remarkably cheerful, all things considered
Well, I too have been rendered virtually unconcious by the dreaded (and virulent) autumn cold season. Sniffing, snorting, and generally feeling woe-begotten. Great word! [I also like habedashery...as a word I mean]. It's laid me so low there's been no climbing, no outside-ness, no nothing.
Already we are four weeks into term - it seems impossible, but I know it is true - because my class notes say so! I'm only teaching two classes this term - church history (which I love, some of the early guys are incroyable . For instance how's this for a slur: 'they are the sons of satan.' Or this for a name: Saint Mary the Harlot. I've really been enjoying this class - by and large they are really engaged - and it is great to see things dawn- we had great debates today about persecution - and standards of personal holiness. Some of my students think that "great persecution" is coming to The West. I'm not so sure. We don't seem to deserve it. (unpack that!)
Then - my second class (Christian Leadership) was also really interesting - we were looking at world views. At morality. I've been wrestling SO MUCH with a series of those questions myself that it is great to learn from the students what they are thinking. My questions this week are all about grace. How far can people step outside of grace before you would have to say that they are not in grace? Why is weed/benefit fraud/idle-ness considered so wrong by most of us - when we may be fat/greedy/too busy? How does the "peace of God" come?
The sermon in chapel helped me (I can't go into detail but in the last two weeks I've experienced more of what I can ONLY describe as utter pyschosomatic spiritual attack - even had visions - if you see me, ask me - but be prepared!!) since it was all about being worthy of our citizenship in heaven - and living our lives in the opposite pole to the "empire." It is amazing how often I find God meets me at my point of need - and lest I sound totally self-centred - it is usually only in community that that is true. In particular (apologies Matt that I've adopted these, but they often help me) the Orthodox prayers for the morning and evening. They are so profound and ageless, and the sense of the choirs of angels and cloud of witnesses saying them with me always moves me.
Apart from that, I am going to find time this evening to BE.
So - having been castigated and damned to hell, i find myself remarkably cheerful today - we'll see what tomorrow brings.
Already we are four weeks into term - it seems impossible, but I know it is true - because my class notes say so! I'm only teaching two classes this term - church history (which I love, some of the early guys are incroyable . For instance how's this for a slur: 'they are the sons of satan.' Or this for a name: Saint Mary the Harlot. I've really been enjoying this class - by and large they are really engaged - and it is great to see things dawn- we had great debates today about persecution - and standards of personal holiness. Some of my students think that "great persecution" is coming to The West. I'm not so sure. We don't seem to deserve it. (unpack that!)
Then - my second class (Christian Leadership) was also really interesting - we were looking at world views. At morality. I've been wrestling SO MUCH with a series of those questions myself that it is great to learn from the students what they are thinking. My questions this week are all about grace. How far can people step outside of grace before you would have to say that they are not in grace? Why is weed/benefit fraud/idle-ness considered so wrong by most of us - when we may be fat/greedy/too busy? How does the "peace of God" come?
The sermon in chapel helped me (I can't go into detail but in the last two weeks I've experienced more of what I can ONLY describe as utter pyschosomatic spiritual attack - even had visions - if you see me, ask me - but be prepared!!) since it was all about being worthy of our citizenship in heaven - and living our lives in the opposite pole to the "empire." It is amazing how often I find God meets me at my point of need - and lest I sound totally self-centred - it is usually only in community that that is true. In particular (apologies Matt that I've adopted these, but they often help me) the Orthodox prayers for the morning and evening. They are so profound and ageless, and the sense of the choirs of angels and cloud of witnesses saying them with me always moves me.
Apart from that, I am going to find time this evening to BE.
So - having been castigated and damned to hell, i find myself remarkably cheerful today - we'll see what tomorrow brings.
posted by erdreid at 14:57
2 Comments:
Hey Deirdre,
I'm remembering the story you told me once about falling asleep and waking up in the Dormition Monastery in Jerusalem. Quite a vision. I hope that your current ones take on more of that quality.
That dude's pretty weird. If you turn on the "word verification" you might not get people like this hawking tidbits about Clinton and new car quotes.
No apologies necessary... those are the prayers of the whole Church. They're yours as much as their mine. It's good to see them being re-claimed.
St. Mary "the Harlot" of Egypt is one of the most revered saints of our Church. She is a great accomplice to people who struggle with exactly the questions you are asking about personal morality.
Here are the two classic hymns about her:
Troparion - Tone 8
The image of God was truly preserved in you, mother,
for you took up the Cross and followed Christ.
By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away,
but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.
Therefore your spirit, holy mother Mary, Rejoices with the angels!
Kontakion - Tone 3
Having been a sinful woman,
you became through repentance a Bride of Christ.
Having attained angelic life,
you defeated demons with the weapon of the Cross.
Therefore, most glorious Mary, you are a Bride of the Kingdom!
- Matt
As brand new to blogging efforts and still figuring out how things work, was adding words to the profile, and decided to check and see who else it could be whose favorite book (or at least one of them) is "Jaquars Ripped My Flesh" -- and it's you...
Hmmm... Glad to find out I'm not alone!
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