In the fall of 2024, I began a series of reflections on developmentalists. I started by looking at my own development in the light of these leader’s discoveries about human growth.
However, as the field grew, the focus expanded beyond individual development to include cultural development.
The evolution of consciousness and culture helps me make sense of an increasingly complex and puzzling world. It is that sense-making that I will focus on in my next few posts. I think this inward-outward center of attention is a perspective that we need in our out-of-balance world of today.
A Tapestry of Deepening Awareness
These first two posts will focus on my foundations as a Person of Spirit. Some of this I’ve written about before. And now I’m coming to a deeper understanding that has been most revealing … pulling many threads together in a more coherent tapestry. Isn’t growth like that … a process of becoming … a spiral of ever deepening awarenesses.
Be prepared to encounter the teacher in me (my first professional hat)! Being a teacher has stayed with me as I transitioned into wearing several other hats. And she is coming to the fore in this series.
Thank you for taking this journey with me from the early 1970s through 2024! As you read, I encourage you to reflect on your own journey.
In the Early 70s
I was an active member of a congregation, serving on the Christian Education Committee, teaching adult church school classes, being trained as a small group facilitator, serving on the church council.
And our congregation was embroiled in deep division … very similar to the polarization that seems to have spread throughout our world today.
Because I am a Type One on the Enneagram … also known as a Reformer/Improver/ Perfectionist/Idealist, I tend to look like this when I’m at my best and at my worst:
I was young and naïve and had not yet learned to temper my worst traits. Deeply disturbed by the vitriol, I contributed to the divisiveness. With my either/or way of seeing, I judged those with whom I disagreed. I needed the guidance of someone further along on the path to point me toward a more wholistic viewpoint.
A Turning Point
Fortunately, a much older and wiser Director of Christian Education took me under her wing and guided me forward. Phyllis Wacker introduced me to Church of the Saviour located in Washington, DC.
Through the writings of Elizabeth O’Connor (Call to Commitment; Journey Inward, Journey Outward; Eighth Day of Creation; and others), I found myself deeply moved by a whole different way of being church.
My life and perspective changed!
Then Phyllis invited me to join a group of Christian Education Professionals. We read and discussed Eighth Day of Creation: Discovering Your Gifts. As a result of participation in that group, I experienced a call to create a small-group and retreat ministry.
I envisioned serving as a spiritual guide as group members & retreatants discerned their gifts … strengthened their inner journey … discerned their outer calling to serve … adhering to the style of Church of the Saviour.
I had a lot of growing up to do in order to serve in such a capacity.
In 1975, I was led to enter seminary … after much encouragement from the members of the Eighth Day group & others who recognized my gifts and supported my calling. There I would be challenged in my studies as well as my interactions with faculty, fellow students, and denominational leaders to grow in cognitive and relational maturity.
A Vision of Institutional Wholeness
Out of concern for the renewal of “The Church”, the founders of Church of the Saviour entered into dialogue with numerous congregations to learn what works and what doesn’t. In the process, they learned that the call to wholeness involves equal emphasis on
- the transforming power of the realm of The Divine within … experiencing what it means to be present to ourselves AND
- the strength to discern our inherent gifts that correspond with an outer call to be present to others, responding to their circumstances and needs
And so, a congregation formed in the mid-1940s around these precepts. Its form has changed as times and resources have changed. And today it consists of nine independent faith communities who maintain this alternative approach to church and church structures while supporting over 40 ministries … some of which emerged in the 1940’s … at the very beginning and continuing to this day.
Their outwardly-focused ministries among the poor, the homeless, the disabled, the addicted, seniors, children, physical & emotional healthcare, etc. are what gets the most attention.
However, without the strong emphasis they place on the quiet and less visible inner journey, which is undergirded by their retreat and conference center, Wellspring, their phenomenal outwardly-focused ministries would not have made the profound differences they are known for.
The inward must not be sacrificed to the outward, nor the outward to the inward. There is no transformation that way. ~Elizabeth O’Connor
Your response as you reflect upon your own journey?
Where do you see a balance or imbalance in the inward/outward … as an individual and as a citizen?
Thank you for sharing your history. I anticipate this series with a grateful heart as you continue to share. Your sharing stimulates my own journey to spirit which begins with rejecting christianity from my youngest memories. The US is such a christian dominant country that it wasn’t easy to find a spiritual path outside of it. Eventually, a heart breaking break-up with a man brought me to my knees and I was plunged into a dark night of the soul lasting two years. Then, spirit blossomed within me and I found “God.”. I was 34 years old when that happened.
WOW, Jen, thank you for sharing so personally. It’s encouraging to hear how your spirit blossomed following a “dark night of the soul” experience.
Yes, The US is Christian dominant … and even those of us within that tradition often find it difficult to find our path if it diverges from the traditional. I lived for years in confusion about my path. And then I read “Four Paths to Union” by Mariamne Paulus. It was so refreshing to find my path described. And it explained so much … the paths that fit the essence of my soul are the least known and respected in the West. It was such a relief to see that … and it is still a lonely path when you don’t fit with the majority.
Hi Linda,
I enjoyed reading about your earlier experiences that led you to enter seminary.
You post encourages me to try to find balance between outward and inward focus. My tendency is outward. I am recommiting myself to my morning writing practice to get in touch with myself before I turn outwards.
Thank you!
So glad you found my post helpful, Ani. My writing practice is what helps me stay grounded and centered. I hope it serves that purpose for you, as well. I think we are going to need it in the days ahead … so that we are as wise as we can be when we turn outward.