1. Merton sees meditation as a set time and place to get to know God deeper and more intimately. During this set time the goal is to focus entirely on God and not get distracted by anything else, to focus on God's love and is-ness.
2. Obstacles Merton presented were avoiding God when he is talking to us, we do this out of either confusion or no confidence. Pride, which is when we get above our "level" and therefore trap ourselves in our pride. Merton suggests that in order to help with this problem a spiritual mentor.
3. The reminder that Prayer is a process and that we need to work for it is always a comfort especially when I hear others pray and start to compare my prayers to theirs. Prayer id not a contest, and it always helps to be reminded of that.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Monday, February 15, 2016
Nouwen
1). According to Nouwen solitude is being without distraction in a place where we are able to fully concentrate and give our full attention and devotion to God.
2). According to Nouwen through Spiritual discipline we can prevent the world from infiltrating our thoughts, and we are truly free to pray and allow the Holy Spirit into our lives. He suggests putting aside a time and place for God and God alone.
3). Nouwen describes the Absurd life as being deaf because we need to learn to listen to God. The obedient life he describes as listening, in order to be obedient to God we need to be listening to what he says. I do find these helpful because we need to make that transition from being Spiritually empty and "deaf" to being able to listen to God, and to do so, we need Spiritual discipline.
2). According to Nouwen through Spiritual discipline we can prevent the world from infiltrating our thoughts, and we are truly free to pray and allow the Holy Spirit into our lives. He suggests putting aside a time and place for God and God alone.
3). Nouwen describes the Absurd life as being deaf because we need to learn to listen to God. The obedient life he describes as listening, in order to be obedient to God we need to be listening to what he says. I do find these helpful because we need to make that transition from being Spiritually empty and "deaf" to being able to listen to God, and to do so, we need Spiritual discipline.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Athanasius
1). God created Humanity so that we can know him. We are made in God's image because we are his treasured creation, and so that we can have a deeper relationship with God.
2). Humanity, instead to worshiping the creator turned to worshiping the creation,resulting in separation from God. We created gods to worship instead of worshiping God, and totally separated ourselves from God, but God still continues to come after us.
3).God makes himself known to us through other people, his Word, and the universe. We are surrounded by the beauty God has created in his universe everyday, and by family and teachers who always tell me about God and his love for me and everyone, and I have the great blessing of being able to own a Bible so that i can read his Word everyday.
4). God restored Humanity by becoming human in order to tell us of himself and his Love for us. Jesus submitted himself to death in order to save us so that we can draw closer to God and further know him.
2). Humanity, instead to worshiping the creator turned to worshiping the creation,resulting in separation from God. We created gods to worship instead of worshiping God, and totally separated ourselves from God, but God still continues to come after us.
3).God makes himself known to us through other people, his Word, and the universe. We are surrounded by the beauty God has created in his universe everyday, and by family and teachers who always tell me about God and his love for me and everyone, and I have the great blessing of being able to own a Bible so that i can read his Word everyday.
4). God restored Humanity by becoming human in order to tell us of himself and his Love for us. Jesus submitted himself to death in order to save us so that we can draw closer to God and further know him.
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