Ldb481-17 Faith And Life Issues

Williams’ book was formative in my life because he critiques the common view of vocation as a “theatrical casting” event, which is also how I once viewed vocation. Williams argues that the “God finding us a part to play” perspective of vocation is inherently problematic and leads to resentment when we do not feel we are being “used”1. Rather, in quite ground-

The voice of vocation is mostly discerned through the heart; therefore, one must consciously be aware of the matters that occupy the heart. In John Neafsey’s “A Sacred Voice Is Calling,” Neafsey asserts “The voice of vocation is the voice of God” (Neafsey, 6). By hearing the voice of God, we’re able to reach the destiny God predestined us for in life and especially in our vocations. In order to hear the voice of God, you have to be able to discern between the many voices you hear every day, the voice of your conscience, and God’s voice. You do so by: consistently managing the matters of the heart- monitoring what you allow to physically and mentally enter into your heart, learning to discern between those things by familiarizing yourself with

In this short essay, I will lay out my personal position with regard to spiritual discernment expressed in "Discerning Spiritual Discernment: Assessing Current Approaches for Understanding God's Will" by Dennis Horton. I will also consider other opinions in this appraisal.

The message of my work is to try and highlight the importance of showing how a person’s faith can have a positive and life-changing impact on their lives. I have done this by looking into the lives of two early Christian missionaries and portray how they would 've felt about their journeys, who they met and what they were teaching others. In doing so, I try to portray, to the best of my ability and knowledge, the apostle 's thoughts and just how strong their conviction and faith in God was.

In Spirituality for the Rest of Us, Osborne (2009) expresses the need for each of us to develop our own unique relationship with God. This can be accomplished by recognizing our path to spirituality is not made by a specific set of steps that must be completed in a certain order. We do not need to add extra rules to demonstrate genuine spirituality, nor will one discipline work for everyone at all times. It is important to choose the discipline that works when it is needed. Finally, Osborne explores why practicing “Glass House living” is more effective at helping to maintain a spiritual life than participation in accountability groups.

In this new reformation of religious beliefs, many felt that they ultimately had control over their own spiritual awakening. This was a new concept! Stephen Marini, Historian of Religion from Wellesley College said: “The spirit is the absolute empowerment of my individuality, so my individual choice is not just an option; it is a divinely mandated course of action.”

Within this paper I will be reflecting over the first part of Theology 104. This class has addressed many topics that have given me a better understanding on Christianity, the Bible and most importantly Jesus Christ. I will be addressing two topics that I feel are very important to Christianity the first topic being the Importance of Personal Testimony and the second topic covering the Importance of Maintaining a Christian Lifestyle. Both of those topics I think help lay a foundation for an individual’s walk with Christ.

In reading through Let Your Life Speak, the author, Parker J. Palmer takes the reader through observations from his own life in hopes of enlightening and aiding the reader in their own life and search for vocation. He does this by reviewing various stages of his life. He leads the reader through his time in academia at the University of California - Berkeley (Palmer, 2000, p. 20), his sabbatical period at Pendle Hill (Palmer, 2000, p. 23), a Quaker community and his struggles with depression (Palmer, 2000, p. 56). Throughout each of his recitations concerning the knowledge gleaned from his life, there are major themes that jump out to the reader. Two of those themes are (1) Encouragement for self-reflection and (2) Embracing the journey.

Spiritual disciplines are learned through periods of time that impose certain boundaries or directions on a believer’s life in order to further their relationship with Christ. In our daily lives it can be difficult to set aside special time to think about divine matters, but it is ever important that we do so; especially in today’s age of never ending materialism. As Blaise Pascal said, “Human things must be known to be loved; but divine things must be loved to be known”. If we don’t specifically set aside time to love the divine things, we will never know them.

This statement touches on the complexities of an individual’s life, which renders it impossible to fully grasp their process outside your own. Therefore, in my opinion, the ability to cultivate and nourish this inwardness (spiritual-intelligential) journey of an individual, should be the soul mission of the educator and established institution (religious or not).

The church stands as a dominate agency, which signifies a unity among believers established through the Spirit of Christ. A harmonious unity and diversity comes within the body when those in the church attain a personal relationship with Christ. Paul states, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Cor 12:12, New Revised Standard Version) . Through a solid foundation and a fitly join union individuals are held together by faith, love, and a willingness to grow the universal church.

The book Soul Friend, by Kenneth Leech, is a classic introduction in Christian circles to the subject of spiritual direction. Leech offers first a comprehensive historical overview of spiritual direction, then he reviews regarding the relationship between therapy, counselling and spiritual direction. Later he describes prayer in the Christian tradition, the practice of prayer, and the prophetic understanding of spiritual direction. In the following, I will provide a theological discussion and critical assessment of the anthropology as reflected in spiritual direction as discussed in his book.

An acceptable definition of vocation for reflection could be “[T]he call to be faithful in the immediate context of one’s life”.1 This definition encompasses social situation, work, geography and church. I believe this should also be understood in the context of my call as a follower of Christ to live as Jesus taught and did (I John 2:6). Church locally is an ever dimming light, the message of God’s love and desire for reconciliation is being constrained within the walls and individuals. God has awoken a desire deep within me to step forward in obedience to wider ministry in His Church. I have a mountain to move in personal growth, and that action of movement must be grounded in the unfailing truths of the gospel message of love and reconciliation.

As a Unitarian Universalist and a lifelong homeschooler, I have enjoyed the privilege of participating in many cultural and spiritual observances. From learning about and practicing meditation techniques at the Sangam World Centre in Pune, India to witnessing the renowned jumping dance of the Maasai people’s Udumu ceremony in Kenya, I have been exposed to a substantial number of diverse and unique faith traditions. While all of these experiences have allowed me to explore the various ways in which humans interpret God and how they incorporate meaning into their lives, nothing in my background prepared me for my most recent foray into fundamental Christianity. Visiting a local Independent Baptist church was unquestionably the most terrifying religious experience of my life.

This section presents more details concerning hermeneutics than the previous Face Value section. Although there is some overlap, we are reminded that repetition of spiritual disciplines is good for us (2 Peter 1:12). The basics in this section are taken from Twelve Essential Skills for Great Preaching by Wayne McDill. McDill quotes William Wirt