Krista Tippett, author, producer, and host of the Public Radio show, "Speaking of Faith" writes, "Focused Attention, Open Awareness" I'm not sure I'd seen the words "physicist" and "contemplative" in the same sentence many times, much less found them together as descriptors of the same person, before I met Arthur Zajonc."

The opening words in Tippett's e-mail announcement for the June 24, 2010 show, "Holding Life Consciously" grabbed me. Having not yet listened to the show or podcast on my iPod, a knowing and affirmation reverberated within my Spirit in subtle new language: Focus. Attention. Open Awareness. Alert. Alive. Stillness.

Gift yourself. Take a minute and read quotes in this blog post. Or, read the full description I read, and listen to the June 24, 2010 show, "Holding Life Consciously"

Notice: What opens in you? Is your inner knowing affirmed with any of these insights? Does a phrase or turn of words evoke an inner smile and affirmation in you?

From June 24, 2010 show, "Holding Life Consciously:

"Zajonc's own life experience has been recently reshaped by a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. He has seen the progression of this illness in other members of his family, and so has some understanding of what is ahead. This is at one and the same time a source of grief and a continuation of the adventure Arthur Zajonc has long been on — to explore what holding life consciously means, now with a progressively debilitating condition. He tells me:

"There are two main types of meditation and both of them are part of my life, which one is a concentration and the other is what I call open awareness. It's a very open presence."

In the concentration phase, tremors actually worsened.

You have a line of poetry or from scripture or an image and you bring your full undivided single-pointed attention to that content. But as we're straining mentally to do that, the hand begins to tremor more. And then when you release the image and become very still and quiet and open yourself wide, the hand slowly calms to the point where indeed your whole body feels at ease and the tremor disappears. Interesting…

I can see that the mind and the body are so delicately attuned to one another that these practices affect the Parkinson's state itself. … So here's the question I pose to myself.

"Is it possible to be alive, active in the world, and yet have such calm, such kind of inner openness and presence that one can lead a life, at least in part, that is an expression of that quality of meditative quiescence that's on the one hand quite alert and on the other hand, completely at ease, completely at rest. … And I'll keep you posted as to whether that comes out all right or not."

What do you think?

"People want to be compassionate, but often they don't know how to go about it." --Karen Armstrong

A 57 second video introduces Armstrong's new Vook, A Compassionate Life in 12 Steps. Short and pithy, let these simple words inspire you. You'll hear a young woman say, "It's time for us to really look within." Do you agree? Could a spiritual director accompany your inner journey of seeking that manifests in compassion for self and others?

Imagine a world of compassion in action. Armstrong does, and teaches us how to go about it. One man tells us, "You gotta be compassionate, man! You can't walk around mad at the world all the time." Indeed! Well, said.

Armstrong is a religious scholar, author, TED Prize winner, and her vision created the worldwide Charter for Compassion.

A vook is a new innovation in reading that blends a well-written book, high-quality video and the power of the Internet into a single, complete story.

Are you looking for some direction in your life - something more? A spiritual director, companion, mentor, or guide may help you along on your journey of discovery. Tips and online resource:  Locate a spiritual director.

 

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The 2011 print version of Seek and Find: A Worldwide Resource Guide of Available Spiritual Directors is published once a year, and it's coming soon!

A complimentary gift ...
Would you like to share a printed copy of the 2011 Seek and Find Guide with someone in your community who would benefit from having a 2011 print version? Perhaps one of these places or people spark an idea in you:

• Your local spiritual congregation leader
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• Engage your imagination ... who? where?
  

It's simple:
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Tell us where to send a copy of the 2011 Seek and Find Guide – it’s a fast and easy way to help your community.

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Current members: Please update your membership information by July 1. Fill out the profile update form http://www.sdiworld.org/profileupdates.html or e-mail membership [@] sdiworld.org. Any changes to your information must be received by July 1st to be included in the 2011 printed Seek and Find Guide.

Not yet a member? Join SDI now. You will be included in the online and printed version of the 2011 Seek and Find Guide, and receive many other membership benefits. It's easy. 

 

 

In Claremont, California, USA, "A rabbi, a minister and an imam walk into a classroom, and it's no joke."

Nardine Saad, an Associated Press Writer reports,

"The venerable Claremont School of Theology has taught Methodist ministers and theologians for more than a century, but in the fall they'll try an unorthodox approach: cross-training the nation's future Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious leaders in classrooms scattered around Southern California as they work toward their respective degrees. The experimental approach launched Wednesday [June 9, 2010] is intended to create U.S. religious leaders who not only preach tolerance in an era of religious strife, but who have lived it themselves by rubbing shoulders with those in other Abrahamic faiths."

Additionally, Saad writes,

• "The collaborative effort among the seminary, Jewish academy and Islamic center is believed to be the first to integrate the three studies. Other Christian institutions, such as Connecticut's Hartford Seminary, offer an imam training program but don't incorporate rabbinical students."
   
• "Jewish organizers are excited that the project will allow future rabbis and imams to study together for the first time — something that's increasingly important in a world where Muslim-Jewish conflict makes headlines almost every day."
   
• "Students have expressed excitement about the project. Susan Goldberg, 36, a third-year rabbinical student from Echo Park, said she is "thrilled" about studying overlapping theologies and scriptures in the project. "I have a great desire to learn about others and in the learning it clarifies who I am and how I'm different and how we're connected," she said. "It can only serve to make us better leaders.""

 Links

Click to read the full article, "Theology School Melds Studies of Different Faiths" by Nardine Saad, writing for The Associated Press, June 9, 2010.

Click to read more about the Claremont School of Theology "University Project."

Spiritual Directors International is a global learning community of people from many faiths and many nations who share a common concern, passion and commitment to the art and contemplative practice of spiritual direction.  

Please add your thoughts and comments to this blog post. 

Do you desire to learn about prayer, where spiritual direction leads, what to seek in a spiritual guide, and what you can bring to a spiritual guidance relationship? Make time for a few minutes with Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB, through two new short videos. You will hear many gems, including, “Spiritual guidance leads to deep trust in life.”

In an engaging, candid conversation, Brother David adds to the “Spiritual Directors International Learns From…” video series. Filmed during the SDI twentieth anniversary celebration in San Francisco, California, USA, Brother David was a plenary keynote during the educational events.

Conversation with Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB 7:54 minutes

Brother David-Steindl-Rast, OSB: How to Find a Spiritual Guide, It Can Be Difficult! 3:30 minutes

About
Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB, has devoted his life to peace and justice through the ministry of cultivating gratefulness and understanding among spiritual traditions. Originally from Austria, he has published many books including Gratefulness: the Heart of Prayer and his most recent, Deeper than Words: Living the Apostle’s Creed.
He co-founded the Center for Spiritual Studies in 1968, and received the 1975 Martin Buber Award for his achievements in building bridges among religious traditions. Together with Thomas Merton, Brother David helped launch a renewal of religious life. From 1970 on, he became a leading figure in the House of Prayer movement, which affected some 200,000 members of religious orders in the United States and Canada.

Additional Links

• FREE educational videos in "SDI Learns From..." YouTube video series. More than fifteen titles are now available to you

• Seek and Find: A Worldwide Resource Guide of Available Spiritual Directors is an online, comprehensive, global listing of more than 5,000 spiritual directors and guides. Using interactive Google maps, you can search anywhere in the world
• FREE one hour Spiritual Directors International Teleconference: “How to Seek and Find a Spiritual Director” 

• To be the first to view new educational videos, add your name to the YouTube subscription service for sdiworld videos
• Links to books by Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB, and additional juicy titles from spiritual leaders

Spiritual Directors International creates educational videos for the general public to tell the story of spiritual direction, which is also known as spiritual companionship, spiritual guidance, and spiritual accompaniment.

Please share these videos with your colleagues, local religious and spiritual institutions, hospital, organizations that offer spiritual care, seekers, family, friends, students, and everyone seeking a spiritual director or guide.

 

 

Is spiritual direction a worthy solution? The National Catholic Reporter reports, "The Catholic church in the United States is facing a daunting challenge in trying to reach and provide spiritual formation for its estimated 65 million members." In his May 28, 2010 article "An Ancient and Contemporary Pathway to God", Tom Gallagher indicates, "One group believes it has the answer: spiritual direction."

Liz Budd Ellmann, executive director of Spiritual Directors International is interviewed in the article. She reminds us,

“Spiritual direction is not for the pious few, but for everyone who is seeking a relationship with God”

Echoing the historical roots of spiritual direction, Dr. Janet Ruffing, a member of SDI, author, and professor of spirituality and ministerial leadership at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut explains, “Spiritual direction is an ancient practice in the church and was recovered and renewed by Vatican Council II."

Jesuit Bishop Carlos Sevilla of the Yakima, Washington diocese believes that, “Spiritual direction allows people to deepen their relationship with God and affects other dimensions of their lives as they carry forward as committed Catholics.”

Spiritual Directors International provided excellent recommendations to guide a person's search for a spiritual director. Included are the reminders to, "reflect and pray," along with "ways to find spiritual directors."

Could spiritual direction become more visible and serve a spiritual hunger in Catholic parishes? Absolutely. To read the entire article, click, "An Ancient and Contemporary Pathway to God" by Tom Gallagher.

Imagine choosing to engage in a contemplative spiritual practice of exile. A Jewish spiritual director recently taught our peer supervision group Hebrew-Yiddish phrases that may be supportive to you as you journey with your spiritual companions:  “pravis galut” means “I am practicing exile” and “pravas galut” means “we are practicing exile.” Practicing exile deepens our dependence on God, a Higher Power, or in Thomas Merton’s words, “the ultimate reality that is love.” 

Practicing exile is not – I repeat: not  – an idealized, cerebral exercise. “Exile is one of the saddest fates,” Palestinian-American Edward Said asserts. “There has always been an association between the idea of exile and the terrors of being a leper, a social and moral untouchable.” Practicing exile does not fail to recognize the experience of millions of people who live in a constant state of being cast out, without a homeland. The practice of exile, however, does allow us, paraphrasing the language of Said, “to create an intellectual and moral space which provides a place from which to refuse to give in to attempts to be co-opted into becoming an ally for power and which unsettles us as long as injustice forces homelessness and exile anywhere.” 

How do we practice exile? Kindness. Solidarity. Shake that tambourine.  

Kindness. The home office of Spiritual Directors International is blessed this week by the visit of the Venerable Panchen Ötrul Rinpoche, who like many Tibetans lives in exile. When the Dalai Lama was asked how he remains serene and cheerful in exile, amidst the intolerance of many religious people, and the tensions between China and Tibet, he responded with a smile, “My religion is kindness.” By greeting people with loving kindness, including people who are “enemies,” we learn compassion for ourselves and may be open to discover the plight of others. Rinpoche is visiting Seattle to raise money for charitable work in Mongolia.

Solidarity. Meeting regularly with a spiritual director strengthens the heart’s movement out of alienation toward community, even if the community consists of fellow exiles. As spiritual directors, we offer an embodied experience of loving solidarity and Christ-like compassion. Many seekers search for a way home to a community “out there,” yet over time, with the support of a spiritual companion, they may discover Jeremiah’s invitation to the exiles to seek peace and prosperity in the city in which they find themselves (Jer  29:7).

Shake that tambourine. Spiritual Directors International member Rev. Valerie Fons is living in exile on many levels. Not only is she living in Washington state – two thousand miles from her Wisconsin family – in a sterile hospital room, as she receives a bone marrow transplant, she also lives in exile from her former body and from the earth. She wrote about exile in her blog, “My body felt like a killing field. The doctors had told me that I would not be able to touch or sit on the dirt for a year following transplant. Following the chemo rounds, I felt as if there was no earth to touch because killing was beneath me, all around and through me.” Yet when I last visited Valerie, doctors delivered the news that she is progressing steadily, and she will soon move into temporary housing. I witnessed a weak-but-joy-filled Valerie rise up on her frail legs to sing a hymn to the doctors. And then she turned the black-plastic plate warmers into a makeshift cymbal and tambourine. Like Moses’ sister Miriam, she celebrated being one step out of exile, closer to the promised land. By pausing to be joyful and grateful, we celebrated at a deep level that God was indeed bringing Valerie out of exile. (See the painting of Miriam crossing the Red Sea, by James Tissot, Songs of Joy, at the top of the blog).

As spiritual companions, we might take up the conscious spiritual practice of “pravus galut” by meeting with kindness the people God sends us each day, by standing in solidarity with people living in actual and metaphorical exile, and by celebrating every inch out of exile into new life. By practicing exile, we join others around the world and across traditions, who like Thomas Merton, “have all known the long loneliness, and that the only solution is love, and that love comes with community.” 

Please share your thoughts about how you practice exile by adding comments to the blog.