Compilation of Sermons

IN PRAISE OF THE EARTH - Sunday Sermon 3-7-2010
(Sunday, 07 March 2010) Written by Br. John
IN PRAISE OF THE EARTH
by John O'Donohue
Let us bless
The imagination of the Earth.
That knew early the patience
To harness the mind of time,
Waited for the seas to warm,
Ready to welcome the emergence
Of things dreaming of voyaging
Among the stillness of land.
And how light knew to nurse
The growth until the face of the Earth
Brightened beneath a vision of color.
When the ages of ice came
And sealed the Earth inside
An endless coma of cold,
The heart of the Earth held hope,
Storing fragments of memory,
Ready for the return of the sun.
Let us thank the Earth
That offers ground for home
And holds our feet firm
To walk in space open
To infinite galaxies.
Let us salute the silence
And certainty of mountains:
Their sublime stillness,
Their dream-filled hearts.
The wonder of a garden
Trusting the first warmth of spring
Until its black infinity of cells
Becomes charged with dream;
Then the silent, slow nurture
Of the seed’s self, coaxing it
To trust the act of death.
The humility of the Earth
That transfigures all
That has fallen
Of outlived growth.
The kindness of the Earth,
Opening to receive
Our worn forms
Into the final stillness.
Let us ask forgiveness of the Earth
For all our sins against her:
For our violence and poisonings
Of her beauty.
Let us remember within us
The ancient clay,
Holding the memory of seasons,
The passion of the wind,
The fluency of water,
The warmth of fire,
The quiver-touch of the sun
And shadowed sureness of the moon.
That we may awaken,
To live to the full
The dream of the Earth
Who chose us to emerge
And incarnate its hidden night
In mind, spirit, and light.

Sermon 10.17.10
(Sunday, 17 October 2010) Written by Jestor
State: Published
I sit here on my couch, thinking what to say..... My last \"Sermon\" was a copy of a passage I really liked, and my thoughts on it...... Not sure how this sounds to you guys and gals, but, we'll see......

The other day, the wife and I went to the local hardware store to purchase some supplies for our Halloween setup.....

We tried this a couple of weeks ago as well... It did not work then either...... We got into a disagreement, and left with no purchases....

Why did we have a disagreement? I cannot fathom the reasons.... Why does anyone?

I am currently upset with myself.... Not terribly, but nonetheless, not happy...... I let my emotions run amuck...

I, as most of you know, try to greet each and every person, new to TOTJO.... Lately, it seems that controlling of anger has been a major thing people want to learn...... Why?

It can have adverse effects on many aspects of a persons life, such as, but in no way limited to, employment, friendship, family, physical health, mental health, the list seems too long to completely list here......

Why does it seem that people have less control over their anger, versus a generation ago?

Is it because, we were/are told to \"get it off our chest\", \"It's bad to let it build up, you'll crack\", \"you'll feel better\"? Whereas the older generation were told to \"suck it up\", \"play the cards we're dealt\", \"be an adult\", and \"quit whining\".

I think it might be....

In one of the lessons, I learned I had been training myself, with negative reinforcement, to respond with hostility.....

When I \"tell a person off\", I feel better. But then my irritation with that person soon swells again, due to that person not changing, to them, what is a perfectly fine action or idea. All I did, was make them angry/upset/irritated with me.

The cycle continues.... Thereby, reinforcing this negative action... And every time I would feel better, it would go away more quickly. Since figuring this out about myself, I have started watching the interactions of those around me, most noticeably, my co-workers and my family.

It is not an easy thing to change a known bad habit, let alone a habit that we don't even know we have developed..... After all, if it makes us feel good, and gets rid of the emotional poison, it must be right, right?

I think, we stopped thinking about the rights and feelings of other people. We forgot our original intention of grouping together was for safety and security. Mutual respect abounded. Didn't like the tribe you were with? Go find another. Or start your own with like minded people.

Every day I meet someone I didn't know the day before. Everyday, my tribe gets bigger, the world becomes a smaller place.

Not everyone of them is going to go along with my outlook. Some, will probably will tell me how wrong I am.

That's ok. They are allowed that right. I may, after all, be wrong.

Perception of the situation, the perspective of the situation, your interpretation, your opinion, your outlook, your point-of-view.....

Look around, and see if there is another way to look at the situation.... See if you can see what they are trying to say, understand where they are coming from.....

Well, anyhow, this is my \"perception and perspective\".....

What's yours?

Sermon 11.21.10
(Sunday, 21 November 2010) Written by Jestor
State: Published

Lessons of Life....
11.21.10

I was pouring a cup of coffee, and was struck by the thought, when am I smart enough?

The elders in my life still tell me I'm too young, (I'm 40),and my children, of course, tell me I am too old, and I just don't get it...

I have gone through the rigors of life like any other person, I wasn't sheltered, I wasn't overly anything....

I acted as a child, when I was a child....
I act like an adult, now that I'm one of those (chronologically, I guess...)

We have all traveled down our roads of life... Each path taking us where it is we direct it.... Even if our steering is subconscious... Led by the Force... Learning lessons, living life, having experiences, that possibly we missed the lesson the first, time through so we have to try that one again....

A co-worker of mine and I were talking one time, making life comparisons. She said, \"I'll be your life would make for an interesting book\".... Yes, it probably would. So would most people's, I would think. An awful lot of lessons and experiance's to learn from. it is not possible to read my life, I must tell you about it. Boring as that may sound for some of the stories...

Each of our lessons are personal, not the same for each of us and the experiences are as varied... And even if multiple people followed exactly the same pathway, the lessons learned would vary with the individual and their outlook, their passions....


Keep this in mind as you come across people in your journey through life.... your friends, acquaintances, children, lovers, parents, teachers, and just about anyone else you meet.....

Be tolerant, be patient...

I have to remind myself as well at times...

After all, I'm only human as well....

May the Force be with You....