Come Apart & Rest Awhile

“Art as process is a meditative activity. True painting is prayer; it happens when everything inside and outside joins in one action.” – Michell Cassou & Stewart Cubley

As the program description explains, Karen will invite participants “to really look, to pay close attention, and then paint or draw what they see, what they feel, and what they sense needs to be communicated -- a Zen type of painting.  We will use pastels and drawing to re-create and express the beauty that surrounds us at Ring Lake Ranch. If you paint or draw already, great; if you have the simple desire to see in a different way and try, you will equally enjoy the time. Or if you simply want to come and rest without lifting a brush, come.”

Painting invites us to see differently, more closely. For that reason alone, I am excited about the session – even though I am color-blind and beginning at square one. I am also excited to pray in this way. I like to describe prayer as being award of God and responding to that awareness. By seeing more clearly, I can be more aware of the Holy One; painting is one way of responding – praying – that experience.

“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary. . . . Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso

Pauline, Karen, and I will all be available for individual spiritual companioning. Joyce Heil, Ranch Co-Director, will offer Reiki (see explanation below), and massage therapy will also be available by way of relaxation and healing. We will also schedule various other opportunities for meditation and prayer. Come apart. Rest, and let the Spirit renew you in this sacred wilderness.

-- Carl Koch, Director

What is spiritual direction or spiritual companioning?
The following are descriptions from several traditions taken from the website of Spiritual Directors International:

Spiritual direction is the process of accompanying people on a spiritual journey. Spiritual direction exists in a context that emphasizes growing closer to God (or the holy or a higher power).

Spiritual direction explores a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. Simply put, spiritual direction is helping people tell their sacred stories everyday. Spiritual direction has emerged in many contexts using language specific to particular cultural and spiritual traditions. Describing spiritual direction requires putting words to a process of fostering a transcendent experience that lies beyond all names and yet the experience longs to be articulated and made concrete in everyday living. It is easier to describe what spiritual direction does than what spiritual direction is. Spiritual direction helps us learn how to live in peace, with compassion, promoting justice, as humble servants of that which lies beyond all names. (Liz Budd Ellmann, MDiv, Executive Director, Spiritual Directors International)

Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director — the Holy Spirit hidden in the depths of our soul. (Thomas Merton, Trappist monk, USA)
Spiritual direction can mean different things to different people. Some people understand it to be the art of listening carried out in the context of a trusting relationship. It is when one person is trained to be a competent guide who then “companions” another person, listening to that person's life story with an ear for the movement of the Holy, of the Divine. (Rev. Jeffrey S. Gaines, Presbyterian, USA)

There are varied historical streams of influence on spiritual direction in the Anglican tradition. First there is the recognition that parish clergy are entrusted with the “cure of souls” or pastoral care. Secondly, there is the practice of sacramental confession. Thirdly, Ignatian spirituality has shaped the practice of many Anglicans over the years. Today, the majority of directors are probably women. The marks of a director are love, kindliness and a real compassion. The language used is one of healing and growth rather than that of the law court with its judgment, condemnation, and punishment. The pastoral roots of the Anglican tradition mean that its practitioners are counsellors, confessors, and physicians of the soul, not judges. There is warmth and a lightness of touch. (Canon Peter W. Ball, UK)

What is reiki?
We plan to offer reiki. If you are not familiar with it, here is some helpful information from this source:

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."

A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results.
Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki. In fact, Reiki is not dependent on belief at all and will work whether you believe in it or not. Because Reiki comes from God, many people find that using Reiki puts them more in touch with the experience of their religion rather than having only an intellectual concept of it.

“Painting is an attempt to come to terms with life. There are as many solutions as there are human beings.” – George Tooker