In doing research for a work in progress on aging, I discovered an interesting article on PBS.org entitled "Faith, Spirituality & Aging" - An Interview with Rev. Jennifer L. Brower. She is quoted as saying,
Some theological thinkers believe that God, called by so many different names, is found or created in the connection formed between two people who are engaged in the mutual enterprise of sharing from their deepest self and being open to the other person's deepest self -- what Martin Buber called an "I-Thou" relationship, or what is referred to in the term namaste, meaning "I bow to the divine within you." There, in that space, the holy is brought to life, and through that experience both people will be transformed.
In Unitarian Universalism, we believe that the holy is continually being revealed; that "revelation is not sealed." So until our very end, and maybe after, there is always the possibility of discerning something new about the transcendent and our connection to the Most High.
* * *
I found this to be a good reminder that when I am being congruent and conversing in an authentic manner with another, I am on "holy ground." And a good reason why my patchwork quilt spirituality will always be a work in progress.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
SERENDIPITY
I found an interesting quote while perusing the current edition of Entertainment magazine this morning (FEB. 15/22, 2019 - p.77.) The article stated that the director of the movie Serendipity, Peter Chelson, during deliberations about the movie, picked up Julia Cameron's book Blessings and randomly opened it to page 61:
"Rather than insist on being the sole author of my life," it read, "I invite the collaborative forces of the universe. Synchronicity, coincidence, reinforcement, and serendipity."
The article noted that the quote persuaded him to make the movie.
And the article makes me wonder if these collaborative forces of the universe are not another way of describing G-D or the Creative Life Force (the term I like to use.)
"Rather than insist on being the sole author of my life," it read, "I invite the collaborative forces of the universe. Synchronicity, coincidence, reinforcement, and serendipity."
The article noted that the quote persuaded him to make the movie.
And the article makes me wonder if these collaborative forces of the universe are not another way of describing G-D or the Creative Life Force (the term I like to use.)
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
JEWISH VOICES TO CONSIDER AMONG THE PATCHWORK
Elie Wiesel writes in NIGHT that he found Moishe the Beadle, a master to help him with his study of
Kabbalah:
"He explained to me, with great emphasis, that every question possessed a power that was lost in the answer...
Man comes closer to God through the questions he asks Him, he liked to say. Therein lies true dialogue. Man asks and God replies. But we don't understand His replies. We cannot understand them. Because they dwell in the depths of our souls and remain there until we die. The real answers, Eliezer, you will find only with in yourself.
One evening...After a long silence, he said, There are a thousand and one gates allowing entry into the orchard of mystical truth. Every human being has his own gate. He must not err and wish to enter the orchard through a gate other than his own."
[ NIGHT - translated by Marion Wiesel (c) 2006,Hill and Wang, p. 5]
The great scholar, Harold Bloom, shared his thoughts on belief in God in an interview printed in the October 2018 edition (p. 85) of ESQUIRE:
"My wife, Jeanne, is an admirable and honest atheist. I'm not an atheist. My attitude toward Yahweh is that I don't like him and I don't trust him and I wish he would go away. But I know he won't, because he's built into the language, as Nietzsche said. He's part of the way we think. As soon as you use a verb involving being, you're in trouble. When he identifies himself to Moses, he says, 'ehyeh asher ehyeh,' punning on his own name of Yahweh. It means something close to 'I will be what I will be.' Which in effect means 'I will be present whenever and wherever I choose to be present,' which has the horrible corollary 'And I will be absent wherever and whenever I choose to be absent.' And he--or whatever it is, she--has certainly been absent for a long time."
Kabbalah:
"He explained to me, with great emphasis, that every question possessed a power that was lost in the answer...
Man comes closer to God through the questions he asks Him, he liked to say. Therein lies true dialogue. Man asks and God replies. But we don't understand His replies. We cannot understand them. Because they dwell in the depths of our souls and remain there until we die. The real answers, Eliezer, you will find only with in yourself.
One evening...After a long silence, he said, There are a thousand and one gates allowing entry into the orchard of mystical truth. Every human being has his own gate. He must not err and wish to enter the orchard through a gate other than his own."
[ NIGHT - translated by Marion Wiesel (c) 2006,Hill and Wang, p. 5]
The great scholar, Harold Bloom, shared his thoughts on belief in God in an interview printed in the October 2018 edition (p. 85) of ESQUIRE:
"My wife, Jeanne, is an admirable and honest atheist. I'm not an atheist. My attitude toward Yahweh is that I don't like him and I don't trust him and I wish he would go away. But I know he won't, because he's built into the language, as Nietzsche said. He's part of the way we think. As soon as you use a verb involving being, you're in trouble. When he identifies himself to Moses, he says, 'ehyeh asher ehyeh,' punning on his own name of Yahweh. It means something close to 'I will be what I will be.' Which in effect means 'I will be present whenever and wherever I choose to be present,' which has the horrible corollary 'And I will be absent wherever and whenever I choose to be absent.' And he--or whatever it is, she--has certainly been absent for a long time."
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW YEAR
Back when I was pastor of First Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, I posted the following on the front page of our newsletter, ( THE LINK, (No. 49, #1, dated January 7, 1993) written by Adolfo Quesada. I came across it again yesterday in a file of favorites, and it struck me anew:
Seek the treasure of your heart.
Seek God.
Seek God's face in every person you encounter.
Seek to understand God's complexity in the simplicity of a leaf.
Seek to embrace God's immenseness in the smallness of a hummingbird.
Seek God's joy in the sparkling eyes and spontaneous smile of a child.
Seek God's immeasurable love in the gentle touch of a caring friend.
Seek the presence of the loving Spirit.
Seek this in prayer.
And may we all pray and work for peace.
SHALOM!
Seek the treasure of your heart.
Seek God.
Seek God's face in every person you encounter.
Seek to understand God's complexity in the simplicity of a leaf.
Seek to embrace God's immenseness in the smallness of a hummingbird.
Seek God's joy in the sparkling eyes and spontaneous smile of a child.
Seek God's immeasurable love in the gentle touch of a caring friend.
Seek the presence of the loving Spirit.
Seek this in prayer.
And may we all pray and work for peace.
SHALOM!
Monday, December 31, 2018
GOODBYE 2018!
I just realized that 2018 is coming to an end with my blog empty of any new entries for the year.
It strikes me symbolic of the year that I have had.
My family has kept the "healthcare industry" in business--no need for details--and keeping up with all the appointments, etc., has been a weary journey.
My year has been one of emptying and letting go...some of it intentional; much imposed by life.
Perhaps the fact that I just traded in our 2009 Chrysler van last week has brought the reality of letting go home. The fact that one has been attached to a physical object does not seem very "spiritual" but letting go of the familiar is not easy, as we are "hard-wired" to resist change.
The worship leader at church yesterday suggested we turn the light on in our soul room before he read the scripture. Our pastor later took a "time-out" to write that phrase down as he said he had not heard it before (nor had I.) As I contemplated that phrase later in the day, I realized that there have been days this past year when I've had difficulty finding my soul room, and others when I could not find the switch to turn the light on.
At other times, I've been aware of the need to "re-boot" my faith--as I've tried to identify childhood and superstitious beliefs from my fundamentalist childhood...and let them go. Duke Divinity School professor Kate Bowler's book "EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON and Other Lies I've Loved" points to the struggle in this process.
Our pastor's sermon yesterday was entitled: "Searching for Jesus."
Since then, I've come to recall what my congregation at First Baptist in Lynchburg called the "Jesus window" -- a stained glass reproduction of Holman Hunt's painting "The Light of the World." that towered behind and above the chancel, with Jesus holding a lantern and knocking at the door ( Rev. 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in and sup...") I used to tease that no matter how sorry a sermon I might have delivered that morning, that window "preached" the gospel message loud and clear!
Despite all my questions and uncertainty about what I actually believe, my patchworkquilt spirituality has that picture at its center, as I do believe that the divine never tires in her search for each of us.
It strikes me symbolic of the year that I have had.
My family has kept the "healthcare industry" in business--no need for details--and keeping up with all the appointments, etc., has been a weary journey.
My year has been one of emptying and letting go...some of it intentional; much imposed by life.
Perhaps the fact that I just traded in our 2009 Chrysler van last week has brought the reality of letting go home. The fact that one has been attached to a physical object does not seem very "spiritual" but letting go of the familiar is not easy, as we are "hard-wired" to resist change.
The worship leader at church yesterday suggested we turn the light on in our soul room before he read the scripture. Our pastor later took a "time-out" to write that phrase down as he said he had not heard it before (nor had I.) As I contemplated that phrase later in the day, I realized that there have been days this past year when I've had difficulty finding my soul room, and others when I could not find the switch to turn the light on.
At other times, I've been aware of the need to "re-boot" my faith--as I've tried to identify childhood and superstitious beliefs from my fundamentalist childhood...and let them go. Duke Divinity School professor Kate Bowler's book "EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON and Other Lies I've Loved" points to the struggle in this process.
Our pastor's sermon yesterday was entitled: "Searching for Jesus."
Since then, I've come to recall what my congregation at First Baptist in Lynchburg called the "Jesus window" -- a stained glass reproduction of Holman Hunt's painting "The Light of the World." that towered behind and above the chancel, with Jesus holding a lantern and knocking at the door ( Rev. 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in and sup...") I used to tease that no matter how sorry a sermon I might have delivered that morning, that window "preached" the gospel message loud and clear!
Despite all my questions and uncertainty about what I actually believe, my patchworkquilt spirituality has that picture at its center, as I do believe that the divine never tires in her search for each of us.
Friday, August 25, 2017
A recent conversation with a friend reminded me that not everyone sees much difference between religion and spirituality. And though I feel passionate about the difference, it's not that easy to explain.
The current issue of Spirituality and Health [july/august 2017] has some quotes which show the complexity:
Author Dan Millman (Way of the Peaceful Warrior) is quoted as saying: "The word spiritual refers to the transcendent--that which inspires, uplifts, even liberates us: in the simplest terms, life's Big Picture. In my view, we're all on a spiritual quest, seeking to understand our larger purpose here, even as we address the duties of daily life.
Rabbi Rani Shapiro, in his regular Q&A column (Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler)
responded to the question, What's so healthy about spirituality?
Spirituality is about opening yourself up to love, compassion, hope, justice, and possibility.
It's about daring to see what is without the distortion of belief and creed. Spirituality is living without a net, and being surrendered to the awesome and the awful with tranquility. Living spiritually is living a life beneficial to the thriving of self and other, and that is the healthiest thing any of us can do.
The current issue of Spirituality and Health [july/august 2017] has some quotes which show the complexity:
Author Dan Millman (Way of the Peaceful Warrior) is quoted as saying: "The word spiritual refers to the transcendent--that which inspires, uplifts, even liberates us: in the simplest terms, life's Big Picture. In my view, we're all on a spiritual quest, seeking to understand our larger purpose here, even as we address the duties of daily life.
Rabbi Rani Shapiro, in his regular Q&A column (Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler)
responded to the question, What's so healthy about spirituality?
Spirituality is about opening yourself up to love, compassion, hope, justice, and possibility.
It's about daring to see what is without the distortion of belief and creed. Spirituality is living without a net, and being surrendered to the awesome and the awful with tranquility. Living spiritually is living a life beneficial to the thriving of self and other, and that is the healthiest thing any of us can do.
LIVE EACH DAY AS IF ITS YOUR LAST?
We had a young friend over for lunch today. It's always a delight to be with him, as he has such a great sense of humor and positive outlook on life. He's also a physical trainer and works out at the gym all the time--so he is very high energy.
As we were talking about his great attitude about life, he remarked that he lived his life each day as if it were his last. When he said that, it struck me that I see him just the opposite, so I told him that I see him as if he were living each day as if it were his first!
When I said that, his eyes lit up with recognition, and he said that I was right: He lives each day as if it were the first day of his life -- not the last.
As that fact hit home, I told him that I was reminded of what I believe the Buddhist tradition calls the "Don't Know Mind." I explained that when we approach any experience with too much familiarity, we are not paying attention (not mindful) and are closed to the unique reality of the present moment.
And so it was that I heard the truth of the word of Jesus to Nicodemus afresh: "You must be born again!" That is, if you would live more fully and abundantly:
LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR FIRST!
As we were talking about his great attitude about life, he remarked that he lived his life each day as if it were his last. When he said that, it struck me that I see him just the opposite, so I told him that I see him as if he were living each day as if it were his first!
When I said that, his eyes lit up with recognition, and he said that I was right: He lives each day as if it were the first day of his life -- not the last.
As that fact hit home, I told him that I was reminded of what I believe the Buddhist tradition calls the "Don't Know Mind." I explained that when we approach any experience with too much familiarity, we are not paying attention (not mindful) and are closed to the unique reality of the present moment.
And so it was that I heard the truth of the word of Jesus to Nicodemus afresh: "You must be born again!" That is, if you would live more fully and abundantly:
LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR FIRST!
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