Asking big questions can be hard and lonely. That’s why these tools are originally designed for groups to do them together. For the full version including activities, group questions, and more click here. For more info on how to start a group click here.
Problem:
First, can we evaluate things that are spiritual and where would we even start?
When we talk about “spiritual” things we’re generally talking about things that can’t be observed directly. We might observe the effects of spiritual things, but usually God or angels or ghosts or auras are not readily observable to everyone’s naked eye.
Dialogue 1:
DUKE
(continuing argument with Ash) But one’s moral sanctification is evidentiary proof of true repentance! And that’s only possible within the angelic hedge of protection.
ASH
Umm. I don’t know what to do with this.
Tool #4 (Part 1)
So today’s first tool for asking faith questions is a practice we can call “de-spiritualizing language.” De-spiritualizing language has two steps. Step one is we take all the big words that we only use when describing faith, religion, or spirituality, and we replace them with basic words that we would know and understand if we used them in our everyday lives
Dialogue 2:
ASH
So sanctification?
DUKE
Umm. The process of being changed to be or do the right thing.
ASH
And repentance?
DUKE
To turn from going one way to going another.
ASH
So to change?
DUKE
Yeah.
ASH
So, the first part of what you said was basically, one’s change to do the right thing shows that one has truly changed to do the right thing?
MR. NAT
Duke, is that what you meant?
DUKE
I guess that’s right, but it doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Tool #4 (Part 2)
Step 2 is separating what we can actually observe from the spiritual things we attribute to those observations.
This doesn’t mean that what we observed isn’t from God or the Spirit or whatever spiritual thing. It just helps us separate out what we know from observation from what we’re assuming or hypothesizing.
Dialogue 3:
ASH
So, Duke, you said change was only possible…
DUKE
Within an angelic hedge of protection.
ASH
So since we can’t see or feel the angels or the hedge, this would be your ‘assumption.’
DUKE
Yeah. I think it’s a good hypothesis.
ASH
That to change we need invisible beings planting an invisible line of bushes around us?
DUKE
Well… Hmm… I don’t think that’s what I meant by that.
MR. NAT
Do you think you could put it another way?
DUKE
I’ll have to think about it.
Tool #4 (Part 3)
When you do this you might discover that sometimes the same words can mean different things to different people. That’s ok as long as we learn to understand each other’s meanings.
Asking big questions can be hard and lonely. That’s why these tools are originally designed for groups to do them together. For the full version including activities, group questions, and more click here. For more info on how to start a group click here.
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