Is prayer ?

Our first separation from God is when we visualize him being somewhere else. Unless we are impenetrable or are immune God could be anywhere or everywhere……it is easy for me to believe the God within….and, also, immanent and transcendent……

[Nowayout]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Burning?
Here, let me throw some cooling, refreshing water on that burn.
It's both.

Thanks for the cooling water, water of life, the living waters.

[Nowayout]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Nowayout,

You seem to answer your own question in post # 6….’one in the spirit’. The same as being part of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians. Part of the confusion comes from the Catholic understanding of soul and spirit being synonymous.

I was Roman Catholic,

What is the difference between soul and spirit as a Catholic?

It refers to the part of man that connects and communicates with God I was taught. Our spirit differs from our soul because our spirit is always pointed toward and exists exclusively for God, whereas our soul can be self-centered. The joy, comfort, and peace of God's presence can only be experienced through our spirit, a higher faculty than the mind.

I guess you see spirit as not part of the human soul and from God alone. It could be viewed in other lights too.
I was also Orthodox for many years, all this theological hair-splitting, between them too, I simply love God within my spirit.. But I guess your view is that Only God has spirit.

Anyway, it will not take away my love for the Roman Catholic Church that I was born into, although it has a dark history and we all know its sins, I love this eucharist church and have known some very good priests, monks, and nuns.

[Nowayout]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Our first separation from God is when we visualize him being somewhere else. Unless we are impenetrable or are immune God could be anywhere or everywhere……it is easy for me to believe the God within….and, also, immanent and transcendent……

God is somewhere else, in Heaven right, and within us too. Most Christians I have known understand this basic truth.

[Nowayout]

Look at what's going on in the world, the east vs the west is what it is coming down to. I'm no prophet, I can see it coming.
Churches are divided, divisions will be our downfall. Who is the author, Satan? Both sides want to fight, both sides know they are right, the fight is on. My mind goes numb... as nature reals back, oh my God.

Too dramatic, move to Ukraine. My mother is Polish, lost most of her family in Russian labor camps in the second WW. My Father said she would scream at night, she moved to Canada once liberated and had me...I felt her pain in the womb I think?
Jesus will return to unify our spirits?, the divisions of our day are at hand? WW3, armageddon has come? Autocracy vs Democracy... Putin is getting mercenaries from the middle east, go figure...

Pray for it to come some other day....

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee... I know, I'm nuts.

Originally Posted by Nowayout

Our spirit differs from our soul because our spirit is always pointed toward and exists exclusively for God, whereas our soul can be self-centered. The joy, comfort, and peace of God's presence can only be experienced through our spirit, a higher faculty than the mind.

I guess you see spirit as not part of the human soul and from God alone. It could be viewed in other lights too.

Nowayout,

Yes, spirit is not part of the soul. The Spirit is incorruptible…..the soul is corruptible…the Spirit can inform the soul but the soul cannot inform the Spirit. By the very words that you wrote…”our spirit differs from our soul”…seems to recognize that they are not synonymous.

The problem with Catholicism dates from the Council of Constantinople of 869. Canon 11 in particular…..it rejected the teaching of 2 ‘souls’….one of those ‘souls’ is what we understand as the Spirit. Also, the Bible speaks of purifying the soul but the Spirit coming directly from God can never be a candidate for purification.

My positions and understanding do not come from any denomination but from my own study and influence from the Spirit. Church is good for many reasons but the proliferation of religions and denominations is clearly a manifestation of tribalism….duality, if you will…..

[Nowayout]

Theological hairs... our spirit differs from our soul because it is a higher faculty, it is of the soul, however, it differs. Like when God's spirit and wisdom come to the mind, it elevates our spirit and hence the soul. Mind, Body, and soul also are spirited. Like when you lose your spirit to live.

Anyway, there is so much more going on ...in the world.

I see your theological views how much does it matter? Peace in Christ is all I know. there have been some very amazing Saints in the Roman Catholic church... and in other places.

Originally Posted by Nowayout

Theological hairs... our spirit differs from our soul because it is a higher faculty, it is of the soul, however, it differs. Like when God's spirit and wisdom come to the mind, it elevates our spirit and hence the soul. places.

Nowayout,

Sorry….but that sounds contradictory…….once again stating them to be 2 different things…..and then saying that spirit is part of the soul ? Even though it is the higher faculty ? Using that logic soon will be saying that God is simply a part of man even though He is higher in every way.

[Nowayout]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Nowayout,

Sorry….but that sounds contradictory…….once again stating them to be 2 different things…..and then saying that spirit is part of the soul ? Even though it is the higher faculty ? Using that logic soon will be saying that God is simply a part of man even though He is higher in every way.

I don't think it needs to be so complicated, a battery has power in it, it is not the power it contains, only what it has stored. I see my spirit like that, and it comes from God. Just like a person can be spiritually dead, no divine life, no Godly spirit, a dead battery if you can see my connection.

Again..

Our spirit differs from our soul because our spirit is always pointed toward and exists exclusively for God, whereas our soul can be self-centered. The joy, comfort and peace of God's presence can only be experienced through our spirit.

My spiritual batteries are being charged through prayer and it helps me when I can envision this connection. Gives new meaning to being plugged in.


Luke 1:46-56 ESV
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,