I am non certain Quakers are ever prepared to beak close the sacred. But I produce recall Quakers are taught fairly good to hold upward prepared to engage the sacred. Let me explicate too elaborate the difference. I suspect inward the procedure of explaining too elaborating, about of you lot who grew upward inward other traditions or, perhaps, no tradition at all volition discovery about resonance inward my ain experience.
First of all, I define the sacred every bit the Presence of God or the Holy One. Sacred but agency the house or infinite of the Divinity. In the history of religions the sacred mightiness hold upward a place, similar a cathedral, a grove inward the woods or another shrine. The sacred tin hold upward the object of pilgrimages. Sometimes the sacred has been the house of healing, also every bit revelation. The sacred is contrary of the profane---which literally agency “outside the temple.”
I personally similar the linguistic communication of “Presence.” The sacred is the house or infinite where you lot encounter the Presence. Often I recall the Catholic Church too other traditions get got done a ameliorate chore than my ain Quaker tradition inward helping folks know where these “sacred places” are to hold upward found. In fact, it is pretty normal for Catholics to consecrate their churches. Henceforth, the church building is known every bit St. Mary’s or St. John’s or something. Perhaps kids come upward to know that stepping into the edifice is to larn inward sacred territory.
First of all, I define the sacred every bit the Presence of God or the Holy One. Sacred but agency the house or infinite of the Divinity. In the history of religions the sacred mightiness hold upward a place, similar a cathedral, a grove inward the woods or another shrine. The sacred tin hold upward the object of pilgrimages. Sometimes the sacred has been the house of healing, also every bit revelation. The sacred is contrary of the profane---which literally agency “outside the temple.”
I personally similar the linguistic communication of “Presence.” The sacred is the house or infinite where you lot encounter the Presence. Often I recall the Catholic Church too other traditions get got done a ameliorate chore than my ain Quaker tradition inward helping folks know where these “sacred places” are to hold upward found. In fact, it is pretty normal for Catholics to consecrate their churches. Henceforth, the church building is known every bit St. Mary’s or St. John’s or something. Perhaps kids come upward to know that stepping into the edifice is to larn inward sacred territory.
And of course, at that topographic point seems to hold upward levels of sacredness. At to the lowest degree inward my novice’s agreement of Catholic tradition, non every house within the church building is equal. Surely the altar has a flat of sacredness that is superior to about house inward the basement. The altar is the scene of the eucharist---the holy communion or Lord’s Supper. It is at the altar where the priest takes the breadstuff too the cup, blesses them too gives them to the congregations every bit the trunk of Christ too the blood of Christ.
The altar is the focusing point. It is the house where the sacred is most concentrated, if you lot will. As I recall close the Quaker building, at that topographic point is zippo similar the altar. Traditionally, Quaker architecture has no obvious pump or sacred spot. I am tempted to recall that my tradition is but that much poorer for the lack of sacred specificity. On the surface, nosotros don’t get got saints too nosotros don’t get got sacred places or spaces. And on the surface, this is true.
The to a greater extent than I recall close it, however, the to a greater extent than I realize my ain Quaker tradition too the Catholic tradition are similar points on a circle. If nosotros icon the circle, my tradition too the to a greater extent than liturgical ones, similar the Catholic or Episcopal are far away from each other on this circle. But if nosotros were to plough the other way, lo too behold, at that topographic point they are almost side past times side to the Quakers! We are too thence far apart, nosotros are almost side past times side to each other! Let me explain.
I tin pose it but past times proverb that Quakers get got a vogue to spiritualize the to a greater extent than outward symbols of the sacred. Instead of the altar inward the middle of the cathedral to which the faithful come upward to encounter the Holy One, the Quaker imagines the inward altar. Instead of the altar inward the middle of the sanctuary (sanctus = holy), I tin beak close the inner sanctum (the inner sanctuary). It is at this inner sanctuary that the encounter amongst the sacred takes place.
This agency that the Quaker is non probable to sense the holiness of the building. I know of no Quaker meetinghouse called “St. Something.” Rather the Quaker procedure is to larn inward the edifice too get down the grooming of going to the altar of the heart. There God promises to larn introduce too to hold upward experienced every bit the Presence. There I volition hold upward “fed.” There I volition hold upward nourished too nurtured amongst the living Presence---the nutrient of my soul. In the halt I uncertainty this sense is much dissimilar from the Catholic who goes within “St. Something” inward lodge to approach the altar too hold upward “fed” amongst the living Presence of the Holy God.
I tin write these words too limited what sounds similar doctrine. Doctrine proclaims, “this is how it is.” I tin get got it, turn down it, etc. But doctrine is non experience. Doctrine talks close God, but is non a living sense of the Holy One. Doctrine mightiness hold upward interesting; sense is enlivening---life giving.
In lodge to larn available to the living Presence, I tin ready myself. I tin brand the endeavor to drib dead into a house of sacred space. I tin brand the endeavor to drib dead within too discovery that inner altar of my heart. I tin ready myself past times beingness expectant too ready. I tin hold off the living Presence to come upward to me too to “feed” me amongst nourishment for my spiritual self.
In the halt it does non look to affair much whether I am Quaker, Catholic or whatever other tradition. What matters is spiritual preparation. What matters is to get got a sense for the Presence too the sense to pursue it. Ultimately, it is non precisely a practiced idea. It is a life-giving experience.
The altar is the focusing point. It is the house where the sacred is most concentrated, if you lot will. As I recall close the Quaker building, at that topographic point is zippo similar the altar. Traditionally, Quaker architecture has no obvious pump or sacred spot. I am tempted to recall that my tradition is but that much poorer for the lack of sacred specificity. On the surface, nosotros don’t get got saints too nosotros don’t get got sacred places or spaces. And on the surface, this is true.
The to a greater extent than I recall close it, however, the to a greater extent than I realize my ain Quaker tradition too the Catholic tradition are similar points on a circle. If nosotros icon the circle, my tradition too the to a greater extent than liturgical ones, similar the Catholic or Episcopal are far away from each other on this circle. But if nosotros were to plough the other way, lo too behold, at that topographic point they are almost side past times side to the Quakers! We are too thence far apart, nosotros are almost side past times side to each other! Let me explain.
I tin pose it but past times proverb that Quakers get got a vogue to spiritualize the to a greater extent than outward symbols of the sacred. Instead of the altar inward the middle of the cathedral to which the faithful come upward to encounter the Holy One, the Quaker imagines the inward altar. Instead of the altar inward the middle of the sanctuary (sanctus = holy), I tin beak close the inner sanctum (the inner sanctuary). It is at this inner sanctuary that the encounter amongst the sacred takes place.
This agency that the Quaker is non probable to sense the holiness of the building. I know of no Quaker meetinghouse called “St. Something.” Rather the Quaker procedure is to larn inward the edifice too get down the grooming of going to the altar of the heart. There God promises to larn introduce too to hold upward experienced every bit the Presence. There I volition hold upward “fed.” There I volition hold upward nourished too nurtured amongst the living Presence---the nutrient of my soul. In the halt I uncertainty this sense is much dissimilar from the Catholic who goes within “St. Something” inward lodge to approach the altar too hold upward “fed” amongst the living Presence of the Holy God.
I tin write these words too limited what sounds similar doctrine. Doctrine proclaims, “this is how it is.” I tin get got it, turn down it, etc. But doctrine is non experience. Doctrine talks close God, but is non a living sense of the Holy One. Doctrine mightiness hold upward interesting; sense is enlivening---life giving.
In lodge to larn available to the living Presence, I tin ready myself. I tin brand the endeavor to drib dead into a house of sacred space. I tin brand the endeavor to drib dead within too discovery that inner altar of my heart. I tin ready myself past times beingness expectant too ready. I tin hold off the living Presence to come upward to me too to “feed” me amongst nourishment for my spiritual self.
In the halt it does non look to affair much whether I am Quaker, Catholic or whatever other tradition. What matters is spiritual preparation. What matters is to get got a sense for the Presence too the sense to pursue it. Ultimately, it is non precisely a practiced idea. It is a life-giving experience.
Buat lebih berguna, kongsi:
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