SPIRITUAL FORAMTION COURSES
SF104 Praying the Word (Lectio Divina)
Jul 01, 08, 15, Saturday, 2 ~ 5 pm @ CSF
The essence of Lectio Divina is prayer, seeking God. It is heartening to learn that the Word of God is not only a revelation of the LORD to His children but also a resource to aid us in our prayer to Him. In this course, we will learn to let the Word of God descend from our head to our heart and seek God there. It is there where reading the Bible seeks to challenge our habitual beliefs, attitudes and behavior. We become open to the Holy Spirit’s action of grace upon our lives.
Session 1: The Theological Basis of Lectio Divina
Session 2: The Movement of Lectio Divina
Session 3: The Practice and Posture of Lectio Divina
Session 1: The Theological Basis of Lectio Divina
Session 2: The Movement of Lectio Divina
Session 3: The Practice and Posture of Lectio Divina
Dates: 1, 8, 15 July 2017 (Sat afternoons)
Time: 2 – 5pm
Venue: CSF@Bethel
Cost: Freewill Offering
Closing date for registration: 15 Jun 2017
Time: 2 – 5pm
Venue: CSF@Bethel
Cost: Freewill Offering
Closing date for registration: 15 Jun 2017
READING FELLOWSHIP
Personal Interiors Revisited
Spiritual Friendship by Aelred of Rievaulx
"In the first book of Spiritual Friendship Aelred argues that God instituted human friendship in creation and grounded it in Christ's presence. It therefore leads in this life directly to the experience of Christ and in the next to eternal friendship with God. Fr. Aelred goes beyond Cicero's definition to declare friendship eternal, explaining that if it ceases to exist it was never friendship, exemplifying such friendships by the Christian martyrs, "a thousand pairs of friends ready to die for each other" (1.28). He distinguishes among three kinds of human relationship commonly called friendship: the carnal, the worldly, and the spiritual, of which the last is its own reward: "Now the spiritual, which we call true friendship, is desired... for its own natural worth and for the affections of the human heart, so that its fruit and reward is nothing but itself" (1.45)"
(Aelred of Rievaulx, Spiritual Friendship, Introduction, Pg 41.)
Spiritual Friendship by Aelred of Rievaulx
"In the first book of Spiritual Friendship Aelred argues that God instituted human friendship in creation and grounded it in Christ's presence. It therefore leads in this life directly to the experience of Christ and in the next to eternal friendship with God. Fr. Aelred goes beyond Cicero's definition to declare friendship eternal, explaining that if it ceases to exist it was never friendship, exemplifying such friendships by the Christian martyrs, "a thousand pairs of friends ready to die for each other" (1.28). He distinguishes among three kinds of human relationship commonly called friendship: the carnal, the worldly, and the spiritual, of which the last is its own reward: "Now the spiritual, which we call true friendship, is desired... for its own natural worth and for the affections of the human heart, so that its fruit and reward is nothing but itself" (1.45)"
(Aelred of Rievaulx, Spiritual Friendship, Introduction, Pg 41.)
Dates: 15, 29 May; 5, 19 Jun 2017 (Mon evenings)
Time: 7:30 – 10pm
Venue: CSF@Bethel
Cost: Freewill Offering
Closing date for registration: Course already started
Time: 7:30 – 10pm
Venue: CSF@Bethel
Cost: Freewill Offering
Closing date for registration: Course already started
SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT TRAINING
Spiritual Formation 301 (SF301)
Spiritual formation is the process whereby the Holy Spirit transforms us into Christlike-ness to the glory of our Father. ”Robert Solomon, “Growing the Soul in Postmodern Soil ~ Spiritual Formation in the Twenty-first Century”, in The Church in the 21st Century Singapore (ed. Isaac Lim), National Council of Churches, 2000.
This definition sets clearly four emphases:
1. Spiritual formation is trinitarian in orientation
2. It focus on process – not merely programme
3. The singular goal is Christlikeness (not personal fulfillment or ministry effectiveness or achievements)
4. It is primarily through the agency of the Holy Spirit working on us ( not merely my disciplines and efforts)
The growth of a soul is a life long process. We are called by God who exists as three persons into His community to find our identity and personhood in Him. So, no Christian is called to live alone unto God. Indeed, who dares say he or she can grow to become like Christ without the community of Christ?
This definition sets clearly four emphases:
1. Spiritual formation is trinitarian in orientation
2. It focus on process – not merely programme
3. The singular goal is Christlikeness (not personal fulfillment or ministry effectiveness or achievements)
4. It is primarily through the agency of the Holy Spirit working on us ( not merely my disciplines and efforts)
The growth of a soul is a life long process. We are called by God who exists as three persons into His community to find our identity and personhood in Him. So, no Christian is called to live alone unto God. Indeed, who dares say he or she can grow to become like Christ without the community of Christ?
The aim of the training is to call, challenge and equip mature Christians to take up this quiet, relational ministry. We come alongside another to journey, co-discern with one another concerning our vocation, witness, growth and life in Christ. The training will be in three phases. There will be eligibility criteria to be met before a person is invited to the training.
Phase I: Knowledge & Understanding
Phase II: Practice & Experience
Phase III: Embodiment & Life
This is a “coming alongside” ministry. This aspect of Christian ministry has traditionally been called spiritual direction and also spiritual friendship. We prefer to use the terms spiritual accompaniment, co-discernment to emphasize that there is neither director nor directee, but that two persons come together in a three personed conversation engaged in a two level listening to each other and to the Holy Spirit of God, who alone truly is the Spiritual Director.
SAT started its first training cycle in July 2013 with 9 participants. We are ready to start our 4th training cycle in July 2017.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION RESOURCE LIBRARY
This is a special focus private library where you can come and while away the hours to rest and read.
We have a collection of books, many of them classical work from various streams of the Christian faith ~ the early Church Fathers (Patristics), Latin West, Greek East, Coptic and Syriac Christianity.
“You have made us for yourself. And our hearts are restless until we find our rest in you.” If you have heard this quotation and wondered where it is from, you will find it in our library. The quotation is from the bookConfessions. The author is the famous 4th century bishop Augustine, whose theology influenced the church well over a millenium.
Or how would you like to contemplate on a hazelnut and commune with God? That was what happened to a 14th century English woman, Julian of Norwich: “…he showed me something small, no bigger than a hazelnut, lying in the palm of my hand… In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it, the second is that he loves it, the third is that God preserves it. But what is that to me?…” Come and read to find out.
Julian’s work, Showings (or Revelations) is one title in a series Classics of Western Spirituality, where selected writings of various spiritual writers from various centuries past were newly translated. Each book comes with a helpful and scholarly introduction that will help you to better appreciate and read each writer in their own context rather than misjudged them within ours. (If you are interested to read the spiritual classics, you are welcomed to join our reading fellowship.)
We have a collection of books, many of them classical work from various streams of the Christian faith ~ the early Church Fathers (Patristics), Latin West, Greek East, Coptic and Syriac Christianity.
“You have made us for yourself. And our hearts are restless until we find our rest in you.” If you have heard this quotation and wondered where it is from, you will find it in our library. The quotation is from the bookConfessions. The author is the famous 4th century bishop Augustine, whose theology influenced the church well over a millenium.
Or how would you like to contemplate on a hazelnut and commune with God? That was what happened to a 14th century English woman, Julian of Norwich: “…he showed me something small, no bigger than a hazelnut, lying in the palm of my hand… In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it, the second is that he loves it, the third is that God preserves it. But what is that to me?…” Come and read to find out.
Julian’s work, Showings (or Revelations) is one title in a series Classics of Western Spirituality, where selected writings of various spiritual writers from various centuries past were newly translated. Each book comes with a helpful and scholarly introduction that will help you to better appreciate and read each writer in their own context rather than misjudged them within ours. (If you are interested to read the spiritual classics, you are welcomed to join our reading fellowship.)
We have books promoting the observance of the Christian Year, as well as those that help you to observe them, e.g. books of Advent and Lent.
We also have books by contemporary writers like James Houston, Eugene Peterson, Marva Dawn, Henri Nouwen, Rowan Williams, Richard Foster, David Benner. Also those who write about ancient writers and introduce their writings to show how these ancient voices from the past are what we need to listen to, and become familiar with.
Spiritual Formation that is deep and life transforming can happen only when anchored on the “riches of the glorious inheritance of the saints” (Eph 1:18). While contemporary writers can speak to our modern challenges, it is when they draw upon the Word of God, and the writings of the Christians down the ages that we gain the depth and breadth of lived experiences to inform our growth and witness.
As new books are added, we will bring them to your attention. But nothing beats a visit to make an acquaintance with these saints, present and past. (We will be happy to share more. If you like to contribute to the growth of this library, do contact us. )
COMMUNITY @ BETHEL
CSF is housed in a lovely bungalow house @ Bethel Presbyterian Church since August 2015. We have four rooms in two floors, plus basement and balcony. CSF has a full run of the whole place with spaces devoted to community (groups), conversation (person to person) and communion (alone with God).
Our Community Place on the ground is where you can come for day retreats (non-residential), courses, or conversations in small and big group settings. We have now two rooms designated as the Conversation Rooms. These rooms are also for private conversation with a spiritual companion.
Our Community Place on the ground is where you can come for day retreats (non-residential), courses, or conversations in small and big group settings. We have now two rooms designated as the Conversation Rooms. These rooms are also for private conversation with a spiritual companion.
The resource library of books specifically on spiritual formation sits in the main hall where visitors can browse at their own time and pleasure. Already many more books have been added. You are welcomed to come and spend time to browse and read.
We now really have an Upper Room, i.e. a room upstairs. This communion space with God, is specially designed for quiet, silent prayer and communion alone with God. We can comfortably have 10-12 persons praying together as well.
These three spaces are designed for rest and quiet. We aim to create a spiritual ambience for visitors to become attentive to their own heart, mind and soul, and to God’s Presence. As an act to remind us that we come into a space for God, we will ask you to take off your shoes when you visit us.
Only a lived-in place can become a living space. It often take a while for a new place to become an authentic and welcoming community, where the Presence of God is experienced, not just talked about. This is what we hope and pray Trinity Life Community will be for you when you visit us.
CSF @ Bethel is a BE place ~ come, rest, read, converse, pray, be silent, be still, be with God.
We now really have an Upper Room, i.e. a room upstairs. This communion space with God, is specially designed for quiet, silent prayer and communion alone with God. We can comfortably have 10-12 persons praying together as well.
These three spaces are designed for rest and quiet. We aim to create a spiritual ambience for visitors to become attentive to their own heart, mind and soul, and to God’s Presence. As an act to remind us that we come into a space for God, we will ask you to take off your shoes when you visit us.
Only a lived-in place can become a living space. It often take a while for a new place to become an authentic and welcoming community, where the Presence of God is experienced, not just talked about. This is what we hope and pray Trinity Life Community will be for you when you visit us.
CSF @ Bethel is a BE place ~ come, rest, read, converse, pray, be silent, be still, be with God.
