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Meditative Hiking

Saranell — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:38:02 +0000

“As our physical bodies move through space, our minds move too. And as our minds move, God can enter into our beings because movement creates space and new possibilities.” Daniel Wolpert, Celebrating a Life with God

Discovery and surprise are what the hikes have been for me. Discovering places of beauty and quiet within the city has been a big surprise. I have been surprised by how refreshed I have been by having a morning out in the woods. Practicing awareness of my surroundings is always full of surprises- sights, sounds, and colors. The first hike I did with my 3 yr old son- we worked on saying the breath prayer ‘Peace be still’ (but he thought I was saying ‘please be still’). So our breath prayer became ‘Peace’. Walking with him at his pace was my discipline. We discovered so many things big and little. Our friends’ son who was hiking with us- made us all laugh for his total glee over each bug he noticed. When you hike at the pace of a 3 yr old you realize all you can miss.

Although contemplative concentration doesn’t come naturally to me I am slowly learning. I consider every minute that I can quiet my mind a victory. One of the biggest challenges is the constant thoughts, distractions that divert my attention from being aware of my surroundings to my list of ‘to do’s’, etc. The meditative guide suggests a breath prayer for different sections of the hike. Breath prayer is the simple style of prayer incorporating your breath and a short phase. For example- breathe in ‘peace be still’, breath out ‘peace be still’. The rhythm of breathing and praying as you hike calms and focuses. Distractions still come, but I find that breath prayers are very easy to return to- so instead of struggling to concentrate I let the distractions come and go. Those who practice meditation and contemplation attest to the fact that there is much to be gained through the discipline of quieting our minds. They also say and I hope they are right, that bypassing the distractions is hard but it will get easier. The combination of hiking and contemplating have helped me quiet my mind, get out of my self and receive the gift of life.

Breath prayers are becoming a part of my daily life- running, washing dishes, playing with my children or when I am awake at night.

Some breath prayers I use:

“Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” (The Jesus Prayer- more about that later)

“I belong to you”

Meditative guides for Windsor Mill Conservation Trail & Gywnn Falls Trail , Cromwell Vally Park hike are available. The guides include prayers, quotes and hiking instructions. Print them out and try your hand at some contemplative concentration.

I’m looking forward to our next meditative hike: August 10th, 5pm Location TBD

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Meditative Hike–Sun. 6/29

Tim — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:44:25 +0000

Meditative Hike–Listen to your Life
Come join with others as we hike in Gwynns Falls Park on the morning of Sunday June 29th. We will take a break from the city to reflect and ponder the goodness of God in creation. Scientific research has proven that being in nature reduces stress. We will hike but also suggest some awareness activities to help us use our eyes, ears, noses, hands, and feet, to soak in the beauty so that we may be renewed and refreshed. Everyone is welcome, including families.

We’ll meet at 9am. Here’s a map.

“Listen to your life.
See it for the fathomless mystery that it is.
In the boredom and the pain of it no less than the excitement and gladness:
touch, taste, smell
your way to the holy and hidden heart of it
because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”
Frederick Buechner

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MDGs

Sean B — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:58:40 +0000

Throughout the past year I’ve grown skeptical of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Honorably, the MDGs highlight the tremendous need throughout the globe by addressing poverty, education, health, gender equality, and environmental sustainability. While the grandeur and compassion expressed in these goals is moving, multilaterals, bilaterals, nongovernmental organizations, contracting agencies, faith based organizations, and even private foundations have managed to turn the MDGs into a multi-billion dollar industry which all too often emphasizes “field trips” or the need for business class travel rather than investing in the development of rigid monitoring and evaluation techniques designed to measure and demonstrate legitimate programmatic impact. Too many of these organizations continue to receive significant funding regardless of their limited ability to demonstrate results. This past Sunday however, my skepticism was challenged as we considered the MDGs during our “Dinner and Conversation.”

Eight stations representing the eight MDGs were set up around Patterson Park and the group spent time in prayer and meditation as we moved through each location. The goals were represented in a variety of ways and one can imagine how strange the group appeared to onlookers as we smashed a rock with a hammer, dug in a sandbox, and played with play-doh (add in the blaring Latin music playing in the background from a nearby festival and we must have looked downright odd- at least more odd than normal). Despite the strong winds carrying an imminent rainstorm, onlookers walking dogs the size of small horses, and the raucous music, I was moved by the experience. One station in particular reminded me of one of my own “field trips” to Africa. Representing the seventh MDG of ensuring environmental sustainability which includes the target of reducing by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water, the station consisted of a long chain of small rocks leading to a water source, each pebble symbolizing increased distance to an individual’s access to water. The station instructed participants to remove one rock and I was shocked at what I recognized when I did so- the chain was shorter. There were probably thirty little rocks in the chain leading to the water source and only ten of us, but little by little the distance to clean water decreased. As I held the removed pebble in my hand I was taken back to the Aïr Mountains north of Zinder, Niger.

The jagged red peaks beaten by the desert winds serve as the gateway from the Sahel to the Sahara- they are beautiful, mysterious, and intimidating all at once. In between our vehicle and the looming Aïr Mountains are sparsely populated communities, at least 80 miles from the nearest “town.” The SUV stops near a borehole crowded with Nigerien women from nearby huts dressed in colors so bright that they drown out the blazing African sun. As one might imagine, water is incredibly sparse in the Sahel and before the implementation of the well, women would walk for miles each day to fetch whatever water they could find. As I held the small rock in my hand on Sunday, I thought of that well. It was by no means an end to all of the suffering experienced in those communities; it had indeed caused significant disputes between the local population and the nongovernmental organization I worked for. It was also a temporary solution; the water would run out leaving the need unmet once more. However, on that particular day the well removed a barrier faced by the community. The well had been and continues to promote health and education; it was and is a start, just like the small grey rock that I held in my hand…

Am I still skeptical of the MDGs and humanitarian aid in general? Absolutely. I am convinced that we can and must do better to serve the underserved throughout the world. I believe that parts of the humanitarian industry have neglected humanity, are broken, selfish, and in need of serious correction and realignment. However, I am also confident that one small pebble at a time, we get closer to a world we hope for.

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‘Heaven’ at Theology on Tap, 6/26

Tim — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:36:11 +0000

This week we are going to follow the lead of Stephen Colbert (dangerous perhaps, but likely humorous). On Thursday’s The Colbert Report, the guest was N.T. Wright talking about his book Surprised by Hope (which Colbert claims may be Hillary Clinton’s next book title). Wright is an Anglican Bishop in England and is writing about Heaven. He and Colbert have an interesting conversation about what heaven is like and its significance. You can watch their conversation here or below.

We too will talk about ‘Heaven’ on Thursday night–does Heaven exist? is Heaven an actual place? are there entrance requirements? would be really want to go to Heaven? what would heaven be like we when got there? and your questions too.

We are gathering at the Chesapeake Wine Co. from 8-10pm

Feel free to post a comment below as well.

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Blessed are the Poor?

Tory Evans — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:49:55 +0000

It’s taken me several days to find the time to sit down and write this. In fact, I wouldn’t even say I’ve “found” the time – I’ve created it, but neglecting other things I should be doing. As I write this, I have

A pile of dirty dishes in the sink
Dirty laundry that needs cleaning
Clean laundry that needs putting away
Dozens of boxes that still haven’t been unpacked
And organizational nightmare that has resulted in those boxes not being unpacked – I just can’t figure out where to put all our stuff in our new house
A broken computer – to fix it requires finding some paperwork in all my mess and making a phone call
No idea what my financial situation is, since my checkbook is on my broken computer.

The subject at hand is Jesus’ statement “Blessed are the poor.” We spent some time on Sunday night discussing what this might mean, but today – sitting in midst of my mess – it feels crystal clear. The poor certainly don’t have to deal with any of those things on my list! We know that too much “stuff” gets in the way of our spiritual life, and we’ve had many long conversations about what to do about it. I mentioned on Sunday that the poor are blessed because they don’t have to have those conversations. Their lives are challenging in many other ways, and it’s important to remember that and not romanticize their struggles. From a following-Jesus perspective, though, things are quite simple. They simply need to love, share with, and care for those around them - things that are common in poorer communities anyway (as Rachel had witnessed in needy communities in areas as diverse as East Baltimore and East Africa.) They don’t have to search their souls to figure out just how much of their wealth to share, or how best to love each other, because they have barely anything to begin with. We see throughout the gospels that when Jesus encounters the poor, his response is to simply be with them. But for those who have much, much more is required. “Sell all your things and give the money to the poor” he says. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for you to enter my kingdom,” he reminds us. We have to do lots of hard thinking about how to use the various blessings that we have. On Sunday we proceeded to talk late into the night about how we could develop and use our expertise in fields as diverse as theology, law, health, and economics to live in the way of Jesus. But to the poor, Jesus freely gives what is already theirs - “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

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World Vision AIDS experience

Tim — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:56:32 +0000

On Sunday night, a number of us participated in the World Vision AIDS experience—a traveling exhibit/experience which educates and motivates about HIV/AIDS. The experience was very well done. Each participant listened to a real-life story in such a way that was informative with the appropriate amount of emotion to emphasize the points. As I entered I was handed a small iPod shuffle with the story of Olivia on it. As I walked through Olivia’s story I learned how she was raped and impregnated at 17, had a son, and then was visited by the same man a few years later who raped her again, and this time conceived a daughter. The moment of truth came when I (as Olivia) sat in the Health clinic and waited for the result of my blood test. I received a red stamp with a plus (+) sign on it. I had AIDS. It seems that I got it from the second rape and passed it on to my daughter. My son’s test was negative—though he will likely outlive both his mother and his sister.

Other participants listened to the story of a 7 year old orphan raising her newborn cousin whose mother died in childbirth or of a young boy who was forcibly conscripted as a child soldier by the LRA rebels in northern Uganda.

These stories reminded us of the real world hardships and struggles faced by many around the world and of the good work being done by World Vision and other NGOs to help care for those affected by atrocities. The injustice faced in these three stories: local violence, growing up without parents, & systematic abduction, were all complicated by a lack of access to health care and general deprivation of food. My hope is that each us can continue to look for ways to combat injustice overseas and closer to home.

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What is poverty?

Saranell — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:36:13 +0000

Shane Claibourne in his book Irresistible Revolution writes, “When we talk of materialism and simplicity, we must always begin with love for God and neighbor, otherwise we’re operating out of little more than legalistic, guilt-ridden self-righteousness. Our simplicity is not an ascetic denunciation of material things to attain personal piety, for if we sell all that we have and give to the poor, but have not love, it is meaningless.” 162

Sunday, May 18 we considered the question, “What is poverty?” We watched a video produced by www.theworkofthepeople.com where you can watch, the video “What is poverty?.” Consider the question: If you lost everything- house, family and savings, how long would it take you to find food, shelter and work?
In short the video defines poverty as not having friends. Friends care for one another- a friend would feed you, give you a place to stay and help you get back on your feet. A haunting line from the video is that even with all the aid $ and relief work the number of poor continues to rise. We are among the 20% of the worlds wealthy. How are we to respond. We are challenged to befriend the poor.

We also watch a trailer for the upcoming documentary “What Are We Doing Here”
The film takes a look at the impact or lack of impact of aid money & relief work.

Thinking about the needs of the world and the problem of poverty can be totally overwhelming. We are all challenged to do our part. We can learn from and depend on each other to do our part. I know I can’t do much on my own.

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Consumerism

Saranell — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:23:42 +0000

This morning I caught a few moments of the Today show. They did a segment on how retailers like Walmart- will happily cash your stimulus check. Other retailers will give you more $ if you hand them your check for a gift card from their store. The message is Consume! Consume! Interestingly, it is anticipated that most people’s checks are going to be spent on necessities- gas and food. The cost of living is high right now- how then do we consume responsibly? How do we watch out for our neighbor who may not have enough for rent, utilities or food this month?

It is so easy to be tricked into believing that our happiness comes from the things that we own, the stuff in our closets. One sign of our wealth is all the extra stuff and storage space we use. Our closets are full. Our pantries are full. Yet it is so easy to feel and think we need more. Catholic worker and social activist, Dorothy Day said, “If you have two coats one of them belongs to the poor.” Similarly in Luke 3:11,”In reply [John the Baptist] said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise. We are challenged to take an active role in the redistribution of our wealth. I admire how John and Liz regularly give away the unused items in their house. They also have the rule that they don’t buy something new without getting rid of something.

Why do we consume responsibly? It is good for us. We are happier, healthier and freer. It is better for the environment. It is better for our neighbors here and around the world.

Ways to clean out:

Pantry Challenge : How long could our family eat from the food in our house without going to grocery store? *You are allowed to buy staples, like milk, eggs, butter, fruits and vegetables if you don’t have any in the freezer or pantry and any food that is part of a prescribed health regimen. Other than that, everything you serve should come from your pantry, refrigerator or freezer. How long will it take?

Take things to Good Will or the Baltimore Free Store

Or have donations picked up at your house (e.g. American Vets, Purple Heart, etc.)

Food Pantries

U&I Trade

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The Environment

Saranell — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:09:59 +0000

It has been a weekend of thinking about the environment. Saturday a bunch of us watched ‘Everything is Cool’ a documentary on global warming. I was most impressed with how politics has prevented the scientific knowledge about climate change from impacting societal understanding and action. The constant debate about whether global warming is actually happening has kept people from feeling the seriousness of the issue and changing their behavior. The other interesting point they made was that environmentalism has a PR problem. We are tried of hearing how we are killing our planet and our doomed. Instead the challenge is to make being good stewards of the world economically beneficial. Money is such a motivator- when gas prices go up- so do the sales of hybrid cars.

Sunday night we had a conversation with a representative from the Sierra Club who showed us a clip from the movie Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America. Almost all the energy in the US comes from coal. Our use of electricity is directly tied to mountain top removal, childhood asthma and global warming. We were left with a big question- as residents of Baltimore City our electricity comes from BGE whose energy comes from coal- is there a way for us to avoid using electricity that is linked to coal? Solar energy? Wind energy?

We have agreed to take some individual steps as well as talk about something we can do as a community. Personally I am going to write the city and thank them for stream-lining recycling in Baltimore. I am so grateful they have made it so easy. Even still I am amazed at how little others on our street put out on recycling day. We have made a point to have a smaller trash can and a larger recycling bin. Every other week isn’t quite enough for us but we aren’t complaining. Thank you Baltimore City!

What are others hoping to do this week?

I am so impressed with all that we are already doing- let’s keep up the good work.

We also wanted to make sure you can catch some of the Green Week Events beginning this weekend, with an Eco Festival at Druid Hill Park on Saturday, April 26. Check out the full program at Baltimore Green Week.

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Living Responsibly

Tim — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:26:20 +0000

For the month of April we are considering the theme of Responsible Living at our Sunday night gatherings. After beginning by discussing what it means to be Rich in comparison with the rest of the world last week, we considered what it means for us to be global citizens this past Sunday night. I used Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat to introduce the interconnectness of the world today. Friedman’s conclusion that to engage these situation required both motivation and imagination was challenging and encouraging to many. Sean noted how the field of international health is no being called Global health so as to better describe how health issues transcend and transgress the political boundaries of nation-states. We pondered how an understanding of all human beings being created in the image of God and biblical understandings of how to treat a stranger and hospitality should affect how we live our everyday lives. The conversation also touched on consumerism, giving away something every time you buy something else, and trade policy.

Together we are going to pursue the experiment of using non-American news sources this week. Some ideas shared by the group were:
http://allafrica.com/
http://english.aljazeera.net/English
http://www.bbc.co.uk/?ok
http://www.iht.com/ — The International Herald Tribune

This background of a greater understanding of the global situation should form a fascinating starting point for this Sunday’s conversation on the Earth and environment with our guest from the Sierra Club.

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