“I’ve been waiting for something to happen
For a week or a month or a year
With the blood in the ink of the headlines
And the sound of the crowd in my ear.”
— Jackson Browne, Lives in the Balance
(Greg and I have been singing this song almost endlessly for weeks.)
Last Full Moon, something got me out of bed, and I wrote for hours, suddenly understanding some new work I’m supposed to do, which brings together in harmony all the varied activities and impulses of my life, but in a totally surprising way – to me.
We’re at a moment in history when people need to wake up to our multi-dimensional reality and political reality, and speak their truth.
The urgency of this moment requires our bodies, minds, and souls; and it’s our bodies, minds, and souls that are on the line.
This involvement of our souls is what convinces me we need to speak with the authority and legal status given in our culture (often mistakenly) to churches. While spirituality certainly does not require a church (and churches can even be detrimental to one’s spirituality), churches do receive important legal recognition by our governments. And since we who have been abused need all the legal status we can get to defend ourselves and continue our healing, I have begun a church.
Admittedly, this part was daunting to me the first time it crossed my mind. For healing work legal purposes, I was ordained in 2006, but then mostly forgot about it. Besides, I thought, I have no ability to counsel anyone, as I’m still fighting these things called demons.
Then a few months ago, I was inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. to put my spiritual beliefs into political action as he did for his civil rights work. I knew he too was imperfect, but he accepted his calling and did incredibly important work.
Then Greg read to me the introduction of Black Elk Speaks, about how he’d had visions (like me) for all his life too – and was tormented by demons until he finally accepted his calling!
His description of his struggle stunned me, as he could have been describing my last decade-plus. With astonishment, I told Greg – and at the same time God – that I would accept this calling and act as soon as I understood it.
A few weeks went by, and the concept remained certain, but I saw no details, no practical first steps, so I didn’t think about it, other than that it was compelling, but more “out there” than I like to be. And part of me wondered if my Spirit Help would actually convince me to do anything.
Suddenly, in the middle of the night of this last Full Moon, I drafted almost everything I needed to define this church and ministry here on this new church website.
I never wanted to take on this role of minister – except in a very private way – but now that I’ve written all this, it feels very comfortable and right. (And it feels great to have written my own spiritual history – and not hold it secret any longer.)
I have a short list of upcoming sermons I’m looking forward to writing.
So please check out this website, MK Garden Healing, and if the Spirit moves you, become a member and subscribe.