Chris,
> I grew up ... in the US Episcopal church.
I think I envy you that! Episcopalians are so "even" and balanced and
community-oriented, in my opinion. As a lapsed Catholic, I am grateful for
lots of exposure to stories of miracles, and to the retinue of Saints, who
could "intervene" for us, etc., as well as to the veneration of God we felt we
accomplished through appreciation of Saintly Relics.
There's much more of the "magical" and miraculous in Catholicism, I think -- or
at least, there was, in my formative 1950s and 1960s, for me -- than in the
Episcopalian Church.
But it is to the very kind offices of the Cathedral Church of Saint John the
Divine, in New York City, that I owe my exposure to Sufism, and to secular
meditation. It is such an ECUMENICAL place! They have Sufis dancing in the
aisles, and Elephants strolling through the church on the day when animals are
blessed by their Clergy. I met my T'ai Chi master Da Liu there, too.
Geo. Nakashima's Walnut "Peace Table" is installed there, which helped me find
the trail to Zen. And to fine woodworking as a path.
And I love how Quakers conduct the Meeting, and reach consensus.
Chris, I owe a DEBT!
More to *your* church than mine, I'd say, Chris. Well, just as much.
And a debt to the world, to give back what Bodhisattvas of all stripes -- and
no stripes at all -- have given ME. The Crossing-Guard in First Grade, for
example, who saved all of our lives more than once, she did! (but she wore
removable orange and black stripes).
Well, we all know it's all about Appreciation.
--Joe
> ChrisAustinLane <chris@...> wrote:
>
> Yes, I undertake Zen training and endeavor to live from a perspective of
> non-duality, and practice the religion I grew up with in the US Episcopal
> church. I believe some of my co-religionists are a bit skeptical that we are
> really Christian, but we don't worry too much about that. I find the Zen
> training helps me act in the way my religion recommends - just sing when
> singing; just listen when listening; don't hold onto my own ideas about
> myself in the face of this moment of creation.
>
> Being a Sunday school teacher is interesting
[snip]
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