Attention

The quote below got my attention (pun intended). The challenge to action, as mentioned below, also translates as a challenge to understand, to employ those little grey brain cells and have them fabricate some great explanation. We have not been raised to cultivate a sense of Mystery. We may even see the unknown as an [...]

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Reactions

OK, we are guessing here. We don’t know what was expressed on the face, what emotions were stopping or allowing words to come out, what awkward pauses happened. Take this line as an example: The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” (John 1:43) That’s [...]

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Presumption

“After all the great religions have been preached and expounded, or have been revealed by brilliant scholars or have been written in fine books and embellished with fine covers, man – all man – is still confronted with the Great Mystery.” (Chief Luther Standing Bear) Does that mean I shouldn’t try to read the great [...]

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The answers to all questions

Does God know the answers to all questions? Well of course, isn’t that the definition of God? All-knowing, all-present, all-powerful. The two basic pronouncements of the Lord are: 1) repent; 2) the kingdom of God is at hand. Questions are God’s prodding. They are leading questions. What is it that I don’t want? What is [...]

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The realms of mystery

A fascinating newspaper entry from the year 1898: “Benjamin K. Wetherill, an old residenter, an excellent citizen and a good friend went to the realms of mystery at 4:30 this morning.” (The Mancos Times, Nov 18, 1898) We will all go there. .

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The rocks cry out

My fourth collection of Native American flute music, called “The Rocks Cry Out.” This CD can be downloaded here as one zip file. (1:07 hour) Finished in late fall 2010. Ancestors (Dana Ross flute in low D, mahogany) Vibrations and Echoes (Coyote Oldman flute in A, alternative tuning, cedar) Basket Weavers (Dana Ross flute in [...]

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The unknown gems

I have a private pet theory that each country has its own unknown genius. An artist that is so beyond all generally acknowledged measurements that he (or she) is unknown. Not in the sense of not-yet-known, but in the sense of known-but-not-seen. In Denmark this person is a painter called Otto Frello. The museum that [...]

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Vision questing coming up

I have signed up for 12-day Mid Winter Fast vision quest in February 2011. Organized by the School of Lost Borders. Takes place in Death Valley, California. Gives whole new meaning to “the old man must die.” Why a vision quest? One answer, because this may be my last chance at doing one, at least [...]

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Flute Music: The Land

This is a third collection of flute recordings, called The Land. Download all mp3 tracks in one zip file. See the CD cover. Download or listen to individual tracks: The Land (Coyote Oldman Belo Cozad replica, cedar) Low Ground (Mark Purtill Anasazi flute in low F#, plastic) White Goose (Shepard 2.4 Shakuhachi, bamboo) Swirl (Ken [...]

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Holy objects in the Old Testament

(From my dissertation on The Sacred, 2010) Statement: holiness, or the presence of the Lord, comes through correspondence and is not a quality of material objects themselves. The conclusion at this point is that this is true for all physical objects to which holiness is ascribed. Bread and wine are not holy in themselves, nor [...]

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A personal God

A personal God: what does that mean? Yes, I know this truth: the Lord Jesus Christ is the God of heaven and earth. He is the personal God, the face, the door. He is human and divine at the same time, and He exists outside of time and space and so is right here and [...]

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An empty cup

I am struggling with being empty or being full. What is better? What is required? A cup must be empty to receive water. This is basic mechanics, reflecting a universal principle. My mind is a cup. It must be empty to receive God’s truth. OK, then why do I spend so much time reading books, [...]

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The finger of God

Here’s an image that captures the imagination. The finger of God that writes our fate. Do you remember this poem? “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.” (Omar [...]

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From the Lord

There is this curious phrase somewhere in the Writings of Swedenborg: “The person who reads the Word from the Lord and not from himself alone…” (SS 3.2). Let’s consider this for a moment. What does it mean to read the Word FROM the Lord? The Latin is legit a Domino, which doesn’t help much. How [...]

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Animal name: Strong Wolf

In the Spiritual Warfare men’s group that I take part in, we were guided tonight through a process to find a new power animal name. My old name was Circling Deer. My new name is: Strong Wolf. Looking up some of the meanings of this animal totem, I find: “The Wolf is a creature with [...]

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It cannot always be understood

A central teaching of the Writings of Swedenborg, maybe the central teaching, is that God Jehovah came down to earth and was born as the human being we call Jesus Christ (AC 6700, TCR 124, and many others). This is an idea that stretches the mind, to say the least. The image I have is [...]

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Mysteries

“Now it is permitted to enter with the understanding into the mysteries of faith.” (TCR 508) There are two ways of reading this. Either it means, now the mysteries of faith will be approachable by the understanding and will be understood, be made reasonable. They will then no longer be mysteries. Remember the New Church [...]

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