A few weeks ago we visited New Mexico with wonderful lifelong friends. Yes of course we did all the fun tourist activities: toured old sections of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, road on Route 66, learned much about our Native Americans, and even this height fearing writer road up the tram to the 10,000 Sandia Peak.
One highlight was wonderful lunch at Tim’s Place, theworld’s friendliest restaurant. They serve breakfast, lunch and hugs.
Maybe you saw Tim featured on CBS.
Attending a two-day conference by Richard Rohr (You can read a short bio on him here) was easily another highlight. This Franciscan priesteloquently expresses Christian spirituality that drives us deeper and wanting more.
Rohr has written numerous books. Perhaps my favorite is Everything Belongs but his newest one Immortal Diamond, The Search for our True Self is another great one. I find I read Rohr with a highlighter and my journal near by. Often I sit for a while with just one of his sentences or paragraphs for nourishment for my spirit.
The Center for Action and Contemplation is Rohr’s home base for teaching now. What a wonderful resource of workshops and materials for the Christian journey. It is my dream to return for another conference there.
I wanted to share with you a few of the quotes from Rohr from the conference:
1. “It takes years to learn the dance of intimacy with God. This involves the capacity to be vulnerable – to reopen wounds, to be aware of weaknesses and ordinariness. This doesn’t come naturally and not in the first half of life.”
Inner work – this movement beyond and to the edge – is always hard but rewarding.
2. “You pray the same way you live. If you can’t be vulnerable with another, you won’t be vulnerable with God.”
3. “Contemplation is the rewiring of our brains in God’s love.”
4. “You are the only you. There is no one like you in the past and no one will be like you in the future. The Holy, the powerful creator, is never, never exhausted.”
5. “The ego is not fit to steer this ship. It is too small.”
6. “Either you see God in all things or you won’t see God.”
7. “Life does not end; it merely changes.”
8. “There is a part of you that always says yes to God. Go back to that place. Trust that yes.”
I know his words left me with deep questions and a hunger to search for a more intimate relationship with God.
Tim’s place – fed my body with great food and my heart with hugs
Richard Rohr – nourished my soul and refreshed my spirit.
Rohr shared this poem by Hafiz:
You have been invited to meet
The Friend.
No one can resist a Divine Invitation.
That narrows down all our choices
To just two:
We can come to God
Dressed for Dancing,
Or
Be carried on a stretcher.
Lots of ponder… What is stirring in your heart today? Have you read Richard Rohr?
I agree with you. who wants to fail? But he really thought some of our best growth came out of dark times. Probably true.
Learning through failure would NOT make it to my favorite-things-to-do list! But Richard’s insight helps. Failure can produce positive, life-changing results. An encouraging perspective!
Jennifer, that quote Rohr must have repeated 7 times during his talks. He felt very strong about it. Thanks for stopping by this week
All of these quotes were thoughtful, but this here really grabbed me by the heart. “Either you see God in all things or you won’t see God.” I didn’t use to see God at all. Maybe that’s why.
I loved the idea of God rewiring my brain to get in sync with His through contemplation. So often I sit quietly in prayer and feel nothing happens. Probably is a day he is working deep within my circuit board and I can’t see the changes yet. well At least I can hope so.
Didn’t know you lived in Santa Fe. I really liked it and would return there. In face there is another Rohr conference every Sept, can’t go this year but am hoping to attend in 2014. I did miss the green of Ohio though…
I love the image of the dance with God. Two of us, two distinct beings yet moving as one.
All of his messages were so thought provoking and stirred my soul. I have to sit with them and pray over them. The hard working part was also accompanied by we learn by our failures. That is scary but he said that is really the only way to learn. Try, fail, pick yourself up and go on. Good thoughts
I really enjoyed all of his thoughts. Made me think and grow. Thanks for commenting, Clella
Isn’t it lovely that while we are still learning to dance with God, He still wants to dance with us. He allows us to stand on His feet while He teaches us the steps, till we ourselves learn the joy of dancing in sync with Him. So glad you had a wonderful journey.
I especially love the first quote you shared from Richard Rohr. It gives me great encouragement to know that in this second half of life (should I live the average life span) there is a prize of great worth available to me: intimacy with God! “Hard work, but rewarding,” he says. That’s OK by me. We appreciate more what we’ve had to strive for. Thank you, Jean, for sharing these valuable tidbits from the conference.