Becoming the beloved…

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We watched a DVD in housegroup this evening, borrowed from Michaela Kast (Thanks Michaela!) of Henri Nouwen, great catholic writer, friend and companion of Jean Vanier and standing a great tradition of writers and Spiritual thinkers who are influenced by liberation theology.

Here is a clip from the DVD I discovered on you tube-

There were two more talks on the DVD, and we watched them all.

The second one talked about communion- how the breaking of the bread was an image for how we were to live our lives.

TAKEN- Chosen so that we might see the chosen-ness in others.

BLESSED- but blessed most through our encounter with the other- in learning how to give blessing, not through seeking to receive for our own sake. Speaking well of one another- not looking for evidence for the prosecution…

BROKEN- being aware of our own brokenness, but not living in fear of it- rather placing it under the blessing.

GIVING- our life finds real purpose when we practice active loving of others

The third one focussed on the discipline of becoming the beloved- and had three elements-

LISTENING to God- time aside to be alone.

COMMUNITY- not the dependent, mutually needy but friction related community, but rather a community of people who are aware of being the Beloved…

And finally- MINISTRY- which is the practical out pouring of the two above.

I will post some more about this some time later, as it is a central theme for me at the moment…

I first discovered Nouwen through our friend and former pastor Judith Warren, who was helping me through some counselling at the time. I was struggling to ever believe that I could be the Beloved of anyone- let along God. It is a struggle that continues in me at times still.

And it was not until I listened to Nouwen again this evening that I realised how much these teachings have become central to the way I understand God, and the life of faith. Not because I think these things are now sorted and OK in me- but rather because contained within the hope love and joy of these words is something ineffably GOOD and right.

It is a return again to simple things, running deep.

The beloved who are free to love.

Nouwen died in 2006, of a sudden heart attack.

It is perhaps worth noting that he struggled with clinical depression. His book ‘Wounded Healer‘ written in 1969, speaks of a way of reaching out to others through connecting with our own brokenness and pain.

His life and ministry is another reason that I am grateful for the Catholic tradition.

World of wonders…

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I was looking out at the night sky, now gloriously clear after the fog of the weekend. And it hit me again…

What an amazing place we stand in the middle of.

Transcendent moments like this always make me softer- more human, more alive.

At the same time, I want to share them with my friends and people I love.

And to celebrate them by allowing them to shape me into making something artistic and beautiful.

Most of all, they make me long to reach out towards the thing beyond- whom I poorly understand, but yearn for- and can only name as God.

Others tell this same story better than me- here is one of them. Forgive the Germans chattering in the background- they were not experiencing transcendence. They like prog rock over there you know…

Stand on a bridge before the cavern of night
Darkness alive with possibility
Nose to this wind full of twinkling lights
Trying to catch the scent of what’s coming to be (in this…)

World of wonders…

Somewhere a saxophone slides through changes
Like a wet pipe dripping down my neck
Gives me a chill — sounds like danger
But I can’t stop moving till I cross this sector (of this…)

World of wonders…

There’s a rainbow shining in a bead of spittle
Falling diamonds in rattling rain
Light flexed on moving muscle
I stand here dazzled with my heart in flames (at this…)

World of wonders…

Moment of peace like brief arctic bloom
Red/gold ripple of the sun going down
Line of black hills makes my bed
Sky full of love pulled over my head

World of wonders…

Advent prayers rising…

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We are back in this evening after another day spent out on Dunoons West Bay, serving mulled wine, mince pies, and having lots of good conversations with folk as the came to collect Christmas trees.

We had also set up some meditation things, did some music (oh my fingers!) and were selling Sky lanterns with the intention of inviting people to write prayers/thoughts on them, and participate in a massed sky lantern launch.

Why did we do it?

  1. To encourage people to be reflective and conscious of the season of Advent- a way for people to become more Spiritually aware, and open again to the Spirit of God
  2. To support work to raise money for CLANN (Community leisure development) and Christian Aid.
  3. To make a lovely spectacle that will linger in people’s minds
  4. To bring people together- and allow community to flourish, in all it’s different forms

And it was great!

We had a mixed blessing with the weather- it was calm, dry, but the Clyde was masked in freezing fog, and echoing with the mournful fog horns as ships passed out to sea.

However, the sight of the lanterns going off up into the mist was wonderful- eery, moving and affecting.

What was even better was the numbers of people who came and took part this evening- from schools, community projects, families, individuals.

Michaela described one family who lit the lantern, then stood together around it as it warmed up, arms around one another in silence. Then they let the lantern rise up into the night sky. Whatever their prayers were, may they be blessed…

Here are the promised photos- Andy took some more, so I will hopefully get to post a few of his soon.

Advent thing day one, Dunoon West Bay- a few pics…

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Just back from a day out in the cold celebrating Advent whilst people buy Christmas trees. Tired but happy…

Here are a few pics-

Alzheimers, drugs, and a song of hope…

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Sometimes I weep at what we are, and what we become.

The very heart of who we are, and the meaning we bring to our time spent in this fragile human tent- nothing brings this home more to us than becoming old. Facing the certainty of death.

We live in an aging population. I spend a lot of my time now chairing conferences where consideration is being given to the use of the Scottish Adults With Incapacity Act to enable the on going care of people who no longer have the capacity to make decisions for themselves. Most of these conferences relate to people who are older, and have a diagnosis of some form of dementia.

A news article last week brought me up sharp.It concerned a report

The medical care that we provide our oldest and most vulnerable people with at the end of their lives is killing around 1800 people a year.

Psychiatric drug prescribed to moderate behaviour and agitation kills people.

Only around 36,000 of the 180,000 people currently on the drugs in the UK are getting any benefit from them, the report said, leaving 144,000 people taking them unnecessarily.

This story was slipped into the pool of news with barely a ripple. No outcry. No calls for investigation.  No heads on the chopping block. Just move on to another story… more celebrity drivel, or a bit of political scandal about a moat and a dodgy expenses claim.

How we look after our older people with dignity and compassion is one of the greatest challenges facing our generation in this country. Numbers of people  experiencing dementia are set to double in the next 20 years. The percentage of the population of some towns (particularly seaside towns like mine) who have this difficulty will be very difficult for services to provide adequate care for.

At the same time, most health and social care budgets are already overspent, and likely to experience cuts in real terms.

I watched this film today, hence the reference to tears at the beginning of this post.

It is a beautiful film, full of tender care, hope and yearning, along with such sadness and loss.

And running through the middle of it all is music- the art that gives our lives meaning, even when almost all other things have been stripped away…

Hallelujah.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

World record number of sky lanterns- in Dunoon!

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Well- not quite.

But I think we may well reach the record mumber of sky lanterns ever released at one time in Dunoon this weekend.

The real world record was set below Jakarta- below. They set off more than 10,000. Which is about as many people who live in Dunoon- so perhaps we have a chance.

By the way they are falling from the sky in flame in this clip, I assume that these lanterns were not fireproofed!

Scottish advent calendar?

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(What do you think to the snow on the blog by the way? A bit naff?)

My mate Andy sent me this today-

It made me laugh out loud.

Then smile ruefully.

Then feel a bit sad.

There will be a lot of drinking done in the next few weeks in the name of Jesus. Not that he was averse to the odd pint, or a carafe or two of the finest wine- just that this was never an end in itself…

So raise a glass or two with me and lets drink to wet the head of the Christ child, but as we all know, there is a morning after- and a glorious one at that. It would be a shame to spoil it with a hang over.

December…

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Winter can be cruel

The darkness cover us, and cold winds close us off from one another

December comes, and the trees are bare

The hillsides become an impassable sponge, soaking up the rain that never seems to be far away

Where once a thousand bluebells blazed, it is now almost impossible to believe that anything can ever live again.

And into this time, comes the season of Advent

A time of waiting

A time to dare once again to hope

A time to re imagine the coming

Of a King

Who might yet

Light up everything

In brand new spring