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CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY FOR ADULTS
The Spirituality of Community
Here, a masterful teacher helps us to realize that there can be no strangers in the Church and that we can all see the face of God not only in those we love but in those who get on our nerves.
124 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 10, 2018
I have a tendency to gravitate towards logic-based, heavily academic books on theology to contemplate religion both personally and on a grander scale. While it’s good to have a grasp on history, on debates, on major questions, Gonzales does something wonderful: she gets to the heart of spirituality. She doesn’t focus heavily on rules or language, but the power of contemplation and feeling as the main driver to cultivating a relationship with god & the larger christian community.
I keep describing the book as “lovely”, she feels like a close friend sitting with you, telling you stories and listening to you, rather than spoon feeding you rhetoric which can make spirituality feel foggy and lost.
It’s a short read that does a good job of highlighting the benefit of opening yourself to different avenues of spirituality and how that journey can lead to a more understanding, compassionate community.
I keep describing the book as “lovely”, she feels like a close friend sitting with you, telling you stories and listening to you, rather than spoon feeding you rhetoric which can make spirituality feel foggy and lost.
It’s a short read that does a good job of highlighting the benefit of opening yourself to different avenues of spirituality and how that journey can lead to a more understanding, compassionate community.
January 22, 2016
Adele Gonsalez begins The Spirituality of Community by defining spirituality as “our life in the Spirit”. (17) She states that we live out our spirituality through 4 relationships: with God, ourselves, our neigbours, and creation.
Our first relationship is one of transcendence, while the others, are ones of immanence, although these two core relationships are not mutually exclusive: “Christians believe that God is both within and beyond the universe, capable of being found in everything and everyone and yet surpassing everything and everyone.” (19). Indeed, one cannot claim to have a healthy relationship with God unless one has a healthy relationship with him/herself and those around him/her. Gonsalez quotes Dorothy Day on this important point: “Your love for God is only as great as the love you have for the person you love the least.” (21)
In the opening chapter, Gonzalez also contends that our notion of spirituality needs to be both “liberated” and expanded so that it is not limited to trying to live “as otherworldly, flawlessly perfect eccentrics”, but rather “affirm{s} the voices of simple, ordinary Christians whose stories and spiritual journeys are not recorded in our history books”, but are nonetheless meaningful and authentic. (27) She also stresses that our belief in the Incarnation dictates that “there is no place where God is not” (41), including “the dark places” (43). Hence, Christians view creation as essentially good and have a hope-filled outlook that “both human beings and the world can be healed” (22)
In Chapter 2, Gonzalez deals with three specific aspects of spirituality. First, since God is love, and God’s relationship with us is as Lover to beloved, spirituality is passionate. Secondly, it is communal: “To be human is to be on a journey, and to be a Christian means that we never journey alone.” (51) The author reminds us that the Greek word ekklesia, from which the English word church evolved, designates “a gathering of people”. Lastly, spirituality is contextual: “Our interpretation of the experience of God needs to take into consideration the context in which it happens and the specific perspectives of those who are interpreting it.” (56)
Chapter 3 deals with key elements that comprise a Christian community. Gonzalez writes that we should examine the New Testament stories of the early Christian church in order to discover these elements. In Acts, we learn that the early Christian communities were marked by a “spirit of generous giving”. (67) St. Paul used the analogy of the different parts of the body working together to emphasize that a Christian community consists of a unity of people working together and sharing a diversity of gifts, that is, unity without uniformity. A Christian community is also “grounded in the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ”. (71) As well, celebration of the
Eucharist is at the centre of a Christian community. The final element is service. On this point, Gonzalez is eloquent, “No community deserves to be known as Christian if their praying sharing, celebrating, and proclaiming are not wrapped in a blanket of active service to each other and to the world.” (78)
More characteristics and beliefs of a Christian community are explored in Chapter 4. Acceptance and inclusivity are important qualities: “The measure of the quality of a Christian community is the way in which its weakest members are treated and the willingness to welcome everyone as an important part of the Body of Christ.” (90) Christian communities are always on a journey of hope, and within them there is a belief that every member is a “beloved of God”. (93) Finally, there is a shared belief in the revelatory power of experiences as each of us finds God in our unique and ordinary experiences.
This brief book concludes with some challenges faced by Christian communities. The growth and transformation of individuals within a community are specific to the individuals themselves, and sometimes, very different. These differences inevitably lead to conflict. Accepting and respecting these differences and occasional conflicts is essential. As Gonzalez writes, “Unless we learn to dance together with different steps, Christian community will not happen.” (106)
Our first relationship is one of transcendence, while the others, are ones of immanence, although these two core relationships are not mutually exclusive: “Christians believe that God is both within and beyond the universe, capable of being found in everything and everyone and yet surpassing everything and everyone.” (19). Indeed, one cannot claim to have a healthy relationship with God unless one has a healthy relationship with him/herself and those around him/her. Gonsalez quotes Dorothy Day on this important point: “Your love for God is only as great as the love you have for the person you love the least.” (21)
In the opening chapter, Gonzalez also contends that our notion of spirituality needs to be both “liberated” and expanded so that it is not limited to trying to live “as otherworldly, flawlessly perfect eccentrics”, but rather “affirm{s} the voices of simple, ordinary Christians whose stories and spiritual journeys are not recorded in our history books”, but are nonetheless meaningful and authentic. (27) She also stresses that our belief in the Incarnation dictates that “there is no place where God is not” (41), including “the dark places” (43). Hence, Christians view creation as essentially good and have a hope-filled outlook that “both human beings and the world can be healed” (22)
In Chapter 2, Gonzalez deals with three specific aspects of spirituality. First, since God is love, and God’s relationship with us is as Lover to beloved, spirituality is passionate. Secondly, it is communal: “To be human is to be on a journey, and to be a Christian means that we never journey alone.” (51) The author reminds us that the Greek word ekklesia, from which the English word church evolved, designates “a gathering of people”. Lastly, spirituality is contextual: “Our interpretation of the experience of God needs to take into consideration the context in which it happens and the specific perspectives of those who are interpreting it.” (56)
Chapter 3 deals with key elements that comprise a Christian community. Gonzalez writes that we should examine the New Testament stories of the early Christian church in order to discover these elements. In Acts, we learn that the early Christian communities were marked by a “spirit of generous giving”. (67) St. Paul used the analogy of the different parts of the body working together to emphasize that a Christian community consists of a unity of people working together and sharing a diversity of gifts, that is, unity without uniformity. A Christian community is also “grounded in the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ”. (71) As well, celebration of the
Eucharist is at the centre of a Christian community. The final element is service. On this point, Gonzalez is eloquent, “No community deserves to be known as Christian if their praying sharing, celebrating, and proclaiming are not wrapped in a blanket of active service to each other and to the world.” (78)
More characteristics and beliefs of a Christian community are explored in Chapter 4. Acceptance and inclusivity are important qualities: “The measure of the quality of a Christian community is the way in which its weakest members are treated and the willingness to welcome everyone as an important part of the Body of Christ.” (90) Christian communities are always on a journey of hope, and within them there is a belief that every member is a “beloved of God”. (93) Finally, there is a shared belief in the revelatory power of experiences as each of us finds God in our unique and ordinary experiences.
This brief book concludes with some challenges faced by Christian communities. The growth and transformation of individuals within a community are specific to the individuals themselves, and sometimes, very different. These differences inevitably lead to conflict. Accepting and respecting these differences and occasional conflicts is essential. As Gonzalez writes, “Unless we learn to dance together with different steps, Christian community will not happen.” (106)
September 13, 2014
Gonzalez has crafted a short, concise look at how we should best live into our spirituality, which is in community with God, creation, our neighbor, and ourselves. Spirituality is truly about being human and not about "living as otherworldly, flawlessly perfect eccentrics (p.27). Christian spirituality is passionate as we seek out ways to communally function as 'one body', through our stories and shared experience. She's also quite adept at reminding us of the 'Eurocentric' hold on Christian spirituality and implores us to invite other voices into the mix.
For Gonzalez, Christian community is just a group, team, or a simple commune. It is about relationships and how those relationships allow us, as members of that community, to "discover and develop our unique gifts and love (p.91). This is done best through four key elements: Koinonia (fellowship); The Good News of a reign of love, peace, justice, forgiveness, and compassion; Liturgy (celebration in ritual); and Diokonia (service).
The spirituality of community hinges for Gonzalez on the practice of hospitality and the journey of hope toward transformation.
My favorite was chapter three and would say this is required reading for Christians seeking to understand and expand upon their spirituality of community. My critique is I wish chapter three would have been explored even further, in fact the whole book could have been centered there as well.
For Gonzalez, Christian community is just a group, team, or a simple commune. It is about relationships and how those relationships allow us, as members of that community, to "discover and develop our unique gifts and love (p.91). This is done best through four key elements: Koinonia (fellowship); The Good News of a reign of love, peace, justice, forgiveness, and compassion; Liturgy (celebration in ritual); and Diokonia (service).
The spirituality of community hinges for Gonzalez on the practice of hospitality and the journey of hope toward transformation.
My favorite was chapter three and would say this is required reading for Christians seeking to understand and expand upon their spirituality of community. My critique is I wish chapter three would have been explored even further, in fact the whole book could have been centered there as well.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews