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Contemplation and community
Susannah011
theology
I am still praying and reflecting on theology - on the trying to find meaning and sense in the encounters and revelations of God. One of the areas where I have found deepening insight in the past few years is: contemplation.

In the practice of contemplation, one is sometimes overwhelmed by the sudden coming of God, and the way God shares consciousness and awareness. This sharing speaks to me of community: of the community and felicity of the Holy Trinity, and the way contemplative experience can feed into communities we share in, here on Earth.

From everlasting to everlasting, in the eternal household of God, consciousness and awareness and love and grace are shared. Perhaps we are called into this great sharing in God's household and good estate.

And God's sharing - even a sharing of awareness and consciousness - is perhaps a sign of the generosity of love and our call to love as well. And so contemplation may become more than just a momentary encounter, and instead, grow into our lives and our service, even in the busy working day, even in our simple actions and meetings.

This vast consciousness seems to me like a great sea of faith, or a great plain, vast and beyond measure or containment or human understanding. And yet, God sometimes invites and draws us into that state of being, that state of sharing, that state of shared consciousness, and love, and gracious felicity.

Theology update
Susannah011
theology
I haven't posted much here for quite some while.

My theological writing got overtaken by vocation and life.

I am currently at university and on placements in hospitals, training to be a nurse.

I am also exploring vocation to become a nun in a contemplative order.

And then there is life, and prayer, and my family, my convent, my friends, and the world we live in.

Each day is gift, but writing theology has not been my priority recently.

May we each know the grace and presence of Jesus Christ among us and within us.

God be with you,

Susannah

Welcome to my Theology blog
Susannah011
theology
Hi, welcome to my Theology blog. I'm better known in some LJ circles as susannah. My name is Susannah Clark and I live in Berkhamsted, a little town in the Chiltern Hills, about 25 minutes by train from the centre of London.

This is going to be my working blog for piecing together my theological thoughts and ideas, as I work on a book of theology which I am writing (influenced by the feminist theologian Elizabeth Johnson among others).

I also have another working blog at biblestudy which is going to be my working blog for studying sections of the bible. I study the bible from what most people would regard as a 'liberal christian' perspective, and you are very welcome to send your thoughts, new ideas, advice, or alternative ways of thinking about the way we use biblical texts.

I also have a little community called spirituality where I explore diverse approaches to spirituality, not limited to christian tradition.

So do feel welcome to come and read if you want, and may the strong peace and gentle grace of Jesus Christ be with you and those you love and those you live among.

x

Susannah