Contemporary Scripture Reflections for Spiritual Seekers
Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, BCC, PCC
SUNDAY BIBLETALK
Sunday, March 29th, 2020

COVID -19 PRAYER

Prayer written by Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky of B'nai David-Judea Congregation in Los Angeles.

“Every hand that we don't shake must be a phone call that we place.

Every embrace that we avoid must become a verbal expression of warmth and concern.

Every inch and every foot that we physically place between ourselves and another, must become a thought as to how we might be of help to that other, should the need arise.

So, as we keep a level of social distance, let us all remain spiritually near to each other, by responding to this health emergency with love and care for everyone's well-being.

May Adonai give us the wisdom to continue to react appropriately to this crisis and heal those who have been infected.”




UPCOMING
PRESENTATIONS

Ways of Sacred Listening
Tele-course, Institute for Life Coach Training (ILCT)
Wednesdays, March 4-April 22nd. 6:00-7:30 p.m. EST
*Tele-class in progress via Zoom

Sacred Union through Lectio Divina
Infinity Foundation, Highland Park, IL
Saturday, April 25th,
9:00 a.m.-noon
* Class now virtual, via Zoom! Join from anywhere!

Beyond God
The Well Spirituality Center , LaGrange Park, IL
Summer Institute,
June 26-27, 2020

Out of Your Comfort Zone
Infinity Foundation, Highland Park, IL
Sunday, August 2nd,
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Decoding the Archetypes that Drive Us
Theosophical Society, Wheaton, IL
Thursday, Sept. 24th, 2020
7:00-8:30 p.m.

Balancing Archetypes
Theosophical Society, Wheaton, IL
Saturday, Sept. 26th, 2020
2:00-5:00 p.m.

Mind-Shifting Imagery
ICF (International Coaching Federation) Midwest Regional Conference, Madison WI
October 1-3, 2020



QUESTIONS
FOR REFLECTION

Where are you experiencing loss, death or decay in your life right now?

Where are you finding life or reasons for hope?

How can you be a source of hope for others, a spark of the Divine Presence in a darkening world?

Greetings, Readers!

There is a world beyond my four walls, a world that will return once COVID-19 runs its course. There is a world of beauty that has a life of its own and doesn't depend upon humans for its awesome magnificence. While we wait inside, this world flourishes outside. As industry and travel have come to a stand-still, polluting fogs have lifted over industrial centers with the worst track record for toxicity; as our carbon footprint lightens, so habitats enjoy a reprieve from human abuse. Videos of dolphins frolicking alongside swans in Venice's deserted canals are most likely "fake news," but the documented return of life to Italy's ports is proof that our planet is enjoying a brief "breathing space" even as we humans protect our very ability to breathe by practicing social distancing. Video of Dolphins

Just as the world flourishes outside, so we can flourish inside. There are those, of course, who simply won't stay inside. In the last two weeks, spring break revelers and sun-seekers hit the beaches in droves, despite "stay home" orders. Even in Italy, the police have had to crack down on violators while in other countries, including Malta, there have been people who tested positive who refuse to stay home, thus endangering all their contacts including the police officers who monitor them. But those exceptions aside, many are finding this time set apart to be a time of blessing. Now, of course, many of us are facing loss of income, the collapse of our businesses and an inability to pay basic bills such as rent. mortgage, medical supplies. Even so, the knowledge that countless people world-wide, face the same predicament lessens the sting of these challenging times. In the face of adversity, if we refuse to give in to fear, we can experience a sense of solidarity with those whose lifestyles and means of livelihood have been affected.

There is a world within my four walls, a world of beauty that has a life of its own and doesn't depend upon the state of my bank account. For the next six weeks, my focus will be the 90 students (enrolled in 5 university courses at three institutions ) whom I am presently teaching online. Despite the hundreds of emails and inevitable technological glitches that online teaching entails, there is a sense of connection in these modified learning communities, a willingness to be patient, an appreciation for every kindness. For many of my students and for myself, class becomes a time for investing in the future, for finding meaning in the "now," for moving beyond uncertainty into resilience. My workload seems to have quadrupled but, much as I complain, it is good to have a sense of purpose and meaning.

And when classes are over and I am no longer on a university payroll?

Then comes contemplative time, a time of entering into a different dimension of consciousness within my four walls, a time for inner recovery that doesn't depend upon my productivity or usefulness, a time that has a life of its own because the Timeless One will call me "out of time" so I can simply "be."

Be well/ Stay well!
Elizabeth

PS Try my spiritual self-assessment tool! I hope you find it useful! https://assess.coach/eastewart

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SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Thus says the Lord GOD:
O my people, I will open your graves
and have you rise from them,
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live,
and I will settle you upon your land;
thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.
EZK 37:12-14

As the COVID-19 pandemic extends across the globe, so do fatalities. Mass burial pits in Iran, the stacking up of bodies in northern Italy and a prohibition against public funerals elsewhere all present us with the macabre face of the coronavirus. There is no denying that this hidden enemy strikes like the proverbial thief in the night, taking down the young and the old, the healthy and the infirm, those who follow medical directives and those who defy them. Death strikes where it wills, claiming celebrities, medical professionals and ordinary citizens alike, filling the rest of us with dread.

But terrible as this pandemic is, there is a worse reality than becoming a statistic -- that is, becoming the "living dead." Now, I'm not referring to zombies (if you believe in them!) nor to people in a poor state of health but rather to those who have lost the capacity to hope, to love, to dream -- to those whose faces are frozen with discontent, whose imaginations are devoid of color, whose words are filled with toxicity, whose hearts are hermetically sealed ... These are the "dry bones" who lead Spiritless lives, the lost ones who live in perpetual discontent because they harbor rage, or hatred, or resentment, or the sense of being "hard done by." These are the ones who are "buried alive, " the ones who exist in graves fashioned from disappointment and despair, those who live in spiritual exile because they are disconnected from the ground of their being, from the One many of us name as "God" or "Ultimate Reality."

Only the Spirit of God can transform the living dead into those who are fully alive; only the Spirit of God can draw us from our graves into new life in the land of the living which is our inheritance. Just as Jesus called Lazarus by name, his voice resounding across the canyons of Death and decay, so he calls each of us out of our atrophy. Just as Jesus summoned Lazarus from the tomb, so he invites each of us to step into the sunlight, into the glory of the Divine Presence. And just as Jesus demanded that Lazarus be unbound, so he invites each of us to shed all that ties us down, constricts us and limits us. In the freedom of God's Presence, we become a new creation, a liberated people, a sign of God's glory. This is the call of Lent, the call of life, the call of the present moment. May this call be louder than the sound of fear, more powerful than the lure of apathy, and more credible than the voice of self-loathing which is so toxic to ourselves and to everyone around us!

FREE ZOOM EVENT : JOIN ME FOR VIRTUAL TEA!
How is the new global reality affecting you and your loved ones? How are you managing stress and dealing with fear of the unknown? What gives you courage and resilience? What spiritual practices are sustaining you?

If you wish to explore these topics in a group context, join me from any time zone on April 4th from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., CT, via ZOOM. The session is limited to 12 participants so please register ahead!
SUMMER VIRTUAL RETREATS:
IF YOU CAN'T FLY, TRY A ZOOM RETREAT INSTEAD!
If you have canceled your retreat because of the coronavirus, you may want to think about a virtual alternative. I will be available for group or individual "virtual retreats" (by phone or Zoom) from May 15-August 15. Please contact me by email for more information. Thank you!
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION AND LIFE COACHING BY PHONE OR ZOOM
This video explains my approach to this ministry, while my website provides further details as well. I work "in person" as well as remotely by phone, Zoom or Skype; I am also available to facilitate retreats for groups and individuals.



Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart | www.elizabeth-annestewart.com e.a.stewart@sbcglobal.net

C. All Photos by Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, www.artfulphotographer.com