Transcript Slide 1

THE NEW COSMOLOGY
A CONTEXT FOR THE IGNATIAN
EXERCISES
PART TWO
Presentation by the Janet and Ron Nimer at the CLC National Assembly, July 2004.
1
THE UNIVERSE AS STORY
• PROVIDES A NEW LENS THROUGH WHICH
REALITY CAN BE VIEWED AND
INTERPRETED.
• DIVINE PRESENCE ANIMATES CREATION
AND EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN.
• WE ARE ONE INTERDEPENDENT AND
CONNECTED REALITY WITH ALL OF LIFE.
• WE ARE ONE CREATION – SISTERS AND
BROTHERS TO OTHER HUMANS, KIN TO ALL
IN THE WEB OF LIFE.
2
THE UNIVERSE STORY AS NEW
COSMOLOGY
• A NEW COSMOLOGICAL STORY GIVES
PURPOSE AND MEANING TO OUR LIVES BY
HELPING TO:
– MAKE SENSE OF OUR INNER AND OUTER
WORLDS
– RECONNECT HUMANS WITH THEIR LONG
EVOLUTIONARY AND EMERGING HISTORY
– GIVE NEW MEANING TO RELATIONSHIPS
– PROVIDE A NEW CONTEXT FOR A MORAL
LIFE
3
THE UNIVERSE AS STORY
• THIS STORY TELLS US THAT HUMANS ARE:
– CHILDREN OF A VAST UNIVERSE
– A VERY NEW SPECIES
– IN THE ADOLSCENT STAGE OF PSYCHIC,
SOCIAL, AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
– THE REFLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS OF
EARTH AND THE UNIVERSE
4
THE UNIVERSE AS STORY
• HUMANKIND EMERGED FROM EARTH
• EARTH IS OUR LARGER BODY
• IN HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS, EARTH
CONTINUES TO AWAKEN:
–
–
–
–
EARTH SEES, WHEN HUMANS SEE
EARTH REFLECTS, WHEN HUMANS REFLECT
EARTH CELEBRATES. WHEN HUMANS SING
THE GLORY OF GOD IS FULFILLED WHEN
HUMANS AND EARTH ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP
THAT IS MUTUALLY ENHANCING.
5
THE UNIVERSE STORY AS NEW
COSMOLOGY
THE BENEFITS:
- EXPANDS HORIZONS OF TRADITIONAL
BELIEF SYSTEMS AND THE DISCOVERIES
OF SCIENCE
– OFFERS A MEMORY AND COMMON
UNDERSTANDING OF OUR ORIGIN
– RECONCILES WHAT IS SEPARATED
– RE-ESTABLISHES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
HUMANKIND AND NATURE
6
THE UNIVERSE STORY AS NEW
COSMOLOGY
• FROM PERSPECTIVE OF SCIENCE:
– MOVES US BEYOND MECHANISTIC
NEWTONIAN PARTS MENTALITY.
– THE EFFECTS OF THE WHOLE ARE
GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS
– RECOGNIZES THE SEA OF ENERGY –
THAT IS THE GROUND OF ALL THAT
EXISTS
– EVERYTHING COMES OUT OF MYSTERY
7
THE UNIVERSE STORY AS NEW
COSMOLOGY
• FROM PERSPECTIVE OF RELIGION:
– CORE BELIEFS OF ALL RELIGIONS SEEN
WITHIN WISDOM OF THE LARGER STORY
– PROVIDES A FOUNDATIONAL CONTEXT
FOR EXAMINING BELIEF SYSTEMS TO
UNCOVER DEEPER MEANING
– THE NATURE OF REALITY BECOMES
BASIS FOR DOING THEOLOGY
– AWAKENS US TO THE DIVINE IN ALL OF
REALITY – GOD IN ALL THINGS
8
THE UNIVERSE STORY AS NEW
COSMOLOGY
• THE BENEFITS FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS:
– FIND NEW MEANING AND PURPOSE FOR
LIFE
– IGNITE IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY
– INSTILL A SENSE OF THE SACRED
– BUILD JUST SOCIETIES
– BIRTH A NEW CULTURE
– BRING PEACE TO THE WORLD
– RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH
9
THE UNIVERSE STORY AS NEW
COSMOLOGY
• WE ARE ONE WITHIN THE DIVINE
REALITY
• HEAL ATTITUDES AND WOUNDS OF
ALIENATION AND SEPARATION
• ACHIEVE SPIRITUAL MATURITY ABOUT
THE USE OF POWER
• INVITES HUMANKIND TO BE COCREATORS OF THE REIGN OF GOD
10
THE UNIVERSE STORY AS NEW
COSMOLOGY
WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT IS :
• ALWAYS EVOLVING
• ALWAYS BECOMING
• ALWAYS IMMERSED IN CREATIVITY
AND NOVELTY
• ALWAYS PRESENTING NEW
POSSIBILITIES
• REALITY AND PERCEPTIONS ABOUT IT
ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING
11
THE UNIVERSE STORY AS NEW
COSMOLOGY
GOD CONTINUOUSLY LABORS ON OUR
BEHALF – IF WE LIVE IN GOD,
THEN IN US, GOD IS:
• ALWAYS BECOMING
• ALWAYS EMERGING
• ALWAYS MANIFESTING GOD’S SELF IN
NOVEL AND CREATIVE WAYS
• ALWAYS TRANSFORMING AND SHAPING
THE HUMAN SPIRIT
• ALWAYS CALLING US INTO DEEPER UNION
WITH GOD AND ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.
12
THE UNIVERSE STORY AS NEW
COSMOLOGY
“ THE DAY WILL COME WHEN AFTER
HARNESSING THE ETHER, THE WINDS,
THE TIDES, AND GRAVITATION,
WE SHALL HARNESS FOR GOD THE
ENERGIES OF LOVE,
AND ON THAT DAY, FOR THE SECOND TIME
IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, WE WILL
HAVE DISCOVERED FIRE.”
Teilhard de Chardin
13
THE NEW COSMOLOGY
THE END
14
THE NEW COSMOLOGY
• SHARING QUESTION:
– DO YOU EXPERIENCE A DISCONNECT OR
INCONGRUENCE BETWEEN YOUR
WORLDVIEW AND THE REALITY IN WHICH
YOUR FIND YOURSELF?
– IF SO, WHAT IS THAT DISCONNECT OR
INCONGRUENCE AND HOW CAN THAT
WORLDVIEW AND REALITY BE REINTEGRATED?
15
THE NEW COSMOLOGY,
A CONTEXT FOR THE IGNATIAN EXERCISES
July, 2004
Janet and Ron Nimer
Bibliographical Sources
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme, The Universe Story, Harper San Francisco, New York, NY. 1992.
Kevin Bradt S.J., Story As A Way of Knowing, Sheed & Ward, Kansas City, MO., 1997.
Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics, Shambala Publishers, Berkeley, CA., 1975.
Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life, Anchor Books, Double Day Dell Publishing Co., New York, NY, 1996.
Mary Conrow Coelho, Awakening Universe, Emerging Personhood, Wyndham Press, Lima , Ohio, 2002.
Duane Elgin, Promise Ahead, Harper Collins Publishing Co., New York, NY, 2000.
Carol Lee Flinders, The Values of Belonging, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY, 2002.
Ivone Gebara, Longing for Running Water, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, MN, 1991.
John F. Haught, God After Darwin, Westview Press, Boulder, CO., 2000.
Carmel Higgins, Toward a Sustainable Future, The Connector, July, 1999.
Ursula King, Spirit of Fire, The Life and Vision of Teilhard de Chardin, Orbis Books,
Maryknoll, NY., 1996.
Ursula, King, Christ In All Things, Exploring the Spirituality of Teilhard de Chardin,
Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY., 1997.
David C. Korten, The Post-Corporate World , Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.,
San Francisco, CA. and Kumarian Press, West Hartford, CT., 1999.
Diarmuid, O’Murchu, Quantum Theology, The Crossroad Publishing Co., New York, NY, 1997.
Diarmuid, O’Murchu, Our World in Transition, The Crossroad Publishing Co., New York, NY, 1992
Loyal Rue, Everybody’s Story, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 2000.
Walter Wink, The Powers That Be, Galilee Press, Double Day, Random House, New York, NY, 1998.
16
About the Presenters
• Ron and Janet Nimer
• Janet and Ron Nimer have been members of
the Nicholas Owen CLC in the St. Louis area for
the past sixteen years. They have experienced
the Ignatian Nineteenth Annotation Retreat in
Everyday Life (the Bridges Program) as well as
the follow-up two year Prayer Companions
Program.
• Janet has a spiritual companioning ministry and
is currently a prayer guide in the Nineteenth
Annotation Retreat. They are the parents of five
daughters and have twelve grandchildren.
17