Perspectives from the Third Floor: A Spiritual Journey Essay

Submitted By PasorBraudt
Words: 2740
Pages: 11
Open Document
Perspectives from the Third Floor: A Spiritual Journey
This is who I am. I am a follower, seeker, and sojourner. I am a Christian, pastor, and child of God. I am a son, husband, and father. I am a builder, musician, and artist. In my search for spiritual direction and guidance, I have found a kindred spirit in N. Scott Momaday. I have chosen Momaday as my historic person of spiritual insight. He is an artist, writer, and story teller. In particular, three of his books (The Way to Rainy Mountain, The Journey of Tai-me, In the Bear’s House) provided reflection and inspiration for delving into my spiritual gifts and ministry.
These books contain poetry, stories, memories and twenty-four different Kiowa legends, along with the corresponding historical data. Momaday sees the world through the eyes of an artist. More than words, there is a visual presence. Both the author and his father illustrate the books with paintings, drawings and woodcut prints. Not only is there visual art, Momaday paints with words. We do not just read the words and imagine the scene; we experience it--feeling as if we have seen it with our own eyes.
The Way to Rainy Mountain has a balanced, almost Trinitarian, layout. The main body is divided in three parts: “The Setting Out,” “The Going In,” and “The Closing In.” 1Each of these sections consists of three parts--cultural, historical, and personal—and three different typefaces. In addition, three woodcuts accompany each division.
N. Scott Momaday approaches writing in a very spiritual sense. He talks about his grandmother and her nightly prayers. “I remember her most often in prayer. She made long, rambling prayers out of suffering and hope, having seen many things.”2 This was one of his last memories of her, and she was the catalyst behind much of his work. As an artist/writer, he has developed a style and layout that allows the reader to join in on the visual memories that he is offering. His use of typefaces, page lay-out, and location of text has produced a book that is visually and spiritually stimulating. This combination of layout and words builds a bridge to areas of our memory where we recall bits and pieces and reassemble them into a new whole. All who read have shared together. The paper, ink, words, and illustrations are no longer two dimensional. They become round, full and vibrant.
As I ponder the work of Momaday, I consider my own journey. What memories have I entrusted to others? What paths have I taken? What have I created that guides others to the Creator? My spiritual journey, like Momaday’s writing, combines words and art which deepen my faith story.
In teaching, leading and directing others on their spiritual journey, I have discovered that the church needs to broaden the method by which we share our message. Momaday reflects, “In one sense, then, the journey of the Tai-me is preeminently the history of an idea, Man’s idea of himself, and it has consummate being in language. The verbal tradition by which it has been preserved has suffered a considerable deterioration in time”3 In the books that he has written, Momaday is striving to preserve the stories, legends and spiritual journeys of the Kiowa people. In the telling of our stories, we cannot rely on one method--no matter how successful that has been in the past. Painter and Beckman point out “Draw or color your dream, move your dream, embody a dream character.”4 If we are to be instruments of God will, we need to use all the tools at our disposal. We need to dream and cast visions.
My ministry setting is the third floor of First United Methodist Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The third floor reflects my journey of spiritual discovery. It speaks of my memories, dreams and visions of what God is calling me to do. As an artist I have set about creating a space that is open and engaging, so that all who enter are encouraged to experience the Holy Spirit. Join me on a spiritual journey to the
Show More

Related Documents: Perspectives from the Third Floor: A Spiritual Journey Essay

The Waste Land Analysis

(Bush 68). In addition to his mental health issues, Eliot was in the midst of his own journey toward Christianity, which is apparent in the poem’s themes of death and re-birth. The poem parallels Eliot’s brief recovery from his illness and his new spirituality in that the first part of the poem contrasts with the second part, the early anxiety and fear turn into relief from intolerable burdens. The poem flows from a stream of consciousness on the part of the poet, referencing important psychological…

Words 2197 - Pages 9

Traversing the Corridor of Time and Space: Isra Miraj Essay

salamata min kulli Itmin, wal-ganimata min kulli birrin, wal-fawza bil-jannati min-a nnar. O Allah, we ask You for words which will make certain Your Mercy, actions which will make certain Your Forgiveness, freedom from every offence, a supply of every virtue, entering Jannah and safety from the Nār. INTRODUCTION My Dear Friends: As I prepared for this dars, it became obvious to me how the series of darus over the past two years in Bedford, at the Ramadan retreats, and here in Charlottesville have…

Words 7993 - Pages 32

Hydraulic Fracturing Essay

N. Nadkarni Used with permission from the author. May 10, 2008 A TAPESTRY OF BROWNS AND GREENS --The tapestry of life’s story is woven with the threads of life’s ties, ever joining and breaking. Rabindranath Tagore, Fireflies When I look closely at a hanging tapestry, I observe that the pathways of individual threads wend through warp and woof, each one unconnected to the other. Yet if I stand back and look at the whole tapestry, its intricate and beautiful patterns emerge. In a roomful…

Words 6556 - Pages 27

Soggy Bottom Boys Essay

four of them; Tommy, Everett, Pete and Delmar, were chilling around a campfire. The exact same music was also played at the early scene of the film where the trio met a black guy who tells them about their future and the treasure. “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” is culturally coded to African-American’s style. When Soggy Bottom Boys first recorded “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”, the blind radio station manager cinematically coded the song to a group of color people since they introduced themselves…

Words 2433 - Pages 10

Essay on Short Term Pastoral Counseling Final

a medium sized Community Church in Lewisville, Texas. Each Sunday the church will have approximately 240 in attendance of Sunday morning worship service. My overarching goal for life is to live in and teach others how to grow in the hope that comes from the redemption provided by Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Ephesians 1:7) I will be using the solution-based, short-term pastoral counseling model based…

Words 15205 - Pages 61

Little Girl Short Story

lawyer. Her understanding of work resonated from what she saw other adults doing in the barracks. When we work, we must get paid. As a child she doesn’t understand the joy that followed, just that she wants to work. The bus is the government transport…

Words 8212 - Pages 33

Essay on Overnight Qari

beautifully. Idrees Ally from Toronto, Canada, is the founder of ReciteinTune.com, and is a reciter and teacher of the Quran who is passionate about the art of recitation. He has been studying tajweed both formally and informally for several years and by the grace of Allah, has benefited from some of the experts in this field, including Shaykh Talal Ahdab from Toronto, Shaykh Abdullah Siraj from Egypt, Shaykh Uthman Khan from Toronto, and Shaykh Mohamed Umer Esmail from Texas. He also has training…

Words 8040 - Pages 33

AKHENATENS REIGN (points) Essay

Khepresh (blue crown of coronation) on a throne under a canopy with the goddess Maat Year 1 – according to Demovic – “adopted his favourite epithet” – Beautiful Child of the Living Sun Disc Reveals his relationship to the Aten Year 6 – name change from ‘Amenhotep IV’ to ‘Akhenaten’ Coincided with intensity in his belief of Aten as one, only god Amenhotep = ‘Amun is Satisfied’ Akhenaten = ‘He Who is Serviceable to the Aten’ King – living image of Aten on earth Shortly after – decision made to found…

Words 8729 - Pages 35

The Birth of Civilization Essay

1 The Birth of Civilization Mohenjo-Daro Figure. Scholars believe this limestone statue from about 2500 B.C.E. depicts a king or a priest from Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus valley in present-day Pakistan. Does this figure seem to emphasize the features of a particular person or the attributes of a particular role? Hear the Audio for Chapter 1 at www.myhistorylab.com CRAIMC01_xxxii-031hr2.qxp 2/17/11 3:22 PM Page xxxii EARLY HUMANS AND THEIR CULTURE page 1 WHY IS “culture” considered a defining…

Words 18945 - Pages 76

Developmental Psychology and Children Essays

Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage May 2008 Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for children from birth to five STATUTORY FRAMEWORK NON-STATUTORY GUIDANCE Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage Contents Section 1 – Implementing the EYFS ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Introduction Putting the Principles into practice General points on provision of the EYFS Meeting the diverse needs of children Partnership working Flexible provision…

Words 43539 - Pages 175