Growth Christianity

[RJM]

It sounds very personal and like you're just trying to share some of your spiritual experiences here

 

[otherbrother]

Regarding your question “Why here?” on a forum that implies sharing of religious customs (as the “Beliefs” part) and their relationship to spirituality,
When it comes to my Christian “beliefs.”I am comfortable with meaningful myths or inspirational symbolism. The way it works in a life, its FUNCTION, is what I care about. Probably an outgrowth of my clinical psychology career (now retired). If a “Belief” is not therapeutic, what is its value? Just a comfortable habit? A pacifier? That would be more like an addiction. And addictions generally stunt our growth.

 

[EricPH]

To love God and to love all our neighbours as we love ourselves, is probably the biggest challenge to growth. Our neighbours put so many obstacles in the way, that it is hard to love them as we love ourselves. Our spiritual growth hangs on breaking down these barriers.

Jesus died for me and for everyone else, he broke down the barriers between us and him. To know we are first loved by Jesus, God, is the inspiration to pass this love on, in the way it is given to us.

 

[otherbrother]

It sounds very personal and like you're just trying to share some of your spiritual experiences here

RJM,
I think you hit the bent, rusty, old nail on the head. Since my value system prefers two parts spiritual to one part religious, my mind zoomed in on the second word in the title of this particular forum. And that leaves me emphasizing directly experienced “spirituality,” over second hand accounts (even if from experts) of spirituality.
Without the spiritual experience of connecting/relating to the stars on summer nights in the country as a young boy, I’m not sure I would have gotten much spirituality from my rural church upbringing. But that nature connection “saved” me from the dark side of human relationships, the tyranny of other (tempting us to comply without really understanding and glad-heart appreciation), and the duality of self and other.

The whole twinkling night sky pointed diffusely toward the wave-like overlap of self with other through the watery nature of love as an energy flow, as a “verb.”

Interesting that Christmas as we celebrate it, is actually a hybrid of paganism (nature-oriented) and Christianity. The Christmas tree and the Tree of Life married.

It was my own nature spirituality that allowed Christianity to work as a viable vehicle for spiritual growth and maintenance. Both/and.
The expanding light of Winter solstice compliments the Children of the Light and the Anointed Ones,

 

[otherbrother]

Shared this with some church friends of ours, anthem/poem shared here earlier, but timing is everything and context is king:

Dear friends,
Becky wanted me to share this poem version of an anthem I wrote for our church.
Don't know if I'll make a musical version or not.
These are some values and orientations that Becky pray will grace our chosen religion. It is an anthem for (what I call) "Growth Christianity," in contrast to traditional "Rescue Christianity."


May We Move

May we move from compliance
to compassion and care,
from beliefs that are ours
to love we share,
from Christians knowing
to Christians growing.
May we move from here
to there.
May we nurture a miracle
and move
from a rut to a new religious groove.
May we move, may we move
from here to there.

We will tickle the strings of the universe,
a creation that’s never done.
And we’ll sing across the ages
for the heroes that went unsung.
And we’ll hum songs of mercy
for the closed of heart
who seem to forfeit the pearly gates,
transforming the groans of those muted souls
into music that liberates.

We will trust that this whole creation
is lovingly placed in our hands
and at our feet stepping slowly towards justice,
a harmony the heart understands.
And we’ll dance to a rapturous cadence
(no more marching in neat little lines).
We’ll weave clothes out of interdependence
that a deep-breathing Spirit designs.

May we move from compliance
to compassion and care,
from beliefs that are ours
to love we share,
from Christians knowing
to Christians growing.
May we move from here
to there.
May we nurture a miracle
and move
from a rut to a new religious groove.
May we move, may we move
from here to there.

Love,
D&B

 

[otherbrother]

Becky and I, that is

 

[RJM]

I'm the same. I believe God responds to reasonable prayers

 

[otherbrother]

To love God and to love all our neighbours as we love ourselves, is probably the biggest challenge to growth. Our neighbours put so many obstacles in the way, that it is hard to love them as we love ourselves. Our spiritual growth hangs on breaking down these barriers.

Jesus died for me and for everyone else, he broke down the barriers between us and him. To know we are first loved by Jesus, God, is the inspiration to pass this love on, in the way it is given to us.

Transcending the tendency to make the barriers is a real challenge, like climbing a mountain. But the view up there is spectacular, whenever we manage to summit. In the meantime, I guess we need to count hills as mountains.

 

[otherbrother]

I'm the same. I believe God responds to reasonable prayers

Even if we are actually reaching down deep inside ourselves where our God-given potential resides, summoning our True Self?
I’m good either way: prayer or summoning.
Both are the God function.

 

[otherbrother]

I'm trying to come to terms with the product you are promoting here and who you are promoting it to as it's under Belief and Spirituality and not the Christianity sub forum. The Holy Spirit reveals to each individual what He wants them to learn.. we can hear amazing messages and maybe take them into ourselves but for a short time but unless it's a rhema word by God spoken in our lives by the dunamis power of God it doesn't have the power to change a believer.

The Church are the believers and the equipping of the saints is for believers. We are called to go out into the world to share the gospel but the world is not going to understand what you are saying here about Christian growth. That is why I question what you are promoting and to who you are promoting it to

It will take a discernment as to whether sin theology accidentally let a fear-based motivation (which can work in the short run for the totally lost) creep into a love-based religion. Redirecting the very list is one thing, and has the effect of “saving,” but it should only be a start of a motivation out of love to grow into the spiritual potential that God wove into each creation called humans, comprising the “world He so loved.”

 

[RJM]

Even if we are actually reaching down deep inside ourselves where our God-given potential resides, summoning our True Self?
I’m good either way: prayer or summoning.
Both are the God function.

The Benedictine monks conclude every service with the words: "May the Divine assistance be always with us (and with our absent bretheren)"

I believe that angels are not permitted by divine law from interfering in my own human life without my invitation. I believe that prayer is opening myself to the Divine assistance. It is submission and surrender to the Divine and letting God take over completely.

The response I get may not at first always seem to be what I expect or what I want; it may involve me having to surrender many attachments, material and emotional. that burden me and which might feel painful to me at the time, to enter through the narrow door to (spiritual) freedom

Just my own thoughts ...

 

[Faithfulservant]

The Benedictine monks conclude every service with the words: "May the Divine assistance be always with us (and with our absent bretheren)"

I believe that angels are not permitted by divine law from interfering in my own human life without my invitation. I believe that prayer is opening myself to the Divine assistance. It is submission and surrender to the Divine and letting God take over completely.

The response I get may not at first always seem to be what I expect or what I want; it may involve me having to surrender many attachments, material and emotional. that burden me and which might feel painful to me at the time, to enter through the narrow door to (spiritual) freedom

Just my own thoughts ...

I agree with this to a point. I've also had many times where had an Angel not interfered I would most assuredly have been dead or the many times my children would have been in harms way. I'm also comforted with scripture that states He gives His Angels charge over me lest I dash my foot against a stone. So I think there may be some autonomy to what Angels may interfere with.

 

[RJM]

I agree with this to a point. I've also had many times where had an Angel not interfered I would most assuredly have been dead or the many times my children would have been in harms way. I'm also comforted with scripture that states He gives His Angels charge over me lest I dash my foot against a stone. So I think there may be some autonomy to what Angels may interfere with.

Because your (humble and submissive) prayer way of life means you are always open to angels. Imo?

Man has free will. Angels may watch and weep, but may not interfere with our free will without our own invitation, imo.

It is very humbling to me to realize that God's own law requires my puny permission before He may help me.

"Behold I stand at the door and knock"

 

[otherbrother]

It will take a discernment as to whether sin theology accidentally let a fear-based motivation (which can work in the short run for the totally lost) creep into a love-based religion. Redirecting the very list is one thing, and has the effect of “saving,” but it should only be a start of a motivation out of love to grow into the spiritual potential that God wove into each creation called humans, comprising the “world He so loved.”

Is Christianity ready to follow the lead of Rob Bell, author of Love Wins, and walk away from Hell doctrine and associated sin theology? Will it have gone to Hell and back?!!!

Tribalism requires conformity and threat of being kicked out of tribe and left out in the cold. That is what Hell symbolizes, and it is damning to those dependent on the tribe for survival.

At some point we might transcend the tribal underpinnings and go for “glad heart” (love-based) cooperation. The threat of hell no longer needed.
We tighten up inside when afraid, which eventually blocks the flow of spirit and stunts our growth.

 

[RJM]

Is Christianity ready to follow the lead of Rob Bell, author of Love Wins, and walk away from Hell doctrine and associated sin theology? Will it have gone to Hell and back?!!!

Tribalism requires conformity and threat of being kicked out of tribe and left out in the cold. That is what Hell symbolizes, and it is damning to those dependent on the tribe for survival.

At some point we might transcend the tribal underpinnings and go for “glad heart” (love-based) cooperation. The threat of hell no longer needed.
We tighten up inside when afraid, which eventually blocks the flow of spirit and stunts our growth.

Is there a "We Christians" club?

 

[muhammad_isa]

Is there a "We Christians" club?

Catholics and Protestants belong to the same 'tribe' ..
..but often differ in opinion.

 

[wil]

Growth Christianity (to me) would be religious organizations that eschewed gluttony and hoarding of funds. That quit glorifying preachers and supporting the ones that lived extravagant lifestyles.

I'd apply that to any religion...take away the dollars and see who the spirit moves to preach the message.

 

[otherbrother]

I believe that angels are not permitted by divine law from interfering in my own human life without my invitation. I believe that prayer is opening myself to the Divine assistance. It is submission and surrender to the Divine and letting God take over completely.

The notion of angels sometimes intervenin seems similar to what David Bohm and Basil Hiley called “active information” in their book, The Undivided Universe. In regards to very tiny particles somehow exchanging information that alters each other’s course, so as to coordinate actions. The angels work on tiny particles too? Guides as well as messengers. Active information.

Again, probably a deep (overall) reality function personified as an “angel” so we can better relate to (“locate” and use) the function.

Spirituality is perhaps learning how overall reality works. We do seem to have the means to get assistance from the so-called “other side.” Which I think is way deep INSIDE. In line with the notion of a fountain flowing deep and wide. From our surface reality perspective, that would mostly mean flowing FROM deep to wide. But the “anointed” wide must also flow back to the deep, via “love of God”, etc. Or, as you say, by “invitation.” We open up and allow the fountain flow to and fro. Deep and Wide,

 

[RabbiO]

For those who care, other than a miniscule honorarium I have never made any money as a rabbi. All my income came from my secular employment.

 

[Thomas]

Is Christianity ready to follow the lead of Rob Bell, author of Love Wins, and walk away from Hell doctrine and associated sin theology? Will it have gone to Hell and back?!!!

@otherbrother – please don't assume that populist writers and preachers are necessarily saying anything new or revolutionary ...

He seems to be an Uncertain Universalist?

As regards Bell's 'lead' – I'd say Christianity has been questioning itself since its foundation, the old definition of theology; Faith seeking Understanding (St Anselm 11th century) – where it seems Bell is 'light' is on answers, or rather, reasoned answers, founded on Scripture, and argued cogently?

(Not denying his popularity, or his appeal as a preacher ... but preachers and teachers are different animals)