The teachings in this book have helped hundreds of thousands of people gain a deeper appreciation for the mystical path that Jesus taught to his disciples 2000 years ago, the path towards union with God, a state of mind beyond most people's highest dreams. TODAY MANY PEOPLE HAVE trouble discovering the small, easy and practical steps towards a state of consciousness that is beyond human conflicts and pitfalls. In this book the ascended master Jesus describes how to start walking the mystical path that will eventually restore our most natural ability: the direct experience of God within ourselves. This book empowers you to discover your personal path and make steady progress towards peace of mind and an inner, mystical experience of God. Inspiring and profound, this enlightening book contains questions and answers that are easy to read and that help you walk the mystical path of Jesus. You will learn how to: -Use the cosmic mirror to speed up your growth -Get out of old reactionary patterns -Become free from difficult situations and guilt -Control your mind -Leave behind a painful past -Open your heart to the flow of love from within -Heal the wounds in your psychology
The Bahá'í Faith is a religion that was founded by Bahá'u'lláh in the mid-nineteenth century and has since spread all around the world. Though a way of life that is largely grounded in action, the mystical connection between the individual believer and God stands at its core. The seeker of truth aims to walk the mystical path with practical feet. This book highlights the place of mysticism in the Bahá'í Faith through an exploration of its sacred literature. It discusses Bahá'u'lláh’s teachings on God and creation, the purpose of life, the nature of spiritual experience and transformation, as well as the principles and practices that the spiritual seeker utilises on the path of transformation. Through this exploration we discover the potential of the human being to live an active and spiritual life in this world, drawing closer to God. Each person was created in the image of God and has the capacity to mirror all of God’s perfections, experiencing His light both in the outside world and within, in this world and the next.
Let's go for walk. A very long walk. A journey down the pilgrim's path. Traipsing through the forest of life. Climbing over the mountains of adversity. Enduring the climate of challenge. Over the course of countless miles and numerous days, we will mine the golden wisdom hidden within our pilgrimage experience.
John Shelby Spong, bestselling author and popular proponent of a modern, scholarly and authentic Christianity, argues that this last gospel to be written was misinterpreted by the framers of the fourth-century creeds to be a literal account of the life of Jesus when in fact it is a literary, interpretive retelling of the events in Jesus' life through the medium of fictional characters, from Nicodemus and Lazarus to the "Beloved Disciple." The Fourth Gospel was designed first to place Jesus into the context of the Jewish scriptures, then to place him into the worship patterns of the synagogue and finally to allow him to be viewed through the lens of a popular form of first-century Jewish mysticism. The result of this intriguing study is not only to recapture the original message of this gospel, but also to provide us today with a radical new dimension to the claim that in the humanity of Jesus the reality of God has been met and engaged.
The teaching that you only whisper... Mystics are those who seek a direct experience of the Presence of God. They yearn to know God, to see God and to be one with God--now. There have always been mystics. And they have always plumbed the depths and scaled the heights of the soul's potential. Mysticism is not exclusive to Christianity. It is the vital, animating element at the heart of every religion. The aspiration of every mystic is one and the same: union with God. He does not postpone it--because he cannot. The spiritual marriage, the mystics tell us, is not merely a conforming to the ways and will of God but a total transforming of the soul into God.... And this is the heart of the teaching that you only whisper: The soul that is transformed into God is God. --from BECOMING GOD
Climbing the Mountain of God presents a fresh look into the nature of spirituality, mysticism and discipleship. By examining the contemporary thirst for true spirituality in the light of ancient tradition, today's faithful come to understand the nature of God's holiness, and their participation in a journey towards Him.
The mystical path is not some sort of static experience for the select few, says Carl McColman, rather, it is a living tradition, a rich and many-layered dimension of spirituality that is in large measure a quest to find the mysteries at the heart of the universe, paradoxically nestled within the heart of your own soul. McColman first introduced readers to Christianity's lost mystical roots in his popular book, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism. Now McColman is back with Answering the Contemplative Call, to show readers how to apply the riches of the mystical tradition to daily living. McColman quotes from the great mystics of the Christian tradition who have also traveled this path, including Teresa of Avila, Thomas Merton, Evelyn Underhill and more. In Answering the Contemplative Call, McColman offers a practice that will help readers come to a place meaning and purpose in their lives.
Madame Jeanne Guyon (1648–1717), a woman of great wisdom and worship, was filled with the richness of God’s grace as she endured hardships and abuse in her married life. Blessed with children and great earthly wealth, she suffered physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually at the hands of her spiritual leaders, imprisoned unjustly for her simple yet solid faith in Christ, her Divine Confidant. Trusting in her Lord, she expressed her insights in commentaries concerning the Scriptures, seeing in them the mysteries of the holy Eucharist, the sacrificial presence of her merciful Savior. Through her intercession, we are inspired to adore the Lord, uniting our suffering to his as she did.
For many people, the word mysticism conjures up occult, secretive rituals held after midnight in some dark cave. But true mysticism isn’t at all sinister or secretive, says author John Mabry, an Anglican-rite Congregational minister. In fact, mysticism is at the heart of an authentic Christian life. It is nothing more and nothing less than the pursuit-and enjoyment-of union with God, which is the goal of all Christian spirituality. Christian mysticism is the discipline of growing the soul into God—shedding illusory identities, deepening prayer, seeing God in all things, and acting as Christ in the world. Mabry’s great passion is to bring theology to everyday life by explaining complex ideas in everyday language that anyone can understand and find useful. In Growing into God, he “demystifies” mysticism, providing a friendly and accessible entry point to some of the teachings, practices, and experiences of the Christian mystical tradition. Mabry explores the classic mystical journey, which begins with the Awakening of a unitive consciousness that experiences everything as Divine and interconnected. The journey continues with Purgation, in which we empty ourselves of illusion; Illumination, in which we begin to see God in all things and all things in God; and, finally, Union, in which we marry our lives with God’s life. Our hands become God’s hands, our lips become God’s lips, our touch becomes God’s touch, in order to bring help, comfort, and healing to the world. ,p>Along the way, and with an entertaining teacher’s clarity, Mabry recounts the stories of many Christian mystics, including inspiring quotations. He also enriches each chapter with questions and answers to simplify points as well as experiential practices to help readers embark upon the mystical journey themselves
In this book, Joan Borysenko tells you how a mystical moment can strike at any time when you are fully present in the moment: when looking at a beautiful full moon, a sunset, walking in nature, or looking into the eyes of a child. When you are fully present in the moment, you will be filled with a sense of awe, and beauty, and feel fully connected with the universe.
In a time when competing and often irreconcilable belief systems seem to dominate all religious conversation in Christianity, N. Graham Standish offers an alternative for leading a spiritual and faithful life. Providing models that embrace elements of many spiritual traditions within Christianity, Discovering the Narrow Path seeks to hold all extremist positions in perfect tension, by integrating their essential truths yet also recognizing their flaws. In doing so, Standish surveys the wisdom of the mystics, the practice of forming a Trinitarian faith, the openness of healing traditions, and the value of balancing prayer and action, as well as spirituality, theology, and religion. Complete with two appendices, one a guide for group study and one an introduction to spiritual reading, Discovering the Narrow Path is an essential resource for those seeking spiritual fulfillment.
This book examines the nearly 400-year tradition of Quaker engagements with mystical ideas and sources. It provides a fresh assessment of the way tradition and social context can shape a religious community while interplaying with historical and theological antecedents within the tradition. Quaker concepts such as “Meeting,” the “Light,” and embodied spirituality, have led Friends to develop an interior spirituality that intersects with extra-Quaker sources, such as those found in Jakob Boehme, Abū Bakr ibn Tufayl, the Continental Quietists, Kabbalah, Buddhist thought, and Luyia indigenous religion. Through time and across cultures, these and other conversations have shaped Quaker self-understanding and, so, expanded previous models of how religious ideas take root within a tradition. The thinkers engaged in this globally-focused, interdisciplinary volume include George Fox, James Nayler, Robert Barclay, Elizabeth Ashbridge, John Woolman, Hannah Whitall Smith, Rufus Jones, Inazo Nitobe, Howard Thurman, and Gideon W. H. Mweresa, among others.
