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Groff, Kent Ira. Active
Spirituality.
Here is a practical guidebook for persons wanting a
holistic & intelligent look at the
spiritual life and a systematic framework &
spiritual practices to reignite the flame of
faith.
Click here to
see Pastor Lingle's understanding of spirituality, along with an
excerpt from
Groff's book and a diagram that illustrates his view of active spirituality.
Groff, Kent Ira. Spiritual Practices for
Beginners and Leaders.
Hirsh, Sandra K. and, Jane A.
G. Kise, Looking at Type and Spirituality.
The Lutheran
This is published by Augsburg Fortress for Lutherans in all synods. A
subscription is
required.
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ELCA Spiritual Center
Contains resources for new Christians
wanting to know more about Christianity and
Lutheran beliefs, prayer and
devotionals, and guidance for dealing with various life
situations
(e.g., depression, new parents, financial concerns, grief, separation
and
divorce, etc.)
ELCA Prayer
Resources
This is a part of the ELCA Spiritual
Center. Here, you will find ELCA calls to prayer,
ways to pray, an
anthology of prayers, Bible studies on prayer, guidance on developing
a
prayer ministry and prayer networks, and links to devotional pages.
North Carolina Synod ELCA Spirituality Committee
Provides links/resources about spirituality and discipleship, and
spiritual guidance.
The Alban Institute
The Alban Institute is an ecumenical faith
organization established to support
congregations through publishing,
educational seminars, consulting services, and research.
Research is
conducted in a wide range of fields, including sociology, human
relations
(such as conflict management, leadership, and spirituality),
and organizational
development. The bookstore has many resources for
church leaders (both ministerial
and lay).
BBC Christianity Section
Provides an overview of Christianity
(its history, traditions, beliefs, etc.), news, features
on contemporary
Christianity and Christians, and discussion groups.
BeliefNet
A multi-faith website that provides
information about Christianity, inspirational writings,
discussions,
dialogue groups, prayer circles, various versions of the Bible, and
more.
Bible
Gateway
A free online index of the Bible. Users can search the contents of
the Bible by scripture
passage, keyword, or topic. 20 English
translations (and numerous foreign languages)
of the Bible are
available. Audio and e-Bibles are also provided.
The Center for Progressive Christianity
Especially of interest to
Christians who seek to express their faith in ways that transcend
traditional doctrines. The Center for Progressive Christianity seeks to
approach God
through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, recognizes
there are different ways to
express faith, and works toward the
establishment of peace and justice for all peoples,
and the restoration
of God's creation.
Creighton University Online Spiritual Retreat
Creighton University is a Catholic
Jesuit institution in Omaha, Nebraska. Its online
retreat provides a
34-week spiritual journey of study and reflection, daily reflections,
Stations of the Cross meditation, and information about social issues.
Faith and Wisdom
An online source of learning opportunities for people of faith.
Information about programs
and events developed by organizations
worldwide is provided.
Faith at Work
"Faith at Work is an ecumenical network of
progressive Christians ... grounded in Biblical
faith, related to God,
self, others, and the earth, sustained through intentional community,
and committed to faith at work in the world." Numerous resources for
small group training,
Bible study guides, and group and individual
study
are provided."
ICLnet (Internet
Christian Library)
Developed by the Institute of Christian
Leadership in order to provide resources to Christian higher education
institutions. Recently, Worldstar Internet Technologies, Inc.
assumed the cost of hosting this resource and has made it available free
of charge to all.
Rejesus
Includes a Jesus timeline, virtual labyrinth,
encounters with today's followers of Christ,
stories of past followers. steps of
faith, 'Faces of Jesus,' and spirituality. You can post
a prayer, register to join
a discussion group, and even take a pub quiz (this is a site in
the UK where
pubs are very popular!).
Religion and Ethics
A PBS produced TV program and website that presents news events of all
faith traditions. It also focuses on contemporary issues
confronting society in a religious and ethical context.
Westar
Institute
The home page of the Jesus Seminar. "Westar
Institute is a member-supported, non-profit research and educational
institute dedicated to the advancement of religious literacy. Westar's
twofold mission is to foster collaborative research in religious studies
and to communicate the results of the scholarship of religion to a
broad, non-specialist public." (http://westarinstitute.org/Westar/westar.html)
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Active Spirituality
As pastor, I believe spirituality is the basic discipline for a
congregation's mission. I
encourage and hope that all who lead at Epiphany --
Mission Council members, Mission
Leadership Team members, Sunday School teachers,
Small Group leaders and
participants, choirs -- as well as long-term, new, and
prospective members of Epiphany
will make the goals of active spirituality a top
priority in their life as a mission member.
Pastor Lingle
'Active
Spirituality,' Kent Ira Groff
"God's love
expressed in Jesus Christ is a free gift of grace: Like a loving parent
waiting
to welcome a child home, God longs to embrace us as we respond in faith,
hope,
and love. As we return home to God, we need training for the spiritual journey
to
rekindle the flame of faith and continually reflect the love of Christ. The
following goals
represent basic disciplines from the Bible based on the pattern
of Christ's life and the
lives of "saints" of the church. They are like five
spokes in a wheel connecting our
outward activity with the still center of
Sabbath rest and renewal, all surrounded by
prayer and scripture that form the
rim."
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The
Discipline of Solitude
The psalm writers and spiritual mentors reflect the rhythm of Jesus' life,
serving in
community and retreating in solitude for prayer. A daily quiet time
for personal prayer
and scripture meditation, with occasional longer retreat
times, has always been an
important source of guidance and strength for
Christians. From Quakers and Catholic
contemplative traditions, from Calvin,
Luther, and Wesley, from Albert Schweitzer, Marin
Luther King, Jr., and Mother
Teresa, we know that the life of action requires the life of
prayer. You cannot
pour water from an empty cup. |
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