|
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, the writer hopes persons of other faiths find inspiration here. Indeed, "God" can be whatever image helps you trust in the Sacred, by whatever means Grace touches you. Please share this ministry with others, and I hope you return soon. There is a new offering daily.
Blessings,
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox, MDiv, MFT, PhD
Ecumenical Pastor-Teacher, Author, Workshop Leader,
Spiritual Counselor, Chaplain
LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURES
4 The Lord gave me this message:
5 "I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations."
6 "O Sovereign Lord," I said, "I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!"
7 The Lord replied, "Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!" 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,
"Look, I have put my words in your mouth!"
*Jeremiah 1.4-7 (NLT)
RECEIVING SACRED TEACHING
We are as the flute, and the music in us is from thee;
we are as the mountain and the echo in us is from thee.
We are as pieces of chess engaged in victory and defeat:
our victory and defeat is from thee, O thou whose qualities are comely!
Who are we, O Thou soul of our souls,
that we should remain in being beside thee?
We and our existences are really non-existence;
thou art the absolute Being which manifests the perishable.
We all are lions, but lions on a banner:
because of the wind they are rushing onward from moment to moment.
Their onward rush is visible, and the wind is unseen:
may that which is unseen not fail from us!
Our wind whereby we are moved and our being are of thy gift;
our whole existence is from thy bringing into being.
*Rumi. Masnavi. Book I. At www.khamush.com ; Ed. Nihat Tsolak.
* * *
An elderly widow, restricted in activities, was eager to serve Christ. After praying about this, she realized she could bless others playing the piano. The next day she put this small ad in the Oakland Tribune: "Pianist will play hymns by phone daily for those who are sick and despondent - the service is free." The notice included her phone number. When persons called, she would ask, "What hymn would you like to hear?" Within a few months, her playing had brought cheer to several hundred persons. Many of them freely poured out their hearts to her. She was able to assist and encourage them.
* * *
This woman was a blessing, for she was available to God to be a blessing. Certainly, the key to living as a blessing to others is not our ability but our availability.
* * *
Sometimes, we might be exhausted by a mere resistance to being available to the Spirit, to be used of the Spirit as Grace wills to use us. Yet, in the spiritual life, submission is key. Submission makes us available.
J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) served as a missionary to China. He said, “I used to ask God if He would come and help me. Then I asked if I could come and help Him. Finally I ended by asking God to do His work through me.”
This is the essence of spiritual availability. We are not straining to do the Divine Will ourselves. We are not merely working through God's Help. We are, literally – I mean literally -, available to God-Within to work from Within outward in a way that fulfills the Divine Purpose and in accord with the spiritual gifts given us.
* * *
J. Hudson Taylor provided another saying with insight into availability. He said, “God's work, done God's way, will not lack God's supply.” Our surrender to God-Within working through us the work of the Divine Intent is our reliance on the wisdom to serve in concord with the Spirit of God. We cannot work for God any way we want, unless our want to is aligned with the spiritual principles that make our work a truly Christlike work.
* * *
Essentially, then, we are not to focus on a mere imitation of Christ, this regardless of that fact that one of the more famous Christian classics is The Imitation of Christ. Neither does the purpose driven life and church seem to be where our focus needs to be. And this despite two recent bestsellers in the Christian market being The Purpose Driven Church and the The Purpose Driven Life.
Rather, the work of the Spirit is not a work of imitation or drivenness. The work is a work inside-out, a work of inspiration. And our Jeremiah passage today addresses that.
Jeremiah expresses doubts about his ability. God sees his availability. God says, “I have placed the words you will speak in your mouth.” This is about inspiration. Inspiration is God breathing in and through us – blessing in us, blessing through us.
* * *
Rumi, the poem above, reminds us our life is the Inspiration of God. Our life is the Life of the Beloved. Surely, if God gives us this Life, there is a Purpose suited for us each. We are each shaped by the inspiration of Love, to serve Love, to love. And all Divine work conforms to the image of Grace.
* * *
Grace whispered in my ear,
“Brian, your Love waits.”
I looked outside for My Love,
To hear, “No, inside, She is. Hurry! you are already much too late.”
I found My Love inside away from every creature,
And the world became small to me.
No other my eyes wanted to look upon,
No other but My Love my sight cared to see.
We spent much time there in each other's arms,
And such embrace dissolved my long-held shame.
A window opened, soon, within my heart,
and She called to me in the world's delight and pain.
Then, one day, free at last, I awakened alone;
Feeling Her not at my side,
I called for My Love without reply;
I knew not where She had gone.
I went outside, and found My Love in the streets.
Now, two worlds opened as one in Her face.
And feeling a Wind descend upon my heart,
Her hands in mine touches all the world with Grace.
*Brian K. Wilcox. “Touching With Grace.”
QUIETLY RESPONDING
1)In what ways do you sense God working blessing into you? Through you? What forms is your service to others taking? What are you doing for others that leaves you feeling that you were serving in union with the Divine Purpose for your life?
2)If you asked others the question, “What are the ways you see God working in my life?,” what are some of the possible responses you would hear?
3)Is their a way God may be calling you to serve but you have not made yourself available to be used in that way? If so, would you consider praying about God converting your heart to be available so to serve?
4)If God does provide for service done in God's Way, what are some principles and attitudes that you might need to have to work in God's Way?
Blessings!
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox
* * *
*OneLife Ministries is a ministry of Brian K. Wilcox, of SW Florida. Brian lives a vowed life and with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis. Brian is an ecumenical spiritual leader, open to how Christ manifests in the diversity of Christian denominations and varied religious-spiritual traditions. He is 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.
|
