Interactions Class, St Mark UMC, 2014 Mark LaRocca-Pitts, BCC, M.Div, PhD Chaplain, Crossroads Hospice of Atlanta.

Interactions Class, St Mark UMC, 2014 Mark LaRocca-Pitts, BCC, M.Div, PhD Chaplain, Crossroads Hospice of Atlanta

When you think of spirituality, what comes to mind?

Is there a difference between spirituality and religion?

My work as a chaplain. Internship at Emory Healthcare in cardiac care Residency at Duke University Medical Center in oncology Clinical chaplain at Duke in Infectious Diseases (HIV/AIDS) Staff chaplain at Athens Regional Medical Center Hospice chaplain with Crossroads of Atlanta Ordained as a United Methodist Pastor Endorsed as a chaplain for a Healthcare Setting Board Certified with Association of Professional Chaplains

Chaplain in a Healthcare Setting Not the same as a parish or church setting Pastoral care vs. spiritual care NO proselytizing! Multicultural Multifaith Secular Scientific and medical models

The Search for Generic Spirituality

Definitions of Spirituality Spirituality pertains to the individuals relationship to the Sacred. Larry VandeCreek Problems: Not everyone believes in the Sacred Restricts spirituality to the Sacred Deals only with the individual Bottom line: Too restrictive

Definitions of Spirituality "Spirituality (literally 'the breath of life') is conceptualized as a complex, intrapsychic dimension of human development, in which the individual moves toward 'higher' states of connectiveness, well-being, consciousness, and/or meaning (with) a desire to realize one's 'true self' or 'inner potential'." David Derezotes, Ph.D. Problem (beyond psycho-babble!) inTRA-psychic [not inTER-psychic] in which the individual moves to realize ones true self or inner potential Bottom Line: Seems too self-centered. Its all about ME!

Definitions of Spirituality Philosopher Aldous Huxley described human spirituality as "the perennial philosophy; a transcendent or divine reality beyond the limitations of cultures, religions, and ego. Problem Too removed, too transcendent, Not immanent Out of reach: Divine, not human Outside the realm of here and now Bottom Line: If it cant help me in the here and now, whats the point!

Definitions of Spirituality Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred (Puchalski, et. al., Improving the Quality of Spiritual Care as a Dimension of Palliative Care: The Report of the Consensus Conference, Journal of Palliative Care v. 12, no. 10 [2009]. ) Problem I did not publish it first!

Three key words central to Generic Spirituality! ( but what is spirit? )

Where is and what is spirit and what is its function? Anthropology Metaphysics What is the human being? What makes up the human being? Is there something more? Is there something beyond the merely physical or material? How is this something more experienced?

Psyche Spirit Body The Human Being: Holistic So, where is spirit? It is in the human being. Western

(ok, so WHAT is spirit?...)

What is spirit? Greek, pneuma Latin, spiritus Hebrew, ruah Breath

Spirit as breath. Implies something inside Implies something personal Implies something vital and life giving Implies something that can be controlled/mastered Implies something that can be cut off

Spirit as breath. If you have breath, you have spirit. Animating, life-giving force within us If it vitalizes or energizes you Intellectually Emotionally Esthetically Ethically Sexually Recreationally Physically ( but there is a second meaning )

What is spirit? Greek, pneuma Latin, spiritus Hebrew, ruah Wind

Spirit as wind. Implies something out there with direction and a source Implies a range of variables Implies something that cannot be controlled or mastered Implies something shared or communal Implies something difficult or impossible to cut off

What is spirit? Spirit as breath Spirit as wind The INTRA-dimension of spirit Personal/Individual Connects one with self The INTER-dimension of spirit Shared/Communal Connects one with others The TRANS-dimension of spirit Connects one with the OTHER

The function of spirit!

The spirit is that part of the human that experiences connectedness with other humans, with nature, with ideas, with self, and with the Divine or Significant. This experience of connectedness gives rise to relationships, familial, friendly, social, ideological, natural, intra- personal, and sacred. From this experience of connectedness and being-in-relationship-with arise questions, concerns, and insights dealing with meaning and purpose: Who am I? Why am I here? To whom and where do I belong? What is my purpose? What is the meaning of life? Through this experience of connectedness, the spirit births the human quest for meaningful connections with self, others, and the Sacred or Significant. Seeking, finding, naming, sorting, categorizing, and prioritizing these meaningful connections for oneself is spirituality and when done communally within a network of outside authority and tradition is religion.

and Authentic (or Intentional) spirituality helps nurture this spiritual process

Spiritual growth is threefold: INTRA-personal: Becoming a whole person via spirit through the integration of body, psyche, and spirit. INTER-personal: Developing whole and healthy relationships via spirit-to-spirit with other people. (TRANS-personal: Actualizing and deepening ones awareness of, presence within, and identity with the Ground and Source of Being via spirit-to-Spirit.) all is well life is good

So what is Authentic Spirituality? Must have aspects of spirit as breath An inner dimension (in-TRA personal) Love of self Must have aspects of spirit as wind A shared/communal dimension (in-TER personal) Love of neighbor May have aspects of spirit as Spirit A something more dimension (TRANS-personal) Love of God (or the Significant) PLUS Intentionality! Authentic Spirituality provides meaning and purpose!

Aint Life GOOD! Happiness! Life is meaningful! Life has purpose! All my questions are answered! Everything is hunky-dory! and then along comes .

Death threatens Life Existence Identity Community Connection Meaning Purpose Spirit EVERYTHING!!! or does it?

which brings us (finally!) to So most of us stay in denial!

Mature religion Equals Authentic Spirituality

Some quotes on Death. You have to know the true nature of dying to understand the true nature of living. If you don't understand death, you don't understand life (Thich Nhat Hanh). If I take death into my life, acknowledge it, and face it squarely, I will free myself from the anxiety of death and the pettiness of life - and only then will I be free to become myself (Martin Heidegger). When we finally know we are dying, and all other beings are dying with us, we start to have a burning, almost heartbreaking sense of the fragility and preciousness of each moment and each being, and from this can grow a deep, clear, limitless compassion for all beings (Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying).

The Measure of Authentic Spirituality: Connects one to true self/higher power (spirit as breath) Connects one to others, possibly including the Other (spirit as wind) Via these experiences of connectedness, a sense of meaning and purpose come into focus Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? AND: It provides a process or a path to live life fully in light of the reality of death ( and makes death a part of ones path! ) If yours does not provide all this, then it is not Authentic (or TRUE)

Interactions Class, St Mark UMC, 2014 Mark LaRocca-Pitts, BCC, M.Div, PhD Chaplain, Crossroads Hospice of Atlanta.

Documents

generic spirituality

human spirituality

restrictive slide

western slide

ruah breath slide

phd chaplain

pastoral care

dimension of palliative