Light In the Darkness

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Christianity, Cynthia Bourgeault, difficulty, Joko Beck, life, meaning of life, Meg Wheatley, patience, perseverance, spiritual practice, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vow, wisdom, Wisdom School

Last evening we sat, a group of 12 seekers, to begin what is the last in a series of events that have taken place over the last six years in different places in the Northeast United States. We call them “Wisdom Schools.” Drawn first by the work of our teacher Cynthia Bourgeault to delve into the Wisdom Tradition of Christianity, we have joined an ever-growing network of people who choose spiritual practice as a discipline for deepening our living. Explaining how that happens, we admit, is something difficult to do and generally only seen in retrospect. We will spend the next three days “swimming in that sea” and hope to go home ready to meet the challenges of our everyday lives with more determination and willingness because of having been together.

As I sat down and opened my computer this morning, I opened as well Meg Wheatley’s  small but powerful book, Perseverance, and read the following paragraph that gave a hint of what I might be trying to say. It is, at least, all I need for now as I go to prayer.

Human life should be like a vow, dedicated to uncovering the meaning of life. The meaning of life is in fact not complicated, yet it is veiled from us by the way we see our difficulties. It takes the most patient practice to begin to see through that, to discover that the sharp rocks are truly jewels. (Joko Beck, Zen teacher)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Grumpy? No Worries!

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Christianity, grace, listen, poor, saints, spiritual needs, St. Vincent de Paul, temperament, tender, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, touch the heart, willingness

There’s hope for all of us! I was just reading a synopsis of St. Vincent de Paul’s life (1580 – 1660), one of the most well known saints of Christianity for his care for the poor. Vincent, the account says, “had become a priest with little more ambition than to have a comfortable life,” but had been changed by the deathbed confession of a dying servant that “opened his eyes to the crying spiritual needs of the peasantry in France.” There’s lots of evidence of his good works, commonly known, but it was a small paragraph toward the end of the account that gave me pause – and actually made me smile.

Most remarkably, it notes, Vincent was by temperament a very irascible person – even his friends admitted it. He said that except for the grace of God he would have been “hard and repulsive, rough and cross.” But he became a tender and affectionate man, very sensitive to the needs of others. 

What is it that is able to touch the heart – or the will – to soften us in such a way: the plight of others? attention to our own blessings? However it happens, it seems we ought to believe it is possible for all of us to be touched by grace and to decide for God. Perhaps it all might start, as it did for Vincent, with a willingness to listen to someone in need – and maybe the offer of a smile to invite the conversation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter, Paul and Us

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Christianity, energy, saints, St. Paul, St. Peter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vision

We all come to God in our own time and in our own way. Whether we are born into a religious tradition that nurtures our faith in an organic way for the duration of our life or have a moment of recognition brought on by an extraordinary event, our life journey is as unique as our thumbprint and just as special.

Today we celebrate the lives of Saints Peter and Paul, perhaps the two people most responsible for the spread of Christianity. Peter was with Jesus from the beginning of his public life. His commitment to Jesus was total even though his impulsive words and actions often got him into trouble. Paul came later, never having seen Jesus until a shocking vision changed his life forever.

As we contemplate the lives of these two giants of faith let us consider that everything about us is important to the God who created us. Our personality – whether steady or erratic, our natural inclinations and ways of working, our gifts for mathematics or poetry and more…all create an energy in the world that would not be released had we not come to birth.

So let us be grateful for the sainthood in each one of us – hidden for now or manifest – as we celebrate Paul and Peter, the man of means and the fisherman, who joined forces and changed the world. And let us not be self-effacing in the possibility that lies within us to do our part in what is evolving in our own day.

 

 

 

 

 

Imagining God

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Acts of the Apostles, being, Christianity, creation, diversity, divine being, faith, God, humanity, Lord, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today’s lectionary recounting of Paul’s speech to the people of Athens is, for me, the most meaningful text in the Bible book of The Acts of the Apostles. There are many stirring speeches and miraculous deeds in this important record of early Christianity but this inspired oration holds a truth that the world would be wise to consider now. If I were trying to express the deepest truth of a faith worthy of all humanity (to everyone else who professes to believe in a divine being, a “first cause,” not tied to a religion but larger than that, not gender specific, although necessarily personified at times as he, she, or it but also beyond that), I believe I could find no better expression than these words of Paul.

Consider it, read it aloud (replacing the masculine pronoun “he” if it serves you better), and see if you can imagine a world coming together around such a declaration. It might take some letting go of “lesser gods” – or not, if they are compatible with this characterization of a supreme being. It might take some welcome of primitive cultures. We might come to appreciate the diversity of ways to name God, or G-d. Who knows what might happen if we allow ourselves the total freedom to “let go and let God” as we consider the possible unity resulting from consideration of Paul’s inspired text?

The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather, it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. For ‘in him we live and move and have our being.’ (ACTS 17)

 

 

 

 

 

Kenosis

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all-knowing, Christianity, God, Incarnation, Jesus, kenosis, kingdom of God, Paul, Philippians, Redeemer, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I’ve just spent a bit of time reading internet information about the Greek word kenosis. After plowing through much theological language seeking something different – since I know I have written about this before – I decided ( at the risk of repeating myself) just to say a few words about the concept as it appears in Paul’s letter to the Philippians (ch. 2:6-11) and as I have come to appreciate it in my life.

In many religious traditions, including Christianity, God is seen as all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful, as well as abiding in ” the kingdom of heaven” which is viewed as far from us and from our earthly dwelling place. As we progress in holiness of life, we come closer to God and hopefully, in the end, abide in heaven for eternity. Theological and spiritual traditions often refer to these concepts as The Master Story.

With the doctrine of the Incarnation, i.e. Jesus, “who was by nature God, but who did not cling to Godliness, rather taking on human form,” put a new spin on thinking about God and us. Because the one we know as Christ, the Redeemer, entered human existence as “one like us in all things but sin,” the distance between us and God is collapsed and we can know the kingdom of God within us through the teachings and example of Jesus. Just as Jesus “emptied himself” so must we do the same – letting go of self-interest in favor of love for others. In doing so, living every day in love and actions that reflect the life of Christ more and more deeply, we will truly become the image and likeness of God that we were created to be.

This sounds so simple on paper but in reality is the most profound message – for me, at least – that I have found as a goal for life. I am happy to be reminded of it again today and every day in the simple word “kenosis.”

A Bit of Myself

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A Deep Breath of Life, Acts of the Apostles, Alan Cohen, aloud, Christianity, energy, essence, flavor, humility, piece of good, preaching, shining, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unique dimension, whole

When I stumbled into the kitchen this morning for my coffee, everyone was there and all three were wide awake. Someone commented that “the early bird catches the worm” to which another replied, “Ah, yes, but the later one gets the filet mignon!” (Cheery repartee for 6:30AM!)

Back in my room, I felt as if St. Paul would have fit quite well in our kitchen today with his usual high energy. As often in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul was vigorously preaching to anyone who would listen – today in Antioch with a history lesson of the Hebrew people – from Egypt, through judges and kings, all the way to John the Baptist and Jesus. With each lectionary cycle I grow in admiration for Paul whose gifts and willingness certainly rank among the most influential for the spread of Christianity.

Then I need to remind myself that each of us has our piece to add to the good of the whole. At a recent reflection day, I asked the participants to name one of their personal gifts or talents. It took a bit of coaxing for a few but I was gratified that we seem to be owning our unique ways of shining in the world better these days than when some of us were taught that self-deprecation was a synonym for humility.

Alan Cohen has a nice reminder about this point today in his book, A Deep Breath of Life. On a page entitled “A Bit of Myself” he writes the following:

Everything we do has our flavor in it. To do anything without your essence would be as impossible as the sun shining without heat. Your essence is the unique dimension you add to any act you express, from walking your dog to building a skyscraper. It is the special energy that you came to deliver to the world. Just as no two fingerprints are alike, every individual has a uniquely beautiful contribution to offer. 

Why not stop – right now – and dig deep for that special essence, then find a mirror and speak it aloud for all the world to hear!

Holy Week

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Christianity, devotion, Easter, Holy Week, prayer, solemn, spiritual practices, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Well, it seems that best-laid plans only work if the planner follows through. The set of quotes I promised you is sitting in my computer at my sister’s house, ready and willing to be sent to Mary Pat – had I but remembered to send them on their way!

So now we are in Holy Week, the most solemn week of the year in Christianity. I am so aware of diversity these days and edified by the spiritual practices of devoted individuals and groups that my hope is to widen the lens of my own devotion in the days leading to Easter. Won’t you join me in seeking some new thought or prayer at least once this week – as you also rest in the practices that you hold dear?

Holy Innocents

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Aleppo, Barbara Abdeni Massaad, children, Christianity, disease, holy innocents, Soup For Syria, starvation, Syria, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, violence, war

Today in Western Christianity (and tomorrow in the East) we celebrate the feast of The Holy Innocents. Herod the Great, an insecure king of Judea, was fearful of any threat to his throne. When astrologers from the East who had come to pay homage to the “newborn king” Jesus and eluded him upon their departure without giving up his whereabouts to Herod, the king became furious and ordered all boys under the age of two years to be killed. This slaughter puts one in mind of children in war-torn countries today who, though innocent in every way, die each day from violence, starvation or disease.

I have rarely, if ever, been as distressed about the plight of the world’s children as I have been in the past year seeing newsfeed of the children who are attempting to flee tyranny and danger. Especially moving to me are the pictures from Syria, recently and most dramatically, those from Aleppo. I carry the images with me everywhere, lamenting my inability to effect any tiny change to the situation.

Miraculously, I saw on the news some days ago, the story of a woman – a Lebanese American photographer and chef – who has been taking soup to a refugee camp on the Lebanese-Syrian border. Her name is Barbara Abdeni Massaad and over the past year she had created a project called Soup For Syria. Garnering recipes from 80 famous chefs for soups from different cultures, she wrote a 208-page book in less than one year which includes the recipes and wonderful food photography as well as photographs of the refugees. One of the celebrity chefs, Roden, “hopes the book helps to keep the plight of Syrian refugees in peoples’ minds and that it will raise funds to alleviate their awful living conditions until their future is settled.”  (www.theguardian.com)

The wonderful thing about this for me is knowing that the Interlink Publishing Group has pledged that 100% of the proceeds from the book sold in the United States will go to fund the food relief efforts of the United Nations High Command on Refugees for Syria. There is a movement to get people involved in this project, found on the website soupforsyria.com. My hope is to organize a soup supper in my town – maybe many! – where the price of admission is the cost of the book that will be available at the event. I read this morning that the book is temporarily out of stock because of the great demand – which makes me happy and gives me time to get organized. A reprint is underway and new orders will be ready to ship in February, so I need to get busy.

I know that my efforts will not change the face of the refugee crisis in the world. But I will at least add my small piece to the solution, knowing that some of the Holy Innocents in our world will be fed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early Returns

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anger, Christianity, Cynthia Bourgeault, election, hope, Luke, purify, risk taking, stillness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, weep, wisdom, wisdom words

Over the last eleven years I have become part of an ever- expanding community of seekers under the tutelage of Cynthia Bourgeault, author of groundbreaking books and leader of retreats and “schools” offering insights into the deep stream of wisdom that exists as the bedrock of Christianity and, one could add, of all the world’s major faith traditions. This past week there has been a steady stream of e-mail messages among us – mostly brief but meaningful – as a result of the outcome of our national elections. This morning, I re-visited the 29 of those received that I have saved for further pondering. It seems to me that they echo the last line of this morning’s gospel reading which says, By perseverance you will secure your lives. (LK 21:19). Here are just a few of their “wisdom words” for your consideration:

Jane: I am holding hope and stillness along with sadness.

Bob: Business as usual is over. Time to dig deep and find ways to connect our lives more fully with what is broken in the world. Time for risk-taking in our own lives.

Lisa: …time to be still, quiet and receive…time to re-member.

Bill: Today, maybe even for just a short while, we weep. The tears can purify the heart and keep us from acting with too much anger and/or reactivity…

Power in Simplicity

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Augeries of Innocence, celebrate, chants, Christianity, cross, crucifixion, eternity, Good Friday, Great Vigil of Easter, Jesus, resolve, Sacred Scripture, silence, suffering, surrender, taize, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, transformation, William Blake, willingness

I had never read the entirety of William Blake’s poem, Augeries of Innocence, until just now but the first lines, so familiar, came to me as I sat to write about my experience of last evening – the second step on my Triduum journey. I chose to participate in a service that comes from the monks of Taize, an ecumenical community in a tiny village in France. The prayer is steeped in silence, punctuated by repetitive chants and occasional readings from Sacred Scripture or the writings of early Christianity. Having experienced and led many services in the manner of Taize, it was an easy decision for me to make that my formal prayer for Good Friday.

Blake’s poem begins: To see the world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower   Hold infinity in your hand and eternity in an hour. Entering into a darkened church with two Sisters from my community, having greeted the music director at the door, was a fitting beginning to this hour of prayer. When I see Jan, the organist, I am always thrown back to images of him, a seven-year-old boy, practicing at the piano in his home while a group of us rolled meatballs with his Italian mother for a school fundraiser. How has he become such a virtuoso, now a man with his own grown children, in the proverbial “blink of an eye?”

We sing a repeated refrain: All you who pass this way, look at me, while Jan describes in verse the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. The music rises and falls while I alternately close my eyes and open to the images of the large wooden cross at the foot of the sanctuary and the painting of the crucifixion scene over the altar, the only lighted spot in the church. After more emotionally stunning music and a long period of silence, I watch my 82-year old friend of 45 years pull herself up out of her seat next to me to join the procession of people on their way to kiss or touch the cross. Seeing it as holy, they bend in gratitude for the willingness of Jesus to take on the sins of the world. Watching my friend struggle up the aisle, I see that same willingness. After falling three times over the past year, sustaining permanent injury to her back, she is now a witness to the power of her resolve not to give up on life. I weep for the loss of her younger self, all the while knowing that now is her inner reward.

All of the elements of this service come together in reflection on the power of what is happening to Jesus as we sing the hymn that recognizes the transformation that is afoot. O Christe Domine Jesu, O Christe Domine Jesu…we chant. My eyes travel up to the archway above the crucifixion scene where the Christ is seated in the glory of heaven, having passed through death to resurrection. “He was known to be of human estate,” Paul writes, “and it was thus that he humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross. Because of this, God highly exalted him…”  As that quotation flashed into my mind, I knew something that I had never seen as clearly, something I can only describe as the efficacy and transforming power of willingness to surrender everything for the life of the world. And in that moment, that surrender, the Jesus of history – the suffering servant – was also the Christ of my faith. Time was erased. Jan was both that young boy struggling with his musical scales and this accomplished musician, playing for God. Florence was both the dynamic high school biology teacher loved by her students and the struggling octogenarian determined to live as fully as possible in praise of God’s goodness to her.

Today is the waiting day, a day to hold the eternity of last night in my hand, reflecting on how willing I am to be transformed in response to what I now know, so that when I go tonight to re-enact the Great Vigil of Easter, I will truly be able to celebrate – with all my companion travelers – the joy and mystery of resurrection.