A Full Life

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activity, contemplation, Dominicans, mission, Order of Preachers, prayer, retreats, st. dominic, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today Christians celebrate the feast of St. Dominic and all those who follow the Dominican way of life. The Dominicans are called the “Order of Preachers” and are known for their ministry of opening the Scriptures to the faithful in retreats and parish “missions.” This practice, begun by Dominic and three others, became the work of a formal religious community in 1215. Their ideal was to link life with God in both contemplation and action, that is, in prayer and all the activities of life. The website http://www.franciscanmedia.org says it this way:

The effective combining of contemplation and activity is the vocation of truck driver Smith as well as theologian Aquinas. Acquired contemplation is the tranquil abiding in the presence of God and is an integral part of any full human life. It must be the wellspring of all Christian activity.

How many of us see the totality of our daily activity as integrated in or springing from our prayer? If we consciously lived in this mindset each and every day, would our prayer change or increase?. And how would we perceive our everyday duties, our work and play? Would there be a new lightness in our days? Would it all be seen as one: prayer and work, prayer and play, prayer as relationship…How would that change the world?

Cycles

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activity, centering prayer, cyclic life, dancer, divine dance, eternal, flow, hearts, list, Lord, mind, Quaker, schedule, taize, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, waltz, work week

Today is Monday, the traditional beginning of the work week for most people. For me it is always a time to “gear up” and make a list (or add to my already long one) of the things I hope to accomplish in the week ahead. Then there is the “long term list” of events that will be taking place in this season of spring into summer…As I began that litany in my mind, I realized again how cyclic life is for me and how much better I respond to it if I hold the schedule lightly so it flows like a dance rather than a race. Let me explain.

My work as the program director for the Sophia Center has a few on-going offerings: centering prayer every two weeks on Wednesdays, Taizé on the fourth Sunday of the month (but not next Sunday because of Memorial Day which is the unofficial beginning of summer), etc. Then there are the individual events or series which we have found to be less successful in the summer if just judged by the numbers, when life slows down a little and vacations punctuate the weeks.

At the same time that we are slowing to a waltz at Sophia, the rhythm at the Spiritual Center where I live is picking up as the temperature rises. Only open from May to October, the Center is blooming with the flowers and activity here goes forward like a well-oiled machine: spring cleaning, mowing the lawn, planning menus and shopping…all in preparation to welcome friends new and old who come to renew their commitment to spiritual practice or, occasionally, just to relax.

I am grateful for this alternation of levels of activity as it allows me to focus on the most important work of all: attention to the people who enter the dance at any point in the on-going music of my life. Yesterday as I was working in the kitchen for the first of my “on-duty” weekends serving workshop participants at home, one of the Quaker melodies from last week ran through my mind consistently – a perfect reminder to be open to any encounter. Ye have no time but the present time (3X), therefore prize your time, for your soul’s sake, I sang. This morning it was another tune that carried me to coffee. Mind that which is eternal, which gathers your hearts together up to the Lord, and lets you see that ye are written in one another’s hearts.

Presence to the moment while also conscious of the flow of eternal time is a rare achievement in this world of ours but as our world turns and we allow the turning, we begin to notice the patterns. It is then that gratitude enters, for the opportunity to partner with the Divine Dancer who leads us so seamlessly that we cannot get lost.

The Quiet Season

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activity, balance, breathe, content, daily living, find peace, forget concerns, God of the seasons, pray, rest, sacred space, set yourself free, silence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

We inhabitants of the Northeast United States spent November and December in a mixture of gratitude for warm days and apprehension for a time when the winter would appear with a vengeance. Global warning had seemed to favor us with record high temperatures while predicting a serious plummeting to follow. Well, now it’s January and the other side of the coin has shown itself. The lovely “valley of opportunity” where I live has been spared the 21 inches of snow that fell just 80 miles to our north but frigid temperatures and high winds have forced caution in travel and consideration of cancellation of events. In the frustration of the uncertainty resulting from the weather’s control of my schedule, I am reminded of Thomas Merton’s advice for daily living – perfect as I face the second half of this week.

There should be at least a room, or some corner where no one will find you and disturb you or notice you. You should be able to untether yourself from the world and set yourself free, loosing all the fine strings and strands of tension that bind you, by sight, by sound, by thought, to the presence of other men. “But thou, when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret…” Once you have found such a place, be content with it and do not be disturbed if a good reason takes you out of it. Love it, and return to it as soon as you can, and do not be quick to change it for another…Let there be a place somewhere in which you can breathe naturally, quietly, and not have to take your breath in continuous short gasps. A place where your mind can be idle, and forget its concerns, descend into silence, and worship the Father in secret.

When I am too busy to remember the necessary balance of activity and rest, I bless the “God of the seasons” for an opportunity to surrender and find peace in the gift of winter time.

 

Lazy Days Redux

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activity, balance, disciple, discipline, disciplined life, generous heart, laziness, Luke, motivation, shakespeare, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, to thine own self be true

After yesterday’s post there were comments and conversations that attested to the truth of what had been said about the inner enemy of laziness. Much of what was shared centered around the importance of balance. It would be easy for those of us who are students of a disciplined life to cross the line into rigidity in our actions (like forcing myself to get out of bed – no matter my body’s warnings – because it is the rule). What we need to remember is that discipline has the same root as disciple and that the purpose lies in the heart, not the head. I was reminded of this as I read the gospel acclamation for this morning: Blessed are those who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance. (LK 8:15) Knowing ourselves and our patterns of inner and outer activity and motivation will keep us on the path in a relaxed and ordered way which cannot help but ripple out to good effect on the community. Shakespeare offers what I think is a helpful summary of our musings as Polonius bids farewell to his son Laertes (Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3).

This above all: to thine own self be true. and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!