"If you are growing in consciousness, you never read the same book
twice. You grow in awareness since the first reading and you now
understand what you did not understand before. In many ways it is a new
book for you.
If you read a book and understand it, you have
probably wasted your time. . .
I expect to
find several hundred books in your personal library you do not fully
understand. Once you understand them you should give them away. They
are of no further use to you.
Another caution, if you read
enough about something, you may stop believing in it. Much sincere
belief is simply incomplete knowledge. If you read more, you would know
better."
Yes, ignorance can provide so much energy and momentum! The older one becomes. . .the more one has read. . .
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 1/20/08; 11:01:59 AM
from the dept.
After years in academia, either as a student or professor, yesterday's meditation, "The Silent Teacher", in Mark Nepo's The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have, was a welcome reminder as one more semester begins:
"After
the hard years of getting a doctorate, after studying on my own
hundreds of sacred texts from so many different paths, I have leaned
that the blessing for experiencing oneness is not the strength or
clarity that arrives with it, but, more deeply, a peace from
dividedness."
He suggests this exercise-
"Close your
eyes, and bring into focus one thing you know from reading or studying
that has helped you. Note where it comes into your awareness. Does it
come alive in your head, in your heart, or in your stomach?
Bring
into focus one important thing you have learned from living. Note where
it comes into your awareness. Where does it come alive?
Without judging either, note the sameness or difference in how these knowings live in you."
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 9/22/07; 12:22:58 PM
from the dept.
"I am currently reading Diane Ackerman's poetic and scientific description of the brain, An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain. It begins-
'Imagine the brain, that shiny mound of being, that mouse-gray
parliament of cells, that dream factory, that petit tyrant inside a
ball of bone, that huddle of neurons calling all the plays, that little
everywhere, that fickle pleasuredrome, that wrinkled wardrobe of selves
stuffed into the skull like too many clothes into a gym bag (3).'"
Besides
my reading of the latest in brain research, I also enjoy looking at the
personality with the multiple selves models utilized in Voice Dialogue(Hal and Sidra Stone)and Psychosynthesis (Roberto Assagioli), so I love the last metaphor of a "wrinkled wardrobe of selves stuffed. . . into a gym bag".
The first chapter ends with by listing what she calls the "bad jokes that evolution has played on us". 1. "We have brains that can conceive of states of perfection they can't achieve, 2. We have brains that compare our insides to other people's outsides, 3. We have brains desperate to stay alive, yet we are finite beings who perish." (6)
No wonder we need to imagine that there is something more.
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 6/30/07; 9:44:39 AM
from the dept.
Just returned from a week in Cambridge for Jess Michalik's graduation from Harvard Divinity School. It was a beautiful week of memorable ceremonies, traditions, and family gatherings. Spending a week gave me time to visit the museums, soak in the intelligent energy of brilliant generations (centuries) of famous scholars and leaders, and to visit the Harvard Divinity Bookstore everyday.
Sadly, because so many students buy their books online, it is going out of business. While most of us do need to find ways to fill our libraries as economically as possible, nothing beats getting to enjoy leisurely browsing through shelves of fascinating books that we may never imagine without seeing them, picking them up, and taking a look at the back and table of contents. It is a great loss, but I still could not keep myself from taking advantage of the substantial sales every single day. Somehow I managed to get all my 50 or so books back on the plane without paying extra.
Even sleeping on the floor in a room surrounded by hundreds of books on almost every topic was inspiring. By the end of the week, I had acknowledged a long-suppressed yearning for doctoral studies, so I will be applying this fall, in spite of the fact that I will be entering a program at the age of 57. Oh well, what else would I do with my 60's?
The Peabody Museum, on Divinity Ave. was the great spark, when I even visualized my focus --something along the lines of Religious Syncretism and its Role in the Lives of Latin American Women. It will utilize my MA in Spanish and my MAR-(Master's in Religion in Women's Studies). Now, I have to figure out where and which field-Women's Studies, Religious Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Latin American Studies. . .
Well, I must say, I am feeling very alive, in spite of my age.
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 6/10/07; 8:29:22 PM
from the dept.
More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly. ----Woody Allen
While I don't find the
times we live in a challenge to my faith, I do find them a challenge to my
optimism about the capacity of the species I happen to belong to for making a
long term go of it here on planet earth. We simply don't solve problems - from
health care, to nuclear weapons, to global warming, to the ever expanding human
population. We see them, we know about them, but somehow appear incapable of
devising systems of government that resolve them.
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 5/26/07; 7:23:08 PM
from the dept.
It is clear that I have not been posting lately on The Polished Mirror and I have decided to take a break, at least for a while.
This summer will be filled to the brim with events, projects and a month with Spanish students in Costa Rica. It starts with a trip to Boston for my son and sometimes co-writer, Jess Michalik's, graduation from Harvard Divinity School. I have started 3 other blogs that are related to my practice in Spiritual Direction and Brain Nutrition, here in Southern California, and a book that I plan to finish by the end of the summer.
In the fall, The Polished Mirror will probably be moving to another site, so if you lose contact, just google us.
Thanks for your interest and have a great summer.
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 5/26/07; 6:31:31 PM
from the dept.
If God is telling us that he can't do anything about starving kids in the Sudan, but he has the time and energy to make gay people straight, then God is one hurting buckaroo.
I am currently relishing A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder--How crammed closets, cluttered offices, and on-the-fly planning make the world a better place, by E. Abrahamson and David H. Freedman. One of their quotes--
If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what then, is an empty desk?
---Albert Einstein
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 4/21/07; 10:18:03 AM
from the dept.
Let us take a moment of silence and hold in our hearts the Virginia Tech community…
Loving God, we grieve the lives of the people who died
in this tragedy and ask you to welcome them home and surround them with
your love. Be with your people who mourn their loved ones and friends
and with all who have been touched by this event. Thank you for those
who are ministering to this community through counseling, prayer,
hospitality, and presence.
Teach us, Lord, to be a people of peace and compassion,
to minister to all those who are suffering including those who act out
in violence. Forgive us and help us to forgive others. Help us to erase
all violence from our own lives no matter how seeming small or
insignificant.
We ask this in your name, Jesus, you who knew violence and answered it with love. Amen.
An article in Spirituality & Health, "A Field Guide to Christian Contemplation Online" (July/Aug. 2006) describes a number of sites for spiritual uplift, education, guided meditation, and even a self test to find the best spiritual practice for your own personality type. They have been added to the list at the right, but I am posting here a little info on each of them.
Spirituality & Practice: Resources for Spiritual Journeyshas a wealth of information as well as online classes and spiritual forums. The study opportunities from May-Dec. include Practicing Spirituality with Pema Chodron, Practicing Spirituality with Children, Practicing Spirituality with Thich Nhat Hanh, and Practicing Spirituality with Henri J. M. Nouwen. Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., founded by Fr. Thomas Keating offers info and courses on Centering Prayer and also a 12-Step Program that integrates Centering Prayer.
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 4/13/07; 9:04:28 PM
from the dept.
A new initiative, called "Crisis in Darfur" is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Google Earth to use Google's mapping service in order to show the destruction of villages and the carnage and thousands of displaced people in refugee camps, in detail.
"Experts
estimate that 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million more have
been displaced since the conflict flared in 2003, when rebels took up
arms against the central Sudanese government." Click here for a CNN article with a pop-up demo on how the new technology works.
I think what may bother me most about today's large scale human and
environmental destruction is that now the whole world's watching, we see what
we're doing - and we keep doing it anyway.
I say "we" but it looks to me as if we live in a world where the average
person is more enlightened than the average politician or CEO. "Leadership"
world-wide strikes me as generally highly problematic. Imo, the Cheney
administration clearly shows that if we were to get a sustained level of
corruption of that kind, our constitution, great as it is, wouldn't work
anymore. It assumes that the leadership isn't peoccupied with figuring out ways
to get around it.
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 4/12/07; 12:47:14 PM
from the dept.
For a great discussion on the "two essential contrasting views on the connection between psychological/spiritual wellness and physical health," take a look at "Mind/Body/Spirit: The Holistic Thug" at Paul Martin's Original Faith (4/10/07). Be sure to click on the comments below the post and also read the previous post "Spirituality & Adversity: Mind/Body/Spirit" (4/9/07) that got the discussion going.
1. The primary causes of
physical health problems are physical and biological. However, dealing
well with such problems psychologically and spiritually in some cases
contributes to recovery.
2. Underlying psychological or spiritual difficulties are usually or always a leading cause of physical health problems and ofnon-recovery from physical health problems.
Since, unfortunately, discussions are still not possible here, please just send me an email and your comment will be posted. polishedmirror@aol.com
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 4/12/07; 11:57:26 AM
from the dept.
"One of the threads running through his writing is the idea that
true religion always leads one to question oneself, rather than make
claims over others. Jesus is not a possession or a badge of
superiority, but the one before whom you stand, in gentle
self-questioning."
From a review of Rowan William's new book, Christ on Trial (via Faith in Society)
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 4/9/07; 10:18:58 AM
from the dept.
Thoughts reduced to paper are generally nothing more than the
footprints of a man walking in the sand. It is true that we see the
path he has taken, but to know what he saw on the way, we must use our
own eyes.
To
me, this seems like how all religions start. Someone has an experience
and tries their best to share it with others, always confined to the
language and symbols that they grew up with. Others try to replicate
it as best they can, but it never is quite as magnificent. They try to
organize the method to train others, but the life of the original
dissipates quickly. Just leaving doctrine that is far removed from the
experience.
Many
years ago, my freshman year in General Psychology, I read about
experiments with ducks in cages. Whatever they were doing when their
feed was thrown in to them randomly, they continued to do ad nauseum,
assuming that whatever their action, twirling around till they were
dizzy, pulling out their feathers, squawking, snapping at their mate,
or pecking the door with their bill, it was what brought the food.
Therefore
we can fast, breathe with alternate nostrils, contort our bodies, say
certain prayers with specific words, chant, think positively, make
deals with God, etc., etc. . . Some prophets have had near death
experiences, high fevers, or even been hit on the head with a rock, but
it is never the same. We will never be able to see "what he saw on the
way, we must use our own eyes" and find our own path.
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 4/5/07; 9:05:41 PM
from the dept.
For an amazingly multi-faceted discussion of the controversial chocolate sculpture of a naked Jesus on the cross, read Death by Chocolate at the Holy Schmidt blog.
Here are a few excerpts, but the whole article is worth taking a look at --- "The latest religious uproar to
make news is the chocolate art exhibit cancellation of an anatomically
correct (yikes, I'm afraid to ask) replica of the crucified and very
naked Christ, bringing new meaning to the term death by chocolate.
This
200-lb edible artwork, entitled "My Sweet Lord," has caused such a
public outcry, particularly amongst the Catholic community, that its
Holy Week exhibit, slated for a Manhattan hotel gallery and set to launch today following Palm Sunday, has been canceled.
The
usual comparative religious finger pointing has happened, with some
Christian groups protesting that you'd never see this sort of naughty
bits chocolate art depiction of the Prophet Mohammed or of Martin
Luther King Jr. on his day of honour. And they have a point. Why the
artist didn't see fit to layer a white chocolate loin cloth around
Christ's hips is as much a mystery as his audacious choice. . .
Food for Thought So to see Christ depicted in temporal, culinary form seems fitting, almost.
Such a display speaks to the mystery of Christ on so many levels.
First, we have the whole substance of Christ issue, so prevalent in
early-Christianity leading up to the Council of Nicea. All that talk
about whether Christ was half human, half divine, fully human or fully
divine. Truth be told, it continues today.
What
better medium for the artist then, but chocolate to portray both the
sinfulness of His humanity and the heavenliness of His Divinity?
Chocolate, after all, comes by its rich reputation honestly, for it
enjoys a rich religious history. The Mayans revered the Cacao Tree,
calling it the food of the Gods's. And the Quakers were some of the first
to capitalize on this reality, if the business enterprises of families
like Baker, Cadbury, Fry and Rowntree are any indication.
Which leads me to the little matter of paganism in Christianity, and more specifically, Easter.
Christianity,
as most everyone knows, owes much to its pagan predecessors. Some would
argue Christ Himself is but a mythical lifting from Mithraism, given
that both Mithra and Christ share equinox dates with winter solstice
birthday and spring (Easter) rites, a virgin birth, a Mediator role,
the Messiah label, twelve disciples, the magic touch of healing and
miracles, a cave tale, an itinerant lifestyle, persecution,
transfiguration and symbolism of the lamb.
But that's fine. What's a little syncretism between religions, after all? . . . For more. . .
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 4/4/07; 10:25:23 AM
from the dept.
A reminder from one of my favorite writers, San Juan de la Cruz or St. John of the Cross---
"Let
those men of zeal, who think by their preaching and exterior works to
convert the world, consider that they would be much more edifying to
the Church, and more pleasing to God. . . . if they would spend at
least one half their time in prayer . . . Certainly they would do more,
and with less trouble, by one single good work than by a thousand:
because of the merit of their prayer, and the spiritual strength it
supplies. to act otherwise is to beat the air, to do little more than
nothing, sometimes nothing and occasionally even mischief . . . for it
is quite certain that good works cannot be done but in the power of
God."
From Spiritual Canticle
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 4/3/07; 8:37:22 PM
from the dept.
I'm not against the body or the head
either: only the neck, which creates the illusion that they are separate. ----Margaret Atwood, in Surfacing
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 4/3/07; 11:29:56 AM
from the dept.
Getting a discussion going is so much more interesting for me than writing into outer space, the way it feels for me with no comments coming in. Comments certainly used to come in, and I had no idea why they weren't any more. There is no doubt that this site would also be more interesting for readers if they were able to see a lively discussion in process or to be able to add to the conversation.
The webmaster for Weblogger finally, after questioning him, informed me that the commenting capacity had been deleted about a year ago, because of huge spamming problems. The Polished Mirror will be moving to a new home soon. In the meantime, just email any comments and I will post them gladly and appreciatively.
A few weeks ago I resigned as the editor (writer) of a peace blog that I had maintained for 2 years, often at the expense of this one. When I looked at my postings on both blogs I realized that there were many more posts against the war than for peace and peacemaking. Many more posts exposing such things as torture than about contemplation or renewal. That's when I returned to the beginnings of what we had envisioned for this blog. I mentioned watching "The Secret" the other day. One of the presenters stated that we could accomplish much more by being positive--pro-peace, instead of anti-war, or supporting a "War on Terror" or "War on Drugs."
Today while sorting through the mostly defunct Progressive Christians Bloggers Network, (still here down at the right) I found this appropriate cartoon, via the rh[+]factor --
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 3/29/07; 9:42:31 PM
from the dept.
Singing, singing, throw a life into the sea
Like salmon flinging, ringing out the changes,
Strong charges of their swimming, leaping destinies
Running home to spawn and die. I too
Fling, sing, dive down, hurl forth again
Gladly in Thy name;
Unfurl my length, uncurl coiled strength without reserve
To move more sleekly, sing more sweetly,
Better serve; help stir the waters running through this earth
Help move, help birth, a world.
"Spirituality and religion often
find expression in poetry. In my own writing, poetry and prose both
focus on this area. My poetry relates more to immediate experience.
Original Faithadds meaning to immediate experience by going a little
way toward conceptualizing it; offering some insights; considering
relationships between, for example, love and faith. But I go only a
little way with conceptualization because it's easy to go too far.
It's easy to end up playing games with language and logic. So my
thoughts about experience don't stray far from experience itself."
"Salmon Song," the artwork, and the comment are taken from Nasra Al Adawi's interview with Paul Martin about his poetry and his upcoming prose work, Original Faith.
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 3/29/07; 8:06:32 AM
from the dept.
The Secret, mentioned in a previous post, is a best-selling DVD and a book that is currently #1 on the NYT self-help book list Its main message is that we created the lives we are living through the "Law of Attraction". Although there are many flaws with such a simplistic message, see the critique Oprah's 'Secret' May be Your Downfall, watching it did remind me of a number of steps to approaching life more positively that I tend to forget. One analogy presented by a speaker on the documentary is that of car headlights- In the darkness, although we can only see 200 feet ahead of us, we can still make it all the way across the country.
I had already posted this favorite by Andre Gide, under Pertinent Quotes.
One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose
sight of the shore for a very long time.
Two days from now I'm planning to embark from the shore, the closer the date gets, the more nervous I get and the more I find that I need to do before I can really take off. If I don't make a big announcement for my life by May, you will know that I was never able to leave sight of shore, but I'm 55 years old now. As my younger son Mitchell often has said to me, "Mom, if you're ever going to do anything significant in your life, you're running out of time."
Another good one that was quoted in Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way,
Shoot for the moon.
Even if you miss it you will still land among the stars. --Les Brown
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 3/24/07; 9:52:22 AM
from the dept.
I can not tell you how much I was touched by seeing my poem in your blog. Living in Poetry, LIP, celebrates the work of other
bloggers and hopes to spread the word around bloggers to be able to support the
work of each other. . . so blogging not only helps us to deliver our work out
there, but also beyond politics, it kind of unites us beyond religion, race or
color.
This photo shows the Arizona/Mexico border "When folks talk about the Mexican-American border, most have no idea what it is
really like. This arbitrary line through the middle of the desert is what
divides economic prosperity from depression." Originally uploaded by Bisbohemian.Click on the photo to enlarge.
Inspired by a poem about forbidden love between a French woman and a German, used in a poetry workshop in New Mexico, Afro-Arab poet Nasra, wrote this poem, Creations of God, on one of her blogs, Decaying into Love, accompanied by the above photo.
This love of ours Lingered in to various oceans Crossed the eternity lines
of centuries It would not merely cross imaginary borders! A barricade that
separates us Putting us as a tag of nation or race We prefer to have a
passport of being human Or lovers that once have existed this beautiful
earth We rather be labeled nothing more than being among creations of
God So here and forever remember us As once we were creations of
God Rejoiced in love Deeply believed that love goes across man-made
borders It could never be a felony, to be imprisoned for life
Nasra Al Adawi 2006
Nasra lives in Oman and has several beautiful blogs to share her poetry and that of others from all over the world. They are amazing examples of the lack of borders that the internet provides and she takes full advantage of global connections. A collection of her poetry Within Myself: the Willpower to Live. . . beyond Cancer, gives voice to the experience of cancer. I was introduced to her work by long-time fellow blogger, Paul M. Martin, at Original Faith.
Comment March 28, 2007
I share Nasra's feeling/thought in this poem. To me, my primary "ethnic
identity" and that of others is human. I can view and truly appreciate other
aspects of identity as falling within that broader and, to me, more significant
and far-reaching context.
A friend just sent me "The Secret" and asked me to let her know what I thought about it. It will take me a while to write everything that I "thought" about it. The advice that was given by many characters in such a New Agey way, sounded very, very familiar. During the movie numerous leaders, thinkers, scientists, and spiritual beings were referred to and quoted from, so thethousands of years' heritage ofSecret's message wasn't hidden. What I was struck by though, is how much of the message is also part of the message of Christ. This will be discussed in a future post, I'm sure. Please send any thoughts on this for a good discussion.
Just yesterday I posted the previous prayer by Merton and I've always loved the way it expresses the doubt, and the confusion about what God's will for us might be. The Secret repeats the famous advice of Joseph Campbell, though, to "follow your bliss." To some, to follow that path sounds selfish, especially when we are aware of so many needs around the world. Yet, it reminds me of a quote that I placed on another blog just a week ago-- in an article What does the World Need from Us?, from Howard Thurman--- "Don't ask
what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." The speakers in The Secret spend quite a bit of time talking about the importance of our emotions, not just our thoughts as we create the world that we want to live. By looking at God's will for our lives in this way, we can't be feeling like we are "doing our duty," but being a blessing to others because we are doing what we love and sharing it with them. This perspective certainly can lift the mood that such ponderings can bring.
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 3/24/07; 9:48:44 AM
from the dept.
"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the
road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I
really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the
desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that
desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything
apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me
by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will
trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of
death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never
leave me to face my perils alone."
Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 3/23/07; 3:23:47 PM
from the dept.
Here are a few quotes from one of endrocrinologist, Dr. Deepak Chopra's earliest books, Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine:
"When researchers looked further, beyond the nervous system and the
immune system, they began to discover the same neuro-peptides and
receptors (for them) in other organs, such as the intestines, kidneys,
stomach, and the heart. There is every expectation of finding them
elsewhere, too. This means that your kidneys can 'think'. . . "
"We can safely conclude, then, that mind is not confined to the brain
by some neat division set up for our own convenience. Mind is projected
everywhere in inner space."
"Is there really any reason to keep mind and body apart at all?. . .
Everything is interconnected at the level of the neuro-peptide,
therefore, to separate these areas is simply bad science. A body that
can 'think' is far different from the one medicine now treats."
(p. 70-71).
Since
this book was published, in 1989, hundreds of studies have been
published that document that our body and our thoughts and our feelings
are all ONE, for instance the work of Dr. Candace Pert (Molecules of Emotion
etc.). How has this new way of looking and experiencing what we think
of as our SELF impacted our spirituality, our way of prayer and
meditation, our notions of disease, or even what we might "think" is
"wrong" with us? Are we often still in the old paradigm of trying to
control the "physical" body or our emotions with the "mind" and will
power?
The relatively new Theology of Embodiment deals with the
model theoretically, with heavy jargon (see Trisha Famisaran's intro, with a recent bibliography), but it hasn't yet had much
impact on Pastoral Theology and Christian ways to worship and connect
with God. How would or could "Church" services change? How would
public prayers sound? The Protestant Reformation tossed out many
elements of worship that touched and included the whole being,
replacing it with words, Bible study, whatever we normally think of as
mental. Maybe that is why so many Searchers are drawn to more eastern
ways of connecting with the Divine, ways that bring sound, tones,
scents, and movement into a total experience. Those elements were
certainly taken for granted in Judaism, and then continued especially
in the Orthodox traditions, so they must have also been a part of early
Christianity. Maybe one factor has been the increase in literacy. Now,
being a Christian means words, words, words. . .
Here is a quote from a fascinating book "The Alphabet and the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image" by Leonard Shlain--
"No book, no doctrine, no doctrine, no book"--De Quincy
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 3/21/07; 8:23:11 PM
from the dept.
I first saw Paul Heussenstamm's mandalas
when the spiritual growth and healing group that we were part of
in Laguna Beach (at Jean Angle's), was invited to his home, in the
early '90's. At that time, he was still running his surf shops, but we
could see the power of his developing work. If I had only bought
one of his pieces, then! Nowadays his work shows up across the
globe. This piece was posted on a creative site, Seeking the Sacred
Feminine, whose author lives in the UK. It is followed by a Lenten prayer.
"Who am I that you should love
me?
For you know me inside and
out?
The ways I hide…from you, and from myself.
You know me;
my faults and flaws,
my masks and coping
patterns…
You know the lies I tell
myself.
You know who I am and who I pretend to
be;
my fears and longings are not hidden
from you,
and yet you love me,
completely…
and you call me to know myself as you
know me
a bearer of Your image,
Your plan buried deep within my very
being.
Holy Spirit, help me to be open to
your promptings,
Jess Michalik and I have
been discussing this lately, as he is will be graduating from Harvard
Divinity School in June and I sometimes think about going on for a
doctorate in theology. He reminded me that I would need to be
affiliated with some denomination or faith. The one that I grew up in,
Seventh-day Adventism, was clearly not interested in anyone of my
gender when I and 2 other women graduated from Iliff School of Theology
in Denver, in the mid-90's. Why continue to feel rejected and beg for
acceptance like one of the women, who had to request a special
dispensation, just to do CPE?
Besides, my own spirituality had
grown much broader through the years to encompass a variety of models
and tools to experience the divine in my life, so why should I be
limited by a set of doctrines?
That same week I found a blog, Gnostic Notes,
written by a man that I had heard speak since I was in 8th grade, and
always, since the 60's found ways to expand traditional minds in
gentle, thoughtful ways--Leland Kaiser. There are many fascinating
articles that demonstrate how far beyond our original religious
upbringing his explorations have taken him, but the headline that hit
on the exact topic of our conversation was How To Go Beyond Your Church Without Leaving It. I thought of his reasoning again, during a discussion with a Muslim
friend who was disappointed at some of the attacks on Islam that have
come out in US magazines from a few women who had rejected their
faith. His comment was that by leaving Islam, they would have much
less effect than if they had stayed within Islam to work towards the
changes they felt were needed.
Here are his closing statements--
"Beliefs should never get in the way of your spiritual growth.
All beliefs
constitute baggage that must eventually be laid aside in your journey to the
Source. They are simply stepping-stones on the path to truth, not final
destinations.
Remember, spirituality is how the universe is hard-wired.
Religions are software programs that help us release the power of the hardware.
None of them are very good. With experience we write better
software.
Stay in the church – teach others to think in a more expanded
way – help them grow.
You don’t strengthen a church by leaving it. Stick
around and help it transform itself." Click here for the complete article.
I'm
not sure I'm convinced. It took me years of healing and exploration to
regain my connection with my Source, far away from the legalism and
shame I was raised with. I had to find "God" in my own way. I had to
heal my sense of self, that included my body, through eastern
modalities and meditation. It's hard for me now to walk into church
and hear the same cliches, without the pain flooding back. Maybe my
lesson is to be able to still sit there without tension and
defensiveness, just sending out love and forgiveness to everyone. I'm
afraid I find myself getting judgmental in defense. Maybe I've just
not grown enough spiritually to be able to feel spiritual in my own
church. What an odd thought!
Posted by Victoria Bresee on 3/20/07; 10:34:56 AM
from the dept.
"Here's what he says about The
Mirror: 'This image is based on a Photoshop sketch/oil painting from
2003.The Mirror, or so it seemed to me at the time, is actually a 'reflection' on the idea of law as a revealer of personal defects. My
paintings often draw on various fifteenth-century sources for their
imagery. When using these sources, however (which I alter to varying
degrees using Adobe Photoshop), I am working as an artist, rather than
an art historian. In The Mirror, for example, The Tower of Babel is
from Pieter Bruegel.'"
