REFLECTIONS ON OUR CELTIC PILGRIMAGE TO LINDISFARNE

I loved being on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. It was a dream come true. Celtic Christianity has always been my favorite period in Church history. I have longed to walk in the ancient pathways of Celtic saints like Aidan, Cuthbert and Hilda.

The retreat Judie and I attended on Lindisfarne was designed to immerse us in Celtic wisdom and spirituality. With eight other pilgrims we heard inspiring stories and teachings from David Cole, a British Celtic historian and teacher. We had many interesting and stimulating conversations. We ate meals together and shared our stories. We went on walks to see the beautiful natural and historical sights around the island. We listened to the sounds of wind, rain, waves, gulls and church bells. We prayed the Daily Offices together and worshipped in the local Anglican parish church which dates back to the 7th century.

What I noticed after being on the island a couple of days is that I began to experience a continual awareness of God’s presence in a simple, gentle way. Just being there felt like a continuous act of contemplation. Contemplative prayer seemed to happen naturally nearly all of the time. Wandering, wondering, and praying made up the soulful quality of life on Holy Island.

Since visiting Lindisfarne I have more of an appreciation for how natural the contemplative life can be. Contemplation can become a way of life that flows naturally out of the rhythms of daily living. On Holy Island I experienced a simple life with less noise and fewer distractions. I experienced life tuned into the wonders of nature with its ever changing tides, skies and weather. I experienced life immersed in prayer, worship, and Scripture in a community of fellow spiritual seekers.

My prayer is that I can take a bit of what I experienced on the Holy Island back home with me and integrate it into daily life. I am most grateful for having made it there and would encourage other pilgrim-hearted people to make the journey to this enchanted place of Celtic history and spirituality.

Lindisfarne is indeed a “thin place” where the countless prayers of pilgrims over the centuries have worn thin the veil between heaven and earth. Every breath and step serves to open the pilgrim’s heart to the Divine Presence. Through contact with its deep Celtic spirituality, pilgrims can carry part of Lindisfarne home with them. The Holy Island becomes a sacred place within the pilgrim soul.

~ PR

I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”   John 15:5

The above Bible verse has always been one of my favorites. It is of course one of Jesus’ great “I am” statements found in the Gospel of John.  By saying “I am” Jesus is identifying himself with the great “I AM,” Yahweh, the God of Israel.  (See Exodus 3:13-15.)

This beautiful metaphor from nature about the vine and the branches points to the deep organic unity that exists between Jesus and his followers.  Jesus is the Source, the fountain of Life.

The key for us as followers of Jesus is that we “abide” in him.  The Greek word used here is meno which has several nuanced meanings:  “abide”, “remain", “dwell”, “continue to be present.”  Menoing or abiding in Christ is the essence of our contemplative practice.  Through silence and contemplation we abide in Christ.  As The Book of Common Prayer puts it so poetically:  “That he may dwell in us and we in him.”

This organic connection allows us to continually receive spiritual nourishment from the Divine Source.  We dwell in the flow of Grace. And the benefit of all of this deep intimate spiritual practice is that over time we bear fruit for God’s Kingdom. (See Galatians 5:22-23.)

Next time you are outside in nature or working in your garden, take a look at a bush with its branches.  Imagine how beautifully and wondrously you are connected to Christ.

~ PR

EXODUS FROM EGYPT — FREEDOM FROM OUR NARROW PLACES

It is very cool that Passover and Easter are celebrated on the same weekend this year. The first day of Passover falls on Holy Saturday. (Be sure to check out the full moon Friday night!)  Passover celebrates the deliverance of the ancient Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. The Hebrew word for Egypt is “Mitzryim”, which literally translates as “narrow place.” The Jews believe that by remembering the Exodus in the rituals of Passover they are being delivered from their narrow places — their restrictive ways of thinking and behaving. In leaving “Egypt” year after year they are being brought into wider, more open and expansive ways of living, loving and serving.

As Christians we view Jesus the Christ as our Passover. Through his death and resurrection Jesus sets us free. I think one way of viewing the Paschal Mystery is to recognize that we are spiritually being set free from our “Egypts,” our “narrow places”, our restrictive ways of viewing life. We are being brought into wider ways of thinking, more inclusive ways of living, loving and serving.

Fr. Thomas Keating taught that contemplative prayer draws us more deeply into the Paschal Mystery. Contemplation is our place of sabbath rest. In that silent space we die to the narrow views of our egos and rise to an expansive vision of life in Christ. This is a deep mysterious process which leads us from our narrow places into new possibilities for sharing Divine Life and Love.

~ PR

SEEK THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.”  Isaiah 55:6

The above verse from “The Second Song of Isaiah” provides us with wonderful     guidance for these middle days of Lent.  This verse can spark our spiritual curiosity.  What does it mean for you to “seek the Lord” at this particular time in your life?  How will you go about seeking the Lord during these remaining days of Lent?  In what circumstances of your life is God calling you to meet him?

Isaiah tells us that now is an excellent time to seek the Lord because now God is drawing near. It is now that God may be found.  Not in the past; not in the future.  But right here, right now, in the present circumstances of our busy messy lives.

Where can we seek the Lord in our lives? Here are a few ideas that come to mind:

• In silence, stillness and solitude.

• Spending time in the sacred book of nature.  Maybe going for a walk, sitting on a park bench or working in the garden.

• In our breath.  The Holy Spirit comes into our awareness when we focus on our breathing even for a moment.

• Spending time with our difficult emotions and considering how God may be calling us to grow through these feelings.

The important thing is that now today is the time for us to sincerely and enthusiastically “seek the Lord.”  Now is the time for us to draw near to God as God draws near to us.  

~ PR

WILDERNESS AND THE LENTEN JOURNEY

“After his baptism, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”    Luke 4:1                                                            

Lent is a time when we are invited to go into the “wilderness” voluntarily.  We chose to spend time with God in the wilderness for the purpose of spiritual growth.  However, there are other times in our lives when we are thrust into the wilderness involuntarily.  We end up in a dark, lonely, unfamiliar place.  Examples of this kind of wilderness experience are illness, loss of a loved one, going through a divorce or dealing with an addiction.

As many of you know I have been dealing with some health issues since the first of the year.  I have been receiving treatment for a heart condition.  One of the outcomes of this heart ailment is that it has forced me into the wilderness — into a scary, dark, unknown environment.  It has and continues to challenge me both spiritually and emotionally.

The result of this involuntary wilderness wrestling is that I am learning some valuable lessons about myself, about life, and about God.  It has forced me to re-evaluate my priorities and focus on the things that matter most to me.  It has forced me to take a fresh look at things like health, healing, play, nurture and self care.  And finally I am learning how much I am loved and cherished by God and so many, many people in my life.

The bottom line for me is that because of my being involuntarily thrust into the wilderness these past few months, this is looking to be the most meaningful Lent I have ever experienced.  Because of my time in the wilderness, I am searching more, asking for help more, and discovering deeper parts of myself.  It feels like new life, a deeper level of self-acceptance and intimate connection with people.  

Whether you have chosen voluntarily to go into the wilderness this Lent or if you have been thrust into the wilderness involuntarily, I pray that your Lenten journey is a good one, a time of spiritual awakening.

~ PR

MINDFULNESS AND MULTITASKING

“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.”   — Jon Kabat-Zinn

Since I have been practicing mindfulness these past couple of years, I have become more and more aware of when I am multitasking.  For example, there is an elevator in our apartment building that I often take.  It is very easy to use the time waiting for and riding in the elevator for checking my cell phone for messages and other kinds of information.  What has dawned on me is that when I am checking my cell phone and riding in the elevator, I am not really doing either one.  My attention is divided.  

To work on this tendency my strategy these days is to practice mindful elevator riding.  I put my cell phone away in my pocket.  And I just stand there breathing being mindful of riding in the elevator.  This has become a wonderful experience that I look forward to, rather than just a tedious way to get from point A to point B.

I am wondering if multitasking is really all that it is cracked up to be.  Do we really get more done when we multitask?  I question that.  And I do know that when I mindfully do just one thing at a time I experience more focus and peacefulness.  I enjoy that one task even more.

I encourage you to think about mindfulness and multitasking.  Experiment with doing just one thing at a time mindfully.  It can open up pathways to greater enjoyment of the present moment.

~ PR

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

  “Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10

This famous Scripture verse describes the essence of contemplative prayer better than any other verse in the Bible. When we say this verse with a prayerful heart, we instantly enter into a deeper awareness of the Divine Presence. I regularly use Psalm 46:10 at the beginning of my contemplative prayer sessions.

When we hear the words “be still” we usually think it means to “be quiet” or to “cease from movement.” However, it is interesting that the Hebrew word used here, rapha, has another nuance. Rapha means to “let go,” to “surrender”, to “cease from struggle.” The Hebrew imagery implies to stop struggling by letting go of a rope we are tugging on. 

I find the Hebrew meaning of this great contemplative verse from Psalm 46 to be very helpful. In addition to becoming quiet and still in prayer, we are invited to “let go” and know that God is God. We are encouraged to let go of our own agendas and struggles, allowing God to work his agenda in us. We can rest in peacefulness knowing that God is our refuge and strength.

~ PR

WAITING FOR SUNRISE AND HIGH TIDE

“For God alone my soul in silence waits.”  Psalm 62:5

The other morning my wife, Judie, and I got up very early while it was still pitch dark outside. We were staying at our beach house on Puget Sound.  We wanted to watch the sunrise and also watch the tide come in.  The tide was scheduled to be one of the highest of the winter.  We enjoyed a breakfast of coffee, pancakes and bacon.  And then we settled in to watch the show nature put on for us, warm coffee mugs in hand.

While waiting both for the sunrise and the high tide, I noticed how contemplative the whole experience was.  Not much talking.  Mostly sitting and waiting and watching in quiet.  Nature did not disappoint.  The pink sunrise, reflected in the still waters, was glorious to behold.  The high tide nearly reached the top of our sea wall like water reaching the top rim of a bathtub. Both phenomena of nature filled our hearts with gentle amazement and quiet gratitude. 

Contemplative prayer is much like this.  Waiting and watching in faith for God to come in silence - a faint whisper, a “still small voice.”

~ PR

WHAT IS TRUE OF JESUS IS TRUE FOR US

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  Luke 3:21-22

During this Christmas/Epiphany season I have been meditating upon the spiritual notion that Christ is a mirror of our true selves.  In many respects what is true for Jesus is also true for us.  When we gaze at an image of Jesus and contemplate his presence, we see our true selves mirrored in his face.  We get a glimpse of ourselves as whole human beings in a holy, life-giving relationship with God.

The image with this post is a simple icon of the Baptism of Jesus, which we celebrate on the Second Sunday of Epiphany.  Imagine yourself there in the water with Jesus or maybe even in his place.  Picture the scene.  Imagine John pouring the water over your head.  Visualize the Holy Spirit descending upon you in the shape of a dove.  And most importantly hear these words spoken to you by God the Father:  “You are my beloved child; in you I am well pleased.”

What is true for Jesus’ baptism is also true for you and me.  We are God’s beloved sons and daughters, filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a spiritual reality worth contemplating the rest of our lives.

~ PR

CHRIST IS THE MIRROR OF OUR TRUE SELVES

“And Mary brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7

During late Advent and the early days of Christmas, I have enjoyed pondering the mystery of Christ’s birth.  I have done this by meditating upon the Nativity story in Luke, looking at images of the Nativity in Christian art, and by listening to many lovely Christmas carols.  Through this pondering and wondering I have seen the baby Jesus in a new light this year.  I see his vulnerability, his holiness and how he is God’s beloved Son.  And as I have gazed upon the baby in the manger I have come to see that Jesus is the mirror of our true selves.  What we see in Jesus is also true of us.  We are vulnerable.  We are holy in our original blessedness.  And we are beloved children of God.

Contemplative Christians throughout the ages have spoken about the importance of “the gaze.”  How in contemplative prayer we are gazing upon the image of God which dwells within our souls.  Jesus is that image, the perfect reflection of God in human form. By gazing upon the mirror of Jesus we behold our true original selves — beautiful, holy, shimmering and beloved.  We are transformed more and more into the image of Christ.  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.”  John 1:14

~ PR

To listen to a beautiful modern carol on the Nativity of Jesus follow this link:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G2uWwHn1I8

The song is “My Lord has Come,” by Will Todd, conducted by Nigel Short.

GIVING BIRTH TO CHRIST WITHIN

“What good is it for me if Mary gave birth to the Son of God 1400 years ago and I don’t give birth to God’s Son in my person, in my culture and my times.”

- Meister Eckhart, 13th century Christian mystic and Dominican friar

In two short weeks it will be Christmas Eve.  We will be celebrating the birth of God’s Son into our world and into our lives.  What is happening in our souls as we celebrate this great Feast of the Incarnation?  I think Meister Eckhart gives us some very profound spiritual guidance here.  At Christmas we just don’t celebrate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, as important as that is. In addition we celebrate the birth of Christ Consciousness, the birth of the Second Person of the Trinity, into our own lives, into our own souls.  In the words of C.S. Lewis we become “little Christs” through the incarnation of the Word of God within.

Our contemplative practice plays a very important role in the expansion of our awareness of the birth of Christ within.  Contemplative prayer opens us up to the light, life and love of Christ.  It is a light shining in the darkness, the light of Divine Presence and Love within.  Through our practice we grow.  The Light of Christ shines more brightly, little by little.  We become “Christophoros”, “Christ bearers”, in our culture and world, key players in God’s plan of salvation.

With this ever expanding knowledge and awareness, we say, “Thank you.”  With Mary we sing, “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.”  Thanks be to God for the birth of Christ in Bethlehem and within our souls. May each of us be and become our truest selves, miraculous bearers of Christ.

~ PR

MINDFULNESS AND THE SEASON OF ADVENT

December 2 is Advent Sunday and the beginning of a brand new liturgical year.  Advent is my favorite season of the Church year.  However, it easily gets overlooked these days as people rush straight from Thanksgiving to the celebration of Christmas.  Yet, Advent is a powerful time for spiritual reflection.  It is ready made for mindfulness and contemplation.

I encourage all of us to find time to slow down this December and discover peaceful moments of mindfulness.  What might those be?  One of my teachers defines mindfulness as “recognizing our present moment experience.”  Any experience can be an opportunity for mindfulness.  Here are a few ideas:

• Enjoy gazing at the candles on your Advent wreath or the lights on your Christmas tree.

• Enjoy slowly sipping a cup of tea or hot chocolate.

• Observe the Winter Solstice on December 21 by lighting a candle of hope in the darkness.

• Enjoy listening to some of your favorite Advent, Christmas, or seasonal music.

• Observe the white cloud of your breath while walking outside on a cold December day.

Advent celebrates the “coming of Christ.” When and how does Christ come into our lives?  One of the most powerful ways we tune into the coming of Christ is through present moment awareness.  Wait, watch and awaken this Advent!

~ PR

DISCOVERING OUR SHIMMERING SELVES

“The original, shimmering self gets buried so deep that most of us end up hardly living out of it at all. Instead we live out all the other selves, which we are constantly putting on and taking off like coats and hats against the world’s weather”        

― Frederick Buechner

 In a previous post I invited us to ponder the question found in the famous Zen koan -- “What was your original face before you were born?” I suggested that our “original face” is our true self. Today I want to continue that theme by reflecting on the above quote.

Buechner points out that our “original shimmering selves” get buried and that we lose contact with them. We end up living from all kinds of “other selves” in reaction to the demands of daily life. For example, I frequently dress up in my “not good enough self” or my "fearful self."  Both cause me a great deal of distress. 

Contemplative practice helps us reconnect with “our original shimmering selves.” Meditation enables us to behold that part of our selves which is created in the image of God.  Contemplation helps us recognize that we are deeply loved and cherished by God. Awareness of the Divine Presence within brings life and freedom.

What is the path? Keep sitting, keep praying, keep beholding the Divine Mystery within.  Bit by bit we discover the shimmering treasure buried deep within our souls. 

~ PR

A Response to the Tragic Synagogue Shooting in Pittsburgh

Dear Friends,

I want to offer a response to the horrific and tragic shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh over the weekend.  We all are deeply grieved by this hate-filled act of violence against innocent people, an act of hateful anti-Semitism.  Too much of this kind of violence and hatred is going on in our country today.  Our hearts are broken.  We feel deep sadness and pain.

I am not sure that all of you know this but my step daughter and her family are Jewish.  Her husband is a conservative Rabbi in Kansas City.  My three grandchildren who live there are Jewish.  Three years ago their Jewish Community Center was attacked by a lunatic shooter.  Two people were killed.  It was a sad, tragic day that hit very close to home, and so does the massacre in Pittsburgh.

One thing I notice about the Jewish community is that they just get stronger when these things happen.  They strengthen their resolve to endure.  I think that is good approach for all of us.  To strengthen our commitment to prayer, compassion, justice, and love for all people.  To work for ways to protect the safety of all our American citizens, especially our ethnic and religious minorities.

Over the past couple of days since the shooting in Pittsburgh, the Prayer of St. Francis keeps coming to my mind.  I have prayed it a couple of times.  I value this prayer because it actually calls us to BE and DO something, to BE instruments of God’s peace, love, kindness, forgiveness, etc.  I am including the Prayer of St. Francis below for your use and comfort.

Keep up your prayers, meditation and contemplative practice.  Be comforted and strengthened by God’s grace.

Sending peace and lovingkindness,

Paul

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is

hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where

there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where

there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where

there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to

be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is

in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we

are born to eternal life. Amen.jsu

What Was Your Original Face?

There is a famous Zen koan which goes something like this:

“What did your face look like before your parents were born?”

Or “What was your original face before you were born?”

Now, I have never studied Zen koans, and I certainly do not have an answer to this riddle. However, I do find it intriguing. It captures my imagination. It makes me wonder about my true original self, my “original face.” This koan points us in the direction of what meditation and contemplative practice are all about. It invites us to behold the Mystery which lies within the beauty of our souls.

When we meditate we humble ourselves. We attempt to let go of the layers and layers of conditioning which make up our egos. We dive beneath the surface to discover something deeper, truer, and more authentic about ourselves. And after some time, if we persist in our practice, we begin to get a glimpse of our original self made in the image of God. We begin to see ourselves the way God sees us - beloved and restored in the mystical body of Christ.

What did your original face look like before you were born? Something to ponder. I invite you to live into the mystery of this koan as you continue your contemplative practice.

~ PR

Contemplation Leads to Compassionate Action

There is a lovely, little wooded park right next to the apartment building where my wife, Judie, and I live.  I often go for a walk in this park, following the trails that meander among the colorful rhododendrons and the tall Douglas Fir trees.  I enjoy getting the exercise and contemplating the beauty of nature.

Over the past couple of months I have gotten to know a man who sits alone on a bench in the park almost every day.  I like to stop and chat with him. Robert is middle-aged, a Veteran, and homeless. He sleeps in an undisclosed location somewhere in our neighborhood.  He comes to the park each day to enjoy the quiet, safety and solitude.  

My heart feels compassion for Robert.  I have talked with him about finding some kind of housing.  However, he finds it very hard to trust people.  He would rather survive outside on his own than risk being taken advantage of again.  I wish I could do more for Robert.  For now I am attempting to become his friend.  Someone to shoot the breeze with.  Someone who cares and notices him as part of our community.

Part of the trajectory of the contemplative life is that the more we practice the more our hearts open to compassion.  The more we pray the more we are moved to serve the poor and needy.  I heard a Roman Catholic priest say years ago that we all should befriend at least one poor person or poor family.  That is good practical advice which can make a difference. I am reminded of these powerful words of Jesus:  “Whenever you did it (i.e., showed mercy, kindness or compassion) unto one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it unto me.”   Matthew 25:40

Waiting Upon the Lord and Contemplative Prayer

“Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint.”       Isaiah 40:31

A great deal of contemplative practice involves “waiting upon the Lord” in silence and receptivity. For long periods of time we may get the impression that nothing is happening. Day after day we sit in our chairs without so much as a tinge of inspiration or insight. We may feel that we are wasting our time. 

However this beautiful verse from Isaiah reassures us that something very important is happening as we “wait upon the Lord.” God is renewing our strength as we sit in his presence, opening our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Hebrew word translated as “wait” is — qavah. The literal meaning of qavah is to “bind together like a cord.” Strands of string get stronger as they are woven into a rope. So while “waiting upon the Lord” we are being bound together with God and strengthened. Contemplative prayer is a means by which the Spirit weaves the various strands of our lives into the fabric of God’s love. Thus, by waiting upon the Lord we are strengthened for daily life and service.

We may not perceive this renewing process taking place as we sit in meditation. However, over time our prayer results in the strengthening of our faith, our souls, and our trust in God.

Discovering Stillness Through Sea Kayaking

The other morning Judie and I went sea kayaking out on Puget Sound.  It was a beautiful fall morning.  Bright and sunny; about 58 degrees when we set out.  The amazing thing was that the waters of our Salish Sea were almost perfectly calm — still, beautiful, peaceful.

Judie and I are not in the best of shape.  We take a safe senior approach to exercise.  Our style of kayaking that day was to paddle for a few hundred yards, stop paddling for a moment, and then glide across the glassy waters.  Eventually we would come to rest and just sit there floating on the water.  We did this for over an hour.  I really enjoyed this rhythm because it caused me to discover an amazing interior stillness which mirrored the stillness of the water.

Our journey on Puget Sound reminded me of these favorite words from the 23rd Psalm:  “He leadeth beside the still waters; he restoreth my soul.”  Judie and I returned from our voyage feeling both physically and spiritually refreshed.  This adventure taught me that contemplative prayer can take place anywhere and can happen spontaneously out in God’s beautiful creation.