Singing Meditation

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

 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

 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

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?

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

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?

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

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?

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?

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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?

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?
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Another Spiritual Director

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.