Hereafter - Shine Your Light
In W. Va. 25 years ago I was exposed to Rev. James Fowler’s book: “Stages of Faith” Fowler describes 6 stages and a developmental progression. First and Second stages are children’s stage - our faith is what we understand of the faiths of the people around us.
Third stage faith sees God as out there or up there - and the authority and wisdom and power - and the responsibility - are out there. [drop to knees - put hands up is supplicant prayer position to demonstrate]. So we plead and praise and beg.
Fourth stage we say ‘yeah, sure out there - but also in here’ -and we touch our chests to indicate that there is a part of the divine within each of us.
Since I learned the Fowler stages and studied at Unity I’ve thought of myself as fourth stage.
From W. Va I returned to Tucson briefly and visited St. Francis of the Foothills; a 4th stage Methodist church. I returned to Huntington and looked for a church like that one. We got a lot of house visits from ministers following up on our one visit to each church. All were third stage. We needed to chose a different path.
Now I picture myself on a ladder climbing toward the light - and usually I know and feel that the light is already glowing within me and I see my self and the people I do my spiritual practice with all climbing toward the light and we are all lit from within.
Just one thing - with that vision of the light within it is easy to develop an sense of ‘I am not third stage’ an arrogance or specialness.
For Fowler 5th stage is becoming aware there are many paths to experience the divinity within. [visual - many ladders grounded in many faiths and people on them are all climbing toward the great light and all are lit from within. Great visual]
and if you look at the bases of the ladders you see all the faiths represented.
And now we are ready to LIGHT THE CANDLES for all faiths.”
CANDLES
