Snapshot

                               Theological Snapshot.

     My parents were practicing Catholic’s and as a child I too was encouraged to follow those established ideals. In attending a Catholic grade school a Christian foundation of faith was being instilled in me. There were expectations as you approached the age in which you were allowed to participate in rituals, which the Catholic’s refer to as sacraments.  In fourth grade, we discussed the sacrament of reconciliation/penance and I recall having a conversation with my mom in which I said “Why do I have to tell my sin’s to a priest when I can talk to God myself?” To this question my mom responded with the standard mom answer, “Because I said so.”

     As one may guess I was questioning theological beliefs at an early age, always seeking to grow and understand more. I wanted to understand why others believe what they believe and I wanted to know why and what the difference was from what I knew to be true for me. In looking back I found ways to keep my theological belief’s evolving.  In high school, I took a class that discussed the Native American culture and their beliefs. I attended public high school in a large metropolitan area and I discovered they were teaching a world religion class and my eyes were opened to many beliefs. Students in the class began sharing stories of their religious beliefs and practices and I discovered a whole new world. These theological beliefs were unfamiliar to me and it was so exciting to learn of other spiritual and religious paths.

     In my 30’s I began searching for something greater as the Catholic Church was not fulfilling or meeting my spiritual needs, as I had evolved and believed there was far greater than what they were telling me.  I began to think independently and I began deviating from what I was taught as a child.  While attending a Lutheran University, I was subjected to religious study courses and in writing papers they asked me to form my own opinions and I was forced to take a stance on that which I believed.  I could no longer just take in and sit with the information given; they wanted me to agree or disagree. In the process of writing papers I challenged what I had been taught. While attending the Lutheran University I discovered Unity.

    What I know to be true now still has the ability to evolve into something greater.  We are all one with God and we all have the ability to make that personal connection with God. It is up to us individually to take the time to nurture and grow in spirit.  In order to grow in Spirit it is a journey that one must make alone. In the silence we are guided and given that which our soul needs to flourish. With continued daily prayer practices we begin to see the positive changes in our lives. We see our prayers turn into manifestations of great work when we take the time to co-create with spirit.