The Critical Journey
Stages in the Life of Faith
by Janet Hagberg & Robert A. Guelich
Summary
We are all on a journey back to the heart of God. It is a challenging, lifelong process, and we cannot walk it without the help of companions and guides. Although the authors break this journey into six basic stages, they acknowledge that the progression is seldom linear and every person’s experience is unique. It is a process that requires us to embrace vulnerability, and ambiguity and ultimately leads us to surrender to God’s love. There we find forgiveness, healing, and acceptance, and in later stages, stillness, wholeness, peace, and the ability to love others compassionately and selflessly.
Author’s Website: The Critical Journey - Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich
Favorite Quotes
“This is a circle in which God is at the center and people at each stage on the perimeter are loved and cared for equally.”
“We discover what we can be and how we can contribute. We are created by God to be God’s resources for others as we discover our own resources.”
“The ‘God-shaped vacuum’ of the French philosopher Pascal now has been recognized, but there is confusion as to how to fill it. To get to the stage of productive living, we had learned things like obedience, innocence, belonging, and being in the center. They no longer serve us, and we begin slowly to change our approach to God. We move from a posture of knowing to one of seeking. At this stage, all we can say is that we are seeking a direction so vague and unclear that it is frightening. We know that we are no longer seeking an answer.”
“There may be a prior sense of being unable to cope, of not knowing what to do or where to turn. Finally, in desperation we give up and let God do whatever is right for us.”
“In my judgment, there will not be a significant spiritual recovery in our land or in the world unless or until we can more gracefully and adequately sojourn with people through the Wall. And I believe the major reason we are stuck in front of the Wall goes back to a core belief most of us still hold. Our core belief is that we are not truly loved by God—unconditionally loved and accepted—or that God’s grace is not sufficient.”
