(JTA) At this point, we know well how to wash our hands to protect ourselves from the coronavirus. But how do we soothe our souls?

When we recently asked for stories about how local Jewish communities are adapting to the public health threat, we received plenty of examples of changes that are underway, from Spock greetings instead of handshakes to chopsticks as Torah pointers.

We also got a request for spiritual guidance. So we reached out to several rabbis around the world and asked them to offer their advice. Well update this page with additional responses as they come in and if youre a Jewish spiritual leader with words of your own to add, you can email us.

Keep up with the latest on the coronavirus in the Jewish world by following our updates here.

At this moment, we want to protect ourselves and our families; this is human nature. From a Jewish perspective, from a social justice perspective, from a human perspective, we cant descend into pointed tribalism at a time when we need to come together as a collective of mind and soul. The coronavirus is a huge burden placed on humanity, but one that can be handled through shared action, compassion and a desire to see this disease contained before more lives are needlessly lost.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz (Read Rabbi Yanklowitzs full op-ed)

Whats a simple daily routine you care about? Every night at about midnight, we learn in the Talmud, King David woke up to study. Every morning, I wake up and make coffee. (Same same, right?) Water in the kettle. Good quality beans into the grinder. Aeropress. Half and half. For you, that simple moment might be washing your hair, texting your sister after work, or listening to The Daily. Keep that up, even if everything else feels off. Good times and bad, some things should stay the same.

Rabbi Emily Cohen (Click here to read Rabbi Cohens full piece on our sister site, Alma)

In response to a 1983 doctors strike in Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Goren, former Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, emphasized that the responsibility for providing health care ultimately lies with the state. Basing himself on a Talmudic ruling that holds communal leadership liable for any deaths that result from their failure to take care of needed repairs (Moed Katan 5a), he wrote, the responsibility of the court or the communal leadership is not limited to bodily harm that they cause directly the government may not excuse itself from its responsibility toward the sick since they government is responsible for the health of the people. (Assia vol. 5)

This assertion that the communal leadership takes responsibility for the overall health of the citizens is consistent with millennia of Jewish law that insist that the community take responsibility for the health and welfare of its members whether through building necessary infrastructure to care for physical and spiritual needs, through tzedakah and through laws intended to eliminate exploitation. Its also consistent with the lived practice of Jewish communities, which have long established communal welfare and health systems; and of the state of Israel, founded as a social democracy.

Gorens ruling, however, runs counter to one prominent strain in American culture, namely the ethos of every person for themselves, without concern for our responsibility to the broader society, or for the overall impact of our choices.

The novel coronavirus has taught us that its impossible to separate ourselves from the greater world, and that our own personal health and safety depends on the health and safety of the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society. If anything positive comes of this terrifying pandemic, it should be a remaking of the social fabric of our society such that we collectively take responsibility for the health and well-eing of every member of our society. This means ensuring health care, paid sick leave, and increased food assistance; and investing in a stimulus and job creation package that helps middle- and low-income people rather than just bailing out airlines and other major corporations.

The emphasis in Jewish law and lived tradition on collective responsibility for our neighbors and our society is countercultural in a country built on rugged individualism. But the novel coronavirus has taught us the impossibility of fending for ourselves. A recommitment to communal responsibility is the only way to protect ourselves and each other.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs

The news today can be especially spiritually unsettling and alarming in nature. When our community in New York has been struck with a plague that prevents so many of us from gathering in physical contact, how ought we react?

Upholding the cautionary measures decreed by health officials and authorities must be seen then as fulfilling the highest religious commandment: pikuach nefesh, saving human life. If you have symptoms of illness, including fever, coughing, stomach bug or any other sickness, it is a mitzvah to stay in quarantine.

It was Yom Kippur 1846 the cholera epidemic was at its height when Rabbi Yisrael Salanter allegedly rose to the pulpit, washed his hands publicly and made a blessing as he ate bread on our calendars most sacred day. The Jewish community feared trespassing communal and religious norms then, but Rabbi Salanter reminded the Jewish community: In light of life-threatening illness, eating food on Yom Kippur wasnt breaking the Torah law, it was upholding it.

When confronted with life or death, Jews must always emphatically choose life. This has been the Jewish way since the beginning of time.

Furthermore, now, as in times past, will be a period where we will see the most important innovating responses.

We witnessed this just last week when SAR Academy offered online classes for hundreds of students, studying Hebrew, welcoming Shabbat and maintaining semblances of normalcy.

We witnessed this in wartime when Saddam Husseins Scud missile rockets rained on Israel, Jews celebrated Purim in bunkers.

When the AIDS epidemic ravished the gay community, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah still gathered with Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum leading into uncharted territory.

When Rebbe Nachman of Bratzlav wrote, There is no despair in the world, we ought to reflect: What is he talking about? Rebbe Nachman, a depressive, mourned the death of his own son and lived in a time of great political turmoil for the Jewish people. Was Rebbe Nachman unfamiliar with despair or delusional?

Certainly not. He was offering us a life approach and philosophy. The whole world is a narrow bridge; the main principle do not fear.

Safety is sacrosanct. Health is foremost.

And remember the mantra, the trope that has accompanied our people since Passover days: Nevertheless, Jews persisted.

Rabbi Avram Mlotek, co-founder of Base Hillel, director of spiritual life for its international program and rabbi of its Manhattan site

I write this at my kitchen table, covered in yet-to-be-sorted toiletries and food. Im planning to stay in, and you should, too. Because its not necessarily you who will suffer from going out it is probably someone else.

May we observe the next weeks in a period of isolation it will be mournful and hard. But may that period be one that allows the plague to lift. That allows a return to revelry and celebration, a time when we can be deeply and blessedly irresponsible.

Today, hold back, for all of us, so that tomorrow, we can release.

Rabbi Eric Woodward (Click here to read his full Facebook post)

When I landed in Israel and found out that because I attended the AIPAC Policy Conference Id have to be quarantined, I was surprised to learn the Hebrew word for quarantine was bidud. The word immediately triggered my obsession with the sad Megillat Eichah (Lamentations) that we read on the Ninth of Av.

For an unknown reason, whenever Im chazzan and I have to choose a tune, my brain automatically chooses the morbid dirge of Eichah. This can lead to a comical or embarrassing scene. The first words of Eichah, Lonely sits the city once great with people! She that was great among nations has become like a widow, speak to the loneliness of destroyed Jerusalem. The word lonely in Hebrew is badad, the same word used for quarantine in modern Hebrew.

Being alone in quarantine, devoid of friends, family, co-workers and community, a person is truly lonely. Talking on the phone, messaging and even video chatting is no substitute for being in the physical presence of others. There is no replacement for the hug, kiss or even the handshake. Just having others around gives a person a sense of security and comfort. Quarantine forces a painful loneliness. For the Jew who loves the mitzvot and rituals of their religion, especially the communal ones, the loneliness is compounded.

Yet the loneliness of companionship can also create an opportunity. The loneliness of others creates the solitude of the person with God. All alone, a person is able to commune with God as never before. God is eternally listening to our voices, and God awaits our prayers. The silence of bidud provides a person the opportunity to connect to God on the deepest of levels. Without the pressures of work, a schedule or family chores, a person can turn to God, pour their heart out and deepen their relationship with the Creator. The gaping hole of spirituality left by the absence of ritual can be filled with a more unique connection to God.

Our Rabbis tell us that if we are homebound we can still pray with the community by praying at the same time as the community. The internet allows us to listen to shiurim (Torah classes) with others, and many of us even listened to live streams of Megillah.

Quarantine is a challenge previously unthought of by our Sages. It is lonely and depressing. Those feelings are natural and valid. All of us in quarantine are feeling them. But taken in the right way, it can provide time and opportunity to connect with God, rethink values and recommit to the priorities that are important to us.

Rabbi Uri Pilichowski

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

Excerpt from:

We asked rabbis for their spiritual guidance in handling the coronavirus crisis. Here's what they said. - JTA News

For anyone dealing with addiction, whether it is their own or that of a friend or family member, relying on some kind of faith in a higher power can be critical. Then there are also many touched by addiction who either dont believe in God or dont feel they need to depend on a belief system for support. A couple of Sundays ago, I went to the First Congregational Church in West Tisbury to hear the Rev. Saramaria Allenby, spiritual care advisor at Gosnold Treatment Center. I was interested in what her position means in the scope of things.I have to admit that every time I enter the West Tisbury church, Im taken with its beautiful simplicity, and the people, who are so welcoming. This time around, I was shuffling papers, settling in and getting myself ready to take notes before the service when Pastor Allenby strode right over to shake my hand. I explained that I planned to write about my visit in the Have Faith column.

I could just give you my sermon, she said. Im not attached to anything.I was already impressed by that single sentence.

The Rev. Vicky Hanjian filled in for the churchs pastor, the Rev. Cathlin Baker, who was away that weekend. Hanjian led the service, welcoming everyone and introducing Gosnolds spiritual care advisor when it was time for the sermon.

Allenby began by talking about Jesuss temptation in the desert, and then talked about how were all the same; we all face temptations. She cleared up some information commonly held about addiction.

The disease of addiction has a myriad of facets, Allenby said. It is a brain disease. It can be compared to any other disease a human being suffers from. Diabetes. Heart disease. Cancer. If a person has a disease, they seek treatment, and get appropriate medication. They go to the doctor or hospital. The disease of addiction is the same.

More than anything, Allenby talked about everyones humanity and their ability to love and feel compassion, both things that those suffering with addiction need. We all need them.We tend to judge those who abuse drugs or alcohol, she said, thinking that theyve made a choice to live in their addicted state.

How we treat others with a heart of compassion can be tricky when faced with what we perceive as a choice, she said. When we recognize that addiction, because of the brain science, is not truly a choice, we must recognize that only with a heart of compassion is how we live as one.

She talked about a mother she knows who has spent more than $100,000 on treatment for her son. But that mother, through her frustration and anger, still loves her son, and still wants to be supportive. Allenby told the congregation that many of those with substance abuse issues have dual diagnoses, PTSD, health problems, a history of abuse, grief, or loss.Once the brain is addicted, the part of the brain that makes choices has been hijacked, and the person needs treatment. Thats all. Help, support, medication, education, therapy, community, compassion, spirituality, and tender loving care.

When you love someone addicted to drugs or alcohol, or both, the level of frustration is immeasurable. You cant understand the why behind the addiction, let alone fix it for them. Some people tell you to practice tough love, give up on the loved one before their problem takes over your own life. Like most people I know, my family has plenty of experience in this area. As much as you try to love your way through it, understanding something as complicated as another persons addiction is a struggle.How does spirituality fit into all of this?

Many people I work with dont have personal faith; they are not sure what to believe at all, Allenby wrote to me in an email. I speak mostly to spirituality and spiritual practices, the key being practice.

She leads groups on hope, love, connection, self-acceptance, openness, prayer, resilience, honoring the body, forgiveness, and shame, she wrote. Allenby leads something called praying with the body, which incorporates yoga poses and breathing work. She leads guided meditation seven times a week in order to illustrate different ways of practicing spirituality, and finding what opens their hearts or helps them heal.

After more than five years in her role at Gosnold, Allenby feels very blessed to do the work.I see God in everyone, and I know the spirit of God is working through me in my daily practices and teaching, because my tiny, human, ego-based self couldnt possibly do this work without a mystery or a universal love or presence being part of it, Allenby wrote.She shared her understanding, and maybe more important, her view of looking at every person through eyes filled with love. Allenby also shared a poem by Mary Oliver, titled Wild Geese. Im going to share it with you here.

May those who suffer from addiction, and those who love someone who is addicted, find the compassion and love they need to heal and to help each other heal.

Wild Geese

By Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

If you have news for Have Faith, please send it to connie@mvtimes.com.

Originally posted here:

Have Faith: Spirituality and addiction - Martha's Vineyard Times

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Out & About: NAACP prayer breakfast focuses on spiritual weapons - TribLIVE

Human beings are fashioned with many profound capacities: for acts of profound love and service, the ability to heal and recover from terrible brokenness, the imagination and intuition that can create a world of profound creativity and possibility. And yet, most often, we ignore our own gifts. We choose simple pleasures, food and money, over the hard work of meditation, self-sacrifice, and social repair.

The following seven states are postures for the spirit. Just as the body strikes a pose, the flow of blood modulates, the organs and muscles are transformed by the heart opener or the back bend, so too when the spirit takes a posture, various aspects of our being are exercised and rejuvenated. Reside in each posture for three minutes per day. Extend the duration of the posture as your skillset grows.

One more thing, and its important. Every emotion and feeling, even the ones we deem uncomfortable, even painful when we welcome them into our being, like messengers riding the wind, when we meet them with grace every feeling can be a posture of prayer. When we shun and avoid and refuse prostration, the opportunity for prayer turns into suffering.

We are beings composed of water. As the moon moves the tides, so too we are affected by forces outside ourselves. We are connected by a network of wireless wires and phones. In an instant, millions of us have seen the same image, heard the same story how could we possibly be immune to the anxiety of our species shaking?

When the anxiety comes to you, welcome it into your being with peace. If you flee from it, you will be chased. Feel its shaking quality, its fine disturbance of your halo. Now shake out your arms, and your legs and your toes, and roll your head around. Put the vibrations into song. Let the feeling which is causing your heart to tremble go out through your lips, your vocal chords. Shout if you need to.

Fear is a posture of humility. You are a tiny nothing, and there is little you have control over. Give language to your fear. Share it with a friend. Im afraid of getting sick. Im afraid of my parents getting sick. Im afraid of dying. Im afraid of being in the hospital. Im afraid of not receiving care. Im afraid well turn on each other. Im afraid it will not end.

When fear is welcomed, it is transmuted into awe. The God that creates all the beauties of the world is made whole by the aspect of God that is in death, disease, destruction, regeneration. Can we look upon the that power with the feeling of awe? Sickness and healing, death and life we cant praise only the good. To be whole is to face God with love (for the good) and awe (for the next to good).

There is profound suffering in the world. We go about most days by forgetting the suffering of these distant and near others. But this weighs on our spirit, and contributes to our general anxiety and unhappiness.

Feel into the suffering of those who your heart goes out to. Those who are sick, those with loved ones who are sick. Let your compassion extend to those you dont know, those who are far from you. Let your compassion swell. A cave beside the ocean overflowing. As you breathe in, take their suffering into you. As you breathe out give them your light and love.

Do what brings you joy. The work that takes your mind away from you: watercolors, violins, mobiles, pies, books. Youll have some time to yourself. Strike up a new hobby.

Spirit is not a casual or homogeneous substance. In some of the saddest moments, at a shiva after someone has died, joy and laughter can be the best medicine. Joy rises up out of rootedness and gratitude. Do things that root you, and shout your thank yous for the little pleasures that abound. Let joy surprise you. When she comes, run with her.

Trust that we are in good hands. The world is composed in twos: light and dark, life and death, love and fear, sickness and healing but the good outweighs the next to good by just a little bit. The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. We evolve, we heal, we grow. These are signs of the inherent goodness of the world.

Relinquish your sense of control, and allow yourself to reside in the heart of a divinity that is good, cares for you and loves you, blesses you in ways you cant see or imagine. Stop holding it all together. Youre not the one holding it all together any way. Be in the bosom of the beloved. Rest there a while.

This too shall pass. Everything. Like a mandala made of painted sand, millions and millions of grains, wrecked by a child, blown by a breath. The first time Moses meets God at the burning bush he asks, what is your name? God answers, I will be what I will be. Ehyeh. The four letters of the name composed of an imbalanced jumble of was, is, will be. God is the all, nothing more or less, composed of all of us, within her, through her, our living and dying, her life.

Breathe in, breathe out. Let go of everything you know. None of it will remain for very long. This is not the mindset we inhabit most of our lives. But its a part of us, at our core. Stalks of grain blowing in the wind. The bed of reeds in still water.

Though the spiritual figures and traditions harp on it all the time, theres nothing like a crisis to teach you were connected. What if we chose to live our lives, move through the world, make our decisions as if we were representatives, servants of something far larger than our individual bodies?

Feel how connected you are to all the people of the world, your friends, the people you dont like, the plants and animals and stars and planets. You are Gods magic trick. A spark, a shard, a soul, something planted at the core of your being that connects you eternally to every living thing. Feel the beauty of that ineffable thing we are, that cannot help but invite love, and peace, and joy.

Empower your Jewish discovery, daily

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Spiritual Well-Being in Times of Crisis - My Jewish Learning

If you lived in Boston in the 1980s, you probably saw an episode or two of "We Don't Knock," a guerilla television show where the team would show up to various places around the city just to see what was happening there.

"We would go to the IRS unannounced and get thrown out, it was fun," explained collaborator Jim Ringel.

However, even considering as much fun as Ringel had while working in television, part of him always wanted to write stories. As a child, the artform interested him, but upon graduating college, Ringel's television job became his creative outlet. Then, about 12 years ago, he considered writing once more and has since published two books.

His first novel, Wolf, is a "moody noir" novel set in a world without dogs. But more than that, it is a dystopian story that considers alternate realities through a unique lens.

In his recent book 49 Buddhas, which is the first in a six-part series, Ringel again slips into the noir, mystery realm, but one that is heavily influenced by mysticism and spirituality.

"I think my writing style is very sparse and noir-ish in the language I use," said Ringel. "That made me always think about mysteries. It's a mystery for sure, but with a subgenre of Buddhist or spiritual."

Ringel was inspired by his own faith--he is a practicing Buddhist and was interested in exploring and sharing the belief system with others. Rather than discussing Buddhism in an academic sense, Ringel saw fiction, and more specifically a fiction series, as a vehicle to expose his readers to new ways of reading mysteries, but also to a new way of thinking.

"This is the first book in a six-part series, each will take place in the six Buddhist realms, and each one represents a specific lesson," Ringel said. "It's all about your spiritual growth and I thought it would be interesting to explore that by looking at it with an entertaining genre."

In both the book and the interview, Ringel often came back to the idea of questioning ideas and self reflection--two things that appear to be central to the Buddhist practice. He said that he hopes to push readers to consider self-revelation but also to consider the book itself from different points of view. Essentially, Ringel hopes that each reader has a very personal experience while reading the book, that it impacts them on some level and opens up their perspectives.

Ringel described the writing process as very personal. "You're kind of interacting with yourself." So he enjoys when readers come up to him with insights he hasn't yet considered. "With art, there's the book and the person reading it, and the interaction between the two...I'm always intrigued when people come up and have thoughts that are very personal to them. That's when I feel like it's been a success."

It certainly seems as though 49 Buddhas has been a success thus far for Ringel, and much of that success comes from the fact that he is enjoying the process himself. For him, the writing process is always evolving. So, as he creates Rinzen's world, he is able to better understand and expand it. He particularly seems to enjoy the parallels between this book, writing more broadly, and Buddhism.

"It's a mystery because you're really trying to figure out what happened. I think there's a lot of false clues, but that's kind of the way that figuring out our spiritual path unfolds too," Ringel said. "Writing is an exploration of the mind, that's very similar to Buddhism...It's a constant flow, it's a real dynamo, and that's what I really like about writing, it doesn't get dull, it just keeps asking a different question. I'm not using this [book] to proselytize, but we're at our best when we're questioning."

You can keep up to date with Ringel and his work at his website jimringel.com where you can also sign up for his newsletter or even download a meditation. He also has a website called writinglikeabuddha.com that's more focused on helping writers develop their skills.

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Local author comments on writing, spirituality and tying them together - Left Hand Valley Courier

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 is changing how we have meaningful conversations and gatherings yes, even spiritual direction sessions for a while. Leading experts in the fields of immunology and medicine are advising us to practice social distancing, which merely means you are very careful about getting physically close to people when in groups or crowds. It does slow down the spread of the virus, which is great, but we still need to be able to communicate with one another, especially with anxiety running so high. We need our therapists, doctors, teachers, pastors, and spiritual directors.

For my practice of spiritual direction, I offer a modified form of social distancing: I meet individuals in direction sessions or in the few tiny groups that I lead at my office in Phoenix (provided were all feeling fine) and honor all peoples physical space by not touching them (which I dont ordinarily do anyway). And for anyone I work with face-to-face who wants to instead meet with me by phone or online, Im offering that as an option.

Of course, for those of who already meet with me online, this is not really an issue! Weve been doing the work at a social distance for several years.

To ensure that I stay as healthy as possible, I am choosing to stay away from large crowded places, even church worship, for the time being. I confess the anxiety I feel is a mix of reasonable self-care when I get even garden variety viruses, I seem to stay sick for a long time and recognizing that I or any of us could unknowingly be a carrier of a bug and I dont want to put anyone at risk.

I share this with you because I dont think its healthy for anyone to feel shame about social distancing, especially with a pandemic upon us. So, Im going to stay weird! We all have different needs. If you are feeling similar pressure to pass the peace or grant hugs, just know you are not alone.

Stay close to home when you can and do that whole hand-washing-and not-touching-your-face thing youve heard so much about. Thats about as much control as we have. The rest we must simply accept.

I wish you good health and low anxiety in this very unusual time of a pandemic. I hope you feel the comfort of Gods presence in the midst of the storm. And if you need spiritual direction, theres no time like the present to contact one of the many spiritual directors who do online sessions you can find them in Spiritual Director Internationals Seek and Find Guide at http://www.sdiworld.org.

Looking for More?

Want to try spiritual direction? I have openings in my schedule for new directees regardless of where you live. I can work by phone, Skype or if you live in the Phoenix metro area we can meet in person. Contact me atteresa@teresablythe.netor visitwww.teresablythe.net.

Thank you for following this blog!

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Social Distancing and Spiritual Dirction in the Age of COVID-19 - Patheos

One reality scares me more than any other about the growing coronavirus epidemic.

Rough waters are truer tests of leadership. In calm waters, every ship has a good captain. Swedish proverb

One reality scares me more than any other about the growing coronavirus epidemic, the virus that, as I write this column, has spread to 65 countries, infected more than 90,000 people and killed at least 3,056, including two victims in the United States.

Yes, a part of me fears contracting it myself, a pretty normal response to a virus the likes of which our world has not seen since 2002, and which some fear may echo the worldwide 1918 flu pandemic.

And yes, I worry that as cases increase in our country, the effects may hit closer and closer to home, and so I am concerned for the older folks in my life and children too, those who might be most threatened by it. I worry about the potential disruption it might cause in my little world: will the church I serve have to temporarily suspend worship and other public gatherings? Will the run on hand sanitizer and surgical masks that has caused shortages extend to more and more consumer goods: food, gas and other essential supplies?

All those things definitely register on my anxiety index and yet, here is what scares me the most right now: that the people we have elected to lead us are ill prepared to move us through this epidemic, with competency and care. I fear that the people at the top the politicians, not the scientists, not the doctors and researchers, not the first responders no, the pols; they seem to be kind of winging it right now. Making it up as they go along.

I made the mistake of watching a recent White House news conference at which the assembled elected officials from the top on down looked, well kind of confused and they seemed to speak with a false confidence and now they are going around the country scolding the American public for our fears, telling us, All will be well! acting as if they say this enough times, it will actually come true.

I worry more angst is being expressed by these folks about the drop in the stock market than the emerging public health emergency. I worry that the proposed 2021 budget for the main government agency to deal with the epidemic the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls for a 16 percent reduction in funding; and that in 2018, the team within the White House responsible for coordinating our nations response to a worldwide pandemic, it was fired, and has not been replaced. I worry that although new funds to fight the coronavirus have been requested by the White House, nothing, absolutely nothing, has been done in Congress, as the Democrats and the Republicans bicker with each other. Blame. Point fingers.

Welcome to the sandbox called Washington, D.C.

I think of past times in our history, when great leaders have risen up to meet whatever the crisis was in their time, and that they did so with courage and wisdom and competence. Think Franklin Delano Roosevelts stirring address the day after Pearl Harbor or John F. Kennedys somber but reassuring TV speech in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis, or George W. Bushs calm resolve after 9/11. If the epidemic turns into a pandemic, do we have leaders with the right stuff to lead us through whatever lies ahead? Will they rise to the call of history?

I worry about the feeding frenzy and journalistic orgy happening around the virus: the blaring and bold headlines in the newspaper, the breathless news reporters falling all over themselves to report worst-case scenarios. Lets be clear; the coronavirus is a threat but it is also a journalists dream, a media companys mecca. In 2020 Americans have more access to more news from more outlets than ever before. Normally, Id say thats a good thing, but now? This flood of news is confusing at best, overwhelming at worst. Who to believe? Who is giving out measured and wise information and who is spreading rumors and fake news to their own advantage or to drive up ratings or even to garner votes?

If our leaders are not doing enough, if the press is as much a part of the epidemic as any medical challenges, what then can we do as citizens? My advice is simple, advice Im trying to follow myself. Go to the best sources for true and dependable information: CDC.gov; and the website of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at mass.gov/orgs/department-of-public-health. Speak to medical professionals directly: your family doctor or nurse practitioner. Make a commitment to check in on the older people in your life: they are more worried about this than anyone else. Organize in your own local community, in your city or town or your church or mosque or synagogue or your neighborhood association and talk together, about what we can do to help each other as the situation continues to develop.

And pray too, if that is a part of your tradition and life. Id say not so much for a medical miracle as for leaders to guide us through these rocky shoals, leaders who inspire confidence and calm with their wisdom and commitment to serve the common good, above all else.

How great would it be if that kind of political leadership was catching?

Take good care.

The Rev. John F. Hudson is senior pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn (pilgrimsherborn.org). If you have a word or idea youd like defined in a future column or have comments, please send them to pastorjohn@pilgrimsherborn.org.

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Spiritually Speaking: Rancor spreads faster than the virus - Enterprise News

With an absence of word-mincing unusual in his office, the Prime Minister has warned that some of our loved ones will die because of the coronavirus. He has urged individuals to rally round and do what the state cannot, and ensure those in isolation are looked after. Our political leadership has not concealed just how fundamentally life could change for all of us.

It amounts to little less than a recalibration of our existence. Things we have taken for granted all our lives ease of movement and of assembly, freedom from pestilence, indeed the relative salubrity of life itself are threatened. Apart from the profound consequence that many will die before what was expected to be their time, we shall be forced back on resources of character we did not know we had, and made to change patterns of behaviour for the common good.

Mr Johnson began to articulate this;but the crisis takes us into philosophical questions about the nature of society and our place in it that go beyond the training or experience of a politician. They border on spiritual matters. The Prime Minister would presumably be the first to admit he lacks the authority required of a divine spokesman. When faced with matters of life and death, especially on this potential scale, our culture even if we are not religious ourselves demands something more elevated. And that brings us to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

As deaths rose and coronavirus cases multiplied last week, the Primate of All England, spiritual leader of the Established Church, was notably silent. Given we were being warned of a possible death toll that would remove a higher proportion of our population than at any time since the Great War, did the Almightys Anglicanvicar on earth have something to say? He did not. Perhaps Justin Welby has been saving up a grand pronouncement for the Lords Day. If so, it may prove welcome, but would have come far too late.

At the top, the church he leads has been compliant with the bureaucracy of health and safety, but done little else. It has warned communicants against using the same chalice. Hygiene recommendations, it has said, should be observed. And if people went hungry because of the virus, a reinforcement of food banks would be useful.

But we await the Archbishops advice on how the Bible might (or, indeed, might not) teach us how to cope and proceed in these alarming times. Or does he feel we face such an apocalypse that even religion, or at least his conception of it, is an inadequate tool with which to confront it?

If the expectations of scientists and clinicians are correct, then our people like those all over Christendom and beyond will have to think themselves out of the comfortable mindset that progress, peace and prosperity had secured ever since the end of the Second World War. The rights we assumed we had acquired, to consistent good health and far longer life, are under threat.

We are about to discover that the state does not after all, for all the wonders of the NHS, scientific research and welfarism, have a magic wand it can wave to restore certainty. All our assumptions about every aspect of existence are being challenged by the very forces of nature many thought progress had made subservient to humankind.

We are, above all, being asked to contemplate the sudden greater immediacy of death. The elderly, who have to do that, pandemic or no pandemic, every day, are far better at it than the young. That, not least, is where the spiritual lead is required; if the young do not themselves die, they may be about to be bereaved in staggering numbers.

The stock market may have crashed, but this is a great buying opportunity for the Church of England, an institution that, thanks to insipid leadership by the likes of Mr Welby, becomes emptier each Sunday. Soon, in a country pummelled by death, disease and uncertainty, religion may discover an army of potential recruits among those disorientated by change. Mr Welbys reticence suggests the Church of England is unprepared for this, and therefore failing.

Perhaps his inability to lead his flockin this crisis is the ultimate admission of the triumph of secularism, a creed more suited to an era when man believed he controlled the world: in which case he should go. It would be an ironic turn if it were left to the overtly godless of which I am one to form a new philosophy to console our people in a crisis whose most terrible impact is probably yet tocome.

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A nation confronting its own mortality needs spiritual leadership. So where is Justin Welby? - Telegraph.co.uk

The Mandrake Hotel, located a short walk from Oxford Circus, has been known for subversive decadence since its opening in 2018. The vibe is equal parts hedonistic and spiritual, although perhaps those are one in the same. The downstairs bar and restaurant buzz at night and its commonplace to bump into actors, artists or musicians in the dimly lit hallways.

Now, the hotel is launching a new spiritual wellbeing concierge service. This means that guests can pre-book a variety of spiritual wellbeing sessions, such as the Soul Connector - a sound bath which claims to tantalise the senses and clear blockages as you go on a cosmic journey. Fully tailored experiences and group sessions are also available. The Mandrake calls upon Londons top healers to perform these treatments in guests rooms or suites, where a menu card is installed, describing each of the different options. If you are unsure which to book, the spiritual concierge is available for consultation.

This new offering is an opportunity to rest and reinvigorate the soul, not just the body. When you are travelling or in the city, you get caught up with things, says Alex Holbrook, head of spiritual wellbeing at The Mandrake. We have a spiritual spa instead of a classic spa, and its a haven for complete renewal and rebalancing. Spirituality can be another tool in your box alongside the gym, nutrition and therapy.

The spiritual experiences are best takenin one of the hotels suites, which are lavish and comfortable, with plenty of room for your spiritual guide to set-up. Mine was performed in the Penthouse Suite, on the third floor of the hotel. All white and marble with a calming mix of soft and hard materials, there was a massage table with a shaggy, fur-like cover and pillows set up by the bed. A series of pastel-coloured glass and quartz bowls and instruments were laid out on the floor, next to a worn, palm-sizedbook with angels on its cover.

The spiritual guide assigned to treat me with a Spiritual Awakening was Josie Danielle, an intuitive energy healing and sound expert who is usually based in Shoreditch, but on speed dial with The Mandrake for such appointments. Her voice was soft and dream-like and she was swaddled in a snug pale knitted jumper and loose capris.

I was invited to take a seat opposite her and, after asking me a series of personal questions, she explained what I was about to experience: sound therapy to settle my body, reiki to work on it on an energetic level, and 'light language' for healing and to call me into my soul (I will explain this later). As a first-timer, I was told that if my thoughts started to spiral, I must come back to the mantra, I am present. I am ready to receive, recite it in my head and breathe deeply.

She noted, as we sat talking,that my arms were crossed in front of my womb - a sign of protection brought on by past trauma, and diagnosed me with a need for womb work, to heal the energy blockages in that area of my body. This is a concept that was totally foreign to me, but I resolved to be as open to the process as possible, and would advise any other beginners to adopt the same approach.

After this initial briefing and diagnosis, I was ushered onto the table, where Iwas covered with a blanket and a weighted lavender eye mask was placed on my face. Now everything was black and the session began with what I can only describe as an expanding bubble of pure sound - this was the sound therapy portion of the session. It resonated and grew as Josiecircled the crystal singing bowls with a quartz wand, interspersed with the occasional bong-g-g from a gong. I felt slight vibrations through my body. If anything, it was really quite relaxing.

Then the manually-created sound transitioned to a relaxing pre-recorded tune. I smelled incense being wafted over my body - the next stage was reiki, which seeks to redirect energy and clear blockages. I could not see what was happening above me, but I felt Josies presence as she worked on unblocking my energy. Every now and again she would come closer and touch an area of my body with a series of light taps. As all of this happened, I drifted in and out of consciousness. Not asleep, but it felt as if I had floated into another place - something I have never experienced before.

Then I heard Josie speaking in what sounded like an ancient tongue. This turned out to be light language, a cosmic language that is said to distribute sound and energy to convey messages. Instead of knowingly speaking, like you would in English, it is said to be interpreted by the heart - what came out of her mouth is an expression of feeling and has no translation.

With the tinkle of some chimes, the experience came to an end, and I sat up, woozy. I had expected to either feel nothing, or to be subject to some vast spiritual awakening - neither of those things happened. I just felt odd, like something inside me had been moved. I was told that this meant it had worked, that I must drink a lot of water, and that I might experience flu-like symptomsat some point overthe next five days before coming into my full power thereafter.

There is no classic spa to relax in at the Mandrake, but the lavish bathroomsthe suites mean you hardly notice. A huge standalone bathtub was my evening refuge before room service arrived from Yopo, the hotel restaurant. I was extraordinarily hungry after the session and devoured the offering, finally crashing into myfour poster bed for some rest.

That night, my mind was active. I felt troubled and found it hard to sleep, and the next day I started to feel tired and unwell, just like Josie had predicted. This is termed a healing crisis. When the energy is rebalanced within you and it feels like youve got the flu, says Holbrook. Its something you experience when theres a buildup of energy you need to shift, like an emotional blockage.

This is said to be common for first timers, because of the backlog, and less intense going forward. I have no idea really if this was to do with the session or not, and there is no way of really telling, but after one week I was back on top form.

I wont postulate about spirituality and belief systems - each to their own - because thats not the point. As my guide said, all that is required is an openness to the experience. If you are accustomed to such treatments, as I suspect a good portion of the hotels artistic clientele is, then this is an incredibly luxurious environment in which to experience them. If you are not, it feels like a safe place to begin. If you are sceptical, then think of it this way: taking an hour to tune into yourself surely cant be a bad thing.

Private spiritual wellbeing sessions are available in all rooms, starting from 150. Rooms at The Mandrake start at 430, suites from 830 and 4,000 for the Penthouse; themandrake.com

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I tried a spiritual awakening in one of Londons top hotels - and I couldnt believe what happened - Telegraph.co.uk

Can washing your hands in vodka help avoid Covid 19? No, but some of these might work better.

Of all the dumb stories to emerge from the increasingly hysterical coverage of the coronavirus outbreak, surely the dumbest is the one about people stocking up on Tito's Vodka for use as hand sanitizer.

Eater.com reported last week that the Austin-based vodka maker's social media has been working overtime trying to explain that the best-selling spirit is unsuitable for use as sanitizer as it is only 40 percent alcohol by volume, and an effective sanitizer needs to be 60 percent in order to kill the virions that make up the Covid-19 novel coronavirus.

Now we don't have anything against Tito's, but using it as hand-wash is like sending a boy to do a woman's job it might be a nice idea, but it will never work out well so we've lined up some much better candidates, some of which might actually work better as a hand sanitizer than they do as a drink.

But let's start with something pleasant Bourbon.

When Jim Beam released its small batch Bourbons back in the late 1980s, there was a lot to like. The Basil Hayden's, Baker's and Knob Creek expressions were all lovely whiskeys, but the Booker's, selected by distiller Booker Noe, was the standout, mostly for its strength. Bottled straight from the barrel, it has never slipped below 62 percent in its various iterations and, once you've given your hands a wipe, you can apply it internally with great relish.

Next up is another Bourbon, the glorious George T Stagg, a Bourbon so utterly delightful that the first time I ever tried it I burst out laughing in sheer pleasure. I would, however, have reservations around using it as a hand-wash, especially given its $712 average price tag.

Moving away from the joys of Bourbon (and we should also mention the 60-percent Glenfarclas 105 single malt in passing), we enter the world of rum.

Let's start relatively gently, with the Bacardi 151, which weighs in at 75.5 percent ABV, with a relatively affordable $48. That level of alcohol will kill anything within six inches of the open bottle, so a little dab'll do you. Also it might pay to use the rest of this to make mixed drinks, as there is a distinctly combustible note on the nose.

It pales beside our next offering, however, an Austrian rum called Stroh 80 (Austria, of course, being famous for its acres of sugar cane plantations and its proud naval traditions). The first time I tried a shot of this I couldn't taste anything else for an hour afterwards, just the lingering notes of disbelief and regret. At 80 percent ABV it works out at around 160 proof, which isn't really proof anymore, rather it's circumstantial evidence.

We now leave the world of brown spirits altogether and enter the cold, crystal realm of vodka and we start with Devil's Spring, an 80-percent ABV monster from New Jersey, a bottle that comes with a warning that it is flammable, so it will certainly take care of any bugs that may be lingering on your hands. It may well also take care of any hope you have of going to work in the foreseeable future.

Next up is Balkan vodka, a Bulgarian brute that packs an 88-percent ABV punch, although it only appears to be on sale in Europe, so unless you are already there, it would seem counterproductive to any efforts to avoid contracting the virus.

Just pipping the Bulgarians are the Scots, with a special version of a brand called Pincer vodka. The standard version is 38 percent alcohol, but there is a version that packs in 88.8 percent ABV. You'll be glad to hear that both versions contain an infusion of milk thistle, a plant reputed to aid liver health, which is either a stroke of genius or a cruel joke.

We now move into the upper echelons of drinking, the sort of product only attempted by the most aspirational self-punishers. First up is Hapsburg Absinthe, a stand-out in a category that only gets started at the 60 percent mark. At a fraction less than 90 percent alcohol, this is exactly the sort of spirit that helps you see both why absinthe was called the green fairy and several actual green fairies, possibly alongside a few pink elephants and flying pigs.

Next, we drag ourselves across the 90 percent barrier to the level where we are at the very edges of what distillation can produce.

When a drink is banned in 10 states, you know it is the heavy drinker's heavy drink Everclear. The 190 version (the one that is banned in 10 states) is 92.4 percent which is an astonishing level, especially given that the process of distillation can only effectively hit 97 percent before the alcohol levels between the liquid and vapor states equalizes, a process known as azeotropy.

And top of our list, with a claimed alcohol content of 96 percent, is Spirytus, or Wratislava 96 Rectified Spirit, a Polish spirit that will easily fulfill your hygiene needs and possibly remove all sense of concern about coronavirus as well, along with any other worries, memories and, indeed, thoughts you might still have floating around in there. Good night and good luck.

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Getting Spiritual Protection from Coronavirus - Wine-Searcher

The Perspective of Team Stay-Home-From-Church During a Pandemic

A wise man (my Dad) once said: never use faith when you should use wisdom." It's a powerful reminder that you have been given the right tools to make the right decisions. Some are pure faith, others will be made from the wisdom God has instilled in you through His Holy Spirit.

Going out in faith may not be the answer if staying home in wisdom is the more appropriate decision. God has given you the ability to discern!

In Luke 4, Peters mother-in-law had fallen very ill with a fever, back in the days when there wasnt any ibuprofen to help her out and she did not attend any church gatherings. In fact, Luke, a physician, noted that she was at home.

In Acts 28:8 when Paul had shipwrecked on the island of Malta he visited the home of a sick man: It happened that the father of Publius lay at home sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and, placing his hands on him, prayed and healed him. In John 11, Lazarus fell deathly ill and stayed in his home.

Psalm 41:3 says, The Lord will sustain them on the sickbed;You will restore all his lying down in his illness.

The point is this: If youre sick,stay home in bed. But, while your body may be weak, your spirit can be strengthened through listening to the Word of God via an audiobook and through sermons about faith and healing and Gods faithfulness.

And your soul can be refreshed and uplifted by tuning in to your own church online.

There are plenty of options to squeeze in some preaching and teaching if you decide to stay home from church. Plenty of people use those options liberally (even when coronavirus isnt an issue). And while watching church online is all right, it really should be seen as more of a spiritual stop-gap until you can get back to church.

There are numerous reasons why the Word of God impresses upon Christians the necessity of meeting together. So unless you have a communicable illness, an emergency, a physical handicap, or are taking care of the poor/widow/orphan, its very wise and fulfilling to get to church.

If youre home because you dont want to get sick, then build others up by posting encouraging Scriptures on your social media. Exhort. Write out a prayer and share it. Send texts. Share your churchs broadcast with others. Post a favorite worship song. Go live and share some thoughts with your friends and family. Speak faith. Share a testimony.

If youre at home because you are sick, ask for help and ask for people to pray with you. James wrote that the effective, fervent prayer of the righteous produces powerful results. (James 5:16)

Photo Credit: GettyImages/fizkes

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Should Coronavirus Stop Us from Going to Church? - Crosswalk.com

In his new book Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck, Buddhist teacher David Nichtern offers his advice to creatives on how to make a living doing what you love. Here, he talks with Lions Roars Andrea Miller about accessing our creativity and the spiritual side of money.

David Nichtern. Photo by Riley Smoller.

Andrea Miller: Im a little uncomfortable putting the words spirituality and making a buck together in the same sentence.

David Nichtern: Youre not the only one. Remember, it was Jesus Christ who threw the moneylenders out of the temple. On the other hand, the millennia old split between spirituality and livelihood may be an obsolete paradigm.

Whatabout having a healthy relationship with livelihood as a dimensionof our spiritual well-being? Thats what Buddha taught. Right livelihood is one important aspect of the noble eightfold path toward enlightenment. Why cant we have a wholesome approach toward livelihood and money? Money is just a piece of paper. We add all the meaning. Money is actually a symbol of the interdependence and exchange between all of us. Greed and jealousy are add-ons.

From another point of view, many of us are uncomfortable monetizing spiritualityyoga and meditation and such. But we have no problem paying for every other form of education and training. Nobody faults a guitar teacher or a plumber for charging for their services and time. Teaching meditation and yoga is a service. People train hard to master these disciplines and pass them along.

Is it possible to have spiritual aspirations without falling into spiritual materialism? If so, how?

Totally possible. Spiritual materialism is about buying into false spiritual credentials and parading them as actual accomplishment. I firmly believe that practice is a way to strengthen our positive qualities and uproot some of our negative habitual patterns. If we stay humble and grounded, spiritualmaterialism has no oxygen.

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Creativity, Spirituality & Making a BuckDavid Nichtern Wisdom Publications, 2019

Most creative types find they must have a day job in order to support themselves. What do we need to understand in order to actually support ourselves while working in the arts?

Ah, an important question. In my book Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck, I talk about this issue a lot. The key point is that if your creative offering is going to be your livelihood, you need to understand the business aspect of being a professional creative. So thats an important decision is your creative offering a passion, a hobby, or is it your gig? Business and livelihood have important parameters, which we then need to understand and develop, like marketing, sales, admin, and product development.

In order to be successful in a creative field, we need to be able to accurately appraise our strengths and weaknesses, but so many of us overestimate or underestimate our abilities. How can we learn to make accurate appraisals of our abilities?

Ha! The great middle waynot too tight and not too loose. We call low self-esteem poverty mentalityand over-estimating our capacity arrogance. The truth has to be between those two extremes!

As creatives, we are bound to get lots of feedback from others, and it can be confusing. But there is a great lojong (mind-training) slogan in Buddhismof the two judges, choose the principle onewhich means that we have to take in all the feedback, take the best and leave the rest, and at the end of the day, take our own counsel as to what needs to be cultivated and what needs to be discarded. So its up to us to appraise our abilities. Of course, along the way it can be helpful to have trusted elders and mentors give some skillful feedback. Its like on that TV show where they ask, Is that your final answer? and you can make one phone call before you say yes or no. That phone call is part of the human equation.

Sometimes during the creative process, we feel in the zone. Were totally engrossed, and what were working on just flows. At other times, its a much more painful process. Do you have any advice for making those in-the-zone moments happen more frequently or for longer periods of time?

My first thought is to strengthen your practice of meditation as a way to create the right atmosphere for the zone to appear. We are actually living in the zone all the time. This is the zone, but we dont recognize it when our head is full of discursive thoughts and stress and anxiety. So I highly recommend some kind of discipline of working with the mind apart from any tangible productivity.

There are also concepts like non-dual awareness and tendrel (auspicious coincidence), that can help frame this space, but of course when youre in it, its kind of unconditional and timeless, so we can only point to the experience. Sometimes shock or humor or a sudden shift of awareness can reveal that we have actually been in or right near this kind of space the whole time.

On the other hand, what do we do when were far from the zone, not feeling particularly connected or spontaneous? As a creative, we always have the flip side of the coin, which is leaning in, discipline, exertion, effort, patience, hard work, etc. These are all good qualities. We cant just always be waiting around for a rainbow. The rainbow is always there but sometimes we have to create the right causes and conditions to actually see it.

Lions Roar is a nonprofit. Our mission is to share the wisdom of the Buddhas teachingsto inspire, comfort, support, and enlighten readers around the world. Our aspiration is to keep LionsRoar.com available to everyone, providing a supportive, inspiring Buddhist community that anyone can access, from curious beginners to committed meditators. Do you share our aspiration? We cant do this without your help.

Lions Roar reaches more readers like you than ever before. Unfortunately, advertising and other revenues are falling for print and online media. We know we have something deeply precious to share with the world, and we want to continue this important work. Can you help support our efforts now?

Lions Roar is independent, unbiased, not-for-profit, and supported by readers like you. Please donate today and help the lions roar echo for readers around the world.

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David Nichtern on Spirituality and Making a Buck - Lion's Roar

Pune The second edition of International Festival of Spiritual India (IFSI) will be held from January 31 to February 2 at Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (Yashada) Pune. Author Manjiri Prabhu is the organiser and curator of the festival.

The festival aims to demystify the concept of spirituality and bring it to the grassroots level. It will also make participants aware of what spiritual India means and understand and try to imbibe its values in our day-to-day existence.

Prabhu says, The festival will help understand and connect the myriad thoughts and concepts of spirituality in other parts of the world with those in spiritual India. It will also help encourage everyone to find their path of spirituality and rediscover the deeply engraved spirituality already within us with a union of the mind, body and spirit.

Rajiv Mehrotra, trustee, Foundation for Universal Responsibility of the Dalai Lama will attend the inaugural function on January 31.

The topics at the festival will include yoga, faiths, meditation, well-being, arts, food and nutrition, health and happiness, heritage, healing, crystals and energies, harmony and coexistence, communes, soul connects and twin flames and relationships. The formats include workshops, discussions, performances (dance, music), demonstrations and talks by national and international invitees.

Prabhu said, The logo of the festival is specially designed to connote the essence of Indian spirituality and that of IFSI. The five colour stripes represent the universe and our Earth which is made of five basic elements or Panchmahabhute which also constitutes our body in which our soul or the spirit of life resides. We need to be in unison with these elements to create and maintain a balance in our life. The two hands depicting a gesture of namaskar depicts the core of Indian philosophy recognition and respect of another being as a part of universal divinity. It also symbolises an eternal flame of enlightenment or knowledge that manifests within a being through following a spiritual and divine path in life. The circular shape of the logo denotes the Brahmanda or the Indian description of the universe.

The panellists include Dr John Dayal, member of the National Integration Council of India; Seshadri Chari, politician, author and foreign policy analyst; Swami Atmapriyananda, vice-chancellor of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University; Shubhranghshu Roy, author; Ranjit S Bhogal, scientific research department, Kaivalyadhama, Pune and Mickey Mehta, fitness guru.

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Spiritual festival curated to bring world together in peace, love and harmony - Hindustan Times

Photo by Jake Lee GreenLeft to Right: Ariane and Garrett Madden, Jeremiah Maxwell. Not pictured is Wendy Maxwell.Photo by Jake Lee GreenPhoto by Jake Lee Green

By Jake Lee GreenKern Valley Sun

Celebrate Recovery is celebrating its new home at a newly established church, by the name of The Ark, which is hosting the support group along with several other programs under the wing of K.N.U.C.K.L.E. U.P. Ministries. K.N.U.C.K.L.E. U.P. is an acronym for Know him, Need his mercy, Utilize his power, Care for his people, Keep his word, Lose yourself, Engage in spiritual warfare, Unveil the enemy, Pursue his kingdom. It is a Christian assembly of community members dedicated to bringing awareness and support to folks in the valley who are in search of a spiritual relationship between themselves and God. The Ark found its home at 3711 Golden Spur Avenue in Lake Isabella.

Pastor Jeremiah Maxwell says he is delighted to have had such a positive and communally supportive response from local churches and members of other congregations. Maxwell states that the community helped chip in a good amount of work to make the place really shine for its opening day. Maxwell says a lot of the inspiration for the name of the ministry came from a moment he had experienced with God that gave him the words to fill the acronym as a definition for his vision with the covenant. The name truly entices a bit of hardline rallying behind what Maxwell says is the basis of the ministerial goals, which is, to help the afflicted. The ministry sees itself as a gathering of spiritual warriors called to help spread the word of the Bible. The approach isnt necessarily new to the valley, but, it had been tabled for a couple of years until the feeling was right to provide a space for the ideologies contained within the ministry. The programs had been implemented at Faith Community before moving to The Ark.

Last Sunday marked the fourth week that The Ark has been open and youth numbers in the congregation have doubled within the course of a week, says Maxwell. Part of K.N.U.C.K.L.E U.P. is its youth services that coincide with Celebrate Recovery on Fridays at 6 p.m. Celebration Place is for children ages 0-12 and The Landing is for young adults between the ages of 13 to 18. Youth Celebration engages children in worship with material that is included in the primary worship services, but, is catered to the kiddos.

Pastor Garrett Madden says that approaching young adults in The Landing with spirituality is only part of the process. This youth pre-covery, as the ministry calls it, is meant to make available coping mechanisms for the youth to use in their daily lives and can even extend to kids recovering from these various issues in life as well. Madden emphasizes the quality of conversation that young adults should be having and how the program caters to those needs by teaching the participants how to build long-lasting healthy relationships with their peers.

The Welcome Home Initiative provides veterans coming out of the military with support to re-connect with society after their service.

Worship and service times are twice on Sundays to give folks in the community a chance to catch communion twice. Once at 10:30 a.m. and then again at 6 p.m. in the evening. Wednesday Night Bible Teaching is at 6 p.m.

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The Ark brings shelter to those in spiritual need - Kern Valley Sun

This weekend, a video of Trumps spiritual adviser, Paula White, surfaced showing her preaching some potentially ungodly words.

We command any satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now! she says, before clarifying: We declare that anything thats been conceived in satanic wombs that it will miscarry, it will not be able to carry forth any plan of destruction, any plan of harm.

White has since claimed that her words were taken out of context she wasnt praying for literal miscarriages, just metaphorical ones! Right. Whatever the case, its not the most outlandish thing shes ever advocated.

White has a close relationship with the president and his family. She offered a prayer at Trumps inauguration; brags about how she calls Trump first thing in the morning; and reportedly visits the White House once a week.

But despite all of her talk about rejecting self-serving actions, she has called her appointment as Trumps adviser an assignment from God. She has also stated that the Lord wanted her to go on national television.

White believes in a school of thought called prosperity theology, which sounds a lot like a pyramid scheme.

She believes that financial prosperity is a sign of Gods approval. Which means that God must really like her she has a multimillion-dollar home in a gated community and a private jet. It follows that God must really like Donald Trump, too.

But she has also been branded a charlatan, perhaps because she proselytizes that God will bless those who donate to her church.

In one interview, an MSNBC reporter asks Do you tell them that if they give to you they will get financial riches from God? to which White responds: I have probably said that. But my 50-year-old self wouldnt do what my 20-, 30- or 40-year-old self did.

Guardian reporting last year showed that White was encouraging members of her congregation to send their first months salary to her ministry to enjoy Gods blessings.

Whites former church, Without Walls, which was raking in $40m a year at one point, has faced allegations over the misuse of donations. In a three-year investigation, it was alleged that White and her husband were using church and ministry finances for to benefit themselves.

A Congress investigation into the church was closed in 2010 with no penalties although investigators said they were stifled by lifelong confidentially agreements that had been signed by church employees. The church filed for bankruptcy in 2014.

In late 2001, White signed a $1.5m contract for a show on the Black Entertainment Network. She was accused of adopting African American idioms which, if you watch footage from her show, appear to be steeped in problematic race and class stereotypes.

In her own TV show, which was picked up for a segment on Late Night with Seth Myers in 2017, she is seen making jokes about eating macaroni cheese out of boxes, and claiming that a woman shouldnt wonder why her partner leaves her when yo still got yo funky curlers in yo hair and spinach in yo teeth.

In the sketch, Meyers says: Its hard to tell whats more offensive, the insinuation that its your fault that your husband left you or the appropriation of black idiomatic speech before comedian Amber Ruffin responds: Its the black stuff.

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'Satanic wombs': the outlandish world of Trump's spiritual adviser - The Guardian

Tara Beagans play will finally see the light. The Ministry of Grace, which Beagan wrote and is directing, debuts Feb. 4 at the Belfry Theatre.

The Ntlakapamux playwright says it feels absolutely right to stage the long-developed play at the former church.

Its one of those funny Canadian plays that had its time in workshop and its been read off the table for a long time, she says, noting that the story was refined through Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto. It really feels right that the piece should come to fruition here.

The story follows a Ntlakapamux mother, Mary, who answers a call for labourers in California, before being hired as part of a travelling evangelical show and renamed Grace. Whats interesting, Beagan says, is getting actors to interpret what is a pious devotion within the play, such as learning certain hymns. She says its rare to work with actors who have any kind of active practice going to a formal church.

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Its kind of a funny translation process where we have to go what was that for people, when church was such a common part of community and a way to create community. What is that to us now?

For actors, Beagan says, that communal place is the theatre. Its a place where they find connection and reward by going to work, and seeing colleagues at work. So they work from there.

Its interesting to move from the secular into the more spiritual and sacred, she says, [and] figure out a way to speak to that that is really authentic and doesnt feel like a superficial layer.

Its the third day of rehearsals at the time of interview, and she isnt shy in praising the actors work so far. Its a little scary how great this cast is, she says.

These actors are phenomenal, she emphasizes the last word. Theyre just so keen, theyre so ready to go, theyre already lifting off the page a whole bunch, theyve done their homework, she says.

Like many of her plays, Beagan says, The Ministry of Grace is about love and how to keep hold of it when facing challenges.

Because this is an Indigenous story, the love and the difficulties are wrapped up right inside of laughter. So I think anybody will find its a story they can relate to and theyll be glad they left the comfort of their homes for this telling.

Tickets are available online tickets.belfry.bc.ca, by phone at 250-385-6815 or at the Belfry box office.

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Actors asked to find a spirituality for new Belfry production - Peninsula News Review

(BP) That is what Gods word is for me nowadays. I was meditating and journaling about Psalm 11 and, upon finishing, I felt as if the most soothing spiritual ointment had reached down to my itchy, achy soul to bring comfort and relief.

Yaditza Irizarry

Interestingly, I didnt even know I needed to be comforted in such a way, as everything in my life and family had been going great meaning, dealing with the daily mundane. However, I also had become burdened and discouraged by the ramping wickedness in this world, especially recent deconversion stories of former Christians and the folly of quarrels in social media among Christians. In fact, I had recently taken a break from social media because I just couldnt bear one more deconstruction story or another epic clash amongst Christians.

So, there I was the other day, sitting on my couch, doing my quiet time and meditating on Psalm 11, especially verses 3-11. That part stood out from the psalm, so I proceeded to inquire about the context and how it applied to me on that day.

Photo by Kiwihug on Unsplash

The first part of the Psalm (vv. 1-2) conveys that when David encountered significant danger at one point, he was advised to escape from his enemies. Instead, he chose to trust the Lord and take refuge in him, for he was certain that even when the foundations of life are torn down, those who have a relationship with the Lord will find shelter in him.

This passage reminds us that even when it seems that the unrighteous are getting away with their wicked ways, we can rest knowing that God is in control, for he will bring order and justice when he best seems fitting. We are also reminded that God is already working examining the righteous and the wicked and that it is really not our role to worry and get caught up in the negativity and unrighteousness. Moreover, just because we think something is out of control, in Gods realm and time, it may not be. The devil is defeated, God is actively working, and his plans will be fulfilled.

So, what should we do when we are tempted to become overwhelmed upon hearing conflicting news? We could ponder in his word and meditate in his goodness, righteousness, and in his perfect will? We must choose to be overwhelmed by his love, mercy, and grace, so much so that we can be a blessing to others. As a result, we will show others Gods peace and hope that we are able to experience in him.

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An Unexpected Spiritual Balm - Word and Way

Paula White needs to stop talking.

Trumps spiritual adviser, White has a long history of religiously tinged absurdity. The televangelist is a professed Christian and prosperity gospel preacher, and to those who send her and her ministry money, she promises visions from God.

We arent buying a miracle, she said during one cash grab. Were simply being obedient.

She may say that her first allegiance is to the Lord, but she just might have him confused with Donald J. Trump. To say 'no' to President Trump would be saying 'no' to God, she said of her decision to join the administration. And I won't do that."

In her latest controversy, the supposedly pro-life White prayed for satanic pregnancies to miscarry: We command all satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now. We declare that anything thats been conceived in satanic wombs, that itll miscarry, it will not be able to carry forth any plan of destruction, any plan of harm.

When a clip of her message began circulating online, White responded that everyone who thought she was calling for the death of innocent babies simply misunderstood.

I don't normally respond but clearly this has been taken out of context, she tweeted Sunday. I was praying Eph 6:12 that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Anything that has been conceived by demonic plans, for it to be cancelled and not prevail in your life That is any plans to hurt people. Let's be clear what is really going on ... this is a disingenuous attempt to use words out of context for political gain. I will just keep praying!

Oh, a metaphorical miscarriage. Common mistake.

The Bible verse that White references, Ephesians 6:12, says this: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The apostle Paul is discussing the existence of spiritual warfare; when Christians face conflict, they should remember that their decisions have eternal, not just temporal, consequences. But, just in case this wasnt clear, the verse does not mean that you should pray for the miscarriage of satanic pregnancies, whatever that means. It's actually pretty hard to figure out how she got from point A to point B here.

Theological studies professor Andre Gagne tweeted that he thought White's comment was metaphorical. White is commanding that Satan's plans be aborted, he said. But even if hes right, does that really make her language a good idea? Its clear that White paints Satans plans with a pretty broad brush.

If White wanted to pray against any plans to hurt people, she could have done so. Instead, she made it clear what she thinks of her political enemies, and thats not incompatible with her previous behavior. It might be one thing for this to be a slip of the tongue or a one-off misstep. But White has made it evident what she thinks of the opponents of herself and the president.

Right now, let every demonic network who has aligned itself against the purpose, against the calling of President Trump, let it be broken, let it be torn down in the name of Jesus! she proclaimed at a Trump rally.

In her "satanic pregnancies" speech, she said, "We declare that any strange winds any strange winds that have been sent to hurt the church, sent against this nation, sent against our president, sent against myself, sent against others we break it by the superior blood of Jesus right now."

While many prominent evangelicals have distanced themselves from White and her outlandish beliefs, others have continued to embrace her. Even if Christian leaders make clear that they want no association with her, White still has one prominent ally in the White House.

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What on Earth is wrong with Paula White, Trump's spiritual guru? - Washington Examiner

By Chriss Williams

The pews of Most Holy Redeemer-Nativity Church in the East Village were packed with Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and the unaffiliated last Sunday, Jan. 26 to listen to the 11th annual Spiritual Sounds; An Evening of Faith, Recitation and Music.

The topic of religion and spiritual practice has long been a point of contention for communities inside and outside of New York City but not in this space.

Spiritual Sounds is not political in nature or promoting anything other than unity in diversity. For two hours, attendees witnessed members from a variety of faith communities perform and engage in what the German theologian Rudolf Otto called the numinous, communicating with God, others, the universe and themselves through sound.

The event allowed people to witness humanity outside of their social filter bubbles, an experience the events creator and organizer Anthony Donovan says is uncommon.

Donovan addressed those gathered inside Most Holy Redeemer- Nativity Church, with awe and praise as their simple act of attending the event demonstrated tremendous strength.

We all have people in our communities that may not approve of you doing this, said Donovan.

Religious institutions around the country have witnessed a surge of violence as religious identity is often a motivating factor in hate crimes. According to the NYPD, hate crimes in the city were up 19% in 2019 and anti-Semitic hate crimes increased by 26% with 234 incidents.

Last month, the Orthodox Jewish community experienced several violent attacks including one on Dec. 29, when a machete-wielding man entered the home of a Rockland County Rabbi, hosting a Hanukkah celebration. Five party-goers were stabbed before the assailant fled the scene. He was later arrested by police and pled not-guilty in his arraignment hearing. According to HuffPost, the mans journal allegedly contained references to Hitler and thoughts of genocide. That same day, a gunman opened fire in a Christian church in Texas, killing two people before being shot and killed by an armed worshiper.

Mayor de Blasio recently asserted its commitment to combating anti-Semitism and hate crimes against religious groups through the establishment of multi-ethnic interfaith neighborhood safety coalitions and working with the NYC Department of Education to create new programming for schools that promote tolerance.

Spiritual Sounds has provided a reflective refuge from oppression and hatred for the past eleven years. A line from their statement of affirmation printed on the evenings program reads; We wish to encourage and reflect the greatest shining strength of our city and our nation, the best in us, our unity in our diversity

New York City is noisy, said Father William Elder, whose parish hosted this years event. Our challenge is in the midst of the cacophony around us is to listen to the sounds of the spirit, to listen to spiritual sounds, the sounds of the human heart.

Alex Seibel of The Bhakti Center, challenged stereotypes of what a spiritual sound should be with his performance of an original rap song. The way we understand Bhakti is that anything can be transformed into a devotional act to God, Seibel told The Villager.

Other local faith groups participating included; St. Marks Church in the Bowery, The Shul of New York, Light of Guidance Sufi Center, St. Marys American Orthodox Church, Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection, Second Avenue Church, Sixth Street Community Synagogue, The Catholic Worker, Most Holy Redeemer-Nativity Church, Nechung Foundation, The Center of Universal Peace, Town & Village synagogue, Medina Masjid Mosque, and Middle Collegiate Church.

Adam Raabe, a former resident of the East Village, attended Spiritual Sounds for the first time. After Middle Collegiate Churchs gospel choir closed the evening with rousing joy-filled number, he mused that the event was everything the world needs in 2020,a melding of the good things that religions can offer, specifically: community and inspiration. The event is welcoming, diverse, and awe inspiring.

As people exited the sanctuary, faith leaders gathered to take a group photo. The diverse expressions of Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism standing side-by-side, smiling. If you listened closely you could hear the hope this shared space of sanctuary brings to New York City.

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Spiritual Sounds unites a world of faiths in the East Village - amNY

The Kenyon College Drama, Dance, and Cinema Club kicked off their 2020 season at the Hill Theater last Friday with a senior thesis production of Adam Bocks Five Flights. Lights went up on Henry Ratliff 20, who played the role of Ed, displaying a diorama with what would soon become the most divisive element of the show: an aviary.

The aviary is sought after by many. Jane (Maggie Perkins 20) is Eds sister-in-law who wants to sell the property. Adele and Olivia (Hannah Johnston 20 and Sarah Dailey 20), Eds sister and her best friend, want to convert it into a church for Olivias new religion, the Church of the Fifth Day.

Ed himself is in a state of uncertaintyeventually wanting to let the ground bury it while it still breathes.

The aviary was built by Ed and Adeles recently deceased father for his late wife, whose soul, he believed, had become a bird. This belief of their fathers becomes controversial among Ed, Adele and their brother Bobby years later, as they try to decide how to deal with the aviary. Five Flights explores familial conflict in a time of mourning and distress.

Through religious preaching, the pursuit of Eds love interest, professional hockey player Tom (Teddy Fischer 22), and comic relief from his best friend Andre (Caleb Stern 23), the characters distract themselves from facing their fathers death head-on.

Adele, due to the tight-knit nature of her relationship with her father, finds herself reminiscing about the way that her father dealt with her mothers death: obsessing over the birds he would bring into the aviary and doing whatever he could to keep her spirit alive.

Johnston believed that Adele using Olivias interest in repurposing the aviary is an act of Adele remembering how she used to believe in her dad and that since hes died, it shows hope and gives her a reason to believe something else.

While Adele and Olivias pursuit of the aviary seems to be the most unwavering, every family member expresses their desire for the aviary equally through argument filled dialogue, which, to members of the cast, was a reason why they selected Five Flights for their senior thesis.

I thought it was perfect because its by Adam Bock, who really focuses on a group protagonistso even though the show is Eds play, it really explores every character pretty much evenly, Johnston said.

Five Flights explores themes of intense familial conflict, the crossroads of spirituality and death, and the navigation of love and vulnerability. The cast guided the audience through powerful displays of passion and loss with continuous banter throughout the show.

My character struggles a lot with what to believe in and why you should believe in it, Johnston said, and this guided narration of siblings coping with their fathers death she feels provokes the question of wondering, what can religion offer us, how can it hurt us, how can it help us.

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Senior thesis Five Flights grapples with spiritual identity - Kenyon Collegian