Stressful Times and Spiritual Measures

It has been nearly a month since my last posting. This is not because of a lack of commitment to my project or to this blog, but more due to the chaos of life. Sickness, cross-country travel, employment burdens, and near-eminent fatherhood have all contributed to this stress. During this period however I have persevered. God has been faithful and seen me through my sleepless nights and burdensome days. I have been continually reminded of Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Praise be to God, there will be a harvest in "proper time"!!!
I've continued my thinking on oblation and also on my commitments to some form of philosophical postmodernism. This stressful month has given me profound moments of insight into who God is, what his purposes are, and who I am called to be as a result. Here are some thoughts, reflections, and an update on my journey:

1. In addition to reading The Rule, I have begun practicing the Liturgy of the Hours. I have joined with the universal Church in praying morning, evening, and nighttime prayers from Shorter Christian Prayer. This practice has not been easy, it has taken me nearly a full week of researching to simply understand the layout of SCP and I still doubt I am following the liturgy correctly. Oh well, I try. (More on the Liturgy of the Hours in a later post)

2. Focusing on my commitment to peace, humility, stability, and silence has helped me process the events of my life. Setting aside time for God, silent, humbling, peaceful time, has seen me though this month. To pause, to simply breathe and relax, can have an incredibly therapeutic effect on one's life, health, and mental state. Regardless of your faith commitments I suggest you try it.

3. The postmodern framework of my faith, the ideas I've written about during my last several posts as lacking. I believe they are valuable, but they leave me wanting more, they are ideas, not the sum total of my thinking. Several attempts have been made to reconcile postmodernism and Christianity (see: postliberal and postconservative thinking, radical orthodoxy, etc.), but it is the missional hermeneutic I have come to value most of all. Briefly summarized, the missional hermeneutic states: "God is, was, and always will be on a mission. To be a Christian is to align with God and assist him in his mission." There will hopefully be much more on this in the future.

Upcoming Events and Blog Posts:
1. Meeting with my senior pastor to discuss this missional idea
2. Formally pursuing oblation. Just today I contacted Father Donald from Saint Vincent's
3. More thoughts on the Liturgy of the Hours
4. Viewing oblation and Benedictine spirituality from a missional framework
5. Reflections on The Rule.

Until then,
PAX