Posts

Interner Monk and Advent

Read what Internet Monk has to say about Advent our need of a savior. http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-mood-of-advent-we-all-need-a-savior

Spiritual Reinvention

Yesterday, I read on the Lutheran Zephyr's blog ( http://www.lutheranzephyr.com/main/ ) about a Journal of Lutheran Ethics article that is thought provoking. The title is "Spiritual Reinvention and the Andrew Greeley Principle." It is sobering, calling us to deeper relationship with the God who loves is. The link is: http://www.elca.org/jle/article.asp?k=769 .

The Journey of Faith part 7

The Journey goes on forever and ever Our journey with Christ does not end in a specific destination; it always continues in yet another direction. The spiritual journey is about taking a step, even when we are unsure where that will take us. An Hasid story asks the question, "When did the Red Sea part?" According to the Jewish storyteller, the waters separated not when Moses commanded them, not when he waved his staff over the waters. The waters parted when Moses put his feet in. Faith is a journey that is often formed in our weakness. So it is right that we seek safe places to ask questions that lead us forward...questions about death, about life, about Jesus, about tragedy and pain. This concept of journey as an on-going process was beautifully captured in a prayer attributed to Martin Luther sometime in the 16th Century: This life is not one of righteousness, but growth in righteousness..... Not health, but becoming...not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we should be

A More Soulful Religion

There are many outside the church that see it/us as irrelevant. Take a look at what Sally Morgenthaler's thinking about it this regard. The url to her post is: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/giftedforleadership/2007/12/a_more_soulful_religion.html#more

Shifting Paradigms

Left-Hand Column Cases distinguish mental models from actual conversation. The Ladder of Inference show mental models formed if rungs are skipped. Both are tools “to uncover, test, and change your mental models and those of others” (Erickson, p. 8). The Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia is my next stop after Regent; I thought. My confidence came from God’s past leadings. I deemed excellent public transportation essential for my husband. Preconceived notions came from trips up the Ladder of Inference. The Left Hand Column Case applied when asked why I chose Philadelphia . My unspoken belief was Philadelphia was superior to Gettysburg . Some of the church’s best theologians and musicians taught at Philly. Gettysburg has two academic options: grades or pass/fail, making some doubt the academic standards. “Instinctively making sense of a situation is a valuable survival skill … this process of inference also describes the structure of prejudice and stereotyping” (Erickson, p.

Trapped by Assumptions

Discuss how one who is certain that Matthew 12:30, John 14:6 and Revelation 3:15-19 are true might be able to "suspend their certainty" in order to dialog with one who holds that all religions point to the same God. This was the question presented to us and this is my answer. “We become trapped in the theater of our thoughts … losing touch with the larger reality …” (Senge, 2006, p. 225). Spiritual pride and arrogance further hinder honest communication. Laying aside attitudes of certainty and pride, truly listening to another, we are much more effective witnesses. Bohm’s step three is challenging when the conversation only involves two people, unless we listen to God’s voice through the Holy Spirit. “…the Father … will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth … you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you John 14:16-17 (Today’s New International Version). God does not need defending. Ministering to Muslim universi

The Journey of Faith 6

Each fall for 15 years, up to 100 people gathered every Wednesday night at Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee, to explore the meaning of the Sacred Journey. Led by the Rev. Dr. Douglass M. Bailey, the participants in the class listened and talked about their own journey and the journey of others. The class affirmed the individual nature of each journey and each person's need to explore the questions that can shape their path. The people who journeyed together each fall learned about prayer, community, death and resurrection. They heard questions and reflections from others, and through them came to a better understanding of their own spiritual growth. We have included an overview of the Journey material here in hopes that some of the ideas may help you on your own Spiritual path. The questions are meant for you to ask yourself and those traveling with you. Use those that are meaningful to you as guideposts, pointing down a road you may not yet have explored. Journey wit