Your Influences

[AngCath]

This is another "for fun" thread. I was wondering what everyone's faith influences were. A family member? Mentor? Book? Friend?

[TomUK]

My Dad, very much so.

[Wiffey]

My grandmother, who snuck me off to be Baptized as a baby, even though my mother had left the church and had no plans to raise me as a Christian.

She left me her statue of St.Barbara upon her death when I was 10. Shortly thereafter I discovered that I had been Baptized...which was a shock as my mom had remarried when I was 3 and my adoptive father was Jewish...and up until that point I'd been raised as a Reform Jew. It got me wondering about my mom's heritage (and my own).

A few years later I began to attend church on my own, and finally received my first Communion at 15.

[AngCath]

for me it was a priest. i'll keep his name off of here but he was a mentor and a friend that guided me to where I am today.

[If Not For Grace]

Music--various artists, heard on the radio who started me on the path of appreciating beauty and those who shared letting me know everbody had their problems and I was not alone. Then there were those who just made me feel good and showed me I could help make others feel good--just by being me.

[AngCath]

My faith has also been developed from my readings... especially the Mystics St. John of the Cross and Julian of Norwich and the Tractarians.

[karen freeinchristman]

In the early days it was family members, my mother especially. Also, music.

[Andy Broadley]

I suppose my main influence in my formative years was Sunday school at the Salvation Army.

My favourite Bible verse (Joshua1:9) came from a Salavtion Army Major (Major Joan Kirby - we never understood the fuss about the ordination of women, we've always had women officers), who wrote it in the back of my song book on the day she and her husband left the Salvation Army corps I then worshipped at.

By pure chance, 25 years later, I am now at a different Corps in a different town, and my officers are once again the Kirby's (now Colonals), although they retire in July, so they are still an influence.

Aside from the Army, one of my main spiritual influences has been the preaching of John Smith, leader of Melbournes God Squad.

[Anij]

For me it's been a number of things ... since I'm new here,I'll give a brief related intro. I appologise in advance if this is the wrong place to put this.

I was raised in the Anglican Church (high mass, BCP ) some of my fondest memories growing up are from that Church. Unfortunately we left that church when I was still very young, and I've never really felt "at home" in the same way since.

I continued to attend our "new" Anglican Church ... but it wasn't what I needed ... I've just never gotten used to using The BAS.
Though my faith has never waivered - I left the formal church for a long time, continuing to practice on my own.

Just when I thought I might never find my way 'back' ...
Almost 3 years ago, by accident ( though I know now it wasn't that at all ) I met online a beautiful boy named Cole (http://www.christianforums.com/www.coledanielwebb.com), who changed my whole life and made me who I am today. Cole was born on August 13 , 2002 with SMA , Spinal Muscular Atrophy - and gained his wings :angel: on November 18th 2004. In the short time he was here he renewed a faith I thought I might have lost, he taught me how to love, how to lose, how to forgive, how to accept, and how to surrender control to God.

After many years - I felt lead back to the Church ... the service I attend is more traditional, we're VERY small , we still use BAS. ... it's not home, but maybe it will be one day.

Sorry ... I know I kind of rambled here... please forgive me - I'm new at this:blush:

Some times , the most profound influences in our lives, are made be the tiniest most innocent of people... for me it was this little boy. www.coledanielwebb.com (http://www.coledanielwebb.com)

[karen freeinchristman]

I appologise in advance if this is the wrong place to put this.
I would say this is just the right place to put this!
Thanks!

[AngCath]

great post anij!

[Anij]

great post anij!
Thank you both for your kind words !!

[Finella]

Wow, so many influences, so little time...

I grew up Episcopalian, and the first church of my clear memory instilled in me a love of liturgy (my favorite stuff being the fire of Easter Vigil -- the priest lit the thing right in the sanctuary! -- and Christmas Eve, smells and bells and all of it). So this leads to much of my influences being shared experiences of a spiritual nature -- my visits to St. John the Divine in NYC, Vocare weekends, musical performances of my own and others I've heard, and simply being with people as their therapist in the hardest times of their lives. All of this has taught me to appreciate God working in every moment of our living, big and small.

In literature, I've long loved Madeleine L'Engle and C.S. Lewis, reading them since childhood. I also adore Hildegard von Bingen and other mystics. It's the artist in me, I guess, who appreciates that mystical creative connection to God.

Victor Frankl. Jung. Wilber. Grof. Psychologists who study meaning-making and our connection to God in that way.

Helen Bonny, a music therapist who created an amazing theory and practice of listening to music in a heightened state of awareness, which can bring amazing insights and often very spiritual experiences. I am studying this method intensely right now as part of my academic work and therapy practice. Great stuff.

Just the tip of the iceberg, I guess. :)

[karen freeinchristman]

Wow, so many influences, so little time...

I grew up Episcopalian, and the first church of my clear memory instilled in me a love of liturgy (my favorite stuff being the fire of Easter Vigil -- the priest lit the thing right in the sanctuary! -- and Christmas Eve, smells and bells and all of it). So this leads to much of my influences being shared experiences of a spiritual nature -- my visits to St. John the Divine in NYC, Vocare weekends, musical performances of my own and others I've heard, and simply being with people as their therapist in the hardest times of their lives. All of this has taught me to appreciate God working in every moment of our living, big and small.

In literature, I've long loved Madeleine L'Engle and C.S. Lewis, reading them since childhood. I also adore Hildegard von Bingen and other mystics. It's the artist in me, I guess, who appreciates that mystical creative connection to God.

Victor Frankl. Jung. Wilber. Grof. Psychologists who study meaning-making and our connection to God in that way.

Helen Bonny, a music therapist who created an amazing theory and practice of listening to music in a heightened state of awareness, which can bring amazing insights and often very spiritual experiences. I am studying this method intensely right now as part of my academic work and therapy practice. Great stuff.

Just the tip of the iceberg, I guess. :)

lovely to hear all of that, Finella, thanks! :)

[Finella]

Oh, how could I forget:

BACH!! And Gorezcki and Poulenc and Verdi and Brahms and Shostakovich and Vivaldi and Faure and Durufle...

Oh, you get the picture.

:D