: Thomas W. Shepherd
: The Many Faces of Prayer How the Human Family Meets Its Spiritual Needs
: Unity Books
: 9780871597540
: 1
: CHF 7.80
:
: Philosophie, Religion
: English
: 372
: DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepherd takes readers through a cross-cultural study of prayer in world religions. Prayers can be so varied-from spoken confessions to silent reflections-you may wonder if your method is correct, or if you're talking to the right source. Release these thoughts as you engage in Shepherd's thoughtful learning exercises. Inside this book is the prayer practice that's right for you.

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THE“LET IT IN/LET IT OUT” CONTROVERSY


Let nothing disturb you,

Let nothing affright you.

All things are passing.

God never changes.

Patient endurance attains all things.

God alone suffices.

—St. Teresa of Avila1

Deciding whether prayer iscommunication orreflection is part of a longstanding mêlée among theologians and practitioners about how to get spiritualized. Enlightened. Saved. Pick your word. Do we open ourselves to an inflowing Holy Spirit, or allow the Divine Spirit within to emerge in consciousness? In previous works, I have called these two choices theLet It In/Let It Out Controversy. The difference betweenLet It In/Let It Out is not a word game but a fundamental clash about the ultimate nature of metaphysical reality. How folks resolve the controversy shapes the way they look at God, neighbor, and themselves. The dispute can be summarized by two questions:

  1. Is the goal of spiritual growth to open your mind to the inflow of Omnipotent Holy Spirit (let It in)? Or…
  2. In Eric Butterworth’s words of his book title, to“discover the power within you” and release your indwelling divinity (let It out)?

After investigating these two options, we shall consider whether there is any way to bridge the apparently insurmountable gulf between prayer ascommunication with God and prayer asreflection upon the Divine-within.

Option 1:“Let It In”

In this paradigm, the direction of flow is Divine-to-human.“Let It In” religious traditions teach people to be open and receptive to the inflow of divine inspiration. Multiculturally speaking, two-way communication can come from a personal deity who is a member of a trinity of exalted beings—whether the Holy Spirit for Christians or the god Vishnu for Hindus—or from a solitary high God, like Yahweh or Allah.“Let It In” encompasses such diverse arrangements as divine guidance inferred from experience in daily life; direct communication from the Universal Mind; visions and dreams from angels, saints, good spirits, gods and goddesses; and a variety of premonitions based on coincidental events, natural signs, omens, fortune telling, and prophecies. Obviously, it is unlikely anyone would choose to access all the spiritual resources above; they are meant more like a grocer’s inventory than a shopping list.

Statistically, most religions of humankind have looked to outer resources for spiritual assistance. The animist called upon the spirit of the river to ward off floods. Polytheistic ancient Romans sacrificed a pig, sheep, and bull to encourage the god Mars to bless and purify