Tuesday's Taize

[Barbara]

Tuesday's reading is one of those sayings that invite people to
connect Christianity with Eastern traditions. I started to say it
sounds Buddhist, but Buddhism seems SO in the moment that there almost
is no goal, no direction, and for Jews and Christians, there
definitely is a purpose, goal, direction to our relationship with God.
I think, though, that this verse reminds us to loosen our grip on the
things of this world that might impede our progress toward the real
goal.
I very much value the Episcopal emphasis on seeing the physical
creation as a good gift from God, but that idea includes the
"qualifier" that everything God created is good in the right context
and used the right way. In the big picture, I often need to be
reminded that the good use of God's creation always involves keeping
it in proper perspective with the ultimate spiritual truths and goals
that are our "inheritance" as children of God.

[Beth Rankin]

Tue, 11 December
Paul writes: From now on those who buy something should live as if they had no possessions and those who use the things of the world should do so without being engrossed in them. Because this world as we know it is passing away.
1 Co 7:29-31

 

A few years ago I needed to move from a 3 bedroom house with garage storage to a 3 bedroom apartment.  A couple of years after that I needed to move into a 2 bedroom apartment, about 800 square feet.  A few years after that, because of budget constraints, I moved into another 2 bedroom apartment in an attic of a house, about 600 square feet.  And one more move after that into a teeny tiny attic apartment about 400 square feet.  (Sam and I get along amazingly well, considering. LOL)

 

Each move downward necessitated the casting off of unneeded items.  I halfed ny possesions each time.  And once again, I cast off more when Graham and I combined households.  I had a yard sale before we got together, we donated items to a church rummage sale in Colorado, and we had another yard sale once we got here. 

 

We still have way too much.

 

Each casting off was extremely liberating, not at all depressing.  And you know what, it is time to do it again.

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[Barbara Ladner]

Yes, I wish I were better at that.

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Peace and Love,
Barbara

[Ed Dorsey]

I have had life require me to downsize on several occasions, but as yet, I have not managed to keep the stuff away. It applies to emotional, spiritual, and material "stuff"; when I get rid of "junk", it makes room for good things, that I may otherwise pass by do to "lack of space". Alas, like exercise and a healthy diet, while I know these practices could only be good for me, I don't practice them to the degree I'd like to... for the moment, I try to content myself with doing "well enough!"

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Have a great day, unless you've made other plans!