Praying for Atmosphere - Episode 46

A few thoughts on Thomas McConkie's new podcast One Heart One Mind.

Moses 7:18 "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them."

Thomas's book Atonement: Embodying the Fullness of Human Divinity

Howard Thurman quote from Disciplines of the Spirit:
“The experience of prayer can be nurtured and cultivated. It can create a climate in which a man’s life moves and functions. Indeed, it may become a way of living for the individual. Indeed, it is ever possible that the time may come when a man may carry such an atmosphere around with him and gives its quality to all that he does and communicates its spirit to all who cross his path. This is the most remarkable impact of the life of the Master on those He encountered. It was this that stilled the ragings of the madman, that called little children to Him, that made sinners know that their sins were forgiven. His whole countenance glowed with the glory of the Father. And the secret? A great while before day, he withdrew to a solitary place and prayed as was His custom.”

Mark 1:35 "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."

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Transcript

Good morning! At least, it’s morning for me as I record this episode for you today. When it posts I will be returning from a visit to Utah to celebrate my mother’s 80th birthday. Later this afternoon, I’m going to visit my granddaughter who is one month old as of yesterday. So I’m having a full range of human relationship experiences, with 5 siblings and 5 children in the mix, too.

I’ve just spent a few minutes in meditation. I’ve been listening to a new podcast by Thomas McConkie called One Heart One Mind. I’ve been using these episodes as a guided meditation several times each week and I want to share some thoughts about them with you. 

The podcast title makes me think of Moses 7:18, “And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.” This is what I’m seeking for my family - a oneness of heart and mind, dwelling in righteousness, where there is enough to meet each person’s need. My guess is that, since you’re listening to this podcast for moms whose kids don’t come to church, you want this for your family, too. More and more at church I’ve begun to reflect on what various phrases really mean to me. For example, I don’t think being of one heart and one mind means feeling and believing the same things about everything. I do think it means loving and making room for each other’s differences so there is a place for everyone. What does being of one heart and one mind mean to you?

In case you’re new to his work, Thomas McConkie teaches mindfulness or heartfulness practices. He’s a practicing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whose experience with Buddhism still informs his Christianity. Thomas has training in adult development and is working on a graduate degree at Harvard. I was profoundly moved by his book Atonement: Embodying the Fullness of Human Divinity. And, like my most recent podcast guest, Tina Gosney, I have found formal meditation practice to be a substantive part of my own healing. As I’ve listened to the first couple of episodes of One Heart One Mind they’ve landed on my own current experience as a mom of kids who don’t come to church and have sparked thoughts about how the things Thomas is teaching show up in my own life. I’m going to do one or more episodes about my thoughts and experience as I follow along in this practice with Thomas. 

If you’re intrigued, I encourage you to follow One Heart One Mind yourself and engage in the contemplative practices that Thomas guides us through there. He talks about having a transformative, direct experience that opens us up to a different kind of seeing that is an expression of the divine nature. I talked with Tina on the last episode about imagining new possibilities. Practicing being present is one way of cultivating that imagination.

In the first episode, Thomas shares a quote from Howard Thurman’s book Disciplines of the Spirit. Thurman says this:
 
“The experience of prayer can be nurtured and cultivated. It can create a climate in which a man’s life moves and functions. Indeed, it may become a way of living for the individual. Indeed, it is ever possible that the time may come when a man may carry such an atmosphere around with him and gives its quality to all that he does and communicates its spirit to all who cross his path. This is the most remarkable impact of the life of the Master on those He encountered. It was this that stilled the ragings of the madman, that called little children to Him, that made sinners know that their sins were forgiven. His whole countenance glowed with the glory of the Father. And the secret? A great while before day, he withdrew to a solitary place and prayed as was His custom. (Mark 1:35)”

Thurman is talking about Jesus, about the effect His way of being had on the people around Him. When I think about Jesus this way, I want to cultivate this kind of thick atmosphere of divine quality in my life such that it is a blessing to myself and to others.

I’ve been thinking about what my presence feels like to others now that I’m a grandmother. My beautiful granddaughter sparks such love in my heart, but only as much love as I have the capacity and willingness to feel. I want to spark deep love for her to feel as well. And I want my presence in her family to spark love, courage, and confidence in her parents. I want to thicken my atmosphere, my way of being, so that my presence helps the people around me feel what I understand to be the love of God. And none of that requires anyone to believe the same as me.

Remember, there are no empty chairs.