Kin-dom: Inviting Everything To Speak

Listen to the audio of Everything Speaks below (7.5 mins).

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Everything Speaks:

Everything speaks if you let it. Everything speaks with a sacred, special, unique language all its own. Life is filled with opportunities and invitations reaching out to you in ways that are going to be recognizable to you, and curious to you, to create a kind of rapport and friendship between you and life, between you and your own being (which is unique and irreplaceable, and amazing, and absolutely, once in infinity.), and between you and the Sacred, that thing that you are a part of, and is also bigger than you, that shelters you and loves you and knows you, and journeys with you, and helps you feel the connection to all other things.

So, we're back to everything speaks if you let it. This course, like I've said several times, focuses on four animal guides: Bear, Snake, Caterpillar/Butterfly, and Hen. But before we officially get to know them better, I invite you to take time before Advent starts, and listen to what may be speaking to you in your daily life, in your part of the planet, in your sphere of existence, that might want to come with you and come with Spirit and come with Mary and Joseph and come with Bear, Snake, Butterfly, and Hen for the rest of this Advent season.

I've noticed that there are a lot of squirrels around, which is maybe the most ubiquitous statement ever in my part of the planet where I live. Squirrels are everywhere. They don't particularly seem special. But I've really been running into a variety of them lately. I’'m starting to recognize different ones that live in and around our backyard as being different from one another. I'm recognizing different behaviors and some beef that some of them have with each other, and some connection that some of them have with each other. I'm noticing their different personalities. And they seem to be popping up in ways that are getting my attention. And the fact is they've always been around. But for some reason, I'm paying more attention to them right now. And that's one way we can identify a guide or an aspect of the Sacred that wants to journey with us with a particular voice.

I've also noticed, maybe this is going to sound strange, the mathematical term “congruence” coming up in my life a lot lately. I really liked science, I enjoy math. I'm not really great at it, but I like it. I went to a high school all about math and scienc and it's just something that is in me as a point of curiosity and interest. And this word, “congruence” keeps coming up in different ways. And when it comes up, I'm noticing that it's coming up. And it's got me thinking. So, for my personal Advent journey this year, besides Bear, Snake, Butterfly, Caterpillar, and Hen, I think Squirrel is going to be coming with me. And I think this concept of congruence is going to be coming with me too. And I'm just going to let them enter the kin-dom, let them enter the family of things. They're already a part of the family of things. They're already in the cosmos in the universe. But they're piquing my interest and showing up, and I'm responding to them showing up in ways that tell me it might be lovely to pay close attention to them over these next few weeks. If I'm wrong, no harm, no foul, it's okay. But if I'm right about this, there may be some particular things that the Sacred wants me to know about, that my soul wants to learn, that my human experience wants to try out, and explore and consider. And it may be that one of the best ways I can see the fullness of this invitation as it relates to me in my daily life, is to let my soul, and mind, and spirit, and emotion wander with things that are coming up around squirrels, and this mathematical concept of congruence. I invite you to do the same thing.

Before we get started with our four animals before the end of November hits, look around. Listen. Is there a song that keeps coming up that you notice you keep singing? Does it keep coming up in your Spotify list? Is there a memory that keeps popping up in your photo album? In your mind? Is there a dream that you're having regularly? Are there animals that you are noticing more or that are frustrating you or delighting you? Are there words or phrases or concepts that kind of won't let you go and keep popping up in different ways? If you're noticing that, jot them down and in your prayer time, ask them to join your communion of saints. Ask them to join you on this journey of Advent. Everything speaks if we let it. And there may be wisdom here that is wanting to accompany you and enlighten, and illuminate, and share a relationship with you for this Christmastide. And I think it would be beautiful if you could open the door to that, or just consider it, because part of what makes you, you are these unique invitations. And I think that you will have a rich, and personal, and intimate relationship with this course material if you let the fullness of who you are, and what is curious about you, and your life around you, come along for the journey. All right, one more audio share about shepherds and kings. And then we're going to start our journey.