Loving Presence

Trying to Make Sense of Oppression

2011-09-04T12:08:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been struggling with a sense of oppression as I've read and heard more about global climate change, peak oil, and political repressions and wars around the world. At the same time, I'm aware that many good people are trying in a multitude of ways to bring about the good: to end wars, to make peace, to create demand for good public policies regarding greenhouse gases and the end of cheap energy. At this point, it often seems to me that progress in the good is not as great as progress in greed and destructiveness.

Here in west central Wisconsin, we have our own environmental and economic issues with which to contend. Sand mining for fracking sand is intensifying. However, there is now a growing movement to think through the environmental and economic effects of this mining. Controversy about other mining efforts near Lake Superior that could affect the life of this great lake and the people who live around it has also pulled more organizations and groups into opposing mining. Here, too, unemployment has hit many families, and there is far greater demand for assistance with food, shelter and energy than there was a year or two ago. Yet, the Walker administration has successfully ratcheted down on the budgets for human services, has eliminated public workers' rights to collective bargaining, and has dismantled wherever possible the progressive gains of 100 years of hard work. In response, local teachers' unions and progressive groups have organized to assist in recall elections, and to support progressive policies related to unions, education, and access to voting. The struggle has taken hours and hours of labor, and is ongoing. In contrast the Walker administration and Republican legislators have been supported by much outside money and the assistance of the Koch brothers supported ALEC.

For me there has been a growing sense of powerlessness and a diminution of hope. It seems to me that the people concerned about human thriving and the wellbeing of this planet earth have too little power, organizational muscle or sense of purpose to be able to overcome the money, power, focus and drive of those who seem determined to destroy human rights, plunder the planet and benefit their own bank accounts. I have recently been reminded of some of my thoughts and images from three and four decades ago when I had become aware of nuclear war games being played in Washington D.C. At the time, I could not believe that people were playing games that, if they were to happen in real time, would destroy not only the United States and the Soviet Union, but also most life as it has been known on earth. I tried to imagine the people playing the games and wondered what they thought of their own children being vaporized in a nuclear explosion. I remember feeling sick at the thought of people actually planning for such events. Their lack of imagination and positive vision is now being matched by the lack of imagination of people planning such things as the tar sands pipeline. Tar sand mining, transportation and processing requires almost as much energy as it would provide and vastly increases greenhouse gases. Respected climate scientists have stated that if we continue with the tar sands mining and pipeline, it is "game over" for any hope of controlling global climate change. People who live in coastal areas (Washington D.C., Louisiana, parts of Texas, Florida, New York, etc.) can expect the destruction of their homes and communities, probably within their own lifetimes, certainly within the lifetimes of their children.

With the pincers movement of global climate change and peak oil, along with growing economic inequality on the planet, vast food insecurity and destruction of rain forests, ocean health, water resources and agricultural lands, we face an increase in suffering that is stunning. This suffering is the suffering of children, old people, and billions of people without income, land or hope. This suffering is the suffering of the great whales, dolphins, the factory farmed animals, the dying trees through the American west and in European forest lands. It is the suffering of the land itself turning into desert, of the mountains that were previously held together by glacial ice now disintegrating. This suffering is the suffering of one species after another going into extinction.

This morning on my morning walk with the dogs around our south field, now clothed in goldenrod, I was brought almost to my knees, tears filled my eyes, and a lump formed in my throat. I was suddenly flooded with past, present, and future images. I saw images of galley slaves, people slaving in factories around the world, people being tortured for the crime of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, for being the wrong kind of human, having the wrong color of skin or wrong social class. I was seeing children born with horrible birth defects because of genetic damage to their parents and toxic effects of chemical and radioactive pollution. I was seeing wars in which children, women and men are killed for something/nothing - just madness and greed. Then I thought about the practice of tonglen, of "driving all blames into one" and of taking into myself what of that suffering I can. I imagined sending out love, peace and healing. And, I thought of the saints who accused themselves of terrible sin, and I wondered, were they taking into themselves the sins and sufferings of those around them? Were they praying for the mercy of Christ to flood into the suffering and sin of all people, as they prayed for mercy and forgiveness for themselves?

A further thought that emerged from something said at church last evening had to do with the understanding that we are all in this together. It is not that this person or that person is "evil," but it may be that they (we) are in thrall to spiritual forces that are beyond them (us) in power and malevolence. And that is the reason that within Christianity we see the triumph of God in Christ as being so very important. Because those "powers and principalities," these spiritual forces that use human beings, have been defeated in the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. How this happened has to do with the divine/human unity of Jesus the Christ, the willingness of Jesus to die and to trust that his power and spirit would be infinitely amplified as a result. With his resurrection, his followers were assured that he was alive and active. The coming of his Spirit to the earliest followers filled them with power and hope that allowed them to live with serenity even under Roman oppression, to confront the imperial accommodation of the religious leaders in Jerusalem and throughout the empire, and to extend themselves with mercy and healing toward those who suffered. For them, the death and resurrection and the new world now made possible, were "good news." When we willingly "put on Christ" we become part of the means by which suffering is diminished, mercy is extended, and joy replaces sorrow. This is what the saints knew. May it be so for each of us. May we each do our part to Dwell in the Mercy. May all beings be free from suffering. May all beings dwell in peace. May all beings be happy. With Dame Julian I must focus on, "And all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."

Waking Up

2011-01-22T12:48:00.001-06:00

As I have practiced sustained Lectio this month, I find certain awarenesses increasing. One such awareness is that much of the time I am preoccupied with what I call "dithering," which means spinning my wheels without enough traction. I am pulled in several different directions, indicated by the stack of books next to me in the sunroom. Moloney is at the top of a stack of books on narratives and possible selves. On the floor is a book on Help for the Helpers, resting atop Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril, above Sacred Space: the prayer book for 2011 - a book of daily readings and prayer. In another pile is the book, You Can Go Home Again, by Monica McGoldrick.

Yet, as I write this post, I find that, strangely, there is some coherence in these piles of books, and also a sense of connection to my practice of Lectio on the three chapters (15, 16, and 17) in the Gospel of John. That is, a dawning real-ization that there is an inescapable connection of each to all - within helping relationships; within the biosphere itself; within those called out to be a Light, dwelling and indwelt by the Holy; and within families - all the generations. Weaving all these threads together in a coherent life lived one day at a time, is both a challenge, and a joy.

The challenges are many. It is no longer possible to simply accept the "knowledge" passed on to me as I grew from childhood to legal adulthood. Much of what we knew when I was a kid has been shown to be demonstrably incorrect. Much of what we know now is quite fuzzy and we learn more all the time about the world of space, time, and form. For example, we know now that animals do feel and think. When I was first in biology classes in the 60's, we were cautioned about "anthropomorphizing" animals. Psychology classes taught that mental operations were not relevant, that you could not know what was in the mind of another person, so bothering with that was inefficient and not professional. Now we know about mirror neurons, and the electro-magnetic field of heartbeats, and how the mother's breathing affects the ability of her infant to regulate his/her own breathing. Amazing stuff! I am challenged to learn more through reading, listening, and becoming aware of my own feelings and intuitions.

Where some of the fuzziness comes in for me, and most of us, is in the persistent set of beliefs that somehow we "individuals" are separate, set off from the events all around the earth (and, mayhap, in "the heavens"). In a time when species are going extinct, when planetary water sources are drying up, being depleted, or gushing forth from disappearing glaciers, when rising sea levels threaten millions of people, when crops fail because of extreme weather events and people experience famine, how can we not feel this in our bones? There are now almost 6.9 billion people riding this beautiful spaceship. Well over 1 billion of them are in dire poverty, while almost half are living on less than the equivalent of $2.00 a day (figures are from http://povertyblog.wordpress.com/poverty_facts_and_statistics/). Yet we in the "developed" nations move through our days figuring out new ways to profit from that which creates the misery of people, eco-systems, and the planet. Or we may simply try to deny that these tragedies have anything to do with us or our actions, our way of living.

Interlocking systems of global carbon emissions, global warming, global capitalism, and global governance are creating what is now a new eaarth, as Bill McKibben names it. Global climate change has already changed irrevocably what we once knew as earth. We are left in an unpredictable world, one unlike that in which we lived through all the years of our evolving. How we humans respond to the new conditions on eaarth is immensely important. Will we in the developed world allow even more people to starve to death or perish in "natural" disasters each year due to climate changes? Will we continue to deny that global warming causes climate changes resulting extreme weather, crop failures? Will we curb our appetites for more...? Will we regulate our individual and community lives so that others, humans and other beings, may live? Will we reduce our carbon emissions, commit to ending unrestrained global financial speculation and corporate wrongdoing that that harm people and the earth? Will we care for each other and the eaarth we have now co-created in (unfortunately) our own image?

We will do what is necessary only if we can absorb the Light, experience the joy, revel in the intelligences and consciousness of "all our relatives" and the Creator. Many have said that the doorway is through gratitude, and that ingratitude is a great sin. May I - we - take time to be mindful of who and where we are, and allow gratitude to surface. May I - we - express gratitude in every way that is possible to me - us. May we abide (dwell) in the One, and become one with the multitude of beings, of which we are one.

In the New Year

2011-01-01T13:47:00.003-06:00

This morning I'm sitting in our sunroom, setting intentions for the new year. One of those intentions is to step up my practice of sustained lectio and be more consistent in that practice. I want for my everyday living and experience to reflect the ongoing incorporation of the Word, the revelatory text, in and through my life. In the month of January, I will listen to the recordings of the School of Lectio to refresh my memory and to be further inspired by the words and voice of S. Meg Funk.

I am making a commitment to myself to read daily in Moloney's commentary on the Gospel of John and in that of Aquinas as well. I will keep working on memorizing sections of the chapters I've selected in the Gospel of John, perhaps a short section each month. As I work along, I will also be reflecting on the symbolic dimensions of these chapters, and, where possible, expressing the symbols in some creative way. Finally, each day I will engage with the moral dimension of the chapters. Their theme is dwelling "in Christ" and being indwelt by Christ. It seems appropriate to "guard thoughts," as S. Meg suggests, to seek God's help to counter the thoughts that lead away from God, and to open to and fill my mind with God-thoughts. As I am able, I will practice "ceaseless prayer" using the Jesus Prayer and the practice of the Presence of God.

In addition, following the suggestion of one of the blogs I read, I have chosen three words for this year. In order of their appearance to me, they are: radiate, mercy, charis. They will be in my mind as I do lectio and live each day. At this point, 'radiate' seems to me to be the solution to a concern that has shadowed my mood and thought over the last couple of months. The problems of this world seem so great, the general mood so grim, the suffering increasing. Every day I receive at least a dozen emails asking me to send money, sign onto a petition, call a congress person, or contact some corporate wrongdoer. In my postal mail there are more solicitations for worthy causes to end some form or another of suffering. I have felt overwhelmed by the misery represented in these communications. What to do? How to keep from being overwhelmed and going numb to it all? The answer embedded in the word 'radiate' is to absorb the Light and radiate it outward in my thoughts, words and actions - to do my best to let the Light shine forth into the darkness.

The word 'mercy' has been on my mind for some time now. At one point some years ago I took some kind of online quiz to "discover (my) spiritual gifts." It turned out that the only gift that really stood out was 'mercy.' Mercy seems to me to be the opposite of the harsh, punishing, unloving tenor of these times. We do not see mercy when people are killed because of road rage. We do not see mercy when children are deprived of love, affection and models of how to live. We do not see mercy when old and young are refused medical care because they have no money. We do not see mercy when sentences for crimes are applied on the basis of race and class. We do not see mercy when people applying for employment are discriminated against on the basis of age, appearance, race, disability, and/or gender. Mercy understands, comforts, binds wounds and heals them if possible. Mercy builds up the other, finding the good and affirming it. Mercy refuses to condemn others; it leaves judgment to God. Mercy seeks to knit together families, communities, humanity itself and the whole web of living beings.

When I was enrolled in the Shalem Institute's program for individual spiritual direction, the first residency was a magical time for me. It took place at the Seton Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The place itself was a lovely facility, built in a quadrangle around an inner garden. The atmosphere was sweet and holy. My small group for peer spiritual direction was filled with graced people. A word that emerged from within this group was this word, 'charis.'

Here is some discussion of what charis means. First and foremost, charis means grace. Within Christian theology much discussion, and ironically, not a few wars, have been prompted by trying to specify and determine what grace is. The quote below from www.bible-researcher.com addresses some elements of a definition of grace. The Catholic Encyclopedia has several pages on the various kinds of grace, how they are related, how they are communicated to and by human beings.

In most of the passages, however, in which the word charis is used in the New Testament, it signifies the unmerited operation of God in the heart of man, affected through the agency of the Holy Spirit. While we sometimes speak of grace as an inherent quality, it is in reality the active communication of divine blessings by the inworking of the Holy Spirit, out of the fulness of Him who is "full of grace and truth," Rom. 3:24; 5:2, 15; 17:20; 6:1; I Cor. 1:4; II Cor. 6:1; 8:9; Eph. 1:7; 2:5, 8; 3:7; I Pet. 3:7; 5:12.
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, 1949), pp. 426-27

As I reflect on charis, I realize that for me, grace has the qualities of freedom, power, harmony, graceful and easy movement, loveliness, giftedness and gratitude. Several writers have addressed grace as the free 'gratuitous' gift of God to humans and angels. It seems to me that not only does God freely give, but also, the gift of grace itself is a gift of freedom to humans. We are free because we are graced with life, with our own gifts of body, mind and spirit. Further, we are graced with the companionship of God, who entered our own human life so as to share it most intimately with us. We are graced freely by the very Presence of God in our own souls.

Grace also has the aspect of power. The image that comes to mind is of a beautiful animal, perhaps a Lipizzaner stallion, bursting with focused energy, able to dance upon and above the ground. Charis is a dancer, disciplined, strong, and utterly beautiful. Grace accomplishes its ends because it has within it the giftedness of its being and it flows within and is sustained within Being of the dynamic God.

Another quality of grace is harmony. It brings harmony to human persons, to groups of people and to all of nature. Grace creates cosmic harmony, making a symphonic unity of a diversity of creatures. When charis is present, conflict is held within a wider harmony. Graceful and easy movement characterizes the harmony, the unity within diversity. Charis smooths harsh and jagged motions, allowing flexibility, stretching and strengthening, like the beautiful movements of a flowing yogi/yogini, or a dancer who seems to float in the air, or a free and happy child swinging or playing in the water.

Charis is loveliness itself. It embodies beauty and goodness. It conveys to its observers and recipients its own nature, which is sweet, gives pleasure, and is filled with joy. Charis is a gift, that gives itself, and that gifts the recipient with its own ability to gift others. Thus, it is truly the Gift that keeps on giving. Finally, charis is gratitude, gratitude for the gift of itself, gratitude for being able to gift others and gratitude for Being.

Lectio Time

2010-11-15T22:02:00.000-06:00

I'm having difficulty taking the time to actually study the commentary this week. The best I've been able to do most days is have a sub-vocal "Jesus Prayer" going through my mind, and to occasionally think of the vine and the branches. The connection between this little branch and the vine could be much stronger.

I want to feel the life-blood flowing through my veins! I want to feel the energy of the vine bursting through my shyness and reserve, reaching out in love for each person I encounter. My soul longs to experience the sense of being loved so completely that I am aware of the Presence overflowing within me and through me. May it be so!

Voices of Lectio

2010-11-08T08:47:00.000-06:00

S. Meg taught us the four 'voices' of Lectio, which she identified as the literal, the symbolic, the moral and the mystical. She said that in the literal voice we are working to understand what the revelatory text says.

A revelatory text can be a part of scripture, something in nature or an experience in one's life. God is present in each moment, and reveals Godself in scripture, nature and in our lives. One of the first decisions to make in practicing Lectio is to choose a revelatory text. And, that choice is made with discernment. Our instructions were to make the choice of revelatory text using the same pattern of discernment we had used to decide whether to keep silence during the School.

I had arrived at the School with two texts in mind, but had as yet chosen neither. In reading through each text and the surrounding scriptures, I focused on the issue of "what is my question here?" It seemed to me that my purpose was and is to learn what it is to be 'in Christ' and to grow 'in Christ' and to be increasingly 'Christed.' With that in mind, it was clear that the text I would choose would be the 15th, 16th and 17th chapters of the Gospel of John.

We were instructed to first focus on the literal voice of our chosen text. What that has meant for me so far is to read the entire Gospel of John several times, and chapters 15-17 more frequently. I often think of and try to recall how the first few verses read and what they mean.

1. I am the true vine and my Father is the vinedresser. 2. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. 3. You are already made clean by the word that I have spoken to you. 4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5a. I am the vine, you are the branches. (translation is the Revised Standard Version, The Gospel of John, by Francis J. Moloney, a commentary in the Sacra Pagina Series.)

Because it is important to know how the revelatory text fits within the whole book, I have been reading the commentary named above to understand more of the context and a better understanding of how the narrative is constructed. Yet, I keep slipping into the other voices as well. The symbolism of the vine and branches is so very present. I find myself praying to be a fruitful branch securely attached to the vine.

At the School of Lectio Divina

2010-10-31T20:07:00.000-05:00

Once at the School of Lectio Divina, I was deeply impressed with the organization of the School, the quality of the faculty, including the companions with whom we would meet several times during the School, and the amount of quiet time we would have.

One of the first intriguing issues that arose was the issue of whether or not to keep silence outside of the actual teaching times. S. Meg Funk led us through a discernment process to find what was the will of the Holy Spirit about keeping silence or being free to talk and discuss between the teaching sessions. One of the aspects of discernment that I appreciated was the practice of looking for a confirming sign for any provisional decision. If there would be no confirming sign, the (an) other alternative would be explored and then a confirming sign sought for that also.

This issue of keeping silence was important, at least in part because this was the first School of Lectio Divina offered in this way and open to both monastic and lay participants. This decision would create a pattern that would in all likelihood be followed in subsequent Schools. We decided to keep silence, which we did until the evening before the last day and our leave-taking.

Lectio Divina

2010-10-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

For almost a year, I've been exploring more in the areas of spiritual direction, centering prayer and lectio divina. In the summer of 2009 I attended a five-day intensive retreat for Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina at the Benedictine Center of St. Paul's Monastery in St. Paul, Minnesota. The leader of that retreat, Sr. Virginia Matter, provided clear instruction, a calm spirit and modeled a contemplative approach. After five days in Silence, with much time to focus, two periods of Centering Prayer a day, and several opportunities to practice Lectio, I was hooked. However, until recently, I have not managed to sustain what I would consider a solid practice of Lectio in my daily life. From that retreat in 2009 to the summer of 2010, my practice of Lectio was infrequent and unfocused.

Early this summer, I learned that St. Paul's Monastery might be holding a School of Lectio Divina. An email exchange with the then Associate Director (now Director) confirmed that this was a serious possibility and that I would receive information about it if it came to fruition. Later, another email provided me with information needed to make an application to attend the School, which would be held from September 14-19, and would be taught by Sr. Mary Margaret (Meg) Funk. Needless to say, I applied. It was clear to me that this was something important to me in my life, and that I would require much more training and practice, as well as some more guidance to incorporate Lectio as part of my everyday life. By the beginning of August, I learned that I had been accepted. After ordering Meg Funk's books, I began to read in preparation for being able to absorb everything I could at the School.

Singing Meditation

2009-11-17T08:21:00.000-06:00

On Saturday morning I attended a Singing for Joy Workshop in Eau Claire. Led by Ruth Rosauer and Helen Gierke, it was indeed a joy. Ruth has just released a book, Singing Meditation: Together in Sound and Silence, written with Liz Hill. The songbook, Songs for Singing Meditation: Let Joy Fill Your Heart, was itself hot off the presses, having only arrived that very morning. Indeed, we were the first group to sing from the songbook - ever.

The singing was beautiful, and the silences between the chants filled the room with sweetness. What a delightful way to pass a Saturday morning! Several of those present had voices of great quality and power. Some were members of several singing groups in the area. Yet, even those of us with mediocre abilities could easily participate in the simple songs, chants, and rounds. There was no sense of inferiority or competitiveness, but of strong gratitude for each of the singers, and for the women who made the experience possible.

I bought the book, the CD, "Ephemerata," and the songbook. My hope is to use Singing Meditation at home as a way to enter the Silence. Perhaps I will even find a way to introduce the practice to my local church as a form of prayer - which it certainly is.

The Practice of Story-Telling

2009-11-14T16:48:00.000-06:00

Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Last Monday evening, my husband and I went to hear a talk by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author of Women Who Run With the Wolves. She titled the talk "Walking in Two Worlds," and referred frequently to the experiences many of us have had of being "different" or "alien." She related these kinds of experiences and feelings to creativity and soul. Dr. Estes encouraged us to keep on paying attention to the things that call us, that capture our attention, because it is in these that we are in touch with our own soul and its creativity.

She told us two stories that between them offer a vision of those two worlds to which she alluded. One story, the Erl Koenig, was about a father who does not listen to the cautions of his young son, and thereby loses him. In this story as in many others, Clarissa Estes pointed out, all the characters are really parts of the psyche. In the discipline of working with stories we identify the various parts of our own psyche through the lens of the characters. What in myself functions like the father who will not listen? What in myself is the child who perceives things that are imperceptible to the dominant culture?

The other tale was a story of the Santo Nino, Holy Child, the Old Man who hears him and searches for him in the desert, and the village that welcomes the Child. The Old Man has faith and trust enough to go out into the desert when he hears a bell tolling, then later the cry of a baby. The villagers are open-hearted and grateful for the presence of the bell in their chapel's bell tower and for that of the Holy Child whom they place on their altar. But the Holy Child, in the darkness of the night, runs through the desert to those who are ill and despairing and comforts and heals them. They learn to trust that he will return, that he will continue to be with them and to heal those whom he searches out. They themselves become a village of healers through the magical efforts of this active, healing, mystical child. Imagine that! A village of healers! How I longed to be part of such a place! And the longing was shared by those who heard.

Centering Prayer - Preparation for Contemplation

2009-11-11T16:22:00.004-06:00

Fr. Thomas Keating

In last night's Centering Prayer book study group, someone noted that in the introduction to Fr. Thomas Keating's book Open Mind, Open Heart, there is a statement to the effect that centering prayer is not contemplation. She wondered what that meant, what the difference is between centering prayer and contemplation. What a great question! And, it's important, because this is a book study in a liberal protestant church. Most of us do not have the pre-Reformation history or an understanding of levels of union with God. Fr. Keating's statement, quoted below, might or might not be more familiar to a Roman Catholic or even to those who have read or worked with Caroline Myss's book on St Teresa of Avila, Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul.

"For the sake of clarity, it seems best to reserve the term centering prayer for the specific method described in this book of awakening to the gift of contemplation, and to reserve the term contemplative prayer for its full development under the direct inspiration of the Spirit."

Keating goes on to discuss how centering prayer helps us to achieve, "an every deeper union with the living Christ and the practical caring for others that flows from this relationship." Yet, as he notes, "the state of prayer that John of the Cross describes as 'infused contemplation' has come to be generally accepted by subsequent spiritual authors as the definitive meaning (of contemplative prayer)." The term 'infused contemplation' means a degree of union with God that is a divine gift, not able to be acquired by human endeavor.

Brother Wayne Teasdale, a Catholic lay monk and interspiritual practitioner, in a Bulletin of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, described infused contemplation this way:

When God takes over, however, it quickly becomes “infused contemplation,” in which the Divine is doing everything, and the soul is simply making itself more and more receptive to God’s action. Everything then becomes quite effortless for such a person. St. John of the Cross identifies infused contemplation with the Presence of God Himself, and His Presence stirs up love in the soul. In these eloquently simple words, he defines contemplation as “nothing else than a secret and peaceful and loving inflow of God which, if not hampered, fires the soul in the spirit of love . . . .”

Centering Prayer as a Method and Practice

2009-11-05T15:53:00.000-06:00

What is Centering Prayer, anyway?

Centering Prayer is an opening of ourselves to God's action within the whole of ourselves. Practically speaking, most of us identify ourselves with our conscious awarenesses of sensations, feelings and thoughts. We seldom hold in awareness that we also have unconscious sensations, feelings and beliefs. Further, we are far more permeable to other people and environments than we usually even imagine. Many, if not most of us, also like to believe that we control our lives and what we do. When faced with a problem or situation one of our responses is often, "What should I do about this?" We are not usually thinking, "What does God want for me in this situation?" Or even, "What else might I need to pay attention to here?" We often just take for granted that we know enough about what we are thinking and feeling, that we are whatever we perceive ourself to be in the moment, and that we should be able to figure out what to do. We do not take for our motto, "don't do something, just sit there."

In Centering Prayer we do not hold on to what we perceive, feel or think. We do not need to figure out what to do. We do not identify with our experience, we simply let go of any sensations, feelings, or thoughts that come to us. We do this because our purpose is to allow God to do within us what God knows needs to happen. Our purpose is to allow God to transform us, to unite us with Christ in a way that goes well beyond the usual cognitive acknowledgments that our soul exists in God. We are, at the very base of our being, as our being, united with God, because were it otherwise, we would not exist. But, there is knowing and knowing. Keating says, in this life, we are united with God, and know this, by "pure faith."

How do we practice Centering Prayer?

The practice of Centering Prayer is simple, but it is not easy. We begin by sitting in a comfortable position that keeps the spine straight. We choose or think of a sacred word of one or two syllables. The sacred word symbolizes our intention and desire to open to God, to allow God to work within us at a very deep level. We pay no attention to the sensations, feelings and thoughts that come and go as we sit with this openness. We simply let them go. They are there, but we are not paying attention. If/when we find we've been following down a thought trail, we mentally say the sacred word, being aware of our intention to be open to God. We do this for 20-30 minutes at a time, two times a day at the beginning - or whatever we can manage. At first most of us are just getting into a bit of mental silence after 15 or 20 minutes - or longer. At the end of the time period we have decided upon, we give ourself a couple of minutes to come back into ordinary awareness, and thank God for God's presence with and within us.

Why Centering Prayer?

2009-11-02T21:54:00.000-06:00

Because Centering Prayer helps me go beyond the chatter of the mind. I do not have to be theologically sophisticated to practice it, because the focus is on consenting to God's action within the depth of my soul - my inner being, where God dwells. I do not even have to know what/who I mean by "God," just trust that God knows Who God is. So, I sit in outer quiet, and very occasionally, in an inner quiet. More often than not, my mind goes on and on about this and that, while I watch/listen to the babble, mentally say the "sacred word," and continue to sit until the timer tells me 25 minutes have passed.

Centering Prayer is actually an ancient form of prayer stemming from the practices of the Desert Mothers and Fathers. According to Cynthia Bourgeault in Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, in the 4th century John Cassian described the use of a sacred word as a reminder of God's present action in the heart of the one praying. By the Middle Ages, the monastics had developed the formal practice of lectio divina, the fourth 'phase' of which was "resting in God" or contemplatio. In our own time, a small group of Trappist monks recovered and taught Centering Prayer, reclaiming the tradition of what some have called Christian meditation. Father Thomas Keating is one of the most well-known of these monks. He is a co-founder of Contemplative Outreach, a spiritual network of individuals and small groups that supports those who practice Centering Prayer through workshops, retreats, educational materials and local groups. Fr. Basil Pennington was another leading advocate and writer on centering prayer until his death in 2005. He was noted for his studies with the monks of Mount Athos and his knowledge of Orthodox mysticism. Fr. William Meninger was the person who first developed the predecessor to Centering Prayer that he called "contemplative meditation" from his study of The Cloud of Unknowing, a 14th century book about contemplation and union with God.

November Change

2009-11-01T14:19:00.000-06:00

In November, I will reflect on a number of prayer practices here. They will range from the Jesus Prayer, to Centering Prayer, to prayers of lament, praise, healing prayer. I invite you to join me here on Loving Presence and to leave comments any time you would like to do so. Then, in December the theme will be that of Advent - the time of anticipation of the coming of the Messiah, the one in whom all our lives are incorporate.

In October I prayed the news on this blog. The discipline has been very important to me, and I will continue that practice on another blog, Mighty Waters of Life. In November, I will focus on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and use it as a way of critiquing current events and policy discussions. Please join me there as well.

Centering Prayer
For the past year or more, Centering Prayer has been a significant part of my life. I had read about it before, and even practiced in streaks through the years, but in this last year, Centering Prayer has taken on a greater priority than it had before. I have made a commitment to lead book studies on Centering Prayer at my church, to practice Centering Prayer faithfully, and to hold to a group practice of Centering Prayer with others. Part of my motivation is a sense that deep spiritual grounding in the Holy is more necessary than ever now. I want to be part of that. Another motivation is to grow in God, more and more to speak God's language which is Silence and Love. And, a third motivation is to be with other people who share this practice and perspective, that these times are crucial in human history and that being "rooted and grounded in Love," who is God, is essential.

In the next few posts, I'll discuss some of the origins of Centering Prayer, point to writers and organizations that teach and practice Centering Prayer, and present a bit about my own experience and ask for others to comment on what their experience of Centering Prayer is like.

What If?

2009-10-31T23:09:00.000-05:00

In the latest issue of The Christian Century I read a review of The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care by T. R. Reid. Published in August of this year, the book documents the experiences of the author, a writer for the Washington Post, as he looks at the health care systems in this and other countries and searches for healing for a shoulder that is giving him trouble.

What drew my attention was this question, "What if we were to approach health care as a right, not a commodity?" Good question. As so many other countries have shown us, it is quite possible to look at health care as a right, not break the nation's bank, and have good health care. If we were to look at health care as a right in our country we would have to confront some American myths about ourselves, about our class structures, and about the power of major corporations.

I refer back to an earlier post. The nations of the world stated in 1948 in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights that health care is a right. May this come to pass in actuality. AMEN.

Respect

2009-10-30T22:45:00.000-05:00

A night ago, President Obama went to pay his respects to the soldiers whose bodies were flown back to the United States, and to their families. Photographs of him saluting the flag-draped coffins housing the soldiers' remains are a haunting reminder of the human cost and devastation of war.

I do not agree with the war itself, and have not from the beginning. Yet, it seems very appropriate that the President of our country honor those who have fallen, and meet with their families. How I hope that we Americans and all of humanity can come to offer the same respect and honor to all the living, everywhere, treating each one as the precious human being he or she is. May we human beings learn to reject all war, any war, as a terrible failure in being human. And, may we learn to solve our problems with each other without violence, but with mutual understanding and respect. AMEN.

Photo from timesonline.co.uk

What"s In What's Not in Senate Health Care Reform Bill?

2009-10-29T09:18:00.000-05:00

The Hill, reports today that there are many unresolved issues in the Senate Health Care Reform Bill.

Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the third-ranking Democrat in the upper chamber, said Wednesday that insurance affordability, a controversial excise tax on high-cost insurance plans, whether most employers will be required to offer health benefits, how to raise needed tax dollars and whether to create a federal long-term-care insurance program are the remaining issues.

“I’d say those and the public option are probably the [five] big ones. … And all of those are going to have to be resolved,” Schumer said.

From this point until the Senate floor debate begins sometime next month, the fate of some of those issues rests in the hands of Reid — and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The issue of affordability is huge! Imagine being covered by a high cost insurance plan provided by an employer and then having to pay taxes on said high-cost plan, losing your job and having to try to pay the full cost of the plan, and not being allowed to be covered under the public option. Wouldn't a single-payer system be easier to manage? We already have good models in Medicare and Medicaid.

My prayer is that we collectively remember what our intentions regarding health care really need to be: to provide health care coverage for all of us, at a cost affordable to individuals, families and taxpayers. I don't believe that our intentions need to be to provide or maintain profits for insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals or medical equipment manufacturers. I do believe that our intentions need to include an emphasis on basic care for all, prevention of disease, and maximization of health and wellness.

Health Care for All?

2009-10-29T08:45:00.000-05:00

I was deeply disappointed this morning to read that the health care bills being considered in both the House and Senate will still leave millions of people uninsured, their health care not covered. This is a travesty! All the time, effort and hype to reform health care financing that has been invested and what we are likely to get is something that doesn't even cover everyone? Even the so-called "government-run option" would be administered, not by Medicare or Medicaid, but somehow by the insurance companies?

I read that in 11 cities, physicians pledged to sit in at insurance company offices to demonstrate their commitment to a single-payer health care plan that would cover everyone. How admirable! Those interviewed said that they are taking these steps because single-payer advocates have been consistently shut out of talks about health care financing/health care reform policy. They have talked to their congressional representatives and got nowhere. Now they have taken this step.

May we Americans find the will to provide health care coverage for everyone. May we make health care a basic public service like fire and police protection, the postal service and libraries. May we see that we all are implicated in the suffering and deaths that occur when our people do not have access to health services because they do not have the money to pay for them. May God forgive us for our willful ignorance and for choosing to ignore the needs of our neighbors. AMEN.

Health Care In the Senate

2009-10-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

Still a post behind...

Yesterday's paper published an article about Sen. Reid's presentation of the health care bill. I have not looked up the actual bill yet, but am feeling encouraged that it seems to include a public option. Clearly, there will be much discussion and debate about the bill, and it will probably be much amended before all this is over. I am reminded that there is an old saying that observing how some things are made is a rather ugly process. Years ago, someone told me that watching laws get made is like watching the production of sausage - a messy, ugly business!

I pray that the citizens of this country will continue to let their congresspeople know that they want a health care bill that preserves a public option, that reduces the burdens on ordinary working people, that provides standards that protect ordinary people from loss of health insurance, and thus, often, any health care. I pray that we all begin to see health care as like food, clothing, shelter, clean air and water, a human right. After all, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, way back in 1948, the United Nations declared in Article 25 that:

* (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

May it be so! AMEN.

Helping Hands and Minds

2009-10-27T08:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning's Leader-Telegram carried a story about a young man who volunteers in Rwanda with Engineers Without Borders. Matt Carlson graduated from high school here in the Chippewa Valley and is a student at UW-Madison's School of Engineering. He has been to Rwanda twice and will go again in January with Engineers Without Borders to help repair the infrastructure within that country.

The activities of such organizations and individuals point the way to effective peace- making and genuine assistance in other countries (and perhaps in this one). These activities provide much-needed help to ordinary people around the world. May there be many more volunteers and projects. And, may both those who are helped and those doing the helping be blessed. AMEN.

350 Success!

2009-10-25T17:19:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to all who worked, wrote, created events and participated in them to publicize the need to reduce atmospheric carbon to 350 parts per million! The 350.org website has tons of photos and reports on these events. Please check them out. How inspiring. How necessary!

I pray in gratitude for all those who are working to raise awareness, who are doing what they can to help stop global warming by reducing greenhouse gasses. I pray that, along with others, my husband and I will find more ways to reduce our carbon footprint. I pray that our granddaughter will live to a ripe old age on a planet carefully tended by the humans who live here. I pray that polar bears, pine trees and migrating birds will all be able to live and flourish. AMEN.

350 The Most Important Number

2009-10-24T16:41:00.000-05:00

Today is Climate Action Day and 350.org has been reporting on events throughout the world. There are dozens of great pictures of the actions that have taken place, including one underwater one from Maldives - a small island nation threatened by rising sea levels.

Why is this number so important? Read Bill McKibben here. According to his post, we must have a reduction to 350 ppm of carbon in the atmosphere in order to have a planet that remains livable and without global warming. This is not a number someone just made up, but is the result of much study from many directions. As Bill McKibben says:

But it's not as if we have a choice. The most useful thing about having a number is that it forces us to grow up, to realize that the negotiations that will happen later this fall in Copenhagen aren't really about what we want to do, or what the Chinese want to do, or what Exxon Mobil wants to do. They're about what physics and chemistry want to do: the physical world has set its bottom line at 350, and it's not likely to budge.

For better or worse, at this point we humans are indeed the stewards of creation. Let us get about that business and find ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Let us be blessings in our natural world, rather than those who curse the land and condemn its creatures to death. May we truly understand that all creation is a sacrament of God, revealing the Divine and testifying to the power and majesty of the Holy. The entire universe praises its Creator. I pray we do that too.

A New Approach II

2009-10-23T20:37:00.000-05:00

As October flies by, I've decided to spend the rest of the month focusing on the "other" news. That is, I will focus on the activities and news of those who are working for change with integrity, making manifest the values I share and which I believe lead in the direction of the reign of God.

As readers of this blog may recall, I've been listening to Jim Wallis's audiobook, The Next Awakening. He makes it clear that working to advocate for a moral politics is essential to being a Christian. In the next week or two, I'll be searching the news and the blogosphere to find examples of those people and organizations who are leaders in moral politics and advocacy.

To that end, I would like to highlight the action day of 350.org. It is co-founded by Bill McKibben, and its goal is to reduce carbon in the atmosphere to 350 ppm. The current measure is between 370 and 390 ppm, which is far too high. Without major changes the concentration is expected to rise to 450 ppm relatively soon. If that happens, major climate problems will escalate. Kudos to all the activists lifting up the seriousness of this issue, and pointing at directions we can take.

My prayer is that the actions of 350.org will create a sense of moral urgency and commitment to carbon emission reduction. I pray that they will achieve their goals and that enough of us will learn about what we can do, where we need to lend our voices and how we can work with others to help in achieving atmospheric carbon reductions.

A New Approach

2009-10-23T20:14:00.000-05:00

A post behind again. My attention to the news has been limited by fighting with some kind of flu, feeling exhausted, and not looking at the newspaper. So, today/yesterday's post is about some news my husband gave me. It seems that many physicians are advocating that people take vitamin D supplements because there has been a correlation between people taking vitamin D and NOT getting the H1N1 flu. I find this amazing, if true, because with all the publicity about the flu and concerns about the vaccine, perhaps there is a rather simple way to avoid it.

I may not have managed that, and there is much sickness going around. Local reports are starting to come in about cases of H1N1. It seems almost everyone has some story of a child's best friend, or co-worker, or friend who has come down with this flu. There are stories about schools closing and other schools waiting to see if they will have to close. People are encouraged to stay home if they do not feel well.

So, I did stay home, and rested, and tried to overcome the symptoms with a variety of remedies. I know that I started to feel much better after taking double the amount of vitamin D recommended, plus a homeopathic, Oscillococcinum, made by Boiron. A little more than 48 hours after starting to feel awful, I am doing rather well. Sore throat gone. Head ache gone. Aching muscles better - no pain. No fever or chills.

My prayer for this time is that those who are ill with the H1N1 flu will get the care they need, will be advised by their health care providers about any supplements that may help them, and will recover their well-being very quickly.

Rise in Poverty

2009-10-21T20:26:00.000-05:00

Yahoo News yesterday carried an Associated Press story about how a change in measurement of poverty has resulted in revealing that the poverty rate is actually higher than previous measurements had indicated.

The level of poverty in America is even worse than first believed.

A revised formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations show that approximately 47.4 million Americans last year lived in poverty, 7 million more than the government's official figure.

The disparity occurs because of differing formulas the Census Bureau and the National Academy of Science use for calculating the poverty rate. The NAS formula shows the poverty rate to be at 15.8 percent, or nearly 1 in 6 Americans, according to calculations released this week. That's higher than the 13.2 percent, or 39.8 million, figure made available recently under the original government formula.

That measure, created in 1955, does not factor in rising medical care, transportation, child care or geographical variations in living costs. Nor does it consider non-cash government aid when calculating income. As a result, official figures released last month by Census may have overlooked millions of poor people, many of them 65 and older.

According to the revised NAS formula:

_About 18.7 percent of Americans 65 and older, or nearly 7.1 million, are in poverty compared to 9.7 percent, or 3.7 million, under the traditional measure. That's due to out-of-pocket expenses from rising Medicare premiums, deductibles and a coverage gap in the prescription drug benefit.

_About 14.3 percent of people 18 to 64, or 27 million, are in poverty, compared to 11.7 percent under the traditional measure. Many of the additional poor are low-income, working people with transportation and child-care costs.

It is increasingly clear that the burdens of this recession are being born by those with the fewest resources for carrying them. It is time for economic justice, for those who have lost homes, jobs, health and income to the current troubles, to be freed of some of these burdens. The money that is spent by governments should be spent for the well-being of those who are paying the price for the gambling of the wealthy investment banking corporations.

The question "why spend your money for that which is not bread?" keeps coming to me. We need to spend our tax dollars for that which is bread, care, housing, and health care for those who will otherwise lack it, not for those who already have much more than they need.

May we awaken! May the Holy One inspire many millions of people to proclaim justice. May they be empowered to speak clearly, from the heart, filled with courage to stand before those who broker power. I pray that many more people will be convicted by their own consciences about their roles and their corporation's roles in the economic and health care crises. I pray that they will join the former insurance industry leader who realized what the practices of companies like his meant that people would then have to seek free medical care under circumstances in which they would be treated in animal stalls at some place like a county fairgrounds. He now speaks out for justice in health care and insurance. I pray that my country may be again the inspiration it once was to the peoples of the world. AMEN.

Economic Injustice

2009-10-20T16:08:00.000-05:00

The evidence is accumulating that the last eight years or more have systematically benefited those who were very well off, compared to the vast majority of Americans. Over at the Economist's View blog two posts excerpting and highlighting commentary in The National Journal and the New York Times presented data that support perceptions that the rich are getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

The National Journal piece points out that

In the generation after World War II, the median income roughly doubled, increasing faster for those on the lower rungs of the ladder than for those at the top. Since 1979, the median income has advanced much more slowly overall, and it has grown much faster for the affluent than for those below them. Today,... family incomes are higher than in the 1970s almost entirely because women are working...; men in their 30s today earn less than their fathers did at the same age. In this environment, upward mobility becomes tougher.

I have seen this at work in my own family. Those of us with college degrees have been able to keep pace for the most part. Those without degrees or technical education are barely squeaking by. Further, every one of us daughters - all of us mothers - have had to work to support our families to make ends meet. Most of us have also been divorced and this has had economic consequences for us and our children. These factors have also impinged on our children who have not had the advantages open to the children of intact, well-off families.

In my practice of psychotherapy I see much more of this. Women who are working, often from home, every keystroke monitored, for companies where the executives make millions of dollars just in annual salaries, while they make barely enough to survive. Their work loads intensify, they are expected to work mandatory overtime, and somehow have to find ways to take care of their children when their schedule changes. I wonder about what the future for their children holds.

These changes in our national life and income patterns seem to me to be unjust. As Jim Wallis said in his book, The Next Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America, budgets are moral documents. It is federal and state budgets and legislation that channeled more money into the pockets of the wealthy and took more in taxes from the middle class, sending some of them into lower income levels. It is cuts in federal and state programs for schools, child care, college student grants and loans, supported work programs, and oh, so many others that have helped to create this situation. It is citizen and governmental acceptance that it is okay to support women who do child care in their homes for pay, while it is not okay to support women in their homes to take care of their own children.

I pray that there may be a true resolve to create greater income equality, to improve the quality of life for those who are in the lower two-thirds income bracket and to tax those who are wealthy so they pay their fair share. I pray that we have many discussions of what a good life, good communities consist in. I pray that we be inspired to do whatever we can, where ever we are to make this so. AMEN.

Health Care Plan

2009-10-19T22:53:00.000-05:00

The negotiators for the White House are refusing to commit to some key provisions at this time, saying that they want to see what comes out of Congress. I cannot understand why the White House will not demand that the final bill include a strong public option and limits on the amounts that private insurance companies can charge for premiums.

I hope that whatever bill gets passed gives all the American people a viable option. I am especially concerned about those who have few insurance options due to their health, lack of sufficient income, or the loss of job or other such change in circumstances. I know people who pay between 25 and 33% of their income for health insurance that still requires them to spend significant sums out of pocket. This is disgraceful in "the richest country in the world."

My prayer is that justice will "roll down" and the dreams of millions of Americans will be realized. Some of these dreams are:
-that they will no longer have to stay in a job they have outgrown because they need the health insurance,
-that they will have access to affordable health insurance for the first time,
-that they will no longer need to fear being kicked out of insurance coverage because their health care needs are too great,
-that they will not lose health insurance coverage if they lose their employment.
May our congress and president order their priorities to give preference to meeting the needs of the ordinary people of this country over the profits of insurance, large health care, and pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists.

Bad News

2009-10-19T22:06:00.000-05:00

Today's paper has the usual complement of bad news - parents who seemingly perpetuated a hoax about their 6 year old son being wafted away in a large helium balloon, and about a father who was shooting at his children and was subsequently shot by two sheriff's deputies. In addition, there are ongoing wars within and between countries. Iran was in the news because a suicide bomber killed five senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guard. In Pakistan both government forces and the Taliban were claiming victory in a battle near the Afghan border. Meanwhile the United States is still at war in two countries, Iraq and Afghanistan, and has military bases in dozens of others.

At the same time, I heard from one of my sisters last night that she and her husband had to close their little cafe in Tucson, Arizona because too many of their former customers were unemployed or had members of their family out of work and no longer have the money to eat meals out of the home. She said that almost all of the businesses in the area of the cafe have closed in the last few months. She and her husband have been trying to sell their place for months, are now behind in their mortgage payments, and are waiting to see what comes next; a buyer or foreclosure.

In one of the blogs I follow, mompriest writes about resigning from her position, her reasons for and her feelings about that. Her reflections on Job - current revised common lectionary readings - point to one possible way to hope and pray.

Perhaps I can learn from Job and trust that God is a part of all of this, the good, the hard, the painful. I don’t believe that God causes these challenging times in life. Loosely based on the systematic theology of John MacQuarrie, I’ve come to think that because of free will God allows life to unfold, the good, the hard, the painful. I also think that, as God did in the beginning of creation, when God created order out of chaos, that God helps us move through the chaos into a new created sense of order.

Perhaps as women we play an important role, at this particular time in history, helping God re-create from the chaos of the world. Perhaps God is speaking into the world in a particular way, through the voices of women and the way we lead. Perhaps in time relational leadership will pull order out of disorder and create new ways of being church? Perhaps we are called to lead in this challenging time so that the world can more fully understand what Jesus means when he says, “the first will be last and the last will be first.”

My prayer is that the leadership of nations and churches will take that relational, orderly and peaceful path that we so badly need. I pray that such relational leaders, both woman and men, will be raised up and empowered to guide us on this path. I pray that we will create new ways to be church, to be family, to be community and nations. I pray especially for those whom Jesus called the least of these my brothers and sisters. They are those of us who have no jobs, little safety, and those caught in addictions, family violence, warfare and poverty. I pray that each one will be healed, fed, clothed, sheltered, set free, and given a share in the resources he or she needs to survive and even flourish. AMEN.

Holy Wisdom III - Corporate Personhood?

2009-10-17T15:37:00.000-05:00

Here in the library at Holy Wisdom Monastery, I'm looking at a copy of the weekly, The Capital Times. An opinion piece by Jane Anne Morris, found on page 33 of the issue for the week of October 14-20, is titled "Corporate 'personhood' must be challenged." Corporate personhood is the concept that corporations have constitutional rights, just like people. It is my understanding that corporate personhood enters the picture in the late 19th century. And, it depends on an addendum made be a clerk, not a Supreme Court justice, to a decision on railroads. However, this addendum has been interpreted to have the force of law, without any more solid basis than that. The current Supreme Court has some issues before it in which corporate personhood is a key player. These issues boil down to whether the Supreme Court will decide that corporate "free speech" (in the form of books sponsored by corporations, television ads, movies or money) trumps campaign finance laws.

Some years ago, Thom Hartmann in What Would Jefferson Do? argued that corporate personhood should be abolished because the immortal corporation had powers that ordinary people do not, and, over time, can (will) end up oppressing common citizens. I'm also remembering the book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins. In that book, Perkins tells his story of being an "economic adviser" to governments of developing countries. His expertise was in 'cooking' (my term) the numbers and making economic forecasts that would convince these governments to take out loans for energy projects, dams, roads, etc. The point was to then use these loans to hire American corporations to do the work of building dams that were not needed, meant homes and habitats destroyed, and that put that nation in deep debt to the World Bank and other countries.

I believe that corporate personhood is an issue that should be discussed and debated. We need to understand what is at stake and how to set boundaries around the rights and responsibilities of corporations, personhood or not. I am deeply aware that this discussion has connections to just about every facet of daily life around the globe.

May we begin to look more carefully at how to provide for the needs of all people and for the well-being of the earth and its creatures. May we pay close attention to the UN's Declaration of Human Rights and its other documents about the rights of humans and the care of the earth. May we see clearly where various economic institutions and structures serve these rights and where they do not.

What does God want my prayer to be? I believe it is to pray that we globally and collectively begin to look at these issues together with truth, love and calm. AMEN.

Holy Wisdom II

2009-10-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

This post is about an issue that arose in the group last night. It is not exactly about praying the news - as in praying about what was in the newspaper or on the television, but what emerged in group meditation and discussion. Our focus this retreat has been on "participating in the soul's awakening." We were stumbling around with trying to understand the questions. Who is awakening? Isn't the soul always awake? Aren't we just trying to expand our awareness, our consciousness to the soul's level? Is it the soul itself that is asleep?

Somehow, with all the talk about levels of consciousness, ways of attending to the soul's messages, acquiring Divine insights, manifesting abundance, joy, peace and light, there was another level present. This was the level of: what do we do with suffering and pain? How can we live with such pain and such knowledge of the suffering of billions of creatures, including children, women and men? How can we bear this? What about evil? What about the evil humans do? Someone raised the issue of how to regard a recent news report involving three juveniles who seemingly deliberately set another child on fire.

Our discussion was unfocused and chaotic, with some denying that evil exists at all, others seeking to deny it any stronghold in their own lives, and others aware that they and creatures they love are subject to the pains and suffering inflicted on innocents or bystanders by other people who mean to do them harm. There seemed to be a consensus that evil or hurtful deeds must be met with compassion for those who suffer. What to do about and how to regard perpetrators of evil or grievous harm was more difficult. In fact, for the most part that was not part of the discussion.

But my heart hurts for these kids who did such a terrible thing. Should they awaken to the reality of what they did, they will suffer a burning pain within themselves when they think about what they did. Should they not awaken, it will be even worse for them, because they will no doubt continue to be in whatever hell realm prompted them to do such a thing in the first place. I pray for them. I pray they may experience true remorse, that they may realize that they and their victim were deserving only of love and protection, that no human being deserves to be so hurt. I pray that they may find a way to make amends. I pray that they may encounter what forgiveness is as or when they do understand the immensity of the wrong, the harm they did. I pray that their awakening may lead them to help others to awaken to the truth, love, light and power constantly available to those who love these qualities and their Source.

I pray for their victim. I have not heard whether this child is alive or dead, but in whichever realm he or she now is, I pray for healing, peace and much, much love. AMEN.

Two Posts Behind

2009-10-17T14:51:00.000-05:00

I've been at the Holy Wisdom Monastery since the 15th and managed to get on the internet this afternoon, the 17th.

Thursday on the way down here I heard more about the Dow being above the 10,000 mark. It seems many people take that as a sign that "we have turned the corner." I wonder. The executives at Goldman Sachs are gleefully announcing that they have record profits this last quarter, as have a couple of other large banking institutions. These profits seem to come from investment banking, the same folks who were responsible for the creative banking that brought us into this current recession crisis. It is hard to celebrate with them. I think of the people who have lost much of their life savings, their pensions, their college funding, because they entrusted their money to these same institutions, and many of the very same people. Will the pensions be replenished, life savings be restored, college funds become available? I think not. Yet millions of dollars in bonuses are to be distributed to these investment bankers. Something is wrong with this picture.

I pray for justice for those who have lost so much of their money to systems and institutions that did not have their interests at heart when they sliced and diced investments and guarantees. I pray that those who are unemployed or underemployed will find a way to sustain themselves physically, will be surrounded by people who love and care for them and offer them whatever they currently need. I pray that we learn to again be a generous people. I pray that those in need will ask others to help them meet their needs. I pray that we all remember that God is the source of all good, that this planet is our home, and we are responsible for caring for the well-being of all the earth's inhabitants. Amen.

What is God's Desire?

2009-10-15T07:39:00.000-05:00

This is a post for last night when I was too foggy to make one.

Something has been troubling me about my praying of the news. It has to do with how/what to pray. I realize that my prayer has been about my assumptions that such and such is bad, or this or that thing needs to happen. Not that praying on that basis is "bad" but that I have failed to sit with the situations about which I'm praying, have failed to ask what God desires for this or that situation or circumstance. I need to do this.

Rose Mary Dougherty,SSND, in her book, Group Spiritual Direction: Community for Discernment, has suggested some points of consideration for intercessory prayer for individuals. I believe they can also be relevant to praying the news. She wrote that there are four questions that can help us focus on the desires of the Holy One for a person (situation) rather than simply our own. They are:

1) what is God's deepest desire for this person or situation?
2) what does God want my prayer to be?
3) is there anything in me that is getting in the way of my joining in prayer for this person or situation? and,
4) is there anything I am being called to say or do on God's behalf for this person or situation?

If I reflect on these questions when I feel moved to pray about something in the news, will my prayer change? Wait and see!

Afghanistan - What to Do?

2009-10-13T22:02:00.000-05:00

What is the best way to end this war? What would even qualify as "winning" this war? Can anyone, ever, win a war? After half-watching "Frontline" tonight I feel sick at the words, the weapons, the ways in which military and political strategists try to figure out ... what? How to contain and defeat Al Quaeda? How to stop the Taliban? How to find and capture Bid Laden? How to "win the hearts and minds of the people?" - now also discussed as "counter-insurgency." I remember so many of these same ways of talking and fighting from 40 years ago during the war in Viet Nam. "When will we ever learn?"

I pray that the killing, the fear, panic, and retribution will all end. I pray that women, who were almost completely missing in any discussion in the Frontline special, will find a way to claim their power and influence and work on the men, their sons, husbands and fathers, to stop this senseless destruction. I pray that the soldiers from the United States will be able to maintain themselves without succumbing to the hatred and rage that such fighting can engender. I pray that they may soon return home in good physical and mental health. I pray that our leaders may finally sort out just what they are trying to accomplish by having our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. May they seek to accomplish peace, not war. Amen.

Nobel Prize for Economics

2009-10-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

This morning my husband read to me from an article on the awarding of the Nobel prize for economics to two Americans. I was interested to learn that these two prize-winners' research goes against the conventional wisdom about how economic decisions are made and their effectiveness. It seems that the decisions of non-profit entities will tend to be just as efficient and effective as those of private for-profit enterprises if the decisions are modeled within a game-theory framework. That says to me, if it is understood that organizations can learn.

So what does this have to do with prayer? Well, it has been increasingly clear to me lately that the media reports about the economics of capitalism and super-capitalism have been missing some important pieces. How can "improvements" in health care and health care insurance result in such miserable outcomes compared to other industrialized countries? How can successful agricultural efforts result in bottomed out "rewards" for the farmers who produce the world's food? How can we not factor in the well-being of people when we discuss economics?

The kin-dom of heaven is not based in a monetary system. May we find ways to assess economic systems against the well-being of the human communities and the health of the natural world matrix in we all live. May we end an idolatrous worship of profits over people and planet. Amen.

Confronting Wrongful Doing

2009-10-11T19:10:00.000-05:00

This is not specifically about news today. It's about news these days in these times. That is, what do we do when we see great wrong-doing in front of us, or when we are wrongly treated. I've been reading emails from MoveOn.org about Dawn, a woman who has been denied insurance coverage of a specialist who specializes in certain kinds of brain cancer. Dawn has been trying for two years to get her insurance company to allow her to see this specialist, and to pay for his consultation and care of her. Her story can be followed by reading this blog, http://www.itcouldhappentoanyone.com

At the same time, I've been reading NT Wright's book, Surprised by Hope. I'm only about half-way through, but am fascinated. The role of confrontation of the powers and principalities is currently very prominent in my mind, as I think of the evils and sufferings that so many people undergo. I pray that my mind and heart may be opened and I learn new ways and receive new energy to move in the direction of Christian confrontation. Further, I pray that everyone engaged in such confrontation have a solid sense of what they are doing, and that it be done in the love and power of Christ. Amen.

Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-11T00:12:00.000-05:00

What a surprise! Our president received the Nobel Peace Prize, and particularly, it is said, because he wants to reduce and finally eliminate nuclear weapons. As the Nobel committee and the President Obama himself said, it is because of the intent and the direction of peace, not the actual achievement. Already, and not yet. This reminds me of the necessity to live in the kingdom, to bring it about in whatever ways we can, how we can, where we are. May we all join President Obama in working to end wars and move towards peace. This is my fervent prayer, may we live God's dream and purpose for us. Amen!

Banking Industry and Losses of Homes

2009-10-10T07:13:00.000-05:00

I meant to post about this last night, but fell asleep.

Watching Bill Moyers on public television reminded me that the losses of homes, jobs and businesses continue. The bail-outs continue as well. I am not sure why the people of this country are bailing out the banking institutions that lobbied for de-regulation, and developed Ponzi schemes that collapsed taking billions down the drain. Now their CEO's and managers spend taxpayer-funded bailout dollars to buy up other banks and pay themselves bonuses.

My heart goes out to those who have lost or are losing their homes. I personally know of families to whom this is happening. They are losing their homes because of medical bills and/or time off work because of health issues or unemployment. I pray for all people whose lives have become caught up in the economic and institutional woes of this time. I pray for this country, that we as citizens may come to our senses, and refuse to be bamboozled by those who prefer to have us ignorant, acquisitive, and all too trusting. They accumulate billions of dollars from us, while we plunge into poverty and debt. They keep their ranking in the plutocracy.

May we wake up!! May we remember the beatitudes and live them.

Health Care

2009-10-08T21:43:00.000-05:00

More stories emerge documenting again and again the importance of reliable, affordable health insurance that cannot just disappear because of job change, job loss, income loss, intensive medical needs or the "discovery" of pre-existing conditions. My own belief is that a single-payer health care program financed by the federal government is the best option we have. So far, I have not seen one good argument against federally-funded single-payer health care in a system that delivers health care services through private for- or non-profit providers and/or through state or federal community health care centers. Justice demands that people be cared for and receive the care they need because health care is a human right, as it states in the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

May God move us, motivate us and inspire us to make this a reality for all U.S. residents and the people of the world.

Mothers and Babies

2009-10-07T22:09:00.000-05:00

Tonight my prayers are for the mothers and babies of the world. I was stunned to learn from reading an AP article in today's paper that "more than 2 million babies and mothers die worldwide each year from childbirth complications..." That means 230 babies die each hour, every hour. And, three-quarters of such deaths of mothers and babies occur in Africa and South Asia. Of course, these are the areas of greater poverty and less available health care.

So, for all women giving birth this day and all their babies, and for all who are working to bring better health care to poorer regions and poorer peoples of the world, I pray that they may be protected, their lives preserved, and their health maintained or bettered. May all those of us who have as much and more than we need, learn to share in some significant way, and find the courage to move our governments to do so as well. In the name of the One God who enjoins us to love one another and show mercy to the poor and the vulnerable.

Wisconsin's Medical Assistance for Childless Adults

2009-10-06T20:40:00.000-05:00

In today's Leader Telegram it was noted that Wisconsin's program of medical assistance for childless adults will stop enrolling people at the end of this week, because they money is running out. After that, people will be put on a waiting list. The article quoted Wisconsin's governor who "said Monday that the demand for Medicaid-funded BadgerCare Plus Core Plan demonstrates the need for national health care reform." Wisconsin provides state program financing such that only 2% of the population would not be eligible for some kind of health insurance coverage.

Of course, Wisconsin is only one state. And there are 49 others. All have different programs, private health insurers, medical assistance programs and so on. What if the post office were run that way?

May we as a nation come to our senses and provide the comprehensive health care coverage other industrialized nations have provided for many years. May we ordinary citizens be empowered to cut through the fog surrounding this issue and demand a relatively simple plan that covers everyone who wants and needs coverage. Being able to opt for a "Medicare for all" plan would be much simpler and easier to implement than the crazy quilt system we now have or the patchwork plans offered by policymakers who are in debt to large insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies.

Our currency states "In God We Trust" - May it be so! May we trust in God, the sacred, the holy, enough, and gather the will to see that everyone in this country may have health care coverage, that medical care becomes about the care itself, not the money.

Afghanistan Again

2009-10-06T20:29:00.000-05:00

I understand that 40,000 more troops are being requested for the war in Afghanistan. It is hard to imagine what the outcome of that will be, except for more deaths. I am remembering that every country that has tried to conquer or prevail in Afghanistan has been defeated by the terrain and the people. Perhaps a different strategy is in order.

My prayer is that God will inspire a new strategy that looks much more like education and protection for the women and children of Afghanistan, and much less like bombings and troops. My prayer is that the people of Afghanistan will receive resources for growing food rather than poppies, be given any training needed. And, that the most humane of clerics will be supported and the tyranny of the Taliban will be subverted. I pray that we in this country will cry out for greater creativity in preserving lives rather than in figuring out more ways to kill. Far too often, it is non-combatants who die, destroyed as they simply try to live under already very difficult circumstances.

In God's name, end this war...

War is Peace

2009-10-04T21:43:00.000-05:00

As the budget for war is debated, as there are questions about the strategy for Afghanistan, as yet more people die there and in Iraq, I wonder, what would this country be without war? Tonight I listened to a musical duo playing some of the old songs from the 60's and 70's, and had to leave after hearing "Blowing in the Wind" from Peter, Paul and Mary. The group dedicated the song to the memory of Mary Travers, and people here sang along. I could not. I was too choked with tears. More than forty years later, the answer is still blowing in the wind. My country is devoting ever more money, lives, thought, and material to trying to convince other people by killing them and/or their family members. What horrible madness!

There is a book that was written by a Japanese man, Toyohiko Kagawa, titled The Religion of Jesus is Love. May that religion of love spread, may we become unable to kill other human beings to "show them" or "convince them" to do what we want them to do. May we show them and convince them through love. In the name of the one who loved each one with all his heart. Amen.

Unemployment

2009-10-03T22:36:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I pray for those who are unemployed, that they may receive what they need. We know that for everyone who is counted as unemployed, there is another person who has stopped looking for work, because of hopelessness, or who is employed only part-time when what they really want and need is full-time work.

Unemployment is officially now at 9.8%, but the real figures are probably much higher. Many economists expect that in the next months, the official unemployment rate will increase to double digits. I wonder what people will do. How will they stay sheltered? Have the food they need? Keep a vehicle running so they can look for work? Afford health care? What will those who are comfortably employed do in relation to their unemployed family members, neighbors, community members? How will we respond? How can all of us be conduits of the grace of God? How will we work with spiritual leaders, corporations, and governmental structures to care for one another?

May we find it in our hearts to pray, to share, to love, to companion, to offer whatever we have or whatever we think might help. Oh, dear God, "thy kingdom come, thy will be done." Here. Now.

And another super storm gathers

2009-10-02T22:24:00.000-05:00

After last week's devastating flooding in the Philipines, it appears another super storm is headed their way. Typhoon Parma may hit tomorrow and is expected to have winds of 120-140 mph. Right after the earthquakes in Indonesia and the tsunami in the Samoas, more disaster is about to strike.

Years ago, I read a book by Agnes Sanford titled, Creation Waits. She wrote of praying for the earth to contain its energies and dissipate them harmlessly, rather than causing destruction to human life. She alluded to a network of people around the earth who took the power of prayer seriously enough to consistently pray for the various geographic regions of the world.

Perhaps it would be a good thing for that to resume, or for those who pray in such a way, to redouble their prayers at this time. For my part, I'll pray that this new typhoon will blow itself out before it hits any inhabited land, that the people in its path will find safety, and that the international community will work hard to bring relief to all who suffer from natural disasters now. Further, I pray that the countries and corporations of the world will do whatever they can do to stop global warming, which has been implicated in these so-called super storms.

May it be so.

Natural Disasters

2009-10-01T19:38:00.000-05:00

Pray for the victims of the two natural disasters Wednesday, the quake in Indonesia and the tsunami in the Samoas. May the dead be at peace and find their souls sheltered, and the living be comforted and cared for.

When these kinds of disasters strike, we see how precious human life is and how fragile our civilizations are in the face of the power of natural forces. How can we then turn the powers we have toward creating human-made disasters such as war and wholesale destruction of the environment?

I pray that we human beings come to our senses and turn to the ways of life abundant and peaceful. I pray that the governments of the world marshal the resources to help those who have been caught up in these natural disasters, and that they also remember to help those caught in the midst of warfare.

May all beings be protected from harm, may all beings dwell in peace. May all the lives of all beings unfold in peace and love.

The Rich and the Poor

2009-09-30T22:47:00.000-05:00

Jesus, in line with the prophets within his Jewish religion, criticized the wealthy for their oppression of the poor. The beatitudes and many of his parables express his concern for the poor, his expectations of the rich, and his opinion of the powerful. His focus was on the life in God available to all, poor and rich, but perhaps more often accepted by the poor.

Yesterday's news included an Associated Press article on the widening income gap between the richest 10% of Americans and the poorest 10%. The opening paragraph of the article states: "The recession has hit middle-income and poor families hardest, widening the economic gap between the richest and poorest Americans as rippling job layoffs ravaged household budgets." Elsewhere I read that the gap is now wider than at any time since 1917! And still, some advocate cutting taxes for the wealthy!

The earliest Christians are said to have decided to pool their goods and allocate large sums of money for the care of widows, orphans, the sick and the imprisoned. They lived at a time when the oppressions of wealth and power were greater than we in this country experience now, but they found the will share, to care for those who relied on the mercy of others to survive.

May we find ways to use our democratic system to ensure that the poor, the sick and those without ways of earning what they need, get food, shelter, respect and health care. May we examine our own attitudes towards money and power and turn towards the God who creates, sustains and blesses all life.

Seniors 60+ Looking for Work

2009-09-29T21:14:00.000-05:00

Today my prayer is for the well-being of all those who are 60 years old and older and looking for work. With the job market being what it is, many seniors are going on Social Security, perhaps before they had planned, because they have no other option for income. An Associated Press article yesterday noted that, "applications for retirement benefits are 23 percent higher than last year." That same article stated that the "share of U.S. residents in their 60s either working or looking for work has climbed steadily since the mid-1990's, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ... This year, more than 55 percent of people age 60-64 are still in the labor force, compared with about 46 percent a decade ago."

May this very wealthy country find a way to pay senior citizens and others to do some of the necessary work of caring for people who need it, and who now receive less care than they need. For example, many schools could benefit from more teachers and teacher-aides. Hospitals and nursing homes already rely on senior volunteers to staff many services. Imagine if seniors could also provide services for pay in these settings. There are a multitude of services seniors can provide if they can have somewhat flexible hours and perhaps some physical accommodations. May the Holy One inspire creativity and compassion on the part of decision-makers so that the talents of seniors are used and compensated fairly.

Health Care Again

2009-09-28T20:17:00.001-05:00

After returning from a training and retreat weekend, I arrived home and opened yesterday's paper. In Sunday's front page section was an ad authorized and paid for by JONAH, a local organization of many faiths, affiliated with other local organizations of faith. The ad stated:

We believe universal health care is fundamental to a just and productive society.

Millions of Americans suffer or die for lack of health care.
We believe in a religious imperative to heal the sick.
The American health care system must be transformed to be inclusive, accessible, affordable and accountable for all.

A civilized and just society protects the weak and powerless with compassion.
Join us. Speak out for a uniquely American plan.
Fixing health care is a moral issue, unworthy of political bickering.

I say AMEN! May it be so! May our elected leaders make health care financing decisions that are compassionate, just and fair, especially to people who are poor, middle-class, ill and/or elderly. May the Holy One give our elected leaders courage and wisdom to pass legislation that is "inclusive, accessible, affordable and accountable for all."

Health Care for Everyone

2009-09-27T23:08:00.000-05:00

My prayer for today is for all the people in the United States who are uninsured for health care, or pay way too much for insurance, or who are at risk of losing their health insurance or who are fighting with insurance companies to get the care they need covered. I suspect this is a large number of people.

A blog I follow had a recent post consisting of several quotes from a writer named Holly Sklar. Here's a sample:

Lack of health insurance kills 45,000 American adults a year, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health. One out of three Americans under age 65 had no private or public health insurance for some or all of 2007-2008.

You can't go the emergency room for the screening that will catch cancer or heart disease early, or ongoing treatment to manage chronic kidney disease or asthma. And even emergency care is different for the insured and uninsured. Studies show uninsured car crash victims receive less care in the hospital, for example.

Even with health insurance, many Americans are a medical crisis away from bankruptcy. Research shows 62 percent of all bankruptcies in 2007 were medical, a share up 50 percent since 2001. Most of the medically bankrupt had health insurance - the kind insuring profits, not health care.

It's from an article called Medicare for All: Yes We Can by Holly Sklar.

I'm sad that people are so burdened, frightened, frustrated, and anxious about something that is a right, taken care of, in every other industrialized nation. I pray that the lawmakers in Congress will make wise and compassionate decisions about this issue.

Praying the News

2009-09-26T21:15:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, a friend and I were having dinner together, sharing dreams, perceptions, intuitions about "these days." We have each had some sense of the need for God's grace to further penetrate the gloom of dismal days when hatred seems to lurk ready to pounce or seduce. We agreed that we would find some way or practice that we would undertake for a period of about a month, offering it as an opening for God to use in some way to further grace this world.

The day after our dinner, I left to attend a retreat devoted to group spiritual direction and a time of silence. The last talk before silence began was about practices we might consider during the time of silence. "Praying the news" was one of the suggestions. Immediately I recognized this as the practice I want to offer to God for use in somehow expanding the flow of grace at this time for the benefit of the world.

This is a very different thing for me, because I do not usually read the news or watch television news at all. My information comes from my husband, who is very well read, and from the occasional news report from NPR as I'm driving from one place to another. I have found listening to or watching news programs to be very painful. I am often filled with sadness, distress, disgust and anger, as I take in the tragic, nasty, mean-spirited, greedy or murderous actions of my brother and sister human beings. So, I am committed to keeping up with the news to some degree from now until around November 1st. And, I will be praying the news on this blog.

Today's prayer is for the people of Iran. The Minneapolis Star Tribune had a large article on the G20 meeting and the problems posed by discovery of another nuclear reactor almost completed by Iran. The fear among many nations is that such a reactor will be the source for nuclear weapons, which Iran is said to be determined to develop. I also pray that the leaders of all the countries involved will be filled with wisdom and truth as they sort out what to do about this situation. Further, I pray for our president, President Obama, who has declared that one of his goals is to reduce the world's nuclear arsenals, including that of the United States.

Change - Still On the Way

2009-07-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

Several themes are present in my spiritual life at the moment. The first is that of living in a sacred way, perceiving and honoring the "sacramentality of daily life" - as I used to put it to myself. It does not have so much to do with what I do, but the consciousness within which I am, in the doing. A recent experience stopped me in my tracks, a split second of realizing the wholeness/oneness of the Sacred, in this moment, now.

My sense of God is changing rapidly, too. Now, for me, God is something like the consciousness of everything, of both the pure potential and utter freedom of no thing and simultaneously of all things from rocks and streams, metal and plastic, gasses and liquids, to the least of sentient beings, tiny one-celled organisms, to the greatest of saints and sages, all of which participate in that consciousness. This God 'speaks' in a multitude of voices, from the still small whisper in the wind, to the thundering crescendo of wrenching change, to the climactic birthing cry of emergence into new being. Because consciousness loves to be in flow with other consciousnesses, God loves to be with and within our consciousness.

Increasingly, my sense of intercessory prayer grows, and I often am caught up/reined in by a realization that I have not prayed for this or that person as I ought to do. This is not a 'should' but a sense that it is part of my purpose to do this, and that, even though I do not understand how or why it is exactly, I believe my prayers are needed. In fact, I'm reading more about intention, intentional healing, healing prayer, and the more I read, the more I'm convinced that all our prayers matter very much. Again, I don't know how to explain this.

Another thing that is different for me is that worship with others in the traditional way has become fairly painful. The faces turned toward some spot, a Bible, a cross, a preacher, and not toward each other, seems odd to me - and this is after a life time of worshiping just this way. I keep seeing in my mind circles of people turned to each other and within, tuned to each other and to that voice or light within. Instead of a sermon, I think we should be reflecting together, and sharing our perceptions, feelings, wisdom. Spirit dwells among us, not resting on the head of the preacher, the liturgist or the choir director, in particular. I pray that we learn to listen to Spirit together.

Changes

2009-05-04T21:56:00.000-05:00

Changes are happening. Too soon to tell what's coming along.

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Another Spiritual Director

2009-01-30T19:07:00.000-06:00

I met for the first time with John Williams, a man who is Roman Catholic, used to be a priest, and used to be my marriage and family therapy professor back when I first moved to this area. At the time I was just beginning a counseling program and he taught introduction to marriage and family therapy. I became a therapist in 1996 and learned EMDR. In these last several years, John Williams has attended to the local EMDR therapists group and I became reacquainted with him. At the last meeting, as previously noted, I had a strong prompt to ask him about spiritual direction. We arranged a first meeting, and it happened.

It's a strange thing to be just starting with a new spiritual director, but it seems right. I trust John as a person of integrity and intelligence. He is Roman Catholic, and I am (right now) a member of the United Church of Christ - descendent of the Pilgrims and Puritans, as well as the German Reformed tradition. About as protestant as it gets.

My assignment for now is to read Romans chapter 8, noticing where I become confused, where there is illumination, and where I am prompted to pray. Since meeting with John on Tuesday, I've been a little obsessed with chapter 8 and just ordered a book by N T Wright on the first half of Romans, which includes chapter 8. Having read through chapter 8 a couple of times in the last few days, I'm feeling in need of some more information. So far, I've got that there are two spirits in the human being, the natural human (sinful, weak, broken), which is revealed by the law, and the Spirit of God, which brings transformed life.

Models of Church

2008-04-02T09:35:00.000-05:00

What is your model of the church? [Dulles]
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Mystical Communion Model

Your model of the church is Mystical Communion, which includes both People of God and Body of Christ. The church is essentially people in union with Christ and the Father through the Holy Spirit. Both lay people and clergy are drawn together in a family of faith. This model can exalt the church beyond what is appropriate, but can be supplemented with other models.

Mystical Communion Model

72%

Servant Model

72%

Sacrament model

56%

Herald Model

50%

Institutional Model

17%

As a kind of denominational "mutt" this quiz intrigued me immensely. I was baptized at age 6 within a conservative Lutheran church, confirmed in it and then rebelled in college after my first philosophy class. Later, in my early twenties, Roman Catholicism appealed to me as being more freeing than Lutheranism, because there was acknowledgement of an original goodness. Church as "body of Christ" made sense to me.

Through the years since then with all their ups and downs, my views of church have been both idealistic and critical. My yearning for the reign of God/kindom of Heaven is very strong and so often the churches fail to live up to their task. Some seem more concerned with buildings and their maintenance. Some seem preoccupied with making sure not to offend anyone for any reason, especially avoiding the difficult and offensive task of asking members to care about whomever is not being well cared for by the people of God. Others seem more concerned to keep women in their place, which is definitely not in the hierarchy, which is exclusively male.

I currently am a member of a United Church of Christ congregation, and appreciate the gifts of other denominations and religions. It is my belief that "The Church" has yet to be revealed in its fullness. It is my hope that that will happen soon, as the times seem to demand a further unfolding of what it means to be church, People of God and Body of Christ.

Anyway, the realities do not match up to the biblical urgings nor, sometimes, to even common courtesy. Alas, finding within institutions the divine core of their being is just as difficult as it is for an individual to express their essential soul within which God dwells.

War is Not Loving

2008-03-19T07:59:00.000-05:00

The 5th anniversary of the Iraq war deserves to be marked with appropriate sadness and repentance. In his time, during the Viet Nam war, Thomas Merton spoke out about the wrongness of that unjust war. So, today, instead of continuing with chapter three of The Inner Experience, I am going to make note of the need to end the unjust, illegal and immoral war that is devastating the people of Iraq, causing generations of suffering for both Iraqis and Americans, and destroying any illusions many of us have had about the nature of the political/economic powers that control our own government.

As the apparition of the Mother of Jesus has urged many times, many places, "Pray, pray, pray." Pray for peace, work for peace, support the peacemakers of this world and pray that their numbers may be increased. Amen.

To see other blogs noting this sad anniversary, see:
http://march19-blogswarm.blogspot.com/

The Inner Experience

2008-03-14T12:07:00.000-05:00

The second chapter of Thomas Merton's book is titled, "The Awakening of the Inner Self." Unlike the advice proffered by so many books, programs and projects, Merton claims here that awakening the inner self is not something one can do.

"(The inner self)...is the life by which everything else in us lives and moves. It is in and through and beyond everything we are. If it is awakened, it communicates a new life to the intelligence in which it lives, so that it becomes a living awareness of itself; and this awareness is not so much something that we ourselves have, as something that we are. It is a new and indefinable quality of our living being." (p. 6)

Merton goes on to say that although no one can make her- or himself awaken, there are certain conditions that favor such awakening. He says that other cultures and times have provided environments of concepts and language, symbols and experiences that favor awakening of the inner self. Now, we have to exert effort to create favorable conditions.

There is a distinction, Merton says, between what he names a "natural" awakening to the inner "I," as described in some Zen literature with which he was familiar, and the Christian realization of going beyond the "I" to "an experiential grasp of God as present within our inner self." (p. 12) Merton moves from Augustine to Tauler to St. John of the Cross to develop his discussion of how one gets to that experiential grasp of God in the inner self. It is done in part by turning away from anything that can be held onto as to an object, such as tangible things, sense experiences, concepts and thoughts, or understandings, eventually arriving at what St. John of the Cross called "essential detachment." And, the other part of getting to such an experiential grasp is clinging by dark faith and love in unknowing to the will of God.

For Christians, the awakening of the inner self will also bring an awareness of God.

"Since our inmost 'I' is the perfect image of God, then when that I' awakens, he finds within himself [herself] the Presence of Him [the One] Whose image he [she] is. And by a paradox beyond all human expression, God and the soul seem to have but one single 'I.' They are (by divine grace) as though one single person. They live and breathe and act as one. 'Neither' of the 'two' is seen as object." (p. 18)

I hardly know where to begin to examine the ideas of this chapter as my own life relates to them. I do know that I cannot know my inner self as an object. I get that. There is no internal belly button to examine. But in relation to "essential detachment," I find in myself a real struggle. There are clearly things, events, experiences, thoughts, feelings, that I like and others that I do not like. Merton says that it isn't that we ought not to notice them and our responses to them but that we should not be guided by them. There is some movement with respect to me not being guided by my attachments, but it would be less than honest for me to say I've made a lot of progress in detachment - "essential" or otherwise.

Clinging to God by "dark faith" is described not as "assent to dogmatic truths" but as "a personal and direct acceptance of God Himself, a 'receiving' of the Light of Christ in the soul, and a consequent beginning or renewal of spiritual life." (p. 15) Merton says that according to St. John of the Cross, this involves turning to God and away from God's creatures. Here I begin to get confused. I am aware of having been blessed multiple times with a renewal of spiritual life in me. Gratitude to God fills me every time I think of this, because such renewals have literally saved my life. And, I know that I can turn to God consciously and deliberately over and over again. However, I find it impossible and undesirable to turn away from God's creatures. In fact, my eyes fill with tears to even think about this. I love God's creatures; they are for me pieces of the Holy. The proper response to God's creatures is love and care, I think.

With all of this, my thoughts keep turning to Theresa of Avila's Interior Castle. The notion of making an internal journey seems to settle with me better. There is much similarity with what Merton is discussing here, with the crystal castle of the human soul as the Divine dwelling place, for example. Yet, the differences are there too. In some ways, Theresa seems more "grounded" and more accessible to someone who is not a monastic, but lives with "creatures" in very daily life. Theresa also says that although we cannot do it for ourselves, there are some things we can do, especially early on. Knowing that it has been "early on" for me over and over again, I take comfort in the idea that even if I am not directly aware of it. God dwells in the center of my soul. So, it is ok that, to put it in Theresa's metaphors, these days I spend my time lugging buckets of water to the garden and tossing "reptiles" into the castle moat.

Inner Self

2008-03-09T17:56:00.001-05:00

I am currently reading Thomas Merton's book, The Inner Experience: Notes on Contemplation. Early in the book, the following passage caught my attention:

The first thing that you have to do, before you even start thinking about such a thing as contemplation, is to try to recover your basic natural unity, to reintegrate your compartmentalized being into a coordinated and simple whole and learn to live as a unified human person. This means that you have to bring back together the fragments of your distracted existence so that when you say "I," there is really someone present to support the pronoun you have uttered.

Of course, as I am a psychosynthesist, this is a wonderful and exciting statement! And, to think that he originally wrote this in 1959; the manuscript was only slightly revised in 1968. Roberto Assagioli wrote Psychosynthesis in 1965. The centerpiece of Assagioli's book is his emphasis on discovery/recovery of the "I," which is the "center of consciousness and will" and the person's conscious connection with the "higher self" (the soul).

Psychosynthesis is a wonderful prelude or accompaniment to a life oriented to contemplation. If you are interested, see my psychosynthesis blog at http://soulmakingjoyfarm.blogspot.com/ or see the Association for the Advancement of Psychosynthesis web site at www.aap-psychosynthesis.org

Photo: NASA, "the Eye of God" from the Hubble telescope

"Yes"

2007-12-05T07:55:00.000-06:00

My advent book is Advent with Evelyn Underhill, edited by Christopher L. Webber, published by Morehouse Publishing in 2006. Short readings and a sentence or two for meditation and prayer direct my attention in morning quiet time. This morning's sentence for meditation: "Here is a force from beyond the world with disconcerting power." Sitting with this sentence, I found that taking it as a starting point for thought and reflection was not working for me this morning. Instead, I found myself saying "Yes, and again, yes. Oh, yes. Yes to the in-breaking power of the Holy One. Yes to the great, wild pulse of divine energy behind and through the glory of new-born sun on snow."

Today, I will say "yes."

Showing Up

2007-08-05T09:18:00.000-05:00

This morning, while trying to wake up - on many levels at once - I had a brief sense of immersion in God, inside/outside, around/within, and then of multiple layerings. Me in the room, yearning to come close with God, the God within, yearning to love and appreciate and enjoy the cloudy day out the window. The quiet birds making small sounds in the light and welcome rain. Crickets giving an occasional chirp. I thought about how difficult it is for me sometimes to just show up. The mind jumps around, the body goes into spasms of coughing - where did that come from, hasn't happened earlier. The emotions flow first here then there. And, the thoughts, where in the world is my head? And, the heart, slowly floating down until it touches bottom, resting there, for just a moment...

This blog represents an attempt on my part to just show up, to reflect on Presence and becoming present, and to faithfully live in the body of the Christ, being present - having had my absences "excused." This blog could just have accurately been titled "loving presents" because that's what I have been given, what I hope to give others, and what all us children of all ages enjoy greatly.