"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time . . . " --Ephesians 5: 15,16
To deem means to mark something out, to make it out standing, to especially note it, to emphasize its characteristics.
In energetic language, which all spiritual language is, to deem means to claim a particular realm of energetic territory as one's own and as of importance. We can and do deem our prides, our irritations and hostilities, our lusts and desires, our jealousies, as rightful realms in which we have planted our flag of ownership and domination, a flag which impales our loving heart.
We deem it necessary to protect our little selves, to mark us out as special, to make us an exclamation point in a flatland horizon.
Our energetic or spiritual practice is to re-deem ourselves. To un-deem our demption traps and to allow the freedom and creativity of new deeming.
How do we do that? First of all, we have to decide to do it. If you love your stupor, your irritations, your greediness, you can just keep right on deeming them, creating yourself in their image. No one will stop you. Many will encourage you.
After deciding to deem differently, at least two steps are important for demption transformation. One is to turn completely away from the old deemings as soon as they arise. In many of the old re-demption practices, this is done by uttering a sharp emphatic sound.
Some Tibetans use Phat! Some of my Navajo friends use Pah! One of my sisters uses Pffftt! I used to use the F word (it was a holy F), but have since graduated from that.
Whatever sound you use to expel your negative deeming, it is best if it is short and exclamatory. I find now that a simple brief exhalation of air will do.
The important second step is to turn your awareness immediately to what you now deem -- to lovingkindness, to good humor, to joy, to generosity, to live awareness of now. Your new deeming will be reinforced every time you do this.
Soon you will be singing the song I invite us to stand and sing now. Page 182 in your hymnals: "I Have Been Redeemed."
Come on now! Belt it out! Singing is another way of demption.
I love how this offering fits so well with your previous posting on ‘spirit’.
ReplyDeleteTo un-deem and re-deem ourselves we must, as you’ve pointed out, “decide to do it”. And, in addition to making that choice, we must also take action. We must become, as you expressed so eloquently in Thursday’s ‘spirit’ posting: “No separate creature on knees, but a partner in the making.”
We all have the first step of “uttering a sharp emphatic sound” down pat...we don’t even have to think about it. It’s the second step that will take conscious, mindful practice for most of us -- deciding and choosing “lovingkindness, good humor, joy, generosity” etc. immediately following the uttering of our emphatic sound.
We must be an active partner in our own re-demption. Many of us have become spiritual couch-potatoes...we’ve been passively waiting for someone else to lead us to our re-demption; when, really, we’re being asked to walk as active participants: "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time . . . "
Yes, indeed! Thank you, for the beautifully expressed reminder, George. ~ Cathy : )
Cathy, what an understanding insightful comment! I'm a'tellin' ya, we could be tag-team preachers!
ReplyDelete:-) thanks!
ReplyDeleteWonderful "3-step" process. And not one of the 3 steps is any less significant than the others. To make the decision is a huge first step. Then you dangle precipitously until you put the decision into action. But, if you don't take the 3rd step, the 1st 2 can be blotted out.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you put this into words.
Yes, ablecutegem! Simple as a,b,c, as 1-2-3. Practice is what does it. Like any three-athlete-alon.
ReplyDelete