St. Paul's Signifiers

At the opening prayers for school reminded me of some basic ideas central to my faith experience. One of the most important being reading/praying Scripture outside the context/awareness of the mystical references therein (and the problems that ensued therefrom).

There are numerous references in St. Paul to the mystical state of union (causal-deep sleep).

--being "in christ"
--being a new creation
--New Man/Woman (vs. old self--egocentric agenda/identity)
--Spirit (as guiding principle) over flesh (as mind/body egocentricism): not mind as good versus body as bad. Recreation/mystical transformation of body, mind, and emotions.
--the peace that surpasses all understanding
--freedom of the children of God
--co-heir with Christ, adopted son/daughter of the Father

Paul's great insight, based on his mystical experience/transformation, was that the soul level, identity united in Christ is free of human laws. But not free in order to be reckless, free to serve. Free to freely be obedient. To love all that God gives us and to let go in detachment, as Fr. Keating says, in a moment's notice.

All of which is lost, is never understood except in the state of consciousness known as union. Except in a causal state!!!! Other readings are fine, so far as they go, but why not follow to their source, to Paul's original intent (as best as we can reconstruct that)? Being dead and risen "in Christ" As a state-stage really. As a (semi) permanent change in life, a radically altering of life centered on our agenda to God's agenda.

A signifier(s) to the signified that makes the sign, which is itself not pointing exactly to the thing described (Christ, our experience of Christ) but rather is the interpretive meshing to experience, watching it evolve through all these forms, as our tradition, under the guidance of the Spirit grows.