Let us welcome the new year

"Let us welcome the new year full of things that have never been." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

That quote from the great Bohemian poet Rilke is just the right inspiration for transitioners who are eager to start fresh in a new year.

It arrived in my In-Box today in an email from my colleague Anne Perschel of Germane Consulting. Anne's message is to pause and notice the space in-between, such as the space we are in right now as 2013 comes to an end and we await the start of 2014.

Artist and poet Jan Richardson calls such in-between spaces "thin places" where earth and heaven come closest together in our lives. In such places, the Irish believe that there is a thin membrane, a whisper of a veil.

In a New York Times article, travel writer Eric Weiner talked about thin places: "Thin places...are locales where the distance between heaven and earth collapses and we’re able to catch glimpses of the divine, or the transcendent or, as I like to think of it, the Infinite Whatever."

In a thin place, whether an open space like the Grand Canyon or an inside space like an ashram or a church, you may feel something inexpressible in words. But when you feel it, you know it is real.

You sense that it is opening you up, changing you somehow for the better. Maybe it is what this Apache proverb is saying: “Wisdom sits in places.”

So my suggestion for this in-between time comes from Anne's blog. She says, "I think we should pay more respect and attention to the space in between: What I say and what you say. How I feel and how you feel. The changing of the light. The hunger and the feeding."

This intentional noticing of the in-between spaces seems an appropriate spiritual discipline for anyone in transition. After all, when you are in transition, you are traveling in between.


Posted by Terrence Seamon on Monday December 30, 2013

Can we have a Cease Fire in the War Against Christmas?

I just received a lovely holiday email from a consultant that said: "In this season of Light, Hope, Peace and Love.....May your holidays be filled with light and love and may your New Year be happy, healthy and prosperous!"

Why do we use such language at this time of year?

How about a cease fire in the war against Christmas?

Have you followed any of the media coverage on this news item? Apparently there are some anti-religious Grinches out there that just want to keep on eroding the "Christ" in Christmas.

Why? Who knows what their entire agenda is, but partially it's about the separation of Church and State.

To me, this whole kerfuffle is symptomatic of a deep program in our psychic wiring, one that has proven incredibly hard to change or root out. Call it the "I'm Right and You're Wrong" syndrome.

We learn it as children from our parents and school systems. Parents punish children. Grading systems that determine who will Pass and who will Fail.

We carry it into our organizations especially businesses. Top grading systems like Performance appraisals that judge and put people into boxes and determine salary increases for some and pink slips for others.

We enact it in our politics and in international relations. World leaders think they have to punish nations. Boycotts and bombs.

Blame, evaluation, control, criticism, punishment, and reward. This wiring in our selves truly has global reach.

Psychologist Marshall Rosenberg, the inventor of Non-Violent Communication, has been working on this problem for decades, traveling around the world to regions of conflict, endeavoring to help warring parties to calm down, listen more appreciatively to one another, and make peace.

He says: "We are waking up to the fact that we are destroying the planet. We had better wake up. A growing body of people have a different vision of what the Good Life is all about. Dr. King and Gandhi have helped us to see another way."

When people can connect to what is most alive in others, life is more enjoyable. People can contribute to one another's well-being, rather than judgement and violence. Oneness, rather than divisiveness, is possible.

So here are some ideas that may seem rather counter-cultural in today's era of political correctness:

Put Christ back into Christmas - Christmas is a holiday where people go shopping, buying gifts for others. Why do we do this? Though many have forgotten, it's because Christmas started with a gift. The greatest gift. The gift of a baby to a mother and father who were fleeing for their lives, threatened by a tyrant king, in an occupied country.

Give from the heart - What is more enjoyable, Rosenberg asks, than contributing to another person's happiness and well-being? We need a radical change in consciousness based on compassionate giving, Rosenberg says.

Come together in joy - The well-being of others is our well-being too. Rosenberg asks his clients, What can we do to start living in peace?

Rosenberg says it's critical that we address this wiring. We have the resources. It's only our thinking that keeps the starvation and the violence going.

We don't need to dominate others and compete for everything, Rosenberg says. There's a more natural way to communicate and connect with others, a way that leads to abundance and joy.

If we can all learn to celebrate Christmas, we can fill our lives with happiness and joy.

Note: Check out Marshall Rosenberg on this youtube videocalled Vision of the Future.

Posted by Terrence Seamon on Monday December 23, 2013

The Mohawk Prayer of Thanks

The following came to me via the ODNet listserv, and I share it with you this Thanksgiving season. Peace and all good to you and yours, Terry

*******************************************************


The Thanksgiving Prayer from the Mohawks:
http://www.peace4turtleisland.org/pages/Thanks.htm

This prayer comes from the Native people of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Iroquois (or Haudenosanee) is comprised of six Native tribes: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora, all located in New York State and Canada.

The prayer is based on the belief that the world can not be taken for granted, and that we must thank all living things in order to align our minds with the natural world. This prayer is the backbone of the Iroquois culture. A faithkeeper is selected to share the words of thanksgiving at the opening and closing of social, government, and ceremonial events.

~*~ The People ~*~
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have
been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all
living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give
greetings and thanks to each other as People. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Earth Mother ~*~
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we
need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us
joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time.
To our Mother, we send greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Waters ~*~
We give thanks to all the Waters of the world for quenching our thirst and
providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many
forms-- waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one
mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit Water. Now our minds are
one.

~*~ The Fish ~*~
We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to
cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We
are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the fish
and send our greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Plants ~*~
Now we turn towards the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can
see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms.
With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing
Plant life for many generations to come. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Food Plants ~*~
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest
from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans
and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw
strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and
send them a greeting and thanks. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Medicine Herbs ~*~
Now we turn to all the Medicine Herbs of the world. From the beginning, they
were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to
heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who
remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send
greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines
Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Animals ~*~
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal
life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people.
We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are
still here and we hope that it will always be so. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Trees ~*~
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees
who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and
shade, other with fruit, beauty and other useful things.
Many peoples of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength.
With one mind, we greet and thank the tree of life. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Birds ~*~
We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly
about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they
remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their
leader. To all the Birds-- from the smallest to the largest--we send our
joyful greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Four Winds ~*~
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their
voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe.
They help to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they
come, bringing us messengers and giving us strength.
With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds. Now our
minds are one.

~*~ The Thunders ~*~
Now we turn to the west where our Grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live.
With lightening and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that
renews life. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks
to our Grandfathers, the Thunders. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Sun ~*~
We now send the greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun.
Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the
light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one
mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun. Now our minds
are one.

~*~ Grandmother Moon ~*~
We put our minds together and give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the
Moon, who lights the nighttime sky. She is the leader of women all over the
world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face
we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children
here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our
Grandmother, the Moon. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Stars ~*~
We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry.
We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and
bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night,
they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send
greetings and thanks to all the Stars. Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Enlightened Teachers ~*~
We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have
come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony,
they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people.
With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring Teachers.
Now our minds are one.

~*~ The Creator ~*~
We turn our thoughts to the Creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and
thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life
is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we
gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings
and thanks to the Creator. Now our minds are one.

~*~ Closing Words ~*~
We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things
we have named, it was not our intent to leave anything out. If something was
forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks
in their own way. Now our minds are one.



**************

CREDITS English version: John Stokes and Kanawahienton (David Benedict,
Turtle Clan/Mohawk) Mohawk Version: Rokwaho (Dan Thompson, Wolf Clan/Mohawk)

Original Inspiration: Tekaronianekon (Jake Swamp, Wolf Clan/Mohawk)
Copyright ? 1993 Six Nations Indian Museum and The Tracking Project.

Mohawk Prayer of Thanksgiving - http://aihc1998.tripod.com/mohawkpr.html

Seeing with eyes of love

Three things have come together today for me that have the feeling of true synchronicity. Or perhaps this is the way that only the Spirit works.

One is the verdict in the Trayvon Martin murder where killer George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges.

Two is today's Gospel reading from Luke where Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.

Three is Fr. Doug's homily where he quotes Henri Nouwen saying that some of us see our neighbor with eyes of fear, while some see the neighbor with eyes of love.

"And who is my neighbor?" the scholar of the law asks Jesus. In reply, Jesus tells the now famous parable.

“A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’

Nouwen would say that the Samaritan traveler looked at the robbed and beaten man with eyes of love.

Imagine that fateful night in Florida when George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. Imagine if he had looked upon the young man with eyes of love instead of eyes of fear. Imagine if instead of following Trayvon Martin out of suspicion, imagine if George Zimmerman had called out in a friendly voice, "Hello there. Can I help you this evening?"

Fr. Doug challenged us. How do you see the world? How do you see your neighbor?

Posted by Terrence Seamon on Sunday July 14, 2013

Signs of Life

My colleague Robert Crosby shared this quote the other day on LinkedIn:

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive!"

It's from Howard Thurman, an influential African-American thinker and author who I know little about. But I intend to change that. Already I have started listening to some of his lectures on youtube.

Thurman's quote, and Fr. Doug's homily from this morning, have me thinking about what it means to be alive. And more specifically, what it means to be alive in faith.

In Luke's gospel today (Luke 10), we heard the account of Jesus sending the 72 disciples. In this sending story, Jesus commissions them ("Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves") and gives them instructions on how they are to go on the way ("Do not take a purse or bag or sandals").

And what are they to do? "Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'"

In essence, they are to be living signs of the Kingdom. In their coming and their going, in their healing and their teaching, in everything that they do, they are to be signs of God's active presence in the world.

Fr. Doug challenged us to examine ourselves. Are we living signs of our faith? During the week, on the road and in the workplace, are we signs of love, healing, and peace?

Fr. Doug spoke about Pope John XXIII who, in convening the Second Vatican Council in 1962, said that the church must open the windows and let in the fresh air of the Spirit. Pope Francis, who recently called for Pope John's sainthood, seems to be opening the windows again for some resuscitating breath.

Thurman was prophetic in saying "what the world needs is people who have come alive."

We the faithful disciples of Jesus must come alive in the Spirit and be living signs in all that we do.

Posted by Terrence Seamon on Sunday July 7, 2013

Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership is quite old, going back over 2000 years. Its roots include the radical teachings of a Jewish religious leader who is quoted in scripture as saying that he had come to serve.

Robert K. Greenleaf then coined the term "servant leadership" in 1970. Greenleaf was motivated to find and articulate an alternative to the Autocratic Leader, the style of leadership that seemed to predominate in organizations everywhere.

In Greenleaf's thinking:

The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant - first to make sure that other people's needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer is: Do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wise, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And what effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or at least not be further deprived?

In my work, teaching leadership to client companies, I am inspired by the concept and convey it without using the term "servant leadership." Instead, I teach that effective leaders do everything in their power to support the success of their people.

In so doing, such leaders then find the meaning in the quote attributed to Lao Tzu:

"When the best leader’s work is done, the people say: We did it ourselves."

If I were to design a training module on Servant Leadership, I would return to the original source material. Drawing upon it, I would identify the elements of Servant Leadership, such as these three:

The Servant Leader calls others to discipleship ("disciple" = 'discere' to learn) to learn and follow The Way

The Servant Leader teaches and develops them as leaders who serve, giving them what they need to spread the Good News and call others

The Servant Leader commissions and sends them

Perhaps the most central, and difficult, concept is what it means to be a "leader who serves." In his essay and book, Greenleaf explored this and started a movement away from the predominant leadership paradigm, the leader who commands and controls.

One organization implemented servant leadership a long time ago: the early Christian church. It has over 2000 years of experience training both professionals and lay persons in the model. As an active and practicing member for close to 60 years, I can attest to the lifelong formation process that is available to members. Not all choose to take full advantage of it, sad to say.

But for those of us who are steeped in it, the values that we are taught are both challenging and transformative.

Posted by Terrence Seamon on Saturday May 25, 2013

Tiramisu for Your Soul

For many, the time in between services at your house of worship is a long soul-less period of working, chores, deadlines, and worries. Wouldn't it be wonderful if, during the week, you had a "pick me up" for your soul?

There is a wonderful dessert that you'll find on the menu of most Italian restaurants, called tiramisu, which loosely translated means "pick me up." Called by some "heaven in the mouth," tiramisu is a delicious way to end a meal.

For me, a faith sharing group meeting is like tiramisu. It's a spiritual "pick me up" that refreshes you during the week.

At my parish, St. Matthias in Somerset, NJ, we encourage the formation of small groups that gather in someone's home, once a week for six weeks. Each week there is a theme, a reading from scripture, and a discussion. The aim of the gathering is to connect the scripture to our lives and share our faith journeys with one another. Small scale, simple to carry out, yet profound in its effects.

Another type of spiritual pick-me-up I recently started is t'ai chi chih, or "joy through movement," based on the style developed by Justin Stone. His approach to this ancient art of movement is slow, soft, and effortless, like a flowing meditation. The intent of this t'ai chi is to circulate and balance the chi, the vital force that flows through the universe . . . and through us.

Why not treat yourself to a spiritual pick-me-up? You deserve it.

Posted by Terrence Seamon originally on Thursday November 10, 2011, reposted on January 19, 2013