Rev. Richard mentioned a therapist named John Welwood who coined the phrase spiritual bypassing. It can be defined as a "tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks."
Our beloved Reverend Joyce has transitioned and now is up to her usual antics of bringing love and joy in the realm of the pure light of love. We will no longer be able to hug her or hear that laughter except in our memories. Yet we are far from bereft because we continue to carry all the gifts, all the wisdom, all the warmth that she poured into our lives.
We are living through an extraordinary period of time. With a pandemic, social unrest, racial injustice, economic uncertainty, political polarization, climate challenges, etc., many of us are feeling overwhelmed. A lot has changed; and we aren’t certain what things will look like on the other side of all of this.
This past spring I had the privilege of coordinating a bus trip to the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, DC. Our inter-generational group felt an overwhelming sense excitement as we arrived and saw buses from all over the country, all there to promote peace and work toward the elimination of gun violence.
It's not often that you realize in the moment it happens that you are sharing time and space with greatness. Very few of us get the honor to witness it, and even fewer get to say thank you for all the wisdom, joy, hope, grace, and love that is shared.
On June 11th, I will be ordained as a Unity Minister. I thought about the creative process and how effective it is when we apply our spiritual powers to stay focused on a vision. There are 3 steps to live life by design rather than by default:
OUR PRAYER CHAPLAINS ARE A HUGE BLESSING TO US ALL!
This week is a major week for our church for it is the week our prayer chaplains rededicate themselves to serving our congregation these next 12 months. We have one returning and two new prayer chaplains and three who are stepping down into chaplain emeritus positions.
The eternal message of Jesus to us is: “Because I live, you will live also… I am the light of the world…You are the light of the world… let your light shine… Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” He spoke of His mission from the Cross, yet Bible translators have misinterpreted His words.
On a Sunday in March of 2015, I experienced a life changing event in one traumatic instant. For days, weeks, and ultimately months, I hovered between here and there - leaning into the peace and wonder beyond, and yet all the while tethered by a delicate thread to this earthly life.
