Seasons of our Spirituality -how it changes during our lifetimes
This is self-serving, but there is method to this madness: I am leading an adult Christian ed class entitled “Spirituality Through the Seasons of Life,” looking at spiritual wisdom gleaned from life experiences, examining one’s spiritual path, and deciding what needs to go in order to draw closer to God. Basically, it’s looking at mid-life spirituality and beyond… We are using film clips, lots of questions, small groups, poetry, food, symbols (salt,seeds,yeast, candles), etc. to encourage people to attend….
“Mid-life spirituality” is a misnomer of sorts, as some people may have significant shifts in their beliefs earlier or later than mid-life. Sometimes as the church we want people to cling so closely to the faith they received as children, that we get threatened when members of the congregation say things like, “I don’t believe what I once did,” or “I don’t know what I believe anymore.”
How do we make room for people to grow in their faith and spiritual practices? I guess I’m asking, What have you done in your church on this topic? How did it work? What seemed to work well? What materials did you use?
Below are some resources, and I welcome hearing about what you’ve used or recommend…
The Soul Tells a Story: Engaging Creativity with Spirituality in the Writing Life by Vinita Hampton Wright
Comment by Josh Erickson on 23 September 2008:
Hi Susan,
I just finished reading Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson. I highly recommend is as a resource for lectio divinia. He gives more then the how to but the why to. He does follow Barth CD 1.1 in his theology of Scripture. But in some very important ways I think Barth’s approach to Scripture is actually rather post-modern. Just one resource that might helps.
Comment by jim schmotzer on 24 September 2008:
the critical journey by j. hagberg & r. guelich has been an encouragement to me. this is a topic i am deep into for pers and ministry reasons. becoming adult, becoming christain by fowler is another one i use.
Comment by Susan Baller-Shepard on 4 October 2008:
thanks very much Josh & Jim, I appreciate it, thank you.
I forgot to mention “Midwives of an Unnamed Future: Spirituality for Women in Times of Unprecedented Change” by Mary Ruth Broz and Barbara Flynn
and on men’s spirituality, one I have not read yet, “Adams Return: The 5 Promises of Male Initiation” by Father Richard Rohr, or his “Everything Belongs”
and for either, Joan Chittister’s “The Gift of Years: Growing Old Gracefully”