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whatever is true -- think about it

10/11/2011

3 Comments

 
You may be familiar with the verse in the fourth chapter of Philippians that says, "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

We read that verse together as a congregation on Sunday. Betsy Ivy, our current intern, preached an excellent sermon, even bringing in that passage as a perfect seque to a final point. But what stood out for me was something that she didn't mention. To think about what is true is harder than one might assume.

For instance, every morning I drink my first cup of coffee because I believe that life is hard and I love the taste of hot coffee with cream. I follow the first cup with a second and a partial third, because I believe that life is hard and I need a strong beverage to return to consciousness after a night of sleep.

This morning I noticed how much energy the coffee gave me and how that energy made me want to do something, so I ate a mid-morning snack (just like I usually do) and moved through the morning hours a little too fast. By noon, I was exhausted from the morning buzz.

I wonder if the mantra that I have taken "life is hard" is all that helpful for me. Life can be hard. But life is so much more than difficult and trying -- and that is the truth. Tomorrow morning, I am going to experiment. What could my morning be like if I drink less coffee? Might I notice some of the softer aspects of my life? I wonder if I might be able to savor them a little longer and let the lighter, brighter things I notice mean more. I have changed my eating habits this past year and so I know that I can mess with my coffee routine. I am guessing that I will need to make some long-term changes before I stop feeling that life is fundamentally hard.

Are you aware of mantras by which you live that could be challenged and perhaps dismantled? What are the unspoken codes by which you live?
3 Comments
Sue link
10/15/2011 01:42:44 am

Love, Love, Love this post. You are so right, Cathleen. It is hard to know what is true and what isn't. Especially if our experience has taught us one thing. Maybe our life has been hard, maybe things haven't turned out in the past, maybe people haven't accepted us, maybe we haven't been capable. Whatever has been in one sense is true. However, is this the truth of the universe as God sees it? Jesus says His yoke is light, He gives a hope, He accepts us, in Him we can do anything.

Julian of Norwich says that that in our sight we fall, in God's sight we stand. (Both seem true, and both are true.) But she concludes by saying that God's sight is the truer.

I'll be on the lookout for things that I'm saying that seem true, but are not ultimately true. One that I am trying to switch over is "I can do the things I love and be a productive member of society." We'll see where the journey takes us.

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Let's Book link
10/22/2011 11:57:59 am

Huh. I usually drink coffee because coffee is one of God's good gifts to us. Coffee makes me happy that I got up. I don't know if it's true or not, but I love my coffee, and I'm usually pretty happy to be up drinking it, especially when I get to brew it...

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Cathleen
10/31/2011 07:20:03 am

God's sight is truer. Good. And yes, sometimes a cup of coffee is just a cup of coffee!

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