the church is dead long live spirituality the

: the church is dead : : long live spirituality :

: the church is dead :

: the church is dead : I am spiritual but not religious, the church is the opposite! The church has denied me the right to seek God! I believe in what God was before the church called him God!

: the church is dead : [This is] … a time when the search for spiritual guidance is on the rise. Organised religion will not serve as the solution to the developing thirst that the millennial generation will acquire. - F. Warner

: the contemplative journey : : retreat - the monastery etc. : meditation - ignation, zen, silence, lectio divina : the desert - the mystics, solitude, suffering, ‘still small voice’ : labyrinth - the journey and rhythm : long live spirituality :

: the celtic journey : : pilgrimage - the saints and guides : community - commitment over consumption, everyday spirituality : angels and spirits : wildness - chaos and creativity : long live spirituality :

: the creation journey : : the thin places - the places of engagement : art and creativity - made in the image of the creator : ecology and the cosmos - loving and responsibility for creation : new heaven and a new earth - re-creation : long live spirituality :

“The general meaning behind the root sh-l-m is of completion and fulfillment—of entering into a state of wholeness and unity, a restored relationship. . Shalom, and its related words shalem, shelem and their derivatives, are among the most important theological word … ‘Peace, ’ in this case, means much more than mere absence of war. Rather, the root meaning of the verb shalem better expresses the true concept of shalom — completeness, wholeness, harmony, fulfillment, are closer to the meaning. Implicit in shalom is the idea of unimpaired relationships with others and fulfillment in one's undertakings… shalom describes the state of fulfillment which is the result of God's presence. ”

: john chapter 4 : “Oh, so you're a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right? ” “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God's way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming-it has, in fact, come-when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. “It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself-Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration. ”

So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, TO THE UNKOWN GOD. I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with. The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or temples or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hideand-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your own poets said it well: "We are the God-created. ' : acts chapter 17 :