Monthly Archives: October 2012

Quiet weekend- step away for a while…

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We are just planning our first ‘quiet weekend’ using the new accommodation space at Sgath an Tighe. This will be from Friday evening the 11th of January to Sunday the 13th.

These weekends are intended to allow individuals and couples to set time aside to reflect, pray, meditate and share some evenings around a fireside. Our starting point for entering into meditation here is Christian spirituality- of a generous open kind.

The spaces at our house will allow for three double bedrooms, one twin, and one single, and it would be lovely to fill these.

Our first weekend will cost £200 per person, including accommodation, all meals and activities. (We cook simple but lovely wholemeal vegetarian food.)

We will divide our time into periods of silence – where guests are welcome to use prepared spaces in the house, the garden, or to take walks along the shore – and times of sharing.

There will be an opportunity to be part of morning and evening rituals, and to use clay and other art materials to aid reflection and meditation.

If you are interested, get in touch and we will send you a booking form.

Living simply in a complex world…

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Just in case you did not see this on TSK the other day, I thought to repost it here. It is long- but I have faith in you all to go beyond the 10 second blog cut off point and enjoy it!

Very apposite for us at the moment- we spent all day emptying cupboards and making piles- one to sell, one to recycle via charity shops and one to take to the tip. The latter was the largest by far which seemed all wrong.

So here is Susan Pitchford,  a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Washington, and a member of the Third Order, Society of Saint Francis. This is a religious community for people who wish to follow the Franciscan way “in the world,” that is, within the families and occupations where they find themselves.

The art of whacking stones…

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Yesterday was Sabbath.

For us that means that our little family are close together, resting (although Emily fitted in some sailing- she is in one of the boats in the shot above.)

It has been a rather difficult time of late- deaths, illnesses, conflict in our wider families. There is also so much to do, and I have this constant feeling of time passing- of an opportunity to do something that I can not miss.

But when all is said and done (or even when it is still to be said and prevarication holds sway) there is always the art of stone whacking.

This involves three things- a beach, a stick, and some stones.

It is an activity that can be done alone (but best find a very secluded spot or people will stare) but is best done in small groups.

Stand sideways on to the sea, toss stone in the air and whack it as far as you can out into the waves.

You will miss many, but some will fly.

Evangelical becomes gay for a year…

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Amazing story in the Guardian today about an American ultra conservative evangelical Christian who found himself questioning his Church teachings on homosexuality, and decided to walk in the shoes of a gay man for a year.

In order to do this, he had to tell his family, his Church, his friends that he was gay, take on a pretend ‘boyfriend’ and live and work in gay bars.

It seems that not only his own theological understanding of homosexuality radically changed, but so was that of his mother.

Finally Kurek’s journey ended when he revealed his secret life and “came out” again, but this time as a straight Christian. However, he says that one of the most surprising elements of his journey was that it renewed his religious faith rather than undermined it. “Being gay for a year saved my faith,” he said.

Kurek also said that he felt his experience not only should show conservative Christians that gay people need equal rights and can be devout too, but that it can also reveal another side of evangelicals to the gay community.

“The vast majority of conservative Christians are not hateful bigots at all. It is just a vocal minority that gets noticed and attracts all the attention,” he said.

Our first Guest Room nears completion…

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Here is a peek at what I have been working hard on over the past weeks- our first guest room for the new holiday/retreat/craft business is nearing completion;Image

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It will all be ready to go in the next few weeks- available for cosy escapes, quiet retreats and the like.

We are waiting for curtains and a couple of bits and pieces, but check out the view;

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Meditation is (not just) for kids…

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So, it turns out that the slightly sceptical tone of my last piece about the potential for using Christian meditation/contemplation in schools was rather unjustified. An old friend (Rob) now in Australia pointed out that there have been well documented projects down under doing just that!

There is more in this Guardian article.

When an almost pathological “busyness” is the norm, valuing stillness and silence is counter-cultural. When our culture trains us to be winners, to compete and to consume, we all sense society’s imbalance, said Freeman. We need to give children an experience of another way of relating to themselves and to others.

Deputy director Christie agreed. If children are over-stimulated we rob them of something precious: being allowed to “just be” where children discover their own inner sense of who they are. Hijacked by a “doing” culture that measures everything by what we achieve or possess, meditation helps children access a deeper part of themselves – an inner sanctuary away from a world of incessant activity and noise. They learn to honour their own spiritual life.

I went googling and came across this, from New Zealand, which describes a simple process being followed there in the wake of the work mentioned by Rob;

The language used in this piece will be alien to some of us. We are used to all spirituality being mediated via head knowledge- treated as an opportunity to engage with  Biblical knowledge or theological proposition. The idea of creating an ‘open’ space in meditation would have been regarded as deeply suspicious within the Christian tradition I grew out of. We would have suggested that this laid us open to some kind of ‘Demonic attack’. I have no doubt that this closed us off to traditions and practices that are sources of deep strength and blessing.

What I like most about this piece is not just the possibilities for our children, but the greater possibility of us all becoming like children.

The man whose teaching is behind some of the work in Townsville, Queensland referred to by Rob and the DVD above is Father Lawrence Freeman. Here he is talking about the relationship between meditation and ‘sacred play’ which is a truly lovely idea;

A lot of the weblinks that relate to Lawrence Freeman appear to no longer work- links to resources and discussions about meditation with Children. I hope he has not fallen foul of the current conservative backlash in the Catholic Church, as I think he seems to me to be a source of light. There are a load of resources here however.

He has been one of the founders of Meditatio.

Archbishop suggests adding meditation to curriculum- shock…

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Well, not quite.

Rowan Williams spoke to some Catholic Bishops at the invitation of an unusually reconciliatory Pope Benedict. The meeting focussed on how the Church might be more relevant to an increasingly secular world.

The good Archbish offered up the idea of teaching kids to meditate;

“To put it boldly, contemplation is the only ultimate answer to the unreal and insane world that our financial systems and our advertising culture and our chaotic and unexamined emotions encourage us to inhabit,” he said.

“To learn contemplative practice is to learn what we need so as to live truthfully and honestly and lovingly. It is a deeply revolutionary matter.”

“Having seen at first hand, in Anglican schools in Britain, how warmly young children can respond to the invitation offered by meditation in this tradition, I believe its potential for introducing young people to the depths of our faith to be very great indeed.” Dr Williams added that for adults who had “drifted away” from regular attendance at Church, the style of worship practised in places such as Taizé could offer a “way back”.

From the Telegraph.

What do you think? Can developing a contemplative life really have such a transformational effect on the next generation? Can you really inculcate the practice of spiritual contemplation at an early age in this way?

The shape of the future church in Scotland?

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We have just had an invite to this event;

AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WRITERS MICHAEL FROST & ALAN HIRSCH TO
CONSIDER THE SHAPING OF THE CHURCH IN SCOTLAND

10:00AM – 4:00PM

5TH DECEMBER INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE,
GLASGOW

7TH DECEMBER STEEPLE CHURCH, DUNDEE

11TH DECEMBER COMMUNITY CHURCH EDINBURGH

£25 INCLUDING LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS

WEDNESDAY 12TH DECEMBER

COMMUNITY CHURCH EDINBURGH, 7.30 PM

A FREE EVENT, OPEN TO ALL, TO END THE TOUR

Almost ten years ago Australian authors Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch
published their hugely influential book The Shaping of Things to
Come. In it they offered both and analysis of the church of the West
and the culture in which it operates as well as a vision for what that
church might look like.

We are delighted to welcome Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch to Scotland
to offer a day of teaching, reflection and discussion about the future
shape of the church around the country. If you are passionate about
the church, its future and its role in society then this is a day for you …
come and join the conversation.

The all day events are £25, which regretfully might exclude some… I am still chewing on whether it will exclude me, which was something of a surprise- I have read various things by these blokes and the subject is right in the middle of my interests.

I think I am just a wee bit jaded of the constant picking over the bones of the Church. Let us just get on with being church. I also wonder slightly what we might learn about the Scottish Church from an Australian and a South African.

Having said that, the place of institutional faith and the degree to which it might be more ‘alive’ to the great commission is certainly worth chewing on.

Perhaps I will go after all.

A window into the beginning of us…

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There was an amazing story in the Guardian the other day about the discovery of some neolithic remains in Orkney. This is hardly surprising on the face of things- Orkney is covered in neolithic sites like pimples on a teenage face.

However, this site seems to have caused amazement in the archaeological world;

“We have discovered a Neolithic temple complex that is without parallel in western Europe. Yet for decades we thought it was just a hill made of glacial moraine,” says discoverer Nick Card of the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology. “In fact the place is entirely manmade, although it covers more than six acres of land.”

Once protected by two giant walls, each more than 100m long and 4m high, the complex at Ness contained more than a dozen large temples – one measured almost 25m square – that were linked to outhouses and kitchens by carefully constructed stone pavements. The bones of sacrificed cattle, elegantly made pottery and pieces of painted ceramics lie scattered round the site. The exact purpose of the complex is a mystery, though it is clearly ancient. Some parts were constructed more than 5,000 years ago.

I love this story as it asks so many questions about who we are.

The place where we grew from in these islands appears not to be some southern soft plain. This complex is much older than Stonehenge, and a level of sophistication far beyond.

These people emerged from the background of creation (like Adam and Eve) then learnt how to survive (like Abel) before starting to farm (like Cain) then to trade and commune with one another (like Babel.)

And in the middle of it all, they searched for meaning, for spiritual significance, for connection with the heavens- so much so that they dedicated huge resources and time constructing these temples.

Whatever uses they put the temples (if indeed that is what they were) we will never know- and like any spirituality, it can never be understood in the abstract anyway- only in the immersion.

The temples are also a reminder that whilst we may have so much still in common with these ancient Orcadians, things also change- often in ways we may not expect;

Equally puzzling was the fate of the complex. Around 2,300BC, roughly a thousand years after construction began there, the place was abruptly abandoned. Radiocarbon dating of animal bones suggests that a huge feast ceremony was held, with more than 600 cattle slaughtered, after which the site appears to have been decommissioned. Perhaps a transfer of power took place or a new religion replaced the old one. Whatever the reason, the great temple complex – on which Orcadians had lavished almost a millennium’s effort – was abandoned and forgotten for the next 4,000 years.

Benches…

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Yesterday some of us spent a rather fraught few hours rushing along Dunoon’s sea front setting up meditation stuff on benches.

I walked the length of it all again today with William- it was a lovely day and lots of people were out along the seafront.

Some of the benches had already been vandalised sadly- in fact I had words with some 12 year old boys who were ripping things down as I watched. However, there is lots that is still untouched and I hope others are able to use it.

The final part is an installation in Morags Fairy Glen involving a fan of ribbons suspended high on a rope. It is simple and rather magical. It uses this poem as well (from Listing)

Against such there is no law…

 

Love is not against the law

Although in judicial circles

It is not encouraged

 

But where the Spirit of the Lord falls

Love is between us like oil on bearings

 

Joy is not forbidden

But wherever it breaks out

It is fragile

Like a bubble

In a pine forest

 

But where the Spirit of the Lord rests

Joy beats like a dancing drum in the middle of us

Calling us to dance

 

Peace is never prohibited

But like a dove above a shooting range

Its flight is fraught with danger

 

But where the Spirit of the Lord lives

The boundaries we keep are soft

And we are learning how

To forgive

 

Patience is permitted in most places

But only if you use it quickly

 

But where the Spirit of the Lord lingers

Patience is like the summer sun

Drawing out the sugars in the ripening fruit

Sweetening the harvest

 

Kindness is condoned even in the most unlikely places

But it will win you few contracts

And is not conducive to

Promotion

 

But where the Spirit of the Lord comes close

Kindness kind of follows after

 

Goodness will not result in a jail sentence

But neither will it pay its way

In the global village superstore

 

But when the Spirit of the Lord smiles

Goodness becomes the common currency

Gentleness is no crime

And in many places it is a clinical necessity

But it is easily overlooked

In the shadow of another conquest

 

But where the Spirit of the Lord draws near

Then hands all rough from hard works

Become softened to hold

And to heal

 

Faithfulness is never a traitor

Yet we live like weathervanes

Spun by the seasons

To face the prevailing winds

 

But when the Spirit of the Lord moves

Promises no longer require the threat

Of legal recourse

 

Self control is thundered from the pulpit

But just in case the message falls on deaf ears

We deploy the secret pew police

Rule books at the ready

Swinging their

Truncheons of truth

To crunch the knuckles

Of the apostate

 

But when the Spirit of the Lord comes amongst us

There is a perfect law called…

 

Freedom

Some photos here- click to enlarge;