Christ is Born

John 1:5, 9-14 “The Nativity of the Lord” 

“What we seek is not the appearance of God in the world but the shining of God through creation, a “disphany” of God radiating through a world that becomes transparent.”

Tonight a 17 year old in the Haight was crying, he had had his money stolen from him, he felt alone. I thought of Dorothy so many years ago giving a diamond someone gave her to an old woman, and I gave him $40.00. The tears, and the joy in his face, and he said, “most people take from me,” and in giving to him I gave to Jesus. For this to me is the presence of Jesus in the world–in the lives of the people around me–he is not far away–but with me. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Little by Little

Luke 1:67-80

On his last Christmas before his execution Detrict Bonhoffer wrote: “This Christmas, will show whether we can be content with what is essential.” I will vist some senior citizens in the nursing home today and then tonight I will hang out with kids on the street–who have basically nothing, In them I find what we need for contentment–Jesus. de Chardin  has taught me two things:

“If we want to worship this Source of our lives–we have to do it from within ourselves. ..for the individual the process in the divine milieu (in the reign of God) happens by developing purity, faith, and fidelity–through the development of charity, a bonding in compassionate and unconditional love for one another.”

Christ is born in each move of compassion we make towards others! Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Retreat

SECTION 8–THE UNIVERSAL CHRIST                                                         

 

“Baptism immerses us in cosmic evolution in such a way that we have a responsibility to evolve and participate in the birth of Christ within:  All of you who are baptized into Christ have clothed yourselve with Christ.  Those who follow Jesus are healthy wholemakers and to help make creation healthy.  A healthy life for a healthy cosmos requires receptivity, openness, and compassionate love that reaches across the lines of difference and accepts the other as a part of oneself because together we are one in the cosmic body of Christ.” Ilia Delio, The Emmergent Christ.

 

Monday, December 24-Lk. 1:67-79

Tuesday,  Christmas Day Jn. 1:1-5, 8-14

 

As we come to the end of our Advent Retreat I would like for you to reflect on this material has assisted you in a different and hopefully deeper understanding of Christ. For me it has helped me to translate Biblical materials in light of our evolutionary and scientific materials, and given me a broader understanding of Jesus and the world at large. 

 

Being in Love With God

Luke 1:39-45 

“To journey into God is to become one in love with God, to become crucified in love, like Christ, whose selfless gift of love shows us the capacity of the human person to love for the sake of new life.” Ilia Delio, The Emergent Christ

Last night I heard one story after another of pain–severe loneliness and regret–one person’s turned forty one yesterday–I have known him for 18 years. He was a speed freak, now he is an alcoholic, he has lived on the streets since he was 14. His life is full of regrets. He is not often pleasant, nor is he very pretty.  The call of Jesus is to love, to listen, to walk with this guy, and with each other. Jesus “shows us the capacity of the human person to love for the sake of new life,” it simply takes our time, our energy to walk with another. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Being Poor In Spirit

Lk. 1:46-56 “He has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the down trodden.”

“How we live as poor persons in evolution is how creation can evolve toward the fullness of love.”  lia Delio  I challenge people by the way I live, and by what I call us to do–simply for those of us who have the benefits of money to share, to love–when we do that there will be no more poverty, and the fellowship we will have will bring us to the fullness of our lives. This is what our evolution as human beings is about–to become fully human. Last night I spend several hours on he Haight, and each person I talked to simply is no different then the friends I have with money and housing–they are human beings, children of God. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God

Caring

Friday, December 21 Caring Luke 1:29-45

“Only caring for one another truly humanizes life.” lia Delio  Jesus did not come to make life easy, but to make them great–caring for each other makes us great. I see each day of my life–the inhumanity of people to one another–one kid stabbed a young guy today because he would give him some food; another beat another up. My next door neighbor continually dehumanizes people around him, and then I see the great people–those like my friend Ken who gave me love tonight, and the kids that respond with my giving, and show their love.  We evolve into great people the more we love each other. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

The Eucharist

Illiad Delio describes our calling as de Chrarden would have it: “We become the Christ when we offer our lives as bread for the world, living in the freedom of love.”  Mary did that. Today I was with a young transgendered woman as her breasts were removed, and she is transformed into her male image; I had lunch with a stanch Roman Catholic who seems very restricted, and I thought of Jesus in the life of the young man whose radically new message was that the reign of God is here and now. The reign of Jesus is an eradication of those structures that inhabity our human ness and evolves us out of personal wilderness to feed the hungry, and love one another. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!”

The Eucharist: A New Beginning

Lk. 1:5-25 Wednesday, December 19, The Eucharist: A New Beginning

“”The Eucharist, therefore, is the Sacrament of evolution because every act of Eucharist is an act of making a new future through a divine presence, a new relatedness, a new freedom of loving.” Illia Delio In the birth of John the Baptist, in the old parents we have new life.  The Eucharist invites us to new life, new beginnings, new ways of relating. When I celebrate the Eucharist I offer it to all–believers, un believers,Hindus, Muslims, Wiccas–for it is God’s supper bringing us together as one family. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Embracing

Mt. 1:18-25 We celebrate Christmas at the end of the year, when the days are shorter–and then we have the coming of the Unconqueroring Sun–in my ears of ministry I have had over 4000 funerals, and over 3000 have been younger then 30–its tough, very tough, and I am reminded of the words of Ilia Delio:

“In the cross therefore, we are taken up in the eternal embrace of the triune God of love. This embrace in love by the crucified Christ in which the arms of the triune God is is the meaning of the Eucharist. “The  Eucharist, Volf, writes,” is the ritual times in which we celebrate the divine, making space for us and inviting us in–having been embraced by God we must make space for others in ourselve and invite them in–even our enemies.”

Only when I invited my son’s killer in, did I find wholeness–healing, wholeness comes as we embrace our enemies with love. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Begins With Us

Mt. 1:1-17 

I have been sick the past few days, and have been watching all the sad reports on the shooting.  People want answers to the preventing these massacres–but the reality no law is going to change the possiblity of this happening again-they may help–but the only way for change to take place is for our hearts to be changed, to be opened to one another in respect and love.  That is what the Cosmic Christ calls us to do–to be one with him and with everyone, to love, to care.  It begins with each of us. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!