Identify Your Theology: What about Jesus?

Identify Your Theology:
Number Eight

In yesterday's post, I asked if you believe that personal relationships with the divine are possible.

We are turning our attention to our next question, today, but before we do, head on over to your retreat room so you can relax and let go of any of the day’s stress.

Or, if you'd rather listen to the brief meditation here, here it is...

Today’s Question…

Speaking of yesterday’s question about dwelling within, what do you believe about Jesus? Was or is he divine? A healer? A shaman?

"The Jesus quest has shown quite clearly that the earliest and most original strands of the Jesus tradition portray a Jesus movement that had radically distanced itself away from God as apocalyptic judge to a gospel of healing and forgiveness. Jesus wandered the dusty streets, healing and exorcising the suffering peasants he met on his way. And he did not do so for any other reason than this: his life was an expression of compassion. He wanted to bring people back to themselves. He wanted to restore people to their rightful place as beloved by God. He wanted the ones who felt unloved and worthless to feel cherished. He was an astonishingly brave healer of religion-damaged souls." 

~~Rev. Mark Townsend, Jesus through Pagan Eyes

"His path was that of a revolutionist, actively calling into question the religious & political authority of his time, all the while seeking to teach people how to be their own catalysts for inner transformation." ~Frank MacEowen, The Mist-Filled Path

Journal Questions

Now that you’ve read today’s question and a quote or two to get you thinking, head on back into the mini-retreat to close it and to see the journal questions and hear the blessing I’ve written for you. 

Peaceful retreat closing

Want to see my book list for these questions? Visit my Twenty Questions store.  

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

So many of us live our lives stuck in neutral.
Do you ever feel that way?
What if you could get yourself unstuck & finally heal
whatever is blocking you from the life that's waiting for you.
Announcing the Moon Healing eKit:
a 4-week eCourse for healing what's in the way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Identify Your Theology: The Seventh Question

Identify Your Theology: 
Seventh Question

Yesterday, I asked you to tell me all about God (based on what you believe about the divine).

Today, I have another question to ask you about your god, but before we get to it, head on over to your retreat room so you can relax and let go of any of the day’s stress. Or listen to the meditation here, if you'd like...

Today’s Question…

What kind of relationship do you have with your god? Is it a personal one? 

What kind of relationship do you believe is possible with the divine? Can the divine dwell within?

"A personal god is a deity who can be related to as a person instead of as an 'impersonal force', such as the Absolute, 'the All', or the 'Ground of Being'. Personal relationships with God may be described in the same ways as human relationships, such as a Father, as in Christianity, or a Friend as in Sufism." ~Wikipedia

"If you belong to a faith, getting to know God through a personal relationship with him is the most rewarding thing one can do. God offers his friendship freely to all, but many people reject this because they think it means 'religion'. Having a relationship with God is simple, just as any friendship should be." ~WikiHow

"Most relationships in our lives take time to build. In order to really have a strong relationship with someone, we need to spend time with them, get to know them, and get to know what matters to them. That’s also true of the Gods. We also learn more as we go through ups and downs in our lives, and see how the relationship adapts to that. This is true of deities too. Spending time with a deity: we may simply talk to that deity, share our day with them. We might start with a quiet Hello in the morning, or a prayer for the day. We might be open to their presence in our life during the day, and might see it in small ways. We might end our day with a prayer, or a divination reading, or meditation, a chance to hear what they might want to share with us." ~Jenett Silver at Seeking

Journal Questions

Now that you’ve read today’s question and a quote or two to get you thinking, head on back into the mini-retreat to close it and to see the journal questions and hear the blessing I’ve recorded for you. 

Peaceful retreat closing

Want to see my book list for these questions? Visit my Twenty Questions store.  

I'll be out and about this weekend, unless there are really good movies coming on, so I won't see you guys again until Monday.

Have a great weekend!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

So many of us live our lives stuck in neutral.
Do you ever feel that way?
What if you could get yourself unstuck & finally heal
whatever is blocking you from the life that's waiting for you.
Announcing the Moon Healing eKit:
a 4-week eCourse for healing what's in the way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Identify Your Theology: Tell Me about God

Identify Your Theology:
Question Six

We've been exploring spiritual belief questions about the divine this week. Yesterday, I asked about whether or not your god has feminine qualities and I shared about my own longing for a mother god.

Today, we'll turn our attention to our next question, but before we do, head on over to your retreat room so you can relax and let go of any of the day’s stress. Or listen to your meditation right here...

Today’s Question…

Tell me more about what your god (or goddess) is like. 

Based on what you believe about the divine, how would you describe the divine’s qualities or attributes? Is the divine good? Kind? 

All-knowing? All-powerful? 

"Growing up, I often wondered what God was like. For me, church was a wipeout experience that only left me with more questions than answers. So I often wondered, 'God, if you exist, what are you like? Who are you – really?'" ~Living on the Edge

"We often use the problem of evil to show a deity that is all powerful, all knowing, and all good/loving, to be illogical. But where do we get these definitions? Are they reasonable attributes of a deity? What traits/attributes/characteristics is a deity required to have? If a deity is required to have certain attributes, why?" ~Apprentice in DebatingChristianity.com

Journal Questions

Now that you’ve read today’s question and a quote or two to get you thinking, head on back into the mini-retreat to close it and to see the journal questions and the blessing I’ve written for you. 

Peaceful retreat closing

Want to see my book list for these questions? Visit my Twenty Questions store.  

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

So many of us live our lives stuck in neutral.
Do you ever feel that way?
What if you could get yourself unstuck & finally heal
whatever is blocking you from the life that's waiting for you.
Announcing the Moon Healing eKit:
a 4-week eCourse for healing what's in the way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Heart Wish Wednesday

Goddess Heart Wish Bottle

Welcome. Step into the circle of healing, where wishes come true. From my heart to yours, each Wish Wednesday, I offer you goddess blessings.

Just mentally add your wish here in the comments, and I will add it to my Heart Wish Bottle by blessing it myself, asking for a goddess blessing, and seeing it come true for you in my head and in my heart.

My wish this week is for the success of The Ultimate Blog Challenge. May it bring thousands of pageviews and new friends for each of us who is participating.

What is your wish this week?

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

So many of us live our lives stuck in neutral.
Do you ever feel that way?
What if you could get yourself unstuck & finally heal
whatever is blocking you from the life that's waiting for you.
Announcing the Moon Healing eKit:
a 4-week eCourse for healing what's in the way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Identify Your Theology: Spiritual Belief Questions, Number Five

Identify Your Theology:
Question Five

Yesterday's question asked for your beliefs about the divine. Today we continue exploring what god is like, as you understand God or the divine.

But before we turn our attention to our next question, head on over to your retreat room so you can relax and let go of any of the day’s stress and prepare for deep thoughts. :)

Or, you can listen to the meditation here, if you'd like..

 
Today's Question

If you think of the divine as male, does the divine have feminine aspects?

"The Hebrew word for compassion portrays the love of a mother for the child of her womb. It implies a range of feelings including goodness, tenderness, patience, and understanding. It expresses the tenderness of God's feminine love. The kind of God Jesus experiences is one who feels as a mother feels. There is a beautiful tenderness in how Jesus views the divine." ~~Rev. Mark Townsend, Jesus through Pagan Eyes

During the gradual evolution of my own spiritual beliefs, one of the things I came to understand deep down was that I really needed god-the-mother! Something inside me longed for a mother goddess. Have you experienced similar longings?

"An uneasy reaction to the word Goddess is common among women. Thousands of years of repression, hostility, and conditioning against the Divine Mother have made a deep impression on us.~~Sue Monk Kidd,  The Dance of the Dissident Daughter

Journal Questions

Now that you’ve read today’s question and a quote or two to get you thinking, head on back into the mini-retreat to blow out the candle, close the retreat and to see the journal questions and the blessing I’ve recorded for you. 

Peaceful retreat closing

Want to see my book list for these questions? Visit my Twenty Questions store.  

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

So many of us live our lives stuck in neutral.
Do you ever feel that way?
What if you could get yourself unstuck & finally heal
whatever is blocking you from the life that's waiting for you.
Announcing the Moon Healing eKit:
a 4-week eCourse for healing what's in the way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Identify Your Theology: The Fourth Question

Identify Your Theology:
Fourth Question

We are turning our attention to our next question, today, but before we do, head on over to your retreat room so you can relax and let go of any of the day’s stress. Or, you might want to just listen to it right here...

Today's Question

Which God is Your God?

Now that you created god, in yesterday’s post, let’s talk about the one you may actually believe is real. What do you believe about the divine? Do you think of the divine as male or female? Or spirit?

"All the theologies ever imagined ~ no matter how beautiful, powerful, or complex ~ are only descriptions. They are not the reality itself. In other words, ideas about God are not God. ... Furthermore, people may not even be having the same experience of the Divine. Perhaps we each experience a different part or portion of the Divine, the part that speaks most deeply & personally to us alone." ~Joyce & River Higginbotham, Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions

"Deep down, there’s a place within each of us that is made for one thing—a relationship with God. No matter how hard we try to cover it up or fill it with something else, we will never be satisfied. Our hearts will remain restless until they find their home with God. That deep, hidden part of you is there, even if you haven’t realized it until now." ~In Touch Ministries

Journal Questions

Now that you’ve read today’s question and a quote or two to get you thinking, head on back into the mini-retreat to blow out our candle, close the retreat and see the journal questions and the blessing I’ve recorded for you. 

Peaceful retreat closing

Want to see my book list for these questions? Visit my Twenty Questions store.   

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

So many of us live our lives stuck in neutral.
Do you ever feel that way?
What if you could get yourself unstuck & finally heal
whatever is blocking you from the life that's waiting for you.
Announcing the Moon Healing eKit:
a 4-week eCourse for healing what's in the way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Identify Your Theology: Third Question

Identify Your Theology: 
Third Question

In Friday's post, I asked you to think about how your spiritual beliefs have shifted over the years. We have our third question for today, but first, take some time to center & ground yourself.

Head on over to your retreat room so you can relax and let go of any of the day’s stress before giving your thoughts to our next question. Or you can listen here...

Your Own Personal Jesus...

If you could create or design your own god, goddess or deity, what would the divine be like? What qualities would the divine have and what would your relationship be like?

"Your own personal Jesus. Someone to hear your prayers, someone who cares." ~"Your Own Personal Jesus," ~Depeche Mode

"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." ~Anne Lamott 
 

Journal Questions

Now that you’ve read today’s question and a quote or two to get you thinking, head on back into the mini-retreat to blow out the candle, close the retreat and to see the journal questions and the blessing I’ve recorded for you. 

Peaceful retreat closing

Want to see my book list for these questions? Visit my Twenty Questions store.  

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

So many of us live our lives stuck in neutral.
Do you ever feel that way?
What if you could get yourself unstuck & finally heal
whatever is blocking you from the life that's waiting for you.
Announcing the Moon Healing eKit:
a 4-week eCourse for healing what's in the way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~