Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Sorrowful Joy

This Sunday November 4 we will meet at the same 2 pm time but at a new location: the First Congregational Church at the corner of Front and Main St. in Binghamton. Parking is in the Church lot off of Front St., and the entrance is on the Front St. side of the building. Come in the side door and look for the Meditation Room. This room has a wonderful feeling and is perfect for our work. It is larger than the space available in my office building, and at least for now we should have less concern about overcrowding. The Rev. Dr. Arthur Suggs has been the pastor for several years and has led an ongoing transformation of the church into a welcoming and hospitable location for people of different faiths, beliefs, and lifestyles. The church website is: http://www.uccbinghamton.org/index.html. 

The teaching /discussion this Sunday will be focused on the idea of sorrowful joy. This teaching is inspired by the passage in the Gospel of Matthew, 8:20: Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." What did Jesus mean by this statement? What was his inner experience at the moment he uttered these words? Was he sorrowful? Joyous? How can we understand this and how does it apply in our life? Spiritual awakening is often portrayed as a doorway to bliss, which is partially true. Another way to understand self realization is that it opens us to the great mystery of our true nature which is limitless and without boundaries. In the direct realization of this true nature we become real human beings, with nothing separate or outside. No one is left out of the Kingdom of Heaven. The direct realization of this Kingdom right here, right now is neither deserved nor earned. It is given freely, through grace. What is the inner experience of one who sees clearly, seeking nothing, avoiding nothing? 

No comments: