I have been feeding myself sumptiously with "Celebration of Discipline" by the Quaker minister, Richard Foster, ever since my hand sought it out at the prayer retreat cabin last month. I borrowed pastor Greg's copy to study the three quarters of the book I had left, and it has continued to enlighten my heart and my practice.
It's funny because it plants seeds and you forget they are even in there, like "holy expectancy". The phrase caught me when I read it at the cabin, but surprised and re-asserted itself on me at church this Sunday, during prayer time. I knew I must proclaim the phrase in that sanctuary, as if I were a ringing bell.
But what I had to say there is not why I write about it now. It is that the return to his passage on this is continuing to work on me, and I had an insight today that, when I shared it with Lou, he said I ought to get it written down. OK, here it is.
I realized in the shower today that ONE THING our old New Thought practices created was an attitude of Holy Expectancy. It may be the Truest thing about their practice is that it generates that quality of Mind in you. And it is Real and Good and Wholesome. Not conjured. (It may be misaimed somewhat, as it is dependent on what you think you really, really want right now, which might be wildly self-centered and is not necessarily the Highest Good, but it is an activated Faith in spiritual relationship nonetheless).
That's a very Good Thing. And I am glad to have resurrected that and appreciate it by having the Quaker words to call it out. I have been only down and apart from the Good of that church lately, for all the reasons I have. Thank you, Lord, for helping me reweave the Good and see anew.
It's funny because it plants seeds and you forget they are even in there, like "holy expectancy". The phrase caught me when I read it at the cabin, but surprised and re-asserted itself on me at church this Sunday, during prayer time. I knew I must proclaim the phrase in that sanctuary, as if I were a ringing bell.
But what I had to say there is not why I write about it now. It is that the return to his passage on this is continuing to work on me, and I had an insight today that, when I shared it with Lou, he said I ought to get it written down. OK, here it is.
I realized in the shower today that ONE THING our old New Thought practices created was an attitude of Holy Expectancy. It may be the Truest thing about their practice is that it generates that quality of Mind in you. And it is Real and Good and Wholesome. Not conjured. (It may be misaimed somewhat, as it is dependent on what you think you really, really want right now, which might be wildly self-centered and is not necessarily the Highest Good, but it is an activated Faith in spiritual relationship nonetheless).
That's a very Good Thing. And I am glad to have resurrected that and appreciate it by having the Quaker words to call it out. I have been only down and apart from the Good of that church lately, for all the reasons I have. Thank you, Lord, for helping me reweave the Good and see anew.
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