October 25, 2006
victory over self...
When I was in college, I went on an Inter-Religious retreat with several other 
students and some faculty from the university I attended. The group was comprised of Christian, Jewish and Moslem believers. It was my first visit to Richmond Hill...that place I prattle on about at length where Tradition and Justice meet. You now, pray three times a day, read the scriptures, be obedient to one another, and picket the state captial building when the need arrises...the usual. Loved it. Anyway, as a guest of the retreat center I was assigned a room to stay in. Each room was assigned a particular saint. I was assigned to the St Francis Xavier room...and the corresponding virtue was "victory over self."
Today's reading from Celtic Daily Prayer is from the Hebridean Altars:
Deliver me from self-trustfulness.There have been many ways in which I have encountered this struggle within myself of late. In attempting to be obedient to a tradition that is thousands of years old, I have struggled with this. In my marriage, my friendships, my study, my work...it is all the same struggle. How do I get out of my own way, or how do I allow the Holy Spirit to transform me as God is want to do? This is what I think Paul was speaking of when he said "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." So often I can get hung up on how systems or other people are in the way of my coming closer to God. And that may be true from time to time. But what is more likely is that I am in my own way. I am shielding myself from God's reconciling grace.
In the frequent days in which I must do battle with
my self for foe,
arm me with a constant trust in Thee.
Let me not harden my own heart, O Lord. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. You be my rock and my salvation.
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The conference is wondrous. It is good to see old friends and make some new ones. Diana Butler Bass is tremendous. I am a dork. I own two of her books and had her sign them for me. I may have to pick up a couple of extra copies for some of the leaders at Community Church. I think that they speak may speak to us specifically.
Today I will go to morning prayers at SWTS and then the second lecture by Professor Butler Bass. There is lunch and a jazz mass and then AKMA will be signing copies of his own books that were recently published. Happy postmodernist moments both. This afternoon I have a meeting with Larry to talk Reconciler stuff. And this evening people are coming over for dinner. It should be a good time.
Here are a couple of pics from Trish's show...
the ladies of the cell block
the cast with Tippi and Veronica