What a concept!
Darryl found the link to the blog on Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed blog for today under "Weekly Meanderings."
Please check out this link to an amazing concept of ministry going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
This idea would fit in fantastically with the coffee house concept we are working on!
Dusty Cover Bookstore
Please let me know what you think...
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Isaiah 40 Speaks to Me
Dear friends,
As I continue to meditate on the theme of our Lord's ultimate tenderness and compassion toward us, I want to share these meaningful excerpts from Isaiah 40 with you...
Isaiah 40
[New Living Translation]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Comfort, comfort my people," says your God. "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and that her sins are pardoned....Messenger of good news, shout to Zion from the mountaintops! Should louder to Jerusalem—do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, "Your God is coming!" Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in all his glorious power. He will rule with awesome strength. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.
Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed out the mountains and the hills? Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who kows enough to be his teacher or counselor? Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best? No, for all the nations of the world are nothing in comparison with him. They are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all....
Have you never heard or understood? Are you deaf to the words of God—the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers. He is the one who spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent for them. He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and their work withers. The wind carries them off like straw.
"To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One.
Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away.
O [children of God], how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I continue to meditate on the theme of our Lord's ultimate tenderness and compassion toward us, I want to share these meaningful excerpts from Isaiah 40 with you...
Isaiah 40
[New Living Translation]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Comfort, comfort my people," says your God. "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and that her sins are pardoned....Messenger of good news, shout to Zion from the mountaintops! Should louder to Jerusalem—do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, "Your God is coming!" Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in all his glorious power. He will rule with awesome strength. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.
Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed out the mountains and the hills? Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who kows enough to be his teacher or counselor? Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best? No, for all the nations of the world are nothing in comparison with him. They are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all....
Have you never heard or understood? Are you deaf to the words of God—the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers. He is the one who spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent for them. He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and their work withers. The wind carries them off like straw.
"To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One.
Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away.
O [children of God], how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Prayer to Embrace the Scriptures
This prayer is from Phyllis Tickle's The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime. I came across it preparing for our meditation time on Scripture this past Sunday. These Divine Hours prayer books are in three volumes and assist us to use scripture and spiritual prayers from the Book of Common Prayer to commune with our Lord. This particular prayer has special meaning to me and I thought that I would share it with you...
"Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant me so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that I may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen."
May our precious Lord engage our hearts as well as our minds in communion with Him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If you are interested in purchasing Phyllis Tickle's Divine Hours series,
please check out this link to Amazon.com: Phyllis Tickle
"Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant me so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that I may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen."
May our precious Lord engage our hearts as well as our minds in communion with Him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If you are interested in purchasing Phyllis Tickle's Divine Hours series,
please check out this link to Amazon.com: Phyllis Tickle
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Our Eternal Story
The threads of story
From ages past
Have gathered, intertwined.
A tale of love
So high, supreme
Has come to change my life.
The Lord of Heaven
So great, so holy
Has come near to be the Story.
He draws me from
My dark despair
To love and hope for eternity.
~Pamela C. Lang
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding."
~Ephesians 1: 3-8 [New Living Translation]
From ages past
Have gathered, intertwined.
A tale of love
So high, supreme
Has come to change my life.
The Lord of Heaven
So great, so holy
Has come near to be the Story.
He draws me from
My dark despair
To love and hope for eternity.
~Pamela C. Lang
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding."
~Ephesians 1: 3-8 [New Living Translation]
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
More Reflections from Abba's Child
Dear Friends,
As I continue my devotional reading in Abba's Child, I find that Brennan Manning brings out concepts of God that touch my heart in a deeply refreshing way. The relationship that I long for with our Creator and Savior and Eternal Companion is one of deepest tenderness and intimacy. He knows my every thought, every pinprick of pain in my heart, and every wisp of longing in my soul.
If you are a kindred spirit, these passages from Abba's Child will resonate with you as they have with me...
"Abba, as a way of addressing God, is ipsissima vox, an authentic original utterance of Jesus. We are confronted with something new and astounding....Jesus, the beloved Son, does not hoard this experience for Himself. He invites and calls us to share the same intimate and liberating relationship."
Paul wrote, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry 'Abba,' [Daddy] it is that spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God." ~ Romans 8:14-16
Think of the love the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God's children; and that is what we are." ~I John 3:1
"My dignity as Abba's child is my most coherent sense of self...."
"Tenderness awakens within the security of knowing we are thoroughly and sincerely liked by Someone. The mere presence of that Special Someone in a crowded room brings an inward sigh of relief and a strong sense of feeling safe....'Abba is very fond of me.' "
"...Scripture suggests that the essence of the divine nature is compassion and that hte heart of God is defined by tenderness...."
And finally...
"Richard Foster wrote, 'His heart is the most sensitive and tender of all. No act goes unnoticed, no matter how insignificant or small. A cup of cold water is enough to put tears in the eyes of God. Like the proud mother who is thrilled to receive a bouquet of wilted dandelions from her child, so God celebrates our feeble expressions of gratitude.' "
Dear friends, God is the essence of caring, of tenderness, and of compassion. He likes you and He likes me. He hasn't just loved us because he had to; He loves us because He wants to. How precious these thoughts are to my heart this day!
Celebrating our Abba...
Blessings and peace,
Pamela
As I continue my devotional reading in Abba's Child, I find that Brennan Manning brings out concepts of God that touch my heart in a deeply refreshing way. The relationship that I long for with our Creator and Savior and Eternal Companion is one of deepest tenderness and intimacy. He knows my every thought, every pinprick of pain in my heart, and every wisp of longing in my soul.
If you are a kindred spirit, these passages from Abba's Child will resonate with you as they have with me...
"Abba, as a way of addressing God, is ipsissima vox, an authentic original utterance of Jesus. We are confronted with something new and astounding....Jesus, the beloved Son, does not hoard this experience for Himself. He invites and calls us to share the same intimate and liberating relationship."
Paul wrote, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry 'Abba,' [Daddy] it is that spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God." ~ Romans 8:14-16
Think of the love the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God's children; and that is what we are." ~I John 3:1
"My dignity as Abba's child is my most coherent sense of self...."
"Tenderness awakens within the security of knowing we are thoroughly and sincerely liked by Someone. The mere presence of that Special Someone in a crowded room brings an inward sigh of relief and a strong sense of feeling safe....'Abba is very fond of me.' "
"...Scripture suggests that the essence of the divine nature is compassion and that hte heart of God is defined by tenderness...."
And finally...
"Richard Foster wrote, 'His heart is the most sensitive and tender of all. No act goes unnoticed, no matter how insignificant or small. A cup of cold water is enough to put tears in the eyes of God. Like the proud mother who is thrilled to receive a bouquet of wilted dandelions from her child, so God celebrates our feeble expressions of gratitude.' "
Dear friends, God is the essence of caring, of tenderness, and of compassion. He likes you and He likes me. He hasn't just loved us because he had to; He loves us because He wants to. How precious these thoughts are to my heart this day!
Celebrating our Abba...
Blessings and peace,
Pamela
Monday, March 26, 2007
Spirituality and Suffering
Darryl Lang led the group in a conversation about spirituality and the dimension of suffering a couple of weeks ago. He began with a devastating quote from a woman who had experienced horrific suffering in her young life:
“I grew up in an abusive household….I mean that my father raped my while reciting the Lord’s Prayer. I mean that my father molested me while singing Christian hymns. My father prayed with me every night…He lay on top of me, touched my breasts, and prayed that I would be forgiven. ‘Father,’ he said. I cringed at the association. ‘Heavenly Father, make my daughter a better person.’ I lay underneath him and trembled. I closed my eyes, as much to avoid his face as to pray properly. I made promises to stop disappointing him, to stop disappointing God. I would have done anything to feel clean, feel loved, to have been good.”
~ Renee Altson from
Stumbling Toward Faith: My Longing to Heal from the Evil that God Allowed
How do we begin to process this kind of pain?
Disturbing questions flood our souls:
someone is experiencing searing pain: abuse, illness, job loss, broken relationships and any number of other tragedies
If we, personally, aren’t experiencing these now, we will experience them in some form soon; it is inevitable that we will face suffering in our lives.
Perhaps our prayer-conversation with God can take many different directions:
“I grew up in an abusive household….I mean that my father raped my while reciting the Lord’s Prayer. I mean that my father molested me while singing Christian hymns. My father prayed with me every night…He lay on top of me, touched my breasts, and prayed that I would be forgiven. ‘Father,’ he said. I cringed at the association. ‘Heavenly Father, make my daughter a better person.’ I lay underneath him and trembled. I closed my eyes, as much to avoid his face as to pray properly. I made promises to stop disappointing him, to stop disappointing God. I would have done anything to feel clean, feel loved, to have been good.”
~ Renee Altson from
Stumbling Toward Faith: My Longing to Heal from the Evil that God Allowed
How do we begin to process this kind of pain?
Disturbing questions flood our souls:
- Where was God in all of this?
- How do we view a God who allows such appalling suffering?
- How do we act for justice in the midst of this nightmare?
- What would we say to Renee if we knew her?
- How do we pray for her?
- How do we deal with our own emotions like rage, revulsion, pity and sadness?
someone is experiencing searing pain: abuse, illness, job loss, broken relationships and any number of other tragedies
If we, personally, aren’t experiencing these now, we will experience them in some form soon; it is inevitable that we will face suffering in our lives.
Perhaps our prayer-conversation with God can take many different directions:
- A legitimate cry for the alleviation of pain
- Wisdom to know how to help someone going through trials
- What response our thoughts and emotions should have in situations like this
But maybe, one of our prayers might be to see the bigger picture that the New Testament writers shared in their longing to understand and experience the sufferings of Christ…
"There is no escaping the cross [of suffering]. Either you will experience physical hardship or tribulation of spirit in your soul. At times you will be forsaken by God, at times troubled by those about you and, what is worse, you will often grow weary of yourself. You cannot escape; you cannot be relieved by any remedy or comfort but must bear with it as long as God wills. For he whishes you to learn to bear trial without consolation, to submit yourself wholly to him that you may become more humble through suffering."
~ Thomas a Kempis
A personal look at suffering
- A short testimony of loss from Darryl and Pam
- What is it about suffering that forces us to focus on central issues of life?Tim Stafford (Christian writer) points out that suffering is one of the loneliest experiences; it is also one of the most purifying. Why? Here’s his quote from Knowing the Face of God:”Suffering purifies this human material, cutting away layer after soft layer until only firmer stuff remains. All the dross goes: the ambitions, love of money, vanity about appearance, everything that sets us above others in our own mind. Suffering purges everything that is not central to life.”
How is it that suffering is one of the loneliest experiences and yet unites us with other people?
Also, suffering teaches us the absolute limit to our abilities and our total dependence upon Christ. It unites us with others going through similar circumstances. That might be the key — not an “answer” to suffering, but humility and grace in the midst of it.
- Suffering in whatever form it takes, personal, communal, national, is a great mystery. The Bible does not provide a running commentary on why “this happened here” or “this occurred there.”
- The New Testament writers never agonized with Job-like questions about suffering; they assumed they would suffer as disciples of Christ.
“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” ~ Philippians 1:29 [NIV]
“But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” ~ I Peter 2:20, 21 [NIV]
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” ~ II Corinthians 4:7-10 [NIV]
Eucharist and Suffering
As Christ showed us by example with the bread at the Last Supper,
we were Chosen, Blessed, Broken in Suffering and Given.
~ Concept taken from Henri Nouwen’s Life of the Beloved
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Spirituality and Scripture
Jared's discussion of scripture in relation to spirituality leads perfectly into the continual "story" of how scripture relates to us that we will be discussing tonight in Living Room. Please come and experience the love of our precious Lord surrounding you as we share our conversation together...
“Many of us have read the Bible as if it were merely a mosaic of little bits – theological bits, moral bits, historical-critical bits, sermon bits, devotional bits. But when we read the Bible in such a fragmented way, we ignore its divine author’s intention to shape our lives through its story.”
– Bartholomew & Green in The Drama of Scripture
How does and/or can a story shape our lives?
Why do we believe the Bible does this better than other books?
“One does not consider closely enough how barbarous the concepts are by which we Europeans still live. That men have been capable of believing that “salvation of the soul” depended on a book! – And they tell me this is still believed today. What is the point of scientific education, criticism and hermeneutics if such a lunatic exposition of the Bible as is still cultivated by the church has not yet turned the blush of shame into a permanent skin color?”
– Nietzsche in The Will to Power
“So, since we were too weak to discover truth by pure reason and therefore needed the authority of [Scripture], I now began to believe that you could not possibly have given such supreme authority to these Scripture all over the world, unless it had been your wish that by means of them men should both believe in you and seek after you.”
– St. Augustine in his Confessions.
Discuss the differences between these two views of Scripture and Spirituality
“In Reformed theology, the law of God is seen to play an important role in sanctification.
Its three functions or uses are well known: to convict of sin, to restrain evildoers and to
instruct believers.”
– Sinclair Ferguson in Christian Spirituality: 5 Views of Sanctification
How does morality play a role in spirituality?
Is it important?
Where does the Bible fit into this?
“What must you to do to look honestly in the mirror of the Word? The first requirement is that you must not look at the mirror but look in the mirror and see yourself. God’s Word is indeed the mirror. But oh how enormously complicated we make it. How much belongs to God’s Word? Which books are authentic? Are they really written by apostles, and are the apostles really trustworthy? As for ways of reading, there are thirty thousand different ways. And then there is this crowd or rush of scholars and opinions, and learned opinions and unlearned opinions about how the particular passage is to be understood. Is it not true that all this seems to be rather complicated? God’s Word is the mirror — in reading it or hearing it, I am supposed to see myself in the mirror.”
– Soren Kierkegaard in Provocations
“Many of us have read the Bible as if it were merely a mosaic of little bits – theological bits, moral bits, historical-critical bits, sermon bits, devotional bits. But when we read the Bible in such a fragmented way, we ignore its divine author’s intention to shape our lives through its story.”
– Bartholomew & Green in The Drama of Scripture
How does and/or can a story shape our lives?
Why do we believe the Bible does this better than other books?
“One does not consider closely enough how barbarous the concepts are by which we Europeans still live. That men have been capable of believing that “salvation of the soul” depended on a book! – And they tell me this is still believed today. What is the point of scientific education, criticism and hermeneutics if such a lunatic exposition of the Bible as is still cultivated by the church has not yet turned the blush of shame into a permanent skin color?”
– Nietzsche in The Will to Power
“So, since we were too weak to discover truth by pure reason and therefore needed the authority of [Scripture], I now began to believe that you could not possibly have given such supreme authority to these Scripture all over the world, unless it had been your wish that by means of them men should both believe in you and seek after you.”
– St. Augustine in his Confessions.
Discuss the differences between these two views of Scripture and Spirituality
“In Reformed theology, the law of God is seen to play an important role in sanctification.
Its three functions or uses are well known: to convict of sin, to restrain evildoers and to
instruct believers.”
– Sinclair Ferguson in Christian Spirituality: 5 Views of Sanctification
How does morality play a role in spirituality?
Is it important?
Where does the Bible fit into this?
“What must you to do to look honestly in the mirror of the Word? The first requirement is that you must not look at the mirror but look in the mirror and see yourself. God’s Word is indeed the mirror. But oh how enormously complicated we make it. How much belongs to God’s Word? Which books are authentic? Are they really written by apostles, and are the apostles really trustworthy? As for ways of reading, there are thirty thousand different ways. And then there is this crowd or rush of scholars and opinions, and learned opinions and unlearned opinions about how the particular passage is to be understood. Is it not true that all this seems to be rather complicated? God’s Word is the mirror — in reading it or hearing it, I am supposed to see myself in the mirror.”
– Soren Kierkegaard in Provocations
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Spirituality and Prayer
Jared Byas continued our conversations by coupling spirituality with prayer. Here is what he shared with Living Room...
“The earthly minded person thinks and imagines that when he prays, the important thing, the thing he must concentrate upon, is that God should hear what he is praying for. And yet in the true, eternal sense it is just the reverse: the true relation in prayer is not when God hears what is prayed fro, but when the person prying continues to pray until he is the one who hears, who hears what God is asking for” (Soren Kierkegaard, 345).
What is the purpose of prayer?
Can there be more than one purpose?
Grant me, O Lord, to know and understand…whether knowledge should precede prayer. For how can one pray to you unless one knows you? If one does not know you, or may pray not to you, but to something else. Or is it rather the case that we should pray to you in order that we may come to know you? ~St. Augustine
What do you think Augustine is asking?
What do you think the answer is?
“That with him the set times of prayer were not different from other times; that he retired to pray, according to the directions of his superior, but that he did not want such retirement, nor ask for it, because his greatest business did not divert him from God”.
How are we to view prayer?
Is it a “spiritual exercise” meant only for sacred time and space or as something else?
- Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart! - But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped. - For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. - For there are no pains in their death,
And their body is fat. - They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like mankind. - Therefore pride is their necklace;
The garment of violence covers them. - Their eye bulges from fatness;
The imaginations of their heart run riot. - They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
They speak from on high. - They have set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue parades through the earth. - Therefore his people return to this place,
And waters of abundance are drunk by them. - They say, "How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?" - Behold, these are the wicked;
And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. - Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
And washed my hands in innocence; - For I have been stricken all day long
And chastened every morning. - If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children. - When I pondered to understand this,
It was troublesome in my sight - Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their end. - Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction. - How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! - Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form. - When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within, - Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You. - Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand. - With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory. - Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. - My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. - For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. - But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.
Friday, March 23, 2007
As We End Another Work Week...
will listen to what the LORD God is saying, for he is speaking peace to his faithful people and to those who turn their hearts to him. ~Psalm 85:8
Peace...serenity...contentment...
Precious Lord God of all power, all knowledge, and all presence, we praise You for bringing us toward the close of another work week. Thank You for enabling us to persevere and help provide for the needs of our families. We confess, Lord, that it is extremely hard to persevere at times and we ask for the power of Your Holy Spirit to help sustain us when our own strength fails. Thank you that in You we find the peace that transcends all understanding. In the midst of the whirlwind around us we can remain calm and steady knowing that You are guiding us through the storm.
Through our Wonderful Counselor, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Peace...serenity...contentment...
Precious Lord God of all power, all knowledge, and all presence, we praise You for bringing us toward the close of another work week. Thank You for enabling us to persevere and help provide for the needs of our families. We confess, Lord, that it is extremely hard to persevere at times and we ask for the power of Your Holy Spirit to help sustain us when our own strength fails. Thank you that in You we find the peace that transcends all understanding. In the midst of the whirlwind around us we can remain calm and steady knowing that You are guiding us through the storm.
Through our Wonderful Counselor, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Reflections: 22 March 2007
Be strong and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD. ~Psalm 31:24
Light shines in the darkness for the upright;
the righteous are merciful and full of compassion. ~Psalm 112:4
Precious Abba Father,
Through Your incomprehensible grace you have given us salvation through Your only Son, Jesus Christ, our Messiah. What a miracle forgiveness is! What a soul-filled joy to know that we don't have to perform to earn our salvation. It is a free gift from You! Thank you Yahweh; thank you Yeshua! May our gratitude and joy be reflected this day in all that we say and do and think. My we show an extraordinary measure of patience, kindness, and love to those we come in contact with. May our country's leaders consider Your ways in the decisions that they need to make, for these decisions have ripple effects for all of Your children in this world.
Alleluia.
all you who wait for the LORD. ~Psalm 31:24
Light shines in the darkness for the upright;
the righteous are merciful and full of compassion. ~Psalm 112:4
Precious Abba Father,
Through Your incomprehensible grace you have given us salvation through Your only Son, Jesus Christ, our Messiah. What a miracle forgiveness is! What a soul-filled joy to know that we don't have to perform to earn our salvation. It is a free gift from You! Thank you Yahweh; thank you Yeshua! May our gratitude and joy be reflected this day in all that we say and do and think. My we show an extraordinary measure of patience, kindness, and love to those we come in contact with. May our country's leaders consider Your ways in the decisions that they need to make, for these decisions have ripple effects for all of Your children in this world.
Alleluia.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
A Prayer to the Perfect Judge
Precious Perfect Judge over all peoples:
We come before you with our hearts
open and vulnerable before You.
Lord, as we go through each day of our lives,
there are times when we feel, most intensely,
the pain of sin in our dealings with other people
and the way they deal with us.
Please strengthen us and encourage us to know
that You will make all things right
and that You are the End of the Story.
We trust You with our lives;
we love You with our hearts;
and we ask that You would continue to guide
all of our interactions with those around us.
May You be glorified in all things, Holy Redeemer.
Alleluia.
We come before you with our hearts
open and vulnerable before You.
Lord, as we go through each day of our lives,
there are times when we feel, most intensely,
the pain of sin in our dealings with other people
and the way they deal with us.
Please strengthen us and encourage us to know
that You will make all things right
and that You are the End of the Story.
We trust You with our lives;
we love You with our hearts;
and we ask that You would continue to guide
all of our interactions with those around us.
May You be glorified in all things, Holy Redeemer.
Alleluia.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A Love Note from God
"Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name, you are mine.
You are precious in my eyes,
because you are honored and I love you...
the mountains may depart, the hills be shaken,
but my love for you will never leave you
and my covenant of peace with you
will never be shaken."
Isaiah 43: 1,4; 54:10
I have called you by your name, you are mine.
You are precious in my eyes,
because you are honored and I love you...
the mountains may depart, the hills be shaken,
but my love for you will never leave you
and my covenant of peace with you
will never be shaken."
Isaiah 43: 1,4; 54:10
Monday, March 19, 2007
Reflections: Serenity Prayer
Dear Friends,
Our precious Abba Father has brought a special reminder of this prayer into my life this past week. I share it with you in hope that it will bring you strength and wisdom:
The Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference...
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.
~Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr
Our precious Abba Father has brought a special reminder of this prayer into my life this past week. I share it with you in hope that it will bring you strength and wisdom:
The Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference...
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.
~Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Abba's Child Reflections Continued
Hello dear friends,
As I continue to read in Brennan Manning's Abba's Child, I am enlightened by the testimony that he quotes from Mike Yaconelli, the cofounder of Youth Specialties. Manning leads into the extended quote from Yaconelli by stating that:
"The indispensable condition for developing and maintaining the awareness of our belovedness is time alone with God....Our identity rests in God's relentless tenderness for us revealed in Jesus Christ." Then goes on to quote...
"Mike Yaconelli, the cofounder of Youth Specialties, tells about the time when, dejected and demoralized, he trundled off with his wife, Karla, to Toronto, Canada, to make a five-day retreat at the L'Arche (the Ark) community. He went hoping to draw inspiration from the mentally and physically handicapped people who lived there or find solace in the presence and preaching of Henri Nouwen. Instead, he found his true self. He tells his story:
It took only a few hours of silence before I began to hear my soul speaking. It only took being alone for a short period of time for me to discover I wasn't alone. God had been trying to shout ver the noisiness of my life, and I couldn't hear Him. But in the stillness and solitude, his whispers shouted from my soul, 'Michael, I am here. I have been calling you, but you haven't been listening. Can you hear me, Michael? I love you. I have always loved you. And I have been waiting for you to hear me say that to you. But you have been so busy trying to prove to yourself you are loved that you have not heard me.'....
At L'Arche, it became very clear to me that I had totally misunderstood the Christian faith. I came to see that it was in my brokenness, in my powerlessness, in my weakness that Jesus was made strong. It was in the acceptance of my lack of faith that God could give me faith. It was in the embracing of my brokenness that I could identify with others' brokenness. It was my role to identify with others' pain, not relieve it. Ministry was sharing, not dominating; understanding, not theologizing; caring, not fixing....
...I can only tell you that it feels very different now. There is an anticipation, an electricity about God's presence in my life that I have never experienced before. I can only tell you that for the first time in my life I can hear Jesus whisper to me every day, 'Michael, I love you. You are beloved.' And for some strange reason, that seems to be enough."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What an extraordinary quote! What a sense of peace to stop trying so hard and let the burden of having to prove that I am worth loving just slip away. I truly believe that this is why I try so very hard to please people; I am trying to prove that I am worth loving. It is so deeply ingrained in me that I don't even realize it most of the time. Jesus' has liberated me from this Prison of Perpetual Performance to Prove. This truth has penetrated my mind; I am only beginning to sense it saturating my heart.
Dear friends, I share with you, not to prove that I am some spiritual giant; I am not. But what I am is a sinner seeking the depths of an intimate relationship with God that can only be ultimately fulfilled in eternity. If my sharing brings any enlightenment or encouragement to your own hearts, then it is OUR precious Abba Father who is to be praised.
Blessings and peace to all of you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpts from Brennan Manning's Abba's Child. Navpress Books, 1994
As I continue to read in Brennan Manning's Abba's Child, I am enlightened by the testimony that he quotes from Mike Yaconelli, the cofounder of Youth Specialties. Manning leads into the extended quote from Yaconelli by stating that:
"The indispensable condition for developing and maintaining the awareness of our belovedness is time alone with God....Our identity rests in God's relentless tenderness for us revealed in Jesus Christ." Then goes on to quote...
"Mike Yaconelli, the cofounder of Youth Specialties, tells about the time when, dejected and demoralized, he trundled off with his wife, Karla, to Toronto, Canada, to make a five-day retreat at the L'Arche (the Ark) community. He went hoping to draw inspiration from the mentally and physically handicapped people who lived there or find solace in the presence and preaching of Henri Nouwen. Instead, he found his true self. He tells his story:
It took only a few hours of silence before I began to hear my soul speaking. It only took being alone for a short period of time for me to discover I wasn't alone. God had been trying to shout ver the noisiness of my life, and I couldn't hear Him. But in the stillness and solitude, his whispers shouted from my soul, 'Michael, I am here. I have been calling you, but you haven't been listening. Can you hear me, Michael? I love you. I have always loved you. And I have been waiting for you to hear me say that to you. But you have been so busy trying to prove to yourself you are loved that you have not heard me.'....
At L'Arche, it became very clear to me that I had totally misunderstood the Christian faith. I came to see that it was in my brokenness, in my powerlessness, in my weakness that Jesus was made strong. It was in the acceptance of my lack of faith that God could give me faith. It was in the embracing of my brokenness that I could identify with others' brokenness. It was my role to identify with others' pain, not relieve it. Ministry was sharing, not dominating; understanding, not theologizing; caring, not fixing....
...I can only tell you that it feels very different now. There is an anticipation, an electricity about God's presence in my life that I have never experienced before. I can only tell you that for the first time in my life I can hear Jesus whisper to me every day, 'Michael, I love you. You are beloved.' And for some strange reason, that seems to be enough."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What an extraordinary quote! What a sense of peace to stop trying so hard and let the burden of having to prove that I am worth loving just slip away. I truly believe that this is why I try so very hard to please people; I am trying to prove that I am worth loving. It is so deeply ingrained in me that I don't even realize it most of the time. Jesus' has liberated me from this Prison of Perpetual Performance to Prove. This truth has penetrated my mind; I am only beginning to sense it saturating my heart.
Dear friends, I share with you, not to prove that I am some spiritual giant; I am not. But what I am is a sinner seeking the depths of an intimate relationship with God that can only be ultimately fulfilled in eternity. If my sharing brings any enlightenment or encouragement to your own hearts, then it is OUR precious Abba Father who is to be praised.
Blessings and peace to all of you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpts from Brennan Manning's Abba's Child. Navpress Books, 1994
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Reflections: Abba's Child
Dear Friends,
Recently, some of my devotional reading has brought forth some amazing spiritual revelations. I've read Brennan Manning's Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging. I share these excerpts with you because I have seen myself mirrored in these pages today. Since this is such a common issue for so many people, I'm wondering if you might also see images of your own heart and soul in the text that follows. Please know that you are holding my heart in your hands. I believe that you already care for me and that I am safe with each of you....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpts from Brennan Manning's Abba's Child. Navpress Books, 1994.
Chapter 2: The Impostor
"Impostors are preoccupied with acceptance and approval. Because of their suffocating need to please others, they cannot say no with the same confidence with which they say yes. And so they overextend themselves in people, projects, and causes, motivated not by personal commitment but by the fear of not living up to others' expectations."
"The false self was born when as children we were not loved well or were rejected or abandoned. John Bradshaw defines codependency as a disease 'characterized by a loss of identity. To be codependent is to be out of touch with one's feelings, needs, and desires.' The impostor is the classic codependent. To gain acceptance and approval, the false self suppresses or camouflages feelings, making emotional honesty impossible. Living out of the false self creates a compulsive desire to present a perfect image to the public so that everybody will admire us and nobody will know us. The impostor's life becomes a perpetual roller-coaster ride of elation and depression...."
"Craving the approbation withheld in childhood, my false self staggers into each day with an insatiable appetite for affirmation...."
"The impostor is attentive to the size, shape, and color of the bandages that veil my nothingness. The false self persuades me to be preoccupied with my weight....but they kidnap my attention away from the indwelling God and temporarily rob me of the joy of God's Holy Spirit. Yet the false self rationalizes my preoccupation with my waistline and overall appearance and whispers, 'A fat, sloppy image will diminish your credibility in ministry.' Cunning."
"I suspect I am not alone here. The narcissistic obsession with weight-watching in North America is a formidable ploy of the imposor. Despite the valid and important health factor, the amount of time and energy devoted to acquiring and maintaining a slender figure is staggering....To paraphrase Cardinal Wolsey, 'Would that I had served my God the way I have watched my waistline!'"
".....'Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self,' Thomas Merton observed. He went on to explain: 'This is the man I want myself to be but who cannot exist, because God does not know anything about him. And to be unknown of God is altoghether too much privacy. My false and private self is the one who wants to exist outside the reach of God's will and God's love—outside of reality and outside of life. And such a self cannot help but be an illusion. We are not very good at recognizing illusions, least of all the ones we cherish about ourselves—the ones we were born with and which feed the roots of sin. For most people in the world, there is no greater subjective reality than this false self of theirs, which cannot exist. A life devoted to the cult of this shadow is what is called a life of sin.'"
"Merton's notion of sin focuses not primarily on individual sinful acts but on a fundamental option for a life of pretense. 'There can only be two basic loves,' wrote Augustine, 'the love of God unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self unto the forgetfulness and denial of God.'"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Manning goes on to talk about this "false self", the "impostor" being the reason why we have such a hard time praying sincerely and honestly with God. Dear friends, the deep intimacy and heart-yearning for meaning, love, and acceptance that I crave leads me straight back to God. Manning talks about how the impostor cannot experience intimacy and deep relationship with anyone because he is denying the reality of his own feelings. Yet what is Manning's solution? To abhor this impostor? No, but to humbly admit that this impostor exists within us, confess it to our Savior, and to treat ourselves as gently and kindly as we would treat "the least of Christ's brethren."
What a refreshing place of peace wherein to rest my soul on this precious day.
Recently, some of my devotional reading has brought forth some amazing spiritual revelations. I've read Brennan Manning's Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging. I share these excerpts with you because I have seen myself mirrored in these pages today. Since this is such a common issue for so many people, I'm wondering if you might also see images of your own heart and soul in the text that follows. Please know that you are holding my heart in your hands. I believe that you already care for me and that I am safe with each of you....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpts from Brennan Manning's Abba's Child. Navpress Books, 1994.
Chapter 2: The Impostor
"Impostors are preoccupied with acceptance and approval. Because of their suffocating need to please others, they cannot say no with the same confidence with which they say yes. And so they overextend themselves in people, projects, and causes, motivated not by personal commitment but by the fear of not living up to others' expectations."
"The false self was born when as children we were not loved well or were rejected or abandoned. John Bradshaw defines codependency as a disease 'characterized by a loss of identity. To be codependent is to be out of touch with one's feelings, needs, and desires.' The impostor is the classic codependent. To gain acceptance and approval, the false self suppresses or camouflages feelings, making emotional honesty impossible. Living out of the false self creates a compulsive desire to present a perfect image to the public so that everybody will admire us and nobody will know us. The impostor's life becomes a perpetual roller-coaster ride of elation and depression...."
"Craving the approbation withheld in childhood, my false self staggers into each day with an insatiable appetite for affirmation...."
"The impostor is attentive to the size, shape, and color of the bandages that veil my nothingness. The false self persuades me to be preoccupied with my weight....but they kidnap my attention away from the indwelling God and temporarily rob me of the joy of God's Holy Spirit. Yet the false self rationalizes my preoccupation with my waistline and overall appearance and whispers, 'A fat, sloppy image will diminish your credibility in ministry.' Cunning."
"I suspect I am not alone here. The narcissistic obsession with weight-watching in North America is a formidable ploy of the imposor. Despite the valid and important health factor, the amount of time and energy devoted to acquiring and maintaining a slender figure is staggering....To paraphrase Cardinal Wolsey, 'Would that I had served my God the way I have watched my waistline!'"
".....'Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self,' Thomas Merton observed. He went on to explain: 'This is the man I want myself to be but who cannot exist, because God does not know anything about him. And to be unknown of God is altoghether too much privacy. My false and private self is the one who wants to exist outside the reach of God's will and God's love—outside of reality and outside of life. And such a self cannot help but be an illusion. We are not very good at recognizing illusions, least of all the ones we cherish about ourselves—the ones we were born with and which feed the roots of sin. For most people in the world, there is no greater subjective reality than this false self of theirs, which cannot exist. A life devoted to the cult of this shadow is what is called a life of sin.'"
"Merton's notion of sin focuses not primarily on individual sinful acts but on a fundamental option for a life of pretense. 'There can only be two basic loves,' wrote Augustine, 'the love of God unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self unto the forgetfulness and denial of God.'"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Manning goes on to talk about this "false self", the "impostor" being the reason why we have such a hard time praying sincerely and honestly with God. Dear friends, the deep intimacy and heart-yearning for meaning, love, and acceptance that I crave leads me straight back to God. Manning talks about how the impostor cannot experience intimacy and deep relationship with anyone because he is denying the reality of his own feelings. Yet what is Manning's solution? To abhor this impostor? No, but to humbly admit that this impostor exists within us, confess it to our Savior, and to treat ourselves as gently and kindly as we would treat "the least of Christ's brethren."
What a refreshing place of peace wherein to rest my soul on this precious day.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Reflections: 16 March 2007
Magnificent Lord God, Almighty and Everlasting Abba Father,
You have brought us in safety to the close of this new day.
Please continue to preserve all of us through the night and
the new day tomorrow by your mighty power,
that we may not stumble or fall into sin,
nor be overwhelmed by stress or adversity.
In all that we do , please direct us to fulfill
your eternal purpose for our lives and Your glory.
Through the abundant grace of Jesus Christ our Lord...
Amen.
Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer
You have brought us in safety to the close of this new day.
Please continue to preserve all of us through the night and
the new day tomorrow by your mighty power,
that we may not stumble or fall into sin,
nor be overwhelmed by stress or adversity.
In all that we do , please direct us to fulfill
your eternal purpose for our lives and Your glory.
Through the abundant grace of Jesus Christ our Lord...
Amen.
Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer
Spirituality and Death
Jared Byas recently continued our conversations on spirituality by leading a discussion on Death & Spirituality
Some of the questions we considered were:
- How often do you think about death? (Others and your own?)
- Heidegger calls coming to terms with your own death a step towards true “Authenticity”. How is this the case?
- “I affirm brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily…I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (St. Paul)
What does Paul mean by this?
Is this supposed to be the norm for Christians? How so?
“I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after the wind…Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me…He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. This also is a grievous evil – exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?” (Qohelet)
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Reflections: 15 March 2007
As I feel the hunger in my soul for relationship and know that only Almighty God can ultimately fulfill that longing, I understand in a renewed way that intimate relationship with the Holy Being of God is an exercise of faith and trust. At this point in infinite time, our Lord communicates with us in ways other than physical presence or verbal interaction. I communicate with Him through prayer and meditation. I live my life as an offering of gratitude for what He has done for me. But I still long to be wrapped in His infinitely strong arms, hear words of supreme encouragement, and look into His eyes and see love and approval there. Do any of you share this longing?
Recently, a pastor-friend was commenting that relationships are built on openness and trust. I was considering how this applies to my relationship with my Lord. It's almost laughable how many times I'm afraid for God to see my true feelings.. The ultimate joke is that He already knows everything I feel and think far deeper that I even feel or comprehend them myself! I can see God smiling a very knowing smile at my childish foolishness.
May I encourage all of you, all of us together, to be totally open and honest with our precious Savior? We don't need to hide in shame anymore. Because of Christ's total justification of our souls, we can come boldly and in total acceptance before God's throne. He is there; He longs for us to come to Him.
Please be encouraged this day in Him.
Recently, a pastor-friend was commenting that relationships are built on openness and trust. I was considering how this applies to my relationship with my Lord. It's almost laughable how many times I'm afraid for God to see my true feelings.. The ultimate joke is that He already knows everything I feel and think far deeper that I even feel or comprehend them myself! I can see God smiling a very knowing smile at my childish foolishness.
May I encourage all of you, all of us together, to be totally open and honest with our precious Savior? We don't need to hide in shame anymore. Because of Christ's total justification of our souls, we can come boldly and in total acceptance before God's throne. He is there; He longs for us to come to Him.
Please be encouraged this day in Him.
Lease ending in April
I just wanted to post to say that I am either looking to move in April or around then to a place that is cheap and will accept LARGE pets. Or I will be looking for a roomate to share my rent with me at the place I live currently. If anyone knows anyone, let me know. And a sidenote for those of you who don't know how OCD, and anul retentive I am. Lets just say it will be hard to find a good roomate!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Reflections: 14 March 2007
You have valued us so much that you call us friends;
You have shared your eternal inheritance with us!
What an undeserved privilege that is.
We fall at your feet in overwhelming gratitude.
You are our Hope, our Life, our Reason for Living.
May all that we do and say this week convey this message
of gratitude and love to those around us. May You be glorified...
may You be magnified. May the pressures, stresses,
and concerns of our lives flow from us like water
to be mingled with the Living Water that refreshes, nourishes, and strengthens...
Now and forever, Amen.
You have shared your eternal inheritance with us!
What an undeserved privilege that is.
We fall at your feet in overwhelming gratitude.
You are our Hope, our Life, our Reason for Living.
May all that we do and say this week convey this message
of gratitude and love to those around us. May You be glorified...
may You be magnified. May the pressures, stresses,
and concerns of our lives flow from us like water
to be mingled with the Living Water that refreshes, nourishes, and strengthens...
Now and forever, Amen.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Reflections: 13 March 2007
Hear, O children of the Living God:
The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
We shall have no other gods before Him.
We shall love the LORD our God with all of our hearts,
with all of our souls,
with all of our strength,
and with all of our minds.
We shall love our neighbors as ourselves...
Holy, holy, holy, LORD of Heaven and Earth,
we offer Your Word back to You this day,
asking that we would fulfill your commands
for us to cherish You as our First Love.
May we shine your light to those around us today
and may Your Light penetrate to all of the hearts, souls, and minds
of those You touch through us.
Precious Savior,
we thank You for holding our hands,
for carrying us,
for dying for us that we might
journey toward You forever.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
We shall have no other gods before Him.
We shall love the LORD our God with all of our hearts,
with all of our souls,
with all of our strength,
and with all of our minds.
We shall love our neighbors as ourselves...
Holy, holy, holy, LORD of Heaven and Earth,
we offer Your Word back to You this day,
asking that we would fulfill your commands
for us to cherish You as our First Love.
May we shine your light to those around us today
and may Your Light penetrate to all of the hearts, souls, and minds
of those You touch through us.
Precious Savior,
we thank You for holding our hands,
for carrying us,
for dying for us that we might
journey toward You forever.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Spirituality in Community
Tuesday, 12 March 2007
Our conversation on spirituality, led by Darryl Lang, continued with the theme:
Spirituality in Community
Imagine that you’re a seeker, a refugee, have suffered abuse and you’ve been invited to stay at a monastic community.
What would you experience?
- You would meet a porter…
(his chief role is to welcome guests and introduce them to the rest of the community). - The abbot and everyone else will welcome you with “all courtesy of love”.
- The abbot would gently ask what prompted your visit (ministry of conversation); he would read Scripture with you, offer prayer and extend the kiss of peace.
- The abbot would wash your feet, show you to a guesthouse, which would be managed by a caring brother who would give you bedding.
- You would be included at the abbot’s table at meals (if the abbotwas fasting, he would break the fast because ministry to guests was most important).
Benedictine Rule #53
All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ,
for he himself will say: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Discussion Questions
- How compelling is this portrait of spiritual community for you?
- Are there parallels between how the monastic community welcomes strangers and how Living Room might do the same? If so, what are they?
- How can we together determine how to function as a spiritual community?
- How do we know that we are grasping the concept of a successful community?
“Welcome is one of the signs that a community is alive.
To invite others to live with us is a sign that we aren’t afraid,
that we have a treasure of truth and a peace to share.”
“A community which refuses to welcome — whether through fear,
weariness, insecurity, a desire to cling to comfort, or just because it is
fed up with visitors — is dying spiritually.”
~ Jean Vanier
The discussion continued along the vein of : Spirituality in Suffering
Scripture references:
For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. ~Philippians 1:29
Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will
suffer persecution.
~II Timothy 3:12
For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment.... But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered[a] for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
~I Peter 2:19–21
Suffering affects people’s relationship with themselves.”…[In suffering] all the dross goes; the ambitions, love of money, vanity about appearance, everything that sets us above others in our own mind. Suffering purges everything that is not central to life.”
Suffering teaches us the absolute limit of our abilities and unites us with others going through similar circumstances, as well.
“The early Christians gladly accepted suffering because they longed, like all people of God, to see God face to face. They also longed for any foretaste of that full and personal intimacy. In suffering they came into fellowship with Jesus in a deeply personal way.”
[Acts 7: 54-56]
Suffering and Doubt
“Every morning you should wake up in your bed and ask yourself: ‘Can I believe it all again today?’…. At least five times out of ten the answer should be, ‘No,’ because the ‘No’ is as important as the ‘Yes,’ maybe more so.”
~Frederick Buechner
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Life Journeys in Spirituality
Sunday, 11 March 2007
Our Living Room Community has been spending some Sunday evenings this winter conversing about spirituality. We've been reflecting on the thoughts of some sages from many different generations such as Søren Kierkegaard, Henri Nouwen, Frederick Buechner, Thomas Merton, N. T. Wright, Robert Webber, Mike Yaconelli and Tim Stafford.
Our first session was entitled: Spirituality: For “Ordinaries” Consider these thoughts...
“Everywhere I look on the cruise ship of Christianity, I see crews of instructors, teachers, experts and gurus eager to explain God’s plan for the placement of my deck chair, but I still can’t even unfold it…. When I compare my life with the experts, ‘I feel sloppy, unkempt and messy in the midst of immaculately dressed saints’…AND I’M A MINISTER.”
~ Mike Yaconelli
Our Living Room Community has been spending some Sunday evenings this winter conversing about spirituality. We've been reflecting on the thoughts of some sages from many different generations such as Søren Kierkegaard, Henri Nouwen, Frederick Buechner, Thomas Merton, N. T. Wright, Robert Webber, Mike Yaconelli and Tim Stafford.
Our first session was entitled: Spirituality: For “Ordinaries” Consider these thoughts...
“Everywhere I look on the cruise ship of Christianity, I see crews of instructors, teachers, experts and gurus eager to explain God’s plan for the placement of my deck chair, but I still can’t even unfold it…. When I compare my life with the experts, ‘I feel sloppy, unkempt and messy in the midst of immaculately dressed saints’…AND I’M A MINISTER.”
~ Mike Yaconelli
Why people might be interested in spirituality — and they’re not all Christians:
- Religion is making a huge comeback
- Materialism didn’t quite deliver what was promised
- We’re “hard wired” to things not material [see Romans 1]
“If anything like the Christian story is, in fact true, (in other words, if there is a God who we can know most clearly in Jesus), this [spiritual] interest is exactly what we should expect, because in Jesus we glimpse a God who loves people and wants them to know and respond to that love.” ~ N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham
A Definition of Spirituality
…A real and renewed sense of knowing and experiencing the intimate presence of God the Father through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit.
Themes to keep in mind:
1. Spirituality is not for the elite (we are already spiritual!)
[see Romans 5]
…Jesus is our spirituality. It is his life, death and resurrection that makes us acceptable to God. We cannot love God with our whole heart, soul and mind, but Jesus can and has. We cannot love our neighbor as ourselves, but Jesus can and has. It is Christ, therefore, who presents us to the Father, and it is because of him and through him and in him that we are spiritual…Spirituality begins with a profound trust in Christ.”
~ Robert Webber
2. Communal, not just individual
[see I Corinthians 12]
3. Comes through suffering
"Suffering may take the form of actual persecution…but suffering comes in many other forms, too: illness, depression, bereavement, moral dilemmas, poverty, tragedy, accidents and death.” ~ N. T. Wright
More material from other Living Room conversations on spirituality will be posted in the near future. You are welcome to join our dialogue either on-line or in person. Our goal is to share and live community for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
