down to earth session 17 - justfaith ministries · 2017-12-19 · part 2. prayerful listening...

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Down to Earth

© JustFaith Ministries, 2014 . www.justfaith.org . 502-429-0865

Sess ion 17

Engaging Heal ing

Part 1MeditationBearings PresentationBearings DialogueBreak

Part 2Prayerful Listening (small & large group)Community BusinessMeditation

75 Minutes20 Minutes20 Minutes20 Minutes15 Minutes

75 Minutes60 Minutes5 Minutes

10 Minutes

Overview of the 21/2 hr Session

JustFaith Ministries P.O. Box 221348 Louisville, KY 40252 (502) 429-0865www.justfaith.org

All EngagingSpirituality™ materials are copyrighted by JustFaith™ Ministries, 2014.

© JustFaith Ministries, 2014 • www.justfaith.org

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These notes are summarized in Pointers for Participants 17. Please read these comments BEFORE the session.

Gentle Strength - Force of Nature and Touch of God Faithfulness shall spring up from the ground, and justice look down from the sky. Psalm 85: 11

“When you cannot recognize the divine indwelling in the earth itself and the waters upon the earth and the plants and trees that grow upon the earth and the animals, you will NOT see it in the human.” Richard Rohr

Meekness, as a measure of Gospel holiness, has little to do with being mild-mannered or timid. It reflects instead, a quality of gentle strength, courageous tenacity, attention to the weak or fragile, and a fundamental life choice for nonviolence.

If you have been privileged to witness how the great mammals (elephants, rhinos, gorillas, whales…), despite their bulk and strength, express such delicate care as they tend to their young, then you can appreciate how nature demonstrates meekness. For two centuries, western industrial society has tried to imprint upon nature a mirror of itself. Misreading the work of Darwin, Western industrial society has portrayed the evolving earth as a grand and ruthless competition for survival in which only the strongest endure. While this crude interpretation of life’s myriad interactions and expressions has been widely challenged and largely overhauled (by scientists, cosmologists, philosophers, indigenous people and mystics), the iconic Law of the Jungle remains firmly enshrined in our consciousness, lionized by global economic systems and reflected in our competitive religious mind sets. Deeper appreciations of the mysterious complexity of reality– at its most minute (in molecular and quantum dynamics) and universal (in the cosmic interplay of the galaxies)– continue to reveal an infinitely more intricate tapestry of interdependence.

From Deprivation to Domination Over the centuries, Christianity has absorbed and integrated wisdom from many cultural and philosophical traditions. The tribal religions of northern Europe infused Christianity with an appreciation for the rhythms, cycles, and lessons of the earth. Such natural wisdom has shaped our liturgical seasons and enriched our prayer with symbols and practices that reverence our “creature-hood.” Likewise, the philosophies of ancient Greece, Persia and Egypt nourished the intellectual development of Christian theology. As Christianity evolved and institutionalized, “mind” began to hold sway over “matter.” As a result, the earthy roots of our tradition were suppressed. Consequently, spirituality tended to downplay the body, focusing on the cerebral and conceptual, even retreating almost exclusively to the realm of the psyche. A deepening suspicion of nature and her processes reduced earth to “dirt” and viewed the indigenous or rural people as primitive, “soiled” or base. This opened the way for the unrestrained exploitation of Earth (her creatures and even her people) as an expendable resource in the relentless pursuit of technological progress. The current level of global devastation, our synthetic lifestyles and neuroses, combined with the looming specter of global environmental catastrophe, are all symptomatic of deprivation and domination. Nature-deprived faith has, in effect or by neglect, sanctified the pillaging of God’s good garden, our inheritance for generations and creatures yet to come.

Note to Facilitators

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Embracing a Spirit of Non-HarmMany of the stories and parables that appear in the Gospels illustrate the earthiness of Jesus and his people. Using down-to-earth illustrations of rural life (fig trees, grains, grapes, ravens, sparrows, sheep and flowers…), Jesus depicted our spiritual connection with creation as an expression of God’s goodness.

His teachings also bring to light a fundamental embrace of our humanness (derived from “humus” meaning earthy) and creatureliness. Matthew’s third beatitude exemplifies Jesus’ reverence for the lowly, country folk who, though dispossessed and disdained by the urbane elite, yearn to be at home with the land. Anyone who lives close to the ground knows the tenacity, dedication and work it demands, as well as the blessings that come from enjoying and sharing the fruits of labor, sun and graceful rain. As holy creatures, we are PART of God’s garden. When we attempt to distance ourselves, body and soul, from natural (holy) patterns and interactions with life, we find ourselves distressed and our spirits displaced. We approximate (grow close to) the meekness mandated and lived out by Jesus when we refuse to submit to violence of thought, word or deed.

When we alienate ourselves from nature, when we live under the influence of a spirit of domination and exploitation, we mistake the spiritual attitude of meekness for weakness. Witness how often the Gospel commandment to practice non-harm, is rejected or even dismissed as unrealistic, impractical, even unnatural.

This session invites participants to embrace Gospel meekness as a choice for simplicity. Together with humility and reverence for life, meekness affords us an opportunity to continue healing our relationship with Earth. Since this session opens in the outdoors, you may need a flashlight if your group gathers in the evening. The session ends with a practical challenge to reconnect with the earth and pray for the people who restore our balance with nature.

In his Bearings letter, the farmer and teacher Bob Ernst describes his heart and soul connection to the land. The next Bearings (For Session 18) comes from professor of Mission Studies, Fr. Tony Gittins.

Continue to encourage faithfulness to the whole process: spiritual reading, outreach, daily prayerful attention and journal-keeping. Remind everyone of the upcoming opportunity for the sharing of personal Bearings presentations (Session 18). Pearls of WisdomContinue the practice of inviting one group member to share (during the Community Business segment) one brief quote from their spiritual reading and the ES Journal

You will need: Copy of Fr. Tony’s Bearings Letter; the symbolic pillar candle; a small cross; the covenant cloth; matches; a CD player and reflective music; bible (Luke 12: 22-31); refreshments; a small bowl with salt and another with active dry yeast. Place the symbolic candle on the small table with the bowls of salt and yeast. (If your group meets at night, you may need a flashlight for the opening meditation in the outdoors.) Participants need their journals and pens.

Note to Facilitators cont’d

Session 17 • E n g a g i n g H e a l i n g • 2 ½ h r s •

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Arrive at least 10 minutes before the group. Set the room (circle of chairs, with one additional Bearings seat; small central table; symbols; candle; covenant cloth; cross; bible; reflective music; music player). Light the candle. Have reflective music playing. Sit together in silence for 5 minutes.

Silence Silence SilenceOffer a word of blessing to one another OR invoke the Holy Spirit with this prayer:

Healing Spirit... Touch our lives… Forgiving Spirit… Restore our broken relationships… Holy Spirit… Renew the face of the earth.

Centering Meditation (20 minutes)Set the tone with reflective background music. As they enter, invite people to put everything down and sit in a receptive posture. When everyone has settled, turn off the music.

Whether it’s warm or cold, wet or dry, day or night, ask everyone to move outside and form a circle outdoors, in a predetermined spot (a patch of grass, by trees or shrubs, or a garden). You will need to take the chime and possibly a flashlight with you. Open the silence with these words:

Inhale life deeply… root yourself, body and soul, on this holy ground This is God’s gift to us all– the inheritance promised to the gently-tenacious children of the earth.Pause for three full minutes of awareness.

Silence Silence SilenceClose the silence with this ancient Celtic blessing:

“The goodness of the sea be thine. The goodness of the earth be thine. The goodness of the sky be thine. Amen” Carmina Gadelica, Alexander Carmichael

Ask everyone to quietly return to the gathering space. When people have settled, invite them into an attentive mode, ready to receive the Gospel.

Read Luke 12: 22-31.

Silence Silence SilenceOffer this question for quiet reflection:

As you receive this Gospel, what images, places, people, feelings surface in you?Pause before sharing this Gospel verse:

Blessed are the meek for they WILL inherit the earth. Matthew 5: 5

Co-Facilitator Prayerful Preparation

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CenteringInvite people into Centering Prayer. If needed, reiterate the directions:

• BE attentive to the sound and rhythm of your breathing. • SIT comfortably and close your eyes. • CHOOSE a short sacred word (like Jesus, Mercy, Peace, Love, Listen, Holy…). • LET this word be the symbol of your intention to receive God’s presence and action. • SILENTLY introduce this sacred word to welcome God’s presence and action.• GENTLY return to the sacred word as thoughts arise.

Strike the chime to open 10 minutes of silence.

Silence Silence Silence

At the end of the prayer period, strike the chime to break the silence. Remain in silence with eyes closed for a moment. Alternate voices for this lively dialogue (You may need to practice this): Blessed are the meek for they…. Blessed are the who…? The MEEK! The WEAK? The gently strong… Oh, blessed are the STRONG! No, the down to earth… So, blessed are the pragmatic… The humble and grounded… Who want to be walked on? Who are enduring and patient… Who’d rather wait for someone else to act! Whose gentle persistence outlasts violence... Ah, those who don’t back down and

won’t walk away? Who shall reclaim the earth… Like Psalm 37 says…

‘The HUMBLE shall have the land for their own.’

Pause “If you think meekness is weakness… try being meek for a week!” The person responsible for presenting the Bearings letter introduces Bob, placing his picture on the empty chair. After the reading, the presenter returns the letter to the co-facilitators.

Bearings Dialogue – Open Response Mode (20 minutes)Pause after the reading and final Lectio sharing. Offer this question:

• What inspired or encouraged you in Bob’s message?

Open the floor for those who wish to offer ONE heart response to the letter.

Break (15 minutes)Select a reader to present the next Bearings letter (Tony Gittins). If possible, match the gender of the author with the presenter. Give the Bearings letter to the reader. Remind him/her NOT to make additional copies of the letter, but to reflect on it and come prepared to lead the Bearings process at the next session.

Centering Meditation cont’d

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Call everyone back to the circle.

Silence Silence SilenceIf you wish, share A L L or A N Y of this reflection (alternating voices):

Healing through Meekness “There’s not enough– not enough money, not enough land, not enough love.

Pause

All the violence of our age seems to confirm this fact. If you want something you have to fight for it.

Pause There is no place for weakness in a world that takes survival of the strongest as Gospel.

Pause

But how do you explain the story of Monica Anne? She was a newborn baby when we learned that she had a heart problem and required immediate surgery.

Pause

How is it she had the power to make us forget ourselves and support HER family and worry about HER well-being?

Pause

Why was our joy at her recovery greater than anything we could feel for ourselves?...

Pause

In her illness Monica bestowed a blessing… She made us stronger as a community by making us open up to welcome her fragility and her littleness...

Pause

In the face of the overwhelming struggles of our world, Monica Anne is a sign of blessing…

Pause

Perhaps only the strong can survive in a hostile and fearful world. But only those who welcome littleness can transform that world of fear into abundant joy.” L’Arche Daybreak Community, Living the Beatitudes,

Prayerful Listening (60 Minutes)

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Intimate Listening (Pairs) (10 minutes)Invite participants to divide into pairs. If you have an uneven number, form one group of three. Each person takes 5 minutes to respond from the heart to e i t h e r of these prompts:

• How do you bring Gospel humility (living modestly or simply) into your daily choices?

• Who are the healers that touch your life with gentle-strength?

Pause and repeat the prompts. Remind everyone to pause before and after each person speaks, and to practice prayerful listening. As you call people back to the large group, invite the members of the small groups to silently bless each other.

Large Group – Inspirational Mode (40 minutes)Open a moment of silence.

Silence Silence SilenceAlternating voices, prayerfully share A N Y part of this meditation:

The Healing Power of Failure “Healing has a downward pull, toward the earth.

Pause

Failure is life’s ballast. It restrains our tendency to float away on a bloated ego and pulls us toward common ground…

Pause

Distancing ourselves from each other’s pain is the hidden agenda behind most of our efforts to ‘fix’ each other with advice…

Pause Action that distances us from ‘the other’ can never be right… Right action can only be an immersion… that involves us in relationships.

Pause

The power that tempts us is never the power WITH or FOR others but always power OVER something or someone.” Parker Palmer

Offer e i t h e r of these prompts for silent reflection:

• What alerts you to the “seductions of power and privilege” in your own life?• In the face of so much violence and fear, how have you struggled to

reject violent ways and practice non-harm?

Repeat the prompt several times. Picking up the Bible, offer these instructions:

Prayerful Listening cont’d

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When we make an oath, when we share our truth, we lay our hands on this living word of God.

Pause

As we pass it and hold it, may it encourage us to speak from our hearts with the authority of our lives.Invite someone to pick up the bible and (after a brief pause) share what is in her/his heart. After that person has shared, s/he offers the bible to a neighbor in the circle. If this person is neither ready, nor inclined to share, s/he holds the symbol briefly before passing it on. This process continues until everyone has had an opportunity to share. Thank everyone for sharing. Pause and close with this short reflection:

To the non-violent belongs the land!

Pause

“There is irony here. If there was one hated group in Palestine of Jesus’ day, it was landlords. Nobody possessed land except by violence, by oppression…

Pause Jesus is turning that around and saying no, it’s you little ones who are finally going to possess the land.” Richard Rohr

Community Business (5 minutes) Inform everyone of the date and time of the upcoming Listening Session and the personal Bearings commitment. Refer people to the Pointers for Participants and remind everyone of the outreach commitment. A participant shares a quote from the ES Journal and a spiritual reading text. Invite someone to bring two quotes to the next session.

Meditation (10 minutes)Invite people into a receptive posture (hands resting on their laps, palms upturned) and ask everyone to close their eyes and place both feet squarely on the floor.

Silence Silence SilenceAlternate leading this meditation:

The Paradox of Gentle Power… …The Fruit of God’s Spirit.

“Gentleness is participation in God’s way of doing things that is at once gentle and firm, sustaining all creation with its enormous diversity, yet without effort.

Pause

We labor in the service of God more than ever, and yet have the sense of stepping back and watching God make things happen…

Prayerful Listening cont’d

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We work hard but we know by experience, even bitter experience, that our efforts are not going to go anywhere except in so far as God makes

them fruitful.” Thomas Keating

Longer Pause Imagine the dark cold of night and the anticipation of the warm possibilities of morning.

Pause

Now visualize a deep, spreading glow... defining, in sharp relief, the very edge of the world… slowly at first, almost imperceptibly, as Earth noiselessly rolls over into the glare.

Pause

Then, in silent, awesome majesty, the blinding ball of the sun breeches the horizon… instantly transforming the world, gracefully flooding us all (good and bad) with gentle force…

Pause

…the quiet, predictable power, the daily benediction of outpouring light, that causes shadows to stretch and yawn, before retreating.

Pause Thus, in radiant splendor, the sacrament of a new day announces itself. Thus it is every day with our “Meek Maker”…

Pause

So may it be this day with all God’s children.

Longer Pause

Touch the Earth – A Beatitudes Practice! Only the truly gentle can know how God’s Realm encompasses everyone and everything: the rock, the trees, the good earth and every one of her creatures.

Pause

As you leave today, and over the coming week, find YOUR way back down to earth:

• Stoop down and touch the ground• Slow down and practice noticing nature• Give thanks for earth– her gifts, her seasons, her lessons, her suffering• Bless the salt of the earth– tillers of the soil and guardians of nature’s bounty.

How will you make space in your day to reverence your inheritance?

Pause

Let us gently bless one another with peace.

This concludes the session.

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When everyone has gone, revisit the session together.• Begin with a few minutes of silence.• Let a grateful word surface. • Offer a word of affirmation to one another. OR Share your response to A N Y of these:

I felt the Holy Spirit…I was stretched or challenged by...I have learned…

Look ahead to the next session or activity.

Co-facilitator Afterglow (5 Minutes)

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Pointers for Participants

© JustFaith Ministries, 2014 . www.justfaith.org . 502-429-0865For Engaging Spirituality participants only.

Reflect on these insights BEFORE the session

Hungry for Wholeness?Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, they will be filled. Matthew 5: 6 In the Beatitudes Jesus offers us a “wholly other” path to holiness. In the Gospels, holiness…• has little to do with ritual purity or sacred isolation • does not require the rigorous application of arduous techniques • has no interest in our attempts to rise above our creaturehood • is unrelated to a personal pursuit of altered states of consciousness.

Holiness belongs to God and as God’s children, we are already holy people! When we deny the diabolical drives to be… privileged, separate, better, rewarded, elevated, right… and allow our lives to be motivated by God’s desire for connection and communion, we open ourselves to an entirely different Spirit. We become subjects of a holy hunger that begs for new eyes and a new heart.

Holiness is the outward expression of our decision to turn our lives over to love:

LOVE over rightness; LOVE over reputation; LOVE over success; LOVE over winning; LOVE beyond boundaries of class, caste, cult or nationality; LOVE which cannot tolerate division, oppression or injustice.

Gospel holiness invites us to love our way back down to earth, relishing in our messy humanness, forgiving our many contradictions, seeing through our delusions, admitting our limitations and celebrating our connections.

Rooted in Scripture Luke 16: 19 - 31. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus.

How do you understand justice and wholeness in a world of glaring contrasts and divisions?

Between Session 17 & Session 18 Practical Applications Prayer Foster a healing-reconciling Spirit. Give someone a second chance or a forgiving glance [ES journal p. 161].

Spiritual Reading (Two Texts)• Modern Spiritual Masters, Writings on Contemplation and Compassion. Read chapters 3 & 4 - Mohandas Gandhi and Madeleine Delbrel (pages 36 - 63).• Read ONE short reflection EVERY DAY, fromOur Hearts Still Sing, by Peter Millar.

Journal-Keeping Read and respond to pages 160 - 163.

Spiritual Practice Blessed are the meek... Take the time to connect with nature. Pray outdoors, notice and let life speak to you, touch the ground and let earth touch you.

Outreach Ministry ...for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5: 5How does your ministry call for or respond to meekness and gentle strength?

A Holy AcheThe path to holiness begins with the desire to be holy. Social justice makes its advances to the extent that human beings ardently and efficaciously wish for those advances… Segundo Galilea

Our hunger for holiness drives us to live noticeably different lives: uncommonly simple; unusually humble; unashamedly human; unrestrainedly compassionate; undeniably communitarian; unshakably connected.

What are you hungry and thirsty for? What motivates you, makes you want to be a better person? What restores you and makes you want a better world?

Hunger and thirst for justice give us the spirit to respond to this world by feeding and forgiving, caring and connecting, spending our lives in pursuit of a world restored through the healing of hearts and relationships.

?

Preparing for Session EIGHTEEN

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STILL in the STORMVisit the Engaging Spirituality blog: http://stillinthestorm.wordpress.com/

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BEARINGS Letter


Bearings Letter

Fr. Anthony Gittins CSSpTo be read aloud at Session Eighteen.

DirectionsTo be read aloud to participants of Engaging Spirituality.This material is copyrighted. Print ONE copy of this document.Do NOT forward or make additional copies.Detach and retain this cover page so the co-facilitator can mail the Thank You Note to this address:

Fr. Anthony Gittins CSSp 4740 N. Malden Chicago, IL 60640

Invite a participant to read the letter to the group.

The letter is returned to the co-facilitators after the session.

© Copyrighted material. For co-facilitators of Engaging Spirituality ONLY. Do NOT copy, share or forward.

JustFaith Ministries P.O. Box 221348 Louisville, KY 40252 (502) 429-0865www.justfaith.org

All EngagingSpirituality™ materials are copyrighted by JustFaith™ Ministries, 2014.

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BEARINGS Letter


O that today you would listen to God’s voice, harden not you heart. Psalm 95: 8 Directions for Co-Facilitators and Readers General Remarks Bearings letters are meant to be read aloud, listened to and received as auditory prayer. Do NOT copy or electronically distribute the letter to participants.Each letter is read aloud by a different member of the Engaging Spirituality group. The reader is responsible for: prayerful preparation; introducing the author; reading the letter aloud; inviting people to respond in the Lectio Divina format; crafting a note of thanks to the author.

Before the SessionCo-facilitators print only ONE copy of the Bearings letter.At a prior session (a week before the letter is read), co-facilitators identify a reader from among the participants. The reader takes the Bearings letter home to review it in prayerful preparation.

At the SessionAdd an empty chair to the circle to represent the author of the Bearings letter. Using the attached introduction, the reader introduces the author (in the first person) and then passes the author’s picture around the circle. Before prayerfully reading the letter, the reader places the picture on the empty seat.

Note to Readers: • Use the pauses to moderate the pace of your reading. • Take three slow breaths when you pause. This will give your listeners

time to let the words penetrate. • Follow the directions for the Lectio Divina reflection. • Allow 2-3 minutes for those who wish to share a word, a question or a

brief insight, before resuming the reading. • After the reading and during the ensuing dialogue, note one or two

insights (in your journal) generated by the letter.

After the SessionAt the close of the session, return the picture and letter to the co-facilitators for safekeeping. Do NOT make copies of the letter after the session. Using the attached stationery, the reader writes a brief personal response to the author, including: a word of thanks; the name and location of the group; a few insights from the group’s reflection. Co-facilitators are responsible for mailing the Thank You Note to the author (not to JustFaith Ministries). Respecting the author’s privacy, the co-facilitators do not share the personal mailing address of any author.

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BEARINGS Letter


Personal IntroductionMy name is Tony and I grew up in Manchester, England. I am a Catholic priest and member of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost (Spiritans). I also have an adopted daughter who now has four children. For over two decades I was a professor at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago where I taught cross-cultural and mission studies. As a young missionary I lived among the Mende people of West Africa for almost ten years. For more than twenty years, I have ministered among homeless women in Chicago. For the first seven of those years I was involved with the formation of Genesis House– offering care and support to women struggling to escape prostitution. I have written many books on theology, anthropology and spirituality, and I offer workshops, retreats and courses in many parts of the world.

Tony Gittins

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BEARINGS Letter


My StruggleDear friends,

It is a privilege for me to be invited to write some personal thoughts that address some very important issues for anyone trying to life a focused and faith-full life. For several weeks the invitation to write this Bearings letter remained on my desk, so that I would notice it from time to time. Gradually, some thoughts began to crystallize. Here they are.

PauseLIVING TODAY — BUT WITH AN EYE TO THE FUTUREAs a young boy, more than anything else I yearned to go to Africa. By the time I was 11 or 12, I was already begging my parents to let me go to the Junior Seminary to become a missionary! I really wanted to change the world, to give my life to others, and to show them that our way, my way, the Christian way, was the way to go! Already I was personally convinced, academically focused, and unself-consciously sure of what was best for the rest of the world. But I was also scarcely even a teenager, had certainly never dated, and actually knew nothing of real significance about the people I intended to serve and transform. Still, by the time I was 30 I was in Africa, where I spent some of the best years of my life.

The young, it is sometimes said, live in the future but often miss out on the present moment. I think that was true of me to a degree.

PauseBy the time I was 40 however, I found myself, quite unexpectedly, very far from Africa, first in London and then Chicago, teaching theology students. And soon it became clear that I would not return permanently to Africa. But all my life-plans and expectations had been directed toward Sierra Leone (SEE•era Lay•OAN), and I simply had no “Plan B.” I had never really thought about what I might do if everything did not turn out exactly as I had expected. PauseThe old, it is sometimes said, live in the past and often miss out on the present moment. It was very clear to me that I did not want to spend my future looking nostalgically at the creative and fulfilling years in Africa. I needed to live in the present. Living and teaching in Chicago, I needed to formulate a “Plan B” so as not to waste the opportunities of the present moment.

PauseMy biggest concern was that I might find my “job” becoming my whole life and even sucking the life-energy out of me. I needed something more than the classroom, or talking to students about living faithfully and well: I needed actually to be living well and faithfully, for fear of talking the talk but not walking the walk.

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In search of a way of living that would challenge me and help someone else, I found myself at a Shelter for homeless women in Chicago. After two or three times at the Shelter, I decided I could easily manage one night a week, and gradually I got to know the women. Week after week I would go, sometimes with my theology students, and we would serve dinner, sleep on the floor, and then rise very early and cook a plentiful – and indeed cholesterol-full – breakfast. As time went on, the schedule changed, and I would cook the evening meal and not stay the night, but still go every week. Twenty-five years have now passed, and each week has been an attempt simply to live in the present, to choose to be present to the women, to come faithfully one week at a time, and to become a familiar and trustworthy male in the life of a changing group of homeless women, most of whom had been betrayed, beaten, or abused by men.

PauseFor nine years, I never had a word of thanks, and the women remained distant and wary of me. Then one night, someone shouted “thank you, Tony!” as I was leaving – and several other people joined in. And now, the women are relaxed and we trust each other – and every week as I leave, there is a rousing chorus of “thank you, Tony!” It’s been a long journey of trust-building, but it has kept me firmly, feet-on-the-ground and in the present, rather than head-in-the-clouds and looking to the past, and Africa, and youth. PauseIt is sometimes said that the young live in future and the old live in past. But the wise, or those who want to learn wisdom, live in present.

Longer PauseLectio Divina: What WORD, QUESTION or INSIGHT resonated with you?

Pause

Invite people to share

Pause

My PracticeMany people have glimpsed the white-tipped tail of an elusive red fox or the striped head of a badger, perhaps the flash of a marlin’s fin against the blue tropical waters or a stupendous rainbow almost close enough to grasp. But, on reflection, such people note that these sights or epiphanies are more likely to occur when they are not actually looking for these wonders, but are caught by surprise. In fact, sometimes the sheer surprise is as exciting as when it is glimpsed; and often, as we all know, we can watch and wait all day, hoping to catch a glimpse of something, but come up with nothing at all. Which brings me to prayer – because prayer, or praying, is a bit like that.

Pause

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BEARINGS Letter


Many years ago, as seminary students, we were taught how to pray. Each morning we filed into a cold chapel, alternately sat and stood in unison, and prayed. In retrospect it seems that many times I was just praying for the half hour to pass; certainly it was the longest thirty minutes of the day.

PauseMany years later now, I get up in the morning, make a hot cup of tea, and retreat to my comfortable prayer-space, where I spend the first hour of the day. Praying this way is as normal as breathing, and I know I could not function without my comfortable – but hard-backed – chair turned toward the window and screened off from the rest of the room. There I have a bible, the daily liturgical readings, and a few other useful resources. But now, the objective is not simply to get through the time – which, interestingly, seems to pass much quicker and more easily these days– the object is to become present to the invisible presence of God.

PauseSometimes I seem to be wordlessly talking, but more often quietly listening, or gently seeking something I am only sure I will recognize when I find it. The “it’ might be a sense of deep peace, a feeling of the need to choose and pursue some specific course of action, or a flash of enlightenment.


Pause Invite people to share

Pause

My ChallengeEmbodied spirituality requires a context. It is a choice and involves commitment. It is outgoing, it has a mission. It involves encounter as well as suffering.

PauseThe saying that “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions” is dramatic, but perhaps a bit harsh: after all, most people don’t only think about themselves. They do try to think about others. Yet with the rapid pace of our lives, some of the things we might want to do for others, simply get moved downward in our list of priorities as we struggle to keep up with life’s demands. We may dream of a “Plan B” – “when I graduate… when the kids are grown… when I retire… I will join the Peace Corps… visit homebound people… demonstrate for peace… spend time at a soup kitchen…”

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The problem is, that “when” means “not now,” and sometimes effectively means “never” because when one possibility seems to open up, something else also happens, to fill our time and call for our attention.

PauseJust before I came to Chicago, I was seriously concerned that I would become “imprisoned” by the classroom and the academic life. Teaching seminarians and other church ministers is not a bad thing, surely, but there is a danger that it becomes not only time-consuming but self-justifying. In other words, I would teach (“Plan A”) and develop some good intentions about what else I would do when it became possible. But I knew, deep down, what used to be called Parkinson’s Law—”work expands to fill the time available”— I would never get to “Plan B”! PauseHere’s the advice I try to give myself: “Remember the past, but don’t dwell there: the past is another country. Dream of the future, but don’t daydream: days are for living and staying awake. Live in the present: it’s all you have. But it is the door that only I can open on the future.”

PauseBut there is more, for I also rely on the words of Jesus: “Do not be afraid. I am with you always.” Those words make everything worth the effort. So you see, I’m still cultivating the missionary spirit, here in Chicago, fifty years later. Your friend, Tony


Pause Invite people to share

With heartfelt thanks for your wisdom and your witness.

May you remain rooted and grounded in love...

JustFaith Ministries · P.O. Box 221348 · Louisville, KY, 40252 (502) 429-0865 · www.justfaith.orgThank You

down to earth session 17 - justfaith ministries · 2017-12-19 · part 2. prayerful listening...

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