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Lenten Devotionals 2009
Welcome to OneLife Ministries. This site is designed to lead you prayerfully into a heart experience of the Presence of God, Who is Love. While it focuses on Christian teaching, the writer hopes persons of other faiths will find inspiration here, also. Please share this ministry with others, and I hope you return soon. There is a new offering daily.
Blessings,
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox
Pastor-Teacher, Author, Workshop Leader,
Spiritual Counselor, Chaplain
PRAYERFUL ENTERING
Let the following sentences be preparation for entering into the Inner Sanctuary of the Heart of Hearts...
Divine Love, you are here with me
You are coming from outside me
You are arising from within me
Your Spirit and my spirit are becoming one.
You are meeting me
in many ways
in many places
through many persons.
You are
changing me, more and more,
into the Likeness of YourSelf.
I am here
I am receptive.
I invite you fully into my self
my body
my heart
my mind
my soul.
*Brian K. Wilcox.
LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURES
18And some people came carrying a crippled man on a mat. They tried to take him inside the house and put him in front of Jesus. 19But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they went up on the roof, where they removed some tiles and let the mat down in the middle of the room. 20When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, "My friend, your sins are forgiven."
*Luke 5.18-20 (CEV)
RECEIVING SACRED TEACHING
In Scripture we are often urged to believe, have faith, or trust God. What happens when we seem unable to trust?
Watchman Nee (Ni To-Sheng) became one of the most renowned evangelical Christians of the last century. In 1952 Nee was arrested by the Chinese Communist party on false charges. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. The sentence was extended to twenty years. Nee never lost trust in God. On June 1, 1972, while still in prison, Nee died in full hope of Eternal Life.
Nee tells, in What Shall This Man Do?, of the gift of faith. A girl said to Nee, "I can't believe. I would like to believe but I can't! It is no use; I haven't got it in me. The desire is there, but I find faith lacking. It is impossible to believe." Nee replied, "That is all right, you can't believe. But you can ask the Lord to give you faith. He is prepared to help you to that extent. You pray: 'Lord, help Thou my unbelief.'"
In my readings among varied religious traditions, it seems we tend to move often into works righteousness, regardless of what faith tradition we engage: "It's all up to me." Then, at other times, I sense the particular tradition is moving in an attitude of lazy "trust": with the disposition, "It's all up to God. 'Okay, God, you do it all, for I can do nothing.'"
What if neither of these approached is true? What if it is all up to God and all up to each of us?
One of the great teachings of Christian faith, at its best, is accepting an energy, or Spirit Work, in us to assist in the cultivation of trust, as well as all other virtues.
Nee reminds us we, at times, may be pushed up against the limitations of effort. We may stand on the precipice of our exertion and look into the abyss, feeling we have exhausted our trying and there is nothing left to do. This is not a "I just want try" attitude. This is a "I've tried and brought myself to the point where my efforts prove futile."
At this point, Nee is fully right. We Christians, as all theistic major traditions, believe in union with God that fosters a grace, a universal and efficacious energy. This grace is of giftedness and allows us to transcend typical limitations. Remember, at the point of exhaustion of our efforts, Grace meets us as surprising gift.
Sometimes God pushes us to the exhaustion of our effort to teach a fuller trust in the Divine. In the relaxing of our effort, Grace, as Divine Energy, enables.
Do not be hard on yourself for your weakness and limits. It is good to reach your limits, even though it might not be comfortable.
Grace demands our all and reminds us that is not sufficient. Grace is sufficient, calling forth our best in union with God's help.
QUIETLY RESPONDING
Is there an area of your life you are struggling to surrender in faith? Prayerfully confess your struggle. Ask for Grace to work in spite of your lack of trust, and to help you to trust more.
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*OneLife Ministries is a ministry of Brian K. Wilcox, of SW Florida. Brian is pastor at Christ Community United Methodist Church, Harbour Heights, FL, and Senior Chaplain for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Punta Gorda, FL.
*Brian welcomes responses to his writings or submission of prayer requests at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Contact the above email to book Brian for Spiritual Direction, retreats, or workshops. You can order his book An Ache for Union at major book dealers.
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