Thursday 13 December 2018

Doors

There are words, and there are contexts.



My focus in life is doing what I came here to do, trying to live faithfully, moving when the Spirit says "move", bringing the words that arise in my spirit.



My contexts are 



  1. my household and family; 
  2. my church community; 
  3. the Methodist Church of which that church community is part; 
  4. the people who read my writing; 
  5. this Kindred of the Quiet Way online community.
I can almost discount #3, because the Methodist Church has no time for me and is not interested in me, other than a few individual souls locally who have become good friends. So I am assuming this word is not for the Methodist Church.

But the other four contexts are relational and responsive, they both speak into my life and hear when I have something to say. So it might be for any of them. 

In case it is for you, I thought I'd pass it on here.

We have been, as I expect you've noticed, in a time of upheaval and profound change — this applies to individuals and their communities, in truth to the whole human race and its Earth context. I don't think I have a word for the whole human race. Usually a Spirit nudge is more specific than that.

In 1967 when I was ten, the Doors made their first album, and my sister — who was five years older than me — bought it. We didn't have much money and didn't own many records, so the few we had, we listened to a lot. I became very familiar with that album and listened to it as much as she did.

I left home the summer I turned eighteen (in 1975), and haven't listened to that album since, or heard it played anywhere. I never see my sister and don't know if she still has it.

But two days ago, most insistently and compellingly, a song from that album came back to me. It's been playing and replaying in my head — I just can't get it out of my mind. What's speaking in my soul is not so much the tune or the genre, as the idea of the song.

"Break on through to the other side."

I feel that it might be something I — or you — or someone in one of my contexts, needs to hear and do. Not to give up, to keep going. The only way out is through. Trusting the process and holding the vision. "For still the vision awaits its time. It it seems slow, wait for it — it will surely come, it will not delay" (that's Habakkuk).







This is the song:


15 comments:

Bean said...

Well it is speaking to me loud and clear :) I have been feeling rather down lately, I seem to be having a hard time coming to grips with my upcoming birthday! There is a season for all things, and sometimes it is simply my season for feeling a bit down, BUT I do KNOW and TRUST that I will "break on through to the other side" of this feeling of blueness and all will well.

Thank you for your thought provoking and gentle blog, it radiates love.

Peace be with you,

Bean

Pen Wilcock said...

In the Taoist way, so I read the other day: "Kǎn is the keeper of the night self and embodies that part of us that knows exactly who we are and where we need to be. Trust the process at play in your situation and pay attention to your dreams."
I just loved the idea of having a Night Self, that dreams and goes astral walking and abides until morning, the side of oneself that is at home with mystery — and that it has a Keeper, watching over it. May your Night Self move in peace through the winter, and may the hungering, yearning aspect of you find its way to living light. xx

Pen Wilcock said...

Kǎn is also "water" and "the abyss" — so the depths themselves keep watch as we pass through the time of submerging.

Anonymous said...

As always, the message about going through and patience strikes a chord with me :). Life situations here of late have been interesting :). Thanks! :)

Pen Wilcock said...

May peaceful ways open for you. x

greta said...

oddly enough (coincidence?), today is the feast of st. john of the cross, guide and mentor through the 'dark night of the soul.' there has been much of that dark night lately, not only for myself but for so many friends and family members. the image of that Keeper who walks with us is very comforting. the 'breaking through' seems to be more of a journey than an event. surrender to the process in play is difficult and challenging but, i think, the only way through. what do you think?

Pen Wilcock said...

What I'm unsure of is to whom it exactly applies; but I think it suggests struggle, patience and determination.

Fiona said...

This speaks very much to me, Pen - thank you xxx

Pen Wilcock said...

Good. May way open for you. x

Sandra Ann said...

The year that album was released was the year I was born! The Methodist Community loss is the kindred communities gain :-). Happy Gaudete Sunday to you all xx

Pen Wilcock said...

Waving! "Gaudete Sunday" is such a joyous appellation. x

Anonymous said...

Timely, thank you (for the encouraging words and verse), yes we need a break through, and I've been feeling it will be coming soon (almost 9 years now of praying for this personal situation).
DMW

Pen Wilcock said...

May the obstacles and block be cast aside to make room for the king of glory to come in. May the rough places be made plain for you. xx

Nal said...

It takes a lot to say things that come from our heart. I often feel like I don’t say enough and sometimes to much. I often just wish we could skip difficult process but your right the only way to go is through.
Thanks

Pen Wilcock said...

Hello Nal. Yes, I think it is difficult. In years gone by, I used to say more what I thought people wanted or needed to hear. But now, I let them share the difficulty of it with me, and I say what I really mean, and if that causes offence sometimes, well, we can work through it.