Include ordinary daily actions in your own religion

For Contemplative Journal, Tom Rapsas shares his reactions to Thomas Moore's new book, A Religion of One’s Own: A Guide to Creating a Personal Spirituality in a Secular World under the headline "Are you 'spiritual but not religious'? It may be time to create your own religion".

Rapsas writes, "In this new spiritual world, we look to formal religions for insight but create and follow our own path. Our religion becomes a personal one, rooted in the practices and rituals of our daily lives. For Moore, this means 'the sacred and the divine' are found in the everyday activities and settings we may take for granted."

Rapsas includes passages from the book, then comments on their meaning in his own life.

Moore: "You are born with spirituality; you don’t have to go looking for it. It is a huge presence that wants to live through you and be embodied in your life. The key is to see how the holy and the ordinary work together. . . . to appreciate ordinary activities for their sacredness." (page 82)

Rapsas: "As one who has always defined myself as 'spiritual but not religious,' Moore has me rethinking that hazy classification. I now see that, in fact, I started my own personal religious practice years ago and that it continues to evolve and grow. And I ask you, dear reader: if you also define yourself as 'spiritual,' and haven't started yet, is it time for you too to develop a religion of your own?"