I have set the framework for Christmas this year.
It shall be a Holy Day like NONE OTHER.
Jesus is coming.
He has shown us the way.
We are blessed if we look upon it.
Join the conspiracy, look down the path. And know that the gift is here.
With us.
Every Day.
Waiting to be unwrapped. Waiting to be taken. Waiting to be given.
A day like none other is coming soon. Will you be ready?
http://www.adventconspiracy.org
Showing posts with label christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christian. Show all posts
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Our True Face
Ghandi said:
I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.It seems to me that Christ still suffers today.
If we have the spirit of Christ within us, and everyone who accepts Christ and eats his flesh and drinks his blood, Then the anonymous face on the street is not so anonymous. We will have to answer to the king when he asks us of we fed the hungry clothed the naked and all the meriful acts he REQUIRES of us as followers.
Anything less is lip service and brown nosing.
If the Christian (myself included) does not live up to this, yet insures that SELF is fed, SELF is clothed and we do not concern with the person next store or the person holding their hand out on the street, then we deny Christ. If we see Christ in ourselves but cannot see Christ in the Other, then we are missing the Christ He wants us to see.
No matter how hard we try, we cannot see our true face:
In a mirror, the image is reversed.
In a photo we are captured in a monment.
Though a video, we see what the lens (or person behind the lens) can see.
Yet a stranger walking the street would see our glance.
Our spouses can see the look of the emotion of the moment.
Nature can observe the joy.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Discipleship has a price....
PLEASE PRAY FOR CHRISTIANS IN INDIA
Christian Persecution India
From: persecution, 2 weeks ago
Christan persecution India
SlideShare Link
Christian Persecution India
From: persecution, 2 weeks ago
Christan persecution India
SlideShare Link
Saturday, April 05, 2008
A Letter from God
I came across this some time ago and wanted to share this.
I hope it lifts your day and that you experience the touch of the Father.
Peace be with you.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Hang On to Each Other - [from LifeSupport]
The following illustrates how God may send us to others, to shower his love on them, and in the process, shower His love on us.
HANG ON TO EACH OTHER
Too often we feel alone. But there is always someone ready to take our
hand. There is a beautiful story of an overworked nurse who escorted a
tired, young man to her patient's bedside. Leaning over and speaking
loudly to the elderly patient, she said, "Your son is here."
With great effort, his unfocussed eyes opened, then flickered shut
again. The young man squeezed the aged hand in his and sat beside the
bed. Throughout the night he sat there, holding the old man's hand and
whispering words of comfort.
By morning's light, the patient had died. In moments, hospital staff
swarmed into the room to turn off machines and remove needles. The
nurse stepped over to the young man's side and began to offer
sympathy, but he interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked.
The startled nurse replied, "I thought he was your father!"
"No, he was not my father," he answered. "I never saw him before in my
life."
"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"
"I realized he needed his son and his son wasn't here," the man
explained. "And since he was too sick to recognize that I was not his
son, I knew he needed me."
Mother Teresa used to remind us that nobody should have to die alone.
Likewise, nobody should have to grieve alone or cry alone either. Or
laugh alone or celebrate alone.
We are made to travel life's journey hand in hand. There is someone
ready to grasp your hand today. And someone hoping you will take
theirs.
-- Steve Goodier www.lifesupport.com
HANG ON TO EACH OTHER
Too often we feel alone. But there is always someone ready to take our
hand. There is a beautiful story of an overworked nurse who escorted a
tired, young man to her patient's bedside. Leaning over and speaking
loudly to the elderly patient, she said, "Your son is here."
With great effort, his unfocussed eyes opened, then flickered shut
again. The young man squeezed the aged hand in his and sat beside the
bed. Throughout the night he sat there, holding the old man's hand and
whispering words of comfort.
By morning's light, the patient had died. In moments, hospital staff
swarmed into the room to turn off machines and remove needles. The
nurse stepped over to the young man's side and began to offer
sympathy, but he interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked.
The startled nurse replied, "I thought he was your father!"
"No, he was not my father," he answered. "I never saw him before in my
life."
"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"
"I realized he needed his son and his son wasn't here," the man
explained. "And since he was too sick to recognize that I was not his
son, I knew he needed me."
Mother Teresa used to remind us that nobody should have to die alone.
Likewise, nobody should have to grieve alone or cry alone either. Or
laugh alone or celebrate alone.
We are made to travel life's journey hand in hand. There is someone
ready to grasp your hand today. And someone hoping you will take
theirs.
-- Steve Goodier www.lifesupport.com
Thursday, October 04, 2007
May the Lord Bless You....
“Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27"
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Catechism Quiz: How Do We React to Mother Teresa's Doubts
How Do We React to Mother Teresa's Doubts? (from Friar Jack's E-spirations)
by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M.
I met Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1981 during the dedication of a peace garden located at my seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was in the U.S. visiting primarily to establish her community in New York City. It was a beautiful June Sunday afternoon, and I found myself standing right next to this amazing little woman. I say “little” since I’m 6'2" and Mother’s head seemed to barely reach my elbows.
Many of you saw on the Internet and television the reaction to the “revelations” of Mother’s book (Come, Be My Light) of correspondence with her spiritual directors. She described in deeply moving words her struggles with faith, her doubts and sense of abandonment by God. On the surface, her words appear shocking, but in reality she was experiencing what Catholic spirituality describes as the “dark night.” There is no question that to suffer this for a 40-year period must have been a terrible trial. What it says is that this saintly nun, so dedicated to others, also bore a gigantic cross that only increased her holiness and union with God.
What was unfortunate, though understandable, was how people, who didn’t know the theology or language of the spiritual life, reacted, referring to Mother Teresa as a “fake and a pretender” and, worse, a “liar.”
One thing we know for sure is that Mother Teresa was never a fake or a liar. Her whole life was as honest and true as it could be. Her entire being was to do the will of God and, in fact, that it is exactly what she did so wonderfully. If you look at her influence, her wonderful religious community and the tens of thousands of people she and her sisters have helped, we see that her life was an amazing journey with God and ministry to the poorest of the poor.
But what about the darkness, the doubts and the dryness of her life where God seemed to be gone? We ordinarily equate the presence of God with deep feelings of certainty, almost as if you can reach out and touch him. But all those feelings and experiences are not God himself. They are our understanding and images of God. As a person seeks to draw closer to God, God begins to remove all those things that we think are God but are only representations. And one by one, the closeness of God may seem to fade or disappear.
In the language of the spiritual life, Mother Teresa was experiencing the dark night of the senses and of the spirit, which has been written about in Catholic spirituality. The dark night is certainly not punishment given by God. Quite the opposite. It is a sign of spiritual growth and reflects the paradox of the gospel: To die is to live, to live is to die, less is more and more is less. The great expositors of these spiritual principles were St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. (For those of you who would like to read about these spiritual principles, check this Web site: danschrock.org/Contemplation.aspx.)
Mother Teresa was not fake, nor did she lose her faith. In fact, her faith grew all the time while she was walking with the Lord, growing deeper in her union with him. However, her experience was of just the opposite. Real faith is believing in what we cannot see or feel. Faith is the strongest when there are no feelings and reassurances. All saints speak of similar experiences, whether they were religious or laity.
From St. Francis of Assisi to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, saints and all those seeking union with God have experienced darkness and struggles, some more than others. But perhaps the most important example is what Jesus experienced during his own passion and death, hanging on the cross. In his human nature, he experienced an abandonment of God: “Why have you forsaken me?” But would anyone doubt that his faith at the moment of deepest sacrifice was the greatest ever?
One final point: Some people may feel upset that Mother Teresa’s letters were published and not destroyed as she had wanted. If every saint who died got their wish that their correspondence be destroyed, the Christian world would be without some of the most instructive and inspiring writings we could have. (Saints don’t always know what should be and should not be published.) Her experiences will enlighten a lot of people. (I just ordered her book, Come, Be My Light.)
I had to share this. May the doubt expressed by Mother Theresa be:
- a sign that God's greatness surpasses human (even Saintly) understanding
- an encouragement to us
- a reminder that God simply does not abandon us. We may not always see Him through our Life on earth, but he is unmistakably. present. Our knowlege of His presence is a gift from Him to us. Its a gift to pray for and not take for granted.
May Christ Always be With Us!
by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M.
I met Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1981 during the dedication of a peace garden located at my seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was in the U.S. visiting primarily to establish her community in New York City. It was a beautiful June Sunday afternoon, and I found myself standing right next to this amazing little woman. I say “little” since I’m 6'2" and Mother’s head seemed to barely reach my elbows.
Many of you saw on the Internet and television the reaction to the “revelations” of Mother’s book (Come, Be My Light) of correspondence with her spiritual directors. She described in deeply moving words her struggles with faith, her doubts and sense of abandonment by God. On the surface, her words appear shocking, but in reality she was experiencing what Catholic spirituality describes as the “dark night.” There is no question that to suffer this for a 40-year period must have been a terrible trial. What it says is that this saintly nun, so dedicated to others, also bore a gigantic cross that only increased her holiness and union with God.
What was unfortunate, though understandable, was how people, who didn’t know the theology or language of the spiritual life, reacted, referring to Mother Teresa as a “fake and a pretender” and, worse, a “liar.”
One thing we know for sure is that Mother Teresa was never a fake or a liar. Her whole life was as honest and true as it could be. Her entire being was to do the will of God and, in fact, that it is exactly what she did so wonderfully. If you look at her influence, her wonderful religious community and the tens of thousands of people she and her sisters have helped, we see that her life was an amazing journey with God and ministry to the poorest of the poor.
But what about the darkness, the doubts and the dryness of her life where God seemed to be gone? We ordinarily equate the presence of God with deep feelings of certainty, almost as if you can reach out and touch him. But all those feelings and experiences are not God himself. They are our understanding and images of God. As a person seeks to draw closer to God, God begins to remove all those things that we think are God but are only representations. And one by one, the closeness of God may seem to fade or disappear.
In the language of the spiritual life, Mother Teresa was experiencing the dark night of the senses and of the spirit, which has been written about in Catholic spirituality. The dark night is certainly not punishment given by God. Quite the opposite. It is a sign of spiritual growth and reflects the paradox of the gospel: To die is to live, to live is to die, less is more and more is less. The great expositors of these spiritual principles were St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. (For those of you who would like to read about these spiritual principles, check this Web site: danschrock.org/Contemplation.aspx.)
Mother Teresa was not fake, nor did she lose her faith. In fact, her faith grew all the time while she was walking with the Lord, growing deeper in her union with him. However, her experience was of just the opposite. Real faith is believing in what we cannot see or feel. Faith is the strongest when there are no feelings and reassurances. All saints speak of similar experiences, whether they were religious or laity.
From St. Francis of Assisi to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, saints and all those seeking union with God have experienced darkness and struggles, some more than others. But perhaps the most important example is what Jesus experienced during his own passion and death, hanging on the cross. In his human nature, he experienced an abandonment of God: “Why have you forsaken me?” But would anyone doubt that his faith at the moment of deepest sacrifice was the greatest ever?
One final point: Some people may feel upset that Mother Teresa’s letters were published and not destroyed as she had wanted. If every saint who died got their wish that their correspondence be destroyed, the Christian world would be without some of the most instructive and inspiring writings we could have. (Saints don’t always know what should be and should not be published.) Her experiences will enlighten a lot of people. (I just ordered her book, Come, Be My Light.)
I had to share this. May the doubt expressed by Mother Theresa be:
- a sign that God's greatness surpasses human (even Saintly) understanding
- an encouragement to us
- a reminder that God simply does not abandon us. We may not always see Him through our Life on earth, but he is unmistakably. present. Our knowlege of His presence is a gift from Him to us. Its a gift to pray for and not take for granted.
May Christ Always be With Us!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Drive-by Evangelism, or Missional Rescue Force?
Drive-by Evangelism, or Missional Rescue Force?
Where is the Love? A California pediatrician reportedly refused to treat a baby girl because her mother had tattoos. The doctor, whose name I won’t mention, says “his Christian faith has inspired him to enforce certain standards in his medical practice, and that means no tattoos, no body piercings, and no gum chewing.” The article goes on: “After taking one look at Tasha Childress, who has both tattoos and piercings, [the doctor] asked her and her daughter to leave.” The shunned mother, speaking about her daughter, said, “She had to go that entire night with her ear infection with no medicine because he has his policy; it isn’t right.”
Christ did not deny any who came to him. We must be prepared to do the same.
Lord allow me to see You in all who come to me for assistance, and may be be as eager to help them as I would you.
Where is the Love? A California pediatrician reportedly refused to treat a baby girl because her mother had tattoos. The doctor, whose name I won’t mention, says “his Christian faith has inspired him to enforce certain standards in his medical practice, and that means no tattoos, no body piercings, and no gum chewing.” The article goes on: “After taking one look at Tasha Childress, who has both tattoos and piercings, [the doctor] asked her and her daughter to leave.” The shunned mother, speaking about her daughter, said, “She had to go that entire night with her ear infection with no medicine because he has his policy; it isn’t right.”
Christ did not deny any who came to him. We must be prepared to do the same.
Lord allow me to see You in all who come to me for assistance, and may be be as eager to help them as I would you.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Holy Week: Walking to the Cross
Holy Week: Walking to the Cross
Gods Love
Nothing we can do holds the significance of Christ's action.
So if our inner drive is to prove something to God or the world or ourselves, our actions are a poor indicator then of the effect of God's Love in our lives. It is when we come to the cross, we see the cross, we respond to the cross- this motion that is cross-oriented that centers our thoughts lives and placement in creation.
The same activity- Acolyte, minster of communion, feeder of the hungry - activities that we are moved to do because of the love of God can backfire if we say "Look what I can do!". Even "Look what I can do for you Lord" is a big "Look At Me" that smacks of the evil the Lord has warned us against. Yet it is His word that brings us to action.
So let everything we Do or Say, be it in the Church or the Living Room, Our Car or the Work Place not promote anything but Life in the Shadow of the Cross. This is the Life Francis promoted: Do not look at what I can do for God, but what God can do.
Gods Love
Nothing we can do holds the significance of Christ's action.
So if our inner drive is to prove something to God or the world or ourselves, our actions are a poor indicator then of the effect of God's Love in our lives. It is when we come to the cross, we see the cross, we respond to the cross- this motion that is cross-oriented that centers our thoughts lives and placement in creation.
The same activity- Acolyte, minster of communion, feeder of the hungry - activities that we are moved to do because of the love of God can backfire if we say "Look what I can do!". Even "Look what I can do for you Lord" is a big "Look At Me" that smacks of the evil the Lord has warned us against. Yet it is His word that brings us to action.
So let everything we Do or Say, be it in the Church or the Living Room, Our Car or the Work Place not promote anything but Life in the Shadow of the Cross. This is the Life Francis promoted: Do not look at what I can do for God, but what God can do.
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