Mystic in Motion

Chapter nine of "A Generous Orthodoxy," by Brian McLaren, is so important to me. I probably need to write a few posts about it. The chapter is entitled "Why I Am Mystical/Poetic." It really gets into the meaning behind my blog's name and the journey that I am on.

Here's a great quote from Walter Brueggemann:

To address the issue of a truth greatly reduced requires us to be poets that speak against a prose world. The terms of that phrase are readily misunderstood. By prose I refer to a world that is organized in settled formulae, so that even pastoral prayers and love letters sound like memos. By poetry, I do not mean rhyme, rhythm, or meter, but language that moves like Bob Gibson's fastball, that jumps at the right moment, that breaks open old worlds with suprise, abrasion, and pace. Poetic speech is the only proclamation worth doing in a situation of reductionism... (Finally Comes the Poet, as quoted in McLaren, p.146)

This describes the kind of proclamation I want to make, both in words and in the way I live my life. I am learning so much about the place of metaphor and the mystic in the Christian life. I faintly see glimmerings of beauty and awe in the Bible now. But I am still so hopelessly rationalistic. I am supernaturally-challenged. My brain is oriented toward a logic that is all but dead in the waters of doubt and criticism.

But I'm in motion. God is not giving me a one-time miraculous healing of my couch-potato spirituality, but he is giving me hope. Or is that a random misfiring in my brain? Or is it the opiate of the masses? Nah, couldn't be.

I want to believe in the mystical. I attended a lecture by sociologist George Ritzer (and John Drane) recently, and one of the things he said that really grabbed me was that the world is becoming increasingly disenchanted. I think God wants to save us from that trend. I think he might want me to help. I think God wants us to have the "dangerous wonder" Mike Yaconelli wrote about. (I haven't read the book, but I like the title!) I don't think God wants us to just trudge through life, making sure our get-out-of-hell free card is safe in our back pocket. But you already know that, right?

More thoughts on being a mystic in motion tomorrow...

Comments

[bobbie]

thanks bill, i always wondered why you picked that name.

[Bill]

Someone, I think it may have been Doug Paggitt, said that we need more "poets" in the church. It was during a session at the emergent convention. I'd really like to be that. I'd like to be involved with the medium of film, but we'll see. I have very little background, but hope to try some things out when (and if) I get out to Fuller to work on my M.A.

[anj]

read the book, i think you would like more than just the name. and, as someone raised by a mystic mom in a charismatic Catholic tradition, all traditions tend toward disenchantment. until we learn to embrace pain as part of the walk of Christ. at least that is it for me. i know for others it is different.

[Bill]

I just might do that. I even have a copy, I've just never gotten around to reading it.