A Message and News
from the Bishop’s Office
The Rt. Rev. Brian W. Keith
O
ne of the things I’ve come to appreciate more and more is the importance
of consciously thinking about the Lord. It is a vital means of developing
one’s spiritual life. The Writings note, “to the extent that anyone is acquainted
with the Lord and is moved by concepts of Him to think about Him, to the
same extent the Lord is present.” (Divine Providence 326:4) In addition to
bringing the Lord’s presence, it opens heaven to us: “The first and foremost
thought that opens heaven to a person is thought about God.” (Apocalypse
Explained 1096:2, 543:3)
When we think about the Lord we align our minds with the angels.
(Athanasian Creed 88) What’s more, the angels
are in their delightful, nay, in their blessed and happy states, when they are thinking
about the Lord, His Divine and His Human, and how the Human was made Divine;
for they are encompassed with a celestial and spiritual sphere which is full of the
Lord; so that it may be said that they are in the Lord. Hence nothing is more blessed
and happy to them than to think in accordance with the things that belong to that
sphere and its derivative affection. (Arcana Coelestia 2551)
The celestial angels are “in a perception of inmost joy when thinking of
the Lord and of the salvation of the human race by the Lord’s making Divine
the Human in Him.” (Ibid. 5249:2) And the most ancients had the incredible
facility that “whatever they perceived on earth was to them a means of
thinking concerning the Lord.” (Ibid. 3703:7) While we are not most ancients,
nor probably many of us celestials, it would seem that to the extent we make
the effort to think about the Lord it brings us into connection with angelic
thought and states, and can bring us heavenly joy.
Consider the Psalms in this regard. One of the central themes is that of
speaking of the Lord – listing His attributes, recognizing what He has done
and what He can do. Here are two examples:
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1, 2)
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
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