Mindful Musings

Posted on September 4, 2008
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Lake Meditation

“Who once was in attentive

But now is not,

Illumines the world

Like the moon set free from a cloud.”

           - Dhammapada 172

Excerpt from “The Issue at Hand: Essays on Buddhist Mindfulness Practice” by Gil Fronsdal

“According with Nature

All spiritual practice involves change, or a wish for change: to go from a state of suffering to a state without suffering, to go from agitation to calm, to go from a closed heart to an open, compassionate heart.  When people first come to a spiritual practice the desire-even the need-for change is often quite clear.  Conversely, in some advanced Buddhist practices the desire for change may be so subtle that it may go unnoticed.  For example, one may learn the practice of simply accepting things as they are, without wanting change.  But even here there is change-from a state of non-acceptance to a state of acceptance…..

Consider how a skillful gardener supports the growth of a flower.  The Gardner doesn’t tug on a seed sprout to help the plant grow or pull open the petals to open a blossom.  Rather he or she nourishes and protects the plant, and so lets it grow and flower in line with its nature….

In contrast to this natural unfolding, there is a change imposed by the ego, out of our insecurity, fear, hostility, greed or ambition.  And because of our phenomenal ability for abstract thinking, we easily impose our world of ideas on top of nature rather than patiently allowing nature to show us what is needed and how we can come to accord with it.  One concept we often impose on our experience is an assumption of permanence, which and put us at odds with the inherent impermanence of all natural processes.  Another concept that can inhibit the expression of our nature is a fixed image of ourselves, which can easily propel us to conform to “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts”.

flowing river

I believe that spiritual practice unfolds most smoothly when we find how to accord ourselves with nature.  A useful metaphor for this is a river.  To enter spiritual life fully is to enter a stream that eventually carries you to the great ocean.  All you have to do is to get into the river and stay in it.  Trust, persistence, mindfulness, clarity and insight help us float in the river.  Once we are floating, the nature of a river is to carry us effortlessly to the ocean.  If we fight against the current, we can exhaust ourselves trying to go against the natural flow.

The river metaphor is quite different from the popular metaphor that likens the spiritual path to climbing a mountain–which suggests hard, constant, and willful uphill effort, and can lend itself to an ego-driven spirituality.  the trek is hard, suggesting that not everyone can make it.  The mountain peak may be quite narrow, suggesting it can only hold a few people at a time.  In contrast, the ocean is big enough to hold everyone.

Mountain Top

The river metaphor is expressive of a practice of according with nature, with truth.  This does not mean that spiritual practice requires nothing of us.  A fast river may require or a attention and navigation to stay in the current, off the rocks, and out of the eddies.  Practice requires mindfulness and investigation, supported by calmness and inner stability, to discover nature and how to accord ourselves with it.  Often this entails learning how to leave ourselves alone, how not to interfere with the natural unfolding and healing that will occur if we giver them a change.  Our conscious mind may not know what is supposed to unfold.  Like a flower that needs water and fertilizer, out inner life opens in its varied ways when it is ready, if we nourish it in attentiveness, compassion and acceptance.

To work with nature we need to study it thoroughly.  One way to do this is to investigate all the ways we work against nature by being judgemental, hostile, demanding, hurried, unkind or ungenerous….

To accord with nature is to discover that you are nature.”

 

 

News From St. James

Posted on September 4, 2008
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Greetings! 
We know the summer is coming to an end when the calendar shows the starting of Sunday school classes again and Lovettsville’s Oktoberfest. Please add both of these items to your calendar:  Sunday School on September 14 at 10:00; Oktoberfest on September 27.
 
However, these are not the only dates to include!  This Sunday, September 7, our worship service will help us focus on the significance of Holy Communion.  We will continue after worship services to celebrate a “Holy Potluck” meal.  During this gathering, we will also begin our organizational plans our involvement for Oktoberfest.  Please plan to join us for these times of sharing together.
 
One more church related date, a wonderful event…The Blessing of the Animals.   On September 28 we will celebrate this festival day of St. Francis of Assisi.  Gathering for worship outside, weather permitting and to accommodate animals that may be too large or not “church broken”, we will celebrate God’s creations.  Bring your favorite animals to receive a blessing!
 
Here are a couple of community announcements that may be of interest to you: 
*The musical duo “emma’s revolution” is returning to Loudoun on October 3, Franklin Park Arts Center, 17501 Franklin Park Dr. Purcellville as part of the “Arts for Obama” Kickoff Celebration!
*Capital Hospice will open “Capital Treasures” thrift store, featuring up-scale merchandise, Leesburg across from the Tally-Ho theater in the near future.
* “Delighting the Night”, an initiative for shielding the night sky. Watch for more information in the local papers about this interesting movement.
 
Our projects to help those in need will continue this month: You may bring peanut butter or other staple food for Interfaith Relief in Leesburg, items for the Lovettsville Food Closet, or items for the Drop-In house for the Homeless of Loudoun.  They could use single-serving meals in cans, such as beef stew, macaroni & cheese, etc., that can be stored on a shelf and microwave when bag lunches are not available.  (Perhaps a couple of families could go together and share the cost of a case from one of the warehouse stores.) They can also use single servings of fruit…apples, oranges, canned fruits. 
 
As our own finances continue to be strained, remember that as we give, so shall we be blessed.  We need to continue to help others in whatever way we can.  If you cannot contribute food or financial support, perhaps there is something else you can do to share your gifts and blessings.
 
Looking forward to breaking bread with you on Sunday.
 

WE ARE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND WITH A DREAMER IN OUR LIFETIME…

Posted on August 31, 2008
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Don introduced this week’s service with a “teaser” email which contained the following quote:

“We are certainly standing on ‘holy ground’ this week in terms of making connections with a ‘Moses’ in our lifetime who had visions of a new day dawning for some people whose slavery in this country paralleled that of the Hebrews in Egypt…   

and 45 years ago on August 28th Martin Luther King, Jr stood atop the steps at the Lincoln Memorial to give his I HAVE A DREAM speech…but on that same day…  45 years later…  a part of that DREAM has become reality…   and some people are truly being recognized for “the content of their character” rather than the “color of their skin”…  and it’s timely to be saying again… TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES…   WE ARE ON SOME HOLY GROUND!  “

Did MLK think in 45 years time America would have progressed far enough for us to nominate an African American man for president?  Would he have expected our current Secretary of State to be a female American of African decent?  I hope Dr. King is happy with our progress and I hope that we will move forward faster recognizing all people as equal and worthy.

40 years ago Dr. King Jr. gave his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, it was his last public speech.  It ends as follows:
“Well, I don’t know what will happen now.  We’ve got some difficult days ahead.  But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop.
And I don’t mind.
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.  Longevity has its place.  But I’m not concerned about that now.  I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain.  And I’ve looked over.  And I’ve seen the Promised Land.  I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!
And so I’m happy, tonight.
I’m not worried about anything.
I’m not fearing any man!
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!”

We ended our service with the hymn How Beautiful, Our Spacious Skies.  This is Miriam Theresa Winter’s version of “America the Beautiful” entitled, “How Beautiful Our Spacious Skies”.
How beautiful for spacious skies, our amber waves of grain; our purple mountains as they rise above the fruited plain.
America! America! God’s gracious gifts abound, and more and more we’re grateful for life’s bounty all around.
Indigenous and immigrant, our daughters and our sons; O may we never rest content till all are truly one.
America! America! God grant that we may be a sisterhood and brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
How beautiful, sincere lament, the wisdom born of tears, the courage called for to repent the bloodshed through the years.
America! America! God grant that we may be a nation blessed with none oppressed, true land of liberty.
How beautiful, two continents, and islands in the sea that dream of peace, non-violence, all people living free.
Americas! Americas! God grant that we may be a hemisphere where people here all live in harmony.

Not only did we celebrate an America that we hope to someday see but a whole hemisphere of peace and freedom.  Somehow, I think this hymn envisions Dr. King’s “Promised Land”

 

 

Mindful Musings

Posted on August 28, 2008
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From Within Creation by Farid DeLa Ossa Arrieta

Welcome to a  new addition to the St. James Website.  I (Kara) will be making regular updates from the ongoing Mindfulness Meditation group that meets weekly at St. James.  The Meditation Group meets Wednesdays from 9:30am untill 11ish weekly.  This is an informal, shared leadership meditation group.

The goal of these submissions are to provoke thoughtful introspection and mindfulness.

Now that the introductions are out of the way let’s get on with it…

“As a bee gathers nectar

And moves on without harming

The flower, its color, or its fragrance,

Just so should a sage move through a village.

–Dhammapada 49

On Monday, I choose to sit on my porch and meditate.  Meditate on the world around me, watching the main street of town happen and let everything be “as it should be”.  I was being a naturalist so to speak, observing the world around me without judgement and just allowing to all be, just as it is.  After some time, my attention was drawn by a mockingbird.  I’m a great lover of mockingbird.  So I watched it as it alighted upon the sidewalk across the street, and began raising its wings which causes its shadow to grow and often caused insects to spring.  The bird pounced and I though it had found something pretty big.  It turned out that the mockingbird had decided to go after a small snake sunning itself on the sidewalk. 

I wanted to jump out of my seat, particularly when the snake made a mad dash for the street to get away from the angry bird.  I  thought to myself how I could grab the snake and bring it in for my boys to see, having an impromptu science lesson.  But instead I stayed the impulse and reminded myself that I was there only to observe and “everything is as it should be”. 

So I continued to observe.  The snake, thankfully, turned back into the grass and I watched as the mockingbird pursued it into the bushes,  ultimately, landing on a branch and scolding the snake from above. 

I was quite proud of myself for suppressing my urge to interfear and allowing everything to take its own course.  I was given a gift by the Earth for just sitting, and maintaining my original intention.

Tragedy at Tennessee UU Church

Posted on July 29, 2008
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Three thousand young people from the United Church of Christ are in Knoxville this week, attending the UCC’s National Youth Event - only a few blocks from the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.

A prayer remembering all touched by the attack on the church Sunday morning was written by Megan Diesselhorst, from our neighbor congregation Little River United Church of Christ in Annandale. Her prayer was read during the closing worship service Sunday evening.

“O God of Peace and Love,

“You have been with us on this journey of growth, discovery, and reflection. We are amazed at the signs that you have given to us to show us the way to a better life of love, creation, and harmony. We confess that we all have faults, differences, and doubts. As your children we ask for your forgiveness and guidance to heal our brokenness. We are entering into a period of mourning for the victims of the shootings this morning at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. We ask for your comfort and the strength of your love for the victims, the shooter, and their loved ones. As a generation that has been confronted by 9/11, the shootings at others schools and colleges, as well as war, we trust in your power and wisdom to lead us to create a world of peace and wholeness. We leave here inspired, and ready to love. In your name we pray. Amen.”

The prayer was followed by the lighting of a candle, and then silence.

According to Knoxville police, the man who opened fire during TVUUC’s service Sunday morning “attacked the congregation because of its outspoken socially liberal and gay-friendly beliefs.”

TVUUC has been actively engaged in social justice causes since the 1950s, including desegregation, racial reconciliation, equality for women, first amendment rights, sanctuary for political refugees, interfaith understanding, and equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. These are stands that sometimes invite the wrath of those opposed to God’s Extravagant Welcome.

This horrific act of violence, by an unstable man who was encouraged to hate, serves to remind us that the words of Jesus about ‘taking up our own cross to follow Him’ are not just rhetoric. There is real evil in the world, and it seeks out those places where God’s love is manifest.

Our prayers are with our wounded sisters and brothers at TVUUC, whose lives will be forever changed, and with the hurting man who did this, who was so misled and used for evil. We embrace you and hold you close in our hearts.

The Unitarian Universalists Association has created a site where people can share messages of love and support for our friends in Knoxville: www.knoxvillesupport.blogspot.com

Welcome!

Posted on June 27, 2008
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New members of St. James UCC

Welcome new members! We’re glad that you’re here.

What a night!

Posted on June 24, 2008
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See more pictures

First, we are happy to report that the balcony at St. James - after 275 years - is still structurally sound :)

The emma’s revolution concert was a wonderful community event, bringing together around 120 very spirited fellow travelers - of all ages and from many different faith communities - to share great food, music, and fellowship. Thank you to Pat Humphries and Sandy O, who are emma’s revolution, and to everyone else who helped make this night such a success.

Did you miss it? Here’s an audio clip (not from the concert, but from the emma’s revolution website) with the lyrics:

Bound for Freedom by emma's revolution

bound for freedom

In Montgomery and in Selma and the streets of Birmingham
The people sent a message to the leaders of the land.
We have fought and we have suffered but we know the wrong from right.
We are family, we are neighbors, we are black and we are white.

Here I go bound for freedom, may my truth take the lead
Not the preacher, not the congress, not the millionaire but me
I will organize for justice. I will raise my voice in song.
And our children will be free to lead the world and carry on.

From a cell in Pennsylvania, from an inmate on death row,
Mumia had the courage to expose the evil show.
From the court room to the board room in the television’s glare
How the greedy live off poor and hungry people everywhere.

Here I go though I’m standing on my own,
I remember those before me and I know I’m not alone.
I will organize for justice. I will raise my voice in song,
And our children will be free to lead the world and carry on.

From the streets of New York City ‘cross the ocean and beyond
People from all nations create a common bond.
With our conscience as our weapon, we are witness to the fall.
We are simple, we are brilliant,
We are one and we are all.

We do believe that more pictures will be arriving soon, from a certain pastor with a non-digital camera. Stay tuned.

Why would a Christian profess such loathing for a popular gospel singer?

Posted on June 15, 2008
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I came across this video of gospel singer Ricky Dillard & The New Generation Chorale on a so-called “culture war” website. Here is a sample of the things the author had to say about this performance:

“profound madness”
“display of effemininate diva-ism”
“degenerate perversity”
“demonic circus acts”
“Stop –immediately– purchasing the diseased music of these people.”

What in the world? I can’t for the life of me figure out what this person finds so objectionable about this performer. What is it that we are supposed to be seeing in this video? What I see is joyous singing and dancing, praising the Lord with great, infectious enthusiasm. What could be wrong with that? These folks obviously have a gift, and they are sharing it with the world. They are performing traditional gospel music. They are wildly popular and have garnered international acclaim, opening for Patti LaBelle and Bonnie Raitt, among others. What is the perceived problem here?

What is this about? Have we become so divided that even a gospel performance can elicit such vitriol? Is worship that is too joyous somehow “effeminate?” Why? The author never explains it, readers are just supposed to know what he’s talking about. Watch the video. Maybe someone out there can help me understand this.

Mother’s Day

Posted on May 11, 2008
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Some St. James MomsMother’s Day this year happened to fall on Pentacost.

Appropriately, we are reminded of the lesson of the Pentacost: That the miracle was not so much the speaking, but the listening.

Something useful for mothers (and fathers, too) - and also as we look forward to next week’s sacred conversation around race that has been called for by the United Church of Christ.

See more pictures from our Mother’s Day/Pentacost service.

Easter

Posted on March 24, 2008
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Easter sunrise from the St. James cemetery on Lovettsville Rd.Sunrise from the Old Reformed Cemetery on Lovettsville Road, Easter morning.

Lord of the Dance

I danced in the morning when the world was begun
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth

“Dance, then, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance,” said he
“And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance,” said he

I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee
But they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John
They came with me and the dance went on

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame
The holy people said it was a shame
They whipped and they stripped me and they hung me on high
And they left me there on a cross to die

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone
But I am the dance and I still go on

They cut me down and I leapt up high
For I am the life that will never, never die
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me
“I am the Lord of the Dance,” said he

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