Everything Belongs -The Gift of Contemplative Prayer
Book Review by Tom Gilbert · © July, 2009
Author · Richard Rohr, OFM
Publisher - Crossroad
Everything Belongs is the one book by Richard Rohr (noted author, speaker and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation) I recommend more than any of his others. He has written many wonderful books, but this one contains several of the oft-repeated themes found in his other writings.
Subtitled The Gift of Contemplative Prayer, this work helps us to see a number of things that we often have been blinded to, even if we think we are good Christians. Each chapter has many nuggets of insight which help us discover, or remind us again of the existence of what I call the Great Mystery of Divine Reality.
The book reminds me of several important things about life and God.
Life is not about me; I am about life. It is about participation in the great dance of life. And how I participate reveals whether I get it or not, because in my interaction with people and creation I reveal my true motives. Selfish or of service?
God is not out there. Where is God? Everywhere! Right here, right now. In you and in me. Jesus and the Incarnation - God as human as the rest of us - is to show us that God is one of us, in us and always among us. That's radical to embrace because then our response to life and to others must be love. Otherwise we are not really loving God (1 John 3:14).
God seems to be all about mercy and forgiveness. This is how He expresses His constant love to us. He hopes for us to turn away from "darkness" (our sin) and embrace the "light" (reality). God forgives us before we even ask, but I believe it takes recognizing this reality and our sin (repentance) and accepting the forgiveness to have any effect. And of course God asks us to forgive others just as we are forgiven.
We don't come to God by doing it right. It's not a performance thing; we can't earn it. We should strive to do right because that is love, but God is waiting for us to recognize our imperfection and powerlessness. As Rohr says, "We come to God by doing it wrong!"
We have to learn to really see. Clean the lens. Change our perspective. Understand that our limited "small" mind wants to protect our ego and is counterintuitive to the "big" mind of the Divine. Religion should be teaching us this, especially Christianity which should proclaim the Truth that is found in all of Creation. We are wrong to condemn the spiritual path and seeking of others. God is bigger than our religion. God doesn't only use Christians to proclaim His message. But Christianity can add to all religions and spiritual seekers the truth that God chooses relationship with us to the point that as Jesus Christ He became one of us and willingly suffered and died for us. In his humanity Jesus also shows us how to live.
We all come to the Great Mystery through our own experience - our own story. The Bible is God revealed inside a great story. Over and over again we learn about others seeking and discovering God, but still failing and making mistakes, sinning and God calling them back with forgiveness to teach us not to give up.
It is a safe universe. We should not live in fear. Over and over again throughout the Bible God's messengers say "Don't be afraid".
Contemplation allows us to be still and to be aware of God's presence. It is not about saying the right words. According to Rohr, prayer is a stance. It is a stance of humble awe; it is not about being for or against something. How different from the way we usually live. If we call ourselves Christian and yet spend most of our time pointing out what is right and what is wrong we are missing the point. God judges - it is not our job. We need to do the interior work of changing and transforming so that we truly live in Christ. Only God has the power to do this in us. And only God has the power to do this with everyone else. Can we accept the task of being instruments of God's love and grace?
God is like a great flowing river of love. We cannot control the flow. It is useless to swim against the flow. We can only be a part of it. We should be in a constant state of humility at the enormity of God's love.
What we discover about God is important, but what we do with what we know about God is more important.
God uses all things and redeems all things for His vast and infinite goodness. Everyone is invited. God is not threatened by diversity; instead he seems to encourage it! We don't get to say who is "in" and who is "out". Everything is right here, right now and all that is needed is surrender and gratitude. When we truly embrace that everything belongs we can see that all is sacred.
Richard Rohr, O.F.M., is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province. He has authored many books on a variety of spiritual and religious topics. He is an in-demand speaker and retreat leader. He presently serves as the founding director of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. More at www.cacradicalgrace.org.
Everything Belongs - The Gift of Contemplative Prayer is published by the Crossroad Publishing Company and is available online, including the LivingTheSolution Store.
Tom Gilbert writes articles and reviews about the Christian life and maintains the e-ministry, Living the Solution (www.livingthesolution.com)
Author · Richard Rohr, OFM
Publisher - Crossroad
Everything Belongs is the one book by Richard Rohr (noted author, speaker and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation) I recommend more than any of his others. He has written many wonderful books, but this one contains several of the oft-repeated themes found in his other writings.Subtitled The Gift of Contemplative Prayer, this work helps us to see a number of things that we often have been blinded to, even if we think we are good Christians. Each chapter has many nuggets of insight which help us discover, or remind us again of the existence of what I call the Great Mystery of Divine Reality.
The book reminds me of several important things about life and God.
Life is not about me; I am about life. It is about participation in the great dance of life. And how I participate reveals whether I get it or not, because in my interaction with people and creation I reveal my true motives. Selfish or of service?
God is not out there. Where is God? Everywhere! Right here, right now. In you and in me. Jesus and the Incarnation - God as human as the rest of us - is to show us that God is one of us, in us and always among us. That's radical to embrace because then our response to life and to others must be love. Otherwise we are not really loving God (1 John 3:14).
God seems to be all about mercy and forgiveness. This is how He expresses His constant love to us. He hopes for us to turn away from "darkness" (our sin) and embrace the "light" (reality). God forgives us before we even ask, but I believe it takes recognizing this reality and our sin (repentance) and accepting the forgiveness to have any effect. And of course God asks us to forgive others just as we are forgiven.
We don't come to God by doing it right. It's not a performance thing; we can't earn it. We should strive to do right because that is love, but God is waiting for us to recognize our imperfection and powerlessness. As Rohr says, "We come to God by doing it wrong!"
We have to learn to really see. Clean the lens. Change our perspective. Understand that our limited "small" mind wants to protect our ego and is counterintuitive to the "big" mind of the Divine. Religion should be teaching us this, especially Christianity which should proclaim the Truth that is found in all of Creation. We are wrong to condemn the spiritual path and seeking of others. God is bigger than our religion. God doesn't only use Christians to proclaim His message. But Christianity can add to all religions and spiritual seekers the truth that God chooses relationship with us to the point that as Jesus Christ He became one of us and willingly suffered and died for us. In his humanity Jesus also shows us how to live.
We all come to the Great Mystery through our own experience - our own story. The Bible is God revealed inside a great story. Over and over again we learn about others seeking and discovering God, but still failing and making mistakes, sinning and God calling them back with forgiveness to teach us not to give up.
It is a safe universe. We should not live in fear. Over and over again throughout the Bible God's messengers say "Don't be afraid".
Contemplation allows us to be still and to be aware of God's presence. It is not about saying the right words. According to Rohr, prayer is a stance. It is a stance of humble awe; it is not about being for or against something. How different from the way we usually live. If we call ourselves Christian and yet spend most of our time pointing out what is right and what is wrong we are missing the point. God judges - it is not our job. We need to do the interior work of changing and transforming so that we truly live in Christ. Only God has the power to do this in us. And only God has the power to do this with everyone else. Can we accept the task of being instruments of God's love and grace?
God is like a great flowing river of love. We cannot control the flow. It is useless to swim against the flow. We can only be a part of it. We should be in a constant state of humility at the enormity of God's love.
What we discover about God is important, but what we do with what we know about God is more important.
God uses all things and redeems all things for His vast and infinite goodness. Everyone is invited. God is not threatened by diversity; instead he seems to encourage it! We don't get to say who is "in" and who is "out". Everything is right here, right now and all that is needed is surrender and gratitude. When we truly embrace that everything belongs we can see that all is sacred.
Richard Rohr, O.F.M., is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province. He has authored many books on a variety of spiritual and religious topics. He is an in-demand speaker and retreat leader. He presently serves as the founding director of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. More at www.cacradicalgrace.org.
Everything Belongs - The Gift of Contemplative Prayer is published by the Crossroad Publishing Company and is available online, including the LivingTheSolution Store.
Tom Gilbert writes articles and reviews about the Christian life and maintains the e-ministry, Living the Solution (www.livingthesolution.com)
Posted by Tom Gilbert at 4/30/2011 8:07 AM 
Categories: Reflections:Book Reflections
Tags: Christian book review spiritual life contemplation contemplative Richard Rohr
Categories: Reflections:Book Reflections
Tags: Christian book review spiritual life contemplation contemplative Richard Rohr
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