Blessing and Deep Listening

What are the blessings that come from deep listening?

My experience of deep listening comes from my Quaker practice of Worship. We enter the Silence, as Quakers call being in God's presence, listening, waiting for a message or light.

Quiet and still, I find peace, I rest, my mind becomes still.

I learn that anywhere I am that I may enter the Silence and when I do, God's Blessings are given.

Light is given to the person I'm with. In being faithful to being in the Silence, I become the observer or witness to God's love, forgiveness and healing of the brokenhearted, the oppressed, the abused, the one who is dying, the one who is being born.

The connection between God, the other person and myself is a mystery. Do we call it grace? Jesus' love? The gift of the Holy One? Great Mystery?

Question for your comments and stories:

What is your experience of the connection between blessing and deep listening? Please respond.

Blessings,

Judy

New to Blog a Followers Widget

I've returned to blogging after a long absence due to illness and a long vacation.

As a welcome back to my readers, I've added a Followers Widget. Please add yourself as a Follower of the blog so that I know who who is checking in. (You may choose not to have your photo shown under Followers, I still would like to hear from you.)

Thank you for reading Commit to Blessing and Knitting Life. I'm interested in your response and sharing from you. Let us become a community dedicated to living a blessing life, and for those of us who knit, a community finding healing and joy in what we create.

Please send me your thoughts.

Blessings,
Judy Brutz

Growing Together in the Light: Converging on FUM – FUM Triennial Part 3

Growing Together in the Light: Converging on FUM – FUM Triennial Part 3

Prompt # 17 Through a window

the outer

reveals the inner

cracked open

One Single Impression: Prompt 17: Melody#links

One Single Impression: Prompt 17: Melody#links

Melody

the notes
sounding in the woods
the birders watch

Transcience or Permanence

Fading
yet returning
red poppies

Freedom Haiku Prompt

wilderness path

discovering the unknown

Craters of the Moon.

How will I know when I have reached the end? What is the end? I walk the Blessing Path and discover delight in the earth. I am set free, able to let go of abilities and to open to receiving joy and peace.

Spring Reflections and To Live Fully in God's Love

"Hidden Face, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, photographed and copyrighted by Judy Brutz, 2008."

While studying the photograph I suddenly saw her face.

She waits, hot weather will come.

Spring leaves

wave to the figures

carved in stone.

"Petroglyphs" photographed and copyrighted

by Judy Brutz, 2008, Capitol Reef, Utah.

Sitting in Meeting for Worship, I ask, " Am I becoming fixed in stone or am I still warming to life? What does God ask of me?"

Post Meeting Reflection

During the silence of worship this morning, someone gave a message about starting to work with special needs children in the fourth grade. He had gone expecting that the children would be severely challenged. What he found was that each child is an individual, with talents, skills and sensitivity. He learned that the children will be his teachers.

My learning was similar. When I went to work as a chaplain with special needs adults, I learned that the challenged are my spiritual teachers. I had not wanted to take on new work because I found making professional transitions to be difficult. A window closes and a new window may or may not be evident, and may or may not be open. I rather remain where I was already planted. These feelings occurred when I went to the chaplaincy position.

I was working in rural Iowa for In-home Hospice and I loved my work, certainly didn't have any wish to leave. Yet people kept telling me about a new chaplaincy position that was opening and they though that the job was made for me. I would be working with adults living with special needs who lived in cottages on a campus. I ignored their messages. I loved my work with Hospice and didn't see any reason to change. After several months, I was surprised to learn that the position was still opened and again I was urged to apply.

"Could I be turning a deaf ear to a leading? Maybe I'm being led by the Holy One and I haven't wanted to pay attention because I love my job." I called and made an appointment to visit. It was after working hours and the clients had gone home. The assistant director was the one who answered the phone and urged me to come on over then. I did. It felt like I was being interviewed as he showed me around and took me into a cottage. It felt like I already had the position.

A few days later I was asked to come to a formal interviewing process of four hours. The night before the appointment, I stayed in a motel. I still did not want to make a professional change. I was angry at God. "Why are you leading me here? You have blessed my work with Hospice and I want to stay there. Why, dear Lord?" I promptly fell asleep.

When I awoke in the morning, there was an answer. "Because I want you to grow fully in my love," God's message left in my heart.

I can't say No to God's love for me, I thought. The position was offered to me and I accepted. After four years I left this special work for heath reasons. Later I was to be diagnosed with Parkinson's.

The Lord's message is still on my heart, although I don't always remember. This morning's Worship again brought the message home to me.

What does the Holy One ask of me?

TO LIVE FULLY IN GOD'S LOVE.

This message is what keeps me going, willing to change, and wanting to continue to live, finding joy, meaning and blessing in each day. The people I worked with who were dying and the individuals who were living with special needs remain my teachers and spiritual mentors as I live with chronic and debilitating illness. I too, walk the journey with my Beloved Jesus. Someday I will be called Home. May each day be a blessing day.

Late Spring

The ancient one opens leaves in frost and sun.

Celebrating better health and good news from the medical folk, late spring finds me in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. David and I join Quakers from the Utah Fellowship of Friends for a long weekend. It is late April and the night temperatures drop, even destroying the apricot crop. The days are in the 40s or 50s and windy. We hike in the morning. Afternoon we share news. Then glories, luscious potluck dishes and singing. Night comes on and the full moon rises over reefs.

This ancient tree captures my attention. How old is it? Surely it is more than one hundred years. It was probably here before the pioneers settled in this valley in the 1800s. Their fruit orchards still stand and are well attended. The apricots were lost this year when the temperatures dipped to twenty-three degrees two days before we arrived.

What lessons are there for me this late April?

New growth

my hope embraces

the mysteries

of the ancient one.

Good news, congestive heart failure is ruled out and the echocardiogram shows that my heart has strengthened in the last fourteen months. It is Parkinson's. my spiritual mentor at play. The diaphragm muscles are affected and I go into shallow breathing yet The Holy One who created us all, also created an incredible brain that can make new circuits. Are we open to learning to follow inner guidance, even when the specialists think that there is nothing to be done? Research show that the brain is able to develop new paths. In this case, it is the C Pap machine which is developing the new path to regular, normal deep breathing.

Alleluia.

Gnarled beauty continues

bringing joy

and blessings.

Blessings of Letting Go

This last week has been a struggle, new health issues, congestive heart failure, pulmonary problems, in addition to living with Parkinson's and my on-going facing of "Letting Go."

My body takes charge and tells me,
you must stop now and rest." It tells me to let go of responsibilities and commitments.

"How dear Lord am I to do this? What does all this mean in letting go? How am I to participate in the life of community?"

I prayerfully reflected on passages from the book of John and received comfort, peace and guidance.

The story of Nicodemus and Jesus telling him that he must be born anew. "Beloved Creator, help me to listen, that the Spirit is my guide. Letting go of being active is so hard. Letting go of commitments and responsibilities is such a challenge. Thank you for directing me to let go of leading a workshop at the FGC Gathering this summer and showing me ways to cut back on leadership with the Parkinson's Support Group I started. You were with me from the beginning, leading and blessing the establishment of the Support Group. You show me how I can prepare members on taking on the tasks I have shouldered." John 3:7-8

"I am happy to take refuge in you and experience your loving care and being with me." Psalm 33(34):8, 18

The story of the five barley loaves and two fish. "You show me that the little I have to offer after letting go is enough. I am still able to plant seeds, and to listen deeply to others. In listening deeply to others, you touch their lives with hope and love." John 6:5-11

The disciples saw Jesus walking on the water to come to them. "It is I; do not be afraid." he said. "Jesus, you are with me through my struggles of letting go and still living. You are with me even when I despair. Thank you." John 6:16-21

I woke this morning with the delightful guidance to invite members of the Support Group to come to my home to help get the mailing out.

In Meeting for Worship, I was shown that only when I let go will I be able to attend to the writing that only I can do. "Please, dear Lord, lead me on."

Blessings from Judy

Eldering Story by Anonymous

Anonymous said...
Judy, what a lovely post about eldering. RichardM, my husband, has been trying to get more people to discuss eldering as well. I think my first experience with eldering was the day an older, grandmotherly looking woman approached me at a pot luck, and said, 'I hear you're moving, is there a meeting, maybe you'll start one'. My response was total bafflement, I was only a relative newcomer to Friends. That was 23 years ago. We are in North Carolina and similar to you, there was a worship group here, and we were sufficient catalyst to get the meeting to weekly meeting for worship. We have over the years become the elders of the meeting. This past summer, the meeting was clear to appoint us both elders. (there has been a great deal of coming and going in membership over the years within the meeting and previous members were against appointing elders). Today after meeting we spent some time with a new attender at meeting who is very new to Quakerism and hopefully answered his questions. (Another form of eldering). Within our Yearly Meeting, eldering is a regular practice, at least at the Yearly meeting itself. I am still surprised when I am thanked for my work as elder. I hope I am a vehicle for God's work.MaryM
March 30, 2008 8:58 PM Anonymou, Thank you for your story. It helps me understand how we are being lead to eldering. Not something I thought I would be doing.
Blessings, Judy

What are your stories on eldering?

Will T.'s post on "Growing Together in the Light: Ministry, humility and community" helped me to recognize that I have taken on the function of elder in an isolated unaffiliated worship group.

The question that kept coming to me and still does - Don't experienced Friends have a responsibility and obligation to encourage, support, teach people, new to friends in situations of isolation, what Friends practices and discipline are?

The situation is that when my husband and I moved from the midwest to Idaho, we discoverd a Friends Worship Group in our new home. The WG was unafiliated, isolated, met for worship twice a month, and worship was always silent. There were four individuals who made up the group, a member of Friends and three people who wnted to become Friends.

I asked if we could meet weekly? With that question I was beginning to take on the role of elder, although I didn't realize it. During the eighteen months that have followed, I continued to ask questions such as: how do you make decisions as a WG? What can we do to make ourselves more visible in the larger community? Do you want to be affiliated with the Society of Friends? What does it mean to be a Friend?

Personally I struggled with what I was doing. I felt like I was being pushy. I wondered if I was bringing about conflict in the group because the one Friend was resistent to any change, and the others wanted to move on. Many times I wanted to slip into the woodwork, but I couldn't, the question of responsibility would raise its head.

What has happend in the eighteen months? We are now under the care of Logan MM, Utah. People feel prompted to speak in meeting for worship. We are connected to one another. We laugh and enjoy one another. While the one Friend has difficulties with the movement, she is still with us. I am now teaching Quakerism 101.

What is your experience in eldering? What was the opening that resulted in your eldering? With your permission, I would like to publish your stories to my blog.

Blessings, Judy

Growing Together in the Light: Ministry, humility and community

Growing Together in the Light: Ministry, humility and community

Come Lord Jesus, Come

blank pages
waiting
come Lord Jesus,come

Parkinson's is a wise teacher. I've not wanted to learn, at times. Layers are pulled back and lessons are presented about "Letting go." How to stop the basic drive I have to push forward no matter how tired I am? no matter how debilitated?

waiting
listening for deeper places
wondering, stopped

no matter how much I want to keep going? no matter, no matter? Yet, a new teacher comes, chronic progressive bronchitis. My body speaks loudly and I have to pay attention, no more pushing, or keeping on going no matter what.

considering
blessings
in disguise

There are new blessing here to claim - blessed quietness and the Presence of One who loves and fills me with peace.

spring snows
on the pavement
a yellow jacket

Forgiveness and Blessing

This elderly pastor has been housebound for 7 years after having a stroke. Now he has received a wheelchair and will again be able to travel the 2 miles to church. Santa, Cameroon. Noel F. Minneapolis, Minnesota.

During the Lenten season, I've been focusing on "forgiveness." For many Christians today is Good Friday. For me the heart of Christianity is forgiveness and blessing.

Here is a question for you: What is the difference between forgiveness and blessing?

Please share your thinking, feelings, stories relating to this question in Comments.

Blessings,
Judy

Long Winter

It has been a long winter, mixed with illness and pleasures, even joys. I stop and ask what energy do I have? How do I use it? How do I know when enough is enough?

We saw "Bucket List." Timely. The question now is: if you have a prognosis of one year or less to live, what do you decide - in what ways will you live blessings?

What if your prognosis is longer, indefinite, but your energies lessen and there is an increase in non-motor symptoms?

What if you or I have, say, two or three years? Then what? These are the questions I am living with.

More than ever, it is time to relax and to trust in my Beloved Creator. "All will be well, I say. All will be well again." I manage to be trusting, but then the trust evaporates. How to stay centered in the eternal?

A wonderful, joyful pleasure is that my Pocatello family, David and I, our daughter and our two granddaughters, ages eleven and nine, are knitting a wedding quilt for our second oldest granddaughter who lives in Ohio. David agrees to knit one square, so he is learning to knit, imagine that? The colors and designs are rich. There are lots of mistakes, just as in life and marriage, yet they are knitted into the fabric and life is strengthened, love grows and wraps us in warmth.

Blessing is living in the moment, surrounded by love and held close.

Judy