October 20, 2023 – A

Around Price Lake 14 06/19/2014 — Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
If we were to build a church without theology
(And why don't we?),
we could do it basted upon personal experience.

The ground/foundation would be
the right kind of emptiness, stillness, silence.

The touchstone components
for maintaining/deepening our attachment
to the core/center/source of life and being
would be 
integrity/sincerity,
spontaneity,
balance/harmony,
spirit,
energy,
vitality...
As each of us understand these terms to be
in our own life.

We would gather to explore our original nature
and the virtues/specialties/characteristics
that come with us from the womb--
and how we are exhibiting/expressing/serving these
qualities 
in the here and now experiences of our life.

In so doing,
we would be balancing/harmonizing ourselves,
in our work to experience, 
engage,
explore
ways of better being ourselves 
in our daily engagements with our life.

The thrust would be how to better who we are
for the good of each situation as it arises,
and not how to have our way
and get what we want
as much, and as often, as possible
before we die.

The process would be more on the order
of a 12-Step group
that that of a religious service.

It would center on hearing what we have to say
rather being told something
someone thinks we need to hear.

We all could start a small group of this type,
with 3, 5, or 7 people,
and learn with experience what size is the optimal size
for everyone to be able to say
what they need to hear
in the time allotted for saying what needs to be said.

Additional accompaniments,
singing bowls, 
chants,
music,
readings,
silence,
etc.
could be experimented with
and worked out over time.  

No one is going to come along
and hand something like this 
out to us.
It will become a reality,
only by us doing it ourselves.

Namaste

–0–

Published by jimwdollar

I'm retired, and still finding my way--but now, I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm doing. I retired after 40.5 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, serving churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. I graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Austin, Texas, and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My wife, Judy, and I have three daughters, five granddaughters, one great granddaughter, and a great grandson on the way, within about ten minutes from where we live--and are enjoying our retirement as much as we have ever enjoyed anything.

3 thoughts on “October 20, 2023 – A

  1. I love this column! I have experienced the feeling of love, connection and compassion when I’ve been in a study group.

    Here is a book used in study circles, also using a talking stick, inspired by them Indian concept “Sitting in Council:”

    Calling the Circle: The First and Future Culture Paperback – March 2, 1998
    by Christina Baldwin (Author)

    I haven’t read this book that explores those ideas further after experiencing circle gatherings:

    The Circle Way: A Leader in Every Chair Illustrated Edition, Kindle Edition
    by Christina Baldwin (Author), Ann Linnea (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

    An interesting paper on the art of listening using a talking stick, derived from the Indian tribal practice of Sitting in Council: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1041&context=communication_fac_pubs

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  2. HI Sandy, Thanks for the resource connections! I look forward to exploring what they have to offer. This relates to another area of interest that I need to explore: Native American Spirituality: Its Writings and Practices. If you have any links that might elaborate on that, please pass them along!

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