"Blessed are the Poor" - Covenant Presbyterian Church - Issaquah, WA - December 15th, 2013

 

 http://www.jrabbott.com/files/projects/7416c141f8e4dbc8.jpg

 So far, I must say I have had overwhelming positive experiences with Presbyterian Churches and the Presbyterian community. I attribute this largely to having friends who are like family and mentors to me as being a big part of this. This visit was a nice break after a long day and waking up early in the morning sick...it was here where I saw people using their faith in intention and action.

     At the evening prayer there was the head of Tent City 4, the homeless community that looks after those in transition and those without. The Eastshore Unitarian Church has hosted them before as have a few communities in the U-District too. It was there the pastor got in touch with him after the service as did I to shoot some contacts who I knew his way to help with making sure they have a space and money for getting a van. 

    It was at the prayer I saw the inspiration of where that came from. All 3 of the members referenced the new testament and how Jesus praised the poor and how riches did not matter. They talked about how an incarnate God was most at him helping and being with those who had less. There were many powerful prayers, even for me as a non-believer. They also prayed for my teaching in Taiwan in January, which really matters very little in compared with Tent City 4 and the homeless.

   It was there that at least in that small group the chance for virtue in action was apparent and where for them that virtue was inspired from. The only downside was one guy went on about the Devil and false Christians which for me again, has always been a red flag. Usually when people talk about a character of malice it is as it is giving them permission to act the same towards strangers and speak generally about people they haven't met and do not know. 

    Suffice to say it was a great visit and in coming days I'm going to do what I can with connecting people to the Tent City and helping as I can before I leave to Taiwan.

Living Hope Bible Church - Issaquah, WA - December 8th, 2013

  

“You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
― Anne Lamott

     First, I want to explain the reason for choosing this quote in regards to my visit to the Living Hope Bible Church today. The reason I chose this quote because the pastor began the sermon by quoting the statistics of everyone who calls themselves Christians. He then proceeded to imply that the Orthodox, Mormons and Catholics are not Christians. It was strange to hear such a narrow definition of Christendom considering that in general it is not something I've seen directed at other Christians, it is mostly against other religions when you see such a strict definition of the religion defining what it believes or what it considers a definition of it's beliefs. This forever marred it since I think that attacking others within the sect of its religion is part of what is wrong with religion in general...it is a great tribalism that sees no room for outsiders who aren't part of the group.

      To contrast this the people who welcomed me were kind and listened to me...they were a bit too eager to get me to join, but sadly I've come to expect that from most small churches. Invisibility and a place to listen is usually best found in large churches or congregations.

      The building is small, simple and nice...it clearly isn't about the money from what I saw, which was something I liked about it...the negative of attacking others and using Jesus's quotes in John towards the Jewish leaders about how him saying that genetics wasn't the basis of virtue or the good started being applied to everyone else...beginning with the groups named above.

      I don't see how one can live virtuously while condemning those who have not even been met and consuming those whose minds you do not know. It is a poison in religion that is propped up by most often the most literal interpretation of texts and the need to justify that which in the end so often to wrongs.

"The Dragon and the Nativity" - Issaquah Christian Church - Issaquah, WA - December 1st, 2013

 

 http://signs.stewartsigns.com/church_sign_issaquah_christian_1030.jpg

      Issaquah Christian Church was an interesting experience, overall good as far as the message is concerned and space being respected. The sermon was about "The Dragon and the Nativity" and worked on incorporating the Devil into the Nativity story (and tying the Nativity into the Fall at Genesis and visions in Revelations). Considering my view of the Supernatural I don't know if God exists, so do doubt the existence of a malevolent force of evil too, I am a bit of an empiricist and skeptic when it comes to the Supernatural and things that cannot be tested. Why I say it was overall good was because of the focus in the sermon.

    The focus of the sermon was the "So What?" The nativity story involves the social ostracizing of Mary and Joseph, both by the people in Bethlehem, and most likely Joseph's family if he had any, considering Mary was pregnant when they weren't married yet. It reminded me of how it could just as easily apply to a Gay or Trans couple...kicked out of their family because of their love and the child they chose to care for. In that way Jesus and the Devil as symbols of how we treat one another was very relevant to me.

    I know that I can do so much better for living love for others and being there for those who have no one. To me that was what the sermon and service reminded me of.

      The music was alright, there was a lot of passion from the singers and the people, and the songs were what I'd heard at most modern Christian services in regards to Christian Rock.

     My space was also respected, when I was there I got to remain anonymous and not pressured to join, which is a plus for me for any Church visit.

     The structure of the service was announcements, three songs, communion, the sermon, collection, final announcements and then everyone left.

     The environment was simple, which I liked, though I wish there had been more talk of social justice abroad...Haiti was mentioned but only as bringing over Christian music and radios...I was hoping education would at least get a mention as part of the mission. The sermon was also good when not taken literally but seen as symbolic as the potential we have with one another and strangers each and everyday.

     There are millions of ostracized Mary and Joseph's, just looking for acceptance, home and a safe to be...be it the refugees, the homeless, GLBTQ folks, and those who have been rejected simply for being who they are.  

November Missionary Experiences in Issaquah - November 26th, 2013

       This has been an interesting month in regards to people evangelizing to me about their faith in Issaquah. The first involved an older woman who had lost her social security, and the second involved Mormon Missionaries. I'll also leave a little blurb for facebook friends who have evangelized this month too.

        The older woman is a woman I've seen at the Issaquah library when I go there on lunch breaks during work. She always greets everyone (including cars) with a "Have a great day," She is definitely kind and unique. The time she did what I would call missionary work or experience is when she gave my coworker and I poetry about Jesus. She told us, "Food for thought," and then left. Apparently others have had this experience with her too as far as her expressing her faith in any social situation or environment. If you drop by Issaquah and the library you'll probably meet her.

     The second experience was also at the library, except outside of it since it was closed. I had just gotten off work and was reading "The Adventures of Telemachus," a great book and one of my current favorites now by Louis Aragon when two Mormon missionaries dropped by. We talked about mythology for a while and they attempted to try and get me to talk about the Church, my reasons for leaving and unbelief were not a conversation I exactly wanted to have so I told them if I had any questions I'd just ask my Dad's family who is almost all Mormon (not to mention just recall memory from when I was growing up and do research). So they asked if I wanted a prayer and who for...My life is great, I don't need anything really. I have an amazing support network, I currently don't have any physical or mental ailments and there are people who honestly deserve others thoughts and actions a lot more than me. So I asked them to pray for the Philippines and those going through the Tsunami and other disasters. It was there the two young guys did the prayer and I used to remember too (and think of best action to take to help those going through that suffering). After they gave me a card the Bellevue Festival of the Nativity, hosted by the Mormon Church (may go for nostalgia, nativity shows were a staple growing up in Elementary school during the Holiday season). They went on their way.

      The third thing I've noticed is evangelizing by friends. Most are of the Catholic and Evangelical Christian variety, with a few Mormon family members also doing a post or two, and the majority of the time it is the person doing it by facing the reasons they believe and the honesty in facing themselves, or part of the work they are doing within a community. It is not always the case though, sometimes it can involve targeting of a group such as going against the gay community or sharing links of those who are...and I have trouble seeing how that can be love in any way. In the future I'll do another post explaining why I believe Gay Marriage is a right and how it is just as ethical and gives as much to the common good as any other stable consensual relationship built around a community.

   In the end I don't see it as bad. Missionary work can be harmless as long as the one doing the work accepts "no" as an answer or leaves room for other view points and can see the humanity in another person and respect them for who they are, and who uses the opportunity to do service within the community they are in. Any person can live with virtue, and if you're putting yourself out there with your religious beliefs, virtue is the best thing you can do too. 

    We all advocate are points of view in different ways, the key is how you do it and what you do. Is what you are doing taking the rights away from another? Are you coming from a place of self and ego or awareness of all members of the community? What you do and how you do it are part of what it means, to live with virtue. 

All Saints Day - Saint Mary's Catholic Church - Mt. Angel, OR - November 1st, 2013

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/OR_Mt_Angel_StMary_Church.jpg

      All Saint's Day is a day the Saint's are commemorated and remembered, predominantly in the Catholic tradition. It is a day that Catholic's are also supposed to attend. Going into this visit, I didn't really know what to expect. The Church is in a small conservative catholic town but I've been surprised in my visits before, the catholic churches I've known also tend to be just as likely to have more liberal leaning priests as conservative leaning priests. So there is that.
   
     The music at the service was beautiful and overall it was a really wonderful service. The one thing I didn't like though was how narrow the prayer was. Usually there are at least a few mentions of people outside the church and wishing them the best beyond them being recruited to the faith. The service today failed to get beyond the community of the faithful at all, beyond bringing more people in.

    The sermon itself referenced Pope Francis's sermon on this day which was polar opposite. Francis said that there are Saints among us and in our lives and that we may know them. This broad interpretation of Sainthood was spot on in my opinion since it captured how anyone can live virtuously and inspire others to good. Anyone can be selfish, just as anyone can be loving...how we choose to live along those lines is usually mixed but we can do what we can to get it as close as possible to living with love and virtue towards our fellow human beings. This is to me what makes a Saint. The example of Christ is used a lot, which I think is understandable, but I also see good people who would also be saints in the non-religious variety or of other faiths. Francis's speech captured that I think.

    Francis's speech was also a contrast to the priest who was distant and formal, and how historically politics can be a big reason for making people saints...not so much the actions they lived in their lives. Though, sometimes it can be a mixture of both.
  
     Overall it was a great visit and a day of contrasts. To end, who do you consider a Saint and why? What makes a Saint in your opinion?

   

University Temple United Methodist Church - Seattle, WA - October 27th, 2013

      The University Temple United Methodist Church is a church I've been meaning to go to for a while. It is a beautiful church I pass every time I visit University of Washington. The church sits right across the street from campus and on my visit up to Seattle I planned to go with a friend who I've done church visits with in the past.

      What I knew about the church before hand was that it was highly involved in social justice in the area. It hosts a needle exchange to help addicts recover, a thrift shop and coffee shop that is extremely cheap and made for those who have little, and at one point they hosted a GLBTQ Church in their building. Suffice to say I had a lot to admire going into this.

    Well I was not disappointed, though there were two things that turned me off from the good I experienced. The first was the greeters felt too eager. It was hard to really just have time to self and let everything sink in, since there is a lot to see in the church...most churches this big and this beautiful tend to be High Church churches like Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal and Lutheran. Every greeter greeted me more than once and even asked if I could wear a name tag. For a guy who likes being anonymous during these kinds of things, that was not something that was all that comfortable. 

    The second factor was money. In the talk about the churches goal for what they needed to raise a main focus was on how generous the congregation was before most of the members went up to give their pledges, this does not include the basket being passed before the sermon. I know churches need money to support themselves, but they've never mixed very well to me. 

      There was a lot of positive though. The message was Christian while at the same time remaining universal. The premise is confronting the Burning Bush within yourself (Holy Spirit, confronting ego, etc.) you can be transformed and that it is difficult. He talked of his own experience with this doing street ministry for drunks and homeless and how God forced him to confront his prejudices and grow through them and become more Christ like in the process. I liked it because confronting the truth about ourselves is how we grow. Weather that is an outside being inside of us, or just us facing ourselves is beside the point, the outcome is the same when truth and honesty are involved. It was one of the best sermons I've heard since doing this blog. 

      Lastly, the music was beautiful...there were many songs that I knew from Handel's Messiah, to Our God you Called to Moses and Joyful, Joyful we Adore Thee. I do like all the good the church does, and it was an overall great experience with a wonderful friend. 

 

Eucharist Morning Service - Church of the Resurrection - Bellevue, WA - October 24th, 2013

       The Eucharistic service today was just what I needed for the panic that was to hit later in the day. As I write this I just dealt with my bank account being robbed for the first time, it is kind of hard to remain calm under such duress but the service today did help keep me calm all things considered.

    The service was meditative and it was small, I was one of the other two people there. It also was a bit of a history lesson since the lesson was around "Holy Men, Holy Women" which took examples of Saints and people who lived Christ like through history and incorporated them into the reading. The reading was about King Alfred who was able to save a lot of the history in England from the invasions and also commissioned the creation of schools in England. The readings had to do with wise kings, and he is seemed to fit that description for his time, according the reading.

     It was here I realized it much easier to meditate though when there is a large group. I right around the altar with the other person in the small pews nearby and at times it felt like the ritual of the prayers was overtaking the point of them. It was after the Eucharist that I had the chance to start letting everything sink in, before that there were chants and prayers that I've read in every mass, which were hard to think on during the process of because we simply would move on to the next part of the service.

   The Pastor was kind though, and I do plan on grabbing coffee with her at some point. The Church of the Resurrection is a beautiful Church.

     One thing I've noticed while doing these visits, they've helped me with expressing my own beliefs. As much I appreciate the High Church and the rituals of Christianity, I don't think I'll ever be a Christian. Knowing that God exists for one thing, and all the miracles of the book, not to mention seeing things in the older book as Good are steps I cannot take, for any leap I need more certainty than I've experienced, I need more proof for claims so great. If I had to define myself I would consider myself an Agnostic Humanist and definitely closest to the Unitarian Universalism faith that I grew up in through high school. It's ethics most match up to what I see as the closest we understand Good at the current time, though I do consider my experiences with Christianity and Buddhism to have also influenced my beliefs within humanism and mysticism.

Kingdom Praise Church - Issaquah, WA - October 23rd, 2013

     The Kingdom Praise Church is located on Tiger Mountain. It is a House Church (meaning it is located inside of a room set aside in the house for worship) and in a area with no lighting, well that is Tiger Mountain for you. I had tried getting there once before but to no avail, luckily this time I was successful.

    This Church was a great exploration of what I see as the pros and cons within the Evangelical tradition as well as the blind spots in Conservative Christianity as a whole, the greatest blind spot which is its view of homosexuality. I noticed this when the old man leading the service referred to his married brother as living the homosexual lifestyle, because the Bible was literal truth (and the reading was from the Old Testament) it didn't matter if God's laws were unethical and wrong in regards to the matter, because it was God's Law it was good by default. I think this nails why I prefer philosophy to religion as well when it comes to ethics...if someone said God did it and there is evidence in a book inspired by God, anything is permissible no matter how it may hurt others.

     The pros I noticed in the service were how each time there was an attempt to call back to not judge, that each persons experience and knowledge of God was personal and from their own exploration of the Bible, the man leading it even said that quickly after his judgement on his brother...which honestly gives me hope for him seeing the love in his brother's relationship someday. There was also passion and kindness, I was a complete stranger who only two of the people had met once at the Healing Rooms of Issaquah that I did in one of my past visits, but they respected me and the fact that I said I'd just come to listen and observe.

     The talk was mostly focused on Genesis and the ark and it was there some of the mystic tradition came out too. With Ego being man before the flood and enlightened man escaping on the ark, Jesus being the ark was not as much of the service until later in the service...before that time there was emphasis on God almost being metaphor of our greater selves, God living within us and us escaping our base nature. It would later take a turn of being read as an historical narrative, which changed that metaphorical view though...

   It was a fascinating experience, but one I don't plan on repeating. The places I plan to visit multiple times are those that line up with my humanistic values which I see as much closer to whatever the Good is (and are closer to Jesus lived) than the condemnation of innocent groups and allowing of wrong by God because the Word is seen as literal.

"Learning to Grieve with Hope" - Community Church of Issaquah - Issaquah, WA - October 20th, 2013

     Here is to those surprises when you find gems that line up with your schedule (whatever those gems are). The Community Church of Issaquah has a 1:30pm service that matched up perfectly with my schedule for a visit before later things in the day.

     Right now they are having services in the building that hosts the Issaquah Christian Church while their new building gets built. The main difference between the groups that I can gather from their websites is the Issaquah Christian Church is an Evangelical Church verses The Community Church of Issaquah who are Baptists.

    The first thing I noticed was the congregation, the congregation is old and small. There is a closeness among them too and everybody knows everyone. They are also kind to strangers as I experienced after the sermon.

   The Pastor looked the role of the Baptist preacher. He had a grey suit, tie, glasses and grey hair. He also had a lot of anecdotes during the course of the worship service. The service began talking about their missionary work in Myanmar and the volunteer doctors and nurses their (as well as their expansion) and after there was a prayer for all those sick, in surgery, going through cancer and a prayer for the country to elect virtuous leaders or for people to lead with virtue. Next were two songs praising God before the sermon began.

       The service was about "Learning to grieve with hope." The readings also had to do with the sermon as well were about Paul talking to his followers about how they had hope from Jesus rising from the Dead that they would rise again with him. The Pastor than talked about grief relating stories about what it was like to lose his grandparents and parents and his relationships to all of them.

     He then talked about how people choose not to believe. The reasons he believed people don't believe is from Intellectual barriers (he said Spiritual disability - which was the one thing I really took issue with during the sermon, since those intellectual issues are in fact valid, just look at all the questions asked throughout time not just in regards to Christianity but any religion and the proofs that are honestly needed, my appreciation for the philosophers grew after this sermon), or people who have been hurt by their community (which if a community does hurt a person they should leave, no one should stay in an abusive relationship with another person or community).

      Afterwords was the closing hymn and I briefly talked the pastor and one of the Bible Teachers, they both introduced themselves to me. I think I will drop by the Bible study sometime during the course of the blog. They are kind community and I'm curious to learn more about what they are all about and their intpretations and experiences.There were a few liberal bumper stickers (one said Obamacare in a positive light), which was something I did not expect. It just goes to show that there truly are such a wide range of political thoughts within any congregation and within the different congregations inside a denomination.

Cross of Christ Lutheran Church - Bellevue, WA - October 20th, 2013

 

      Cross of Christ Lutheran Church is located in one of the most beautiful areas in Bellevue for the location of a Church. The only one that compares is the Quaker Hall (which I will be visiting again, have not been there since High School) that is located on the other side of Bellevue. Both are completely surrounded by trees, and in the case of Cross of Christ, have the addition of a Garden. 

 

    What brought me to Cross of Christ? First and foremost it was to see my friend Kyle who is the organist at this Church (he was my friend who was married recently at Saint Mark's Cathedral). He was amazing per usual, it is always a pleasure to hear him play. The second was that I haven't visited a Lutheran Church for a while, and third was that it was a traditional service (reason for the Organ use). Traditional High Church services have always had a special place for me, I found they are good for thinking and are good at appreciating silence within a service. 

    Now for the service proper. It began with the confession from the congregation (which made me realize, if someone hadn't done anything bad would they still need to confess? This goes for confessional within Orthodox and Catholicism and other Christian sects too).

     Next was the reading, the readings were focused on good listening and and answering prayers. For Old Testament the story was told about Elijah verses the Baals and how Elijah's God was able to call down fire while theirs were not. The pastor spoke next, he reminded me a bit of Santa Claus, but skinnier, his speech patterns also reminded me of Santa. He was a large and kind gentlemen and used the example of God wants us to pray so he can listen to us because he loves us and he commands it. He used the example of calling his grandchildren to him.

    The question I had (since the service didn't really mean any room for God as part of us, it was very much God be an entity outside of us), why have the miracles stopped? How do you know when God is talking? How does prayer communicate verses just thinking a desire wish or an intention? 

    This was followed by greetings, the congregation was very kind to me. They were an older congregation and I do hope to visit again. This lead to Thanksgiving and Communion:

 "If you believe God is in the bread and wine come and take of communion." This was after the blessing upon both. I don't so I stayed seated. This brought forth more questions too, I think this tradition might have risen out of focus on the first part and not the second part of what Jesus said, "This is my body and blood" rather than "Eat this in memory of me." The items don't actually transform, so it seems much more fitting as a memorial...remembering a wise teacher or person who spoke for something greater. At least that is the greater meaning I have been able to find in communion when I've been invited to take it by different Christian traditions. 

     After communion was the final blessing and announcements. The one social justice thing was shoes for foster children, and they might have more programs but I wish I'd heard about or seen more. Regardless it was an interesting and good experience. I do plan on catching Vespers here sometime in the future.

Evening Mass - Saint Joseph's Catholic Church - Issaquah, WA - October 19th, 2013

   
     After a long day at work and a car limited to the Issaquah/Bellevue area I decided to do an impromptu to Church visit. First thing I got to say is, if I had a lot of free time and transportation I would probably be visiting a lot of Catholic Churches for this blog. Most have daily mass at 9am and they are in almost every city or town I've been in (can't say the same for a lot of other denominations and religions I've visited). Each experience is different too, some are more conservative congregations, while others are more liberal...the aesthetics also vary depending on the Church.I've been to Saint Joseph's before and it is close to my work so I decided to drop in since I wouldn't miss too much of the service.

    As for the substance of the Mass, today was a good day that actually tied into my own philosophy and depending on how you do it can be very practical. The moral of the sermon was if you become like a child and depend on God then you will find peace and grow. Luke was used as the example and the reading was about how a widow was persistent for a corrupt judge to rule in her favor and how he eventually relented because of her persistence, the moral was "If a corrupt person will relent, what about someone Good like God?"

     I saw how this could be applied to "The Way" in Taoism or even Buddhism. I haven't found any good evidence that anyone has physically met Jesus post death, or anyone who has died...but from when people describe prayer to me and the times I've prayed in the past it is a reflective process. It forces you to look at yourself and desires. From that place it is much easier to get rid of Ego, whether God is the reason or seeking Enlightenment or following "The Way" the end product can make you unselfish, and if you seek that place like a child or the idea of child (Innocence) than you will find some part of it and grow.

     That is what I got out of the experience of Mass today and the sermon.

   Also, the new responses the congregation does are a bit hard to remember. What was once "And also with you" when the priest says "Peace be with you." Is now "And with your spirit." Which also seems a bit more vague...the definitions of spirit(s) range all over the place versus "and you" which is very clearly talking about the person and wishing them well.

     That's all on that, tomorrow I plan on visiting some more Churches and continuing the adventure.  

Grandma Claire's Funeral - Butler 33rd Ward Church of Latter Day Saints - Salt Lake City, UT - October 12th, 2013

     Today was the day of the funeral. This is the third funeral I have ever attended, and each one was different in type of grief and memories with it. A funeral should capture who a person was and meant to people. The greatest way to honor someone is with the truth and remembering and appreciating the person as all of who they were. Across all religious and non-religious boundaries this what I've learned.

     The funeral began with a prayer by my Uncle Todd and than the closing of the casket. The room was full of pictures from the viewing. All of us cousins with pictures of Grandma, including the picture from her house where all of us gave her thumbs up breast surgery for the cancer she was going through. The prayer honored her faith and after we made our way into the chapel for the service.

Grandma Claire's viewing and the family prayer - Salt Lake City, UT - October 11th, 2013

   There seem to be 3 things that bring a family together (outside of reunions which tend to be special and rare events) birth, marriage and death. The event today showed just how much a part of people's lives my Grandma Claire was.

     For the past few days since I heard about her death I've been keeping myself busy. She was a part of my life for so long and mattered so much, that expressing how much she means leaves me at a loss for words. Today I was able to find some of those words and accept her death the part of my life and others' lives who she was.

    The viewing began and a few uncles, cousins and family members from my Grandma's generation were there, as well as her friends. Eventually more of the cousins arrived and I tried socializing and on that found that myself and everyone else were in different stages of grief and acceptance so it was more of a recognition and gratitude for someone being there than in deep conversation, those happened later with the cousins who I am closest too who I hadn't seen for a while.

   In between that time I visited the open casket. After her body has been given dignity (when a person dies death doesn't grant much dignity in how it lets go), she looked as if she was asleep. I must have walked at least twice just to say hello, letting the fact that she dead sink in. That she wasn't asleep. In between those times I hugged and was there for family as they were there for me. That gave peace...

     Next when I was with the cousins I grew up with around my age and who I hadn't seen for a while we talked events still going on in life, what are plans were and where we were going and in that also talking about Grandma.

   It was after that I took time for myself just to think about her. When I was young and in elementary school my family would visit Grandma every Sunday. It was there we would hang out with her and also play SEGA in the basement, and Christmas meetups and bowling on Thanksgiving. Later memories were of Bear Lake and talking to Grandma at the beach and her Condo, I'm glad I made her a part of the short story inspired by that place, I plan to make it mostly in her honor.

     Later after I left the Mormon Church it didn't effect our relationship. When I'd visit from Washington we'd talk about her and her childhood. I learned about her growing up in Europe after World War 2 and as I got older saw how big of a part she was of her community. She was the reason for all the big family events, she brought all of us together.

   For me that was the prayer showed. My Uncle who was a bishop in the Church said the prayer and it did emphasize how important Grandma's belief in the Church was but also her legacy and her humility, kindness and humor even in the face of terminal cancer.

   Tomorrow is the funeral, and more of my thoughts then about my Grandma and the event. For now, after the funeral I met up with the cousins around my age group and their wives, picked up my brother at the airport and connected, remembered, lived and found humor and joy. It was a beautiful end of the day to honoring a beautiful and amazing woman.

Healing Rooms of Issaquah - Issaquah, WA - October 2nd, 2013

 


       What an interesting experience today. This is one of the few places where you have to be in it and there isn't observation. When I arrived the leader of the Healing Rooms gave me a form to fill out with who I wanted to pray for. My Grandma has been on my mind lately and how bad her cancer has gotten, so I wrote that down and after included refugees, those who have been furloughed by the government shutdown, and those who have lost loved ones.

   While the men looked over the prayer and the form I filled out I talked to the Pastor of the Bread of Life Church, which is a Chinese Christian Church. We talked about Nanjing for a while since I'd taught in Jiangsu Province last year and I learned they have a seminary there as well as one the Bible Printing centers so whenever someone in their church goes to Nanjing they get them there for cheap. He was a really nice guy and great to talk too.

  After they'd gone over the form I was invited in and the main guy who was the oldest in the group talked about how Christ is like the King the world and all healing happens through him and they are simply ambassadors. After that they anointed me with oil on the forehead and prayed for me and my Grandma.

  It was a powerful experience, at a few places I've been too (including Peru, and some of the Buddhist Temples in China) I've had the experience of vertigo during my time taking place in an event. It is something that always fascinates me because I can never predict it except it is always tied to experiences like this one regardless of the religion it comes from.

   After the prayer the pastor gave me a Bible passage to help ("The Word of God is our food and guide you must live in it to be guided,") he and the guy who was leading said in their own ways. The passage was Isaiah 30:19 - "People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you."

   After the leader said to read the Bible, believe in Jesus as God and to be a part of a community of believers. I don't think I'll ever be able to any fully, the possibility sure, but not when there are so many other possibilities out there, some that are much more probable giving me more reasons to doubt than to believe.

   My Grandmother is a believer, one of the strongest believers in Christ I know, so today this really was to honor her. I was grateful for the kindness of the people there and the experience that occurred. I don't see myself ever being a part of that world, my doubt towards all supernatural things is pretty strong, no matter how open I may be to the possibility. Today the possibility is still enough to give a prayer for all those suffering both family and otherwise. 

Mountain Creek Christian Fellowship - Issaquah, WA - September 29th, 2013

 

   My experience at Mountain Creek Christian Fellowship is one of the best ones I've had since starting this blog. This church is active in social justice, you are made to feel welcome while still being given space, both men and women are pastors (which is pretty usual in Free Methodist Community's I have learned) and I got to see how that social justice is tied to their religious faith.

      Due to traffic in Seattle on my way back I was late to the service. Once I arrived it was the last song, testimonies had apparently already happened (as I would learn later, and offerings). The setup was that in the above picture, except there was a light on the stand similar to a Unitarian chalice that was meant to represent the congregation being the light of the world and bringing that light out into the world. I was greeted at the door by a nice older lady who gave me a cup full of goodies...talk about welcomings. She was also very sweet too and didn't mind that I was late.

    After the song the pastor spoke. She also gave the prayer before the two missionaries who had been teaching the required Biblical course that Rwanda, and two other countries in Central Africa require (she was also an ordained minister) and her husband was the Doctor over there teaching surgery at the school that the Free Methodists International organization had set up. It was wonderful seeing the actual action of social justice...quite a few communities I've been to are only focused on internal happiness of the group, making them more like a social club rather than living action in the world. Their spreading their belief in the trinity was part of what they did too, but I noticed it was where they saw their motivation coming from for the humanitarian work in the first place.

    The service took place at the senior center where the Church volunteers a lot, and also uses for throwing clothing drives for homelessness and also working the soup kitchen in Issaquah...this is local social justice and actions of love that I greatly appreciated about this community too. Afterwords I talked to members of the congregation and met the pastor.

    It was there I learned that sometimes the pastor is there at the office across the street. I think I shall be visiting at some point and learning more. In my travels it is always nice to find a community that sees outside itself and lives the good of social justice that religion can inspire. Today's visit was a very nice and unexpected surprise.

Seventh-Day Adventist Prayer Meeting - Bellevue Seventh-Day Adventist Church - Bellevue, WA - September 25th, 2013

               http://images1.citysearch.net/assets/imgdb2/reinvent/profile/2012/8/2/17/cmqCSPFE.jpg

   Initially I was going to name the blog the three main themes that I noticed when I visited the Adventists, but I realize that it doesn't quite capture everything experienced during the service. For this reason I chose just to title what it was. Suffice to say, there is a lot to tell.

    First off the Seventh-Day Adventists are really kind, and not in the overly nice in your face kind of way. I never felt pressured at any point during the service. This was a major plus over the course of the experience and allowed to take in the rest a lot better.

    There were four types of prayers that were done. The first was Thanksgiving which were two songs about how Jesus is returning someday. They were older style, and the preacher on the piano had a good classical voice.

    Next was the overall prayer after reading Psalm 100, which was about thanks which then lead tol the second part which was asking people how God h  ad helped them in their life. From here there was the description of bringing peace after a prayer or connecting with family in a positive way in relation to the Church, physical healing, time with friends or time with family and community.

   The third part was a silent prayer which for me ended up being more of a meditation on prayer. When I thought about all I was grateful for I realized how prayer or meditation does help with awareness. Its like when a person realizes who they are is connected to other people and the world as whole...be it environment and nature, technology, and other human beings. I've had this experience intellectually before and emotionally, this time was a mixture of the two I guess.

    Afterwords there was a final song and then prayer requests where members of the Church prayed for people in the congregation present or away who had requested it. It was beautiful overall except for the darker part. Satan was mentioned a few times at being the responsibility for problems and trials and there was hope of Jesus coming soon and expectation of him coming soon because of all the problems in the world. Both those things are a bit of a red flag for me with any community since Satan and Demons when used are usually used to not help those with mental illness or to treat those who don't have anything psychologically wrong with them like Gay and other LGBTQ folks. It becomes  a very unhealthy way of controlling people and taking advantage of groups that are vulnerable already (not to mention the improbability of demons or Satan in the first place beyond a metaphor or the darker side of ourselves...again, metaphor). This also plays into "End of Times" speak which can lead to drastic unhealthy action in how outsiders or people who have left the church are treated. If the end is coming soon and I HAVE the truth. I must save.  

    Overall I would say it was a positive experience though. I talked to people after and they were kind and again, not pressuring. I do plan on catching an actual sermon one of these Saturdays too...and get a better idea of the beliefs of the Adventists.

My friend Kyle's Wedding - Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral - September 14th, 2013

    What a glorious day it was. This was my first wedding I've attended since my parents remarried and suffice to say this was how I always imagined a wedding to be. Friends and family all there supporting the couple, an organ playing in the back as I waited for it to begin and the processional with the best men and women and the families with their sons and the ring-bearer.

    The wedding was my friend Kyle's wedding and his marriage to his husband. I didn't know Leland all that well (having only met him once), but I saw how happy he has made Kyle since their getting together, which was more than enough for me.

    The wedding was at the Episcopal church so it was an Episcopal ceremony. The priest explained the significance of the marriage (love between the couple shared with one another and with their community) before the two readings were done after the Declaration of Consent. They were about celebration and relationship: Philippians 4:4-9 and Colossians 3:12-16. After which was the sermon before the most powerful part.'

   The sermon talked about how marriage is a blessing to the couple and to the community and how the love exchanged between both is like God with us. It was beautiful and nailed what I appreciate about religion. Religion can bring this between groups and people and add the authority of a group that which benefits the individuals and in how the couple is benefited the group is too.

  Next was the exchanging of vows. The vows were read by the priest and repeated by the couple and seeing the emotion in the eyes and face of the couple...love is difficult to describe but that was one of the greatest definitions before us all.

   First was the Lord's Prayer and after the intercession which was prayers for the couple from the community for the married couple.

  After was the final blessings and final pronouncement of the marriage. Congratulations again Kyle and and his husband! May you know contentment and happiness in your marriage.

   Afterwords I was fortunate enough to make more friends and celebrate Kyle's marriage with his friends and family.  

Don't Panic - Lima Airport Chapel - August 25th, 2013

http://blog.sleepinginairports.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ipod-129.jpg

     Don't panic. The words rushed through my head as I tried to figure what my next steps would be. I couldn't find my group where we were supposed to meet and couldn't find the area where I was to pick my last tickets to get back to Seattle. I'd already walked the length of the airport and the food sections a few times before finally realizing I needed to calm down. I was just making it worse. Not having gotten much sleep on the plane or the night before didn't help.

     Breathing I followed the signs to the Chapel that Lima airport has. I sat for a while, gathering my thoughts before saying a quick prayer, a hope that everything would turn out. It was amazing how much it centered my mind. After I stopped rushing and stepped back (which the prayer allowed me to do, like meditation) I was able to see the situation rationally.

    Going through one last time I found the right area to get my tickets (it was pretty hidden) and after that was able to find my group and get through security for the flight to Texas.

    Don't panic. It's amazing what comfortable symbols and quite place can do. The chapel was nearly empty when I had gone there and it was totally quite which had allowed me to put everything that was causing out and deal with it rationally.

   In hindsight it was a good experience, I'd been in a storm and found my calm, while also getting to experience a beautiful tiny religious area in the most unexpected of places, Lima Airport.

Tipon - The Water Temple - August 24th, 2013

       The last place we would visit would be Tipon, which is another Water Temple. When we arrived the place was still covered in rain and mist draped over the surrounding, which given our second dose of San Pedro felt like walking into a dream. We walked along while Puma gave us some more history of the place. The place was for ceremony and was a fertility Temple.

   We eventually stopped at the fountain which is pulled from many sources so that there will always be water running at the fountain in case of drought. It was an emergency area which the priests controlled. How the fountain was designed was symbolic and was meant to represent infinite. After Puma explained this we were given free reign to explore the area.

      The first thing I did was take the nearest path up. It was here I could see the main Temple area and what was going on as others explored them. From there I took off down the path that was the most empty and stumbled upon the priests houses.

    I would describe this San Pedro experience as not having much creative stimulation it was mostly just an experience of happiness and feeling warm, even though it was rainy and cold. 

     The houses were huge and I hung out in them for a while just thinking and letting the San Pedro stimulate my mind. I felt like a kid again on an adventure. It was quite cool. After a while I made to rejoin the group once my solitude was upset. On the way I met and talked to my youngest sister and we talked about school and life. It was awesome and a great conversation.

      Lastly I talked to Puma for a bit about the location and learned what the different locations were (such as the houses I'd discovered) and also another area where ceremonies were done.

Heart of the Condor Temple Ceremony - August 24th, 2013

                                               Puma showing the Condor's heart
        The final day of travel around Peru would be one of unexpected adventure. Early in the morning we woke up and made our way up to site that was pretty far removed off the beaten trap. I'll call it the Heart of the Condor Temple since that is the most apparent part of the Temple. It was here we would do a final ceremony and where we would do San Pedro, a stimulant similar to Peyote. What an experience it was!

    First the site itself is very reminiscent of something out of old Britain. With stones placed in certain locations giving emphasis to the rocks shaped like a condor revealing its heart. The area is surrounded by an old stone wall and there are many tiny caves underneath the rocks in the surrounding areas.

    For the ceremony I was the first to go. It was based on how you wanted to grow and recognizing self value. All the symbolism was tied to that since the Condor is supposed to represent enlightenment. Each of us held the rock that was the heart one at at time while Puma did the ceremony. 

     After the ceremony I wandered around for a while. It was a time to observe the effects of San Pedro from a rational perspective. What I found was it was very difficult to do, but that it did seem to heighten senses while at the same time stimulating creative centers of the brain. I saw animals in the minds eye which was pretty cool.

    For me the ceremony ended in a cave simply reflecting and trying to clear my mind. Which was difficult with the San Pedro, but was great nonetheless. It gave me chance to look more critically at myself since my defenses were a little down from the drug. I could definitely understand why it was such an important part of ceremony.

   Historically it also had a darker side as well. If a youth wanted to go to the afterlife he or she could overdose on San Pedro and the tribe would support it. I don't know if taking something will allow going to another world, considering I don't know if other worlds beyond the physical world even exist, so with that it is difficult not to see it as supported youth suicide. Thankfully that isn't done today, but it showed more of the darker side of religious emphasis especially on the young who might not know any better or see beyond how amazing the experience of a religious trip can be.

    Afterwords we all walked back in silence. Suffice to say, it was an intense experience.

    

Religious Tensions in Peru - Saqsayhuaman - August 23rd, 2013

      Saqsayhuaman, here was a site that had been torn apart for the building of cathedrals and the fighting of the Incas after the conquest of Cuzco. It was here the Inca resisted for a month before all the underground tunnels were finally discovered by the Spanish. In a way it became a symbol of resistance. Like most of the other places we'd been to this place also had religion signifigant to the Inca. The first was the "Giant Head" of the Ancestor. It looked like it had one eye and represented wisdom and the masters who had come before. It was really cool. On the sides were carved chairs in which the priests could sit.

   After Puma told us this about the place we played a quick game of hide and seek (the area is huge) before making our way to the area that once an artificial lake. To get there we had to pass through the darkest cave I have ever gone through.

    After leaving the cave and entering the bright day once more it felt amazing. It was waking up almost since the darkness had been so confining. It was a pretty neat experience.

    Once we got the artificial lake we walked over it to the main area. In the main area there were llamas grazing and a volcanic altar across from the terraces where the llamas were eating. The area was huge and it was here we learned about all the stones that had been taken from the site to build the cathedrals. It was interesting how the old religion became building blocks for the new here and how even those buildings in the context of colonialism could not destroy the amazingness of the site. As much as has been lost, all the more remains strong and expansive.

     It was here Puma told us the story of how Pope John Paul II had come here and given a speech and placed a cross on the site that had been struck by lightning later on due to metal below the surface. He also talked about how the cross had angered the elders who saw it infringing upon a place sacred to them and their ancestors.

     As part of Saqsayhuaman a large White Jesus Christ was built. By Rebi, Puma and others it has been nicknamed "The Sexy Women" another name for the site. It is beautiful, which is where I think the name might come from. The Jesus and the history of this site show the tension that very much still exists between Christianity and the native religions in the area...and given the history, it understandably will probably never fully go away.

Oracle Temple - August 23rd, 2013

      The next day we headed to the Oracle Temple. The Oracle Temple had symbols on the top representing time and space and how the Inca's saw it. There was a Puma who was awake, a serpent leaving the center and a condor with wings outstretched on one side. On the other side where the puma was asleep there was the Eagle and the serpent going away.This was all on top of the Temple carved into a rock.

       Puma described the Condor side as the side that was awake, the old wisdom of the ancestors and the side of the Eagle and sleeping Puma as the side that was to awaken and how people held both inside of them. He described how Medicine women were said to have predicted the future at that place.

   It was also a place of birth and after we went inside the Temple. It was here that the women laid on the table and Puma did a ceremony. It was comforting and relaxing. I ended up meditating inside of one of the sections of the wall.

   After we left the 3 symbols embraced our exit. With a serpent carved going into the Temple and one going out and likewise with a Puma and Condor. A baby condor was carved into the entrance.

     The importance of symbols became all the more apparent in my time there. The three symbols of the Condor, Puma and Serpent are such an important and large part of the Inca and indigenous religion that it was hard not to see the power behind it. The power of others beliefs and also the power of the symbols themselves.

     After the ceremony we made our way to Saqsayhuaman for the final adventure of the day.

Machu Picchu - August 22nd, 2013

    Machu Picchu, there is a reason it is considered one of the Wonders of the World. I was glad I got to spend a whole day here, with all its rewards and challenges. The day began with Rebi and I meeting the group who had just got off the Inca Trail near the Sun Window. We weren't able to make it all the way up to the Window before the tour began though. It was great being with everyone in the group again.  

       The first place we visited in the Temple were the agricultural terraces before making our way over to the first sacred area. The area was supposed to represent the center of the world and had a rock that a compass could be placed upon. The area was large too and had unfinished windows (not all the windows had the three sections to represent the Puma, Condor and Serpent), but it was still really cool. From there we worked our way higher up.

     At the top we reached the Sun Altar and the the Altar to Wayna Picchu. Wayna Picchu is the huge mountain that you see in the background in every picture in Peru, it is a huge peak and it was used for initiation ceremonies for youth. Once you reach the top after crossing through the Puma Cave you are seen as initiated. The altar in the picture above is for those who couldn't climb the mountain cor ceremonies. Being at this mountain was seen as symbolically making the climb, since the Altar is the highest point in Temple area.

hat

                                                      The Sun Altar

                                             Wayna Picchu

    After we were at the Temple the group separated with a few of us choosing to make the climb to Wayna Picchu. I was one of the folks who decided to do it. What an amazing climb it was! Most of it was completely uphill and through caves and around the face of the mountain. When I reached the top I felt alive. There is nothing quite like reaching the top of a mountain.

                                           Machu Picchu from Wayna Picchu  
 It was here I took pictures with my Mom, Step-Dad, brother and another member of our group who had made it to the top. It was great to sit and reflect, and for some time it was just our group up there.

  After that we decided to make our way down. Seeing a sign to the Sacred Cave we decided to visit there too. It was there I hit trouble. I was almost out of water and completely ran out when we reached the caves.

     The first cave was the Moon Goddess Cave. It was here I rested and recuperated. It was a peaceful place and there birds who had made this cave their home.

      The final stop was the Sacred Cave which was full of meteors where we all meditated for a while to get rid of thoughts or feelings that didn't serve our growth in anyway. The thoughts of course are always with us, but it did help me get rid of my worry about the climb I was about to make to get back without water.

    The journey back to Machu Picchu was physically the most difficult thing I've done. With our limited water supply and me completely out we eventually made it back after 2 hours of mostly climbing uphill from the Sacred Caves which were at the bottom and backside of Wayna Picchu. It was here I learned how to make the most of my body and just how powerful the mind can be for pushing forward. It was hard but, the visit to those caves was worth it nonetheless.

                                            The Condor's head in the Temple of the Condor

     The last place we visited was the housing area and the Temple of the Condor. Both were beautiful areas and emphasized once more just how religious this place had been. One of the theories I learned was that it was a Monastery for religious Inca and with all the religious sites there (seven, plus the Sacred Caves) I could see why it was. Each area is made to compliment the land and honor the symbols that are supposed to be mean something more than just the physical world (though there is a chance there might be all there is). I learned the power of endurance, and even found peace in physical hardship on the trail while at the same time got to walk through history. Machu Picchu, I shall return.

Journey to Machu Picchu - August 21st, 2013

       After visiting Cathedrals and experiencing the big city it was in a complete change of pace that I found the most connection.

        An essential part of Incan Spirituality is honoring the land. The land itself is seen as a Temple, which is why the buildings were built to compliment the mountains or to use the pros and cons of any given location and make the most of it.

     I was not able to do the Inca trail proper, but with my guide Rebi we did our own version of the trail. A more modern version where the railroad and the river were our guides to Aguas Calientes. The journey to Machu Picchu was religiously siginifigant for the Inca. It was a pilgrimage where at the end and arriving there you were supposed to find yourself and connect to the spirits. This would be my version of this.

      Along the way we would pass tons of Inca Sites and at least one Holy Site where we would take lunch. First, I shall start at the beginning though.

     After taking a bus for an hour we got off in a small village and began our trek along the railroad. To our left was the river and many times donkeys and horses sitting idly by watching us. After about an hour we reached the first site which was an Inca Fort along the river. We explored this place for a bit before continuing onward.

     Our next stop was into the desert. It was here Rebi pointed out the different things that were used for coloring the Alpaca and sheeps wool. It had a rugged beauty to it and reminded me a lot of exploring Zion or Arches National Park in Utah. We also ran into an Inca Barracks and Noblemen's house while all along the way passing cows and farms. We also passed Inca farming terraces on the other side of the river that were probably used for feeding the armies that were posted here.

      Next we arrived in a tiny village where there were sections of an Inca Wall that was almost completely invisible because of the overgrowth. It was after passing here that we arrived at an Inca Holy site, which was the halfway mark.

    The Inca Holy site was an altar and a giant black stone. The stone had been carved to have a puma, condor and serpent on its snake to represent the 3 worlds the Inca honored. It was here we talked and took lunch. Before us was the rainforest and a complete change in landscape.

     The forest was beautiful. We saw a snake at one point and tons of birds. The one disadvantage was it soon got dark as we passed out of the forest into the Jungle. It was here that trust key. Rebi's light through his phone was the one thing keeping the path clear. Time was lost in the dark and with it understandable fear. I was going somewhere I had never been to before and we'd passed a few places that were covered with big steel gates. I had no idea what Aguas Calientes looked like or if we would have to go through a gate and passed security to get there too.

    Thankfully that was not the case and the arrival was one of the best experiences I can describe. There is nothing like earning the right to go to a place by physically walking there, and this was one of those times. I can see why it was seen as religious. Its a lot of work to go over the mountains to get to where you want to go. Not to mention physical excretion is a great way to clear the mind.

     After arriving we talked family, the past and treated one another to drinks and disco. It was the end to a great journey. We had finally arrived and the next day would be a place covered in Holy Sites. The city of Machu Picchu.