Just a Moment…

Tags

harmony, heart, live in peace, Peace, Shenandoah, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Here’s a short “word” for the day, a reminder we might all take to heart in these troubled days in our world.

Live in harmony with everyone. It is no longer good enough to cry peace. We must act peace, live peace and live in peace. (Shenandoah proverb)

 

 

 

 

 

Stormy Weather

Tags

Annie Dillard, blessed, deeper consciousness, direction, God, Koran, light, storm, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

We are in the midst of tropical storm Philippe this morning – the first weather event this year that has affected us at all. While other locations in our country have been devastated by flood or fire, we in Upstate New York have been blessedly spared from any damaging storms. Even this one just seems to be a steady, soaking rain but we are being warned to prepare for flooding. I believe the warning is just for overflowing streams in locations around the state as it seems that the storm has done its worst elsewhere. I will need to check the basement for water seepage later but mostly today it seems that our task will be to stay inside as much as possible and reflect on the fact that we are still not in charge of everything in life.

In that thought rests possibility if we use the day as an opportunity for deeper consciousness. If we call God to mind each time we consciously hear the drumming of the rain, the day may not be spent in grumbling about the weather effects. Here are two prompts for those moments of consciousness.

1. From Annie Dillard: I cannot cause light. The most I can do is put myself in the path of its beam.
2. From the Qu’ran (Koran): To God belongs the East and the West; and wherever you turn, there is the face of God.

May today be blessed for all of us!

 

 

 

 

 

Circles of Hope

Tags

Black Elk, circles, Exodus, family, happiness, holy, hoop of the world, hope, In A Sacred Manner I Live, Jesus, love, Oglala Sioux, sacred, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wedding

I come late today to this task because I sat with my coffee this morning recounting the story of the wedding reception I attended last evening. I have great hopes for this couple in their mid-twenties who have known each other since their first school dance in 7th grade and have grown in love until, at 1:00 yesterday afternoon, they joined in the sanctuary of the church with tears of joy (both of them!) that this moment had finally come. At the dinner reception I was reminded of the importance of family and friends in the lives of such a couple. Touching toasts to the groom and the bride, spoken by two brothers and two sisters, were concluded by two friends and followed by a beautiful  blessing by the father of the groom. As I heard the hopes for long life and “the blessing of children,” I was aware of the circle of life in this gathered community widening and being strengthened by this new family unit. There is no lack of wisdom in the elders who surround this couple and lots of companionship for the days to come.

I found fitting advice in the readings of today where I heard God warning us not to “oppress the alien, for you were once foreigners in a strange land.” (EX 22:20) and Jesus commanding us to “love our neighbors as ourselves.”

Unable to stop here in this reflection, I am pulled back into something I read during the past week from a book called In A Sacred Manner I Live. It is the line from Exodus, I think, that urges me to share a vision of Black Elk, holy man of the Oglala Sioux (when he was nine years old), that I would wish for our world and see as possible if we hold in our hearts the love generated at moments like those I experienced yesterday. Please indulge me and pray with me for such widening circles.

And a Voice said: “All over the universe they have finished a day of happiness. And looking down I saw that the whole wide circle of the day was beautiful and green, with all fruits growing and all things kind and happy. Then a Voice said: “Behold this day, for it is yours to make. Now you shall stand upon the center of the earth to see…”

Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw, for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy.

May it be so. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

A Fitting Name

Tags

birthday, Ephesians, generosity, Jesus, Jude, patron saints, praise God, Simon, sister, sisters, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today our Church remembers Simon and Jude, both apostles who are only known by their names or titles. Jude (not to be confused with Judas Iscariot) is mentioned in the gospel with the others chosen by Jesus as his close followers. Simon, known as the Zealot, was one of a sect of extreme Jewish nationalists who believed in the Old Testament concept that God alone was their king so that they were not to be subject to the Romans. Simon was converted by Jesus to a new and gentler way of living, it seems, but that is all we know of him. I didn’t know of him at all in my youth. As far as I knew October 28th was the feast of St. Jude alone, and I knew that much because it was – is – my sister’s birthday. By custom (way back then) she might have been named Judith but circumstances and the fact that we already had a close cousin with that name resulted in the fact that she is Paula.

Patron saints were a big deal in those days and I was proud to have Ann as my middle name so I could call the grandmother of Jesus my patron. I would have felt sorry for Paula if Jude was hers since Jude is the designated patron of those in “desperate situations” (http://www.franciscanmedia.org) We used to know that as “hopeless cases” and actually kidded my sister about that around her birthday on occasion.

I felt a lift this morning when I consulted the lectionary readings for the day. In contrast to some of the recent texts that seemed so serious and dark, today’s are filled with energy and motivation in the spirit of St. Paul. First, Paul announces to the Ephesians: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God! (EPH 2:19) Then we hear the psalmist sing: Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the end of the world, their message – a tribute to the work of Paul and the other early voices as well as creation itself (PS 19:5). Finally, the gospel reminds us of those called by Jesus as his first disciples (LK 6: 12-16) among whom we find Simon and Jude.

I was happy to hear these words – a birthday gift to my sister who has been in her life one who has always labored for the good of the whole, in both personal and professional relationships. Steadiness and generosity of self have clearly defined Paula’s life and blessed all of us who live within her sphere of influence. So today I honor my elder sister (my one and only!) and give praise to God for her life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Older And Wiser

Tags

Ancient Songs Sung Anew, experiences, grace, growth, hand of God, hear, instruction, listen, path of life, praying, psalm 119, teaching, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, voice, wisdom

I doubt I will ever read Psalm 119 from beginning to end in one sitting. It’s the longest one, 176 verses in all. Each section begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in succession, rather like our singsong game of “A, B, C, D…” where we learned to expand and fill in with words like “A my name is Alice, my husband’s name is Al, we come from Alaska and we sell Artichokes.” (Next person) “B my name is Bertha…”  (Goodness! It’s been a long time since I thought of that! What a wonder that my mental rolodex flipped it out without hesitation!)

The Scriptural path through Psalm 119 is more serious business than our childhood game, of course. Commentary states that “[E]ach segment might be read as a separate voice from different individuals praying out of their various perspectives. It could also be understood as one individual experiencing all the various perspectives that one knows along the path of life.” This explanation rings true for my reflection this morning in reading the verses that are quoted in today’s lectionary. I thought of how much simpler it is (although not always so easy!) as I get older to recognize the hand of God in my experiences, difficult though they may be, and to accept things as growth points rather than failures. Here’s the gift that verses 65 to 68 gave me, with a postscript of verses 72 & 73 to bring the lesson to conclusion.

I know this path of yours as grace, your every act a teaching. And so I come to understand. In each hard word I learn discernment and know your mind. Before these deep afflictions it was I who turned aside and went astray, but now I’ve learned to follow hard your word and ways. So good are you, you bring forth good, instruct me in the pattern of this deeper wisdom…That I might learn to hear your inner word, your deep instruction; and listen to the voice that speaks like silver and like gold to me, as richest treasure. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stillness

Tags

absence, hush, movement, prayer, silence, sound, spiritual practice, stillness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

When I was leaving the kitchen with my coffee this morning, one of my housemates asked, “What today’s blog topic?” My answer was as simple as it was true: “I won’t know till I get back upstairs.” So up I came. I sipped my coffee. I looked out the window. I wondered about a lighthearted line or two from the Sufi poet Hafiz. I read Alan Cohen’s entry for this date…Nothing felt right.

What finally came was a distinction that I have been experimenting with for awhile now: the similarity but difference between the concepts of silence and stillness. The dictionary makes quick work of the definitions. Silence is the absence of sound. Stillness is the same but more; stillness is defined as the absence of movement and sound. I think of hearing people when I was a child telling their children to “keep still.” I thought they wanted them to stop talking. I wonder if they knew they were telling them to stop squirming. As I think back, I recall how strange a directive that would have been in our family. My parents never told us to keep still. I guess we were a rather placid trio, not too fidgety.

My purpose now in bringing up the topic is the benefit of adding stillness to my practice of silent prayer. Although it’s more about the mind than the body, I realize that quieting my body is much easier than stilling my mind but if I do bring my body into total stillness, my mind seems more able – or at least willing – to let go of the torrent of thoughts as well.

Just one more word: hush. I have begun to say that word quietly but aloud as I begin to quiet down. It has – for me – the quality of a mother rocking her crying child and the miracle that happens when she practically croons the words…”Hush, now…Hush…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Decides?

Tags

blame, blog, criticism, following, gratitude, Meg Wheatley, perseverance, praise, read, regret, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Every once in awhile I ask myself if writing this blog is still worth the time and energy it takes to do it. At those times – and in between as well – I look at the statistics. Yes, I can tell how many people read what I write each day and once in  awhile someone leaves a comment about what s/he has read. In addition, there is a way to ascertain where readers live – by country. That is the most amazing part of this endeavor as it shows me the reach of the “worldwide web.” Who would have thought that someone in Norway and/or Azerbaijan would be reading my simple morning musings! I generally remain unfazed by all of this information but occasionally realize I am worrying when the bar graph shows a dip or the number on the blog page says someone stopped “following.” Those are the moments when I usually hear gratitude from someone – especially someone I don’t know – who leaves a supportive comment and I breathe a sigh of relief.

I was made aware of this tendency to judge my practice by listening to other voices when I picked up Meg Wheatley’s book this morning. On a page called “Praise and Blame” she writes:

There is absolutely no way to avoid being criticized. Nobody gets through life described as totally wonderful. The question is, what do we do with criticism?…Do we assume that a criticism of something we’ve done is a condemnation of who we are? Or can we filter criticism and keep it focused as perhaps valuable but bounded information? Can we look for the kernels of truth there that might help us improve? Can we not instantly push criticism away, yet not accept it totally? And can we treat praise the same way? (Perseverance, p.65)

I think I’m closer to healthy answers to the above questions than I would have been in my younger days, but it was a good reality check. I trust that I will continue to write the blog as long as it feels right and then will let it go without regret and with gratitude to God, the author of it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting Over

I’ve been very busy during the past week, so much so that my “morning routine” has been disrupted, especially the twenty minutes I spend on my meditation mat in centering prayer. It sounds ridiculous to me that I haven’t been able to eke out 20 minutes from waking until leaving home to sit in the silence that fortifies me for the day. But on days like Saturday when I was out on the road by 6:20AM or when a phone call interrupts my progress or if I have forgotten to print some documents for a meeting…or any of a long list of delays makes the clock seem to move faster, I find myself in my car disappointed once again that I didn’t roll out of bed earlier.

I took some comfort this morning in Alan Cohen’s words, although I am also careful not to use them for an excuse. He says the following:

Our love for God is not measured by the rituals we do or the forms we create, but by the intentions of our heart. We may lead a busy lifestyle but if our soul is connected with Spirit, our daily activities become our communions…The great illusion of the world is that we are what we do. The great truth of Spirit is that we live from the heart or we do not live at all…What is your intention? If you truly seek to serve and give love, you cannot fail. (A Deep Breath of Life)

I’ll stop here so that today will be a new beginning. My meditation mat awaits!

 

 

 

 

 

Bigger Barns

Tags

bigger barns, clothing, hearts, Luke, Marty Haugen, mindful, possessions, purging, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, too much, treasure

Yesterday I had another of those conversations about what some of us have come to call “bigger barns.” As “girls” often do, we were admiring someone’s lovely clothing. As is also frequently the case, the woman in question said she found it on sale and just couldn’t leave it in the store. She then proceeded to lament her full closet and her intention to clean out and let go of things she hadn’t worn in more than a year. We all agreed we tend to wear the same few outfits, maybe pairing different blouses with skirts or slacks but eventually noticing that we wear what is comfortable and those items in our closet that we like best. So why do we hold on so tightly to all the rest…?

I can easily join in to these conversations, amazed that I have accumulated such a large wardrobe. To be fair, most of my closet is filled with “hand-me-overs” – lovely clothes that have belonged to my sister or a close friend when they were new. Still, the point can be made that too much is always too much. What shall I do with all of this as we move from summer into winter? I could just invest in a couple of (additional) storage bins, the kind that fit under a bed or on a shelf…”Bigger barns!” I hear my inner voice shouting as I read the lectionary gospel text for today (LK 12:13-21). This time of purging my wardrobe – which I do hope will actually happen today – I will be mindful of all those who have “lost everything” in recent hurricanes, floods and fires. Moreover, I will hear again some of those people who, in the midst of their lament, say that “God is good; all of my family has survived.” It’s then that I hear Marty Haugen singing, “Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be. All that you possess will never set you free. Seek the things that last; come and learn from me. Where your treasure is your heart shall be.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning

Tags

Ancient Songs Sung Anew, awakening, beauty, God's love, honoring, Mary, psalm 96, sing, song of praise, strength, taize, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Psalm 96 greets me this morning, encouraging me to sing, a prodding that will not be difficult to follow as I wake both to memories of yesterday and events of the day to come.

The women I met and interacted with yesterday were so kind, so respectful that I found myself immediately comfortable in their presence and awed by their faith in the power of prayer and the love of Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose intercession with God was a consistent strength in their lives. We had five hours together sharing information and experiences, both serious and lighthearted, and one of the best by-products for me was introducing my own mother to them and feeling her spirit fit in such a wonderful community. And then there was the bonus of driving home along a highway where the trees were brilliantly colored, singing their own song of praise. What a surprise! We are so accustomed to the peak weekend of autumn’s glory being earlier now in October that finding this brilliance just a little north of here was an unexpected delight at this late date. I just had to sing in accompaniment!

Today there will be occasion for our spirits to sing again as we welcome our newest candidate to our religious community for a conversation about what is closest to our hearts. This evening I will join in a prayer service in the style of Taizé with chant and Scripture and shared silence, a fitting conclusion to this Sabbath. What could be better, I ask myself, as I return to the words that prompted this reflection on Psalm 96.

Singing is a form of honoring someone. It is also a form of awakening. In this case both humanity at large and creation as a whole are being brought to wakefulness…Beauty attracts us and God is the ultimate Beauty of the universe. We are invited into that beauty, attracted close and closer, being touched and changed by it. What is there of beauty, reflecting the divine glory, that attracts you? (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 244)