Download or read book Divine Presence written by Knut Alfsvag and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2021-09-09 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Theology should be at home both in the academy and in the church. This book takes such dual affiliation seriously and lets the two different contexts illuminate each other. It explores how we should understand theology within the context of the current debate on theory of science and discusses the methodological implications of belief in God as Creator and in the incarnation. The first part of the book concludes by examining the consequences of theology’s dual affiliation for the self-understanding of believers in general and theologians in particular. The second part deals with four different sources of theological knowledge and their relation to each other: the Bible, the history of the church, experience, and reason. Among the central issues are the status of the Bible in contemporary theology, the unity of the church, and the relationship between theology and the natural sciences. The central question is: where do we experience divine presence?
Download or read book Coming Home to Divine Presence written by Tiara Kumara and published by . This book was released on 2019-02-14 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THERE IS NO GREATER POWER THAN THE DIVINE PRESENCE WITHIN YOU. In this inspiring book, we are shown how to authentically experience the God within, not as a lofty ideal but as a sustained inner realization and a down-to-earth embodied expression. These are extraordinary teachings of empowering spiritual principles to help us enrich and improve the quality of our lives while being of tremendous influence to all those around us. Embodying our greater light helps us to walk in bold confidence and to be self-assured, with full integrity from the inside out. These elegant teachings will help you to deepen in connection with your higher power and even authentically embody this supreme Presence. These are timeless discussions of inspiring universal truths to help us enrich and improve the quality of our lives while being of tremendous influence to all those around us. This is a true literary gift for spiritual advancement. Topics include, * Opening the Channels to Higher Knowledge, * Shifting Polarization to Divine Mind, * Transcending the Code of Separation, * Transitioning into a New Thought Structure, * Evolving Beyond the Human Senses, * Thriving through the Reflective Mirror, * Breaking the Bonds of Habitual Thought, *Serving as Love's Radiator.
Download or read book The Practice of the Presence of God written by Brother Lawrence and published by BEYOND BOOKS HUB. This book was released on 2024-02-12 with total page 3 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Practice of the Presence of God is a spiritual classic written by Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century Carmelite monk. This small but impactful work is a compilation of letters and conversations attributed to Brother Lawrence, offering profound insights into cultivating a continuous awareness of the presence of God in everyday life.
Download or read book Coming Home to Your True Self written by Albert Haase OFM and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-04-07 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Albert Haase presents the spiritual journey as a return home. And home is the sacrament of the present moment. It is only living right now, right here, that we discover life and this world awash in the grace of God. We simply need to become aware and grow in greater sensitivity to the divine Presence who dwells within and in whom we dwell.
Download or read book How God Becomes Real written by T.M. Luhrmann and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The hard work required to make God real, how it changes the people who do it, and why it helps explain the enduring power of faith How do gods and spirits come to feel vividly real to people—as if they were standing right next to them? Humans tend to see supernatural agents everywhere, as the cognitive science of religion has shown. But it isn’t easy to maintain a sense that there are invisible spirits who care about you. In How God Becomes Real, acclaimed anthropologist and scholar of religion T. M. Luhrmann argues that people must work incredibly hard to make gods real and that this effort—by changing the people who do it and giving them the benefits they seek from invisible others—helps to explain the enduring power of faith. Drawing on ethnographic studies of evangelical Christians, pagans, magicians, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann notes that none of these people behave as if gods and spirits are simply there. Rather, these worshippers make strenuous efforts to create a world in which invisible others matter and can become intensely present and real. The faithful accomplish this through detailed stories, absorption, the cultivation of inner senses, belief in a porous mind, strong sensory experiences, prayer, and other practices. Along the way, Luhrmann shows why faith is harder than belief, why prayer is a metacognitive activity like therapy, why becoming religious is like getting engrossed in a book, and much more. A fascinating account of why religious practices are more powerful than religious beliefs, How God Becomes Real suggests that faith is resilient not because it provides intuitions about gods and spirits—but because it changes the faithful in profound ways.
Download or read book Invitation to Solitude and Silence written by Ruth Haley Barton and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2009-08-20 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christianity Today Book Award Much of our faith and practice is about words—preaching, teaching, talking with others. Yet all of these words are not enough to take us into the real presence of God where we can hear his voice. This book is an invitation to you to meet God deeply and fully outside the demands and noise of daily life. It is an invitation to solitude and silence. The beauty of a true invitation is that we really do have a choice about embarking on this adventure. God extends the invitation, but he honors our freedom and will not push himself where he is not wanted. Instead, he waits for us to respond from the depths of our desire. Will you say yes? This expanded edition includes a guide for groups to use both in discussing the book content and in learning to practice silence together.
Download or read book The Illusion of God s Presence written by John C. Wathey and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2016 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An essential feature of religious experience across many cultures is the intuitive feeling of God's presence. More than any rituals or doctrines, it is this experience that anchors religious faith, yet it has been largely ignored in the scientific literature on religion.Starting with a vivid narrative account of the life-threatening hike that triggered his own mystical experience, biologist John Wathey takes the reader on a scientific journey to find the sources of religious feeling and the illusion of God's presence. His book delves into the biological origins of this compelling feeling, attributing it to innate neural circuitry that evolved to promote the mother-child bond. Dr. Wathey argues that evolution has programmed the infant brain to expect the presence of a loving being who responds to the child's needs. As the infant grows into adulthood, this innate feeling is eventually transferred to the realm of religion, where it is reactivated through the symbols, imagery, and rituals of worship. The author interprets our various conceptions of God in biological terms as illusory supernormal stimuli that fill an emotional and cognitive vacuum left over from infancy. These insights shed new light on some of the most vexing puzzles of religion, like the popular belief in a god who is judgmental and punishing, yet also unconditionally loving; the extraordinary tenacity of faith; the greater religiosity of women relative to men; religious obsessions with sex; the mysterious compulsion to pray; the seemingly irrepressible feminine attributes of God, even in traditionally patriarchal religions; and the strange allure of cults. Finally, Dr. Wathey considers the hypothesis that religion evolved to foster reproductive success, arguing that, in an age of potentially ruinous overpopulation, magical thinking has become a luxury we can no longer afford, one that distracts us from urgent threats to our planet.Deeply researched yet elegantly written in a jargon-free and accessible style, this book presents a compelling interpretation of the evolutionary origins of spirituality and religion.
Download or read book Prayer 10th Anniversary Edition written by Richard J. Foster and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Best-selling author Richard J. Foster offers a warm, compelling, and sensitive primer on prayer, helping us to understand, experience, and practice it in its many forms-from the simple prayer of beginning again to unceasing prayer. He clarifies the prayer process, answers common misconceptions, and shows the way into prayers of contemplation, healing, blessing, forgiveness, and rest. Coming to prayer is like coming home, Foster says. "Nothing feels more right, more like what we are created to be and to do. Yet at the same time we are confronted with great mysteries. Who hasn't struggled with the puzzle of unanswered prayer? Who hasn't wondered how a finite person can commune with the infinite Creator of the universe? Who hasn't questioned whether prayer isn't merely psychological manipulation after all? We do our best, of course, to answer these knotty questions but when all is said and done, there is a sense in which these mysteries remain unanswered and unanswerable . . . At such times we must learn to become comfortable with the mystery." Foster shows how prayer can move us inward into personal transformation, upward toward intimacy with God, and outward to minister to others. He leads us beyond questions to a deeper understanding and practice of prayer, bringing us closer to God, to ourselves, and to our community.
Download or read book Sanctuary of the Divine Presence written by J. Zohara Meyerhoff Hieronimus and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-03-26 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kabbalistic initiatory teachings for becoming a vessel for illumination, prophecy, and peace by creating an inner dwelling place for God’s divine presence • Reveals practices for self mastery and revelation based on the holy design of the first Hebrew Sanctuary, the lives of the Hebrew Prophets, and the Tree of Life • Shows how the Tree of Life’s ten sefirot correspond to the Torah’s prophetic Ten Songs of Creation; to alchemical ritual practices of fire, water, air, and earth; and to specific parts of the body, emotions, and aspects of the soul Many synagogues and churches, including the First and Second Temples of the Hebrews, follow an archetypal design first used in the Ohel Moed, or Tent of Meeting, and its sacred Tabernacle, which housed the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments. Drawing from a wealth of sources including the Hebrew Bible, the oral Mishnaic tradition of Judaism, and 16th-century Judaic texts, Zohara Hieronimus explains how, like the Ohel Moed, we are designed to receive and reflect the divine qualities of the Creator. Exploring the kabbalistic initiatory teachings within the Chassidic tradition of Judaism and the lives and writings of the Hebrew prophets, she reveals how our physical and spiritual worlds are not separate but interdependent, one affecting the other, often in unexpected and sometimes miraculous ways. Examining the ten-part system of Kabbalah’s Tree of Life as reflected in the holy design of the Hebrews’ first Sanctuary, Hieronimus shows how the Tree of Life’s ten sefirot correspond to the Torah’s prophetic Ten Songs of Creation; to alchemical ritual practices of fire, water, air, and earth; and to specific parts of the body, emotions, and aspects of the soul. Starting from Malchut (Kingdom) at the bottom of the Tree of Life and ascending to Keter (Crown) at the top, the author discusses related biblical and scholarly texts and traditional Hebrew practices and teachings that can lead to spiritual enlightenment, illumination, and peace, allowing each of us to become a sanctuary for God’s presence through self-refinement, ritual devotion, and prayer, as practiced since biblical times.
Download or read book A Hunger for God written by John Piper and published by Inter-Varsity Press. This book was released on 2013-04-23 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is an appetite for God. And it can be awakened. I invite you to turn from the dulling effects of food and the dangers of idolatry, and to say with some simple fast: "This much, O God, I want you." Our appetites dictate the direction of our lives - whether it be the cravings of our stomachs, the passionate desire for possessions or power, or the longings of our spirits for God. But for the Christian, the hunger for anything besides God can be an arch-enemy. While our hunger for God - and Him alone - is the only thing that will bring victory. Do you have that hunger for Him? As John Piper puts it: "If we don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great." If we are full of what the world offers, then perhaps a fast might express, or even increase, our soul's appetite for God. Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence is this path of pleasant pain called fasting. It is the path John Piper invites you to travel in this book. For when God is the supreme hunger of your heart, He will be supreme in everything. And when you are most satisfied in Him, He will be most glorified in you.
Download or read book Divine Presence amid Violence written by Walter Brueggemann and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2009-02-11 with total page 93 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To pursue the matter of revelation in context, I will address an exceedingly difficult text in the Old Testament, Joshua 11. The reason for taking up this text is to deal with the often asked and troublesome question: What shall we do with all the violence and bloody war that is done in the Old Testament in the name of Yahweh? The question reflects a sense that these texts of violence are at least an embarrassment, are morally repulsive, and are theologically problematic in the Bible, not because they are violent, but because this is violence either in the name of or at the hand of Yahweh. -from chapter 2
Download or read book Determined Women s Bible Study Participant Workbook written by Heather M. Dixon and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2019-04-02 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: GROUP PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK - Imagine waking up every single day convinced that the twenty-four hours ahead of you are a precious gift to be used wisely. Now imagine that you know exactly how to spend them to be a force for God’s good. All too often we wander through life without appreciating the gift of every moment we’ve been given. The result? An unsatisfying life, missed opportunities to experience the joy of being in sync with God, and days marked with apathy instead of passion. Our time on earth is measured. We should want to make every moment count—not only because we aren’t guaranteed the next one, but also because this is exactly how our Savior spent His time here. How, then, do we walk out unwavering joy-filled faith every day, determined to let go of the things that keep us from experiencing abundant life and fulfilling the plans God has for us? The answers are found in following the footsteps of the One who lived fully, because He was determined that we might do the same. In this six-week study of Luke, we will follow the life and ministry of Jesus as we consider the choices He made on His way to the cross. We’ll intimately connect with a Savior who remained laser-focused on His mission to love the world. In return, we’ll receive a model for intentional living that we can replicate to ensure we are living each day to the fullest and making a difference for God’s kingdom. And together we’ll determine to embrace the abundant life we are promised in Jesus. It’s time to stop wandering and start living!
Download or read book The Divine Presence written by Nicole D. Macklin and published by Fulton Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2023-02-10 with total page 41 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The title Divine Presence came from God when one day, I was down to my last rope in life. And he came to me and let me hear his voice telling me, "everything is going to be okay." The sound of his voice was like sweet soft waves of water with a stern tone. Can you imagine being in the presence of God? And you can feel it in your heart that he's with you? That he is not going to let you go? The best feeling ever! But with his divine presence, nothing or no one can penetrate that. No anger or drama. Not even a broken heart can override that feeling of God's presence. The heavenly Father loves you through all your pain, and I am here to share what he has done for me. He will do the same for you if you just believe and hold on to your faith. It's been many times, even through my faith in God, I felt like giving up. Not holding on anymore. But when God gives you his divine presence, there's no way he is going to let you fall and not get back up. He is going to let you see and feel that he is with you.
Download or read book Finding Our Way Home written by Myke Johnson and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2016-11-25 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this time of ecological crisis, all that is holy calls us into a more intimate partnership with the diverse and beautiful beings of this earth. In Finding Our Way Home, Myke Johnson reflects on her personal journey into such a partnership and offers a guide for others to begin this path. Lyrically expressed, it weaves together lessons from a chamomile flower, a small bird, a copper beech tree, a garden slug, and a forest fern, along with insights from Indigenous philosophy, environmental science, fractal geometry, childhood Catholic mysticism, the prophet Elijah, fairy tales, and permaculture design. This eco-spiritual journey also wrestles with the history of our society's destruction of the natural world, and its roots in the original theft of the land from Indigenous peoples. Exploring the spiritual dimensions of our brokenness, it offers tools to create healing. Finding Our Way Home is a ceremony to remember our essential unity with all of life.
Download or read book Coming Home written by Lex Hixon and published by Tarcher. This book was released on 1989 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the experience of enlightenmentin sacred traditions and how it affects those who experience it.
Download or read book Coming Home written by Kathy Spiciarich and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2022-10-23 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coming Home, a teaching memoir, was written for any spiritual seeker searching for a Power greater than ourselves. Author Kathy Spiciarich shares the revelations, truths and powerful spiritual experiences leading to her own enlightenment, as she relays the steps necessary to make the life-changing connection to the Spirit, to Higher Power, to God within. She teaches you how, by embracing the spiritual landscape, the Spirit within will naturally guide you and direct your steps. Life is a juggling act between deep material hunger and spiritual thirst, and if you feed only the material, your thirst will never be quenched. Once you find God, your soul starts to awaken and flourish. Faith, gratitude and trust flawlessly set the stage, letting the Spirit guide you through your every breath, and the Universe takes care of the rest. If you listen harder and search deeper you find that no boundaries can confine the Spirit within. You find your own extraordinary path, leading you to your many homes.
Download or read book Coming Home to Myself written by Marion Woodman and published by Conari Press. This book was released on 2001-04-01 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A meditation book for women seeking to raise to their self-esteem & connect more fully with themselves.
