Spiritual Eldering

Well, it's taken a little longer than I had hoped to get back to finishing what I started. Grandparenting takes up a lot of my spare time at the moment! The book I mentioned in my previous blog will be the basis for this one, and it's very interesting how it ties in with a lot of what I hold dear in our own church, and amazingly, two talks held today with regard to St. John, so here goes. "All of life is a preparation for old age and its crowning task of Self-development. It encourages us to begin cultivating a spiritual life in middle age. Spiritual eldering implies an inner search for God, a self-directed flowering of the Spirit that unites all people in a common quest. In this approach, people practice ways of life that promote a direct, inner experience of the divine." I purposely began my own quest 7 years ago, when I lost someone very dear to my heart. It meant that all the mirrors I had held up to myself at that point shattered, and I had to begin a deeper search for, and actualization of, my Self. "Spiritual eldering is an ongoing process. It deals with developing contemplative skills, harvesting one's life (i.e., coming to terms with our mortality, healing our relationships, enjoying our achievements), leaving a legacy for the future, and preparing for passing over the Threshold. This can be accomplished by attending classes in a supportive community with people who are committed to the same high aspirations." It's an interesting thing that this is also along the lines of an inspired sermon from the pulpit today by Werner Grimm, with regard to a constant flowing and enlivening of our own inner lives from the Spiritual stream - that is to say, Movement! I think this also offers a great deal of scope for classes that could be offered at the Seminary. According to Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ronald S. Miller, an elder is "flexible, unattached to outcomes, tolerant and patient, and willing to teach when asked. Because personal coercion is absent, such a person radiates an enormously beneficial influence by evoking the questing spirit in younger people. They evoke the individuality of their apprentices, applauding them as they struggle to clarify their values and discover their authentic life paths. Such a person evokes our questing spirit, not by giving answers, but by deepening our ability to question and to search for meaning. They can model how to slow down our feverish pursuit of material possessions by embracing inner-directed values that stress unconditional love, self-acceptance, and service to others." Now stop a minute and think of someone you know who embodies these qualities. I can think of several people in our congregation, and I bet you can, too. The authors go on to write about developing a new community of Spirit. In Susan Locey's talk after the service today, this also is a theme for St. John. By beginning the work of becoming empowered once we retire, we benefit not only ourselves, but the younger generation that comes after us, in as many ways as there are individuals, for we all have something unique that we can give back. If you may allow me to say so, my new little granddaughter is to me not only a manifestation of a precious gift from the Spiritual world, but perhaps also a herald of many new and wonderful things about to come into my life. Sparky