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Primitive religion is not believed, it is danced!

Arthur Darby Nock

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
And only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Elizabeth Browning



Tuesday, August 7, 2018

close to God


I was in a Q&A session recently with a somewhat earnest, young seminarian whose hand popped up and said, Pastor Nadia, what do you do personally to get closer to God? And before I even realized I was saying it, I was like, what? Nothing. That sounds like a horrible idea to me.

When it comes down to it, my spirituality is most active not in meditation, but in the moments when I realize God may have gotten something beautiful done through me despite the fact that I'm an asshole.

                                                                                          Nadia Bolz-Weber
__________________________________________________________

When do I feel closest to God
It’s a good question
Do I even try to get  close to God, really

I mean seriously, the Sacred is scary stuff
Uncontrollable
Undefined
Powerful
Life changing
Irresistible

I have to admit I have never really found a “sense” of God
By reading the Bible
Ore even prayer

Although I pray all the time
I say “help” about 100 times a day
And “I’m sorry” about 100 more

I feel closest to God, when my dog gives me his lopsided grin
And when the sun comes up
I feel closest to God when suddenly
In the midst of all I am doing I stop, and realize that I have actually helped someone

It might be small, like opening a door for an older person
It might be stopping by the house of a “ranch widow” just to say “hi”
It might be when the light seems to come on in someone’s head and heart
In therapy

It might just be when I am silent, when I want to speak
Or speak when it would be easier to be silent

Getting close to God is about
Doing what is easy
Doing what is hard
Doing things intentionally
Doing things by accident
Doing things big and small

But doing them
While muttering under one’s breath
Always
Always

“help”
and
“I’m sorry”
and
“thank you”

And doing them in love


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