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Post by hollygail on Aug 26, 2016 4:57:35 GMT
Welcome!! You have entered a space where all people are invited to gather to discuss matters of Spirituality, in mutual respect and friendliness: "Considering...Spirituality." Here, the focus is on personal spirituality and not dogma. We welcome with open arms people from any, all, and no religious/faith backgrounds, and those who practice spirituality on their own, to join us for a discussion centered on a higher consciousness. Each day there will be a quote, question, or discussion prompt presented for all to ponder and respond to.
**In maintaining an atmosphere of comfort and trust, we do not allow proselytizing (the effort of trying to convert others) or the denigrating of the religions and viewpoints of others. We also avoid bringing up topics such as politics, hot button social issues, or anything that can be considered divisive**
As this was a WW board, we also discuss our personal wellness, including our weight management program. We share our struggles and our triumphs regarding such as well as discuss things like family, friends, jobs, hobbies, outside interests, etc... We strive to build each other up with loving support in a positive manner. Let us not ever tear one another down in any way, shape or form.
Regular thread starters for the time being are:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: Gary / Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Holly
Yet if anyone is so inclined, please feel free to start a new thread by beginning with the title: "Considering ... (topic)," post this introduction (by way of copy & paste) then follow that with a post putting forth a question and/or quote (with or without some explanation) for us to ponder today. The topic can be inspired by your personal faith, but please do remember that anyone from other spiritual paths should be able to answer it.
Shalom, Love & Light, Blessed Be, Namaste...
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Post by hollygail on Aug 26, 2016 5:00:28 GMT
I usually post information about the portion of the week (from the Five Books of Moses) on one day and the weekly selection from the Prophets on one day. I have that one ready to go. However, something came into my inbox Thursday morning that I thought would be good for this thread too. So I'm going to post both of 'em. Pick what you prefer to respond to; or choose both if you like. Here goes.
The selection from the Prophets that we read this week is from Isaiah 49:14-51:3 in which Isaiah consoles the exiled nation of Israel.
"God has forsaken me," Zion sighs, "my Sovereign has forgotten me" (49:14). This lament opens the second of seven selections (from the Prophets) of consolation, marking the seven weeks between Tisha b’Av and Rosh haShanah. Though the first verse offers little consolation, the rest of the selection responds to this sad statement with positive, hopeful promises of the future redemption.
Isaiah lived during the exile of the Israelites in Babylon, after the destruction of the First Temple. His writings are reflective of this, fluctuating between hope and despair.
Much of Isaiah’s poem (based on the Torah reading, which we looked at yesterday) consists of vivid, expressive, and long-winded metaphors expressing the relationship between God and the Israelites. "Can a mother forget her babe, or stop loving the child of her womb?" Isaiah asks in the beginning (49:15), referring to the notion that God could never forget the Israelites.
Isaiah continues to use metaphors of children in describing how the nations of the world will bring the exiles back to the Land of Israel: "Thus says the Eternal God…I raise My ensign to the peoples: They shall cradle your sons in their arms, and carry your daughters on their shoulders" (49:22).
The poem then goes through many phases of marital metaphors, from a couple on the verge of divorce to a couple luxuriating in the nest of their nuptial bed, making Isaiah’s point very clear: The Jewish people and God are like two people in a very intense relationship.
This sense of intensity is strengthened when (in the middle) Isaiah uncharacteristically switches to a first-person perspective, describing his own personal relationship with God: "The Lord God gave me a skilled tongue to know how to speak timely words to the weary. Morning by morning, God rouses, God rouses my ear" (50:4). Isaiah describes how being a prophet has made him suffer because his listeners do not always appreciate his message ("I did not hide my face from insult and spittle" [50:6]), but Isaiah is confident that God is on his side ("Lo, the Lord God will help me!" [50:9]).
Switching back to his usual prophetic stance in the final verses of the selection, Isaiah returns to the image of God and the Jewish people as two companions who’ve been through a rough history, have reconciled, and are now prepared to face the future together. "Truly the Lord has comforted Zion, comforted all her ruins" (51:3), Isaiah preaches, and concludes with a promise of an impending joy in Zion: "Gladness and joy shall abide there, thanksgiving and the sound of music."
q/qs:
1. Isaiah (49:15) refers to the notion that God could never forget the Israelites. In your life, are there individuals you’ve met whom you will never forget? If so, why? Are there people you hope will never forget you? Why?
2. Whenever you feel low, what would it take for you to realize there are people who cradle you in their arms and/or carry you on their shoulders?
3. Regarding 50:9 (“…will help me!"), do you accept that help is available? Do you make help available to other people?
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Post by hollygail on Aug 26, 2016 5:14:29 GMT
And here's the second one. If you want to read the entire article, here’s the URL: www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/390842241.html?s=mmThe author was the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth (UK) from 1991 to 2013, and remains one of the most respected living rabbis in the world. I’m going to copy and paste the final four paragraphs of his article. I’ve done minor edits only. - - - There is something profoundly spiritual about listening. It is the most effective form of conflict resolution I know. Many things can create conflict, but what sustains it is the feeling on the part of at least one of the parties that they have not been heard. They have not been listened to. We have not "heard their pain." There has been a failure of empathy. That is why the use of force — or for that matter, boycotts — to resolve conflict is so profoundly self-defeating. It may suppress it for a while, but it will return, often more intense than before. Job, who has suffered unjustly, is unmoved by the arguments of his comforters. It is not that he insists on being right: what he wants is to be heard. Not by accident does justice presuppose the rule of audi alteram partem, "Hear the other side." Listening lies at the very heart of relationship. It means that we are open to the other, that we respect him or her, that his/her perceptions and feelings matter to us. We give them permission to be honest, even if this means making ourselves vulnerable in so doing. A good parent listens to his/her child. A good employer listens to his or her workers. A good company listens to its customers or clients. A good leader listens to those he or she leads. Listening does not mean agreeing but it does mean caring. Listening is the climate in which love and respect grow. In Judaism we believe that our relationship with God is an ongoing tutorial in our relationships with other people. How can we expect God to listen to us if we fail to listen to our spouse, our children, or those affected by our work? And how can we expect to encounter God if we have not learned to listen. On Mount Horeb [another name for Mt. Sinai], God taught Elijah that God was not in the whirlwind, the earthquake or the fire but in the kol demamah dakah, the "still, small voice" that I define as a voice you can hear only if you are listening.
Crowds are moved by great speakers, but lives are changed by great listeners. Whether between us and God or us and other people, listening is the prelude to love.
- - -
q/qs:
1. How do you “listen”? Is it easier to “see” than to “hear”? How do you train yourself to “listen”?
2. Does “listening” mean “caring” to you? How do you differentiate between the two?
3. Do you agree that “… lives are changed by great listeners”? Do you believe listening is the prelude to love?
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Post by fabulessme on Aug 26, 2016 14:19:18 GMT
Crowds are moved by great speakers, but lives are changed by great listeners. Whether between us and God or us and other people, listening is the prelude to love.
- - -
q/qs:
1. How do you “listen”? Is it easier to “see” than to “hear”? How do you train yourself to “listen”?
2. Does “listening” mean “caring” to you? How do you differentiate between the two?
3. Do you agree that “… lives are changed by great listeners”? Do you believe listening is the prelude to love?
1. I can "see" what people are saying. It's like a movie in my head. I work in Human Resources so we are trained to listen. It helps me to just focus on the person, their choice of words and body language. In business settings I may jot down notes. 2. Yes, the worst feeling (for me) is not being heard. or not having the other person's undivided attention when I am saying something. It makes me feel as if I don't have value enough to warrant someone's time and attention. 3. Yes I agree. People in general don't listen or they listen selectively. So if someone is speaking life changing words of wisdom, chances are they aren't really listening. they are only hearing. listening to me, means that not only did you hear everything that was said but you processed it thoughtfully and evaluated its value as to whether you want to act on what's being said. In addition, if you are a great listener for other people. Then the person feels that you cared enough to invest time in them. They feel valued and that they matter. I guess taken to the next level, they would feel loved. |
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Post by glrogers67 on Aug 26, 2016 15:28:31 GMT
1. Isaiah (49:15) refers to the notion that God could never forget the Israelites. In your life, are there individuals you’ve met whom you will never forget? If so, why? Are there people you hope will never forget you? Why?
Well, the obvious answer for me is my gf. We are still texting and e-mailing. It's now over a month since I have heard her voice, the longest she has been mad at me since we met, but I am learning what I did wrong and how to correct it. I truly believe God brought us together and He will not forsake us. I just need to learn, really learn, the lessons this last rift is teaching me. I figured it out. If the revolution of God's planet is 1000 years to one earth day, it has only been about 8 seconds of God's time since she last spoke to me!
2. Whenever you feel low, what would it take for you to realize there are people who cradle you in their arms and/or carry you on their shoulders?
That is a tough one for me. I am practically a hermit except for these ProBoards and my work at Walmart and church on Sunday. Yes, I have 3 sisters and about 30 nieces and nephews in town but I rarely see them. My gf was my link to the world, and she still is to a point. She has not cut me off completely, but it is very lonely here without hearing her voice on the phone. I love my cats and they help considerably with the loneliness.
3. Regarding 50:9 (“…will help me!"), do you accept that help is available? Do you make help available to other people?
Oh, yes, God has not forsaken me. Prayer and scriptures are a solace. I love helping people as part of my job at Walmart, but I rarely take the opportunity for service other than that.
1. How do you “listen”? Is it easier to “see” than to “hear”? How do you train yourself to “listen”?
That is one of the issues I have been having with my gf. She says I really don't listen to her, which is part of the reason she is texting rather than calling - it is easier for me to "see" than "hear". If I could really learn to "listen" many of my problems would be solved. I even experience that at Walmart.
2. Does “listening” mean “caring” to you? How do you differentiate between the two?
They really should be the same, but it is something I need to develop within myself. Caring, to me, means responding appropriately to who you "listen" to.
3. Do you agree that “… lives are changed by great listeners”? Do you believe listening is the prelude to love?
I think so, but I am a work in progress.
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