Wow, these are good posts. As soon as I read this discussion on the word spiritual I dug out my books written by Joan Chittister. My favorite is "Called to Question" A Spiritual Memoir. A must read for anyone interested in these posts. The whole book explodes with thoughts about this topic. Her last paragraph in chapter 2 "Spirituality: Beyond the boundaries of religion. " says, "Spirituality is a commitment to immersion in God, to the seeking that has no end. It is a consciousness of engrossment in God that defies convention, that lives beyond convention, that eclipses convention. Religion, the finger pointing at the moon, is not the moon. Simply keeping the rules, accepting the conventions, and loving the pomp that comes with religion will not get us there. For that we need a spirituality of search. Thanks for reminding me I have this book in my closet. Bob VE