Saturday, March 29, 2008

What Spirituality Means to Me

What follows is a short testimony by Pat Caldwell, a member of our congregation. I asked her to consider doing some writing, and this is the first thing she's submitted. I think you will see more to come.

I was recently challenged to think about what spirituality means to me. This is not something I’ve spent much time contemplating – I’ve pretty much taken it for granted.

Once I started thinking about it, though, I realized that its meaning for me has gone through many variations over the years; in the past year or so, I have finally begun to develop a sense of spirituality that seems right to me.

At its core is a strong connection to God. The space within me that has cried out for this connection is fed by being in church, and participating in the reassuring, comforting rituals there. I know I can depend on their being there to form a foundation for me. It is also fed by hearing other people talk about God, by learning more about Him, and about Jesus’ life and ministry.

As I become more aware of God’s presence all around me, that empty space is fed more and more by everything around me. Walking in the park becomes a spiritual experience when I am conscious that it is filled with God’s creations.

Connecting with other people is spiritual for me, when I remember that they too are children of God, and when I can try to love them as I know God loves me. Music, art, literature, mathematics, science – if God is everywhere, then surely He is in these things. For me, to fully experience His world is to experience spirituality.

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