Day 196, Morning
Today’s morning meditation is available below in audio and script formats. The audio version is also available for free download on the player.
Reading
“From the beginning, institutional Christianity has hardly contemplated the possibility that the consciousness of Jesus might be the consciousness of the Christian, that the whole point of the Gospel is that everyone may experience union with God in the same way, as Jesus himself.”
—Alan Watts
Stillness
As your day begins, spend a few moments in silence and stillness.
Commentary
In the early 1960s, Karl Rahner, a German Jesuit who strongly influenced the Second Vatican Council, stated that if Western Christianity does not discover its mystical foundations and roots, we might as well close the church doors.
I believe he was right. Without a contemplative mind, Christianity can’t offer broad seeing, real alternative consciousness, or a new kind of humanity. Jesus was the first clear non-dual mystic in the West, in my opinion. We just were not prepared for his way of knowing and loving.
Until people have had some mystical, inner spiritual experience, there is no point in asking them to follow the ethical ideals of Jesus or to really understand religious beliefs beyond the level of formula.
At most, such moral ideals and doctrinal affirmations are only a source of deeper anxiety because we don’t have the power to follow any of Jesus’ major teachings about forgiveness, love of enemies, nonviolence, humble use of power, a simple lifestyle, and so on, except in and through radical union with God. They are just “believed” at the rational level, but never experienced. (CAC)
Blessing
May your love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may able to discern what is best for your life.
—Philippians 1 (NT)
Podcast Feeds
Abbreviations
BC The Belgic Confession
CAC The Center For Action & Contemplation
CD The Canons of Dort
CIB Church In Bethesda Prayers
DZ - Donna Z.
HC The Heidelberg Catechism
MAO - Michael A. O’Sullivan
NT The New Testament
OT The Old Testament
RP - Ryan Phipps
WC The Westminster Confession
WLB Words To Live By
WLC The Westminster Larger Catechism
WSC The Westminster Shorter Catechism