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Must We Surrender?
Must We Surrender?
March 22, 2009
Open your Bible
OPENING SONG
Here I Am, Lord
READINGS
16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
18"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,'[d] and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'[e]"
20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
FROM SWEDENBORG
True Christian Religion (Ager) n. 104
104. (8) The progress towards union was His state of Exinanition ],[emptying]
and the union itself is His state of Glorification. It is acknowledged in the church that when the Lord was in the world He was in two states, called the state of exinanition and the state of glorification. The prior state, which was the state of exinanition, is described in the Word in many places, especially in the Psalm of David and also in the Prophets, and particularly in Isaiah (chapter 53) where it is said:
That He emptied His soul even unto death (Isa. 53:12).
Those two parts of my life sometimes clashed.
This was especially true with the Third Step:
Made a decision to turn our will and lives over to the care of God as I understood him.
First of all, God was not a “him” to me. But in any case, I had no intention of turning my will and life over to anyone – human OR Divine. I knew that my spiritual wholeness depended on claiming my own will and life after having let them be taken from me in so many ways.
I wrote a thesis about how so many of the words in the 12 steps were geared to men. Many people changed “as I understood him” to “as I understood God.”
A deeper question for me was whether some of the very concepts of recovery exclude women from full participation.
Many women have felt that was the case, and they have found other ways to express the step.
One feminist version goes “became willing to change and asked for help.”
Another one from Charlotte Kasl suggests:
I declared myself willing to look into my inner wisdom , to listen, and to act based on these truths.”
So life experiences sometimes lead me to change this concept of “turning over my will and life.”
Yet, much of my own mystical life has brought to places that I could describe as not only “turning it over” but as a surrender and loss of all I had known as “me.”
I would that Swedenborg addresses this concept in terms of “Distinguishable Oneness” between Divine and human. And exanination ["emptying on the cross.] -- more to come over the next couple of week
Some of the mystical writings from many traditions take us deep into the feeling mode of this concep.
Let’s open ourselves to ways this concept is expressed in some of the world’s spiritual traditions.
How do we distinguish for ourselves the kind of surrender that comes from political oppression; from that which comes from a deep encounter with the Divine? I don’t have answers, but I do have some traditions to share.
Defeated by Love
by Rumi
Defeated by Love
The sky was lit
by the splendor of the moon
So powerful
I fell to the ground
Your love
has made me sure
I am ready to forsake
this worldly life
and surrender.
to the magnificence
of your Being
Here is another Rumi poem read by Coleman Barks on Utube
I am Yours and born of You,
What do You want of me?
Majestic Sovereign,
Unending wisdom,
Kindness pleasing to my soul;
God sublime, one Being Good,
Behold this one so vile.
Singing of her love to you:
What do You want of me?
Yours, you made me,
Yours, you saved me,
Yours, you endured me,
Yours, you called me,
Yours, you awaited me,
Yours, I did not stray.
What do You want of me?
Good Lord, what do you want of me,
What is this wretch to do?
What work is this,
This sinful slave, to do?
Look at me, Sweet Love,
Sweet Love, look at me,
What do You want of me?
In Your hand
I place my heart,
Body, life and soul,
Deep feelings and affections mine,
Spouse -- Redeemer sweet,
Myself offered now to you,
What do You want of me?
Give me death, give me life,
Health or sickness,
Honor or shame,
War or swelling peace,
Give me death, give me life,
Health or sickness,
Honor or shame,
War or swelling peace,
Weakness or full strength,
Yes, to these I say,
What do You want of me?
Give me wealth or want,
Delight or distress,
Happiness or gloominess,
Heaven or hell,
Sweet life, sun unveiled,
To you I give all.
What do You want of me?
Give me, if You will, prayer;
Or let me know dryness,
And abundance of devotion,
Or if not, then barrenness.
In you alone, Sovereign Majesty,
I find my peace,
Give me then wisdom.
Or for love, ignorance,
Years of abundance,
Or hunger and famine.
Darkness or sunlight,
Move me here or there:
What do You want of me?
If You want me to rest,
I desire it for love;
If to labor,
I will die working:
Sweet Love say
Where, how and when
Calvary or Tabor give me,
Desert or fruitful land;
As Job in suffering
Or John at Your breast;
Barren or fruited vine,
Whatever be Your will:
What do You want of me?
Be I Joseph chained
Or as Egypt's governor,
David pained
Or exalted high,
Jonas drowned,
Or Jonas freed:
What do You want of me?
Silent or speaking,
Fruitbearing or barren,
My wounds shown by the Law,
Rejoicing in the tender Gospel;
Sorrowing or exulting,
You alone live in me:
What do You want of me?
Yours I am, for You I was born:
Does God expect us to surrender like this? To turn over our lives and will? Do you feel this:
Give me...
Years of abundance,
Or hunger and famine.
Darkness or sunlight,
Move me here or there:
What do You want of me?
Most of us pray: "Give me abundance," not : Give me abundance or famine -- as is your will."
I know moments of a blissful surrender when I can pray Teresa's prayer; Most days, however, that would not be the honest expression of my heart. I pray to have the food, shelter, and medical care I need. If I am hungry and sick, I rarely pray "thank-you for this, God." I am more likely to blame God for the situation in a way that distances me from the Divine. Is that a less worthy attitude than St. Teresa's?
I don't know the answer. But in my view, Swedenborg talks about many paths to the one Divine. God has more facets than we do. Personally, I think sincere prayer comes from the heart. And it is the sincerity that God desires of us.
Most of us have a wide range of prayers throughout our lives. I think the expression of honesty is a type of surrender to that which exists in our hearts at a given moment.
