My good friends, David and Karen Hendley, live deep in the Piney Woods Forest of East Texas in a cozy, three-story home with a ceramics studio they built by hand. I'm here because David invited me to help him fire his wood-fired kiln, which has two fire pits located on opposite sides of the brick enclosure. It takes two people to feed the two blazing fires steadily for 8-10 hours, in order to gradually increase the internal temperature until it reaches the scorching 2,000-degree heat needed to fire the clay works inside the kiln without cracking them.
FEELING THE URGE
On one hand, it seems a little crazy to be taking a full three days out of my loaded schedule to drive halfway across Texas to do this. However, in addition to having a great opportunity to spend time with my friends, this time allows me to be able to appreciate the outdoors in this relaxing forest setting, far away from the demands of my desk.
The work turns out to be even more taxing than my buddy had implied, but gradually, my arms and back warm to the seemingly endless loop of tasks at hand as I walk out to the wood pile, stoop, lift, carry, stoop, stoke the flames while being careful not to inhale any of the heavy black smoke in the process, and then walk back to the pile once again. David gets truckloads of free scrap lumber from a nearby pallet-making facility, but unfortunately, it's full of nails and splinters that could be very dangerous to the fingers and feet of a professional guitarist, causing each step in the process to require close attention.
WORKING UP A SWEAT
Nonetheless, this feels like fun, too, especially for a desk-jockey who seldom lifts anything heavier than a dictionary. Additionally, David is a first-rate thinker with a keen eye for human foibles, and an endless supply of wry observations to share. The morning hours fly by, and pretty soon we've both worked up a big appetite. David offers to fix lunch, and asks if I'm up to the task of keeping both sides of the fire going by myself for the next half hour. "Sure," I reply, trying my best to sound more confident than I feel, knowing that we're at a critical stage in the firing process.
I quickly learn that doing this job without his help involves w-a-a-a-y more than twice as much work. Keeping both fire pits fueled means there a lot more distance to travel, so I'm walking much faster, with no time for breaks. The additional work that comes from not having those two additional hands available to sort through the pile of dangerous wood scraps or to allow us to take turns stoking the flames makes my arms ache. Also, not having David nearby to lift my spirits with his stories and exhortations causes a big difference in my energy level.
WORKING IT OUT
In short, working alone is much harder and much less fun. It's only been a few minutes, but it feels like hours. I'm exhausted, and only my pride keeps me going until David returns with lunch. While taking a break to eat, relax and clear out my lungs, it occurs to me that this experience, in reality, is a lesson about how working together applies to both spiritual work as well as physical labor. After all, in many ways, performing inner work is even more difficult than work of the physical plane. There's a reason why people have been gathering in temples, ashrams, churches and support groups of various kinds since time out of mind, making the inner work easier. Meditating in a group helps focus the mind; praying with others present is far more effective than solitary prayer; a vision held collectively is much stronger; hymns always resonate more deeply when sung together. Suddenly, I find myself feeling deeply grateful for all the individuals who have shared their time, talent and treasures so generously with the Celebration Circle community over the years...
Putting away my lunch plate, I head back to the woodpile to prepare another load, feeling a heart full of love and gratitude for the task at hand - and for all that lies ahead. Happy Thanks Living, indeed!
FEELING THE URGE
On one hand, it seems a little crazy to be taking a full three days out of my loaded schedule to drive halfway across Texas to do this. However, in addition to having a great opportunity to spend time with my friends, this time allows me to be able to appreciate the outdoors in this relaxing forest setting, far away from the demands of my desk.
The work turns out to be even more taxing than my buddy had implied, but gradually, my arms and back warm to the seemingly endless loop of tasks at hand as I walk out to the wood pile, stoop, lift, carry, stoop, stoke the flames while being careful not to inhale any of the heavy black smoke in the process, and then walk back to the pile once again. David gets truckloads of free scrap lumber from a nearby pallet-making facility, but unfortunately, it's full of nails and splinters that could be very dangerous to the fingers and feet of a professional guitarist, causing each step in the process to require close attention.
WORKING UP A SWEAT
Nonetheless, this feels like fun, too, especially for a desk-jockey who seldom lifts anything heavier than a dictionary. Additionally, David is a first-rate thinker with a keen eye for human foibles, and an endless supply of wry observations to share. The morning hours fly by, and pretty soon we've both worked up a big appetite. David offers to fix lunch, and asks if I'm up to the task of keeping both sides of the fire going by myself for the next half hour. "Sure," I reply, trying my best to sound more confident than I feel, knowing that we're at a critical stage in the firing process.
I quickly learn that doing this job without his help involves w-a-a-a-y more than twice as much work. Keeping both fire pits fueled means there a lot more distance to travel, so I'm walking much faster, with no time for breaks. The additional work that comes from not having those two additional hands available to sort through the pile of dangerous wood scraps or to allow us to take turns stoking the flames makes my arms ache. Also, not having David nearby to lift my spirits with his stories and exhortations causes a big difference in my energy level.
WORKING IT OUT
In short, working alone is much harder and much less fun. It's only been a few minutes, but it feels like hours. I'm exhausted, and only my pride keeps me going until David returns with lunch. While taking a break to eat, relax and clear out my lungs, it occurs to me that this experience, in reality, is a lesson about how working together applies to both spiritual work as well as physical labor. After all, in many ways, performing inner work is even more difficult than work of the physical plane. There's a reason why people have been gathering in temples, ashrams, churches and support groups of various kinds since time out of mind, making the inner work easier. Meditating in a group helps focus the mind; praying with others present is far more effective than solitary prayer; a vision held collectively is much stronger; hymns always resonate more deeply when sung together. Suddenly, I find myself feeling deeply grateful for all the individuals who have shared their time, talent and treasures so generously with the Celebration Circle community over the years...
Putting away my lunch plate, I head back to the woodpile to prepare another load, feeling a heart full of love and gratitude for the task at hand - and for all that lies ahead. Happy Thanks Living, indeed!
With gratitude and blessings,
My good friends, David and Karen Hendley, live deep in the Piney Woods Forest of East Texas in a cozy, three-story home with a ceramics studio they built by hand. I'm here because David invited me to help him fire his wood-fired kiln, which has two fire pits located on opposite sides of the brick enclosure. It takes two people to feed the two blazing fires steadily for 8-10 hours, in order to gradually increase the internal temperature until it reaches the scorching 2,000-degree heat needed to fire the clay works inside the kiln without cracking them.
FEELING THE URGE
On one hand, it seems a little crazy to be taking a full three days out of my loaded schedule to drive halfway across Texas to do this. However, in addition to having a great opportunity to spend time with my friends, this time allows me to be able to appreciate the outdoors in this relaxing forest setting, far away from the demands of my desk.
The work turns out to be even more taxing than my buddy had implied, but gradually, my arms and back warm to the seemingly endless loop of tasks at hand as I walk out to the wood pile, stoop, lift, carry, stoop, stoke the flames while being careful not to inhale any of the heavy black smoke in the process, and then walk back to the pile once again. David gets truckloads of free scrap lumber from a nearby pallet-making facility, but unfortunately, it's full of nails and splinters that could be very dangerous to the fingers and feet of a professional guitarist, causing each step in the process to require close attention.
WORKING UP A SWEAT
Nonetheless, this feels like fun, too, especially for a desk-jockey who seldom lifts anything heavier than a dictionary. Additionally, David is a first-rate thinker with a keen eye for human foibles, and an endless supply of wry observations to share. The morning hours fly by, and pretty soon we've both worked up a big appetite. David offers to fix lunch, and asks if I'm up to the task of keeping both sides of the fire going by myself for the next half hour. "Sure," I reply, trying my best to sound more confident than I feel, knowing that we're at a critical stage in the firing process.
I quickly learn that doing this job without his help involves w-a-a-a-y more than twice as much work. Keeping both fire pits fueled means there a lot more distance to travel, so I'm walking much faster, with no time for breaks. The additional work that comes from not having those two additional hands available to sort through the pile of dangerous wood scraps or to allow us to take turns stoking the flames makes my arms ache. Also, not having David nearby to lift my spirits with his stories and exhortations causes a big difference in my energy level.
WORKING IT OUT
In short, working alone is much harder and much less fun. It's only been a few minutes, but it feels like hours. I'm exhausted, and only my pride keeps me going until David returns with lunch. While taking a break to eat, relax and clear out my lungs, it occurs to me that this experience, in reality, is a lesson about how working together applies to both spiritual work as well as physical labor. After all, in many ways, performing inner work is even more difficult than work of the physical plane. There's a reason why people have been gathering in temples, ashrams, churches and support groups of various kinds since time out of mind, making the inner work easier. Meditating in a group helps focus the mind; praying with others present is far more effective than solitary prayer; a vision held collectively is much stronger; hymns always resonate more deeply when sung together. Suddenly, I find myself feeling deeply grateful for all the individuals who have shared their time, talent and treasures so generously with the Celebration Circle community over the years...
Putting away my lunch plate, I head back to the woodpile to prepare another load, feeling a heart full of love and gratitude for the task at hand - and for all that lies ahead. Happy Thanks Living, indeed!
With gratitude and blessings,
Rudi
THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.
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