Grandma lives on...

A dear friend requested a reading she can deliver when she goes back home to attend her grandma's memorial service. Below is my offering.

    Start with a favorite story involving you and grandma. Something you will not tire of telling your kids and grandkids. (pause)

     Express gratitude as you recall grandma's personal gifts to you. "Thank you, grandma, for giving me...."  With a silent pause, invite all to consider what grandma left for each of us. And what we are leaving, paying forward, our children and the future generations in our family tree. (pause)

     Invite all to look to at the palms of their hands. Ask someone, what do you see on the palm of your hand, Sue? After the reply, talk about how you could see grandma and grandma's grandma and all the grandmas back to the beginning on your palm. Consider your lineage, your genealogy. We just did not appear from nowhere. (pause)

     Then invite all to bring the hand to their faces and "feel grandma, and feel grandma touching your face." Then to the ears and throat, and feel and hear grandma's voice in you. Then to the heart, and feel its beat. That's grandma right there. Then feel the breath. And stay there for a few seconds. Feel grandma's breath in you. Feel grandma live on in you... (pause)

     Invite all to sit back and relax and find that quiet space within themselves, invite all to softly close their eyes and then read the blessing slowly with juicy, let-it-sink pauses between blessings:

May you often pause to remember that you

carry the precious gift of grandma's breath-spirit within you.

May you greet grandma's breath-spirit within you

with gratitude and amazement each day when you awaken.

May you be led by grandma's breath-spirit

to the places in your life that are greatly in need of love.

May grandma's breath-spirit within you help you

to find your way home to your heart when you have lost your way.

May grandma's breath-spirit dance in your life

and bring joy to those you meet each day.

Adapted from (changed "Star-Light" to "grandma's breath-spirit"): 

The Circle of Life by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr

Be Christ!

Who is my mother and who are my brothers?

Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven

is my brother, and sister and mother.

Mt 12:48-50

Next week I am in the Bay Area with my nuclear family. From Monday to Friday, my wife and I will be with my 80-year old mom, 5 siblings, and numerous nephews and nieces. Being with my family has its joys, and its challenges. So I decided to have a spiritual direction session, well, for spiritual direction.

At the end of my session, my spiritual director said, Be Christ. Use words only when necessary. I lighted up when she said that. Now that's a challenge I will gladly face. The benefits will go way beyond next week. And why not Be Christ in every moment, in every place?

Isn't that why Jesus came to be? For Jesus to show us God's Will and how to fulfill it? For us to be God's Love no matter what, where, and when?

How about you? Where or when do you find it challenging to be Christ and where or when do you find it so easy it feels like you can walk on water?

Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell

in the house of the Lord

my whole life long.

-Psalm 23

Return of the Soul

I thank you, O God
Who lives now and forever,
that You have restored to me my soul with mercy;
great is your faithfulness

The above is the Jewish tradition's Modeh Ani prayed as soon as one wakes up. Before one gets out of bed, before the toes touch the floor. Ever since I came across this prayer from the excellent book about traditional Jewish prayer, movement, and meditation Minding the Temple of the Soul, I have been praying it as prescribed.

According to this book, the Code of Jewish Law explains "when a person is asleep, the holy soul departs from his body." I have always asked myself what the soul does when I am asleep. Does God take it to be cleansed, repaired, schooled, taken on field trips complete with roller coaster rides and cotton candies just like a granddad would?

And yesterday, after teaching a Practicing Yoga with Sacred Poetry (by Rumi, Hafiz, and Gibran), I learned another prayer from another book while climbing stairs (Yoga Barn, where I led the workshop, has a flight of stairs): O God, may every step I make take me closer to you. I am confident that it is possible to pray unceasingly. All the time. In all ways.

How about you? How else can you fill your day with prayer in relation to your activities?

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
-from Psalm 104

O God, Where art Thou?

Do not disdain your body

for the soul is just as safe

in its body as in the

kingdom of God.

-Mechtilde of Magdeburg

But what do you do if you were violated, abused, raped? Trampled on, reduced to trash, betrayed, emotionally and psychologically murdered?

Such is the challenge of this children's hospital chaplain who bought my book and wrote me for help with her 'kids'? Her clientele are adolescents, mostly girls, who were abused. She wanted body prayer poses for her kids but with some warning. She said her kids can not and will not do poses that exposes the chest, that pushes the pelvis forward, that sticks the tail out, that makes them squat, that asks them to lay down either on their backs or on their tummies.

Just imagine moving within that prison cell. If you can call that movement. It is an emotional and psychological straight jacket. It is like being held back by an invisible electric fence. Venture out, and it will be hell. Stay inside, and it is hell. Imagine living like that.

How about you? What are you afraid of? What past experience holds you back from freedom, from dancing out of sync, from singing out of tune? What makes you cry?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from helping me,

from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;

And by night, but find no rest.

But I am a worm, and not human;

scorned by others, and despised by the people.

O my help, come quickly to my aid!

- from Psalm 22 (NRSV)

Dancing with God

You don't have a soul.

You are a soul.

You have a body.

-C S Lewis

Six hours ago, I led a prayer group at the Bothell United Methodist Church. For most of the 14 people who came, it was their first time to include the body in praying. To feel the body in prayer is a gift, an awareness of Christ, the Word Incarnate.

Jesus Christ is God's prayer. Jesus, God's Word, is God's answer to our prayers. The answer to our prayers is God's prayer. This flesh! This blood! These bones! In every cell of my body is God.

This body contains, houses the Beloved One. Within is the answer to all my prayers. Feel it. C'mon. Savor it. Drink it all in. Quench your thirst for Love.

And always remember, never forget who breathes you at this moment. And this moment. And this moment... Then let the Breath, the Spirit, move the body. This way. That way. Just like that. Loose yourself in the dance. And closing your eyes, surrendering, saying Amen... Amen... Amen...

How about you? When did you last dance with God in prayer?

Alleluia! Sing a new song to Yahweh:

his praise in the assembly of the faithful!

Israel shall rejoice in its Maker,

the children of Zion delight in their King;

They shall dance in praise of his name,

play to him on tambourines and harp!

-PSALM 149

You in me, me in You.

But from the beginning of creation,

God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.

-from Matthew 10

"I bow to the Divine in you." That's what the greeting namaste means. And it is said in India, the country of its origin, with both hands together and a slight bow of the head.

I invite you now to bring your hands to the praying position. Feel the left hand together with the right hand... becoming one. With eyes softly closed, bow your head to the Divine in you.

"What God has joined together (you and God), no human being must separate." Once I fool myself that I am separate from that love, which activates fear and judging and anxiety, I suffer.

Therefore, for me, this word and gesture is a symbol of reconciliation, of integration, of union of the opposites. This is what Jesus came here for, and what is being asked of us: reconciliation with God. He came to teach us about love, especially the radical teaching of loving my enemies. Love. The greatest tool of reconciliation. Without love, true union is impossible.

That's how I interpret the passage today from Matthew. I am asked to bring union and harmony wherever I go. To be an instrument of love, of joy, of peace. To be with God.

How about you? Where can you bring reconciliation, harmony, wholeness, oneness, in your life now? What is one small, simple, doable step can you take right now toward that goal?

Here's a simple breath prayer:

Be still and quiet and be aware of the presence of God around and within you.

Inhaling, quietly say "You are in me,"

Exhaling, say "I am in you."

Repeat as much as you want.

"As you, Father, are in me and I am in you,

may they also be in us,

so that the world may believe

that you have sent me."

- John 17

Wakan Tonka

Great Spirit, help me never to judge another

until I have walked in his moccasins.

-Sioux Indian Prayer

Wakan Tonka. That is "Heavenly Father" in Sioux language as told to me by Marlon Red Elk. He is a tall, 50-ish Sioux Indian I met at Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn , Washington when my wife and daughter and friends went to see a show. A kind and friendly guy who saw me and asked: How are you doing, young man? I answered, I am doing fine. I am not so young anymore, but thank you. He replied, me either, but I am young at heart.

I found out he dances in full Sioux Indian gear and showed me a photo of his brother in dance costume complete with face paint. I asked him what he wished were different in his Montana reservation. He wished that the community elders just accept the fact that the white men are here to stay. The elders still have a lot of anger in them. But he, Marlon, struck me as a happy, content person who seeks peace. Respectful of the land, he is grateful for what the earth provides.

Every morning, when he wakes up, he faces eastward, and give thanks to the rising sun. He asks rhetorically, How hard is that?

How about you? Can you remember to stay in bed for a few seconds after waking up and be aware of a few breaths then say thanks for a new beginning, a new day, a new life, before your toes touch the floor?

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise.

For the Lord is good;

his steadfast love endures for ever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

-Psalm 100

We are all immigrants seeking asylum.

Now after they had left,

an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,

‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt,

and remain there until I tell you;

for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’

-Matthew 2:13 (nrsv)

The story above is a perfect illustration of the definition for an emigre: a person who flees from his or her native land because of political conditions.

I know of an immigration attorney. Her clients mostly are ignorant of the ins and outs of immigration laws. Helping these individuals is her love and passion. And she's very good at it. She rarely loses her case. This attorney also has professional challenges that can make a lesser person drop it all and quit. Her faith and family and friends keep her grounded, strong, and determined to get through her difficulties.

I offered an image to her during one of our conversations: of her being an immigrant, and Reality (as she prefers to name the Nameless) as the True Immigration Attorney to help her enter and navigate this new and strange land. That her difficult experiences can be likened to what most of her clients (some are seeking asylum from political persecution in their native land) experience.

The services of an immigration attorney cost a lot of money and time. Seeing myself as that immigrant seeking asylum in God's Kingdom, I have to pay for His services, for the privilege to be in his care, with my life as I know it... I have to 'die in order to live.'

How about you? Jesus said: For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. How would these words affect the way you live right now?

O Lord, how many are my foes!

Many are rising against me;

Many are saying, "There is no help for you in God."

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me,

my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.

Deliverance belongs to the Lord;

May your blessings be on your people!

-from Psalm 3

Being in Love

Monica, a young co-worker, shared with me her story of how she found joy, Jarvis. She's so taken by him. His charm, his intellect, his depth, his authenticity, his honesty. She says when he said "us," she almost melted. He lives his beliefs. He walks his talk. He's real.

I asked her: how sure are you that he is for real, that he is not pulling your leg? She says she's not blinded by her feelings and emotions. She can think clearly and analytically about this relationship. She practices discernment.

I ask her what qualities they share, and where they part ways. They share honesty, a love of learning, a passion for service. And in situations where her anger surfaces, he is calm, and open.

They enjoy deep, meaningful conversations that can last for 2, 3 hours. And I mentioned that this is like being in deep prayer or meditation. Being in the Divine Presence. Being in Love.

How about you? When did you last feel 'being in Love?' When did you last feel deeply understood, totally accepted as you are, and so utterly empowered and protected?

Eat, friends, drink...

and be drunk with love!

-Song of Solomon 5

When in doubt, just give thanks.

A week ago, I found out a fellow yoga teacher suffered a stroke. She didn't look like someone with a pending stroke. I always saw her as Wonder Woman, physically, emotionally, psychologically.

Today, at yoga, a student shared her deep frustration in her dealings with a bank. Normally she is cool, calm and collected. This obviously pushed her button. After yoga, a long time student shared with me her constant struggles with her 15-year old son. Then coming home, there's a message from my sister in California. She said my mom fell while getting into a car and had to be hospitalized. She's now in rehab and will come home in a week and a half. And then my wife shared an office mate's niece woes. Ahhh, yes. Life.

On the other hand, I received happy news today that I might be going to Memphis this winter to kick-off a series of maybe 10 one-day workshops called Active Prayer Day being set up by my book's publisher, Paraclete Press. I will join the 2 authors of the other books in the Active Prayer Series, Sybil MacBeth of Praying in Color, and Ellen Prewitt of Making Crosses.

How about you? What has been life-draining, and what has been life-giving for you recently? Can you hold both in thankfulness for the privilege of being alive?

Let everything that breathes -

Praise the Lord.

-Psalm 150

Paul

Getting off the freeway on my way to the office this morning, the red light stopped me. Standing on the sidewalk is Molly, with a sign not unlike the photo above, but with her name signed at the bottom. I knew of her from her boyfriend, Paul, whom I met at the same corner about a year ago. I was stopped, opened my window and handed him a couple of bucks I had in my ash tray. We chatted and even gave him my baseball cap because it was drizzly. Then green light intruded on our light conversation and I drove off. From that little chat, I found out his name was Paul, and has a girlfriend who was sick at the time, Molly.

Back to this morning, I gave Molly a couple of bucks from my ash tray. Then I asked: "How is Paul?" She said "Excuse me?" She was stunned I knew Paul. She answered: "Paul died after last Christmas." Then green light. She gave me a beautiful goodbye smile and said 'thank you for remembering Paul.'

Tears came up as I drove to the office. And thought about the big stories about Michael Jackson life and death. For Paul? This story is the only one published in the blogosphere about a guy named Paul.

How about you? What story will they write or tell about you when you finally go? How would you prefer to be remembered: for what you've accomplished, for what you've accumulated, or for how you affected the quality of their days, maybe even their lives?

Do not be afraid when some become rich,

when the wealth of their houses increases.

For when they die they will carry nothing away;

their wealth will not go down after them.

Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy

—for you are praised when you do well for yourself—

they will go to the company of their ancestors,

who will never again see the light.

-Psalm 49 / nrsv

Let us cross to the other shore.

"Let us cross to the other shore," Jesus said to his followers. Then while on the boat, a violent storm raged. The scared disciples woke Jesus who was sleeping. "Master, do you not care that we might die?" He stood up and commanded the sea: "Be still. Be calm!" The sea obeyed. Turning to the shaken men, he said to them: "You of little faith!"

I am invited by God to cross this river of life to the promised land. The unpredictable river is life itself. The boat is this body and its senses, the mind, the heart, the soul. And within this boat is the Divine. But I forget this Presence when dark clouds, or storms overwhelm me. The oars are my prayers. My strength, my endurance, and my determination come from my longing to be with the Beloved.

How about you? When was the last time you were afraid? What was your conversation with God like? What makes you keep the faith?

Here's a breath prayer for those uncertain times:

On your inhale, pray "I Am with you..."

On your exhale, say "You are with me."

Repeat until the prayer comes from the heart,

then 'be still, be calm' and feel the Love.

Thy will be done: A Meditation from St Cyprian

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

This is not that God should do what he wills, but so that we may be able to do what God wills. For who could resist God in such a way as to prevent him doing what he wills? But since the devil hinders us from obeying, by thought and by deed, God’s will in all things, we pray and ask that God’s will may be done in us. For this to happen, we need God’s good will – that is, his help and protection, since no-one is strong in and of himself but is kept safe by the grace and mercy of God. Moreover, the Lord, showing the weakness of the humanity which he bore, said Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, and showing his disciples an example, that they should do not their own will but God’s, he went on to saynevertheless, let it not be my will, but yours.

But it is the will of God that Christ both did and taught. Humility in dealings with others; steadfastness in faith; modesty in words; justice in deeds; mercifulness in works; discipline in morals. To be unable to do a wrong, and to be able to bear a wrong when it is done; to keep peace with the brethren; to love God with all one’s heart; to love God because he is a Father but fear him because he is God; to prefer nothing whatever to Christ because he preferred nothing to us; to adhere inseparably to his love; to stand faithfully and bravely by his cross; when there is any conflict over his name and honour, to exhibit in discourse that steadfastness in which we proclaim him; in torture, to show that confidence in which we unite; in death, that patience in which we are crowned – this is what it means to want to be co-heirs with Christ, this is what it means to do what God commands, this is what it is to fulfil the will of the Father. (Universalis.com)

Praying with the body:

Standing or sitting on a chair, raise your arms heavenward on your inhale with the words "Thy will be done..."

On your exhale, bend forward touching earth, or your knees, saying "on earth" then swinging up on your inhale, praying "as it is in heaven."

Then sit quietly, hands on your lap, and listen to the Breath of God in you.

Bloom recklessly!

Everything is blooming recklessly;

if it were voices instead of colors,

there would be an unbelievable shrieking

into the heart of the night.

-Rainier Maria Rilke

Yes. Springtime. Everything is blooming. Everything comes back to life. It's a time for birthing, for being born, for waking up. It's a time for stepping out into the light.

Look at this fence flower. Ponder the effort it must have taken to squeeze through that teeny space. Maybe because it caught a glimpse of light, a promise of life. Imagine it doing everything it can to breathe in that life, that light, that freedom. It sought the light and was awarded with the joy of blooming, of being able to yell... I Live!

How about you? What keeps you from fully stepping into the light, with both feet, with your whole being? What do you need to do to be what you love, to do what gives you life?

Standing, sweep both arms toward the back,

palms open, and lift up your chest as you inhale,

gathering Divine Light into your heart

saying inwardly:

You are my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

Swing your arms up, hands in fists,

with a steady and fearless heart say:

You are the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

-from Psalm 27