Jars of Clay lyrics "There Might Be A Light" and Song of Songs ~ in my heart, on my mind, in my life

The Second Chapter in Song of Songs

starting with the 8th line...

Hark! my lover-here (my lover) comes

springing across the mountains,

leaping across the hills.

My lover is like a gazelle

or a young stag.

Here (my lover) stands behind our wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattices.

My lover speaks; (and) says to me,

"Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,

and come!

"For see, the winter is past,

the rains are over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth,

the time of pruning the vines has come,

and the song of the dove is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth its figs,

and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.

Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,

and come!

"O my dove in the clefts of the rock,

in the secret recesses of the cliff,

Let me see you,

let me hear your voice,

For your voice is sweet,

and you are lovely."

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes

that damage the vineyards; for our vineyards are in bloom!

My lover belongs to me and I to (my lover);

(My lover) browses among the lilies.

Until the day breathes cool and the shadows lengthen,

roam, my lover,

Like a gazelle or a young stag

upon the mountains of Bether.

Ah man.

I cry.

I AM... Love

Pray with me.

I imagine our Triune God as the Gazelle when I hear Song of Songs with my heart.

I wonder why I love God sometimes from

behind my wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattices.

Pray with me.

I wonder why I sometimes hide from God

behind a wall...in the Garden's Trees...

I wonder why I sometimes choose to forget God

 comes looking for me

in The Garden...

"Where are you?  Why are you hiding?"

I wonder why I sometimes don't recognize God

when God waits for me outside the tomb

calling out to me by name...

"Mary, who are you looking for?"

Why am I afraid to be with

Emmanuel...

I pray I will always invite our Triune God into all I do.

I pray I will always seek our Triune God into all I feel.

I pray I will always feel our Triune God’s presence while I pray.

Pray with me.

I imagine I am the Gazelle when I hear Song of Songs with my heart.

I wonder why I keep God

behind a wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattices.

Ah man.

I cry.

Pray with me.

Remember The Transfiguration prayer I brought to the front so long ago...

Label:  transfiguration…

Peter, John and James wanted to build three tents for Jesus, Elijah and Moses.  

Pray with me.

I wonder why I sometimes place God

behind a wall...inside a tent...

I wonder why I sometimes keep God to myself...

box God in...

I wonder why I sometimes believe my wall built through my custom...

my culture...

my tradition...

my institution...
is the one true tent, box, walled courtyard.

I wonder why I sometimes choose to forget

the Canaanite Woman...

Why am I afraid of

Emmanuel...

I pray I will keep our Triune God free to express unconditional forgiveness.

I pray I will keep our Triune God’s creation alive.

I pray I will climb the wall, open the windows, clear the lattices.

Jars of Clay presented a concert in my town Halloween Weekend.  When I heard There Might be a Light I felt transported to my daily prayer in the second chapter of Song of Songs starting with the 8th line...

Jars of Clay ~  There Might be a Light

I wait outside your house

And sing below your window

And I look for the light to show, I know

I know that it will come on, come on, come on

Come on soon

There might be a light

Somewhere in your mind

When you think of you and I

I wait for it to shine

I know it will come on, come on, come on

Come on soon

It will come on, come on soon

And it's just the way things go

When you love someone and they don't know

Sparks and hearts, they have to glow

They just glow, they just glow

You know they just come on, 

come on, come on, come on

They just come on, come on, come on

There is no delusion, to you I don't exist

I am only shadow

Only a ghost can wait as

long as I have for this

And I, I can't wait much longer

'Cause there might be a light

Somewhere in your mind

When you think of you and I

I know there will be a light

It might not burn very strong

But I know it's coming on

It will come on, come on, come on

I sit back.  Breathe and feel my heart sigh...

Mark 10: 35-38 presents the Sons of Zebedee ~ in my heart, "Can I sit at your right hand?"

I ask myself the same question Jesus asked the law Scholar, "How do you read it?"  We prayed with that earlier ~ Teach me to pray ~ Encouragement before we share Exodus and the Canaanite Woman.  Remember that earlier post?


Scripture is read to me everyday.  I read Scripture everyday.  

I hear Scripture differently everyday because I am a different person everyday.

       Somedays I feel inexplicably happy.

       Somedays I feel melancholy.

       Somedays i feel boisterous.

       Somedays I feel quiet.

       Somedays I feel content.

       Somedays I feel mad as hell.
       Somedays I feel hurt.
       Somedays I feel I've hurt another.






I must remember Scripture was written in a different time.

I must remember those hearing Scripture in those different times had a very different world view:

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, 

"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."

He replied, 

"What do you wish (me) to do for you?"

They answered him,

 "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."

Jesus said to them, 

"You do not know what you are asking.

~ Mark 10: 35-38

We must remember the folks around God while The Word Was Made Flesh did not have an appreciation...an understanding...a concept... for being in Heaven.  It was not part of their tradition.  "In your glory" RIGHT NOW...IN THIS TIME...WHILE YOU ARE FLESH...very likely means when you're sitting on the throne of our nation as king.

Today, I do have an appreciation for being in Heaven.  It is part of my tradition.  Since I get it, if you will, I casually read Mark as "In your glory in Pure Love in Heaven with God and all the saints."  I can easily chuckle at James' and John's naivete,  "You silly boys..."  and leave the Scripture alone.

BUT, to bring it home...to make it relevant to me NOW...to hear a pertinent lesson...

What are James and John actually asking?  How ‘bout…

“Jesus, when you become King...when you drive out the Romans with the armies you raise and train...Can I be, say...you’re Secretary of State or your Prime Minister.”

"Jesus, when you become supreme priest...when you really put the Sanhedrin and it's Scribes...the Pharisees and the Sadducees in their place...Can I be, say...on the Supreme Court?"

Concrete   measurable   places   of   honor.

Everyone   will  know   I   am   important.

Ah man.  Now this Scriptural Passage presents a lesson to me today.  Because I do this today.  I bring an agenda to the table when I am with someone.  It is human nature.  It is exercising Free Will.  It is extremely human.  I don’t believe we can help it;  BUT, we can be aware of it. But, we can make an adjustment to our attitude.  Like Jesus did with the Canaanite Woman.

Jesus challenges us to be aware of it, “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

Here’s a parable:

I plan to join the new organization at my church called, THE BEST SERVICE and SOCIAL ORGANIZATION EVER ~ BSSOE.  EVERYONE who is ANYONE at my church is is signing up with BSSOE.  I can make a ton of contacts for work.  And, I will be invited to the best parties.  And, I will be well on my way to being elected to the Church Council.

However, I missed the whole meaning of the word "SERVICE" in the title.  It means volunteering a lot of time serving at a soup kitchen.  It means volunteering a lot of time stuffing envelops.  It means going to a lot of meetings.  It means answering a call to drive another member to a doctor’s appointment.  It means…

Pray with me.

What do you think?  What is your take?  How do you apply this Scripture Passage to your life?  

Jesus tells the  Zebedee boys   like   it   is:

“Can you drink the cup that I drink or 

be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

Jesus tells me   like   it   is:

NOT ONE MEMBER became my client.

I went to two parties:  one played music i didn't like all night and 
the other served food I didn't like.

I did not get elected to the Church Council.

I get called every month to serve at the soup kitchen.  UGH...every month!

I had to bring that guy to his doctor's appointment.  I hope I don't catch what he's got.

That paper cut still hasn't healed.
Those meetings are scheduled during CSI: Miami.  I haven't seen one episode in months.

Here's a question: Is there an advantage, then, knowing we have the reality of Heaven?

Heaven is a given, for me.  Remember our earlier prayer in The Garden?  

God comes to us asking, "Where are you?" Even knowing what we did.  

Jesus waits for us at the tomb asking us by name, 

"Mary, who are you looking for?"  

Even after we humiliated him, denied knowing him, scourged him, nailed him to a tree.

My challenge to knowing the reality of Heaven is I can chuckle at others naive interactions to Jesus and leave it at that.  I can sail through Scripture without listening to my heart...without reading Scripture with God is Love...without listening to Scripture with Emmanuel.


So, I believe another attitude affecting how I read...listen...to Scripture is in the questions, "Do I live to get into Heaven?", and, "Am I accepting Jesus' challenge, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand...within you...right now? in other words, "Do I live to bring Heaven at hand...within me and you...right now?", "Am I living Emmanuel ~ God Is With Us, or I will be with God after I am dead?".

As I shared in an earlier post, I wear an I Minus knotted and tied around my left wrist.  One of those knots symbolizes Chastity, if you will:  I pray I will greet another agenda free.  Does that vow work for me?  Ah man...

The Canaanite Woman ~ in my prayer

Ah man…

Here we go…again...

I  call  The  Canaanite  Woman
  Jesus’  spiritual  director.

Yesterday my prayer helped me explore the idea...the tradition...my heart...of sin and with sin.

I was challenged on retreat, as i've said ~ repeatedly...ah man...sorry 'bout that ~ because it sounds like I suggest that Jesus sins in the story.

I hold Jesus did initially respond to the Canaanite Woman through the tradition he understood:  She is an outsider.  I hold Jesus did initially respond through the tradition he understood:  The First to be tended are the "lost sheep of (The Chosen)."

Jesus' response to her is in accordance with the popular consensus. Subsequently 'righteous', if you will in the eyes of the crowd.  No sin.

Now, here is the lesson in the story for me supported by Hebrews 4: 15.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable 
to sympathize with our weaknesses, 

but one who has similarly been 
tested in every way, 
yet without sin.

Jesus understands Human Free Will because Jesus lived with Human Free Will.  Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses.  Jesus' Human Free Will was tested in every way.  Jesus' attitude was adjusted.  Jesus was without sin in God is Love.

I  call  The  Canaanite  Woman
  Jesus’  spiritual  director.

The Canaanite Woman challenged the popular tradition Jesus lived.  Jesus heard her.  Jesus' attitude adjusted...

Jesus was tempted to follow the tradition of recognizing a CHOSEN people.  Jesus' new knowledge came from the fruit of a different tree.  Jesus ate.  Jesus glorified God with his new knowledge in...through...with God is Love.  God is Love unconditionally.

ALL are CHOSEN.

Wow...ah man...

I cry.

Breathe.

I pray I will always hear another's prayer.



I pray (my soul) will leap in (my) womb, and be filled with the Holy Spirit always when I am greeted by another.



I pray I will always feel God's Love through another person.



I pray (my soul) will leap in (my) womb, and be filled with the Holy Spirit always when I am with another.



I pray I will always live God is Love.



I pray (others' souls) will leap in (their) wombs, and be filled with the Holy Spirit always when I greet them.


Let's sit back.  Feel our hearts beat.  Breathe and sigh...

The Canaanite Woman ~ in my heart, in the stillness

Ah man…

Here we go…

I  call  The  Canaanite  Woman
Jesus’  spiritual  director.

Here’s why…

I bring back the topic from an earlier prayer, The Transfiguration bringing belief through a human mind, I feel this could be one of the loneliest times for the Man Jesus.  It seems so long ago...maybe in archives labeled TRANSFIGURATION. Christology in my naiveté.


I bring back the topic from an earlier prayer, The Triumph of the Cross ~ in my heart.  It seems so long ago...maybe in archives labeled TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS in the challenge,

To love God is to follow the commandments as outlined in the Tablets.  God’s commandments are concrete and measurable.  I can see clearly when someone ~ including me ~ breaks any of the Ten. The Ten are behavior based.


It is much more challenging to clearly define Love One Another, Turn the other cheek. The Greatest commandment Jesus outlines requires an attitude adjustment.

Whoa...how arrogant is THAT?  I am quoting myself.

I bring back the topic from an earlier prayer, Who do the Crowds Say I AM ~ in my heart, in my life, in my stillness…

Alright.

Alrightalright.

I know I hide in the Garden’s Trees when I am afraid to face God.  When I am afraid of facing other people I can simply stop answering the phone, if you will.

See, for me…

Sin ~ for lack of a better word ~ against society isn’t necessarily sin against God.  However, when I live through God is Love...sin ~ for lack of a better word ~ against God IS always sin against other people.

A great example from Jesus’ life to help me explain where my prayer concretely takes me home with that thought.

Mark 2:  23

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"

Scripture is riddles with such examples of sin against society and sin against God.  Share the ones with me that bring you home, if you will.  Let’s talk about it.  Let’s pray with it.

Alright.

Alrightalright.

Now really begins the Canaanite Woman as Jesus’ spiritual director.  Oh boy...this is the part of my retreat sharing when many of the others blasted me!

Am I THAT nervous writing this here or is it the coffee in my system?!?

Alright.

Alrightalright.

Jesus was raised by people that truly loved God.  Truly held God in the center of their hearts.  I believe that.  Jesus grew up hearing over and over how he was one of the Chosen People; that others were not so privileged.

The Canaanite Woman challenged his processing human mind ~ tradition, history, society’s cultural teaching ~ when she heard him calling her a dog. As far as she was concerned ~ and I am concerned ~ Jesus was implying that she and her kind weren’t worthy, if you will, for the children's’ bread.

S H E   S A I D  to the very human Jesus, “Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

I cry…

I can see...can feel...Jesus stopping in his tracks.  I can see...can feel...Jesus turning around to face her... walking toward her with his arms outstretched...hugging her... holding her tightly against him.  I can hear...can feel...him whispering in her ear, “You are so right. I AM here for you.  I love you.  Thank you.”

Ah man...I cry…

I pray I will always hear another's prayer.



I pray (my soul) will leap in (my) womb, and be filled with the Holy Spirit always when I am greeted by another.



I pray I will always feel God's Love through another person.



I pray (my soul) will leap in (my) womb, and be filled with the Holy Spirit always when I am with another.



I pray I will always live God is Love.



I pray (others' souls) will leap in (their) wombs, and be filled with the Holy Spirit always when I greet them.



Let’s rest.  Sit back.  Feel our hearts beat.  Breathe and sigh.