build an amazing life for your family, yo...