Christian Spirituality
Confirmation Class – March 20, 2007
Assignment 1 - Christian Spirituality
Our next gathering will be with everyone – Parents too! – at the home of Bishop Jim Cruickshank (I'll e-mail each of you with the exact address)
What to bring to eat?
Elizabeth – I’ll BBQ a salmon for us to share.
Euper’s – a salad or appy’s
Gutjahr’s – bread or desert
Hart’s - desert
Maxwell – main course
Emma – appy’s
So, let’s continue with a prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
As we begin to talk about “Christian Spirituality” – check it out on the “Google” page – Wow! 1, 980,000 hits – so, you can’t tell me that people aren’t talking about this. Though I would echo what you were saying last Thursday, this isn’t the stuff that we talk about to our school buddies.
It’s actually interesting that when we do “marriage preparation courses” here at St. Mary’s some of the couples have never discussed with each other any sense of “spirituality”. Often times we ask “our mate” what church you go to, and then make assumptions about what it is “you believe” from there.
Well, here’s what the opening web page from St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church had to say about the subject:
Defining Spirituality - What is Spirituality?
"Spirituality" = derived from Hebrew ruach, which had a range of meanings:
- spirit
- breath
- wind
- that which gives life and animation to something
Spirituality:
- that which animates a person's life of faith
- that which moves a person's faith to greater depths and perfection
Defining Spirituality - What is Christian Spirituality?
Elements of Christianity:
- 1. a set of beliefs, found in the Creeds and doctrines of the Church
- 2. a set of values, based on:
- hope and promise of redemption
- love of others
- denial of self
- 3. a way of life
- The real, human life in which our beliefs and values are embodied and expressed
- Christianity Spirituality is part of our way of life as Christians
Defining Spirituality - What is Christian Spirituality?
Christianity Spirituality is the quest for a fulfilled and authentic life that involves
- taking the beliefs and values of Christianity
- and weaving them into the fabric of our lives
- so that they "animate," provide the "breath" and "spirit" and "fire" for our lives
So, here’s a question to start our task to learn about Christian Spirituality.
1. Having read these suggestions, what would you describe as being “spiritual”? Try focusing on a particular topic, like music or art, and answer this query – why do I consider this (music or art) to be “spiritual” – or a representation of something spiritual?
2. Does Christian spirituality have to be different from “other” spirituality?
Assignment 1 - Christian Spirituality
Our next gathering will be with everyone – Parents too! – at the home of Bishop Jim Cruickshank (I'll e-mail each of you with the exact address)
What to bring to eat?
Elizabeth – I’ll BBQ a salmon for us to share.
Euper’s – a salad or appy’s
Gutjahr’s – bread or desert
Hart’s - desert
Maxwell – main course
Emma – appy’s
So, let’s continue with a prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
As we begin to talk about “Christian Spirituality” – check it out on the “Google” page – Wow! 1, 980,000 hits – so, you can’t tell me that people aren’t talking about this. Though I would echo what you were saying last Thursday, this isn’t the stuff that we talk about to our school buddies.
It’s actually interesting that when we do “marriage preparation courses” here at St. Mary’s some of the couples have never discussed with each other any sense of “spirituality”. Often times we ask “our mate” what church you go to, and then make assumptions about what it is “you believe” from there.
Well, here’s what the opening web page from St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church had to say about the subject:
Defining Spirituality - What is Spirituality?
"Spirituality" = derived from Hebrew ruach, which had a range of meanings:
- spirit
- breath
- wind
- that which gives life and animation to something
Spirituality:
- that which animates a person's life of faith
- that which moves a person's faith to greater depths and perfection
Defining Spirituality - What is Christian Spirituality?
Elements of Christianity:
- 1. a set of beliefs, found in the Creeds and doctrines of the Church
- 2. a set of values, based on:
- hope and promise of redemption
- love of others
- denial of self
- 3. a way of life
- The real, human life in which our beliefs and values are embodied and expressed
- Christianity Spirituality is part of our way of life as Christians
Defining Spirituality - What is Christian Spirituality?
Christianity Spirituality is the quest for a fulfilled and authentic life that involves
- taking the beliefs and values of Christianity
- and weaving them into the fabric of our lives
- so that they "animate," provide the "breath" and "spirit" and "fire" for our lives
So, here’s a question to start our task to learn about Christian Spirituality.
1. Having read these suggestions, what would you describe as being “spiritual”? Try focusing on a particular topic, like music or art, and answer this query – why do I consider this (music or art) to be “spiritual” – or a representation of something spiritual?
2. Does Christian spirituality have to be different from “other” spirituality?
You can respond via the blog or email me at enorthcott@stmaryskerrisdale.ca
posted by SMK at
9:27 a.m.
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