This weekend, an International Symposium on Contemplation is being held in Denver, Co. My friend and colleague, Dr. Jennifer Norden is attending and shared the following link with me. http://contemplativeresearch.org/ Through this link, you can participate in the workshops and presentations through webstreaming. If you are interested in learning more about what science has come to understand as the benefits to contemplation and meditation, check it out!
Archives
Agape’ – Our Source and our Destination
Agape’ is the Greek word used in Christian scripture to describe the unconditional, unmerited, infinite, abundantly flowing Love of God. Even more than that, Agape’ reminds us that God is LOVE and that we too are that Love in our connection with God, with one another and with all of Creation. By embracing Agape’, we REMEMBER THE LOVE THAT WE ARE. When we remember the LOVE that we are, we know:
- Peace
- Contentment
- Joy
- Fulfillment
In our origin in Oneness with God, we knew nothing but this love. Participating in the human experience, we temporarily perceive ourselves as separate from God and have forgotten this love. Instead of peace, contentment and joy, we know:
- Fear
In this place of fear, we see ourselves as disconnected, separate, in competition, and we feel the restless longing to find the remedy to these inner feelings of discontent. Unfortunately, until we remember the LOVE that we are, our search for inner peace will only leave us empty and unsatisfied.
The Good News is that we are not doomed to live a life of discontent. It is God’s desire that we remember the love that we are and in God’s goodness, God has sent us an infinite number of teachers who have remembered this love themselves and have left us tools through which we too can remember this love. Jesus of Nazareth is one of those teachers as is the Buddha, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi and countless saints, mystics, prophets, gurus, etc. etc. etc. The common theme among all of these teachers is that the path to remembering this love is:
- prayer
- meditation
- contemplation
- selfless service
I am grateful for the teachers who have shared these tools with me through the lens of Christian Contemplation. I first experienced these tools through Sr. Marie Schwan, (a sister of St. Joseph and a devote’ of Ignatian spirituality) and her Take and Receive books. I have since used these tools daily and for the past 17+ years have shared these tools with others and seen results that are nothing short of miraculous. Through the lens of Christian Contemplation, the path to remembering the love that we are is rooted in our intimate and personal relationship with God and in coming to know God, we come to know ourselves and in coming to know ourselves, we come to know our own unique giftedness and how we are being called to be this LOVE in the world through the generous sharing of our gifts. Disciplined attention to this path leads us to:
- Remembering the love that we are
- Inner peace and contentment
- The discovery, cultivation and sharing of our gifts
- fulfillment
- Joy
- The betterment of the world through the sharing of our gifts
The Challenge is that the recollection of this LOVE doesn’t just happen – WE HAVE TO WORK at it! But, the efforts are totally worth it!
So, here is something that can help:
Agape’ is a resource that I have developed to provide you with the tools you need to assist you in your goal of remembering the LOVE that you are. Agape’ is a weekly resource for contemplative meditation available on a subscription basis. As a subscriber, you will receive the weekly Agape’ newsletter which consists of resources for your personal spiritual practice. Each weekly newsletter includes:
- A scripture reading (or two)
- Some background on the scripture (historical and sociological context, literary genre, author, audience, etc.)
- A brief reflection on the scripture
- Suggested meditation/contemplation/prayer activity using the scripture
- Questions for personal reflection or to be shared within a small group
And, subscriptions to Agape’ are affordable for everyone!!!!!
So, if you are looking for resources to help you to remember the LOVE that you are, to grow in peace, contentment and joy and to lead you toward personal fulfillment, check out AGAPE’ or click on the “Meditation Resources” link on this site. Or….to make it even easier, here is the link: http://yourspiritualtruth.com/the-agape-project/.
Lauri Lumby
Authentic Freedom Ministries
After Nada – I Am
Today’s blog explores the meditation practice that comes after the ego-release and emptying of “Nada Meditation” (as discussed in the previous blog.) The next step after emptying is to acknowledge all the things we really are.
Nada Revisited
As I shared in an earlier blog this week, I have been focussing my meditation on emptying and have been doing so through a meditation practice that I have dubbed, Nada Meditation. In this form of Nada Meditation, we are invited to identify all the roles and labels we have assigned to ourselves and give them release – or at least the parts of those roles that might have been motivated by the ego (fear, vanity, revenge, competition, etc.). We say “not this, not that” to each of these ego attachments and LET THEM GO. Not teacher. Not pastor. Not reformer. Not Catholic. Not Recovering Catholic. Not teacher. Not healer. etc. I have discovered, that this process of purification does not, however, end with Nada. As I moved through this practice, I found that a new practice was presenting itself and I share that practice with you today.
After Nada – I Am
I know that there is no way in God’s green earth that I have been completely freed of ego, fear, constriction, etc. in spite of my inner perfectionist’s desire to be the perfect living Divine being (not a lot of room for humanness in my perfectionist’s world!). That being said, the past couple of weeks have provided an opportunity for me to look into the mirror and recognize those things that were seeking healing and release at this place in my journey, and I feel lighter and more hopeful because of it. As I come to the end of a universe-imposed period of retreat, I find that a new energy has entered my being and this new energy is inviting a new meditation practice. Instead of the heavy and sometimes challenging process of ego release, it seems I am being invited to call back all those parts of myself that I AM…..in other words, those things that are real and true, life-giving and uplifting.
I AM Meditation
I Am Meditation is really quite simple. Through this process, we identify all the things within us that are real, true, incorruptible, life-giving and benevolent. I Am Meditation provides and opportunity to rebuild ourselves after the tough work of healing and release. I Am Meditation might look something like this:
I am grateful
I am joyful
I am loving
I am loved
I am happy
I am content
I am gifted
I am prosperous
I am peaceful
I am content
I am secure
I am generous
I am wise
I understand
I am enthusiastic
I am energized
I am motivated
I am beautiful
I am worthy
I am healthy
I am supported
I am nurtured
I am held
I am upheld
I am honest
I am of integrity
I am One with all I see and all I am
I am fulfilled
That’s pretty much it. Now, why don’t you give it a try?
Lauri Lumby
Authentic Freedom Ministries
PS: If you have found this blog to be helpful and supportive of your own journey of self-discovery, healing and empowerment, consider making a donation (click on donation icon in the right column) to Authentic Freedom Ministries. Your donation helps us to continue to provide this blog free of charge and helps us in our goal to make the programs and services of Authentic Freedom Ministries affordable to everyone.
Living in Freedom Class
Living in Freedom is a twelve week class which gives you the tools you need to cultivate a greater sense of contentment and joy in your life. Using the Enneagram and the Beatitudes from Matthew’s gospel, you will be empowered to identify the unique lens through which you were born to see the world and how this lens can either hamper or help your journey toward peace. You will then learn effective tools for embracing the giftedness of this lens, while empowering you to release its negative aspects.
The nine types along the Enneagram scale see the world through the following unique perspectives, here posed as a question:
-
Reformer/Perfectionist: How can this be better?
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Manipulator/Helper: How can I help?
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Performer/Achiever: What do I need to do?
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Martyr/Muse: What am I feeling and how can I express it?
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Miser/Sage: What do I know about this?
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Phobic/Loyalist: What could go wrong here?
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Glutton/Enthusiast: What is the good in this?
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Dictator/Champion: Where is my strength needed here?
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Sloth/Peacemaker: How can we make peace here?
Classes to be held in Fond du Lac at TNT Fitness Results
W5374 County Road B, Fond du Lac, WI 54937
Wednesday Evenings
7:15 – 9:00 pm
Twelve weeks starting May 2, 2012
Suggested Fee: $200.00 (includes manual and payable in two installments)
Contact Lauri Lumby (920) 230-1313 or lauri@yourspiritualtruth.com for more information.
Welcome the Ides of March
TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!!! (Please share today’s blog with your social networks and your email mailing lists…..I’m asking for everyone’s help. And….thank you in advance!!!!) The official launch of The Agape’ Project. If you haven’t done so already, go to the Agape’ tab on this website….or read below for details. The Agape’ Project is a great way for you to begin or deepen your existing spiritual practice using the tools for meditation and contemplation that have been part of the Judeo-Christian tradition for 2000 some years. Just a little personal testimony, I have been using these tools personally and in my lay ministry role with clients and students and have experienced the following results:
- Release from fears
- Healing of past hurts, betrayals, losses
- Increased happiness, peace and joy
- A greater capacity to be and to receive love
- Increased patience, acceptance, the ability to surrender
- Assistance in moving through life’s challenges
- The courage to face life’s challenges and to make difficult decisions
- A greater ability to name and claim my needs
- Identification of my own unique giftedness and how I am being called to live it in the world.
- A greater sense of fulfillment
- Tools for discerning what is in my highest good vs. what might just be the wants of my ego
- A deepening of my trust in God and in myself
If you are seeking any of the above listed items in your own live, The Agape’ Project might be for you. AND…..we have made subscriptions to this service accessible to EVERYONE with three payment options. (See below). So….without further ado:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Agape’ – The Greek word used in Christian scripture to describe the unconditional, unmerited, infinite, abundantly flowing Love of God. Even more than that, Agape’ reminds us that God is LOVE and that we too are that Love in our connection with God, with one another and with all of Creation. By embracing Agape’, we REMEMBER THE LOVE THAT WE ARE.
The Agape’ Project seeks to get effective tools for Spiritual Formation into the hands of adults by providing a weekly resource that is available on a subscription basis. As a subscriber, you will receive the weekly Agape’ Project newsletter which will consist of resources for your personal spiritual practice and that could eventually be shared in a small group setting. Resources included in the weekly Agape Project newsletter:
- A scripture reading (or two)
- Some background on the scripture (historical and sociological context, literary genre, author, audience, etc.)
- A brief reflection on the scripture
- Suggested meditation/contemplation/prayer activity using the scripture
- Questions for personal reflection or to be shared within a small group
Click to view a sample: AgapeProjectSamplePage1 AgapeProjectSamplePage2
Benefits to you for subscribing:
- Provides answers to some of your questions about scripture, Hebrew culture, Jesus’ teachings
- Makes scripture accessible and applicable to your everyday life
- Helps you connect with the voice of truth (God) within
- Helps you find the spiritual practice(s) that work for you
- Helps you find accessible, approachable methods for meditation and contemplation
- Helps you to know peace, love and joy more fully
- Helps you to identify the spiritual fears that might be in the way of you knowing peace
- Helps you to find healing and release from those fears
- Helps you to KNOW God, not just know ABOUT God
- Helps you to find the path to fulfillment and happiness
- Helps you to find tools to help you make it through life’s challenges
Truly, the list is endless…but that’s a start.
Flexible Payment Options:
To meet the broad range of financial accessibility, you are invited to choose from the following payment options:
$20.00 per month (for those with the financial means or who intend to share these resources within a group of up to 10 participants)
$10.00 per month (for individuals or couples who are on a tighter budget – not intended for group use)
Note: If even the $10.00 per month is out of your reach, please contact Lauri Lumby at lauri@yourspiritualtruth.com to discuss other arrangements.
To subscribe, click on one of the links below:
$20.00 per month option:
_______________________________
$10.00 per month option:
The Agape’ Project – Remember Love
Today’s blog introduces you to The Agape’ Project a new venture of Authentic Freedom Ministries and a resource to help you remember your original nature as love….peace….and joy!
Tell ‘em you’re going to tell ’em; Tell ‘em, then Tell ‘em again!”
One of the primary guidelines from my past life in media advertising was the saying: Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell Them. Then, tell them again. This leads into the other rule of advertising that people have to see something at least three times before they even know they saw it. So……this is what I have been doing for the past several weeks….telling you what I am going to tell you. Today I will tell you and tomorrow, I will tell you again!
Telling you
As I have been mentioning, tomorrow, March 15, 2012…..The Ides of March, is the official launch of The Agape’ Project. The Agape’ Project is a culmination of 20 years of personal spiritual practice using the tools from the Western (Christian) Contemplative (Mystical) tradition, 20+ years of theological and spiritual studies, and 20 years of sharing these tools with others. In these 20+ years, I have found these tools to be THE MOST effective way to cultivate peace, compassion and joy in our lives. And, the Agape’ Project makes these tools available in an easy to use, simple to understand format.
WIFM
Another “rule” from my days in outside sales: WIFM……What is in it for me? In other words, before we “buy” something, we need to know how it is going to benefit us. So……here are some of the things that they Agape’ Project can do for you if you choose to subscribe:
- Answer some of your questions about scripture, Hebrew culture, Jesus’ teachings
- Make scripture accessible and applicable to your everyday life
- Help you connect with the voice of truth (God) within
- Help you find the spiritual practice(s) that work for you
- Help you find accessible, approachable methods for meditation and contemplation
- Help you to know peace, love and joy more fully
- Help you to identify the spiritual fears that might be in the way of you knowing peace
- Help you to find healing and release from those fears
- Help you to KNOW God, not just know ABOUT God
- Help you to find the path to fulfillment and happiness
- Help you to find tools to help you make it through life’s challenges
Truly, the list is endless…but that’s a start.
What I’m going to tell you
So, below you will find more information about the Agape’ Project and what I will again be telling you tomorrow….with a special invitation for you to share it with your friends. Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Agape’ – The Greek word used in Christian scripture to describe the unconditional, unmerited, infinite, abundantly flowing Love of God. Even more than that, Agape’ reminds us that God is LOVE and that we too are that Love in our connection with God, with one another and with all of Creation. By embracing Agape’, we REMEMBER THE LOVE THAT WE ARE.
The Agape’ Project seeks to get effective tools for Spiritual Formation into the hands of adults by providing a weekly resource that is available on a subscription basis. As a subscriber, you will receive the weekly Agape’ Project newsletter which will consist of resources for your personal spiritual practice and that could eventually be shared in a small group setting. Resources included in the weekly Agape Project newsletter:
- A scripture reading (or two)
- Some background on the scripture (historical and sociological context, literary genre, author, audience, etc.)
- A brief reflection on the scripture
- Suggested meditation/contemplation/prayer activity using the scripture
- Questions for personal reflection or to be shared within a small group
Click to view a sample: AgapeProjectSamplePage1 AgapeProjectSamplePage2
Flexible Payment Options:
To meet the broad range of financial accessibility, you are invited to choose from the following payment options:
$20.00 per month (for those with the financial means or who intend to share these resources within a group of up to 10 participants)
$10.00 per month (for individuals or couples who are on a tighter budget – not intended for group use)
Note: If even the $10.00 per month is out of your reach, please contact Lauri Lumby at lauri@yourspiritualtruth.com to discuss other arrangements.
To subscribe, click on one of the links below:
$20.00 per month option:
$10.00 per month option:
Starting and Maintaining a Spiritual Practice
This morning’s blog provides tools to assist you in your goal of starting and/or maintaining a spiritual/meditation practice. To begin a spiritual practice, first we need to dispel some myths, then we need to set the stage. Here you go. (PS To regular blog readers, I feel like I already posted this recently, but I can’t find any evidence thereof. So if this is a repeat…..I guess it bears repeating! 
)
Meditation Tips
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.
Watch tomorrow’s blog for an exciting announcement about the Agape’ Project, another tool to help you in your spiritual practice.
Lauri Lumby
Authentic Freedom Ministries
Blowing the Doors off the Vatican Vault – Unleashing Spiritual Practices
In yesterday’s blog, I promised to relieve you of some of the obstacles to beginning and maintaining a spiritual practice. Today’s blog reveals tools for sound spiritual practice that come to us through the Judeo-Christian contemplative (mystical) traditions.
Lucas and Spielberg had it right
Remember that scene from the movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, where they show a custodian wheeling the Ark of the Covenant, now locked up and crated deep into the bowels of the Smithsonian Institute’s basement? The very Ark that Indiana Jones worked so hard to find and rescue from the clutches of the Nazi’s? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6-rQ6Jay6w Well, that scene is exactly how I imagine the rich tradition of Mystical (aka Magdalene) Christianity…..locked up in a steel vault somewhere deep in the bowels of the Vatican. Some pope, a long time ago, gathered up the richness of these traditions and locked them up….far away from the reaching arms of the hungry laity. The good news is that the monastic communities of the Christian tradition also had knowledge of the tools and practices of the mystical church and preserved them, keeping them safe and waiting for the days that someone would blow the doors off the Vatican vault, unleashing these tools for the benefit of all….and perhaps for the salvation of “Mother Church.” (another topic for another day.) Well, here I am…..the uppity Lay Minister, Lauri Ann Lumby. I’ve got the keys to the vault and I’m not afraid to use them.
Dun Da Dun Dun Dun Da Dun (Sung to the opening theme from Raider’s of the Lost Ark) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7C9qwLoqE
So, without further ado……below you will find a resource that I developed for the students and facilitators who have crossed the threshold of Authentic Freedom Ministries. Tools for sound spiritual practice from the Judeo-Christian mystical/contemplative tradition. Make a copy of this and keep it as instructional material as you begin to develop or deepen your spiritual practice. And because I’m a huge brat…..a few words to the pope and his cronies in Rome right out of this morning’s scripture:
“Therefore I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit”
Matthew 21: 45
I’m just sayin’!
So….here are the tools we have all been waiting for:
I. Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina is Latin for “divine reading,” “spiritual reading,” or “holy reading” and represents a method of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and to provide special spiritual insights.
A. Lectio – Reading the Bible passage gently and slowly several times. The passage itself is not as important as the savoring of each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the “still, small voice” of a word or phrase that somehow speaks to the practitioner.
B. Meditatio - Reflecting on the text of the passage and thinking about how it applies to one’s own life. This is considered to be a very personal reading of the Scripture and very personal application. Asking the question, how is God speaking to me personally through this passage?
C. Oratio – Responding to the passage by opening the heart to God. This is not primarily an intellectual exercise, but is thought to be more of the beginning of a conversation with God. This stage can be accomplished through journaling, or offering a silent or spoken prayer to God.
D. Contemplatio - Listening to God. This is a freeing of oneself from one’s own thoughts, both mundane and holy, and hearing God talk to us. Opening the mind, heart, and soul to the influence of God.
II. Centering Prayer/Silent Contemplation
Silent Contemplation is allowing oneself to simply rest in God. The goal of contemplation is “no goal.” The practitioner is to simply be. Repeated practice opens the contemplative to the fruits of contemplation – deepening peace, insight, creativity, guidance, consolation and compassion.
A. Practitioner finds a comfortable place where they can sit in silence.
B. Practitioner chooses a focal point – the breath, a sacred word or phrase (love, peace, Jesus,Om, etc.)
C. Practitioner sits in silence. When they find their mind wandering, they return their attention to their focal point.
D. Practitioner continues in this manner for the period of time pre-determined for contemplation.
III. Love Letter from God
This type of practice works best with scripture passages that seem to be God addressing us.
A. Read through the passage slowly and meditatively.
B. Re-read the passage as if it is a letter written to us directly from God.
C. Practitioner allows themselves to receive the words into their heart.
D. The remainder of the practice follows a similar pattern to Lectio-Divina.
Read, receive, respond, contemplate
IV. Free-Form Journaling/Automatic Writing
Through this approach, the practitioner brings a question or a thought to the meditation session. The practitioner offers the question/thought to God, then allows God to speak to them through their pen as they write in their journal. Through this method, the practitioner allows their own thoughts, etc. to step aside to make room for the words of God.
V. Mantra Meditation
A. Practitioner chooses a favorite sacred phrase/mantra. (Om Mani Padme Om; Hail Mary Full of Grace; Om Shanti; Give us this day our daily bread; Abwoon d’bwashmaya; etc.)
B. Practitioner repeats mantra silently or aloud, over and over, allowing the mantra to draw them into a place of peaceful calm.
C. Practitioner continues with mantra until they find it no longer necessary and are able to enter into silent contemplation.
D. Practitioner returns to mantra when they find their mind wandering.
VI. Prayer Beads
Practitioner engages in practice above, using prayer beads/rosary to “count” mantra repetitions. The benefit of using prayer beads is that is adds another sense to the process – tactile touch. This is especially helpful for those with a restless mind.
VII. Imagination-Contemplation/Daydreaming Meditation
A. Practitioner chooses a narrative story from scripture.
B. Practitioner reads through the story slowly and meditatively
C. Practitioner chooses a character from the story (named, or unnamed).
D. Practitioner re-reads the story from the vantage point of their chosen character.
E. Practitioner enters into their creative imagination, placing themselves as their chosen character in the midst of the story. They allow the story to unfold in their imagination in great detail, being mindful of thoughts, reflections, emotions that may surface through the process.
F. Practitioner writes what they witnessed through their imagination, allowing additional details to surface as they write.
G. Practitioner reflects on two questions:
1. How is God speaking to me through what was revealed in this daydreaming?
2. How is the revealed story reflective of something going on in my current life journey?
VIII. Art as Prayer
Practitioner is given the task of creating a visual representative of their prayer/reflection.
IX. Music Meditation
Music is used as a vehicle through which the practitioner can find that place of peaceful calm within.
A. Choose the musical selection (chant, classical music, instrumental music works well here)
B. Practitioner listens to musical selection with rapt attention, allowing the movement of the music to draw them into peaceful calm.
C. Practitioner rests in silent contemplation once music is finished.
X. Mindful Meditation/Theological Reflection
A. Practitioner chooses an ordinary activity or object as the focal point of their meditation.
B. Practitioner observes the object or engages in the activity with rapt attention.
C. Practitioner becomes aware of the object or the activity in a way that transcends their typical experience of this object/activity.
D. Practitioner records what they observe in the object or activity, asking what how God is being revealed through the object or activity.
Lauri Lumby
Authentic Freedom Ministries
Why Bother with a Spiritual Practice?
Today’s blog explores the value of a personal, spiritual practice….and answers the great marketing question: WIFM? You will learn that you can’t afford NOT to cultivate a sound spiritual practice if you desire peace and joy in your life.
Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, But stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.
Jeremiah 17: 5-9
WIFM? What is in it for me if I embrace a spiritual practice?
The first reading from today’s scripture pretty much says it all. I don’t think I have read anything that more accurately describes the contrast between a life without spiritual practice and a life that is firmly rooted in meditation, contemplation, creative endeavors….anything that is directed toward knowing God and knowing ourselves. When we give time to God in meditation, contemplation and prayer, life takes on a quality of ease, peacefulness, contentment. We are able to be present to the ebb and flow of the human condition – facing adversity, challenge, loss with a sense of surrender and peace. We are also able to celebrate the gifts of the human condition with fulfillment and joy. When we do not have our lives rooted in spiritual practice, life tosses us about like a plastic bag in the wind and life feels like a barren wasteland….stark, depressing, blech.
Fruits of Contemplation
In the Western Contemplative tradition, these benefits of sound spiritual practice are referred to as “the fruits of contemplation.” Teresa Tillson speaks of these fruits in an article she penned for the St. Olaf college website:
Jesus taught no specific method, but did regularly withdraw to be alone with God. The fruits of prayer described by Paul the Apostle are love, joy peace, patience, generosity, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and purity. (Galatians 5:22-23). According to Thomas Keating, the fruits of centering prayer are freedom from self-centered motivation, action in service to others, a sense of interconnectedness with all creation, dis-identification with our self-image, healing of fear, conviction of our basic goodness, and capacity for union with God.
The Way of Meditation and Contemplation by Teresa Tillson http://www.stolaf.edu/people/huff/classes/religion/Essay.html
In short, spiritual practice is good for us. It helps us to be happy and to find peace. It fills us up, nourishes us, makes life palatable. If it is so good for us, why don’t we do something about it?
All Good Things, Right!?
That is a really good question. If spiritual practice is so dang good for us and centuries of teachers seem to know this, why don’t we do it? The first answer is that maybe life hasn’t yet kicked our butt enough. The second answer might be lack of motivation. The third answer might be the illusion or false perception that ” I don’t have time.” The fourth answer might be that you have never been given the tools or taught effective means of contemplation that SPEAK TO YOU. Not everyone is called to silent meditation and the rosary doesn’t speak to everyone. In the coming days and in support of the March 15th global launch of the Agape’ Project…..I hope to blast through some of the obstacles to spiritual practice, while providing you the tools and support you might need to either begin or further develop your existing practice. Because more than anything in the world…..I hope for you to know the peace, joy and love that I have discovered through sound spiritual practice and to find those things for yourself.
If you do not have a daily spiritual practice……why not?
Where do you seek more peace, fulfillment, love and joy in your life?
How are you being called to deepen your existing spiritual practice if you have one?
Lauri Lumby
Authentic Freedom Ministries
Resurrecting the church of the Magdalene Part V
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?
