How can we nurture rich spirituality? | Mike Raiter

An exploration of soul music, what makes us spiritual and where we look for spirituality.

Host Robert Martin discusses true spirituality with Mike Raiter (international speaker and author of 'Stirrings of the Soul').

Join us as we ask Mike Raiter some bigger questions.

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Bigger questions asked in the conversation

Mike - do you feel time poor?

Smaller Questions

How much you know about soul music.

Defining the spiritual

Legendary Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson said that “soul music” was called that because people just stood and sang from their guts, whatever they felt, they just let it come out. Why is 'soul' music associated with such depth of human expression?

It's been said that a person’s soul is a person’s essence, that part of our being which can soar to heaven. Why don’t you think it’s called “DNA music” rather than “soul” music?

Is there something inherently spiritual about the human?

Now we’ve mentioned things like 'spiritual' and 'soul' - but what exactly do we mean? What is spirituality and what is the ‘soul’?

So is music spiritual?

In your book Stirrings of the Soul, you shared how you experienced and observed many different types of spirituality? What did you experience?

Search for the Spiritual

So with these various forms of “spirituality” - what are people looking for?

What have these forms of spirituality connected with?

What did you feel were the shortcomings of these various spiritual expressions?

Mike's story

Mike, what convinced you to become a Christian believer?

Now some might think that the Bible hasn’t much to say about ‘spirituality’. It’s often seen as boring and traditional and not particularly dynamic, mystical or experiential. Does the Bible have anything to say about spirituality?

Bible's Answer

An incident is recorded in John Chapter 6 where Jesus feeds five thousand people from a boys lunch of five loaves and two fish. This is a remarkable incident Mike - what happens here?

What does it mean?

Then Jesus says in John 6:48 ‘I am the bread of life’. I’ve heard of soul food - but what does Jesus mean when he claims to be bread?

How does he demonstrate this claim?

How does this relate to spirituality?

The only mention of Spirit in this chapter is found in the concluding verses in verses 62-63 where Jesus says,

Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

What is the relationship of the Spirit of God to Jesus?

How does Christian spirituality differ from other spiritualities?

If Jesus has true spirituality, then why is church so boring?

The Big Question

So Mike, stirrings of the soul, how can we nurture rich spirituality?