Peter L. Fritsch's class on the Reality of Evil and How Our Spiritual Lives Can Effectively Overcome Its Destructiveness

I have been reading Peter L. Fritsch's book A Moment of Great Power. Fritsch is an Episcopal priest and he teaches, writes, provides spiritual direction, and is a businessman of some kind in Port Orford, Oregon. I'm undecided about the book. It takes up generational trauma, healing, therapy and psychology, and evil from an Episcopal point of view that is informed by other faith traditions. If you are struggling with generational trauma or experiencing negative paranormal activity then this book may be useful to you. The views expressed in this book are not what you're going to hear from the pulpit.   

I have not read Fritsch's book The Spirituality of the Holy Grail.

I know that many readers of this blog will be interested in the class listed below that is being held in Port Orford.

A Six-Week Class on the Reality of Evil and How Our Spiritual Lives Can Effectively Overcome Its Destructiveness.

Wednesdays January 25, February 1, 8, 15, 22, and March 1. Each class is from 11 a.m. - 12:15 a.m.
Peter Fritsch, writer, teacher, spiritual director, and Episcopal priest, continues his classes meeting at the Port Orford Library, Wednesdays from 11:12:15 a.m. This next six-week course will focus on the reality of Evil, its destructive force, and how we can recognize, confront, and overcome its ability to discourage, confuse, and destroy our trust in a loving God.

This subject is one all of us have to deal with and work with the paradoxical question: How can a loving God allow evil to exist and do the hurt and destruction it does and is there anything spiritually grounded people can do about it.

Fritsch has written a great deal about his own wrestling with this subject in his most recent publication, The Spirituality of the Holy Grail: Restoring Feminine Spirit in the Western Soul, published by John Hunt Publishing of London. He is currently working on a complete, more extensive book on the same topic.

No matter what one may be struggling with, devastating illness, addictions, personal attacks upon one's character, political or family divisiveness, this class will help people understand the nature of evil, and the reality of the power of a loving God and our relationship to this God, stops, checks, and overcomes the destructive power of evil, and brings goodness and grace to every situation by which we are confronted.

The purpose of the class is to help people realize and use the power of their love, prayer, and meditation life to bring real change to the world about them.

The class is a scholastic teaching and discussion experience, open to the general public. The outline of the topics for each weekly session is as follows.

1. What are the understandings of the source of evil in world philosophical and religious traditions.
2. How to recognize evil in both its collective (corporate) and individual forms which confront us.
3. What are the causes and roots of evil as we understand it in contemporary society?
4. How unconsciousness attributes to both individual and collective evil and the need for conscious awareness.
5. How to deal with evil without becoming a participant in the very evil we are confronting.
6. To learn what we can do in our spiritual capacities/life to confront, transform, and remove the destructiveness of evil in our lives and in the lives of those we love.

Peter has extensive experience and training in this area both prior and after working as a parish priest and counseling, both in the United States and abroad.

Classes begin next Wednesday, January 25th at 11 a.m. There is no fee, and this program is open to all who are interested in growing spiritually and psychologically to bring changes for the good to their lives and the lives of others.

For more information, write an email to Fritsch at plfritsch@hotmail.com or text him at (619) 481 0714.

No registration is required, just come and be present.

Photo is Bene Bufano's St. Francis of Assisi

Native American/Indigenous Spirituality From The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

It has been a while since we posted anything from Native American/Indigenous Episcopalian priest The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston but his theology is never far from what this blog is about.

"The length of night is not measured by hours, but by the worry we carry with us into the darkness. For a burdened heart the minutes move more slowly than memory. The visual world recedes and we are left like watchmen to keep our lonely vigil high on the solemn walls of our fear. When you face a long night of your soul let go of time and kindle again the flame of hope entrusted to you by the Spirit. It never fails to burn bright. You are a keeper of that flame, a citizen of light only passing through the shadows on your way home.--1/6/23

"Please, Spirit, give me the energy I need to do what you would have me do. There are times when my intentions run ahead of my abilities. I bite off more than I can chew. I spread myself too thin. I become tired and things begin to slip. When that happens, I pray you will do a small intervention: breathe your strength and common sense into me and let me take up my mission with a renewed passion."---1/4/23

"Our song will go on, long after our voices are still. The sound of our joy will be carried on the wind, scattered through the forests, rising as high as the mountains, sparkling beneath the sun. Those of innocent heart and hopeful dreams will hear it. The poor and the lonely will hear it and find the promise they have been seeking. The faithful and the courageous will draw our sound in like a deep breath, so life-giving and eternal will be our song of praise."---1/3/23

Native American and Indigenous wisdom

 

From The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston:

"Peace on Earth. Peace for every living thing. Peace among nations. Peace for our children. Peace in our future. Peace of heart and peace of mind. Peace to those I love and peace to those I find hard to love. Peace where there is conflict. Peace where there is hope. Peace as our vocation. Peace in all of our prayers. Peace on Earth."---Dec. 20

"Most of us have a miracle story we could share. It may not be as dramatic as parting the oceans, but it is a story we can tell because we were witnesses to the truth of it. One of my stories is actually not that unusual: a person diagnosed by medical science who suddenly and inexplicably made a recovery. I saw that happen more than once. Is it a miracle? Yes, I would say so, another small proof that there is more going on in life than we can understand much less control."---Dec. 19

"Like a silhouette against the sun I see you standing on the horizon, looking out into the shadowy expanse of time, arms outstretched as if in prayer or greeting. How long you have stood there I do not know, but I imagine it has been for a very long time, so deep is the desire of your heart, the longing for an answer to your appeal. Who are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? Only the Spirit knows. All I understand is that you will still be there when the moon reclaims the night, for I will be standing beside you."---Dec. 18

From Steven Charleston

Helping me stay focused on my spiritual commitment is the thought that somewhere out there someone is waiting for me to act. Like a ripple effect, what I do now will impact others, until like dominoes falling each individual action will create a momentum. The momentum of justice, of healing, of reconciliation: somewhere in the world people are waiting for me to take one more step forward. The rest will be up to a plan far greater than I may ever understand.---December 7


If you do nothing more than be a kind and caring person, in my eyes you are a person worthy of acclaim. We should celebrate your accomplishment and honor your name. Most of us know the reason why. It is not easy to follow a spiritual path. It is not easy to live in an ethical and compassionate way. There are many sacrifices that are required. Many obstacles to be overcome. A holy life is an aware life, disciplined and intentional. So if you achieve that: I would say you are a great success.---December 6


Someone knows. Someone knows your story. Someone of absolute trustworthiness and unconditional love. When you are seeking support in your life turn to this source. Receive the presence of wisdom and of comfort. Feel a sense of renewal. You do not ever have to explain or justify yourself. Someone already knows and cares for you all the more.---December 5


Sometimes it is not the big things that get you as much as the little things. The seemingly endless conveyor belt of little issues, needs, problems and distractions that keep coming while you try to stay focused on the bigger needs of life. World peace gets swallowed up by the hot water heater breaking down. Environmental justice gets delayed while you cope with car trouble. It’s the little stuff that gets you. So here is a blessing for everyone trying to contend with the everyday headaches of life: may you be lifted out of your daily problems, until you can catch your breath, and see your way forward to calmer ground.---December 4

Beauty before me, Beauty behind me...

 

"There is a spiritual skill that many of us will probably need in the days to come..."

"There is a spiritual skill that many of us will probably need in the days to come: the ability to maintain a sense of calm in times of trouble. While I cannot predict the future, common sense and the front page both tell me we have more economic and political white water to come. Therefore, I engage my focus on serenity now in order to be prepared. I intentionally sit still, breathe slowly, and look to the Spirit in meditation. I steady my soul. I become the calm I need."
---The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

A profound sermon from Fr. Dennis Parker At St. Paul's Episcopal Church on September 4, 2022

IT’S ALL GOOD – IT’S ALL INTERIM TIME

Let us pray: Holy one of many names, we look for stability and surety in our lives and you respond with upside-down gospel messages of costly discipleship and fractured family relationships. We search for calm and peace in our lives, and you respond with gospel messages of division and commands that we must hate that which we have held most closely in order to be your disciples. We come into your temples seeking to worship and honor your names – and you command us to leave our places of comfort and carry our crosses and follow you. Help us to find in your difficult messages, the kernel of truth and relevance to our lives and our dreams. May we who gather in your name – be always aware of the costs incurred in your call to love one another as you have loved us. Amen

(SUNG) COME GATHER ‘ROUND PEOPLE WHEREVER YOU ROAM
AND ADMIT THAT THE WATERS AROUND YOU HAVE GROWN
AND ACCEPT IT THAT SOON YOU’LL BE DRENCHED TO THE BONE
IF YOUR TIME TO YOU IS WORTH SAVIN’ – AND YOU BETTER START
SWIMMIN’ OR YOU’LL SINK LIKE A STONE, FOR THE TIMES THEY
ARE A-CHANGIN’

The Gospel or ‘good news’ of God in the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth in its retelling by the Author of Luke/Acts account over the past few weeks has not exactly been filled with sweetness and light! This is not the Jesus of the author of John’s account who commands us to ‘love one another as I have loved you’ – rather this is the Jesus who tells us “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple” – not exactly Dale Carnegie’s suggestions on “How to Win Friends and Influence People”! And yet here we are, listening to the difficult words of an itinerant Jewish preacher/teacher of two thousand years ago calling us to costly discipleship. I think this Yeshuah bin Yousef – Jesus Son of Joseph – savior and redeemer of us all is warning us in a similar way as did Bette Davis’ character in the film All About Eve – to “fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night”!

The fifth and final book of the Hebrew Torah is titled in English Deuteronomy – a title that has its origins in the Greek title from the Septuagint duteronomion meaning “second law” or “repeated law”. The book is laid out as three sermons or speeches delivered to the Israelites by Moses on the plains of Moab, just before their entry into the promised land. The first and second sermons address the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness that led to this moment of entry into the that land flowing with milk and honey and the reminding of God’s people to follow the laws and teachings that Moses has given them from the hand of Yahweh – and the third sermon telling them that even should their nation prove unfaithful and lose that land – with return and repentance all can be restored into right relationship between God and God’s chosen people. Our reading this morning from the 30 th chapter of that text is taken from this latter sermon message. The sermonic text states in verses 19 and 20 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying and holding fast to God for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (and I might just add to Sarah, and to Rebecca, and to Rachel and Leah). The Lord God says to the people of God – you’re going somewhere – and it will be good and remember these things before you get there – and you ain’t there yet. This, my friends is a message for the Interim time – the almost but not yet!

(SUNG) COME MOTHERS AND FATHERS THROUGHOUT THE LAND
AND DON’T CRITICIZE WHAT YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND
YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS ARE BEYOND YOUR COMMAND
YOUR OLD ROAD IS RAPIDLY AGIN’ – PLEASE GET OUT OF THE NEW
ONE IF YOU CAN’T LEND YOUR HAND, FOR THE TIMES THEY ARE
A-CHANGIN.

Our reading from the Christian testament today is a short and poignant letter that the apostle Paul has written to his friend and colleague Philemon on behalf of a runaway slave from Philemon’s house, Onesimus – who after escaping from his master’s house, travels to the big city (Rome) and discovers Paul and the messages of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth that Paul has been converted to. Onesimus has been serving Paul in his imprisonment, and the Apostle is beseeching his old friend Philemon to accept his former servant back, not as a slave, but rather as a brother in Christ, and return Onesimus to Paul so that he will be useful for the service of the Gospel and the wider movement outside of Colossae where Philemon’s house church was located. Paul, in his ever-diplomatic approach to the issues of his time and society – does not write a searing condemnation of the evils of the institution of slavery – but rather a measured and logical argument that in the love of Jesus the Christ – we have all been set free from the slavery of this world to live in the total freedom and dignity of our lives in God’s Kindom Come Among Us in the Right Here and Right Now.

It (will be) is my distinct joy to welcome to our community this morning The Rev. Christopher Craun, Diocese of Oregon Missioner for Thriving Congregations. The Reverend Mother is a colleague and personal friend, as well as the Diocesan staff person responsible for assisting parish congregations who find themselves in periods of transition. In a Q & A session after the service this morning, she will map out the process for the interim period of the next few months and then the longer interim period to follow as you explore your lives in community and the patterns and challenges living in this community present in your short- and long-term history. One of the lessons I have paid close attention to in my twenty (20) years of ordained ministry in Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is that it’s all interim time – we are born, we live and we die and all of the time in between is interim time. We discern our call, we live out our call and our call comes to its completion – all the time in between is
interim time.

(SUNG) THE LINE IT IS DRAWN, THE CURSE IT IS CAST
THE SLOW ONE NOW WILL LATER BE FAST
AS THE PRESENT NOW WILL LATER BE PAST
THE ORDER IS RAPIDLY FADIN’
AND THE FIRST ONE NOW WILL LATER BE LAST
FOR THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

Just prior to his sudden and untimely death, author, and mystic/priest/poet John O’Donohue was working on a book that has been subsequently published entitled, To Bless the Space Between Us. I have used that book many times in the past few years, as a source of insight and prayer, as a reference for meditations and retreat reflections and it is filled with insight and understanding of the many ways in which our relationships with God and with each other can be a source of healing and a balm of gentle grace when words can often escape expression of our deepest longings. My friend and clergy colleague whom I lovingly refer to as Holy Mother Church; was the rector of St. Stephen’s in Newport and the Vicar of St. Luke’s by the Sea in Waldport. Susan was the first person who introduced this book to me and she shared with me several poems and blessings from it – as well as many other pieces of poetry that speak to the varied and multiple spiritual experiences of our lives. I would like to share with you one of those “blessings” in the form of a poem from O’Donohue’s book entitled: For the Interim Time

When near the end of day, life has drained out of light, and it is too soon for the
mind of night to have darkened things,
No place looks like itself, loss of outline makes everything look strangely in-
between, unsure of what has been, or what might come.
In this wan light, even trees seem groundless. In a while it will be night, but
nothing here seems to believe the relief of dark.
You are in this time of the interim, where everything seems withheld.
The path you took to get here is washed out; the way forward is still concealed
from you.
“The old is not old enough to have died away; the new is still too young to be
born.”
You cannot lay claim to anything; in this place of dusk, your eyes are blurred;
and there is no mirror.
Everyone else has lost sight of your heart and you can see nowhere to put your
trust; you know you have to make your own way though.
As far as you can hold your confidence. Do not allow your confusion to squander
this call which is loosening your roots in false ground, that you might come free
from all you have outgrown.
What is being transfigured here is your mind, and it is difficult and slow to
become new. The more faithfully you can endure here, the more refined your
heart will become for your arrival in the new dawn.

Hopeful Meditations From The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

I am taking many liberties here by lifting some meditations from The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston that can be found on the Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church Facebook page. I find hope here, and in most everything that Rev. Steven Charleston writes. I hope that you will find something here as well that will give you pause or move you. You will find additional meditations from Rev. Charleston if you follow the links provided, but I hope that you will like the Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church Facebook page and make it part of your daily check-in.

The Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon recently repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, a major theological and democratic step forward. Please read about it here.

October 26: "I have been out walking with ghosts again, the shimmering images of my ancestors, always present, but barely visible, walking before me in the cool shadows of evening. I know better than to talk too much, for silence is the language of the sacred. Instead I listen, as any youngster should, to the wisdom of those who have seen more seasons than can be counted. I receive their thoughts like a benediction. I hold their vision in my mind like a familiar dream. Do not be afraid, they whisper, as we walk on to find the moon already waiting."

October 25: "Let the birds rise up from the wetlands, pin-wheeling through the salty sea air, sun sparkling on their wings. Let the herds walk majestically by, in long train arrayed, crossing the prairie with a dignity countless years old. Let the fish dart between the cold river rocks, silhouettes of life almost unseen, so suddenly do they turn in their weightless world. Let the human family proclaim, across the breadth of this spinning blue ball, calling out to their kin from every clan of sentient being: we see you, we need you, we honor you still."

October 24: "The door stands open. The sunlight beyond offers its invitation. The clear sky beckons. The path begins with your first step. As light as air. Unencumbered. Joyful. Come out into life with the wonder of a child. What seemed hidden is revealed. What once appeared overwhelming could now fit in the palm of your hand. You are free. Liberation is a gift of the sacred. The Spirit releases us from old constraints, old fears, and blesses us with a renewed sense of hopeful possibilities. The door stands open. Come out and be free once more."

October 23: "If I had to pick a word to describe the time in which we are living I would say: unsettling. Uncertain. Tense with expectation. Where are we going? What will happen next? We are not sure. I am not sure. Like you, I feel as if I am standing on sand. I am working hard to keep my balance. I am determined to hold on to my hope. I am confronting the unknown with something I consider to be a steady truth: human beings who care for one another are more grounded than those who do not. If there is a rock beneath the sand, it is mutual respect. Which leads to mutual learning and mutual cooperation. When we share those things, we can look uncertainty in the eye."

October 20: "I have come here today to do the manual labor of love. I have come to push back the rising mist of despair that seeks to enfold people before they realize it. Those deep shadows can roll forward when we least expect it, riding the winds of sorrow, swallowing up the light of hope. But not here. Not on my watch. I will not let them pass where I stand. I will reach out in the strength of my love to stop them. I will roll them back. I will let the light continue to shine wherever I am. I will do the labor of love for as long as it takes and for as many as I can."

"Our tears and smiles reveal the hope hidden behind our daily life, the quiet need we never express."

"Prayers do not need special times or special words. Our prayers exist unspoken in the

 silent spaces between our actions. They are an expression of our ancient spiritual instinct,

 a reaching out into the other world for any help that may be there. Our heart speaks more

 eloquently than any mantra about the things we long for and wish could happen. Our tears and

 smiles reveal the hope hidden behind our daily life, the quiet need we never express. We are praying every day, whether we acknowledge it or not. And our prayers are being heard every day, whether we believe it or not."

--The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

"Your private hopes and dreams are not idle thoughts of no consequence, but elements of a sacred vision, a roadmap to a more loving future."

"Your private hopes and dreams are not idle thoughts of no consequence, but elements of a sacred vision, a roadmap to a more loving future. That is why they are important. They are the shape of things to come. They are an expression of the confidence you have both in yourself and in the power of the Spirit. Never underestimate what you see when you are looking through the eyes of faith. You may be seeing the first hint of a reality you are creating, a glimpse of your legacy to generations yet unborn."

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

"Creation is alert to the power of the holy."

"Tonight the drums of the ancestors resound among the dark clouds. Shafts of brilliant light tear open the sky to let the rain pour in from heaven on high. Creation is alert to the power of the holy. Earth opens her arms to the falling rain. All creatures great and small listen to the passing of the storm. It is a sacred time, an invitation to humility. We are such small parts of the greater whole. We are small beings huddled together on a rainy night. We are part of a great pattern, an endless life, a sacred love, that floats across time and space, clouds like ships, sailing the storm-tossed sea."

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

"Sometimes I think my spiritual outlook could be explained in two words: keep going."

"Sometimes I think my spiritual outlook could be explained in two words: keep going. It may seem like a bare and simple kind of philosophy but there is more than you might think. The foundation is a very fundamental truth: we cannot predict the future other than to say it is unpredictable. So my vision begins with “keep” going because it assumes we are already going, already deep in life and moving the best we can. Going is about knowing our direction, keeping our strength, and celebrating the challenge of the journey. Life will be what it is: keep going."

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

"I am glad to report that I have been keeping a promise I made to myself many months ago."

"I am glad to report that I have been keeping a promise I made to myself many months ago. As things were starting to seem grim I told myself that no matter how rough things got, I would never forget to smile. Not that it would magically change things for the better. Not that I was trying to pretend otherwise. No, just a simple non-verbal message to the universe that life isn’t finished yet, that there are always reasons to be thankful, and that a brief blessing passed between friends and strangers can make a difference. Happy to say I am still smiling and being smiled at in return. A promise is being fulfilled."

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

"Please be with me whenever I stand at a crossroads. Please help me when I face an important choice."

"I do not ask for a great blessing, Spirit, for I know there are many people in the world in need of help more than me. But I do ask for one small grace, one that can make a great deal of difference in my life. Please be with me whenever I stand at a crossroads. Please help me when I face an important choice. So much of our lives depend on the choices we make, sometimes without much time to think. Stay with me when I choose, Spirit, and show me the path to follow."

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

SIX WAYS TO KNOW YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK SPIRITUALLY

"SIX WAYS TO KNOW YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK SPIRITUALLY: (1) No matter how difficult things in your own life may be at the moment, you always have time to care for the needs of others, (2) You have seen more than one prayer answered, (3) When it comes to the meaning of life you don’t mind a little mystery, (4) You are serious enough about what you believe to have a sense of humor about it, (5) You have the humility to listen, but the values not to listen if the subject turns to hate, (6) You know that wherever and whenever you come in or go out of the movie of life it is going to have a happy ending." 

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston--Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

"We can regain our spiritual equilibrium. We can become the global neighborhood we imagine."

"Listen to what the elders say: you can hear the whole of creation groaning, groaning for positive change, groaning for balance and kinship. Our task is to move toward that sound. We can embody the change we seek. We can find balance by the choices we make. We can find kinship by the relationships we sustain. We can regain our spiritual equilibrium. We can become the global neighborhood we imagine. Listen to what the elders are saying and turn the song of creation from a lament to a great thanksgiving."

--The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

"What wonders wait for us around the corner of forever?"

"What wonders wait for us around the corner of forever? What sights we could never have imagined seeing? We will find our answers then, the unseen reality beneath the surface of what we think we see. But in the meantime we will live with the ambiguity, the fragility, the transient nature of history in our generation. We will keep our hands on the wheel. We will stand shoulder to shoulder. We will not let fear slip past us. One day we will know: but another step toward that day is enough for now."

---The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

"The elders say our ancestors are a double blessing..."

 

"The elders say our ancestors are a double blessing: they are behind us in our past and before us in our future. They are the spiritual bookends to our lives. In the past, their experience teaches us the skills we need to build a life in the here and now. If we learn from their example we will find their wisdom. In the future, they show us the visions we need to go beyond what we think is possible. If we see through their eyes we will discover their imagination. So when you say a prayer of thanksgiving for the ancestors in your life, be sure to face in both directions."
---The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

"Our struggles are many, but against the energy and expanse of the Spirit, they are only ripples in a pond."

"When I see the first light of dawn breaking on distant mountains, I know the Spirit is with us. When I hear the wind flying through the branches of forest trees, I know the Spirit is with us. When I feel the strength of ocean waves pushing me back to shore as if I were a toy, I know the Spirit is with us. The power of creation is all around us. It is proof that a strength greater than ours holds life in hands both immense and yet sheltering. Our struggles are many, but against the energy and expanse of the Spirit, they are only ripples in a pond. Trust in the reality of the Spirit: a presence you can see, hear and feel."

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry opening sermon to General Convention 80