by jeeprube 14 Replies latest jw friends
I often find myself engaged in outdoors activities. Once while fly-fishing on a Sunday, I realized a deep spiritual feeling. Standing in a trout stream, watching an otter swim by, and listening to the gurgle of moving water, I felt closer to God than I ever had in a Kingdom Hall.
Has anyone else ever felt this?
Yes, and I practice it religiously!
Sherry
Yes. My most powerful experience while outdoors was while walking in a redwood forest - while among the incredible presence of those magnificent trees "I" was nowhere to be found. Nature is like that - while fully immersed in nature the pettiness and confining structure of the separate entity of "me-ness" dissolves, leaving one free of all mental entanglements, judgments, and labels; free of the past, free of thoughts of the future, fully in the present moment - I would call that spirituality in its most pristine sense.
How about a little indoor spirituality, my best experience in 2005 was the "U2, Vertigo tour" concert. It was very spiritual for me, the best night of 'church' I've ever had. The songs spoke to me and I was moved in an extremely profound way.
I can also identify with your "fishing" experience. When I am in a river with my waders on and I look down to see the trout gathered around my feet and legs, I forget about catching them on my fly rod and lose myself in the beauty of God's creation. It is wonderful.
The outdoors is in many ways my church. Just today I took a hike in what was the warmest weather we
had here in a while. At the top of the mountain I layed down and took ashort nap in the warm sunshine.
I felt totally renewed and alive.
yes...yes...yes
~Merry
Yes when I am in the far north of Ontario, it stays light till about 11 pm in the summer and the sky is so clear and you can see the whole universe it seems. All the stars the northern lights, and hear the noises fo the wildlife around you (wolves) etc. that is spiritual to me and tells me there is creation.
Have to agree with Gretchen and MerryM--
is all part of how I practice my spirituality. Never felt more inner peace anywhere else.
blessed be,
shelley
P.S. There was a couple Texas Jams that were always outdoor, and very MOVING, if ya know what I mean!! LOL
There is a special feeling of serenity, awe and reverence when I'm in a forest of huge trees. I've called it the outdoor cathedral.
I get a different feeling standing on a beach at the edge of the seemingly infinite ocean, feeling very small in the grand scheme of things, but very connected to the ebb and flow of creation. It's a peaceful, easy feeling and sensuous, in that my senses are fully engaged, yet it's mesmerizing and trance-inducing to watch the swells and breakers. This is my favorite place to be. But what else would you expect from a mermaid?
Yeah, nature is my god now. That's the only way that I can now think of IfTheresAGod; uninvolved, uncaring, disinterested in our affairs, but still pretty spectacular. IfTheresAGod is big enough not to care whether we worship it. I just hope that IfTheresAGod has noticed how many trees I've planted and tonnes of greenhouse gas I've saved and acres of bushland I've weeded and fenced and fauna surveys I've filed and penguin habitats I've maintained... that's how I worship god now.
