The Hermitage X: Making Plans for Progress

So, I’ve been back for about a month now and I wanted to check in on my progress. After I returned, a Muslim friend of mine who recently went on her own retreat advised MAKING PLANS when you got home to keep up the momentum.

Prayer

Daily prayer is again a part of my life, which I feel good about. This may be the area where I’ve been the most successful since my return.

Church Attendance

I went to an interfaith Thanksgiving service where the local imam gave the khutba (sermon). That was my first exposure to him and I liked him. I may attend some of his “Islam 101” classes with friends next year.

I enjoyed Easter and other services at All Saints Episcopal and have decided to dip my toes back into those waters for Christmas. Dragon will go with me. No commitment. What really drew me in was the devotion of the congregation to service and I’d like to contribute to their Christmas efforts.

I attempted to attend Quaker meeting the weekend after I got back. And I left halfway through. I’m putting Quaker meeting on the back burner for the time being. There’s no reason I can think of why this has happened. Maybe I’ll try again later.

Several people have recommended private services if I’m not attending a house of worship but I feel unqualified to put a program together.

Service

I really enjoyed volunteering as an English as a Second Language learning buddy with the Refugee Development Center last year. It runs on a semester basis. I’ll start back up with them after the holidays. That’s an important aspect of religion to me. “From those to whom much is given, much is expected.” And it’s not just about dollars and cents.

Physical Health

This part is going great. I’m meeting my calorie goals almost every day. I’m still parking on the far side of the lot, taking regular walks with colleagues, and definitely getting more exercise than I was before the retreat. A fitbit can be really helpful! I’m eating lower on the food chain more frequently, but there are still a lot convenience foods in my life. Baby steps.

Further Spiritual Direction

I hesitated for a couple of weeks about this and then reached out to JMD to ask if we could continue spiritual direction via Skype. She agreed!

Islam

I still have some conflict over being a Muslim and not feeling myself part of a religious community. It’s really hard during Ramadan. This is an area of ongoing difficultly.

Spiritual Reading

I made plans to read two books upon my return: The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton and When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold Kushner. I also wanted to spend more time with the Psalms.

I don’t know where I got the idea that Merton was a hippie. Because he was writing in the 60s? Because he was a communist before he was a Catholic? Because he opposed the Vietnam War? Ok, for anyone else laboring under my misconception: Thomas Merton was not a hippie. He was a monk. He also was not a Baby Boomer, a generation whose thinking I’m familiar and comfortable with. Once he got past his early years and started in on religion I enjoyed the book more. I’m not done with this one yet.

Kushner’s philosophy is fascinating. He’s bringing up ways of thinking about God, cosmic punishment, sin and its consequences, the role of chaos and evil in the universe, and choosing to believe in God as a comforter and source of healing rather than judge-in-chief that I’ve just never encountered. This area is definitely one of my stumbling blocks when it comes to faith. I’ve never claimed to be subtle when it comes to theology and that’s a real problem sometimes. I’ll be writing more about this.

I downloaded an updated translation of the Psalms and began working my way through them. I found that having them on my phone was my best bet for accessing them. I’m enjoying them, finding that seeking forgiveness and praise are my two favorite themes. I can’t really get on board with the many Psalms that talk about enemies. I really don’t have any.

So, in short, I’m back on the wagon after my summer of disillusionment and disappointment. I don’t know exactly where I’m headed but I’m game for the journey. From my time at the Hermitage, I am acting on what I feel are the most important take-aways: prayer, patience, service, and fulfilling my religious obligations to the best of my abilities.

Oh, and I’m doing better at recycling, too. I think the religious term for that is stewardship.