Chapters 1 & 2

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Chapter 1 "a bridge to God"

Wednesday morning is almost here and that means I need to get some questions to you as a way of helping the flow of discussion. What I thought would work was to take two questions directly from each chapter as it is structured and then we can have time to explore our own thoughts. An additional question is chosen for you to consider on your own. If you are so inspired leave a comment below.

Chapter 1: Consider the 4 elements of Ignatian Spirituality (pp 5-11): finding God in all things, becoming a contemplative in action, looking at the world in an incarnational way and seeking freedom and detachment. Does any approach come more naturally to you than others?

Do you shy away from any- if so what might be the root of that resistance? (discussion question)

What's the most compelling part of the life of St Ignatius? Where might your life intersect with his? For example, have you ever found God in times of vulnerability? (discussion)

Something to consider: What other spiritualities -- Christian or otherwise -- are you familiar with? How does the practicality of the way of Ignatius offer a "bridge to God" in a new or different way.

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Second Meeting

We had our second meeting of our book group yesterday and what a wonderful discussion! Having started late and being down a couple of members we decided to only talk about the first two chapters (and good thing too because we still ran overtime)!

For me, one of the things I walked away with was how much I admire the people in the room and the richness of their own personal experiences. The thought that keeps running through my mind, (but is not really new) is how we must honor where each person is on their own path to God. I think this is vital because it requires us to step outside of our own experience and into anothers. It requires us to broaden our idea of "path" and of God. I go back to Rob Bell's term of Holy Ground. Whenever we are talking of matters of faith, we are always on Holy Ground. This is always good for me to remember.

Speaking of paths, we spent a good portion of time identifying our own path. We addressed how it can challenge us when other people close to us choose a different path. If you would like to share yours in the comment section or any part of the discussion, please feel free!

If you would like to address the spirituality discussion in chapter one we are here for that too!

The point of this blog is not just for me to talk but for us to discuss. As we mentioned yesterday and as Fr. Martin points out, community matters. Cheryl quoted someone (she couldn't remember) that "conversion begins with conversation" "conver...conver"...clever and true. We are all in need of conversion of some kind so lets converse and open our hearts to the workings of the Holy Spirit!