Everyday Mysticism
Richard Rohr says a mystic is anyone who has a direct experience of God. And so you might say, “well, that’s not me.” This series is meant to change your mind, to open for you the channels of communication, which are unique to each one of us, through which God seeks to meet you.
An encounter with God can be dramatic or so small and simple that you almost miss it. It can be a once-in-a-lifetime, astounding occurrence or a regular interaction that seems rather pedestrian. It can come through words, music, a sense of presence, a deep knowing that a certain direction is the right one in which to go, or something else entirely.
One thing that gets in the way of experiencing God is us having too narrow an understanding of who God is, what God is like. For instance, if you think God would never talk to a person like you, then you miss the ways in which God is trying to talk to you.
So we offer here a series of stories about mystics, many of whom you would never think to call mystics. Each has a way or some ways in which they encounter the Divine, and we will try one of these out each week as a take-away practice to experiment with until we come back together again. Our last session will be a reporting back by participants.
session one: hildegard of bingen with elaine hild
Try listening for: “What is radiating out from God deep within you?” or “What is radiating to you?” or even “What are the colors of your inner stained glass window?” Have at it and tell us (Communications@StPauls-fc.org) what you learn. Responses will be posted here.
Session Two: Socrates with Florian Hild
We didn’t specify a practice to try out this week. But try spending some moments appreciating beauty, especially if these moments are not settling and peaceful but rather make you “itchy”.
session three: Howard thurman with Weltha McGraw
Howard Thurman explored his relationship with God through 1) silence; 2) experiences of synchronicity; 3) singing spirituals; and 4) following his sense of who he most truly was. How might you “try on” one or more of these practices?
session four - ursula le guin with laurie gudim
The practice for this week is to spend some time imagining. The topic could be anything. What do you imagine about the world around you, asking questions like, “what if it were different?” or “what if that tree was a wise old spirit in disguise and they could talk to me?” See what you learn from this practice, and tell us about it.
Session Five - HirAm Kano with Mary Jean Currier
Mary Jean led us in a practice of imagination with kernels of corn. This week, explore praying from your heart or engaging your imagination in prayer.
Session Six - Rembrandt with Amy Agape
Session Seven
In this session all participants are invited to share their personal experiences, either in response to the series or beyond. Listen and appreciate these stories, and send us your own to Communications@stpauls-fc.org.