SPIRITUALITY
these notes form the basis of a one day introductory workshop
prepared for the Board of National Mission
as part of their Church Without Walls material
SPIRITUALITY
issues
· what is spirituality
· do we recognise our own spiritual journey
· how do we describe God
· what does that description mean
· spirituality and prayer
· ways of deepening our understanding
what is spirituality?
It seems to me that there is much confusion about the meaning of the term Spirituality. This is an explanation drawn from a paper written by Kathy Galloway, Leader of the Iona Community
Spirituality is a word which is understood in a multiplicity of ways, so in the interests of precision I will give you my definition of it, which will form the basis of what I say. You may not agree with this definition, but hopefully you will know what I am talking about. It’s indebted to the Latin-American Liberation theologian, Jon Sobrino.
Once, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees about spirituality and he used the analogy of a cup, saying “Did not God, who made the outside, also make the inside” [Luke 11.40]. Our spirituality is our profoundest motivation, those instincts, institutions, longings and desires that move us, animate us, inspire us – literally, breathe through us. It is the force that moves us from behind or below or before. But it is also our ultimate concern or orientation or goal ~ that person, object, ideal or value that attracts us, that draws us, towards which we incline … to where we go. If you like it is the inner life of the cup .
But our spirituality is not just interiority. It is also our choices and actions; it is where the spirit is given flesh, where intention becomes action, where we practise what we preach. Our spirituality shows up just as much in how we spend our money, our time, our abilities, as in how we say our prayers. If you like, it’s how we use the cup. And our spirituality is also our relationships: with our environment, with other people, with our own most hidden and unknown selves. If you like, it is with whom we share the cup with.
Everyone is spiritual, just as everyone is physical.
Some spiritualities show up dressed in strange clothes. A fervent football fan might be moist profoundly motivated by loyalty to his team; his ultimate concern might be that they should win the European Cup. All his choices and actions would be directed to enabling him to support and follow the team, and his relationships would all be lived in the light of, and affected [for good or bad] by, his passion. But there would be many familiar features in his spirituality. Loyalty and trust and devotion would all be there, for better or for worse [and some of the worst is extremely unpleasant] … celebration and sorrow would be there … belonging and identity and community would be there … the wiping clean of the slate and the hope of a new start would be there, in the next game or the next season… some spiritualities ~ the spirituality of Nazism, for example ~ are profoundly perverse and distorted.
We pay much attention to our physical life but often less to the care and nurture of our spiritual lives. We want to be whole people, or we might say, we want to live at peace with ourselves, to become our true selves, to be fully alive, to realise our potential. But the gap between our longings and aspirations and the way we actually live can be hugely painful and damaging, especially if our spirituality is unnamed, unrecognised and unloved. So we need help, insight and support of others to integrate our intentions and our actions.
from a paper on the Spirituality of Economics by Kathy Galloway
Questions and thoughts
1. Can you define your Spirituality in terms of how myou spend your money, use your time and abilities, etc
2. Kathy Galloway suggests that there are good and bad spiritualities … do you agree?
3. Can you begin to think of essential elements in a Christian Spirituality?
Putting flesh on a skeleton of ideas
There are many ideas about Spirituality ~ some of which you may find helpful, others you may disagree with. How do you react to the following ….
1. Spirituality is about our relationship with God and how we reflect that relationship in all aspects of our lives
2. It is about relating to the mystery of God through Jesus Christ
3. Spirituality, Religion and Theology are all corners of the triangle of faith
4. It is based upon the Bible
5. It is about providing resources that will enable people to relate to God during their whole journey of life
6. It is recognising God in the midst of all aspects of life where everything we do has a sacred potential
7. It includes all Christian Traditions and views and for some, other Faiths
8. It is about relationships and how people relate to each other and God, through the whole of life.
9. It extends beyond worship and prayer into action and thought.
10. It combines both the solitary and the communal, and contemplation and action.
11. It transforms the ordinary into the extra ordinary
12. It can be driven by Micah 6:8 – What does God require of us? To do just justice, [engaging with the issues of the day]; love mercy [engaging with other people]; and walk humbly with God [engaging with God].
13. It connects a deepening prayer life, individually and together, with wider witness in today’s world.
14. It is a gradual process with which we need help, and it is a process best pursued communally, for some and individually. for others.
15. In the Church of Scotland it remains a subject for enthusiasts at the edge.
16. It is something that is experiential in which the process is as important as the content / product
17. It is relevant to all generations of the Church
18. It is a key element of the tradition of the Church
19. It is the fulcrum upon which the 21st Century Church of Scotland will develop
20. It is the practice of the presence of God seven days a week, twenty four hours a day
do we recognise our own spiritual journey?
The Rev Ken Lawson has lead many courses on Spirituality and he encourages participants to think about their own journeys of faith.
He frequently uses the metaphor of stepping stones across a river
Can you think of Key Points in Your Spiritual Journey ~ stepping stones in the river of life that have brought you to today and your values and beliefs.
Perhaps they include ….
· Home Background
· School days
· Career
· People
· Family
· Events
· Courses, etc
· Spiritual Experiences
·
Other areas?
how do we describe God?
It is important to give some thought about how we describe God. We should be aware of God whom we seek to serve; the God to whom we dedicate our lives; the God to whom we try to relate through prayer. How do you react to the following comments ….?
 | God is indescribable |
| We use analogies to talk about God |
| Analogies often become real descriptions carrying implicit messages |
| Analogies can be helpful or unhelpful |
| Human beings are made in God’s image. What do you learn looking at us? |
| God is the Creator so what can we learn about God from Creation? |
| We sense the character of God and again what do we learn? |
| We experience the presence of God ~ what do we learn about God’s nature? |
| What images do we get of God when we look at Jesus? |
| Many people have stayed with their first images of God |
| Where do we learn our images of God and what does that say about our journey of faith? |
Here are some images of God ~ do any of them resonate with you….?
Resident Policeman Parental Hangover
Nice old man Meek and Mild Pale Galilean
Absolute Perfection Heavenly Bosom
God in a Box Managing Director Second hand God
Pure Love Puppet Master Weigher of Prayer Vengeful
Angry King Creator Pal Judge Remote
On the end of the phone
…and do you agree that it is important that there is a coherence between images of God and language of prayer ~ that we should have a picture of the God to whom we pray?
Do you agree that the images of God portrayed in the language of Public Prayer can be a key element in the development of the prayer life of a Congregation
Do you agree that all that we do in the name of God is a Prayer
Do you need to be trained to say private prayers?
Do you need to be trained to lead public prayers?
Should we be willing to offer Spiritual Direction?
Ideas for variety in prayer …
Silence Music Spoken Responses Sung Responses Meditation Using Pictures Congregation led Healing Prayers Shared Prayers Using books
Springboard Prayer Lectio Divina Ideas from Congregation Examin of Conscience From Internet
Carefully thought out and prepared Expository
ways of deepening our understanding?
There are various well trod paths on the road of Spirituality and they include …
Celtic Spirituality
| No authentic written tradition |
| Much in the way of Romance and
Imagination eg, God in the wild and the beautiful when the Celts would
have been in the cities and the deprivation |
| Contemporary writing abounds |
· Ray Simpson
Focus on Community and being with the people Hospitality
Importance of Prayer and Worship Rhythm of Work and Worship
A sense of Place Love of Creation Compassion for the poor
Signs, wonders and prophecy A Church without Walls
| Esther de Waal |
God in everyday life The ordinary becoming the extraordinary
Celebration of Creation
· From the Web
'culturally relevant' and 'people-friendly' message that integrates with modern ways of thinking and with society
the presence of God in nature: caring for the environment and developing a holistic view of the world.
radical forms of worship including poetry, symbolism, the visual arts, chanting and music based on the rhythms of the earth.
discipleship, mentoring and having a personal spiritual director - the Celtic "soul-friend".
social concern as part and parcel of the gospel - political action for a better world.
| Ian Bradley |
Community and in the Community Focussing on God’s Grace
Pastoral Care Worship in Liturgy Worship in Life
A sense of Pilgrimage Creating colonies of heaven
Resources
Iona Community John Harvey Ray Simpson
Ian Bradley David Adams Esther de Waal Internet
Benedictine
Spirituality
Key Markers of this Spirituality
Originated some 1500 years ago but constantly reinventing around core values
Centred on the Rule of Benedict
Growth of Order around the world
Key role is Scotland with major Abbeys
21st Century global and multi cultural
Practical code of spirituality
Some Key Themes
Community
| shared goals and values [the Gospel] |
| at peace with ourselves and others |
| hospitable, physically and spiritually |
| inclusive, socially and economically |
| at the service of others, ie mutually obedient |
| participative and collaborative |
Balance, moderation and rhythm
| balancing the needs of individual and community |
| development of a spiritual practice |
| balanced listening, hearing all the factors |
Prayer
| psalms, song and reading |
| communal and individual |
| spoken and silent |
Sacred Reading [lectio divina] and study
Commitment and stability to place, others and God
Presence of God in everyone and everything
An awareness of others needs
A valuing of wisdom and experience
Commitment to ‘conversion’
DOUAI ABBEY PLUSCARDEN ABBEY
BUCKFAST ABBEY AMPLEFORTH ABBEY
also type “Benedictine Spirituality” into a Web Search Engine
Ignatian Spirituality
Ignatian Spirituality focuses on the individual and the individual's relationship with God. It seeks to establish a steadily deepening relationship with God and it provides a varieties of strategies to achieve this.
Key Characteristics
¨ Centred on the Christian Gospel
This is a crucial point because it sets Ignatian Spirituality at the heart of Christianity. The whole focus of the Ignatian way to God is through Jesus Christ.
Ø Our challenge is to be as familiar with the Christian Gospel as we can so that we can use it as our focus upon God.
¨ Focussed on actions which lead to the greater glory of God
Constantly one is being asked to reflect upon one's actions and ask the question…
"Am I doing this for myself or am I doing this for God?"
Ø Ignatius would argue that we should be constantly aware of that question as we live our daily lives as well as setting time aside to reflect on the motive of recent events.
¨ A desire to see God in all things and in all aspects of life
Ignatius believed that God was potentially present in every event of life. The task was to recognise that presence and live accordingly. This meant that Ignatius paid particular attention to creation and the natural world.
Ø Our challenge following the Ignatian way to God is to do the same and to hold no aspect of our lives apart from God.
¨ A willingness to undertake Spiritual Direction
Ignatius sent his followers out into the world. They were not encouraged to live in closed orders. This carried with it a potential danger that one might stray from the right path and as a result, Spiritual Direction was an integral part of spiritual practice.
Ø The modern world is steadily moving towards a counselling acceptable environment and the Ignatian challenge to the church is to follow in our own special way.
¨ A desire for Spiritual Discernment
Ignatius was keen that one should be aware of inner feelings when making decisions. He identified two extremes in a continuum of feeling called Consolation, when one felt close to God, and Desolation, when God was remote. A crucial part of this Discernment process was the avoidance of making significant decisions during times of Desolation.
Ø The contemporary challenge lies first in the recognition of the need to discern feelings, then their recognition and finally acting or not as the feeling may be.
¨ The Examine of Conscience
This was the focus of a nightly prayer exercise when one replayed the events of the day in the light of the motive question - ie, were my motives in an action ~ for me or for God?
Ø Modern life is no different from life 16th Century and the same requirement can be made of us asking on a daily basis were my motives in an action for me or for God?
¨ Spiritual Exercises and Eight day Retreats
Ignatius developed a process whereby one was guided through an examination of personal faith. This was called the Spiritual Exercises. This normally lasted up to a period of one month and has been accompanied in later times by a shorter eight day retreat.
Ø The opportunity to make an extensive stock taking of faith is a direct challenge to every person following the Christian way to God.
Craighead Centre Jesuit [Internet] Gerry Hughes