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Welcome to OneLife Ministries. This site is designed to lead you prayerfully into a heart experience of Divine Presence, Who is Love. While it focuses on Christian teaching, I hope persons of varied faiths will find inspiration here. Indeed, "God" can be whatever image helps us trust in the Sacred, by whatever means Grace touches us each. Please share this ministry with others, and please return soon. There is a new offering daily. And to be placed on the daily OneLife email list, to request notifications of new writings or submit prayer requests, write to briankwilcox@yahoo.com .
Blessings,
Brian Kenneth Wilcox MDiv, MFT, PhD
Interspiritual Pastor-Teacher, Author, Workshop Leader, Spiritual Counselor, and Chaplain.
You are invited to join Brian at his fellowship group on Facebook. The group is called OneLife Ministries – An Interspiritual Contemplative Fellowship. Hope to see you there. Blessings.
SCRIPTURE
How blessed are all whose wrong deeds are released, whose violations are covered over!
*Romans 4.7
SPIRITUAL TEACHING
A favorite spiritual Teacher of mine is Evagrius Ponticus, 4th Century. He was initially a deacon and esteemed leader in the church of Constantinople. Then, he became one of the early Desert Fathers and Mothers, living in Egypt.
Evagrius found his esteemed desert career as writer and spiritual director in an odd way. While living a comfortable life in Constantinople, he fell in love with an esteemed public officer's wife. Disturbed by the conflicting desires within, Evagrius entered a marked spiritual crisis.
Evagrius had a dream. He was confronted with accusations and responded with a vow to leave the city and take care of his soul. On waking, Evagrius felt himself bound by the oath he had made within the dream. The following day he took a ship for Palestine. Afterward, he traveled to the Egyptian desert, and he remained there until his death at about age 54.
Evagrius became a great and prolific writer on the spiritual life, focusing on prayer and the psychological aspects of the inner life. Yet, his beliefs in the universal salvation of all creatures and the preexistence of the soul, following the disciples of the earlier Origen, landed him in trouble with the church. In 553 the church condemned his writings and this resulted in the destruction of most of his extant works. Still, via his disciple John Cassian, a Desert Father, and some Syriac translations, Evagrius' writings on monasticism and prayer were saved. Anonymously he had an enormous influence in the foundations of monasticism and Christian mysticism.
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The struggles of Evagrius with his inner desires, often at conflict, are like to our own. His life reminds us that regardless of how devoted we are to the spiritual Way, we are still human and very subject to temptations. These “fleshly” enticements are warped, misdirected energies of otherwise holy and healthy energies. For example, to lust for another person's wife or husband, or engage in sex with her or him, is the misuse of holy, godly energy; adultery is the selfish use of a sacred gift.
Evagrius' life reminds us of another fact. While to be tempted is the potential of us each, this does not mean we cannot be honest and be led from that temptation or yielding to it, to a blessed spiritual life. Evagrius took responsibility to care for his soul and honor his relationship with Jesus. He removed himself from the situation, and he began again. And the Spirit used him greatly, even if the church failed terribly to appreciate and honor his work.
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I sat with a man who wanted me to pray for his girlfriend. She was in a health crisis. He told me he was not a religious man. He did not feel worthy to pray; so, he decided he would ask someone like I am to pray on his behalf. I did, but I sought ardently to help this man forgive himself for his past and to know that, regardless of his past, God was fully prepared to receive and bless him. Finally, the man, exasperated with me, noted he just wanted prayer for his girlfriend. I knew that was my signal that he was not in the mood to consider the wonderful Grace of God. Possibly, though, something I said will remain with him and minister to him when he is ready.
Is there something you need to forgive yourself for from your past? Are you letting past failures morally hold you back from fully accepting Grace and moving on with your life? Would you pray about that, today, and receive the Grace of release from that past, and release to live your life free of the guilt and shame of it?
© OneLife Ministries. Jan 11, 2010.
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*OneLife Ministries is a ministry of Brian Kenneth Wilcox, SW Florida. Brian lives a vowed life and with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis. While within the Christian path, he is an ecumenical-interspiritual teacher, author, and chaplain. He is Senior Chaplain for the Charlotte County Jail, Punta Gorda, FL.
*Brian welcomes responses to his writings at briankwilcox@yahoo.com . Also, Brian is on Facebook: search Brian Kenneth Wilcox.
*You can order his book An Ache for Union from major booksellers.
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