tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257811012678007955.post2445839960781842409..comments2023-12-16T20:19:41.067-08:00Comments on Christina Sell: Afternoon in AustinUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257811012678007955.post-63760075621307492882007-12-20T06:32:00.000-08:002007-12-20T06:32:00.000-08:00Amen. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Truly. Thank yo...Amen. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Truly. Thank you so much for these inspiring, heart-felt words this morning.<BR/><BR/>And I miss practicing with you, ya big lug... Love.Christina Sellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08401826381021947279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5257811012678007955.post-14682049853236623142007-12-20T01:51:00.000-08:002007-12-20T01:51:00.000-08:00My understanding of God is described as the "Refor...My understanding of God is described as the "Reformed" tradition of Christianity - dating back to Martin Luthor nailing his list of problems with the organized church of the day to the door of one of those churches.<BR/><BR/>Our understanding of God is similar to the shaktipat tradition. We see God's will as a river flowing down through history, with the streams of God-seekers mingling in and forming a mighty river. <BR/><BR/>We believe that people are not even able to perceive/understand/love God personally until God touches them with his love and opens their eyes. We think of grace as a gift of God, freely given to us. That initial grace of opening our eyes is only the beginning. Every step that we take toward becoming more like God is only accomplished by his grace. We think ourselved incapable of becoming more like God by ourselves - we are basically no more able to become persue God on our own now thatn we were in the beginning.<BR/><BR/>So the wise path to God is to seek his grace, and to act in accordance with that grace - in John's terms, to seek to understand God's will - the direction that his grace is flowing - and then to dive into that stream with delight, gusto, discipleship, and profound gratitude. To take two chocolates and help two times.<BR/><BR/>We believe that this life is a training ground for helping us become people who not only love God, but who are his disciples.<BR/><BR/>Outward disciplines are useful at some times, and God's grace may call us to some discipline - asana, charity, fasting, studying - but the discipling is not the heart of the practice of God's children - it is the passionate persuit of God that is the heart of the practice.<BR/><BR/>And so our practice is seeking to know the father's heart, to think his thoughts after him, to play as he plays, to love with his ferocity, and always, always, always to seek his grace.<BR/><BR/>Then physical fasting becomes a spiritual feast; asana becomes a dance with the Beloved, giving to the poor becomes more satisfying than spending, and serving others becomes the ecstasy of washing God's feet.<BR/><BR/>I think that the comparisons between the two religions are wonderful.<BR/><BR/>Cheers................DaleAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12764696621667441932noreply@blogger.com