Raven Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 How does language “an approach to God” fit your spiritual needs? “An” approach, instead of “the” approach, fits me perfectly. It gives me the flexibility to find a path that works for me, with the understanding that someone else’s path might be different, and that my path may also change as I do. I also like the concept of me doing the approaching, rather than waiting for God to approach me. 2. What language would you have used for you own spiritual journey? I would use words like “winding,” “open,” “confusing,” “fulfilling,” “challenging,” “frustrating,” and “rewarding.” 3. Do you feel as the life and teachings of Jesus have brought you closer to an experience of God? How so? Through the life and teachings of Jesus I feel I’ve come closer now to the purpose of what (for me) life consists of. The most basic, soulful parts of Jesus’ teachings relate to helping others, showing kindness, serving, being honest, and being open. I experience God on a daily basis through these types of acts and experiences. 4. How does the absence of salvation language help or detract from your spiritual path? It helps immensely. In other faith traditions, and in other Christian denominations, there is a theme of people being broken, being unworthy, being in need of “saving” from a lot of issues, including themselves. The absence of salvation language lets me connect with God’s unconditional love. I am worthy and I am loved, as I am now. I am already good enough. 5. How does the Jesus of history or his teachings affect your understanding of God? I don’t have too much knowledge currently of “historical Jesus” but it’s an area that interests me. Maybe I’ll come back to this point at a later date. 6. How might our understanding of who and what we are, as human beings, change if we remove the need for the sacrifice of Jesus as the Pascal Lamb, our redeemer? I think those concepts relate to the guilt that we find in so many faith traditions and other denominations. The idea of, “Jesus died for our sins, so we need to be worthy to receive this sacrifice” causes a lot of guilt. Are we good enough for that? Do we deserve that kind of massive sacrifice? Is His death on our hands, or on our souls? It’s a lot for people to take in. If we remove that concept, I think people would feel more comfortable, more worthy approaching God as they are, without having to denounce themselves and their former lives, and become “born again” as a worthy individual. God’s love is unconditional, and it’s not about guilt or shame. 7. What is the difference between savior, hero, master, teacher, or prophet for you? Saviour – someone who rescues someone from something negative Hero – similar to a saviour, but the word “saviour” has a more religious vibe Master – someone who is better than I am at something; someone above me Teacher – someone who gives knowledge, wisdom to others Prophet – someone who speaks their version of “truth,” perhaps claiming to see what others cannot, or the future/visions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaykuck Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 How eloquently you write, especially about salvation and Jesus dying for our sins. I can use these concepts intermittently.For instance in the song "Was blind but now I see", I feel it describes an 180 degree turnaround in my own life. Growing into a better understanding of God and Jesus, realizing that my attitude towards homosexuality and my inherent racism are concepts that have taken me years to overcome and a Jesus of salvation fits in there somewhere. Jesus dying for our sins is more problematic. I struggle with he meaning of the resurection every year at Easter. Heaven and Hell are also problematic for me. Kay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 Thank you for the compliment, Kaykuck. I tried to explain myself as best I could. Personally, I think of the resurrection less in physical terms and more in metaphorical terms. To me, the concept of resurrection is about a new life with Jesus - a new outlook, walking a new path, a chance to start over and begin with a new perspective. I don't buy the concept of Jesus dying for my sins (or anyone else's sins), as much as I consider it to be part of the guilt story co-opted by the church. As for Heaven and Hell ... those are ideas I'm still sorting out, but I don't believe in a physical place where just the "good people" go after they die... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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