Natural Setting, The Potomac River

Sarah Robertson

Over Thanksgiving break while I was home I had the pleasure of visiting the Potomac River, just a couple minutes down the road from where I live. I love to visit here because I get to hear and see the waves crash onto the shore. I personally find this to be something satisfying. Hearing the sound of waves chasing on the shore makes me feel happy and complete, unlike anything else. The sound of crashing waves also helps calm me down. Life can get stressful sometimes so being close to the river is nice because I can go there and feel calm. The river is almost like a sacred place to me, it is not sacred to everyone and it chose me. Another thing I noticed while at the Potomac River is how polluted the water it. It is such a shame because it could be a truly beautiful place to visit but the pollution takes away from its beauty. The pollution is also bad for the fish and makes the water not good to swim in. I consider myself lucky because no matter where I am, home or CNU, I have the availability of having the sound of crashing waves near me.

Natural Setting, The Noland Trail

Sarah Robertson

As a competitive dancer I sadly do not get much time outside, but when I am outside I enjoy it quite much. Nature allows you a certain type of feeling that you cannot experience anywhere else. With nature you have the ability to connect with your surroundings and feel the life around you. While I was at the Noland Trail I was able to hear the river and insects , smell the ocean, touch the trees and leaves, and almost taste the rosemary through its strong smell. Lucky for me I love the sound of crashing waves and with a short walk I am able to walk on the Noland Trail and listen to what I think is a beautiful noise. The best part about nature is how unique it is. Not every tree, leaf, stone, and fruit are alike; they all have a uniqueness to them. The Magnolia Trees on the Noland Trail have nice waxy leaves and when in bloom have big fragrant white flowers and large seed pods. This is different to the  Evergreen tree that keeps its leaves throughout the year. 

With each plant you can read it by how it looks. A flower in bloom will be tall with colorful petals while a malnourished flower will be lopsided with dwindled petals. It is an amazing thing at what nature and can and how it can make you feel. I feel so lucky to live a 10 minute walk from the Noland Trail and have its beauty available to me all year long.

Landscapes of the Sacred 2

Sarah Robertson

Lanes second chapter of his book talks of how to understand sacred place. In doing this lane uses three approaches. Lane describes the phenomenological, ontological and cultural approach. All three of these are necessary in grasping the diverse character of any particular sacred place. These three approaches help me to understand the study of reality and how reality helps with understanding a sacred place. This chapter also discusses how we, the people, need to gather a good sense of the world and reduce the world and its fabrication of the mind. Lane also discusses topos and chora. These two words help us separate a place no different from any other point and a place that carries its own energy. Topos is measurable and quantifiable while chora is suggestive and an energizing force. Topos and chora help me better understand a sacred place and how a sacred place needs topos and chora.

Outside Reading: The Pattern of Peace

"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7


In the November issue of In Touch Ministries, Charles Stanley speaks about approaching thanksgiving in a different way from usual. He refers to the above verse to show how the apostle Paul expects us to pray. Dr. Stanley identifies three words that the disciple uses in setting a pattern for peace: prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.


For each word, he describes how it fits within the context for peace. For supplication, Dr. Stanley states we must speak to God not just about our circumstances, but offer our hearts to Him. "Sharing our feelings with the Lord is essential if we are to develop a loving, intimate relationship," he explains. I lack in giving my all to the Lord for I do worry about what he has in store for me. It's because I don't see the immediate results of my prayers that lead me to believe that he's not present. Not true. I know it's my faith that controls my mind as what I believe to be true dictates my actions.


Thinking right is crucial if I want to experience peaceful spirit for what I insert into my mind influences my spiritual journey. Dr. Stanley believes, as well as Paul, that if I dwell on holy, godly thoughts, I will practice holiness, or at least, have a clean mind and heart. The opposite is true. If sinful, dirty thought occupy my mind, it interferes not only my relationship with God, but leads me to engage in sinful behaviors and pursuits.


My mind does, sometimes, drift to unwholesome thinking because the material I place in it can be harmful to me psychologically.  This is why its important for me to study Scripture daily to avoid negative content entering my thought pattern. Paul states in verse 8, "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."


  

Landscapes of the Sacred 1

Sarah Robertson

Lane has really opened my eyes to sacred places and what makes a sacred place sacred. In the first chapter of his book he talks of the 4 axioms. These 4 axioms help me to understand what makes a sacred place sacred. Lane uses the example of a clearing in the woods to help the reader to understand his axioms. With the way he describes these axioms I am able to relate with my own personal experiences. After reading this first chapter of Lanes book I have a better understanding of sacred places and a better understanding of my own personal sacred places. I understand how a sacred place chooses you, how it can be an ordinary place ritually make extraordinary and how what is sacred to one person is not always sacred to another. One thing that I still have trouble understanding is how a sacred place can be centripetal and centrifugal, how it is local and universal. I have trouble understanding how a sacred place is universal, locally it makes sense to me but how can this place be universal?

Into the Wild 2

Audrey Jolly

 

 

This quote by McCandless, who named himself Alexander Supertramp, defines his mindset as he leaves for the wilderness, “Two years he walks the earth, no phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, ‘cause “the West is the best.” And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure, the climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual revolution. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the great white North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild. – Alexander Supertramp, May 1992 (163)."  He is embracing his journey into the wilderness, and is obviously proud of himself for abandoning all material things so he can be ultimately free.  He hints that he intends to return to civilization eventually, but he felt as if he needed to get this itch for adventure out of his system first.
 However, it is his hubris and arrogance that ultimately kills him, for who would venture into the great unknown unprepared?  McCandless acts as though he is invincible, that he can grab nature by the horns and just go with the flow. 
Despite his mistakes, he did have good intentions by seeking freedom and solitude.  He just took it to the extreme, trying to live out a dream that he was ultimately unprepared for.  

Into the Wild 3

Audrey Jolly

 

 

"HAPPINESS IS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED" is the last phrase that McCandless etched into the wooden table inside the "Magic Bus" before he died of starvation.  He had mistakenly eaten a wild potato root that is dangerously poisonous and is fatal if not treated.  It prevents the body from absorbing nutrients and calories, therefore, the consumer will ultimately die of starvation, no matter how much food they consume. 

McCandless's final quote suggests that in his weakened, dying condition, perhaps he regretted not forming deeper relationships with people.  He had lived an incredible life and had gone on an amazing journey.  He had seen, heard, touched, experienced and lived many things along his journey, and it has brought him much enjoyment and happiness.  Yet he could not share it with anyone, because he was dying all alone in the wilderness of Alaska.  Did he feel unfulfilled?  Did he think that his journey was really worth it?  He must have felt extremely lonely, even though he embraced being alone before, for example, "McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north, and he was relieved as well—relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it. He had fled the claustrophobic confines of his family. He’d successfully kept Jan Burres and Wayne Westerberg at arm’s length, flitting out of their lives before anything was expected of him. And now he’d slipped painlessly out of Ron Franz’s life as well (55)."  He had met the people mentioned in the above quote on his journey, yet did he miss them now?  At the end, he probably longed to share his happiness with someone, and regretted his disdain of intimacy.   

Into the Wild 1

Audrey Jolly

 

 

Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer, is the true story of a young man named Chris McCandless, who ventures off into the wilderness to "get away from society," and to "rid himself of material things." He was seeking adventure, to test his limits, and live out his dreams inspired by Tolstoy and Thoreau. 

He was a bright, intelligent student, graduating from Emory University as a star student and athlete.  He was raised by wealthy parents, living in an upper middle class neighborhood.  Although he was physically comfortable, not all families are perfect, for his father had an affair.  This effected Chris deeply, and he was never really close to his family.  After graduating college, he announced to his parents that he was traveling for the summer in his old, beat up yellow Datsun car, and they never heard from him again. 

Chris McCandless's abandonment of all material things is an example of how he embraced asceticism.  He preferred to live with as little as possible, maintaining discipline.  He didn't even carry a map, which proved to be fatal in the end, and when he ventured into the Alaskan wilderness, he was barely prepared to survive the harsh, bitter winters.  McCandless didn't even have the proper winter boots.  He abandoned his car, the yellow Datsun, in the desert.  Americans value their cars, yet he left it.  He even burned all his money in the desert dirt, and before leaving on his journey, donated all his savings to charity.  Living simply is okay, but choosing to live with nothing, and being unprepared to survive in the wilderness is the hubris that McCandless displays many times, and ultimately kills him.   

Image and Pilgrimage 2

Audrey Jolly

 

 

Flow means, "Merging action and awareness."  In order to have flow, one must have clarity of the short term goals in front of them, while maintaining an unconscious mind, or an "engaged no-mindedness."  You have to be in the zone, in the calm.  You are not aware of yourself being conscious.  There are dazes, when you are not thinking about anything, like spacing out, and there is daydreaming, when you are thinking intently about something and drifting off, focusing so strongly that the rest of the world around you is blocked out.  I tend to do this a lot, just go off into a daydream and think about something that has been weighing on my mind, by never had time to consider.  Hopefully these daydreams don't occur during an important lecture, but sometimes they do. 

 

Asceticism is also connected to flow.  People partake in risky, painful activities, like sports or hiking, that requires discipline, yet it is still enjoyable.  It stretches a person's capacity, giving them a sense of novelty, adventure, and discovery.  It helps people become stronger in whatever activity they do, helping the person with flow see the end, focusing on the big picture.     

Image and Pilgrimage 1

Audrey Jolly

 

 

Communitas is a phenomena that is interesting to analyze.  When speaking of pilgrimage, there is no social class or order, and sociology goes out the window.  Everyone is equal, everyone is the same, and everyone goes through the same experience together, even though one individual's motives for taking a pilgrimage is different from the next individual.  We cannot find this situation in the marketplace scenario; everyone has their own projects and motives, and they are focused on just that.  But it is evident in the various videos on the Camino de Santiago that we've watched, that people have a special connection with each other when on a pilgrimage.  This sense of community, hence "communitas," is a sort of social utopia, where everyone is free and equal without the restraints of social barriers.  It is peaceful, it is tranquil, and it allows the pilgrims to focus on their journey, with the support of the other pilgrims around them. 

Landscapes of the Sacred 2

Audrey Jolly

 

 

I remember one song we listened to in class one day, called "Indian Creek."  I listened intently, and here's what I gathered:  The woman was finding a place in nature to connect with God.  She was opening her arms, accepting whatever God wanted to tell her; she was opening herself up to His sacred communication.  She was finding her soul, hiding in the hills, embracing the loud silence so she could hear God speak.  She placed her hands in the water, a symbol of cleansing, coming clean, becoming pure, letting God wash her sins away.  She was desperate to shake off the village and escape the marketplace.  She felt trapped by the world around her, feeling influenced by the secular too much.  Since she became used to the marketplace, she yearned for something new, and she longed to climb the mountain in the distance, another symbol of trying to reach God, to get closer to Heaven.  The song is sweet and inspirational, and the listener can truly feel her longing through her lyrics.  It is refreshing, and hopefully makes the audience realize how important it is to just get away from the world for awhile and just focus on God and what he may be trying to tell us.     

Landscapes of the Sacred 1

Audrey Jolly

 

 

Lane's four axioms were always fascinating to me when we first started studying them.  I particularly enjoyed learning about sacred places and how his axioms defined one.  I think its important for everyone to have their own sacred place, where they can go to think and mediate.  "A sacred place is not chosen, it chooses," is interesting because when a person wanders into that place, it takes more than a "feeling" to notice its significance.  It seems as if the person would just "know" and have a sense of peace within their soul, something that would stir their emotions.  Since a sacred place can be tread upon without being entered, that place can be special to only one person or only certain people, making it just ordinary to anyone else.  Yet a sacred place is known locally and worldwide, so if a sacred place is established, it should be respected by all who enter it, even if it does not hold any spiritual significance for that individual.  And if the place is tread upon often enough, and people make it a "ritual" to visit there, then it becomes even more sacred.     

Student Topic 4 (Army Life: Spiritual and Physical)

Audrey Jolly

 

Army Life: Spiritual and Physical

 

They say that if you join the military and you aren't that religious, then that'll change real quick when you're in the line of fire from the enemy.  A soldier, once put in that situation, suddenly needs comfort and protection.  Whether spiritual or not, a soldier will seek a guardian from somewhere, anything to help him get through the hardships he experiences. 

 

I will never forget two summers ago when I spent it at Fort Sill, Oklahoma for basic training.  The heat was excruciating, and I was constantly thirsty.  The gear was heavy, the training was hard, and the Drill Sergeants were always angry.  I knew that I could not get through this task alone.  So I called upon God every opportunity I had.  Morning and night, and afternoon, I would send up a quick prayer, asking for strength, guidance, wisdom, and endurance.  After praying, I never felt alone or forsaken, and I always felt a surge of inner power.  The pain just seemed to melt away, the blisters on my feet seemed to fade away, and I just felt stronger.  During the 16K ruck marches, I would pray constantly, asking God for strength.  And since my faith was unwavering, I received what I asked for.  The sacred communication between me and God was unbreakable, undeniable.  I felt as if there was someone always by my side, helping me through difficult situations.  And basic training turned out to be one of the most fun experiences I ever had.  I ended up getting promoted at the graduation ceremony, and was an honor graduate.  I knew I never could have performed so well if God had not been by my side, and I am thankful for the deep, fulfilling prayer that me and Him shared.     

Student Topic 3 (Mother and Daughter Relationships)

Audrey Jolly

 

Mother and Daughter Relationships

 

 

This is a rather personal post, but I thought I'd share some thoughts about mother and daughter relationships how I see it.  When I was little, my mother and I were very close.  My dad wasn't around very much because of his demanding Army job, so my mother was all I had when I was growing up.  She put 150% effort into raising me, making sure I had everything I ever needed or wanted (within reason).  She stayed up countless nights helping me with school projects and such.  She gave me a lot of tough love as well, which at times I needed. 

 

As I started to get older though, I thought I knew it all, and was trying desperately to prove that I could do things on my own without help.  This was hard on my mother, especially since she had been helping with everything ever since I was little.  At times I thought she was trying too hard, maybe she was trying so hard to make everything perfect that it backfired on her.  We butted heads for awhile, mostly because I was growing up and I was seeking my individuality, my project, my self, and the teenage angst wasn't helping.  But the fact that she still loved me unconditionally and put up with me is commendable.  I think that nearly ever mother and daughter go through this, and while no parent/child relationship is perfect, a child is influenced by their parents deeply, and undoubtedly, my mother helped me become the stronger, young woman I am today. 

Student Topic 2 (Love and Marraige)

Audrey Jolly

 Love and Marriage

 

 

We think of marriage as a sacred union between two people, who have a deep love for each other.  Marriage is a very special thing, because it allows one person to essentially give up their own individual project and incorporate another human being into their life.  Marriage is all about sharing as well.  Shared emotions, shared objects, shared space...I do not mean that there is no more individuality, but for there to be a healthy, loving marriage, the couple has to put the other first.  And it is human nature to do the exact opposite, only thinking of our own needs and survival.  We tend to be responsible to ourselves first, then put others later.  But when we fall in love, these feelings of "selfishness" just seem to fade away.  The spouse becomes a "thou," and sometimes the connection between the two people is so strong, one may refer to their partner as "their other half."  Marriage teaches us how to put aside our own interests and projects, and we can learn how to be devoted to another person, instead of only to ourselves.  In marriage, two people's life projects align, creating an "us," instead of an "I" and "It."     

Student Topic 1 (Animals Have Souls Too)

Audrey Jolly

 

Animals Have Souls Too

 

 

One thing everyone knows about me is this: I love animals.  All animals.  No matter what kind of animal it is, it brings me joy and happiness.  I used to work at an animal shelter throughout high school and I would spend hours on end there, taking care of the puppies and dogs and cats.  There was even a small animal room with birds, rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs.  I really didn't mind all the dirty work, like cleaning kennels and cages.  But there was one litter of puppies that just made me the happiest girl in the world.

 

 They were young black Lab mixes, only 8 weeks old.  And they would whine and cry and bark unless I sat in the kennel with them, and I'd let them climb all over me until they fell asleep.  And one day, it was bath day.  After I gave one puppy a bath, which he despised, I wrapped him up in a towel and dried him off and held him close to me until he stopped whining and went to sleep.  It was the cutest, sweetest thing I've ever experienced and only deepened my love of animals.

Besides this brief, yet touching moment with the puppies, there are many stories of animals who demonstrated love, affection, and heroism.  For example, a female gorilla in a zoo, who saved a 3 year old boy who had fallen into her concrete enclosure.  And Christian the lion, who was raised by two young men.  After they released him back into the wild, they went back many years later, and Christian returned, wrapping his big paws around them.  And we see a dog's exuberance when greeting his military owner after he comes back from deployment.  All of these things show that animals do have the ability to show love and affection.  Even though they cannot express it in words we understand, animals demonstrate love nonetheless. 

  

Outside Reading I- Salad Days

As I was looking through the trailjournal website, I came across a long distance hiker named Salad Days. I looked through his blog, and his most recent post was from July 5, 2014, when he hiked Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon National Park, California. This detailed blog was very interesting because Salad Days included pictures to go along with his journey. He also met many hikers along the way, who he exchanged hiking experiences with. Communitas is a very important part of long distance hiking; another hiker will help you if you are in trouble, and visa versa. However, since Salad Days was on a short, 3 day hike, there was little time for communitas to occur. At one point, he met up with a group of people that he had met on his first day of hiking. One member of the group was particularly judgmental and unfriendly. He announced that there was no way that Salad Days had finished the 42 mile hike in only 2 days, and that he must have used a shortcut. Salad Days showed the group pictures of a major section of the trail, declaring that he absolutely hiked the entire trail without a shortcut. The bluntness of this group member is odd, especially since he knows nothing about Salad Days or his past hiking experience. It is important to hike with an open mind because you never know who you will meet, or what their past is like.

Natural Setting II- Sint Maarten

Over the summer of 2014, my father and I visited my Uncle who lives on a boat in St. Martin/ St. Maarten. After living on the boat for a week, we learned the importance of understanding and respecting nature. On October 13, 2014, Hurricane Gonzalo made a sudden turn towards the North, heading straight for St. Martin and St. Barth, leaving the people of St. Martin only a few hours to prepare for the category one hurricane. Many individuals, such as my uncle, stayed on their boats during the hurricane. With such sudden warning, very few people had time to remove the sails, and prepare the boat for 60-65 knot winds. My Uncle survived the hurricane, but suffered costly damages to his vessel.
Humans like to be in control of their surroundings, and we have almost completely succeeded. One of the few things that we have no control over is the weather. In an attempt to control the weather, we personify storms by giving them names, such as Gonzalo, Sandy, and Katrina. Sadly, this attempt is worthless. No matter how hard we try, we can never, and will never, be able to control the weather. We are up to the mercy of the storm, and all we can do is prepare for the worst.

Natural Setting I- Noland Trail

As an avid soccer player and long distance runner, I have always enjoyed running through the woods in my backyard at home. The feeling of isolation helped me work through any internal struggles that I was having at the time. I very rarely saw other individuals on the trail, since it was a very well hidden and somewhat short trail. When I got to CNU, I was very happy to learn about the Noland Trail. I believe the best part of running through the woods is the fact that the scenery changes; running on a treadmill is very boring for me. Also, the fact that the Noland Trail is near the water helps me if I am feeling homesick because my family loves the water and the beach. The trees on the trail each have their own personalities based on their shape and movement in the wind. The water can change its character depending on the time of day you visit. Near sunset, the water has a peaceful, yet vibrant personality, which can become quite fierce if it is windy and stormy. The view of the James river, and the skyline across the James at night is intimidating, yet reminds me of my home near Washinton D.C.  I am grateful that I have access to the ever-changing Noland Trail, which brings me new experiences, while also reminding me of home.

Student Choice I- Communitas: The Anthropology of Collective Joy

Many athletes understand the feeling of being in flow; I played competitive soccer for 14 years growing up, and I always called it being in the "zone". That moment when you aren't paying attention to the crowd yelling, the hot sun on your face, or your tired legs. As seen in Edith Turner's book, "Communitas; The Anthropology of Collective Joy", flow "is indeed a place, but a map won't get you there." Flow can also be defined as the merging of action and awareness. Flow is an incredible experience, but you don't realize it is happening. Once you realize that you are in flow, flow ends. Flow also makes you feel apart of something bigger than yourself, creating communitas. Communitas is especially prevalent in sports teams because the members stick together through tough loses, and important victories. Through it all, players battle injuries in order not to disappoint their fellow teammates.

Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture II

As seen in my previous blog, I am interested in hiking the Appalachian Trail, and therefore became interested in why people hike the AT. As previously mentioned, many individuals hike the AT, or any long distance trail for that matter, as a spiritually healing experience. Not only is the trail physically and mentally challenging, but hikers can encounter "robbers, thieves... as well as natural dangers and epidemics. But these fresh and unpredictable troubles represent, at the same time, a release from the ingrown ills of home. They are not one's own fault," (Turner, Turner 7). These challenges can become an important part of the healing process for someone who recently lost a loved one. The challenges a person faces on the trail are not their fault, which can be a pleasant experience for someone who feels as though everything going wrong at home is their own fault, such as money issues, or a lost job. When the hiker overcomes these challenges, it can boost their confidence, which is important for someone who feels as though all hope is lost for their home life. Although sometimes difficult, mental roadblocks and setbacks while long distance hiking are an important part of the healing process for many hikers.

Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture I

As an individual who hopes to one day hike the Appalachian Trail, I became interested in why people hike the trail. Without any reason myself, I wondered if I would have the willpower to finish a long hike without a burning reason behind my hike, such as illness or death of a family member or friend. Would I even consider the trail a sacred pilgrimage, or just a fun, adventurous journey? Pilgrimage is defined as a journey "to a sacred site or holy shrine located at some distance away from the pilgrim's place of residence and daily labor" (Turner, Turner 4). Because the trail covers 14 states, there will never be a point where I feel "comfortable". It is important that individuals who go on pilgrimages are away from home, or anything that may remind them of home if they are attempting to get over the death or illness of a loved one. I believe that I don't need a reason behind hiking the AT, but the experiences and lessons I learn will leave a lasting impact on the way I view the world in the future.

Phenomenology of Prayer II

In the book, "The Phenomenology of Prayer", edited by Bruce Ellis Benson and Norman Wirzba, it mentions the importance of silence during prayer. Some individuals may "keep [them]selves surrounded by noise, almost as a barrier to protect [them] from hearing the voice of any other" (Benson, Wirzba 20). Silence is also prevalent during a tragic or stressful situation. In very stressful situations, individuals may fall silent because their body feels most protected by keeping to itself. These situations may also bring these individuals together, even though they have never spoken before. In this case, the silence alone is enough communication that these people understand how the other was feeling during the stressful situation. Take a bank robbery for example. Some of the bank tellers, employees, or customers may become vocal, but many will most likely shut down and remain silent throughout the ordeal. Many are strangers, but it would be easy to tell how they are feeling from whether they are silent or vocal. Silence brings people together, and allows room for God to intervene when God is needed.

Phenomenology of Prayer I

During the seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas, many individuals like to acknowledge what they are thankful for. The book, "The Phenomenology of Prayer," edited by Bruce Ellis Benson and Norman Wirzba, mentions the difference between praise and thanksgiving. "We can distinguish praise from thanksgiving as follows: to give thanks is to praise God for the good things I have received from God, while to praise is to thank God for who God is... without reference to how I may benefit from it" (Benson, Wirzba, 14). Wouldn't it be better for individuals to praise God instead of give thanks during the winter months? Many individuals, when they give thanks to God, thank him for materialistic things, such as a roof over their head, their food, and family. Shouldn't we at least thank God for our health, for waking us up this morning? The most selfless thing to do would be to praise God, and thank him for who he is, instead of what he gives us.

Landscapes of the Sacred II

The axis mundi, as seen in Belden C. Lane's book, "Landscapes of the Sacred" is known as a "passage... from where all meaning derives" (Lane, 20). The axis mundi is considered the location where heaven and earth come together, and is usually a sacred place for many religions and cultures. For the ancient Pueblo people, their axis mundi was a Sipapu, located inside of a Kiva. The Sipapu was known as a portal that their ancestors entered the modern world through. Although an axis mundi has no geographical significance, it is considered the center of that cultures' world. It is important for different cultures to have their own axis mundi's because it is easier for people to praise a physical object or location, instead of worshiping a metaphysical being.

Landscapes of the Sacred I

During February of 1836, a group of volunteers in Texas fought for the independence of Texas from Mexico. The volunteers occupied the Alamo and held off thousands of Mexican soldiers for nearly 13 days. Although the few hundred Texans lost the Battle of the Alamo, Texas won its independence later in the year. The Alamo is seen as a sacred place, not only because individuals died, but because they died fighting for an idea larger than themselves. If more individuals had volunteered to help in the fight at the Alamo, the Texans would have had a better chance of winning the battle, and their freedom. With so few individuals fighting, the Texans must have know they were likely to lose the battle, and their lives. But they fought for 13 days until every last man had paid the ultimate price. As seen in "Landscapes of the Sacred", by Belden C. Lane, "A sacred place is most readily defined, culturally at least, as a site over which conflicting parties disagree-- a place about which people are willing to fight and even die" (Lane, 43). When an individual loses his/her life, it is tragic. But when an individual loses his/her life fighting for something bigger than themselves, that is honorable and heroic.

Outside Reading : How to Develop a Solid Faith

In a devotional titled "How to Develop a Solid Faith" I read 1 Peter 1:6-7 to learn about how our faith is strengthened.  It states in the two verses, "There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold....." According to the passage, we must face hardships to increase our faith.  Like lifting heavy weights to build muscles, we must endure life difficulties that place us in a humble position.


The trials, as the passage states, test our faith to determine if it is genuine. The only way to know this is to experiences stressful times. This is what makes us stronger mentally, though it feels like it's meant to damage us. Kelly Clarkson's hit song, "Stronger" demonstrates this fact as she sings the main verse "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." True statement.  I like the song for its message.


Overwhelmed and frustrated, I felt this way when obstacles impeded my progress to accomplish my end goal. The way it works, I guess, is to rely solely on God to push me forward. Like I stated in the previous entry, I need a faith boost. I want to believe fully, in my heart, that God will provide all of my needs and wants.  Though I know its stated in Hebrews 4:16 "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you," days pass when I fall discouraged.  This is not what God wants from me as he knows that, like Kelly Clarkson advocated, what doesn't kill me makes me stronger.  I know I must persevere in life to achieve my goals.  

Outside Reading: The Reach of Our Thanksgiving

I read yesterday in a devotional titled "The Reach of Our Thanksgiving". Referring to 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24, one of the concepts addressed was thanksgiving (considering the holiday). Verse 18 commands, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." According to this passage, we must be thankful in everything for God will accomplish good in all circumstances, even the negative.


I always wondered what God's will was for my life, and this, among others, is the answer.  God wants us to thank Him for the good he has brought to us. His sovereignty and perfection makes Him able to do whatever he sets out to do.  It's difficult to thank God in everything, especially when adversity hits, but we must remember that God is in control.  As Romans 8:28 states, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Sometimes, we rely on our own strength to meet our needs, without consulting Him. That is when we grow self-assured, or arrogant.


The title itself prompted me to read the devotional for I needed a faith boost. I find my faith low for I don't see any significant change in my spiritual journey. Do I truly trust God with all my heart, all my soul , all my mind, and all my strength? (Matthew 12:30) I do not.  I see that as a problem because, if I'm a born again Christian, I must trust God with everything I possess, particularly, for me, with money and time.

Phenomenology of Prayer II

"Empathy is a feeling (a suffering or undergoing) of the world in and through another person. . .We allow the other, at least as long as empathy lasts, to incarnate himself in us" (Benson, 68-69). This excerpt really caught my attention while reading through the 4th chapter. It took a common everyday concept and connected it to the spiritual ideas of kenosis and incarnation. In the spiritual sense, it consists of the kenosis of both you and the other and the incarnation of the other in  you until the empathy fades. Before reading the segment, Empathy and Incarnation, I viewed empathy as merely feeling and understanding what the other was feeling at a particular time. After reading, my view of empathy changed and I realized that it is something much more than what I had originally thought and this excerpt also helped me to better understand empathy and its connection to incarnation.

How (and Why) We Pray (Phenomenology of Prayer)

It never occurred to me that prayer is neither true nor false-it cannot be verified because it is based on a conversation with God, or to whatever deity we pray. I guess what makes prayer true or false is the basis on which one's faith rest. 




Why do we pray?




According to Norman Wirzba, prayer serves to "to rekindle and restore the relation between creation and Creator" (pg. 91). This idea captures my attention because I never thought of prayer as such: to rekindle and restore. Prayer does, indeed, give us an outlet to express ourselves in whatever way we choose. Wirzba suggests that praying provides us a true and accurate understanding of our worldly standing; that is, our place in the world. Also, he argues that prayer helps situate our lives among others for we can learn how we can contribute to the public good. "Prayer has the capacity to situate our life properly and justly among the lives of others," Wirzba argues. When we pray, we remove ourselves from our own ambitions to learn from our god our place in life.


What we say in prayer is secondary to how we pray. This idea adds to my curiosity for it opposes my initial thinking. What we pray about was important to me more than how we pray. According to Wirzba, "how" we prays signifies our position toward God; that is, our attitude toward praying.  He asserts, "What matters most is how our praying has the practical effect of repositioning us within the world-making us more perceptive, more sympathetic, more charitable -so that we no longer perceive and engage it in the same way as before" (pg. 90).  Apparently, he believes our praying leads us to be more in tune to the world as we rearrange our priorities; ranking altruism and philanthropy, for example, as more important than, say, individualism.  He explains further that the praying act itself is important because of the orientation we assume within the world and to God. "....it practically situates us before God and within creation: prayer inspires and animates a moral response to the world" (pg. 90)


I don't quite understand when Wirzba means by the proverb "To pray is to work".  Despite his explanation, I'm still confused.  I think he's saying that authentic, productive work connects us more to reality, detaching us from consumer culture. He details. "...authentic, productive work leads us into a more sympathetic encounter and engagement with reality and thus overcomes the superficiality characteristic of consumer culture" (pg. 99).  

Phenomenology of Prayer I

The 1st chapter about praying with a decentered self makes a lot of sense to me especially with the references to the bible, prayers and concepts I had learned in private school when I was little. "The still-centered self might consider confession available in terms of a cost-benefit analysis. . . the decentered self need not dent these considerations in order to confess differently, but only to do so in a different posture. . .The self that has begun the kenotic journey prays for forgiveness in order, above all, to be more deeply decentered" (Benson, 26). At first this concept was a little confusing to me but after further reading I understood what this meant. One that is confessing with a centered self is looking for something in return for their humility. Perhaps hoping for a clean conscience or ticket to heaven on judgement day. But those who confess with a decentered self are looking for nothing in return for their humility. The only thing they ask for is forgiveness from God and to decenter themselves to a deeper level to be more at God's disposal.

Landscapes of the Sacred II

"Our attachment to any place arises from what we experienced there and, subsequently, from what we retain of it in our memories" (Lane, 218). This is another quote that really caught my attention while reading. The concept presented is deemed true in not only a spiritual sense but also in the sense of every day life. An attachment to a place can be created in a variety of ways from good or bad memories to a life changing experience. For example, in my personal life, I have an attachment to my home and various places around the area because of all the memories, both good and bad, that have been made in these places from my childhood up until now. In terms of attachment due to experience, I have an attachment to the track at my high school due to all the experiences of being on the track team that contributed to some of the best memories from high school. In my opinion, places become memorable not because of what is physically there but because of what took place there. A place that is memorable to one person my not be memorable to someone else. Attachment to and memorability of a place happens on a exceedingly personal basis.

Phenomenology of Prayer 2

Audrey Jolly

 

Phenomenology of Prayer 2

 

 

Sacred communication consists of prayer, meditation, and contemplation.  In order to be able to enter into a dialogue with God, one must enter a state of kenosis, or emptying, of oneself.  It can be hard to do this sometimes, since it is human nature to be naturally ego centric.  For example, when God was calling Samuel, he was open to receiving it, and entered into a personal dialogue with Him, which resulted in some truly spiritual growth for Samuel.  Prayer is very powerful, and even if you feel like God isn't there or he isn't listening or he doesn't care, that's not true.  Prayers only become more powerful if there is faith behind it, because if there is only faith the size of a mustard seed, mountains will still be moved. 
Meditation and contemplation is also essential to ensure spiritual growth.  Every day, I like to take at least a minute to relax, unwind, and let my thoughts wander away from the marketplace.  It really helps to de-stress, and get my mind focused on things.  It also allows me to open up to anything God may be trying to tell me.  I pray to Him all the time, and its important to be ready to receive an answer.  The most important thing to remember is that we are not on our own time, but God's time.  He will answer us when He feels like we are ready.  And meditation and silence and contemplation will help one become spiritually ready for a dialogue with God.     

Student Choice III: Guest Speaker

Faith's presentation of her journey on the Appalachian Trail was really interesting. It was cool to hear about another hiker's experience on the trail. The fact that she took on this challenge basically on her own is inspiring to me. It's definitely not an easy challenge but hearing her talk about it reinforced the idea that anythings possible if you put your mind to it. Faith mentioned things that were very similar to what had been discussed in previous classes, like how helpful and friendly the locals are all along the trail and how sometimes when you make friends on the trail, you stick with them for many miles. I liked that she talked about both the good and the bad about the trail and its definitely something I might consider doing in the future.

Thanksgiving and "I Need You" (Phenomenology of Prayer)

Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam (We give you thanks for your great glory)



Reading the Phenomenology of Prayer revealed to me a difference exist between praise and thanksgiving: "to give thanks is to praise God for the good things I have received from God, while to praise is to thank God for who God is (pg. 14).  Luther  labels this difference as God's "bare goodness" without referring to how one can benefit from it. This revelation is enlightening as I recognize in giving praise, the attention is focused on God's nature (who He is) whereas thanksgiving is expressing gratitude in the blessings bestowed on someone. 



The quote by Thomas Merton intrigues me:"....We do not detach ourselves from things in order to attach ourselves to God, but rather we become detached from ourselves in order to see and use all things in and for God (pg. 22)" Chapter One titled "Prayer as the Posture of the Decentered Self" describes prayer as a speech act meant to remove oneself by focusing on whatever god to whom one prays. I appreciate how Merold Westphal points out that prayer should be about God, not the person praying. It's easy to focus solely on our needs and desires, overlooking God's character. I'm guilty of this as I do, sometimes, find myself asking God to meet my needs and wants without considering what he wants. God has wants, too. One of the differences between humans and God: He has everything. In fact, he is everything. This fact should encourage us even more to ask about His   established plan for our lives.



Prayer is about communication. In relationships-husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, mother and son, etc.- we must listen attentively to what the other has to say to learn more about their needs, ambitions, doubts, and fears. Same thing applies to praying to God. Johannes Tauler explains, "There is no better way of serving the Word than by silence and by listening"(pg. 20). For me, I find it difficult to stay still and listen to God for two reasons: 1) Not hearing his voice (not audibly, of course) is discouraging for I want Him to speak to my heart, but I feel no connection. I desire his spirit to indwell in me, carrying me through life.  2) I feel rushed to complete the prayer to proceed with my day or to sleep; the two times I pray is in the morning after waking up, at night before I sleep.



"I belong to you" is a potent statement for it suggests submission and humility. In prayer, when the person utters those words to God, he or she is surrendering to Him. It evokes thoughts of Jesus assuring his disciples that "I am in the Father and the Father is in me" (John 14:10).  If we truly belong to God, we declare Him as supreme and humble ourselves to His authority. My viewpoint of  a relationship with God is one that is based on trust, love, and humility, among other qualities. Likewise, honesty, trust, and love (among other attributes) must be the basis for the relationship. Thus, to say that you belong to another person implies not only submitting yourself to that individual, but caring and loving him or her.  

Free Choice

Lindsey Renoll

Free Choice: my thoughts on this class and the general idea of religion/faith

Overall, this class has been fascinating to me. I came into it thinking it would be a factual class about various religions only to be completely wrong. I came into this class not being religious, and even though I’m leaving it the same way I have a better understanding as to why someone is religious. The idea of there being a God looking over you and helping you through your life could easily help motivate someone to actually keep going. I have always been surrounded by religion, most of my friends are religious and most of my family is, but I hadn’t really thought of religion as such a big portion of someone’s life. I had also never thought of hiking in nature as a sign of religion and faith. It’s interesting that someone would drop everything and walk for months just to grow in faith and understand their purpose in life. I don’t know if this is an acceptable blog topic, but I wanted to write about it.