I have been experiencing God’s presence like the sun lately- a warm, relaxing, encouraging, peaceful presence deep in my soul. I’ve had a lot of changes in my life and heartaches over the last year (a lot of “rain”). But I find that no matter how cloudy it is on the inside, I can always return to God’s presence and find the peace and comfort and hope I need. When I feel like the storm will last forever, He is there reminding me of the internal sunshine and warmth He brings. His love and presence is like a bright, shining light radiating out of my heart and reminding me of all the joys and blessings in my life.

As the fall approaches, I am thinking about how my routine will settle down a bit. I’m returning to school and starting to think through the activities I will participate in each week and how I’ll schedule my time. For those of you in Sonoma County, as you are planning your fall schedules, check out the Journey Center website. It has been recently updated with all the events for this Fall. Make plans now to take advantage of all those gatherings and events that allow you to slow down and return your focus to the presence of the Holy within you. Wish I could join you!

The first is by R.S. Thomas, a Welsh Anglican priest who lived from 1913-2000. He was an amazing nature mystic-

The Moor
It was like a church to me.
I entered it on soft foot,
Breath held like a cap in the hand.
It was quiet.
What God was there made himself felt,
Not listened to, in clean colours,
That brought a moistening of the eye,
In movement of the wind over grass.

There were no prayers said. But stillness
Of the heart’s passions-that was praise
Enough; and the mind’s cessation
Of its kingdom. I walked on,
Simple and poor, while the air crumbled
And broke on me generously as bread.

This next one is by Carrol Houselander, who died in the 1950’s. It’s my personal favorite “emptying poem’.

Reeds of God

We are emptiness like the hollow in the reed,
the narrow riftless emptiness
which can have only one destiny:
to receive the piper’s breath and
to utter the song that is in the piper’s heart.

We are emptiness like the hollow in the cup,
shaped to receive water.
We are emptiness like that of a bird’s est.

The reed grows by the stream.
It is the simplest of things, but
it must be cut by a sharp knife,
hollowed out, stops put in it.
It must be shaped and pierced before
it can utter the shepherd’s song.
it is the narrowest emptiness in the world,
but the little reed utters God’s infinite music.

We are lifted up and carved out,
formed and shaped and filled with
all the music of the earth.

(I’m not going to comment on these poems–so you, if you want, can just be with your own experience without my interpretations interfering with your own response–but I will just say–WOW! WOW!:>)

Finally, a poem by contemporary poet, Episcopalian , Mary Oliver. She is usually in the nature section of mystical poetry, but Dan and I used this in the silence portion to lead people into a silent prayer time– you’ll hear why-

Praying

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together, and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

This month I am carrying a poetry journal with me– I am writing poems in response to whatever catches my attention– so far my dog, Molly, sneezing;my husband fast asleep in his chair when I got home late one night;a lady who loves Christ but can’t relate to Jesus; the 50th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird; pomegranate salad dressing; and that poor fig tree Jesus blasted– all of which brought me just a bit more deeply, and more humbly and with more of my body, and heart, and crazy over-active mind, into what in Christianity we call ‘the sacrament of the present moment’.
That to me is the gift of poetry– if I can enter so fully into another’s experience–and most especially if that experience is of God–than my own capacity of being more fully present is encouraged,expanded. I think the Holy Spirit inspires these poems–and speaks to us through them– as if the poets were the hollowed out reeds and the poems the Shepherd’s breath– that gives life.

I hope you enjoy these -

Ruah

There were many things about this experience that refreshed and inspired both of us. About the third day we were there, I began to realize that part of the delight for me was that there were so many parallels to what we’ve been called to be and to do at the Journey Center. It was as if I was experiencing the gifts that we offer to so many others here on 4^th street in Santa Rosa, CA!

The first thing that struck us was how everyone we encountered was so friendly and welcoming. Lopez is known as the Friendly Island because everywhere you go, people wave at you! Whether you are driving in your car, or hiking on a trail, or walking down the road…you can count on seeing that hand go up as you pass by. (It didn’t take long for us to also be among the “wavers”!) And what did that wave mean? The message was “I see you and I welcome you. You belong here!” It didn’t matter if you were a full-timer, weekender, or visitor. All are welcome on Lopez, and all have a place in the community. How like the Journey Center vision this is! Whoever you are, and wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome here…we love to hear your story and are privileged to know you!

Another part of the adventure for us was being able to eat food that was grown or raised right there on the Island. Local, sustainable, organic. Almost everything we needed was provided by local farmers, and we took great joy in shopping at the farmer’s market, visiting farmstands, and preparing our meals with what we found there. This reminds me of the important truth that all you need for your spiritual journey is within you and around you. God is present and all is provided here and now. You don’t have to travel afar or depend on someone or something far away. At the Journey Center, it is our joy to offer resources for your journey and safe spaces for you to drink of the Living Water and feast on the Bread of Life!

During our time on Lopez Island, we were captured by the beauty that was everywhere. We had the time to notice what was around us….ocean, clouds, eagles, otters, whales, other islands in the distance, the rolling farmlands, and the sheep and cows in the pastures. At the Journey Center, we are called to offer a place where you can step out of the busyness and take the time to notice the beauty that is all around you- attending to the beautiful presence of the Divine, noticing the movement of the Spirit within, seeing that Love shine through the eyes of those you gather with.

Finally, we discovered what people mean when they talk about being “on island time.” Rather than being driven by the demands of our schedules and commitments, there is something about stepping out of the rat race for periods of time to take deep breaths, relax, and just BE. We got up when we were done sleeping. We ate when we were hungry. We stayed up until we were sleepy. And as we listened to the silence, our spirits grew quieter and a sense of peace deepened in us. We invite you to think of the Journey Center as an “oasis”, perhaps an island where it is OK to stop and breathe. Many of the resources and gatherings we offer are designed to give you the opportunity to just BE.

This trip was special because it was important for us to celebrate this milestone in our marriage. But trips like this are not usually possible…either the time or the funds are often not available. However, I believe that the invitation to all of us is to find practices and places in our daily lives that make it possible for us to experience hospitality, a connection to our inner life and the spiritual resources that are available to us, an awareness of the beauty that is near, and opportunities to stop and breathe and relax and BE.

It is our prayer that the Journey Center might be ones of those places for you…

• A VERY wonderful fundraising concert…the first in a series of concerts that we will host at the Journey Center. We are so grateful for the amazing gifts that Alfredo and Mark brought to us. We look forward to the concerts to come!
• Visits from people around the country who are exploring the possibility of starting a center like the Journey Center.
• The 12 interns in our training program (in spiritual direction and contemplative retreat leadership)…what a blessing to watch how the Spirit is forming them and working through them to be a blessing to those who are coming to them for spiritual direction.
• We continue to rejoice at the many people who are discovering the Journey Center…online, at the Market, through friends, and just walking by!
• In the nine weeks our team has been at the Santa Rosa Downtown Market, we have already had the opportunity to pray for at least 240 individuals, couples or families! And also have enjoyed meeting countless others and passing out free cups of water!

From Lisa: I was very excited for the opportunity to go and visit the Journey Center last week (I live in WA). I had the privilege of attending my first Art Opening Reception. I couldn’t miss this one, as my friend Allison Tungseth was the artist displaying her one-of-a-kind, beautiful photography. Looking at her pictures made me want to escape to the “quiet pockets of nature” that I often overlook in my own city (and also visit the places she photographed). Her art will be on display through August at the Journey Center. Learn more: http://www.journeycenter.org/hapArt.php.

Every summer
I listen and look 
under the sun’s brass and even
into the moonlight, but I can’t hear

anything, I can’t see anything – 
not the pale roots digging down, nor the green stalks muscling up,
nor the leaves
deepening their damp pleats,

nor the tassels making,
nor the shucks, nor the cobs.
And still,
every day,

the leafy fields
grow taller and thicker – 
green gowns lofting up in the night,
showered with silk.

And so, every summer,
I fail as a witness, seeing nothing – 
I am deaf too
to the tick of the leaves,

the tapping of downwardness from the banyan feet – 
all of it happening
beyond any seeable proof, or hearable hum.

And, therefore, let the immeasurable come.

Let the unknowable touch the buckle of my spine.
Let the wind turn in the trees,
and the mystery hidden in the dirt

swing through the air.
How could I look at anything in this world
and tremble, and grip my hands over my heart?
What should I fear?

One morning
in the leafy green ocean
the honeycomb of the corn’s beautiful body
is sure to be there.

This past week I ate two ears of pure summer: golden corn-on-the-cob complete with melted butter and a touch of salt.  It was sooo good as everything is when in season.  The poet Mary Oliver is a midwesterner as am I.  We both love to walk and in walking, are immersed in the natural world and feel very comfortable there.  One might say we both possess the same indefatigable interest in all things created.  

Poetry can speak to our hearts in a way that normative speech cannot.  Prose is poignant and powerful and can aid the listener in experiencing a topic with a new perspective.  Dan Beach and Ruah Bull are Journey Center staff members with a fondness for poetry and their workshop is coming up on August 6 as part of the Meeting the Mystics series. For more information, see our website: http://www.journeycenter.org/hapMystics.php.

References found on food:

• Ezekial 4:9: “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself…” In this passage, God was directing a prophet to eat only this for 390 days. These ingredients are staples in any health food diet. Guess he needed optimal nutrition for 390 days!
• Genesis 1:29: “Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” This passage comes right after God created the first humans – Adam and Eve. Interesting that they were vegetarians at first – only ate fruits and vegetables.

Reference found in health food books:

• Daniel 1: This is a story about ancient Hebrew people that were taken captive by another kingdom and were going to be trained for the king’s service. They were given “choice” food to eat (probably lots of fatty meats) and wine to drink. Instead, some of the Hebrews asked to be fed only vegetables and water. “At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” (Daniel 1:15). Guess vegetables are good for you.
• 2 Samuel 17:28-29: “…They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk…” Mmmm, I like honey. One website said “curds” may refer to yogurt. I’ve been eating a lot of that too.

What about meat?

• I don’t think there are any references to when people started eating meat, but it was sometime after Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden. There are lists in the Bible of what meats are okay to eat and which ones are “unclean”. I’m not a Bible scholar, nutritionist or historian, but I’m guessing the unclean ones were really not healthy.

Anyway, I could go on and on. I’ve even discovered websites that had “Bible diets” based on references to scriptures. But whether you take the Bible literally or as a nice set of myths, these passages give us insight into what ancient people ate (before all the processed foods came along). What I’ve learned from all this is that it’s probably best to eat things that look the same way on your plate as they did when coming from the earth. And perhaps there is an intelligent creator who had all the advanced nutritional knowledge that’s taken us centuries of science to uncover and knew what to recommend to people to eat! 

This has also left me amazed at how interconnected with the earth we are – dependent on it, caretakers of it, formed from it, going back to it… We are not isolated individuals floating through space, but intricately connected with all life and matter around us. And how amazing that our Creator continues to provide all we need for life to continue to flourish.

There is an event coming up at the Journey Center next week I wish I could attend – a Summer Solstice Gathering. This should be a great way to celebrate one of our most precious gifts and sources of health and life – the sun!

The Journey Center Art Gallery is currently featuring paintings by Naomi Murakami in a show titled “Smell of Color”. Naomi Murakami is a Tokyo native artist who says “As a Pseudo-realist, the major themes of my art are intimacy, my personal experiences, and the memories that have built-up who I am.” Stop by and see the art anytime the Journey Center is open (M-F, 9-5).

 Apprentice Program and Art Demonstration: Gary Holland, a wonderful artist from Boise, Idaho, will be doing an Apprentice program here in Santa Rosa on a monthly basis and has contacted us about holding his classes at the Center. This coming week, he and his students will be with us for four days, all day, painting and learning his techniques. We are excited to be further implementing our vision for supporting the arts in this way! Also, on June 23, Gary will be doing an art demonstration (open to all). Read more about it on our website http://www.journeycenter.org/hapArt.php. Gary travels around the world painting portraits of children in places like Haiti, China, etc. To visit his website and learn more about his ministry, go to www.hollandgallery.com.

Writing about the image, wondering about what it was–I suddenly realized that this was the Bible! I can hear Spirit laughter– ok, I asked for this. Now what? I don’t know– but maybe I will actually pick up one of those Bibles.
Say a prayer,ok?

Training program for spiritual directors: Today is the halfway point for the 12 men and women who are currently being trained in our program and they are now having people come to them for spiritual direction. Next week we begin accepting applications for the next group that will begin the training in June 2011!

Santa Rosa Downtown Market: Starting May 26! This is our fifth year taking the Journey Center booth to the Market, offering drinks of water and healing prayer to the thousands of people who are there every Wednesday evening. Stop by and see us!

All Are Welcome: More and more, as I read the paper, it is evident that our country and our world are becoming increasingly polarized…with people taking sides on every kind of issue imaginable and “hating” those who don’t agree with them. So…more and more we celebrate that the Journey Center is a place where all are welcome, where people who normally wouldn’t associate with each other are able to come together because we have something more important in common- a shared thirst to know and experience the presence of God and the transforming power of the Spirit. What a blessing it is to sit in a group whose members are Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, gay, straight, Democrats, Republicans, vegetarians, vegans, omnivores, rich and poor, young and old…and to realize that we are all human beings loved by God.