2011.07.20 Amazing Holy Women

July 20 is the day set aside on our Episcopal Church calendar of holy men and women to remember Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman—Liberators and Prophets.

And yesterday marked the 163rd anniversary of the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848. The first day was women only. Today 7/20 the men joined in. We need both!

Godde, I’m proud these women are on our Episcopal calendar and that their day is WHITE that is considered to be a feast day, an Eastering day.

STANTON felt oppressed by the prevailing (and still does prevail) Augustinian doctrine of human depravity and Calvinist predestination. What was the point if doomed? She refused depression and worked instead to right wrongs perpetuated upon women by Church and society.

Stanton attended Trinity Episcopal Church in Seneca Falls, N.Y., site of the 1848 first Women’s Rights Convention, July 19-20.

Stanton was rightly hard on the Church accusing it of using (I’d say abusing) Scripture to enforce subordination of women and to prohibit them from ordained ministry. She wrote a Women’s Bible, a commentary on offensive, sexist we might say today, passages. Her effort was inspired by the fact that there were no women on the committee of scholars that in 1881 published the Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

Stanton dissented boldly and ceaslessly and didn’t lose hope because “what is good is immortal.”

“My only regret,” she said before she died in 1902, “is that I have not been braver and bolder and truer in the honest conviction of my soul.”

I can’t imagine what bolder, braver and truer would look like.

BLOOMER attended Trinity with Stanton and made powerful and popular statements about biblical abuses, being sure that if St. Paul could have foreseen the strife and misery some of his words caused he’d “never have written them.”

Bloomer established schools, libraries and churches.

She published a newspaper called The Lily and plunged without intent into faith and women’s fashion. Waist-cinching corsets created serious health problems for women. Bloomer printed a picture of herself in loose-fitting Turkish trousers and began to wear them in public. She argued with male clergy who cited Moses’ statement about women not dressing in men’s clothing. Bloomer said if they followed Moses they’d all “put fringes and blue ribbons on their garments.” Grin.

So much for biblical literalism arguments. What chutzpah.

I remember in the ‘70s when women started to wear pants to Church and it was considered scandalous.

Nevertheless..............

Who does wear the pants, again?

(Sojourner and Harriet tomorrow.)

2011.07.17 The Nose Knows

My earliest olfactory memory is the pungent odor of ammonia. My mother who overvalued her first adorable child, me, used to clean my bassinette with it—probably more than she needed.

(After all, don’t some say that Americans have created such a clean germ-free environment that we don’t build up antibodies to strengthen our immune systems? But ammonia is stringent.

At 35 or so I entered my first therapy experience with a bioenergetic (a therapy developed by Alexander Louwen to access emotions that were forgotten by the mind but stored in body muscle) therapist.

Imagine body work for my first ever encounter with psychotherapy!

Imagine my having no mental control over what emotions arose. Terrifying. Through body postures, stances far less graceful than yoga, and encouragement to make totally un-pc sounds like a lion’s roar or a baby’s waaah, I discovered my body’s voice.

Then my therapist and I would process whatever came up and out by which I discovered lost feelings like anger and sorrow, feelings I needed to be whole.

One of my earliest feelings came through my nose. I lay with my back stretched over a stool my feet on the ground, hands at my side and head hanging over the edge. The rack—sort of. Comfy? Not.

Suddenly I got a strong whiff of ammonia. Of course there was no ammonia around. Alarmed I tried to sit up. In the process I experienced a sorrow seizure so strong it took a few minutes to subside.

I think the therapist was as surprised as I was. As we talked I made the connections between what my nose knew and the emotional pain I’d stored in my heart-lung area from not being able to connect securely with my mother.

Science tells us that olfactory memories connect to the hippocampus and amygdala regions of the brain, those in charge of memory and emotions.

I consider my bioenergetic experiences spiritual because of my Christian faith. The body stores healing memories. It is holy, a sanctuary for the wisdom and healing of the Divine within, the Word made flesh.

2011.07.13 My Ways are Not Your Ways

The biblical wisdom on Godde's lovely lips written by Isaiah lets us know that Godde's ways are not our ways. BUT there is no judgment in this so don't put it in there.

The degree to which I critique, compare, condemn,judge, interpret negatively the ways of another is the degree to which I lack appreciation for my own ways.

Damn. Hard to give up that old sin.

I'm abstinent from sin on occasion only and with Godde's grace.

I have learned this truth from years of creating, participating in, observing sibling warfare.

My sister and I still react. Her ways are airy, light and lovely when she's not on a rampage. My ways are dark, dense and lovely when I'm not in my cave assessing my ways.

Life is not a battle to be won or a success to make me better. It is a spiritual gift to embrace and pluck from, yes, the forbidden Tree of Life

2011.07.10 Out of Eden?

I’ve noted this before I think but I feel the need to note it again, mostly because I find myself back in Eden passing blame around like a hot potato.

Much of what I read and hear on the news or on internet chitter chatter and in conversations is addressing important issues, which is a good idea, and then coming up with a culprit, not as good an idea.

Adam and Eve blamed each other, God and the snake and God is portrayed as quite fed up with the blame/shame process, enough in fact to institutionalize the breakdown, to make it so humanity will have to take responsibility for their life on earth, with God’s help of course.

Nobody blamed the tree or the infamous apple whose fault it was that the couple got into trouble in the first place.

Finding a culprit makes everyone feel safe—temporarily. Wasn’t it the old priest Caiaphas who suggested that if one man were eliminated peace would be restored. Thus began the plan to execute Jesus who hadn’t preached rebellion but had told people of their worth and value in God’s eyes. It was easy to conclude that they were not being valued at all by those with earthly authority who likely blamed themselves for their destiny.

This can happen in families too of course. We’d all be fine if it weren’t for XX. It’s a habit. I don’t know why it happens.

The current blamee for all of society’s ills is the media. Oh dear the trash they present! But who do we imagine creates the market that buys and tunes into these media reports?

Who is responsible for healthcare or the schools, or church attendance? Doctors, educators, clergy, yes, but ALL OF US are responsible for our institutions and their well being.

What do you complain about most often? It’s a very good spiritual question. Follow it.

2011.07.06 Private Property?

It occurred to me recently that there is no such thing as private property. Everyone squawks about abutters and their infringements and how dare they.

Everything abuts. Everything exists next to something else. All is connected. Remember the butterfly wings that affect the weather thousands of miles away?

Suddenly your property is contiguous, not yours at all. It belongs to you AND everyone around you—even globally.

If we are to love our neighbors as ourselves and abut them and they us, then property is contingent and collective. What happens to your property happens to mine so best it be ours. We all are responsible for its well being. It is not about moneyed ownership and property lines, but a spiritual issue.

If only we could believe the basics of creation theology: that it all belongs to God, even our children whom we also think we own. It's all on loan, none of it is private, all of it is sacred, divinized, as is every human being, every plant, every animal and every sunset.

How do you view and treat something you consider sacred?

2011.07.04 Independence?

Today I wonder......

I have often imagined my life metaphorically as a jigsaw puzzle, myself a piece in the puzzle that had fallen out and was trying to figure out how to FIT back into the picture.

This is personal and political. Much that I read about women tells me they are still trying to fit into a system that grew up around us and seemed as right to us as rain or sunrise. But it’s not.

The workplace is an example. Women are returning to the job market after a break from career for birthing and parenting. I wanted children very much and love them today but I also wanted something beyond motherhood.

Women who get the choice jobs are the ones who return rarin’ to go. They are ready, fit to FIT into the breakneck pace of commerce, great workers. If there are adjustment problems some companies set up internships to facilitate the fit.

Some woman opt out of the insanity of the culture’s rhythm and they will likely be judged inadequate as has happened in the Church.

I remember when a woman bishop retired earlier than expected. She said she wanted to spend time with her grandchildren.Some colleagues said she shirked her responsibilities. Might that be a sexist perception?

WONDERINGS:
Who is looking at a bigger picture? Who sees the forest?

Who is daring to imagine that instead of expecting women in particular to FIT that we reform the system, change the way we do business? Who asks what motivates, fuels this “rat race?”

Has anyone thought that these same dynamo worker women may in just a few years be drawn toward caring for aging parents?— “children” at the other end of life.

Who thinks about initiating WORK-LIFE POLICIES that make it easier for women, really for ALL parents and the children they raise who represent our future, should there be one?

It took me years to realize that I didn’t have to lop off pieces of myself to FIT into the jigsaw. Every single piece as it is shaped has its own place and without each piece, exactly as it is, there can not be a whole picture.

A spiritual vision to ponder and pray. Happy 4th!

2011.06.23 A Condition Exists...

Life is so serious it’s lovely when a quirk of unexpected humor seizes both me and Dick at the same time. It’s so funny we forget to blame or justify.

Background: he tends to leave early and I tend to leave late. We both make it more or less on time but it’s a constant difference over which we tangle.

Hence: when we are readying to head off somewhere he can be seen striking a casual pose leaning against the door post, one leg draped over the other tapping his fingers together. Oh ye of the ample sigh! Very rakish.

I am bustling around always almost ready, “Be right there.” The time is usually exactly when we decided to leave or maybe just a mere 2-3 minutes past that time. Or, our departure time is lost somewhere in my short-term memory fog.

OK I’m ready.

He turns to push buttons to set the house alarm. He punches in the correct code and a voice (don't you just love the almost liturgical solemnity of computer voices?) informs: “A CONDITION EXISTS.....” Then info flashes on screen informing: “movement in guest room.” The alarm won't set if there is movement in the house It's triggered unless it is set for "stay" ie. we're in for the night. Good thing...we wouldn't want to lock up and secure any unattended burglars.

The alarm also blasts if there is movement in the house after it is set and we're out. Once we forgot this sensitive information and our son's Jack Russell terrier Victor ran upstairs to jump on the bed after we left. The computer voice went into apocalypse now mode. We could hear Victor's panicked barking from 2 blocks away before we got the police call that our house had a "condition."

"Conditions" have names, Victor and Lyn. Victor was innocent. I, however, am taking a last look in the mirror or grabbing a cough drop or my T pass, etc. etc.

Now, Dick waits for me to stop being a condition, pushes the alarm buttons, gets the all clear, and we both exit with a grin and a wave saying, “A condition exists!”

Spontaneous laughter is a sign that Spirit is playfully about. Her job is often to lift us beyond idiosyncrasies or little “wars.”

A conditions exists indeed!