The Sacrament of the Present Moment

Len Hjalmarson was musing about "attention:"

According to Simone Weil, culture is that which forms attention. Originally a word relating to agrarian pursuits and husbandry, it has come to embrace the physical and technological aspects of a peoples’ living, as well as the non-physical aspects such as language and worldview -- the lens through which reality is construed and constructed.

Culture.. worldview.. lens.. these are different ways of talking about our situatedness.. embeddedness... our means of knowing. This morning I am struck by the relationship of these terms to the word that has been rattling in my head since Friday.. sacrament. [more...]

The virtue of attention is a core component of union with God in the world. In his book "The Sacrament of the Present Moment" Jean-Pierre de Caussade writes:

"A living faith is nothing else than a steadfast pursuit of God through all that disguises, disfigures, demolishes and seeks, so to speak, to abolish Him."

I was immediately looking for quotes from this book when reading this post today. And discovered this twin book review by Nathan Vonnahme about "The practice of the Presence of God" and "The Sacrament of the Present Moment."

He writes: " Many Christians are tempted to tout one aspect of the Christian life as the center, the Main Thing–whether it be social justice, evangelism, prayer, exegesis or community. Brother Laurence and Jean-Pierre de Caussade necessarily gloss over many things in their concentration on one subject, but I think their fundamental concern of bending our will in obedience to God each moment may very well be the right Main Thing, the root out of which all other actions proceed. It is frightening to commit our lives to God in this way–we worry, "if I concentrate on submitting to God each minute, I may miss the other important things" and we show our lack of trust in his guidance. We are not confident that he will correct our mistakes. Instead, we try to be on the lookout for him. But if we, in faith, commit to this simple task of abandoning ourselves and spending each moment in his presence, we can be sure he will guide us into proper action, whatever it might be."

"One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek..."

"...but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..."

My wife and I have been living in a hotle room for about 2 months now, without a home since October 29th. We have found purpose in traveling around, to the USA and here in Ontario, but we do not find where to empty our suitcases. And lately, I am wrestling with much confusion as to my ability to hear God in "little things" like these...

So we are here, and that is all we know. And God is here, and that is all we need. Holding back runaway thoughts, wild horses stampeding through the living room of my prayer times, I attempt to discern the design of this season of our lives, hoping I will be able to interpret it. I see something, but it does not translate inot guidance. I hear something, but it is not a command. I touch something but to my shame I grasp for something else, because the hem of His garment was not the main focus of my desperate scramblings...

Blaise Pascal said that all humanity's woes stem from our inability to remain sitting quietly in a chair in a room. Mary chose what was better. In Israel's history, before entering into promises or battles, the Lord often decreed a fast, a sanctification, a setting apart. And here I am today, facing the same choice, being given another day, invited to focus on what is attainable in order to gain what can only be given to me.

I will, by God's grace, find Him in this present moment, and embrace His vastness in this eye-of-the-needle season. Because God loves to be sought and He will let Himself be found. What a lover, what a childlike friend, how unfathomable the character of this Divine Being who is moving with such purity and innocence, yet not careless with anyone.

Blessings to all,

andre

=0= Link to Nathan's books reviews: Books Reviews .