What an inspiring spring light brightened our church service through our windows today!  It provided perfect context for Pastor Dan's sermon, entitled Earth-Friendly Conversion.  When he was growing up, one of his favorite parts of the Bible was the "Book of Acts".  He inquires of us personally -> "Have we heard God's call this week?"

You can participate to help our church reach three goals.  To get started, please check out the United Church of Christ website - http://www.ucc.org/earth/ that is entitled "For One Earth: 50 Great Days | April 1 - May 19".  It gives inspiring and practical creative suggestions for Planet Earth during 50 great days of greening up, powering down, and shouting out.  It also gives a way to log one's Earth-Friendly Conversion hours, trees, and advocacy letters. 

Adult Spirituality Group notes, 4/7/2013

This week, we all shared our initial hopes what we'll get out of the book Prayer-Does it make any difference?, which we've started to dive into:

We could generally agree that prayer is spending time practicing the relationship with God, more than any particular set of practices.  Participation in our group will help us to articulate, what is otherwise private prayer.  Some feel natural praying, whereas others desire to further develop this habit of attention.  We all expressed openness and interest in the group's feedback and to explore some tools & techniques.  This will help us pray more consciously and productively. 

In prayer, often we're looking for something, beyond merely accepting the muddle of good & bad of our present private moments.  We're supposed to live up to some standards in life. Inquiring within is a way to imbibe divine feedback and stretch beyond, to try to imagine the bigger picture. 

In Psalm 46:10 is written, "Be still and know that I am God."  Sometimes, prayer is not a verbal conversation asking for our selves & dealing with our perceptions at all, but coming back to center to revere God's magnificence and trans-personal plans.  The Bible New Testament also says to pray without ceasing.  This means that prayer is not only through language.  The "wow" part of prayer is through contemplative praise and gratitude.


For next Sunday:  We will be wading through Chapter 3 (p. 30-43).  You are welcome to join our conversation at any time!

Adult Spirituality Group notes, 3/31/2013

We're reading a new book, entitled Prayer: Does it make any difference? (2006), by Philip Yancey.  I transcribe from the back cover -->

" DOES PRAYER CHANGE US OR GOD? 

OR BOTH?

"In his most powerful book since What's So Amazing About Grace? and The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey probes the very heartbeat--the most fundamental, challenging, perplexing, and deeply rewarding aspect--of our relationship with God.

PRAYER

Does prayer work?  More personally, does it work the way we think it should?  What can we really expect from prayer?

Written by one of the most significant Christian thinkers of our generation, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? explores the questions surrounding prayer that many of us wonder but few of us know how to express."

As we start the book, the group had some fun trying to throw out terms to describe the body/mind psychology in prayer -->
"Prayer is being openly receptive. Echoing. Serenity. Coming back to center. Going deeper.  Getting cleansed from inside and out by inundating oneself in the 'water' (a place of solitude, warmth, & freedom).  Prayer brings expansive feelings.  It's like paying attention to the flow of a river to become aware of the timeless present moment."


FOR NEXT WEEK:  Please read Chapter 2 and contemplate to discuss, "What is it we are hoping to get from this book?"

Adult Spirituality Group notes, 11/25/12

Besides the regular folk, Charles' daughter, Charlotte Shafer Cressey participated.

Today, we had unanswered questions about the last three introductions to the commandments of character that will be explored in the book.  We'll need to dive into the details of the related chapters to understand how we should take these in.

8.  PRACTICE SELF-CONTROL - "Just about every other person with a bad temper could control himself when motivated to do so."
9.  EXERCISE COMMON SENSE - "People generally regard common sense as a pragmatic, not a moral, trait....In truth, a lack of common sense frequently results in immoral or hurtful behavior, both on the individual and the national level."
10.  ADMIT WHEN YOU HAVE DONE WRONG, SEEK FORGIVENESS, AND DON'T RATIONALIZE BAD BEHAVIOR - "People of character, knowing that they possess free will, acknowledge when they have done something wrong.  It is this acknowledgement that motivates them to seek out those whom they have hurt, ask forgiveness, and devote themselves to doing better in the future."

For Charlotte, the college paper that has had the most influence was an analysis of #10 above.   It was entitled, "People: Do they basically come Good, Evil, or a Mix?"


Next week, we'll discuss Chapter 1, entitled "Family" (pp. 43 - 84).


A sunny possibility!  Please check out the Seattle PI article webpage -> Book Review: God Light: Sunlight Sonlight by Robert Lloyd Russell.  I'm curious to read it next.  What do you think?

The book received the following 2011 Awards ~
Book-of-the-Year - Religion: Eastern/Western - Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award
Runner-up - Religion: Christianity - International Book Awards
Winner - Book: Biblical Studies - The Word Guild
Finalist - Religion: Christianity - The USA "Best Books 2011" Awards
Gold Award -(1 of 3 across all book categories) - World Book Awards

Adult Spirituality Group notes, 11/18/2012

Today, the nine attendees discussed the book, The Ten Commandments of Character (Points 6 & 7, in the first chapter, pp. 35-37):

6.  BE HONEST
How does one "be honest"?  The author writes, "What matters most to God, and therefore what should matter most to us, is not issues of faith or ritual observance, but honesty in our dealings with others......People must be able to rely on your honesty in many different areas:  Can they trust you in money matters?  Can they trust you to be truthful?  And when, if ever, is it moral to be untruthful?"

The group went around the circle to brainstorm aspects of truthfulness that are most important to God.  God could evaluate our honesty and integrity with these sets of questions:  

• Did you live to your potential?  Did you always do the right thing?
• How much did you live for your ideals, versus, how much were you practical and compromised to suit the complexities of life?  When were you able to stick up for your ideals and put them into the world?  After all, we're here on Earth also to interact, not just be alone.
• How honest were you from your vantage?  How did your perspective about good & bad, right & wrong expand and mature over your lifetime? 

7.  BE GRATEFUL
It's important to have a regular practice!  

• Thea Ward has a regular prayer of gratitude/thanks to God, e.g., that she has hot water, gets to see beautiful fall leaf colors.
• Rose Bailey works with her students on assertive communication, since acknowledging things is also important to problem solve and work things out.  
• Day Murti summarized his ice cream eating wisdom gained over time.  Adults know that the present is eternal, not merely the present moment.  Often kids gobble up their ice cream.  Adults learn to pace themselves.

For next week:  We'll focus on Commandments 8, 9, and 10, discussed on p. 37-41.

Adult Spirituality Group notes, 11/11/2012

It's a great time to join our Sunday morning group of Yoda sage enquirers as we weave self, society, universe, and God!  We've just begun reading the introduction of our group's superb new book, The Ten Commandments of Character - Essential Advice for Living an Honorable, Ethical, Honest Life (2003), by Beliefnet.com "Everyday Ethics" columnist & Jewish Rabbi Joseph Telushkin.

On the back cover is written,

"Here is a wealth of astute and warmhearted counsel on life's most difficult ethical dilemmas.  Joseph Telushkin outlines his ten commandments of character, explaining why each one is so vital, and then addresses perplexing issues that crop up in our lives more often than we would anticipate, relating to family, friends, work, community, medicine, and money, such as:

• Should a brother give up part of his inheritance if his sister has children and considerable expenses and he doesn't?
• Is it wrong to get a kidney transplant from a prisoner executed in China?
• Should a dying woman reveal to her husband that his son is not really his?

Many of us find it increasingly hard to tread the fine line between right and wrong.  In The Ten Commandments of Character, Telushkin faces these issues squarely and shows us how to live a life of true integrity."

For example, we'll discuss:
How can we clearly discern our personal values and tendencies and take a stand on issues in today's complex world in order to become ethically/morally a clarion for others?
                           vs.
When is it more important to remain humble and open to learn why and how others have their perspectives and values?

FOR NEXT WEEK:  Please continue to read about "The 10 Commandments of Character".  We plan to lance and joust about Point 6, "Be Honest". 

Adult Spirituality Group notes, 6/24/2012

We're trying something we've never done before --> reading an intense and vivid novel, The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant.  On the back cover is synopsized:

     "Her name is Dinah.  In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the move familiar chapters of her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons in the Book of Genesis.
     "Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoil of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent.  It begins with the story of her mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob.  They love Dinah and give her gifts that are to sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land.  Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate, immediate connection.
     "Deeply afffecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society."

For June 31, please read to discuss:

1. Bible:  Genesis 34 1:31
2. Red Tent:  Chapters 5 & 6, pp 147-179