Listening to the Shema

In graduate school, I had a Hebrew and Old Testament professor who offered students the choice to memorize a passage, known as the Shema, from the book of Deuteronomy as an assignment. The requirement was that once we had it memorized, we needed to set up a time to recite the passage to the professor during his office hours.

Being a former professional actor, memorizing came easy to me, so you know I chose that assignment quicker than one could blink.

I’d take memorizing some of the Bible over writing a paper or translating Hebrew. Honestly, if I could have tap-danced or sang my way through seminary rather than translated, exegeted, or wrote 30-page papers, I would have been the best student.

The passage we had to memorize, although longer than the Shema, was as follows:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

-Deuteronomy 6:4-12

A few read overs and I had that thing memorized, ready to get my easy grade. I made my way to his office and sat across from him at his desk. On the walls behind each of us were floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled to the brim with books and resources I’m sure he read multiple times.

When I felt ready, he said, I could recite the Shema to him. Just before I began, he leaned back in his chair, folded in his hands in his lap, and closed his eyes. And as I recited the words, he listened with his eyes closed as if he were hearing a beautiful sonnet.

At the time, I thought nothing of this moment. It was just an easy way for me to get a good grade. Yet, just the other day, out of blue, I was reminded of this moment and remembered how intently this professor listened to the recitation of the Shema. This man loved these ancient scriptures. Being fully present in the moment, he listened to the Shema, heeding the command, “Hear.”

As I thought over this memory the last couple of days, I was reminded it wasn’t a simple way to get a grade, but an avenue for us to meditate upon the treasure that is ancient scriptures. It wasn’t solely an easy assignment, but it was a way to deeply hear these ancient scriptures. It forced me to slow down, meditate upon scriptures, and acknowledge the Divine One.

Thinking back, I’m so thankful for that assignment.

Meditations with Dr. Steve Dawson

SEASON TWO - EPISODE 14: MEDITATIONS WITH DR. STEVE DAWSON

The first time I tried meditation was during a season of extreme stress in my life and I used the Headspace app. Andy, who guides most of the meditations has a wonderful British accent.

And, let’s be real, everything is better with an accent. If anything was going to help me have less stress and succeed in meditation, it was a British accent.

With noise-canceling headphones on, sitting alone on a couch in the basement of the church, I pressed play on my first ten-minute meditation with Andy the Brit. 

With a simple greeting of ‘Hi’ and a slow vocal phrasing, I was led to focus on my breathing, to become aware of the noises I heard around me, to sense my body and anything I was feeling, to notice my emotions and racing thoughts. Within a matter of minutes, tears started streaming down my face. And for an entire week, I think every time I tried meditating tears streamed down my face.

It was one of those experiences where I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening but I also knew something profound was happening.

In this episode, I interview Dr. Steve Dawson, the Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Lynchburg. Steve shares his interest and long journey with meditation and shares how his practice of yoga often leads him into meditation. One of my favorite parts is his insistence on practicing ancient spirituality more than simply reading, writing, or thinking about it.

We actually have to do these practices if we want the benefits of these practices.  

Dr. Dawson received his undergraduate degree in creative writing from George Mason University, and both his Masters of Theological Studies and Doctorate Degree in Religious Studies from Boston University.

Steve has led a handful of study abroad trips to India, Vietnam, Greece, and Cambodia, he leads Sangha on campus, and recently started a Hindu student group. More recently, he now teaches a yoga and meditation class.

Steve was on my search committee while I was being hired and he completely intimidated me, which is so ironic, because once you get to know Steve you learn that he is one of the most free-spirited and loving people. More than almost anyone I know, Steve exudes a sense of calm, peace, and ease that I think most of us would long to have.

As you continue to experience meditation and practice the contemplative,ay you have peace, may you have calm, and may you have happiness.

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Liturgical Mysteries with Co-Reverends Diane and Todd

SEASON TWO - EPISODE 13: LITURGICAL MYSTERIES WITH CO-REVERENDS DIANE AND TODD

Life is short and we don't have much time to gladden the hearts of those with whom we travel. So, be quick to love and make haste to be kind. And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you always. Amen.

Isn’t that beautiful? Almost every Sunday I hear this benediction at the end of a service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Almost every Sunday I am reminded of the truths of this benediction; that life is short, we travel with many people whose hearts need to be uplifted, I must be quick to love, and do whatever I can to be kind. It sounds so simple, yet it’s hard to do.

In episode thirteen of my podcast, I interview co-reverends, co-rectors, Rev. Dr. Diane and Rev. Todd Vie. We discuss what it has been like for them, as a married couple, to go from the professional world of business to discerning their calls to be priests.

We also discuss how the ancient prayers found in the Book of Common Prayer are full of meaning as well as how the liturgy, of the structure of a church service, can be incredibly mysterious. 

One of the things we talk about in this episode is how often we are surprised by God. The Divine meets us when we least expect it. And, when we acknowledge that and become aware of it, encountering God is not only exciting, but is also mysterious.

Faith is a mystery. God is Mystery. The Divine Mystery loves to surprise us.

If you want a little more information or resources from this episode, Rev. Diane and Todd recommend the following resources and websites as a good starting point: The Book of Common Prayer; The Online Book of Common Prayer; Your Faith, Your Life; Bishop Curry’s Way of Love Podcast; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church; and the Episcopal Church.

As you continue to be surprised by the Divine Mystery, may you have peace, may you have calm, and may you have happiness.

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The Need to Be Replanted

I shared in a former post that I’ve been doing a lot of yard work and how uprooting weeds became an apt metaphor for the uprooting of racism that white people need to do. In this post, I want to share some thoughts on gardening and the evolution of our faith. Who would have thought amateur gardening and yard work can give you so much blog content.

Now, I have absolutely no experience gardening. I’m not the type who really likes to have dirt under his fingernails. So, that makes a small conflict of interest for me.

All I have done is put little seeds into a seed pod, which is basically a mesh of dehydrated dirt that expands as water is added. Once it’s fully expanded, you drop in a couple of seeds and wait until they grow.

We’ve had the best luck with green beans. Those things sprout within hours and after a couple of days, they are quite tall.

Yet one thing I noticed is that some seeds, barely growing above the surface, had roots extending out of the meshed dirt. A couple of inches long, these roots were searching for water and nutrients. The thing is, the roots weren’t in the soil anymore. They were in our little plastic tray, searching for sustenance, but unable to find anything but plastic.

As I was staring at these little seedlings, I realized our faith and church experience can be similar to this.

There will be times in our faith journey when our roots will push through the mesh. They are out searching for water and nutrients, but only found an empty plastic tray. There is little to sustain and supplement our faith and experience with the Divine. As if our soul is longing and desiring something greater of the faith tradition but unable to find it in our spot in the seed pod.

We get to the point where we have outgrown our soil.

Just like these plants, we need to be replanted, in a new pot, with more soil, so our roots can deepen, expand, and grow so that we will have the strength to grow towards the light.

I think this is true for many of us. Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a religious meshed pod and your roots are expanding. Perhaps you find this pod to be incredibly constrictive rather than giving you the space to ask questions, doubt, expand, or grow.

Maybe you have been breaking through the mesh in search of a deeper and richer experience of God. Maybe you’ve been searching for a place where your roots can thrive. It might feel as if no one is tending to your roots, or the nutrients your faith craves are nowhere to be found, or that you are being outcasted or deemed heretical for your expanding faith, or maybe you are being viewed as a weed or a plant that doesn’t belong in the garden in the first place.

Be encouraged. You simply need to be replanted in deeper soil within a bigger and diverse garden.

It means you may need to try a new church, experience new spiritual rhythms, question particular theological interpretations, listen to new voices and teachers, and trust that through it all the Divine is as close to you as your very breath.

In my own faith journey, I have discovered the depth and richness of the Christian Tradition, not simply my one tradition (or pod). It’s one of the reasons I’ve begun to identify as a Contemplative Ecumenical instead of an Evangelical. It’s why I spent over two years part of a cohort program exploring ancient and contemplative spiritual practices. And, it’s why my faith is fuller and richer than it ever has been.

I have found that it can be a garden that allows all people to flourish, growing, and evolving at our own pace, as we all continue to grow closer to the Light.

Mindfulness with Steve Wiens

SEASON TWO - EPISODE 12: MINDFULNESS WITH STEVE WIENS

What happens when our faith stops working? Is it all over? Should we just give up entirely on faith and God?

Steve Wiens doesn’t think so. Steve actually thinks that a deconstruction of our faith is a regular pattern. And, he’s all about helping people reconstruct their faith.

On my newest podcast episode, I interview Steve Wiens as we talk about just that. We talk about how disillusionment and disorder are a regular rhythm of the spiritual life and the importance of practicing mindfulness as a way to encounter God all around us- from brushing our teeth, to a sunset, to a religious gathering. 

Steve is a spiritual teacher, author, and pastor who loves helping people reconstruct their faith after their theological foundations have crumbled. He desires to give people permission to experience new and expansive ways of understanding God, themselves, and the world in which they live.

We need more pastors like Steve.

He’s written three books: Beginnings, Whole, and his newest book which we talk about in this episode is called Shining Like the Sun, which introduces seven mindful practices for those who’ve lost their faith but are still in search of God. 

Steve also hosts the weekly podcast, This Good Word, which explores what’s holy in our humanity. You can learn more about Steve and connect with him on his website.

I feel as if Steve is a few years ahead of me on this journey and I am so thankful for the ways he is helping so many people, myself included, to discover God in new ways and to experience the Divine all around us.

If you like this episode, please SHARE it and REVIEW it on Apple Podcasts.

And as you experience the rhythms of a reconstructed faith and are given permission to follow the truth wherever it may lead, may you have peace, may you have calm, and may you have happiness.

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Uprooting Racism While Gardening

I’ve been spending a significant amount of time digging up roots and weeds in my yard.

It’s been occupying my evenings and weekends. Surprisingly, it is a nice change of pace from working from home. For as much uprooting I’ve done, I’m not very good at it nor do I think it’s very enjoyable. But, I do it and am usually sore the next day.

One thing I’ve been amazed at is the strength and depth of roots. Some dandelion roots have been over a foot long. Vine roots are incredibly long and are just under the surface of the dirt. Some bushes I had to dig up had roots a few feet deep.

In our backyard is a tree that was once covered in vines. Around the base of the tree are huge vine roots that had been cut down but never uprooted. My wife and I decided to dig them so we could lay mulch around the tree. The more we started digging, yanking, and pulling the more we realized it was going to be a more difficult job than anticipated.

We started with a hand shovel thinking we could easily yank them up. Quickly, we realized we needed a shovel to dig deeper and wider. We discovered what seemed like full vine stumps underground. As we ripped up the roots, dirt flew everywhere; on our clothes, on our faces, in our mouths. A few times, I yank a root so hard that when it snapped off I fell to the ground with it.

Our son kept yelling at us, “Are you ripping up the tree roots? Are you going to dig up the whole tree? Don’t kill the tree.” We kept reassuring him that we were taking up the vines that were inhibiting the tree from growing. “We’re trying to save the tree” we kept saying.

It was hard, difficult, messy, and even painful work.

I think this is an apt metaphor for the work white people need to do concerning racism and white privilege.

Racism has deep and strong roots in our history and culture. There is an entire system that is full of injustice, deep and long just under the green grass, that is inhibiting growth. Yet, for most of us, we don’t see it. Or should I say, we refuse to see it.

There are racist roots in our culture, permeating many of our systems, and deep within our own hearts. And if we continue to let it, such roots will overtake and wreak havoc on every aspect of the garden.

We need to dig them up. We need to uproot them. This is our problem, my fellow white people. It’s our problem to name, uproot, and fix.

It’s going to be hard, messy, and painful work. The more we dig up, the more ugliness will we find. We will get covered in dirt. We will fall down as we rip things up. We will probably be sore the next day. And when we start naming and uprooting the weeds, people will yell at us, “Are you ripping up the tree roots? Don’t kill the tree. Why are you making this a race issue? I’m not racist. I didn’t own slaves.”

We need to learn our history, acknowledge the reality, speak up and out, repent, and apologize. We need to name it. We need to call it out. We need to repent. We need to find the roots of racism within our own hearts and lives.

But more than that, we need to uproot the entire system and fix it. Get your gloves and shovels. We’ve got work to do.

And while you’re at it, a few great books for you:
White Privilege: Let’s Talk UCC Curriculum
The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander
White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo
So You Want To Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo
We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Case for Reparations, Ta-Nehisi Coates
Stamped From The Beginning, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
How To Be An Antiracst, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, Austin Channing Brown
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, Richard Rothstein

Cabin Sessions with Marielle Kraft

SEASON TWO - EPISODE 11: CABIN SESSIONS WITH MARIELLE KRAFT

I finally have a guest on the podcast!

In this episode of The Why Behind the What, I interview Marielle Kraft, a singer-songwriter based out of Philadelphia.

Marielle and I have known one another for a little over eight years. When we met, she had just learned to play a few chords on the ukulele and now she is touring the country, dropping studio albums, and creating some incredible music.

My family and I went and saw her tour when it made a stop in our city. While we were eating dinner and enjoying some drinks, we started talking about the spiritual life and Marielle shared how she had some incredible spiritual experiences in a tiny cabin in New Jersey.

Spending four days in complete solitude and silence greatly impacted her life, her soul, and her music.

As she told me this, I knew I had to get her on the podcast. So, in this episode, we talk about how Marielle got glimpses of the Divine, found out that God has a sense of humor, experienced freedom from technology and the noise of social media, and discovered the beauty of silence and solitude.

Yet, the coolest part of this episode is that Marielle plays a song she has never played publicly. Yes, that’s right people, it’s a world premiere performance on the podcast! It’s a Why Behind the What exclusive! And, it brought tears to my eyes. 

You can find Marielle’s music on Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your music. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also buy some merch on her website. If you like this episode, be sure to SHARE it and REVIEW it on Apple Podcasts.

As you discover a mystical God, the One who has a sense of humor, who is found in silence, solitude, and even mazes, may you have peace, may you have calm, and may you have happiness.

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