Two Spiritual Approaches

“Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.” —Psalm 139:12.

Richard Rohr in his daily emails1 describes the two traditional approaches to God as “dark” and “light.” The more cognitive, formal, theological approach is called the kataphatic way. In it we reach God by learning and studying the divine, practicing an ascent to the sacred, reaching for the light. This has been the most followed approach to God since the Protestant Reformation and the Age of Enlightenment. It could be described as the way of knowledge or knowing God.

The other spiritual tradition or way of seeking God is the apophatic way, in which we move beyond words and rational knowing into silence. This is the contemplative approach to the mystery, the “not-knowing.” It is a descent into the dark, into the unknown sacred within.

Rohr emphasizes how important both ways of seeking God are for a balanced spiritual life. Those whose personality type involves more thinking and sensing, making decisions based on concrete, rational, reasonable facts, will be drawn to the kataphatic, or ascent approach. Those whose personality leans more toward feeling and intuitive functions, who make decisions based on relationships, considering many connections and patterns, may be more drawn to the descending apophatic or inward approach.

Many involved in spiritual direction suggest that we try to use the approach opposite to our tendencies during Advent and Lent. For example, if we are a thinking person, we are to try some form of contemplative prayer. If we are a feeling and intuitive person, we should consider putting our toe into the water by studying our tradition, sacred Scripture, or the writings of significant theologians.

Just a suggestion to think or wonder about.

1Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation. Daily Meditation, “Darkness and Light,” adapted from Richard Rohr’s Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality (Franciscan Media, 2008), pp. 115-116.

Joanna . joannaseibert.com

Book Sale and Signing at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

               Between 8 and 10:30 services and after 10:30 service

                                 November 24th

   We will be studying  A Spiritual Rx for Advent,  Christmas and Epiphany during the forum at 9:15 am during Sundays in December                   

              A Spiritual Rx for Advent Christmas, and Epiphany

                  The Sequel to A Spiritual Rx for Lent and Easter

Both are $18. All Money from book sales goes to Camp Mitchell                 

Humility

“Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him.” —C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity.

Frederick Buechner in Beyond Words (HarperOne, 2009) also talks about humility as not thinking ill of ourselves—but simply not assuming that we are more important than others. We are not more significant or less essential than our neighbor in God’s eyes. This definition of humility does not devalue ourselves, but values ourselves and others on the same plane. The humble person is genuinely interested in others and their well-being because he or she has a strong sense of self, and does not need accolades from others in order to survive.

John McQuiston II in Always We Begin Again (Skylight Paths, 2004), his modernization of the Rule of Benedict, describes Benedict’s twelve stages of humility. This explanation is quite different from what we have been taught about being humble. If we are to follow the Rule and to have humility we must realize the sacredness of each moment. We acknowledge that being guided only by our own self-will can lead us astray. In our humility we will speak gently and briefly, accepting our limitations, being patient, not hiding our faults, being content, and refraining from judgment. We can never be joyful over the problems, disappointments, and losses of others.

Three writers from different ages agree in telling us that humility is important in our life in community as well as in our own individual development.

Joanna. Joannaseibert.com

Feminine Wisdom

“To the disciples who were always asking for words of wisdom, the Master said, ‘Wisdom is not expressed in words. It reveals itself in action.’ But when he saw them plunge headlong into activity, he laughed and said, ‘That isn’t action. That’s motion.’” —Anthony de Mello.

Manet . Fainting Couch

There is a Greek myth about Psyche and Eros that many people doing Jungian work use to describe women’s growth in consciousness. The story is the basis for She by Robert Johnson and Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis. In order for Psyche to reunite with her lover, Eros, she is given several tasks. At the beginning of each task, Psyche collapses and weeps as she sees that the task is insurmountable.

My image is Psyche lying on one of those old-fashioned fainting couches that every woman of means once possessed— with her hand turned palm up on her forehead, her eyes closed, and her head leaning backwards on or off the couch. It is the feminine body language of surrender and stillness.

Instead of plowing directly into a difficult task before us, the feminine energy in us waits, rests. In the waiting, answers come that are completely out of the box. They are truly answers to prayer. Some would say these solutions are received from the Spirit of God within her. Help comes from places she never imagined.

This is wisdom: the action of waiting, stillness, especially before we are asked to do something we do not think we are capable of doing.

I remember waiting in an outer office before a difficult meeting with other physicians. At first I was upset that I, this important person, had to wait! Slowly I realized that the waiting was a gift, wisdom from a mysterious source. It was a time to quiet myself, to surrender to the moment, and to be still before going in to this difficult meeting. When I was able to do this, I carried with me the feminine energy of staying in relationship that made all the difference.

Joanna Seibert. Joannaseibert.com