Thanks for listening to Soul School which comes out each Wednesday. Be sure to listen on Friday for the weekly guest episode too. This week (2/19/16), it’s the amazing Bruce Van Horn!
Today’s episode is about the lesser-known themes of Lent.
LENT means Springtime. In much of the Northern Hemisphere of the world during this season spring has NOT sprung,but it has started underground. This is a metaphor for our interior lives at times too, isn’t it?
When everything seems barren, rebirth can be right there underground.
Millions of people around the world focus on this nature of the human experience. The new life that comes after a time of dormancy and expectancy in the 40 days before Easter is celebrated each year. See how the themes can benefit you as you consider them personally, even if you don’t follow the liturgical calendar.
Want to encounter this season more deeply and transformationally than ever this year?
I’ve been work at work to make that possible.
This lesson comes with a lot of extras! I made a great video lesson, I’ve included some fantastic resource links (including my favorite audio devotional link I’m using this year), and I made a companion worksheet to enhance the lesson that YOU WILL LOVE.
Soul School Lesson 9 includes selected excerpts of my new book on Discernment.
From December 9th-December 15th 2015, the Kindle book will be on special, starting at just 99¢ and increasing daily back to the original price. Snap up a few copies now and hand them out for the holidays or whenever you notice someone at a crossroads in their life.
Everyone gets forked in life…That point where your path comes to a split and you have to choose carefully which way to go.
Watch the new book trailer and get a taste of what it’s about!
Navigating the territory of crossroad or difficult decisions is also called, in many faith traditions, discernment.
My new book works like a practical pocket guide based on time-tested spiritual exercises that have helped people for over 400 years (The Spiritual Exercises by Ignatius of Loyola, originally written to help men make a wise decision about vocational priesthood).
FORKED: A Discernment Pocket Guide is a guidebook and an integrated process approach that includes all aspects of you: body, mind, and spirit in a prayerful way.
When we find a fork in our road we tend to dis-integrate from our whole and leave out key parts of us when we decide things. Keys things like the intuition, the imagination, the nature talents we have, or the godly passions of the heart that have been germination and waiting to sprout in fertile ground.
Seven key exercises in the book guide you through introspective questions that help you understand yourself and your situation better in a way you’ve never encountered.
There is no one way to accomplish the process. That means, you can progress through all of the the exercises, or pick the ones that make the best fit for you and your situation. Just grab a notebook and pen and begin.
My guest is a young man who reflects the mission of this project called Spark My Muse. That mission is to be the spark of light and love I (and we) want to see the world.
If that’s a mission you can support, please spread the word about what’s happening here and contribute a little bit to help me meet the financial burden of keeping this effort going.
Usama Awan is a medical Student at Ohio State and a Ahmadiyya Muslim that escaped religious persecution in his native Pakistan with his family when he was a young boy.
Contact him here: muslimperiscope@gmail.com
On Twitter @MuslimPeriscope
Ahmadiyya muslims are a moderate minority sect in the Muslim world and they believe their messiah came already.
The Messiah of the Ahmadiyya sect was Hazrat Mirza Ghulan Ahmad. He was a teacher and he was not divine.
Ahmadiyya believe in an established Khilafat is not a physical dominion but a dominion of the heart.
The website about his sect of Islam
http://www.alislam.org
2:30
Usama addresses some misconceptions about Islam.
About his wanting to change the perception of Muslims by going live on Periscope to answer questions.
3:40
Usama’s story of leaving Pakistan because of religious persecution.
His sect believes in a Messiah of Muslims (who died in 1908) and this belief makes his sect targets for persecution from other Muslims in the Muslim world.
6:00
Current leader (the Caliph) is Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad and lives in London. He advocates for peace.
8:00
About the belief in Jesus by Muslims.
Three goals of the Muslim Messiah:
1. Revive the teachings of Islam and bring Muslims back to the true teachings of Islam
2. To spread the truth about religion and to get humankind back to its Creator
3. To unite all religions
10:30
Worshipping the one true God and Creator.
Allah means God in Arabic. Arab Christians refer to God is Allah because it is the word for God.
12:00
Some of God’s attributes.
13:00
How names summarize us poorly.
14:00
God as male?
15:00
What Islam is not:
Terrorism is forbidden.
Life is precious, no matter the faith belief of the person.
19:30
Asking Usama, “Do you think most Muslims understand the truth?”
1.6 billion Muslims in the world but most have lost the true teachings of Islam–like a body without a beating heart.
The Muslim Messiah is there to get the heart of Islam to beat again.
20:40
The Quran is (usually) misunderstood. It is written in parables and must not be taken literally in ways that it is commonly.
The Calif (leader) is the ultimate authority on the Islamic teachings and there to resolve disputes.
23:00
What is the same about people is far more than what is different.
23:30
The big curveball question:
Was Mohammad violent and in favor of killing unbelievers?
The wars of Mohammad and were they fought in self-defense?
24:00
How the wars in (pagan/polytheistic) Mecca started around 610 AD.
Mohammad moves to Medina and the faith starts to spread.
27:00
Book by Karen Armstrong the life of Mohammad as a historical figure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Armstrong
THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL “in-betweener” episode! Check out the other one released this week too. • Rolf Potts here!
The Life After Midday Story…
This Autumn, when the giant Christian Broadcasting Network, Moody Radio, suddenly ended the award-winning and popular show for women called Midday Connection, fans were stunned and so were the four hosts of the program. The show ran strong for decades and dealt with tough topics with trustworthy and transformative authenticity, and now it was abruptly over.
In the weeks and months that followed the news (first conveyed confidentially to the hosts a few months earlier) host Lori Neff struggled to find her footing. What was her identity after losing her dream job , her 18-year career, and the interaction with her friends from her job? What should be the new path for her ministry and her life’s work?
In this beautiful episode, Lori conveys to us with her characteristic authenticity and her deep well of spiritual fortitude what was happening during that time, how she has processed the tumult of the upheaval in a way that has best connected with her values, and she reveals her exciting plans for the future (some of which include THIS show). It is an inspiring and a useful model for any of us in a difficult transition or painful situation. Her message will hearten and delight you.
Scroll down to click on the button to listen and see the shownotes below for links to things mentioned in the show.
We had a LIVE online podcast after-party, scroll to the bottom to view the replay!
Thank you for finding Spark My Muse project and listening in. So much is in store. Wonderful guests, new partnerships, and upcoming ways to connect. (Also, check out the community we started HERE.)
• If you have enjoyed the program and want to be a part of helping it continue, you can help out HERE. Even $1 or 2 is wonderful, because as everyone helps a little–it helps a lot.
(Dead broke, but still generous? Share the show with a few friends now and visit this link to write a helpful review on iTunes HERE.)
Right now, one of the most powerful and influential men in the world is undoubtably Pope Francis.
Pope Francis is the first Jesuit Pope, but too few people know the specific qualities of his Order (The Society of Jesus-Ignatian spirituality). His spirituality and training powerfully and uniquely guide his worldview, philosophy of vocation and work, and themes of his prominent, worldwide administration especially when compared with his predecessors.
Through his decisions, he influences Roman Catholics internationally (a staggering 1.1 billion people) and his ideas influence and inspire many of the 2.2 billion people who consider themselves Christian (specifically: a follower of the way of Jesus), including me.
What is most influential to Pope Francis?
His training in the Society of Jesus (the Catholic Order founded by Ignatius of Loyola 400 years ago). This is what guides how he see the world and makes all his important decisions that direct the Catholic Church and influence others worldwide.
Today, we will learn more about these teachings that often come out-of-sync with the ways and structures of established institutions of religion, politics, and power.
Spirutal Director, Jeanine Breault, formally trained in Jesuit Ignatian Spirituality
Today, you will hear from my spiritual director, Jeanine Breault, a Roman Catholic who is formally trained in the Ignatian tradition. We converse about some of the salient characteristics of the Ignatian spiritual teachings and traditions.
Thus, you will find out the manner in which Pope Francis is directed spiritually by his own spiritual director within this 400 year old spiritual tradition; learn how Ignatian spiritual directors (and the current Pope) see the world and how God works in it, and more.
SHOWNOTES: EPS 24: The (Ignatian) Spirituality of Pope Francis
MIN: 1:00
Answering: What is Ignatian Spirituality?
1:20
Finding God in all things. We are invited to notice how God is at work. More than head knowledge but an experiential knowledge.
2:30
God is always at work for the good in my life and in my world and growing in that awareness. How can I respond to God’s call?
3:30 An Intimate relationship with God SO THAT I can labor with God.
Now that there is a Pope who is a Jesuit (the first in history) how does that shift the role and the the way he see the world as the head of the church.
5:00
On Pope Francis’s new letter “The Joy of the Gospel” and the Jesuit flavorings contained within and the influence on his life.
8:50
On the massive changes at the Vatican.
9:20
Who was Ignatius of Loyola?
The story of the man who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits)
Born in 1491 and his message continues to changes peoples lives.
His war injury and what changed his life.
11:30
The mystical experience he had.
12:30
He work in the discernment of spirits (his work called the Spiritual Exercises) and how these forces work in our lives.
13:10
Discerning and choosing between two goods.
13:30
The rules for discernment that can be applied to anyone at anytime.
14:30
The basic of the rules of discernment.
When a person is oriented to God and desires to please God, then God confirms that and gives graces of peace, joy, and comfort. The opposite feelings do not come from God (fear, anxiety, discouragement, despair, etc).
16:20
Through the Ignatian spiritual exercises, one can figure out what is of God and what is not.
17:40
People coming to direction for the first time are really grappling with a sense of God’s love for them (and not really believing it.)
19:00
Coming to a spirit-led decision and grace is involved.
19:30
Overcoming the obstacle of unworthiness.
20:00
Working at cultivating people’s awareness. Asking questions that create space for inquiry, discovery and discernment.
21:00
We forget that God loves at at some level and it’s a continual process of remembering.
21:50
Her experience with guilt in prayer because of a lack of focus. Apologizing to God about being preoccupied. And the amazing thing God seemed to say in response.
The part of affirming the goodness of God and what God is doing in that person’s life is the job of the director.
23:45
The answer won’t expect to my question: “What do you say or do when people can’t see or sense God, or they have a blindness and are unaware?” (Maybe an “image of God problem”)
24:10
The “director” is not a good word. The Spirit of God is the actual director and it’s God’s business.
25:20
The parallel with gardening and patience for growth.
26:10
“God loves that person more than you do.”
26:00
On not “fixing” things and solving problems.
27:00
Compassionate listening and getting out of the way for God to work better.
28:00
What supervision of a spiritual director looks like so that good listening can keep happening for those directed.
29:00
Finding a director that is properly prepared to direct others is crucial.
Asking Jeanine, “What happens in your mind and heart when you find yourself wanting to solve problems and rescue someone?”
30:00
Remembering the kind of ministry direction is. A prevailing ope that God is at work and in control ultimately. It’s sacred time and time to stay focused. Setting aside things when they come up.
32:40
Do people expect you to be their counselor? And what happens when that happens during direction?
35:00
Helping people know what to expect from direction and how to find someone who is properly trained.
The international listing of trained directors. sdiworld.org
Director will work with people from any tradition.
42:30
The connection of Buddhism and Christian Mysticism in practice. Seeing the goodness in other traditions.
44:00
John O’Donohue and his comments of what Buddhism can brings to Christianity and vice versa.
46:00
Noticing the “now”.
47:00
Coming to a vibrant faith where (you realize) God is working in this very moment.
48:00
Relationships are the ways we become tuned to God and working out our salvation in real life and ordinary experiences.
49:00
Resources to continue on this path.
Ronald Rollhieser The Holy Longing and Prayer: Our Deepest Longing
Carmelite nun Ruth Borrows. Guidelines for Mystic Prayer
allow you to take a peek inside too.
29:00
