One of the things that helps us to know who we are is to know the story that accompanies us. For example, many people study genealogy to better understand their family’s history. Learning our family’s story – where our ancestors came from, who they were and their ethnic cultural expression, the jobs they held, where they lived, their religion and religious practices, their struggles, j
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One of the things that helps us to know who we are is to know the story that accompanies us. For example, many people study genealogy to better understand their family’s history. Learning our family’s story – where our ancestors came from, who they were and their ethnic cultural expression, the jobs they held, where they lived, their religion and religious practices, their struggles, joys and heart breaks - all can provide us with valuable insights on the factors that led us to becoming who we are.
Similarly, each stage of our lives in some way has shaped our spirituality. We each have a spiritual story. Sometimes the beginning of the story is pretty clear. For example, we were raised in a family that went to church or another house of worship (mosque, temple, etc) regularly. Or we were educated in a Catholic school. Or maybe every Sunday our grandmother took us to a storefront church. Or we had some sense that we were Christian or a member of another religion but our families didn’t really practice the faith in formal way. Or maybe our mothers were religious but our fathers never went to church. Or maybe we raised without any religious affiliation or identification. But no matter how we were raised, we each have a story.
Regardless of our early family experience with formal religion, we each have people and events that play a role in developing our spirituality. Perhaps we have a person in our lives who influenced us greatly. Or maybe an experience like doing volunteer work shaped us and our spiritual orientation. Often times an experience of joy or suffering influences our spiritual life. We can also consider how the arts or our interests, hobbies, and creative pursuits, those things we are passionate about may have influenced us spiritually. Recall the conversation we had about spirituality being the fire within us that seeks expression. How has it been expressed in your life? Or where might you sense it is calling you to find ways to express it?
So for the final paper, reflect on how your spiritual journey has unfolded thus far, and write a spiritual memoir. In addition to the above ideas, you must consider and integrate into your paper the topics we have discussed in class: spirituality vs religion, the Universe Story, the presentations on different religions and spiritual practices, the readings from Joan Chittister and other handouts, Wayne Teasdale and Interspirituality. You can also use the teachings of the spiritual leaders you have prepared papers on. All our Blackboard conversations are available as well - you may want to go back and review the postings to help you write.
Write until your spiritual story is told. Think of what and who has influenced your spirituality. Remember to distinguish between your experience of religion and spirituality - but both are important. Everything that happens to us is part of our spiritual journey. On way to approach the paper is to start from the beginning of your life and move along to the present. Think of your family and how you were raised, influential people in your life, and go through school experiences, jobs, travel, volunteer experiences, any influence the arts may have had on you, relationships - getting married, divorced, having kids, etc, etc.
One of the things that helps us to know who we are is to know the story that accompanies us. For example, many people study genealogy to better understand their family’s history. Learning our family’s story – where our ancestors came from, who they were and their ethnic cultural expression, the jobs they held, where they lived, their religion and religious practices, their struggles, joys and heart breaks - all can provide us with valuable insights on the factors that led us to becoming who we are.
Similarly, each stage of our lives in some way has shaped our spirituality. We each have a spiritual story. Sometimes the beginning of the story is pretty clear. For example, we were raised Christian and went to church regularly. Or we were educated in a Catholic school. Or maybe every Sunday our grandmother took us to a storefront church. Or we had some sense that we were Christian or a member of another religion but our families didn’t really practice the faith in formal way. Or maybe our mothers were religious but our fathers never went to church. Or maybe we raised with no religious affiliation or identification. But no matter how we were raised, we each have a story.
Regardless of our early family experience with formal religion, we each have people and events that play a role in developing our spirituality. Perhaps we have a person in our lives who influenced us greatly. Or maybe an experience like doing volunteer work shaped us and our spiritual orientation. Often times an experience of joy or suffering influences our spiritual life. We can also consider how the arts or our interests, hobbies, and creative pursuits, those things we are passionate about may have influenced us spiritually. Recall the conversation we had about spirituality being the fire within us that seeks expression. How has it been expressed in your life? Or where might you sense it is calling you to find ways to express it?
So for the final paper, reflect on how your spiritual journey has unfolded thus far, and write your spiritual biography. In addition to the above ideas, you must consider and integrate into your paper the topics we have discussed in class: spirituality vs religion, the presentations on different religions and spiritual practices, the readings from Joan Chittister and other handouts, Wayne Teasdale and Interspirituality. You can also use the teachings of the spiritual leaders you have prepared papers on.
Write until your spiritual story is told. Think of what and who has influenced your spirituality. Remember to distinguish between your experience of religion and spirituality - but both are important. Everything that happens to us is part of our spiritual journey. One way to approach the paper is to start from the beginning of your life and move along to the present. Think of your family and how you were raised, influential people in your life, and go through school experiences, jobs, volunteer experiences, relationships - getting married, divorced, having kids.
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