It’ll be good for the world if we help each other think about our best prayers for each other. I’d love to hear more discussion from others on the subject.

Barbara has changed her mind over the years as to what healing really means. When she was young, she said, it meant that something in your body that hurt didn’t hurt any more. But now she thinks it has more to do with the soul and with wholeness. I think there’s a lot more to healing than stopping the body’s complaints too, but I feel rather strongly that healing needs to include the body along with the soul.

Healing is beautiful

We also touched on what healing means in other faith traditions. We recognize that almost every faith tradition has a different understanding of the meaning of ‘healing.’ And yet, we also found some interesting threads among the various ways of thinking about it.

The relationship between prayer and healing is a complex one. For instance, we noted that a prayer of human will is probably going to feel like a disappointment. But the right prayer will inevitably be answered. So, what is the right prayer? What should happen in a prayer? Why is healing an integral part of prayer?

What we most enjoyed in the conversation ourselves was the mutual agreement that the connection between prayer and healing is beautiful. We still have a lot of questions, and we hope our listeners will join in the discussion with their own insights and observations.

Related links:

• Examples of Christian Science healing
• Roman Catholic Healing Prayers

Religion has been blamed for so much human agony, and many atheists point this out when they justify their unwillingness to look any deeper. The report claims the association of religion and subjective well-being is conditional on societal circumstances. But I think we would learn more about the happiness factor in religion if we would pay more attention to the good and bad practices of religion.

What about you? It would be great to hear from a variety of thinkers what their experiences are regarding the relationship between religion and happiness. Leave your comments below. And thanks for your thoughts!

It’s an important topic for this website, especially, since the very name of the website includes the term, ‘spirituality.’ I remember when I selected the name, I thought the word was a powerful one, even though just about everyone has a different definition of it. I thought it would be good to discuss its meaning from time to time, to see if we can find some clarification on the subject.

Shirley Paulson and Barbara Zeman discussing 'spirituality'

Barbara starts off by asking what’s driving my passion with these topics? Why do I care so much? I think there is something very deep, very relevant for today, and very beautiful about the happenings in early Christianity, and that something was a type of spirituality. But interestingly, the very thing I find so beautiful seems also to have been that which the early Church was concerned with.

Barbara points out that whatever is spiritual removes us from our material senses and makes us lean on something entirely different. It sure does take us out of our comfort zones, and yet it also brings a new kind of comfort and happiness. Is there a reason to be afraid of it? Probably, because it challenges the authority of worldly ways. On the other hand, it speaks with grace, purity, and compassion. So whatever it is, it doesn’t seem capable of harming anyone. And even though it appears to draw persecution, it can’t be destroyed.

Please join the conversation. If you know of someone who can contribute to this question, would you please pass this podcast along and encourage them to contribute to the comments?

Thanks!

• Thomas Merton Center for Catholic Spiritual Development
• Christian Science on spirituality
• Buddhism on spirituality
• Judaism on spirituality

I decided to find a way to tell their stories, and recently produced a first-person presentation of 14 of these extraordinary women. Here’s a brief video clip from a live presentation:

Two of the women from the Bible identified Jesus in his unique roles before his male disciples did – as the Messiah and the fact of his resurrection.  It is odd that men get the credit for these “firsts” in the Bible, and the women’s stories are usually forgotten. But of even more interest is an observation on society’s perpetual belittling of women from Mechthilde of the Middle Ages. She noted that women were less tempted by worldly power, and because they were not able to please the powers of the Church, they were freer to nurture their natural affinity for the “love relations with God.”

Her comment provokes a powerful question for all of us, men and women, to ponder: What are those “love relations with God?” Must women always endure shame and persecution in exchange for the gift of this natural affinity? Or, must men always be blocked off, because they are privileged in society?

The full Women Who Followed Jesus presentation is available for rent on DVD. Make check out to and mail $5.98 to “Spirituality and Christianity,” c/o Heather Sholeen, 437 Washington, Barrington, IL 60010. Re line: Women Who Followed Jesus

Episode #31 is a discussion between Barbara Zeman and Shirley Paulson about an often unknown but potent code of silence in the church.

Barbara begins the conversation by wondering aloud why it is that when women are given the chance to exercise leadership or authority in a religious community, men almost always want to dominate. It’s a phenomenon in society, but it seems to be especially notable within the church context.

For sure, this is not a male-bashing conversation, because we both acknowledge there are men who are very supportive of women and their authority. Also, most men we know are kind and good men. There seems to be something working within the system that puts men and women both in the position of having to defend the subordination of women.

As we probed the issues involved, we also asked ourselves what we know of Christ that is bringing resolution. We’re convinced that injustice must be overthrown by the divine law of justice; and that no one is left out of the good given by God. But we also recognize that without saying something or objecting to it, the evil force would continue to suppress. There is a code of silence that preserves the unjust status quo. No one made it up or ordered anyone to agree to it, but it operates in such a way that both men and women feel very threatened by it. We are eager to expose the problem for the purpose of shedding light for the benefit of everyone.

Please let us know what you think about this. We’re convinced Christ is breaking this form of injustice, and we’d love to hear what experiences you’ve had, big or little, that may give evidence of progress.

For related links:

• Paper by N.T.Wright: “Men, Women, and the Church
• Talk by Karen King: Women in Ancient Christianity: the New Discoveries

Episode 30 is a conversation with Barbara Zeman and Shirley Paulson about the connection between Mary Magdalene of 2000 years ago and the recent Vatican action regarding the ordination of women.

It’s an especially poignant topic for Barbara, since she is an ordained Catholic priest herself. She and I share a special appreciation for Mary Magdalene, as we find her an example of Christian leadership. Scholars are fascinated with this woman, because she exemplifies so many things right and wrong in the history of Christianity.

Here was a woman of obvious spiritual maturity who was a leader of the apostles during the time of Jesus and immediately after. But her male detractors succeeded in marginalizing or misconstruing her message and place among Christian thinkers and leaders. But her re-emergence as an important Christian in recent years is causing a great deal of re-thinking among scholars and church leaders.

It is ironic that only two days after the Vatican announced its new policy regarding sex abuse among priests – managing to equate the horror of pedophilia with the ordination of women – Barbara Zeman is giving a homily on the subject of honoring Mary Magdalene. Listen to our discussion on women leaders. We raise the point that there is a critical difference between a servant leader and a servant governed or manipulated by someone else. Both can serve, but the former serves according to her/his own heart. The latter serves due to the manipulation of others. Power and prestige is not the goal, but exercising the authority of one’s own conscience is.

• See Barbara’s poem: She goes before us
• USA today report on Vatican statement on child sex abuse
• Catholic womenpriests press release on Vatican statement
  

Episode #29 of SpiritualityandChristianity.com is a dialogue with Thai Buddhist Monk, Venerable Direxis and Christian Scientist, Shirley Paulson.

Venerable Direxis and Shirley Paulson

It was easy to find people to talk to at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and it was easy to find people who have lived religious lives quite different from my own. What rich conversations, everywhere I turned! Direxis and I found easy similarities in our faith practices too, between my Christian Science faith and his Buddhism, even though our languages and cultures are worlds apart from each other. We both take seriously the importance of the movement of our thought. As Venerable Direxis puts it, our thoughts always need to move to a centered place, a place of peace, where healing happens. We surprised each other when we discovered how we both commit our lives to healing others.

Direxis’ life of devotion started earlier than mine. When he was sixteen, Direxis became a novice and by the time he was 20, he became a monk. I always loved God and wanted to be of service to others, but I wasn’t ready to devote my whole life this way until after I had a family. He now spends his life practicing meditation for the Buddha, the God, and I spend my life praying for the purpose of healing. And of course, we’re both interested in listening and learning from others, since we met at the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

When we tried to learn from each other the basis of our prayer/meditation and healing, we found such similar concepts with slightly different words. For example, we agreed we need to admit an original mind/Mind, and we both think it’s necessary to move our human thoughts away from the world of emotionalism/self-originated thought. We agree it requires meditation/prayer in order to move from the world of sensuality in order to find the peace and health of the universal love/divine Love.

Join us for a little conversation from people on the opposite sides of the world. I’m happy to discover “it’s a small world,” indeed.

Check out some of these related websites:

Buddhism in Thailand

Monk ordination at age 20

Christian Science practitioners

Photos from the Parliament of the World’s Religions

Please leave a comment. Let us know if you’ve had some similar conversations or discoveries.

Nick Brenton, a follower of a network of Spiritual Progressives, lives in Melbourne just a few blocks from the new convention hall. A conversation between a spiritual progressive and a Christian Scientist would naturally lead to an exploration of the meaning of spirituality. We agreed that the disconnect from human will is what allows God into the center of our lives. “Awareness” is the way Nick describes the consciousness into one’s inner being. Awareness is a joy, bringing awe and wonder.

While we share a desire to find God at the center – whether it’s the “kingdom of God” or the consciousness within one’s being – we also agree that spirituality needs to be made practical. Nick thinks that one must take a position in the public sphere and be willing to engage politically. He said that progressives may tend to lean left, but their greater priority is to challenge the polarity of left and right. I also resist polarity, because I find Christ as type of “option 3” – that is, when left and right oppose each other, I think they miss the relevance of spiritual ideas. Prayer, we agreed, in its basic form awakens us to forces beyond the mundane life. This is where we find practical, real solutions for the human experience.

Let me introduce the magazine Nick shared with me: Tikkun — whose mission is to “create a new bottom line, a world that values compassion, creativity, ecological sanity, awe and wonder; and not just money and power.”

Episode #27 of Spirituality and Christianity.com is a discussion about the relationship between Christian Science and New Thought.

Across the aisle from each other in the Exhibition Hall at the Parliament of the World’s Religion in Melbourne, were the booths (or, “stands”) of Christian Science and Association of Global New Thought. Christians Scientists think of their distinction from New Thought, whereas New Thought representatives welcome their origins in Christian Science.

Although we were all busy running around listening to talks on Buddhism, Islam, peace, pluralism, and a mind-boggling array of topics, we also thought it was important to take time to listen to each other! Indeed, Peggy Price surprised me with the similarities I wasn’t familiar with. The description of her healing practice sounded quite familiar to aspects of my own. Her motives – to love, to heal, to care for humanity – resonate with me. Also her commitment to the goodness of God and God’s whole creation is very close to my heart.

Peggy was easy to talk with, and following our initial conversation, I began to wonder if we could plunge a bit deeper. I went back to the booth and found other people willing to engage in conversation too. We dug into questions about the meaning of spiritualism and medicine. Also the role of Christ Jesus in our faith journeys. We discovered the place where we agreed to our disagreement, but this clarification did not diminish our mutual appreciation for each other’s commonalities.

Christian Science was a participant in the first Parliament, which took place in Chicago in 1893. New Thought wasn’t recognized as a religion at the Parliament in Barcelona five years ago, but the Alliance has grown, highlighting especially their love for youth and for interfaith activities at this year’s Parliament. It was good for us to become better acquainted.

The following websites are rich resources for both New Thought and Christian Science:

• New Thought sacred texts
• New Thought Movement Home Page
• International New Thought Alliance Declaration of Principles (includes all New Thought denominations as well as the agreement for adherents, as amended January, 2000)

• Official Christian Science website with discussion forums
• Daily Lift (two-minute inspirationals)
• TMC Youth (Christian Science activity and discussion for youth and young adults)

From a Catholic: “the essence of what my life is about; an expression of my relationship with God”

From a yoga practicing Christian from Latvia: “to know who I am; to see the same in another human being”

From Science of Spirituality: “refers to the Soul and God, which is the only true and permanent part of our life in this world of mind, matter and illusion”

From Buddhist: “something beyond material”

From Sikh: “doesn’t mean anything”

From Jewish: “feeding a hunger to find out who we really are”

From United Church of Canada: “the faith resources that enable me to work for justice and transformation”

From Salvation Army: “the way I transform that Spirit into a way of living; has to be practical; impulse to move me forward”

From Christian: “exploration of our most inner being”

From Christian: “internal resonance of your relationship or experience with the divine”

• Don’t fight the system; work with reporters, and let them see the value of your message.
• Social media gives more voices to more people, so it is important to let the entire faith community become well informed in the internal issues.
• Take care with what is said in social media, because it is very transparent. Writers cannot hide identities very well, and what is said is permanently locked into cyberspace.
• It is important to read and make space for negative feedback. These are often the best opportunities to clarify the message. Allowing negative comments give the audience trust in authenticity.
• Technology in dialogue is important, because its influence is growing exponentially. But it’s important to remember that even tech-savvy people don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. It’s integrity and authenticity that win the day.
• Using the media to convert others is mostly over. What’s important is communicating the story, the meaning of faith.

The theme of the four sessions I attended on the first day of the Parliament of the World’s Religions was understanding why interfaith or inter-religious dialogue is important and how to do it.

The first session I selected was “Strengthening One’s Faith Through Interfaith Dialogue.” Before we could even start talking with others, our instructors, Peta Pellach and Jeremy Jones, instructed us to think through one or two basic ideas from our own faith experiences that were of profound importance to us. Things that we hold most dear. In my practice dialogue, I talked with a Jewish professor from Europe. I learned from our experience that sharing what we want to tell about ourselves isn’t really the goal. A good conversation begins with a sincere interest in hearing the other. And yet becoming more conscious of our own distinct messages and finding the freedom to say so makes it easier to hear the issues most profound for my conversation partner.

Pellach encouraged us to consider whether we are allowing our religions to be time capsules, or time-lines. A time capsule keeps everything inside its self-made bubble; a time-line indicates the movement of the religion through the relevance of human history.

My second session was a Buddhist-Muslim dialogue. Four speakers of Buddhist and Muslim faiths (Dharma Master Hsin Tao, Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, and Ruben Habito) shared their visions for the way both religions can contribute toward resolutions of conflict between the two groups. One pointed out that the theological differences between the two – even though they are quite dissimilar in many ways – they cannot be the excuses for not working together to heal the earth. The greater dividing issues are fear, anger, historical misunderstandings, and other human failures.

Third, I attended the Arizona Interfaith Movement presentation on “Developing a Dynamic Interfaith Movement for Your City or Area.” They are a very active and involved organization in the Phoenix area, focusing on education, understanding and respecting others. Their activities are quite diverse and of interest to people of all religious and faith backgrounds, including atheists. The stories of their activities inspired me to realize there are practical steps any of us can take in our communities that would benefit everyone.

Finally, I stepped into a packed room, where the discussion was on the need for educating religious leaders. This was an academic exercise for many seminary students from around the world, including both papers and group discussion. The papers were inspiring, but the questions in our discussion group were new to me: 1) Does inter-religious dialogue mean learning about or learning from another? 2) What is more important today: dialogue or cooperation? Very deep and provocative questions that led to conversation that could have lasted all night.

These questions provided a good framework for the whole day for me. I concluded that inter-religious dialogue would have to include learning from each other, or else I’d never truly learn about them. And although cooperation would certainly bring about more peace on earth, I”m convinced that dialogue is even more important, because peace will never exist without understanding our neighbors.

The opening Plenary included music from Didgeridu player, Alan Harris, along with the beautiful Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra. Welcome messages from religions around the world showcased singing, dancing, and prayers. The message from every language, custom, costume, dance, and song was — Welcome!

I couldn’t help but want to give my best, whatever that might be, when I felt such sincere welcome from every religious voice we heard. Of course not all of the religions of the world were able to speak their words of welcome, but the ones we heard were Zoroastrian, Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Baha’i, Aboriginal, and Shinto.

Three brief keynote addresses brought us into the heart of understanding and acting on our appreciation of the religious values and insights of others. My take-away message from Dr. Sakena Yacobi was that we have a choice in the way we’re going to confront the sorrows and pains of the world today. Either we can be audiences to those who suffer, or we can become authors of good. The message encourages us to find the means to take action and take responsibility for the opportunities we have at our disposal to accomplish some good for humanity.

I feel welcome in Australia and ready to listen, learn, and take action everywhere I can.

One of the themes of the meeting was an honest self-examination as to why Christian Scientists so often find themselves isolated from mainstream conversation. It became clear that effective conversation is based on a two-way channel. We wondered aloud why there is a tendency among Christian Scientists, who are usually well informed about their own religion, are generally not so familiar with the religions of others.

Although none of the reasons are especially good ones, a couple of them included 1) that we have everything we need to experience our relationship with God, and 2) that the time spent in dialogue with others either slows down the spiritual journey or confuses us with unnecessary knowledge.

An adjustment of our motives gives us a powerful incentive to pick up the dialogue and commit to learning from others. Presbyterian Frederick Buechner once said, “The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” That idea is certainly applicable for all faith traditions, and it illustrates the reason why discourse with others does not retard our spiritual journey.

The Christian Scientists who came to the meeting on Tuesday were among those especially eager to break out of the isolation and to engage in the rich opportunity to learn from others and to work together to address the heart-aches of the world.

I’m heading to Melbourne, Australia today, to arrive in time for the week-long Parliament of the World’s Religions! From December 3 – 9, more than 10,000 participants from 80-plus countries are expected to convene for the world’s largest interreligious gathering.

I’m one of many hundreds of participants who will make a presentation in support of the theme, “Make a world of difference: hearing each other, healing the earth.” I’m also going to participate in an off-site interfaith panel focused on the main theme but available to those not registered for the actual Parliament.  I plan to tweet a favorite aha (http://twitter.com/ShirleyPaulson) moment from each of the sessions I attend, and I’ll post a blog entry here at spiritualityandchristianity.com daily. I hope you’ll catch some of the spirit, flavor, feelings, and spiritual sense of the reasons we need such a gathering of world religions.

I believe in religious pluralism. It means that people of all faiths need each other. We can’t possibly live in harmony with others without understanding something of their religious and spiritual heritage. We also can’t survive without learning our own religious traditions well enough to explain why they are a blessing to all humanity.

I first caught the spirit of religious pluralism when I attended the resurrection of the Parliament in Chicago in 1993, a century after the first truly global dialogue of faith took place, also in Chicago, in 1893.  The plan emerged at that time (1993) to reconvene as a conference every five years at various places around the world. I didn’t make it to Cape Town in 1999 or Barcelona  in 2004, but it’s great to have a chance to get to Melbourne. Stay tuned.

So I hope you’ll join me here and on Twitter — http://twitter.com/shirleypaulson

He’s really good at caring for others and being attentive to the needs of others. But he never liked asking for help for himself — until the day he had no alternative.

I don’t want to give away the adventure in the wilderness in the show notes here, because it’s more fun to hear Bob tell it himself on the podcast. What we can say is that the scary moments brought him face to face with the realization that his own strength and wit were not enough.

We thought together a bit about why so many people face reluctance in asking God for help. Obvious reasons may include pride and doubt. But there are also more subtle excuses that keep us wandering in the dark far too long. Getting over that reluctance has added benefits as well. Bob and I discovered that in our moments of humility, when we surrender to God’s availability and capacity to help, we discovered our own increased desire to help others.

Be sure to check out Bob’s entire website, where he shares the details of this story more fully. You’ll also find his personal reflections and transparent prayers dealing with other tough life situations.

Don’t forget how much we’d like to hear from you too. Have you had to struggle with the reluctance to ask God for help? What made you do it? What happened? Share your comments at the end of the show notes on this website, at Spirituality and Christianity.com.

References in the podcast:

* Bob’s website

* Luke 13:4-5

Sometimes the effort to discuss politics and religious convictions in the same conversation can be hazardous. All the more reason to find a basis for successful conversations.

Will is a student at Principia College, where he’s studying political science. He’s also deeply committed to  his spiritual growth. Our discussion raises questions and uncovers possibilities for those who deeply care about the relevance of spiritual living in a political context.

Whether you lean left or right, it’s encouraging to find common ground in the belief that God’s goodness is available to everyone at all times. It gives hope for peace, and it encourages grace in the midst of our differences.

It might be helpful to clarify one point in the podcast conversation. Near the end of the podcast, Will is discussing “three degrees” of human experience, which come from his study of Mary Baker Eddy’s book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (115). He is distinguishing between the second and third degrees, in which the second is a transitional state of thought to the third level, which includes spiritual understanding and power. Will describes the meaning of that third state of human thought without clearly identifying it; but his point is that it’s helpful for us as humans to be clear about the type of thinking we bring to our experiences. We are able to achieve wisdom, spiritual understanding, and spiritual power (the “third degree”) as we grow spiritually; and on that basis we are not victims of politics, but contributors to society’s well-being.

Please do join us in this conversation. We’re interested in they way you make connections between your spiritual searching and your political pragmatism. Share your comments at the end of the show notes on the website, SpiritualityandChristianity.com.

Some relevant links:

• The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life
• Religion and Ethics Newsweekly
• See spirituality.com for podcast reference to Science and Health

Anyone who knows anything about Roman Catholicism and Christian Science knows that we celebrate the Eucharist in entirely different ways, but Michele and I were interested in discovering its profound meaning in both of our lives.

For Michele, the celebration of the Eucharist is an awakening to the presence of “kairos,” or the meaning of life’s moments filled with God’s presence. For Shirley, the celebration (which takes place without ritual) is a pricking of the heart, reminding us of God’s healing love. Our mutual enthusiasm for this sacred prayer is that it calls us to ministry. The cross, for instance, is more than a symbolic reminder of Jesus’ crucifixion. When we think deeply about it, we’re impelled to “take up our own cross,” as Jesus asked of his disciples. We notice others in need, and we confront our own obstacles that would keep us from binding up the broken hearted and seeking healing for others.

What a rich experience it is to share our mutual love of this prayer. We’d like to multiply our exploration on this topic and hear what Eucharist means to you. Would you jot down your own thoughts or life experiences with it? We’re convinced this is a topic that provides lots of space for learning from each other. Submit your comments just below the show notes on the website, SpiritualityandChristianity.com.

References from the show

• Eucharist from Catholic Encyclopedia
• Search “Eucharist” from Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy

Meg is immersed in the issues of emerging media, and we decided to explore together the impact this new technology might have on religion, and vice versa. Meg is a Journalism student who was selected as one of the scholarship students attending the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) convention in Boston this year. She was featured on episode #21 also.

Globalization can offer exciting new opportunities, but the  idea of a single currency for the world, for example, can also be scary if it leads to the end of society as we know it. Meg wonders aloud whether journalism technology is contributing to it or offering sufficient warnings against it. Some of our other questions have to do with the relationship between soul and digital machinery. Does God give humanity dominion, or are we victims of our own creations? Does moral strength play a role in the development of technology?

We feel like kids peering into an unopened treasure box, ready to discover things no one ever told us about before. We’d love to hear  your insights and questions too. This is a topic that needs the best of everyone’s thinking. Please join in! Post your comments on the Spirituality and Christianity.com website. Subscribe to the podcass at the link on the right side of the website page: “Sunbscribe to S+C Podcast.” Thanks!

Related Links:

• Ray Kurzweil, The Age of Spiritual Machines
• Ragan on emerging media
• Religion Communicators Council

My mother passed away just a few weeks before Mother’s Day this year, and Judy’s mother passed on suddenly a few years ago. Our different faith backgrounds — in Christian Science and Roman Catholicism — have given strength, love, and spiritual insights to the meaning of our mothers’ lives.

While it’s never a good time to say goodbye to those we love so much, we both found that our own spiritual depth has given us more profound ways of living the blessings of our mothers. Judy’s poem (read on the podcast) is a beautiful tribute to her mother’s affection for the Madonna, and I find my tribute to my mother in my every day actions.

Loving our mothers has also helped our spiritual journeys progress. We have discovered that it’s easier to understand life beyond corporeality, and that the meaning of life is greater as we transcend the limitations of our bodies.

We’d love to have you join the conversation. Please post your comments on the Spirituality and Christianity.com website. And if you haven’t subscribed to these podcasts yet, there’s an easy “Subscribe to S+C Podcast” link on the right side of the website page. Thanks!

Meg is a religiously minded Journalism student at Butler University. She is one of nine scholarship students who attended the recent Religion Communicators Council (RCC) convention this year, and I had the privilege of being appointed as her mentor. This year’s topic – Identity amid diversity – was a perfect springboard for our podcast conversation. Meg has just been discovering the depth of spirituality within herself, so the anchor of her identity is important while she navigates the contemporary pluralistic religious world. I have lived with a more secure religious foundation, but the security of my identity is increasingly challenged in the context of the same increasing pluralism.

Meg and I are happy to discover in our discussion how much the changing landscape of increasing contact with new religious communities has been enriching in our experiences. Meg points out that contact with her new Muslim friend at RCC (another scholarship student) made her ask herself about her own level of devotion. And I find it helpful to learn that others cope with feeling as isolated or different as I do. And an even greater benefit is the unifying power we discover together in our mutual love for God. Regardless of our different religious practices, our desire to be close to God and to live faithfully to God brings the security we need in the midst of the diversity.

Here are some questions we’d love to hear your thoughts on:

1. How have you related to others with strong differences in faith backgrounds?
2. How do you balance the need to establish an identity for your religious community, and yet maintain your unique individuality?
3. How has your experience with religious pluralism benefited your own faith?

Please post your comments just below the links related to this podcast on the Spirituality and Christianity.com website. Also, if you haven’t subscribed to these podcasts, there’s an eas “Subscribe to S+C Podcast” link on the right side of the website page. Thanks.!

Some related links:

• Religion Communicators Council
• Meg’s blog called “Digital Disciple”
• Meg’s church away from home
• Meg’s intership with the Center for Faith and Vocation
• Trends in online journalism

Shirley Paulson, a Christian Science practitioner, and Barbara Zeman, a Roman Catholic, find common ground in the quest for healing. The complexity of healing arises out of the limitations of human language, but the beauty of healing is evident in the closer relationship with God.

While we might be enthusiastic about the spiritual adventure of seeking healing through prayer, we also recognize that the struggle that precipitates the healing often includes the battle with the very thing that resists the healing. Stubbornness is an example. Despite our shortcomings, though, we agree that God or Christ is able to move our thoughts where we need to be in order to welcome the healing adjustment.

People need personal healings, and the whole family of humanity needs healing of injustice, oppression, and economic disruption. We’d love to welcome your thoughts on healing of any kind. Tell us how you’ve experienced healing, or how you heal others. Please scroll down to the “comments” here on the Spirituality and Christianity.com website. Tell us your thoughts or experiences. Thanks!

Some related links:

• Christian Science healing
• Catholic healing prayers
• Beliefnet healing prayer archive
• Healing prayer: online resource for Christian prayer
• Christian Science Sentinel (print version)

We know it’s a topic close to the hearts of many spiritually minded people, as was evident in a recent cover story with TIME magazine, called, “How Faith Can Heal.” Barbara did a healing service with her colleagues at the hospital, and I keep a full time office devoted to healing through prayer.

Even though our traditions and practices are different, we find a common thread in our understanding of the way healing happens. God’s will is harmony, peace, wholeness, and blessing, so our prayers for healing are for the purpose of finding alignment with God. It appears that the sincere desire to be close to God inspires us to find healing for our own broken hearts, broken peace, or even broken bodies; and this is the same inspiration that impels us to extend that same kind of healing for others.

Please join the conversation and tell us your healing experiences. Click on the comments button at the end of the show notes, here on the website, “spirituality and Christianity.com.”  thank you!

References from the podcast:

• Healing in the History of Christianity, Amanda Porterfield, p. 158
• Saint Blaise
• Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp.326-442

Sometimes people who live with a deep-seated spiritual connection with God are challenged to show how that spirituality can be relevant in the midst of lost jobs or lost hope. The theme of our conversation centers on responsibility, because so many people find it tough to take care of themselves during economic downturn, let alone care for dependents and others. Bob and I think that a very spiritually understanding of God, or love for God brings genuine hope and peace. It’s not naive, because finding the connection with God’s grace and government opens our eyes to the presence of goodness.

Please join the conversation and tell  us your stories. Click on the comments button at the end of the show notes here on teh website, spiritualityandchristianity.com. Thank you!

That kind of close encounter with God can seem both scary and profoundly satisfying, and it certainly never leaves us where it found us.

We discussed two basic ways of finding that kind of intimacy with God. One is through love, and the other is from listening, which is of course a form of listening. We both recognize the way some people tend to balk at this type of spiritual experience, so we talk about why we don’t believe these objections are necessary. John’s experience with the writings of St. Theresa of Avila and of Thomas Merton, and my experience with the writings of Mary Baker Eddy give us rich background for the mutual exploration of our subject.

Our stories cover John’s 4-day experience at the monastery at Gethsemane, in Kentucky and one of my aha! moments that lead to physical healing. These types of experience may be relatively brief, but they are fundamentally transforming, Interestingly, we both found that our private, intimate experience with God always ends up enlarging our heart for humanity. Rather than indulging selfishness with privileges from God, we concur that intimacy with God is the foundation for more commitment to comforting and helping others.

Here are links to some of the subjects and events we talked about.

• Study on friendship decline in the United States
  
• The real mission – be close to God
• St. Theresa of Avila
• Abbey of Gethsemani of Trappist, Kentucky

We searched for an understanding of the term “miracle” that doesn’t dismiss the heavenly good within the rest of us who experience the same earth that Jesus did. In my Christian Science practice, we tend to avoid the use of the term “miracle” in reference to Jesus’ works, because it tends to dilute our expectancy of divine power in our own lives. Barbara notes that children had access to the goodness and power Jesus brought about — perhaps especially so because they were children. They are not jaded, and they may anticipate the divine power as natural phenomena.

It became clear to us that the best way to understand those miracles is not through human analysis of a physical event, but rather through the realization of the same divine power within each of us, in all human history. We still have questions about the fig tree.

Listen in, and let us know if you have some ideas to offer. Be sure to leave your comments here at the end of the show notes on Spirituality and Christianity.com.

Here are some links related to our discussion:

• Story of the fig tree
• Diane Treacy-Cole: Jesus and the fig tree
• Syro-pheonoecian woman and her daughter
• Jesus and children
• Jesus’ claim for believers to do greater works than his own
• Gospel accounts of Jesus’ miracles

The biggest question we were discussing this time is how to deal with Jesus who was a human being, but a human being that did and said things that other human beings didn’t say and do. Of course we’re curious about his human family and every day life, but we keep searching for the way his human life relates to ours today. It continues to energize us, and yet everything Jesus did resulted in overturning the status quo.

It’s his message about the kingdom of God that got us going in this conversation. There’s a huge power play in that it Jesus’ message was threatening and yet promising. It seemed to throw the powers of the state together with the powers of the church, until that power-sharing exploded. The “king” part of the kingdom is problematic.

But whether we call it “king”dom or realm, there’s clearly something about the presence of God that changes lives. It transcends history, and it transcends our human bodies too.

Tell us what you think about the historical Jesus. What difference does it make that there was a human being named Jesus of Nazareth who lived over 2,000 years ago? Be sure to leave your comments here at the end of the show notes on Spirituality and Christianity.

Here are some links related to our discussion:

1. Leo Tolstoy: The kingdom of God is within you
2. Stephen T. Davis: Why the historical Jesus matters
3. Lyle Young: The historical Jesus and the living Christ
4. Elaine Follis: Citizens of the kingdom
5. Bart D. Ehrman: Historical Jesus (Course 643 of the Teaching Company)