“Catch on fire and others will love to come watch you burn.” ~John Wesley
Yesterday we spoke about multi-dimensional knowing,
understanding that we are more than our minds and bodies, but within the
richness of consciousness resides the spirit
or soul part of us. Therefore, if we
aren’t accessing the potential of all three, we are incomplete and, according
to the Bible (I Thessalonians), unholy. Meaning, when we engage our whole
selves, mind, body, and soul, and
learn to live out of the totality of our personhood and the gifts it offers,
then we truly function out of multi-dimensional knowing, using our own sacred
divinity, the very image or reflection of God, to “experience” life.
As we contemplate living wholly
and thereby holy, we are simply
saying that we are showing up for life, committed to being passionately present
and deeply aware of our phenomenological existence; consequently living life on fire!. This requires being keenly conscious and rooted in the now.
We should be mentally, physically and spiritually aware of what we’re feeling
and thinking and how we’re reacting and responding to our present condition.
Simply stated, we are not to exist but rather experience life fully.
In a world of quantitative skepticism and modernist
rationalism, experience and the power thereof is often discarded. This is why I
deeply enjoy what Methodist circles tout as the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral.” John
Wesley, religious reformer and founder of the Methodist Movement, is attributed
to having used four pillars of discernment when considering any issue,
theological or otherwise. As a person of Christian faith, scripture was quite naturally included. He also used [church] tradition, trusting in the wisdom of
those before him. Reason was also
invoked, which includes science and other forms of “secular” knowledge. Lastly,
but in some ways most importantly is one’s experience. Personal, human, individual truth remains a fundamental determiner of
the measure of joy, peace, and prosperity we encounter. Therefore, our experience of our life makes all of the difference and contains many of the answers
to your questions and life’s mysteries.
So, how are you
experiencing your life? Or in other words, what are the predominant emotions,
fears, and motivations you meet daily? What seems to be the overarching story
or narrative of your life? It is one of joy and victory or one of defeat and
dismay?
I know some folks will say that I’m putting too much
emphasis on experience while neglecting the preeminence of scripture. Don’t get
me wrong, I love scripture and I take it seriously (just not always literally).
However, as British author and scholar Karen Armstrong says, “the biblical God
is a starter kit.” I agree with her.
The biblical text is there to point in the right direction
and offer a foundation, but it’s only the launching pad for a lifelong
spiritual quest toward transcendence. God and all that God is is beyond any
book, even one as awesome as the Bible! Meaning, God is that which can't be
spoken of, expressed, heard, seen or even completely understood (and the best
we can get to fathoming glimpses of the Divine is through multi-dimensional
knowing). So, if our view or conception of God hasn't changed much over the
years then something is stagnant or underdeveloped, and we certainly aren’t
“experiencing” God in our life.
I have a few more things to say but I’ll save them for tomorrow, not wanting to risk making the post too lengthy (see, I remember the promise I made in Post #1). I’ll merely leave you with the challenge to employ all of yourself in order to experience the richness and fullness of life. Look deeply, feel intently, and be conscious of you as you. What is your experience of life mentally, physically and spiritually…. and how does that inform who and what you are and how and what you know. Once you get clear on your own experience you’ll find yourself deeply rooted in the fire and energy of life………of God. In the meantime, please know……
This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not behind you, they are ahead of you. So, experience life with all that you are and with all that you have. Be passionately present to yourself and your surroundings, and you’ll recognize you have #bigthingscoming!
Phenomenologically Yours!
~Ray
NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read
my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments
here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash
tag #bigthingscoming.
(Copyright,
2013, Ray Jordan)
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