today's art work, tree in  a mandala,
an image of silence....

during the morning i watched a tree....
a tall pine tree
one
yet separate
connected
like community
the roots,
not visible
underground
yet they are present without roots the tree would  fall,
trunk stands tall
strong
high swaying with the wind
how old are you tree
what have you witnessed
storms and summers
children laughing
playing
people walking
praying...
branches wave
clapping
praising
as wind whispers through
needles dance
to their own rhythm
their own music
offering thier own praise
each part connected
roots, branches needles of pine,
connected
and separate
dependant and unique
tree,
what secrets will you reveal,
if i watch
listen and learn
sacred tree
speak....

today began with dance and ends with silence,
today was sunshine,
 journey groups
deep listening
labyrinth,
photography green leaves slowly budding, flowers slowly opening to the sun, water rushing,  gurgling,
trees broken from winter storms
pathways blocked,
images
metaphors,
knitting
silence
meditation
entering, in the words of Teresa of Avila, the interior castle
the place to encounter God's Holy Spirit,
Be still and know that i am God
Know that i am God
Know that I am
is silence now, i will listen with the ears of my soul,
i will watch with the eyes of my heart
what will i hear,
what will i notice
what will i see....??
silence a friend..
invites
beckons....
I am here God, I am here.

the day began early with a 6:30 alarm call, mediation at 7:30, breakfast at 8 and "class" at 9. Class itself began with movement, dance of a sort. Now dancing is NOT my forte like singing... it simply doesn't happen, so today was a day with buttons being pushed.. about dance about physicality and body. do we live in our bodies or merely exist in them?? this is the question i have been left with, no doubt as the week moves along and the dancing continues my pondering will deepen.  The notion of dancing caused me to write poetry.. of a sort.... perhaps I'll post it another time.

art was another topic for the day, drawing our life story and then telling it to our small group. this in preparation for the spiritual journey group i will begin when i return. so much can be said about our lives as we explain them in words but sometimes when you draw it, things are evident that would not have been noticed in a simple verbal telling......  and of course as the story is drawn or told, the question must be asked, where was God in those times...it can be interesting to step back and look at your life form a larger perspective see the whole picture, thus far, and seek Gods presence. Finally, to end the day, using art as a form of lectio devinia... something that needs more thought on my part. now its time to rest before another busy day, a day that will end with the beginning of a 24 hour silent retreat.  this retreat, is all about noticing, stepping back and noticing..... simple yet powerful. "Be still and know that  I am God scripture writes," so this is time, to be still and know God.

Finally i have arrived in five oaks after a LONG drive. Driving conditions were certainly less than favourable, heavy rain, spray from passing trucks and cars, all made for a stressful drive. but i made it...  safely!! Since this program of spiritual deepening is a pilgrimage  of sorts, what does my actual journey infer about the interior journey i will be making??? what does it infer about the beginning of the journey ... pilgrimage....  somehow i don't think this program will be plain sailing. i do think it will be interesting, relaxing even and definitely something that will stretch me intellectually, physically and spiritually. Already i have been encouraged to encounter the physical me as well as my artistic side, which in many respects does not exist... so who knows what lies in store for tomorrow. We began with prayer... what no surprise!! this prayer was rather lovely, taking a blank piece of paper and writing names and situations that i carried with me here, family, community friends, circling them colouring the paper and finally lifting it all to God, in a very tangible way,  i found that simple exercise a meaningful way to pray for all those i have left behind to be here, knowing that i leave them in Gods care. so that's my thoughts for tonight....Meanwhile, I'm tired. and sleep calls. Tomorrow will begin with silent meditation at 7:30, hmm thats a bit of a misonomer, is any mediation other than silent???

Spiritual Deepening

This blog has been silent for over a year, it's time to resurrect it. I will soon be leaving for the first residential component of my continuing edutainment program, spiritual deepening. Please join me in my journey!

Tonight begins our year long journey of reading and discussing "Twelve steps to compassion" by Karen Armstrong. Hopefully we will also begin to look at ways we can be more compassionate to people whose paths cross ours and begin to live intentionally compassionate live. I am intrigued by Armstrong's book and have not succumbed to pre-reading, we will journey and learn together. I am sure our individual points of view will be challenged, both religiously and socially. I hope that we will each come to a deeper or different understanding of compassion and how we might enact compassion in our lives. Perhaps we will make our small corner of the world a better place. Do you think we sometimes confuse compassion with pity?
Some would ask, "Why cultivate compassion?"
What do you think?