A few weekends ago we had a wonderful retreat experience here at Eyes of Compassion Zen Center that we called RETURN to the Sacred Heart. A weekend experience of contemplative prayer and loving action. My friend Mark Scandrette and I co-led the experience. For me personally this was a culmination of a three or four year journey to find a meaningful way to incorporate my love of Jesus into my life of practice.
On one occasion during this retreat I referred to myself as a perpetually relapsing Jesus Freak. Try as I may, I just can’t stop loving that homeless guy from Nazareth. I keep going back to that New Wine of his, that Living Water of his incredible love. In the 70's I was a bone fide Jesus Freak, and I continue to think of him as The Greatest Lover of All Time. (Sorry Don Juan)
In searching to find a reasonably coherent way to incorporate Jesus into my practice, or, perhaps to put it better, to let him back into my life, I came across a phenomenon called the Emergent Church—not really a church in the conventional sense, more a network of like minded seekers who wish to free the teaching and example of Jesus from centuries of abuse and misrepresentation, and who wish to live by his teachings, and who earnestly seek to learn to love as he loved.
My kind of people.
So, that weekend I was surrounded by many dear friends I have grown to love, dearly, and made some new ones.
We talked about Jesus and sat zazen together.
I felt like a kid at Christmas.
You can check out my friend Mark’s organization, REIMAGINE, here.
I'm sure I'll have more to say about that homeless guy form Nazareth in the future.
He just won't leave me alone.
On one occasion during this retreat I referred to myself as a perpetually relapsing Jesus Freak. Try as I may, I just can’t stop loving that homeless guy from Nazareth. I keep going back to that New Wine of his, that Living Water of his incredible love. In the 70's I was a bone fide Jesus Freak, and I continue to think of him as The Greatest Lover of All Time. (Sorry Don Juan)
In searching to find a reasonably coherent way to incorporate Jesus into my practice, or, perhaps to put it better, to let him back into my life, I came across a phenomenon called the Emergent Church—not really a church in the conventional sense, more a network of like minded seekers who wish to free the teaching and example of Jesus from centuries of abuse and misrepresentation, and who wish to live by his teachings, and who earnestly seek to learn to love as he loved.
My kind of people.
So, that weekend I was surrounded by many dear friends I have grown to love, dearly, and made some new ones.
We talked about Jesus and sat zazen together.
I felt like a kid at Christmas.
You can check out my friend Mark’s organization, REIMAGINE, here.
I'm sure I'll have more to say about that homeless guy form Nazareth in the future.
He just won't leave me alone.