I had the opportunity to preach in Cambridge on Sunday, Kevin was ill for the Sunday. It is one of the favorite things I get to do as Chair: visit societies, preach and visit with people who come together in worship. I love the devoted leaders and members of that church.
It was great. Being in that space and being among all of the saints who have come before and been in that place, preaching the gospel, coming to worship... And still, that experience, that power, the message of our church and its ability to make whole and heal, to make sense of the world, and bring meaning and depth to our lives deserves more.
We so must share this. We must share this message. We must share this church. We must be willing to embarrass, proclaim, put ourselves on the line in uncomfortable ways to share God's love to offer this message to the world. The message is too big and the world so desperately needs it.
A Swedenborgian Weblog from the Chair of the Council of Ministers
Revelation 19
I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in justice He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire; and upon His head were many diadems; and He hath a name written that no one knew but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in the heavens followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen white and clean.
4 comments:
Andy,
I read your blog and the idea of writing with each other is both inspiring and engaging. I am,of course, the new kid on the block (at age 59) but I have a new and exciting experience of starting a church in a very different community than is reflected in the postmodern context. Perhaps it is because it is a small place in Southern New Mexico but the people who we are meeting are very committed to building a better diverse community.They are forming community choirs, farming cooperatives and emergent discussion groups..dialoguing about what it means to live as a part of a greater community. I guess my enthusiasm fuels this need to interface with this energy. I think too often, pastors get tired and burn out from carrying "everything".But if we can really "come from the heart",perhaps we can inspire each other to reflect God's love in what we do..every day...People want to follow leaders such as Rick Warren, I believe...because they are searching for that connection with God that seems to get lost in the post modern context.
Keep writing..and Thanks...
Sky
Though I love a good thriller and do not usually watch them for "serious" commentary, I nevertheless went to "No Country for Old Men" intrigued by the title, because one of my favorite poems is Yeats's "Sailing to Byzantium," the first line of which is: "That is no country for old men." Alice Skinner in the tricentenniel "big book" on Swedenborg plucked that particular poem to illustrate Yeats's resonance with Swedenborgian spirituality (he was a big theosophist and is known to have regarded ES as one of the illuminati). That poem speaks to the profound limitations of the natural world and looks toward the spiritual realms, so I watched the film with that backdrop in mind. In that framework, one can take another view of the extreme cynicism and desperation of the film. The perusings throughout the film of the protagonist (played by Tommy Lee Jones), a thoroughly responsible good guy who has worked hard for justice his whole life, speak to a sense of readiness to move on, to retire. He's weary of this world, with its treachery and ugliness. There's also intriguing philosophical musings with respect to his father who is very near the end of life, and the film has an ending around that. So, though the film doesn't show a Swedenborgian understanding of the power of the natural world to be transformative, I actually can see the Coen brothers trying to make a sort of transcendental statement. I think the literary allusion of the title to that theme coupled with the wrestlings of Jones is the subtle underlying text of the more obvious and famed Coen gruesomeness. Thanks for the chance to talk about this, as I haven't had an opportunity to have this conversation elsewhere.
Sometimes, in the twilight hours, when the children are down and all is right with the world, the margheritas kick in and I go hunting for people I used to know when I was a different sort of person. The sort of person who once attended Andover Newton Theological School with a very young, not-yet-reverend Andrew Stinson.
Out of curiosity, or some form of retro-morbidity, I decided to post to this blog in the hopes that he would post back and I could learn of his doings after I last saw him. That was about the time of the release of the first X-files movie. And, in honor of the release of the second ten years later, I offer this solicitation from a former Unitarian to Rev. Andy to come to the front of the white horse by about ten chapters.
In the book of Revelation, I'm among those before the throne, kneeling and singing, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts" every Sunday at mass.
If you remember me (Kate Davis) and are so inclined, write back as you're able.
Thank you Andy, Keep writing! You're right. We DO need to share and keep sharing the profound healing and empowering message of this church/its teachings.
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