The origin of the spirit of Christmas is the historical birth of Christ. Religious teachings can be expressed in a dogmatic manner so that any universal relevance or spiritual depth is lost. And so many people today are not Christian believers. However although they do not worship Jesus Christ, this doesn’t stop them appreciating the Christmas … Continue reading Spirit of Christmas for the non-believer?
I recently started reading another book of theology, but I found it utterly unintelligible and gave up after the first couple of chapters. I sometimes wonder whether theology is a matter of us studying God, or of God studying us. If the latter then clearly I stand accused. I have even thought that maybe theology … Continue reading Are you allergic to theological books?
Purley Chase Centre Warwickshire. Starts Friday 16 December 2011 – 19:00 and ends Sunday 18 December 2011 – 21:00 This weekend is at the turning point of the year, a time when we turn inward to reflect on the year to pass and the year to come, a time to take time out to the … Continue reading Attracting Soul Growth, a Meditation Retreat
A Christmas storytelling performance for children by Sally Pomme Clayton, the Swedenborg Society’s new Artist in Residence. Storyteller Sally Pomme Clayton brings to life a mysterious and magical Scandinavian wonder tale. Her vibrant performance takes the audience on a snowy journey, with a polar bear and a princess, trickery and trolls, frost and fire. The princess … Continue reading The White Bear King
Children and grandchildren can provide your child rearing with wonderful moments. Their spontaneity and sense of fun can brighten your day. But almost out of the blue all hell can break loose and they can be a real pain testing your limits and boundaries. What they want can be different from what you want. They … Continue reading Child rearing – What spiritual practice helps?
If we were to cultivate the habit of positive thinking, I feel it could transform our world. To me, finding a reconciliation for all our past suffering and pain, anger and rage means that we would not be risking the chance of spoiling the future by staying locked in the past. I believe there are … Continue reading How do you live spiritually?
The following video tells of several readers of Swedenborg’s books who have included Goethre, Blake, Emerson, Thomas Carlysle, John Ruskin, as well as the leaders of several social movements such as the antislavery cause, women’s rights, and the interfaith movement. [youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbexO5dGKq0]
Historians have written about the rise of Nazi Germany and wondered how a civilized country could have become ruled by criminals trying to conquer Europe. How did well-intentioned educated people become so captivated by Hitler’s magnetism that they could accept secret police, concentration camps, slave labour, and nonsensical rhetoric of Aryan heroism and anti-Semitism? If … Continue reading Sell your soul – Could you do it?
There was a day when I could run and jump Branches and clouds were in my reach. There was a day when walking slowly and seeing the world in detail was my achievement There came a day when slowly was the pace calm was the default emotional setting When I became aware of my body … Continue reading Learning
In this video psychologist Dr Leon James answers this question using attribution theory focusing on Swedenborg’s concept of ‘as of self’ and gives a reason why not thinking about God makes what he says is the main aim of individual human life more difficult to accomplish. You might want to skip the first half minute … Continue reading Does it matter if I don’t think about God?