All posts by Karin Baynes

About Karin Baynes

Karin is a gentle introvert, happily married to Stuart for 22 years. She’s first generation South African from Westville; born to Dutch immigrants and choosing to live in her husband’s home village in England. Friendships with women support her life and she loves making connections with like-minded people worldwide. A close friend introduced her to the New Church Buccleuch in 2003 and she recognises the Writings deep in her heart. Karin has fully experienced the grace of repentance and is unblocking creatively through fiery poetry, drawing in colour and the Alexander Technique. She’s experiential by nature and a seeker who has found the truth and embraced it. Her passion for evaluating spiritual growth techniques and other methods of healing is gaining momentum through writing and research on these topics. Karin has earned her emotional intelligence the hard way and hopes to use her voice in General Church outlets. For fun, she reviews books / speakers in the fields of psychology and religion. Her two favourite books are ‘Oh, the places you’ll go!’ by Dr. Seuss and ‘The meaning of life’ by Bradley Trevor Greive!

Re-Education is Part of Regeneration

In November last year, I attended four interactive lectures on the spirituality of novelist Jane Austen. They were presented by the Rev Preb Paula Hollingsworth, a sub dean of Wells Cathedral, who is also our Anglican parish vicar in my village of Priddy. She has been invited to write a book on this subject and her discourse on a ‘virtue centred approach to ethics’ has fired my imagination.

In New Church terms, my understanding of virtue based ethics centres on a person’s ability to consistently discipline and regulate herself internally; to behave in principled ways to support the neighbour through her external behaviour. In our case, these principles are informed by our Swedenborgian teachings, an open rational mind with a developed conscience and most importantly, a willingness to love the Lord and be led by Him. In essence, I’m describing our moral compass.
Continue reading Re-Education is Part of Regeneration

Strengthening My Voice

Now that I have found my voice at 50, how can I work with the Lord to strengthen it?

I was not aware until recently that the Lord has placed me in various groups for just this purpose. I’m reading poetry in a group, singing in a choir, co-ordinating two New Church small group studies and more. Even this blog is a group effort! How did this happen and why?

As to the how, I have been pro-active in engaging with activities that support my well-being and interests. I’ve put myself out there, spoken up and taken the initiative to make myself useful to others. Without end-gaming. The flow I now find myself in is heart-warming and affirmative. I catch myself doing, rather than over-thinking where things might be headed. There is new resolve in my daily endeavours and purpose to my steps. I can’t see the future, but I can feel the current carrying me forward. For a long time, I’ve been afraid to reach out to life and suddenly, it’s reaching out to me. I’m in the swim of the Lord’s Providence.
Continue reading Strengthening My Voice