Can Praying Change the World?
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Integrating Our Embodied Oneness
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Kissing God
Have you embraced your oneness with God? Do you believe it? Try this practice of integrating your embodied oneness anytime you like:
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Can Praying Change the World?
Mystical Activism: Part Two
Interestingly, Jesus’ mystical plan for world peace does not depend on everyone in the world becoming a Christian. If you consider the history of Christians clashing with other Christians, that would not seem to bring peace anyway! And besides, getting everyone into the same religion would not be a very mystical plan — and Jesus’ plan is very, very mystical. Let’s look at Jesus’ practice of “activism” for a better world.
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The new ICN rhythm of Saturday emails has shifted to sharing an article for learning one week, followed the next week by invitations into deeper becoming through spiritual practicing, intentional forms of engaging, and opportunities for integrating into our daily lives.
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Mystical Activism
Part One
Have you ever cried out to God or the Universe to do something about the horrible wars on earth or the increasing devastation of climate change? Maybe you have earnestly prayed about the starving populations around the world or the craziness of politicians today. Have you ever wondered if your prayer did any good? Maybe you’ve even given up on such types of prayer.
Does the world change when we pray? If so, how does that work? Do we ask God to do something, and then God acts? I believe praying does change the world, but it is not us asking and then God acting. Nor is it, as some have said, us asking, and then we act.
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Throughout Lent, we held a special container of grief and glory. I want to thank you for walking this path with us—to whatever degree you have. This has been a season both of loss and invitation for our community.
Paul Smith has now transitioned from founding elder to a living ancestor in our midst. We will continue to honor and be guided by him in the years to come. We are eternally grateful for all he brought forth and shared in his life, and how he embodied and invited the spirit’s call to evolve for so many.
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For this time of Lent, we have been moving with grief and glory. As we come to the end of this season on the cusp of Easter, we walk toward the mystical pathway and invitation of resurrection.
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Lent is often practiced as a time of waiting. We all have seasons of life that are about waiting. We have seasons that feel like preparation or support for something yet to come. In these times, we can fall into the posture of simply enduring. We live in the resistance of just waiting for the time to pass, for the season to be over. For Easter and resurrection to come. Then things will be ok.
Or we can hold the times of anticipation with an eager hope. With a glorious longing.
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Whether we be in personal grief or not, we all carry and hold in some way the pain of global distress, crises, and suffering. We have feelings of powerlessness, anger, fear, and sadness. They may be close to the surface or deep within. We carry on with life, for we can only consciously be with this sorrow so much.
The spiritual practice of lament gives us a way to welcome the pain and grief intentionally and allow it to express, rather than trying to keep it contained within. This form of mourning gives us space to let the grief flow however it needs to—as a rushing torrent or a trickling rivulet.
If you are ready and feel able to move in this way, click to read more and move into the practice.
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From the soil of deep belonging can spring the sprouts of new creation.
From the kinship of soulful belonging in the bosom of God can we bear our divine becoming.
From the mercy of wombful belonging can enfold great care and capacity to be with pain.
From the vulnerability of authentic belonging in grief together can emerge deep healing.
From the ground of deep belonging can grow our glorious and holy longings, arising from wholeness rather than lack and loss.
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