Lenten Meditations from the Classics

Easter Sunday!

2009-04-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

"He is Risen!"

God, The Bible

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The Mind of Christ

2009-04-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

If a friend does something which puzzles us, we might ask what it was

he "had in mind" in doing it. It is in this sense that Paul uses the word

mind in Philippians 2:5. What was it that seemed important to Jesus?

What principles did he cherish? What objectives? On what footing

were his choices made?

The revelation of the mind of Christ is presented here as the story of

a great change. It befits with one who was in the form of God (verse 6),

that is, one who possessed inwardly and displayed outwardly the very

nature of God himself.

As is plain, verse 6 is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ before his

incarnation...What a change is expressed in verse 8 when he who was in

the form of God became obedient unto death Wesley put it justly when

he wrote:

"Tis mystery all! The immortal dies!"

Mystery indeed, but at the same time the testimony of the Bible. How

it could happen we cannot know, that it did happen we are assured.

There is great stress on the fact that this change came about by

voluntary decision and in this we begin to enter into the "mind of

Christ." Verse 7 says he emptied himself, and verse 8, he humbled him-

self. In each case the reflexive expression points to personal decision

and action.

Alec Motyer, The Message of Philippians: Jesus Our Joy

Who is Alec Motyer? Now retired Alec Motyer was formerly Principal

of Trinity College, Bristol. He has extensive experience in parish

ministry and is well known as a Bible expositor, of the Old Testament

in particular.

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Committing to God in Perfect trust

2009-04-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

...the way to power lies through the realization of helplessness; that

the way to victory lies through the admission of defeat; that the way to

goodness lies through the confession and the acknowledgement of sin.

Herein is an essential truth which runs through all life. If a man is ill,

the first necessity is that he should admit and recognize that he is ill,

and that then he should seek for a cure in the right place. The way to

knowledge begins with the admission of ignorance. The one man who

can never learn is the man who thinks that he knows everything already.

...the way to independence lies through dependence, and the way to

freedom lies through surrender. If ever a man is to be independent of

the chances and changes of life, that independence must come from his

complete dependence on God. If ever a man is to know true freedom,

that freedom must come through complete surrender to God.

...the way to bliss which the world can neither give nor take away lies

through the recognition of our own need, and the conviction that the need

can be met, when we commit to God in perfect trust.

William Barclay, The Beatitudes and the Lord's prayer for Everyman

Who is William Barclay? Barclay, 1907 to 1978, was an author, radio

and television presenter and a minister of the Church of Scotland. He

was also a Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at the University

of Glasgow in Scotland. Barclay is best known for his 17 commentaries

on the New Testament.

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God's unfailing love

2009-04-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

"What can you do when you've failed and denied what you believe?"

This question and others like it came out of the heart of a person who

had stumbled badly. He felt he had no right to pray, and when he tried,

he felt self-discrimination and condemnation. We all deny our Lord in

so many little ways, but what do you do when the denial contradicts

everything you've stood for and believed? Is there a way back? How

does the Lord deal with failures?

The answer is vividly portrayed in the way Jesus Christ dealt with

Simon Peter's denial. Peter could not handle the anguish of his cowardly

denial. He had to block it out, try to forget; but his efforts were futile.

Was that why he now could not bear to look Jesus in the eye?

What adventure Peter had known following the Master! He remem-

bered with self-affirmation how on the road to Caesarea Philippi he felt

the spirit rush within him. He had blurted out the conviction, "Thou art

the Christ!" He would never forget the tone of the Lord's voice when he

told him that the church would be built on the rock of his faith. A rock?

The recollection reverberated with shock waves within him. "A rock that

cracked!" he said to himself.

But the basic message of the story is this: the Lord's love does not

fail however much we fail him. Peter had built his whole relationship

with Jesus Christ on his assumed capacity to be adequate. That's why he

took his denial of the Lord so hard. His strength, loyalty, and faithfulness

were his self-generated assets of discipleship. The fallacy in Peter's mind

was this: he believed his relationship was dependent on his consistency

in producing the qualities he thought had earned him the Lord's approval.

Many of us face the same problem. We project onto the Lord our own

measured standard of acceptance. Our whole understanding of him is

based in a quid pro quo of bartered love. He will love us as if we are

good, moral, and diligent. But we have turned the tables; we try to live

so that he will love us, rather than living because he has already loved us.

Lloyd Ogilvie, Ask Him anything: God can handle your hardest questions

Who is Lloyd Ogilvie? Lloyd John Ogilvie, is a Presbyterian minister,

who served as Chaplain of the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2003. Dr.

Ogilvie, had a nationally syndicated weekly television show prior to

serving the Senate called, "Let God Love You." It aired for 17 years.

Dr. Ogilvie felt his role as Chaplain was to act as an intercessor for

Senators, be a trusted prayer partner and faith counselor. He sought

to keep the office as nonpolitical, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan.

He provide spiritual leadership and support to the Senate through

many significant events including the impeachment of President

Clinton; the attacks on 911; the anthrax attack in the Senate; and

the contested Presidential election in 2000. Dr. Ogilvie has received

numerous awards and authored 49 books.

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Surrender and Trust

2009-04-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

A devoted Christian woman who conducted a large Bible class with zeal

and success once came in trouble to her minister. In her earlier years

she had enjoyed much blessing in the inner chamber, in fellowship with

the Lord and His Word. But this had gradually been lost and, do what

she would, she could not get it right. The Lord had blessed her work,

but the joy had gone out of her life. The minister asked what she had

done to regain the lost blessedness. "I have done everything," said she,

"that I can think of, but all in vain."

He then questioned her about her experience in connection with her

conversion. She gave an immediate and clear answer: "At first I spared

no pains in my attempt to become better, and to free myself from sin,

but it was all useless. At last I began to understand that I must lay aside

all my efforts, and simply trust the Lord Jesus to bestow on me His life

and peace, and He did it."

"Why then," said the minister, "do you not try this again? As you go

to your inner chamber, however cold and dark your heart may be, do not

try in your own might to force yourself into the right attitude. Bow

before Him and tell Him that He sees in what a sad state you are and

that your only hope is in Him. Trust Him with a childlike trust to have

mercy upon you, and wait upon Him. You have Nothing--He has

everything.

Andrew Murray, The Prayer Life

Who is Andrew Murray? Murray was a South African write, teacher

and Christian pastor who lived from May 9, 1828 to January 18, 1917.

Murray focused heavily on Missions and was one of the founders of

the South African General Mission.

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Glorifying God as our priority

2009-04-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

Jesus in His prayers on earth, in His intercession in heaven in His

promise of an answer to our prayers from there, makes this His first

objective—the glory of His Father. Is it so with us too? Or are not, in

large measure, self-interest and self-will the strongest motive urging

us to pray? Or, if we cannot see that this is the case, have we not to

acknowledge that the distinct, conscious longing for the glory of the

Father is not what animates our prayers? And yet it must be so.

Not as if the believer does not at times desire it. But he has to mourn

that he has so little attained. And he knows the reason of his failure too.

It was, because the separation between the spirit of daily life and the

spirit of the hour of prayer was too wide. We begin to see that the

desire for the glory of the Father is not something that we can awake and

present to our Lord when we prepare ourselves to pray. No! It is only

when the whole life, in all its parts, is given up to God's glory, that we

can really pray to His glory too. "Do all to the glory of God," and , "Ask

all to the glory of God"--these twin commands are inseparable:

obedience to the former is the secret grace for the latter. A life to the

glory of God is the condition of the prayers that Jesus can answer, "that

the Father may be glorified."

Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer

Who is Andrew Murray? Murray was a South African write, teacher

and Christian pastor who lived from May 9, 1828 to January 18, 1917.

Murray focused heavily on Missions and was one of the founders of

the South African General Mission.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Jesus' call to self-denial

2009-04-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Self-denial conjures up in our minds all sorts of images of groveling and

self-hatred. We imagine that it most certainly means the rejection of

our individuality and will probably lead to various forms of

self-mortification.

On the contrary, Jesus called us to self-denial without self-hatred.

Self-denial is simply a way of coming to understand that we do not have

to have our own way. Our happiness is not dependent upon getting what

we want. Self-denial does not mean the loss of our identity as some

suppose. Without our identity we could not even be subject to each

other. Did Jesus lose His identity when He set His face toward

Golgotha? Did Peter lose his identity when he responded to Jesus’

cross-bearing command, “Follow me” (John 21:19)? Did Paul lose his

identity when he committed himself to the One who had said, “I will

show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16)?

Of course not. We know that the opposite was true. They found their

identity in the act of self-denial.

Self-denial is not the same thing as self-contempt. Self-contempt

claims that we have no worth, and even if we did have worth we should

reject it. Self-denial declares that we are of infinite worth and shows us

how to realize it. Self-contempt denise the goodness of the creation;

self-denial affirms that it was indeed good. Jesus made the ability to

love ourselves the prerequisite for our reaching out to others

(Matt. 22:39).

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Who is Richard Foster? Foster is a Christian theologian, educator,

and author in the Quaker tradition. His best know work is the

Celebration of Discipline, which offers instruction on a variety of

inward and outward spiritual disciplines, such as, prayer, fasting,

simplicity, confession and worship. It was named by Christianity

Today as one of the top ten books of the twentieth century.

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Our only legitimate goal

2009-04-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

If we are not our own, but the Lord's, it is clear to what purpose all

our deeds must be directed. We are not our own, therefore neither our

reason nor our will should guide us in our thoughts and actions. We are

not our own, therefore we should not seek what is only expedient to the

flesh. We are not our own, therefore let us forget ourselves and our own

interests as fast as possible.

We are God's own; to him, therefore, let us live and die. We are God's

own; therefore, let his wisdom and will dominate all our actions. We

are god's own; therefore let every part of our existence be directed

towards him as our only legitimate goals.

Oh, how greatly we have advanced when we have learned not to be

our own, not to be governed by our own reason, but to surrender our

minds to God! The most effective poison to lead us to ruin is to boast

in ourselves, in our own wisdom and will power. The only escape to

safety is simply to follow the guidance of the Lord.

Our first step should be to take leave of ourselves and to apply all

of our powers to the service of the Lord. The service of the Lord does

not only include implicit obedience, but also a willingness to put aside

our sinful desires to surrender completely to the leadership of the

Holy Spirit.

The transformation of our lives by the Holy Spirit, which St.

Paul calls the renewal of the mind, is the real beginning of life but

foreign to pagan philosophers. The philosophers set up reason as

the sole guide of life, of wisdom and conduct. but Christian

philosophy demands of us that we surrender our reason to the Holy

Spirit. This means that we no longer live of ourselves, but that

Christ lives and reigns within us (Eph. 4:23; Gal. 2:20)

John Calvin, Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life

Who is John Calvin? Calvin, 1509-1564, a theologian and reformer,

was French by birth, but most of his productive years were in

Geneva, Switzerland. He was an early and prominent influence

during the Protestant Reformation through his biblical

commentaries, sermons, theological tracts. He is regarded as the

forefather of Presbyterianism.

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To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Fasting from Criticalness

2009-04-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Lord continues to deal with me about m critical spirit, convicting

me that I have been wrong to judge any person or situation:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge

others, you will be judeged, and with the measure you use, it will be

measured to you. (Matt 7:1-2; NIV)

One morning last week He gave me an assignment: for one day I was

to go on a "fast" from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody about

anything.

Into my mind crowded all the usual objections. "But then what happens

to value judgments? You Yourself, Lord, spoke of 'righteous judgement.'

How could society operate without standards and limits?"

All such resistance was brushed aside. "Just obey Me without question-

ing: an absolute fast on any critical statements for this day."

As I pondered this assignment, I realized there was an even humorous

side to this kind of fast. What did the Lord want to show me?

The experiment

For the first half of the day, I simply felt a void, almost as if I had been

wiped out as a person. This was especially true at lunch with my

husand, Len, my mother, son Jeff, and my secretary Jeannie Sevigny,

present. Several topics came up (school prayer, abortion, the ERA

amendment) about which I had definite opinions. I listened to the

others and kept silent. Barbed comments on the tip of my tongue

about certain world leaders were suppressed. In our talkative family

no one seemed to notice.

Bemused, I noticed that my comments were not missed. The federal

government, the judicial system, and the institutional church could

apparently get along fine without my penetrating observations. But still

I didn't see what this fast on criticism was accomplishing--until

mid-afternoon.

For several years, I had been praying for on talented young man whose

life had gotten sidetracked. Perhaps my prayers for him had been too

negative. That afternoon, a specific, positive vision for my life was

dropped into my mind with God's unmistakable hallmark on it--joy.

Ideas began to flow in a way I had not experienced in years. Now it was

apparent what the Lord wanted me to see. My critical nature had not

corrected a single one of the multitudinous things I found fault with.

What it had done was to stifle my own creativity--in prayer, in

relationship, perhaps even in writing--ideas that He wanted to give me.

Last Sunday night in a Bible study group, I told of my Day's Fast

experiment. The response was startling. Many admitted that

criticalness was the chief problem in their offices, or in their marriages,

or with their teenage children.

Catherine Marshall, A Closer Walk

Who is Catherine Marshall? Catherine Marshall was the wife of famed,

Presbyterian minister and preacher, Peter Marshall. She came into the

public after his death when she published a memoir about him,

A Man Called Peter. Catherine went onto write a large number of

books and eventually became a publisher. She lived from 1914 to 1983.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

God's Instrument

2009-04-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

No Christian should ever think or say that he is not fit to be God's

instrument, for that in fact is what it means to be a Christian. We may

be humble about many things, but we may never decline to be used.

John the Baptist told the people by the river Jordan, "I baptize you

with water, for repentance, but the one who comes after me is mightier

than I, and I am not fit to take off his shoes." Then Jesus himself came

to be baptized by him, and John tried to dissuade him, saying to him,

"Do you come to me? I need rather to be baptized by you." Jesus

replied, "Let it be so for the present; we do well to conform in this

way with all that God requires." So John baptized him whose shoes he

was not fit to take off.

The gospel is full of reassurances to us, some of them startling. You

are salt to the world! You are light to all the world! Even the hairs of

your head have all been counted! These words were exciting to those

who heard them. Things might be dark but they were to be the light of

the world. They were given a new sense of their value as persons.

Especially was this true of women. One can hardly describe the joy of

the first disciples, who were given by Jesus such a sense of their

significance in the world. This same sense of significance has been

given again and again to other people by disciples of Jesus. Of these

none was greater than Fancis of Assisi. He might well have prayed:

To those who have lost their way, let me restore it to them.

To those who are aimless, let me bring purpose.

To those who do not know who they are, let me teach them that they

are the children of God and can be used as His instruments in the

never-ending work of healing and redemption.

There are therefore two things for us to do. The first is never to

doubt that God can use us if we are willing to be used, no matter what

our weaknesses. The second is to see that God can use any other person

who is willing to be used, whatever his weaknesses, and if need be, to

assure him of this truth."

Alan Paton, Instrument of Thy Peace

Who is Alan Paton? Alan Stewart Paton was an anglican priest educated

at the University of Natal in South Africa. He was an outspoken

opponent of apartheid, and perhaps best know for his novel Cry, the

Beloved Country. He also wrote a series of meditations inspired by

St. Francis of Assisi's familiar prayer on being an instrument of God's

peace. Paton lived from 1903 to 1988.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

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Holy Fellowship with Jesus

2009-04-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

But even if our conduct and conversation were more consistent with

our faith, I would still have this third charge against us: there is too

little real communion with Jesus Christ. If, by the grace of God, our

conduct and conversation were consistent and our lives were

unblemished, many of us are still sorely lacking in that area we call holy

fellowship with Jesus.

Men and women, let me ask you, How long has it been since you have

had an intimate conversation with Jesus Christ? Some of you may be

able to say, "It was only this morning that I last spoke with him; I beheld

his face with joy." But I fear that the great majority of you will have to

say, "It has been months since I have been with the Lord."

What have you been doing with your life? Is Christ living in your

home and yet you have not spoken to him for months? Do not let me

condemn you or judge; only let your conscience speak: Have we not all

lived too much without Jesus? Have we not grown contented with the

world to the neglect of Christ?

Charles Spurgeon, Spiritual Revival, the Need of the Church (audio cd)

Who is Charles Spurgeon? Spurgeon was a baptist preacher in England

who lived from 1834 to 1892. He was an amazing preacher that is often

referred to as the "prince of preachers." He also founded a pastor's

college, an orphanage, and an institution to promote literacy.

Spurgeon was a strong Calvinist whose preaching often caused much

controversy.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Conduct and conversation

2009-04-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

In the first place, look at the conduct and conversation of too many

of us who profess to be children of God.

It has become very popular to join the Church in our day. Many

people have recently joined the Church in our country. But are there

any fewer cheats than there used to be? Are there less frauds

committed? Do we find morality more extensive? Do we find vice

coming to an end? No, we do not. Our age is as immoral as any that

preceded it. There is still as much sin, though perhaps it is more cloaked

and hidden.

It is well known that it is no guarantee of a man's honesty that he is

a member of the Church. The lives of too many of the men and women

of the Church give the world cause to wonder if there is godliness in any

of us. We reach after money, we cover, we follow the wicked ways of

this world, we oppress the poor and deny rights to the working class--

and yet we profess to be people of God! The Church lacks revival in the

lives of its members.

Second, let us take a look at the conversation of many professing

Christians. Pay attention to the conversation of the average professing

Christian. You might spend from the first of January to the end of

December and never hear them speak about their faith. They will

scarcely even mention the name of Jesus Christ at all. On Sunday

afternoon what will they talk about at the dinner table? It will not

be about the minister's sermon, unless they want to point out some

faults.

Do they ever talk about what Jesus said and did? What he suffered

for us? When we go to each other's houses, what will we talk about?

I have concluded this: you will not know how to get to heaven simply

by eavesdropping on the conversations of the members of the Church!

We talk too little about our Lord. Is this not the truth? Many of us

need to pray, "O Lord, revive your work in my soul, that my conver-

sation may be more Christ-like, seasoned with salt, and kept by the

Holy Spirit."

Charles Spurgeon, Spiritual Revival, the Need of the Church (audio cd)

Who is Charles Spurgeon? Spurgeon was a baptist preacher in England

who lived from 1834 to 1892. He was an amazing preacher that is often

referred to as the "prince of preachers." He also founded a pastor's

college, an orphanage, and an institution to promote literacy.

Spurgeon was a strong Calvinist whose preaching often caused much

controversy.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Temptations

2009-03-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

There is a vast difference between being tempted and yielding to it.

And yet, if I know in advance that certain places will tempt me and I go

there anyway, I am guilty of each temptation that comes my way.

The way to deal with temptations is to look away from them and at

the Lord. if you are still subject to them, continue to resist. There is

no sin as long as you say no.

For every great temptation there will be many small ones. Wolves

and bears are more dangerous than flies, but we are bothered most by

the latter. You may never murder anyone, but you will certainly

become angry. You may avoid adultery, but it is not easy to control

your eyes. You may never steal anything from your neighbor but you

may covet it.

Let these flies and gnats buzz around you. Instead of fighting with

them, do the very opposite of what the temptation is suggesting. For

instance, if you are tempted to be vain, think about the troubles of

others. If you are greedy, remember how death will take it all away

from you, and then go give something away or pass up a profit. Make

the effort and you will be hardened against future temptations.

Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life

Who is Francis de Sales? Saint Francis de Sales, August 21, 1567-

December 28, 1622, was Bishop of Geneva and a Roman Catholic saint.

As an accomplished preacher he sought to bring Protestants back to

Catholicism. He is mostly known for his writings on spiritual formation.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

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Obedience, the golden rule of spiritual undestanding

2009-03-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

The golden rule of understanding spiritually is not intellect, but

obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity

is his guide; but if he wants insights into what Jesus Christ teaches,

he can only get it by obedience. If things are dark to me, then I may be

sure there is something I will not do. Intellectual darkness comes

through ignorance; spiritual darkness comes because of something I do

not intend to obey.

No man ever receives a word from God without instantly being put

to the test by it. We disobey and then wonder why we don't go on

spiritually. "If when you come to the altar," said Jesus, "there you

remember your brother hath ought against you... don't say another

word to Me, but first go and put that thing right." The teaching of Jesus

hits us where we live. We cannot stand as humbugs before Him for one

second. He educates us down to the scruple. The Spirit of God unearths

the spirit of self-vindication; he makes us sensitive to things we never

thought of before.

When Jesus brings a thing home by His word, don't shirk it. If you

do, you will become a religious humbug. Watch the things you shrug

your shoulders over, and you will know how you do not go on

spiritually. First go---at the risk of being thought fanatical you must

obey what God tells you.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Who is Oswald Chambers? Chambers, born July 24th, 1874 in

Aberdeen, Scotland, died November 15th 1917 in Egypt, became a

Christian following a service conducted by renowned preacher,

Charles Spurgeon. We was Scottish Protestant Christian minister

and teacher, best known as the author of the widely-read

devotional My Utmost For His Highest.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

The prayer beneath

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Begin where you are. Obey now: Use what little obedience you are

capable of, even if it be like a grain of mustard seed. Begin where you

are. Live this present moment, this present hour as you now sit in your

seats, in utter submission and openness toward Him. Listen outwardly

to these words, but within, behind the scenes, in the deeper levels of

our lives where you are all alone with God the Living Eternal One, keep

up a silent prayer, "Open Thou my life, Guide my thoughts where I dare

not let them go. Be Thou darest, Thy will be done." Walk on the streets

and chat with your friends. But every moment behind the scenes be in

prayer, offering yourselves in continuous obedience. I find this internal

continuous prayer life absolutely essential. It can be carried on day and

night, in the thick of business, in home and school. Such a prayer of

submission can be so simple. It is well to use a single sentence,

repeated over and over and over again, such as this: "Be Thou my will.

Be Thou my will."

Thomas R. Kelly, A Testament of Devotion

Who is Thomas R. Kelly? Kelly lived 1893 to January 17, 1941.

He was an American Quaker. He taught and wrote on the subject

of mysticism.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Finding a place

2009-03-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

The first problem is to find a place where the outer confusion can be

shut off, where the bright lights and the telephone cannot break in, and

where even religious discussion is stilled. The purpose is not to create,

or make something happen, but to allow it to happen, and where it

takes place is an individual matter. Some people find it easy to quiet

down in a church where the rule of silence is observed. For others it

may be one's own room, or in a garden or near the water, or on a

mountain top.

...there is manna in certain places that can draw a person in silence,

for instance in a room which has known the silence and listening of

many people. This was the kind of power that Jacob felt when he

awoke from dreaming of the ladder to heaven and cried out, "Truly,

Yahweh, is in this place and I never knew it!" Then he was afraid and

said, "How awe-inspiring this place is! This is nothing less than a

house of God; this is the gate of heaven!" And he made a sacred

monument of the stone on which he had lain and poured oil on top

of it, and he named the place Bethel (Genesis 28:10-19). We in the

Western tradition are often reluctant to admit that there is reality

behind an experience like this.

...Each of us can have a place like this, where stillness can take over

and one becomes open to a reality beyond oneself.

Morton T. Kelsey, The Other Side of Silence

Who is Morton T. Kelsey? Morton Kelsey died at the age of 84 in 2001.

He was an Episcopalian priest who wrote dozens of books on spiritual

formation. Kelsey also helped develop the spiritual formation program

at San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, California.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

The gift of interruptions

2009-03-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I met an old professor at the University of Notre

Dame. Looking back on his long life of teaching, he said with a funny

wrinkle in his eyes: "I have always been complaining that my work was

constantly interrupted, until I slowly discovered that my interruptions

were my work."

That is the great conversion in our life: to recognize and believe

that the many unexpected events are not just disturbing interruptions

of our projects, but the way in which God molds our hearts and pre-

pares us for his return. Our great temptations are boredom and

bitterness. When our good plans are interrupted by poor weather,

our well-organized careers by illness or bad luck, our peace of mind

by inner turmoil, our hope for peace by a new war, our desire for a

stable discernment by a constant changing of the guards, and our

desire for immortality by real death, we are tempted to give in to a

paralyzing boredom or to strike back in destructive bitterness. But

when we believe that patience can make our expectations grow, then

fate can be converted into a vocation, wounds into a call for deeper

understanding, and sadness into a birthplace for joy.

Henri J. Nouwen, Out of Solitude

Who is Henry Nouwen? Nouwen, January 24, 1932 to September

21, 1996 was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and write who authored

40 books on the spiritual life. Nouwen's books are widely read by

both Protestants and Catholics.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Why and how to love God

2009-03-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

You have asked me to tell you why and how God is to be loved.

God himself is the reason why. Without limit is how.

For the wise, that is answer enough.

But now I will speak more elaborately, if less profoundly, for the

benefit of less agile minds.

There are two reasons for loving God. First, there is no one more

worthy of your love. Second, no one can return more in response to

your love.

God deserves our love because he first loved us. His love for us was

genuine because he sought nothing for himself. See the object of his

love: enemies. For it, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled

to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been recon-

ciled, shall we be saved through his life. Paul writes to the Romans.

God's love was unconditional.

How much did he love? The anwer is in John's Gospel: "For God so

loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever

believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." The Son, speaking

of himself, said, "The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for

them." We, the wicked, then, should love the Righteous One in return.

Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God

Who is Bernard of Clairvaux? Bernard, 1090 to August 20, 1153, was a

French abbot principally responsible for reforming the Cisterician

monastic order. Bernard was the first Cistercian monk placed on the

calendar of saints. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III, on January

18, 1174.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

The inadequacy of our love

2009-03-25T00:01:00.001-07:00

Faithful people understand how fully they need Jesus and his death

on the cross. Seeing his love, they desire to return what little they can.

Those who know they are loved are better able to love. The one who is

forgiven more loves more. Seeing the wounds of Christ, the believer

says, I am faint with love.

Who is it that remembers God? It certainly is not a stubborn and

rebellious generation. Christ says to them, "Woe to you who are rich,

for you have already received your comfort." The ones who remember

God are those who can say, I remember God, and was troubled: I

complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Our soul is Christ's bride

and loves him ardently. But even when she thinks she is completely in

love, she feels that her love is inadequate, because she is loved so much.

And that is true. How could she love as much in return? God loves

with all his being.

Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God

Who is Bernard of Clairvaux? Bernard, 1090 to August 20, 1153, was a

French abbot principally responsible for reforming the Cisterician

monastic order. Bernard was the first Cistercian monk placed on the

calendar of saints. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III, on January

18, 1174.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

At war with thoughts

2009-03-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Someone will always praise good works. It is more difficult to justify

meditation and prayer. You will face a difficult dilemma. You will need

to defend yourself against criticism from those who are more active on

the social scene. You will also have to fight with your own ideas.

Perhaps you think, "I do not commit adultery or covet my neighbors

property. Therefore I must be OK." You are forgetting that there are

more than two or three categories of sin. The possibilities for sin are

vast. Are you arrogant? Angry? Insincere? What is the origin of these

things? You are required to be at war with the thoughts of your mind.

It's like the frightening discovery of a robber in your home. You resist

him, fight with him. In the same way your soul needs to return one blow

for another in the combat with your own thoughts.

How can you engage in this kind of contest between will and soul if

you think you are already good enough? Maybe you have two or three

kinds of sin under control, but dozens more are still chewing on you

and you have not even identified them.

If you think the struggle is hopeless, you do God an injustice. An

older child can usually win a fight with a younger one. It is an unfair

contest. But the soul, if it truly looks for God's help, is equal to the

struggle.

You are no match for yourself. Only God can help you. Yes, you can

struggle. You can put up a terrific fight against your own nature. You

can, as it were, trample down the weeds. Uprooting them is something

only God can do. This is why we turn to Jesus.

Pseudo-Macarius, The Fifty Spiritual Homilies and the Great Letter

Who is Pseudo-Macarius? Pseudo-Macarius, also known as Macarius

Symeon, lived 949 to 1022 A.D. He was born in Galatia, Phaphlagonia.

He was educated to be and served as a courtier to emperors in

Constantinople. At the age of 27 he retreated to a monastery. He

eventually became the abbot of St. Mammas Monastery in Constanti-

nople. The Eastern Orthodox later deemed Macarius Symeon a saint.

He was a poet deeply steeped in a meditative practice of retiring

inward, by ceasing to register the sense in order to gain experiential

knowledge of God.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Deep prayer in a busy life

2009-03-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I put this question to John Eudes: "How can I really

develop a deeper prayer life when I am back again at my busy work?

I have the tendency to finish small and large jobs as soon as possible,

and as long as I remain surrounded by unfinished tasks, my prayer is

nearly impossible since I use the time for prayer to wonder about the

many things I still have to do. It always seems that there is something

more urgent and more important than prayer."

John Eudes' answer was clear and simple: "The only solution is a

prayer schedule that you will never break without consulting your

spiritual director. Set a time that is reasonable, and once it is set, stick

to it at all costs. Make it your most important task. Let everyone know

that this is the only thing you will not change and pray at that time. One

hour in the morning before work and a half hour before you go to bed

might be a good start. Set the exact time and hold on to it. Leave a

party when that time approaches. Simply make it an impossibility to

do any type of work, even if it seems urgent, important, and crucial.

When you remain faithful, you slowly discover that is is useless to

think about your many problems since they won't be dealt with in that

time anyhow. Then you start saying to yourself during these free

hours, 'Since I have nothing to do now, I might just as well pray!" So

praying becomes as important as eating and sleeping, and the time set

free for it becomes a very liberating time to which you become

attached in the good sense."

Henri J. Nouwen, The Genesee Diary

Who is Henry Nouwen? Nouwen, January 24, 1932 to September

21, 1996 was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer who authored

40 books on the spiritual life. Nouwen's books are widely read by

both Protestants and Catholics.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Secrets to Intimacy with God

2009-03-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here are the secrets of intimacy with God:

Renounce everything that does not lead to God.
Become accustomed to a continual conversation with him in freedom and simplicity
Speak to him every moment.
Ask him to tell you what to do when you are not sure.
Get busy with it when you plainly see what he requires of you.
Offer your activity to him even before you do it.
Give God thanks when you accomplish something,

The depth of your spirituality does not depend upon changing the

things you do, but in doing for God what you ordinarily do for yourself.

The biggest mistake is to think that a time of prayer is different from

any other time. It is all one. Prayer is experiencing the presence of

God. There should be no change when a time of formal prayer ends.

Continue with God. Praise and bless him with all your energy.

Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

Who is Brother Lawrence? Brother Lawrence, ca. 1614-February 1691,

is best known for his work "The Practice of the Presence of God."

Brother Lawrence was a lay brother in a Carmelite monastery. He

strove to wed the most mundane task with worship of God. He came

to a place of quiet surrender where whether he was working in the

kitchen or attending mass he felt the same prevailing presence of God.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

To See Jesus

2009-03-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

There was a man who wanted to go to Jerusalem. He had no idea

how to get there. He asked someone he considered to be an authority.

"You can't get there without a lot of hard work. It is a dangerous

trip. There are many roads you can take, but people are getting

robbed and killed on them all the time. No one ever gets there. There

is only one safe way to travel to Jerusalem."

The would-be pilgrim was excited. "I don't care what troubles I

suffer. Tell me the way. I will faithfully follow your instructions."

"Here is the right road. Be sure to follow my directions. Don't let

anything hinder you. Allow no pleasurable distractions. Keep moving.

Think only that you want to be in Jerusalem. Consider nothing else. If

you are beaten and robbed, scorned, and despised, do not fight back.

Bear the pain and continue your journey. Don't listen to questions or

attempt to answer them. If you are offered gifts, don't accept them.

Always keep your mind on Jerusalem. If you do this, you will reach

your goal."

Jerusalem stands for the sight of Jesus, contemplation of the

perfect love of God. If you are on your way to this Jerusalem, carry two

things with you: humility and love. Humility says, "I am nothing. I have

nothing." Love says, "I only desire one thing--Jesus." These two strings

make good harmony on the harp of the soul when they are plucked by

the talented finger of reason. They resonate. The more you are

humble, the more you love.

Walter Hilton, Walter Hilton: The Scale of Perfection

Who is Walter Hilton? Walter Hilton died and 1396. He was an

English augustinian mystic. Little is known of his life. His writings

were widely read in England in the 15th century. To learn more

about Walter Hilton read here.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

On Praying Unceasingly

2009-03-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

The proper thing is for us always to think of God and to pray without

ceasing. If we are not able to achieve this, we can at least set special

times for prayer each day. At these designated moments, we can focus

entirely on God.

Here are some natural opportunities:

when we wake in the morning
before we begin our work
before and after meals
when we go to bed

This is only a start, of course. We should not think of these times of

prayer as a ritual. Neither do they mean we are freed from prayer at

other hours of the day. Think of these moments as nothing more

than a discipline for your spiritual weakness. It is a stimulation for

your groggy soul. There will be times when you are under stress,

times when you will be aware of others in difficulty. Immediately turn

to God in prayer. Offer prayers of thanks all through the day.

When you pray, do not put any limits on God. It is not your

business to tell God how to answer your prayers. This is no a time

to bargain or to set conditions. Before you tell God what you want or

need, ask that his will be done. This makes your will subordinate to

his.

John Calvin, On Prayer: Conversation with God

Who is John Calvin? Calvin, 1509-1564, a theologian and reformer,

was French by birth, but most of his productive years were in

Geneva, Switzerland. He was an early and prominent influence

during the Protestant Reformation through his biblical

commentaries, sermons, theological tracts. He is regarded as the

forefather of Presbyterianism.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Freedom from Anxiety and Simplicity

2009-03-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

...Freedom from anxiety is characterized by three inner attitudes. If

what we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for

by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess

freedom from anxiety. "This is the inward reality of simplicity."

...To receive what we have as a gift from God is the first inner atti-

tude of simplicity. We work but we know that it is not our work that

gives us what we have. We live by grace even when it comes to

"daily bread." ...What we have is not the result of our labor, but of the

gracious care of God. When we are tempted to think that what we own

is the result of our personal efforts, it takes only a little drought or a

small accident to show us once again how radically dependent we are

for everything.

To know that it is God's business, and not ours, to care for what we

have is the second inner attitude of simplicity. God is able to protect

what we possess. We can trust Him...Simplicity means the freedom to

trust God for these (and all) things.

To have our goods available to others marks the third inner attitude

of simplicity. Martin Luther said somewhere. "If our goods are not

available to the community they are stolen goods." The reason we find

these words so difficult is our fear of our future...But if we truly believe

that God is who Jesus said He is, then we do not need to be afraid.

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Who is Richard Foster? Foster is a Christian theologian, educator,

and author in the Quaker tradition. His best know work is the

Celebration of Discipline, which offers instruction on a variety of

inward and outward spiritual disciplines, such as, prayer, fasting,

simplicity, confession and worship. It was named by Christianity

Today as one of the top ten books of the twentieth century.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.