March 9, 2017
What's Happening This Week at SpiritualityandPractice.com
|
Editors' Pick
By A. Jean Lesher and Alison Stendahl
Who wouldn't want to immortalize beautiful faces of friends? But these beautiful faces hold the distinction of wrinkles. You can enjoy both
the gallery and
the inspiring story of its genesis in the eyes, heart, and mind of Jean Lesher. The gallery's title, of course, is a take-off on
A Wrinkle in Time, newly out as a film (see review below).
|
Practices
March 17
These prayers, blessings, and practices in honor of St. Patrick are sure to set all the leprechauns merrily dancin' on your roof ... or at least, we hope, to help lighten your heart as Spring draws near.
|
E-Courses
A new e-course by Ed Bastian, Cynthia Bourgeault, Kabir and Camille Helminski, Rami Shapiro, Mirabai Starr, and Swami Atmarupananda
April 2 - May 10, 2018
This benefit e-course came about after smoke, ash, and mudslides seriously damaged La Casa de Maria retreat center in California -- and a caring group of highly esteemed interfaith teachers stepped up to help.
|
Films
Directed by Sebastian Lelio
Winner of the 2018 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, this moving story explores the cycles of grief experienced by a transgender singer whose partner dies. You will find other Oscar winners among our
2017 Most Spiritually Literate Film awards.
|
Directed by Ava DuVernay
In this version of the beloved children's classic by Madeleine L'Engle, a young girl faced with saving her father -- and the world! -- has to take risks, trust others, face her fear, and draw upon the strength she gets from, of all things, her faults.
|
DVDs
Directed by Maggie Betts
This sensitive and compelling coming-of-age story takes place in 1964 in a convent where traditional strict and even punishing ways present a bold contrast to the sweeping changes of the Second Vatican Council. As related content, we include lists of books and movies about nuns.
More DVDs: The Breadwinner; Darkest Hour; The Florida Project; Lady Bird; The Man Who Invented Christmas; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Walk with Me; Wonder
|
Arts
Directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer
Environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy and his filmmaker collaborator have teamed up again (after the acclaimed Rivers and Tides) for a meditative documentary exploration of the artist's latest creations. In many of them, he uses his own body as part of the art piece.
|
Quotes
By S&P Team
"We need to recognize that we are not the stars of the show," writes Roger Payne. "We're just another pretty face, just one species among millions more." This collection of quotes and pictures of our animal companions helps us remember the wonders of the ones with whom we share this great Earth.
|
Blogs
KidSpirit Youth Voices Blog
By Misbah Awan
Many have portrayed the hijab as an ostracizing and anti-feminist sign of oppression, when in reality, its purpose is to de-objectify women and to stand as a symbol of pride in one's religion.
|
By Jay McDaniel
Faith is not dogmatic belief or blind conviction; it is trust in the availability of fresh possibilities. We need the capacity to be lost in our thoughts, to wander in reverie, and to be out of sync with the constraints of what is.
|
From Our Wisdom Archive
By Barbara Ann Kipfer
Here is a gentle reminder from the Buddhist tradition that you can encourage illness to work in your favor by staying calm and freeing yourself from fear.
|
|
A Thought to Carry with You
It's been an especially tough flu season, and of course flu is not the only illness that besets us mortals. No wonder we sometimes get overwhelmed either by illnesses themselves or by the sheer effort it takes to stay as healthy as we can be.
One way to keep these difficulties in perspective is to be sure we give to recovery the same kind of attention we give to illness. Edward Hays, in Prayer Notes to a Friend, describes recovery as "a time to rejoice." He suggests one of his characteristically witty and surprising practices: Once you recover, hang on to your medicine bottles! He writes:
"After recovery from any affliction, give your old medicine bottles a place of honor on your bathroom sink as a disguised prayer shrine. Let it become a visual bell calling you to prayer: the prayer of gratitude for your health, which is among the most taken-for-granted gifts."
He adds that even when we're well, we can indulge in a "daily tonic of gratitude" that helps continue to boost our vitality. He adds that such prayers of appreciation can be "downright infectious."
Blessings,
Your Spirituality & Practice Team
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Patricia Campbell Carlson
Margaret Wakeley
|
|
|
|
|
