Let what was seen in Christ Jesus be seen also in you –
Though his state was that of God,
yet he did not claim equality with God
something he should cling to.
Rather, he emptied himself,
and assuming the state of a slave,
he was born in human likeness.
He being known as one of us,
Humbled himself obedient unto death
Even death on a cross.
For this God raised him on high
and bestowed on hi the name
which is above every other name.
So that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven, on earth and under the earth,
And so every tongue should proclaim
“Jesus Chist is Lord!”
to God the father’s Glory
– Philippians 2:5-11, Christian Community Bible translation, from the Philippines, as cited in Cynthia Bourgeault‘s Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening
This is a nice interlude in our Way of the Heart series, which continues soon. Here is the series so far:
The Way of the Heart – Cynthia Bourgeault Part 1: What IS the Path of Jesus?
The Way of the Heart – Cynthia Bourgeault Part 2: See What Jesus Sees; Do What Jesus Does
The Way of the Heart Part 3: Cynthia Bourgealt’s Four Proposals – Beyond ‘The Imitation of Christ’
The Way of the Heart Part 4: Heartfulness Practice Transcends & Includes Orthodoxy
The Way of the Heart Part 5: Upgrading Our Operating System
The Way of the Heart Part 6: A Rorschach Blot for the Mind
The Way of the Heart Part 7: When 20/20 Hindsight Becomes Blindsight
The Way of the Heart Interlude: Kenosis Hymn
The Way of the Heart Part 8: Heart Surgery
In Philip Clayton & Tripp Fuller’s gift to us, a book called Transforming Christian Theology (Fortress Press, 2010), there is a chapter called A Theology of Self-Emptying for the Church, Chapter 13. <<< This link brings one to Bob Cornwall's treatment of Phil's wonderful meditation.
I'm with the Jewish mystics, who thought God had to shrink to make room for creation. And also with John the Baptist in that He must increase and I must decrease. This is also what at-one-ment means to me, nothing penal or substitutionary. With Duns Scotus, I believe that the Incarnation was in the cards from the Grand Cosmic Get-Go and was not occasioned by any frail human felix culpa!
Beautiful reflections, John. But aren’t you supposed to be at Mass? 🙂
Thanks, Mike. Well, of course. Notice the time gap where I was missing from my Sunday School class in Thom Stark’s cyber-parlor. And how, upon my return from Mass, I was immediately led into a near occasion of sin by Ira. Now, I need to go to confession. Damn it.