Surviving the Workday

Do you believe you’re holy?

Do you think God expects you to be holy in your lifetime?

Are you trying to be holy during the workday?

In research by the Barna Group (from lovely Ventura, California), three out of four adults believed that it is possible to become holy regardless of your past. But only 21% of adults consider themselves holy. And when questioned further about what it means to be holy, adults found themselves terribly terribly confused.

The Concept of Holiness Baffles Most Americans

When I first read When God Was A Woman, it was earth shattering. I had no idea that this sort of god, a woman, actually existed. I was sixteen and it changed everything to know that the Goddess was once worshipped and that the decline in Goddess worship led the decline in the status of women in many cultures. It’s also about the history of violence and oppresion of many peoples. It’s a fascinating book.

To honor the goddess, here is a meditation before work: Greeting the Goddess

Prayer for Protection

The Light of God surrounds me;
The Love of God enfolds me;
The Power of God protects me;
The Presence of God watches over me;
Wherever I am, God is,
And all is well.

James Dillet Freeman

So titled because apparently scientists and theologians don’t use their full vocabularies, What the Bleep! is one of the strangest movies I’ve ever seen. And deepest. And full of a weird subplot with Marlee Matlin.

Has anyone else seen it? Come on. I know it’s at your local library.

From a Idol Chatter’s reflection on the movie:

Those interviewed cite the idea of separateness as the single biggest problem across humanity, because quantum physics “has its own spirituality of unity” in this area: It tells us that separateness does not exist, that we are all literally connected. One scientist wonders: “When do we make the shift from me to one?”

If you haven’t experienced this particular movie, it’s worth renting when you want to feel oddly powerful.

And that’s S E C U L A R Humanism, not religious humanism, which is completely different.

It took an interview for a year-long internship with the humanist chaplain at Harvard for me to discover I wasn’t a humanist (Whoops! Maybe I should have looked it up before the interview). Nonetheless, here’s a short explanation of S E C U L A R Humanism.

What Is Secular Humanism? (excerpted)

A conviction that dogmas, ideologies and traditions, whether religious, political or social, must be weighed and tested by each individual and not simply accepted on faith.

Commitment to the use of critical reason, factual evidence, and scientific methods of inquiry, rather than faith and mysticism, in seeking solutions to human problems and answers to important human questions.

A primary concern with fulfillment, growth, and creativity for both the individual and humankind in general.

A constant search for objective truth, with the understanding that new knowledge and experience constantly alter our imperfect perception of it.

A concern for this life and a commitment to making it meaningful through better understanding of ourselves, our history, our intellectual and artistic achievements, and the outlooks of those who differ from us.

A search for viable individual, social and political principles of ethical conduct, judging them on their ability to enhance human well-being and individual responsibility.

A conviction that with reason, an open marketplace of ideas, good will, and tolerance, progress can be made in building a better world for ourselves and our children.

As a reward for inhaling poison only to breathe out light (and perhaps a little poison, sadly enough), I watched this clip and feel the need to share it.

Be sure to read the blurb below the clip or it ain’t funny.

The Little Giant

We spend much of our lives avoiding suffering, turning away from connecting to pain and sorrow. We often act as though the darkness is the exception to the rule rather than an important part of the wholeness of life. Darkness, that is pain, suffering, hurt, tragedy, is the gateway to developing compassion within ourselves.

The Buddhist practice of tonglen is a method to connect to suffering. Briefly, the practice entails breathing in suffering, pain, and hurt, and breathing out light and joy. That’s it. You breathe in pain into your heart and breathe out clarity and light. Often people envision taking in a dark stormy cloud into their heart and then radiating light as they expel air. Rather than turning away from suffering, you embrace it.

You can do this as a meditation with your eyes closed for a coworker, your boss, or someone you supervise.

In a panel discussion, Good Medicine for this World, Alice Walker and Pema Chodron give their insight into how this practice is helpful.

Alice Walker: I was surprised how the heart literally responds to this practice. You can feel it responding physically. As you breathe in what is difficult to bear, there is initial resistance, which is the fear, the constriction. That’s the time when you really have to be brave. But if you keep going and doing the practice, the heart actually relaxes. That is quite amazing to feel.

Pema Chödrön: When we start out on a spiritual path we often have ideals we think we’re supposed to live up to. We feel we’re supposed to be better than we are in some way. But with this practice you take yourself completely as you are. Then ironically, taking in pain—breathing it in for yourself and all others in the same boat as you are—heightens your awareness of exactly where you’re stuck. Instead of feeling you need some magic makeover so you can suddenly become some great person, there’s much more emotional honesty about where you’re stuck.

Liberation theology is a movement within Christianity. At its roots is a belief that true work means working toward the alleviation of suffering, poverty, and oppression. The founder of liberation theology is often noted as Gustavo Gutierrez, a Peruvian Priest. It is a philosophy that is heavily influenced by Marxism, and doesn’t look kindly on the current incarnation of capitalism. The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development is one Catholic organization that espouses a view typical of liberation theology.

The goal of maximum profit–the cornerstone of the capitalist economy–is at odds with the promotion of human dignity. One doesn’tÂ?t need to be a Christian or a Catholic to see this.

When work dehumanises, or simply exhausts the energy and will to want to work, then this kind of work is incompatible with nature and with the dignity of human beings created at the image of God.

The god ‘profit’ has superseded the God of life and dignity.

-Freud Jean, CAFOD partner, Haiti

More information about the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development

I’ve edited this list some from its original incarnation, so it’s not quite the same as Myfanwy’s list.

Seven things to do before I die*:
1. forgive myself;
2. visit the Galapgoes;
3. reconcile not having children with the child-oriented world around me;
4. help people use spirituality in their work lives in ways that make them more satisfied, more loving, and the world a better place;
5. make my own wine. Okay, make our own wine;
6. live entirely from my own organic garden; and
7. walk on the moon.

(Originally, I thought that I really didn’t have anything to do before I died. I’m really not one for long drawn out lists of unattainable items or even short lists of attainable items. So I’m actually okay with not doing any of these before I die, but I certainly wouldn’t mind doing any of these…especially walking on the moon.)

Seven things I cannot do:
1. eat meat;
2. shop at Wal-Mart;
3. buy a dog from a breeder;
4. vote Republican;
5. hunt;
6. cheat; and
7. refrain from signing a petition outside of Whole Foods.

Seven things that attract me to my mate:
1. He’s funny.
2. He’s kind to small animals.
3. He’s sensitive.
4. He understands alienation.
5. He gardens.
6. He can park anywhere.
7. All that physical stuff, which I’d rather not detail in the public domain.

Seven things I say (that indicate a problem with adverbs):
1. Really?
2. Actually,…
3. Probably.
4. Obviously.
5. Evidently.
6. Duh.
7. What a bozo. (and in some company, What an asshole).

Seven books I love:
1. This I Know Is True and She’s Come Undone
2. The Dive from Claussen’s Pier
3. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
4. A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You
5. The Red Tent
6. Me Talk Pretty Some Day
7. Fall on your Knees

Seven movies that I’ve loved:
1. Gosford Park
2. A Room with a View
3. Chocolat
4. Magnolia
5. Mystic River
6. Thelma and Louise
7. Shawshank Redemption

Seven musical artists or duos that I love:
1. Jim Geezil (literally)
2. Jay Farrar
3. Kathleen Edwards
4. Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer
5. Glen Phillips
6. Dar Williams
7. Ani Difranco

Seven people to tag:
1. Anne Bauer
2. Kaye Borneman
3. Alice Collison
4. Kristie Cutter
5. Ghost Girl
6. Aimee Nester
7. Anne Pender

Would you want to meet an angel? Have you already? This is an informal survey. Post your answers as comments.

Angels have evolved in popular culture. The Bible portrays them as quite fearsome beasts that no one in their right mind would want to hang around. That’s why the first words out of the mouths of the angel were something like, “Do not be afraid.” They’re terrifying and they always forced people to go where they would have never considered. Christa von Zychlin writes about Biblical views of angels in And Suddenly Angels!

Somewhere along the historical trail, angels morphed with cute baby-guardians. And, I have to admit, I find the idea very compelling. As much as I try, I can’t imagine God taking an interest in my daily life, but I do find the idea that an angel, sometimes embodied in someone I know, just might care. And I do think I’ve been in the presence of an angel, when someone intervened and literally saved me. She doesn’t think she was an angel, but this doesn’t bother me.

So, would you like to meet an angel? Have you already?

What’s your spiritual type?

I actually learned a lot about myself when I was forced to choose one of the options for each question.

I scored a 61, making me an old-fashioned seeker. Who knew.

Prayer to Give Aid

May I become at all times, both now and forever
A protector for those without protection
A guide for those who have lost their way
A ship for those with oceans to cross
A bridge for those with rivers to cross
A sanctuary for those in danger
A lamp for those without light
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter
And a servant to all in need.

- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama from Beliefnet

One of the reasons I took religion classes in college was that I sensed a real weakness in my own spiritual and religious upbringing. As a Unitarian Universalist, I had read many of the texts of world religions, but my background with the Bible was weak. My parents and my church regarded it as oppressive and just stayed away from it. This meant that I was forced to rely on what other people said the Bible was about. And very often those folks hadn’t read the Bible in any depth either. They relied on what their pastor said it was about.

In divinity school, it was more difficult to take old and new testament courses simply because there were folks who knew the Bible backward and forward. And these were students.

Nevertheless, reading the Bible and reading commentaries on each verse was far more revealing than I expected. I learned the Bible wasn’t simple the oppressive text that I had heard it was. The 22nd and 23rd psalms are some of the most beautiful and timely poems ever written. And the book of Ruth has verses that are so compelling they are read at many weddings:

Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die–there I will be buried.

Ruth 1:16

And then there’s Paul’s letter to the Romans (18-32), which concerns itself with natural and unnatural acts, some of which appear to be male homogenital. It’s one of those verses thrown around while condemning homosexuality.

With some study of Greek, it’s clear that Paul didn’t mean “natural” in terms of nature and the laws of nature. Paul uses “natural” to mean consistent or ordinary. So when Paul says that “women exchanged natural relations for unnatural and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for each other,” he’s saying that these folks were engaging in practices that were not the ones they usually performed. They were outside their everyday experience. That certainly isn’t a condemnation.

John Buehrens, former president of the Unitarian Universalist Assocation, reflects on the larger issues in Why Religious Liberals Should Read the Bible:

You also can’t be spiritually mature or wise by simply rejecting the Bible as oppressive. The oppressive uses of the Bible are real, but unless you learn to understand that there are other readings possible, the Bible will, indeed, simply continue to be a source of oppression for you, and not a source of inspiration, liberation, creation, and even exultation as you understand it anew for yourself, at a deeper and less literal level.

For resources to start, I suggest a Revised Standard Edition of the Bible,
Who Wrote the Bible?, a very readable guide to the pentateuch (the first five books of the old testament) and Who Wrote the New Testament?, which is an equally compelling guide to the NT.

The first mantra I ever learned was Stay on the Left, a mantra used by my parents to drive in New Zealand, where, of course, drivers need to stay on the left. Every time my parents got in the car, they would chant this to themselves, Stay on the left, the left, the left! They made me chant it with them too.

They were usually fine on straightaways, but when turning corners or pulling out of driveways, they became a bit unsure of themselves, fearful that their training on right-side driving would take over and they’d find themselves in the wrong lane.

Life seems like this too. We may be fine going along, doing our things, working our jobs, loving our people, but then, the rules change. We have to get along with a new boss with new expectations, we have to do a different task, or we have to redefine our skill set for a new profession. We may be fine on the straightaways, but adjustments in direction often require internal support. This is where the mantra comes in.

I used to do a lot of yoga in high school, from Lilias on PBS, at 6 a.m. She used the mantra of I am calm and relaxed, which is still my favorite mantra. I use it often, but more frequently in stressful situations during the workday. I simply repeat it to myself and keep breathing.

A mantra can be anything, a word, a sentence, a prayer. It is something you can summon to mind in times of stress and in order to relax. Here’s a short list of mantras that I’ve heard. (I’m going to limit myself to those in English.)

I am that I am.
I’m okay.
I Bow to the Light Within.
I am one with God.
I am a being of Light and I rid my being of all negativity.

Does anyone have any mantras for the workday (or beyond)?

Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.

St. Francis of Assisi

I couldn’t get through this guided meditation without laughing outloud. It may be the earnest British narration or maybe it’s all the chocolate I’ve consumed, but I was most amused. And (ahem back to my professional tone) this is the sort of meditation that is especially helpful for artists or pagans. It’s really pretty damn good.

The Forge in the Forest

Today is Jon Frum Day.

Jon Frum is the messiah of an island people. He is a spirit who lives in a volcano on the island Tanna in Melanesia. On February 15, he returns to the island, bringing with him goods that westerners usually hoard for themselves (you know who you are).

Anthropologists regard Jon Frum and associated religious practices as the last cargo cult. A cargo cult is a nativistic religion in which a messiah returns, white people leave, but their goods (cargo) remain in great numbers. (I’d like to note that it’s not uncommon for anthropologists to regard religions as cults, so I wouldn’t read too much into the “cult” label.)

For those of us on the mainland, this may seem like an odd holiday, but I suspect it is how many holidays actually begin.

One messiah + a people in need = a religion

It’s happened before. We usually don’t see the genesis.

Thanks to Kristie for the heads up. And enjoy the vacation!

Back in the elementary school days of construction paper, paste, and doilies, there was a painful holiday titled, Valentine’s Day.

Unless you had a really fair teacher, there would be a moment when it was clear that the world was not fair, we were not all equally liked, and some people liked to play favorites. Yes, I’m talking about the Valentine exchange.

Come high school, there was an even more painful tradition in which choir elves would sing the praises of your beloved for a buck or two. Oh, the blushing and giggling. Tee, hee, hee. Oh, the burgeoning resentment on the part of everyone who didn’t have a serenade.

And then there the giant bouquets in college left conspicuously in the hall for all to admire. Oh, how large thy bouquet. Thy love must be as large as thy wallet. Oh, how easy thy life will be when you marry the rich boy from Amherst (apologies to any readers from Amherst).

It’s not that I want the world to be fair. It’s that I know it’s not and I don’t want to be reminded of it all the time. I got lots of cards, candy, and flowers. Even sometimes anonymously (And, goddess bless you, Smith College ‘05 or whomever you were).

But the point is not that and how popular (or not) as a wee one. The point is that we can always find an opportunity to exclude someone from our lives. And, often, particularly as children, this is a holiday all about exclusion.

Why not find a way to include someone instead?

One of the more delightful practices of many workplaces is that we don’t exchange Valentines in a construction paper caddy hung from the front of our desks. And if we do bring cards or candy, then we bring it for everyone. And if you didn’t, there’s still time. Go buy something for everyone. Stop the (elementary school) madness.

Send a card

Prayer for Peace, Love, and Happiness

Let me be loved, let me be happy, let me be peaceful.
Let my friends be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let my perceived enemies be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let all beings be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let the whole world experience these things.

- Deepak Chopra

Until fairly recently, St. Valentine actually was a full-fledged Catholic saint, albeit an obscure one, and Feb. 14 was his time-honored feast day. Because St. Valentine was believed to have been an early Christian martyr, the priests saying Mass on that day wore red vestments symbolizing his martyr’s blood. The red of the vestments became the color of St. Valentine’s Day. And because St. Valentine was thought to have had something vaguely to do with love (no one was really sure what), red hearts, symbols of love, became ubiquitous on St. Valentine’s Day, especially after the greeting card industry discovered him during the 1840s and started marketing commercial “valentines”–the lacy greeting cards bearing Cupids and romantic verses that we know so well.

Then, after the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church, embarrassed by the presence of saints on its calendar who might never have existed, booted the already shadowy St. Valentine from his Feb. 14 slot. Into his place, the Church moved saints Cyril and Methodius, two bishop-brothers who had brought Christianity to the Slavs of Eastern Europe during the ninth century. There was never any doubt as to saints Cyril’s and Methodius’s existence, or of their heroic virtue. The brothers braved years of political and religious persecution as they preached the Gospel. St. Methodius translated the Bible and other Christian works into Slavonic, which is still the liturgical language of many Eastern churches, and St. Cyril is credited with the invention of the Cyrillic alphabet used by Bulgarians, Russians, and Serbs. The priests saying Mass on Feb. 14 switched to white vestments in honor of the brothers’ holiness.

Excerpted from Who Took the St. Away from St. Valentine?

This week is Freedom to Marry Week (February 12-18).

In the United States, marriage is primarily a civil opportunity offered to some people. Ministers who perform marriages may perform a religious ceremony, but are acting on behalf of states and sign paperwork on behalf of the state. And, of course, many marriages are simply performed as civil ceremonies in courthouses or by judges outside of courthouses.

Marriage grants any number of rights to partners, many of which are relevant to workplace issues, including

Access to Military Stores
Assumption of Spouse’s Pension
Bereavement Leave
Immigration
Insurance Breaks
Medical Decisions on Behalf of Partner
Sick Leave to Care for Partner
Social Security Survivor Benefits
Sick Leave to Care for Partner
Tax Breaks
Veteran’s Discounts
Visitation of Partner in Hospital or Prison

Here’s a full list.

The religious right has quoted the bible any number of times to support marriage between one woman and one man. But, because the bible is complicated and often contradictory, it has many views on marriage, which include:

Marriage shall consist of the union of one man and one or more women.

Marriage shall not impede a man’s right to take concubines.

If a married man dies, his brother has to marry the widow.

Clearly not what the religious right intends (or perhaps it has and I should start treating my brother-in-law with more care). But picking and choosing bible verses based on their content is hardly a fair way to deny a civil right.

An interesting chapter on marriage as a civil right by a Unitarian Universalist minister has written, Whom God has Joined Together

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full civil liberties for lesbians, bisexuals, gay men, and transgendered people, as well as those with HIV.