Perseverance

Tags

Amalek, Hebrews, Joshua, judgment, Moses, patience, Paul, perseverance, prayer, psalm 121, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy

The lectionary readings for this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time seem like a chain whose links build a good argument for “stick-to-itiveness” (Can that really be a word?!)

First we have Moses and the Israelites in a battle with Amalek which seems rather outrageous. Moses is up at the top of a hill watching the battle led by Joshua. His staff in hand, Moses watches and directs the fight. (Here’s the part that seems rather strange.) “As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight but when he grew tired Amalek got the advantage.” Happily, Moses had a rock to sit on when his legs got tired and two men to hold up his arms when his arms were giving out, so Israel won the fight. (Perseverance with a little help: yes?)

Next we have Psalm 121 (1-8) with all kinds of encouragement about how “our help is from the Lord,” followed by Paul’s challenge to Timothy (TM 4: 1-2) to “be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient,” advising him specifically to “convince, reprimand and encourage through all patience and teaching.” (That last part — patience and teaching — seems to me the most likely to be effective.)

Finally we have the story of the unjust judge who rendered a decision in favor of the woman whose presence and bothering would not let him rest. His reasoning is weak but the point of the woman’s perseverance is made and drives home the point of all the elements in the chain. Moreover, it seems to me that it all can be summed up by the verse before the gospel that assures us: “The word of God is living and active, discerning reflections and thoughts of the heart.” (HEB 4:12)

Choice

Tags

acceptance, choice, interpretation, judgment, Meg Wheatley, perseverance, react, respond, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Life sometimes seems to be offering us little choice. When we’re young we have to go to school, we eat what our parents put before us, we do what we’re told, etc. When older, sometimes it feels the same when our patterns are established and we go to work, we spend our money on necessities (or not) and sometimes life seems to winnow the list of choices we have to fit into how much time we have in our busy schedules (but who makes the schedule?).

I am considering the topic of choice today not because I feel constrained by the number of hours in the day (although as I get older that sometimes rankles) but because of Margaret Wheatley’s book, Perseverance, that I chose for my morning reflection. Here’s a little of what she said – which you might choose to consider as I did, whether you are making judgments about time constraints, other people or anything in your life.

We need first to notice that we’ve made choices about everything in our lives. How we react and respond, every single feeling, is a choice. Every situation has infinite possibilities for interpretation and reaction. But we collapse all those possibilities the second we assign a feeling or judgment to the situation. (Page 103)

So, really, it’s more about how we feel about our choices and/or how we judge them that makes the difference in our acceptance of them. I will be spending some time with this thought today. Will you?

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Zero

Tags

equilibrium, judgment, seeing, stasis, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, zero

The temperature on my phone’s weather app reads zero degrees (F) – a large oval sphere with a small circle outside its upper right corner. The sun outside is puzzlingly brilliant until I notice the telltale sparkling of ice on the upper branches of the trees. Only the most intrepid and well-dressed adventurers would welcome a hike on a morning like this. “But it is so beautiful,” my inner voice says. I know that to be true, but know as well the dangers of too much cold. Wise people need to be prepared on days like this.

As I look at the zero, I begin to muse about more meanings of the word. Is there no weather advice in a zero? Does it mean there is no warmth and no cold but rather stasis? (i.e. the state of equilibrium or inactivity caused by opposing equal forces) It does seem very quiet outside – no cars, no voices, no movement of the trees – just…zero. I am also in a period of semi-stasis. Nothing is moving as I sit in this chair except my fingers as they move across the keyboard of my computer. Everything in my bedroom is at a point of zero when considered in this way. Nothing moves. I know, however that as my prayer plant sits in a stance of reaching out toward me and appears frozen in that position, there is consistent growth going on under the surface. And I know the same to be true in the stillness of my body as I feel breath moving in and out of me.

Thus I begin to shift the lens to see zero more as equality rather than nothingness. I am no more or no less – on the inside – than anyone else I might encounter. Warm and cold might be seen as relative terms from the perspective of an Inuit and a resident of Southern California. Perhaps we ought to think more of moving toward zero in all of our judgments, especially about people. Hmmm…

Once More With Feeling

Tags

Brother Curtis Almquist, humility, identification, judgment, love, love is the answer, perception, reject, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I feel as if I’m getting boring in this daily task, as everything seems to move toward the same message, no matter where I am or what the day portends. It’s as if everything is conspiring to have me see that in everything every day love is truly the answer. No matter how it is expressed, underneath every message is that truth. I found it this morning in a message from a website that shows up in my mail every day. On this day, when I will be in a day-long meeting with about a hundred Sisters of St. Joseph, I am happy to have it with me, just in case…

Humility: The discovery of the grace of humility is a movement toward a spirit of identification. It’s to presume, in some deep way, “I am this other person.” And rather than to use our judgment to reject or condemn, to use that perception of this other as an insightful invitation for mercy. Someone who has a way of getting under our skin in some significant way probably belongs there. (Brother Curtis Almquist)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solidarity

Tags

caravan, christians, community, conscious work, consciousness, Jewish Community Center, Jews, judgment, Muslims, pray, refugees, solidarity, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vigil, Wisdom Schools

I had two experiences yesterday that, upon reflection, help me to understand more deeply what it means to “walk in the shoes of another” – at least in some small way.

1. I took our house car to the local garage in the afternoon to have new tires installed. The mechanic told me that the process would take about an hour. As we needed a couple of items from the grocery store that I judged to be about a mile away, I decided to walk there in the interim. I had already thought about going for a walk while the process was completed but had estimated about half the time – and half the distance to the grocery store. It had been raining off and on but my windbreaker with a hood gave me sufficient protection and I had donned my best walking shoes in preparation. The road is a “country highway” – two-lanes, no sidewalks but with sufficient “shoulders” to keep me out of the way of the speeding cars and occasional trucks. The only issue (in addition to the minor splash of passing cars on a wet road) was the condition of those shoulders: broken pavement and in some places muddy patches of grass. The walk was, to coin a phrase, more than I had bargained for. I haven’t been walking much during the past year and my estimate of the distance was about a half a mile short, but soon after I began I decided to make this an exercise of what our Wisdom Schools call conscious work, uniting myself with the “caravan” of refugees walking through the countries of Central America. By doing that, the trek was not easier but my determination got me there and back in a way that was deeply meaningful. I considered the feet of those people and the terrain they tread each day. When carrying the rather small bundle of food on my return trip, I thought of parents carrying their children and all the possessions they could pack on their backs. When it began to rain again, I prayed for their safety and health and recognized how very privileged a life I lead. It took me just over an hour, including the stop at the store, until I wrote a check for the tires (knowing we had the money in the bank), slid into the car (knowing there was gas to power it) and drove home in warmth and ease in five minutes.

2. I felt drawn to the prayer vigil in our town last evening at the Jewish Community Center for the people of Pittsburgh. I knew it would be crowded but the gathering space is large and the parking lots quite expansive. When I arrived, it was already past sunset and in the gathering darkness I saw people streaming from every direction toward the venue. The parking lots were already full so I backtracked to the Catholic church a block away, grateful that their back lot still had a place for me – although far back from the road. As I joined the steady stream of walkers, I felt like we were going toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem or some such holy place to beg for solace as the weight of all the hatred and senseless violence overtook me. I was one with the throng of pilgrims going to prayer in sorrow but solidarity. There must have been over 500 people there as all the seats were taken and there were as many of us standing close together in every nook and cranny of the building as there were sitting. For our rather small community, that was amazing. We were Jews and Christians, Muslims and most likely others who might call themselves “Nones” – professing no religion but standing in solidarity because there seemed no other place to be last night that would satisfy. The messages were of love, not hate, of community and willingness, of unity as a way to move through sadness and shock. I recognized very few of the people there but walking back to my car in the darkness, I felt the strength of communion and it was enough.

I am different because of these events of yesterday. There is a deeper, visceral consciousness in me of how everything is connected in this world. It is no longer as theoretical a concept as it was yesterday morning and if I continue to hold the world in this deeper way, I trust that it will continue to grow. It is as if what has just happened as I look out and up to see blue sky and a large white cloud over the mountain announcing sunrise is happening not just outside but within me as well. I now (I hope) will walk with the refugees and will add my voice to those who choose them as brothers and sisters. I will pray for my Jewish sisters and brothers and speak for gun control whenever an opportunity arises. More than anything I will try to love well and leave judgments out of my conversation, and I will pray for peace, the peace that only love can give.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Judge Not…

Tags

accepting, judgment, love, personality quirks, presence, recognized, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Living at a retreat center where different groups come virtually every weekend from May to October can be a real learning experience in many ways. Some of the people have been coming for years in the same manner as people who go on vacation to the same place during the same week(s) each year and look forward to reconnecting with others who become friends for a lifetime. We get used to each other and look forward to one another from year to year, regardless of those “little personality quirks” that may have rankled at first.

This weekend is somewhat different as most of the people are new to us or have only been here once before. It’s interesting for me to have to work to remember each person’s name. It was easier when I was teaching school many years ago when I had more brain space and my memory was sharper. I was always determined to learn every student’s name in the first few days and prided myself on that ability. Just as God, we are told, knows and calls us each by name, it is always a good thing to be recognized in that way by other people. Now I’m afraid I’ll have to check the list in the kitchen again this morning before I go to serve breakfast…and there are only a dozen people here! But I digress…

My point in opening this topic this morning is how quickly we can jump to judgment by the smallest thing. This person, Anna, looks very Irish and hails from the Boston area. Right away, I am drawn to her. Jim is loud and talks a lot – not so easy for me to like him. Then there are the vegetarians whose needs are more difficult to meet. Couldn’t they just bring some of their own food to supplement what we provide?? (Just an example…we always have vegetarian options.) It’s fascinating to me to watch what kinds of personalities and physical traits are pleasing to me and even how things like regional accents can rankle. I suspect that if these people keep coming for some years, I will come to look forward to their presence with us just as I have come to welcome so many others over the years.

In order not to waste time, maybe I should just start loving and accepting them right away. What a novel idea!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Conversation

Tags

closer, conversation, curious, differences, different, good listening, judgment, listen, listening, Meg Wheatley, messages, relationship, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Turning To One Another

I’m up early to greet the day with Meg Wheatley’s book, turning to one another. (Yes, the title is written in all lower case letters – most likely to emphasize the desire to have a conversation of equality.) I haven’t visited this treasure for a long time but have been trying to live with its messages nonetheless. It all seems so timely now when, day by day, so much in the world seems so fractured. I don’t know why it called to me as I turned to set my coffee on my side table. Perhaps it’s the appearance of the book itself, skinny but tall and dressed in a coat of red and yellow on its spine. Here are the two paragraphs that wouldn’t let me go this morning.

I hope you’ll begin a conversation, listening for what’s new. Listen as best you can for what’s different, for what surprises you. See if this practice helps you learn something new. Notice whether you develop a better relationship with the person you’re talking with. If you try this with several people, you might find yourself laughing in delight as you realize how many unique ways there are to be human.

We have the opportunity many times a day, everyday, to be the one who listens to others, curious rather than certain. But the greatest benefit of all is that listening moves us closer. When we listen with less judgment, we always develop better relationship with each other. It’s not differences that divide us. It’s our judgments about each other that do. Curiosity and good listening bring us back together. (p.36)

 

 

 

 

 

The Heart of It All

Tags

Antoine de St. Exupery, consciousness, heart, invisible, judgment, Little Prince, love, mind, one, sacred heart of Jesus, see, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

How fitting for those gathered in this tiny town in Maine that we should be celebrating today the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. As we endeavor to move in prayer and practice from a stance of oneness, we are frequently reminded to “put the mind in the heart” and act from there. No judgment, no self-identification, just the love that flows out of a consciousness that we are all one. While not an easy goal, it is the simplest of practices – just breathing into the sense that the heart is central to our living and its steady beating is our lifeline to love.

For me, the Little Prince said it best. “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” (Antoine de St. Exupery)

 

 

 

 

 

A New Era

Tags

chaplain, diversity, extravagance, joy, judgment, love, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, radiant, royal wedding, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unforgettable, warmth

I had no intention of watching the royal wedding this morning of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, primarily because television coverage began at 5:00 a.m. and secondarily because I was miffed at the extravagance of any dress, regardless of importance, that cost over $130,000. In addition, I was due at the start of a workshop day in our conference hall (across the yard from our house) before 9:00 and I was moving rather slowly, somewhat achy on this very rainy morning at 6:00. I was stopped in my attempt to manage a blog post, however, when I turned on my computer and found the ABC news team reporting the impending arrival of the bride. Seeing the huge, enthusiastic crowds lining the road, cheering, it was no contest; I was hooked.

Sometime later I read a line from the Washington Post that helped me to recognize the pettiness of my earlier reasoning. One of the authors, William Booth or Karla Adam, wrote mid-way through an excellent summary of the event: “Meghan Markle’s Givenchy wedding gown was beautiful. But the woman wearing it was unforgettable.” I couldn’t agree more. What the radiant bride and her equally unforgettable new husband achieved by the ceremony they brought to millions of people worldwide was truly momentous.

While stately and in many ways traditional, the ritual was punctuated with touches never before experienced in a British royal wedding. First, there was Meghan herself: an American actress, bi-racial and divorced, who passed muster to gain the permission of Queen Elizabeth to marry the beloved Harry. As a result, there were several American celebrities – many African American – and music selections that included modern American tunes as well as traditional High Church choir offerings. Two declamatory pieces stood out to me: the offering of petitionary prayers by the Queen’s own chaplain (an African American woman!) and the energetic – one might say “fiery” – sermon by the American Episcopal Presiding Bishop, delivered in the style of an old-fashioned Southern preacher. I smiled when he was at the peak of his bombastic point about the essence of love as the camera panned the crowd of proper Englishmen and women who were perhaps more than a bit challenged by this first African-American leader of the Episcopal Church in the United States.

In spite of all that, I had a feeling of quiet warmth and deep joy that seemed to permeate the event. Although a monumental celebration for the British people, it was surprisingly simple in many ways. It was only the children that processed in with the bride, joined at the halfway point by Prince Charles as escort and welcoming symbol of the royal family. There was no embellishment of the wedding ceremony itself, just the traditional vows, spoken meaningfully as always. And when the final blessing was given, no grand recessional ensued. The couple left by the side door with the bishops and Prince William. Only the congregation remained – silently – as a lovely cello solo gave pause for gratitude.

I am grateful as well to have had the opportunity for a lesson in what is important to recognize about judgments. The country of Great Britain has been changed by today’s event and so was I. I could easily have missed the opportunity to experience this wonderful example of unity in diversity founded in and fueled by love. And in addition I must admit that the dress and its 16-foot train was exquisite.

May God bless Meghan and Harry with a long and meaningful life together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the Time

Tags

centering prayer, constantly, Divine Presence, judgment, meditation, morning, Psalm 105, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Synonyms for constantly: continuously, persistently, always, again and again, frequently, repeatedly, over and over…(You get the picture, yes?)

The first verse of today’s lectionary psalm calls to us: Look to the Lord in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. (PS 105:4) That adverb strikes a chord in me immediately. I think of the days I am very busy or late leaving for work in the morning and find myself grumpy or less effective during the day and wondering why. Then I realize that I did not take the time for my 20 minutes of centering prayer, an essential part of my morning routine. No kidding! It really makes a difference. It’s like taking vitamins or doing physical exercise.

Centering prayer is probably the simplest (although not always easy) meditation practice of all. It just requires the practitioner to sit down, make an intention to be in the Divine Presence and let go of thoughts. As the practice has deepened in me over the last eleven years, I have come to recognize the ability to let go of the habit of judgment – of myself, of other people and of situations or circumstances that used to bother me. Why would I not consent to God’s action in this brief pause each day? Good question as I prepare to sit and set my timer…