A Brotherhood of Fire and Light

As I left the RV park last Thursday, I glanced up and saw a bald eagle circling overhead.  The black and white was stark against the dark blue sky and I pulled over just to watch for a minute.  I tried to get a picture, but he was soaring too high for that.  I took it as a sign of good things to come, and it surely was!

The next day I went to a native American festival at the fair grounds and had a wonderful time!  The sights (feathers, dancers, tepees, flutes, smiles), the sounds (laughter, drums, high pitched singers, flutes) and smells (fry bread!, sage, cedar, sweet grass) all combined to bring me a very deep peace.  I purchased a beautiful turtle shell rattle to take to a men's retreat, and a kokopelli pendant to wear for protection.  These things, plus a laminated book mark with "7 Things to Remember" all came from Inner Mountain Stones & Woods.  They make the most beautiful things I've ever seen.  One of the 7 things: When we get tangled up in our problems, be still.  God wants us to be still so he can untangle the knot. 

Friday afternoon I scooted up to Ellenton, about 20 miles north of here, to an Episcopal retreat center to attend a men's retreat lead by a Unity minister, Jim Rosemergy.  Jim was pastor at Unity Church of Raleigh on Glenwood Avenue the first time I ever went to a Unity church in the mid 80's.  My mom had passed away and I was looking for answers to the big questions.  This was the start of my spiritual journey.   He was an amazing speaker and although I don't remember what he said that day, I remember how I felt.  I was truly inspired, awakened and uplifted by this new kind of Christian message.  It was positive, guilt free and affirming.  So it was amazing to see Jim's name on a flyer for the retreat at Unity of Sarasota a few weeks ago.  I signed up right away, knowing that it would be a unique and uplifting experience.  And it was!

Thirty of us gathered on Friday afternoon to share this space and time together.  The experience was entitled "The Brotherhood of Fire and Light" appropriately so.  There was singing, laughter, tears, and many excellent exercises to affirm us as good men and help us have a closer connection to God.  The rituals we practiced were all positive and affirming without being trite.  We had fine weather and did a "God Walk" on Saturday morning.  It was a guided, walking meditation to bring us into a closer relationship with God, and it worked!  For me and most of the others, it was a highlight of the retreat.  At the point in the walk where I was to sit still and listen for the still, small voice of the Holy One, I was suddenly surrounded by a big swarm of tiny gnats that caused me to itch and scratch!  I said, "God, if you're in these little bugs you sure are pissing me off!"  And the little voice chuckled and said, "Then move!"  Which I did.  There were other things I heard on that walk, but I'll save those for another time. 

We agreed to pick a song to sing together at the Sunday service in Ft. Myers, as that's where most of the guys attended church.  It sounded like a fun thing to do,  and it would give me another chance to hear Jim speak and see some of my new friends again.  Mapquest said it was about an hour and 20 minutes, I wanted to arrive at 10:45 so I left here at 9:15.  About 30 minutes into the ride on the Burg, all interstate traffic was detoured to a small road to a small town at a snails pace.  It took about 30 minutes before we returned to the big road and it was obvious I was going to miss the song.  So I sang it to myself for the rest of the ride. 

Jim spoke so simply and powerfully about the sermon on the mount and the messages there for us today.  You can visit the church's website for the lesson if you wish.  [Note: This is an error and I apologize!  The lesson is not on the website.] It was a good one.  I was glad to see Jim again and meet his wife, Nancy.  I also saw my retreat roommate, Tom Clark, and met his wife as well.  After the service I walked the labyrinth in the warm sunshine, then strolled around the pond and the bell tower.  It is a very lovely and peaceful setting and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there. 

I decided to take the slow road home and discovered an Italian street festival in Punta Gorda.  There was lots of food, music, displays and happy people enjoying the day.  From there I went to a little tiki bar at Casey Key Fish Camp to rest my buns and have a beer before going to the Marzella's for dinner with Barbara, Luis and the family.

For the past 2 years, I have lived alone.  It has been very hard at times because I have felt so lonely.  The retreat taught me how to connect with God in a new way and know that I am never alone.  Seek, and you shall find.  Ask, and it will be given.  Knock, and it will be opened to you.

Jim Rosemergy and Richard Medkeci

What a world!  What a life!  Thank you Holy One and my new brothers!  Life is GOOD!