In order to write effectively one must do so with multiple contexts for a variety of audiences.

The
criterion for this work was to write effectively with purpose, voice, convention, sources, revision, and
mechanics. This sample is a final draft from an ENG 102 assignment on religion.



Melanie Palacio
English 102 W24
Essay #2 Final Draft
March 5, 2012
Spirituality
According to The Merriam Webster Dictionary, the meaning of spirituality is;
Noun; Origin is late Middle English 1375-1425
1: something that in ecclesiastical law belongs to the church or to a cleric as such
2: CLERGY
3: sensitivity or attachment to religious values
4: the quality or state of being spiritual

Spirituality has many definitions, but I believe that they go beyond the dictionary
meanings, although internal and intangible, spirituality can be attained through many ways.
Spirituality is made up of other words such as, spirit, which is more religious, regarding the Holy
Spirit. In the metaphysical sense it is an energy that is present in all living things. In mysticism,
soul may also equate with spirit, but the soul involves certain human consciousness, spirit comes
from beyond that. In many languages, breath is used to express concepts similar to spirit. There
is also the word spiritual, defined as relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed
to material or physical things. (Oxford) The commonality among these words is internal and
intangible.
What is true spirituality? In the biblical sense to have spirituality is to be walking in the
spirit, or filled with the Holy Spirit. It is an act of worship to offer your body as a living sacrifice.
All believers in Jesus Christ are given this gift of spirituality at the moment of salvation. In this
case, the opposite of spirituality would be carnality, which is walking in the flesh, conforming to
the world. This spirituality involves a daily trust in the One that created us, according to the
bible, Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him
all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
power or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all
things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17)
Many people may argue that for a person to have spirituality in their life, they must be
religious. I do not believe this to be true. Religion is possibly the outside force that one may
look to for change, but spirituality is the power within oneself. I believe that to have spirituality
extends beyond the religious realm. When in pursuit of the realm of spirituality there seems to
be a connection between oneself and something greater than themselves, something intangible.
Although religion is a part of our cultural system, it is a public display, as spirituality is more
personal no matter what your beliefs are, it is universal.
Meditation is a way to get in touch with spirituality. Some people may say that to attain
that spirituality, one must escape by getting in touch with their inner thoughts. In this day and
age, there is so much negativity, frustration, anger and jealousy, that the only way to detach
ones self is to meditate. Meditation is usually focused on ones breathing or concentrating on the
repetition of a particular word. Getting to that point of detachment is when the balance occurs,
which some say is the moment of spirituality enlightenment.
Some may argue that prayer is the very essence of spirituality. Prayer time is a very
private and individual desire and it does not matter who you pray to. This is a time to give
thanks and praise, to confess weaknesses, ask for forgiveness or pray for healing for yourself or
others, and also ask for guidance on your spiritual path. This is truly getting in touch with that
intangible inner spirit.
Many people have experienced healing of their addictions by their spirituality. This is
used in the twelve step program through Alcoholics Anonymous. This gives the recovering
addict the courage and hope in times of discouragement. The addicts are taught that there is a
power greater than their selves that can restore them to sanctity through activities participated in
that lead to their own spiritual growth.
My personal definition of spirituality is a way of being and relating to others and the
world around me. I recognize a connection to all things in the world. For years I felt that I was
missing something in my life. I seemed to always be in search for inner peace and contentment
wanting to find what my purpose in life really was. Spirituality is what gave me my place in the
world, belonging, acceptance, relationship, self-image, freedom, hope and joy. Knowing that I
belonged in this world and was accepted by a higher power was refreshing. That even if any
relationship on this earth was not good, I still had that relationship with my inner spirit.
Spirituality was inside me the whole time. Prior to my knowledge of this, my search for
spirituality led me to a spiritualist church. It seemed like a normal church on a Sunday afternoon
where there would be singing hymns and a reverend leading the congregation. But then the
reverend or guest speakers would come to you and say that someone that I knew was there with
me. They explained that depending on which side of my body these spirits were on they could
tell from what side of my family they were from. These individuals had what they called the
gift to communicate with the spirits that have passed on. They would then give me messages
from whoever in the spirit world wanted to communicate with me. This church also had
meditation that I attended once. There was a group of people and we sat in a circle. There was a
leader that had us close our eyes and call on our Indian protectors. The spiritualists believe that
the Indians are the children of the earth, and they believe that each of us has one as a protector.
During this meditation, I opened my eyes to see what they call energy, which are shooting light
spheres traveling around us. Minutes later I opened my eyes again to see a little girl chase a ball
between me and another person meditating. After the meditation session, we were asked to share
our experiences and any messages that anyone had received. As each person shared their
experience, the lady next to me said that she had seen a child chasing a ball, I had not shared
what I had seen yet and it had me a little scared. What I encountered at this spiritual church was
definitely not of this world, and then I realized was nave thinking that this was spirituality. What
that was would be what people call a spirit encounter. At no time while in attendance at this
church did I feel a sense of inner peace or contentment, never that internal intangible thing called
spirituality.
In conclusion, I have defined my thoughts and beliefs on spirituality. I understand that
many individuals choose different spiritual paths to finding their own spirituality. I believe that
we are all in pursuit of that connection between our meaning of life and its purpose, and when
that is realized, spiritual peace and contentment will follow. Humans are unique beings that have
the capacity to contemplate and question who they are, where they come from, what their
purpose is, and other ultimately unanswerable questions. Spirituality is the inherently human trait
to try to find answers to these questions and concerns. I believe that spirituality is a part of
human nature. I believe that spirituality has an important place in the world. It is not an escape
from the world, of reality, not a denial of life, but the acceptance of it. Spirituality is the essence
of life. It is truly a life defining experience.






Work Cited

Augarde, A. J. The Oxford Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1981. Print


"Colossians 1:15-17." The New King James Bible: New Testament. Nashville: T. Nelson, 1979.
Print.

Webster, Noah. "Spirituality." Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Mass: Merriam,
1948. Print.