Death and Joy Give the Best Advice
Art by Moebius
When I was a hospice chaplain I obviously had a lot of conversations about death.
Most were practical; what are the signs of oncoming death, how to talk to families about morphine, what’s helpful for COPD patients and what’s not. But the best discussions of all were philosophical.
I remember a conversation with a seasoned chaplain about what death had taught us. For me, I had learned that the limited nature of life helped me get clear on how to spend my time. I realized that my best use of time was either being with people I love or being around green growing things or both.
My fellow chaplain shared that she could always count on death to give great advice. Like, the very best advice every time. She said she always felt the Spirit of Death slightly back and to the left of her. Whenever she was at a crossroads she would turn and ask for help. Death, she said, always gave the simplest and most useful answer.
It’s true; there’s something immensely clarifying about death. We humans can get really tangled up, but death itself is simple.
Coyotes by Neil Krug
I was thinking these exact thoughts the first time I received ashes on my forehead for Ash Wednesday.
Well, honestly I was thinking that the ashes were kind of silly and I was only getting them because my seminary friend and I happened to walk by Grace Episcopal in San Francisco on Ash Wednesday and thought maybe we should, being ministers in training and all.
But as I knelt, and the priest applied the ashes from the palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday and said those ancient words, “From dust you came and to dust you shall return,” something happened.
The simplicity of being marked by death like that cleared my mind. I’m kind of like that with religious sacraments; at first I think they’re a big eye roll and I’m above that kind of superstition, then I actually do them and I’m profoundly changed. I’m human afterall, I guess.
Ready to explore some Lenten Death and Joy? My Lenten course this year is In Pursuit of Joy and opens February 15th.
And thus began my first Lent 9 years ago. I’ve had a few since then, but always refer back to that one. The ancient purpose of Lent is to enter the Holy Wilderness of life and death as Jesus and the Jewish forefathers did in order to find God. Usually, in some kind of desert.
Deprivation and temptation ensues, often the Devil will come by visiting, and finally one discover’s oneself endlessly beloved by Spirit, a profoundly joyful event.
This year, since there already seems to be so much deprivation and temptation in the world, I wanted to focus on the end-goal of Lent and work backwards from there.
In service to that, I’ve crafted a six week course beginning on Ash Wednesday (Valentines Day, how sweet ) to guide us on the ancient path of holy joy itself.
Whether you’re new to Lent or have been giving up chocolate since childhood, whether you’re an avowed Christian, Exvangelical, or just kind of curious about the wilderness path to God, I’d love to have you in the course.
Many blessings on your Mardi Gras week and I’ll meet you in the holy dust.
FREE Joy Intro Convo - February 12th 6:30pm MT
Grab your evening beverage and come join us to get all the juicy deets for In Pursuit of Joy.
I’ll go over the course content, guide you through a mini-joy practice, and answer any questions you may have about the course. This is a great opportunity to connect with me and the other students and me to see if it will be a good fit for you.
Join us on Zoom on February 12th at 6:30pm MT.
Seeds of Light by Tuco Amalfi
In Pursuit of Joy - Starts February 14th!
Module One - What’s Blocking your Joy? Teachings and practices for overcoming apathy, stimulus overwhelm, future tripping, expectations, and control
Module Two - The Mystical Roots of Joy. We’ll discuss the Upanishads, ananda/bliss, the prophets of Yahweh, the teachings of Yeshua and Christ Consciousness, and joy as an ancient path of modern truth
Module Three - The Masters of Joy. Judas and the joy of fulfilling your destiny, Gabriel and the joy of catalyzing change, Magdalena and the joy of spiritual clarity, and more
Module Four - The Purpose of Joy. On being drunk with joy as taught by Mirabai, Hafez, St. Teresa of Avila, and Rumi as well as the hierarchy of angelic beings some of whom are simply useless with joy
Module Five - Joy is a Flow State. Exploring the true nature of flow states, how to enter one, and joy and spiritual practice are dependent upon flow state access
Module Six - Joy is the Path to Spirit. Enjoying people as a healing medicine, using joy as the bridge of connection, and how joy and gratitude empower your whole life.
Cost is one payment of $315, three payments of $105, or you can use your 15% discount if you’re a Mighty Networks member. Course is 6 modules to be completed at your own pace and includes one Clairvoyant Counseling session with me - a $165 value.
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Artwork? Top image is by French Illustrator Moebius. Second image is “Coyote” by Niel Krug. Bottom image is Seeds of Light by Tuco Amalfi.
