|
Spiritual
Quest
Chapter 1 The New Cosmology and Mystery
p7
 | not too long ago people
believed that the earth was the center of the Universe |
 | in 17th
Century the Galileo and then Copernicus contradicted this view, supporting
Aristotle from 4th BCE |
 | Roman Catholic Church
denied this and it was only the present Pope who apologised for this
error |
p8
 | The universe was like a
giant watch with God, the clockmaker, now largely idle |
Our Present Picture of the Universe
 | a new conception of the
Universe now abounds |
p9
 | The universe is now seen
as immense and Earth an almost unnoticeable detail |
 | The size of the
Universe is beyond our understanding |
p10
 | Recognition of Darwin as
being correct |
 | Humanity is made of the
same material as the stars |
p11
 | likely hood of
intelligent life on other planets |
 | moving from the macro
view to the micro view down to atoms and their composition |
 | atoms are alive |
 | the mountains are alive |
p12
§
from microscopic to macroscopic level, it is all alive
§
the universe is similar to our own bodies comprising diverse
components yet all in unity and interdependence
p13
§
every time we breathe, we take in a quadrillion atoms breathed
by the rest of humanity within the last two weeks and more than a million
atoms breathed personally by each person on earth
p14
§
in recent times Humanity has undergone a paradigm shift in the
way we see the universe
§
17th Century view was of a well ordered machine
§
now the universe is a universe in evolution
§
in the universe there is spontaneity and unpredictability
along with regularity, as in the human story
§
nobody knows where it will end
p15
§
I see a lot of effects of God’s wisdom, astonishing harmony,
breath-taking detail in human cell activity, the regularity of subatomic
forces, the unspeakable breadth of the cosmos all hanging together:
magnetism, chemistry, systems of life beginning and ending – all mixed with
seemingly unanswerable questions and absurdities and apparently gratuitous
cruelties: but after it all passes by, I choose [like Job] to submit, to
surrender. I cover my mouth
§
we are religiously in transition
§
humanity is undergoing a major shift in our thinking about
what lies at the base of reality, what we call God.
1.
As
your journey of life has progressed. education, wisdom, knowledge,
experience, etc what has happened to your image of yourself in the scheme of
things?
2.
How
has your image of God changed during your life?
3.
Does
the idea that the universe is an organism in balance and harmony appeal to
you?
4.
How
does God fit into the Universe?
5.
Where
is heaven?
Spiritual Quest
Chapter 3 What is Spirituality
p37
 | a deep hunger in
people for something more in life |
 | secular culture has
become interested in spirituality |
 | a possible confusion
and threat to traditional Christian people |
p38
 | Can spirituality
be defined? |
 | belief in a higher
power |
 | a connection to all
living things and to earth and the universe |
 | etc |
p39
 | our deepest desires
and values, the very core of our being
|
 | a holy longing |
p40
 | spirituality has to
do with the soul or the core or the self |
 | something to do with
seeking a stronger relationship with a higher power |
 | its about meaning,
direction, values and connection to all things |
 | it is our lived
relationship with Mystery |
p41
 | an alphabet of items
for the spiritual life |
p42
 | preface each item of
the alphabet with how am I doing at …… |
p43
Spirituality and Religion
 | the palm is
spirituality and the fingers are religions |
 | spirituality comes
first and is religion's root |
 | we can find the
Mystery without going to Church |
 | organised religion
can be a help but it can also be a block |
p44
 | how rules and
traditions develop |
p45
 | the role of the cat
in worship |
 | first the God, then
the Dance, then the Story |
 | The Religious
Experience, eg the Garden of Eden or Jesus Christ |
 | Then the Dance or
the Ritual |
 | Then the Story
telling the original experience |
 | And then the
theology telling you what to make of it all |
p46
 | What is God like?
And how the way to find the answer became the God |
 | introducing elements
of the family of spirituality |
Franciscan Jesuit
p47
 | today Spirituality
is broadening out |
Native American Celtic
Buddhist New Age
 | Spirituality remains
religion's vital core |
 | Spiritual
Insights, Spiritual Practices and Complete Spiritualities |
 | some elements pf
spirituality are practised today for their own sake, eg meditation |
p48
 | today we have to
discern between insight and practices and complete spiritualities |
 | the major religions
of the world are complete spiritualities teaching a way of life |
p49
 | a complete
spirituality has three separate elements |
[1] An answer
to the question of life's meaning
 | a complete
spirituality gives a set of values to live by, a sense of direction and a
basis for hope |
p50
[2] A
relationship with the Mystery
 | eg God is our
Salvation |
 | God is the Creator |
 | God is love |
 | God is my shepherd |
 | the I-Thou
relationship |
 | the need of the
human soul |
p54
[3] A
challenge to personal transformation
 | we are stretched,
demands made, we are stopped in our tracks, backsliding challenged
|
 | our view of the
world is challenged |
 | our view of society
is challenged |
 | spirituality must
have an ethical element |
p55
 | Christian
spirituality is a personal relationship with God |
 | Christian
spirituality is lived in a community of persons called the Church |
 | Christian
spirituality is rooted in the activity and teaching of Jesus |
 | Christian
spirituality pushes us beyond mere survival and comfort and country |
 | Christian
spirituality pushes us towards hoping, loving and creating |
p56
 | Christian
spirituality integrates me and God |
Discussion
 |
Defining
Spirituality for ourselves |
 |
Do you need a
personal God in your Spirituality? |
 |
How does the
alphabet of spiritual elements relate to your own life? |
 |
Can you think of
examples of spirituality evident in peoples lives? |
 |
In the Glens and
Kirriemuir Old Parish Church to what extent do we put the religious before
the Spiritual |
 | How can we promote the
Spiritual? |
 | Can we use elements of
other spiritualities? |
Spiritual Quest Chapter
4
How can I tell if I am making progress in my
spiritual life?
p57
 | we are on a spiritual journey but are we
on the right road? |
 | how do we know if we are making spiritual
progress? |
 | how can we be sure that we are not
worshipping ourselves instead of God? |
 | how can we avoid constructing a soft
spirituality? |
p59
Signs of Spiritual
Progress
 |
distinguishing between Religious Dogma and Spiritual Values
|
 |
what are
the values around which spiritual people unite?
|
 |
the
Fruits of the Spirit
|
love
joy peace
patience
goodness kindness
faithfulness
gentleness self-control
expanded to encompass
the great traditions
truthfulness
hopefulness acceptance
compassion
non-violence generosity
forgiveness simplicity
prayerfulness humility
p60
 |
What are
the signs of being on the right road?
|
more
hopeful simpler lifestyle more serene
more
accepting practical faith more trusting
increased
generosity more forgiving
less
controlling more grounded in God
experiencing an
ongoing change of heart
 |
the
journey is a journey of a lifetime
|
 |
an ideal
calling us again and again to growth
|
p62
Incorporating Elements from Other Traditions
 | Gandhi's non violence |
 | Native American attitudes to Creation |
 | Buddhist meditation |
 | Goddess views of the feminine |
 | keeping our tradition and enhancing it
not throwing it away |
p63
 | keep one foot inside the tradition and let
the other foot wander |
 | can we use Buddhist meditation in
Christian Prayer? |
 | can we pray to Goddess as well as God? |
 | Ignatius guided, use what enhances union
with God and avoid what does not |
p64
 | Christian Prayer is focused on God,
through Jesus Christ |
 | highlighting the work of Tony de Mello as
inclusive of different traditions but for a Christian purpose |
p65
 | all experts agree that the attainment of
silence and attentiveness are crucial in prayer |
 | test any spiritual idea or practice by its
fruits |
 | keep what helps us reach towards our goal
of union with God and a life well lived and let go of the rest |
p66
Common Temptations of Spiritual Groups…
 | temptations are attractions to beliefs or
courses of action that pull us off the path of spiritual growth |
 | spirituality is meant to promote the human
good, both individual and collective |
 | the Sabbath was made for human beings and
not human beings for the Sabbath [Mk 2:27] |
p67
 | thought control is wrong |
 | be skeptical of ideologies that make the
complicated simply either or situations |
 | God's favourite colour is gray |
 | be wary of schools of spirituality that
teach that there is only one way - ie their way because there are far too
many good people doing well on other paths |
 | be wary of those who insist on blind
obedience - always keep your own capacity to think |
 | trust your experience |
 | be wary of money, sex and power |
p68
 | as far as leaders are concerned, remember
that by their fruits shall you know them |
…and Individuals
 | be wary of false quests like religious
experiences |
 | be wary of the quick fix |
 | be wary of feeling one of the elect -
holy, spiritual and saved |
 | be wary of the magical and prayers that
always get results |
p69
 | and don't lose heart |
 | In conclusion |
by their fruits you will know them
Love of God, self and neighbour
the Fruits of the Spirit
a spiritual guide
the human good, individual and common
Discussion
-
What is your distinction between Religion
and Spirituality?
-
What harm, and what good, does organized
religion achieve?
-
How can you decide which spiritual source
to use for your own spiritual journey?
-
Can you identify any helpful elements from
other Spiritual Traditions?
-
How would you describe Spiritual Growth in
yourself and in the Congregation?
-
Any other issues from the Chapter ~ points
of agreement, disagreement, discomfort, etc
Spiritual Quest Chapter
5
Jesus: Trailblazer, Window to the Mystery
p71
 | just a first century rabbi who left a
spiritual map? |
 | similar to Gandhi, for example? |
 | or is Jesus more than that and if he is,
how would you describe him? |
 | and how important is the description for
your faith? |
p72
Jesus’ Life and
Teaching
 |
the
depth and centrality of Jesus’ relationship with God
|
 |
Jesus
teaches that God is gracious to all and we are all God’s children
|
p73
 |
Jesus
lives so much for others and we should copy him
|
p74
 | doing God’s will is the heart of the
spiritual life |
 | people should share their goods |
 | all barriers should be broken down and all
people reconciled with one an other and with God |
p75
 |
the spiritual genius of Jesus is to combine love of God
|
with love of neighbour and love of self
o
riches should be renounced
p76
 | today’s global village of 1000 people |
60 people would have half the income
500 people would be hungry
600 would live in shanty towns
700 would be illiterate
p76
 | Jesus says very little about sex |
 | Jesus speaks against adultery as a
breakdown of the marital covenant |
 | was Jesus celibate? |
 | Jesus gives us the norm for our expression
of our sexuality ~ a love that is true |
p77
Jesus’ Death
 | was the crucifixion the whole purpose of
Jesus life? |
p78
 | the reasons why Jesus was killed |
he was a threat to the established order
he spurned the religious and social
norms
he attracted a great following
p79
Jesus’ Resurrection
 | an essential part of the Jesus story |
 | outside the pale of historical viability |
 | the resurrection is an essential key to
the Church’s existence |
 | the resurrection is the cardinal Christian
paradigm |
 | a passage to a new life? |
p82
Jesus and the Mystery
 | Jesus offers a call to personal growth as
well as a way to solve the problems of humanity |
 | In Jesus we see the power of a life
beautifully lived |
 | the Mystery of God is the deepest
dimension of Jesus’ career |
 | The Gospels reveal Jesus to us and balance
the mistake of just looking to nature and creation to seek God |
 | an interesting set of options and
challenge for you to do some work, eg why is Jesus the Son of God? |
p83
What is the relationship between Jesus
and God?
 | If Jesus was indeed God, he could not
fully experience humanity |
p84
 | If Jesus is God, then Christianity ,must
indeed be special but what about all the other Faiths of the world |
p85
 | If God is so immense and such a great
Mystery, how could Jesus be God? |
 | The first three Gospels never call Jesus
God |
p87
 | All we need to do is accept that Jesus is
God for us. |
 | Jesus is a window into God and he gives
God a human face |
p88
What is the “Salvation” Jesus offers?
 | traditional view is that Jesus died for
our sins |
p89
§
People say that Jesus offers
“salvation” in the following ways…
he shows me who God is
he teaches me what God wants from me
he accepts me as I am and gently moves me to
grow
he teaches union with God and loving
relationships for all
he inspires with courage and hope in the
face of suffering
he is the resource I call on when I am in
need
he is my friend
he gives my life direction
he brings God nearer and gives God a human
face
he promises real fulfillment in a life
beyond this one
he started and still inspires the Christian
Community
he has a programe which could solve the
problems of the world
p90
 | it was Paul and not Jesus who introduced
the idea of dying for sin |
 | Paul presents Jesus death as the greatest
sacrifice |
 | St Anselm, in the Middle Ages, introduced
the idea of Jesus paying the sin of Adam |
p91
 | the tide of theological opinion is turning
away from the idea that Jesus died for sin |
 | the sacrifice for sin idea is a metaphor
and is just one way of understanding the life and death of Jesus |
 | salvation means to live life in all its
fullness |
Discussion
-
How do you react to this questioning of the traditional
views of Jesus?
-
Do all people move to eternal life or
just Christians, of just some Christians?
-
What role does Jesus play in your own
spiritual journey?
-
How important is the death and
resurrection of Jesus for you?
-
How clear are you about what you believe
about Jesus?
-
How clear are you about the Core Values
of your faith?
-
Any other issues, comments or points of
discussion or clarification?
Spiritual Quest
Chapter 6
Is a Relationship with the Mystery Possible
for me?
p93
 | we can relate to the God Jesus |
 | we can relate to God through Jesus [God
is present and active in Jesus; through Jesus we see God; in loving Jesus
we love God] |
p94
 | Acts 17:28 In God we live and move and
have our being [Epimenides ~ Cretan poet ~ c600BC] |
 | All things are in God or God is in all
things |
p95
We experience God wherever we experience
goodness, beauty or depth
§
God is the source of all beauty, therefore
beauty is of God
 | seeing God in … |
p97
 | when the ear of my ear awakes and the eye
of my eye is opened I see into and through the depths |
 | getting beneath the surface of things |
p98
 | God is at once hidden and revealed |
 | If God is in the depths of all reality
then is God also in our own depths as well |
 | the spiritual experiences of relationships |
p100
 | Buddhist spirituality talks about
mindfulness, ie being totally present |
p101
 | wonder is the basis of life |
 | modern life prevents us from seeing,
hearing, feeling |
 | contemplation merely gazes with no self
interest |
 | return to nature, slow down, be quiet; you
will become aware of God with you, and the pieces will fall into place |
p102
We experience God wherever we come up
against our Limits:
Our Smallness, Powerlessness,
Bafflement, Discontent, Mortality
 | The pain of life |
p103
 | God is within the pain, or hovering right
round it |
 | God in the relief through death |
p105
 | often prayer is the only expression of
love that we have for someone |
 | all religion begins with the cry for help |
 | it is in the good times and not the bad
that we need to most work on our relationship with God |
 | in the good times we forget about God and
take everything for granted |
p106
 | There is nothing in all of creation that
is so like God as silence |
p108
 | It may be that life itself, all of it –
agony, ecstasy, sheer plod – borne and lived through, is God’s way of
healing us |
We experience God wherever we
feel an inner nudge toward doing the Good
 | we experience God within ourselves
prompting us to do good |
 | our response to inner prompting is the
direction of growth |
 | reality somehow succeeds, by and large, in
creating decent human beings |
p109
 | my big question is how to be loving to my
aged mother who is, to me, quite unlovable |
p110
 | working through the daily realities of
growth, differences, struggles within our family is a constant reminder of
God |
 | My relationship with my husband is an
ongoing experience of God, both in our struggles and in our joys | |