Living Wittily

Browsing for Words to Help….

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Anastasis_resurrectionToday at quite a low point I turned as often, to several of the writers who act as my spiritual directors and as sources of spiritual refreshment. This was what I found by browsing for ten minutes in their company.

A Church, as soon as it is a believing church, must above all else be a confessing Church, i.e. it must be more concerned to show forth the Lordship of Christ and his Gospel in its every special action, enterprise, than to hum with energy…

…………………..

God approaches our minds by receding from them. We can never fully know Him if we think of Him as an object of capture, to be fenced in by the enclosure of our won ideas. We know Him better after our minds have let Him go. The Lord travels in all directions at once. The Lord Arrives from all directions at once.

Wherever we are, we find that He has just departed. Wherever we go, we discover that he has just arrived before us.

………………………

The first by P T Forsyth reminds me what is central, foundational, crucial, and therefore the primary source of sustainable energy for the church.

The second by Thomas Merton reminds me, and often this reminder comes as a jolt, that God is bigger than my ideas, vaster than my wish list, the frustrator of my instinct to control and comprehend.

And both help me understand and nod knowingly in assent, to the older translation of John's words, "The Light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not…."

Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world…..

Comments

6 responses to “Browsing for Words to Help….”

  1. tom arnall avatar
    tom arnall

    In am curious about these words: “God approaches our minds by receding from them. We can never fully know Him if we think of Him as an object of capture, to be fenced in by the enclosure of our own ideas.”
    It seems to me that they imply that we _can_ get to fully know God once we quit thinking “of Him as an object of capture.” I do not believe that any human being can fully know God in this life. Further, I am not at all sure that it is possible in the next. I would very much like to know your thoughts on this.
    Merton BTW is one of my heroes, and I often read his books and listen to the lectures he gave at Gethsemani. Despite my respect for him, I am sometimes critical of his statements. I think he would have appreciated this.

    Reply
  2. tom arnall avatar
    tom arnall

    In am curious about these words: “God approaches our minds by receding from them. We can never fully know Him if we think of Him as an object of capture, to be fenced in by the enclosure of our own ideas.”
    It seems to me that they imply that we _can_ get to fully know God once we quit thinking “of Him as an object of capture.” I do not believe that any human being can fully know God in this life. Further, I am not at all sure that it is possible in the next. I would very much like to know your thoughts on this.
    Merton BTW is one of my heroes, and I often read his books and listen to the lectures he gave at Gethsemani. Despite my respect for him, I am sometimes critical of his statements. I think he would have appreciated this.

    Reply
  3. tom arnall avatar
    tom arnall

    In am curious about these words: “God approaches our minds by receding from them. We can never fully know Him if we think of Him as an object of capture, to be fenced in by the enclosure of our own ideas.”
    It seems to me that they imply that we _can_ get to fully know God once we quit thinking “of Him as an object of capture.” I do not believe that any human being can fully know God in this life. Further, I am not at all sure that it is possible in the next. I would very much like to know your thoughts on this.
    Merton BTW is one of my heroes, and I often read his books and listen to the lectures he gave at Gethsemani. Despite my respect for him, I am sometimes critical of his statements. I think he would have appreciated this.

    Reply
  4. Jim Gordon avatar
    Jim Gordon

    Thanks Tom, for your comment and your thoughts. I confess I don’t read Merton’s words as implying God ‘can’ be captured. And I suspect he would quickly correct such an interpretation. Throughout his writings he is careful to avoid language which seems to control, capture, comprehend or reduce God to human cognitive capacity. Hence his long insistence on contemplative prayer, deep personal encounter with God, and a humble acceptance that we kneel before mystery.
    I fully understand your caution about all such efforts or claims to “fully know God.” We stand under Niagara holding a bucket – or even a thimble!

    Reply
  5. Jim Gordon avatar
    Jim Gordon

    Thanks Tom, for your comment and your thoughts. I confess I don’t read Merton’s words as implying God ‘can’ be captured. And I suspect he would quickly correct such an interpretation. Throughout his writings he is careful to avoid language which seems to control, capture, comprehend or reduce God to human cognitive capacity. Hence his long insistence on contemplative prayer, deep personal encounter with God, and a humble acceptance that we kneel before mystery.
    I fully understand your caution about all such efforts or claims to “fully know God.” We stand under Niagara holding a bucket – or even a thimble!

    Reply
  6. Jim Gordon avatar
    Jim Gordon

    Thanks Tom, for your comment and your thoughts. I confess I don’t read Merton’s words as implying God ‘can’ be captured. And I suspect he would quickly correct such an interpretation. Throughout his writings he is careful to avoid language which seems to control, capture, comprehend or reduce God to human cognitive capacity. Hence his long insistence on contemplative prayer, deep personal encounter with God, and a humble acceptance that we kneel before mystery.
    I fully understand your caution about all such efforts or claims to “fully know God.” We stand under Niagara holding a bucket – or even a thimble!

    Reply

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