{"id":1190,"date":"2012-09-20T16:11:41","date_gmt":"2012-09-20T20:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/?p=1190"},"modified":"2013-03-07T15:58:04","modified_gmt":"2013-03-07T20:58:04","slug":"exploring-the-beauty-of-holiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalaltarguildassociation.org\/?p=1190","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Beauty of Holiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u201cThe beauty of holiness\u201d is a familiar phrase to most Episcopalians (see Psalms 29, 96, 110, 1 Chronicles 16:29, 2 Chronicles 20:21). Keynote speaker, Sr. Suzanne Elizabeth from the Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham, NJ, led altar guild members in a two-day exploration into the meaning of these words and how they shape our lives.<\/p>\n

What is holiness? Something complete, something beyond, something \u201cother,\u201d something out of nothing. God the Creator is whole, complete, and needs no other. God created man in his own likeness, to worship and praise God. If we are doing what we are created to do, we will react in service to others.<\/p>\n

What is beauty? St. Thomas Aquinas tells us it is wholeness, harmony, radiance (illumination), and encompasses all our being \u2014 intellectual, physical, and spiritual. Without beauty, there is disharmony, imbalance, and darkness. Beauty is creative and is found in all of God\u2019s creation, from the paw of the mouse to the depths of the Grand Canyon.<\/p>\n

Sister Suzanne challenged us to take time to dwell in the beauty of holiness. She stated \u201cbeauty creates calmness.\u201d We need to grow in awareness of beauty around us and within us. We can heighten our awareness through icon reflection, flower arranging, being open to people, altar guild service, scripture, prayer, meditation, contemplation, intentional breathing, prayer beads, being outdoors.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>We used Andrei Rublev\u2019s icon \u201cTrinity\u201d as an entry into the beauty of holiness. It is also known as \u201cThe Hospitality of Abraham,\u201d but Rublev changed the composition to focus on the mystery of the Trinity \u2014 particularly fitting as it was the day after Trinity Sunday! The Father (left) displays earth colors, fitting for the Creator of all things. Both hands grasp the staff but the fingers of the right hand are raised in blessing. The Christ (center) wears a blue cloak for divinity, over a brown robe representing his humanity. His right hand rests on the table, with two fingers raised\u00a0in blessing. The Holy Spirit (right) is clothed in blue and green, representing sky and leaves. The Spirit inclines toward Christ and touches the table, joining heaven and earth.<\/p>\n

Altar guild is a ministry, and its members should seek inward and spiritual grace. How do we find the light within ourselves? What gives us a sense of peace and harmony and lightness? When you feel you are not ministering but \u201cdoing a job,\u201d please submit your resignation! How do we create order and beauty within ourselves? Seek to withdraw daily from the rush and news of the world. Be intentional and attentive in welcoming God into our lives. Pray, meditate, contemplate. Ask Jesus for healing and forgiveness. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with grace and energy.<\/p>\n

Prayer beads and prayer bracelets are a way to experience God. In every culture known, archaeologists have found some type of beads used for spiritual purposes. Seeds, nuts, stones, knots, bone, clay, shell, metal, glass \u2014 something about the roundness speaks of spirit. Sister Suzanne Elizabeth said people may be uncomfortable if she says \u201cI\u2019ll pray for you\u201d \u2014 so she says \u201cI\u2019ll roll the beads for you.\u201d Participants had the opportunity to make prayer bracelets, which were later blessed on the altar at the closing Eucharist.<\/p>\n

Being outside is another opportunity to experience the beauty of holiness. Be intentional \u2014 listen and look. Practice \u201cintentional\u201d breathing. Intentional breathing creates \u201cspaces\u201d so you can really see<\/strong> and really hear<\/strong>. Be still. Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly. Experience peace and order and stillness. Look for beauty and harmony in God\u2019s creation.<\/p>\n

The second day of our exploration opened with the Prayer of the Chalice (following). Seek harmony, wholeness, illumination, order, and calmness.<\/p>\n

Sister Suzanne Elizabeth reminded us that God constantly cares about us. \u201cI have engraved you on the palms of my hands\u201d (Isaiah 49:16) and \u201cyou are precious \u2026 in my sight, and \u2026 I love you\u201d (Isaiah 43:4).<\/p>\n

Each participant was given a hazelnut and a reading from the \u201cRevelations of Divine Love\u201d by Julian of Norwich. We held the hazelnuts and meditated on God\u2019s love. Whether looking at the hazelnut or at ourselves, God made it; God loves it; God keeps it. Sister used the Lord\u2019s Prayer to bring us out of meditation quietly and slowly. We experienced that particular type of energy found when praying with others. Our spirits need both service and quietness.<\/p>\n

Another path to the beauty of holiness is through prayer \u2014 contemplative prayer, prayer of silence, lectio divina. We do it all the time and just don\u2019t realize it. As altar guild members, we are used to \u201cdoing for others\u201d \u2014 but prayer is a way to care for ourselves. Sister introduced us to Praying in Color<\/em>, a book by Sybil MacBeth, wife of an Episcopal priest. Don\u2019t fall into the trap of judging your prayer \u2014 just pray. Focus down on the thing you are praying about. Draw a mental circle around a word or name, think of colors, let the Holy Spirit lead you. In prayer, be repetitive, plumb the depths, experience Celtic spirituality wherein the body and spirit are one and inseparable.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Prayer of the Chalice<\/span><\/h2>\n

Father, to Thee I raise my whole being \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n

a vessel emptied of self. Accept, Lord,<\/p>\n

this my emptiness, and so fill me with<\/p>\n

Thyself \u2014 Thy Light, Thy Love, Thy<\/p>\n

Life \u2014 that these Thy precious Gifts<\/p>\n

May Radiate through me and over-<\/p>\n

flow the chalice of my heart into<\/p>\n

the hearts of all with whom I<\/p>\n

come into contact this day,<\/p>\n

revealing unto them<\/p>\n

the beauty of<\/p>\n

Thy Joy<\/p>\n

And<\/p>\n

Whole-<\/p>\n

ness<\/p>\n

and<\/p>\n

the<\/p>\n

serenity<\/p>\n

of Thy Peace<\/p>\n

which nothing can destroy.<\/p>\n

Amen!<\/p>\n

Report by\u00a0Peggy Curlin<\/p>\n


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