Spiritual awakenings can be complicated, profound, and nothing short of life-changing. This process can take some time and trial and error, but the benefits are well worth it!
If you’re experiencing mind-blowing synchronicities or feeling like you have the gift of deja vu, these can be signs that your soul is awakening.
Spiritual Direction
One of the most important spiritual practices is finding a spiritual director. This person will discuss your life journey with Christ in a sacred space.
The goal is to help you find ways to connect with God in all areas of your life. This conversation can be an hour-long meeting in some quiet, private setting or occur regularly in your everyday life. This is referred to as spiritual accompaniment and is also known as a soul friend or ‘anam care in Christian Celtic tradition.
Students in this class will be taught a variety of contemplative practices, including, but not limited to, centering prayer, pilgrimage, meditation, and labyrinth walking. In addition, spiritual ministries Memphis TN will cultivate their sensitivities and skills for facilitating group spiritual direction.
Spiritual Gifts
When the Holy Spirit gives a gift to believers, it is a special grace meant for the church’s improvement. Yet misunderstandings and misuse of spiritual gifts can cause division within the church, as we see in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.
The gifts are grouped into categories. For example, the “evangelism” gifts teach others about Christ and encourage faith. “Miracle” gifts restore people physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The “administration” gifts help organize and direct the various ministries of the church, while the “service” gifts care for the needs of church members as well as those in need outside the church (see Romans 12:8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:28).
Each person has abilities God gave them. The key is to discover and use them to serve and love others.
Prayer
It’s easy to overcomplicate prayer. There is undoubtedly a place for detailed, theologically precise definitions of prayer. But in its most basic form, prayer is talking with God.
Prayer may be a personal or corporate act, using many forms and techniques. It may be sung, spoken, or read aloud. It may involve body postures with specific meanings (mainly respect and adoration). It can be silent or vocal, with or without music.
Prayer is a response to the holiness of God, who is revealed in Scripture as the one to whom we pray. The ultimate purpose of prayer is to align our lives more closely with God’s covenant grace and goals. It’s about a relationship with Jesus, and it’s about a transformation of duty into delight.
Meditation
In a world where people are overwhelmed with stimuli, meditation offers a space for quiet reflection and relaxation. It activates and strengthens neural pathways in the brain to connect us with our inner strength and wisdom.
Meditating has a long history in many traditions, including Christianity. It has also been shown to have scientific benefits, such as reducing stress and anxiety and improving cognitive functioning.
Students explore formative spirituality practices, including contemplative/centering prayer, meditation, pilgrimage and retreat, sacred reading and writing, mindfulness, creative expression, and the labyrinth. Students choose one spiritual practice to engage in throughout the semester.
Community
Students learn to develop class community. This is particularly important for first-year students, who often come to campus knowing very few people. Jesus understood the value of community and frequently gathered His disciples together. He also modeled how the community can bring about life change.
Spiritual qualities that encourage and facilitate community building can be expressed individually, in small groups and organizations, in neighborhoods and villages, and even in entire communities and societies. They can also be employed in various community sectors and settings, such as government, education, health care, workplaces, human services, criminal justice, the arts, and media.
Developing a community requires a certain amount of wisdom and instruction. This course is designed to offer that education. It examines critical ministry and educational philosophies. It will also explore biblical and historical models and principles for church leadership.
