“The human soul is still the image of God and no matter how far it travels away from Him into the regions of unreality it never becomes so completely unreal that our original destiny can cease to torment it with a need to return to itself in God and become once again, real.” [The New Man by Thomas Merton]
 It is all about turkeys
There is an old story told about a staretz (a Russian holy man) who was criticized by his fellow monks for spending too much time with an old widow giving her advice about her turkeys. “You don’t understand”, he said, “her whole life is about those turkeys!”
In this sense, ‘spirituality’ is about our whole life in its depth, meaning, anxiety, triumphs and turkeys. It is probably more helpful for us not to talk about “religious experience”, as if some human experience is more privileged than others, but rather to talk about “the religious dimension of experience”. To talk this way means that we try to say the very most that we possibly can about our life’s experience, including the turkey parts, without being absurd or silly. It is a matter of paying attention, noticing, practicing the presence of God in life.
Worshipping, learning and acting with others are obvious ways of practicing the presence of God. However, we often benefit from solitary, individual action. We may not be natural ‘joiners’. We may prefer or even need to work alone before joining in. Whatever the reason, this part of the web page offers three areas for personal or private reflection and action;
- Spiritual Direction
- Workplace Spirituality
- Scripture Reading.
Spiritual Direction
This is seen to be a process of guidance and formation in which a person is led and encouraged in their special calling in life so that by the graces of the Holy Spirit they may pay attention to the purpose of their life and relationship with God. A Spiritual Director is one who helps another to recognize and follow the inspirations of grace in their life in order to arrive at the end to which God is leading them. “Direction” may sound …well…’too directive’ and so “accompaniment” or “companion” or “soul friend” is often used to describe this relationship.
Typically, spiritual direction involves a lot of talk but can also include times of prayer, silence or reflection on scripture. Sometimes there are “assignments” e.g. view a movie, reflect on scripture, prayer or a particular spiritual practice. This does not have to involve the presentation of an interesting problem for the director to solve! All of life; work, family, faith questions, spiritual practices, relationships and life stages form the material for conversation.
Doug Hodgkinson (The Rev. Canon) received his training through the Jubilee Program at V.S.T. and is available for Direction. Ph. 763-3974.
Spirituality in Work and Everyday Life
“Soul making” is about ALL of who we are. This means who we are at work, in the community, in families and as volunteers. There is a world wide movement of people concerned about the life of the spirit in the workplace (www.spiritualityatwork.org). It is a movement to see Work as a spiritual activity as well as an economic, power, identity or service activity. This page will highlight a number of exercises or reflections for those wishing to make a connection between the life of the spirit and the world of work –connections through meaning making, money, time, emotion, workplace culture, ethics, etc. Here, “work” is interpreted broadly to mean volunteer, political, recreation and community activities. Ideally, these would be matters of conversation between people but they are offered here for your personal reflection and action.
Understanding work as a “sacred mission” requires a certain purposefulness on our part; a certain willingness to open ourselves to the sacred.
Time and Space
It is an old tradition that human beings are intended to be co-creators with God. This notion is startling, even arrogant to some. One of the important perspectives of Progressive Christianity is that we are not simply part of creation but ‘agents of creation’; not just shaped by creation but shapers of creation.
It takes mindfulness, an ability to ‘name and claim’ our specific context in order to notice divine transformation of our context. Two things to be conscious of are Time and Space.
Here are a couple of ways to do that;
Try to remember something of your own personal history:
-were there family sayings or proverbs about Time and Space, eg “the devil finds work for idle hands”?
-did you have a ‘sacred space’ as a child? In your family? In your community?
How are Time and Space treated at work or in your community?:
-what uses of time are most valued? What is taboo?
-do you find your own sense of time shaped by the values of your workplace?
-are there “sacred spaces” at work
-does the allocation of space communicate the values of your workplace?
What values of time and space are communicated by your spiritual tradition?
Are these values supported at work; challenged at work?
Are there ways that you would like to transform the sense of time at work; the sense of time in your spiritual tradition?
Scripture Reading
These are guidelines and suggestions for reading scripture as a personal devotion. These are usually but not always, stories. They are not propositions, pronouncements, doctrines or good thoughts. Rather, they invite your participation as a character in the story.
- Settle down in whatever place is comfortable, but not TOO comfortable.
- Ask God to touch you through this passage. Ask that you will be open to the healing, probing, consolation, whatever God knows that you need at this time.
- Read the passage slowly and carefully several times. Pause about a half minute between readings to allow yourself to notice details. Let questions and insights occur to you as you notice more with each reading.
- Put the Bible aside and give your imagination free rein. Bring the scene to life with yourself as participant. Who are you in this scene? A disciple? A sick person? A bystander? A Pharisee?
- Let the drama slowly unfold. Let yourself feel what happens. Don’t try control the story. Don’t step back by trying to glean a lesson or make an application to your life.
- As your feelings are affected, let yourself respond perhaps by articulating your feelings to Jesus. Say how you have been affected. Ask what the feelings mean. What kind of gift are they? What are you thankful for? What do you want to ask for? Who is God for you just now? How is God inviting you?
- Bring the meditation to a simple conclusion by reciting a prayer, eg. The Lord’s Prayer.
“ Be still and know that I am God ”
Prayer is a need that we have.
Readings for December '07 - January '08
Luke 11:1-13
Jesus teaches the disciples to pray
Matthew 6:5-34
There is no need for many words
Persistence in the New
Luke 18:1-8
Don’t lose heart and give up
Luke 11:5-18
Develop the courage to ask
Last edit 2007 11 24 |
