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| Saturday, May 03, 2008 |
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Staying or Leaving: Our Pilgrimage Tools
By webmaster @ 8:48 AM :: 275 Views ::
0 Comments :: Nina Frost
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Two dear friends in California, Marv and Nancy Hiles, run contemplative retreats my husband and I go to each year, and they also publish some wonderful little books. This excerpt jumped out at me this week (we keep the book, called “All the Days of My Life” in the bathroom, so I don’t forget to read the daily offerings.) Marv used to pastor a Presbyterian church years ago, but it got nervous when he gathered folks to sit in silence and meditate, so they parted company. Go figure. Here’s the reading for April 22:
“The path of real life moves from one shelter to another. We are not drifters or homeless, but seekers, pilgrims, itinerants of a hidden impulse. The secret of transformation has to do with knowing when to stay and when to move on.”
The Bible is filled with people in transition… literally moving on, moving to new land, having to leave the old. I remember Sr. Carol emphasizing in a class that Jesus pitched his tent among his followers, not an edifice. He would be among them temporarily, just as we are with vital people, places, jobs, health—all temporarily.
As Marv notes, the key is knowing where you are in the process—when to stay and when to go. And for me, to learn not to cling to one identity too fervently, to not mourn the loss of one place too much, to not wish I had one clear way to define myself once I grow up.
As one who now happily wears various professional hats yet sometimes yearns for a simple way to describe what I do, I opened Thomas Moore’s excellent new book, “A Life at Work: The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born To Do” to a page describing the “polycentric” life—the notion that you can be more than one thing. I think this often forgotten, deeply reassuring concept fits with the Biblical notion that we don’t get to stay… that, as “itinerants of a hidden impulse,” part of our task is to trust our variousness, our many parts, our shifting selves. This is both/and advice in a frequently either/or world, but I do believe it is a form of salvation.
For more of Thomas Moore’s wisdom, consider coming Saturday, May 10th to “A Gift of Soul: A Conversation with Thomas Moore” right here at Marble church. (Information and registration here) You will no doubt glean some provocative thoughts for the road ahead.
Until then, fellow pilgrim, look at your life now, some aspect of it. Where do you know you need to stay, to dedicate yourself even more…. And where do you know it’s time to move on? |
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Welcome to MarbleTalks, a weblog published by the ministers and staff of Marble Collegiate Church. If you're unfamiliar with blogs, this short primer will help get you up to speed.
What is a Blog?
MarbleTalks provides a forum for each of our ministers and various staff members to share their thoughts, questions, and experiences with our faith community. Contributors to the blog will use a wide variety of sources for inspiration, and may share those sources when possible. Blogs are built around the active participation of their readers, and will commonly encourage you to take action in your life and the world around you.
Publishing Schedule:
| Sun. |
Dr. Caliandro |
| Mon. |
Sister Carol Perry |
| Tues. |
Rev. Lewicki |
| Wed. |
Dr. Lutz |
| Thur. |
Rev. Jordan |
| Thur. |
Dr. Ruge |
| Fri. |
Rev. Pierce |
| Sat. |
Nina Frost |
Reading Our Blog:
New articles will go up every day, and we hope you'll check in regularly. The seven most recent posts are displayed on this main page. Each article contains a short description and a link to read the full text. If you'd like to go back and read previous entries you missed, click on the "Categories" link at the top of the page and then select the author you're interested in. We don't delete old articles, so you'll be able to come back anytime and re-read the ones that speak to you in significant ways.
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