Like a Child , livre ebook

Praise for Like a Child
This highly readable book is a helpful reminder that one of the most radical, and important, things Jesus said was become like children. Tim Mooney, with a scholar s careful eye and a pastor s heart, explores the meanings of Jesus words and all the reasons the adult demands of modernity mitigate against them. In the process he employs the insights of art, theology, literature, popular culture and his own winsome humanity to invite us to become the children Jesus meant. This is an important book.
- John Buchanan , editor/publisher, The Christian Century
If we grown-ups would only heed the beautifully written yet immensely practical wisdom in this jewel of a book, we can rediscover the ability to give ourselves wholeheartedly to all aspects of life and, even in the dark times, fully embrace joy and wonder as God s beloved children. What better way to live?
- The Rev. Peter Wallace , Day1 radio host; author, The Passionate Jesus: What We Can Learn from Jesus about Love, Fear, Grief, Joy and Living Authentically
Who of us has not wondered, and argued with ourselves, about why Jesus praised spiritual childhood so much? What did he mean by that? This might be the most intelligent, inspiring, and integrated book I have read on the subject. Tim Mooney will not give you clichés or glib answers here, but genuine wisdom.
- Richard Rohr , OFM, Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, NM
Tim Mooney offers us the vital gift of learning to take ourselves less seriously. In this delightful exploration of what it really means to bring a childlike trust and joy to daily life, we are called to a sweet lightness of being. Those seeking a new way forward into their spiritual practice will find much nourishment for the soul.
- Christine Valters Paintner, PhD , author, Lectio Divina-The Sacred Art Transforming Words & Images into Heart-Centered Prayer and other books
When you do an online search of the word childlike, the first association is childlike faith. Like a Child is a book about faith, for its author, like Jesus, invites us to become like children and boldly explore the realm of grace. A seasoned pastor and spiritual director, Timothy Mooney proves a trustworthy guide on this adventure, equipping the reader with navigational aids in the form of biblical understandings, spiritual practices, and stories from those who ve undertaken the journey. This book inspires hope ... and faith.
- Susan S. Phillips, PhD , sociologist and spiritual director; executive director and Christian studies professor at New College Berkeley; author, Candlelight: Illuminating the Art of Spiritual Direction
Helps us recover one of the most transforming treasures of Jesus-the secret to growing up without growing old. With the sensitivity of a spiritual director, the practicality of a pastor, and the colorful brush of an artist, Tim Mooney leads us into the splendor of a childlike maturity.
- Dr. Daniel Meyer , senior pastor, Christ Church of Oak Brook; host, Life Focus Television

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Contents
Introduction
1 Cowabunga!
RESTING IN WHOLEHEARTED TRUST
A Heart Checkup
An Exercise in Trust
2 Humble Me
FINDING YOUR TRUE SELF IN AUTHENTIC HUMILITY
I Am ...
Who Are You?
A Long, Loving Look at the Real
3 A Burning Bush in Every Backyard
RESTORING YOUR CAPACITY FOR AWE AND WONDER
Simply Notice
Specifically Notice
Things in Themselves
Walking Meditation
4 The Eyes of Innocence
SEEING AS GOD SEES
A Pair of Glasses
A Conversation with Your True Self
5 The Truth of a Tantrum
DISCERNING THE GIFTS IN DESIRE AND EMOTION
Throw a Fit
What Do You Want Me to Do for You?
6 Change the Way You Think
RECLAIMING BEGINNER S MIND (OLD DOGS THRIVE ON NEW TRICKS!)
A Fist and an Open Hand
Meditation
Draw What You Feel
7 Let It Be and Let It Go
PRACTICING FORGIVENESS AS A CHOICE AND A GIFT
What Am I Holding on To?
The Log in Our Own Eye
8 Fully Embodied, Fully Inspirited
RECOGNIZING AND READING YOUR BODY AS A SOURCE OF WISDOM
Praying with Postures
Body Scan
9 Laughter and a Sense of Humor
GRACE S DAILY DIETARY REQUIREMENT
Think of Something Funny
Laughing at Yourself
10 Recess!
PLAYING YOUR WAY TO LIFE AND PURPOSE
Go Out and Play!
Turn Everything into a Game
11 Inside Out, Outside In
LIVING AN UNDIVIDED LIFE
Return to Childhood
Act Like You re a Kid Again
Möbius Strip Meditation
12 It Takes a Long Time to Become Young
TRANSFORMING A LIFE, CULTIVATING A SOUL
Not Moses, Me
A Party of One
Notes
Suggestions for Further Reading
Introduction
Unless you change and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
JESUS (MATTHEW 18:3)
It takes a long time to become young.
PABLO PICASSO
G row up, mature, leave behind childish things, and become responsible people of faith. This is what the Apostle Paul exhorts his readers to pursue as the spiritual task of life. He says:
We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. (Ephesians 4:14-15)
Paul seemingly did just that, as he described in 1 Corinthians 13:11: When I was a child I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult I put an end to childish ways.
How odd it is, then, to hear these words of Jesus: Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. This is one of the few sayings of Jesus that has not been explored to any great extent. Much has been made of healing the inner child in therapeutic circles, but few therapists have explored the meaning and development of childlike qualities in adulthood. In a culture that many would characterize as selfish, narcissistic, and childish, this book serves as a way to-sorry, I just can t resist the joke-not throw the baby out with the bathwater. It aims to address misconceptions regarding the nature of maturity, adulthood, and spiritual growth, and recover a fuller picture of what it means to be human.
I once preached a series of sermons titled Like a Child , and that launched me on a fascinating exploration of the implications of what Jesus s words might mean for us individually and communally. I shared with my congregation that children are childlike naturally, without effort or forethought. They cannot help but be childlike because it is who they are.
How, then, are we to become childlike? Why is becoming childlike so important for our spiritual lives? What kinds of changes are needed for us to become like children? What must we do to cultivate the necessary changes? And why, as Pablo Picasso suggests, would it take such a long time?
I have been a pastor for twenty-five years, and a spiritual director, staff member, and adjunct professor in the program leading to a diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction at San Francisco Theological Seminary for almost fifteen years. In my ministry and spiritual direction practice, I have seen how childlike qualities emerge as individuals gain increasing self-awareness and embrace spiritual practices. I have also observed how these qualities play a prominent role in spiritual growth, maturity, and discernment. I have witnessed congregants practicing a serious, somber approach to faith to their detriment, and I have watched parishioners with a sense of wonder about God and life, a sense of playfulness, and the ability to laugh at themselves become spiritual leaders and harbingers of grace. In my own personal life as an artist, musician, and writer, I have found that the more I am able to play at my crafts and vocations, the more creative and productive I become.
My own spiritual path has been greatly affected by an initial denial and eventual (lengthy) reclamation of childlike qualities. I grew up in a conservative tradition that expected adult behavior out of children, and it s been a long and at times difficult road of reclaiming the fullness of my humanity, much of it rooted in childlike qualities. I hope this book-the culmination of personal and professional exploration and experiment-becomes a helpful resource for the cultivation of childlike qualities in your life and the spiritual fulfillment that it can bring you.
Spiritual Transformation: An Adventure
Spiritual transformation calls for change, a fundamental resetting of our perspective, orientation, and vision. It also calls for an accompanying change in the behaviors that shape our lives and our world. Our goal here is to reintroduce ourselves to childlike (not childish) behaviors and attitudes that can liberate our soul from the confines of ego-driven false selfhood. But how are we to effect these changes?
In an age of specialization and expertise, we tend to depend on experts for wisdom and guidance. Conversely, in a postmodern world suspicious of authority and meta-stories, we want to