Tag Archives: Church history
Spiritual Community in a Mid-Size Church (3)
Before the holiday break we were talking about how we, as we are becoming a mid-size church, can keep alive one of our core values – authentic spiritual community. Continuing that lesson today, we’re talking about several related themes; today, … Continue reading
Posted in Community in a Mid-Size Church
Tagged Church history, community, spiritual community
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What Kind of God Do We Have? (2)
Last week, we looked at how our different views of God affect the kind of Christianity we live. Today we take a deeper look at the implications for spiritual fervor in the emerging worldview. Continue reading
The Ancient Practice of Watchfulness (2)
bout 1000 years ago, the Christian Church split into the Eastern Orthodox church and the Western, Latin church. There were a lot of political squabbles behind the split (called The Great Schism), but the main reason had to do with two fundamentally different approaches to spirituality. In simplified terms, the West had a cerebral, philosophical approach to the spiritual journey, while the East had more of a heart approach.
It was a tragic divide, because we need both. It was akin to splitting the human brain into one hemisphere or the other. We need them both!
We in the West need to hear what our Eastern brothers and sisters have to say about spiritual practices… particularly abouthe spiritual discipline we introduced last week; “watchfulness of thoughts.” Continue reading
Posted in The Crazy-Making Power of Money
Tagged ancient spiritual paths, Church history, money, watchfulness of thoughts
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Who Comes to NRCC: The Religious Deconstructionist
Recently, the man in our community who helps people find us on the web asked me for help. To help him design Google campaigns, he wanted me to define the people for whom NRCC is a fit. “Who comes here and stays,” he asked. “What kind of people find NRCC good for their souls?” So for an hour or so, he asked me questions and feverishly typed out what I said. Together we came up with four personae (plural for “persona…” who knew?) who find Life at NRCC…
The Community Seeker
The Religious Deconstructor (and it’s companion the Religious Constructor)
The Disillusioned Church Veteran
The Wilderness Wanderer
These are precious people, and this lesson will help us understand each other, and help us help one another move forward on our journeys. Continue reading
Thanksgiving 2010 (part 2)
Continuing where we left off last week, we consider how gratitude, expressed in good works, is manifest in our lives. Continue reading
Posted in Thanksgiving
Tagged Church history, ethics, good works, grace, gratitude, thankfulness, Thanksgiving, The Golden Rule
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Don’t Waste Your Time Going to Church (part 3)
We’re looking at the exercises we’ve been doing together on Sundays for centuries and centuries. As anything we do for an extend period, they can become rote, and we can begin to practice them without understanding or without a vested interest.
So we’re thinking together about the ancient practices, the ancient spiritual exercises.
Today, we think about the radicalized version of hospitality practiced in the first few centuries of the church, and how it served as political and social dissent against the norms of Roman society. Continue reading
Good Power vs. Bad: Humility
In this second installment of our lesson on Good Power, we look first at how necessary humility is to exercising good power, and second, how we develop humility in our souls. Continue reading
Introducing Meditation (part 2)
In 2009, NRCC is embarking on a one-year experiment in integrating the ancient Christian contemplative practices into our lives. This “Meditation Practicum” will be three 11-week sessions of learning, practicing, and supporting one another. Today’s message gives some introductory practicum to our experiment. It’s worth a listen even if you’re not at NRCC. Continue reading
Posted in Christian Meditation
Tagged 3 levels of consciousness, cataphatic/apophatic, Christian Meditation, Church history, human nature, lectio divina, Meditation Practicum, prayer, spiritual wellness, true/false self
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Introducing Meditation (part 1)
In 2009, NRCC is embarking on a one-year experiment in integrating the ancient Christian contemplative practices into our lives. This “Meditation Practicum” will be three 11-week sessions of learning, practicing, and supporting one another. Today’s message gives some context to our experiment. It’s worth a listen even if you’re not at NRCC. Continue reading
Posted in Christian Meditation
Tagged 3 levels of consciousness, cataphatic/apophatic, Christian Meditation, Church history, lectio divina, Meditation Practicum, prayer, spiritual wellness
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