for.

My immediate reaction is, "against." I'm even wary of some of the spiritual practices I've been taught at seminary which the professor introduced as being from the early Christian church.

Beloved, it was late, so let me expound on this item.

i attended spiritual practices workshops at Five Oaks and have lso encountered other spiritual practices.

I have found that they help me get to what works for me and when.

I didn't think that I would enjoy walking a labrynthe and yet, the labrynthe at Five Oaks was a key place for me.  In a trying time, I drove out to wlak the labrynthe.  It is partially the land and partially the ritual.  
 

Just as I dont' believe there is one "right way" of looking at God, Spirit or Jesus, then, I cannot believe that there is one right way of experiencing them in our midst or getting into the space to learn / experience them.

I am interested in what you are thinking about here. and where you take this thread.

I'm probably the wrong person to address this since being a UU pretty much forces me to say it's okay. "Free and responsible search for truth and meaning" is one of our principles.

That said, a couple thoughts:

Be respectful of the tradition that the practice/item comes from. That doesn't mean you cannot reinterpret for yourself, but it does mean recognizing that it is not your place to tell someone from that tradition what it means and accepting their wisdom if they do not like how you are interpreting/practicing it. Simply grabbing the practice/item and making it mean what you want it to mean is NOT respectful.

Do look deeply into what it means in the tradition it is from before deciding what it means for you and your practice. Until you know what it means to others, you cannot really be sure it is right for you. Too many Christians and UUs take on Buddhist and Hindu meditation practices, for instance, assuming it is just the same as the Christian contemplative traditions when, in fact, there are significant differences in the meaning and underlying cosmology.

Mendalla

I had never heard of singing bowls before . . . and I was shown one on Sunday.  It peeked my interest . . . I started looking into them.  My research indicated they came from the Tibetans and a buddhist tradition.

That didn't bother me in the least . . . I'm kinda like you . . . I'm willing to explore my faith, as a Christian, even if it is not within a box.

So, my reason for posting was :

a)  start a new thread for discussion as I think we need new threads now and again

b)  this one came to me as it was something new to me and I wanted to know what others thought and what their experiences were.

c)  It was started for conversation and information, not controversy.

d)  It doesn't matter to me where it goes, as long as it is respectful conversation.

I am a Christian, a member of The UCC . . . but I was raised Roman Catholoc.  I still pray my rosary - it gives me comfort, it is peaceful, it centers me.

I would love to walk a labyrinth.

I meditate.

I would like to try a singing bowl.

And I'm sure there are others means of drawing nearer to God that I will find out about and want to experience someday.

Yet, I would not have been in this personal space 25-30 years ago.  An example, I got rid of a beautiful glass blown unicorn about 30 years ago because a dear Christian friend who I looked up to at the time told me it was not something a Christian should have in their home (it was not of God).  Today, I would not have done that, as I am more mature, both in my age, but also in my faith.

Yet, I respect that there are others who see their personal faith and journey differently.

Thank you for sharing those thoughts and words, Mendalla.  Respect and being respectiful is very important.  I realize there is way more to some traditions and disciplines, and that is why I appreciate feedback from others - another reason for starting such a thread.

Hi Beloved:

Whatever works for you, works for you. And what works exceptionally well, works exceptionally well. Experiment and find out!

I like Zen meditation. Pure Zen is pure experience. No teachings, or only the barest minimum. One just meditates until one gets IT. And whatever one gets, one gets.

This works well for those who seek enlightenment. For those who seek teachings, the teachings of Far Eastern religions often seem foreign, nonsensical, or hard to understand. There is nothing wrong with traditional Christian teachings. But I, personally, am not in favour of absolute or unquestioning belief in Christian dogmas or doctrines.

To me, a spiritual practise is something a person does to point them towards the IT, as Aminius says.  The IT being that feeling that there is something 'more' than what is obvious that calls to us (well me anyway) to tune in.

Outside my window I have some wind chimes.  One of my practises is to pause whenever I become aware of their sound (which is intermittent, of course) and access 'where my thoughts and being were' in that moment.  Was I delighting in the rainbows in the dish suds or frantically rushing to get to the next job, the next moment?   I find this useful but, especially in the cold months, don't seem to hear the chimes for long weeks!

Rhythmic exercise calms me into a special mindset of relaxed alertness - swimming, walking etc and silent meditation - counting my breaths.  My guess is that using rosary beads is similar - repetition that doesn't need much attention, that has the ability to chase away the monkey chatter in the head.

A pilgrimage would certainly help me appreciate that it is the journey that matters, not the destination.  Walking a labyrinth could help one focus on some problem and hand it over the the IT. 

I have only heard of singing bowls so will read the thread about them, and hopefully learn more.  Though, when someone mentioned them I wondered if they would focus the attendtion like the little bell in RC masses?

HI beloved....sorry if my question seemed abrupt, I was curious what sparked your interest and where the thread would wander to. (and i also appreciate your other reasons for posting it, thanks)

I like Mendella's addition a lot about ensuring you don't usurp (?) a tradition , using it inappropriate.   I have experienced it with first nations traditions.  My sense is it comes down to honour and respect.    ARminius uses the word "seek".  That works for me.

 I have been guility of it without even realizing that I was doing it...  If you know Libana, they seek the songs of the world by first learning how to sing with teh people, how do you hold your tongue, your throat, your teeth, etc.  I cringe when I hear people sing songs of other faiths or cultures without the same respect or acknowledging their gaps.

Hmm, Kay, I think of a bell as short/sweet,, ie, attention please.  The singing bowl rings on and on in diminishing sound....it leads you down the road.

Kay, the next time I hear wind chimes I will remember you and your practice.

Thanks, Arminius

Never heard of Libana, Pinga - will have to look that up.

I was a part of a women's choir years ago and our leader brought them in to lead a workshop.

http://www.libana.com/members/

Also attended one with a lead from "sweet honey in the rock" during the same period and they touched on the same issue of inappropriate cultural appropriation.

Both were amazing opportunities.

an aside - when my neice was a pre-schooler and was at mass - she heard the bell ring and shouted in her loudest voice to alert everyone -  "telephone!"  - still makes me giggle to think of it.   Now our phones don't really have a bell sound ... 

Hi again Beloved

I'm Irish Scotch presbyterian,  christened Catholic.  I find myself very much drawn to Native American flute and drum music which I absolutely love. I find it so relaxing and soul filled. I have only been to Catholic xmas masses as a child, yet I find myself watching Catholic  mass on TV at noon sometimes. Its very peaceful. I have a certain interest in New Age spirituality altho' its   been on the decline somewhat recently.

Lets listen in to the flute for a bit shall we?

We had a couple First Nations rites in our services back in my early days at the UU fellowship but they were led by an elder from a local First Nation and his wife who had a relationship with the fellowship at the time (not members, just good friends who dropped by from time to time). Similarly, we've had pagan rites led by our pagan members. Having someone who knows the meaning and importance of the rite is essential to making the rite meaningful for all even not considering the respect aspect. Even if we were going to start doing communion in our fellowship, I'd want it led by someone with a strong Christian background (I could likely do it given my history) or visiting Christian clergy rather than a humanist UU or someone raised UU.

Mendalla

My daughter and a friend of hers will travel to Europe later this year to walk the famous Santiago de Compostela pilgrim route. This pilgrimage takes several weeks, begins somewhere in France and ends at the church of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. They hope to get much out of it. "If you walk it with a perceptive mind, then you will," I assured them.

We had several presentations from other belief systems and thought systems at my previous congregation. But we (the committee who approved these presentations) made sure that the presenters were properly qualified. This is a matter not only of respect to the belief system represented, but also one of intellectual integrity, and an assurance to the audience that they are getting as close to the authentic article as possible.

All that said, my courses on Islam and Hinduism in university were not taught by Muslims/Hindus. The former was taught by Greek who was, IIRC, an Orthodox priest (and a brilliant man who I think is no longer with us) and the latter by an Englishman who was, I believe, Anglican but who had lived in India (given his age at the time, is almost certainly gone as well). Both knew the material well enough to teach it with respect. It's not something to approach lightly, though.

Mendalla

Yes, agreed.

It is not always possible to find lecturers who belong to the tradition one intends to lecture on. But scholarly expertise counts, and some scholars are well qualified to lecture on a tradition, even if they are not and never were members of it. But, as you said, this is something one has to approach carefully.

A person from our community did this last year - while I did not talk to the person myself I have heard that they felt it was a life-changing experience from what others have told me.

Arminius/Mendalla;

Kinda', sorta', like . . . one can teach what (something) they know, but to lead others in an experience or sharing (which worship is a part of), one needs to have some experience of it themselves ?

I really like both of your answers.  thanks for helping to bring that forward.