Spiritualism – Lesson #3
History of Western Thought pt 2
My experience of the scientifically-minded is of thinking people who hold-to "reason" (i.e. objective reality) over religion. It is a rationalistic world-view that believes "facts" to be proof and spirituality to be speculative and therefore distrustful. What these people fail to realise is that science proceeds by experiment, which in turn produces an hypothesis, which is then subject to further experiment and thereafter continuous revision. The history of science is the continuous discarding of what was once held to be "certain." Yet there is little in science which can be certain and it takes great faith to believe there is! The materialism of today has not made people happy on the contrary it has robbed humankind of its spirit, soul, personality and purpose. Reduced to a mere machine morality and ethics have no part to play in the continuing human story. Therefore it has become a pass-time of some militant atheists to blame religion for every human atrocity that has ever occurred while overlooking the hideous deeds of Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Moa, and Pol Pot who will never be counted among the faithful (The Devil's Delusion, by David Berlinski, Basic, 2009, p 19). Neither has materialism made the world a safer more contented place to be. On the contrary it has produced a world increasingly devoid of moral standards and a dangerous place to be in right now. To think of human beings as mere machines to be studied, manipulated and disposed of like dross is not only a grave injustice but a gross error. On the other hand if the hope Christians hold in Christ is for this life only we are, as the Apostle Paul commented, most to be pitied (1 Cor. 15:19). We should not see spirituality as an escape. Spirituality is not an escape- it is the blossoming of our humanity towards God and the completion, by him, of the people he ordained us to be i.e. a unity of mind, body and soul grafted to him. Spirituality is wholeness. Spirituality affects how we think, act, relate, live, watch TV and wash dishes. The world around us is "good." The world around us is the dynamic expression of God's word in action created by his power and energy i.e. his "Spirit" (a word which comes from the Hebrew word ruach encompassing a wide range of meanings including: "Spirit," "breath" and "wind"). It is God's Spirit that brought people to life and animates them. So, for example, in the Book of Genesis where God says: "Let there be……." He is speaking into existence everything we see around us. But before God spoke he thought (as we all do). Before we utter a word we form sentences in our minds of what we're about to say. It follows that "mind" (i.e. God's mind) came before "matter" and not the other way round. Psychology, therefore, is incorrect in its assertions as the world came after God's thoughts (i.e. God's energy) which is the product of His thoughts. God's energy fills the entire universe which of course includes human beings. Spirituality, then, means living a life in communion with God taking in: prayer, contemplation, worship etc. It is through these disciplines we unite ourselves to God and keep in tune with his purposes for the world and its peoples. Christian spirituality is therefore (a) a set of beliefs, (b) a set of values and (c) a way of life - i.e. wholeness. Spirituality is about knowing God and experiencing God to the fullest possible extent. It's not about shutting oneself away from the world in silent contemplation, which achieves very little of use, but engaging fully with the world - its problems and its peoples. And the good news is that more and more people are discovering the truth of this for themselves. However, whether the collective imagination of the faithful is able to bring King Arthur to life I have my doubts but I understand the thinking behind that idea. Miracles today may therefore have to be considered under a different heading. We need to be imaginative in our preaching and teaching. Imagination is the next best thing to the real thing and is very powerful. Story-telling for example is a very useful tool in therapy. It is our task to help the scientifically switched-on to switch-on to God, and the spiritually switched-off to be empowered by God's "Spirit" (i.e. his breath) and open up to Him. And I think we do this as ministers by living authentic, sincere, faithful lives in tune with God – which is the essence of witness.
Descartes famous words: "I think therefore I am" may be able to help in this. For those words are able to switch on the spiritual light within people whether scientifically inclined or not. It simply means recognising there is more to life than meets the eye. We are Spirit as well as body and we neglect the Spiritual at our peril i.e. the cost of happiness, contentment, fulfilment and satisfaction. Human beings have thoughts, hopes, dreams, emotions, ambitions and intuition. These things come from beyond us; from God's "pull" (i.e. energy) upon our hearts and those needs must be met. We were made to be in communion with God and with one another. We may not have the mind of God but we have the knowledge of God written upon our hearts and we rest uneasy when God is absent from our lives. Einstein knew this well. Science should not be in conflict with religion but should compliment it. So, maybe Einstein's famous equation E=MC2 tells us more about the journey to the "light" (who is God) than about the relativity of space-time! Now there's a thought!
Rev D R Marsh BA (hons) DHT
9th January 2016
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Spiritualism - Lesson #2
Spiritualism - Lesson #2
History of Western Thought pt. 1
A useful question to ask might be: "what is science?" and "did science have a beginning?" There is no agreed answer to both but Clagett for example offered a definition of science as: "the orderly and systematic comprehension, description and/or explanation of natural phenomena" (The Social Relations of Science, London, 1967) - without any reference to gods. But even that definition omits so much that others might want to include under that heading. In the ancient world description led to speculation which Hippocrates and his medical colleagues rejected in their work. These pioneering medical practitioners conducted detailed observations (and post mortems) to enable them to map symptoms and so offer patients a fairly reliable prognosis – again minus any reference to the supernatural.
But did science have a beginning? Aristotle maintained that science began with Thales of Miletus who almost certainly built on the work of others before him e.g. the Babylonians etc. However, what was new with Thales was making a break with the past in his discovery of nature. In other words instead of attributing natural phenomena to the whims of the gods Thales understood natural phenomena to have a cause and effect. That is how he began to interpret such things as lightning and earthquakes all very crudely but marking a clear departure from the past. Thales, and others of his era, were making a distinction between the natural and the supernatural. This did not mean these early philosophers were atheists far from it. Indeed, Thales is reported to have said that: "all things are full of gods." Nevertheless people were beginning to question their long held beliefs. And it's interesting that the Atomists held a similar view that everything is composed of tiny atoms colliding together in the void to form shapes; shapes which may exist for a while before disintegrating again to form new shapes – all from tiny, indivisible atoms. Even the soul, it was believed, was made up of tiny rounded atoms which somehow got squeezed in between other atoms as they banged together in the void. All by accident? That's not clear. And even today there are some who look back to the Atomists as people who made a giant leap forward in understanding reality. However, one thing the ancients were sure of was the untrustworthiness of the senses. For example take a sheet of paper which is white with black writing on it. But when I turn away (or maybe switch off the light) do these qualities of whiteness and blackness still exist? The answer was a resounding "no." All that exists is the form of the paper and nothing more. We might disagree with that explanation but these ideas are still being debated in philosophical circles.
But did this method of observation settle for all time the question of "facts" and their reliability over faith? Not at all. Socrates, who was a towering figure in ancient philosophy, rejected the Ionian speculations of nature as useless. Why? Because they could only observe events not explain them. Yet despite this, said Socrates, they state their conclusions with confidence, expressing as truth what they could not possibly know themselves. Socrates was not interested in what could not be proved. In later centuries Voltaire (1694-1778) said something similar. Voltaire, rebelling against accepted traditions, maintained that certainty was absurd. That apart from a few certainties in mathematics and logic just about every theory in history has been revisited at some point – and that "fact" is little more than a working hypothesis. Even the great David Hume echoed this in his observations on the natural world. Hume's point is that, just because the sun rose in the sky today does not mean it will do so again tomorrow i.e. there is no rational basis for informing cause and effect. These idea are important to bear in mind when modern scientists set forward complicated arguments to support a particular point whether it be global warming or the genetic modification of food etc. As Descartes so astutely commented many years ago – keep your arguments simple, building them up slowly, otherwise you will end up talking nonsense! Socrates, therefore, turned his enquiries inward to the make-up of man and the ends for which humankind lives i.e. what is valuable as opposed to a mere means to an end. Socrates concluded that happiness was a desirable aim and a common end to all. But what exactly is happiness – pleasure, success, honour, fame or wisdom etc? Socrates found the answer in what he called the "perfection of the soul" i.e. personal morality rather than natural speculations which add nothing to life. This is very close to the Christian approach to life. And because it is Socrates has been acclaimed as a pre-Christ Christian. Socrates may have been among the first to realise that the spiritual and material are not in conflict but that both find their true meaning in the contemplation of God.
Rev Derek Marsh BA (hons) DHT
History of Western Thought pt. 1
A useful question to ask might be: "what is science?" and "did science have a beginning?" There is no agreed answer to both but Clagett for example offered a definition of science as: "the orderly and systematic comprehension, description and/or explanation of natural phenomena" (The Social Relations of Science, London, 1967) - without any reference to gods. But even that definition omits so much that others might want to include under that heading. In the ancient world description led to speculation which Hippocrates and his medical colleagues rejected in their work. These pioneering medical practitioners conducted detailed observations (and post mortems) to enable them to map symptoms and so offer patients a fairly reliable prognosis – again minus any reference to the supernatural.
But did science have a beginning? Aristotle maintained that science began with Thales of Miletus who almost certainly built on the work of others before him e.g. the Babylonians etc. However, what was new with Thales was making a break with the past in his discovery of nature. In other words instead of attributing natural phenomena to the whims of the gods Thales understood natural phenomena to have a cause and effect. That is how he began to interpret such things as lightning and earthquakes all very crudely but marking a clear departure from the past. Thales, and others of his era, were making a distinction between the natural and the supernatural. This did not mean these early philosophers were atheists far from it. Indeed, Thales is reported to have said that: "all things are full of gods." Nevertheless people were beginning to question their long held beliefs. And it's interesting that the Atomists held a similar view that everything is composed of tiny atoms colliding together in the void to form shapes; shapes which may exist for a while before disintegrating again to form new shapes – all from tiny, indivisible atoms. Even the soul, it was believed, was made up of tiny rounded atoms which somehow got squeezed in between other atoms as they banged together in the void. All by accident? That's not clear. And even today there are some who look back to the Atomists as people who made a giant leap forward in understanding reality. However, one thing the ancients were sure of was the untrustworthiness of the senses. For example take a sheet of paper which is white with black writing on it. But when I turn away (or maybe switch off the light) do these qualities of whiteness and blackness still exist? The answer was a resounding "no." All that exists is the form of the paper and nothing more. We might disagree with that explanation but these ideas are still being debated in philosophical circles.
But did this method of observation settle for all time the question of "facts" and their reliability over faith? Not at all. Socrates, who was a towering figure in ancient philosophy, rejected the Ionian speculations of nature as useless. Why? Because they could only observe events not explain them. Yet despite this, said Socrates, they state their conclusions with confidence, expressing as truth what they could not possibly know themselves. Socrates was not interested in what could not be proved. In later centuries Voltaire (1694-1778) said something similar. Voltaire, rebelling against accepted traditions, maintained that certainty was absurd. That apart from a few certainties in mathematics and logic just about every theory in history has been revisited at some point – and that "fact" is little more than a working hypothesis. Even the great David Hume echoed this in his observations on the natural world. Hume's point is that, just because the sun rose in the sky today does not mean it will do so again tomorrow i.e. there is no rational basis for informing cause and effect. These idea are important to bear in mind when modern scientists set forward complicated arguments to support a particular point whether it be global warming or the genetic modification of food etc. As Descartes so astutely commented many years ago – keep your arguments simple, building them up slowly, otherwise you will end up talking nonsense! Socrates, therefore, turned his enquiries inward to the make-up of man and the ends for which humankind lives i.e. what is valuable as opposed to a mere means to an end. Socrates concluded that happiness was a desirable aim and a common end to all. But what exactly is happiness – pleasure, success, honour, fame or wisdom etc? Socrates found the answer in what he called the "perfection of the soul" i.e. personal morality rather than natural speculations which add nothing to life. This is very close to the Christian approach to life. And because it is Socrates has been acclaimed as a pre-Christ Christian. Socrates may have been among the first to realise that the spiritual and material are not in conflict but that both find their true meaning in the contemplation of God.
Rev Derek Marsh BA (hons) DHT
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
The decline of spirituality and its solution
Spiritualism - Lesson #1
The spiritual wilderness many people inhabit today, particularly in the western world, can be traced back to the European Enlightenment of the eighteenth century when "reason" emerged to challenge faith and question the accuracy of the biblical text. Thus began the emergence of science as the solution to the questions people ask. In the nineteenth century Darwin's theory of evolution further challenged faith in God so setting the course of agnosticism. Since then genetics, robotics, astronomy, psychology, archaeology etc. have together laid the foundations of the post-modern world we currently live in. And this constant deluge of "facts" seems to have caught people of faith unawares (by which I mean Christians) leaving them on the back foot playing catch-up with their: "God of the Gaps." But it needn't be like this as science and religion are not in conflict with each other but complementary. Why? Because until the end of time human-knowledge will only ever be partial and incomplete (1 Cor. 13:12).
Psychology has played its own part in the spread of today's spiritual wilderness. It was Descartes who first identified mind separate from matter (dualism) a discovery that has been largely rejected in modern times. Yet psychology has no answer to the questions people ask about who they are and why they are here. What is consciousness? Are we conscious or not? Where in the brain does consciousness lie? Is there a continuous "movie show" going on in the brain and so on? Neither does psychology have any answer to "what do we mean by self?" except to deny self altogether. For many psychologists everything we see, feel and experience is an illusion without meaning or purpose – all the product of a material brain end of story. No wonder people are confused and searching for answers – science cannot satisfy the deep longings we human beings have.
Jesus said: The Spirit of God is upon me to preach good news…………" (Luke 4:18). And with an open, trusting and accepting response to that good news people will come alive spiritually to have their deepest human needs satisfied. Trust in Jesus brings us into fellowship with God (who is Spirit) through spiritual rebirth. It comes down to faith. But not a faith that is "unreasonable" but a faith rooted in historical fact and therefore accessible to the mind – a mind that is constantly being conformed and renewed by God (Rom. 12:2). Faith takes us beyond human knowledge and the science of Apologetics can assist in this. Apologetics encourages us, as Christians, to meet people where they are with all their doubts, questions and fears. Not to beat them down with clever arguments but with truth that comes from personal experience (1 Peter 3:15). And the more we engage in this the better we will become at it. So, we shouldn't argue with people seeking to wear them down or prove them wrong; we should act with sensitivity and consideration mindful that sometimes the questions people ask mask the real questions they have on their mind. We need to be attentive and listen, compassionate and patient.
People are different and learn in different ways – this has long been known. To be effective witnesses for Jesus we need to recognise different personality types - and do it quickly. In one course I did it was three personality types we were taught each having its own particular characteristics. Some people are outgoing; others subdued and still others compliant – all three can be found in church Sunday by Sunday. And I've met them all many times. It is vital, therefore, that our preaching, teaching and conversations appeal to each of them (sometimes together) if our ministry is to be effective. Each personality type (and some people may be a combination of several) should be easily identifiable within a minute or so. If we are to lead people to Christ, who is able to bring them to life spiritually, we need to know people (really know them); know the gospel; and preach it with knowledge; sincerity; conviction and understanding.
Rev Derek Marsh BA (hons) DHT
The spiritual wilderness many people inhabit today, particularly in the western world, can be traced back to the European Enlightenment of the eighteenth century when "reason" emerged to challenge faith and question the accuracy of the biblical text. Thus began the emergence of science as the solution to the questions people ask. In the nineteenth century Darwin's theory of evolution further challenged faith in God so setting the course of agnosticism. Since then genetics, robotics, astronomy, psychology, archaeology etc. have together laid the foundations of the post-modern world we currently live in. And this constant deluge of "facts" seems to have caught people of faith unawares (by which I mean Christians) leaving them on the back foot playing catch-up with their: "God of the Gaps." But it needn't be like this as science and religion are not in conflict with each other but complementary. Why? Because until the end of time human-knowledge will only ever be partial and incomplete (1 Cor. 13:12).
Psychology has played its own part in the spread of today's spiritual wilderness. It was Descartes who first identified mind separate from matter (dualism) a discovery that has been largely rejected in modern times. Yet psychology has no answer to the questions people ask about who they are and why they are here. What is consciousness? Are we conscious or not? Where in the brain does consciousness lie? Is there a continuous "movie show" going on in the brain and so on? Neither does psychology have any answer to "what do we mean by self?" except to deny self altogether. For many psychologists everything we see, feel and experience is an illusion without meaning or purpose – all the product of a material brain end of story. No wonder people are confused and searching for answers – science cannot satisfy the deep longings we human beings have.
Jesus said: The Spirit of God is upon me to preach good news…………" (Luke 4:18). And with an open, trusting and accepting response to that good news people will come alive spiritually to have their deepest human needs satisfied. Trust in Jesus brings us into fellowship with God (who is Spirit) through spiritual rebirth. It comes down to faith. But not a faith that is "unreasonable" but a faith rooted in historical fact and therefore accessible to the mind – a mind that is constantly being conformed and renewed by God (Rom. 12:2). Faith takes us beyond human knowledge and the science of Apologetics can assist in this. Apologetics encourages us, as Christians, to meet people where they are with all their doubts, questions and fears. Not to beat them down with clever arguments but with truth that comes from personal experience (1 Peter 3:15). And the more we engage in this the better we will become at it. So, we shouldn't argue with people seeking to wear them down or prove them wrong; we should act with sensitivity and consideration mindful that sometimes the questions people ask mask the real questions they have on their mind. We need to be attentive and listen, compassionate and patient.
People are different and learn in different ways – this has long been known. To be effective witnesses for Jesus we need to recognise different personality types - and do it quickly. In one course I did it was three personality types we were taught each having its own particular characteristics. Some people are outgoing; others subdued and still others compliant – all three can be found in church Sunday by Sunday. And I've met them all many times. It is vital, therefore, that our preaching, teaching and conversations appeal to each of them (sometimes together) if our ministry is to be effective. Each personality type (and some people may be a combination of several) should be easily identifiable within a minute or so. If we are to lead people to Christ, who is able to bring them to life spiritually, we need to know people (really know them); know the gospel; and preach it with knowledge; sincerity; conviction and understanding.
Rev Derek Marsh BA (hons) DHT
Saturday, September 5, 2015
from: Van Onyeaka
Hi ulcseminarycourses
http://jewishmayhem.com/wooden.php?temperature=n9b72rqemyfkr8g
vangod172@gmail.com
Van Onyeaka
Sunday, July 5, 2015
from: Van Onyeaka
Hi ulcseminarycourses
http://elegantcateringdesigns.com/issue.php?forward=btx8a61au6k
Van Onyeaka
Sent from my iPhone
http://elegantcateringdesigns.com/issue.php?forward=btx8a61au6k
Van Onyeaka
Sent from my iPhone
Sunday, May 24, 2015
lesson I Revelation
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Dear Amy,
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Dear Amy,
What a wonderful, beautiful course this will be, thank you. Now, what obstacles are preventing me from recognizing Loves presence within me. I feel it is most things, the majority of things, events around us , such as advertising on paper, TV. Perhaps in our early years we were told about God's love in everything but, it has been out weighed by
our existence around a commercial world. Unless, a conscious decision is made by us to recognize this fact but, the times dance can throw you off focus because, it all over loading to you & sometimes it can be a subliminal experience too.
Experiences in and through time can allow you to see how important seeing and knowing that Love is present in ones self.
Timing along with then being aware of Loves presents in ones self can then give you strength to carry this awareness with you & seeing it going forward . But, with all that said when you are dealing with struggles with life, health, trying to keep balanced with your life love, money, work life, social life, etc. that can also throw you off balance too.
How the concept that nothing real can be threatened and nothing unreal exists might change what you ask for in prayer?
I feel that because nothing unreal exists but, in your mind & belief it does then, one prays for help & change.
An understanding may, does & can come through prayer.
How the concept that nothing real can be threatened, only by the concept that you believe the threat to be true.
Thank you with warm kitty purrs,
Jacquie Jones
Friday, March 27, 2015
from: Van Onyeaka
Sup ulcseminarycourses
http://weightlossaboutyou.com/grow.php?break=ke68cd7qg6dxdh
Van Onyeaka
Sent from my iPhone
http://weightlossaboutyou.com/grow.php?break=ke68cd7qg6dxdh
Van Onyeaka
Sent from my iPhone
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