Simple Promises and the Star of the Sea
God willing, this Sunday May 3, I make my first simple promises as a Lay-Cistercian of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit. This comes at the culmination of two years in the Lay-Cistercian novitiate. These promises are basically for one year, and I will renew them again at least twice before making my lifetime promises.
While generally the big celebrating takes place with the life profession, I must confess to a measure of excitement even as I approach my simple promises. Becoming a novice two years ago was pretty easy: I basically just had to promise to show up once a month. Now the stakes are much higher: in front of the Abbot of the Monastery as well as the entire Lay-Cistercian Community, I’ll be promising to conduct a life of continual conversion in the spirit of contemplative prayer, with the Rule of Benedict as my guide. Even when I make my lifetime promises, the promises themselves will essentially be the same. So this is it — this is when I basically say to God and my community, “I choose the Christian life as expressed through Cistercian spirituality.” It feels like almost as big a deal as being received into the church, which happed just four years ago.
So… it’s a day for celebration. And I just learned this morning that, in the prodigal, lavish grace that flows through the universe, a particularly appropriate way to celebrate will be available for me and my family, this weekend…
When I was a small child, my first real concept of the Blessed Virgin Mary was as the “Star of the Sea,” for I grew up near Fort Monroe, VA, where both the Catholic Church and the Catholic Elementary School are named for Stella Maris. Even as a little boy who had no sense of the Catholic Faith or of devotion to the Blessed Mother, I remember the image of the Star of the Sea had caught my imagination. Upon entering the Catholic faith and becoming involved with Cistercian spirituality, I bumped into Our Lady, Star of the Sea again, this time learning that Bernard of Clairvaux had a particular devotion to Mary under this epithet. So even though I live about 250 miles from the ocean and haven’t been on a boat for probably seven years now, Mary Star of the Sea remains far and away my favorite epithet for the Blessed Mother. I think this has to do not only with how she keeps showing up in my life over and over again, but also my sense that contemplative spirituality is a profound exploration of the “inner ocean” (the “Topographic Oceans,” in the words of the rock band Yes). Mary, the Star of the Sea, is thus a guide for contemplatives as they traverse the inner waters.
Incidentally, for those of you interested in pagan and goddess spirituality: Isis of Egypt was also known as Stella Maris.
I’ve always loved sacred choral music, and am particularly fond of the many arrangements of the 8th-century hymn Ave Maris Stella that composers as varied as Liszt, Grieg, Palestrina, Byrd, and others have written. So… you can imagine my delight when I learned that Atlanta’s wonderful sacred music chorale, Atlanta Schola Cantorum, will be performing settings of Ave Maris Stella at their concert this weekend!
I’ll be at the St. Bart’s show on Sunday evening, celebrating my earliest concept of the Blessed Mother and giving thanks for promises made that very day.
If you’re in Atlanta, I hope to see you there.
Christian Mysticism on Twitter
Okay, folks, tell all your friends… I’ve created a “Twitter Twibe” (yes, I know Noah Webster is rolling over in his grave) for those interested in Christian Mysticism. If you’re using Twitter, please join it…
http://www.twibes.com/group/ChristianMysticism
Thanks.
And you can follow me on Twitter as well: http://twitter.com/earthmystic
Carmelite CDs
Here’s yet another way for you to spend your money: a collection of audio CDs about Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thérèse of Lisieux, and other Carmelite luminaries: Carmel Clarion Communications
Bono: “Lent is upon us…”
That incorrigible Irish rocker Bono has just written a guest Op-Ed column in the New York Times. And he dares to proclaim that “Lent is upon us whether we asked for it or not.”
But wait a minute? Isn’t it Eastertide? Even the Orthodox Churches have celebrated Pascha! Where is Bono coming from, declaring Lent in the middle of April?
Oh, I get it… Bono is one of those pesky Christians who thinks there is no separation between spirituality and the rest of life. And he’s daring to suggest that the economic meltdown is just one big giant Lent — for all of us, whether we want it or not.
He also talks about the death of his father, the fallacy of thinking that the solution to the world’s problems is to export consumerism, and why “Not all soul music comes from the church.”
Take a few minutes and read the entire article: It’s 2009. Do You Know Where Your Soul Is?
Quote for the Day
No spirituality and mysticism worthy of the name Christian can bypass Christ’s humanity for an allegedly higher and purer spirituality.
— Harvey D. Egan, SJ, An Anthology of Christian Mysticism
The Spirituality of Spamalot!
The ever-funny-yet-insightful Becky Garrison has just posted a piece over at the Jesus Manifesto about “the Spirituality of Spamalot.” It would be wonderful even if I weren’t quoted in it — but I am, so that’s the icing on the shrubbery. And I’m not the only person she quotes: Peter Rollins, Troy Bronsink, James Martin SJ, Martha Gaye Reese and others are all asked to pontificate on this question: What does it mean for you to ‘find your grail’ and how does Monty Python aid you in that discovery?
Gee, I’m honored to be included in such a colorful array of Python-lovin’ Christians.
Jesus and the Druids?
It’s always fun to see somebody mention one of my old books online. A blogger named Laura Harrison McBride recently invoked my Complete Idiot’s Guide to Celtic Wisdom in a post about the legend that Jesus studied with the druids in Glastonbury. Check it out here: Did Jesus Study Mysticism in southwest England?
McBride is worth getting to know: she writes about travel to the British Isles, and pays plenty of attention to the sacred and mythic sites of England and Ireland. Check out her work here.
No conviction?
Here on the eve of the sacred Triduum — the three high holy days of Christianity, encompassing Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday culminating in the Great Vigil of Easter — I find myself, as a writer, especially challenged by these words of Peter Rollins, from his forthcoming book The Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales (which you can buy directly from the publisher or from Amazon). Read them for yourself — and ponder how they might apply to your life…
No Conviction
In a world where following Christ is decreed to be a subversive and illegal activity you have been accused of being a believer, arrested, and dragged before a court.
You have been under clandestine surveillance for some time now, and so the prosecution has been able to build up quite a case against you. They begin the trial by offering the judge dozens of photographs that show you attending church meetings, speaking at religious events, and participating in various prayer and worship services. After this, they present a selection of items that have been confiscated from your home: religious books that you own, worship CDs, and other Christian artifacts. Then they step up the pace by displaying your many poems, pieces of prose, and journal entries that you had lovingly written concerning your faith. Finally, in closing, the prosecution offers your Bible to the judge. This is a well-worn book with scribbles, notes, drawings, and underlings throughout, evidence, if it were needed, that you had read and re-read this sacred text many times.
Throughout the case you have been sitting silently in fear and trembling. You know deep in your heart that with the large body of evidence that has been amassed by the prosecution you face the possibility of long imprisonment or even execution. At various times throughout the proceedings you have lost all confidence and been on the verge of standing up and denying Christ. But while this thought has plagued your mind throughout the trial, you resist the temptation and remain focused.
Once the prosecution is finished presenting their case the judge proceeds to ask if you have anything to add, but you remain silent, resolute, terrified that if you open your mouth, even for a moment, you might deny the charges made against you. Like Christ, you remain silent before your accusers. In response you are led outside to wait as the judge ponders your case.
The hours pass slowly as you sit under guard in the foyer waiting to be summoned back. Eventually a young man in uniform appears and leads you into the courtroom so that you may hear the verdict and receive word of your punishment. Once you have been seated in the dock the judge, a harsh and unyielding man, enters the room, stands before you, looks deep into your eyes and begins to speak,
“Of the charges that have been brought forward I find the accused not guilty.”
“Not guilty?” your heart freezes. Then, in a split second, the fear and terror that had moments before threatened to strip your resolve are swallowed up by confusion and rage.
Despite the surroundings, you stand defiantly before the judge and demand that he give an account concerning why you are innocent of the charges in light of the evidence.
“What evidence?” he replies in shock.
“What about the poems and prose that I wrote?” you reply.
“They simply show that you think of yourself as a poet, nothing more.”
“But what about the services I spoke at, the times I wept in church and the long, sleepless nights of prayer?”
“Evidence that you are a good speaker and actor, nothing more.” Replied the judge, “It is obvious that you deluded those around you, and perhaps at times you even deluded yourself, but this foolishness is not enough to convict you in a court of law.”
“But this is madness!” you shout. “It would seem that no evidence would convince you!”
“Not so,” replies the judge as if informing you of a great, long-forgotten secret.
“The court is indifferent towards your Bible reading and church attendance; it has no concern for worship with words and a pen. Continue to develop your theology, and use it to paint pictures of love. We have no interest in such armchair artists who spend their time creating images of a better world. We exist only for those who would lay down their brush, and their life, in a Christlike endeavor to create a better world. So, until you challenge this system and become a thorn in our side, until you die to yourself and offer your body to the flames, until then, my friend, you are no enemy of ours.”
P.S. If you order the book from the publisher’s website by April 15, you’ll save a whopping 40% off the regular list price.
Blessing the Sun
Anyone with an interest in Celtic Christianity, Franciscan wisdom, or any other form of nature-positive spirituality, will no doubt join with me in thinking that this is neat:
Advice for an Aspiring Author
My daughter’s in-home nursing assistant mentioned to me that two friends from her church were writing books, and wondered, since I was published, if I had any words of advice for her friends. I told her I’d jot down a few notes. My .02 worth follows. Do note that I am assuming the author(s) are writing inspirational/spiritual non-fiction. Obviously, this advice might not fully apply to writers in other genres.
Advice for an Aspiring Author
- You need to be able to explain what is the “purpose” or “mission” of the book, in 1 to 2 sentences. This is called the hook.
- Who is the book written for? This is called the audience. Note: Be specific. If you say, “This book is for everyone,” the publishers will reply, “That’s too hard to promote – unless the authors are world famous.” It’s better to narrow down your audience: what age level, for men or for women, for active churchgoers or for those who don’t have faith, etc.
- What work is the author doing right now to reach people in the target audience? In other words, do you have a teaching ministry, a speaking ministry, are you doing workshops at different churches that are aimed at your audience? Do you have a website, or radio show, or TV show that reaches out to the audience? The more active the author is at reaching out to members of the target audience, the more appealing the book will be to a potential publisher. The publisher wants to know that you, the author, are actively doing everything you can to promote your message – even before the book gets published. In other words, what is more important: the book, or the message? You’ll be more attractive to a potential publisher is you are mainly focused on your message.
- What credentials does the author have? Do you have a college degree in the subject area? Have you been involved in a ministry related to your topic? For example, if you’re writing a book on why Christians should be taking care of homeless people, you should probably already be doing this yourself – for example, you might be in charge of your church’s food pantry. Publishers will want to know why you, rather than someone else, are the right person to author this book. Note: If you don’t have strong credentials, one strategy is to find someone who does, and co-author the book with him or her.
- What sets your book apart? To answer this question, you need to be familiar with other books that have already been published that discuss a topic similar to yours. Why is yours different, and why is it better? Don’t be shy! Remember, publishing is a business, and the publishers will not take on your book unless they are convinced that it is a “superior” product. It’s up to you to explain to them why it is the best book on the topic.
- Once you’ve answered these questions, but before you begin to shop your book idea around to a potential editor or agent, you need to develop a Proposal for the Book. It’s just like a Grant Proposal: it’s a document that will introduce your book to a potential editor/publisher, which will explain why it makes good business sense to publish the book. If the thought of writing this intimidates you — in other words, if you cannot put into words good, persuasive arguments why your book will be profitable for a publisher — then you have some work to do. The best book I’ve found for guiding you through this process is Write the Perfect Book Proposal by Jeff and Deborah Herman. Deborah is also the author of a lovely book on the entire process of spiritual writing, called Spiritual Writing: From Inspiration to Publication (she quotes me in it, so I’m partial to it!). Both of these books are well worth your money and time.
Best of luck, and God bless you!
Some neat stuff I discovered online today…
- A blogger called The Church Mouse has created a Twitter Stream of tweets all from clergy and bishops of the Church of England, called (wait for it) the Twurch of England. With over 30 bishops and priests participating (and I’m sure the number will grow), it’s an interesting glimpse into the collective mind of the C. of E. (Somebody needs to do this for Catholic clergy, and it ain’t me).
The Twurch of England Twitter stream is a sidebar on the main blog which incidentally also includes a blogroll of all sorts of interesting Anglican blogs. Feast on it all at The Church Mouse. - Speaking of the Anglican world, I’ve run across a wonderful interview from last year with the American Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson, who for better or worse is known as “the gay bishop” by the world at large. The interview addresses the question of his homosexuality and his ministry, but of course goes beyond that to reveal the human side of the man. I think everyone (even progressives) ought to read this interview to remember that people at the heart of intense controversies are just human beings like the rest of us, trying to do the best they can where God has planted them, and are always so much more than “the issue” that defines them, for better or worse, in the public eye: The Third Way Interview with Gene Robinson.
- And speaking of Twitter, I’m now following Westminster Catheral via Twitter! You can too, at #wabbey.
Okay, that’s all for now. Happy surfing…
Quote for the Day
Then what prevents you from seeing and hearing Him? Truly, there is so great a din in your heart, and so much loud shouting from your empty thoughts and fleshly desires that you can neither see nor hear Him. Therefore, silence this restless din, and break your love of sin and vanity. Bring into your heart a love of virtues and complete charity, and then you shall hear your Lord speak to you.
— Walter Hilton, The Stairway of Perfection
Quote for the Day
The Holy Ghost never urges a thing against charity, and if he did, he would be contrary to his own self, for he is all charity.
— Julian of Norwich, providing spiritual direction to Margery Kempe,
as recounted in The Book of Margery Kempe
Quote for the Day
If you ask me
‘How did Jesus raise the dead?’
I will kiss you on the lips,
and say ‘like this’.
— Rumi
(I nicked this from Gareth Higgins’ Blog, God is Not Elsewhere)
Ash Wednesday in the Street
Sara Miles is one of the most amazing voices in the church today. Read about what she was up to on Ash Wednesday — breaking down the barriers between liturgy and “real” life. It’s pretty inspiring…
