Photo: RelaxingMusic/Creative Commons (Harvard Gazette). This Associated Press story jumped off the Yahoo! directory at me. Uh, let's rephrase that in the interest of accuracy -- it jumped off the computer screen. It's headlined "Mindfulness worked as well for anxiety as drug in study," and it's essentially a rewrite of research published today in the … Continue reading Stray thoughts on centering prayer, a JAMA study on mindfulness meditation and a way to stop ‘catastrophizing’
How a young adult novelist and a punk rocker-turned Orthodox rabbi guide my prayer life lately: ‘Are you there God, it’s me … (and help me get out of this foxhole)!’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7iqdBBYl40 Jim Martin, SJ, editor-in-chief, America, explains centering prayer. Editor's note. Short takes on the twists and turns in my spiritual life since I was diagnosed with bladder cancer Oct. 25. I had pretty much expected the diagnosis since the tumor was removed Oct. 17, but it still threw me for a loop. So in … Continue reading How a young adult novelist and a punk rocker-turned Orthodox rabbi guide my prayer life lately: ‘Are you there God, it’s me … (and help me get out of this foxhole)!’
What’s the right way to do centering prayer? ‘Pray as you can’: A stripped-down Trappist spiritual practice for today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IKpFHfNdnE Editor's note (Oct. 17). I started this a couple of days before I had a tumor removed from my bladder. But I ran out of time, and I was in no mood last night to stay up late journaling before a 5:30 a.m. check-in time today. The procedure went off as scheduled; I'm home … Continue reading What’s the right way to do centering prayer? ‘Pray as you can’: A stripped-down Trappist spiritual practice for today
Spiritual direction, August 2022
Editor’s note. Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director in advance of our monthly meeting for August. I email her every month, mostly to focus my mind before we meet, and I archive them here so I have a record of issues I’ve dealt with over time. Being able to consult them … Continue reading Spiritual direction, August 2022
Proclaiming the ‘E Word’ on the Z App — walking the talk as the SARS-CoV-2 variants shape an uneasy new normal
Debi and I recently finished co-facilitating a six-week book study on evangelism for our parish church -- over Zoom no less -- and it was a pleasant surprise. The book, Reclaiming the 'E' Word: Waking Up to Our Evangelical Identity, is by Kelly Fryer, an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America who … Continue reading Proclaiming the ‘E Word’ on the Z App — walking the talk as the SARS-CoV-2 variants shape an uneasy new normal
Caring for creation in a time of environmental crisis: Stewardship, sacrament and Laudato Si’
Jubilee Farm, Center for Ecology and Spirituality, Springfield, Illinois, April 2022 In my inbox today, by coincidence when I've been doing keyword searches for ecumenical resources on Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si', a copy of Richard Rohr's summary of this week's daily meditations on the theme "A Sacramental Reality." One of those coincidences we're reminded … Continue reading Caring for creation in a time of environmental crisis: Stewardship, sacrament and Laudato Si’
A spiritual mutt discovers a common thread in the 10 Commandments and a Buddhist lovingkindness meditation
God's covenant with Noah, Augustana Synod primer, 1919 (Wikimedia Commons). Since Debi and I are co-facilitating a congregational book study group on the Ten Commandments, a recent article on America magazine's website jumped off the screen at me. By associate editor Jim McDermott, it's headlined "Is it time for an 11th commandment?" His answer is … Continue reading A spiritual mutt discovers a common thread in the 10 Commandments and a Buddhist lovingkindness meditation
A ‘Zen Lutheran’ morning prayer
Luther and family, by Gustav Spangenberg, ca. 1875 (Wikimedia Commons). Prayer and meditation have never been my long suit -- I don't have the patience for either. But thanks to a recent bout of pneumonia, I may have found a practice that works for me. It combines two of my interests, Western Buddhist spirituality and … Continue reading A ‘Zen Lutheran’ morning prayer
Rethinking grief, detachment, the Book of Job and the engravings of William Blake (!) in a time of pandemic
William Blake, Illustrations of the Book of Job, Plate 21 William Blake has never been exactly my cup of tea. When it comes to English Romantic poets, I'm more of a Byron and Wordsworth guy, and I like cats too much to get much pleasure out of thinking about Blake's tiger "burning bright, / In the … Continue reading Rethinking grief, detachment, the Book of Job and the engravings of William Blake (!) in a time of pandemic
Spiritual direction — seeking a ‘new normal’ during a global pandemic
Since I started spiritual direction a couple of years ago, I've emailed my spiritual director ahead of our monthly sessions ... summing up what I've been journaling about since our last meeting and, more to the point, getting a little focus on themes I've been working on and, more to the point, new directions that … Continue reading Spiritual direction — seeking a ‘new normal’ during a global pandemic
Jack Kornfield on gratitude, mindfulness, adversity (outtakes, links and quotes)
Outtakes from a post on daily practice I finished today. The final draft took a slightly different direction, but I'm copying this part of the draft here because I want to hang onto the links to Jack Kornfield here ... what he says about gratitude is so similar to the examen of St. Ignatius of … Continue reading Jack Kornfield on gratitude, mindfulness, adversity (outtakes, links and quotes)
Brother Richard’s “Lockdown,” a Zen moment in this time of coronavirus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x25DwatvjA&t=51s MBPPC Backyard Preacher | Mt. Baker Park Presbyterian Church, Seattle | March 17, 2020 Anderson Cooper closed the CNN News town hall he co-hosted tonight with Dr. Sanjay Gupta by reading a poem by Brother Richard Hendrick, OSF (Capuchin), of County Donegal in Ireland. It's titled "Lockdown"; it has been widely circulated on the … Continue reading Brother Richard’s “Lockdown,” a Zen moment in this time of coronavirus
Haiku from our campus literary magazine at SCI-Benedictine a month after 9/11
When I taught English and journalism at Springfield College in Illinois (before our merger with Benedictine), I workshopped poems along with my creative writing students. One of the forms we experimented with was "found poetry." The Academy of American Poets explains, "Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as … Continue reading Haiku from our campus literary magazine at SCI-Benedictine a month after 9/11
Zen COPD: A harmonica on the nightstand and a promise to turn over a new leaf
Here's something that got my attention! (I'll copy-and-paste excerpts below.) But, first, what's it doing on a spiritual direction blog? It's an article about a guy who "has used the harmonica to help breathing patterns in adults with problems such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder." Interesting, eh? Especially if you’ve got COPD. But whatever else … Continue reading Zen COPD: A harmonica on the nightstand and a promise to turn over a new leaf
Luther and the cypress tree in the courtyard: How picking a new URL led me to seek refuge in a Zen koan
Courtyard at SCI-Benedictine: Cypress tree was at left, just out of picture. Like so many of the good things in life, it happened pretty much by accident. But there was an underlying logic to it. Well, maybe "logic" isn't the right word here. We're not talking about a logical syllogism as much as, oh, maybe … Continue reading Luther and the cypress tree in the courtyard: How picking a new URL led me to seek refuge in a Zen koan
Mindfulness: Notes on a Zen breakout session at an ELCA synod meeting
I like the way this guy operates. He's Travis Fitzgold, a Lutheran pastor and director of the Zen Learning Project (ZLP), a spiritual practice community in Austin. Texas, and he helped me figure out what this blog is about (even though I've never met him and I'm sure he's never read it). You might even … Continue reading Mindfulness: Notes on a Zen breakout session at an ELCA synod meeting
Notes on a ‘Lutheran-Buddhist [identity] within the liminal and relational hyphen between traditions’ at a Jesuit college
Sound like anybody around here? When I was searching online for information about Lutheran-Buddhist relations, I found an article by Michael Reid Trice in Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education on the outlook for ecumenical relations. Along the way, he said: For Jesuit colleges and universities, this is a very bright moment. The decrees of General … Continue reading Notes on a ‘Lutheran-Buddhist [identity] within the liminal and relational hyphen between traditions’ at a Jesuit college
‘Christmas in the Ashram’ and an upcoming holiday jam session playlist at Hickory Glen. Namaste, y’all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_gcboDpLPw Tom Prasada-Rao and Cary Cooper perform "Christmas at the Ashram" at the Center for Spiritual Living Dallas's Mystic Note Cafe Holiday Show on December 1, 2012. Copy of a blast email (lightly edited) I sent today to participants in the Clayville-Prairieland slow jam and tune learning circle that meets at Hickory Glen. I'm cross-posting … Continue reading ‘Christmas in the Ashram’ and an upcoming holiday jam session playlist at Hickory Glen. Namaste, y’all.
Answered prayers? A Zen Lutheran koan
Following up on yesterday's post (Aug. 4) in light of new developments. When I wrote it, I felt like I've had some prayers answered lately, and I quoted rabbi Tzvi Gluckin, author of Knee Deep in the Funk: Understanding the Connection Between Spirituality and Music, on the power of prayer -- "In times of trouble, … Continue reading Answered prayers? A Zen Lutheran koan
Theologians — & quotes, cartoons, etc.
https://www.facebook.com/InkwellForest/photos/a.1075969212476114/2580993255307028/?type=3&theater These cartoons, at "Man Overboard" at https://www.facebook.com/InkwellForest/ on Facebook, are becoming one of the bright points in my day. Click on pix to read the dialog bubbles. <b>Index (kinda): -- Christ ... reaching out today -- in Jesuit magazine -- Cromwell on Catholics, karma and mosquitoes</b> "Christ continues to challenge, reaching out today through … Continue reading Theologians — & quotes, cartoons, etc.
Ordinary Time 