The Spiritual Journey

The following essay was first posted on August 13, 20014 under the title,  "Lead All Souls to Heaven."

Depiction of St. Brenden the Navigator

In a talk that he gave to the novices at Gethsemani Abby, Thomas Merton once compared spirituality to a journey down the river. He talked about the Irish monks who took off in a boat, going where God led them. He said that the image of embarking on a boat and letting the river carry us is a metaphor for how we can abandon ourselves to the guidance of God. It is not an image of being in control, but rather of resting in the boat and trusting the river. Merton speaks of that journey being one of progressive insight that is ultimately fulfilled upon the spiritual pilgrim’s death with full realization in heaven. He went on to say that “journey” is symbolic of our state on earth – we are all going somewhere.*

Spiritual Journey

I like the imagery of embarking upon the river when speaking of the spiritual life. My own view of spirituality is not one that is centered upon life in heaven after death.  I don’t think Thomas Merton made the afterlife his focus either. He referred to heaven in traditional terms as the ultimate destination of the faithful soul after death, but his focus was on how we live in our present life on earth. In my view, we are all on a journey and we can make that journey as spiritual as we want to. By “spiritual,” I refer to that act of understanding the true value and meaning of our existence. That understanding may be enhanced by seeing the work of an artist in a gallery, listening to music in a concert hall, or watching a sunset and realizing that we are connected to creation.

To find our spiritual path, we need not take traditional imagery literally. For example, when I hear or read traditionally religious terms like salvation, heaven, hell, paradise, etc. I find that if I think of these things symbolically rather than as actual places in some afterlife, then that imagery begins to inform my life and to expand my appreciation of what Life has in store. In other words, spirituality is not about life after death, it is about life in the here-and-now. When we begin to see that, then we can let the imagery of traditional religious language inform our journey as we embark upon the river of life.

I wrote in Spirit Work, Soul Work, “True spirituality integrates and connects. In order for spiritual practice to be more than just an opiate or a distraction, it must take into account the whole of life. Work place, family, hobbies and social life each represent opportunities for the implementation of spirituality. Every religious tradition offers methods for spiritual practice, the goal being to eliminate distractions and to pay attention.”

A Universal Hope

We have some powerful archetypes to inform us along our journey. I have an appreciation for Marian spirituality, and I am fascinated by stories of Marian visitations. From a purely psychological standpoint, these stories can be very illuminating in regard to the role of the feminine archetype in our lives (see A Jungian Appreciation of Mary). The reported visions at Fatima in 1917 are most intriguing. There have been books written about the phenomena that occurred there in Portugal, and there was even a movie made about it, “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima.”

There is a prayer, supposedly requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, that is now traditionally recited while praying the rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.”

Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy! I love finding concepts of universalism in faith practices. When I first began to learn to pray the rosary As a Catholic convert, I was already familiar with the story of Fatima, and I was also drawn to the idea of universalism. It was a true joy to find this prayer for all to find their way to heaven, even those we might consider to be far from God’s grace.

The Gate of Heaven Is Everywhere

Thomas Merton

What do we mean when we speak of heaven? What is this universal hope, and how is it apprehended? What does it mean to you? For some, it may be a metaphor for union with the divine, for others it could refer to personal fulfillment or psychological wholeness When the Gospel of Matthew speaks of the kingdom heaven, sometimes it is not referring to life after death but rather the imminent reign of God on earth. The book of Matthew was written for a Jewish community of people who would not have spoken the name of God. The term, “Kingdom of heaven,” was used rather than Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, many readers of the New Testament text today see heaven only in terms of the afterlife.

We can turn again to Thomas Merton for an image of how we might understand heaven. There is a famous passage in his Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander** in which he describes an epiphany that occurred on a rare trip from Gethsemani Abbey to Louisville, Kentucky:

In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world, the world of renunciation and supposed holiness. The whole illusion of a separate holy existence is a dream.

Merton wrote of how the people he saw on that street corner were just and much a part of God as he and his monastic brothers were. The only difference was that “We just happen to be conscious of it” but that that did not mean he was any better than the rest of the world. As he continued to discuss his epiphany, Merton declared:

It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, though it is a race dedicated to many absurdities and one which makes many terrible mistakes: yet, with all that, God Himself gloried in becoming a member of the human race. A member of the human race! To think that such a commonplace realization should suddenly seem like news that one holds the winning ticket in a cosmic sweepstake.

…It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody…I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhere.

So while that Marian prayer from Our Lady of Fatima is to lead all souls to heaven, Thomas Merton affirms that the gate of heaven is everywhere, if only we will become conscious of it. That is all the more reason to set our craft upon the water, and trust the waters to take us to that destination that we seek on our spiritual journey.

Irish currach

___________________
References:
* "The Spiritual Journey," lecture given by Thomas Merton on January 16, 1963; from Thomas Merton on Contemplation, audio recordings from the archives of The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University, Louisville, Kentucky, under the copyright of Know You Know Media.

** Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, by Thomas Merton, 1966, Doubleday, Garden City, NY.

Images: 
St. Brendan from "Irish Monks and the voyage of St. Brenden"
Thomas Merton from Dover Beach blogsite
Irish currach from Kelticos 


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“Lead All Souls to Heaven”

Depiction of St. Brenden the Navigator

In a talk that he gave to the novices at Gethsemani Abby, Thomas Merton once compared spirituality to a journey down the river. He talked about the Irish monks who took off in a boat, going where God led them. He said that the image of embarking on a boat and letting the river carry us is a metaphor for how we can abandon ourselves to the guidance of God. It is not an image of being in control, but rather of resting in the boat and trusting the river. Merton speaks of that journey being one of progressive insight that is ultimately fulfilled upon the spiritual pilgrim’s death with full realization in heaven. He went on to say that “journey” is symbolic of our state on earth – we are all going somewhere.*

Spiritual Journey

I like the imagery of embarking upon the river when speaking of the spiritual life. My own view of spirituality is not one that is centered upon life in heaven after death.  I don’t think Thomas Merton made the afterlife his focus either. He referred to heaven in traditional terms as the ultimate destination of the faithful soul after death, but his focus was on how we live in our present life on earth. In my view, we are all on a journey and we can make that journey as spiritual as we want to. By “spiritual,” I refer to that act of understanding the true value and meaning of our existence. That understanding may be enhanced by seeing the work of an artist in a gallery, listening to music in a concert hall, or watching a sunset and realizing that we are connected to creation.

To find our spiritual path, we need not take traditional imagery literally. For example, when I hear or read traditionally religious terms like salvation, heaven, hell, paradise, etc. I find that if I think of these things symbolically rather than as actual places in some afterlife, then that imagery begins to inform my life and to expand my appreciation of what Life has in store. In other words, spirituality is not about life after death, it is about life in the here-and-now. When we begin to see that, then we can let the imagery of traditional religious language inform our journey as we embark upon the river of life.

I wrote in Spirit Work, Soul Work, “True spirituality integrates and connects. In order for spiritual practice to be more than just an opiate or a distraction, it must take into account the whole of life. Work place, family, hobbies and social life each represent opportunities for the implementation of spirituality. Every religious tradition offers methods for spiritual practice, the goal being to eliminate distractions and to pay attention.”

A Universal Hope

We have some powerful archetypes to inform us along our journey. I have an appreciation for Marian spirituality, and I am fascinated by stories of Marian visitations. From a purely psychological standpoint, these stories can be very illuminating in regard to the role of the feminine archetype in our lives (see A Jungian Appreciation of Mary). The reported visions at Fatima in 1917 are most intriguing. There have been books written about the phenomena that occurred there in Portugal, and there was even a movie made about it, “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima.”

There is a prayer, supposedly requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, that is now traditionally recited while praying the rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.”

Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy! I love finding concepts of universalism in faith practices. When I first began to learn to pray the rosary As a Catholic convert, I was already familiar with the story of Fatima, and I was also drawn to the idea of universalism. It was a true joy to find this prayer for all to find their way to heaven, even those we might consider to be far from God’s grace.

The Gate of Heaven Is Everywhere

Thomas Merton

What do we mean when we speak of heaven? What is this universal hope, and how is it apprehended? What does it mean to you? For some, it may be a metaphor for union with the divine, for others it could refer to personal fulfillment or psychological wholeness When the Gospel of Matthew speaks of the kingdom heaven, sometimes it is not referring to life after death but rather the imminent reign of God on earth. The book of Matthew was written for a Jewish community of people who would not have spoken the name of God. The term, “Kingdom of heaven,” was used rather than Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, many readers of the New Testament text today see heaven only in terms of the afterlife.

We can turn again to Thomas Merton for an image of how we might understand heaven. There is a famous passage in his Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander** in which he describes an epiphany that occurred on a rare trip from Gethsemani Abbey to Louisville, Kentucky:

In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world, the world of renunciation and supposed holiness. The whole illusion of a separate holy existence is a dream.

Merton wrote of how the people he saw on that street corner were just and much a part of God as he and his monastic brothers were. The only difference was that “We just happen to be conscious of it” but that that did not mean he was any better than the rest of the world. As he continued to discuss his epiphany, Merton declared:

It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, though it is a race dedicated to many absurdities and one which makes many terrible mistakes: yet, with all that, God Himself gloried in becoming a member of the human race. A member of the human race! To think that such a commonplace realization should suddenly seem like news that one holds the winning ticket in a cosmic sweepstake.

…It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody…I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhere.

So while that Marian prayer from Our Lady of Fatima is to lead all souls to heaven, Thomas Merton affirms that the gate of heaven is everywhere, if only we will become conscious of it. That is all the more reason to set our craft upon the water, and trust the waters to take us to that destination that we seek on our spiritual journey.

Irish currach

___________________
References:
* "The Spiritual Journey," lecture given by Thomas Merton on January 16, 1963; from Thomas Merton on Contemplation, audio recordings from the archives of The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University, Louisville, Kentucky, under the copyright of Know You Know Media.

** Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, by Thomas Merton, 1966, Doubleday, Garden City, NY.

Photos: 
St. Brendan from "Irish Monks and the voyage of St. Brenden"
Thomas Merton from Dover Beach blogsite
Irish currach from Kelticos 


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Letting Go

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

              ~ Mark Twain

                                                                                from Innocents Abroad

  

This is a story of how I began to let go of some prejudices that I had been carrying around for a while. Having traveled and lived in other parts of the world, I can say that Mark Twain was right about travel being fatal to prejudice. Sometimes a journey to the other side of the world can open one’s eyes; at other times, all it takes is a trip across town.

First Came the Music

For most of my life I did not think very highly of Primitive Baptists.  I was raised Southern Baptist in a household that valued education.  I didn’t know any Primitive Baptists when I was growing up; I just heard stories about those “Hard Shell Baptists,” or “foot-washing Baptists.” They were typically not interested in higher education. I remember my father, a seminary educated pastor, jokingly saying that the Primitive Baptists had no seminaries because “they believe that if the Lord wants an educated pastor, He’ll call one.”

My attitude did a complete 180 a few years ago when I attended my first National Sacred Harp Convention. I was absolutely blown away by the experience. As the ones who kept Sacred Harp music alive down through the years, I saw that the Primitive Baptists had something very important to bring to the table. I wrote about it on my blog in 2011 and again in 2013. There is a growing interest in preserving the music, with Sacred Harp organizations being formed in places like Chicago, New York, Ireland, and Poland. The music really does a number on me. One year, I took an Episcopal priest friend to the Sacred Harp Convention with me who later described it as “a wondersome and transformative experience.”

This is how I described my first encounter with Sacred Harp singing:

I was captivated, stirred on the inside, tears threatening to well up – and no words had been sung yet. It was that bracing harmony of pure notes filling the sunlit space. The sound reminded me of the Bulgarian women’s folk singing that has attracted many listeners since the 1990 recording, Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares. There was a similar directness and exuberance, a hearty primitive and uplifting – even startling – vocal effect. Yet these were regular folks, local people from Alabama and others traveling from points near and far who were producing that fantastic harmony. The visceral effect was also similar to being in the presence of bagpipes as they are played. It grabs your attention and stirs you on the inside.

In that first blog post, I went on to explain that:

Sacred Harp came to this country by way of the early English settlers. It was first established in New England before the American Revolution, but gradually died out in that part of the country. For years it was kept alive in the hills of Appalachia, particularly among the Primitive Baptists. Nowadays it continues to be preserved by Sacred Harp gatherings and conventions.

I became aware on that day of a particular treasure that had been preserved through the years by the Primitive Baptists. They were no longer some unknown oddity removed from my experience. They were conveyers of a sacred tradition that until that day I had not been privy to. Standing within that undeniable experience, I had to sift through and re-think years of uninformed prejudice.

Then Came the Book

There was this other thing I grew up hearing about those “Hard Shell” Primitive Baptists: they didn’t believe in missionary work because their Calvinist theology led them to believe that God has already decided who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell. In the Old South, some Baptist Churches called themselves “Missionary Baptist” as one way to distinguish themselves from their Calvinist Primitive Baptist cousins. A few years ago, friend who is an expert in Appalachian culture and history, and who also happens to me a Unitarian Universalist minister, told me about a fascinating book, In the Hands of a Happy God, by Howard Dorcan. The subtitle of the book is The “No-Hellers” of Central Appalachia, and it chronicles the development of a universalist strand of Primitive Baptists.  I was intrigued by the notion because I like the idea of Universalist theology – which is something that the Southern Baptists of my childhood were quite leery of. I was especially intrigued that a group of Primitive Baptists managed to arrive at such a positive outlook that most Christian denominations cannot bring themselves to believe to this day.

The title of Dorcan’s book intentionally contrasts the Primitive Baptist Universalists with that famous Calvinist New England Congregationalist preacher, Jonathan Edwards, who is best known for his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”  In the Hands of a Happy God is part history, part sociology, and in a way a detective story. Dorcan writes about his work in tracing the development of the Primitive Baptist Universalist churches. He mentions that the churches were so similar in organization, and they simply call themselves Primitive Baptists, that he at first was not aware of their theological distinctions until further discussions with their elders. Moreover, in the Primitive Baptist tradition, there is very little "written record" of theological beliefs. The PBUs see God as a happy God because he figured out a way to redeem all of humanity. They may be the only Calvinists in the world who can say, “Yes, God has already decided who is going to heaven – and it’s EVERYBODY!”

Dorcan’s book let me see that even among these stern Calvinists who have no formal schools of theology and no centralized institutional structure, there can be a dynamic debate and exploration of ideas. Furthermore, they can shatter their own stereotypes to arrive at a happy and optimistic world view. It was just one more reason for me to gain a new appreciation for Primitive Baptists and to let go of some of my preconceived notions.

And Then There Is the Food   

One of the traditions of Sacred Harp singing is that everyone shares a big potluck dinner, or “covered dish” dinner as they used to say down South. You may have heard the expression, “All Day Singing and Dinner on the Ground.” This has its roots in the Sacred Harp tradition. Periodically, a church would designate a day set aside for singing – no preaching or formal worship service – just singing. At these gatherings people would bring their prepared dishes from home and there was always a time of fellowship when everyone would sit and eat together. The National Sacred Harp Convention continues that tradition with a pot luck meal served in the middle of each day of their annual gathering. They always invite all visitors to join them in the meal. One of the best ways to see beyond differences and into the shared humanity of another is to share a meal together. Joy and commonality can always be found around food.

If you want to get to know a group of people, spend some time singing with them; spend some time eating with them. It will not make you agree with everything they say, but it will help you to see that agreement in every detail is not really the point. Sharing life in all of its joys and sorrows, accepting people of other traditions, listening to other points of view – all of these things can contribute to a fuller life and a greater understanding of your neighbor. Next time you get a chance to travel, especially if it means singing with someone else or eating with someone else, make the journey, even if it is only across town.

_____________________

Photos:

Upper:Salem Primitive Baptist Church in Adel, Georgia

          Credit: Michael Rivera

          Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Lower: Church potluck

           Credit: Nehrams2020

           Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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Where Love and Reason Dwell

Last Sunday it was my privilege to attend the 167^th annual Homecoming at the First Universalist Church of Camp Hill, Alabama.  The Alabama Historical Association recently recognized the church building, constructed in 1907, as a historical site. Universalists were among the founders of the farming community of Camp Hill in the 1830s. Although I grew up in Dadeville,  just seven miles up the road from Camp Hill and passed by the Universalist Church on occasion, I had no idea of its rich heritage and influence.

           

When I was growing up, sometimes the Universalist Church was spoken of in hushed tones, “they don’t believe in Hell” was about all my Baptist and Methodist friends seemed to know about the Universalists. In fact, the Universalist Church was established early in this country's history by people who valued a message of the love of God and a respect for human reason rather than the notion of a life dominated by fear of a wrathful God who condemns people to eternal torment.

A Message of Hope

The Rev. Joan Armstrong Davis, a former minister of the Camp Hill Church, was on hand to deliver the sermon for the historic homecoming event. In her sermon, she presented a brief history of Universalism in America. She told of how a Congregationalist minister, Rev. Charles Chauncy, was not comfortable with the hell-fire and damnation message of George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards in the religious movement that became known as the Great Awakening during the American colonial period. Chauncy came to adopt a doctrine of universal salvation when he questioned the Calvinist doctrine that God predestined some people to eternal punishment in hell. John Murray was another who questioned the Calvinism of the evangelists of the Great Awakening. Murray is considered by most to be the father of Universalism in America. He was an evangelist of hope who participated in the first Universalist Convention and became pastor of the Universalist Society in Boston. It is said of him that he set out to “give them not hell, but hope and courage.” Rev. Armstrong Davis affirmed that human goodness and hope are central to the Universalist message.

The Winchester Profession of 1803 became a central tenet for the Universalist Church, proclaiming that love is the nature of God “who will finally restore the whole family of mankind to holiness and happiness.” [Historical side note: There was another movement afoot in the 19^th century known as Unitarianism which, like the Universalists, arose out of the Congregationalist Churches in New England.  Rational thinking and belief in the humanity of Jesus were hallmarks of the Unitarian Churches.  The Universalist Church merged  with the American Unitarian Association in 1961 to form the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.]

As she closed her message, Rev. Armstrong Davis observed that all around us citizens today are pessimistic like never before.  She spoke of how the Unitarian Universalists have been small but influential and that today as in the early days of Universalism, they can be a positive beacon to “give them not hell, but hope.”  Who could deny that what we need today is a promise of love and hope rather than fear and condemnation? A true basis for hope can indeed be an antidote for a pessimistic age.

A Fellowship of Love

The church members seemed delighted to have almost sixty people in attendance, about three times the normal Sunday attendance (they meet once a month on the fourth Sunday of the month). After the service, all were invited to an abundant fellowship meal downstairs. It was a magnificent meal of all kinds of home cooked delights. There was home baked bread, casseroles, soups and stews, stuffed peppers and a variety of vegetable dishes along with baked ham and fried chicken. Further down the table was an equally delightful array of desserts: hummingbird cake, german chocolate cake, apple pie, fudge brownies and all manner of cheesecakes and custards. The after-church crowd shared food, fellowship and conversation in a delightful celebration of history, friendship, and family.    

A History of Faith and Good Works

Looking at the historic church in Camp Hill, one has no doubt that its builders saw that it was important to create something of beauty, of substance, and of lasting value. The craftsmanship that went into the woodwork, windows and the brick structure of the building reveals an attitude of careful symmetry and quality. The philosophy espoused by the congregation is likewise one of careful symmetry and quality in that that the traits of love, justice, liberty, and reason should be evident in equal measure.

It takes faith to have a liberal worldview these days. Sometimes when I see what people are doing to one another and I observe politics run amok, I can see how John Calvin might have arrived at his doctrine of total depravity. It is easy to forget that humankind also has an incredible capacity for good. The Universalist Church of the small town of Camp Hill has long been a testament to the ability of people to reach for a higher good.  Camp Hill resident and columnist for The Dadeville Record, Dean Bonner related some of the history of the church and the community in his October 17 article, “Camp Hill Universalist Church recognized on state historic registry.”  Church members from the beginning of its history were involved in town industry as well as in building schools and promoting education in the community. One of the most notable examples is The Rev. Dr. Lyman Ward, a Universalist minister who established a school for underprivileged rural youth, the Southern Industrial Institute (later named Lyman Ward Military Academy).  Ward modeled his school after Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute and in fact became friends with and received assistance from Booker T. Washington.

In terms of an optimistic vision for society, in addition to the Winchester Profession, the Unitarian Universalist Association has adopted Seven Principles which are promoted by each congregation:

•  The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Go Now in Peace

The Universalist Church arose when people dared to believe that God is truly a God of love. People for some reason have tended to get excommunicated by the establishment for such ideas, but how liberating it can be if we can learn to live in response to love, rather than in fear of punishment. The Unitarian/Universalists have also championed reason in the quest for truth. If you are looking for a hopeful community that stands for love, justice, liberty and reason then you may want to consider the Unitarian/Universalists. If you are in the vicinity of Camp Hill in Tallapoosa County, definitely consider paying a visit to the First Universalist Church.  It is a place where love and reason dwell.

                                                                                                                                      ~ Charles Kinnaird

_______________________

Photos taken by Charles Kinnaird

In second from the top is a view of the pulpit Bible which was recently restored by Auburn University.
The last photo is the new historic marker which reads:

"The First Universalist Church of Camp Hill was the largest Universalist Church in the southeastern United States in the first half of the 20th century. With its roots in the European Enlightenment, Universalism was transplanted to the American colonies by religious sojourners and was flourishing in this country by the time of the Revolutionary War. A Christian denomination, the defining tenet of Universalism was 'universal' salvation, the belief that a gentle God would not condemn any soul to a literal hell. The Universalist Church of America merged with the American Unitarian Association in 1961, forming the Unitarian Universalist Association."
On the reverse side: "The First Universalist Church of Camp Hill was established in 1846 as Liberty Universalist Church. The name was changed in 1909. The original meeting place was a brush arbor on the present site of Mt Lovely Baptist Church. A simple cabin soon replaced the arbor and served until 1884 when a larger wood-framed church was built on this site. Membership burgeoned, and the striking brick sanctuary was completed in 1907. Designed by Daniel A. Helmich, a Birmingham architect, the church was built with local labor using mostly indigenous materials."

*