By Scotty Sawyer
If you had to name one figure from church history who most embodies the charismatic stream of faith, you might be inclined to go with the guy who:
* couldn’t stop dancing from joy, even in meetings with world leaders – and won them over;
* healed a girl of blindness and a man of a foot-long tumor;
* spoke about God so profoundly that all within earshot were enraptured with a palpable
sense of the divine;
* led a church so filled with God’s Spirit it literally glowed, causing a panic among townspeople
who thought it was on fire;
* refused his family’s inheritance in order to rely solely on God to provide every expense for
food and shelter.
Who was this charismatic figure that so embodied the Pentecostal example? You guessed it – Francis of Assisi!
That’s right – the man we think of as a twelfth-century Fogelberg singing to woodland animals was a bona fide – and bold – charismatic by any era’s standard. Francis didn’t just preach to ground squirrels, he supernaturally tamed a renowned killer wolf. He didn’t just quietly take a vow of poverty, but, Jeremiah-like, stripped naked before a bishop to demonstrate his commitment to give up every possession.
Richard Foster does us the favor of contemporizing Francis’ charismatic experiences, in his book Streams of Living Water. In doing so, he connects Francis backward in history to the unequivocally charismatic Apostle Paul, and forward to perhaps the most overlooked charismatic leader of the 20th century, William Seymour. Seymour was the catalyst of the Azusa Street Revival, a spiritual movement that began in Los Angeles in 1906 among poor and working class Christians of many races, and which ran continuously for three years. Indeed, it was the non-stop prayers of Seymour – a humble, poor, African-American pastor – over three days’ time (and years of prayer before that) which ultimately gave birth to the modern Pentecostal church, whose worldwide adherents in 2000 were estimated at 115 million and skyrocketing.
Talk about “the scandal of the gospel” – these three figures lived it. And they shared these common characteristics, among others: familiarity with poverty, accusations of lunacy, a dedication to holy living, gospel messages that were direct and (apart from Paul) unstudied. Most amazingly, the movements they led cut sharply, consistently, and genuinely across lines of race, gender and class, humbly recognizing the Holy Spirit as the sole giver of true power.
Long considered the backwoods cousin of mainstream Christianity, the charismatic reach is visible today not only in Pentecostal churches but also in pockets within virtually every mainline and evangelical denomination, including Catholicism, and theological scholarship abounds. How has something long seen as essentially irrational now moved to the center of a “reasonable faith”?
According to Richard Foster, we might well ask of ourselves: when has our rationality and reasonableness ever fully defined God? He advises, “The ecstatic gifts are given to show us that God is present where we assume he is not…. [At Azusa Street,] God freely chose the insignificant, the unimpressive, the foolish to show forth his glory…. (It) was a supernatural work, a Spirit-empowered work, a charismatic work.”
Foster posits the following four strengths of the charismatic tradition:
“It offers an ongoing correction to our impulse to domesticate God. Jesus reminds us, ‘The Spirit blows where it wills’ (John 3:8)….
“It offers a constant rebuke to our anemic practice. How easily we become satisfied with religious talk….
“It offers a continuing challenge toward spiritual growth and development. It is ‘by the Spirit that we defeat the works of the flesh’ and develop holy habits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control….
“It offers a life of gifting and empowering for witness and service. Supernatural gifts are all part of our walk in the Spirit, offering (1) a witness to nonbelievers and (2) an affirmation of hope to believers….”
Inevitably questions continue regarding the long-term value of the charismatic tradition: What about the value of unity, and the divisive nature of charismatic groups, leading to church splits? (Invariably, in the early days of the Pentecostal movement, it was the established church that gave charismatics the boot.) What good are the demonstrative gifts? Doesn’t Paul say we should “covet the better gifts”? (Seymour and other humble leaders at Azusa coveted the charismatic gifts, for power to witness, evangelize and lead holy lives.)
Ultimately, Foster offers a suggestion for all who would reflect on the “Spirit-empowered life” of the charismatic stream:
“Regularly test your leadings and experiences in the Spirit with those you trust. Allow their spiritual discernment to encourage, correct, and refine you. And you them. In this way we will fulfill the words of the great Apostle of the Spirit: ‘Since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church’ (1 Corinthians 14:12).”
Sources:
Richard Foster, Streams of Living Water.
Richard M. Riss, A Survey of 20th Century Revival Movements in North America.
Kenneth Scott Latourette, A History of Christianity.
Bruce L. Shelley, Church History in Plain Language.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Charismatic Writings
Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751)
French Jesuit scholar and preacher
Excerpt from "The Sacrament of the Present Moment"
God’s order, his pleasure, his will, his action and grace; all these are one and the same. The purpose on earth of this divine power is perfection. It is formed, grows, and is accomplished secretly in souls without their knowledge. Theology is full of theories and arguments expounding the miracles it works in each soul. We may be able to understand all these speculations, cogently discuss, write, teach, and instruct souls through them. But with only this in mind in relation to those in whom that divine purpose exists, I suggest we are like sick doctors trying to cure patients in perfect health.
God’s order and his divine will, humbly obeyed by the faithful, accomplishes this divine purpose in them without their knowledge in the same way as medicine obediently swallowed cures invalids who neither know nor care how. Just as it is fire and not the philosophy of science of that element and its effects that heats, so it is God’s order and his will which sanctify and not curious speculations about its origin or purpose.
To quench thirst it is necessary to drink. Reading books about it only makes it worse. Thus, when we long for sanctity, speculation only drives it further from our grasp. We must humbly accept all that God’s order requires for us each moment is what is most holy, best, and most divine for us.
All we need to know is how to recognize his will in the present moment. Grace is the will of God and his order acting in the center of our hearts when we read or are occupied in other ways; theories and studies, without regard for the refreshing virtue of God’s order, are merely dead letters, emptying the heart by filling the mind. This divine will flowing through the soul of a simple uneducated girl, through her suffering or some exceptionally noble act in adversity, carries out in her heart God’s mysterious purpose without thought entering her head. Whereas the sophisticated man, who studies spiritual books out of mere curiosity, whose reading is not inspired by God, takes into his mind only dead letter and grows even more arid and obtuse.
God’s order and his divine will is the life of all souls who either seek or obey it. In whatever way this divine will may benefit the mind, it nourishes the soul. These blessed results are not produced by any particular circumstance but by what God ordains for the present moment.
French Jesuit scholar and preacher
Excerpt from "The Sacrament of the Present Moment"
God’s order, his pleasure, his will, his action and grace; all these are one and the same. The purpose on earth of this divine power is perfection. It is formed, grows, and is accomplished secretly in souls without their knowledge. Theology is full of theories and arguments expounding the miracles it works in each soul. We may be able to understand all these speculations, cogently discuss, write, teach, and instruct souls through them. But with only this in mind in relation to those in whom that divine purpose exists, I suggest we are like sick doctors trying to cure patients in perfect health.
God’s order and his divine will, humbly obeyed by the faithful, accomplishes this divine purpose in them without their knowledge in the same way as medicine obediently swallowed cures invalids who neither know nor care how. Just as it is fire and not the philosophy of science of that element and its effects that heats, so it is God’s order and his will which sanctify and not curious speculations about its origin or purpose.
To quench thirst it is necessary to drink. Reading books about it only makes it worse. Thus, when we long for sanctity, speculation only drives it further from our grasp. We must humbly accept all that God’s order requires for us each moment is what is most holy, best, and most divine for us.
All we need to know is how to recognize his will in the present moment. Grace is the will of God and his order acting in the center of our hearts when we read or are occupied in other ways; theories and studies, without regard for the refreshing virtue of God’s order, are merely dead letters, emptying the heart by filling the mind. This divine will flowing through the soul of a simple uneducated girl, through her suffering or some exceptionally noble act in adversity, carries out in her heart God’s mysterious purpose without thought entering her head. Whereas the sophisticated man, who studies spiritual books out of mere curiosity, whose reading is not inspired by God, takes into his mind only dead letter and grows even more arid and obtuse.
God’s order and his divine will is the life of all souls who either seek or obey it. In whatever way this divine will may benefit the mind, it nourishes the soul. These blessed results are not produced by any particular circumstance but by what God ordains for the present moment.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Holiness Practice
The Holiness Stream was championed by John Wesley. To combat laxity in the culture (church and otherwise) Wesley formed small accountable groups - "holy clubs"- that centered on asking and answering questions. They may seem somewhat victorian to us but the heart to help one another live a life of holiness has always been embedded in communities of faith.
John Wesley (1703-1791)
Founder of Methodism
“Holy Club” Questions
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really
am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the
publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or
disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?
John Wesley (1703-1791)
Founder of Methodism
“Holy Club” Questions
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really
am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the
publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or
disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?
Holiness Story: Augustine
By Doak Felix
Reflections on Holiness,
Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
Church Father
Holiness to us means sacred or virtuous. Yet the word “holy” means set apart, other, different. The holy objects of Judaism and Christianity are those things that are set apart, i.e. sanctified, consecrated to bless the parishioners. Physical objects reflect the reality of a holy God. God is not mundane nor normal. He is set apart. He is other than we are. He is holy. All other attributes stem from His holiness.
Augustine was born in the town of Hippo (present day Algeria). He was reared in the Christian faith of his mother, but as a teenager he began to rebel. He studied law, logic, and rhetoric in Carthage. Augustine became such a skilled speaker that by the age of twenty-one he moved to Rome and founded his own school of rhetoric. At this time he renounced his Christian upbringing and launched himself into the study of philosophy. By thirty, Augustine had risen to be the most well known orator in the Roman Empire, yet he found his life was full of stress.
His mother, Monica, had never ceased to pray for her son nor neglect counseling him in Christian teachings. In 386, Augustine put away his concubines (and his fiancee), his partying and converted to Christianity. Five years later he became a priest (against his will) in his home town. He founded a monastery in Hippo and preached from there for more than thirty years. Outside of the Bible, Augustine's writings have been more influential on Christian doctrine, theology, and practice than anyone else's.
Augustine was a rebellious teenager, a student, a libertine, an academic, a preacher, an author, and a son. He dealt with the same issues that we deal with today... the accumulation of wealth, diet, social injustice, personal betrayals, sex, drugs, war, civil strife, political corruption, family illnesses, emotional stress, job fulfillment, and spiritual indecision.
In his magnum opus, Confessions, Augustine detailed his inner turmoil over his struggle with temptations. He knew the heart of Paul's Epistle to the Romans (ch. 6-8) by heart because he lived it. He dealt with the problem of a person, saved by faith in Christ Jesus, who has trouble accomplishing tasks that are spiritually beneficial. He knew the awful feeling of succumbing to temptation. He knew the guilt. He also knew the blessings of temptation... namely patience, humility, and sympathy.
The struggle with temptation can only be resolved for Augustine or for us by Jesus. A holiness in life (not moral perfection) was achieved by Augustine by letting Christ deal with his temptations, believing that by following Christ, He can set us apart and make us holy.
Reflections on Holiness,
Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
Church Father
Holiness to us means sacred or virtuous. Yet the word “holy” means set apart, other, different. The holy objects of Judaism and Christianity are those things that are set apart, i.e. sanctified, consecrated to bless the parishioners. Physical objects reflect the reality of a holy God. God is not mundane nor normal. He is set apart. He is other than we are. He is holy. All other attributes stem from His holiness.
Augustine was born in the town of Hippo (present day Algeria). He was reared in the Christian faith of his mother, but as a teenager he began to rebel. He studied law, logic, and rhetoric in Carthage. Augustine became such a skilled speaker that by the age of twenty-one he moved to Rome and founded his own school of rhetoric. At this time he renounced his Christian upbringing and launched himself into the study of philosophy. By thirty, Augustine had risen to be the most well known orator in the Roman Empire, yet he found his life was full of stress.
His mother, Monica, had never ceased to pray for her son nor neglect counseling him in Christian teachings. In 386, Augustine put away his concubines (and his fiancee), his partying and converted to Christianity. Five years later he became a priest (against his will) in his home town. He founded a monastery in Hippo and preached from there for more than thirty years. Outside of the Bible, Augustine's writings have been more influential on Christian doctrine, theology, and practice than anyone else's.
Augustine was a rebellious teenager, a student, a libertine, an academic, a preacher, an author, and a son. He dealt with the same issues that we deal with today... the accumulation of wealth, diet, social injustice, personal betrayals, sex, drugs, war, civil strife, political corruption, family illnesses, emotional stress, job fulfillment, and spiritual indecision.
In his magnum opus, Confessions, Augustine detailed his inner turmoil over his struggle with temptations. He knew the heart of Paul's Epistle to the Romans (ch. 6-8) by heart because he lived it. He dealt with the problem of a person, saved by faith in Christ Jesus, who has trouble accomplishing tasks that are spiritually beneficial. He knew the awful feeling of succumbing to temptation. He knew the guilt. He also knew the blessings of temptation... namely patience, humility, and sympathy.
The struggle with temptation can only be resolved for Augustine or for us by Jesus. A holiness in life (not moral perfection) was achieved by Augustine by letting Christ deal with his temptations, believing that by following Christ, He can set us apart and make us holy.
Holiness: Writings
These quotes were gathered by Tracey
Because you cannot walk with the holy, if you’re just a half-way decent man.
Paul Simon- “Wartime Prayers”
God: I’m not like you…I am what some would say ‘holy’ and wholly other than you. The problem is that most folks try to grasp some sense of who I am by taking the best version of themselves, projecting that to the nth degree, factoring in all the goodness they can perceive, which often isn’t much and then call that God. And while it may seem like a noble effort, the truth falls pitifully short of who I really am. I’m not merely the best version of you that you can think of. I am far more than that.
William Young- The Shack
God appeals to us through other good people, through sermons, or through the reading of good books. Sometimes he calls through our sicknesses, and our trials as he bids us to pray. However feeble such prayers may be, God values them highly. God looks into our souls and perceives our desires. If our desires are good, we cannot fail.
That is why it is very important for us to associate with others who are walking in the right way-not only those who are where we are in the journey, but those who have gone farther. Those who have drawn closer to God have the ability to bring us closer to him, for in a sense they take us with them.
Let us therefore place our trust in God and not in ourselves, relying heavily on his mercy and not fighting the battle alone… You will not be able to enter all the dwelling places through your own efforts, even though these efforts may seem great, unless the Lord of the castle himself brings you there. Hence I advise you to use no force if you meet with any resistance.
Teresa of Avila-Interior Castle
Because you cannot walk with the holy, if you’re just a half-way decent man.
Paul Simon- “Wartime Prayers”
God: I’m not like you…I am what some would say ‘holy’ and wholly other than you. The problem is that most folks try to grasp some sense of who I am by taking the best version of themselves, projecting that to the nth degree, factoring in all the goodness they can perceive, which often isn’t much and then call that God. And while it may seem like a noble effort, the truth falls pitifully short of who I really am. I’m not merely the best version of you that you can think of. I am far more than that.
William Young- The Shack
God appeals to us through other good people, through sermons, or through the reading of good books. Sometimes he calls through our sicknesses, and our trials as he bids us to pray. However feeble such prayers may be, God values them highly. God looks into our souls and perceives our desires. If our desires are good, we cannot fail.
That is why it is very important for us to associate with others who are walking in the right way-not only those who are where we are in the journey, but those who have gone farther. Those who have drawn closer to God have the ability to bring us closer to him, for in a sense they take us with them.
Let us therefore place our trust in God and not in ourselves, relying heavily on his mercy and not fighting the battle alone… You will not be able to enter all the dwelling places through your own efforts, even though these efforts may seem great, unless the Lord of the castle himself brings you there. Hence I advise you to use no force if you meet with any resistance.
Teresa of Avila-Interior Castle
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Contemplative Practice: Lectio Divina
Bobbie Jo lead us through the ancient practice of lectio divina or "divine reading". Below is the format we followed as we contemplated a passage from St. Mark: "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. " (Mark 1:35)
Soul’s Compass: Listening for God through Sacred Reading
Lectio Divina Shared in Community
LISTENING FOR THE GENTLE TOUCH OF CHRIST THE WORD
The First Reading
Listen for a word or passage that touches your heart, something particular that draws you. Gently recite and ponder that word or phrase during the silence which follows.
After the silence we will share briefly which word or phrase has touched our hearts.
Note: Anyone may “pass” at any time during sharing.
HOW CHRIST THE WORD SPEAKS TO ME
The Second Reading
Allow the text to interact with your life today. Visualize. In other words, how is Christ the Word touching your own life? How are you seeing or hearing Christ reach out to you through the text?
Then, after the silence, each member of the group shares briefly what he or she has “heard” or “seen.”
WHAT CHRIST THE WORD INVITES ME TO DO
The Third and final reading
Experience Christ “calling you forth” into doing or being. What is Christ in the text calling you to do or to become today or this week?
After the silence, we will share the results of reflection.
Bobbie leads "Soul's Compass" a monthly gathering to practice lectio divina. She borrowed the format above from a Benedictine Monastery's website at http://www.valyermo.com/ld-art.html
Soul’s Compass: Listening for God through Sacred Reading
Lectio Divina Shared in Community
LISTENING FOR THE GENTLE TOUCH OF CHRIST THE WORD
The First Reading
Listen for a word or passage that touches your heart, something particular that draws you. Gently recite and ponder that word or phrase during the silence which follows.
After the silence we will share briefly which word or phrase has touched our hearts.
Note: Anyone may “pass” at any time during sharing.
HOW CHRIST THE WORD SPEAKS TO ME
The Second Reading
Allow the text to interact with your life today. Visualize. In other words, how is Christ the Word touching your own life? How are you seeing or hearing Christ reach out to you through the text?
Then, after the silence, each member of the group shares briefly what he or she has “heard” or “seen.”
WHAT CHRIST THE WORD INVITES ME TO DO
The Third and final reading
Experience Christ “calling you forth” into doing or being. What is Christ in the text calling you to do or to become today or this week?
After the silence, we will share the results of reflection.
Bobbie leads "Soul's Compass" a monthly gathering to practice lectio divina. She borrowed the format above from a Benedictine Monastery's website at http://www.valyermo.com/ld-art.html
Monday, February 11, 2008
Contemplative Writings
Found by Steve and Linda Dieter
Contemplative Prayer is not so much a way to find God, as a way of resting in him...
Thomas Merton
In meditation we should not look for a method or a system, but cultivate an attitude, an outlook: faith, openness, attention, reverence, expectation, supplication, trust, joy. All these finally permeate our being with love in so far as our living faith tells us we are in the presence of God, that we live in Christ, in that the Spirit of God we see God our Father without seeing. We know him in unknowing. Faith is the bond that unites us to him in the Spirit who gives us light and love. Some people may doubtless have a spontaneous gift for meditative prayer. This is unusual today. Most people have to learn to meditate. There are ways of meditation. But we should never expect of find magical methods, systems which will make all difficulties and obstacles dissolve into thin air.
Thomas Merton
To bring some solitude into our lives is one of the most necessary but also most difficult disciplines. Even though we may have a deep desire for real solitude, we also experience a certain apprehension as we approach that solitary place and time. As soon as we are alone, without people to talk with, books to read, TV to watch, or phone calls to make, an inner chaos opens up in us. This chaos can be so disturbing and so confusing that we can hardly wait to get busy again. Entering a private room and shutting the door, therefore, does not mean that we immediately shut out all our inner doubts, anxieties, fears, bad memories, unresolved conflicts, angry feelings, and impulsive desires. On the contrary, when we have removed our outer distractions, we often find that our inner distractions manifest themselves to us in full force.
We often use these outer distractions to shield ourselves from the interior noises. It is thus not surprising that we have a difficult time being alone. The confrontation with our inner conflicts can be too painful for us to endure. This makes the discipline of solitude all the more important. Solitude is not a spontaneous response to an occupied and preoccupied life. There are too many reasons not to be alone. Therefore we must begin by carefully planning some solitude.
Henri Nouwen
No one can believe how powerful prayer is and what it can effect, except those who learned it by experience. It is important when we have a need to go to god in prayer. I know, whenever I have prayed earnestly, that I have been heard and have obtained more than I prayed for. God sometimes delays, but He always comes. It is amazing that a poor human creature is able to speak with God’s high Majesty in heaven and not be afraid. When we pray, the heart and the conscience must not pull away from God because of our sins and our unworthiness, or stand in doubt, or be scared away. When we pray we must hold fast and believe that God has heard our prayer. It was for this reason that the ancients defined prayer as an Asensus mentis ad Deum, “a climbing up of the heart unto God”
Martin Luther
Contemplative Prayer is not so much a way to find God, as a way of resting in him...
Thomas Merton
In meditation we should not look for a method or a system, but cultivate an attitude, an outlook: faith, openness, attention, reverence, expectation, supplication, trust, joy. All these finally permeate our being with love in so far as our living faith tells us we are in the presence of God, that we live in Christ, in that the Spirit of God we see God our Father without seeing. We know him in unknowing. Faith is the bond that unites us to him in the Spirit who gives us light and love. Some people may doubtless have a spontaneous gift for meditative prayer. This is unusual today. Most people have to learn to meditate. There are ways of meditation. But we should never expect of find magical methods, systems which will make all difficulties and obstacles dissolve into thin air.
Thomas Merton
To bring some solitude into our lives is one of the most necessary but also most difficult disciplines. Even though we may have a deep desire for real solitude, we also experience a certain apprehension as we approach that solitary place and time. As soon as we are alone, without people to talk with, books to read, TV to watch, or phone calls to make, an inner chaos opens up in us. This chaos can be so disturbing and so confusing that we can hardly wait to get busy again. Entering a private room and shutting the door, therefore, does not mean that we immediately shut out all our inner doubts, anxieties, fears, bad memories, unresolved conflicts, angry feelings, and impulsive desires. On the contrary, when we have removed our outer distractions, we often find that our inner distractions manifest themselves to us in full force.
We often use these outer distractions to shield ourselves from the interior noises. It is thus not surprising that we have a difficult time being alone. The confrontation with our inner conflicts can be too painful for us to endure. This makes the discipline of solitude all the more important. Solitude is not a spontaneous response to an occupied and preoccupied life. There are too many reasons not to be alone. Therefore we must begin by carefully planning some solitude.
Henri Nouwen
No one can believe how powerful prayer is and what it can effect, except those who learned it by experience. It is important when we have a need to go to god in prayer. I know, whenever I have prayed earnestly, that I have been heard and have obtained more than I prayed for. God sometimes delays, but He always comes. It is amazing that a poor human creature is able to speak with God’s high Majesty in heaven and not be afraid. When we pray, the heart and the conscience must not pull away from God because of our sins and our unworthiness, or stand in doubt, or be scared away. When we pray we must hold fast and believe that God has heard our prayer. It was for this reason that the ancients defined prayer as an Asensus mentis ad Deum, “a climbing up of the heart unto God”
Martin Luther
Contemplative Story: Julian of Norwich
By Shannon Hennebry
Julian of Norwich (1314-1413)
Benedictine Nun
Biography with excerpt from Revelations of Divine Love
The contemplative life arose out of the desire to return the church to its first-love: God. Contemplatives feel the need to be different and that the church should not be secularized. God’s love for humanity and our subsequent love for others is a major contemplative theme. There have been contemplatives from the time of Christ to our present age.
One such contemplative is Julian of Norwich. Little is known about her early life. Scholars don’t even know if “Julian” was her given name or simply the name she adopted for the church where she was an abbess. She was born around 1342, during the time of the Black Death. She survived the potential horrors she was born into, but became deathly ill when she was thirty. A priest came to give Last Rites and she was miraculously healed. In the hours after her healing she received sixteen visions regarding God’s love for humanity as shown through the Passion of Christ.
Julian went on to write two accounts of her visions, which became known as The Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (believed to be the first book in English written by a woman). The first, shorter account, she wrote after becoming an abbess at St. Julian’s Church in Norwich. She wrote a fuller account after twenty years of silent prayer and mediation on her visions. Through these visions Julian sees divine love as creating, sustaining and redeeming all thing and that by this divine love “all manner of things shall be well”.
Julian’s small room, or cell, in Norwich reflected the three-fold life of an abbess. One window looked out to the altar, a second window allowed her to speak with others who had given their lives to serve God and a third looked out to the public road. Julian was known as a counselor who combined spiritual insight with common sense.
For Julian, her prayers and meditations on her visions filled her life. She came to believe that faith was believing even when God opts to hide such dynamic visions. She went into complete seclusion in her early 60s and died around 1413. She is not officially beatified by the Catholic Church, but is considered “blessed” due to popular devotion.
For we are so preciously loved by God that we cannot even comprehend it. No created being can ever know how much and how sweetly and tenderly God loves them. It is only with the help of his grace that we are able to persevere n spiritual contemplation with endless wonder at his high, surpassing, immeasurable love which our Lord in is goodness has for us.
Julian of Norwich (1314-1413)
Benedictine Nun
Biography with excerpt from Revelations of Divine Love
The contemplative life arose out of the desire to return the church to its first-love: God. Contemplatives feel the need to be different and that the church should not be secularized. God’s love for humanity and our subsequent love for others is a major contemplative theme. There have been contemplatives from the time of Christ to our present age.
One such contemplative is Julian of Norwich. Little is known about her early life. Scholars don’t even know if “Julian” was her given name or simply the name she adopted for the church where she was an abbess. She was born around 1342, during the time of the Black Death. She survived the potential horrors she was born into, but became deathly ill when she was thirty. A priest came to give Last Rites and she was miraculously healed. In the hours after her healing she received sixteen visions regarding God’s love for humanity as shown through the Passion of Christ.
Julian went on to write two accounts of her visions, which became known as The Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (believed to be the first book in English written by a woman). The first, shorter account, she wrote after becoming an abbess at St. Julian’s Church in Norwich. She wrote a fuller account after twenty years of silent prayer and mediation on her visions. Through these visions Julian sees divine love as creating, sustaining and redeeming all thing and that by this divine love “all manner of things shall be well”.
Julian’s small room, or cell, in Norwich reflected the three-fold life of an abbess. One window looked out to the altar, a second window allowed her to speak with others who had given their lives to serve God and a third looked out to the public road. Julian was known as a counselor who combined spiritual insight with common sense.
For Julian, her prayers and meditations on her visions filled her life. She came to believe that faith was believing even when God opts to hide such dynamic visions. She went into complete seclusion in her early 60s and died around 1413. She is not officially beatified by the Catholic Church, but is considered “blessed” due to popular devotion.
For we are so preciously loved by God that we cannot even comprehend it. No created being can ever know how much and how sweetly and tenderly God loves them. It is only with the help of his grace that we are able to persevere n spiritual contemplation with endless wonder at his high, surpassing, immeasurable love which our Lord in is goodness has for us.
Contemplative Practice
By Kristen Adams
The Glory of God is man fully alive. - St. Irenaeus
This morning was the perfect setting for one of my favorite contemplative practices; running after a snowstorm in the beauty and brightness of a new morning. (I'm so lucky I
don't work until later and I didn't have to practice the not so fun "contemplative communting").
The crispness and the bright blue sky beckoned to me today, and I forwent my previous plans to head to a yoga class. The cold seeped in quickly, and then just as quickly I forgot my discomfort as I started taking in the frozen air and the beauty of the frozen crystals floating around me, making me feel like I was being given diamonds for breakfast. I warmed up, and the cold was momentarily forgotten until I rounded a new corner, and was in the shade for a time. So, running in and out of the sun was distracting, but so invigorating, I had to laugh. And, cry a bit. The cold brings tears to my eyes, and I love that I have gloves with "sniff guards" on them.
I wanted to challenge everyone to try a contemplative walk, hike or run in the first week of Lent. Or even make a commitment to do one each week for the seven weeks of Lent. It has only come about for me in the last 3 years, but I specifically run a "contemplative trail run" every Sunday morning on one of the Front Range trails of Jefferson County. I cannot tell you how meaningful and healing this one two-hour time is for me each week. I will look forward to all of your own expressions of this kind of tuning in to God's voice.
Here are a few tips:
You can do this anywhere: around your neighborhood, around the closest park, or on a trail. If you would like to try an open space trail, they are easily accessed from Denver, they have good maps, good trail markers, and good facilities. Go to
http://co.jefferson.co.us/openspace. My favorite: Apex or Deer Creek Canyon.
If you have them, wear or bring your yaktracks. This will prevent any slipping on ice this time of year. If you don't have them and want them, go to REI or Runners Roost, and pick up a pair for a cool $20. They have become my #1 favorite winter accesory.
Dress in Layers and start out "cold", wear things you can unzip and tie around your waist. You will get warm. Wear a hat and gloves. These are easy things for you to remove as you warm up. Bring a small water bottle, or wear one around your waist so your hands are free to swing.
Try not to use an ipod or any kind or music. Listen to your breath. Concentrate on breathing deeply, all the way down to the triangle your pelvis bone makes with your hips, and then expelling for over 4 seconds. If you get distracted by other thoughts, try to go back to concentrate on breathing, which focuses you on the immediate present. Listen to your heart. Allow yourself to feel how your body feels, especially the pain or the discomfort the cold may be causing.
After you return from your walk/jog/run, sit down and write what was brought to your heart, if there was something specific. Or, if there was nothing, don't worry. There are many times there is nothing specific that I was in touch with. Just the vigorous exercise was enough to bring some peace to my soul in this busy world I live in.
Here is an excerpt of what was going on with me this past Sunday;
I started noticing the small things; how the ice and snow made these beautiful patterns and hung over the small trickle of the stream. And, just the sound of the stream was beautiful. I am often brought to tears on my trail runs. Probably for the pure fact that I do not allow myself moments of complete adoration of the beauty around me, and it overwhelms me. There is a heard of deer (mostly female with babies) I have often seen, but have not seen them this winter for a while. But, I pay close attention to the sides of the hills and notice their tracks everywhere.
It is slowly starting to emerge as I allow God to show me that all of the gifts he gave me are actually not bad; they are amazing; and they are worthwhile. It has taken so long for
me to realize this. There have been people in my past that I have allowed to tell me that my gifts are unimportant, or just hobbies. And, probably over the last 5 years, I have realized there is a hunger and a huge need for those of us who can understand and communicate through nature and other's cultural differences the nourishment for the soul. I am excited for what is emerging through my gifts in my life. God is so magical.
~Kristen
The Glory of God is man fully alive. - St. Irenaeus
This morning was the perfect setting for one of my favorite contemplative practices; running after a snowstorm in the beauty and brightness of a new morning. (I'm so lucky I
don't work until later and I didn't have to practice the not so fun "contemplative communting").
The crispness and the bright blue sky beckoned to me today, and I forwent my previous plans to head to a yoga class. The cold seeped in quickly, and then just as quickly I forgot my discomfort as I started taking in the frozen air and the beauty of the frozen crystals floating around me, making me feel like I was being given diamonds for breakfast. I warmed up, and the cold was momentarily forgotten until I rounded a new corner, and was in the shade for a time. So, running in and out of the sun was distracting, but so invigorating, I had to laugh. And, cry a bit. The cold brings tears to my eyes, and I love that I have gloves with "sniff guards" on them.
I wanted to challenge everyone to try a contemplative walk, hike or run in the first week of Lent. Or even make a commitment to do one each week for the seven weeks of Lent. It has only come about for me in the last 3 years, but I specifically run a "contemplative trail run" every Sunday morning on one of the Front Range trails of Jefferson County. I cannot tell you how meaningful and healing this one two-hour time is for me each week. I will look forward to all of your own expressions of this kind of tuning in to God's voice.
Here are a few tips:
You can do this anywhere: around your neighborhood, around the closest park, or on a trail. If you would like to try an open space trail, they are easily accessed from Denver, they have good maps, good trail markers, and good facilities. Go to
http://co.jefferson.co.us/openspace. My favorite: Apex or Deer Creek Canyon.
If you have them, wear or bring your yaktracks. This will prevent any slipping on ice this time of year. If you don't have them and want them, go to REI or Runners Roost, and pick up a pair for a cool $20. They have become my #1 favorite winter accesory.
Dress in Layers and start out "cold", wear things you can unzip and tie around your waist. You will get warm. Wear a hat and gloves. These are easy things for you to remove as you warm up. Bring a small water bottle, or wear one around your waist so your hands are free to swing.
Try not to use an ipod or any kind or music. Listen to your breath. Concentrate on breathing deeply, all the way down to the triangle your pelvis bone makes with your hips, and then expelling for over 4 seconds. If you get distracted by other thoughts, try to go back to concentrate on breathing, which focuses you on the immediate present. Listen to your heart. Allow yourself to feel how your body feels, especially the pain or the discomfort the cold may be causing.
After you return from your walk/jog/run, sit down and write what was brought to your heart, if there was something specific. Or, if there was nothing, don't worry. There are many times there is nothing specific that I was in touch with. Just the vigorous exercise was enough to bring some peace to my soul in this busy world I live in.
Here is an excerpt of what was going on with me this past Sunday;
I started noticing the small things; how the ice and snow made these beautiful patterns and hung over the small trickle of the stream. And, just the sound of the stream was beautiful. I am often brought to tears on my trail runs. Probably for the pure fact that I do not allow myself moments of complete adoration of the beauty around me, and it overwhelms me. There is a heard of deer (mostly female with babies) I have often seen, but have not seen them this winter for a while. But, I pay close attention to the sides of the hills and notice their tracks everywhere.
It is slowly starting to emerge as I allow God to show me that all of the gifts he gave me are actually not bad; they are amazing; and they are worthwhile. It has taken so long for
me to realize this. There have been people in my past that I have allowed to tell me that my gifts are unimportant, or just hobbies. And, probably over the last 5 years, I have realized there is a hunger and a huge need for those of us who can understand and communicate through nature and other's cultural differences the nourishment for the soul. I am excited for what is emerging through my gifts in my life. God is so magical.
~Kristen
The Balanced Life
This Lent Urban Skye and friends will be seeking to practice “The Balanced Life”.
It is an ironic title for me. For several years I have reacted against “balance” as the epitome of human living as is so often suggested these days. If “balance” is akin to having “one’s ducks in a row”, then not only am I doomed for failure I am seeking a lesser good than the command to love one another. In other words, I’ve not associated “balance” with “love” (which shows my stubbornness more than anything else).
But the pursuit of The Balanced Life is not the precise ordering of our days, hours and minutes but the appreciation, the celebration and, yes, the conviction of God’s revealed ways throughout the centuries. We lose our balance by emphasizing one way to live with God at the exclusion of the others.
Some ten years ago, I found myself on a steering committee, something I rarely seek. This one, however, was a godsend. I helped organize (also something I rarely seek) a conference by Renovare, an organization dedicated to bring balance to the Church. At the conference different “streams” of God’s ways where emphasized. These streams, or traditions, are different dimensions of faith and practice used by followers of Christ over the course of history. Renovare identified six streams that will serve as our guide for the six weeks of Lent.
Contemplative Stream: The Prayer-filled Life focuses upon intimacy with God and depth of spirituality. This spiritual dimension addresses the longing for a deeper, more vital Christian experience.
Holiness Stream: The Virtuous Life focuses upon personal moral transformation and the power to develop "holy habits." This spiritual dimension addresses the erosion of moral fiber in personal and social life.
Charistmatic Stream: The Spirit-empowered Life focuses upon the charisms of the Spirit and worship. This spiritual dimension addresses the yearning for the immediacy of God's presence among his people.
Social Justice Stream: The Compassionate Life focuses upon justice and shalom in all human relationships and social structures. This spiritual dimension addresses the gospel imperative for equity and compassion among all peoples.
Evangelical Stream: The Word-centered Life focuses upon the proclamation of the evangel, the good news of the gospel. This spiritual dimension addresses the need for people to see the good news lived and hear the good news proclaimed.
Incarnational Stream: The Sacramental Life. Focuses upon making present and visible the realm of the invisible spirit. This spiritual dimension addresses the crying need to experience God as truly manifest and notoriously active in daily life.
For help in our Lenten journey, we are using three Renovare resources we highly recommend. These can be found on the Renovare website, www.renovare.com.
Streams of Living Water, Richard Foster
Devotional Classics, edited by Foster and James Bryan Smith
A Spiritual Formation Workbook, Smith and Lynda Graybeal
It is an ironic title for me. For several years I have reacted against “balance” as the epitome of human living as is so often suggested these days. If “balance” is akin to having “one’s ducks in a row”, then not only am I doomed for failure I am seeking a lesser good than the command to love one another. In other words, I’ve not associated “balance” with “love” (which shows my stubbornness more than anything else).
But the pursuit of The Balanced Life is not the precise ordering of our days, hours and minutes but the appreciation, the celebration and, yes, the conviction of God’s revealed ways throughout the centuries. We lose our balance by emphasizing one way to live with God at the exclusion of the others.
Some ten years ago, I found myself on a steering committee, something I rarely seek. This one, however, was a godsend. I helped organize (also something I rarely seek) a conference by Renovare, an organization dedicated to bring balance to the Church. At the conference different “streams” of God’s ways where emphasized. These streams, or traditions, are different dimensions of faith and practice used by followers of Christ over the course of history. Renovare identified six streams that will serve as our guide for the six weeks of Lent.
Contemplative Stream: The Prayer-filled Life focuses upon intimacy with God and depth of spirituality. This spiritual dimension addresses the longing for a deeper, more vital Christian experience.
Holiness Stream: The Virtuous Life focuses upon personal moral transformation and the power to develop "holy habits." This spiritual dimension addresses the erosion of moral fiber in personal and social life.
Charistmatic Stream: The Spirit-empowered Life focuses upon the charisms of the Spirit and worship. This spiritual dimension addresses the yearning for the immediacy of God's presence among his people.
Social Justice Stream: The Compassionate Life focuses upon justice and shalom in all human relationships and social structures. This spiritual dimension addresses the gospel imperative for equity and compassion among all peoples.
Evangelical Stream: The Word-centered Life focuses upon the proclamation of the evangel, the good news of the gospel. This spiritual dimension addresses the need for people to see the good news lived and hear the good news proclaimed.
Incarnational Stream: The Sacramental Life. Focuses upon making present and visible the realm of the invisible spirit. This spiritual dimension addresses the crying need to experience God as truly manifest and notoriously active in daily life.
For help in our Lenten journey, we are using three Renovare resources we highly recommend. These can be found on the Renovare website, www.renovare.com.
Streams of Living Water, Richard Foster
Devotional Classics, edited by Foster and James Bryan Smith
A Spiritual Formation Workbook, Smith and Lynda Graybeal
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
An Introduction to Lent
A few years ago my friend Kathleen offered this concise introduction to the season of Lent:
The word “Lent” is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “to lengthen” and refers to a season when the days become longer, ie, spring. Most liturgical traditions refer to this period as “forty days” (not counting Sundays) beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending the Saturday before Easter Sunday. It became a forty-day period during the seventh century to coincide with the forty days spent by Christ in the desert. Historically Lent was a time of preparation and instruction for new Christians as they prepared for their baptism and welcome into the body of Christ on Easter Sunday. Lenten spirituality is rooted in repentance and conversion, the putting off of the old life and the putting on of the new. To assist us in this pilgrimage Lent calls us to fast, pray and give alms (serve others).
With no obligation, pressure or guilt required you may choose to form a practice during the Lent season. Acknowledging most of us are Lent neophytes, let the word “practice” give you grace to experiment with a different rhythm for a few weeks. As a starting point, you may consider the three practices of fasting, prayer and serving.
FASTING is the practice of abstaining from something (often something good) to show our dependence on things to make us happy. My sister used to give up bread for Lent which is admittedly hard core. Some give up or cut down on TV by replacing it with a good book or abstain from deserts or snacks or beer. Not having the commitment of my sister, I fast from things that “soften and sweeten” (I’m writing this sipping my black coffee!) just to have something daily to practice and to get in touch with my dependence on how luxurious my life really is. It is not the big sacrifice I may do one day, but it helps me spiritually and personally and that is the point.
PRAYER, in many ways, is natural. We find ourselves praying in moments of crisis or relief, when we hear bad news or good. Perhaps during Lent we become a little more intentional and “practice” prayer. So, rather than “finding” ourselves praying, we create spaces to pray. My wife lights a candle to create space and remind her to pray for a friend in need. Intentional prayer is not so natural for me. I often need to attach prayer to something else. I carry a “prayer rock” in my pocket and when it touches my hand I pray for who comes to my mind. Some pray every time they see an ambulance or when they watch the news. The real godly might pray for those who cut them off in traffic (I’m not there yet). Perhaps this Lent we can discover our natural prayer rhythms.
ALMS GIVING is the practice of offering something good to someone who needs it. We certainly have no lack of opportunities to give of our time, talent and treasure. This may create a different kind of problem for us. Overwhelmed by our choices and shamed by our abundance we may not give much at all or give without much thought. The season of Lent might be a time to focus our serving. "Are there people in need that I sense a calling to help in a more involved way?" Or, we might simply practice the spiritual discipline of availability with our friends and neighbors, extending a conversation when they need to talk or saying yes to a dinner invitation. These are true acts of service.
Two final thoughts for Lent: the first is to fight off discouragement and see Lent as a helpful path for spiritual and personal growth,
Lent is often called a journey. That means that at the end of Lent we should expect to find
ourselves somewhere different from where we started.
(The Lent Sourcebook, Archdiocese of Chicago)
The second may help us from getting lost in the practices and miss the heart of the One for whom Lent is practiced,
May our fasting be hunger for justice;
our alms, a making of peace;
our prayer, the chant of humble and grateful hearts.
(Celtic Household Blessing)
May Jesus reveal Himself to this season.
The word “Lent” is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “to lengthen” and refers to a season when the days become longer, ie, spring. Most liturgical traditions refer to this period as “forty days” (not counting Sundays) beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending the Saturday before Easter Sunday. It became a forty-day period during the seventh century to coincide with the forty days spent by Christ in the desert. Historically Lent was a time of preparation and instruction for new Christians as they prepared for their baptism and welcome into the body of Christ on Easter Sunday. Lenten spirituality is rooted in repentance and conversion, the putting off of the old life and the putting on of the new. To assist us in this pilgrimage Lent calls us to fast, pray and give alms (serve others).
With no obligation, pressure or guilt required you may choose to form a practice during the Lent season. Acknowledging most of us are Lent neophytes, let the word “practice” give you grace to experiment with a different rhythm for a few weeks. As a starting point, you may consider the three practices of fasting, prayer and serving.
FASTING is the practice of abstaining from something (often something good) to show our dependence on things to make us happy. My sister used to give up bread for Lent which is admittedly hard core. Some give up or cut down on TV by replacing it with a good book or abstain from deserts or snacks or beer. Not having the commitment of my sister, I fast from things that “soften and sweeten” (I’m writing this sipping my black coffee!) just to have something daily to practice and to get in touch with my dependence on how luxurious my life really is. It is not the big sacrifice I may do one day, but it helps me spiritually and personally and that is the point.
PRAYER, in many ways, is natural. We find ourselves praying in moments of crisis or relief, when we hear bad news or good. Perhaps during Lent we become a little more intentional and “practice” prayer. So, rather than “finding” ourselves praying, we create spaces to pray. My wife lights a candle to create space and remind her to pray for a friend in need. Intentional prayer is not so natural for me. I often need to attach prayer to something else. I carry a “prayer rock” in my pocket and when it touches my hand I pray for who comes to my mind. Some pray every time they see an ambulance or when they watch the news. The real godly might pray for those who cut them off in traffic (I’m not there yet). Perhaps this Lent we can discover our natural prayer rhythms.
ALMS GIVING is the practice of offering something good to someone who needs it. We certainly have no lack of opportunities to give of our time, talent and treasure. This may create a different kind of problem for us. Overwhelmed by our choices and shamed by our abundance we may not give much at all or give without much thought. The season of Lent might be a time to focus our serving. "Are there people in need that I sense a calling to help in a more involved way?" Or, we might simply practice the spiritual discipline of availability with our friends and neighbors, extending a conversation when they need to talk or saying yes to a dinner invitation. These are true acts of service.
Two final thoughts for Lent: the first is to fight off discouragement and see Lent as a helpful path for spiritual and personal growth,
Lent is often called a journey. That means that at the end of Lent we should expect to find
ourselves somewhere different from where we started.
(The Lent Sourcebook, Archdiocese of Chicago)
The second may help us from getting lost in the practices and miss the heart of the One for whom Lent is practiced,
May our fasting be hunger for justice;
our alms, a making of peace;
our prayer, the chant of humble and grateful hearts.
(Celtic Household Blessing)
May Jesus reveal Himself to this season.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Fat Tuesday
May this prayer by food critic and theologian, Robert Farrar Capon, encourage your “Carnival” (Fat Tuesday) to be a grateful gateway to a meaningul Lent 2008.
O Lord, refresh our sensibilities. Give us this day our daily taste. Restore to us soups that spoons will not sink in, and sauces which are never the same twice. Raise up among us stews with more gravy than we have bread to blot it with, and casseroles that put starch and substance in our limp modernity. Take away our fear of fat, and make us glad of the oil which ran upon Aaron’s beard. Give us pasta with a hundred fillings, and rice in a thousand variations. Above all, give us grace to live as true folk – to fast till we come to a refreshed sense of what we have and then to dine gratefully on all that comes to hand. Drive far from us, O Most Bountiful, all creatures of air and darkness; cast out the demons that possess us; deliver us from the fear of calories and the bondage of nutrition; and set us free once more in our own land, where we shall serve thee as thou hast blessed us – with the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.
O Lord, refresh our sensibilities. Give us this day our daily taste. Restore to us soups that spoons will not sink in, and sauces which are never the same twice. Raise up among us stews with more gravy than we have bread to blot it with, and casseroles that put starch and substance in our limp modernity. Take away our fear of fat, and make us glad of the oil which ran upon Aaron’s beard. Give us pasta with a hundred fillings, and rice in a thousand variations. Above all, give us grace to live as true folk – to fast till we come to a refreshed sense of what we have and then to dine gratefully on all that comes to hand. Drive far from us, O Most Bountiful, all creatures of air and darkness; cast out the demons that possess us; deliver us from the fear of calories and the bondage of nutrition; and set us free once more in our own land, where we shall serve thee as thou hast blessed us – with the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.
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