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A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim died November 26, 2021, at the age of 91. The obituary in The New York Times described him as "the theater’s most revered and influential composer-lyricist of the last half of the 20th century and the driving force behind some of Broadway’s most beloved and celebrated shows." He was known for his collaborative style and his ceaseless encouragement of actors, writers, and composers. I can attest to that. After his death, I got out a note I had received from Sondheim years ago. He said that he was unable to attend my show, but I should keep writing. And I have. Below is my prayer of gratitude for Stephen Sondheim.
Stephen Sondheim died November 26, 2021, at the age of 91. The obituary in The New York Times described him as "the theater’s most revered and influential composer-lyricist of the last half of the 20th century and the driving force behind some of Broadway’s most beloved and celebrated shows." He was known for his collaborative style and his ceaseless encouragement of actors, writers, and composers. I can attest to that. After his death, I got out a note I had received from Sondheim years ago. He said that he was unable to attend my show, but I should keep writing. And I have. Below is my prayer of gratitude for Stephen Sondheim.
How Judaism Affects My Views and Values of Money
By Moolie Griminger in the KidSpirit Money and Value issue.
I’ve spent a lot of time studying my religion and its values. My family is a member of the Conservative tradition of Judaism, which is usually thought of as the “in between” form of Judaism.
Judaism is a big part of my morals and daily life. I attend synagogue frequently and I study in a Jewish day school.
The Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible and the raw text that Judaism revolves around), teaches a lot about what to think of wealth and what to do with it. It mentions ideas about giving to those who are less fortunate and how to do so. In modern Judaism, these ideas have turned into the concept of tzedakah. Giving tzedakah usually refers to putting and collecting money in a “tzedakah box” and giving it to a charity. Since I was very young, my parents have encouraged me to participate in this tradition, and that’s the foundation of my other ideals about wealth that my parents have taught me.
By Moolie Griminger in the KidSpirit Money and Value issue.
I’ve spent a lot of time studying my religion and its values. My family is a member of the Conservative tradition of Judaism, which is usually thought of as the “in between” form of Judaism.
Judaism is a big part of my morals and daily life. I attend synagogue frequently and I study in a Jewish day school.
The Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible and the raw text that Judaism revolves around), teaches a lot about what to think of wealth and what to do with it. It mentions ideas about giving to those who are less fortunate and how to do so. In modern Judaism, these ideas have turned into the concept of tzedakah. Giving tzedakah usually refers to putting and collecting money in a “tzedakah box” and giving it to a charity. Since I was very young, my parents have encouraged me to participate in this tradition, and that’s the foundation of my other ideals about wealth that my parents have taught me.
The Thank-You Game
What more apt place to fortuitously run into author Katie Bloom than a reception honoring Br. David Steindl-Rast, the 93-year-old Benedictine monk whose teachings on gratefulness have touched hearts all over the world? Bloom showed me a copy of her new book, The Thank-You Game, and I was immediately smitten by the story's power to make a difference. As a practicing psychotherapist working with traumatized women who struggle with addiction, Bloom got her inspiration from mothers seeking positive practices they could readily share with their children.
Her story's main character, Alex, tells her mother that she overheard girls in her class talking about a party to which she wasn't invited. Wanting to assuage Alex's sadness over being left out, her mother suggests that she play the Thank-You Game: naming all the things she's grateful for and would miss if they were gone. The magical part, her mother tells her, is that God gets the next turn in the game. "When God hears you saying 'thank you,' God and all the angels laugh with joy and send you more to be thankful for." Alex will know that God is playing along, her mother explains, when she feels good — "a tingling in your belly, or you'll find yourself smiling."
Even just the thought of the game helps Alex fall contentedly asleep, at which point the book asks us as readers whether we can name five things for which Alex can be thankful. These moments of engagement, sprinkled every few pages throughout the book, give readers opportunities to practice before they've even reached the story's end.
Realistically, the game does not instantly transform Alex. As she struggles to find her way through various hurts and disappointments, Bloom provides lessons in crucial skills like sharing troubles with friends and not letting anxiety about possible losses get the better of you.
Veronica Rose Jones' bright, spunky illustrations add to the overall uplift of this book. Bloom leaves us on a note of inspiration from Br. David:
"It is not happiness that makes us grateful.
It is gratefulness that makes us happy."
How a simple game transforms feelings of lack into assurance that all is well.
Tax Day Ritual
(Editor's Note: This ritual was prompted by a story that Diana Butler Bass shared during a Practicing Democracy Project convening at the Fetzer Institute. She described how her family made April 15, the date when Americans need to file their taxes, a day of gratitude for all the services they receive from the government. When her daughter went to college, Diana got an email on April 15. "Nobody celebrates Tax Day here," her daughter reported. We think it's time to change that!)
PREPARE for your Tax Day ritual. Gather information on what your taxes pay for. You might make a sheet for federal taxes, state taxes, and local taxes. Search the Internet for "federal spending pie charts" to find images that show spending by general categories. Search "what taxes pay for" for more information. The website GovernmentIsGood.com has an article, A Day in Your Life, that takes you through a typical day, mentioning the government benefits and services available to you.
GATHER YOUR TAX FORMS AND PAYMENTS. Individuals can set aside a special time for the ritual before mailing or submitting your taxes. (If a professional has submitted your taxes electronically, just gather your copies of the forms.) Families can gather together with the household's taxes forms and checks.
SIT IN SILENCE WITH THE NUMBERS for a few minutes. Let any feelings you have about the money you are sending to the government arise. Do you feel satisfied, angry, frustrated, confused? Don't judge your emotions. Just be with them.
EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE. On a piece of paper, make a list of services and benefits that governments (federal, state, local) provide for which you are grateful. For example, public schools, national and state parks, social security, Medicare and Medicaid, highways, the Centers for Disease Control, water and food inspections, sewage treatment, fire departments, etc.
Have family members each share their lists, starting with "I am grateful my taxes pay for . . . " If you are doing this alone, read your list out loud since spoken lists have more impact.
EXPRESS YOUR SORROW. There are always going to be some things that you wish your taxes did not pay for. Write these on a piece of paper. For example, military weapons such as drones, payments to privately owned detention centers housing immigrants, tear gas for local police departments, gifts of arms to other countries, the space-based infrared surveillance program, "pork-barrel projects" that benefit only certain local communities, some research projects.
Share your lists, starting with "I am sorry that my taxes pay for . . . "
SIGN YOUR TAX CHECKS. In the memo part of the check, add a personal note to the government. It could be "Thank you" or "Please do better things with my money."
SIT IN SILENCE WITH YOUR PAYMENTS for a few minutes. Notice if your emotions around paying your taxes have shifted as a result of making your lists.
SAY A PRAYER.
Holy One, you are my Sustainer,
but I know that I also benefit every day
from the services provided by government.
Help me to remember with gratitude all the
ways my government's laws, programs, and
workers provide care and blessings to me
and my family and friends.
Give me the courage to make my concerns
about government spending known to my
representatives who vote on budget priorities.
As I pay my taxes today,
may I remember that I am not alone
but am part of a larger community of
taxpayers. May I be grateful to them
for their contributions to the common good.
Amen.
MAIL YOUR TAXES. As a last step in the ritual, go to the mailbox or post office (or the online equivalent), and pay your taxes. As you do so, repeat the affirmation: "We are all in this together."
A ritual for individuals and families for the day they pay their taxes.
Beautiful Conduct
Become aware of your choice of words and your tone of voice. Without compromising the content of your speech, how can you be more kind and courteous?
Are you aware of doing any act of service that is actually not helpful to the recipient? If so, what changes can you make?
In what ways can you be more gracious and generous with family, friends, colleagues, strangers, and people who annoy you?
Make a commitment to engage daily in beautiful deeds no matter how small: a smile, a greeting, small courtesies, a helping hand, a quiet prayer, and a blessing for the other.
Remember to make time to nurture and nourish yourself. Take rest, engage in silence, pray, and practice owning your own sorrows with kindness and mercy for yourself. This is not only a service to you, it increases your capacity to help others.
A contemplation on kindness for oneself and others and a call for serving both.
Living and Dying with Confidence
Anyen Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist master and teacher, and Allison Choying Zangmo, his longtime student and translator, have written a year's worth of wise meditations and exercises on death, impermanence, attachments, and the virtues that deepen and enrich life. Their intention is to uncover the many layers of fear and denial we have developed so we can achieve a compassionate mind at the moment of death.
Mindful training is a key element in the Tibetan tradition. Our state of mind has a great impact on our bodies, our energy, our behavior, and the ways in which we interact with others. For Anyen Rinpoche, the habits we develop during a lifetime will play themselves out at our death. That is why the great Kadampa masters saw death and impermanence as spurs to gratitude, living in the present moment, compassion, and attention.
These Tibetans have a practice of turning their rice bowls over, since they are uncertain that they would make it to eat another meal. They also are careful to take note of all the examples of death and dying which they come across each day. This enables them to take measure of their attachments to people, places, and things. Anyen points out that living and dying with confidence also means to be generous and always put others first.
A daily companion of meditations on death from a Buddhist perspective.
Blush
Before reading this sprightly and well-written memoir, sit for a while with the epigraph for the book taken from Eudora Welty's One Writer's Beginnings: "The sheltered life can be a daring life as well. For all serious daring starts from within." Let this thought simmer in your consciousness. Think back about the people you've known, your relatives or perhaps friends of your parents who lived sheltered lives where not much happened in terms of tragedies, conflicts, or major changes. If you are like us, some of those you remember came from farms or small town communities or were relatively protected in the suburbs. New and different were just not part of those landscapes.
Now recall if any of them surprised you with a daring act that caught your attention and turned around your opinions of them. Bold acts of conscience and definitive acts of rebellion can emerge from quiet and humble souls who live far from the bright lights of modern cities. We rejoice in recognition of those inner qualities which give rise to radiance, a spiritual quality which shines out of people when we least expect it.
Shirley Showalter recounts how she was raised in a loving Mennonite farm family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Brought-up in a conservative culture that honored plainness, humility, and hard work, her mother named her "Shirley" after the actress Shirley Temple. Secretly, this energetic little girl yearns "to make a splash" in the glittering and fancy world which was anathema to most Mennonites.
Instead of lashing out at the restrictions that confined her, Showalter accepts them and tries to do her thing as best she can. She is proud to learn that her mother was an actress and wanted to be a writer. Her father relishes being a farmer. Showalter praises "the beacon of kindness" in her parents and strives to emulate it in her own life as well.
Which takes the largest amount of daring? To rail against those who are trying to shape you and control you? Or does it consist of opening your heart to those "who continue to maintain boundaries between the plain church and the glittering world"? Showalter chooses the second path which is far more difficult. Even at 18, she would have no idea of what was to follow: becoming President of Goshen College and then a foundation executive at The Fetzer Institute. She is now a writer, speaker, blogger, and consultant living in Harrisonburg, VA. Showalter is still a Mennonite and not afraid to pay tribute to the church that immersed her in love and would not let her go.
A sprightly and well-written memoir about the childhood and coming of age of a Mennonite girl who wants to make a splash in the world.
Little Bird
Poet and translator Coleman Barks has noted that mystical traditions love birds and their singing: "Birds represent our longings for purity and freedom and they carry messages of ineffable joy." Rumi, the great Sufi poet and seer, shares his perspective:
Birdsong brings relief
to my longing.
I am just as ecstatic as they are
but with nothing to say!
Please, universal soul, practice
some song, or something, through me!
The freedom and yearning of the soul that Barks and Rumi identify are universal feelings which have been explored in religions, poetry, novels, and parables. Both of these spiritual themes are present in Little Bird, a marvelous and captivating story by Germano Zullo. It is mainly a visual parable told through the beguiling pictures of Albertine who won the 2011 Prix Sorcieres for Illustration (the French equivalent of the Caldecott Award). The thought-piece quotation at the front of the book is from e.e. Cummings:
"may my heart always be open to little
birds who are the secrets of living."
A man drives a truck through a vast expanse of desert with nothing but sand and sun to keep him company. "Some days are different," we learn. At the edge of a cliff, the man opens the back door of the truck and a flock of birds fly out of what had been their prison.
However, one timid little bird remains behind and doesn’t fly away. Some days have "something a little more. . . . just a small thing." The lonely man and the little bird forge a connection out of their close encounter. He shares his sandwich with the little one. Knowing that his friend should join the other birds, he flaps his arms to imitate flight. The bird finally takes the man's wise advice and flies off to join the flock. The man leaves in his truck to return to where he came from. But not before experiencing the freedom and the singing of his soul.
The moral of the story is spelled out for us:
"There are no greater treasures than the little things.
One is enough to enrich the moment.
Just one is enough to change the world."
A marvelous and captivating parable about freedom, soul singing, and joy.
The Left Hand of God
Rabbi Michael Lerner is the founder and publisher of Tikkun magazine and has published three volumes on spiritual politics: The Politics of Meaning: Restoring Hope and Possibility in an Age of Cynicism (1995), Spirit Matters (2000), and now this assessment of the contemporary political scene along with recommendations for a new foundational philosophical framework for progressive social change.
In a compelling introduction, Lerner provides an incisive overview of America where a bottom-line mentality "judges every activity, every institution, every social practice as rational, productive, or efficient only to the extent that it produces money or power." This attitude works its way through the fabric of our culture: nature is treated as just another commodity to be used and discarded; people are of value only in terms of moving us ahead in the world; vocations are not seen as serving the common good or the God of the universe but simply as careers that bring wealth and prestige; and service of others and looking out for the less fortunate is regarded as an anachronism. The end result of this utilitarian and selfish approach to life is a despiritualized world where enchantment and wonder are in exile.
Lerner wants us to adopt a new vision which he calls "the Left Hand of God." It offers a spiritual critique of the technocratic and bottom-line consciousness of the capitalist world. This alternate view "longs to be part of a world in which kindness, generosity, nonviolence, humility, inner and outer peace, love and wonder at the grandeur of creation stand at the center of our political and economic systems and become the major realities of our daily life experience." By encouraging us to be like our loving God, this view is the opposite of the "Right Hand of God," espoused by Christian fundamentalists, where God is an avenger and the universe is seen as a scary placed filled with evil-doers who must be fought and defeated.
Lerner wants to offer a counter position to the political and religious Right that has promoted a program of militarism, ecological devastation, and hostility to science and rational thought. He is hopeful that a coalition can be formed among three constituencies: (a) militantly secular leftists, (b) "spiritual but not religious" people, and (c) progressive people in the religious world who can take us beyond both "the intolerant and militaristic politics of the right and the current misguided, visionless, and often spiritually empty politics of the Left."
Before explaining what he calls "the Spiritual Agenda for American Politics: A New Bottom-Line," Lerner discusses the reasons why working people have turned to the Right, including the Left's elitism and seeming contempt for ordinary Americans. Secularism is empty with its hostility toward religion and its worship of scientism. And the platforms of the Democrats and the Left have lost their hope and purpose after the energies of the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement, the women's movement, and the counterculture.
Lerner spells out a spiritual covenant with America that covers the family, sexuality, and personal responsibility; a caring economy and nurturing society; and a strategy of generosity for foreign policy. We are gratified to see so many of the practices of the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy (compassion, hope, justice, kindness. listening, love, meaning, joy, transformation, and wonder) in this inspiring delineation of spiritual politics. Lerner is to be commended for the passion of his vision and the persistence of his efforts to forge fresh meanings for those who dare to imagine a country where peace, freedom, and justice prevail. We truly believe that through commitment, persistence, and spiritual practice, his ideal can bloom and come into fruition.
A bold and inspiring progressive spiritual vision to animate the hopes and dreams of those who desire a country where peace, freedom, and justice prevail.
Hooked!
In his foreword to this illuminating and wide-ranging collection of Buddhist essays on greed, desire, and the urge to consume, Paul Hawken observes: "I have a friend who has, count them, six hundred objects in his home. That includes everything, even teaspoons. At one time he was officer of one of the world's largest banks. When he wants to buy something, or receives a gift, he selects something to give away. This is not a zero sum game. As the years have gone by, his home has become more nuanced and lovely. Every object has meaning; nothing is retained unnecessarily. His home is like a small temple. He needs very little money to live on, which means he spends most of his time helping others. He is utterly alive, selfish, bright-eyed and present. We are all human. We will always consume. The big question is how."
Consumerism is a way of life all over the world, and getting more has become a deep and abiding yearning in men, women, and children of all backgrounds. Stephanie Kaza, coeditor along with Kenneth Kraft of Dharma Rain: Sources of Buddhist Environmentalism, is the editor of this anthology of 17 essays. She is convinced that Buddhism offers "some handholds, some time-tested teachings to temper the raging appetites around the globe." The book is divided into three thematic sections: Getting Hooked: Desire and Attachment; Practicing with Desire: Using Buddhist Tools; and Buddhist Ethics of Consumption. Kaza is to be commended for commissioning pieces of such uniform high quality.
Joseph Goldstein and Santikaro both see generosity as a corrective to addictive consumerism. The first posits this spiritual practice as a strong antidote to the wanting mind. The second makes the point that "while consumerism preys on the alienated ego of modernity, generosity offers a way of loosening the grip of egotism on the heart." Ruben L. F. Habito challenges readers to replace the acquisitive mode with the contemplative mode so that reducing the suffering of others takes precedence over fulfilling one's own desires. Thubten Chodron demonstrates the ways in which consumerism easily moves from the shopping mall to the meditation center. Diana Winston salutes the Buddhist practice of contentment where individuals learn to moderate their desires. Judith Simmer-Brown envisions a spiritually based activism centered around compassion. Sunyana Graef sees Buddha's teachings on the no-self as a counterpoint to the ego-feeding habits that are at the core of compulsive consumerism. Stephanie Kaza explores a variety of consumer resisting activities. And Rita Gross locates in the spiritual practice of beauty a form of protest against greed and too-muchness:
"With a real understanding of how to work with the phenomenal world, one knows when enough is enough and knows how to enjoy what is enough. One potent example is that of a flower arrangement. If one tries to put in one extra flower, the whole arrangement can be ruined. Likewise, an arrangement may need one more branch or flower. To enjoy it, to have the flower arrangement work to promote peace and contentment, it must be just right, just enough. But more important, unless one understands the form or guidelines for making a flower arrangement, one will probably not arrive in the middle of the Middle Path. Too little appreciation of beauty and elegance is counterproductive, and, in a situation in which material goods are abundant, underappreciation actually encourages consumerism and overconsumption. Thus, counterintuitively, one of the ways of discouraging consumerism may well be to encourage love of beauty, elegance, and dignity, so that we may know how to enjoy the right amount."
Offers many practices as a resistance to the global phenomenon of excessive consumption.