#reverential

[howifeltabouthim]

I wanted her to interview me, to listen to me in that way. I wanted her to notice every feeling I had, and to honor each as though it were sacred.

Jessica Gross, from Open Wide

[irishlass7]

#reverential #fear #awe #Son of God https://www.instagram.com/p/ByLhYoAIBEI/?igshid=1ngt3uage6e7a

[howifeltabouthim]

She guarded her curious knowledge of him like the emblem of a forbidden religion.

Iris Murdoch, from The Book and the Brotherhood

[grrlmusic]

sunn O))) - Reverential (Official Audio)

[midnightanimals]

Handbook - Reverential 

[english-tibetan-dictionary]

reverential

skor ba - encircle, surround, move round, turn, turn a wheel, revolve, wheel, rotating, fill with, enclose, besiege, come again and again, traverse, ride round a thing, reverential ceremony of circumambulation, to walk around something [JV]

grub dbang shva mo nA thA'i 'khrungs rabs rnam thar gsol 'debs dpag bsam 'khri shing - reverential petitions recounting the lives of stag tshang ras pa ngag dbang rgya mtsho and his subsequent rebirths - the chief lamas of Hemis monastery; by {ngag dbang dkar brgyud rgya mtsho} and the 5th {bde chen chos 'khor yongs 'dzin ye shes grub pa} [RY]

mngon par 'dud pa - bowing, bending reverentially [JV]

rje btsun bla ma ma hA gu ru pad ma 'byung gnas la gsol ba 'debs pa byin rlabs bdud rtsi'i char rgyun - a reverential petition to the Mahaguru Padmasambhava - by ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho - Dalai lama v - (1617-1682) [RY]

sten byed pa - serve reverentially [JV]

'brug lugs kyi mchod brjod rab gsal - a collection of reverential petitions to gurus in the transmission of the various teachings used in the liturgy of the 'brug pa dkar brgyud pa school [RY]

tshig bdun gsol 'debs - reverential petition to padma sambhava [RY]

mdzod gcig ma - {'phags pa'i gsol 'debs mdzod gcig ma} reverential petition to Avalokiteshvara; attributed to the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo [RY]

rab tu 'dud pa - salutation, saluting reverentially [JV]

gsol 'debs - a prayer; devotional verses; reverential petitions [RY]

gsol 'debs rnam thar dri med ma - a reverential petition cum biography of Padmasambhava - by {nyang ral nyi ma'i 'od zer} [RY]

gsol 'debs le'u bdun ma - o rgyan gu ru padma 'byung gnas kyis rdo rje'i gsungs 'khrul pa med pa'i gsol 'debs le'u bdun ma - reverential petition to Padmasambhava - said to have been concealed by prince mu khri btsan po - rediscovered by gter ston bzang po grags pa and set down by rig 'dzin rgod kyi ldem 'phru can. [RY]

o rgyan gu ru pad ma 'byung gnas kyis rdo rje'i gsungs 'khrul pa med pa'i gsol 'debs le'u bdun ma lo rgyus dang bcas pa - reverential petition to Padmasambhava - said to have been concealed by prince mu khri btsan po - rediscovered by gter ston bzang po grags pa and set down by rig 'dzin rgod kyi ldem 'phru can. [RY]

[ianspeaks]

Fear...or reverence?

A good friend of mine asked me about my thoughts the other day on the fear of the Lord and what that implied for modern society and as usual, that got me thinking...

We here in modern America are so infected with modern psychological ideals that we think that when we see verses like the following in Deuteronomy, we take it to mean something it doesn't.

"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, (Deu 10:12)

We see a verse like this and think, "Well, that's the God of the Old Testament. The God of the New Testament is all about luuuuuuv, man." So what we end up doing is falling off the boat on the other side and treating God and Christ's Church like they're best buds that you text occasionally and sometimes go bowling with. What is this fear of the Lord that the Bible talks about so much? And how would it play out in modern life if biblically understood? People who view fear as often stated in the Bible in a strictly modern light will be totally confused by this verse:The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. (Psa 25:14) Wait, what? The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear Him?! I don't get it! But consider this: the hebrew word that the english is translated from (yare) is mostly used in cases like the previous two verses to mean reverence or awe. Not abject fear like we would think. Reverence. Ever been in a huge cathedral and felt dwarfed and overwhelmed by the majesty and beauty? That is the feeling we're supposed to have in the presence of God, whether it be church on Sunday or praying to Him as we drive to work or school. Not this terrified, witless fear of Him, but reverential awe in the knowledge that He is so much bigger and more powerful than we or anyone else could ever imagine, BUT He still chooses to be with us and love us! We in the U.S. constantly refer to Christ as King, but we've lost most of that awe that everyone else in this world has for kings. The closest we get to it are celebrities. Most people would be absolutely speechless if they got a chance to meet their favorite celebrity, and would probably spend hours picking the right outfit for the occasion. This is a glimpse of the awe we should have for God. How does this awe affect our everyday life, though? It should affect everything we do. Think about it. You act differently around people you admire, right? You respect them, listen to what they say and often try to mimic what they do and how they do it. So how much more should we try to do this with the God who could make the whole universe vanish with but a word! Let's take how we approach going to church, for instance. People get so caught up in personal preference and what "feels right," that they have lost sight of what Sunday morning church is for! It's not a time to sing a few songs to feel better about ourselves and leave, it is a time to worship our holy God and fellowship with other believers (Eph. 5:19).Why then do we treat the Lord's Day with such flippancy? We wear our ragged jeans and sort-of best shirts and flip-flops, carelessly wandering in to church when the mood hits us, when we are supposed to be joyfully entering the presence of the Most High God! There are an abundance of blessings for those who fear God biblically (Ps. 34:7, 111:10, among many others), yet so many treat His Words as if they are no longer valid in our "enlightened" times. If we stand in awe of Him, would we not also treat His Word to us with reverence and not disdain? The current state of the Church in the U.S. is made so much clearer under this understanding of the fear of the Lord when we read Proverbs 1:7."The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." This reverential fear of our God should also be what motivates us to witness to people about Christ, whether verbally or not. I myself don't take this as seriously as I should, as it is easy in these times to just try to blend in with everyone else. But what we should be doing is using that awe of Him as motivation to live "in a manner worthy of the Lord," (Col 1:10) using every opportunity to share Christ (with words or actions) to those we come in contact with everyday. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. (2Co 5:11) It is this fear of our mighty, awesome, almighty God that should drive us to know Him better, to drive with other's interests in mind, to listen to what others have to say before discarding them, to say hello to the WalMart greeters, to be nice to the fast-food employees, to treat our Christian brothers and sisters with respect and to go to church every Sunday, not because we must, but because we can! Let us all remember that the fear of the Lord has nothing to do with terror and intimidation, it has everything to do with a reverential understanding of who God is, especially compared to who we are. Soli Deo Gloria This is Ian, signing off.