St. John of the Cross: Listener Questions

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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James Finley (0:08)

Greetings, I'm Jim Finley.

Kirsten Oates (0:11)

And I'm Kirsten Oates.

James Finley (0:12)

Welcome to Turning to the Mystics.

Kirsten Oates (0:23)

Welcome, everyone, to this special session. This is the end of our series, Turning to the Mystics on St. John of the Cross. And so in the session today, Jim will be addressing some of the questions that came in.

But before we begin, Jim, you just wanted to make a bit of an opening statement about the questions and where we're headed.

James Finley (0:49)

Yes, yes. You know, first of all, there were a lot of questions and I read them all, went through all of them.

And several thoughts is that when they're really great questions, because there's the kind of questions that contemplative seekers ask, because it's endlessly evocative. You know, what about this and what about that? And that's normal. That's a good sign like that.

And because there were so many, we could actually, which we won't, actually go through each of the questions, taking like five to 10 minutes on each one, giving the time they deserve. And it might take us a year to do that. Two years. And that would be a good podcast, by the way, because it'd be all real. But I don't think we should change format like this. I think we should stay going, because the accumulative effect of just listening to these mystics, it soaks into you. Little by little, it gets clearer and clearer as time goes by, like that.

And also, thought too about these questions, it just shows you that we're right at the edge of spiritual direction. We take one step further, see what matters is how this is unfolding in you. How is this unfolding in me? And we just stay with that and move with that. So I was very encouraged by the number of questions and the quality and sincerity of the questions. So this dialogical part of our time together, I think is key to what we're doing.

Kirsten Oates (2:22)

Yes, yeah, I agree, Jim, and I read all the questions also. And just really thank everyone for making the effort to communicate with us that way.

Also, Jim, I have heard you say too, that reading the questions the way you do, I mean, you've taken many days with them. Will influence what you teach with the next mystic and certain things you might emphasize and notice. So the questions will help with that part of the podcast as well.

James Finley (2:53)

Exactly. You know, when I give the silent contemplative retreats, I don't do anymore. And after each conference and the sittings, there's questions.

And so by the end, when it ends, that last session, not only are they more in the flow of it together, but I'm more in the flow where they are, you know, in the way I respond to them. And I think that's exactly right about these questions. Yeah. Kind of moving along together here.

Kirsten Oates (3:24)

So not one wasted, just all really appreciated and...

James Finley (3:29)

Exactly.

Kirsten Oates (3:31)

Well, let's start with one of the questions. I'm going to read this question from Josh, who says, There is somewhere in the eternal distance, something that tells me that silence is precisely what I'm supposed to be finding. And there is, I suppose, some comfort in that.

But in the meantime, I have to make decisions about everyday life and how best to live out a calling, to share my own experience and teach and balance that with making a living and having a family. Should I sell my house and pack up with my wife and kids and go back to school to put more of my time and efforts into studying and writing? Should I write more music, make more recordings and play more shows and connect with people that way?

Should I put more focus on the kind of teaching that I'm currently doing and try to make more of that? Should I simplify my life so that I can put more quality time into being with my family? There are not enough hours in the day and every endeavor that I consider seems possible and worthwhile, but I can't do them all. And I long for guidance. And I don't know how to be led by silence, even though I think that may be the answer. I'm just not certain how to let it be the answer.

James Finley (4:52)

But let's say first that when we're interiorly called to a more contemplative way of life, that path, that following that contemplative path is incarnate in our vocational calling. So for example, in the monastery, the monastic life is carefully designed to remove all the distracting complexities. There's just nothing but the silence and the Psalms and the youth, like that, and that's their vocation. And in that silence, it has its own challenges. It's not like that. But what we're doing is how do we hear when we feel this contemplative call, and we live in the midst of the world.