Going Home

One thing I ask of the Lord,
that I will seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple. psalm 27 v.4 NRSV

I heard a story this morning.(I'm leaving out quotes)
Jesus asked Peter to follow him, and peter said, where? I'm not telling you, just follow me. Peter asked, why won't you tell me. If I tell you you might not go.
and peter asked what will we do there, and Jesus said follow me. Peter said, why won't you tell me what we will do there? and Jesus said, you might not want to do it.
and Jesus said, follow me, and Peter said, who will be there, will my friends be there? and Jesus said, maybe not.
so Peter said, you want me to follow you where I maybe don't want to go and do things i might not want to do with people I might not like? what should I bring?
and Jesus said, Bring yourself, follow me.

This church is very welcoming to me. In kindly voices they ask me to meet with them about becoming a member. I say let's just meet, and they smile.

I belong to the church I can walk to. The church ,that the only thing I need to bring ,is myself.
The church of what's happening now. The church of the living Christ and present moment. The church of the moment.

Thank you God for being present in my life, for the homeward invitation and all who walk along with me and the gift of silence to reflect in all this goodness.

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church
I keep it, staying at Home
With a Bobolink for a Chorister
And an Orchard, for a Dome

Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice
I just wear my Wings
And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church,
Our little Sexton sings.

God preaches, a noted Clergyman
And the sermon is never long,
So instead of getting to Heaven, at last
I'm going, all along.

Emily Dickinson

Pathetic, huh?

This from Rosemary Ellis, Editor in Chief of Good Housekeeping Magazine
" I spent a recent Saturday at a very improbable place: a womens's retreat. It went from 9:00am to 2:00pm- a huge chunk of the only day in the week that is unscheduled for me, I didn't really want to go;and I didn't have the time..........So I went and ironically the topic of the retreat was time- .......
And I discovered something that morning that was not on the agenda, and is a little embarrassing: It was all but impossible for me to just sit still and listen- not take notes, not check my blackberry, not multitask in any was. I realized that the only other time when I am absolutely still is...when my head hits the pillow at night. Pathetic, huh?" (April 2010, Good Housekeeping)
Couldn't have said it better myself. Sign this woman up for a weekend at Still Waters Refuge.
Please leave a comment

Laugh and the world laughs with you

"Silence is golden and it is rarely misquoted", Bob Morehouse

"I'm at a loss for words, thank goodness", Barbarajene Williams

Have something funny to share about silence? Leave a comment.

Where can I go?

I attended Friends meetings on and off most of my life. I never saw myself as a joiner. As I married and raised a family I wanted a sense of belonging for myself and my family and asked for Clearness at my local Meeting. I was clear that for me , membership must be an enlargement of who I am rather than a negation. Joining the Meeting would enfold my identity as a woman, catholic, Buddhist, jew, tree lover , magic maker, rather than name me as a Quaker.
I'm feeling the call for retreat and refuge. Where can I go? I've spent time at many retreat centers that welcome me as only one part of myself. Where can I go and be me, fully being, and supported by others and place in refuge, rest, renewal and prayer.

A dear friend may be near to death. We rarely spoke of religion or spirituality. I would call her a religious refuge. In this time of great need of comfort, where does she go? Where does her family go?

A good friend is seeking a place of refuge and retreat. She seeks a place that will nurture and guide her unique spirit, a place to listen to the One that can speak to her condition. Where can she go?

For me, right now, the answer is to put one foot in front of the other, walking meditation, and to be faithful to this journey I am on. I pray constantly for physical reality of the leading to Still Waters Refuge.
My personal desire is to find an existing place willing and open to enfolding me so that our beings will enhance each other. Members one of another, in God's holy room.
Please leave a comment if you know this place.
Please pray with me for Still Waters Refuge to come into being.
Blessings on this prayer and this place.

Firstday Message

This morning I hope I was able to share the clear message I received and chose to share silently without verbal words.
Quakerism attracted me in the 60's with its support of political and social outward activism.
May 4, 1970 ended this period of my life(another post) and I began to read George Fox's and Woolman's journals.
Listening, waiting, being in the life and the Light to take away even the occasion of war, was what I needed to hear. In my own head, my own listening to the prophetic stream.
Outwardly I was in a fearful place and thankfully that fear led me into my own mind to find quiet, clearness and refuge there.
What I began to see then and know more fully each day is that I must live my life each moment, being peace and love, regardless of apparent outward cost. The Spirit is my constant companion and the closer I can stay to her the easier it is to be in her body, Light and Way and Life.
It matters little what horrors, hate and warring is going on in the world as I ,holding on to Christ's robe, am in it (the Woolman part) and yet not of it.
There are times when what we know to be the Truth calls us to travel and speak and we must be as faithful to this call as the call to listen and wait.
There is still more stripping /falling away of outward cumbers , to come , for me.
I'm ready and willing and lighter each day, as I pray and pray and pray.
Words fail to express the joy of even knowing that I can listen and know purely through Grace.
My Lenten prayer is to be the Light and Love , in visible human form , Jesus and others call us to be and to hold out my hand and robe to any seeking the path of Truth and Light.
Resurrection is ours for the asking. Thank You God.
Present Moment, Beautiful Moment.
Each moment given to us as a gift.
Pass it on.

day of silent refuge

I shared a day of silent refuge today with women in Montreat. We created simple journals, set our intentions for the day and enjoyed sitting and walking prayer and meditation.
It was shear joy to take refuge in God, the Word and this faith community.
The beauty of the day and our mountains was a big plus.
Special thank you to Clair, for the invitation, the welcome and the delicious lunch.
May the merit and all the good work of this day be of benefit to all beings.

There is a feast, with finest grain
Where poor and lowly at table reign
Where love is shared, the meal begun
The call is given, yet few children come

The invitation is now made known
All through the land to all God's own
Come share this banquet and be made free
And dance together, one family.
(Colleen Fulmer)

Right speech

After living in almost total silence for two weeks I began to hear my unspoken thoughts. I was shocked and sometimes horrified at what I was about to speak out loud. Over and over for several days, I said to myself,"you were going to say that!" and thankfully I didn't.
Coming back into the world I try to practice right speech.
I want what I say to be kind, truthful and necessary and if it is not all three I want to be peaceful with silence.
God is not calling us to say everything there is to say about every subject.
Living in the Light illuminates equally what you wish to see and say and what you don't.
As you become skillful at discerning and following the way of the Spirit, it can become challenging to watch others make serious mistakes, harmful to themselves and others; watch them and be ok with it.Speaking aloud only when you can do so with compassion, honesty and fully knowing that they are ready to hear what you have to say.
Fortunately, by the time I have gone through the mental check to see if what I have to say is rightly ordered, usually the time and need to speak has passed.
'Nuff said. Please leave a comment.