"Everything Belongs, the Gift of Contemplative Prayer"
Spring 2003 Bible Study

Chapter 6

"St. Joan of Arc Bible Study is an open and growing group that meets for fellowship and to discuss the Bible and other faith-centered literature. Our informal study group draws from biblical scholarship, historical perspectives, current events and personal reflections. We welcome, honor and respect the personal ideas and spiritual journeys of all who join us."

Greetings cousins

Another spectacular evening spilled out of the old country church. While cloudy and precipitating outside, the people down in the Hall shimmered like a new day sun. Life is good and everything belongs. Speaking of good things, has anyone seen or heard from one Denny? The group consensus is to take out an All Points Bulletin if we don't hear something soon.

We opened in prayer that calls for a verbal response from the faith-filled that tied in beautifully with what we have been reading in Rohr.

Next, since this book is a "guide to contemplative prayer", the facilitator felt we should take some time and just be. No judgments, no agenda, nothing to attempt. So he asked, "Who has an egg timer?" and wouldn't you know someone actually had one. Is that liminal? So we shut out the lights and sat still for three minutes. It was really quite nice and we wouldn't mind doing that again. Some folks mentioned that there is a Christian church in town, well, probably several, that do just that for their one-hour Sunday service - sit in silence.

On to the overview...

SJA Scripture Study - Spring of 2003
Everything Belongs - Richard Rohr

It's a beautiful day!

Chapter six; Return to the Sacred

*We begin by reiterating Bruce's disclaimer that there is too much within these chapters to discuss in two hours so the facilitator will mention some ideas and passages that make him feel happy, uncomfortable and or amazed.

This is a book on contemplative prayer so it seems only natural that we use some time to be still. Let's just be for the next few minutes! No judgments, no agenda, nothing to attempt or try - just be. Who has the egg timer?

Please read aloud first paragraph on page 155
Ditto second paragraph, page 155

Rohr says religion should lead us there (sacred space) and serve to "deconstruct the 'normal' world." But so often religion not only affirms the system of normalcy, but teaches us how to live there comfortably. "Cheap religion teaches how to live successfully in a sick system."

He talks about our need for more and more therapies and adjustments to this system and how they don't really work. "As a general rule, we need more and more of what doesn't work." What does Rohr mean by that? He hit on this point in an earlier chapter as well. Can we come up with examples in our own lives?

I like Rohr's vision of the "real person of prayer" because they only answer to God. Both church and state are truly threatened by mystics because they can't be bought off. Their rewards are elsewhere!

Near the top of 158 he states that, "Actually, this pattern of falling apart precedes every transition to a new level of faith." He explains that if we are not willing to live in that temporary chaos, to hold the anxiety and the appearances of opposites, we never move to deeper levels of understanding. "Fear is totally predictable, but if we give into our fear we will never be able to move the next level." Anyone want to share an experience?

On 158 he states that when we're led out of normalcy to sacred space, it's going to feel like "suffering." I would submit that it is temporary. Otherwise, why would we want to go?

Top of page 159 - "Opposites collide and unite, and everything belongs"!

Bottom of 159 - "there is only one world, and it is a supernatural. All the bushes burn now when we have seen one burn. Only one tree has to fill with light and angels and then we never see trees the same way again." That's what we're saying!

Page 161 Embracing the Shadow. "Transformation is radically unsettling." Discuss.

Page 163 Rohr states that "we've substituted freedom of choice for the freedom of the soul, which alone gives spiritual joy."

Page 164 - Rohr talks about the primal guilt, the guilt "about not having lived yet." (!)

Page 168 - the bit about the Filipino children. I actually began weeping while reading this in a café in Minneapolis! It brought up images from Rita and Jeff's trip to South Africa.

Page 169 - falling in love and paying the price and I would add also reaping the benefits! Loving first and wastefully without care for how we may be perceived, and no expectation for anything in return.

"Let's hold the dark side and the pain until it transforms us knowing we are complicit in the evil and also complicit in the holiness."

Small group questions - discussions

Share a liminal experience we have had - times of clear vision or feelings of utter connection, acceleration or belonging. When or how did it happen? How do we get there? Do we even know? What keeps us from getting back?

Rohr claims we need to look for our shadow, for that which we dismiss and disdain? Do we want to discuss what our shadows may be? Page 163

"Its heaven all the way to heaven and hell all the way to hell. Not later but now." Page 165

How do we feel about the idea that our deepest wounds are really trophies? Page 168

How do we feel about his discussion about liberals and conservatives? Page 172

Thanks cousin!

The large group was vibrantly alive and the sharing of personal experience and questions came fast and furious. We talked much about getting to sacred space and how we get there. Do we give ourselves permission? We discussed how in times of profound grief or illness, we are necessarily knocked from our normalcy and enter a state of mind or heart where things appear quite different. Time is not felt the same way nor is fear or physical pain. Our priorities are different. We are shocked out of our habits.

This need not be the way we get there. Like he said, religion is supposed to lead us there and yet so often discourages this experience. We acknowledged our gratitude for belonging to the SJA community and this scripture study family where these experiences are cultivated and encouraged!

Well, around 8:05 we shuffled and hopped, some I dare say even skipped, to the snack shack at the back of the Hall. Oh my goodness gracious. Talk about gratitude and living the life!! There appeared to be a homemade Marble cake with chocolate frosting piled to the sky. Upon further review, we found this to be true and yet, like the great multidimensional nature of the self, there was more. Upon entering the delivery system one discovered a mysterious complexity of flavor that was chocolate and yet more. Hmmm. It's banana! There is a subtle hint of banana in this cake. Are you kidding me? Holy Cow. I hope you don't mind that I took a fairly healthy slice home. I wont be going hungry anytime soon. Mucho gracious!

The small groups were quite lively as well and we spent time sharing our sublime experiences and how or when we spend time alone to just be. What do we do and where do we go, if anywhere. Super swell. It could have gone on for hours but a couple trouble makers finally had to bring up the time.

So we shared another powerful prayer in closing, welcomed a new member and sang Happy Birthday to one of our dear ones! We then talked Noel into facilitating next week! Here are the privileges.

• Facilitator Noel
• O. Prayer Maggie
• C. Prayer Rita
• Treats Ron
• Clean-up Riko
• Bookstore Blank