Returning to the Circle

Over a year ago, I asked myself how I, an interfaith minister, might help young women to gain access to the wisdom that once was shared around the kitchen table, at the quilting bee or by the campfire. I pondered the question, praying and meditating on it for several weeks.  Then, in the wee hours of the morning while still dreaming, it came to me.  Gather women together and write a book!

The answer was so simple!  Of course write a book, this is what I do - (besides teaching and ministering) - I write.  So, I began with gathering quotes for 30 days of affirmations.  The quotes were from women around the world from as many cultures as I could find.  Then, I called upon some of my "Sisters of the Soul" to write a essay for each of the sections in the book.

The essays are amazing tidbits of true wisdom, written from the heart.  After editing, arranging and re-editing, I finally decided the manuscript was ready.  One problem, who would publish such a tome?

Once again, I did what we ministers do, I prayed and meditated, waiting for an answer from the Divine.  Sure enough, a few days later, it came to me to self-publish an e-book. 

Researching how to do that was a bit of a task, but with help from some knowledgeable friends, it happened.

So, what does this have to do with interfaith ministry?  

My answer is - a lot!  As interfaith ministers, we are called to minister to the world around us.  Individuals come from all faith-paths or none at all.  Meeting them where they are is key to our ministry.  What better way to meet girls and young women today than through the World Wide Web and e-technology?

Returning to the Circle is not about getting back to the kitchen or the quilting or the fire.  This book is a call to join the circle of women in the virtual space of e-books, blogs, Twitter and Facebook. 

We have so much we can share!  Healing begins with reaching out and sometimes reaching out happens across the World Wide Web, because that is where we find those in pain.

As I say in the introduction of Returning to the Circle, “I pray that those who read and use this book will be blessed by the words - the wisdom - of the women who appear on these pages. May they help to guide, inspire and affirm who you are and why you are in this life.” 

Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas is a graduate of The New Seminary (2013).  She is a writer/poet and educator.  Returning to the Circle can be found on Amazon.



 

Dr. Theodore Richards Honored

New Seminary's faculty member, Dr. Theodore Richards was honored recently with not one, but two awards for his writing.  Homebound Publishing announced within weeks of each other that Cosmosophia was awarded the Nautilus Gold Medal and that The Crucifixion won the IPPY Bronze Medal.

   

Theologian and author Matthew Fox said that 
“Theodore Richards is a unique and gifted social activist, one with a well nour­ished brain as well as a con­science. His com­mit­ment to inner city youth wounded as so many are by a cul­ture that prefers con­sump­tion to com­pas­sion and preaches couch­pota­toitism over cre­ativity, he has spent years bringing alive the poten­tial of young people in finding their in-​​depth selves and their place in our amazing uni­verse. In a pre­vious gen­er­a­tion someone of Theodore’s depth and integrity might have worked out his voca­tion in a monastery. In our time, he finds his way in the urban world of struggle and promise, despair and hope. He is a philosopher-​​activist who lis­tens deeply and walks his talk.  What he is learning is worth our all lis­tening to.” 
  
Cosmosophia: Cosmology, Mysticism and the Birth of a New Myth  is a guide for all those who are learning to connect to their inner wisdom. There is no wonder that this book won the Nautilus Gold Medal, an award shared by such notable authors as Deepak Chopra, Barbara Kingsolver, Mathew Fox, Eckhart Tolle and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
  
 The Crucifixion is "a modern American myth," which takes readers on a journey through the Deep South and into urban America.  This epic journey reflects both Old and New Testament stories, but creates a new, modern perspective from which the reader may relate.
 
"I was moved emotionally by The Crucifixion. …In today’s rapidly changing world, the ability of individuals, families, and communities to live with hope and purpose is essential, but according to my observations, too rare," said author, Wayne Gustafson, (Community of Promise: The Untold Story of Moses). "The characters demonstrate how ordinary people can live extraordinary lives that exude the power to transform those around them.”  

The IPPY Bronze Medal is an Independent Publishers award, which is given yearly.
  
Congratulations, Dr. Ted!  

Written by Ord. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas 

Just Released: 7 Days With Adam

Rev. James Speights' new book, 7 Days With Adam has just been published.  Many will recognize author,  Rev. Speights, as the Director of The New Seminary; however, he is also a chaplain and spiritual coach.  No stranger to the printed word, Rev. Speights has been a contributor to The Washington Times Online Edition and religionandspirituality.com, "where he provided social, spiritual, and political commentary focused on getting people to interact and relate on a higher level." 

What I enjoyed about this spiritual odyssey was the give and take between author and Adam.  The conversation flows naturally and provides the reader with insight into the difficult questions people have in connection to the traditions of yesterday and our visions for tomorrow. I found myself pulled into the story and could easily apply Adam's suggestions to my own life.
 
I agree that 7 Days With Adam is a "brilliantly crafted work about Adam, the first man, who visits the author and shatters many of his core beliefs about God, creation, the basic nature of humans and this world. He has astonishing revelations about his and Eve's real legacy. After the 7 day visit, he leaves the author enlightened with actual exercises, prayers and meditative techniques that we can all use to access our Divine Inner Power and achieve mastery in our lives. This book is a testament to the value of storytelling in spirituality, and to disciplined spiritual practice, as well as being attuned to the Higher Self and Divine Inner Light that is in all of us."

by Ord. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas

Rev. Speights' book is available at 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Days-With-Adam-Jay-Speights/dp/1626202605/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1_3MTK 

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/7-days-with-adam-jay-speights/1114967700?ean=9781626202603

Holy Days of February

February is full of religious feasts  and observances. This is a powerful week. It would be interesting to know what days some of you will observe this week or what day or days you are drawn to. 

For me, I always observe Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. I have strong Roman Catholic roots. The Chinese New Year is also important because we celebrate it in my Kung Fu Community. 

February 10 - Transfiguration Sunday - Christian - Christian commemoration of the experience on Mt Tabor when Jesus' physical appearance became brilliant as his connection with traditional Jewish holy figures became evident to the disciples. 

February 10 - Chinese New Year - Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist - Begins a fifteen Day Festival for Chinese people of all religions. Family reunions with thanksgiving and remembrance of departed relatives take place. Traditionally a religious ceremony honors Heaven and Earth.

February 12 - Shrove Tuesday - Christian - carnival day on the eve of Ash Wednesday which begins Lent, a time of fasting and devotions. Pancakes are often served. It is also known as Fat Tuesday in some places.

February 13 - Ash Wednesday - Lent begins through March 23 - Christian - Christian observance to begin the 40 day season of Lent. Ashes are marked on worshipers as a sign of penitence.

February 14 - Nirvana Day ** - Buddhist - a regional observance of the death of the Buddha. 

February 14 - St. Valentine's Day - Christian 

February 15 - Vasant Panchami ** - Hindu - celebration dedicated to Saraswati, goddess of learning.  

February 15 - Nirvana ** - Jain - means final release from the karmic bondage.  

February 24 - Purim * - Jewish - Jewish celebration of the deliverance of the Jewish minority in Persia from genocide. Charity to the poor, sharing food with friends, and vigorous merrymaking mark the observance. 

February 24 - Triodion begins - Orthodox Christian - Orthodox Christian time period leading up to Lent. The liturgy involves hymns, odes and scriptures.

An asterisk (*) indicates that the observance begins at sundown the prior evening
  
Written by Rev. Jay Speights, TNS

 

Respect : Gone to the dogs?

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Recently, I heard a news report that Buddha was a popular name for puppies in America. This seemed odd to me at first. I was curious about why someone would name a dog, Buddha. So, I did a little research on the subject, and it was true. Not only is Buddha a popular name for puppies, but it is also recommended on several sites on the Internet as a great name.

After some reflection, I determined that this was disrespectful and offensive. There are 450 million Buddhists, which would make theirs the fourth largest religion in the world. I am assuming that for them, the name Buddha, which means "Enlightened One," is spiritually significant; therefore, should be revered.

Now, I have had some smart pooches in my life. One, named Champ, could hold a can of beer in his front paws and roll over on his back and guzzle it down. Another memorable and much loved dog of mine, named Kai, demonstrated an exceptional capacity to comprehend at least 100 words. According to my research, many experts think this is pretty impressive.

My current dog, Snoop, is perhaps the most loving being that I have ever met. I know you could care less about the furry friends in my life; however, point I am trying to make is that no matter how cute, lovable and smart my dogs are or were, I could in no way refer to any of them as "Enlightened One."

I wonder how many Buddhists have named their dog Jesus or Christ. It's a sure bet that if one did this in some parts of America, he or she would know immediately how one's Christian neighbors felt about it. Can you imagine a peaceful, mild-mannered Buddhist in a dog park in some Bible Belt town shouting, "Here, Jesus, come on boy, get over here."

At the very least, he or she more than likely would be subjected to some verbal abuse and in some instances might be physically assaulted.

Why is it so easy for many of us in this country to devalue the sacred values and traditions of others, while assuming that ours are superior? Is it because we are geographically isolated and an overwhelmingly Christian country? Even though the United States is becoming ethnically and religiously more diverse, there seems to be an abiding ignorance by many of us about who and what is occupying the rest of this planet.

This is why the events of Sept. 11, 2001, made it clear to many Americans, for the first time, that some groups and countries have a deep-seated hatred for us, and that our Christian and democratic values are not desired or coveted by all.

We have to realize that the majority of this world is non-Christian and non-white, as well. Additionally, not everybody is jealous of democracy. This vacuum of arrogance and ignorance that we live in has not served us well, rather, has created many of the domestic and global problems with which we struggle today.

We have to learn how to view and operate in this world without our biased filters, and stop assuming that our values and traditions are desired or coveted by all. More importantly, it is thoughtless acts like naming a dog Buddha, or a football team the Redskins, that create unnecessary friction and hostility, which disrupt communities and foster hatred and violence.

— — —

Rev. Jay Speights, is an interfaith minister, Director and main United Nations representative for The New Seminary in New York. You can learn more about his work at  The New Seminary website. His email address is jayspeights@newseminary.org   

© copyright 2007 by Jay Speights

We Are the Change

English: New Year's Resolutions postcard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every January 1st, millions of people around the world make resolutions to give up, do without, change, recreate, and/or begin something. They look back on the past year, see the areas in their lives that could have been better, could have been more, could have been happier and resolve to make it so in the year ahead.
 
One problem, usually, is that most of these resolutions suddenly fizzle out around mid-February. Why?
 
I believe it is because they are made without the recognition that in order to bring about true change, one must remove the root of whatever it is that is causing the problem. For instance, we can try to lose weight, but, if we don't recognize and change our behavior - i.e., realize that we eat when stressed - then we will only resort back to that behavior.
 
After fifty some odd years of resolutions, I have decided to approach resolutions from a different angle this year. Instead of changing something about me - weight, attitude, etc. - I would begin by taking away a root of my issues. In other words, I am weeding my spiritual garden.
 
The best way to do this, I feel, is to begin adding to my time spent in reflection, meditation, communion and prayer. This year, I am creating, mindfully and deliberately, Sacred Space for the observance of Sabbath. As I have already stated in a past post, Sabbath does not have to be observed on Saturday or Sunday. Sabbath is any time you intentionally shut out the world of consumerism and materialism and connect with Spirit.
 
You see, I hypothesize that by observing an intentional Sabbath, the root of my problems, issues, and/or lack will disappear, or at least become something that I can cope with without becoming filled with fear and despair. The reason for this is that when we connect to Spirit, we are given Grace...this Grace brings Wisdom, Strength, Courage and the ability to do the things we are called to do.
 
President Obama said, "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” If we spend time with Spirit, with the Divine, with our Creator, then, we will see and have the strength to do those things we must to make this world a better place.
 
May the year ahead be filled with Light, Love and Laughter. May there be enough rain to create rainbows and bring flowers to life. May storms pass over without lasting damage. And, may each of us see that we are enough, that we are loved and that we have all we need, now.

By Linda M. Rhinehart Neas - TNS 2013

Tradition - A Personal Reflection

World's Religious Traditions (Photo credit: Micah68)

Webster's defines "tradition" as: 1. the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, esp. by word of mouth or by practice; 2. something that is handed down; 3. a long established or inherited way of thinking or acting; 4. a continuing pattern of cultural beliefs or practices; ...The definition goes on for several more explanations, but I think you get the idea.
  
Growing up, we had a few traditions. Some were so entrenched in our lives that we didn't realize they were traditions until we stopped practicing them. Things like, Wednesday was spaghetti night; Saturday, we had beans and franks; and on Sundays, we usually had a sit-down meal at around 2 o'clock. We called it dinner, which cracks my daughters up every time I ask, "So what's for dinner?" They call it supper.
  
Other traditions were explained in sincere, one-on-one talks, like when my Mom told me why we went to church on Sunday or why we didn't put the Baby Jesus in the crèche until Christmas morning.
  
As my children grew, I practiced some of these traditions without much thought; they were simply conditioned responses to the stimuli of a particular time of year. Perhaps it is getting older and having grandchildren that bring me to this place of reflection.

 
My parents had a tradition that each year, when decorating the tree, they always put up a red and gold-trimmed ribbon before anything else went on the tree. The ribbon was from the first Christmas after they were married. This little bedraggled ribbon was their only decoration that year. 

 
Upon further reflection, I realized that as the holy/holidays arrive, I planned to do what my parents and teachers taught to do without realizing it was a learned response. This has made me stop to look more closely at the reasons for each tradition, weeding out the ones that no longer serve a useful purpose or have lost their meaning and focusing in on the ones that are truly significant to my family and me. As Karen Armstrong writes in her book, A Case for God, “…if a ritual no longer evokes a profound conviction of life’s ultimate value, (we) simply abandon it.”
    
Therefore, with careful consideration, we put candles in our windows, not because folks seem to be returning to the days of lighting up their homes, but as a simple reminder that the Light still shines bright in a world of darkness. I love the symbolism of the candle and have used it often in my teaching and ministry. The simplicity of its message of Light and Illumination is powerful.
    
We will put up a tree. I didn't have a tree several Christmases ago, and I won't ever do that again. I found it to be very depressing. Our tree is artificial - our contribution to the environment on many levels: more living trees left to clean the air, less pollution from dead trees being burned or thrown into dumps. The tree is symbolic of Life and Hope. "Ever" green, it reminds us that Life goes on from season to season.
    
Along with decorating the tree, I will decorate the inside and outside of the house. Outside, there will be fresh greens, red berries hung with ribbons on the door and light posts. Inside, there will be vignettes of angels (I love my angels...they remind me that I am never alone.) and snow people, which reminds me to stay child-like...full of expectation, hope and wonder.

 
We will send greetings, but only to the friends and family, who we won't see over the next few months. However, if this isn’t done before the end of December, I am not going to stress out. Letters/cards will be sent within the first few weeks of the New Year. (Once I got wrapped around taking care of babies, working, etc. and didn't send them until April!)
    
Another tradition we have scaled down greatly is gift giving. Both Roger and I felt the need to go back to the times when gifts were small and meaning-filled, usually homemade, and always, personal. Again, as a way to help give to the world, many of our gifts are fair trade.
    
Finally, we have several crèches (manger scenes). After all, this is why I celebrate the holy days, for which I make no apologies. I find it sad that so many feel the need to apologize to the world for practicing what they believe in. My feeling is that no matter what your faith tradition, you should be able to celebrate and share it with others.

    

      

I follow the tradition begun when my girls were small. The Baby will be hidden until Christmas morning and, God willing that my mind doesn't go on vacation, I will find Him and place Him in the manger before we do anything else.
      
These will be the traditions that Roger and I follow. However, my daughters are now all of an age where they are developing their own traditions. I have watched with interest as they sort out the traditions they wish to keep. I try to remain neutral to their decisions. After all, it is their lives.

    

Last year, I was thrilled to hear one of my granddaughters recite the Chanukah prayer and light the Menorah that Roger made for my daughter and her family. They are a blended family, observing both Christian and Jewish traditions.

  

  
In closing, I pray that as we keep time-honored traditions or create new ones, on whatever spiritual path we follow during this season of Light and Love, that our lives and those close to us be enriched. May we be reminded of the many blessings we all have, the many sacrifices of those who came before us, and the many dreams for a world of Peace that we all hope for today and each day into the New Year.

By Linda M. Rhinehart Neas - Second Year Ordinand at TNS

The Word Made Flesh

The Many Faces of Christmas - Shaped Wooden Puzzle from Sri Lanka (Photo credit: mharrsch)

 "The Word became flesh, and lived among us.” –John 1:14 

“Are magazines getting trashier and trashier, or am I just becoming a grumpy old fart?” I asked the cashier in a St. Paul, Minnesota convenience store, gesturing toward the racks of periodicals. 

“Well, sir,” she deadpanned, “both of those things could be true.” 

Those of us with Incarnational, or “God with skin on” religions–Christians, Vaishnavas, anyone who organizes life around the idea that God could appear in a form at once divine and human– shouldn’t, theoretically, be in the business of setting up false dichotomies. At the very least, we ought to be comfortable with paradox. We should be both/and people in and either/or world. 

Nevertheless, because the urge to parse distinctions–to say “this, but not that”–is as strong in us as in everyone else, we are sucked into the either-or-ness of it all. In so doing, we lose the subversive power of putting things together that the world wants to keep separate. 

Saints and sinners, for example -“Good people” expect other “good people” to give “bad people” a wide berth. 

“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” the Pharisees and Torah scribes asked Jesus’ disciples.[i] Whom one sat down to eat with was very serious business in ancient Israel. 

Jesus answered: Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.[ii] 

Nevertheless, I suspect Jesus knew there was no right answer with these people. 

John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him–a glutton and a drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’[iii] 

So not only did Jesus hang out with undesirables, He also liked to eat and drink, apparently. Moreover, while this fact offended the scribes and Pharisees, it positively scandalized later generations of theologians. Origen (c. 185–254 CE) for instance–who in many ways is one of my heroes–only grudgingly admitted that Jesus ate and drank at all, while insisting that He did it in a way unique to Himself, in which the food “did not pass from His body.” 

The idea that the incarnate God didn’t poop brings us to another false dichotomy: the “spirit” vs. “the flesh.” 

The idea that the two are at war simply does not appear in the Hebrew Bible, and the few New Testament passages on which the idea is based are generally misunderstood. 

For instance, Paul’s famous instruction to the Roman church to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” [iv] must be understood in the context of a movement that believed the end of the world was imminent. Paul therefore encouraged Christians to remain single and celibate, in the belief that there was no future in founding a family (or anything else.) 

It is with later theologians like Origen and Augustine, mostly North African and under the influence of Plato, who began the long process of driving a wedge between “the spirit” and “the flesh”–a process that continues to this day. 

Yoga begins and ends with an understanding of the body that is, to say the very least, at odds with the Christian understanding. Christians are not called to…see the human body as a means of connecting to and coming to know the divine [...] The physical is the spiritual in yoga, and the exercises and disciplines of yoga are meant to connect with the divine. 

Christianity certainly does distinguish between “spirit” and “flesh.” “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit,” [v] said Jesus, explaining why spiritual rebirth is not contingent on physical rebirth. 

Yoga makes this body/spirit distinction also; the purusha, or “in-dweller,” who looks out through our eyes and is identical with the Atman, is eternal, while the body is temporal¬. However, where I believe the Yogic tradition trumps the Christian tradition is in its recognition of the sacramentality of the body–the ability of the body to raise our God-consciousness. 

The supreme irony is that the whole of the Gospel faith is predicated on God becoming flesh. Jesus not only affirmed the holiness of the body, He seemed to revel in fleshly existence. “Eat for me and drink for me,” He told St. Teresa of Avila, because she could do things for Him in the body that He could no longer do for Himself. (The similarity here to the practice, recommended in the Bhagavad Gita, of “sacrificing sense objects in the fires of renunciation” [vi] is striking.) 

Jesus affirmed and cherished the flesh at every turn, feeding people, healing their physical illnesses, eating and drinking with them. He even restored human bodies to life after physical death had occurred, sealing His sovereignty over death by rising from the dead Himself. Whatever the meaning, interpretation or historicity of these events, they plainly emphasize the high value God places on our physical being. 

So is the baby in the manger “the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity,” or the rabbi who, at his first meeting with his disciples after His resurrection, made them breakfast? 

Does He “dwell in the high and holy place,” or “with the one who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite” [vii]? 

Is this Jewish avatara a physical being destined to death, or an immortal spirit Who is beyond the limitations of time, space and the body? 

Does the unseemly and all-too-human birth narrative of Jesus (whatever its historical truth) proclaim the humbling of God, or the divine reality of human life behind the maya of earthly existence? 

All of these questions, says the Christmas story, pose false dilemmas, and to each one the God-baby offers the same answer: Well, both of those things could be true. ________________________________________ 

[i] Mark 2:16 [ii] Mark 2:17 [iii] Luke 7:33-34 [iv] Romans 13:14 [v] John 3:6 [vi] Bhagavad Gita 4:26 [vii] See Isaiah 57:15 

By Scott Robinson, PhD., TSSF

Ordinand Scott is a second year student at The New Seminary.  Learn more about his music and ministry at:  www.opentothedivine.com www.mandalaband.net http://www.elephantjournal.com/author/scott-robinson

Sabbath

 English: The Sabbath Rest (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are words, which cause you to want to know more about them.  They sound musical when you speak them or look as if they are a complete story unto themselves - words like calliope, rutabaga, serendipity or peregrine.
 

The word “Sabbath” has intrigued me since I first heard it. You seldom hear this word, except in the context of religion. Where did it come from? What is the meaning? Why are we still using it today?
 
Sabbath comes from the Old English sabat - the seventh day of the week observed by the Jews of the day (about 950) as a day of rest; borrowed from Latin sabbatum, from Greek sabbaton, from Hebrew shabbath, from shabath he rested. Sabbath was applied to the first day of the week (Sunday) about 1410. The spelling with double b is first recorded about 1280, and with th, though recorded before 1382, did not become widespread before the 1500's. (Resource: The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, Robert Barnhart, Ed., 1995, HW Wilson Company-Harper Collins/New York)
  
Sabbath means, literally, "he rested." Rest...time off...time spent not working is so important to our health - mentally, physically, spiritually. When we have rest, we are able to discern our needs and the needs of others; we are able to open to the creative energies around us; we are able to imagine possibilities for change; we are able to heal.
 
As an interfaith ordinand, I have been looking at how to more fully observe the Sabbath as well as how to share this time with others. I found, as a member of ONE, that ONE.org has created an initiative to be observed on November 18, called ONE Sabbath.

   

ONE Sabbath is a way to link all paths to the task of ending poverty, disease and hunger.  ONE Sabbath can be part of a ministry of action, as well as a ministry of presence.  Bringing this information to our places of worship - to our faith communities - we can then be both a catalyst for change as well as a light shining in the darkness.

  

Together, we can make a difference in the world. Together we can end poverty, disease and illiteracy. Together, we can find rest...we can unite in ONE Sabbath.

Sabbath was written by Ord. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas.  She is an educator, writer and poet from Western Massachusetts.