Daily Word (6.6.09)

Together:

"Beholding each other, we see the perfection of Christ Love." (DW, 6.6.09)

"What God has joined together, let no one separate." (Matt. 19.6)

Mei Meditatio:

It is the interconnectedness of all individuals with each other that creates the living reality we experience. We are not independent, self-sufficient entities without a need for other beings. Rather, as Fr. Thomas Merton has stated, "No [hu]man is an island." That is the true reality is that we are inherently, intricately interdependent with each other in a great web of interrelationship. When we are able to affirm this togetherness we behold the self-less love of Christ, where every self is pouring itself out into other selves in compassionate embrace.

The self-emptying (Grk. - kenosis) love of Christ becomes manifest as I recognize my existence as inter-being (a la Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh) with everyone else. I live out this interconnection through upholding peace, love, and justice in my personal relationships and practically addressing problems in society they become aware to me. These actions work toward a fuller reflection of the interdependent existence that underlies all in dynamic Oneness.

In the name and through the power of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. Amen.

Jazz and Spirituality

This past week's show of the Interfaith Voices radio program features a piece about the great jazz singer Mary Lou Williams who pioneered a style often termed "sacred jazz" which, in turn, greatly influenced pianist Duke Ellington and saxophonist John Coltrane. Catholic jazz artist Deanna Witkowski introduces listeners to this often overlooked genre and talks about her new album that sets Christians prayers, contemplations, and hymns to music for a jazz quartet context.

As a jazz musician myself (for those who don't know, I'm a bassist), I've always experienced both listening to and playing music as sacred activity. When one mindfully listens to music, one is opened up to the possibilities that inherently lie in the creative expressions of the musicians. The ability music has to evoke emotional power is part and parcel of its spiritual nature. The playing of music also touches the depths of human spirituality and expresses the inner being of the musician. As for me personally, I've always felt that playing music (whether alone or in a group) is a meditative activity, cathartic and communicative of one's soul. So playing music centers me on the deepest part of my being and focuses my attention on the Divine; it cleanses me of the hardships and troubles on my mind and brings forth what's within me through musical vocabulary. As the jazz drummer Art Blakey once said, "Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life." Music draws out that which is most real within and puts one in touch with the transcendent, making daily discontents seem menial and transitory.

In jazz, individuals forward their spiritual-musical expression in the context of a group, especially the small 3-5 person combo. In this milieu there are three different intimate relationships occurring simultaneously -- 1) the interaction between the individual and the group, 2) the interaction between the ensemble and the audience, and 3) the interaction between the individual musician and his/her own self. These interrelationships create a complex of dynamic musical articulation that push the individual and collective experience to profound levels of spiritual participation and understanding that simply cannot be expressed with normal linguistic structures. Rather, these experiences occur via the language of music.

Listen to the interview with Deanna Witkowski about "sacred jazz" and the spiritual dimension to music on Interfaith Voices.

(Above photo from Interfaith Voices website.)

Daily Word (6.5.09)

My Investment:

"With an attitude of gratitude, I attract good to me." (DW, 6.5.09)

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." (Luke 6.38)

Mei Meditatio:

I affirm with faith that keeping a positive and beneficent mental disposition will create health-ful and enjoyable experiences for myself. Indeed, my attitude of mind in the realm of thought is what creates my reality. Thus, as my thinking becomes attuned to love, peace, and justice this will more likely manifest itself in my life. That is, the more my mind is centered on the love, peace, and justice of God in Christ the more of these qualities I will engender through my thoughts, words, and actions. Through focusing my mind on God in Christ I attract myself to doing the good I know is needed of me in my daily life relationships and circumstances.

The universal principle of cause and effect ensures that I cannot receive without giving, nor can I give without receiving. Therefore, I acknowledge Divine Order and give of myself liberally and gratefully, knowing that my service is sharing in the selfless love of Christ which redeems the world by transforming lives. In giving and receiving I participate in this eternal, dynamic Love moving all towards betterment and fulfillment.

In the name and through the power of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. Amen.

Daily Word (6.4.09)

Joy:

"I am joyous, radiant, and fulfilled." (DW, 6.4.09)

"This day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8.10)

Mei Meditatio:

I can find joy in a myriad of occasions. I find joy in active endeavors such as studying, playing music, visiting with friends, dining, and exercising, yet also in the contemplative stillness of meditative prayer. It's this centering in God that is the peaceful, loving source that conditions and supports me in discovering joy in the many activities of my daily life.

Every day is a blessed gift from God. Recognizing beauty and goodness inherent in each precious day of living, I turn over my burden of grief to the infinite Love of Christ and rejoice in the present moment, the eternal now. Christ is the spiritual fortitude that guides me through anxiety and fear into lasting contentment and well-being.

In the name and through the power of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. Amen.

Odyssey Networks Presents ‘The Other Holy Land' Documentary Series on Christian Origins

Odyssey Networks Presents, a weekly Sunday morning documentary series, will air "The Other Holy Land" on Hallmark Channel Sunday, June 7 at 7:00a.m. ET/PT. Produced by Frank Frost Productions in association with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Office of News and Information and GOTelecom, this film offers viewers a panoramic view of the sites and cities in the Near East that played a vital role in the growth of Christianity. It will integrate art and history in its exploration of the roots of both Christianity and the Greek Orthodox Church. Interviews from notable historians and theologians will be featured.

"The Other Holy Land" will be available for viewing online Monday, June 8 at the Odyssey Networks website.

Odyssey Networks lis the U.S.'s argest coalition of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith groups dedicated to producing and distributing media that promotes tolerance and addresses issues of social justice. Established in 1987, Odyssey Networks is a service of the National Interfaith Cable Coalition, Inc.

New Thought Discount for Parliament of World Religions Melbourne 2009

The Association for Global New Thought (AGNT) will be attending the Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne Dec. 2-9, 2009 and is offering a group discount for those affiliated with New Thought organizations.

Register for the New Thought group discount, lodging reservations, travel packages, fares, tours, and the Dec. 2 New Thought Delegate Pre-Conference at the AGNT website.
For more information: conference@agnt.org, or call (866) 821-3886.

New Psychology and Religion Journal

A new journal, Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, has been launched earlier this year which publishes articles using experimental and correlational methods, qualitative analyses, and critical reviews of literature pertaining to topics of religion and spirituality. The editor is Dr. Ralph Piedmont and is published (and thus approved) by the APA.

This journal is a significant move in the relationship between science and religion, particularly from the scientific side of the issue. That is, since the European Enlightenment and scientific revolution, which centralized and standardized the use of reason and empirical methodology, scientists have largely been reluctant to attempt to study humans concerning religion and spirituality. However, this journal represents an attempt by science (specifically, psychologists who have been for decades trying to attain increasing credibility in the "hard" sciences) to better understand what religion and spirituality are about from the perspective of the cognitive and behavioral scientific perspective and using these methodologies. As the first academic peer-reviewed journal to treat how faith affects human behavior, it is a monumental step in the direction of greater learning among scientists about the benefits of religion for humanity and will boost the dialogue between scientists and people of faith.

See more info about the journal at the APA website.

Listen to the editor Dr. Piedmont in an interview on Interfaith Voices.

(Above image from APA journal webpage.)