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Resurrecting the church of the Magdalene Part VII

Mar10

Today’s blog explores the gifts of both the Institutional/orthodox Church and the mystical, contemplative, interior church that I refer to as “the church of the Magdalene.” 

Continuing Yesterday’s Discussion

Apparently yesterday’s blog stirred the ire of some readers.  I will say it again, I am sorry if any readers took yesterday’s blog personally or thought I was shaking the finger of judgment at them.  As a Perfectionist/Reformer (on the Enneagram), I am predisposed to see the world through the lens of “How can this be better?” and in my professional life, the common target of this question is the Institution of the Roman Catholic Church.  Not because I hate it, mind you, but because I love it!  I want my church to be a place where all people feel welcome, accepted, loved and honored for who they are.  I am saddened when the very human Institution falls short of this hope.

Room for Orthodoxy

The Catholic Church as an Institution has stood strong and proud for 2000 some years and serves a very important role in the spiritual and religious experiences and beliefs of its members.  The Church as an Institution creates form, structure, predictability, unity of belief and practice.  You can go anywhere in the world, attend a Catholic mass and be able to participate.  There is great gift in this form and structure as it can create a sense of security and safety in an often unpredictable world.  We know where the Church stands on matters of morality, politics, and matters of social justice.  We also know the chain of command and our role within that chain.  The Institution of the Church creates order and for many people, this is important and necessary.  The Institution also provides sound instruction in what members are expected to believe and how they are expected to act.  Again, very important resources for many people.  The Church also provides a sense of belonging.  For those who qualify as “Catholic in good standing,” you know that you are accepted, you belong, you have a home and a community that you can turn to for comfort, support, guidance.  These are all good things that feed and nurture many.

The Mystical Church

Here is where it gets messy…..especially for some.  The Mystical/Contemplative church is pretty much the complete opposite from what is listed above.  Instead of creating order, it stirs up chaos.  Instead of offering rules, doctrine, strict guidelines, it invites us into our own personal discernement were we are called to discover God’s truth for us on our own (or with the help of a Spiritual Director).  The black and white rules of orthodoxy are replaced with the grey matter of relativity….the only absolute truth being God….or whatever we want to call that.  Instead of offering strict rubrics for worship and ritual, the Mystical church invites us to create our own.  Rote repetitive prayer is expanded to include imagination, dreams, writing, inviting us into a deeply personal and intimate dialogue with God.  In the Mystical church, instead of following the chain of command,  we are invited to take it “straight to the top”, by-passing the human element and going directly to God.  The final authority in the Mystical church is God, rather than the pope, cardinals and bishops.  The Mystical church belongs to all of humanity and there is no separation by religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.  All paths lead to God and all paths are honored as sacred.  In the Mystical church, decisions are made through prayer, careful discernment, collaboration and concensus.  Leadership looks more like a circle than a straight line.  Can you see how this might not be for some…..even many?

The Church in a Perfect World (as defined by Lauri Lumby)

In a perfect world (at least according to me) there would be room for both expressions of the Christian experience.  The Orthodox and Mystical churches would co-exist side by side in peaceful harmony and collaboration.  Leaders and members would be formed and educated through both sound spiritual formation (Who am I?  Whose am I?  What are my gifts and how am I being called to use them?) as well as religious formation (rites and rituals, dogma and doctrine, theology, scriptural exegesis, church history, the study of church documents, canon law, etc.). Spiritual formation would inform religious formation and visa versa.  Men, women, lay and ordained would all be included in this formation and leadership would be determined by the individuals’ specific charisms, not their gender.  Ordination might be more broad…..perhaps all would be ordained to their specific call in the world and in the Church.  Contemplation would be honored along side traditional forms of prayer.   Religious dogma would be tested against discernment and the call to compassion.  Primacy of Conscience would be valued in areas of morality with the final authority resting with God.  Worship would include some wiggle room….room for interpretation of worship to expand beyond the strict rubrics of the Roman liturgy.  I know, crazy, right?

Not in my lifetime

I realize that this vision of “the perfect Church”  will most likely NOT be made manifest in my lifetime…if ever.  And I have stopped beating my head against the wall of the Institution hoping they will hear the call to be open to the Mystical expression.  And perhaps I am just a voice calling out in the wilderness….but I know there are people who resonate more clearly with the Mystical expression and hunger for its nourishment.  So, here I am, offering it to those who would have it.    In the spirit of this offering, I just wanted to remind you of the March 15th launch of the Agape’ Project – a subscription based newsletter that will give those who want it, tools for sound spiritual formation through scripture, meditation and contemplation exercises and educational materials that help us to grow in our understanding of what the scripture writers might have been trying to say.  The newsletter is the culmination of my own 20 years of devoted prayer and contemplation, study and practice and I am humbled and honored to offer these tools in the hopes of helping others know the depth of love that arises out of the use of these kinds of tools.  Going back to the mission of Authentic Freedom Ministries, to help you:  Remember the Love That You Are!

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

 

Resurrecting the church of the Magdalene Part VI

Mar5

Today’s blog continues the discussion of what I call “the church of the Magdalene” – the inner, intuitive, contemplative, aspect of the Christian experience that got lost beneath the cloud of orthodoxy and the invitation to bring this aspect of the Jesus experience back into the open where it belongs. 

copyright Robert M. Place, Tarot of the Saints

Jesus went off to pray

In scripture, most notably in the gospel attributed to Mark, prayer is revealed to be the foundation and heart of Jesus’ personal journey.   Jesus is depicted as frequently making time, even in the midst of his very public ministry, for prayer.  “And Jesus went off to pray.”  This is a key component of Jesus’ life and his ministry that often gets overlooked in the shadow of his teachings, healings and debates with the Pharisees.  Prayer, as Jesus lived it, was not rote recitation of written or prescribed liturgical prayers.  Instead, Jesus’ prayer was an attunement with God.  It was through his prayer that he had come to understand his Oneness with God and the knowledge that each and everyone of us had access to the contentment, love and joy that he had experienced in this rediscovered state of union with God.  It could be said that this was “the truth” that Jesus came to teach us or ”the way” he came to reveal.  It is through contemplation and meditation (aka prayer) that we too are invited to reclaim the peace and joy that Jesus came to know.

The church of the Magdalene and contemplation

Continuing my thesis…….I believe that it is through the hidden, interior, intuitive expression of the Jesus message (aka the church of the Magdalene)  that this tradition of contemplation and prayer has been preserved and seeks to be reborn into the world….accessible to everyone.  (I don’t know about you, but I certainly did not learn the contemplative traditions of Christianity from orthodoxy.)  If we are to really KNOW God, if we are really going to KNOW ourselves and if we seek to KNOW our unique gifts and how we are called to share these gifts in the world in service to God and to humanity…..we have to go WITHIN….to that intimate place of knowledge, understanding, wisdom and truth.  Prayer, contemplation and meditation are the tools that help us to get there.  The challenge in the Western world, however is that all kinds of myths and falsehoods have been strewn about regarding a personal spiritual practice.  So, in the hopes of clearing space in which we can all be free to explore, discover, cultivate and embrace a sound, personal spiritual practice…..here are some things it might help you to know:

Dispelling Myths

The following are myths that have been propogated in regards to meditation as a spiritual practice.  None of these myths (from my perspective as an experienced meditator and Spiritual Director) are true.

  • Meditation has a goal
  • The goal of meditation is silencing of the mind
  • There is a right and a wrong way to ”do” meditation
  • If you reach the state of peace, you did it right….if not, you did it wrong
  • An empty mind is the devil’s playground
  • Meditating makes you a ”better” person
  • Only enlightened/holy people meditate
  • Meditation is the path to enlightenment
  • Sitting in silence is the only valid form of meditation….or it is the preferred method
  • Meditation is an Eastern practice and cannot be practiced by Christians
  • Eastern meditation practices are dangerous
  • Lay people cannot meditate

Before embarking on a meditation practice, it may be helpful to know:

  • The goal of spiritual practice is “NO GOAL.”  Your job is to simply show up.  Striving after a goal (other than showing up) will prove to be an obstacle to your practice.
  • There is no right or wrong way to meditate.
  • If you find that state of inner calm and peace…..it is PURE GRACE…..not something you received because you finally meditated the right way or enough times.
  • There is a rich tradition of meditation and contemplation in the Western Hebrew and Christian traditions.
  • It is in the emptiness that we find God/Love/Truth…..and we are also invited to find God in the midst of the chaos.
  • Meditation can be receptive (listening, sitting, being) or active (expressing, moving, giving, processing,).
  • Meditation encompasses many formats and practices including but not limited to:  meditative reading of sacred texts, journalling, sitting in silence, movement (yoga, tai chi, dance, etc.), chant, listening to music, daydreaming, paying attention to our dreams, mindfulness practices, acts of service, making love, being present to our family and friends, being out in nature, creative expression, painting, drawing, cooking, cleaning, etc. etc. etc.
  • A spiritual practice is anything that helps us to connect with God, peace, love, joy, flow, compassion, harmony, forgiveness, mercy, ecstasy.
  • In the Western tradition, Meditation refers to the reflective thoughts in the mind.  In the Eastern Tradition, meditation is understood to mean sitting in silence.  Contemplation is the term used in the Western tradition to refer to sitting or being in silence with God.
  • The only danger in meditation or contemplation is connecting with your truth.  Warning:  Truth can be a dangerous thing if we are not prepared or if we do not have the tools to handle it.  As Gloria Steinem said, “The truth will set you free, but first it will kick your butt.”
  • Meditation may lead you to enlightenment, if that is your path in this life;  regardless, it will help you to be a happier, more peaceful and more loving human being.
  • From the Hebrew and Christian perspectives, meditation and contemplation will empower you to experience the Kingdom of God right here, right now, in this life.  You will discover that you don’t have to die to know the peace and love of God.
  • Meditation can be practiced by ANYONE……regardless of your race, color, creed, education, status, position of power, ordained or not, etc. etc. etc.

Getting Started

As mentioned above, there is no right or wrong way to meditation or to enter into spiritual practice.  I have learned, however, that there are certain things we can do that will help us to be successful in our goal of SHOWING UP for our spiritual practice.  Remember…the only goal is to SHOW UP.  The following steps may help you to do this. 

  • Set aside a regular time each day for your spiritual practice where you can be uninterrupted for 15-30 minutes.  For many people, this is first thing in the morning, but choose a time that works for your own personal bio-rhythms.
  • Choose a special place in your home or office that is designated as your place for your spiritual practice.  It might be a certain chair in your living room, your drawing easel, maybe you have the luxury of setting up a meditation corner or room.
  • Have the tools that you need for your practice near your chosen place – your journal, a bible, writing utensils, maybe a candle or incense burner, a blanket.
  • Turn off any potential distractions – phones, computers, pagers, etc.
  • Create a ritual that helps you to enter into your spiritual practice.  Light a candle.  Burn incense.  Say a prayer.  Bow to your sacred space.

Tomorrow I will discuss The Agape’ Project and how it will help to support you in your personal spiritual practice.

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Resurrecting the church of the Magdalene Part V

Mar4

Today’s blog is a repeat of one posted on October 14, 2011.  This blog explores the topic of sound spiritual formation.  I believe that the church of the Magdalene was centered on sound spiritual formation in contrast to the religious formation that drives orthodoxy.  Part of resurrecting the inner, interior, intuitive church is reclaiming spiritual formation as a right for all.

 

Religion as I knew it

Once upon a time there was a good little Catholic girl who grew up going to mass on Sundays (and actually liked it), went to CCD (aka Sunday School) and learned the catechism (teachings) of her faith, participated in the sacraments and rituals of her Church, learned how to pray the rosary, do the stations of the cross, etc.  She enjoyed her Catholic faith, but in the end, something was still missing.  She longed for “that which she could not name”.  She thought Jesus was cool, looked to the saints as models of “Christian virtue” (kinda like they were Superheros), and tried to live a good life…but something was still missing. Sound familiar?  If so, then you are in the majority.  Many people move through the experience of the religions of their youth, doing what they are told and either loving, are neutral or hate it…..but for most, regardless of their personal like or dislike, something still seems to be missing.  This was me…..UNTIL I had an opportunity to learn something different.

Religious Formation

The experience of the “Good little Catholic girl” (aka Lauri) describes what would technically be known as Religious Formation.  Religious formation is the process through which we learn and practice the traditions and beliefs of a particular faith (Catholic, Lutheran, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Methodist, etc.).  Religious formation is a process of the mind…we learn, we obey (or not), we do.  Religious formation is how we learn to go along with the other participants/members of that particular tradition.  It is how we learn to comply, to fit in, to be obedient to the outside perceived authority chosen by that particular faith.  Religious formation has its place within the context of a chosen faith community, but if this is all that is offered to the community, there will always be a sense of something missing.

What the Heck is Spiritual Formation?

Spiritual Formation is the missing link is the vast majority of institutional religions today.  Spiritual Formation is the heart-piece that is missing in religious formation alone.  Through spiritual formation, we are given the tools to SEEK, discover and come to KNOW the Divine in a very deeply personal and intimate way.  Through spiritual formation we are given permission to ask the tough questions, to seek God until we experience the Divine in the very center of our being…in our hearts where God truly lives.  Through spiritual formation we don’t just know ABOUT God (as defined by our religious institutions), we KNOW God in our very heart.  And…in coming to know God in this way, we come to know ourselves and are then given tools through which we can discover our own unique giftedness and be open to how God might be calling us to use those gifts in the service of love in the world, thereby making the world a more peaceful, harmonious and loving place.  COOL!

The Problem

Spiritual formation, in my opinion, is what is missing in most expressions of institutional religion.  I discovered this in my own journey when I had an opportunity to learn and practice the rich tradition of sound spiritual formation of the Catholic Christian tradition.  The PROBLEM is that these tools, are locked away in monasteries and are reserved for the exclusive use of men and women in religious communities (monks and nuns).  Us lowly lay people, rarely, if EVER get a chance to learn or practice these tools.  What is interesting to me is that it is only through sound spiritual formation that we can ever become “true disciples” that which most religions claim they want their members to become.  HA!  The problem is that in sound spiritual formation…..we have to be able to ask the tough questions, challenge our faith traditions, confront hypocrisy, challenge the tension between the God that reveals itself to us in our hearts and the Divine that is contained within the constructs of our religious institutions.  And….most institutions can’t handle the questions, the rebellion, the confrontation of uppity lay people who might discover a God that is slightly different than what they want them to believe in. So, sound spiritual formation is ignored or flat out denied and the participants of institutional religions are left to “pray, pay and obey,”  never knowing the richness of the intimate personal experience of God, self and service.  (except in the rare exceptions where God breaks in and reveals God’s self to the individual, in spite of the lack of spiritual formation…just saying…God is bigger than even the limitations of religious institutions.)

Where have you felt that something was missing in your experiences of religious institutions?

How are you being called to not just know ABOUT God, but to KNOW God in a very deeply intimate and personal way?

Resurrecting the church of the Magdalene Part IV

Mar3

Today’s blog is Part IV of a series exploring the role of Mary Magdalene in the early years of the Jesus movement, its retreat under the shadow of orthodoxy and the invitation to restore her (and her movement) to its rightful place in the light.

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are…..

So, if we are resurrecting the church of the Magdalene…..how did it die and where did it go?  Again, based on 20+ years of research, study, reflection, prayer, meditation, daydreaming and discernment, I have a few theories.  And yet again, don’t ask me to provide proof for the accuracy of these theories because a) good luck finding any    and   b) it quite could just as likely be the working of my overly active and overly romantic imagination.  Nevertheless…..indulge me and see if any of this might resonate as truth with you.

  • Peter (the disciple, later given credit for being “the first pope.”) didn’t like women and certainly didn’t like Mary.  He was jealous of her and refused to hear anything that she had to say (even after some of the other disciples supported her and encouraged Peter to listen to what she had to say.)  Mary was saddened by this.
  • Somewhere, somehow, Mary came to realize that her understandings of the Jesus message would not be accepted by the Jerusalem community, so she left.  (I doubt she waited as long as the fall of Jerusalem in 70 something)  Mary was saddened by this.
  • I have a strong sense (based on very limited supporting information that interestingly now seems to elude me), that from Jerusalem (or Bethany….or somewhere in Israel) that Mary went to Egypt.
  • While in Egypt, a small community of people open to Mary’s views on the Jesus message gathered around her to learn, to take in and to continue the Jesus message (hence, the discovery of the Gospel of Mary in Egypt…..written in Coptic, the language of Egypt during the time of Jesus)
  • Sometime after establishing a community (most likely contemplative) in Egypt, Mary journeyed on to the South of France.
  • Because of the deep and enduring tradition of the Magdalene in Southern France, I sense that Mary spent a great number of years in that area; teaching, preaching, building communities of prayer and contemplation.  Many churches in the area bear her name and her icons.
  • Mary may have spent some time in England as well……Glastonbury claims this tradition to be true as do other communities in England.
  • We do not know where Mary died or where her tomb lies (if there is such a tomb).

But What About the Mary Movement?

Somewhere in the first 300 years of Christianity, the interior, intuitive, contemplative expression of the Jesus message got overshadowed by law, hierarchy, dogma, doctrine, institutionalization.  With Ireneaus anything related to gnosticism (a perspective on religion that favored “direct knowledge” of God over doctrine) got wiped out…and I sense that the Mary Magdalene thread of Christianity got wiped out with it.  It did not really die,however.  Instead, it went underground only to resurface in the various expressions of Christian monasticism…most notably: St. Francis of Assisi, Clare of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, St. Dominic, Hildegard of Bingen, etc.  My sense is that the church of the Magdalene never really died, it only retreated into the contemplative, mystical church, recognized as Western monasticism, waiting for the time that it could once again be brought out into the open for all to appreciate, experience and enjoy.  Albert Nolan reflects on this in his book, Jesus Today:

I have always felt that there were two histories of the Christian Church- the history of the institution with its popes and power struggles, its schisms, conflicts and divisions, its heresy hunting and bureaucracy; and the parallel history of the martyrs, saints, and mystics and their devotion to prayer, humility, and self-sacrifice, their freedom and joy, their boldness and their deep love for everyone and everything.

(Jesus Today; Albert Nolan, pg. 73)

Let Them Eat More Than Cake

The monastic, contemplative communities have done a fabulous job of preserving, maintaining and upholding the intuitive, inner, mystical, expression of the Jesus message.  I believe that this expression of the Christian path is reflective of the work Mary Magdalene accomplished in the first century and that this path is calling to be brought forth into the light so that all (not just the men and women called to religious life) may benefit from its inherent ability to nourish and sustain. In following the path of the mystical church, what I refer to as “the church of the Magdalene” we find our nourishment within in the intimate connection with God…we are sustained, we know peace, love and joy and we find true fulfillment in the knowledge of our gifts and how God is calling us to share these gifts in the world.  Perhaps this is the life giving bread and saving cup to which Jesus so frequently referred and if so, transcends any Institutional limitations on our ability to receive God through the Eucharist(who can or cannot received communion, what it does or doesn’t mean, who can preside over Eucharist or not).  I like to think so anyway.

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Resurrecting the church of the Magdalene Part III

Mar2

Today’s blog is Part III of a series exploring the role of Mary Magdalene in the early years of the Jesus movement, its retreat under the shadow of orthodoxy and the invitation to restore her (and her movement) to its rightful place in the light.

Resurrecting the church of the Magdalene

After writing and reading the previous several blogs, I realize that the work I have been doing and continue to do already represents the resurrection of the church of the Magdalene!  (I kind of knew that already….but now I’m owning it!)  She has been raised from the dead right before my/our eyes.  So let’s make it real and own it shall we?  As such, I have posted a new page on the Authentic Freedom Ministries website saying just that…..the church of the Magdalene.  (Please note the continued use of small “c” in church.  Mary was NEVER part of the Institutional Church….and let’s keep it that way!)  So without further ado…….let me introduce you to the church of the Magdalene:

copyright Robert M. Place

http://thealchemicalegg.com/

Mission:

The church of the Magdalene is a global effort to restore the intuitive, interior, contemplative and mystical church to its rightful place beside orthodoxy.  Inspired by the life and ministry of Mary, the Magdalene, the Beloved Disciple of Jesus, the church of the Magdalene transcends doctrine by providing tools and resources through which participants are empowered to come to know the Divine within and in knowing God, knowing themselves and the unique way in which they are gifted to reveal Divine Love (Agape’) in the world.  This mission is accomplished through:

  • The Agape’ Project – an effort to support participants in the development and cultivation of a personal spiritual practice and to encourage the development of small Christian communities and house churches.  The Agape’ Project is facilitated through a weekly subscription-based newsletter that can be utilized in both personal spiritual practice as well as within a small group dynamic.  Additional resources are available for those interested in establishing a house church.
  • Your Spiritual Truth - an inspirational blog rooted in the contemplative tradition, supporting readers in their journey toward self-actualization and the recollection of love as their original nature.
  • Authentic Freedom - a formal curriculm for adults in sound spiritual formation.  The Authentic Freedom courses and related books are a modern expression of the process of spiritual initiation referred to by Mary, the Magdalene in the ancient and non-canonical text, The Gospel of Mary.   Readers and participants are given the tools through which they are healed and released of the spiritual fears (demons) that keep them from knowing a life of contentment and joy, thereby empowering them to identify, cultivate, embrace and openly share the unique ways in which they are called to reveal God’s love in service to the world.
  • Christouch – a formal protocol and training program for holistic healing inspired by Jesus’ ministry, which incorporates prayer with laying on of hands to support spiritual, emotional, mental and even physical wellness.
  • Contemplative Worship- encouraging  the formation of local centers of contemplative worship

Your Participation

Your participation in the church of the Magdalene will be unique to your own personal call.  Some may be called to become part of the church of the Magdalene as an individual; developing and cultivating a personal spiritual practice.  Some may be called to gather men and women of like-mind to join them in contemplation and prayer.  Some may feel called to establish  study groups using the Authentic Freedom curriculum of spiritual formation.   Your participation in the church of the Magdalene can stand apart or along side the religious tradition in which you were raised or with whom you currently worship.  The church of the Magdalene provides a complement to existing forms of orthodoxy and in its highest form, exists as a source of accountability, testing doctrine against sound discernment.  In the perfect world, the interior and exterior churches would work in cooperation and collaboration.  Until that moment of true partnership emerges, the interior church stands apart, inviting you into a both-and experience.

The church of the Magdalene and its relationship to Authentic Freedom Ministries

Authentic Freedom Ministries is a secular ministry rooted in the contemplative tradition of Western Christianity.  Authentic Freedom Ministries is the vessel through which the church of the Magdalene has sought to be reborn into the world and is the vehicle through which the supporting resources have been disseminated.  Authentic Freedom Ministries is also the local manifestation of the church of the Magdalene, located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and pastored by Lauri Lumby, Spiritual Director, Lay Minister, Reiki Master Practitioner, author and writer.

All Are Welcome!

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Resurrecting the church of the Magdalene Part II

Mar1

Today’s blog is Part II of a series exploring the role of Mary Magdalene in the early years of the Jesus movement, its retreat under the shadow of orthodoxy and the invitation to restore her (and her movement) to its rightful place in the light.

http://thealchemicalegg.com/

My Current Theories on Mary Magdalene

After nearly 20 years of reading, researching, praying and discerning possibly every modern (and some ancient) text written about Mary Magdalene, I have come to one solid conclusion – we can say nothing with 100% certainty.  As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, the current books available on Mary and the ”research” (I use that term loosely) demonstrates some solid historical context, ancient texts which seem to be in support of her role as a close companion and student of Jesus as well as a leader in the early church, a lot of conjecture and some just plain fantasy.   Below I will list the books to which I give a scholarly thumbs up and seem to be most rooted in scientific research (at least as scientific as one can be 2000 years after the fact with very limited supporting resources).

After spending the past two decades exploring the topic of Mary Magdalene, I have come to some of my own conclusions which I will share with you here…..stating upfront that these are only THEORIES and they are unique to me.  Don’t ask me to prove these theories, because as I said, there is little supporting scientific evidence.  I can only share with you what feels like truth for me knowing that there are many out there who would agree.  So….here’s a little

Something About Mary

(According to Lauri Lumby anyway).  And if this helps, you may put this in the form of a creed….placing “I believe” statements before each of the bullet points below:

  • Mary Magdalene was a close an intimate follower, student, disciple of Jesus
  • She accompanied him in his ministry and maybe helped to support him financially
  • With Jesus’ help and through a formal process of spiritual formation and healing, she was healed and released from the inner fears (demons) that prevented her from being a fully actualized human.
  • She is the ONLY disciple about whom this kind of initiation, healing and release is mentioned
  • She either received different teachings from Jesus or understood his teachings in a way that far surpassed the comprehension of the other disciples
  • Because of the knowledge, wisdom and healing that she acquired, she was able to be witness to the resurrection
  • She was commissioned by Jesus to carry the news of the resurrection to the other disciples
  • The disciples did not believe her until Jesus appeared in their midst
  • Jesus and Mary’s relationship may have risen to a status of “lover and beloved” meaning intimate spiritual friends, brother and sister and companions (like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross or St. Francis and Clare of Assisi).
  • Jesus and Mary may or may not have been married – again this has no bearing on my faith
  • After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Mary received visitations and additional teachings through the Christ
  • Mary attempted to share these teachings with the other disciples
  • The other disciples, most notably Peter, were resistant to her teachings
  • Peter’s attitude and behavior toward Mary was dismissive, antagonistic and potentially abusive
  • Sometime after it became clear that Mary’s understanding of Jesus’ teachings would not be received by the church in Jerusalem, she departed
  • She went elsewhere – possibly Egypt and most probably Southern France, maybe to Glastonbury, England
  • The communities that gathered around Mary and her perspective on the Jesus message were most likely contemplative based, rooted in prayer and meditation, focusing on coming to know the God within and on the journey of self-actualization
  • Mary would have shared Jesus’ secret teachings along with the formal process of initiation that he facilitated with her with the people that gathered around her and became her students, etc.
  • The monastic movement may be the underground reflection of the church of Mary Magdalene.
  • The early Church (big C – Institutional) referred to Mary Magdalene as “Apostle to the Apostles:
  • Magdalene may not be a surname, and may not be the town of her origin.  “Magdalene” may be a contraction of two Hebrew words generally meaning “Great Tower”, and may have been a title assigned to her, reflective of her role in Jesus’ ministry.

Resources for further reading:

  • Haskins, Susan; Mary Magdalene – Myth and Metaphor; Harper Collins; 1993
  • MacDermot, Violet; The Fall of Sophia; Lindisfarne Books; 2001
  • King, Karen L.;The Gospel of Mary of Magdala;Polebridge Press, 2003
  • Malachi, Tau; Mary Magdalene – the Gnostic Traditions of the Holy Bride; Llewellyn Worldwide
  • LeLoup, Jean-Yves; The Gospel of Mary Magdalene; Inner Traditions: 2002
  • LeLoup, Jean-Yves; The Gospel of Philip; Inner Traditions; 2003
  • LeLoup, Jean-Yves; The Gospel of Thomas; Inner Traditions;

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Resurrecting the church of the Magdalene Part I

Mar1

Today’s blog (and those to follow in the coming days) explores the role of Mary Magdalene in the early years of the Jesus movement, its retreat under the shadow of orthodoxy and the invitation to restore her (and her movement) to its rightful place in the light. 

http://thealchemicalegg.com/

Didn’t Know We Were Going Here!

Yesterday I announced the launch of the Agape’ Project on this coming March 15th and that the coming blogs would be in support of that effort.  Well, apparently the Holy Spirit, or Mary Magdalene herself had other plans.  This afternoon while sitting in prayer, the topic and outline for this blog presented itself……so risking accusations of being completely out of my mind…..here goes!

What We Know About Mary Magdalene

What we really  know about Mary Magdalene is sketchy at best.  Canonical scripture (the books that made “the cut”) tell us only three things:

  • With Jesus’ help, Mary was cured of seven demons (most likely representing a process of initiation through which she was healed and freed of the fears that prevented her from knowing and living as her most authentic self. – for more on this see the work of Jean-Yves Leloup)
  • She was a close follower of Jesus’
  • She was the first witness to Jesus’ resurrection and was commissioned by Jesus to inform the other disciples that he had been raised from the dead.

Mary may or may not have been the “Mary” that anointed Jesus’ head with oil, she may or may not have been the Mary of “Martha and Mary” and she may or may not have been the woman that washed his feet with her tears.  Scholars are still debating these points.  What we DO know is that she was NOT the adulterous woman and neither was she a prostitute.  (Pope Gregory was wrong….so much for infallibility!)

If we want to learn more about Mary Magdalene and her historical role in the early Jesus movement, we need to turn to the non-canonical books (those that didn’t make “the cut”), specifically, the Gospels of Mary, Philip and Thomas, along with the Pistis Sophia.  What we can surmise from these texts is:

  • Not only was Mary a close follower of Jesus, she seemed to be privy to secret teachings or at least gleaned understandings from Jesus’ teachings that the other disciples could not comprehend.
  • She was said to have been kissed on the mouth by Jesus….what that means exactly, we do not know.
  • She attempted to share with the disciples the secret teachings Jesus shared with her and was met by much resistance, especially from Peter.  (Philip and Thomas seemed to support her in her ministry and accepted her authority among them)
  • Mary was considered by some early Christian communities to be the embodiment of Divine Wisdom (Sophia)
  • The secret teachings that Jesus imparted upon her seemed to be a formal system of spiritual formation leading toward a state of wholeness for those who embarked upon this path (in other words, they became “enlightened” and were able to live as their most authentic selves in the world.)
  • Mary experienced post-resurrection visitations and teachings by Jesus (now called Christ) and attempted to share these teachings with the disciples….again with much resistance on their part

What We Might Know About the Early Church (big C – Institutional Church)

It is from the Acts of the Apostles and from the Epistles, along with the tradition of the early Church that we get a sense of the formation of the Institutional Church (which was not really officially institutionalized until Constantine in the fourth century C.E.).

  • James and Peter seemed to be in charge
  • Paul showed up sometime later after his “conversion”
  • Peter may or may not have gone to Rome
  • The early Jesus movement mostly took place in people’s homes,  women and men sharing in the leadership and in the breaking of the bread
  • At first, the disciples thought the Jesus movement was only for Jews, and that Gentiles would first have to become Jewish (through circumcision) before joining
  • Paul challenged this practice at “The Council of Jerusalem” and convinced Peter and James otherwise
  • There is no mention of Mary Magdalene’s role in the post-resurrection Church

Pop Culture Explorations of Mary Magdalene

There has been much written of late regarding Mary Magdalene and who she was or was not in the early Christian movement.  In the Pop-culture and New-Age communities, many theories have arisen regarding Mary and her possible marriage to Jesus and the children they had together.  I have spent the past 20 years reading, researching and discerning possibly every book that has yet to be written about Mary Magdalene – scholarly, fictional and theoretical.  I have come to understand that none of the resources are conclusive and all are nothing more than the exploration of the respective author’s theories and hypotheses.  Specifically in regards to the ideas that Jesus and Mary Magdalene may have been married and had children:

1) I don’t care

2) Jesus’ celibacy of lack thereof has no bearing on my faith

3) If Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and sired children with her – good for him, and if anything, the idea of this would make him even more human and approachable in my eyes

4) My concern here is more about the ministry of Mary Magdalene and what happened to her view on the Jesus story and the supposed “secret teachings” after she disappeared from view sometime shortly after the resurrection of Christ.

Part II of this soon to come!

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Uniquely Gifted

Feb3

Each and every one of us is uniquely gifted to reveal God in the world.  Today’s blog explores spiritual charisms (gifts) and how they not only assist us in God’s purpose for our lives, but also serve as a source of inspiration for others.

Friends and Mentors

Wednesday morning I had brunch with a dear friend and mentor.  She is a person with whom I worked when I was still under the employ of the Institution of the Roman Catholic Church.  She served as my teacher, guide and mentor as I stumbled unwittingly into the role of Liturgist for our grieving community in exile.  She took me under her wing as I faced a position for which I was completely untrained and ill-prepared and during a time that I was grieving myself.  For her teaching, patience, compassion and friendship, I will always be grateful.  We worked together until it became clear to me that God was calling me in another direction.  My departure from official Church ministry could have and probably should have driven a wedge in our relationship, but it did not.  As a result, I have been given the profound gift of being able to witness true hospitality, generosity and to sit in humble awe over the unique way that God has gifted my friend.

The Unnamed Charism

A charism, as defined by the Catholic Church is a unique spiritual gift and the way that God works through us in bringing healing, love, compassion and justice into the world.  The Catholic Church has named roughly 28 charisms which include: healing, discernment of spirits, service, preaching, teaching, administration, evangelization.  Because of my relationship with my friend/mentor, and seeing this same gift in my father, I have identified another charism that is yet to be named.  I don’t know what to call it, but I am truly in awe over this gift because there is no way on God’s green earth that this gift will EVER be accessible to me.  In a nutshell, this as yet unnamed charism, provides one with the ability to stay present to a work or life situation that is less than ideal and might even come in conflict with what you know to be 100% right and true.  This charism has something to do with tolerance, acceptance of imperfection, patience and forgiveness and it is the kind of gift that might allow someone to remain an employee of an Institution or work with or for an individual that is everything BUT perfect.  My father has this gift, as does my friend.  And to both of them I bow in humble awe because no matter how hard I try or have tried, this ability eludes me!

The Curse of the Reformer

No matter how much I try to deny it or bargain away this gift, I am called to be a reformer.  As such, I see the world through the lens of “How can this be better?”  In particular, I see religion, church, especially Catholicism through this lens.  To the chagrin of many, I have no choice but to be a voice and a force for change in what we have come to know religion, church, etc. to be.  I see myself as creating and holding space for those that are looking to step into a future vision of church that is less about God as defined by some outside perceived authority and more about the God that wants to reveal itself to them in an intimate and personal way within their own hearts.  I also see this as a move from the “do it because we told you” faith of a child and the searching and discovering phase of adolescence and the adult phase of personal empowerment and determined mission.  Not everyone in the Church is ready to take these steps, and it is because of and for these folks that my friend has been duly gifted.  I see her as holding space for an Institution and its people who are struggling with the pain of transition…..knowing that change is afoot, but not wanting to let go of what they have known for something that has not yet been revealed.  While I’m the one disturbing the sh..t, she is the one that says, “It’s ok.  You are still safe.”

On a Personal Note

So, on a personal note, I bow in humble awe to my friend, my father and to anyone else who has been gifted with this charism.  I have great respect and wonder for your ability to hold space in the tension, to breathe through conflict, to have patience, acceptance and understanding for what is.  I can only hope to learn from you as I’m sitting here disturbing the sh…  :)

How are you uniquely gifted to reveal God in the world?

How are you aware of the unique giftedness of others?

Where do you see the way in which our mutual gifts complement each other?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Saying Yes To God

Jan8

http://www.ishalerner.com

Dear Readers,

I want to thank you for being a loving and supportive witness as I have moved through this past year of listening and attempting to discern God’s call for me in my life – specifically in this year of dramatic change (divorce, etc.).  Today is the day I step into what I can best discern as God’s invitation for me to step more fully into my call/role of “priest.”  I hesitate to even use that word because of the negative connotations this word brings up for many, and for fear of being caught up in my own compulsion of pride.  When I use the word “priest” here, what I really mean is VESSEL – specifically, a vessel through which other people are empowered to:

REMEMBER the Love that they Are

And I do this through the sharing of my own gifts and the tools that I have gathered along the way that help us to come to know ourselves more fully, to come to know God more fully and to identify, name, claim, cultivate and eventually share our own unique gifts in the world.

So, as the Authentic Freedom Ministry team launches our Sunday services, I thank you.  I thank you for listening, for holding space, for accompanying us on this journey….and I thank you for your thoughts and prayers of support.   And today, I have a special request – I ask that as we create a space of contempative worship, that you hold us in your prayers…..and more importantly, that you hold in prayer those who feel called to join us for contemplative worship this evening and in the days and weeks ahead.  For twenty years I have observed the dramatic transformation and healing that takes place in people when they allow themselves to be open to the contemplative journey, and I expect the same to take place in the minds and hearts of those who will find their way to our Sunday gatherings.  So I too, will hold them in prayer.

Blessings to you as we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany…..the day when three dudes from the East recognized the miraculous Presence of the Divine in a star, had the faith to follow that star to destinations unknown and who discovered the love of God in the heart of a child.

In love and light,

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Manifesting a Vision

Dec14

In today’s blog, we explore the topic of “Contemplative Worship” and “Contemplative Community” as a complement to our traditional western forms of worship and church.

Coming to Fruition

On Sunday, January 8, 2012, Authentic Freedom Ministries will start offering a Sunday worship service, manifesting a vision that has been nearly 20 years in the making.  What will set these worship services apart from traditional worship is that it will be rooted in sound spiritual formation and focused on the contemplative journey of the individuals in attendance.  In other words, those who participate will not be told about God, they will not be told what to believe based on someone else’s experience of the Divine, or by an institution’s dogma or doctrine, instead, they will be given tools through which they can come to KNOW God – to know God in a deeply intimate and personal way that is unique to their own life experience and to their own unique giftedness and call.  They will be empowered to know the Divine that resides within their own hearts as the source of Truth, Guidance, Comfort, Healing, Love, Compassion, Peace, Joy, Mercy, Justice and Empowerment.  In coming to KNOW the Divine that lives within, we are healed of the fears and false perceptions that prevent us from remembering love…specifically, the love that we are.  When we remember this love, we are free to know peace and joy and to discover, cultivate and share our own unique giftedness so that we can experience the fulfillment that is intended to be known in the human journey.

Speaking of Love

After years of trying to figure out how to describe the work and the ministries that I offer, it seems I have found the words.  My job, the work that I do, is all directed toward helping my clients, students, readers, etc.   REMEMBER THE LOVE THAT YOU ARE.  And it turns out that it is through sound spiritual formation, combined with contemplative practices that we remember this love.  This is another one of those things that will set apart the worship, along with the expanded offerings of spiritual formation (more on that later).  Departing from the Western model of religious formation that begins with the idea that there is something inherently wrong with us (ie: original sin), and that there is a formula by which we strive to re-earn God’s love and approval so that we can know eternity in heaven, we discover instead that there is NOTHING WRONG with us.  In fact, EVERYTHING about us is good, benevolent, loving, kind, peaceful and filled with joy.  The problem is not that we “sinned” -  but that we forgot.  Through sound spiritual formation and engagement in contemplative spiritual practices, we REMEMBER  We are inspired (like Jesus and other spiritual masters) to identify the fears that keep us from remembering this love, we allow these fears to be healed and we are restored to the recollection of our natural state which is love.  From this perspective, we don’t follow the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes just because we are told to do so, instead, a virtuous life flows effortlessly and naturally out of the knowledge that we are love.  Rosaries are said because they help our minds quiet so that we can connect with God, not to earn indulgences that will buy our way out of purgatory.  Service is done because love naturally flows outward….not because we are expected to do “Good works” to earn God’s favor.  Providing a foundation of spiritual formation that encourages contemplative practice allows the human spirit to blossom into the fullness of its natural magnificence….AND we come to know heaven on earth.

A Word on Traditional Worship

“In this model, is there still a place for traditional worship?” you may ask.  In a nutshell….you bet!  As I observed while working as a Lay Minister in the Catholic Church, Religious Formation (as we experience through the Catechism, study of theology, scripture, etc. and in attending the mass) is necessary for those who choose a specific set of beliefs and desire to live that in community.  Traditional worship provides the Yang to the Yin of Spiritual Formation.  Traditional worship gives us form, structure, ritual that allows us to live our beliefs in a public forum.  In my opinion, the healthiest, most balanced of religious institutions would provide equal opportunities for both.  Unfortunately, most Western religious institutions aren’t there yet, hence the vision and ministry of Authentic Freedom Ministries – providing opportunities for men, women and children to balance the religions of the mind with the Divine in their heart.

Where have you been given opportunities to KNOW not just about God but to actually KNOW God in your heart?

Where have you learned and explored opportunities for contemplative practice?

Where do you find the balance between the traditional religious experience and spiritual formation?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com