Love Wins

I believe Rob Bell is totally onto something in his book "Love Wins". It is indeed a universalist message, but if "draw all things to myself" means nothing else, it means Jesus intends intends to save everyone. I believe this is the key theological teaching of the Harrowing of Hell which is a mythological feature of the reality of Holy Saturday which had shadows in our creedal statements. Regardless of what it is, there is a psychological experience of Hell here and now and perhaps after death for those unfortunate enough not to be able to forgive and be forgiven. It is most certainly not an external punishment but a fearful holding on to our chains which makes God weep. Thus the harrowing of hell and the preaching to the captives. No one is so far gone under any circumstances that God cannot reach them. Some are very far away indeed which is why the death on the cross and the descend of the underworld are mythologically required to get to them. The Aenead has some similarities in terms of this descent. It is part of the larger dying and rising pattern of Christianity and the "Descent into Egypt" tradition of both testaments. Imagine for a minute of Hell as this awful party where no one will go home at the end of the night. Satan is the bar manager desperately waiting to close up, but he isn't allowed to get anyone out. However the only thing he wants from his own first mistake is to get home. That is a very different narrative indeed. I wonder who more than he would be relieved to Jesus on that Saturday?

Testimony

Though (and actually because of) I offered some personal testimony this summer, both as a written letter and as a service announcement, for the particular ministries in which I am involved in my congregation, I was recently asked to consider doing something similar for the annual giving campaign coming up. For a bit I struggled with this as I didn't want to seem like a re-run. However this week I've come to a statement that I would like to post whether we end up using it in the stewardship campaign or not. It's first (and probably overlong) version runs like this:

Monastic spirituality is important to me. A key element of that spirituality is stability. After college I felt called to stay in Portland. For twelve years I have lived, worked, and walked downtown. It has provided me with my version of a monastic enclosure. The heart of this monastery is Trinity Cathedral. It is the center of my spiritual community and my school for the Lord's service as St. Benedict envisions in his rule. This isn't to say that everything is always smooth. In frustration or depression I have wanted to just walk away a number of times. But I have met real people here who care about what happens to me. I know they pray for me and I for them. It keeps me coming to the table time and again. Cornerstone, the cathedral's Benedictine community, renews its vows every Advent. This year I will vow obedience, stability, and conversion of life for the fourth time. These are really one interwoven vow to remain in community centered on God. Like the Trinity itself they create a round dance of community which is itself an expression of God.

Many blessings on your path.