Blessings and Blemishes

While driving through the auburn hills of Eastern Washington, I stopped at a roadside fruit stand with larger-than-life advertisements for apples, pears, and more. Boxes of fruit displayed the abundance of autumn in the Pacific Northwest, and after some browsing, I chose a box of brightly colored honey crisp apples for homemade applesauce. Once home, the pealing and trimming began, and I discovered the bumps, dimples, and sweetness of each individual fruit. 

The past month of November has offered many opportunities for reflection. With the passing of All Souls Day, SDI invited you to embrace the closeness of your ancestors and notice that “the veil between heaven and the earth is thin.” As the curtain fell on this month of remembrance, two important days come to mind as turning our hearts toward the blessing and abundance in our lives.

On November 24, the United States celebrated Thanksgiving, a feast that beckons individuals to recall the blessing of community and friendship while gathered at table. The following day, on November 25, Muslims around the world welcomed the beginning of the Islamic New Year with a time of introspection and reflection. Both of these days share a theme of recollection, noticing the graces and blessings that swell in our lives. 

Mahatma Gandhi is quoted saying, “My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and my talents, and I lay them both at his feet.” Peeling thirty plump apples, it’s hard to overlook the integrity of each piece of fruit under its perfect or rumpled skin. Once peeled, sliced, and simmering on the stove, it’s impossible to separate out what arrived with a bruise.

Wherever you are in this rich season of life, SDI invites you to open your heart with gratitude for the blessings and the blemishes. Take a moment to embrace your abundance and shortcomings, and “lay them both” at the feet of God.

Gathering across Spiritual Traditions

Rev. Susan Morrison and Kathryn O’Connell Cleary

On Monday, September 12, 2011, a meeting of the Greater Boston Spiritual Directors was held at Hebrew College in Newton Center, Massachusetts, USA. Spiritual directors from the Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, and Quaker traditions met for two hours within a contemplative format. This group has been meeting quarterly for a year. At each gathering, two members of the group share the role of facilitator on a rotating basis.

The meeting began with a centering meditation, followed by introductions and brief sharing. One of the facilitators then offered a guided imagery meditation integrating the body and the spirit. In triads, group members were invited to share their experience of the meditation. The group then turned to reflection questions which had been submitted by the facilitators prior to the gathering. Since the meeting was held on September 12, the first question was: “How has September 11 affected my ministry as a spiritual director? Do I have a personal reflection or a memory or observation or hope on this anniversary of 9/11?” Following a period of silent, personal reflection, members shared their responses.  The second question was: “As a spiritual director, how do I cultivate contemplative living through practices that enhance deeper mindfulness?” Again, after some time of reflection, there was sharing in the large group. Individual taper candles were then lit, and the meeting closed with a meditation song entitled “Deep Peace” and the ringing of the meditation bowl.

Members have experienced a depth of sharing in the mystic heart of meditative awareness; the gathering has been nourishment for the call to spiritual direction across spiritual traditions.

Editor’s note: For more reflections on 9/11 and the ministry of spiritual direction, please see the blog post “From Bereft to Befriended” by Liz Budd Ellmann, MDiv, and the Connections article “Discerning Anger to Grow Compassion” by Susan Coppage Evans, DMin.

A Day of Tolerance

We are living in a world of constant change, of ebb and flow, of becoming. As spiritual directors, you hold the grace of accompanying others on their journey of jostle and stride, like watching a stone become smooth and radiant by the soft tumble of water. In your attending and listening, you fashion a holy space for all seasons of emotions, where each nudging has its place and each feeling has voice.

Today, the United Nations and member states around the world celebrate the International Day of Tolerance. Founded in 1996, this day promotes the importance of mutual respect and acceptance of all “ways of being human.” According to the Declaration on Tolerance, “People are naturally diverse; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe.” Tolerance, like spiritual direction, creates a space where the rich becoming in life can flourish.

To honor this day of tolerance around the world, Spiritual Directors International encourages you to take a few minutes to honor the grains of sand that have turned you over and over and changed the way you encounter the world. In An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life, the Dalai Lama writes: “The slice of bread we eat had to be baked by someone. The wheat had to be planted by someone else and, after irrigation and fertilization, had to be harvested and then milled into flour. …Even our personal virtues, such as our patience and ethical sense, are all developed in dependence upon others. We can even come to appreciate that those who cause us difficulty are providing us with the opportunity to develop tolerance.”

Who has brought you the opportunity to embrace tolerance lately? Where in your heart do you honor that relationship today? Indeed, we are all learning, all tumbling, all changing. Your awareness of tolerance is cultivating compassion in the world today. 

Shalem’s Contemplative Voices Award

Honoring two Members of SDI

The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation held their first Contemplative Voices Award Benefit on Thursday, November 3, 2011, in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. This award was created to honor individuals who make significant contributions to contemplative understanding and whose witness helps others live from the divine wellspring of compassion, strength, and authentic vision.

This year, the award was given to Reverend Margaret Guenther, Episcopal priest, writer, teacher, and grandmother, and to Reverend John Phillip Newell, a Church of Scotland pastor, poet, scholar, teacher, and former warden of Iona Abbey. Both are active members of SDI.

During the ceremony, Guenther read a piece entitled “Tips for Travelers” from her latest book, Walking Home: From Eden to Emmaus. Light hearted and humorously, she read, “As one who travels a great deal and who stubbornly insists on carrying her own luggage, I am an expert packer. …And when I arrive at my destination, my greeter almost always exclaims: ‘Is that all you have?’ I smile modestly and enlarge my reputation as one of Jesus’ humble foot soldiers. Surely Jesus would have approved of my packing skills, while the twelve would probably have shot me nasty looks for making them look bad.”

Newell shared “the India story” from the first chapter of his book, A New Harmony: The Spirit, the Earth, and the Human Soul. He read of his first night in India and his dream of drinking vodka with Mikhail Gorbachev. The story continued with an elderly Indian gentleman who told him, “I must be going now, but I have one final thing to say to you. You are God. And until you realize you are God, you will not be wise, you will not be happy, and you will not be free. Namasté.” Newell continued, “One of the most emphatic things to be said about the Indian banker’s words to me is that he was not addressing my ego. He was addressing the essential depth in me that is also his true depth and the true depth of everything that has being. He was pointing to the Ground of my being, to the Self within all selves, to the One in whom all life is rooted.”

Guenther and Newell were awarded a carved statuette made from an oak tree that had fallen on New Hampshire Avenue in Washington DC, USA. These were carved by an organization that honors and values trees while creating beautiful custom-designed pieces from “salvage” logs.

Editor’s note: Therese Taylor Stinson serves on the Coordinating Council of Spiritual Directors International and the board of directors of Shalem.

If you are interested in learning more from John Philip Newell, join Spiritual Directors International in Boston in April 2012. John Phillip Newell keynotes the conference.

From Bereft to Befriended

Are you awake to the grief in our midst that is begging for spiritual companionship? November is often referred to as a “thin time” and “thin place.” As we experience All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and El Dia de los Muertos, many believe our ancestors are particularly near; the veil between heaven and earth is thin. With the wisdom of the saints closely at hand, what beckons soul tending in your neighborhood? How might our spiritual ancestors lend us courage to be present to suffering?

On All Saints Day, with tears streaming down my cheeks, I stood in awe on the edge of two abysses of grief in New York. One abyss is the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial: a living reminder of the past. The other abyss is the encampment of the Occupy Wall Street movement: a living reminder of present injustice. Both experiences engaged me with the pain of bereavement and the unexpected way that grief leads to openness for spiritual friendship.

9/11 World Trade Center Memorial

Like a giant coffin within a coffin, the 9/11 Memorial consists of two reflective pools cut deep into the earth in the same place the towers once stood. Thin streams of water fall down the interior walls of the giant upper coffin, draining into a lower coffin where the waterfall descends into a chasm. Nearly 3,000 names of the men, women, and children killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 are inscribed in bronze on parapets surrounding the twin memorial pools. The black walls of names keep visitors from being physically swept into the deep hole. However, the fluid sounds, the movement of rushing water, and the gentle mist rising amid the names invite visitors to be emotionally swept into the abyss of grief and mystery that Robert Frost writes about in his poem, “Bereft”:

Where had I heard this wind before

Change like this to a deeper roar?

… I was in my life alone,

Word I had no one left but God.

As I touched the names of people, my tears joined tears of thousands who have come to experience the deep roar of the 9/11 Memorial. Yet, a surprising peace came when I photographed three chairs to offer you a picture of my experience of God’s presence amid the dark side of humanity. Many people approached me wanting to learn more about the three chairs. As I explained the role of a sacred presence in the third chair, people talked about their spiritual understanding of the memorial. The memorial creates a place for befriending strangers and facilitates sharing stories of grief. Certainly this is what bereavement groups offer. There at the 9/11 Memorial, God’s healing presence was palpable.

Occupy Wall Street

After visiting the 9/11 Memorial, I spent a couple of hours listening to the concerns of the Occupy Wall Street protesters. Anguishing stories of job loss, anxiety about the environment, and worry about the lack of basic health care emerged. I witnessed grief in its raw, messy form, as people gave voice to their disgust and distrust in global systems that are not caring for our most vulnerable beings.

Listening to the protesters, especially the father of the young girl pictured here, made me appreciate anew the gift of being a spiritual director. On God’s behalf, we are called to listen to the grief-stricken and patiently wait for the mysteriously healing work of befriending strangers in grief. We are not alone in our search for justice and peace. We are not alone in seeking truth. We are not alone in our grief.

For those who have eyes to see, a spiritual hub of contemplative presence exists in Zuccotti Park. Next to the drummers, who rhythmically energize the peaceful-yet-chaotic protest scene, blankets on benches and a “chill out” chair encircle a tree. A simple altar with prayer and meditation beads, stones, and images from many spiritual traditions leans up against the tree trunk. People from many spiritual traditions and none sit in silence, around the tree that provides a place for reflection. I joined the contemplative circle to offer spiritual support with you, dear members, on behalf of people in grief everywhere. With deep gratitude, I bow to you for your spiritual care of our planet during these tumultuous times. Thank you.

Reflection:

How has grief led you to new ways of understanding spiritual presence in our evolving world? Who are the saintly strangers you’ve befriended lately? 

My Ofrenda

Reflections on Dia de los Muertos

In all houses of worship, there is a sacred space. Illuminated by candles or adored with fine cloth, there is a space observed as holy.

Today, Latino communities around the world celebrating Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, will spend time carefully creating a sacred space to honor and celebrate their ancestors and deceased family members. These ofrendas, or offerings, typically include a photo of the departed family member, marigolds, candles, sugar skulls, and items previously belonging to the deceased. Special foods including pan de muerto, or bread of the dead, is placed on the altar to nourish the ancestors. Vibrant colors, the scent of flowers, and freshly baked pan de muerto give these ofrendas honoring the dead an incredible sense of life.

The creation of ofrendas expresses reverence and gratitude towards the ancestors. And similar to the spiritual center in a house of worship, they can also serve as a place for deep grounding.

Last year at this time, I had just spent the month of October searching for an apartment in France. For four weeks, I had traveled between work and the homes of friends, wheeling all my essentials in a carry-on suitcase wherever I went. Finally, on October 31, I moved into a place of my own, and the first piece of furniture I set up was a small pine bed stand. I laid a yellow cloth over the wood, and placed a candle in the center. This was the beginning of my ofrenda, my altar, my sacred space.

With the celebration of Dia de los Muertos, we are encouraged to remember and honor our ancestors, and as with all spiritual holidays, beckoned to take a break from our daily routine to rediscover that which is holy.

This year, SDI welcomes you to join in this contemplative practice and create a sacred space in your home or office to celebrate those who have departed. Take your time and recall those who have gone before to make a place for you in this world. It doesn’t have to be elaborate; it can be as simple as a pine-wood bed stand with a yellow cloth and a single, flickering candle. 

“I hope to persuade you,” began Steven Pinker, “that there is a persistent decline in violence throughout history.” Speaking Monday night at Seattle’s Town Hall on his latest book, Better Angels of Our Nature, author and Harvard professor Stephen Pinker sought to convince the audience that humans everywhere are moving toward peace.

Pinker’s thesis emerges at a remarkable moment in our history: With the growing abundance of around-the-clock information-sharing, new eruptions of violence seem to occur daily. Increased news coverage of terrorism, crime, and war create the impression that our human family will never live in peace. For contemplatives worldwide, however, Pinker’s argument for peace couldn’t have come at a better time: Today marks twenty-five years since spiritual leaders from around the world gathered to pray for peace in Assisi, Italy. It was the first time in human history that such a gathering took place.

The decline in violence, outlined Pinker, may also be accompanied by an increase in our human ability to empathize. This rise in compassion towards others could be the result of a phenomenon he called the “widening-circle” of empathy. First theorized by philosopher Peter Singer, the idea recognizes that we have grown to empathize with more people and beings. Pinker remarked: “Over the millennia, people’s moral circles have expanded to encompass larger and larger polities: the clan, the tribe, the nation, both sexes, other races, and even animals.” The circle is ever-widening.

If we take this idea and integrate it with our lives, we realize that our capacity for compassion is continually growing, perhaps even beyond that of our ancestors. Together, we are closer to peace than ever before.

On this historic day celebrating twenty-five years since the first Assisi World Day of Prayer for Peace, imagine yourself as a “widening-circle” of empathy, a growing well of compassion. Where do you notice peace spilling over into new places of your life? In what direction is your circle of compassion expanding?

Hope for the Vulnerable

October 27 is just around the corner, and Spiritual Directors International is eager to celebrate twenty-five years since the first Assisi World Day of Prayer for Peace. On October 27, 1986, spiritual leaders from around the world met in Assisi, Italy, to pray for peace. It was the first time in human history that such a gathering took place.

As we draw nearer to this historic date, ten-word prayers for peace are pouring in from around the world. We’ve received prayers from Afghanistan, Australia, India, and Ireland; from New Zealand, Nigeria, and South Africa. We’ve received prayers for hope, for an end to violence, and for the awakening of truth.

Suzanne Johnson of British Columbia, Canada, prays:

“May the presence of peace provide hope for the vulnerable.”

Often, peace is understood as a meditative state or simply the absence of conflict. Johnson’s prayer, however, taps into the creative possibility of peace kindling hope for those who most need it.

Since the financial crisis of 2009, many around the world have lost their homes, jobs, or sense of security. And as a result, many individuals are finding themselves, for the first time, vulnerable. While governments work to create jobs and keep economies running, people are seeking a new source of hope in their lives. This is evident in the many “Occupy Wall Street” protests occurring around the world. From New York to Cape Town, people are calling out for hope.

As we near the anniversary of the first Assisi World Day of Prayer for Peace, let us be conscious of the world we are living in and its pleas for a peace that does justice. Join us on October 25 at Rolling Ridge Retreat Center, USA, or in your home communities, as we gather to pray: “May the presence of peace provide hope for the vulnerable.”

To create a community gathering for peace, use the SDI Moving toward Peace Community Gathering guide. This resource is meant to serve as an outline, so feel free to add your favorite peace songs, poems, and rituals to your community gathering for peace.

Walking Trees

Celebrating images of the garden and the journey

“We are walking trees,” announced Susan S. Phillips, PhD, while speaking at a gathering of spiritual directors in Mount Angel, Oregon, USA, this past weekend. The Northwest Spiritual Directors Fall Conference 2011 was sponsored by Sacred Path Ministry, and SDI was there to participate and bring you a glimpse of the weekend.

According to Phillips, the journey and the garden are the most prevailing images used in Judeo-Christian scripture to describe the relationship between the holy and ourselves. Just think: the metaphors found throughout the Bible and the Talmud include a tree of wisdom, vines, branches, and a mustard seed. And when we’re not in the garden, we are on a journey, walking like the Israelites toward a land flowing of milk and honey. “Blessed,” reported Phillips, “is a cognate in Hebrew for a word that means ‘on the right path.’” What is holy is inseparable from the image of the journey.

Phillips’s lectures were the cornerstone of the two-day conference. Her scholarly insights on intuition, imagination, the Sabbath, and metaphor provided depth and perspective to the practice of spiritual direction. On the final day of the conference, participants were invited by Phillips to engage with metaphor and draw themselves as walking trees. The results were a collage of color featuring both the garden and the journey, from giant Douglas firs spilling off the page to grandfather oaks spreading acorns across the forest floor.

Reflection: How are the images of the garden and the journey present in your life today? Go ahead, take ten minutes to find your colored pencils and paper, and draw the walking tree that you are in this season of your life. Together let’s discover the orchard of SDI!

Participants Michael Kennedy, Ann Raymond, and Debbie Kohler share the trees that represent themselves.

We are a garden of walking trees!

Peace that surpasses understanding

Did you know that twenty-five years ago, Assisi, Italy became the peace capital of the world? Pope John Paul II (2R) organized the first World Day of Prayer for Peace on October 27, 1986. Spiritual leaders from around the global gathered to pray for peace including African healers, the Dalai Lama (R), Rabbi Elio Toaff, Archbishop of Canterbury Robert A. K. Runcie (L), Muslim imams, Native American medicine men, the Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain Methodios (2L), Shintoists, Sikhs,  Zoroastrians, and others (see photograph above taken in Assisi).

“For the first time in history, we have come together from everywhere, Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities, and World Religions, in this sacred place dedicated to Saint Francis, to witness before the world, each according to his own conviction, about the transcendent quality of peace.” – Pope John Paul II

To commemorate that historic gathering for peace, Pope Benedict will make a pilgrimage to Assisi on October 27 with spiritual leaders from around the world. The theme for this year’s gathering is “Pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace.”

Participate in peace

As a way of participating prayerfully in the 2011 Assisi peace gathering, the Coordinating Council of Spiritual Directors International will gather near Boston for an evening of contemplative practice: Cultivating Compassion: Moving toward Peace. Please join us in Boston on October 25, or consider creating a similar interfaith gathering for peace in your home communities the week of October 27.

Another way to participate in Cultivating Compassion: Moving toward Peace is to send us your prayer for peace. By October 5, send us (office@sdiworld.org) a prayer of ten words or less for peace, along with a picture of you, your name, your state, province, territory, and your country. We will include your prayer for peace in a slideshow that will be shared on October 25 and online.

Pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace

The theme of this year’s Assisi gathering, “Pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace,” highlights the spiritual journey we each take toward truth and peace. By learning about truth in spiritual traditions around the world, we become better stewards of our human, spiritual heritage. We become pilgrims of truth.

Meeting regularly with a spiritual companion helps us to seek truth, to become peaceful within, and to become courageous peace makers in our communities. In spiritual direction, we listen with a discerning heart and learn contemplative practices that still the busy mind. Over time, our hearts and minds learn to discern truth and to trust peace.

Ultimate Reality is being peace. Spiritual direction helps us participate fully in Ultimate Reality. God calls us to be people of peace. Meeting regularly with a spiritual companion fosters our unique response to God’s call to be people of peace. Together, may we walk life’s pilgrimage toward a peace that surpasses understanding. From whatever spiritual tradition we come, may we join in our contemplative practice with our Jewish brothers and sisters during the Yom Kippur High Holy Days and join the world in praying for peace on October 27. 

Reflection:

How does meeting regularly with a spiritual director move you toward peace? What contemplative practices help you respond to God’s call to be people of peace?