A greeting from Chuck's retreat at St. John's Abbey, a story from the inner monastery, what we are reading to get through a time like this, and an invitation to share.
I have been traveling for a couple of weeks and am now reading Cloister Notes from St John's Abbey on Sunday afternoon, July 28, after the close of our annual Mennonite Catholic Bridgefolk retreat here at St John's from July 25-28! I am a Mennonite pastor and a co-founder of Bridgefolk and an Oblate at St John's. I have ben on sabbatical at the Collegeville Institute in 2001, 2010, and 2015. When I see in this message that Chuck is at St John's Abbey, my heart longs to connect with him here at this beloved place. I realize he may have left already as it is Sunday, July 28 and he was here on Sunday July 21. If you should be here yet and see this message, I welcome receiving a text or call on my mobile number (206) 349-2461 or an email message nislyweldon@gmail.com. Gratefully, Weldon Nisly
Thanks for the sharp wit! Julian is long dead, and thus safe from judgments about doctrine.
I had a therapist once who refused to talk to me about sin, I think because the concept is so mired in assumptions about a wrathful God. It was the only language I had to talk about certain of my mistakes, ones that kept me from being the full human I was created to be. We settled on that language for it (resisting being fully human - RBFH) as a way to grasp it. It seems an appropriately uncomfortable definition that required no wrathful God.
Glad to hear it. I think if you go back to Augustine you can find an argument for this in his "City of God" discussions on pride. In our pride, we harm ourselves. It is a theme that CS Lewis takes up in his allegorical Great Divorce, also with the conclusion that there is no wrath in God. But I like the poetry of Julian better.
I haven't read Julian's theology in 20 years but I remember reading this line and underlining it in my book. It stopped me in my tracks and feels like a balm to hear it again. Thank you for the reminder and I pray it was a blessed retreat.
I like the picture this brings to mind of you reading the line and pausing to think. It is what every writer hopes for. I think Julian would be pleased.
I love Julian of Norwich! She’s my “favorite” saint. I even have a necklace engraved with “all is well” (couldn’t fit the whole phrase on) to remind me of her joyful and comforting words.
Thanks for this. I am always impressed by people who can read folks like Julian, Hildegard, Meister Eckhart, etc. in translation. The language is itself too strange for me to grasp, and I am always getting lost in minutia.
Ahh, this hurdle is a reminder that it is so hard, in so many diverse ways to have meaningful conversations easily; and only some of them are tech related, as is this one But what I wanted to say, while your awesome comments were still biologically alive in my mind were just two words; "A Double-edged Flower" of gratitude, our friend Mac Gimse called them -- THANK YOU Bruce
I have been traveling for a couple of weeks and am now reading Cloister Notes from St John's Abbey on Sunday afternoon, July 28, after the close of our annual Mennonite Catholic Bridgefolk retreat here at St John's from July 25-28! I am a Mennonite pastor and a co-founder of Bridgefolk and an Oblate at St John's. I have ben on sabbatical at the Collegeville Institute in 2001, 2010, and 2015. When I see in this message that Chuck is at St John's Abbey, my heart longs to connect with him here at this beloved place. I realize he may have left already as it is Sunday, July 28 and he was here on Sunday July 21. If you should be here yet and see this message, I welcome receiving a text or call on my mobile number (206) 349-2461 or an email message nislyweldon@gmail.com. Gratefully, Weldon Nisly
Weldon, how wonderful, Chuck is indeed back home in the Twin city area, he will give you a call as soon as I catch him :-)
Thank goodness a saint said it, or it would be heresy! 😊 And thank goodness you said it and reminded us of it.
Thanks for the sharp wit! Julian is long dead, and thus safe from judgments about doctrine.
I had a therapist once who refused to talk to me about sin, I think because the concept is so mired in assumptions about a wrathful God. It was the only language I had to talk about certain of my mistakes, ones that kept me from being the full human I was created to be. We settled on that language for it (resisting being fully human - RBFH) as a way to grasp it. It seems an appropriately uncomfortable definition that required no wrathful God.
I just added RBFH to my vocabulary, love it!
That is really interesting! NMSBG would be the Kierkegaardian way to phrase sin. Not my self before God 😇
When you both put it this way, it is remarkable how much of what the saints taught is considered heresy in the contemporary church!
Glad to hear it. I think if you go back to Augustine you can find an argument for this in his "City of God" discussions on pride. In our pride, we harm ourselves. It is a theme that CS Lewis takes up in his allegorical Great Divorce, also with the conclusion that there is no wrath in God. But I like the poetry of Julian better.
I haven't read Julian's theology in 20 years but I remember reading this line and underlining it in my book. It stopped me in my tracks and feels like a balm to hear it again. Thank you for the reminder and I pray it was a blessed retreat.
I like the picture this brings to mind of you reading the line and pausing to think. It is what every writer hopes for. I think Julian would be pleased.
I love Julian of Norwich! She’s my “favorite” saint. I even have a necklace engraved with “all is well” (couldn’t fit the whole phrase on) to remind me of her joyful and comforting words.
Thanks for this. I am always impressed by people who can read folks like Julian, Hildegard, Meister Eckhart, etc. in translation. The language is itself too strange for me to grasp, and I am always getting lost in minutia.
I am glad to hear that, Stacy 🙏
Ahh, this hurdle is a reminder that it is so hard, in so many diverse ways to have meaningful conversations easily; and only some of them are tech related, as is this one But what I wanted to say, while your awesome comments were still biologically alive in my mind were just two words; "A Double-edged Flower" of gratitude, our friend Mac Gimse called them -- THANK YOU Bruce
Thank you, Bruce 🙏
And I am grateful to you, Bruce, for bringing to mind Mac Gimse. I like the image of a double-edged flower, both sharp and beautiful.