Greetings,
In the spirit of autumn, I hope you are harvesting the fruits of your endeavors and welcoming the inward turn that comes with the shortening of days.
ONLINE INTERVIEWS
It’s a special pleasure when an author is interviewed by an intelligent and knowledgeable radio host. Recently, I was lucky enough to have that experience twice. Both of these excellent one-hour shows are archived online. To listen, click on the links below:
Inner Vision with Michael Benner, on KPFK, Los Angeles. Topic: “Roadsigns: Navigating Your Path to Spiritual Happiness.” http://www.theagelesswisdom.com/home.html (Click on Ageless Radio, then Recent Guest Info.)
Strategies for Living with David McMillan, KSLO radio, Shreveport, Louisiana. Topic: “Making Peace with God.” http://www.strategiesforliving.com/realaudio.php3 (Scroll down to Making Peace with God).
ARTICLE
When the brouhaha over the 10 Commandments hit the news, I wrote an essay titled “The Real Religious Revolution.” To read it, scroll to the end of this newsletter.
PRIVATE COUNSELING
My spiritual counseling practice, in person and by phone, continues to grow. For details, click http://www.philipgoldberg.com/bio.htm or call me: 310-827-8266.
LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS
September 27, 5:00-6:00 pm, Yoga Expo, L.A. Convention Center, “Real Life on the Spiritual Path,” 310-838-5600, http://www.yogaexpo.com/home_index.htm
October 11, 12:30-3:30 pm, workshop on “Making Peace with God” with me and Harold Bloomfield, MD, Agape International Spiritual Center, Culver City, 310-348-1260 Ext. 424, http://www.agapelive.com/calendar/events.html#makingpeace
I’ll also be in other parts of the country in the coming months. For details on the following events, click http://www.philipgoldberg.com/events.htm, and use the links under specific dates:
Oct. 15, East Hampton, NY
Oct. 20, New Rochelle, NY (just north of NY City)
Oct. 24, Newburyport, Mass (north of Boston)
Oct. 26, Arlington, Mass, (outside of Cambridge)
Nov. 4, 5 and 9, Boulder, Colorado
Nov. 14-15, Fairfield, Iowa
Dec. 26-28, Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA.
**Christmas weekend workshop, with hot tubs, great food and spectacular scenery**
Jan. 21, The Inside Edge, Orange County, CA
Jan. 25, 2004, Unity of Tustin, Orange County, CA,
QUOTES OF THE MONTH
“A moment is a concentrated eternity. All that ever was is now.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“All know that the drop merges into the ocean but few know that the ocean merges into the drop.” – Kabir
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH
1. If you had an extra 15 minutes a day to devote to your spiritual life, how would you use it?
2. How can you find that extra 15 minutes?
RECOMMENDED BOOK
The Zen Commandments by Dean Sluyter (Tarcher/Putnam). A book with great charm and wisdom by my old friend and colleague. From the book cover: “Drawing on sources from Zen stories and the Bible to jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, from American movies to Tibetan meditative techniques, Dean Sluyter steers clear of dogma and emphasizes what works—a sort of spiritual street smarts. Find out more at http://www.deansluyter.com.
THIS NEWSLETTER
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THE REAL RELIGIOUS REVOLUTION
Now it’s the Ten Commandments. Before that, a gay bishop, and priestly sex abuse, and faith-based social programs, and, of course, the periodic upheavals over school prayer and abortion rights. Religion makes the news when dicey issues such as those erupt. And each one seems to be changing the face of religion. In the meantime, the real business of religion trudges on quietly in the minds and hearts of individuals. And there, a subtle revolution is underway that is likely to alter American religious life more drastically than all the institutional controversies.
According to a number of studies over the past two decades, Americans have a voracious spiritual hunger that is only peripherally related to attendance at worship services. The number of people who call themselves “spiritual but not religious” has grown steadily. According to one estimate, freelance seekers—often called “unchurched” or “unaffiliated”—constitute as much as 20% of the population. Another 26.8% are said to participate in a religious tradition but also explore options outside their own faith. Furthermore, an untold number of congregants are adding to their spiritual repertoires within their traditions, exploring contemplative Christianity or Kaballah, for example, often without the help of their regular pastor.
This spiritual exploration represents a shift from religious dogma to religious experience. It is an attempt by individuals to satisfy the eternal yearning to commune intimately with the Sacred.
It is not so much that independent seekers are rejecting mainline religion, although a great many have. They may value highly the rewards of tradition: a community of believers; meaningful customs and rituals; a moral code by which to live. But they are hungry for aspects of spirituality that contemporary religions have not always done well at supplying: transcendence and transformation.
Some observers see the new spiritual autonomy as a threat to religion. Others worry about the seekers themselves. They are accused of spiritual narcissism, serving as their own private clergy in a congregation of one. Because many draw from an eclectic variety of teachings, it is said that they are like nibblers at a buffet, sampling this teaching or that before moving on to the next item without going deeply into anything. They have also been accused of settling for easy comfort while ignoring the discipline and moral demands of conventional religion.
These concerns about spiritual anarchy have a certain amount of validity. But overall, the potential benefits of this trend far outweigh the risks. Having interviewed dozens of independent seekers, I have learned that most of those who start out self-involved and spiritually promiscuous mature in time, coming to value commitment and spiritual discipline. They might remain unaffiliated, taking advantage of today’s unprecedented access to the world’s wisdom, but they explore at ever-deeper levels. And in many cases, what occurs is the exact opposite of what religious leaders fear: instead of rejecting their inherited faith permanently, they return to it on their own terms, with a fresh perspective and a newfound respect for tradition, but reserving the right to question dogma and authority.
This is a quintessentially American phenomenon—pragmatic, results-oriented, self-determined. Spiritual consumers are trying to satisfy their yearning for inner peace and a deep connection to the holy. To the extent that they succeed, we will all be better off for it. Those who obtain a glimpse of the oneness at the core of our being come to feel a kinship with others that transcends all differences and often kindles a more genuine compassion—no small thing in a world threatened by divisiveness and tribal animosity. Then, perhaps, more of us will live the spirit of the Ten Commandments instead of fighting over where to post the words.