e) Session 2 RELIGION PROVIDES THE AGENDA FOR ALL CULTURE-SHAPING

Read pages 37 - 51. 157 - 163

           

Considering pages 39 – 42   Confronting a Cultural Taboo – “Religion”

1) Analyze our culture’s understandings and attitudes towards the term "religion".

* To what degree have Christians bought into this same negative mind and heart-set?   

** What may have caused this negative attitude towards religion?   

Read Romans 12:1-2:  Not being conformed to culture around

Considering pages 43 – 51 Religion is best understood as a Cosmic Story

2)  What is religion (see list on page 43)?  

*  What is spirituality? How are they related?  For a simple definition see page 2 again.  

** The author defines religion as the cosmic story that we have sub-consciously bought into.  Do you agree / disagree?

3)  Is every person religious at the core?  Does every person have a religion, a cosmic story? 

*   How did we develop our personal cosmic story, the story that shapes our understanding of the world, of self and life?  What has shaped your heart’s Cosmic Story?

4) Wrapping up: Proverbs 4:23   Guarding our hearts

The Story that I have embraced resides in my heart subconsciously.  Out of it flow all my dreams, passions, values, my attitudes, my choices, my responses to life’s ups and downs, my emotional compass, etc.  ie. the answers to the questions on page 48..

Exploring the Story that is rooted in your heart.

1. Given your responses to the challenges of life – how relevant / big / close is the God of your Heart – Story?  
2. Given your behavioural / attitudinal responses to the problems that you are facing – how loving / faithful / good is the God of your Heart Story?  Reflect on Ephesians 3:14-19
3. Given the dreams that you are pursuing for your life – how relevant is the God of your Heart – Story?   Are you the hero of your story or is God? Reflect on Colossians 3:1-4
4. Given how you feel about yourself and your life - what does it mean to be a human being in your Heart - Story?  
5. Can you create more questions like this that probe the inner dynamics of your Heart - Story?

What are the heart - truths that make me tick? What are the contours of my religion?  How Biblical is it really?

5) The Plato, Moses, Aristotle centerfold Page 157 - 163 focuses primarily on the setting of the cosmic story. What is our world really like? Is it primarily spiritual as eastern religions would have us believe or is it primarily physical as materialistic atheism would have us believe? Or is it multidimensional as Moses, the Bible would have us believe? Which of these perspectives has shaped our hearts the most? Does our heart need a radical reshaping, and how is this accomplished?