About Septuagesima
A Season for Preparation
Chip is an Episcopal priest and has been for 30 years. He believes that we are connected to each other and to God by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that guides us, comforts us, and heals us. He also believes that the Holy Spirit manifests herself to each of us uniquely. So while the Episcopal Church and Christianity is his chosen pathway, he believes that we all are on a higher path in life even though that path may not be the Christian church.
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Above all else, Chip is an imperfect follower of The Way. The tenets of The Way are spelled out in the two greatest commandments - to love God (in whatever manifestation we perceive) with all our heart with all our soul and with all our mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Everything hangs on these.
In the Episcopal Church, The Way is is best described by The Baptismal Covenant:
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Proclaiming by word and example the Good News of God in Christ
Seek and serve Christ in all persons
Strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being​​​
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Jesus Christ never told anybody what they had to do. He always showed them the way, but left it up to the individual to make a choice to follow or not. The biggest trouble with factions of the Christian Church, as with factions of other religions and belief structures, is the belief that it must sign up the world - embracing those who come aboard and shunning those who don't –Nothing could be further from the true practice of The Way as understood through Jesus' teaching. The Way boils down to practicing hospitality - a metaphor for meeting people where they are and embracing them as children of God - however God is manifested to them.
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Life doesn't go on forever. But we live as though it did. Not until our later years do we begin to discover deeper tranquility and lament its having eluded us until now. Septuagesima is about preparing for life - not when we reach 70 or 80, but much, much earlier, learning to accept the finitude of life in such a way that tranquility and peace become more the norm in our lives rather than the chaos of keeping up with the world. Paradoxically, with greater tranquility we begin to experience the traction to identify and accomplish the really important and meaningful goals in life.
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Christianity is my chosen path as a Disciple of The Way. But I believe also that there are plenty of other paths for followers of The Way that don't necessarily involve Christianity. The basic tenets of The Way are encompassed in all practices which thrive on a deep connection with a higher power, fellow human beings, and the rest of Creation. Here, we are about coming to terms with the inevitable fact that we are not going to live forever - and through self examination and a new commitment to the source of our being and each other-we can gain more of the gravitas - lead a fuller, richer life of service with whatever time we may have.
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I invite you to join me on this journey of discovery of self, spirit and each other. I’m a seeker, as are you. I don’t have the answers – only ruminations and I’m sharing them in this blog. Your insights and ideas are most welcome.
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We cannot practice hospitality to others until we practice hospitality to our own souls - through loving introspection and examination – in preparation for discovery of the things that separate us spiritually and socially from God or our Higher Power. Hospitality was a sacred duty in Jesus' time. Perhaps we can find ways to continue that in our time.
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When I turned 70 not long ago, there was a profound awareness that I had more time behind me than I had in front of me. For the past three years I have been pondering that fact and learning to come to grips with the mystery of the finality of life. I’m learning that wisdom is not something that comes automatically with age, but only after a process leading to acceptance, which comes from a greater awareness of the journey. What I now understand is that this process is not reserved for those of us who have reached this stage of life, but can be practiced by people in all stages of life. I hope you will join me in discovery!