Missionary Renegade: Weekly Recap for Tuesday, August 30, 2016 from ProgressiveChristianity.org in Gig Harbor, Washington, United States "Do you believe what you do matters? This and more in our Free Weekly Recap of our most viewed and new resources from last week."

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Weekly Recap for Tuesday, August 30, 2016 from ProgressiveChristianity.org in Gig Harbor, Washington, United States "Do you believe what you do matters? This and more in our Free Weekly Recap of our most viewed and new resources from last week."

Weekly Recap for Tuesday, August 30, 2016 from ProgressiveChristianity.org in Gig Harbor, Washington, United States "Do you believe what you do matters? This and more in our Free Weekly Recap of our most viewed and new resources from last week."

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We delved into the topics of: Imagination, Problem Solving, Meaning and Faith, and Gay Pride.
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Does Your Faith Ignite Your Imagination?

Kelly Isola
I ask, does my faith IGNITE my imagination? ... to take actions that are just as radical, just as passionate and just as committed to life as someone may be to death and destruction?
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Does Your Faith Ignite Your Imagination? by Kelly Isola
We seem to be deluged with never-ending newspaper and TV coverage about the Syrian/Iraqi refugee crisis and the threat of extremist violence. Each time it shows up in my newsfeed on Facebook, cuts into a TV show I am enjoying, or I hear people in a coffee shop talking about it frantically, I am bombarded with just how much fear and terror is brought to life with these issues.
It reminds me of the river of anxiety we are unknowingly and constantly swimming in. It feels extraordinarily unsettling because I am often left with more questions than answers, which only generates more fear and helplessness around violence that is rooted in religion. It just lives there in the background, and who wants this ongoing sense of powerlessness about the potential for violence to emerge in their own backyard?
My faith tells me that what I do matters, it leaves a ripple effect for all time, a lasting legacy based on what I do and how I engage ALL life while here on earth – but how often do I really ENGAGE that belief?
Recently I attended an event where 4 religious leaders from the Kansas City area spoke about their own faith responses in regards to confronting extremist violence and the refugee crisis here at home as well as abroad. Unfortunately the fear embedded in these issues does not often stimulate thoughtful or reasoned responses, nor ones that look to our core belief systems and faith values. This got me thinking more deeply about my own faith response, not just my words, but my actions.
Do I have a faith response to extreme violence? And if so, what is it? Sometimes, in my most upset moments, I have a fleeting thought that the only answer to insane, extreme violence is violence because that’s the only thing they could hear! Yet I know that’s not the answer. As I listened to the panelists, of course I knew there were other ways to respond, ones invoked by a deep love for my faith.
My faith tells me that what I do matters, it leaves a ripple effect for all time, a lasting legacy based on what I do and how I engage ALL life while here on earth – but how often do I really ENGAGE that belief? I realized that my faith needs to IGNITE my imagination. I mean REALLY ignite it. When I think about anyone who has committed an act of such extreme violence in the name of his or her own religion, I have to ask myself, “Does my faith ignite my imagination with the same passion and drive to take action?”
We forget that our imagination is actually neutral. It is a faculty of the mind that forms, manipulates and molds images and ideas, and these ideas, when joined with the desire of the heart, hopefully spur us to take action. Creativity is our instrument of being, and we can use it to create a life of joy, peace, compassion and kindness. Yet as I look around the world, I know we are equally equipped to use our imagination to create a life of violence, destruction and hate.
To ignite is to set something on fire, make it red hot, like flames! Now granted, anyone who commits an act of violence in the name of their faith has absolutely ignited their imagination, but certainly not in a way that is life-affirming or joy-filled. So again I ask, does my faith IGNITE my imagination? Has my own faith lit my imagination on fire to take actions that are just as radical, just as passionate and just as committed to life as someone may be to death and destruction?
My faith tells me that we belong to each other, that without you there is no me. My faith is rooted in the knowing that God is everywhere present, and that principle we call God, Spirit, Atman, Christ Consciousness, Divine Mind, is made known in the world through me – through what I express. This expression though is not just my words of faith, it must also be the exchange between us of what matters, which is made known by what I do.
So what have I done today that is radical, outside the box, challenges conventional wisdom, and leaves people with their mouths open in wonder, all in the name of my faith – which is love, compassion, kindness and joy? Words and good thoughts alone cannot ignite my imagination to staying faithful to what I hold most dear. The next time you hear about a violent act done in the name of faith, ask yourself “Does my faith ignite my imagination with the same passion?”

We are the restoration of our original authenticity and goodness and it is time to set that on fire, time to IGNITE our imagination and go do that, the embodiment of your faith.
Visit Kelly’s Blog Here
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Look At The Unknown

Jim Burklo
Ever tried so hard to solve a problem that you thought your head would explode? You’re not alone. Sometimes our obsession to figure something out gets in our way...
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Look At The Unknown by Jim Burklo
“One knows that which one thinks one knows less than that which one knows one does not know.” – Nicolas of Cusa, 1444-45
Ever tried so hard to solve a problem that you thought your head would explode?You’re not alone. Sometimes our obsession to figure something out gets in our way of finding the answer.
George Polya, a celebrated mathematician who pioneered the field of multi-dimensional geometry, was concerned with the state of mathematics education. To contribute to better teaching methods, he wrote a classic book, “How to Solve It”, in 1944. In it, Polya repeated this admonition: “Look at the unknown.” Stop trying to solve it, at least for a while. Just look at it, sit with it. Give it your mindful attention. Let it sink in. Admire it! Then compare it to other unknowns, other problems. How were those problems solved? How might those solutions apply to this problem? Polya’s wisdom generalizes to all forms of problem-solving, within and beyond mathematics. Though Polya might not have described it this way, his method can be characterized as contemplative and meditative.
I set up a blackboard in the courtyard of the University Religious Center at the University of Southern California. I invited students, staff, and faculty to write down “unknowns” from any or all disciplines. Participants are invited to use a color of chalk not yet used for other initial “unknowns”. If a contributor sees an “unknown” on the board that is reminiscent of another “unknown”, even from an entirely different academic discipline, they are invited to write it down with the same color of chalk, with a line connecting it to the “unknown” that inspired it. If the connection between “unknowns” seems a bit tenuous, there’s no worry – the contributor can add it to the board, with a line to the one that inspired it, and see where the conversation leads – and later see if others add “unknowns” that relate to that addition. Contributors can take pictures of their additions and post them with comments at #lookattheunknown on social media.
Contributions so far, in 3 days: “My destiny in this world.” which led to: “What is after life?” “What can I learn about my religion from non-practitioners?” which led to: “What can I learn from your religion?”

(PS: I hope others copy this idea at other schools, churches, etc., and post their results at #lookattheunknown !)
ABOUT JIM BURKLO
Website: JIMBURKLO.COM Weblog: MUSINGS Follow me on twitter: @jtburklo
See the GUIDE to my articles and books
Associate Dean of Religious Life, University of Southern California
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The Heart of Christianity: Personalization and Meaning

Gerald Finch
The reason many of us are Christians is because Christianity gives meaning to our lives. In fact, I suspect that for many of us, meaning giving is the most essential function of our faith.
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The Heart of Christianity: Personalization and Meaning by Gerald Finch
I have been teaching Psychology of Religion at a private university in Ecuador for over 14 years. Most students who take this course have abandoned Christianity and have been seeking alternative spiritual paths. The main reason for this rejection seems to be because of the “substance definition” of Christianity used by the church in Ecuador. This definition places emphasis on belief, doctrine, and creed. What is believed, such as the trinity, is what matters and students can’t accept this tenet. However, when we discuss books such as The Heart of Christianity and The Meaning of Jesus, most students are shocked by these perspectives of Christianity. They had no idea that Christianity could be viewed in this way. Also, when these ideas are framed in the context of a “functional definition”– what works for a person and society such as prayer, meditation, and acts of service—the students’ reactions are surprising. I can see their complexions change, their eyes open, and many claim that with this way of looking at Christianity they could reconsider Christianity as a viable spiritual path.
Later in the course on Psychology of Religion, we discuss what would happen if the heart of Christianity or any religion was meaning? This notion is compatible with the functional definition of religion and the teachings of Marcus Borg and other Progressive Christians. This article summarizes this meaning-centered perspective of religion which is consistently received very well by both Christian and non-Christian students here in Ecuador
Viktor Frankl, founder of Logotherapy (Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy), wrote that if religion is to survive, it will have to be profoundly personalized. If this is true, I can’t think of a better way to personalize Christianity think for each Christian to place meaning at the center of his or her faith.
What do I mean by Meaning-Centered Christianity? I like to think of it as a way of living our faith at the junction of meaning and the sacred. Expressed in a different way, Meaning-Centered Christianity is a search for meaning in ways related to the sacred. It has to do with discovering, building, changing, and holding on to the things people care about in ways that are tied to the sacred. This religious journey involves both pursued purposes and destinations and the activities and practices used in the journey.
The reason many of us are Christians is because Christianity gives meaning to our lives. In fact, I suspect that for many of us, meaning giving is the most essential function of our faith. Those of us who believe this is true must explore what it means to live our faith with meaning at the center.
With meaning at the center or at the heart of faith, more Christians would be less concerned about the “substance definition” which includes the objective, historical, factual truths of Christianity and more interested in how to define, discover, and create sacred meanings. This approach has an essential element of tolerance and acceptance because sacred meanings vary from person to person depending on a host of factors such as personality and culture.
What are some of the common paths to Meaning-Centered Christianity? There are many possible paths, but I want to discuss some of the most fruitful ones and broadly classify them as intrinsic meaningful activities and derivative meaningful activities. Intrinsic activities are meaningful because the activities or processes themselves are meaningful such as mediation and helping an injured person. Derivative activities are meaningful not because the activities themselves are meaningful but because they lead to a goal or result which is meaningful. As a career counselor, I often remind students and clients of how many people do work that contains meaningless activities per se, but these activities gain meaning because they are toward something they value such as supporting their families, defending their country, etc. Let’s begin by discussing those intrinsic activities that are meaningful in themselves and can yield sacred meaning.
Intrinsic Meaningful Activities and Processes
I want to begin with the meaning power of creative activities. According to Frankl, the act of creating is a principal source of meaning, and most of my students have confirmed this. To help us live a meaning-centered faith, we should take advantage of these creative activities that support our faith such as creating a new and better way of helping people, improving the environment, etc. In this example, both the creative and the helping aspects are meaningful to many people.
For most of us, experiencing love is another major source of meaning. The act of loving and receiving love is meaningful. Again, if we incorporate love in our meaning-centered faith, many aspects of our lives could be enriched. The meaning power of love is rather obvious, particularly if we take a moment to realize how uncommon it is for someone who is deeply in love to say that his or her life is meaningless. Now if we relate love to God and if we love God with all our heart—as emphasized by many Christians– many of us would probably feel that our lives are more meaningful. In addition, there is another meaning benefit from this sacred love. If we love God with all our heart, does this love stay confined to God? In most cases, I think not. The love usually extends to other people, animals, and perhaps to the earth itself. And when this happens, often the love is returned to us increasing the meaning power of the original love we had for God.
Spiritual practices are another fruitful path to a meaning-centered faith, because the spiritual practice or activity itself is meaningful. Most of us have experienced spiritual practices that were assigned to us by a specific church or faith. Some of these practices have been established by a leader of a church or faith, and they were probably influenced by the founder’s personality and culture. This means that for us to have a truly personal and meaningful faith today, many of us must change or augment the spiritual practices that originated from our church or faith. The spiritual practices must be personalized.
Which spiritual practices should we consider for inclusion in our meaning-centered faith? Meaningful spiritual practices—which can include activities such as prayer, reading scripture, meditation, fellowship—vary from person to person and are determined by personality, culture, psychological issues, and other factors. Because of this, it is obvious that –despite the practices of many religions–there aren’t any preordained sets of practices that work for everyone. For example, extroverted personality types tend to prefer practices involving the companionship of others, whereas introverts tend to prefer more time alone perhaps in medication, prayer, etc. There are several cultural issues that could affect spiritual practices. One is Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimension, “masculine vs. feminine”. (You may want to refer to his book, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind.) Masculine cultures—also called quantity of life cultures—tend to view the roles of men and women as being quite different, and there is more focus on doing and achieving things. On the other hand, feminine cultures—also called quality of life cultures—view the roles of men and women as being quite similar, and there is more value placed on quality of life. This cultural difference could affect spiritual practices in the sense that masculine cultures and religions could define spiritual practices differently for men and women. We see major gender role differences in several religions around the world.
An example of a psychological issue that could affect the selection of spiritual practices is “internal vs. external locus of control”. Some people have an internal locus of control (the belief that their future is in their hands), and others have an external locus of control (the belief that God, fate, or luck determines their destiny). Each of these types of people will approach God and their lives differently and need different spiritual approaches and practices. The whole notion of God as a partner or not can be radically affected by locus of control.
Derivative Meaningful Activities and Processes
Derivative activities are those that are meaningful because they play a useful role toward worthwhile objectives which are meaningful. From a religious perspective, a meaningful derivative activity is not meaningful in itself but because it serves God. This can be illustrated by explaining the experiences of one of my Christian missionary students. As a student, she said her “sole” reason and meaning for living was to serve God, and how she did it was not important to her. Three years after she graduated, I received an email from her when she was working in the Ecuadorian rain forest as a missionary. She said that she finally realized the importance of intrinsic meaning coupled with derivative meaning. Without the intrinsic meaning from the activities themselves, she found herself burned out. She said she solved this problem by finding a way to serve God and at the same time be enriched and energized by meaning in the activities themselves.
Purposes and missions to live—which can include derivative meaningful activities or a powerful combination of both derivative and intrinsic meanings– can provide deep and rich sacred meanings. One thing that can make them sacred is the belief that the purpose or mission is transcendental in nature, i.e., it comes from God and the purpose or mission is more important than we are as individuals. Living for a purpose or mission is a choice to dedicate and commit ourselves to something or someone beyond ourselves. This means we turn away from a primary concern for ourselves and toward a concern for others. Steve Sapp and Mary Richards, in a workshop at the American Society on Aging in 1996 told the story about a group of Jews who were fleeing Germany during the holocaust:
Having to cross a mountain pass to reach safety, some of the older members began to tire and give out, asking that they be left behind rather than slow down the group. A number of younger people, fearing for their own safety, were willing to agree. A wise young person responded by saying, “We realize that you are tired and infirm and that you just want to sit down and rest. But we have these young women with their babies and they are so tired from carrying them this far. Will each of you just carry it as far as you can before you give out? Then we’ll leave you there.” Everyone in the group made it across the mountains.
Those who choose to believe in purposes and missions as sacred meanings may find a reason for being, a special calling if life. However, because these purposes are sacred, we may choose to believe that we do not construct them by ourselves; rather, they are constructed for us by God. In this sense, we do not need to create a sacred purpose, but rather discover the one or ones already created for us by God. The question is not what we expect from life, but what God expects from us. The question we may ask is what ways can I fulfill the sacred tasks that are waiting for me to undertake?
Unavoidable Suffering
Another important source of meaning is through unavoidable suffering accompanied by an attitude adjustment that itself provides meaning. (There are numerous books in Logotherapy on this subject. My favorite is Meaning in Suffering by Elisabeth Lukas.) Again when we connect this to the sacred, we can realize an important sacred meaning: Profound meanings can be derived from the freedom of choosing our response to our suffering. In other words, how we face our own suffering can provide enormous meaning to our lives. Furthermore, accepting God as a partner during our suffering can provide sacred meaning. With this view, each of us and God are active partners in coping with our situation and both share the responsibility for coping. In these suffering situations where we are powerless, surrendering to God’s power or accepting God as a partner is a viable and meaningful option. It is my view that Progressive Christians are better able to adapt this “partner” perspective than people of many other faiths.
Meaning plays an essential role in religion. Clearly understanding this role and applying meaning in sacred dimensions can significantly increase the meaning-yielding power of our Christian faith. It is possible and advisable to place meaning at the center of our faith. Perhaps Meaning-Centered Christianity is an appropriate guidepost for the new Progressive Christianity.
About the Author
GERALD L. FINCH, Ph.D. [gerald.finch@yahoo.com or gfinch@usfq.edu.ec] is a professor of Psychology of Religion, Existential Psychology, and Spiritual Psychology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador. He has certifications in grief counseling and suicide prevention. He is the author of Beyond Happiness: Paths to Meaning-Centered Living.
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Liturgy Selection

Gay Pride
Spring and Summer bring Gay Pride days to many cities, and an opportunity for those supporting the LGBT community to acknowledge our solidarity.
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Gay Pride
Week of August 28, 2016
Spring and Summer bring Gay Pride days to many cities, and an opportunity for those supporting the LGBT community to acknowledge our solidarity. As with every area of discrimination, much progress has been made and there is still much to be done. Most important for permanent change is what we teach our children.
Prayer for the Sinned Against
Abiding Spirit, you know us, and all of your Creation, better than we know ourselves.read more

Prayer for the Sinned Against by Brian Brandsmeier
One: Abiding Spirit, you know us, and all of your Creation, better than we know ourselves.
All: In your loving knowledge, you care about each of us – and for all Creation.
One: In your care, you call us all to your vision of “complete joy” and “abundant life.”
All: But too often, we turn from this, and harm each other and ourselves.
One: We forget Jesus’ vision of love for God, neighbor, and self.
All: At times, we perpetuate sin against you, and your beloved people, by bringing:
pain instead of love,
isolation instead of community,
oppression instead of liberation,
and empty platitudes instead of acts of justice,
One: At times, we feel the pain of sin by being the sinned against.
All: Some of our voices have been ignored.
One: Some of us have verbally abused.
All: Some of us have remained hungry, while others ate.
One: Some of us have been held captive, while others enjoyed freedom.
All: Hear, us Holy God, as we name the experiences of being sinned against.
[Feel free to name, silently or aloud, the times when you have been hurt by sin.]
One: We confess our own sins that we know have brought pain to others and God,
and name the sins that have been to us and God,
because we want the world to be healed
by your transforming Spirit.
All: Forgive, where there needs to be forgiveness.
One: Heal, where there needs to be healing.
All: Give voice, where there needs to be voice.
One: Bring humility, where there needs to be humility.
All: And help all of your Creation, including each of us,
to taste the goodness of your “complete joy” and “abundant life.”
One: Abiding Spirit, help us rest assure in your forgiving, healing, and transforming embrace.
All: Praise and thanks to you, our Solid Rock and Healing River. Amen!
Editor’s note: More of Brian Brandsmeier’s liturgies and his wife, Sara Kay’s, music, can be found at their site
http://ephphatha-poetry.blogspot.com/
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Who can know the different pathways
Who can know the different pathways
that have brought us to this day,
sharp felt scars, forgotten mem’ries
words affirm, or facts betray?read more

Who can know the different pathways
A Hymn- Tune: HYFRYDOL by Andrew Pratt
Who can know the different pathways
that have brought us to this day,
sharp felt scars, forgotten mem’ries
words affirm, or facts betray?
But within this present moment
all life’s history comes to bear,
hopes and apprehension mixing:
yet we trust that grace we share.
Here within this new found setting
where our calling will be tried
will we feel like Christ, forsaken?
Will our neighbors hurt, deride?
Or will those with whom we’re sharing
work with us in one accord,
knowing that in church and circuit
we will serve the self-same Lord?
This we pray in new relation,
as we build on all that’s past:
may we find in one another
new found bonds of grace that last.
May we find in sister, brother
Christ to meet and Christ to serve,
that Your common wealth may offer
still more love than we deserve.
© Andrew Pratt 2/8/2011
Tune: HYFRYDOL
For Ray Borg
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A Litany for Forgiveness for Prejudice
It lurks in the shadows, hidden from our vision;
It lurks in the shadows, often disguised with patronizing deeds;
It lurks in the shadows, maintaining our separation.

A Litany for Forgiveness for Prejudice Based on the Writings of Howard Thurman by Louise A. Rasmussen
I. Acknowledging Prejudice in the Human Condition
It lurks in the shadows, hidden from our vision;
It lurks in the shadows, often disguised with patronizing deeds;
It lurks in the shadows, maintaining our separation.
Unacknowledged in the past, we now invite you forth to our consciousness
The absence of examination, the absence of awareness
Has kept the healing light of love at bay.
Intellectually we understand you
And abhor the inhumanity of your manifestation;
Historically we are grateful for a gradual awakening
To the need to break down barriers you create.
Regulations prevent you from your abusive expression
In a society awkwardly seeking wholeness;
And in turn they shape our outer behavior
Often forcing our inner thoughts into the shadows.
Reading:
Acknowledging the presence of prejudice in the human condition and in ourselves is an essential step toward wholeness. In The Luminous Darkness, Howard Thurman tells us,
There is real spiritual growth in admitting that one’s life is not
blameless even as one is dedicated effectively to working for
the blameless life. (p.52)
Response:
“I confess my own inner confusion as I look our upon the world….
I confess my own share in the ills of the times.”
Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart, p. 195
II. The Separation of the Human Family through Prejudice
We call forth images of times past.
Remembrances of our personal encounters with prejudice:
Playmates at school whom we could not or did not invite to our homes:
Groups of people in our society whose collective humanity we devalued;
Colleagues we sought for their work contributions but with whom we did not socialize;
Strangers we reflexively evaluated based on hand-me-down stereotypes;
We take this time to remember these encounters and all others…
(Silence)
How often we acknowledge our common humanity on the surface;
While inwardly aligning with the status quo,
Seeking to be on the side of power and security.
Living this contradiction between our outer and inner states,
We hide prejudice in the shadows of our psyches.
Reading:
In The Luminous Darkness, Howard Thurman remind us the core of religious experience
is that,”…human life is one and all (individuals) are members one of another.”
(The Luminous Darkness, p. x) This deep awareness of unity will bring us out
of the shadows into the light.
Always the sense of separateness that is an essential part of
Individual consciousness must be overcome even as it
Sustains and supports. This is the crucial paradox in the
Achievement of an integrated personality as well as of an
Integrated society. (Ibid.)
Response:
We are troubled…by the divisions that are within us, the
deep conflicts in our own spirits which cause us to be at war
within, which cause us to be a house divided against itself.
This sense of inner conflict and division is a part of the larger
conflict and division that exist among Your children
everywhere….May we all be one family in Your presence
living in Your world.
Howard Thurman, The Centering Moment, p. 80
III. Seeking Unity
We desire to live the authentic life
To bring into the light that which is hidden
To integrate our thoughts, beliefs, and actions.
Yet at times we choose to stand silently.
Uncomfortable with direct action,
We support but do not lead.
Other times we choose to sit.
Afraid to stand up for our beliefs,
We hope that others will act for us.
We desire to live the authentic life
With the Light of love and peace
Radiating to all from our hearts,
Unobscured by human walls of separation;
Our actions guided by the highest call
To alleviate the pain of individual suffering,
To restore unity to the human family.
Reading:
In The Search for Common Ground, Howard Thurman discusses his deep faith in
Humankind’s innate desire to come together in community, to be one human family:
At (our) moments of greatest despair (we are) instinctively
unwilling and perhaps unable to accept the contradictions of (our lives) as final or ultimate. Something deep within reminds (us) that the intent of the Creator of life and the living substance is that (we) must live in harmony within (ourselves) and with one another and perhaps with all of life.
(pp, 27-28)
Response:
Kindle Your light within me, that all my darkness may be clearly defined…
Kindle Your light within me, O God, that Your glow may be spread over all my life…
More and more, may Your light give radiance to my flickering candle, fresh vigor to my struggling intent, and renewal to flagging spirit.
Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart, p. 160
IV. Asking for Forgiveness
With humility, O Creator, we seek Your forgiveness
For all the wrongs perpetrated against our brothers and sisters.
For all the times we
Looked but did not see,
Heard but did not listen,
Thought but did not act,
Talked but did not speak out,
And prayed but did not love;
For all the times we
Excluded so as not to include,
ejected so as not to accept,
Harmed so as not to strengthen,
Avoided so as not to face,
And ignored so as not to validate;
For all the times we
Have set up walls of separation
In Your human family’
For all the times we
Have chosen domination rather than equality;
For all the times we
Have failed You in Your call to wholeness;
We present ourselves to You
With humility and deep regret
Asking Your forgiveness.
Reading:
We are reminded by Howard Thurman in Jesus and the Disinherited that we must also seek forgiveness from the injured, those we have disinherited. Yet it is by the grace of the Creator that forgiveness can occur.
It is clear that before love can operate, there is the necessity for forgiveness of injury perpetuated against a person by a group. This is the issue for the disinherited..(T)he answer is not simple.
Perhaps there is no answer that is completely satisfying from the point of view of rational reflection. Can the mouse forgive the cat for eating him? It does seem that Jesus dealt with every act of forgiveness as one who was convinced that there is in every act of injury an element that is irresponsible and irrational. No evil deed— and no good deed, either—was named by him as an expression of the total mind of the doer…When all other means have been exhausted, each in his own tongue whispers. “There is forgiveness with God”.
(pp. 107-108)
Response:
Forgive us, our Creator,
For all the failures by which
We have responded
To Your love and Your truth.
Keep our spirits tender
And our minds and hearts
Sensitive to You,
That we may not spend our years
Wandering in the darkness.
Howard Thurman, The Centering Moment, p.124.
Concluding Prayer:
Dearest God, Creator of All,
We are aware of the vast responsibility which is ours for the common life. In so many ways we have been silent when we should have spoken out. We have withheld the hand when we should have extended it in grace and in companionship. We have been blind to so much because we would not see. There are doors of truth into which we have not entered because of our preoccupation with lesser things and minor goals. In our private lives we have failed to meet the inner demands of our own conscience. We have done violence to the truth that is within us.
On the other side, there have been so many moments of wholeness in which we have participated when we have felt purified, cleansed, and somehow redeemed. We have been surrounded by so much of grace and goodness in which we have shared consciously and deliberately. We have been cognizant of needs that extend beyond our household and friends.
We acknowledge before You, our Creator, the mixture of Life which is ours…We spread our lies out before You, complete and utter…Pour out upon us in abiding measure Your Spirit, O Creator, without which we stumble in the darkness and perish.
Infuse us with Your Spirit to awaken us from the slumber that keeps us isolated from one another. Guide us in reaching out to one another as brothers and sisters of the one human family to which we all belong,. Bring us into living awareness of our interconnection that we may realize in hurting one individual we are inflicting pain on ourselves and the entire human community as well. We pray for peace in the world, for the dignity of every human soul, and for the unity of all Creation.
In You, whose Heart encompasses all of us and accepts us where we are, we pray. Amen.
(Boldface: Howard Thurman, The Centering Moment, p. 24)
Contributed by Louise Rasmussen
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Events and Updates
Ways to Love the Life You Have
Online eCourse with Roger Housden,September 5th - October 24th. When we acknowledge the truth of our situation and open our arms to it, something remarkable happens, and we love the live we have.
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Ways to Love the Life You HaveWhere do the solutions to most of life’s predicaments come from? Our brains and nervous systems are wired to respond in one of three ways when we feel stressed, threatened, or deprived: We freeze, fight, or flee. Yet solutions to our challenges come from a much more natural and spontaneous dimension than these ancient, primal strategies. When we acknowledge the truth of our situation and open our arms to it, something remarkable happens, and we love the live we have.
Join modern-day pilgrim Roger Housden for an eight-week discussion group based on his new book Dropping the Struggle: Seven Ways to Love the Life You Have. This group is not about giving up when circumstances test us; far from it. Housden reminds us that what’s needed is “a persistent, deep, and courageous Yes! to life right now. That Yes doesn’t mean not caring about what happens in the world or in our own lives. It means caring so much that the heart spills open. It means being willing to be fully here where we are, whatever we are, however dark or light it happens to be.”
For this discussion group, you will receive an email each Monday that draws out key themes from the week’s book chapter and helps you apply them to your life. An introduction is followed by these chapters:
* Dropping the Struggle to Be Special
* Dropping the Struggle for a Perfect Life
* Dropping the Struggle for Meaning and Purpose
* Dropping the Struggle for Love
* Dropping the Struggle with Time
* Dropping the Struggle with Change
* Dropping the Struggle to Know
Discussion of the book with Roger and others from our worldwide community will take place in an online Practice Circle. This is not a live chat requiring you to be any place at any time. It’s an online forum open 24/7 for posts from any time zone. You’ll be able to share your responses to the ideas in the book and your experiences practicing this courageous response in all the facets of your life.
After Roger’s e-course this past January on “Poetry to Nourish the Soul,” we immediately began to hear from people asking, “When will Roger’s next course be?” He is one of theLiving Spiritual Teachers profiled on Spirituality & Practice and has received S&P Best Spiritual Book Awards for six books, including For Lovers of God Everywhere: Poems of the Christian Mystics, Keeping the Faith Without a Religion, How Rembrandt Reveals Your Beautiful Imperfect Self, and Chasing Rumi: A Fable About Finding the Heart’s True Desire.We at S&P are also big fans of his collections of “ten poems” to open your heart, to set you free, to last a lifetime, to change your life again and again, and to say goodbye. We are excited to welcome him back!

Please Note
Our offer to have a copy of Dropping the Struggle sent to you directly by the publisher ended at midnight Eastern Time on August 21. We have lowered the cost of this discussion group accordingly. Please purchase the book online or through your local bookseller as soon as possible, in order to have the book in hand when the group begins.

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Start:
September 5, 2016
End:
October 24, 2016
Location:
Online eCourse
Register:
$59.95
Contact:
MaryAnn Brussat
Organization:
Spirituality & Practice