Daily Spirit Journal

Volume I

. . . Read excerpts from the book by clicking its cover on amazon.com

Preface

At the suggestion of and with the technical help of my son Jeremiah, I became a blogger (wondering what one was) in 2004, recording daily quotes and reflections, beginning in September and going the year’s cycle of days through August 2005. As you will see, there are quotes from all over and reflections on quotes, mostly mine. Daily I posted the reflections to an e-mail list as well as to a weblog, which has 365 archives as I consider volume II.

It has been a corporate effort. As many as fifty colleagues have sent quotes to me: especially Randy Williams, Beret Griffith, Herman Greene, David Rebstock, and Lynda Cock. Others I gleaned from colleagues’ e-mails, writings, and shared readings. And, of course, colleagues throughout history up to the present offered quotes: especially Lao Tzu, Rumi, Kierkegaard, Emily Dickinson, Schweitzer, D. H. Lawrence, Tagore, Kazantzakis, Bonhoeffer, Gandhi, de Chardin, Buber, Hesse, Tillich, Fromm, Alan Watts, MLK, Jr., Joseph Mathews, Joesph Campbell, Thomas Berry, Spong, Castenada, Gene Marshall, Sam Keen, Thich Nhat Hanh, Brian Stanfield, D. J. Duncan, Mary Oliver,  Swimme, Wilber,  Andrew Cohen – on and on. There is so much wisdom in our common universal history to be shared and reflected upon.

Why do this? For others’ journeys, sure, from family and friends to utter strangers around the globe, trusting

that a word here or there will make a difference in their day and in their life journeys. I hear from some of them daily, either personally or through their comments on the weblog. This contact helps keep me going in this spirit exercise and enterprise.

And  I do it to feed my own soul for my spirit journey, of course. I had been experimenting with daily meditation, off and on, for most of my life. This way is the most satisfying yet, for a couple of reasons. It keeps me at attention to hear and see, like a reporter looking for a good story. Also, I have a local-global network of dialogue. In religious parlance, this makes my solitary exercise a corporate one, a community one – even if virtual, I can see many faces. It all adds up to a sense of mission beyond myself  as I do my solitary reflection for my own journey. Can’t beat that.

As I begin listing another year of quotes and reflections, I thank the whole lot of you, creation itself, and spirit, that is always present and meeting us in our particular/universal relationships and in the events and reflections of our daily lives.

Have another great year. But how can you keep from it with billions of neutrinos and abounding grace, as the quotes will describe?

Readers' Comments

"Each day I begin my journey with a reflection from John Cock. He reminds me of wonder, he connects me with Earth and sky and animals, he calls me to care, he tells me God loves me. I journey on."

~Herman F. Greene, Director

Center for Ecozoic Studies

Chapel Hill, NC

It's beautiful. We have a steering committee of 6-7 people that meets every Thursday. This will give us a "standardized" pattern for the news/spirit conversation at the start of the meeting. People are enthused to get their own copies. Most helpful is the variety of quotes and sources and your reflections. It will be like drip irrigation, I hope.

~Terry C. Wright

ICA Steering Committee

Denver, CO

Thanks for the journal, John. We read it at meal time. I appreciate the writing you are doing.

~Beret Griffith

Editor, Writer, Artist, Facilitator, Trainer

Northfield, MN

We are using your journal at the breakfast table and find it very helpful to get a thoughtful start on the day. It often sparks more enlightening conversation than we'd have otherwise. Fred says (as one coming from a scientific background) it gives him more perspective on dealing with spirituality and the reality of GOD. Thank you so much!

~Marion Karpoff, Univ. of Washington and

Fred Karpoff, retired metallurgist

Seattle, WA

I have enjoyed reading the book very much. I have identified a few of my favorites by date: Oct 14, 18; Dec 10, 31; Jan 2, 9, 15; Feb 3, 4; Apr 7; May 12; Jun 18. My most favorites: Feb 1 and Apr 1. I shall read this book again and again, and I want to share the book with friends at Christmas. Please send 5 more copies.

~Mildred McGuire

Industrial Engineer

Chattanooga, TN

. . . Many of the quotes we [at ICA Board Meeting in November] used were drawn from the last few months. They were well received and each Board member received a copy for their personal use. Thanks again for linking and lifting our spirits.

~Judy Lindblad

ICA Board Member

Cincinnati, OH

We are being constantly surprised by the spirit journal you put together. 

~Jeanette and Brian Stanfield

Educator and Author

Seaford, Australia

Your suggestions in the front of the book are especially helpful. I start my day with the book.

~Betty Pesek

Senior H.R. Assistant

Chicago 

Description

Daily Spirit Journal: Quotes & Reflections for 365 Days (September 2004 – August 2005).

It attempts post-liberal, post-modern, and ecozoic pondering, or some big chunks of meat in saucy soup to help sustain us on the great spirit journey, daily.

Nearly 70 times colleagues are quoted or mentioned in the Daily Spirit Journal (more than a hundred directly or indirectly helped gather quotes). Quoted colleagues such as Bultmann, Tillich, Bonhoeffer, Niebuhr – but more than those – Lao Tzu, St. Teresa, St. John of the Cross, Kierkegaard, D. H. Lawrence, Tagore, Kazantzakis, Gandhi, de Chardin, Buber, Hesse, Camus, Campbell, Thomas Berry, Castaneda, Swimme, Wilber add their voices. We bask in the collegiality of the spirit movement of past and present. May the great cloud of witnesses care for us.

The reflections are shared with a growing network through a daily e-mail list, daily weblog, and this book.

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