Category Archives: Spirituality

Becoming the beloved…

Posted on by
5

We watched a DVD in housegroup this evening, borrowed from Michaela Kast (Thanks Michaela!) of Henri Nouwen, great catholic writer, friend and companion of Jean Vanier and standing a great tradition of writers and Spiritual thinkers who are influenced by liberation theology.

Here is a clip from the DVD I discovered on you tube-

There were two more talks on the DVD, and we watched them all.

The second one talked about communion- how the breaking of the bread was an image for how we were to live our lives.

TAKEN- Chosen so that we might see the chosen-ness in others.

BLESSED- but blessed most through our encounter with the other- in learning how to give blessing, not through seeking to receive for our own sake. Speaking well of one another- not looking for evidence for the prosecution…

BROKEN- being aware of our own brokenness, but not living in fear of it- rather placing it under the blessing.

GIVING- our life finds real purpose when we practice active loving of others

The third one focussed on the discipline of becoming the beloved- and had three elements-

LISTENING to God- time aside to be alone.

COMMUNITY- not the dependent, mutually needy but friction related community, but rather a community of people who are aware of being the Beloved…

And finally- MINISTRY- which is the practical out pouring of the two above.

I will post some more about this some time later, as it is a central theme for me at the moment…

I first discovered Nouwen through our friend and former pastor Judith Warren, who was helping me through some counselling at the time. I was struggling to ever believe that I could be the Beloved of anyone- let along God. It is a struggle that continues in me at times still.

And it was not until I listened to Nouwen again this evening that I realised how much these teachings have become central to the way I understand God, and the life of faith. Not because I think these things are now sorted and OK in me- but rather because contained within the hope love and joy of these words is something ineffably GOOD and right.

It is a return again to simple things, running deep.

The beloved who are free to love.

Nouwen died in 2006, of a sudden heart attack.

It is perhaps worth noting that he struggled with clinical depression. His book ‘Wounded Healer‘ written in 1969, speaks of a way of reaching out to others through connecting with our own brokenness and pain.

His life and ministry is another reason that I am grateful for the Catholic tradition.

World of wonders…

Posted on by
Reply

I was looking out at the night sky, now gloriously clear after the fog of the weekend. And it hit me again…

What an amazing place we stand in the middle of.

Transcendent moments like this always make me softer- more human, more alive.

At the same time, I want to share them with my friends and people I love.

And to celebrate them by allowing them to shape me into making something artistic and beautiful.

Most of all, they make me long to reach out towards the thing beyond- whom I poorly understand, but yearn for- and can only name as God.

Others tell this same story better than me- here is one of them. Forgive the Germans chattering in the background- they were not experiencing transcendence. They like prog rock over there you know…

Stand on a bridge before the cavern of night
Darkness alive with possibility
Nose to this wind full of twinkling lights
Trying to catch the scent of what’s coming to be (in this…)

World of wonders…

Somewhere a saxophone slides through changes
Like a wet pipe dripping down my neck
Gives me a chill — sounds like danger
But I can’t stop moving till I cross this sector (of this…)

World of wonders…

There’s a rainbow shining in a bead of spittle
Falling diamonds in rattling rain
Light flexed on moving muscle
I stand here dazzled with my heart in flames (at this…)

World of wonders…

Moment of peace like brief arctic bloom
Red/gold ripple of the sun going down
Line of black hills makes my bed
Sky full of love pulled over my head

World of wonders…

Advent prayers rising…

Posted on by
3

We are back in this evening after another day spent out on Dunoons West Bay, serving mulled wine, mince pies, and having lots of good conversations with folk as the came to collect Christmas trees.

We had also set up some meditation things, did some music (oh my fingers!) and were selling Sky lanterns with the intention of inviting people to write prayers/thoughts on them, and participate in a massed sky lantern launch.

Why did we do it?

  1. To encourage people to be reflective and conscious of the season of Advent- a way for people to become more Spiritually aware, and open again to the Spirit of God
  2. To support work to raise money for CLANN (Community leisure development) and Christian Aid.
  3. To make a lovely spectacle that will linger in people’s minds
  4. To bring people together- and allow community to flourish, in all it’s different forms

And it was great!

We had a mixed blessing with the weather- it was calm, dry, but the Clyde was masked in freezing fog, and echoing with the mournful fog horns as ships passed out to sea.

However, the sight of the lanterns going off up into the mist was wonderful- eery, moving and affecting.

What was even better was the numbers of people who came and took part this evening- from schools, community projects, families, individuals.

Michaela described one family who lit the lantern, then stood together around it as it warmed up, arms around one another in silence. Then they let the lantern rise up into the night sky. Whatever their prayers were, may they be blessed…

Here are the promised photos- Andy took some more, so I will hopefully get to post a few of his soon.

World record number of sky lanterns- in Dunoon!

Posted on by
3

Well- not quite.

But I think we may well reach the record mumber of sky lanterns ever released at one time in Dunoon this weekend.

The real world record was set below Jakarta- below. They set off more than 10,000. Which is about as many people who live in Dunoon- so perhaps we have a chance.

By the way they are falling from the sky in flame in this clip, I assume that these lanterns were not fireproofed!

Scottish advent calendar?

Posted on by
Reply

(What do you think to the snow on the blog by the way? A bit naff?)

My mate Andy sent me this today-

It made me laugh out loud.

Then smile ruefully.

Then feel a bit sad.

There will be a lot of drinking done in the next few weeks in the name of Jesus. Not that he was averse to the odd pint, or a carafe or two of the finest wine- just that this was never an end in itself…

So raise a glass or two with me and lets drink to wet the head of the Christ child, but as we all know, there is a morning after- and a glorious one at that. It would be a shame to spoil it with a hang over.

December…

Posted on by
1

Winter can be cruel

The darkness cover us, and cold winds close us off from one another

December comes, and the trees are bare

The hillsides become an impassable sponge, soaking up the rain that never seems to be far away

Where once a thousand bluebells blazed, it is now almost impossible to believe that anything can ever live again.

And into this time, comes the season of Advent

A time of waiting

A time to dare once again to hope

A time to re imagine the coming

Of a King

Who might yet

Light up everything

In brand new spring

Sky lanterns, and advent prayers…

Posted on by
4

As previously mentioned,  Aoradh are doing a thing in Dunoon’s west bay next weekend- the 13th and 14th of December.

This will take the form of a partnership with some other community groups- the forestry commission, guides etc. The event was suggested by CLAN as a way of raising money/awareness for the development of the play park on the west bay. The forestry commission will be selling Christmas trees too.

Our bits will include an alternative worship thing, poetry, a Christian Aid BIG SING, mediation walk, and a mass sky lantern launch- this is the flier that we are including in the sky lantern pack-

The light keeps shining in the darkness, and the darkness can never put it out…

As part of our Advent festivities, Aoradh invite you to be part of a celebration of light.

Each year, we are plunged into a whirl of busyness around Christmas- all the presents we buy, the cards we send, the pressure of making ready for a feast. All these things are good, but it is so easy to lose sight of the Christ-child. We wanted to encourage one another to step aside, and reflect…

Our intention is to use these paper sky lantern as carriers of our hopes, expectations and prayers in this season of waiting, and so make our deliberate preparation for the coming Christmas.

You are invited to write prayers and thoughts on the lantern, and to be part of a MASS SKY LANTERN LAUNCH from the West Bay Dunoon, on Sunday the 13th of December, from 5.00 pm– weather permitting.

(NB We will need fairly calm, dry conditions for the mass launch to take place. If we are not able to launch on the Sunday, then we will go for 5.00 on Monday- then Tuesday and so on.)

The spectacle of a large number of sky lanterns rising over the Clyde together is something that we hope will live in our memories, as a visual reminder of the rising possibility of hope.

And of light flickering in the darkness…

Be careful as you write on the lanterns- they are fragile!

If you are wondering what a sky lantern is, or have never seen them launched, here is a clip. Imagine them rising up as prayers- powerful stuff!


Holy darkness

Posted on by
Reply


Is it darkness that we fear

Or the possibility of

No longer knowing?

This shrinking down

From adult to tiny child

As the tentacles of night

Enfold us

Is like a passage from this place

To another

It is the terror in need

Of a mother

It is the foxhole we share

With each other

But then what is it- this conspiracy of biology?

This delusion we shape

In rods

And cones?

Perhaps the darkness can be holy

Stripped of neon

It glows

And crackles

And beyond the edge of us

Off the rainbow register

There is a seeing

Without seeing

And a knowing

That knows

Nothing

Out in the indigo darkness

You are

And here are we

With hardly a spark

Between us

Shining

Starlit darkness…

Posted on by
2

The stars are out.

And Michaela reminded me of a discussion we had a few years ago about the mystery of God. It stemmed from me quoting Gregory of Nyssa, who apparently said something like this-

The move towards God is a journey into Holy darkness.

It really resonated with me- it spoke of the mystery of God, and the presence that we often feel in open spaces. It also spoke to me of a process of unknowing that I was experiencing at the time- a loosening of absolutes and a discovery of faith that is no longer built from stones, but is made up of reflected flecks of light.

The first collection of writing I put together was called ‘Blue Dark‘ because of old Gregory… and because of a lovely poem by our friend Susan.

At the time of our discussion, some of my friends (and Michaela) did not get it. God is LIGHT not darkness they said. Darkness is about fear and loneliness…

Then Michaela had this encounter with starlight.

And, unusually for her, wrote a lovely poem. I thought it time to reproduce it here, along with some photo’s taken this evening…

Starlit darkness

In the darkness
Is a childhood fear
Safe from one streetlight
To the next
Fear locked away
Till I am again
Out alone
No streetlights to rely on

In the darkness
Is no hope
No mystery
At best nothingness
At worst a nightmare
Waiting to happen

But then you talk
Of the starlit darkness
And I remember for a moment
The fear
The quick steps up our hill
Only to stop halfway
Breath taken by the beauty
Eyes lifted heavenward
Thankful for the big sky
Eyes searching something familiar
But yet awesome

No more fear
Only wonder
At the beauty of the darkness
That brings out the stars.

Michaela Goan
December 2007

 

Advent arrives…

Posted on by
Reply

So, today is the first day of Advent.

It is also Emily’s birthday! (More on that later!)

As part of my journey through Advent, I am going to use a comic-book-calendar version of the nativity, by the wonderful Si Smith (see here for 40, more of his art.)

The calendar is available for download from Proost- here, along with all sorts of other advent materials. Go on- it’s worth it!

Here is number one, to wet the appetite…