Spiritual Direction Led by Kenneth Swanson, Ph.D.
Course Outline September 25: Introduction and Spiritual Autobiography. January 22: Healing Prayer. October 9: October 23: November 6: November 20: December 4: December 18: Oblation, the Offering of Self to God. Confessing the Deadly Sins. The Practice of Christian Virtue. The Nature of Forgiveness Embracing Theological Truth Biblical and Monastic Spirituality. February 5: Prayer and the Imagination. February 19: Praying the Ordinary and Fasting. March 19: April 2: Praise, Thanksgiving and Adoration. Praying with Icons. April 16: Contemplative Prayer I. April 30: Contemplative Prayer II. January 8: Mystical and Protestant Spirituality. May 9: Radical Prayer, Sacramental Prayer and Last Things.
The rhythm of the universe The fourth step of spiritual maturity is to embrace the new life. There is a mysterious rhythm at the heart of the universe There is an eternal praise of God into which we can enter It is constant and unending Those most blessed by God have been allowed to behold its fullness In response the Prophet Isaiah wrote: The Evangelist John bore this witness:
It is seen in the angelic vision in the Sanctus Joining our voices with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your name, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of Lord.
It is seen in the Communion of Saints
Where does God dwell? God inhabits the praises of his people, Psalm 22:3 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him. Psalm 67:5-7
Why do we praise? All enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise, C.S. Lewis It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence We receive the fullness of joy: intimacy with God himself Human beings were created to praise God. Revelation 5:13: To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! Confessions of Augustine: Great are You, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Your power, and of Your wisdom there is no end. Westminster Confession: The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
The reality of praise Praise: the verbalized acknowledgement of God for who he is. Thanksgiving: the verbalized offering of thanks for the things God has done for us. Adoration: the silent acknowledgement of the reality of God in awe and wonder.
How do we enter into praise? God, and God alone, is the object of our praise. The two difficulties: In prayer, we spend so little time just focusing on God s being Do we know enough about God to concentrate on his attributes? The problem of God s attributes: God is an infinite and transcendent, far beyond any attributes We can still be confident, because God has revealed his attributes in the Bible
The attributes of God revealed in scripture Person utterly unique in relationship Holy pure Love
Other attributes of God Scholastic attributes: 1nfinite/eternal Omnipresent Immutable Omniscient Omnipotent Self-Sufficient Perfect Biblical categories: Spirit Wisdom Mercy Redemptive Light Justice Faithfulness Incarnate
Day thirteen and fourteen: God s presence. Psalm 139:7-10; Matthew 7:7-8/11:28-30. The Prayer Practice the prayer of stillness, read the passage, become still, offer adoration verbally, journal. The passages.: Day one and two: God s love. Romans 8:35-39/Ephesians 2:4-5; John 3:16. Day three and four: God s holiness. Isaiah 6:1-3/46:9-10; 1 Samuel 2:1-2. Day five and six: God s person. Genesis 1:26-27/Exodus 3:13-15, John 20:19-20. Day seven and eight: God s majesty. Psalm 95:3-6; Mark 9:2-8/Colossians 1:15-18 Day nine and ten: God s incarnation. Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 2:1-20/Mark 4:35-41. Day eleven and twelve: God s atonement. Isaiah 53; Mark 15:20b-39/John 3:16.