Sondagdiens

4 Augustus 2019

Hierdie week se liturgie: 4 Augustus 2019

Toe ek laas Sondag in die Sirkel staan en die sin lees, “wees vreugdevol in hoop, geduldig in verdrukking, getrou in gebed,” (Romeine 12:12) was dit asof ʼn vonk deur my brein gegaan het ... “joyful in hope,” dit verstaan ek, en “faithful in prayer,” maak absoluut sin, maar dis die brug tussen die twee — “patient in affliction / persevering in tribulation / endure in suffering” wat maak dat my hart ʼn ‘beat’ mis ... want hoe, hoe sê mens dit vir iemand wat sien hoe alles om hom/haar wegsink en verdrink en "met geduld die beproewing verduur en met lydsaamheid die lyding te verdra?”

Op ʼn ander plek bemoedig Paulus ʼn gemeente wat gebuk gaan onder geweldige vervolging, “... being strengthened with all power according to His glorious power, for all endurance and patience with joy, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Kolossense 1:11-12) Is dit nie ietwat sadisties om te “jubel in pyn” en masochisties om “dankie te sê” vir rampe en droefheid nie?

Die Griekse woord ‘hupomeneō’ word vertaal met: perseverance, patience, tenacity, persistence, diligence, steadfastness, and endurance ... dit is my beskeie mening dat die spirituele KRAG van hierdie sewe pilare totaal misverstaan en onderskat word. Daarbenewens is discipline, devotion, and dedication die Heilige Triniteit wat die menslike ervaring van geloof, hoop, en liefde bring na volwassenheid en verantwoordelikheid. Dit lyk en klink, proe en voel vir my of hierdie die TIEN kleure is vir ʼn landskap op ons spirituele verfdoek.

“... spirituele ...?” — wat bedoel ons met die begrip SPIRITUALITEIT ...? Die kortste definisie van dié begrip is ‘authenticity’ in ʼn geestelike konteks. Met ander woorde — die verhouding, die interafhanklikheid, die wisselwerking tussen wat ons ervaar as GOD en ons as vlees-en-bloed mens het ʼn sekere naelstring en niks en niemand kan daardie naelstring knip nie. Ons kan dit ontken of ons rug daarop draai, maar knip gaan jy dit nooit knip nie. As ons praat van spiritualiteit dan praat ons van die manier hoe ons die Lig, en Lewe, en Liefde wat in en deur ons vloei, maar nie van ons is nie, toelaat om te manifesteer in al die aspekte van ons menswees. Steeds te ingewikkeld ...? Al waaroor dit gaan as ons praat van ‘Spiritualiteit’ is om te asem in God se Asem, om lief te hê met die Liefde van God ...

> Vir ons in die Christelike tradisie is Jesus daardie naelstring. Ons godsdiens is die WAT van ons Christendom, ons spiritualiteit is die HOE van ons Christendom. ♥

So, kom ons gesels ons nuwe maand oor die tema — SOOS ‘N BEITEL VIR MARMER — en dan verken ons die proses om van klip die klei en uit klei die engele te maak. Wat is die ‘beitels’ wat ons marmerblok kerf en slyp om te word wat ons geroep/beskore is om te wees?

Voorlopig net een of twee goed om aan te herkou: as ons praat van ‘beitels’ onthou dat ek niemand se beitel is nie en niemand is ʼn beitel vir my nie. Ek hoef niemand te skaaf en te vyl tot hul iets of iemand is wat na my droom (projeksie) geskape is nie. Wat ek wel kan doen is om met waarheid en wysheid die muse te wees vir ʼn ander mens. Wat ek wel doen is om iemand te vra om die snye en rowe op my hande te versorg waar die beitels ʼn wond agterlaat. En soms vra ek vir iemand om te poseer sodat ek die skoonheid van lyf en hart en siel kan kerf in my onthou, maar sy word nie my beeld of beitel nie, en my beitel en beeld is nie sy nie.

Met hierdie ‘beeld’ gaan ons dié maand reis as ons eerskomende Sondag die BROOD breek en die WYN deel. Ons gaan mekaar weer herinner aan die verhaal van die ontevrede klipsnyer wat enige iets anders wou wees as net homself en vergeet het wat is sy waarde. Hy het net klip gesien en nie die wonderskone skeppende skepper nie.

“There was once a stonecutter, who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.
   One day, he passed a wealthy merchant’s house, and through the open gateway, saw many possessions and important visitors. “How powerful that merchant must be!” thought the stonecutter. He became very envious, and wished that he could be like the merchant. Then he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stonecutter.
   To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever dreamed of, envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. But soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. “How powerful that official is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a high official!”
   Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around, who had to bow down before him as he passed. It was a hot summer day and the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. “How powerful the sun is!” he thought. “I wish I could be the sun!”
   Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and labourers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. “How powerful that storm cloud is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a cloud!”
   Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force and realised that it was the wind. “How powerful it is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the wind!”
   Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, hated and feared by all below him. But after a while he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a huge, towering stone. “How powerful that stone is!” he thought “I wish that I could be a stone!”
   Then he became the stone, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the solid rock and felt himself being changed. “What could be more powerful than I, the stone?” he thought. 
   He looked down and saw below him the figure of a stonecutter."

Geseënde week vir jul elkeen.

Met liefde

Terblanche

Terblanche is sedert September 2011 die geestelike leier van Neo-Spektrum.

GEDAGTE VIR DIE WEEK

“Every block of stone
has a statue inside it
and it is the task of the sculptor
to discover it.”
― Michelangelo ―

A COURSE IN MIRACLES

STAD: 5 Augustus 2019 @ 19:30
KOLPING: 8 Augustus 2019 @ 19:30
Ons lees die tweede semester van die jaar
LESSONS FROM 'A Course in Miracles'
[ons sal die Lesse wat ons lees aankondig op WhatsApp-groep]