Summary Of A Search For The Spiritual By Abby White

In the “Mis-Education of the Negro” (Woodson, C.G., 1933), Carter G. Woodson, the founder of the black history movement, argues that many of the black spiritual leaders of the church have led the people astray. He suggests that far too many pastors of institution of spiritual uplift are manipulating the people for their own self-centered gains. Moreover, that their interest is only to benefit themselves.

Many may believe that reading a book about religion would be challenging to accomplish for someone who is not religious. But those people have never read Anne Lamott’s, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith. If one were to ask non-religious college students to read a book by a random author about spirituality and “Finding God” through conversion, they would most likely roll their eyes and bear through it. In Lamott’s series of essays, one does not have to “suffer through the readings” because her writing style is one of a kind. She has strategically chosen every word because she is aware of how important her spiritual experiences are to so many people, religious or not.

Skogsbergh’s influence was extended through Nyvall’s pursuit of new educational values that would be based on the formation of schools for ministers and other non-Swedish members that were beginning to join the ECC. This form of evangelical leadership would lay the foundation for educational institutions and Church community services to become embedded in the greater Chicago area. The Evangelism of North Park Congregationalists defines the impact of Nyvall’s creation of the North Park University, which formed a powerful educational institution for immigrants coming to the United States. More so, the belief in premillennialism began to emerge in 1909, which became a part of the ECC’s doctrines for the salvation of humankind in the arrival of Jesus in the Second Coming. Once again, this cultural shift away from the pietistic foundations of the Swedish Lutheran Church illustrates the dynamic changes in the ECC during this historical period.

“Beware of the Easter Bunny” by Charles Colson, “Letter from Birmingham Alabama” by Dr. Martin Luther King, and “Salvation” by Langston Hughes depict the ways human have the wrong definition of Christianity. People often expect from God and what He can do, but do not understand the true concept of Christianity. People often expect acts of God, but they themselves do not act or stand up. In “Salvation”, Langston recalls his aunt telling him how “when you are saved you [see] a light… and Jesus [comes] into your soul” (Hughes 345). Langston’s incorrect definition of Christianity ruined his experience and beliefs.

Thomas S. Kidd wrote the book “The Great Awakening A Brief History with Documents” in a format that allows its readers to study history the way historians do. The book is broken down into two parts. The first part is a detailed introduction of what happened during the The Great Awakening. The second part includes and explores 36 primary source accounts from this era. These primary source accounts range from pastors’ sermons to the spiritual experiences of slaves, Native Americans and farmers, among others.

We know not why our curse makes us seek we know not what, ever and ever. But we cannot resist it. It whispers to us that there are greater things on this earth of ours, and that we can know them if we try, and that we must know them. We ask, why we must know, but it has no answer to give us. We must know that we may know.”

Looking, learning, striving to know more, and then seeking out

Growing up in a Christian household has nurtured my walk with God throughout my life. Since a young age, I have known God as my personal savior, but my faith and trust in Him have grown over the past several years. This past summer, I took part in a worship leader internship program at our church, which provided me with the opportunity to plan and lead worship services. Participating in this program helped me grow closer to God, but it also taught me how to be a leader rather than a follower. As God continues revealing His plan for my life, I feel called to attend Verity and to pursue my passion with a career in law enforcement.

Ed combats this view with the idea that the point of discipleship is not information, but Christ-like transformation. The second “broken view” presented is the fact that we try to program discipleship. Ed infers that discipleship is so much more than a six-week course, and people are looking for relationships more than discipleship classes. The third “broken view” is that we equate discipleship with our preaching. In fact, 56% of pastors surveyed believe their weekly sermon was the most important discipling ministry in the church.

It’s like a revolving door; people come and go. The message of this book is how to develop a church that keeps people in the church (willfully) and closing the door. Not necessarily through a program or new things to keep people entertained but rather a simple method which best reflects the new testament way of doing things. Sermon-based small groups work because they are focused on linear programs and relationships.

Followers, who had once felt unfulfilled and disheartened during sermons, suddenly felt and experienced the spiritual connection to God that they had each been longing for after attending preachings from these two men. The Great Awakening brought about religious freedom and free will (Smith, 2011) that would grant all

Christianity was, to the slaves of America, (something with a double meaning). In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave, Frederick Douglass, the author, argues about how Christianity can mean one thing to a free white man and something completely different to a black slave. The slave owners follow the ‘Christianity of the Land’ while the slaves follow the ‘Christianity of Christ.’ Frederick begins to build his credibility to a, white, northern, audience by including documents from trustworthy writers and by getting into personal experiences through his writing. Throughout the narrative, he is articulate in how he writes, and it shows the reader that he is well educated.

I think this is a critical thing when finding self-discovery. An example from the text relating to this is “‘Why do we listen to our hearts’ the boy asked when they made camp that day. ‘Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure.’ “The alchemist is trying to tell Santiago that listening to his heart can lead him to what he is destined to find, his treasure. Sometimes we have doubts and feel like trying to pursue our personal legends isn’t worth it.

The search for knowledge is arduous, to utilize knowledge wisely can be blessings, but

Firstly, human beings should always search for the real truth because not everything that a society perceives as reality is real considering that some of it might only be the reflection of truth. In the allegory written by Plato, he described a group of cavemen who believed the shadows on the cave walls were the real image of objects instead of the objects themselves due to the fact that they have never seen any other objects besides the shadows in their entire life. The shadows