MY CREED--SO FAR

I trust, trust.
Belief and Faith are such loaded words.
I trust (as in "lean into, have confidence in"
That there is a reality beyond the physical world we see
That we co-create our reality with our most potent thoughts
That "God" is a positive creative force if we align with "it"
That we are in a true paradigm shift in religious forms
That we have been skewed to the scientific/rational point of view
That our world is soul sick
That silence and solitude course correct the soul. Wordlessly
That we are in a fragile moment of history
That every act of forbearance and compassion helps
That being human and flawed needs humor and fun
That laughter opens the heart
That each of our individual acts matter to create the tipping point for good


AND YOU?
What do you trust in? Not who?
In this transitioning chaotic world, what holds you steady?
What do you wish you could trust in?

LEAP OF FAITH?

Leaping to faith has some drawbacks.  
Sometimes when we leap, it's because we are pushed.
Sometimes when we leap, it's to jump over uncertainty.
Sometimes when we leap, it's because others are leaping.
There is an alternative.
Grow to faith.
Build a foundation.
Work your way to certainty
Then if you choose a leap, you will have your feet under you.

OUT BEYOND WRONGDOING AND RIGHTDOING

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and 
right doing
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and 
right doing
There is a field.  I'll meet you there.

Rumi


I want you to know this place and how to get there and how to welcome people into it. It is a place of no blame. It is the place created when an angry wife and husband listen generously and create a new way to be. It is the place where fervent religions can step over differences and pray together. It is the place where nation leaders swallow their anger and design a difficult peace.
It is a place where a governing body  both gives and takes to create the greatest good for the greatest number.  

We need to grow this space moment by moment as we
forbear and give up our righteousness, as we choose compassion in a moment of hate, as we mature spiritually for the good of our planet. I'll meet your there.

FOUR WORDS THAT SURPRISE ME

I go to church.

Shhhh.  I go to church.  I haven't since I was 20 years old.  I kind of thought
I should.  I kind of wanted to for my kids.  I tried a few times. Nothing took.
I know how crazy organized  religion (what a term!) could be--how full of hate and power abuse or how dead and rote it could be. I gave it up. I'd stick with my disorganized "religion".

Now I go to church. 
It's all my daughter's fault.
She found a church. She had the real hunger. And she told my husband and me that we HAD to be her guest at her church--her African American Episcopal
Methodist church.  

How do I describe what happened?  I expected good music. Raucous gospel.
I expected to feel very very white and WASPy. I expected to have a nice experience and to go home happy to have supported my daughter.

I didn't expect to feel immediately at home. I didn't expect to feel immediately able to join in worship unselfconsciously. I didn't expect to be able to be sad, happy, quiet, loud, sit, stand, clap, and be utterly myself comfortable in my own skin. I didn't expect the joy and warmth and relief of being with real people pressing on with their lives with faith. I didn't expect to bump into a long ago neglected spiritual joy and adventure. I didn't expect doubts and differences to be so common and expected. Mostly, I didn't expect to return to church.

But I did and do. Again and again.
I have a Pastor!! I would say he is extraordinary. He would say he is the conduit for God's work. He creates an atmosphere of ease and spirit. It is organic and creative and unfolds to the needs of the day. It can be trusted. There is no phoniness. I leave with deep joy, ready for what life has to throw my way, full of gratitude.  That's why I can say--

I go to church. 

Still surprises me.

IS SUFFERING REALLY OPTIONAL?

Every "religion" seems to have its own stance about suffering.
Some minimize it with an approach like Bhuddism--working like crazy to create a distant perspective to it. "Mmmm how interesting, here comes pain. No need to suffer."

I was raised a Methodist. Sorrow was quiet and private not made central to the church. Christ was risen, not stuck on the cross.  God was good-- period. We were soothed by a good pot luck dinner. Gathering after a funeral had more cakes than people and tended to be noisy and joyful

I live in Mexico part of the year and the suffering of Jesus is appreciated and loved and is a sweet sorrow. Worship is mournful throughout the year.
Suffering is beautiful. Enjoyed.

And of course we have new thought approaches like those in the Course in Miracles that teach we create our own suffering and if we would only think differently we would not have reason to suffer.  

I recently had lunch with a business colleague. We tended to agree that a leap in learning seems to involve discomfort at best, suffering at worst.  
What's your thought on suffering? I think you can learn in moments of great joy too.  It bumps you to a new stance in life. Then again, I come from Midwest Methodist stock.


One problem with Christianity is
Not just an early history of suffering
But the now of suffering
The pleasure of suffering
The implied reward of suffering
That turns so quickly to 
The habit of a victim

joyce wilson-sanford
from I PRAY ANYWAY