Showing posts with label Spiritual book discussion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual book discussion. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Spiritual but not religious

 How do you identify? Were you raised in a religious tradition? If so, which one? Have you continued your membership in the religious group of your youth or have you changed it or dropped away from any involvement in a religious group?


I grew up as a Roman Catholic and have moved to Unitarian Universalism but I consider myself "interreligious" meaning I find value in almost all faith traditions. I am interested in what is called the "perennial philosophy" meaning the beliefs and values that all religions have in common.

David Markham

Join our spiritual book discussion group.

Click image to enlarge.




Join the spiritual book discussion group

 Spiritualbookdiscussion@groups.io

This group is for the discussion of spiritual books which are interfaith in orientation. 

One of the spiritual practices helpful to nurture spiritual growth is to do at least 15 minutes of spiritual reading a day. This group will explore a wide ranging group of books from religious classics in the Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Native American, humanist, philosophical traditions. A new book will be suggested every month, but if the discussions are substantial and merit more time they may be extended beyond a month.


Monday, October 26, 2020

Spiritual book discussion book for November, 2020, Scripture Unbound: A Unitarian Universalist Approach by Jonalu Johnstone

 Spiritual book for discussion in November, 2020, is Scripture Unbound: A Unitarian Universalist Approach by Jonalu Johnstone. Buy it now to be prepared for November's discussion. You might also consider it as a holiday gift.


Friday, August 21, 2020

Possible spiritual book discussion book for October, 2020. What do you think?

I am very interested in the interfaith religious movement and found this book today on Amazon and ordered a copy. It might be a selection for the spiritual book discussion for October, 2020 if people are interested.



Sunday, August 9, 2020

Spiritual Book Discussion - The Spiritual Child - The importance of nurturing a child's spirituality


The UU A Way Of Life spiritual book discussion usually chooses a book a month for discussion. This month, being the first book, the discussion will last two months: August and September. There is plenty of time to get a copy of the book and join our discussion below.

The importance of nurturing a child’s spirituality.

Our children have an inborn spirituality that is the greatest source of resilience they have as human beings, and we, as parents, can support our children’s spiritual development. Our parenting choices in the first two decades radically affect our children’s spiritual development in ways that last their entire lives. Natural spirituality, in fact, appears to be the single most significant factor in children’s health and their ability to thrive.

Miller, Dr. Lisa. The Spiritual Child (p. 6). St. Martin's Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

As a Psychiatric Social Worker with over 50 years experience in the field of mental health and substance abuse I have always been fascinated with the question , “What makes you tick?” Rarely these days do people respond with any reference to their interior spiritual life or their spiritual nurturance as children. If people do bring up religious training it is often a source of wounding and distress.

In  my professional training we were taught what is referred to as the “bio-psycho-social” model. Only in the last 10 - 20 yrs has there been more attention paid to the spiritual. We will get to the distinction between religious training and spiritual training in the next article, but for now let’s focus on what spiritual experiences and inklings you had in the first two decades of your life, and what spiritual experiences and practices you would like to encourage your children to develop? Who can help you with this?





Saturday, June 22, 2019

Spiritual book discussion - Maturity: The Responsibility Of Being Oneself.


From Maturity: The Responsibility Of Being Oneself by Osho

"Listen to your being. It is continuously giving you hints; it is a still, small voice. It does not shout at you, that is true.

And if you are a little silent you will start feeling your way.

Be the person you are. Never try to be another, and you will become mature.

Maturity is accepting the responsbility of being oneself, whatever the cost.

Risking all to be oneself, that's what maturity is all about." p.xxii

Comment:

This idea of being oneself and not trying to be like someone else is part of the perennial psychology which comes up repeatedly in most religions and philosophy.

We seek the genuine, the authentic, the sincere, the "real deal."

We spend a life time comparing ourself to others, and trying to belong. We compete to succeed and take pride in our success in becoming superior to others, outperforming others, wanting to be special, wanting to be "the best."

There is something about this striving which is antithetical to maturity. This comparsion with others and competitiveness seems childish.

While striving, competing, comparing may be necessary in the first stage of life, it blocks are further spiritual awareness of our true self and our natural inheritance of recpients of Unconditional Love as the Universalists have taught us.

Osho reminds us that true maturity is becoming aware of our ordinariness, our lack of specialness, that we like everyone else are unique but part of the Oneness.
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