Google Docs Account

I've set up a google docs account for posting community related articles written by us. Feel free to upload to it. The email and password to log on are the same as for this blog. The url to the site it:

https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&hl=en&passive=true&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F&ltmpl=WR_tmp_2_lfty&nui=1&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-et-more&utm_medium=more.

Nothing other than a "Welcome" note is posted yet, but I plan on uploading an article or two before too long.

-- Paul Corrigan

Centering Prayer

Do not store up treasures in heaven where moths destroy and thieves steal. -- Jesus
Why do you spend your money on what's not bread and your labor on what doesn't satisfy? -- Isaiah

As Christians, it seems, we are all as perfect and holy as God in the empty center of our true selves. In the ground of our being, God is our apophatic reality. In the center, we are in God and God is in us. Our kataphatic lives, however, are the messes we see (or perhaps are blind to). The purpose of centering prayer--it seems to me--is to bring the inner and outer realities (the apophatic and kataphatic) into contact with each other. The true self cannot be corrupted by this, but the mess we live can be gradually drawn towards unification, defragmentation, and purity.

I'm not sure how the verses above tie into this reflection, but I think they do: something about priorities and the economy of time.

-- Paul Corrigan

Community Activities

Dear Community, I asked Paul for permission to post these paragraphs below from the email he sent out to us yesterday morning. They are a rich example of the kind of intiative and caring investment that I hope we will develop more of--Rickey Cotton

"A number of us have been discussing a few community events we could hold over winter break, so I thought that I would synthesize some of what's been said and email it to you all to see what the level of interest is and to see if we can set some things down on a calendar.

"Here are the two (related) ideas: (1) A week (or two week) discussion online. We would pick a topic (specific or broad) and make some "guidelines" for contributing. We could either do this through email using the "reply to all" button (which, by the way, is how you should respond to this email); or we could host the discussion on the blog (which is what it is for anyway). Please respond, suggest a topic, if you would like to, or dates for when to have the conversation. (The idea behind setting a beginning and an ending date is that it will facilitate more focused contribution than otherwise). Also, feel free to put out "guidelines" for suggestions. For example, I'll suggest one: Over the course of the week, we could each aim to contribute at least three comments about a paragraph in length.

"(2) A community meeting. Let's meet some time for communion, prayer, and dialogue. The online discussion above could either flow into or out of this event (or happen independently). According to what schedules I've synthesized so far of when people will be in Lakeland (assuming that is where we will hold the event), the window of opportunity is Dec 28 to Jan 3. Please send suggestions for dates. The event and discussion about it is and should be multi-authored (even though I'm sending this email). So please, hit the "reply to all" button (each person thereafter hitting the "reply to all" button on the latest email in the discussion) and let's talk about these ideas.

"God bless. Looking forward to some sweet prayer, discussion, and fellowship in the spirit."

Paul Corrigan