by

Reverend Marcia Howland

            Reflective soul care cultivates an appreciation for spiritual empowerment as we embrace joy and endure hardship. Three voices speak which contribute to our spiritual formation and affirmation: religious tradition, life experience, and cultural environment.  Any threat to our mortality brings into sharp focus the relationship of this triad.

            Soul care is fostered by corporate and individual nurture. From a faith creed of spiritual knowledge can flow living accountability that incorporates moral and ethical relationships. An example might be the Apostles Creed. Further, from our cultural standards of what is acceptable and not acceptable are forged some of our belief system. For example, the use of wine is acceptable for some religions practice but forbidden in another. Last, from life experience, some surprises may emerge about spiritual and philosophical contradictions. For example, If God is good, why do bad things happen?

            Spiritual tools are all around us: meditation, music, art, drama, sacraments, sacred literature, rites, symbols, prayers and teaching which intersect culture, experience and religion. Most people are not simply looking for “services” but meaning. The couplet is to “think” spiritually and to “be” spiritual. Spiritual growth, often neglected, can stimulate us to reaffirm as well-honed faith, return to a faith left unattended, discard all faith systems, create a self-made faith style, or reconstruct meaningful faith.            Thomas Moore’s observation was “The great malady of the twentieth century implicated in all of our troubles and affecting us individually and socially is loss of soul.” In the twenty-first century, David Benn er affirms that “the reemergence of the soul occurs in a context of renewed interest in spirituality.” A spiritual companion projects Juliette Jones, “is not there to be seen or heard tut to see and hear…but to be part of a moment when eyes and ears might open.”

            Three tips to assessing your own spirituality can be helpful. We know the points of our peace and distress. Rather than compulsive “fixing,” faith in a power greater than our own allows us to relax, being honestly as we are with the mind to make affirmative changes of forgiveness and reconciliation.

            Second, suffering and pain are an inevitable part of life. Any imbalance in body, mind, or spirit affects the entire being. During transitions or difficult times, refocus on the treasure of what is rather than what is not.

            Third, determine the best thing that can come from spiritual complaining relationships. Review life through story telling. Past regrets, what is missing now, and unfilled dreams serve to identify issues for goal setting. Meaning, mending, meshing, and making transitions are important for progressive spiritual growth.

            A couple of suggested activities may be helpful. The first is a Life Review Spiritual History Graph. Draw a straight line across a piece of paper. The left point is your earliest spiritual recollection, the right point, your most recent. Place lines upward for spiritually positive experiences, downward for negative ones. If you want, include dates. It might surprise you to see the progression: what happened before, at the time, and afterward. From this exercise you can recognize strengths and areas to give attention for faith affirmation and change.

            Another exercise is A List of Spiritual Affirmation. On a sheet of paper make a list of spiritual activities, people, places, things, or events which you haven’t got around to at this point in life. Select one of those and make a plan. Follow that with the results and spiritual implication.

            Because of the eternity of spirituality, we dare not neglect it, take it for granted, distract from it, legitimatize it, or forcefully intrude upon it. Through faith-thoughts, love-attitudes, and hope-actions seek the relational source of your desire not just the blessing itself.

Resources: When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kirchner; The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz; Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life by Thomas Moore; The Fives stages of the Soul, Harry R. Moody and David Carroll; Care of Souls by David Benn er; Soul Survivor by Phillip Yancey.