Sacred Communication/Journey Fall 2017

Kendall Bredehorst 12/16/17 In Martin Buber's I and Thou,  he discusses the differences between I and Thou, one of them being the difference between experience and encounter. Experience belongs to I-it since an experience cannot be shared with other people. An experience is personal and private therefore cannot be shared with the world. An encounter on the other hand, can be between more than one person. It allows people to form relations with others which contrasts the purpose of an experience. When you have an experience, it is something only you can go through. It is special and unique to you.

Kendall Bredehorst 12/16/17 In Phenomenology of Prayer ,  the characteristics and results of prayer are heavily discussed. One of them being prayer can recenter our priorities and values. When we pray, we can be guided by God. In our daily life, we constantly sin and listen to our ego.  By praying, you not only go through self-empyting, but you recenter your values. It's a time of necessary reflection.

Kendall Bredehorst 12/16/17 It goes without saying that nature has remedial qualities to it. It's not a coincidence that people can go on a walk or day hike and come back feeling oddly refreshed. Over Thanksgiving break, I took a trip to Scott's Run, a nature preserve in my home town. I walked my dog along one of the trails and couldn't help but destress. Being surrounded by the woods separated me from the daily chaos in life. With things like work and social media, it's easy to get caught up in the business of life, which is why it's important to isolate yourself for a little. For me, being outdoors can get rid of any anxious feelings I have for the time being and just appreciate what is around me.

Kendall Bredehorst 12/16/17 "See my journey on facebook" briefly discussed the effects of technology on pilgrimage. As each year goes by, an increasing amount of people are using technology in their day to day lives. Technology is turning into an necessity rather than a non-necessity. This trend is overflowing into how people experience pilgrimages and thru-hikes. To fully experience the trail people need to completely immerse themselves in the expedition, which means ditching the phone. Due to the additive characteristic of technology, people can hinder their pilgrimage or hike through the use of technology.

Kendall Bredehorst 12/16/17 I read Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander and he discusses his spiritual journey of going to heaven and coming back. He was in a coma for 7 days and during those 7 days he recalls his experience in heaven. Even though it may not be completely true, this book discusses his path to Jesus Christ as he went from a nonbeliever to a believer.

Kendall Bredehorst 12/16/17 In my readings, there was a common theme of people going through any mental related illness experienced benefits from being outdoors, specifically long distance hiking. As of right now, ecotherapy (therapy involving nature) is not that know but I think throughout time more and more people will see the benefits of hiking. Even being in nature can have positive benefits on a person. Personally speaking, whenever I go on a hike or go on a run through the woods, I'm left experiencing a content feeling