Out beyond ideas...

Alchemy of Belonging

I have not made much blogging time during my Sabbatical, but really like some of this stuff I am working with so I thought I would post it.  It comes from a book by Peter Block, “Community: The Structure of Belonging.” - good stuff.  It feels like something Covenant could and would write if we were to share the collective wisdom we have been gathering over the years.

Here is a short excerpt that I found especially helpful.

“Certain properties of collective transformation create the conditions for greater belonging and stronger social fabric. The following are the properties, in Christopher Alexander’s terms, that when undertaken with a consciousness of the whole, can produce a new future:

Leadership is convening.The small group is the unit of transformation.
Questions are more transformative that answers.
Six conversations materialize belonging
•    Invitation
•    Possibility
•    Ownership
•    Dissent
•    Commitment
•    Gifts
Hospitality, the welcoming of strangers, is central.
Physical and social space support belonging.”

It is amazing how many of these are deep values and practices of Covenant.  I wonder which ones we might need to put some energy into as we deepening our own structures belonging.

Sabbatical Writing

Here is a short glimpse of what it is like for me to write.

Sabbatical Wonderings

What has arisen so far on my sabbatical is few “wonderings.”   Your thoughts and insights are welcome.

Can’t say anymore – “Covenant Community Church: Not Your Parents Church”

Why do we create so much busyness and stress?  Stress and anxiety are not the natural state of things, so we must create it for a reason or out of ignorance.

Why don’t I take more intentional time to move into rhythm and flow?  It takes intentional time and space, but not a lot.  How can offer and create this time for Lori? 

How do we flow in a mechanical world?

Why does Spirit manifest the way it does?  How do I not hinder or defile pure manifestation?  Is pure manifestation possible? 

What would it be like to live and move and not create ripples?  Like a bird that soars without flapping it’s wings or a cloud that moves, becomes, floats and disappears with ease and beauty.

How do we create containers of transformation?  What are the ingredients? 

Worship is to safe?  How can we make worship a more transformative evocative container?   Why do I like the word “evocative?”

I get more excited about doing it than writing about it?  Whatever “it” is… and there are many.

We only have one life to live… and if you live it right – its too much!

The Birds & The Bees

So, last night Lori and I finally did it.  Yep,  one would think that we already had done it, but no, it happened just last night.  We had the dreaded... "birds and bees talk" with our two older boys. 
After hearing a few interesting words and jokes from them we realized they where getting some interesting messages about bodies, gender and sexuality.  So in an effort to get our two cents into the plural mix we decided it was time.

When I told the boys in the car driving home from school that mom and I wanted to talk with them after we put Bailey to bed, the first thing Jake asked was, "Are we in trouble, and if so, Hank did it?'    I said no, that we just wanted to talk with them about something,  Jake then said, "is it about... you know what."    At which point I realized we were all a little uncomfortable with the topic.  I call it "something" and he calls it "you know what." 

I have been surprised with my own anxiety and concerns with having the "talk."   I consider myself to be pretty open, free and non-anxious about bodies and sexuality and yet I was aware of some concerns when it came to talking with my kids about it.

To make a long but funny story short.  The night went great. We all got through it with only a little giggling and blushing.  I found an excellent book called, "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health.  I would highly recommed it.  It is designed for children 10 and up and has some great cartoon figures and illustrations that are informative, helpful and entertaining.  There are some realy good chapters on hetersexulaity and homosexuality, masterbation and making sexual choices.   I rally appreciated the cartoon drawings of people, they were multicultural and included a variety of body types.   I was thankful for the images of  multiracial couples, gay couples and a cartoon with the women on top!  I even saw a couple where the man was shorting than the women - finally someone who can identify with the oppression of short men!

So, if you have any questions gender and sex feel free to ask Hank or Jake.

Peace,

Jud

Gratefullness

Integral Christianity Experience

As some of you may know, during my Sabbatical (May 11 - August 10) I will be focusing on finishing a book on "Integral Church" that I have been playing with the last several years.  In preparation, I am reading up on my Ken Wilber stuff and attending this conference on Integral Christianity in Boulder.   

I am a big fan of one of the teachers - Brother David Steindl-Rast.  He has been a leading figure in the Christian - Buddhist (Zen) dialog. 

I will also be hanging out with several of the Integral Church Leadership Movement folks (Jen Straub & Kelly Wiant Thralls) who are attending another conference that Ashley Seman helped organize on Rumi.  Great stuff.  I will try to blog some to share my experience.

Damn that Enneagram!

I am working with the Enneagram again and finding it frustratingly true.  I recently read this about my type - the seven.

"The problem arises when average Sevens begin to function only as superchargers who are outspoken and outrageous, who must be stimulating and dazzling all the time."

I began to wonder... so am I "outrageous" - seeking to be stimulating and dazzling?  Then I recently came across these two pictures.

So...  I am not only a seven but an average one at that!

Lent continues!

I am finding the book, "The Wisdom of the Enneagram" to be very helpful and highly recommend it.

A More Embodied Worship

Seeing Worship Through The Perspective of Our Bodies

I wonder how our bodies experience a worship service? How are our bodies honored, evoked and included when we gather for worship.  Let’s take a little trip with our bodies through a traditional worship service.  I say traditional worship, but even my more holistic and progressive community could benifet from an exploration this question.

Dress in something uncomfortable that nurtures the ego but not the body.  Get out of the car, walk, greet, talk, shake, smile, walk, sit… listen… stand, sing, sit… listen… recite… stand, shake, smile, sit, sing… sit… listen…think… think… think.. think… sit… listen…stand, sing, sit…listen, pass… sing… (maybe once a month take communion) stand, walk, break, dip, eat, walk, sit… listen, stand, walk, greet, smile, walk…

No wonder worship is rarely a holistic transformative experience!  From our bodies perspective you could be a robot and participate in many of worship services.  The primarily part of our body that is honored, evoked and included in traditional worship services is our brain.  Most of worship happens above the neck!  Our brains and minds can help us to talk about God and think about God, but they can also hinder us from experiencing God.

If we are going to have an experience of God it is going to happen in and through our bodies – through our feelings, emotions, thoughts and sensations. Through all of us!  If we are going to become channels of love our bodies must be opened up and purified so that can express the movement of God’s Spirit. It is possible in worship to transcend our normal particularly bodily experiences and move into a more expansive experience of the collective spirit, but this transcendence comes because our bodies have first been welcomed, evoked and included.  There is no integration of the body which does not first include the body.  If our bodies with all there sensations, emotions, feelings, thoughts and desires are not first welcomed and honored they can not be transcended and integrated.  Our experience of being a particular body must be affirmed and celebrated before we can expand our awareness of being the collective body and consciousness of Christ.

Deep spiritual experiences are often all encompassing.  They evoke strong emotion, they honor and include the body, they integrate a variety of sensations.  If the whole body and the whole of the human experience is not welcomed, evoked, honored and included in worship will it be able to fully nurture and cultivated our relationships with and participation in the Divine life, which transforms us into both the consciousness and the literal body of Christ.

This reflection is an invitation to join in the movement of creating more body affirming and evoking practices of Christian worship.  Your thoughts and ideas are welcome.

Mark & Ashley as Sonny and Cher

More Vaudeville Entertainment

There is some real talent and some "not so much" in this show.

Short Soccer Career

Lo is a trooper!  Her 20 minute soccer career came to a bloody halt last week with a broken nose.  She had her nose re-set on Friday and is wearing a sexy cast/brace thing until Thursday.  Lo has been a trooper through it all. 

The funniest part of the whole thing was listening to her coming off the anesthesia talking about how "hot" the doctor was and how "shallow" her nurses were - all loud enough for them to hear.

Thanks to everyone for all your thoughts, prayers and words of support.  We are blessed to be part of a supportive and thoughtful community.