Spring Semester Update

Homework at Creek Park

We have been reading lots of books this Semester!! With 4 classes our load has been large! Yet, each semester our classes have blended and overlapped in material, which has been helpful in our learning process. This is why we are quite a bit behind at posting what we have been studying and learning, but don't worry, we want to catch up now that it's Easter Break. Here are the 4 classes we are taking:

Developmental Spirituality and Contemplative Prayer
Just like studying development of humans, from infants to old age, we are studying the "developmental" process of the Christian life. The journey is different for everyone, but we are learning the ways our spirituality develops from those that grow up in the church to those that become Christians later in life. Though the Spirit works differently in all people's lives, there are certain ways we can learn and understand the process of "growing in Christ".

Psychopathology and Personality Theory
Here we are studying what "abnormal" means physically, socially, emotionally, psychologically, developmentally, cognitively, behaviorally, etc. We will also be studying personality theory, i.e. how you've become who you are.

Retreat
We are learning what it means to go on "retreat", what "retreat" means in-and-of-itself, how to plan a personal retreat, individual retreat for someone else, group retreat, silent retreat, etc. Dave and I each get to plan a retreat for each other, go on the 48 hour retreat that we planned, and then write-up a paper on how the retreat went.

Theology 2: Study of Works of God, Man, Angels, and Sin
Though this is an independent study class, this has been one of our favorite classes this semester. The books we are reading are challenging and foundational as we continue our study of humanity, sin, God, and angels. Reading articles by Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, Edwards, Wesley, Calvin, etc.  are giving us a broad understanding of how Christian History has shaped our study of God.

Grace & Easter

On our way to Grace!

Today was our first day at Grace! We recently accepted the position of Assistant Youth Directors at our church, Grace EV Free. We are STOKED for the opportunity to work with the Junior High and High School Youth Group. Our main role will be discipling/shepherding the Core Group leaders, being apart of the teaching rotation, and partnering with the Pastor of Youth Ministries- Jackson Randall. We feel extremely blessed that we get this opportunity at our church and we are looking forward to getting to know the youth and leaders more.

Easter:

We just had Easter with both of our families together at the Mellis'. We had a blast hanging out as family, laughing, chattin', eating good food, and makin' memories. We are both so blessed by our families and thankful for time with them! 

Well, that's all for now! Here are some pics of some recent happenings:

2nd Year Anniversary in Tahoe!

Dave's Bday hike in Malibu

New Years with Erikson's & baby bump
and Bouris' & baby bump

Time with our favorite 3, the Thoennes'!

Date Night!!

Easter time with our bro!

Half smiles and yellow flowers :)

Hamilton's here for a visit

The Christian Mystic

 Some people long for a deep, intimate connection with God. It seems only right for a human, with spiritual needs, to desire a "divine encounter" or "mystical experience". It  has almost become a spiritual "right" for a personal encounter with the divine. Yet, is a divine experience deserved for human beings? Is it even something right for us to desire? And, is it an actual or valid knowledge of God? 

We are drawn to mystical encounter because they seem to supersede the  dreary, meaningless routine of everyday life--it's as if they puncture it with "the divine" and connect with a place in ourselves that nothing else can. And it is true to an extent, for we are made for "divine encounters".

Another aspect that pulls us in is the "experiential" element. Our parents were raised in the day where "facts" were where the deepest knowledge was found.  After the technology boom and the birth of the internet the amount of information exploded and we could see how much life was much more than facts and formulas. As facts and formulas have faded, the value of life-experience as knowledge skyrocketed. Rather than books, graphs and lectures, personal experience is now our societies most valued source and most meaningful epistemological (the study of the nature of knowledge) exchange. Mysticism has become an outlet for our cultures lack of experiential knowledge, and gives us some clues on how to practice it (often while presenting us a new belief system).

 Mysticism can be found in all of the major world religions: The Christian Mystics of the Catholic Middle Ages, The Kabbalist in the Hebrew tradition, and Sufism in the Islamic tradition. It has also highly influenced New Age beliefs (which are often just a rebirth of old pagan beliefs) and it's themes are in Buddhism (Zen and some Yoga practices) and other transcendent-self systems (Eastern Religions like Taoism). Mysticism is vague and has been overly defined and re-defined, and enmeshed into almost every religious tradition as those who have "a personal experience of the divine". Often, in mysticism, the melding of philosophies and ethereal/emotional language blurs the lines between beliefs and a mystic either affirms that all experiences are valid and/or denies all basic belief sets or knowledge but the mystic-experience. 

Any tradition is easily embraced for someone searching for the "supernatural". We were created for some sort of mystical experience, but when we have these experiences, who are we encountering and where are they leading? All knowledge, even experiential, must lead somewhere, and we would be wise to ask who they are and where they are taking us--lest we end up in some hellish place or entrust a false or wicked guide. Those who used to go on long journeys followed guides who knew the safe destinations and places of rest and resource, or at least had a good, trustworthy map. If we are going to set out, we need to know with whom we go, and where. (and if you are exploring these things outside of the Christian context, ask these questions heartily, and examine to whom you entrust your life).