Daily Primer — August 24, Boone - North Carolina

Augbeetle,
I see from your letter that you continue to allow your pilgrim to read the literature of the desert mothers and fathers of the 4th-6th centuries.  This prompts me to write to you about an aspect of your pilgrim which I noticed when I first read his dossier.  He sure stays busy.  Indeed, I see that even his current study of the apophthegmata patrum (sayings of the desert fathers) is something that keeps him frenetically rising up early and going late to his rest.  I assume that you see the delicious irony in this, and further, I trust that you are clever enough to know that he should never be allowed to perceive that incongruity.
These mothers and fathers of the desert (ammas and abbas) pioneered a form of spiritual formation called hesychasm from the Greek word meaning “come to rest.”  How marvelous that your pilgrim is feverishly consuming a literature which celebrates and advocates for rest over assiduous effort!  It is not surprising that he should take that approach to mastering desert-spirituality; it is the approach we have been teaching him and others like him since he was on his mother’s breast as the solution to every problem — the answer to every mystery — work harder, produce more!  Convince your pilgrim that he must earn the mastery he seeks.  Impress upon him the reality of the meritocracy which our Father has imposed and never let him become comfortable with the notion that the Enemy aims to give him the spiritual gifts which he so earnestly seeks to achieve through his labors.
You might ask, “How can these creatures remain so enslaved to a merit-based system of faith in the face of the Hebrew bible’s stories about the escape from Egypt and of the Greek bible’s emphatic declarations about salvation by grace?”  The answer is that we too have been teaching all these millennia; it is not just the Enemy who has produced propaganda.  We have our own story to tell about the way things really are, and I have to say that on this subject we appear to be winning in the court of public opinion.  Think of the many common-place sayings which originate from the lips of our Father’s minions and which are whispered into the ears of these creatures.  Then they spout them out at every turn as if they were the gospel:
“There is no such thing as a free lunch.”
“Time is money.”
“The early bird gets the worm.”
“You get what you pay for.”
The strength of our propaganda is that it so easily is manifested in benefits which the pilgrim can see: his accumulation of things; his domination of others; his mastery of knowledge.  The way of the Enemy, on the other hand, is a way which eschews things, and domination, and knowledge understood as mastery.  When we show our pilgrims how obviously rewarded they will be by the world if they work tirelessly and expand the circle of their influence ruthlessly — then it becomes that much easier to convince them that their spiritual life is also measured by endless effort and uncharitable superiority.
You may object that the Enemy has clearly said to them, “Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest,” or again, “In returning and in rest is your salvation,” or again, “Why do you rise up early and go late to your rest — eating the bread of anxious toil?  Do you not know that the Lord loves you and desires for you to rest?”  Thanks to our relentless propaganda, they know of these things in their heads, but we have them almost completely enslaved to our way at the level of daily living.
I see too that your pilgrim’s mother has just died, and that at the nexus of her earthly life and what follows she simply and quietly relaxed into the embrace of the Enemy.  As I write to you I still hear the howls of hunger and vexation echoing up from the throne of our Father below.  Each pilgrim that escapes us only increases the experience of famine which has plagued us from the beginning.  She has ended her pilgrimage and now, with the other abbas and ammas, she “rests in peace.”  How appalling it is to see one who would have been such a satisfying meal escape our table!  As long as she and others like her rest in the Enemy, our Father below will continue to roil in turmoil — restlessly pacing and plotting his next moves.  Take her escape as a warning about the chasm of peril which opens before you.  See the painful suffering of her former tempter as a portent of your own demise should you allow your pilgrim to escape us.  And for the sake of us all — do not let your pilgrim “come to rest!”
  In Depravity — Knockskull

Florilegium is the Medieval Latin word for bouquet, or more literally flowers (flos, flor-) which are gathered (legere). The word florilegium was used to refer to a compilation of writings, often religious or philosophical. These florilegium are literary flowers—beautiful words/prayers/thoughts I have gathered.  During my sabbatical they will give me something to ponder each day. — PHL.

We pray, as often as we meet,
that we might “worthily magnify thy holy Name.”
Except that before your holy name,
we mumble in awe and timidity and cowardice.
Your holy name we can hardly utter:
the father of all orphans,
the son who is crucified and risen,
the spirit who blows where it will,
creator, maker of all that is,
redeemer, who frees us from the power of death,
sanctifier who blesses us with betterness.

Your holy name that causes powers to tremble
and angels to yield.
Your holy name that causes chaos to settle,
and death to depart,
and feverish anxiety to grow quiet.
Your name we dare entertain in our dry mouths,
on our thin tongues,
between our quivering lips.

No, we are not worthy to utter your name,
we are so anxious and devious,
we are so preoccupied and distracted,
we who cannot stay awake to watch with you one hour,
we who have our own ways in the world that are not your ways.
Except you have entrusted your holy name to us;
you have called us as your witnesses;
you have empowered us to be your good news messengers.

So we pray in this awesome moment in your presence,
match up your holy name with our poor    testimony,
that we may make your name and your power and your purpose
very large and awesome and compelling,
large before the rulers of this age,
awesome amid the violence of
our world and our government,
compelling amid our mad pursuit of oil
and commodities and safety.

We pray for freedom and courage to praise you,
that by our praise,
the angels in heaven may be invited to awe, the folk among us may be summoned to notice,
the children in our midst may be moved to trust you.

You, you the lamb that is slain,
are worthy to be praised.
Take our unworthy selves
and by your good power
let our praise toward you be done worthily.

That you, your kingdom and your power and your glory
 may be made large
in our times and
in our places,
here and now—made very large.

Let my prayer rise before you as incense, O Lord, the lifting of my hands as an evening sacrifice.

We lift our voices in prayer and praise, holy God, 
for you have lifted us to new life in Jesus Christ, 
and your blessings come in generous measure.
Especially we thank you for

†  the good news of Jesus Christ for all . . .

†  the wonder and beauty of creation . . .

†  the love of family and friends . . .

†  opportunities for faithful service . . .

†  particular blessings of this day . . .

We hold up before you human needs, God of compassion, for you have come to us in Jesus Christ and shared our life so that we may share his resurrection.

Especially we pray for

†  the one holy catholic and apostolic church . . .

†  peace and justice in the world . . .

†  those in whom we see Christ’s suffering . . .

†  those who offer Christ’s compassion . . .

†  particular concerns of this day . . .

As you have made this day, O God, 
you also make the night.
Give light for our comfort.
Come upon us with quietness and still our souls, 
that we may listen for the whisper of your Spirit 
and be attentive to your nearness in our dreams.
Empower us to rise again in new life 
to proclaim your praise,
and show Christ to the world,
for he reigns forever and ever. Amen.