Weekend Edition - Daily Spiritual Seed
Published: Thu, 10/07/10
- readings, teachings, references and reviews -
Contents:
- Ad - Amazon.com gift cards
- Spiritual Growth Resource of the Month
- Weekend Readings
- Theology Note of the Week
- Saint of the Week
- Book of the Week
- Shalom Place Discussion Board
- Personal Spiritual Guidance
- Affiliate Web Sites
- Website of the Week
- Joke of the Week
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Amazon.com gift cards
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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SPIRITUAL GROWTH RESOURCE OF THE MONTH
"Cricital Issues in Christian Contemplative Practice" paperback
book or PDF download.
- by James Arraj and Philip St. Romain
The stories, discussions and short essays you will encounter in
this book can at first glance appear bewildering. What does talk
about everything from the psychological unconscious to strange
energy movements in the body that the Hindus called kundalini have
to do with the Christian life of prayer and contemplation? But the
wide-ranging debates found here are the result of the Christian
mystical tradition trying to wake up and throw off the torpor of a
sleep that has lasted more than 300 years. And the most amazing
thing about these discussions is that they are taking place in a
new context which is not a theoretical theological analysis of the
spiritual life, but among people who are concerned with how one
would go about living the contemplative life day by day, and who
are actually trying to do it. In short, we face the first sustained
practical interest in contemplation since the end of the 17th
century, but already this enthusiasm has raised critical questions
that need to be addressed lest these new beginnings go astray.
Part I introduces us to three modern attempts to renew the
Christian life of prayer.
Part II allows us to meet people today who have had Christian
experiences of prayer and contemplation.
Part III explores how the renewal of the Christian contemplative
life is interacting with Eastern forms of meditation.
The material here came originally from www.shalomplace.com and
www.innerexplorations.com
- see http://shalomplace.com/view/criticq.html for purchase
information
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WEEKEND READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Saturday: Gal 3:22-29; Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Lk 11:27-28
Sunday: 2 Kgs 5:14-17; Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 2 Tm 2:8-13;
Lk 17:11-19
R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands:
break into song; sing praise.
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THEOLOGY NOTE OF THE WEEK
- Hermeneutics
Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. Theologically, and
biblically, speaking it is the means by which a person examines the
Bible to determine what it means. There are different kinds of
hermeneutical approaches.
- http://www.carm.org/h
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SAINT OF THE WEEK
- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-90): October 16
Margaret Mary was chosen by Christ to arouse the Church to a
realization of the love of God symbolized by the heart of Jesus.
Her early years were marked by sickness and a painful home
situation. "The heaviest of my crosses was that I could do nothing
to lighten the cross my mother was suffering." After considering
marriage for some time, Margaret entered the Order of Visitation
nuns at the age of 24.
A Visitation nun was "not to be extraordinary except by being
ordinary," but the young nun was not to enjoy this anonymity. A
fellow novice (shrewdest of critics) termed Margaret humble, simple
and frank, but above all kind and patient under sharp criticism and
correction. She could not meditate in the formal way expected,
though she tried her best to give up her "prayer of simplicity."
Slow, quiet and clumsy, she was assigned to help an infirmarian who
was a bundle of energy.
On December 21, 1674, three years a nun, she received the first of
her revelations. She felt "invested" with the presence of God,
though always afraid of deceiving herself in such matters. The
request of Christ was that his love for humankind be made evident
through her. During the next 13 months he appeared to her at
intervals. His human heart was to be the symbol of his divine-human
love. By her own love she was to make up for the coldness and
ingratitude of the world--by frequent and loving Holy Communion,
especially on the first Friday of each month, and by an hour's
vigil of prayer every Thursday night in memory of his agony and
isolation in Gethsemane. He also asked that a feast of reparation
be instituted.
Like all saints, Margaret had to pay for her gift of holiness. Some
of her own sisters were hostile. Theologians who were called in
declared her visions delusions and suggested that she eat more
heartily. Later, parents of children she taught called her an
impostor, an unorthodox innovator. A new confessor, Blessed Claude
de la Colombiere, a Jesuit, recognized her genuineness and
supported her. Against her great resistance, Christ called her to
be a sacrificial victim for the shortcomings of her own sisters,
and to make this known.
After serving as novice mistress and assistant superior, she died
at the age of 43 while being anointed. "I need nothing but God, and
to lose myself in the heart of Jesus."
- http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1167
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BOOK OF THE WEEK
"Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit," by
Henri J. M. Nouwen. HarperOne, 2010.
-
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061686123/ref=noism/christianspiritu/
Henri Nouwen, the world-renowned spiritual guide and counselor,
understood the spiritual life as a journey of faith and
transformation that is deepened by accountability, community, and
relationships. Though he counseled many people during his lifetime,
his principles of spiritual formation were never written down. Now,
Michael Christensen, one of Nouwen's longtime students, and Rebecca
Laird have taken his famous course in spiritual formation and
supplemented it with his unpublished writings to create the
definitive series on Nouwen's thoughts on the Christian life.
The first book in the series, "Spiritual Direction," introduced
readers to Nouwen's core concepts and how to live the questions of
the spiritual life. Now "Spiritual Formation" reveals Nouwen's sage
advice on how to live out the five classical stages of spiritual
development. Featuring a unique visio divina to help guide and
focus prayer, this volume reveals Nouwen's unparalleled wisdom on
how to move from the mind to the heart and live there in the
center--the place where God dwells.
- Amazon.com review
Make the Christian Spirituality Bookstore your starting point for
online shopping at Amazon.com. You can buy books, cds, videotapes,
software, appliances and many other products at discount prices.
As Amazon.com affiliate, we are paid a small fee for purchases
originating from our web site. Every little bit helps!
http://shalomplace.com/books/index.html
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- PERSONAL SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE -
Need a companion for the spiritual journey? We have several
wonderful people ready to help, using email and telephone
conferences to bridge the miles.
- Now providing -
Consultations: this option is best for short-term guidance
pertaining to a specific issue.
Spiritual Direction: ongoing relationship with a spiritual director
to become more attuned to God's presence in all of life.
See http://shalomplace.com/direction/
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SHALOM PLACE DISCUSSION BOARDS
A variety of topics are under discussion.
Legalize all drugs - poll and discussion in Religion and Culture
forum.
Sharing suffering with God - Christian Spirituality Issues forum.
Christianity and Postmodernism - Christian Morality and Theology
forum.
- see http://shalomplace.org/eve/forums for this and hundreds of
other discussions.
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AFFILIATE WEB SITES (please give them a visit)
Institute for Women's Spiritual Dynamics: holistic, flexible,
sensible Christian spirituality for women.
http://www.womensspiritualdynamics.com/
SeeScapes. Picturing the deeper dimensions of our spirituality.
http://www.seescapes.com
Temenos Catholic Worker: support for homeless youth in Polk Street
neighborhood, San Francisco
http://www.temenos.org/
Contemplative Ministries of the Pacific Northwest: teaching and
support on contemplative practice
http://www.prayeroftheheart.com
Heartland Center for Spirituality: retreat center in central
Kansas..
http://heartlandspirituality.org/index.html
Emanuella House of Prayer: a place for prayer and silence in
British Columbia
http://emmanuellahouse.shawwebspace.ca/
Serenity of the Mind: supporting those who served and who suffer
from PTSD.
http://serenityofthemind.com/default.html
The Ark: Providing a variety of scripture and lectionary study
resources.
http://www.theark1.com
Kyrie Places of Pilgrimmage and Renewal.
http://www.kyrie.com/places/index.htm
Contemplative Rudder: "In the midst of Consecrated Silence
atmospherics ... a Rudder!
http://www.contemplativerudder.com/
Inner Explorations: a vast array of spirituality resources for the
mature Christian.
http://innerexplorations.com
The Sanctuary Foundation for Prayer: resources for spiritual growth.
http://fromholyground.org/index.htm
(Reach other people who have a similar interest in Christian
spirituality. Simply publish a link to Daily Spiritual Seed--
http://shalomplace.com/seed --on a prominent place on your web site
and we will reciprocate with a weekly link to your site in the
newsletter. Contact the Editor when you're ready to begin.)
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WEB SITE OF THE WEEK
Anamchara - the web site of "unknowing"
- http://www.anamchara.com
Web site of Carl McColman, featuring resources on Christian
mysticism.
The site is set up as a blog, though there are tabs to help
navigate the various topical areas. As might be expected from the
title of the site, Celtic spirituality is emphasized, though there
are several pages describing the life and work of contemplatives
like Thomas Merton, Julian of Norwich and Teresa of Avila.
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JOKE OF THE WEEK
- Mellowing Mother
I have five siblings . . . three sisters and two brothers.
One night I was chatting with my mom about how she had changed as a
mother from her first child to her last.
She told me she really had mellowed quite a lot over the years . . .
"When your oldest sister coughed or sneezed, I called the
ambulance. When your youngest brother swallowed a dime, I just told
him it was coming out of his allowance."
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