Session 2: The Importance of Self

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Reflection questions for after viewing: “The journey of genuine transformation to emotionally healthy spirituality begins with a commitment to allow yourself to feel. Feelings are an essential part of our humanity and unique personhood as men and women created in God’s image. Scripture reveals God as an emotional being who feels as a person. Having been created in his image, we also are created with the gift to feel and experience emotions. Some of us may have learned that feelings are not to be trusted; that they are dangerous and can lead us away from God’s will for us. While it is true that we are not to be led by our emotions, they do serve a critical function in our discipleship and discernment of God’s will.” (_Emotionally Healthy Spirituality_, Peter & Geri Scazzero) **Personal Reflection** Journal your responses to the following questions in the space provided below. Your concern can be something from the past, present, or future. Consider areas such as finances, health, relationships, work, etc. (10 minutes) - What are you angry about? - What are you sad about? - What are you anxious about? - What are you glad about? **Group Discussion** Share what it was like to journal your feelings. How has your spiritual upbringing affected the way you view your emotions? What place do emotions have in your current spiritual framework? How does Psalm 139 invite us to bring our full selves and all of our emotions before God? How do you think it would change the way you experience God? Consider the following quote from Dan Allendar and Tremper Longman: _“Ignoring our emotions is turning our back on reality. Listening to our emotions usher us into reality. And reality is where we meet God…Emotions are the language of the soul. They are the cry that gives the heart a voice…However we often turn a deaf ear—through emotional denial, distortion, or disengagement. We strain out anything disturbing in order to gain tenuous control of our inner world. We are frightened and ashamed of what leaks into our consciousness. In neglecting our intense emotions, we are false to ourselves and lose a wonderful opportunity to know God. We forget that change comes through brutal honesty and vulnerability before God."_ - What do you connect with from this quote? - What intense emotions might you be neglecting? - How might those emotions open up new opportunities to know God?