Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States - Center for Action and Contemplation's Father Richard Rohr's Meditation " A Journey to Union" for Sunday, 24 August 2014

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States - Center for Action and Contemplation's Father Richard Rohr's Meditation " A Journey to Union" for Sunday, 24 August 2014
The classic language of the stages of the spiritual journey is being validated by many developmental psychologists and integral studies in our time.

Labyrinth by Schick 
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation 
"The Evolving Journey"
"A Journey to Union"
Sunday, 24 August 2014
Throughout the Daily Meditations this year we’ve been following the trajectory of the spiritual journey. We began in innocence and simplicity, then explored the necessary development of ego and a Loyal Soldier. We looked at how failure, suffering, and death to False Self can bring us to resurrection, to a realization of our inherent True Self identity as God’s beloved. Living from True Self is a continual evolution as we embrace shadow and integrate the broken pieces of ourselves. 
Through the remainder of the year we will continue moving deeper and deeper into the practice and experience of union—with self, God, the world, and others. 
The classic language of the stages of the spiritual journey is being validated by many developmental psychologists and integral studies in our time. However, not all (or perhaps not even most!) lives progress in a linear fashion. Many developmental models have generalized Western, white, male patterns of change to humanity as a whole. Some studies suggest that women in particular may not grow through “levels” or “stages” in a predictable sequence. (Nicola Slee explores this in depth in her book Women’s Faith Development: Patterns and Processes.) 
For many years I studied and taught masculine spirituality and developed rites of passage for men, as it seemed lacking in our culture and time. (CAC has passed the work of Men As Learners and Elders to Illuman.) I cannot claim to know women’s journeys as well as men’s, but in the later stages of growth, I find the patterns and the pitfalls to be much the same for both men and women. 
Maybe this variety is what Khalil Gibran observed when he wrote in 
The Prophet: 
Say not, “I have found the one true path of the Spirit!” 
Say rather, “I have met the Spirit walking on my path.” 
For the Spirit walks on all paths. 
Gateway to Silence: Show me your ways; teach me your paths.
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Center for Action and Contemplation
1705 Five Points Rd SW
Albuquerque, NM 87105 United States (physical) 
PO Box 12464
Albuquerque, NM 87195-2464 United States (mailing) 
(505) 242-9588
cac.org
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