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New 20th Anniversary Edition of
Fresh Bread |
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New Items
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Article Go In peace, Rituals for the dying
In this article, published in U.S. Catholic, June, 2006, Joyce wrote about a meaningful and helpful blessing for the dying that she created and has shared with a number of persons who were near death.
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From the author... |
Greetings and welcome to my website. If you are revisiting my website, there’s some new information about what I’m currently working on now. If you scroll down a few paragraphs, you’ll find what it is. For whatever reason you ended up here, thank you for taking the time to do so. I’m delighted you stopped by. I hope you find what you are seeking as you browse through the pages. Faye Williamsen is my website creator and manager. As you can see by what is in front of you, her skills are marvelous.
If this is your first visit to the site, you may want to know a bit about the author of the resources you find here. Let me begin with what I consider to be the most vital part of my life – my ever deepening and expanding relationship with the Holy One. Ever since I grew up on a farm in northwest Iowa, I have sought a contemplative life, one that unites me with both Creator and creation. Through the years, nature has repeatedly taught me valuable lessons. As I grow older, I see that not only nature contributes to what I need for continued transformation, but each person I encounter. Nature, people, and life’s numerous events and experiences provide a lot of the content and inspiration for my writing and personal growth.
In this hectic, fast moving world we live in, the tension of contemplation/action continually challenges me. I am fortunate to live in a beautifully wooded, quiet spot in the heart of the city of Des Moines, Iowa. Here I have the stillness I long for and need. I also have deer, raccoons, possums, foxes, woodchucks, feral cats, squirrels(too many), a myriad of beautiful birds, and who knows what other little creatures, to keep me company. This lovely spot also allows for easy access into and out of the city’s humming heart.
I am deeply committed to my religious community, the Servants of Mary, whom most know as “Servites.” Currently I am facilitator of our membership’s ongoing spiritual growth program.
As for my current projects, here are some of them:
(1) Thank you to each one who sent quotes and stories of personal experiences regarding the image of “doors.” What gifts you gave me! During October and November, I journeyed with a group of three men and five women as they read my prepared manuscript. At each of our six weekly meetings, they shared their experience of reading/praying with the suggested questions and meditations. I’m happy to report that Open the Door is now with the publisher and is scheduled to be out next September.
(2) The guided visualizations from the revised May I Have This Dance that I recorded for Ave Maria Press last summer are now available in a two CD set.
(3) My big project the past year and a half has been to develop a program that I am wildly enthused about: The Institute of Compassionate Presence. Margaret Stratman and I are co-directing this new venture, the first in the country. We consulted a great variety of professionals for ideas and advice and are now ready to launch the program in September of this year. Along with many others, Margaret and I believe that compassion is innate in each person but that it needs to be urged forth and coached along to bring it into life. We have a variety of presenters ready to go. Besides being one of the presenters, I will help facilitate the integration of the Institute’s content for the other months. (You can find more information at www.osms.org)
A big chunk of my ongoing gratitude is for you, my readers, and those I meet at various gatherings for conferences and retreats. The more I travel, the more assured I am that we are “all one.” Much more unites than divides us. It’s a matter of looking a bit deeper and finding the wealth of goodness inherent in each of us. I’m no Pollyanna about current global pain but I am also no pessimist about the potential in humankind to breathe forth love rather than warring antipathy.
I leave you with a quote from one of the best books I read in 2007: Compassion: listening to the cries of the world, by Christina Feldman:
The wisdom and compassion you most deeply yearn for will not be found outside of your body, mind, heart, or story but within them.
All the best to you in 2008,
-Joyce |
Articles of Interest...
Book shares peace found on journey - Review by Shirley Ragsdale, Des Moines Register, July 15, 2006, of Walk in a Relaxed Manner
Go in peace, Rituals for the dying - US Catholic Magazine, Jun 2006
Sneak Preview - Read preview chapter of Joyce's new book Walk in a Relaxed Manner online at The Healing Garden Journal.
"Desperately Seeking Sophia," US Catholic Magazine, October 2002
"Open Some Doors this Advent," US Catholic Magazine, December 2000.
"Five Spiritual Lessons of Loss," Family Perspectives Journal, Summer 2002
"Celtic Crossovers: May the Lent of the Irish Be With You," U.S. Catholic, March 2001
"The art of cultivating spiritual growth," The editors interview Joyce Rupp. US Catholic, April 2000. pp 26-31.
"Let the Land Teach Us" About Healing and Creativity. Joyce Rupp. Catholic Rural Life, Spring 2000, pp. 12-16. Catholic Rural Life is a publication of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. http://www.ncrlc.com
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Reviews...
"The Dance of Oneness," A review of The Cosmic Dance by Loretta Peters, EarthLight, Summer 2002.
"A Nurturing God," A review by Sally Cunneen of Prayers to Sophia and The Star in My Heart. The American Catholic, March 2000, pp. 7, 19.
http://www.vfr.com/tac
Reviews by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat,Values and Visions Review Service
Walk in a Relaxed Manner
Out of the Ordinary: Prayers, Poems, and Reflections for Every Season
The Star in My Heart: Experiencing Sophia, Inner Wisdom
Reviewed by Sharon Flesher Prayers to Sophia: A Companion to "A Star in My Heart"
Reviewed by Austin Repath Walk in a Relaxed Manner
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Book Awards Announced
Catholic Press Association:
Walk in a Relaxed Manner - placed first in the area of spirituality, softcover book.
The Circle of Life placed second in this same category!
Independent Book Publishers Association:
The Circle of Life received a second place award in the Religion category.
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About Joyce Rupp...
Joyce Rupp is well known for her work as a writer, a spiritual "midwife," and retreat and conference speaker. She has led retreats throughout North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Joyce has a B.A. in English, a M.R.E. in Religious Education, and a M.A. in Transpersonal Psychology. She is a member of the Servites (Servants of Mary) community and a volunteer for Hospice. She currently resides in Des Moines, Iowa. A list of Joyce's works can be found in the left column of this page. Click on the book title to find out more information about that title.
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Spiritual Zest
October 2008
This past week I’ve been cleaning out stuffed file drawers. Old talks containing notes I will not use anymore, copies of articles that outgrew their usefulness, and numerous other piles of “stuff” found their way to the recycling bin. What brought me to this frenzy of sorting, sifting and discarding was the basic need for more file space. I’d run out of places to put stacks of papers and the office floor was getting pretty crowded! Another four drawer file seemed the answer but I decided I was definitely not going to buy one more thing for storage. Instead, I would get rid of what took up too much room. Which brings me to the point of this month’s reflection. How much is too much? When do we stop filling up the spaces of our lives with material things and start living with what we have?
The current financial situation in our country gives cause for great concern, both nationally and globally. I wonder for those of us who live in the wealthy United States if the financial scare possibly includes a positive aspect. Might it be a warning to us that we need to reconsider what we truly need in order to live? What if we had to do with less? A lot less. What if material things became significantly less important to us?
I have neighbors in an apartment complex about half a block away whom I both admire and envy whenever I pass by. In late afternoon and evening, I often see people of various ages gathered on the lawn or the parking lot. Teenagers play ball with young children or push them on the swings. Grandmothers with colorful scarves wrapped around their heads sit in circles, holding babies on their laps. This vibrant group consists of mostly Bosnian and Sudanese immigrants. They have fewer material belongings than those of us born and raised in America, but I think they have something a lot of us seem to have lost: a conviction that true happiness does not come from external possessions.
Whenever I visit a developing country, I come home ready to dispose of my many unnecessary possessions but it’s astounding how quickly I forget that resolution. Our American culture clamors for me to buy and buy, no matter how much I already possess. I still give in to the subtle, consumerist voice urging me to “build the economy” and get something new.
What will it take to get me, and many like me, to stop? When will each of us turn to what is truly of worth and use our time in ways that promote better relationships and community spirit? When will we pass by what we want, (but do not need), and leave it out of the shopping cart? I hope we do not have to wait for a huge financial catastrophe to force us to make valuable choices that we could have made without such a disaster.
© Joyce Rupp
Check out previous Spiritual Zest Articles.
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Index of Poems found on this Site
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"Evergreen" - from Joyce's new book Rest Your Dreams On A Little Twig
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"A Celtic Moment" from the article "Celtic Crossovers: May the Lent of the Irish Be With You"
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Poetry Cards - Samples of cards available for purchase - poetry from Rest Your Dreams On A Little Twig
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