SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 127

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF DEVOTION

+ When fate arrives at your door, there is no lock strong enough to hold it back. It may find you asleep, unprepared, too busy, or defiant, but these states are not a deterrent. Destiny does not wait for your mood to change. When the time is ripe, the rite of passage begins. …

“This is known as the call and it comes in many forms. It may begin as a restless dissatisfaction with your daily life, or a deep depression. It may result from a churning in your gut over the daily news, or an inspiring story told to you by a friend. It may come from a tragic loss, or an unexpected boon. But however the call finds its way into your private chambers, it changes the course of your life.

-- Anodea Judith in Awakening the Global Heart

+ As a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church USA, I experienced  and continue to experience a strong sense of being called to ministry.  But I think Anodea Judith is talking about specific calls to action in areas of life where we can sense we are needed and wanted.  In recent years I have narrowed this down to a belief that humanity is engaged in an evolutionary leap which I am calling The New Faith for the New Earth.  Our mission is to create more Compassion, Peace, Justice and Sustainable Abundance.  I intend to keep writing about it, learning about it, promoting it and sharing ideas with colleagues like you.  

A specific new sense of call for me is now coming to fruition: becoming an InterSpirituality Mentor, certified by the Spiritual Paths Institute.  I need to become more committed to the wonderful work associated with The Charter for Compassion so closely associated with Karen Armstrong who has devoted herself to collaboration and reconciliation among the religions of the planet. Also, I need to find ways to increase my commitment to Sustainable Abundance because our earthly paradise is facing environmental catastrophe if we don’t act boldly ASAP. 

What is changing “the course of your life” these days?

 

+ Spirituality & Practice offers many resources on the spiritual practice of Devotion.  You can explore even more with this link to “Devotion” on their search engine. You will find 2153 items as of 4/26/16.  And, of course, there is a Twelves Gallery of Memes on Devotion.  The Body also gets a lot of attention from S&P as you can see if you go to this link to “Body” on their search engine. You will find 1611 items as of 4/26/16.

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Devotion page.   Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Devotion” or “Guest Post” to John@abundancetrek.com.

+ You can always find a link to any of the Spiritual Explorations posts by going to http://abundancetrek.com/sepostsaccess.html

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 93

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF DISCERNMENT

+ To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation.

 -- Paulo Coelho

He’s right, you know.  This is why developing an effective Discernment practice is so important.  This realization does not come instantly to most of us.  Nor can anyone describe their destiny in words.  I think Soren Kierkegaard  got it right saying: “Life must be lived forwards but can only be understood backwards.”  In other words, we live our lives never fully understanding our purpose but discerning pieces of it day by day.  Albert Einstein sensed this when he said: “My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.”  Imagine that.  This genius talking about our “frail and feeble mind.” 

In The Merging of Spirit and Science, he put the same sentiment in this way: “To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms - this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religion.”

So, explorers, keep exploring, keep practicing, keep being “present and in awe” as you fulfill your destiny, your only obligation.  Our faculties may be dull .. relatively .. but we can still perceive a lot, discern a lot, be transformed into the person of our highest ideals, our greatest potential, our destiny.

+ Spirituality & Practice offers many resources on the practice of discernment.

+ Spirituality & Practice offers 37 Spiritual Practices with an abundance of ideas and resources for this essential practice. Some of my favorites are Attention, Being Present, Connections, Enthusiasm, Imagination, Listening, Meaning, Openness, Questing, Reverence, Silence, Transformation and Vision. Pick one or 2 and see where you are led as you continue to discern your purpose, your path, your mission, your next step.

+ I have work to do on my Discernment page.   Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Discernment” to John@abundancetrek.com. 

+ You can always find a link to any of the Spiritual Explorations posts by going to http://abundancetrek.com/sepostsaccess.html

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS -- 41

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF DETACHMENT

+

If you could get rid

of yourself just once,

The secret of secrets

Would open to you.

The face of the unknown,

Hidden beyond the universe

Would appear on the

Mirror of your perception.

-- Rumi

+ Beyond yourself.  That’s where we are going.  That’s where we want to go. This is quite an adventure.  Heaven is beyond the fear, the anxiety, the doubt, the insecurity, the demands and expectations of our very limited egocentric self.

This heavenly realm we are seeking is not actually a destination.  Destiny is a more accurate description. We are always exploring this glorious realm whether we know it or not.  It is a mystery most of the time.  With a few exceptions, we humans don’t get to know “the secret of secrets” fully but we can get to know it partially and even have glimpses where we get to know “the secret of secrets” fully for a moment or two.  

Complete detachment is not what we are after.  We have to be attached in many ways here on earth.  But we don’t have to be attached as much as we are.  We can let go of a lot of unnecessary baggage.  Some of us might let go of more, even a lot more, than others.  We are free to decide moment after moment how much attachment to relationships, things, beliefs, opinions, etc. we need now.  We all can detach from a lot if we think about it and pray about it.  As Thoreau said: “Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.”

+ You can always find a link to any of the Spiritual Explorations posts by going to http://abundancetrek.com/sepostsaccess.html