In class, we
discussed content from Images and Pilgrimages by Victor and Edith Turner. In this journal, I want
to reflect on my personal take on the three rites of passage in regards to
personal devotion time to God. For me, separation is the most difficult thing,
yet the most essential thing in sacred communication. I try doing devotions in
my room, but there are simply too many distractions. My roommates all love the
Lord and have the best intentions, but they hinder my ability to really hone in
on the Spirit and that dialogue that I am pursuing during devotional time. The
best place for me to escape that is convenient is the fifth floor of Warwick
River residence hall. It is not a legit floor, the stairs just keep going after
the fourth floor and then there is a little alcove an a door to the roof. I
don’t have a key to the door, so the alcove does nicely. The reason it serves
as such a great separation is that it is not a part of my everyday routine. I
am not used to participating in other activities while I am there. From a
psychological standpoint, my mind is less prone to wander here, because there
are no other activities that I cognitively link to this place. As for
liminality, I believe that I reach the liminal state when I submerge myself in
scripture. It is when I move from finding verses to reading an entire chapter
or book. This way, the Word of God is the only thing on my mind and I dive into
the story instead of floating on top, so my mind is less prone to wander. Another possibly liminal state for me would
be worship music. I tend to forget that there are people around me; I forget
that I care what I look like when I sing, and I close my eyes and feel the
presence of the One True King. The last rite of passage is aggregation. I have
not embarked on a pilgrimage (yet), but if I ever do, I am sure that there will
be a more intense sensation correlated with aggregation. As for my devotional
times, I feel recharged. I feel ready for what the world will throw at me and
confident in knowing that the God of the universe is on my team.
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