More Good Reading
Tag Archives: spiritual growth
The Second Coming of Emanuel Swedenborg
Sam, just recently ordained as a new minister in the Swedenborgian Church, was meditating on his upcoming job responsibilities. He seemed a bit perplexed because as he poured through the pages of Emanuel Swedenborg’s vast theological writings he could find … Continue reading
The Swedenborgian Church (like Jesus) has an inner circle
On this particular Sunday morning, a Swedenborgian minister gave his congregation a sermon about the stages of spiritual growth. He told them that the first stage lasts roughly from birth to the age of five years old. This is a … Continue reading
Posted in god, Inner growth, psychology, Reality, religion, spirituality, unity
Tagged goodness, human memory, inner circle, innocence, levels of consciousness, regeneration, remains, spiritual growth, Swedenborgian Church
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The minister gets a shocking brain scan
Once upon a time a church minister got a call from a neuroscientist friend to come over to his lab—quickly. The two knew each other because the neuroscientist was a member of the minister’s church congregation. Minister: “What’s up? I … Continue reading
Posted in god, Inner growth, psychology, Reality, religion, science, spirituality, unity
Tagged consciousness, Emanuel Swedenborg, fellowship, innocence, neuroscience, remains, self-criticism, spiritual growth, subconscious mind
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“Spiritual” Eminent Domain
When we hear the words “Thy will be done” in the Lord’s Prayer this smacks of Divine colonialism and eminent domain. The reason is that God is planning to take over the psycho-turf of the human heart and mind. Anyone … Continue reading
The two turning points of spiritual evolution
There are two major turning points that occur along the path to true spiritual growth and the re-birth of the human spirit. The first turning point deals with the reformation of the human intellect and its consciousness. The entire process … Continue reading
Jesus threatens to lose a sandal up a church minister’s butt!
Jesus began to make his descent back to earth as He had so famously promised some two thousand years ago. He had warned people back then that His Second Coming and return to the planet earth would be like a … Continue reading
Posted in god, Inner growth, love, psychology, religion, spirituality, unity
Tagged Jesus, rebirth, second coming, self-confrontation, spiritual growth, spiritual inertia, trance, worship
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The irony of spiritual growth
The main driving principle of personal spiritual growth is to challenge one’s egoism and self-centeredness in order to adopt a larger, more inclusive form of love with one’s fellow neighbors. Spiritually speaking, we are to view ourselves from a more … Continue reading
Posted in god, Inner growth, Life after death, love, Reality, religion, spirituality, unity
Tagged cooperation, egoism, God’s scheme, heavenly happiness, love, organizing principle, spiritual growth, transgression, universal law
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Will God do anything to hurt you?
Yes. God will “do” things that cause us misery. First of all if we each lived in a perfect world, where all our personal desires were met, there would be no need for seeking a nobler spiritual life. There would … Continue reading
Posted in god, Inner growth, love, psychology, Reality, religion, spirituality, unity
Tagged Emanuel Swedenborg, human nature, innocence, introspection, salvation, spiritual growth, spiritual warfare, universal theology
4 Comments
Swedenborg and Gurdjieff
In the summer of 1974 I took an evening course at the School of Visual Arts in downtown Manhattan, New York. The title of the course was “Can We Survive Death?” It was here that my instructor introduced me to … Continue reading
Posted in god, Inner growth, psychology, Reality, religion, spirituality, unity
Tagged Circle of Life, Emanuel Swedenborg, Enneagram, George Gurdjieff, spiritual challenge, spiritual growth, worship
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