Reflective essay defining the importance of corporate spiritual disciplines within their lives.

Reflective Essay – Importance of Corporate Spiritual Discipline Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name One of the most influential factors affecting our world is not related to income or celebrity status; it is found in belief. Personally, experience has taught me that individuals with belief may generate the fortitude to unite behind causes they believe are righteous, even without clear evidence. This form of conviction is sometimes referred to as spiritual belief, and it has the potential to build togetherness and motivate collective action. Several faiths have evolved throughout history, attracting adherents who share their views. Accordingly, history has taught us that Christianity stands out for its strong feeling of community and mutual help among believers. Since its foundation, Christianity has stressed the significance of mutual support, offering a forum for Christians to interact and work in pursuit of common goals. In the study of spiritual aims and community practice within Christianity, assembling the body of members of a spiritual organization is essential. During the conduct of my readings, one well-known theologian is Origen, born in Alexandria around 185 AD, he was a prolific writer, scholar, and philosopher. Thus, it was his words and teaching have established the framework for theological changes in the contemporary era by emphasizing the need for community and individual spiritual discipline. Origen also emphasized the necessity of employing an allegorical manner of understanding scripture, thinking that the literal meaning of what is written in the Bible has a more profound significance. Through Examining Origen's writing, this essay aims to elucidate the essence of a group of spiritual disciples and their significance in Christian life. This essay will also reflect on how this teaching can affect contemporary believers. Origen’s Reflections Origen believes that personal and community prayer is essential for building people's connections with the God they believe in. This collective prayer of individuals will ultimately evolve into communal prayer, which is critical in creating spiritual unity among Christians. Corporate spiritual disciples refer to the purposeful actions by a group of persons within a Christian community to improve their spiritual faith and discipline ("Worship - Corporate, Inclusive, Devotional," n.d.). This type of gathering focuses on personal devotion and change. In contrast, corporate spiritual disciplines emphasize the group experience of religion and the development of shared spiritual ideals within a community framework. Prayer as a means of Communication For Christians, prayer is the only means of communicating with any spiritual being; this kind of act is considered to be essential and to be respected. As a person prays, they need to make themselves at peace and be one with their God to communicate better. The act of simply closing their eyes while praying means removing outside distractions to be more connected to the spiritual being they are worshipping ("Prayer summary," n.d.). Psychologically looking at things, Praying is also an act to ask for forgiveness for their sins. By praying and repenting their sins, they can gain relief from their conscience because they know their God has forgiven them. In that sense, they feel that they are being free from the spiritual burden that they are carrying consciously and feel better. Origen's work "On Prayer." Going back to Origen's works, a book titled "On Prayer" accentuates the communal dimension of prayer and the re-creative nature of meeting God in intimacy with Him and fellow believers. Through this idea, Plato posits that prayer is communion with and not just making requests and petitions to the Supreme Being. According to Origen, conversations with God are initiated through prayer, where believers express their piety and the Divine love, search for the will of God, and eventually are delighted at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Besides, Origen emphasizes the function of common prayer to promote collegiality and shared solidarity among the believers. He stresses the value of collective prayers, where the believers come together often to join their voices in praise and petition, thus trapping more power and effectiveness for individual prayers. Prayer in a social manner enhances owning a sense of belonging and shared identity among the Christian community that continues to strengthen the lines of fellowship and mutual support. Nationality as a Sense of Belongingness Just as a person's sense of national identity stems from their sense of belonging within their country, so does their desire to fight for the one they love. Seeing the American representation in the Olympics makes one feel like they are part of a nation rather than simply the gold medallist. Individuals congregate in churches as a symbol of their membership in that faith, and since praying and performing spiritual acts together strengthens the act of being a Christian, individuals feel encouraged to do the same as others. It is this sense of belonging that motivates communal prayer. Origen’s Work "On First Principles” Origen considers the notion of fundamentals in "On First Principles" and elaborates on the impact of the spiritual practices on the disciples' behavior. He is saying that even though a person might attain a degree of spiritual maturity through intellectual knowledge or religious observance, there is a need to cultivate dispositions such as humility, patience, and love. According to Origen, these virtues are to be nurtured by the Christian community members through individualized practices and undertakings to develop the believers' internal spiritual and moral growth ("On Origen's First Principles," 2020). Integration of Corporate Spiritual Disciplines Origen emphasizes this factor (a by-product of the 'unifying force of corporate spiritual disciplines') as the central idea of modern Christian speech. In terms of corporate spiritual disciplines, the following practices can be performed: corporate worship, communal prayer, communal fasti...