Skip to main content

Sufi Retreat



So... a few unsytematic reflections on my first Sufi retreat.

I love the fact that in one tradition there is a place for silence, for liturgical prayer and for dancing and singing with a guitar. Usually I have to go to different communities to get all those.

I didn't like how programmed the retreat was. I would have liked more spare time to get more reading done and reflection.

For the first time in my life I was worshipping in a non-Christian, non-Unitarian community. I needed to do that. If only for some perspective.

I think my spirituality might be more visual than auditory. I'm not sure chanting words over and over again suits me.

There were some lovely people there, though not a great deal of diversity.

It was absolutely beautiful all week, I was sunbathing while other parts of the country drowned.

I starved myself of Jesus, intentionally, more about that later.

There was lots I was critical of, I don't know why that should suprise me. It's the same in any mainline Christian service. I'm a critical rationalist trying to be a mystic. They're not mutually exclusive. But I want concepts explained to me.

There were times when I winced when it all seemed a bit New Age in the worst sense of that kind of thing.

Where is social justice in this sort of thing? If I did reach the heights of mystical achievement what difference would that make to the world?

I am a Unitarian. It sort of suprises me when I come back to that conclusion. I give myself every opportunity to come to a different conclusion, but it never happens. It is good to test the path.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Stephen wrote: I'm a critical rationalist trying to be a mystic. They're not mutually exclusive. But I want concepts explained to me.

There were times when I winced when it all seemed a bit New Age in the worst sense of that kind of thing.


I suspect I'd've felt the same if I'd been there.

I also suspect that, like me, Stephen has had the benefit of having his ability to "think straight" affirmed by (at least soe of) those close to him as he grew up with the result that he is comfortable with it.

Not everyone has had that good fortune, and those who have not may indeed prefer not to have concepts explained to them, fearing for the ability to connect spiritually if they have to confront that part of their incompleteness.

One of the tougher choices we may have to make, as a denomination, in devising our growth strategy, is whether to pitch our appeal to such people, or to the likes of Stephen and I.
7:28 pm
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What does it mean to be non-creedal?

Steve Caldwell says "The problem here isn't humanism vs. theism for theist Unitarian Universalists -- it's the non-creedal nature of Unitarian Universalism" This is a good point. We need to think much more deeply about what it means to be a non-creedal religion. The first thing I want to say is that there is more than one possible understanding of non-creedalism. The Disciples of Christ are a non-creedal church, they say here : " Freedom of belief. Disciples are called together around one essential of faith: belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Persons are free to follow their consciences guided by the Bible, the Holy Spirit study and prayer, and are expected to extend that freedom to others." Quakers are also non-creedal and say here : Quakers have no set creed or dogma - that means we do not have any declared statements which you have to believe to be a Quaker. There are, however, some commonly held views which unite us. One accepted view is that th...
3 comments
Read more

LOST and theology: who are the good guys?

***Spoiler alert*** I'm continuing some theological/philosophical reflections while re-watching the series LOST. One of the recurring themes in LOST is the idea of the "good guys" and the "bad guys." We start the series assuming the survivors (who are the main characters) are the "good guys" and the mysterious "Others" are definitely bad guys. But at the end of series 2 one of the main characters asks the Others, "Who are  you people?" and they answer, in an extremely disturbing way, "We're the good guys." The series develops with a number of different factions appearing, "the people from the freighter" "the DHARMA initiative" as well as divisions among the original survivors. The question remains among all these complicated happenings "who really are the good guys?" I think one of the most significant lines in the series is an episode when Hurley is having a conversation with ...
3 comments
Read more

What is Radical Christianity?

Radical Christianity is about encountering the God of love . It is first and foremost rooted in the discovery of a universal and unconditional source of love at the heart of reality and within each person. God is the name we give to this source of love. It is possible to have a direct and real personal encounter with this God through spiritual practice. We encounter God, and are nourished by God, through the regular practice of prayer, or contemplation.  Radical Christianity is about following a man called Jesus . It is rooted in the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish prophet living under occupation of the Roman Empire two thousand years ago. It understands that's Jesus' message was the message of liberation. His message was that when we truly encounter God, and let God's love flow through us, we begin to be liberated from the powers of empire and violence and encounter the  "realm of God" - an alternative spiritual and social reality rooted in love rather th...
Post a Comment
Read more