Contract: Permanent Location: London and Home Counties

Appointment of Director of Chaplaincy and Spirituality

MHA is a charity providing care, accommodation and support services for older people throughout Britain. MHA is one of the most well respected care providers in the sector and amongst the largest charities in Britain, providing services to older people for almost 75 years. With income of over 200m per year, we provide residential care, retirement communities and community schemes to over 17,000 older people. We work with over 7,000 dedicated staff, enhanced by the commitment of 5,500 volunteers. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for older people, inspired by Christian concern.

After 15 years of service, our Director of Chaplaincy and Spirituality will be returning to local ministry. MHA is now seeking to appoint someone to continue to develop this distinctive aspect of what MHA does on spiritual wellbeing of older people. As a full member of the Leadership Team, this person will be part of the team leading the whole organisation and be responsible for realising MHA's potential for thought leadership on spirituality and faith in later life. The successful candidate will bring an understanding of a broad spectrum of spiritual needs, especially those of older people, and wide, relevant pastoral care experience to lead a network of chaplains. They will have a track record of relevant leadership experience, including successfully managing large numbers of volunteers as well as outstanding communication skills and an ability to reflect creatively on spiritual matters. Candidates could be ordained or lay and from a Methodist or other Christian denomination background. An occupational requirement exists for the post-holder to be a practising Christian in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Saxton Bampfylde is acting as employment agency advisor to MHA on this appointment. Candidates can learn more about the role and apply through Saxton Bampfylde's website at http://www.saxbam.com/jobs using reference code UAFMH. The closing date for applications is

noon on Monday 27th February 2017

Ref:JN011947

Read the original:

Director of Chaplaincy and Spirituality - Church Times

A Monastery in the Egyptian Desert

The headwaters of the Christian contemplative and mystical tradition aside from the Bible, of course is the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, hermits and early monks and nuns who lived in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine and Syrian in the third and fourth centuries.

A literature of stories, parables, wisdom teachings, biographies, and even travelogues grew up around the lives and sayings of the Desert dwellers, giving us valuable insight into early Christian understandings of community, prayer, devotion, holiness, meditation, and even contemplation.

While none of the Desert Fathers orMothers appear to have the kind of profound mystical life such as Julian of Norwich or Teresa of vila, their down-to-earth (and often quite funny) wisdom remains surprisingly relevant for seekers of deeper intimacy with God, even now in the third millennium.

Many books are available that collect the sayings of the Desert elders, or that interpret their spirituality for 21st-century Christians.Here are seven that I have found the most useful for my own learning and spiritual formation:

Desert Christians

Desert Christians by William Harmless far and away the best book Ive ever readabout the Desert Fathers and Mothers and the world they lived in. Harmless provides excellent, and accessible, historical background and detailed description of their lives, their circumstances, and the personalities of the most renowned of the Desert elders.

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers translated by Benedicta Ward sayings and words (brief wisdom teachings) of over 100 Desert Fathers and Mothers are anthologized in this collection, arranged alphabetically according to the subjects Greek name. An excellent way to get to know the personalities of the various figures, such as John the Dwarf and Amma (Mother) Syncletica.

The Praktikos & Chapters on Prayer

The Praktikos & Chapters on Prayer byEvagrius Ponticus unlike many of the Desert elders, Evagrius was well-educated, and so brings a philosophical and theological sophistication to his writings. This collection of two of his most important works show just how deeply contemplative the Desert elders were, lauding silence and self-forgetfulnessas key elements of mature prayer.

Read these seven books and you will have a rich and nuanced overview of the history, wisdom, and spirituality of the Desert. Enjoy!

Stay in touch! Connect with Carl McColman on Facebook:

Go here to see the original:

Seven Essential Books on the Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers - Patheos (blog)

Photo is of public domain from pixabay.com

ByYsuf Abdul-Jmi

Verily, tyrannical rulers will come after me and whoever affirms their lies and supports their oppression has nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with him, and he will not drink with me at the fountain in Paradise. Whoever does not affirm their lies and does not support their oppression is part of me and I am part of him, and he will drink with me at the fountain in Paradise. (Jmi al-Tirmidh)

It does not matter. Let a man help his brother whether he is wrong or being wronged. If he is oppressing others, then stop him for that is helping him. If he is being oppressed, then help him. (a Bukhr & Muslim)

Prophet Muhammad, The Blessed Messenger of Allh (saw)

I am accustomed to seeking solace from scenes of black death and dying in the depths of dhikr where my heart has hidden what hope I have left that our souls can be healed. I am accustomed to it because prayer and remembrance have been the refuge of my forefathers and foremothers ever since they first tasted and then toiled on the Ames plantation in southwestern Tennessee. My weary heart was introduced to the Islamic forms of remembrance through the guidance of shuykh and scholars at some of the most beautiful and beneficial spiritual retreats Ive ever attended.

Some of these shuykh, and their students, have demonstrated a sincerity about understanding the realities of racism that I wished was more widely shared.

But this time my hands are wet with tears and the prayer beads slip past my fingers too easily onto the floor. And as I strain to hear the guidance that Im certain will come from the descendants of saints, scholars and servants of the sacred traditions of Sunni, Shia and Sufi, silence returns to sit besides me and smile at my pain. As black bodies struck the streets, a familiar silence strikes me again and again. I recognize it as the same silence that emanated from the majority of non-black Muslims when black people, who were experiencing the harshness of injustice, called out for solidarity and support.

Among the words I do hear, mostly from their followers, students and admirers, are admonitions to ignore the suffering on the streets, the torrents of tears and the terrorism of tyrants that claims black innocents. Condescending caution, clothed in spiritual speech, seeks to calm me lest my anger at justice denied cost me both peace and paradise. I hear that I should have more patience and less anger. I hear that we arent worthy of solidarity because we respond too violently, too emotionally to oppression.

I hear that we dont have any leaders worth following and that if we would only be more like Bilal, more like post-Hajj Malcolm, more like the Martin that dreamed and less like the Martin that marched. I hear that as Black Muslims we should turn our efforts towards being less black and more Muslim, as if Muhammadan resemblance and blackness were mutually exclusive.

If certain inheritors of the Prophets have not inherited the urgency of the Prophetic injunction to prioritize the pain of the oppressed and aid their struggle against the slaughter in our streets, what spiritual nourishment will starving souls find? If more shuykh, like the perceptive and patient souls Ive personally encountered, arent willing to fully engage black suffering and our legacy of a liberating black spirituality, on their own terms and as divine sustenance for the sons and daughters of slaves, how will minds and hearts ever be unshackled?

Prayer beads dont stop bullets and the mercies of mawlids dont suffice to protect innocents from manifest malevolence. Dhikr can and should be done while, not instead of, defending the dignity of the disenfranchised. Black American Muslims come into increasing contact with traditions of taawwuf in times of such urgent turmoil, these traditions must offer forms of remembrance that respect the balance between sanctity and struggle, represented to varying degrees of effectiveness by the lives of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, Warith Deen Muhammad, Ahmadou Bamba, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman.

Prophetic resemblance within the African-American spiritual context is most often predicated on how effectively this synergy is maintained during our struggle for existence against all forms of extermination. Our rituals of remembrance include a tradition of scholarship, seeking the peace and blessings of Allh upon our beloved Prophet , and continuing the best traditions of our righteous ancestors sacred struggle.

Praying on the plains of Arafat

Unless sacred spaces offer solidarity and sanctuary, not just a sanctity more suited to sleepwalking past beaten bodies than struggle, what refuge from slaughter can former slaves find from terror and trauma? When some shuykh and their students silence the oppressed by suggesting that they occupy themselves with sanctification while soldiers of post-racial slavery slam their bodies to the streets with bullets and bombs, where are we to search for saints?

Calling for the oppressed to take up the inner jihd of Prophetic remembrance while abandoning them in their struggle for justice, which is the essence of Prophetic resemblance, is a betrayal of both. Shaming those who are suffering by asserting that their sins are the reason they are being slaughtered gives moral sanctuary to the supremacist footsoldiers of shirk.

Insisting on silent suffering as a requisite for salvation, on supplication as a substitute for struggle and demanding deference to dogma or to Muhammadan descendants, whose silence is indicative of both disengagement and distance from the black and Muslim experience, as conditions of Divine deliverance from oppression is to misrepresent the meaning of mercy.

May Allh preserve His saints, scholar-warriors, steadfast servants, and the legacy of His Prophets, peace be upon them all. And May He strengthen, encourage and deliver the oppressed and persecuted among his servants from every affliction and injustice into His mercy and everlasting peace.

O Allh, make me better than what they think of me, and forgive me for what they do not know about me, and do not take me to account for what they say about me (Allhumma-jaaln khayran mim yaunn wa-ghfir l m l yalamn wa l tukhidhn bim yaqln). Ab Bakr a-iddq

Ysuf Abdul-Jmi (Jimmie Jones) was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. He is currently serving on the board of the Muslim Wellness Foundation to reduce stigma associated with mental illness, addiction and trauma in the American Muslim community. As a Muslim, an African American and a father with ADD, he engages in advocacy efforts around mental health, race, culture and spirituality. He currently lives in Maryland with his wife, an educator and a doula, and their three children. A version of this article originally appeared on SapeloSquare.com.

Read more:

On Black Suffering and the Legacy of Liberating Black Spirituality - Patheos (blog)

Jim Ketchum, For the Times Herald 12:03 p.m. ET Feb. 10, 2017

Crossroads column by Jim Ketchum.(Photo: Getty Images)

Today marks the 170th anniversary of the birth of Port Hurons most favorite of sons, Thomas Alva Edison.

Local residents swell with some justifiable pride at the mention of the great inventor, even though he did most of his great inventing in his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.That lab, incidentally, became part of Greenfield Village in Dearborn at the behest of Edisons good friend, Henry Ford.

If you have lived anywhere near Port Huron for any length of time, you understand how important Thomas Edison is to the citys history and heritage. Theres a statue of young Tom near the St. Clair River just south of the Blue Water Bridge.

Theres also the Thomas Edison Museum nearby along Thomas Edison Parkway.

A walk through the oldest section of Lakeside Cemetery reveals the graves of Edisons parents.

Sadly, Edison didnt care much for Port Huron. As a youth, he was thrown off the train at Smiths Creek after the laboratory he set up in a boxcar caught fire. He was selling newspapers at the time. Legend has it he lost much of his hearing when the angry conductor boxed his ears.

Later biographers say Edisons handicap resulted from scarlet fever as a boy and repeated, untreated middle-ear infections. Edison later said his hearing loss resulted when the conductor lifted him by the ears as they evacuated the burning rail car.

For all his accomplishments, Ive always wondered where the great inventor stood regarding religion. Research proves enlightening.

According to historian Paul Israel, Edison was a freethinker. Edison didnt join a church denomination, rather took his spiritual education from Thomas Paines The Age of Reason. He was especially attracted to the idea of scientific deism.

Edison and Paine were not atheists. According to Israel, both believed in a guiding power in the universe.

I do not believe in the God of the theologians, but that there is a Supreme Intelligence I do not doubt, Edison said in a 1910 interview in the New York Times Magazine.

He also said, Nature made us nature did it all not the gods of the religions.

Still, Edison said that statement did not mean he was an atheist. What you call God I call Nature, the Supreme Intelligence that rules matter.

None of this really should surprise us. As an inventor, scientist and inquirer, Edison believed what he could absorb with his five senses. He spent much more time in his laboratory tinkering with natures elements than he did contemplating what he considered esoteric concepts.

Edison did, however, cultivate the notion of nonviolence. During a stint as a naval consultant during World War I, he said he would work only on defensive weapons. He took pride in not inventing any new ways to kill humans.

Edison also was a vegetarian because he abhorred the way animals were raised for slaughter. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages, Israel quotes him as saying.

Yet an incident at the end of Edisons life raised questions about his spirituality. As he lay dying, some sources reported the inventor turned his head toward a window and said, Its lovely over there. Then he died.

Where precisely was over there?" No one ever figured it out.

Contact Jim Ketchum at jeketchum1@att.net.

Read or Share this story: http://bwne.ws/2kXt1PD

Follow this link:

Edison's spirituality is more similar to 'scientific deism' - Port Huron Times Herald

Spirituality as seen through the classic enslavement triangle is one of the missions of Contra Mestre Chicago Murray. Through Capoeira de Angola Murray showed there is a link between the spiritual practices of those in the African country known as Angola, with the enslaved Africans who were brought to Brazil, and even to those who learn the spirituality, martial arts and dance that tie them with kin in the United States.

Murray shared at a gathering at Ausar Auset, 6008 Germantown Ave. on Feb. 4. The dozens gathered were there to view the film. This was the first in a series of movie nights where a multigenerational crowd of those of various faiths will gather to watch films that shows the spiritual power of Africans and their descendants.

In capoeira we use many words from Angola, Murray said. The words of the instruments are African. Actually whenever we teach it we also teach you how to make these instruments as well as to play it. You play litany it after you do libations.

Murray explained that he learned the spiritual and martial arts of capoeira from one of the oldest living masters in the United States, Jao Grande, in New York City. Murray, a native of Chicago, said he studied martial arts and related Asian spirituality while a teenager. When he found that the two disciplines were originally of African origin he sought out African masters. He found the oldest body of studies in the Americas was found in Brazil.

Like its Caribbean and southern cousins who practice Santeria, Voudon, or other indigenous faiths, Murray shared that most look at these as a way of life rather than a religion. So, many adherents continue to practice Catholic, Protestant, Islamic, or other faiths while still exploring capoeira. Some combine spiritual modalities while others treat it as purely a martial arts practice as when one takes a karate, judo, aikido or related class.

This is actually one of the art forms. It is not a religion, but it has some spirituality to it., Murray said.

Now for Chicago capoeira and Brazilian spirituality is a family affair. When he does presentations or performances he often has his wife and five children with him. This was the case at the Germantown spiritual center last Saturday. They were able to demonstrate the sacred music of Angola and even tie those in to the martial arts and dance movements.

I enjoy doing this, said 14-year old Nailah Murray. Also on hand was her two brothers, 11-year-old Geronimo and 7-year-old Freedom, as well as little sister 4-year old Naima.

I find learning about Brazilian culture and traditions fascinating, said Nutara Netchem Ab, who came for the movie series.

For those interested in learning about the African Brazilian culture they need look no further than the Anderson Cultural Center, 5301 Overbrook Ave. in West Philadelphia. Chicago kicked off his African Brazilian martial art and dance courses for children and adults on Jan. 9. For more information call (912) 596-2141 or visit iccapoeira@yahoo.com.

The Ausar Auset Society will continue its series of watching movies about how spirituality enabled various enslaved Africans to resist in times of crisis. The first film in the Celebrate Resistance series was Quilombo a classic film by Carlos Diegues. It is about the Palmeres in Brazil who used their spirituality and African martial arts form to resist slavery. For information on the upcoming films call (215) 843-0900.

The rest is here:

Dots connected in enslavement triangle - The Philadelphia Tribune

Eric J. Hall President & CEO of HealthCare Chaplaincy Network, Chairman of Alzheimers Global Initiative This post is hosted on the Huffington Post's Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and post freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

With millions around the globe currently battling Alzheimer's disease, millions more are providing vital and necessary care to these individuals. There is no better time for this community to start exploring some of the different ways in which caregivers can start helping themselves and their families cope with this condition. Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's. Care for an individual with Alzheimer's is often a 24/7 daunting and exhausting responsibility.

There is plenty of conversations being held about how a caregiver needs to care for themselves physically and emotionally. Caregivers cannot give what they do not have, so care of oneself is very important. Little has been discussed regarding the importance of spiritual care. Now more than in the past the health care field is comprehending that meaning and comfort can be found in one's spirituality.

The term spirituality means something different to everyone. However, for caregivers, "spiritual care" is one of the few ways that brings them and the families of individual's with Alzheimer's peace and comfort. For individuals with end-stage dementia or Alzheimer's, they may be dealing with changes in mood and personality, they may be unable to communicate or perform any of their normal functions. These changes, this reality of Alzheimer's, directly impacts the caregiver.

However, many caregivers find that spiritual assistance can help their families during this troubling time. For some, this may include praying - leaning on a soul connection with that which is sacred. For others, it may be stealing a quiet moment in the backyard. Others may just want to connect with another kind person. The important thing is that these practices can help them find comfort and meaning. Studies have found these are significant tools to help family members cope with their own battles with a loved one who has Alzheimer's.

No matter how you choose to express your own inner spiritual self and your relationship that which is sacred and divine, it is important for caregivers to consider spiritual care as a support to their role.

Follow Eric J. Hall on Facebook!

Read this article:

Caregivers - Using Spirituality to Cope With Alzheimer's Disease - Huffington Post

Norris Burkes Published 1:43 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago

Norris Burkes is shown speaking at a 2011 prayer breakfast.(Photo: Provided photo)

Recently, I got an email from Jim Meacham, retired Air Force master sergeant who served 41 years.

Now at 81 years old, hes well into his second wind volunteering for the River Region Chaplain Service in Montgomery, Alabama. He and 14 other volunteer chaplains serve nearly 500 police officers and about 250 sheriff deputies, along with about 450 officers in fire and rescue.

Initially, Jim ran into the same difficulty most new chaplains have serving people of different religions. As a public-safety chaplain, he must follow the same rules I do as a hospice chaplain. We cannot proselytize.

As chaplains, we are tasked to serve all persons while respecting their different beliefs. That includes everyone: Christians, atheists, Islamists, Jews or any other ideology.

Why would that be a problem? you ask. Because we both came from Baptist traditions where proselytizing was part of our beliefs. However, in Jims role as a chaplain, it means that he doesnt pray for an officer, and I as a chaplain dont pray for a patient, unless our prayers are specifically requested.

We follow this rule because, as Jim likes to say, Chaplains are servants, not judges." Nevertheless, well-meaning evangelical folks will still push us to use our position to tell dying people, Jesus is your only hope.

We resist their well-meaning advice and hold fast to the rule of no proselytizing for two reasons. First, wed be fired for violating the rule. But more importantly: A chaplains job is spiritual, not religious.

Whats the difference? you ask.

Spirituality is that sense of awe and wonder we all have about the creation that surrounds us. Its about who we are, how we hope, how we pray and how we love. Spirituality is that piece of ourselves that attracts us to something outside ourselves. It is that basic appetite or search engine we have that seeks our creator.

Religion is one of the destinations to which spirituality often can take us. Destinations can be different for all of us. Spirituality may bring a person to Christianity, but it might also bring a person to Buddhism or Judaism.

Personally, Im not ashamed to say it here, loud and clear, that my spiritual search leads me to the Godthat Jesus came to reveal. My faith is something I recommend to everyone who asks me about the hope I carry within me.

Since Christianity is our chosen religion, Jim and I worship with those who believe as we do. But as chaplains, we seek a more ambitious dialogue with those we serve. We seek a discourse that includes all those people who are made in the image of God.

It is the same kind of cross-cultural dialogue I hope you will explore.

I urge you not to limit yourself to those who only worship a god thats only created in your image. If you do, youre going to miss God in a lot of places. Besides, if you really believe your religion to be relevant, then youll want to test it out among people who believe differently.

Years ago, Jim had a mentor who taught that "if we carry ourselves as God would have us, and let him guide us, we'll be OK." Jim says he still finds that advice to be true.

Recently, a small stroke reduced Jims duty calls, but in the end, he remains, as do I, a chaplain that serves people. We see ourselves not as some kind of apostle or Elmer Gantry evangelist, but someone who is gently nudging, not judging, people toward a relationship with their benevolent creator.

Contact Norris Burkes at thechaplain.net, or write him via P.O. Box 247, Elk Grove, CA,95759.

Read or Share this story: http://stargaz.tt/2kT5gYE

Read the original post:

Spirituality: Called to be servants, not judges - Elmira Star-Gazette

Ladakh -- once the hub of the ancient Silk Route -- is aptly described as a place where Buddhist spirituality and its ancient culture reign supreme amidst virgin nature.

It's a cold desert in northern India, dotted by tiny hamlets spread over the Himalayan peaks adjoining Tibet, where one can simultaneously have a close brush with sunburn and frostbite in summer.

Leh, the headquarters of Ladakh, is connected by road -- open only five months a year due to heavy snowfall -- from Srinagar and the distance of 434 km takes two days with a night halt at Kargil town; and almost equidistant from the picturesque Manali tourist resort in Himachal Pradesh via the picturesque Lahaul Valley. The latter route is more treacherous.

Travelling by air is the most convenient way to reach Leh, available round the year.

"It's a place where spirituality and culture co-exist, where traditional life is thriving by adapting green, modern technologies. It's truly called a crown jewel," remarked British tourist Alfred Martin.

For Malaysia-born Michelle Yeoh, famous for her role in Ang Lee's Oscar-winning martial arts love story "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", visiting the "rooftop of the world" is a spiritual journey. The analogy, however, was not exactly appropriate as the expression "Roof of the World" generally refers to Tibet.

"It's a spiritual journey for me every time. This land of high mountain passes always reminds me of a stronghold of Buddhist art, culture and spirituality and this spirit of purity is rarely seen elsewhere in the world," Yeoh told IANS.

She was in Ladakh earlier this month for the week-long Naropa festival, a once-in-12-year celebration of the birth anniversary of the great Indian saint Naropa, at the famed 17th century Hemis monastery, located 40 km from Leh.

"From July till late October is the best period to explore ancient monasteries and trek to a host of mountain passes," remarked tour operator Sonam Dawa in Leh.

Ladakh reported a tourism boom in 2015, attracting 146,501 visitors, including 19,075 foreigners, up more than 25 percent from the previous year, according to the local administration.

This year, till July, it saw 161,444 tourists and a majority of the foreigners were from Israel, France, Britain and the US.

The entire Ladakh region is populated mainly by tribals. The climatic conditions are harsh as much of the land is a cold desert where the mercury remains below minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter for weeks on end.

The staple food is barley, wheat, peas, rice, rapeseed and salted tea mixed with yak butter.

From the world-acclaimed Hemis monastery to Druk Padma Karpo School, also known as "Rancho's School" after the Aamir Khan character in the film '3 Idiots', these places speak about the unique spirit of Ladakh, from an ancient past to the innovative present.

Built in 1630 by Druk Staktsang Raspa, a student of the fifth Gyalwang Drukpa, the monastery holds the Hemis Festival every year in summer in honour of Guru Padmasambhava, the eight century Indian guru revered for spreading Buddhism in the Himalayas.

The monastery's museum is a repository of an astounding 1,500 artefacts, some dating back 1,400 years.

Just an hour's steep uphill hike from the Hemis Monastery takes you to the Gotsang cave and retreat centre, a spiritual journey.

Chemdrey, one of Ladakh's greatest fortress monasteries, is 45 km from Leh, en route to the picturesque Nubra Valley and the world's highest salt water lake Panggong that freezes in winter.

The statute of Padmasambhava is the most important statue in the Chemdrey monastery.

The Shrey Palace, located 15 km south of Leh, houses a 12-foot statute of Buddha in the temple of Shakyamuni, one of the largest metal statues in Ladakh.

The palace, which boasts of a view of 108 stupas , is owned by a royal family of Ladakh. Monks of the Drukpa lineage are taking care of it.

Adventure and thrills lie west of Leh.

The mighty Indus and Zanskar rivers are popular for whitewater rafting. The place where the blue waters of the Zanskar and the green of the Indus join, some 36 km from Leh, is known for its most beautiful views.

There is also the famous Sikh shrine, Gurdwara Patar Sahib, managed by the Indian Army, 20 km from Leh.

Getting to Leh:

How to travel: In summer, by public or private transport. From Manali to Leh via Keylong; From Srinagar to Leh via Kargil.

Leh is connected by air from Delhi and Jammu.

Where to stay in Leh: Small hotels, guest houses and even homestays with local people. Interestingly, there are no houses left in Leh, only guest houses.

Buddhist leader The Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the 1,000-year-old Drukpa Order, is promoting homestays among the locals by adopting eco-friendly ways.

See the original post here:

Ladakh, Where Buddhist Spirituality, Culture Reign Supreme - News18

Shutterstock.com

Scientific research has revealed that essential oils possesses myriad beneficial phytochemical properties such as anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, anti-stress, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and analgesic, but their ability to influence human potential is far from limited to psychophysiological effects. Aromatic essences have also been used for centuries to create a more meaningful connection with something bigger than ourselves, and, indeed, may place us in a state more receptive to inspiration.

The use of aromatic essences and the burning of incense aromatic resins and gums, such as frankincense and balsam used to create scented fragrances for specific applications was a fundamental part of ancient Egyptian life. Incense was burned as an offering to Egyptian gods and large quantities were burned every day in temples throughout Egypt.

The Bible contains many references to the burning of incense as an integral part of sacred ceremonies, and the precious aromatic botanicals frankincense and myrrh were offered to the Christ child by wise men. More than a dozen aromatic botanicals are referenced in the Old and New Testament books of the Bible, many of which are distilled into essential oils today: aloeswood, calamus, cassia, cinnamon, cistus, cypress, fir, frankincense, galbanum, hyssop, juniper, myrrh, myrtle, onycha, pine, saffron, sandalwood, and spikenard.

"Spirituality is a universal human experience that connects us to or brings us into greater harmony with the present moment..."

Similarly, the ancient Romans, Greeks, Persians, Indians, and Chinese all used aromatic essences for a variety of purposes, including religious rituals. Some religions continue this practice of using aromatic botanicals during religious services, at temples, before household alters, and to purify and protect.

Spirituality is a universal human experience that connects us to or brings us into greater harmony with the present moment, to self, to our fellow man, to nature, or to the divine. Many find that spirituality is intricately associated with religion, while others consider it a separate and broader concept associated with emotions, behavior, emotions, and philosophies that involves search for transcendent meaning. Beyond the religious aspects of spirituality, it involves the ability to discover meaning and purpose in life, moral and ethical principles to abide by, and a deep relationship with something bigger than ones self.

Essential oils are volatile molecules obtained from the seeds, leaves, bark, resins, and other materials of natures most generous botanicals. They have been used to support optimum wellness and enhance human potential for hundreds of years. One of the most remarkable aspects of essential oils is their ability to simultaneously influence ones physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. In this way, essential oils are uniquely qualified to produce dramatic results that other remedies can only dream of.

Some choose to use essential oils to open the mind and enhance spiritual connections and inspiration. They do so by inhaling an essential oil while meditating or direct application of essential oils to the body (i.e. the crown of the head, base of the skull, or over the heart).

Pioneering researchers are beginning to unlock the powerful influence the aromas of essential oils have on brainwave activity. Increasing theta brainwave activity is a preferred state for meditation because it heightens receptiveness and provides access to knowledge and information that is normally beyond conscious awareness. According to a study published in the May 2011 edition of Flavour and Fragrance Journal, inhalation of Siberian fir needle essential oil for 40 minutes promoted a more relaxed state and increased theta brainwaves. Other essential oils that remarkably influence brainwave activity include frankincense, balsam fir, copaiba, and lavender essential oils.

In another way, essential oils may indirectly improve spirituality by removing obstructions that hinder its full potential. For example, negative emotions have the potential to harm spirituality. Essential oils release molecules into the air that interact with the nervous and endocrine systems in such a way to dramatically alter the release of hormones and neurotransmitters involved in mood, memory, emotions, and cognition. Some of the chemicals and hormones key to spirituality include (essential oils that influence their levels according to research are listed in parenthesis):

Read the rest here:

Heighten Spirituality and Inspiration with Essential Oils - Beliefnet

When a person adores Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, that person and his surroundings change. When a perpetual adoration chapel opens, it slowly transforms the neighborhood. This is what Isabel Puig calls the butterfly effect (from the theory that the smallest movement of a butterflys wings in one part of the world can have a powerful effect on wind and weather patterns thousands of miles away).

Isabel Puig is a mother of a large family and helps to coordinate hourly turns at a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel in Badalona (near Barcelona, Spain). She is also currently working with others to open another perpetual adoration chapel in Barcelona, at the Royal Monastery of Santa Isabel, where the Regnum Christi movement houses a scholastic center.

The Lord acts in the neighborhood, in souls, in the whole environment, Isabel told the Spanish online publication, Religin en Libertad, as she recalled how, at the chapel inBadalona, people find peace.

Adorers find greaterpeace and serenity to face life, and the wounds of their hearts find healing by going to see Jesus.

If the adorers are doing better, all of their surroundings are affected, she noted. You notice it at home, in families. When people have their priorities straight, this has an immediate effect on their friends, and we are better able to help those around us.

The change happens slowly but surely, forthe presence of the Lord works marvels. We have seen people change their lives radically based on that hour of adoration, Isabel confessed.

People with addictions, with serious family problems who find support by leaning on the Lord for that hour. Also couples in difficulty one spouse comes or both come together. People find healing especially for ailments of the soul. You can see how they develop and evolve as they learn acceptance. There is a lot of joy among the adorers, a deep and profound joy.

Isabel says that many people who arent practicing also come to the Eucharistic Adoration chapel in Badalona, because there they find peace, silence and a welcoming space, and they end up developing a regular and assiduous prayer life.

Some adorers confess that, although they dont go regularly to Mass, they do come regularly to be in the Lords presence. Something tells them to return each week. Its a space of total freedom.

One example of this butterfly effect can be seen in Ciudad Jurez, where Eucharistic Adoration has contributed to a decrease in the number of homicides from 3,766 in 2010, to 265 in 2015, says Fr. Patricio Hileman, a priest who is dedicated to establishing adoration chapels throughout Latin America. Experience has shown Fr. Hileman that when a parish adores God day and night the city is transformed.

Read: Pope Francis: Eucharistic Adoration is the secret to knowing the love of Jesus Christ

Translation from the Italian by Diane Montagna of Aleteias English edition.

This story is tagged under:

See the original post:

Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect of Eucharistic adoration? - Aleteia EN

Posted by LGBT Weekly Online Only, Where's the Faith?, Bottom Highlights, Latest Issue Thursday, February 9th, 2017

Social Chaos: Where's the Faith?

by Rev. Dan Koeshall

istock

As a progressive Christian, I believe there are many names for God and many ways to a loving God; this article reflects one of those ways. Take from here what works for you. Celebrate life with joy and peace!

This is the fourth and final agreement based on Don Miguel Ruizs book of practical wisdom called, The Four Agreements. These are powerful, life-changing agreements and they are as powerful as we let them be in our lives.

Always do your best

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Always do your best sure rolls off our tongues easily, right? It almost seems too simple, too easy.

When we hear the advice to always do your best, maybe we hear the give it your 110 percent pep talk. Doing your best for some may seem to suggest constantly over-achieving, going above and beyond, gotta be the best, exceeding a really high standard of excellence and maintaining it, and not letting anything or anyone get in the way of you reaching your goals! Oh my!

Or, maybe doing your best might be an admonishment to the underdog whos about to get clobbered in a sporting event, or to someone whos not prepared to take a test, or going into any situation where failure is more or less expected; just do your best sometimes sounds like oh well!

But this fourth agreement isnt about such extreme thinking. Always do your best is about choosing to take action first and foremost, not for a result, but because there is value in taking the action in the first place.

Don Miguel Ruiz says, Doing your best is taking an action because you love it, not because youre expecting a reward. Most people do exactly the opposite; they only take action when they expect a reward, and they dont enjoy the action for example, most people go to work every day just thinking of payday, and the money they will get from the work they are doing. They are working for the reward, and as a result they resist work. They try to avoid the action and it becomes more difficult, and they end up not doing their best. They work all week long, suffering through the work, suffering the action, not because they like to work, but because they feel they have to.

Anytime we do something, including incorporating these four agreements in our lives, if we do it expecting a particular outcome, were not as likely to actually be doing our best because were so focused on what hasnt happened yet. Stay with me here; instead of being fully present and engaged in the present moment we are looking for some kind of imagined result or outcome.

Don Miguel Ruiz uses the illustration of Forrest Gump as the model for what he means by doing ones best. Forrest wasnt very smart, wasnt very goal-oriented, but everything he did, ping pong, serving in Vietnam, mowing the lawn, running, playing football, he simply did the best he could, and he was so present in the doing of the task that good and beautiful things always seemed to follow him.

So then, why would we want to do our best if its not for a certain result or reward? Im glad you asked!

As we do our best, we are fully living in each moment; we are not somewhere dreaming in the future, we are not somewhere in the past, we are in the present moment.

So, as we do our best in each present moment, and the result is not what we wanted, we still arent filled with regret and sadness. Why? Because we know we simply did our best. And as were not attached to certain outcomes, the next time we could go even beyond what we had hoped or dreamed.

Rev. J. B. Lee says, Doing our best in the present, releases us from remorse and sorrow about the past, and from thirsting for some reward in the future.

Don Miguel Ruiz would say that we do our best because when we do, we are fully engaging life, we are actually living it, instead of just going through the motions, or maybe silently suffering through it. When we change our thinking about doing our best from an obligation (I have to) to an opportunity (I get to), we can learn to love anything and everything were doing.

This fourth agreement to always do your best is a way to be content in every moment.

And when we are free from worrying about results or rewards, it will help us with the other three agreements. As Don Miguel Ruiz writes, The first three agreements will only work if you do your best. Dont expect that you will always be able to be impeccable with your word. But, you can do your best.

Dont expect that you will never take anything personally; just do your best.

Dont expect that youll never make another assumption, but you can certainly do your best.

By doing your best, the habits of misusing your words, taking things personally, and making assumptions will become weaker and less frequent with time. You dont need to judge yourself, feel guilty, or punish yourself even if you still make assumptions, still take things personally, and still are not impeccable with your word. Be kind to yourself! Love yourself!

Short URL: http://lgbtweekly.com/?p=77445

Read more from the original source:

Practical spirituality: Always do your best - LGBT Weekly

Dana & Michael Simard will be doing a workshop this Sunday, February 12 at 2:30 at Cook St. Activity Centre -You & Me +3, Science, Spirituality & Relationships- and you're invited!

Dana's talk by the same title was well received last month. She skillfully combined studies, statistics, insight into human behavior, experience as a counselor, and the wisdom and beauty of the Baha'i teachings.

The workshop (2:30 - 4:30 pm) will delve further into these things, combined with Michael's experience as an educational consultant and longtime Baha'i. All are welcome - all you need to bring is your curiosity and sense of fun!

An RSVP is requested although not required. You can respond at the link above or by emailing Dana Oakley - or Reply All to this email. The workshop is presented compliments of the Victoria Baha'i community, with sincere thanks to Dana and Michael for contributing their time and expertise.

Such opportunities don't come every day! Hope to see you there! The Workshop will be in the auditorium, so please use the side door directly off the parking lot. Streetparking also available & the venue is easily accessible by public transportation.

Sheila Flood practices the Bah' Faith and is Secretary of the Victoria Multifaith Society.

You can read more articles on our interfaith blog Spiritually Speaking HERE.

Read the original:

Workshop: You & Me +3, Science, Spirituality & Relationships - Times Colonist (blog)

The Pagosa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship invites you to attend a program titled Sexuality and Spirituality, with Durango visitor Anna Royer, this Sunday, February 5, for its regular service.

How do our values influence our understanding of our own and others sexuality? Join the Fellowship in reflecting on what we were taught, and on what we are teaching, about this vital dimension of being human. For a Welcoming Congregation, ongoing learning and social justice activism are vital. And yet those are only pieces of the puzzle, not the whole. How can we deepen our understanding of our sexuality in order to deepen our spiritual connection? We must dive deeper and wrestle with our own emotional and spiritual longings to create true social change.

Anna Royer has participated in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango for the past three years and serves there as a volunteer Worship Associate and as a member of the LGBTQ Social Justice Team. She also attended the Pagosa Fellowship between 2005 and 2011. She draws on her life experience for this message, whether its growing up a child of the 1970s in California, serving as a case manager for homeless teens in Tucson, teaching sex education to the 9th grade wrestling team in Pagosa, or currently volunteering at the 4 Corners Rainbow Youth Center in Durango. She is a masters degree level social worker with 25 years experience working directly with youth and families who now works as a nonprofit consultant.

This program reflects the Unitarian Universalist principles of The inherent worth and dignity of every person and Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.

The Pagosa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is a caring, inclusive fellowship dedicated to spiritual growth, justice and serving the needs of our larger community. As a Welcoming Congregation, we invite everyone to share in our faith community. We cherish diversity and foster a safe environment for all. Enjoy refreshments and conversation after services, which are held Sundays at 10:30am in Unit B-15 of the Greenbriar Plaza. From North Pagosa Boulevard, turn onto Park Avenue; then turn into the Greenbriar Plaza, drive to the east side of the parking lot and look for the Unitarian Universalist sign, facing north. For further information, see pagosauu.org or call 731-7900.

Here is the original post:

UU Fellowship to Consider 'Sexuality & Spirituality' Pagosa Daily ... - Pagosa Daily Post

India's gift to world music , composer Allah-Rakha Rahman, aka AR Rahman, whose work is beyond legendary is set to dazzle the UAE next month. Mathrubhumi will be hosting the event at the Sharjah International Cricket stadium on March 17.

"I have been asked to do mostly South Indian songs, so it'll be mostly Tamil and a couple of Malayalam songs, and of course, there will be Hindi too," said AR Rahman while talking to City Times in Dubai yesterday.

The maestro also told us how, at 50, he finds the energy to compose music for millennial love stories like OK Jaanu, "I am a creative actor. I have to act whatever the script demands. I change myself as a composer leaving all the baggages aside." Excerpts from our conversation:

You do shows across the world, work in international and Indian movies, run your school and a production company. When do you sleep? I think you have to trust your team. Building a team is something that I learnt with time. We just started with two people in a studio, and now I have a school with many people. By having these people, we are training them and we are also getting something beautiful from their energy. This is how I have been handling so much work for the past 10 years. I have seen such growth by respecting human values. It is not easy, sometimes you get frustrated, but then you have more people so they can take turns not sleeping.

You come across as a calm person. Do you get angry at times? Anybody who is a leader has to get angry. Not angry, we have to become stern in our demands because ultimately we are like pilots and we have to handle the entire crew. In a way, I think I am a pilot whenever I take a project, because there is so much trust and money involved. When things don't get done, I get stressful and people get the message. I don't like to do that, but sometimes when you take a job, you are responsible for others' money. But I try to be as loving as I can.

You recently performed with Coldplay in Mumbai. Tell us a bit about the experience? It reflects the spirit of global citizenship. The organisers suggested that we do the song together. I thought it was a great idea. These things are said a lot of times and generally it never happens, but they kept their commitment. I was glad that we could do that. I felt happy when people said how great it was. It was two completely contrasting cultures meeting together and singing. It was very sweet of Chris Martin to do it.

You are extremely spiritual. Does that manifest in your work as well? It does. As an artist, I cannot run away from the reality of chaos. But in my mind, I can go to places, which are not here. The training of spirituality has taught me to get away from the chaos and the hatred. It allows me to separate myself from the negative energy and go to something that is beautiful and reflect that in my music so people can enjoy.

Can you update us on movies from your production company? The first movie that we started in 2010 is being made now. It took a lot of time to get the vision right. The second one is a virtual reality movie. The first release would be a movie titled One Heart, which is a concert movie.

The entry tickets for A R Rahman's concert will be available at platinumlist.net . The show will start at 7 pm.

AR Rahman on his 'crazy' experience of playing at Oscars

You performed at Oscars thrice. Once with the band there. What's your takeaway from the experience and being part of the orchestra with global musicians? I performed once with Hans Zimmer, once for 127 Hours and then for Slumdog Millionaire. I respect Hans for what he is. I also had a room in a Los Angeles studio for a couple of years in 2000 before I built my own place there. Hans and I were neighbours. We would drop into each other's studio. We share a comfortable relationship. He asked me if I was interested in being part of his band. We had the whole LA Session Orchestra, Sheila E on percussions and Esperanza Spalding on the bass. It was surreal. In Oscars, we need to have scores for all the films that are nominated, and whenever a movie's title is mentioned, we have to quickly move our sheets to that particular score and start playing. It was like a circus. It was exciting!

On collaborating with Iranian director Majid Majidi for two movies "Agreed Indian cinema has so many beautiful things while Hollywood has its own charm, so do French and Chinese cinema. But in Iran, with all those restrictions, they come up with some of the most beautiful movies. They stun you with their craft. Working with Majid gave me an opportunity to learn about their craft. I had heard about Iran being a very closed country and suddenly I get invited to the biggest movie ever made in Iran. I was pleased with the opportunity. There is so much beauty in their zone of love, beauty, food and ancient wisdom. I went to Iran three times, each time for around 15 days. I went to the city of Mashhad and the shrine to experience what the cast and crew were experiencing.

Yes, Rahman loves travelling ... I love travelling. I don't know how much more I can travel as we get older. Travelling exposed me and made me learn many things that I would have not learnt through books. Looking at people and how civilised they are in their own way. Their dos and don'ts. Their trials, sorrows, happiness. That's what teaches us the bigger picture about life. We start getting judgmental about one community, but when we put everything together, there is so much beauty in them.

arti@khaleejtimes.com

See original here:

Spirituality has taught me to get away from chaos, hatred: AR Rahman - Khaleej Times

Low-cost, local events happening this week. To be included, your event must be family friendly, cost less than $25 per person and take place in Cecil County as well as adjoining areas within a 20-minute drive. Please submit the event title, time, address to accent@cecilwhig.com. Once approved by an editor, the event will be listed until its completion date. It will run in the print edition as space allows. You can also submit to a separate online calendar at cecildaily.com.

YOGA, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Painted Turtle Arts Studio, 13 N. Main St., North East. Ongoing $15 drop-in. Multi-level for everyone. Call instructor Laura Hannan at 1-540-421-0296.CLUTTERERS ANONYMOUS, 6 to 7 p.m. at Janes United Methodist Church, 213 N. Walnut St., Rising Sun. Clutterers Anonymous is a 12-step program to help people solve their problems with clutter/hoarding. There are no dues or fees. Contact Martha H. 443-350-1483.

YOGA, 7 p.m. weekly classes at Cecil County Arts Council, 135 E. Main St., Elkton. Intro class is free. Then pay $10 per class or buy five classes for $45. Classes are designed for new and experienced yogis. Contact class instructor Sarah Mester at smester@comcast.net.

IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH, 7 p.m. at 229 E. Main St., Elkton. Panic, fear, anxiety, depression. Attend a free weekly meeting with Recovery International.

FREE LUNCH, 12 to 1 p.m. every Friday at Elkton Presbyterian Church, 209 E. Main St. provided by Elkton Community Kitchen. All are welcome. For more information contact elktoncommunitykitchen@gmail.com.SATURDAY 11

YOGA, 9 a.m. every Saturday at Gracies, 213 North St., Elkton. $5 per class. Community Yoga Class. For more info call 443-257-0743.

SMART RECOVERY, 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Janes UMC in Rising Sun. This meeting is for those recovering from the disease of addiction. This is an open support group that meets every Saturday.

SATURDAY EVENING SERVICE, 5 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 105 N. Bridge St., Elkton. Will recur every week at this time.

GOSPEL SINGING, 6 to 8 p.m. at Faith Baptist Church on Singerly Road in Elkton.

BALDWIN UMC, 9:15 a.m. service and Sunday school at Singerly Fire Hall in Elkton. Each Sunday until further notice.PARISH SUNDAY SCHOOL, 9:45 a.m. at Zion UMC in Cecilton. Recurs weekly.

LOVE YOUR LIFE WORKSHOP, 10:30 a.m. at Gracies 213 North St., Elkton. Free. Every Sunday. An alternative to traditional Sunday morning churches, an open honest discussion of life and faith. Come to listen or participate and share your story. facebook.com/theloveyourlifeworkshop or 443-257-0743.

DEBTORS ANONYMOUS, 6 to 7 p.m. at Janes United Methodist Church, 213 N. Walnut St., Rising Sun. Debtors Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who help each other solve their problems with debt. DA is a 12-step program. There are no dues or fees. Contact Martha H. 443-350-1483.NARANON MEETING, 7 p.m. at Bethel Lutheran Church, North East. Hope and Peace every Monday. Contact Lorri: 443-250-0909.

WOMENS NA MEETING, 7 p.m. at Bethel Lutheran Church, North East.

YOGA 4 SENIORS, 9 to 10 a.m. at Painted Turtle Arts Studio, 13 N. Main St., North East. Pre-registration is required. Call instructor Laura Hannan at 1-540-421-0296. $12 per class if all six are pre-paid or $15 drop-in.

SENIOR MEETING, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday at St. Stephens Church in Earleville. Anyone 50 or older is invited to attend. No registration or member fee. Lunch is served for $4. Come for the fellowship, speaker, see what events we are planning. Questions call 443-207-2011.

MENS YOGA CLASS, 11 a.m. at Painted Turtle Arts Studio, 13 N. Main St., North East. Pre-registration is required. Call instructor Laura Hannan at 1-540-421-0296. $12 per class if all six are pre-paid or $15 drop-in.

COMMUNITY ARTS AND CRAFTS, 1 p.m. free instruction at St. Stephens Church, 10 Glebe Road, Earleville. Ongoing drawing and painting classes for beginner or serious artists. bspelled123@gmail.com. http://www.communityartandcrafts.com. Call Jerry at 410-275-2945.

TOPS, 5:30 p.m. at Rosebank UMC, Rising Sun. Nonprofit weight-loss support group, meets weekly. $6 monthly fee. First meeting free. topsrosebank@gmail.com.

NARANON, 7 p.m. every Tuesday at Church of God, 1121 Singerly Road, Elkton. A Nar-Anon adult support meeting for those with addicts in the family.

MEDITATION, 7 p.m. every Tuesday with Three Roots Wellness at Painted Turtle Arts Studio, 13 N. Main St., North East. Learn basics of meditation practices and how to make it useful in your everyday life. Donation based. Registration is required email to angela@threerootswellness.com.

See the article here:

Religion and Spirituality Events: 2/8 - Cecil Whig

Attendees at the UGA Connect Conference pick up free resources between sessions. (Photo by Dallas Duncan)

More than 200 LGBT students, faculty and allies joined together at the University of Georgias third annual Connect Conference this year, the largest the event has been.

Meg Evans, director of the UGA LGBT Resource Center, said its been exciting to see the conference grow, not just in the number of guests and topics, but in partnerships and buy-in from the greater UGA and Athens communities.

Its just grown and grown in a pretty remarkable time span and I think thats a testament to the great work that our students are doing, she said.

The conferences theme this year was Existence as Resilience, inspiring attendees to focus on bettering all aspects of themselves as a way to thrive. The keynote speaker, Grace Nichols, took the conference title to heart in their speech.

Our role is to be present with ourselves, in connection with one another, so that we can find ways to move forward together as well, Nichols said. That takes being very real about, very intentional about, the difficult conditions in which we live.

Keynote speaker Grace Nichols shares a graphic that helps individuals recognize in what areas of their lives they may experience privilege or oppression. (Photo by Dallas Duncan)

Nichols spoke about the importance of being intersectional, being transparent and recognizing privilege. They also said it was important to be intentional about creating from a place of power.

To me, art not only has a responsibility, but a capability, of revealing the things that we are unconscious to; the things that are really difficult to address, Nichols said. The things that we are going to create are going to be beautiful and libratory.

They said its vital to realize in this political climate, the deep love that we need to express isnt a comic, lovey-dovey love, but rather a courageous love that will call you out on your shit. That type of love is more likely to lead to changes in policy.

Evans said the team of conference chairs selected Nichols as the keynote speaker partially because of their Georgia roots, and because of their identity.

We thought Grace had just a really dope story to tell and would connect really, really well with our students and bring to light some identities that arent often centered. So we wanted to make sure that today was a space that those identities, and really Graces story, could be heard, Evans said.

Nichols identity includes being a gender queer trans-racial, trans-national, adopted Southerner, just to name a few.

Before and after lunch, attendees could pick and choose talks focused on four tracks heart, body, mind and soul. The topics were chosen based on proposals gathered last fall, Evans said.

We looked at all our proposals of folks who wanted to do workshops and we happened to see that we had four really incredible folks that had put through proposals to do conversations about LGBT communities and faith, she said. People want to talk about it. Its all over the country, and especially in the South, people want to talk about it and we want to provide a space.

Justin Landry, a UGA senior and member of the LGBT Resource Centers ambassador program, was excited to hear different perspectives on sexuality and spirituality.

I think I can learn a lot, get more familiarized with the queer community, because I just kind of came out, Landry said. What I just came from was Queering Spirituality. I thought that was a little bit cool. A lot of times the clobber passages, thats the source of a lot of peoples pain in the queer community. Its interesting to get a queer perspective on spirituality.

The Connect Conference started out as a program from Lambda Alliance, one of UGAs student groups, but has always been open to individuals of all identities, Evans said.

Right now, especially with the political climate were in, if the people who are actually within the LGBT community are the only ones doing the work, then thats a lot of emotional labor on us, said Nat Truszczynski, a UGA student who attended the conference. If more people than just LGBT people come to these conferences, they really expand their horizons and learn what they can do to help us instead of us just serving ourselves and not seeing as much forward momentum.

athensconnect conferencegaygay atlantalambda alliancelgbtlgbt atlantalgbt resource centerUGAuniversity of georgia

See the original post here:

Spirituality, recognizing privilege themes at 2017 LGBT Connect Conference in Athens - The Georgia Voice

AUGUSTA Doctors in Augusta are exploring the idea of using spiritual therapy to treat veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Such veterans are often treated with medication and psychotherapy, the Augusta Chronicle reported. But a research survey at Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta aims to find out whether spiritual therapy might be of interest as well.

Dr. Nagy Youssef, an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Augusta University who often treats PTSD, is conducting the survey through the VA.

Patients are often treated with medication, which can help reduce nightmares and flashbacks, and with psychotherapy to address the trauma, the Augusta newspaper reported.

But about a third of those patients dont respond to either approach, Youssef said. And those approaches do not address spirituality, he said.

None of this addresses moral injury and inner conflict, Youssef said. Somebody goes to combat, seeing friends being killed and killing others. Spirituality can be affected. It might go against their moral beliefs. Thats hard to reconcile when they come back.

The research is being done in conjunction with the Durham, North Carolina VA and Duke University.

Youssef was part of a large group that helped to put together manuals on every major religion that might be incorporated into therapy.

The survey will not only ask about PTSD symptoms but about what role if any spirituality plays in the life of that veteran and gauge the interest in having that therapy available, he said.

Youssef is hoping to get about 125 veterans to take the survey by March and has already recruited about 40 or so. The hope in the future would be for a randomized control trial to compare current psychotherapy approaches with one that incorporates the spiritual element, he said. The therapy, he said, would be voluntary and incorporate the patients own religion and religious texts.

For a Christian, for instance, it would be including verses from the Bible about forgiveness and that will help to relieve inner tension, Youssef said.

There may also be things that spiritual therapy can offer them that other treatment methods cannot, he said.

Some patients have feelings that God will never forgive me, that I am going to Hell no matter what I do, Youssef said. That cannot be addressed by therapy or medication. That means bringing them evidence, from the Bible or the Torah, whatever their religion is, that there is forgiveness. There is always a second chance.

Visit link:

Spiritual therapy eyed as possible treatment for PTSD - Crux: Covering all things Catholic

Acclaimed German writer, novelist, essayist, screenwriter and poet Martin Mosebach will attend a seminar on the topic of new developments in German literature, organized by Book City Institute in Tehran on February 7. Spirituality and hope will be among the main topics discussed, according to the website of the institute bookcity.org. In his book The Heresy of Formlessness, Mosebach, 66, has sought to convince readers of the spiritual superiority of traditional wisdom. He talks about hopelessness of modern approach to liturgy. Mosebach believes that the church has lost much and gained nothing through the promulgation of the Novus Ordo Mass. He makes a plea for a return to the pre-Conciliar Latin rite, arguing against what he sees as a jarring break in tradition. Starting at 4:30 pm, the meeting will be held at Book City Cultural Center, located on Ahmad Qasir Street, north of Beheshti Street. Mosebach is well known in the German speaking world for his brilliant, cutting edge novels and short stories. In 2002, he was awarded the Kleist Prize, an annual German literature award. In 2007, he received the prestigious Georg Bchner Prize, a literary award that, along with the Goethe Prize, is the most important event for German literature.

Originally posted here:

Mosebach to Attend Debate on Spirituality - Financial Tribune

Poll: Are school uniforms too expensive?

TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY and Education Minister Richard Bruton today launched the 2017 Action Plan for Education.

Speaking at Scoile Mhuire Ogh in Dublin, the minister said new guidelines will be issued to schools on how they can cut costs for parents.

Bruton said parents are to be given more power when it comes to decisions that cost them money, focusing primarily on the cost of books and uniforms.

We have rolled out a parent and student charter and part of that is that parents will be intimately involved in decisions that are made that impact those costs. I think it is very important that we have parents involved in those decisions.

Its understood that under these measures, parents will get a say in whether a school should have a uniform, whether the school uniform should be specially made or if the uniform should be more generic, with the option to iron school crests on to jumpers.

Its also believed that competition is to be promoted, whereby the contract for the company supplying the school uniform should be put out for tender every three years or so.

What do you think?

Poll: Are childrens school uniforms too expensive?

The rest is here:

#spirituality on sale - thejournal.ie

Does wine have anything to do with faith in the Holy Spirit?

It is a question the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership (KCML) in Dunedin hopes to answer during its annual public lecture tomorrow.

The lecture to be given by author, researcher, theologian and noted German wine expert Dr Gisela Kreglinger is titled "Coming to our Senses", and will address the interface between Christian faith and everyday life practices.

The lecture will look at the place of wine and wine-making in the Christian tradition, and whether it is anything more than a symbolic item within Christian spirituality.

Dr Kreglinger said her lecture was aimed at encouraging the use of wine-tasting as a spiritual practice.

"Historically, in the West ... we have focused on hearing and seeing, but we really havent embraced the senses of touch, taste and smell as ways to come to understand reality and our spiritual faith, traditions, and how important it is to recover a much more holistic understanding of our lives in this world ..."

Dr Kreglinger grew up on a winery in Franconia, where her family has crafted wine for generations.

She holds a PhD in theology from St Andrews University, and in her recent book The Spirituality of Wine (2016), she has woven together her passions for Christian spirituality and the created gift of wine.

She has offered lectures, talks and tasting in restaurants, vineyards and churches in the US and the UK.

Her public lecture in Dunedin, will be held at the KCML Cameron Hall from 5.15pm to 6pm, and will be followed by The Spirituality of Wine session, which includes wine tasting, light food and reflections at the KCML Hewitson Library, from 6.15pm-7.45pm.

The lecture is free and uncapped. However, the tasting is $20 and numbers will be capped at 80.

john.lewis@odt.co.nz

Read the original post:

Lecture and tasting explore wine as spirituality - Otago Daily Times