Modes of Experiencing Christ
Psyche’s Mysteries
Past, present, future,
Possibly eternity:
Such is one’s life’s span.
Today biologically
Beyond death, God’s life alone.
God and Christ
Are real to one, not to some.
Unknown depths of God
Beyond psyche’s range of sight,
Reaching into psyche’s realm.
Psyche is the sensor,
The sensorium for God;
Without soul, no God
Could be experienced,
No word heard, nothing spoken.
Psyche unbounded,
Who know’s the limits of one’s soul?
Imagination,
Intellecting, perceiving,
Feeling, thinking, knowing,
Remembering what
Has been known in any way,
Consciousness and `I,’
All that’s presently beyond,
What’s unconscious, forgotten,
Mental processes
Seeking to know their causes;
Reason reaching out
Exploring reality
In chosen ways, directions;
Wondering, loving,
Being awed by what presents;
Deliberating,
Wishing and praying, choosing,
The will to be or not be:
Psyche’s opening
Towards all that exists, is:
Infinite divine,
Beyond and reaching into
Psyche’s mind, depths, and movements.
More than mind can know,
A world within the whole world,
Psyche unbounded,
Mystery of life and death,
Life, death, immortality;
Processes, changes,
Coming to be and passing,
Expanding, shrinking,
Soul winged by love, soul weighed down,
Being, becoming, ceasing.
Who know’s psyche’s ways,
All that the soul is right now,
All it undergoes,
What it has been and will be--
Who truly knows him / herself?
Christ’s Self-Presenting
How does God as Christ
Present itself to psyche?
How does one know Christ
In any, some, in all ways--
Modes of divine presenting.
Christ is God reaching
Into human consciousness,
Into psyche’s realms--
God beyond limitations
Presenting itself to you.
God as known is “Christ,”
“Father” we name God beyond;
Impersonally
Known we call “Holy Spirit,”
Personally known’s called “Christ.”
God presents itself
As and when it freely wills;
Psyche receives God
Consciously through faith as trust;
Unconsciously—who knows how?
You, LORD, are present
Now whether I’m aware or not:
In longing for You,
You’re moving me towards You,
Guiding, directing, drawing.
In seeking your face,
Your presence as you appear,
My soul opens up,
Reaches out in ways unknown
Towards-into Your presence.
You in my thinking,
You in my inquiring;
You in my longing,
You in delightful finding,
You beginning, middle, end.
You’re ever with me
Even when I’m not with you.
You are who you are,
Not what I wish you to be,
You are simply as you are.
I call you the Christ,
Jesus crucified, Risen,
Christ alive with God,
Christ illuminating me,
Christ moving me to true love.
I leave to You, Lord,
When and how you’ll be present;
“If one does not hope,
He’ll not find the unhoped for.”
I hope for wisdom and love.
Wisdom beholds You
Ever present and at work;
Wisdom is open,
Awed by goodness, truth, beauty;
Love accepts, responds, and gives.
Love joys in You, LORD;
In love you work for our good;
You enliven us
Who choose to allow Your love
To work in us and through us.
Christ Jesus present
Here and now even in me,
In my homely words
That seek to share you with all
Who choose to receive You, Lord.
I love Christ Jesus--
You are “my Lord and my God;”
God present to me,
A man on the edge of death,
A man in whom You live now.
I hope in You, LORD,
To live in You forever,
Your life, Yours alone
Filled with all beings in You,
Nothing excluded but sin.
Beautiful our Christ,
Gentle, merciful, loving,
Accepting each one
Who just says to You, “Lord, come!”
Before we call, You answer.
Behold, I am now
In You, little, beloved soul,
Keep opening up
All you are and have to Me;
For I accept you fully.
Lord, what about him?
“He is my faithful servant.
Love him devoutly,
With all your strength, most purely,
And I’ll flood your mind and heart.
A coda’s fitting,
A brief tale of thanksgiving;
To honor our God,
Enfleshed in Jesus the Christ:
“Let everything that breathes, praise!”
To experience
The true Resurrected Christ
Listen well to Bach!
Hear Cantata 190:
The whole opening chorus:
“Singet dem Herren
Ein neues Lied, a new song
Sing to the Lord God!
Let all that breathes give Him praise,
Alleluia! Praise the LORD!”
—Wm. P. McKane
30 January 2020
Sheridan, Montana
Past, present, future,
Possibly eternity:
Such is one’s life’s span.
Today biologically
Beyond death, God’s life alone.
God and Christ
Are real to one, not to some.
Unknown depths of God
Beyond psyche’s range of sight,
Reaching into psyche’s realm.
Psyche is the sensor,
The sensorium for God;
Without soul, no God
Could be experienced,
No word heard, nothing spoken.
Psyche unbounded,
Who know’s the limits of one’s soul?
Imagination,
Intellecting, perceiving,
Feeling, thinking, knowing,
Remembering what
Has been known in any way,
Consciousness and `I,’
All that’s presently beyond,
What’s unconscious, forgotten,
Mental processes
Seeking to know their causes;
Reason reaching out
Exploring reality
In chosen ways, directions;
Wondering, loving,
Being awed by what presents;
Deliberating,
Wishing and praying, choosing,
The will to be or not be:
Psyche’s opening
Towards all that exists, is:
Infinite divine,
Beyond and reaching into
Psyche’s mind, depths, and movements.
More than mind can know,
A world within the whole world,
Psyche unbounded,
Mystery of life and death,
Life, death, immortality;
Processes, changes,
Coming to be and passing,
Expanding, shrinking,
Soul winged by love, soul weighed down,
Being, becoming, ceasing.
Who know’s psyche’s ways,
All that the soul is right now,
All it undergoes,
What it has been and will be--
Who truly knows him / herself?
Christ’s Self-Presenting
How does God as Christ
Present itself to psyche?
How does one know Christ
In any, some, in all ways--
Modes of divine presenting.
Christ is God reaching
Into human consciousness,
Into psyche’s realms--
God beyond limitations
Presenting itself to you.
God as known is “Christ,”
“Father” we name God beyond;
Impersonally
Known we call “Holy Spirit,”
Personally known’s called “Christ.”
God presents itself
As and when it freely wills;
Psyche receives God
Consciously through faith as trust;
Unconsciously—who knows how?
You, LORD, are present
Now whether I’m aware or not:
In longing for You,
You’re moving me towards You,
Guiding, directing, drawing.
In seeking your face,
Your presence as you appear,
My soul opens up,
Reaches out in ways unknown
Towards-into Your presence.
You in my thinking,
You in my inquiring;
You in my longing,
You in delightful finding,
You beginning, middle, end.
You’re ever with me
Even when I’m not with you.
You are who you are,
Not what I wish you to be,
You are simply as you are.
I call you the Christ,
Jesus crucified, Risen,
Christ alive with God,
Christ illuminating me,
Christ moving me to true love.
I leave to You, Lord,
When and how you’ll be present;
“If one does not hope,
He’ll not find the unhoped for.”
I hope for wisdom and love.
Wisdom beholds You
Ever present and at work;
Wisdom is open,
Awed by goodness, truth, beauty;
Love accepts, responds, and gives.
Love joys in You, LORD;
In love you work for our good;
You enliven us
Who choose to allow Your love
To work in us and through us.
Christ Jesus present
Here and now even in me,
In my homely words
That seek to share you with all
Who choose to receive You, Lord.
I love Christ Jesus--
You are “my Lord and my God;”
God present to me,
A man on the edge of death,
A man in whom You live now.
I hope in You, LORD,
To live in You forever,
Your life, Yours alone
Filled with all beings in You,
Nothing excluded but sin.
Beautiful our Christ,
Gentle, merciful, loving,
Accepting each one
Who just says to You, “Lord, come!”
Before we call, You answer.
Behold, I am now
In You, little, beloved soul,
Keep opening up
All you are and have to Me;
For I accept you fully.
Lord, what about him?
“He is my faithful servant.
Love him devoutly,
With all your strength, most purely,
And I’ll flood your mind and heart.
A coda’s fitting,
A brief tale of thanksgiving;
To honor our God,
Enfleshed in Jesus the Christ:
“Let everything that breathes, praise!”
To experience
The true Resurrected Christ
Listen well to Bach!
Hear Cantata 190:
The whole opening chorus:
“Singet dem Herren
Ein neues Lied, a new song
Sing to the Lord God!
Let all that breathes give Him praise,
Alleluia! Praise the LORD!”
—Wm. P. McKane
30 January 2020
Sheridan, Montana