Monthly Archives: September 2018

Karing Kitchen-September

Visions' Giving Tree: September's Leaf - The Karing Kitchen

The Karing Kitchen provides a hot lunch (and emotional and practical support) from 11:30 am to 1 pm, Monday through Friday, to anyone who shows up, regardless of residence, age or income. Take outs are also available. It is located at 75 Alma Street (St. John's United Church) and is supported by churches, United Way and volunteers.

The first Sunday of every month is Karing Kitchen Sunday at Visions.

We encourage you to bring a non-perishable food item or donate a grocery card to the Karing Kitchen. (These are available for sale at the church.)
Thanks to your generosity, Visions has donated $825 in grocery cards to the Karing Kitchen the first 6 months of this year (2018).

Pilgrimage – Day 10

Blessing for the Journey

May the breath out God blow through your being.
May her Spirit breathe the promise of dawn.
May the breath of God stir a new story.
Hope in the Spirit, O breath of God.

-by Denise Pyles

We sang this blessing often during our pilgrimage. The words now accompany us as we cross another threshold, leaving the company of pilgrims we’ve journeyed with and returning home.

I took this picture of a tree in the centre of a labyrinth path I walked at Disibodinberg. I’m still ruminating on what the knotted burl evoked for me in the midst of the greening ruins.

I’ll carry it as an image of pilgrimage as I sense it with take a while to untwine the gifts of these last ten days.

For today, I offer gratitude as I say goodbye.

Gratitude for...

...the gift of spaciousness of time
...the amazing gifts of creativity and tending presence from our guides, Christine and Betsey
...the blessing of community with fellow pilgrims
...and of course the inspiration and wisdom of Hildegard!

Veriditas!

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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.

St. Hildegard was a 12th century  German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage – Day 9

Hildegard’s Feast Day

The present day community of sisters and the town of Eibingen and Rüdesheim celebrate the Feast of St Hildegard each September 17th. We joined in celebration with several hundred pilgrims in the courtyard of the Parish Church of Eibingen. This is the home of the Hildegardis Reliquary, usually displayed in the high altar, under a secure glass case. But today, the ornate gold-gilded reliquary is carried outside, placed on an altar, and adorned with flowers. (See photo).

The service of celebration includes a procession through the decorated streets of Eibingen. This ancient expression of devotion and reverence honours the faith and witness of Hildegard and reminds us we are walking in the footsteps of many pilgrims who traveled the path of faith before us.

Later we returned to the Abbey where the sisters led a special Vespers in honour of Hildegard.

We all make pilgrimages. Some are outward journeys to special places or new experiences. Some are into our interior landscape. May you pause to offer gratitude today for fellow pilgrims who have journeyed with you.

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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.

St. Hildegard was a 12th century  German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage – Day 8

Sabbath, Silence and Solitude

Bird song and ringing church bells fill my listening. It is Sunday morning. At least five different bells are calling we humans to pause and listen, to gather and sing praise, just as the birds gather and sing.

We are invited today into a time of sabbath, silence and solitude. Some will go to a church service. Others will make their own ritual. I find myself thinking of the many spiritual communities of which I am a part of at home: my congregation, Visions United; the Contemplative Pathways community and fellow pilgrims who have guided me on the spiritual path; the circle of Godly Play storytellers and children; dear friends who gather as a “book club” every several weeks - “kindred spirits” - whose trusting presence invites me into a communion of deep conversation, laughter and good food whenever we are together. For me, each of these is a Sabbath pause for my soul.

Our retreat director, Christine, spoke of Sabbath as an opening of time where we can enter into the Divine. We often find our ourselves enslaved in the culture of “Pharoah”, losing sight of the grace of sabbath culture offered by “Yahweh” (see Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Bruggemann).

The bird’s song - the church bell- each invites me to rest in a Sabbath moment and ponder the Divine in whose cosmic presence I breathe the breath of life. Claiming Sabbath is greening for my soul - Veriditas.

What does Sabbath rest look like, feel like, sound like, smell like, taste like for you? What brings greening - Veriditas - for your soul?

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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.

St. Hildegard was a 12th century  German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage – Day 7

Claiming the Prophetic Voice

“Call us to hear the voices that challenge
deep in the hearts of all people.
By serving your world
as lovers and dreamers
We become voices that challenge
For we are the voice of God.”

- David Haas, refrain from Voices that Challenge

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The prophetess Hildegard found her voice and challenged the likes of priests and bishops, emperor and pope.

We spent time with medieval historian Barbara and toured Kloster Eberbach (a 12th century monastery, now museum, where many scenes from the Hildegard movie “Vision” were filmed). In the afternoon we traveled to the ruins of Kaiserpflalz in Ingelheim - the palace of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, one of the few places still existing where Hildegard would have visited.

There are over 300 letters documented from Hildegard to people of power and spiritual leaders, including Bernard of Clairvaux - no comparable collection from any other woman in the Middle Ages exists. She broke the taboo against women travelling (nuns were expected to lead a secluded life) and speaking publicly. She conducted preaching tours into her 70’s.

As Barbara said to us, Hildegard discovered the power of words and used them well as a prophetic voice!

What are the causes that call out to you? Where might you use the power of words to claim your prophetic voice?

Photos: Bronze sculpture of visionary and prophetess Hildegard at the Hildegard Forum; Kloster Eberbach.

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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.

St. Hildegard was a 12th century  German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage – Day 6

Holy Wisdom and the Virtues Sophia!

You of the whirling wings,
Circling encompassing
Energy of God:
You quicken the world in your clasp.
One wing soars in heaven
One wing sweeps the earth
And the third flies all around us.
Praise to Sophia!
Let all the earth praise her!
- Antiphon for Divine Wisdom: O Virtus sapientiae
 
For Hildegard, Wisdom offers us the face of the Divine, calling us to cooperate with the greening force of love and creative power. Wisdom is at the heart of our discernment and asks us how will we choose to act in the world - Will we act out of freedom and goodness? Will we act out of fear and grasping?
We participated in a dramatized reading of Hildegard’s Ordo Virtutum, a musical play about the Virtues, in the genre of a morality play.
It is the story of a Soul in a human body, struggling with the challenges of humanity: “But I hate long working hours! I’m weary of the tedious load I carry on earth. I find it so hard to fight my humanness.” 
 
Hildegard describes the dance between virtue and vice in our living. We tend to polarize good and evil. But for Hildegard, what we often label as evil/sin/vice is the shadow of virtue turned inward. Her invitation is to ask how do I practice  a particular virtue to bring balance - greening into my life?
 
In our dramatic reading, I was given the virtue of Compassion: ”A person can become bitter, because, when the heart holds resentment, few things can soften it. But I’m determined to give a hand to anyone who needs it”. To which all the other Virtues respond, “Praiseworthy Mother of all pilgrims, you’re always on the move somewhere, forever anointing (and feeding) the poor and the weak”. 
 
I am asking myself where do I need to practice compassion more - both with the shadow within myself, as well as in my relationships with others?

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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.

St. Hildegard was a 12th century  German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage – Day 5

The Flowering Gifts of Midlife

Hildegard’s first vision came as a child, She entered into monastic life at 8, But it wasn’t until the age of 42 that she began to write. All of what we know of Hildegard -  her writings, musical compositions, teachings, leadership and founding of two abbeys - begins in these years we call midlife.  And what a flowering of creativity! Her legacy is unparalleled for a woman from the Middle Ages.

Today was another pilgrimage day and we visited the site of the first abbey founded by Hildegard, Rupertsburg, and then onto Eibingen, where the present day Benedictine Abbey continues. This quote from Hildegard seems appropriate as we celebrate the flowering gifts of mid-life:

"Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long, but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap."

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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.

St. Hildegard was a 12th century  German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage – Day 4

Body and Soul

Hildegard was known as a healer, a doctor in her day, and we have her writings about the natural world and the healing properties of plants. (I am struck by how much our contemporary interest in wholistic medicine and physical care can be found in this 12th century visionary!) 
She did not see body and soul in dualistic terms. Body and soul are a microcosm of the macrocosm of the universe... Veriditas energizes all. When our body and soul is in harmony, we contribute to the harmony of the world.
Ponder these words as a prayer...
“The soul is like a wind
that waves over herbs,
Is like the dew that 
moistens the grass.
Is like the rain-soaked air
that lets things grow.
In the same way 
you should radiate kindness
to all who are filled with longing.
Be a wind, helping those in need.
Be a dew, consoling the abandoned.
Be the rain-soaked air,
giving heart to the weary,
Filling their hunger with instructions
By  giving them you soul.”
- From the Scivias

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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.

St. Hildegard was a 12th century  German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage – Day 3

Nourishing Roots

Today was a pilgrimage day. Consider for a moment your ancestors... the people who’ve walked before you and made all the difference to who you are today.... Call to mind the mentors and guides who have shaped and formed your spirit...
We traveled to Sponheim, the birthplace of Jutta, Hildegard’s spiritual mentor and walked a labyrinth. In the afternoon we made the pilgrimage to Disibodenberg, the Benedictine monastery where Hildegard first entered monastic life. As we hiked up the mountain we paused at seven stations with readings of the story of  Hildegard’s life, song and prayer. At the top we discovered the magnificent ruins of the Disibodenburg monastery - a sacred space - like an open cathedral amidst the trees. Betsy - one of our retreat leaders - offered a movement prayer of gratitude. It was breathtaking.

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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.

St. Hildegard was a 12th century  German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage – Day 2

Veriditas and the Greening Life Force

The sloping hillsides of the Rhine Valley are green with vineyards. Everywhere there are branches and vines laden with late summer’s fruits - apples, pears, plums and so many grapes! This abundance attests to Hildegard’s theology of Veriditas  - the greening power of God is alive in all things!

Hildegard wrote:

Therefore a person contains both the likeness of heaven and earth in himself or herself. . . A person also has the means to bring forth new life and the desire to do so–just as the earth has the means to bring forth greenness, fruitfulness, and animals.”  - Scivias II.1.2

In Hildegard’s view, the imagery of fruitfulness and barrenness in the natural world is a portal to our spiritual life.

Today’s invitation is to welcome all parts of our being into Veriditas .... Take a long, loving look at your being: Where does the greening power, Life force flow freely in your living? .... and where is that greening power being blocked in your living?

Together we sang, “Veriditas, Veriditas, the greening of my soul.”

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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.

St. Hildegard was a 12th century  German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.