September 28 - Care of The Soul - ch 10-11

The group spent time reflecting on passages of Care of the Soul. Next week we will move to a new book that discusses Politics and connections to the Soul. Vince will bring the book next week for us. We can reimburse Vince directly for the cost of the books.

We began with a reading from the beginning of chapter 10:
"It (soul) has a preference for details and particulars, intimacy and involvement ... the soul feeds on whatever life grows in its immediate environment. (p 203)"
The group discussed the meaning of this passage and contemplated the differences in a soul for a person who was born and reared in our culture versus other cultures. We also began a conversation on when a soul "begins" and whether a soul is "inate" or "developed". The group shared different views on this issue and we had a discussion on soul mates and how some souls seemed to be connected to your soul, such as parent to child or friends you had not seen for a long time.

In response to the questions, we read on to Moore's assertion that. "Spirituality doesn' t arrive fully formed without effort. ... For good reason we go to church, temple or mosque, regularly and at appointed time; its easy for consciousness to become lodged in the material world and to forget the spiritual. (p 204)"

We returned to our discussions as we talked about how we have to work on the development of our spirituality and soul and Vince reminded us of Moore's view about spirituality and psychology being tied together by directing us Chapter 11 where Moore asserts "I've heard it said that Catholics don't need psychiatry because they go to confession. I suggest that a person who turns to the bible as a compendium of insight into the nature of the soul does not need psychology. (p 238)" The group had differing views on this including whether we look to the bible for "truth" or for "insight". We discussed fundamentalism in general including discussions about the current political campaign and how to avoid being labelled as a partisan based on our views. Bob Hughes shared that there was an insert in the bulletin for the service that aligned each parties platform with the teachings of the Methodist church. (Editors note: Very interesting read!)

We went on to discuss the importance of faith and how it should be our life's work to develop our soul by turning to "Faith is a gift of the spirit that allows the soul to remain attached to its own unfolding. When faith is soulful, it is always planted in the soul of wonder and questioning. (p253)."

We talked about how not knowing, but being open to not knowing a big difference in maturity of the soul. We went with this metaphor to Moore's thoughts on how "... stories of religions provide an inexhaustible source of reflection on the mysteries of the soul. (p 243)" Moore uses the image of Jesus in the River Jordan about to be baptized and observes, "This scene is a portait of a significant moment in any life: one finds oneself standing in the powerful, streaming currents of time and fate." Moore asserts that when we read the story of the baptism of Jesus, we should all be inspired to make our own "baptism". "The Jordan is the arcehtype of our willingness to live fully, to have our own work and mission, and to therefore be blessed... (p243)"