We Are Not Alone
By Rev. Christine Ng, Executive Director (Interim)
“…for just such a time as this.”
(Esther 4:14)
“And here is a secret: Did you know that birds do not land because they are tired? It is a remembrance. They know and have always known that their liberation depends on their ability to recall the ground.” -Cole Arthur Riley
It was just a few weeks ago, though it seems like a lifetime. It was the first Wednesday of November, and a new cohort of The Art of Spiritual Direction had gathered at Ghost Ranch. Many had met only a couple of days before. But we sat in a circle in the living room of Casa del Sol and shared what was in our hearts: all of the disappointment and the pain and the fear. While each person spoke the others held space, making room for all that needed to be heard, without judgment. We also made space to wonder about the pain and fear of those who had made choices different from our own. All the work we had done the previous day to practice compassion and deep holy listening, it showed.
We spoke about how good it was to be together, in community, at that time, and how it gave us hope. Hope was right there in that room. It was in the listening, and the telling, in the tears shed and the connections made, and most of all it was in the remembering that we are not alone.
I’ve been thinking about how this is the essence of what we do in spiritual direction: We provide a space for whatever needs to be not just spoken but heard and in the process we help people remember that they are not alone. We are together, a small community, and Spirit is with us.
This matters, especially in these times when the messages we hear from our culture, our leadership, is all about “me first.” Protecting the rights of the individual has become the myth of hyper-individualism. Not only is that an illusion, but it is a very lonely place to be. But then, lonely, isolated people are much easier to control. In these times, listening, connecting, remembering, reflecting are acts of resistance.
I received an email a couple of weeks ago, the essence of which was to ask what will we, as Stillpoint, do to address these challenging times? The immediate and clear answer in my heart was that Stillpoint will do just what we have been doing for more than 40 years: We will form and train deeply grounded spiritual directors. We will offer opportunities for people to explore and reflect together in community, to listen to voices that have not been heard, to experience connection to each other and Spirit that rejuvenates, and to remember that they are not alone. What we do matters.
People who know they are not alone ask questions like, “What is mine to do?” and accompany others asking the same question. They remember their experiences of connection and divine Love and respond in kind. They lift up the voices of those who have been pushed to the margins. They challenge the dominant narrative of individualism just by the way they show up in the world.
It is “for just such a time as this” that we need organizations like Stillpoint that promote connection. And Stillpoint needs you. We know we cannot do this work alone; it takes a community. We are excited about our offerings for the coming year and hope you will choose to be part of them, through your participation in our programs and through your donations.
If you need your own infusion of hope in these times, join us for our retreat next Saturday with Christopher McCauley. Are you feeling disconnected? There is a spiritual direction group waiting for you.
Perhaps you’ve been thinking about a deeper dive? Try the Spiritual Journey for a week in California or at Ghost Ranch, or sign up for the 8-month Journey program in the Fall.
Perhaps you’ve been hearing a call to become a spiritual director or companion, talk to us about The Art of Spiritual Direction. Or maybe you are already a spiritual director but want to deepen or expand your practice? We’re offering Dr. Frank Rogers’ course in compassion-based spiritual direction supervision again starting the end of January.
But now is a time when we make a further request. Every December we come and expressly ask for your financial support so that we can continue to offer our high-quality programs. Tuition alone does not cover the cost. #GivingTuesday is tomorrow, and we hope you will consider making a gift to Stillpoint.
Giving is an act of remembrance. It is a way to “recall the ground,” to remember what has supported us in the past so that it remains available to support us in the future. It is an act of connection in an era of disconnection. It is an expression of hope.
Remember the gifts you have received because of Stillpoint, whether directly from participating in our programs or indirectly from working with a Stillpoint-trained spiritual director. Gifts of connection, of listening and of sharing, of being heard, of feeling the presence of Spirit as we gather in community, of being challenged to grow spiritually and being held as we branched out in new directions. Reflect on how those experiences have impacted you and others. As you remember and reflect, feel the support that is still available to you because of those experiences. Whatever your connection to Stillpoint, you are part of this community; you are not alone.
It is “for just such a time as this” that Stillpoint exists. What we do matters. Thank you for your support. It matters too.
Blessings for the journey,
Chris
Rev. Chris Ng is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, church pastor, chaplain, spiritual director, a retired appellate lawyer, and serving as the current Interim Executive Director of Stillpoint. She serves on the Ghost Ranch faculty of Stillpoint and is the Stillpoint at Ghost Ranch program administrator. She holds a Master of Divinity, Juris Doctor, and Bachelor of Arts degrees and did her spiritual direction training through Stillpoint. She also studied the Taoist arts for more than 30 years. Having previously served churches in Southern Florida and Texas, Chris is currently called to pastor First United Church of Christ and Conference Center, Second Life, the only fully authorized church of a recognized Christian denomination that exists only in virtual reality. She lives in Northern New Mexico and also serves as chaplain and EMT with the Abiquiu Volunteer Fire Department.