'Spirit' at The Oasis

Spirituality in secular music

2012-01-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

http://www2.elca.org/youth/helpsheets/secmusic.html#using
http://www.poptheology.com/2007/03/spirituality-in-popular-music/

Epiphany

2012-01-10T04:12:00.000-08:00

Info on traditional observance of Epiphany:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_%28holiday%29
http://www.crivoice.org/cyepiph.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05504c.htm
http://www.textweek.com/epiphany.htm

Traditional: an appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity.

Rethink: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
How is the Sacred manifested is your life?

Lover and Beloved

2011-11-02T17:21:00.001-07:00

The Lover and teh Beloved: A Way of Franciscan Prayer by John Michael Talbot.
The Poems of St. John of the Cross, trans. by Willis Barnstone.
Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich.

Search http://en.wikipedia.org for John of the Cross, Julian of Norwich, revelations of Divine Love, and Teresa of Avila.
http://home.infionline.net/~ddisse/teresa.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Lover-Beloved-John-Michael-Talbot/dp/B000008LDL

You may want to compare these with Rumi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi
The Love Poems of Rumi by Deepak Chopra

Divine Union

2011-10-25T13:46:00.001-07:00

For more on Divine Union:
The Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/tic/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Castillo_Interior
Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul by Caroline Myss

Digging Deeper

2011-10-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

Some interesting reading:
http://www.crosscurrents.org/arnoldwinter2002.htm
http://www.spiritualnow.com/blogs/211/Wisdom-from-the-Gospel-of-Thomas-Part-1.html

Spiritual Autobiography

2011-06-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

Our summer Spirit time is sharing our spiritual journeys.
Some resources:
The Story of Your Life: Writing a Spiritual Autobiography by Dan Wakefield.
Finding Your Own Spiritual Path by Peg Thompson.
A Woman's Guide to Spiritual Renewal by Nelly Kaaufer & Carol Osmer Newhouse.
The Spiritual Activist by Claudia Horwitz.

Palm Sunday

2011-04-19T03:50:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_branch_%28symbol%29
http://www.scienceofcorrespondences.com/palm-tree.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arecaceae

Crain's Prayer

2011-03-13T10:23:00.001-07:00

http://www.timrowland.com/slow-me-down-lord/

Amish 'Lob Leid'

2011-03-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

For more on the traditional Amish hymn of praise:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_music
http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/S5674ME.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlxL-f5PR0w&feature=related

More on the Ausbund (hymnal):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ausbund
http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/ausbund.htm

Genesis Meditations

2010-10-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Chronicles of Noah and Her Sisters by Miriam Therese Winter.
The Genesis Meditations by Neil Douglas-Klotz.

Labyrinths

2010-10-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth
http://www.labyrinthsociety.org/

The Labyrinth Society has a locator for local sites.

Terrior

2010-08-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

At the retreat we discussed how the geography affects the flavor of the wine, relating it to how our faith is influenced by our understanding of Jesus.
For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terroir
http://act.ucc.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=28269.0&dlv_id=30926

Forgiveness

2010-05-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

Washboqlan khaubayn(wakhtahayn)aykanna daph khnan shbwoqan l'khayyabayn

wa: and
sheboqlan, shbwoqan: release, let go, untie; return to original source
khaubayn, khayyabayn: to overstep (some)one's boundaries; to steal fruit from someone else's field
wakhtahayn: tangled threads
aykana: happens simultaneously; to undo one, undoes the other

Loose the cords of mistakes binding us as we release the cords entangling others.
Compost the stolen fruit that rots within us as we forgive others the spoils of their trespassing.
Disentangle the knots within us so that we may mend our ties with others.

Give us this day our daily bread

2010-05-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

Hawvlan lachma d'sunqanan yaomana

Hawvlan: give; produce with life and soul
lachma: what feeds us on all levels
sunqanan: a circle with a boundary that is illuminated inside; our circle of family, friends,etc.
yao: period of enlightenment; this moment; for the next step

Give all within our circle what we need for this moment.

Thy will be done

2010-05-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

Nehwey tzevyanach aykanna d'bwahmaya aph b'arha

Nehwey: let it be, let it happen
tzevyanach: desire, passion, love, delight
aykanna: happen simultaneously; consistent, stable
d'bwashmaya: in tune with the Divine vibration
arha: unique, individual manifestation of vibration

May the Sacred Desire be done consistently through our lives.
May our earthly existence be in resonance with the Divine vibration.

Rethinking the Cross

2010-03-29T04:48:00.000-07:00

Our reading last night was taken from:
Saving Jesus From Those Who Are Right: Rethinking What it Means to be Christian by Carter Heyward.

Tey Tey Malkuthakh

2010-03-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

Traditional translation: Thy kingdom come.

Tey: come; doublet indicates a sense of urgency or immediacy

Malkuthakh: from malkatu the name for the matriarch of a family clan who had responsibility for the clan, guiding them to places for food and shelter, for the good of the whole clan.
In Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic the word usually translated 'kingdom' is actually feminine, so 'queendom' might be more accurate.
Malkuthakh has the sense of an inner empowerment which is then manifest in the outer wold. (e.g. the fall of the Berlin Wall resulted from an outcry of people seeking peace and reunification.)

Alternate translation: May your 'I can' empower us.

Nethqadash Shmakh

2010-02-28T17:43:00.000-08:00

Traditional: Hallowed be They Name
Netqadash: May we make space for Shm to be the focus point of our lives around which everything else turns.
Net: let it be, may it be, allow to happen, make happen
QD: pivot point, center, focal point, hub
Ash: space around center point
Sh’lah: to set up a canopy, to create a shelter, to hollow out a place;
“Let us pray:” to create a space for the Sacred in our lives.
Qadosh: to make holy (cf. Isa. 6:1-3; God’s robe creates a tent of sacred space)
Shmakh: an embodied form of Shm; to be on the same wavelength with Sacred Unity; to be attuned

Hallowed be Thy Name

2010-02-22T05:29:00.000-08:00

Nethqadash(nitkadash)shmakh:

Neth: let it be, allow
KD: center, pivot point, hub, focus
Ash: space around center point
Shmakh: from shem: name, light, vibration, sound; the essence of a person or Being

Let us be on the same wavelength as the Divine Being.
We are expressing the intention to make a space in our lives in which the Divine is our focus. This space may mean carving out a specific time or creating a sacred space (home altar, etc.) that serves as a reminder to place the Divine at the focal point of our lives. This line of the Lord's Prayer moves us from not just taking the Lord's Name in vain, to evaluating around what does our life center and then opening ourselves to making space for the Divine in our lives.

Resources on Home Altars:
http://myhomealtar.com/resources.html
http://www.lifepathretreats.com/news_articles_altars.asp
http://www.ehow.com/how_2057380_build-home-altar.html

Persecution and Conflict

2010-02-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Jerusalem
Acts 10-15
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians_in_the_Roman_Empire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_martyrs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4937

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

For more info on holiday:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/holidays/ash_wednesday.htm
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/holidays/mardi_gras.htm

For more info on Worship in the Catacombs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Rome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phos_Hilaron

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/justinmartyr-dialoguetrypho.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Martyr

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyrhynchus_Gospels

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyrhynchus_hymn

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/martyrdompolycarp-lightfoot.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrdom_of_Polycarp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycarp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetua_and_Felicity

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/actsperpetua.html

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-romans-roberts.html

First Line of the Lord's Prayer

2010-02-09T04:24:00.000-08:00

Abwoon d'bwashmaya

A: the First, the Primary, 'Alpha'
Bw: the breath of birthing
Oo: the sound of awe and wonder
N: signifies newness, continuous creation

b'sheme: to resonate with the Sacred Unity; to be in rhythm with all
aya: without limits or boundaries

The Hidden Gospel

2010-01-10T14:59:00.001-08:00

The Hidden Gospel: Decoding the Spiritual Message of the Aramaic Jesus by Neil Douglas-Klotz.
Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels.

Wikipedia articles: Dead Sea Scrolls, Nag Hammadi Library, Gospel of Thomas, Saducees, Pharisees, Zealots, Essenes, Constantine I, First Council of Nicea, Nicene Creed, Biblical Canon, Syriac Christianity, Iran: Pre-Islamic Statehood

The Lord's Prayer in Aramaic

2010-01-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

http://abwoon.com
http://www.aramaicbiblecenter.com/klotzbio.html

Book: Prayers fo the Cosmos:Meditations on the Aramaic Words of Jesus by Neil Douglas-Klotz.

Lecture was ordered from
http://shop.soundstrue.com/shop.soundstrue.com/AddToCartFromProdId.do?prodId=725

Versions of The Lord's Prayer:
http://www.spiritheart.org/chapel/lordpryr.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Prayer

Kwanzaa

2009-12-27T15:10:00.001-08:00

http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa
http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm
http://www.history.com/content/kwanzaa

Christmas Eve

2009-12-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

Another video based on the song, "What if Jesus Comes Back Like That?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7At75kN_YsI

Marsha Stevens website: http://www.balmministries.net/fr_index.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsha_Stevens

Yule (Winter Solstice)

2009-12-22T05:05:00.000-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule
http://www.religioustolerance.org/winter_solstice.htm

You can also go to Biblos.com and do a search for "light" to see the any passages using the image of Light to talk about God.

Hanukkah

2009-12-13T15:16:00.001-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/default_cdo/jewish/Hanukkah.htm
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Hanukkah.shtml

Book

2009-12-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post the book I read from at our Thanksgiving potluck. it is:
Heart in the Wild by Susan Chernak McElroy.

St. Nicholas

2009-12-06T16:44:00.001-08:00

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=23

Thomistic Spirituality (NT)

2009-11-23T04:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_17_thomistic_prayer.htm
http://www.domcentral.org/study/aumann/spirtheo.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Aquinas
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14663b.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_of_%C3%81vila
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_the_Cross

Books:
The Summa Theologica (5 vols.) by Thomas Aquina. (many abridged versions available)
[see http://www.op-stjoseph.org/Students/study/thomas/]
Aquinas 101: A Basic Introduction to the Thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas by Francis Selman
Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila

Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross.

Poems of St. John of the Cross by St. John of the Cross

Franciscan Spirituality (SP)

2009-11-08T17:16:00.001-08:00

Armstrong, Regis J. & Ignatius C. Brady. Francis and Clare: The Complete Works (The Classics of Western Spirituality). Paulist Press, 1982.

Bodo, Murray. Francis: The Journey and the Dream. St. Anthony Mesenger Press, 1988.

Boff, Leonardo. Saint Francis: A Model for Human Liberation. Crossroad Publishing Co., 1985.

Brown, Raphael. The Little Flowers of St. Francis. Image, Doubleday, 1958.

Carretto, Carlo. I, Francis. Orbis Books, 1994.

Dennis, Marie, Joseph Nangle, OFM, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, & Stuart Taylor. St.Francis and the Foolishiness of God. Orbis Books, 1993.

Doyle, Eric. St Francis and the Song of the Brotherhood. The Seabury Press, 1981. “a charter of peace”

Green, Julien. God’s Fool: The Life and Times of Francis of Assisi. Harper & Row, 1985.

Haase, Albert, O.F.M., Swimming in the Sun: Discovering the Lord’s Prayer with Francis of Assisi and Thomas Merton. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1993.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm

http://www.americancatholic.org/e-News/FriarJack/fj093009.asp

http://www.franciscan-archive.org/patriarcha/

Augustinian Spirituality (NF)

2009-11-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

http://www.midwestaugustinians.org/prayerframe.html
http://www.augustinianrecollects.org/augspir.html
http://www.augustinians.org.au/tradition/spirit.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/jod/augustine/

Writings:
Confessions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_%28St._Augustine%29
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/augustine/confessions.toc.html
City of God: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_God_%28book%29
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1201.htm

Ignatian Spirituality (SJ)

2009-11-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

Michael, Chester P. and Marie C. Norrisey. Prayer and Temperament: Different Prayer Forms for Different Personality Types. Chesterville, VA: The Open Door, Inc., 1991.

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_Exercises_of_Ignatius_of_Loyola

http://www.nwjesuits.org/JesuitSpirituality/SpiritualExercises.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesus#Ignatian_spirituality

http://ignatianspirituality.com/

Lectio Divina

2009-10-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.valyermo.com/ld-art.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectio_Divina
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/Catholic/2000/08/How-To-Practice-Lectio-Divina.aspx
http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/features/lectiodivina/

Labyrinths

2009-10-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth
http://www.lessons4living.com/labyrinth.htm
http://www.labyrinthsociety.org/

There are a myriad of books and other websites as well.
The Labyrinth Society has a locator for local sites.

Green Burials

2009-10-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

We briefly discussed Green Burials last night. They are an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burial. For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_burial
http://www.greenburials.org
http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/
http://www.foxfieldpreserve.org/
http://naturalburial.coop/USA/

Yom Kippur

2009-09-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kol_Nidre
http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/yomkippur.htm

On Tuesday a resident at the assisted living facility commented about going to Kol Nidre. I was glad we had explored some of this info so that I understood the significance of his comments.

Rosh Hashannah

2009-09-22T05:07:00.000-07:00

For more info on this Jewish Holiday:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Rosh_Hashanah/Rosh_Hashanah_101.shtml?HYJH&OVRAW=Rosh%20Hashannah&OVKEY=rosh%20hashannah&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=48410451022&OVKWID=238095530022
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Rosh_Hashanah/High_Holidays/Ten_Days.shtml
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=425&letter=R&search=rosh%20hashanah
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday2.htm

Ramadan

2009-09-17T06:40:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Nisreen for sharing with us her experiences of observing Ramadan and answering our questions. It not only helped us understand our neighbors, but opened up a new appreciation of our own spiritual practice of fasting.
For more info:

Ramadan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
http://www.zikr.co.uk/books/Ramadhan.html
http://islam.about.com/od/ramadan/Ramadan_Eid_alFitr.htm
http://www.history.com/content/ramadan

Fasting during Ramadan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawm
http://www.qss.org/articles/ramadan/toc.html

Christian fasting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting
http://www.spirithome.com/fasting.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm

http://www.beliefnet.com/search/site.aspx?q=fasting

From the Peace Pole Ceremony

2009-07-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

Peace Pole

2009-07-25T15:59:00.001-07:00

As part of our summer inter-faith discussion, we will be dedicating a Peace Pole.

Since we cannot yet afford a professionally made Peace Pole, ours is cedar withe the word "Peace" burned in four different languages: English, Arabic, Hebrew, and Lenape (Delaware Indian), using English letters (since I don't know how to write in the other languages!)

The ceremony will be Sunday, July 26th, 6:30 pm at Pastor Deb's house.

For more info on Peace Poles, see: http://www.peacepoles.com/ and http://www.worldpeace.org/activities_peacepoleproject.html

Meditating on the Name of God

2009-06-08T16:53:00.001-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Judaism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_the_Qur%27an
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_and_titles_of_Jesus_in_the_New_Testament

Pentecost

2009-05-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavuot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecost
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=177&letter=P&search=pentecost

Doodling Your Prayers

2009-05-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

The book on using doodling as a prayer tool is: Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God by Sybil Macbeth. She also has The Praying in Color Journal and Praying in Color Kids' Edition.

Reiki

2009-05-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Gay & Larry James and Marjorie Nesbitt for introducing us to Reiki last evening!
For more on Reiki:
http://www.reiki.org/FAQ/WhatIsReiki.html
http://www.christianreiki.org/
http://www.answers.com/topic/reiki-3

Marjorie's yoga studio: http://www.auracolumbus.com/yoga.html

Entering the Dark Night

2009-02-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

Some links to stretch your thinking:
http://www.lifechallenges.org/door/nightsoul.html
http://www.fromthestars.com/page26.html
http://www.tobyjohnson.com/darknight.html

See also last year's post at http://mindattheoasis.blogspot.com/2008/02/dark-night-of-soul.html

Drumming

2009-01-05T05:53:00.001-08:00

Thank you to Deb Riley for leading us in a wonderful drumming circle last night! You can also catch Deb at Gentle Winds on the last Sunday of each month, 6:30-8:0 pm (of course, this conflicts with our gathering time!) More info at http://gentlewind.biz/GW_Morse_Classes.htm

For more on drumming:
When the Drummers Were Women: A Spiritual History of Rhythm by Layne Redmond.

Native Nativity

2008-12-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Native American Christmas:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huron_Carol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_de_Br%C3%A9beuf
http://www.native-americans.org/newsletters/native-american-newsletter-12-03-issue-29.htm
http://www.aaanativearts.com/article1412.html

Book: The Give-Away: A Christmas Story by Ray Buckley.

World AIDS Day

2008-11-26T05:11:00.000-08:00

Websites:
http://www.ucc.org/ucnews/nov2000/world-aids-day-is-best.html
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/Key-events/World-AIDS-Day/World-AIDS-Day-2008
http://www.worldaidsday.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm

Book:

Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Caroline Myss.

Thankoffering Psalms

2008-11-26T04:53:00.000-08:00

Definition: Psalms which express gratitude for God's blessing, usually for deliverance from an ill, crisis, or enemy.

Individual: 30; 32; 34; 66:13-14; 69: 30-31; 92; 116; 118; 138.
Community: 75; 107; 124; 136.
Also: Jonah 2: 2-9; Jeremiah 33:1

Structure:
1. Call to praise (see Psalms 116: 1-2; 32: 1-1)
2. Explanation of the crisis (see 116: 3-4; 32: 3-4)
3. Explanation of deliverance (see 116: 5-7; 32: 5)
4. Confession of faith (see 116: 8-11; 32: 6-10)
5. Declaration of thankoffering vow (see 116: 12-19; 32 ends with a wisdom psalm)

Have a grateful Thanksgiving!

Salt Covenant

2008-10-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Some resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_in_the_Bible
http://www.hebroots.org/hebrootsarchive/0209/0209b.html
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=94&letter=S
http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=2710
Dead Sea:
http://www.extremescience.com/DeadSea.htm
http://www.bibleplaces.com/deadsea.htm

Holy Water

2008-09-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Hidden Messages of Water by Masuru Emoto.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaru_Emoto

Sacred Water: The Spiritual Source of Life by Nathaniel Altman.

Pilgrimage

2008-08-11T08:06:00.001-07:00

Thank you, Linda, for a great presentation on your pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago!
Some resources on pilgrimage and the Camino:

The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred by Phil Cousineau.
The Way is Made by Walking: A Pilgrimage Along the Camino de Santiago by Arthur Paul Boers.
Walk in a Relaxed Manner: Life Lessons from the Camino by Joyce Rupp.
Sacred Tracks: 2000 Years of Christian Pilgrimage by James Harpur.

The Household of God

2008-07-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

The book I referred to last Sunday evening was Confronting the Idolatry of Family: A New Vision for the Household of God by Janet Fishburn.

Chanting

2008-07-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

Book:
Chanting: Discovering Spirit in Sound by Robert Gass. (also, a cd by the same name can be purchased separately).

CDs:
The Benedictine Monks of Santa Domingo de Silos
Taize'
There are a number of CD's available with cultural chants -- just search!

Universal Light Expo

2008-07-21T15:52:00.001-07:00

The Universal Light Expo has resources to some of the spiritual tools we have discussed and some we haven't gotten to yet.
http://www.universeexpo.com/index.html
(Robert shared about this last night.)

QiGong

2008-07-18T05:46:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday Luann introduced us to the meditative practice of qigong (Thank you, Luann!). For more information see http://www.chilel.com/. The cd we used was Miracles of Nat Healing Audio CD1.

LGBT Pride Sunday

2008-06-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

Tonight we will recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Pride.
Some resources:
Bible:
http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-walter-wink
http://www.hrc.org/scripture/
UCC:
http://www.ucc.org/lgbt/now-no-condemnation.html
http://www.ucc.org/assets/pdfs/1985-CALLING-ON-UNITED-CHURCH-OF-CHRIST-CONGREGATIONS-TO-DECLARE-THEMSELVES-OPEN-AND-AFFIRMING.pdf

There are many more resources. Email if you would like a bibliography.

Names of God

2008-06-03T18:21:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday's worship looked at the different ways we experience and express the Divine. The book I read from is Old Turtle by Douglas Wood.

Begging Bowls

2008-05-27T18:09:00.001-07:00

Sunday night we got our hands dirty and made begging bowls -- symbols of humility, gratitude, trust, and awareness of God's blessings. For more info:

Book: Everyday Sacred: A Woman's Journey Home by Sue Bender.

Articles:
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=6,3740,0,0,1,0
http://www.nitarthainstitute.org/about_article_2.html
Thich Nhat Hanh: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1670911,00.html

Meditations:
http://www.luthersem.edu/stewardship/resource_detail.asp?resource_id=437
http://www.theworldcare.com/christian%20articles_desire.html
http://digilib.bu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2144/525/Jesus%20the%20Borrower.doc?sequence=1
http://www.glenarborsun.com/archives/2003/09/sabines_bowls_-.html

Artwork:
http://www.domontgallery.com/gallery/paintings-begging-bowls/
http://www.domontgallery.com/gallery/prints-begging-bowls/

Mandalas

2008-05-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

Websites:

http://www.creatingmandalas.com/

http://www.mandalaproject.org/
Quilt: http://www.mandalaproject.org/What/Index.html
As meditation tool:
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/mindspiritandself/ss/mandala.htm
http://www.articlesbase.com/meditation-articles/easy-meditation-through-active-coloring-meditation-206972.html#
Mandala coloring pages:
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/mandala_coloring_pages.htm
http://www.freekidscoloring.com/pattern/mandala/
http://www.papermandalas.com/
http://www.30minutemandalas.com/3.html
The Mandala: Sacred Geometry & Art http: //www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/things/mandalas.htm
Rose windows: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15653a.htm
http://therosewindow.com/lista.htm
St. John the Divine rose window: http://www.constructingtheuniverse.com/StJohnRose.html
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/geomath.htm
http://www.earthmandalas.com/

Solentiname

2008-04-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

The books I referenced in last night's 'Spirit' time were:
The Gospel in Art by the Peasants of Solentiname by Phillip Scharper. Orbis Books: Maryknoll, NY, 1982.
The Gospel in Solentiname by Ernesto Cardinal. Orbis Books: Maryknoll, NY, 1976.

For more info on Ernesto Cardenal: http://www.uhmc.sunysb.edu/surgery/cardenal3.html
For more info on the Solentiname community: : http://www.solentiname.org/

For more info on Liberation Theology:
A Concise History of Liberation Theology: http://www.landreform.org/boff2.htm
Resource list: http://www.liberationtheology.org/ (includes several free book downloads)

Prayer Beads

2008-02-29T12:42:00.000-08:00

Prayer beads are one of the oldest spiritual tools to help focus the mind.

For more info:

Books:
A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads. Eleanor Wiley & Maggie Oman Shannon.
Beads of Faith. Gray Henry & Susannah Marriott
Beading for the Soul. Deborah Cannarella

Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_beads
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_rope
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary
http://kingofpeace.org/prayerbeads.htm
http://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/minigalleries/prayerbeads/intro.shtml
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02361c.htm
http://www.prayerbdzs.com
Malas: http://www.snowlionpub.com/pages/N64_4.php
How to tie a prayer rope: http://www.wattfamily.org/prayerope.html

Breath Prayer

2008-02-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight we introduced a form of meditation known as the Breath Prayer (aka the Prayer of the Heart, the Jesus Prayer, aspiratory prayer). If this tool resonated with you, here are some resources to guide you further:

Books:
The Breath of Life: A Simple Way to Pray by Ron DelBene (book & workbook)
The Way of the Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way. R.M. French (trans.)
Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart. E. Kadloubovsky & G.E.H. Palmer (trans.)

Websites:

http://www.johnmichaeltalbot.com/Reflections/index.asp?id=145
http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7104.asp
http://www.soulfoodministry.org/docs/IntroToBodyPrayer.htm
http://www.christiansoulcare.com/spiritualdiscipline/spiritualdisciplinebreathprayers.htm
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/40/story_4075_1.html

Praying Unceasingly

2008-02-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

At our book study last night we discussed those stereotypes of spirituality that can get in the way of a deepening faith -- things like expecting ourselves to always be at peace, never having (let alone expressing) 'negative' emotions, confining worship to within the building, or defining prayer as being on your knees with your hands folded.

In regards to the latter, the author makes reference to an experience in which he was challenged to understand prayer as 'thinking about God.' During the discussion, I mentioned Brother Lawrence, a Carmelite monk from the 17th century, who wrote The Practice of the Presence of God. In 4 conversations and a series of letters found after his death, he describes the spiritual practice he developed while working in the kitchen of the monastery. He refers to traditional practices, saying,

"I have not followed all these methods. On the contrary, from I know not what instincts, I found they discouraged me. " "Men invent means and methods of coming at God's love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God's presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?" "I keep myself by a simple attention, and a general fond regard to God, which I may call an actual presence of God; or, to speak better, an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with God."

You can find the full text of his writings at: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice.html

The author makes reference to 1 Thessalonians 5: 17: "Pray without ceasing."

So I went digging a little further. In Greek, the original language it was written in, the passage is, "adialeiptos proseuxesthe." Adialeiptos breaks down in to 3 parts:

'a' is the negative, as in 'agnostic' meaning 'without knowledge' (gnosis). '

dia' means 'the channel of an act', 'through,' as in 'diameter. '

leipo' means 'to leave, to fail, to be absent'.

We have a sense of this when we talk about someone who has 'checked out' during a conversation - physically present, but otherwise not connected. Proseuxesthe divides into 2 parts: 'pros' means 'towards, forward,' as in pro-active. 'euchomia' means 'to wish or will.' It is easy to see how this comes to mean 'to pray.' But prayer can be understood as simply willing oneself towards God. (In other passages, 'deomai' is used for 'prayer.' It means 'to petition or request,' a different understanding of prayer.)

Breaking down these words confirms Brother Lawrence's perspective of unceasing prayer as a constant awareness and attention to God. It is not letting ourselves 'check out' or 'tune out' what God is doing in, around, and through us. This verse comes at the end of the letter - some 'last minute advice' given 'short and quick.' But the verses around give us a sense of the author's thoughts: "Rejoice always...In all things give thanks." As one of our group said last night, it's about our attitude. Are we paying attention? Or have we taken a leave of absence?

For more info on Brother Lawrence:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/special/131christians/brotherlawrence.html

Lectio Divina

2008-02-24T07:41:00.001-08:00

Tonight we will do Lectio Divina as our spiritual practice.
Websites with more information on Lectio Divina: http://www.valyermo.com/ld-art.html http://www.ocarm.org/lectio/lecteng1.htm

A method based on Jungian psychology: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jsuebersax/lectio.htm

Icons

2008-02-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

Last night we explored praying/meditating with icons. To explore this further I recommend the book Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons by Henri J. M. Nouwen. (Use the Amazon link on our website if you wish to purchase it.)

Some websites with info and/or icons:

http://www.goarch.org/en/resources/clipart/

http://www.pallasart.com/ikons/

http://www.iconsexplained.com/

http://www.printeryhouse.org/ProdMenu.asp?cid=164

For more thoughts about using icons meditatively:

http://www.incommunion.org/forest-flier/jimsessays/praying-with-icons-integrating-body-and-soul/

http://incommunion.org/forest-flier/books/praying-with-icons

Contemporary icons can be found at:

http://www.trinitystores.com/

http://www.aidanharticons.com/default.html