Sermon for April 27, 2008

John 14: 15-21 Life In Christ

Rev. Shannon Mang


Two months ago- my yoga teacher brought my yoga class out of Shivasina- the final resting pose at the end of each yoga class with words from Eckhart Tolle’s book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose – and he encouraged all of us to check out the on-line book study that Tolle is doing with Oprah Winfrey. As my teacher was reading I was very surprised that the language Tolle uses around “Consciousness” and becoming still and quiet in order to experience divine presence, is almost exactly the same as two very significant Christian teachers : Thomas Keating and Cynthia Bourgeault... who, like Tolle have been teaching for several years that when we go deep into the spirituality of all of the religious systems, we pretty much arrive at the same place: an awareness of being connected to divine creative energy.


I don’t often pay much attention to popular spiritual teachings in main-stream media, but the concepts that Tolle is talking about in this book and in his previous book, The Power of Now, are so closely aligned with the teachings of Thomas Keating and Cynthia Bourgeault, I realised that there is a single message that several teachers are expressing at the same time. My good friend Betsy Young was the one who introduced me to the teachings of Cynthia Bourgeault and I had the chance to hear her in persona along with her mentor Thomas Keating when I attended a Summer school course at Vancouver School of Theology last summer.. a course that blew the windows and doors out of conventional thinking about prayer. They are powerful teachers within Christianity right now and Tolle is the right teacher for this moment in time for a North America and Europe that is hungry for spiritual teaching but highly suspect of ‘the church’- he is able to clearly articulate with words spiritual realities that can not fully be expressed by words. Partnering with Oprah, one of the most powerful media giants of our day, the time has come for this teaching about human spirituality and consciousness to touch, and transform the lives of thousands of people around the world.

So what do these teachers: Tolle and Winfrey; Keating and Bourgeault, along with the Dali Lama, and Tich Naht Hahn, and Marianne Williamson, and the international list goes on and on have to do with this morning’s reading from the Gospel of John?? All of these teachers are pointing to the same reality that the writer of the Gospel was expressing about the essential unity of our deepest selves with God. This passage is glimpse of the Christian path that points us in the direction of knowing deep truths about the Trinity… how we dwell within God and how God dwells within us through the presence of the Living Christ, which is manifest in the Holy Spirit.

In just a little while the world will no longer see me,

but you're going to see me because I am alive

and you're about to come alive.

At that moment you will know absolutely

that I'm in my Father,

and you're in me,

and I'm in you.


Thomas Keating is an elderly gentleman- he is well into his 8th decade and when I first saw him sitting awaiting the beginning of the course, he looked like a frail old man. Then, when he got up to speak, it was as though 30 years dropped away from his face, his whole tall frame was energetically walking around and his presence filled the large room. I am a copious note taker, but I found it difficult to take notes as he was speaking, I just wanted to sit and listen and let his words wash over me… I just wanted to experience him. Thomas Keating lives the practise of Centering Prayer, a practise that invites individuals and groups to sit silently, wordlessly in the divine presence of God. It is deceptively simple, taming the brain chatter of conscious thoughts takes quite a long time to learn.

Recognising that the deep spiritual realities of all of the world’s religious traditions seem to be pointing to the same realities, Thomas has been working for many years with the spiritual leaders of world. In doing so he has become ever more aware of the unique role of Jesus in Christian spirituality. He does not judge Christianity to be the best way to ultimate truth, but in collaboration with these other religious leaders he has been able to articulate for Christians how the living presence of Christ is the guide to living with a deep connection with the creative force of the universe- with God.

In his article “The Divine Indwelling” Keating writes about Christ -

“there is a special presence of Christ in scripture that speaks to the hearts of those who are open and prepared...Once we understand that the Gospel is addressed to a presence within us that already exists, listening to the Word of God becomes a process of gradual enlightenment.”


“Jesus invites us into the commitment of friendship. This commitment opens up the various levels of union that the fathers of the church called ‘the unitive way’. The unitive way is the awareness of the abiding presence of God, a presence that is not undermined by what we feel or think, by what others do, or even by tremendous tragedy. We find our Source. We become the Word of God and express the diving presence, just as Jesus expressed it as he lived his daily life.


“The spiritual journey teaches us three things. First, to believe in the diving indwelling within us, fully present and energizing every level of our being. Second, to recognise that this energy is benign, healing and transforming. And third, to enjoy its gradual unfolding, step by step, both in prayer and action.”


“When we say, ‘Come, Lord Jesus,’ we should remember that Christ is already here. His coming means that he becomes more and more present to our consciousness. He does not move. We move. This process is one of consent to God’s presence, surrender to it, and being transformed by it.”

***

The call to become friendly with the Christ within is timely for us at St. Andrew’s as we celebrate our 50 anniversary. The Biblical call to Jubilee is like a super-Sabbath: every 7 days the faithful are called to rest and re-align ourselves with God. Every 7 years faithful followers of the One God are called to let the land rest and replenish itself. After 7x7 years, there is a special year, the 50th Jubilee year and there are special requirements to bring relationships back into balance. With our relationship with the land, the faithful allow the land to rest for a second year in a row. With our relationships with people: all slaves are given their freedom, and all debts are forgiven and land that has been purchased from original families, is returned to those families… the economic playing field is levelled every 50 years. And the relationship with God is renewed through worship and feasting and celebration.

I have a deep hunger for Sabbath and Jubilee. I struggle to find balance in my life between work and family and self. I yearn for Sabbath space where I can just be with my God; space where I can just walk and really pay attention to the gift of nature; space where I can sit in silence and be wrapped up in God’s presence. I yearn to stop; to step out of the busy, busy. The Gospel of John reminds me that Sabbath is already present in my life. The Spirit of Truth is already residing deep within me, and Eckart Tolle reminds me that that Spirit of Truth is literally only a breath away. Just the simple act of becoming conscious of my breath can return me to Sabbath space and bring me into the presence of the Spirit of Truth. As I look at my life I realise that I do have lots of little Sabbath practises but as I taste the sweet necter of Sabbath rest, I become ever more thirsty for more. I do practise Centering Prayer, not as regularly as I’d like but I have made a start. In this prayer practise Thomas Keating reminds me to be gentle with my brain chatter, he reminds me that stilling the mind takes time and practice and that it is always a gift to return to the divine indwelling presence every time I become aware that I have lost my focus off of my breath, when the chatter returns and distracts me from sitting silently, consciously with me breath.

I am still very new to the practise of Centering Prayer, and I am still working on creating a consistent Sabbath space for it in my life, but , despite its limited role in my life to date, it has made a big difference for me. I am much more likely to recognise grace-filled moments and I tend to have a bit more patience with myself and others.

Silence has a role in the transformation of persons and sitting in silence together with a group of people has a powerful role in the transformation of communities. When people gather to pray in silence, they create a field of Presence that actually shift the energy in a community. Profaound change can happen when there are several persons sitting in silence, experiencing the divine presence at the same time.


Would anyone like to start a Jubilee journey with me? We could explore Eckhart Tolle’s work or the writing of any of these other marvellous teachers. We could read scripture together and move closer to the Spirit of Truth. And we could share silence and create a field of Presence. I will be doing a two part book study using Diana Butler Bass’ book The Practising Congregation at the end of May which might help us create the environment where all sorts of spiritual practises can flourish.


Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor – A Stroke of Insight

May it be so.