http://chriserdman.com awakening the spiritual life Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:56:06 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Toward the Sixth Stage of Spiritual Growth: Abiding in Love Continued from a previous series of posts on the stages of spiritual growth . . . Most people tend to think of a goal, even a spiritual goal as an ascent from a lower level to a higher one, as if ... http://chriserdman.com/contemplation-and-meditation/advancing-in-the-spiritual-life-twin-perils/ Once a visiting philosopher asked St Anthony (the Great, 251-356 CE) how such a sage spiritual advisor survived in the desert without any books. Anthony replied, "My book is the Creation, and as often as I need to read the words of God, the book is always nearby." St. ... http://chriserdman.com/contemplation-and-meditation/the-cathedral-of-creation/ Continued from a previous series of posts on the stages of spiritual growth . . . In Stage Five, you are now moved by the Spirit outward again in love, a love that compels you into an experience of abundance you've not know up to this point. In the ... http://chriserdman.com/contemplation-and-meditation/2909/ Continued from a previous series of posts on the stages of spiritual growth . . . The fifth of the six stages that characterize our spiritual growth as Christians is marked by a new turn outward toward others and the creation. In this stage, your life expresses an integration of ... http://chriserdman.com/contemplation-and-meditation/the-fifth-stage-of-spiritual-growth-moving-outward-again/ Below is an email exchange with a reader. He's given permission to post these notes. I thought it would be helpful for you to hear about another reader's journey into the prayer of the heart . . . Dear Chris; I write to say “thank you” for the encouragement I ... http://chriserdman.com/contemplation-and-meditation/prayer-the-key-is-to-simply-practice-what-you-know/ Continued from a previous series of posts on the stages of spiritual growth . . . You're sitting quietly, resting, waiting, being in the presence of God. And now . . . when something draws you away again—and it will (for these moments of pure prayer, absolute awareness of nothing but God, ... http://chriserdman.com/contemplation-and-meditation/practicing-the-jesus-prayer-part-two-of-two/ Continued from a previous series of posts on the stages of spiritual growth . . . Find a quiet place. Sit still. Back straight. Begin by greeting the Light, the Beloved. Follow your easy breath, in and out. Survey your whole body, beginning with the toes ... http://chriserdman.com/contemplation-and-meditation/practicing-the-jesus-prayer-part-one-of-two/ Continued from previous posts . . . As part of this current series of posts about the stages of spiritual growth, I wrote most recently about the experience called “The Wall.” At the Wall, you have to face what’s standing in the way between you and God—and that’s never easy. ... http://chriserdman.com/contemplation-and-meditation/advancing-in-the-spiritual-life-the-jesus-prayer-as-partner/ About the practice of Lectio Divina (divine or spiritual reading), author and blogger, Tony Jones, says: I discovered lectio divina many years ago, during a very spiritually dry time in my life. In the time since, I have practiced lectio innumerable times, and it’s become a core aspect of my ... http://chriserdman.com/contemplation-and-meditation/lectio-divina-might-save-your-prayer-life/ There's an awful lot of taming of this mystery we call the Incarnation. Here Parker Palmer explores the risk of the Incarnation. An apt way of putting things in a time when we're becoming more aware of the tremendous risk it is to be human. http://chriserdman.com/those-who-show-us-the-way/2873/