Naming the Divine
"Interspirituality rests on a vast community of insight and experience
available to humanity at all times and in all places.
This community embraces the collective wisdom of the human family.
Behind this vast community of collective awareness is the one Spirit,
inspiring breakthroughs to its realm,
opening minds and hearts, transforming attitudes and wills,
and encouraging growth in compassion,
love, kindness, mercy, and sensitivity."
~Br. Wayne Teasdale, A Monk in the World
available to humanity at all times and in all places.
This community embraces the collective wisdom of the human family.
Behind this vast community of collective awareness is the one Spirit,
inspiring breakthroughs to its realm,
opening minds and hearts, transforming attitudes and wills,
and encouraging growth in compassion,
love, kindness, mercy, and sensitivity."
~Br. Wayne Teasdale, A Monk in the World
Welcome to my world. It's an interspiritual one. It contains my heart and directs my passion.
I enjoy nothing more than breaking down the barriers that keep us separated from one another; fostering communication and cultivating compassion between us for the purpose of greater growth—for spiritual understanding, for personal and planetary healing.
With that, I have been wondering about all of you who read this blog. I wonder how you relate to the "God" of your understanding and what your unique spiritual practices are.
I'm wondering ....
What name do you use to refer to Spirit—the Divine, the Sacred, the Holy?
I believe each of us must find our own unique way to name this "Ultimate Reality." I wrote about this in my book, Your Truest Self. It forms the basis of the first Transformational Truth presented there: "I Am Free to Live a Spiritual Life of My Own Making."
A while back, my dear friend, Ingrid Goff-Maidoff, gifted me with a beautiful book, one she created to explore how we "name the Divine." It's a flip-book—and absolutely delightful—beckoning us to be more playful, in a mix-and-match sort of way, about how we understand "Spirit" (as I usually call It.)
Here are a few of the hundreds of adjectives (names and qualities)
she offers:
Blessed, Beautiful, Master, Lord, Benevolent, Vast, Truth, Silence, Wind, Jewel, Protector, Energy, Kindness, Beyond, Beloved, All-Seeing, Presence, Brilliance, Yes .....
She's also provided blank strips for us to insert our own.
Let's share ...
What name (or words) do you use to refer to Spirit—the Divine, the Sacred, the Holy—as YOU understand it?
And why ...
I'm eager to hear ....
(To learn more about the book Naming the Divine: A Flip-Book of Beautiful Language, visit www.ingridgoffmaidoff.com.
Sunset image courtesy of nationalgeographic.com)
I enjoy nothing more than breaking down the barriers that keep us separated from one another; fostering communication and cultivating compassion between us for the purpose of greater growth—for spiritual understanding, for personal and planetary healing.
With that, I have been wondering about all of you who read this blog. I wonder how you relate to the "God" of your understanding and what your unique spiritual practices are.
I'm wondering ....
What name do you use to refer to Spirit—the Divine, the Sacred, the Holy?
I believe each of us must find our own unique way to name this "Ultimate Reality." I wrote about this in my book, Your Truest Self. It forms the basis of the first Transformational Truth presented there: "I Am Free to Live a Spiritual Life of My Own Making."
A while back, my dear friend, Ingrid Goff-Maidoff, gifted me with a beautiful book, one she created to explore how we "name the Divine." It's a flip-book—and absolutely delightful—beckoning us to be more playful, in a mix-and-match sort of way, about how we understand "Spirit" (as I usually call It.)
Here are a few of the hundreds of adjectives (names and qualities)
she offers:Blessed, Beautiful, Master, Lord, Benevolent, Vast, Truth, Silence, Wind, Jewel, Protector, Energy, Kindness, Beyond, Beloved, All-Seeing, Presence, Brilliance, Yes .....
She's also provided blank strips for us to insert our own.
Let's share ...
What name (or words) do you use to refer to Spirit—the Divine, the Sacred, the Holy—as YOU understand it?
And why ...
I'm eager to hear ....
(To learn more about the book Naming the Divine: A Flip-Book of Beautiful Language, visit www.ingridgoffmaidoff.com.
Sunset image courtesy of nationalgeographic.com)
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8 comments:
I use any name that I feel like. God, Ganymede, Jesus, Christ, Shiva, Mars, Jupiter, Zeus, Apollo, Mary, Universe, YHWH, Being. It is just based upon the situation and how I feel and relate to life. None of these names can encapsulate him, of course.
God is fine by me... Source of all Being, the Divine, Creator... Names limit the infinite anyway.
Hi Jan .. God .. but being with my mother I've brought in other terms - even though she is a great believer in God .. it's bringing the whole spiritual aspect aura of thinking around her ... I've been influenced by our Jan! The healer-massage-therapist who's been with us for 3.5 years .. thank goodness someone sent her!!
Peace for the weekend .. Hilary
Br. Wayne Teasdale's A Monk in the World is one of my favorites.
For me, the name I use to refer to Spirit-the Divine, the Sacred, the Holy is;
God, the Father, Jesus Christ the son of God and the Holy Spirit. I believe in a Triune God. The Holy Trinity is the great mystery of the Christian faith.
I don't understand everything about the Trinity or about the Christian faith but I am a work in progress. Even when Christ appointed his apostles, he knew they were weak and vulnerable but Jesus trusted in the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be with his disciples when they proclaimed the word of God.
I am a woman of faith, I study scriptures and I live a life that reflects the Spirit of God in me.
i don't like to use 'God'. that's because that word is so overused, along iwth 'Lord'. i choose words like 'great master', 'my creator'. this is a great idea, givng names to the divine.
Kora,
I am glad you have given yourself permission to explore and create a spiritual life that is truly unique - yours!
Sue,
Good to know and glad that you find comfort and meaning in these names. Yes, I agree, names can be limiting....
Hilary,
Thank you for sharing. It sounds like your Jan is an angel. I am glad she has opened you up to "more."
Julie,
Thank you, too, for sharing your perspective and the words and concepts that nourish your spirit. Yes, the Teasdale book is wonderful, timeless!
Anonymous,
Good for you that you have found and use names that resonate with your heart. Thank you!
One of my particular favorites is "Beloved." It creates such a feeling of warm and intimacy....
It is all divine, so "everything" will do.
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