Developing Authentic Spirituality -- Four Recommendations

Published: Thu, 07/22/21

I equip people to serve God and others in a way that is both fruitful and sustainable. I do this through teaching, writing, and coaching. This newsletter is part of that work.

July 22, 2021

1. Personal Update

2. FEATURE VIDEO: Developing Authentic Spirituality -- Four Recommendations

3. Article Worth Reading

4. Quote of the Week

5. How to Share -- and Sign Up for this :-)

1. Personal Update

In today's newsletter, I'm releasing the last video in the series on "Five Pillars of Mental Health." Last week's video was so long that I decided to take the last part out and release it as a separate video. I hope you find it helpful.

To make it more helpful, I'm also including the list of main points I make in the video here in written form for you.

My plan is to make more videos that offer teaching about how to establish a meaningful and healthy spirituality. As I say that, I'm aware that some people are finding this to be challenging -- and maybe disillusioning -- in their current spiritual setting. I hope to say more about this in future videos and writing.

Have a great week!

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2. FEATURE VIDEO TEACHING: Developing Authentic Spirituality -- 4 Recommendations

(run time: 5:20)

The Most Overlooked Pillar of Mental Health -- conclusion

This video is the conclusion to the video I posted last week. I focused on the problem -- in psychology and our society in general -- of discounting the importance of dealing with spiritual issues as part of the healing process of mental health challenges. Here's a list of the four recommendations I make:

1. Find a spiritual community where you can grow -- don't try to take this on yourself.

2. Reject the naive "all-or-nothing" mindset of the critic -- just because you see errors and inadequacies in the church you grew up in doesn't mean that Christianity is untrue, irrational, irrelevant, and/or unhelpful. Maybe the problem is with the specific branch you're familiar with. Atheist authors like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris can make good points when they skewer fundamentalist approaches to the Bible and Christianity, but so what? There are many other branches on the vine of Christianity than that.

3. See doubt and disillusionment as doorways rather than dead-ends. The questions and struggles you're having don't need to be an end to your faith -- they might lead to the transformation and deepening of it. You might be surprised to see what's on the other side of your questions and doubts ... if you keep seeking.

4. Make the connection between authentic spirituality and mental well-being. If we don't understand this, we will fall into the common perception of our time that our spiritual lives -- and coming to terms with life's deep spiritual questions -- are unimportant. Look around at how profoundly unhealthy and unhappy most people are becoming in our society (right at the same time as we've seen a profound shift away from having spirituality is a high value). I don't think this is a coincidence.

If you haven't seen the first of this two-part video, you really should. It helps understand what I'm saying in this one.

3. Article Worth Reading: "Psychiatry Needs to Get Right With God"

In last week's video, I emphasized that our mental health care system is failing people today because it discounts the importance of the spiritual dimension of life. I referred several times to this article in the "Scientific American," which strongly makes this point. By the way, the Scientific American is not a journal that is known for being friendly to religion or spirituality ... which makes this article all the more noteworthy.

David H. Rosmarin -- the author of this article -- is someone worth listening to on this issue. He is the Director of the Spirituality and Mental Health Program at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School.

Read the Article Here

"People use drugs, legal and illegal, because their lives are intolerably painful or dull. They hate their work and find no rest in their leisure. They are estranged from their families and their neighbors. It should tell us something that in healthy societies drug use is celebrative, convivial, and occasional; whereas among us it is lonely, shameful, and addictive. We need drugs, apparently, because we have lost each other."

- Wendell Berry

5. How to Share ... and Sign Up for This Newsletter

Please feel free to send this newsletter along to someone who might like it. Obviously you can just forward this email ... you can also send someone a link to the newsletter archive:

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https://forms.aweber.com/form/24/1900896624.htm

Let's keep in touch ...

I write and speak at events as director of Renew Resources. I also am leader and teacher at Bethel Church in Princeton, MN. If you're ever in the area, come join us on a Sunday morning! Places to find my writing:

The Recovery Journey
Check out my 90 Day program for starting (or renewing) your recovery from sexual addiction / compulsion called "The Recovery Journey". There's also a special program for the partners of addicts. Also check out my other Audio Product:

The Spiritual Issues and Challenges of Recovery

Read my latest book:

"Leaving Your Mark Without Losing Your Mind"
This book focuses on the innate need we all have to make a difference with our lives ... and what gets in the way. Building a life of meaning and purpose is essential for our happiness, but many people get sidelined because of stress, overwhelm, and discouragement. This book will help you find strategies to overcome those challenges (and others).