Erica Gamester: Image and Pilgrimage of Christian Culture #1

Image and Pilgrimage of Christian Culture #1

“It has become clear to us that liminality is not only transition but also potentiality, not only ‘going to be’ but also ‘what may be,’” (Page 3)

In class lecture, we have discussed the idea of “liminality” being a doorway or passage (also referred to as “margin”). During spiritual rituals of transition, one is considered to be in this spiritual margin. These rituals of transition can serve as a powerful doorway from childhood to adulthood; for example, in Judaism, a ceremony is held once a child reaches the age of 13 (called Bar Mitzvah for males and Bat Mitzvah for females). Reaching this age signifies maturity and the ceremony poses as the liminal period, welcoming the child into the new regime of adulthood.

In the novel, Image and Pilgrimage of Christian Culture, liminality is described a period of transition as well as potentiality, meaning that liminality allows one to explore and reflect upon the possibilities presented. Returning to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah example, this liminal margin gives the child the opportunity to reflect upon the ideal future for himself before entering new territory of adulthood. This margin of transition is a time where opportunities are practically unlimited and it is obligation of the subject to seize the suitable one for him/herself.

However, this liminal margin isn’t confined to rite of passage rituals.

“Liminality cannot be confined to the processual form of the traditional rites of passage in which [Van Gennep] first identified it…Liminality is now seen to apply to all phases of decisive cultural change” (Page 2)

“Decisive cultural change” translates to modifications in cultural principles and tradition. This allows liminality to be identified throughout cultural practices, giving it deep roots in the development of culture as a whole.

                                                                                           

Once the liminal threshold has been passed through, it is common that one may feel spiritually different, but treated the same by others. Awkwardly, external acceptance only comes with time. But don’t be dismayed, a new spiritual foundation has been acquired and ready to endure and be built upon for a lifetime.

The novel, Image and Pilgrimage of Christian Culture, advances my understanding of the sacred margin, offering the opportunity to develop spiritually within a culture. Unfortunately, Americans are unlikely to fully experience liminality due loss of the power of rituals; this is because of the implementation of strict laws as well as the fluxing American culture.

Erica Gamester: The Phenomenology of Prayer #2

“Prayer is the beginning of responsibility because it begins a response.” (Page 17)

In the novel, The Phenomenology of Prayer, Samuel’s prayer is analyzed. This analysis breaks down the key qualities of prayer. Prayer is a selfless (kenotic) gesture that allows our spirit to absorb God’s word. It allows us to connect with our Higher Power as well as other humans when we pray for one another.

Prayer is defined as “a task of a lifetime” (Page 19). This gives humans the opportunity to develop their relationship with God at different rates. For example, a middle age man who has been praying his entire life so far can have a well-developed and prospering relationship with God. While another man of the same age and spends the same amount of time praying could have a more immature relationship.

For myself, a relationship with my Higher Power didn’t commence until my first year of high school in 2009. God and I were reintroduced at a Christian treatment center in Arizona. I was sent here to start my recovery from an eating disorder that had been eating away at me spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Previous to being admitted here, I wasn’t religiously or spiritually active. The only time I prayed was during Christmas mass that my grandparents took my sisters and me to once a year. My parents weren’t incredibly involved in religious practices themselves, so it’s not a surprise that my sisters and I turned out the same. But because of this, we were never taught how to pray or to even understand the foundation of faith.

In this treatment center, I was introduced to a group of girls with the same behavioral addiction/obsession with food. Disregarding our mutual downfalls, the girls were very kind and open to newcomers. They assisted me in quickly becoming accustomed to the day-to-day activities we took part in within the program. These activities included going to church twice a day, reciting prayer and scripture, discussion in bible study and participating in therapy groups. My inexperience and naivety caused me to be vulnerable to praying and receiving God’s word; Inevitably, I was able to jumpstart my newfound spirituality.

Through intensive daily prayer and seeking spiritual support through my peers, I began to develop my profound relationship with God. Even though it was at a later point in my life than most, prayer is a “task of a lifetime”; one’s understanding of God is not defined by the quantity of time praying, but the quality of the prayer itself.

Erica Gamester: The Phenomenology of Prayer #1

The Phenomenology of Prayer #1

“Prayer is a deep, quite possibly the deepest decentering of the self, seep enough to begin dismantling or, if you like, deconstructing that is burning preoccupation with myself.” (Page 15)

In the novel, The Phenomenology of Prayer, praying is described as a kenotic gesture. The root word, kenosis, means the 'self-emptying' of one's own desires and becoming receptive to God's word. An example of this is when Jesus gave up his divine attributes to become human and walk amongst us on earth.

In the first chapter, Carlo Caretto, a spiritual author and priest, quotes…

“It is impossible to pray to a personal God and remain indifferent to your suffering brethren. It is impossible. Anyone who prays without suffering for his suffering brothers is praying to a pole, a shadow, not to the living God.

Because if you pray to the living God, you who are living, He, the Living One, sends you to your living brothers.”   (Page 16)

Again, in order to be perceptive to God’s word, kenosis must occur and in order to go through the kenotic process, one must abandon all desires and wishes. After this happens, we are able to focus our energy fully on God, as the burden of our selfish notions is temporarily lifted. 

According to Carlo Caretto, once kenosis has taken place, God sends you to your community to help relieve them of their suffering. Due to kenosis, you are not hindered by selfishness and are able to wholeheartedly respond to your companions, and ultimately God.  

“In this totality, the circle is always broken by the intrusion of both the divine and the human other” (Page 16)

This ongoing relationship amongst the individual, God and other humans allows us to connect an important term used in class: communitas. Communitas is an unstructured community in which the people connected through a sense of sharing and intimacy. It develops among these persons as they experience spiritual development together.  Therefore, as long as the living God sends us to our dear friends and family, communitas continuously grows and strengthens.

Through the initial kenotic process, we understand the important role of the community; Prayer connects us to our living Higher Power, which additionally connects us to those intimately around us. As long as one continues to pray and seek guidance, one will become more involved in communitas.

Erica Gamester: Landscapes of the Sacred #2

“A Medicine Wheel is a physical manifestation of Spiritual energy. An outward expression of an internal dialogue”

In the novel, Landscapes of the Sacred, Lane continues to explore the perplexity of sacred places, specifically involving the Medicine Wheel, or the “Sacred Hoop”. The Medicine Wheel is typically used within Native American tribes and explained through a visual diagram. The diagram assists in developing an honest view for the spiritual individual, also referred to as “vision”.  Vision allows us to grasp where we are in life (in terms of quality, happiness, spiritual prosperity, etc.) and, which areas we need to advance in order to reach our potentials.

The diagram encompasses a circle that is divided into four equal segments and labeled according to the direction they point to (North, South, East and West).  The wheel starts from the northern segment (on the top) and read clockwise down the segments, symbolizing the dimensions of health and the cycles of life.

“As we grow, we change like the seasons, passing through the sections of the circle, learning from each.”

The directions themselves can have a variety of meanings. Typically, they represent the stages of life (birth, youth, elder, death), the aspects of life (spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical) or the elements of nature (fire, air, water, and earth). On the other hand, it is almost universally accepted that the middle, where all the segments meet, is where God can be experienced.

If I were to create my own simplified version of a medicine circle, it would be set up as a circle segmented into the standard four parts. They would be individually labeled: Emotional, Physical, Spiritual and Intellectual.

My emotional goal would be manage my stress, hoping to attain skills that will help me handle stressful situations. I would also like to practice preventing as much stress as possible (without causing additional stress, of course). For example, if I manage my time well and do not procrastinate, I can avoid unwanted stress while cramming for a test the next morning.

My physical goal would be to treat my body with the respect it deserves. By this I mean, feed it well, exercise often, don’t forget to stretch and practice other forms of self-care. Sometimes I have so much on my plate that I don’t have time to relax and center myself. I have to remind myself to keep my health in check.

My spiritual goal would be to accept the unconditional love from my higher power. I’m often consumed with the thought that I’m unworthy of being loved regardless of my mistakes. Consequently, I reject God and isolate myself from those who I value most. In order to improve, I must seek guidance from my higher power and embrace what he has in store for me.

My intellectual goal would be to practice daily studying and review, instead of studying only when anticipating an examination. This practice would also include maintaining full attentiveness during class lecture. This will benefit my mindfulness and improve my long-term memory.

All in all, the Native American Medicine Wheel can be an excellent tool in order to ground and center one’s self. By listing out personal aspirations and goals, we remind ourselves of the direction we hope to move towards. With the goals in sight, a plan of action can be made accordingly.

It’s not uncommon to veer away from our personal goals now and then. But when one’s aspirations are aligned, they can find themselves in the middle of that circle, where God is experienced. The centering of one's self is the key step to becoming closer to God through a sacred place.

“The center of the circle is the touching of the Spirit, the pure of heart, the truth as everything extends from the circle and everything comes together in the middle.”

Erica Gamester: Landscapes of the Sacred #1

“To experience a place as sacred is to participate, knowingly or unknowingly in a whole history of cultural tensions and conflicting claims, even ecological shifts in the terrain itself” (Page 3)

In the novel, Landscapes of the Sacred, Lane explores the “axioms” of a sacred place. By definition, an axiom is an established fact, allowing it to be universally applied. According to Lane, there are four established facts that allow us to determine the manifestation of a sacred place. However, I will only be discussing the first (and most important) axiom.

“These axioms underlie the way by which landscape is molded by religious imagination” (Page 19)

But before discussing the first axiom, the terms geopiety and mysterium tremendum are important in understanding the relationship between man and the Holy through a sacred place. Geopiety is sacral relation to earth, which involves reciprocity between person and place. Therefore, an established bond to the location is necessary in order to seek an experience with your Higher Power. Mysterium tremendum is the mistake of believing that the Holy is associated with the particularity of place. This idea is incorrect because God can be sought for anywhere. He is not exclusive to only certain whereabouts, which is why there are thousands of places considered sacred.

However, even if one develops a relationship between the land and man (and also abandons the idea of mysterium tremendum), God is still not obligated to appear. According to Lane’s first axiom, a sacred place is not chosen, it chooses. For example, I was taking a hike in the scorching Arizona heat with my grandmother and aunt. After a long three hours of trekking, we finally reached the top of the mountain only to sit down and revitalize as the sun set before us. In this moment, I was able to gaze at the prosperous environment and soak in my Higher Power’s creation. I could perceive every shade of red that comprised of the mountain’s soil. I felt God’s spirit all around as He revealed his glory through the mountains and sky. I felt my emotion being taken over by intense joy and astonishment as the sun continued to set. However, this lasted only a brief moment as the crimson sky faded into darkness and my surroundings no longer appeared vivid. Reluctantly, we turned on our flashlights and headed back down the mountain.

“God chooses to reveal himself only where he wills” (Page 19)

            All in all, the presence of sacred place depends on a reciprocating relationship between man and land, as well as God’s willingness to appear. Our class studies and first hand experience allow me to broaden my knowledge the first axiom and apply it to my own fluctuating spiritual journey.