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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, 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
Pastor-Teacher, Author, Workshop Leader, Spiritual Counselor, Chaplain
OPENING PRAYER
Father, Mother, God,
Thank you for your presence
during the hard and mean days.
For then we have you to lean upon.
Thank you for your presence
during the bright and sunny days,
for then we can share that which we have
with those who have less.
And thank you for your presence
during the Holy Days, for then we are able
to celebrate you and our families
and our friends.
For those who have no voice,
we ask you to speak.
For those who feel unworthy,
we ask you to pour your love out
in waterfalls of tenderness.
For those who live in pain,
we ask you to bathe them
in the river of your healing.
For those who are lonely, we ask
you to keep them company.
For those who are depressed,
we ask you to shower upon them
the light of hope.
Dear Creator, You, the borderless
sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the
world that which we need most - Peace.
*Maya Angelou. "World Prayer." wwww.worldprayers.com .
LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURES
8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden [lit., delight, bliss], in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. 9 He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives (experiential] knowledge of what is good [helpful] and what is bad [harmful].
*Genesis 2.8-9 (GNT)
1 The angel also showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, and coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Christ] 2 and flowing down the middle of the city's street [the New Jerusalem]. On each side of the river was the tree of life, which bears fruit twelve times a year, once each month; and its leaves are for the healing of the nations [all peoples].
*Revelation 22.1-3 (GNT)
St. John 14.1-6 (NJB)
RECEIVING SACRED TEACHING
John W. Peterson (b. 1921) penned the hymn "Over the Sunset Mountains" at his piano. Peterson approached a publisher. "We would like to use it," spoke the publisher, "but we have one little suggestion. Can you take out this reference to Jesus and enlarge a little more on heaven?" The poem mentions Jesus only three times. Clutching his manuscript, the composer walked from the office with another song coming on in his mind: "I Have No Song to Sing, but that of Christ, my King."
St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407), Archbishop of Constantinople, affirmed, It is not enough to leave Egypt, one must also enter the Promised Land" (In Matthaei Evangelium). And this Life in the Spirit, St. John, in his Instructions to Catechumens, links with putting on Christ.
Let us not, therefore, keep craving after the things of this life, neither after the luxury of the table, or costliness of clothing. For you have already the most excellent of clothing. You have already a spiritual table. You have already the glory otherworldly. Christ is become to you all things, your table, your clothing, your home, your head, your stem.
*Edited, Translated, W. R. W. Stephens. Modern language revision by Brian K. Wilcox.
St. John, speaking of this Christ-centered life in Christian community, refers to St. Paul, in Galatians:
For as many of you as were baptized [lit., immersed] into Christ, did put on Christ.
*Galatians 3.27 (NRSV)
* * *
Life in union with Christ, your being clothed with Christ, is Paradise. The symbolism of Paradise, for Christians points to a Person, not a place. Such is this Paradise, grounded in your very being, St. Paul refers to salvation as a new Creation, or new Creature.
So if anyone is in [oneness with] Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
*II Corinthians 5.l7 (NRSV)
* * *
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, Paradise is intuited as a spiritual condition lost. Like in Platonic thought, we are seeking a return to this Paradise.
There was an innocence lost; Paradise lost is innocence lost. Innocence is from the Latin. The Latin means, "not to harm," or "non-harming." This is why in the story of the Garden of Eden, there is no harming of human or animal life.
Heaven is a restoration of innocence, a redemption of all brokenness, a resolution of all violence. That is why in the symbol of the New Jerusalem we find the Tree of Life. This Tree was in the Garden of Eden. The New Jerusalem, another way of referring to Paradise, Heaven, Afterlife, Eternal Life, ... is, then, a place of healing for "all nations." As in writing from yesterday, we see the radical inclusiveness of Grace.
Henceforth, be-coming a new Creation, or creature, is receiving into oneself, and by spiritual immersion in Christ, this restoration of everything in Grace. A person co-operating in the Divine Spirit in his or her redemption, or healing, is participating in the healing of the world, indeed, all creation.
* * *
This returns us to the affirmation of St. John that we are not only to leave Egypt, we are to enter the Promised Land. The theme of Promised Land is of one with all the images, cross-culturally, of a common hope in the renewal of all creation in Faith, Hope, and Love.
Certainly, certain persons have had experiences of ecstasy that we could call an experience of Paradise. This includes persons who have had near death experiences. Yet, we cannot conclude these are a full or final experience of Paradise in itself. These may be more glimpses into a measure of what we hope at last to experience. St. Paul had this kind of experience, and he speaks of it in the cosmology of his day - entering a third heaven - yet, this is in a cosmology that entailed more heavens.
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago - still in the body? I do not know; or out of the body? I do not know: God knows - was caught up right into the third heaven. 3 And I know that this man - still in the body? or outside the body? I do not know, God knows - 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard words said that cannot and may not be spoken by any human being.
*II Corinthians 12.2-4 (NJB)
Obviously, the mystical tenor of the revelation left St. Paul confused about what had happened. Yet, there were words heard that he could not share with anyone.
We need to beware of seeking such experience. This is unsafe for us if unprepared for them. And this is not the Paradise we are longing for, only a partial revelation: in St. Pauls' way of speaking - third heaven, not seventh heaven. I would caution all to beware of all new agey works recommending means to do things like astral travel or contact spirits .... If you have Christ as real and the Holy Spirit alive within you, you do not need other so-called spiritual experiences.
* * *
How we we enter Paradise as a spiritual experience, even outside of ecstatic experience? How do we not only get from Egypt, but into the Promised Land?
Let us look into the Mystery of the Cross, for the Cross replies to all the questions we can ask of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
39 One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" 40 The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, "Don't you fear God? You received the same sentence he did. 41 Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong." 42 And he said to Jesus, "Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!" 43 Jesus said to him, "I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me."
*St. Luke 23.39-43 (GNT)
See, our entrance into Paradise as an inner, spiritual event is through receptive faith. We have no more power in ourselves to enter Paradise apart from Grace than did that criminal to get off that cross and find his way to Paradise.
* * *
I turn to one of the champions of Christian faith, a man who revolted against the works-righteousness that had come to dominate the Church of his time - Martin Luther (1483-1546). Luther writes, in "An Introduction to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans":
Faith is not what some people think it is. Their human dream is a delusion. Because they observe that faith is not followed by good works or a better life, they fall into error, even though they speak and hear much about faith. ``Faith is not enough,'' they say, ``You must do good works, you must be pious to be saved.'' They think that, when you hear the gospel, you start working, creating by your own strength a thankful heart which says, ``I believe.'' That is what they think true faith is. But, because this is a human idea, a dream, the heart never learns anything from it, so it does nothing and reform doesn't come from this `faith,' either.
Instead, faith is God's work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God. (John 1:13). It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn't stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever. He stumbles around and looks for faith and good works, even though he does not know what faith or good works are. Yet he gossips and chatters about faith and good works with many words.
Faith is a living, bold trust in God's grace, so certain of God's favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it. Such confidence and knowledge of God's grace makes you happy, joyful and bold in your relationship to God and all creatures. The Holy Spirit makes this happen through faith. Because of it, you freely, willingly and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown you such grace. Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire! Therefore, watch out for your own false ideas and guard against good-for-nothing gossips, who think they're smart enough to define faith and works, but really are the greatest of fools. Ask God to work faith in you, or you will remain forever without faith, no matter what you wish, say or can do.
*DR. MARTIN LUTHER'S VERMISCHTE DEUTSCHE SCHRIFTEN. Section translated by Robert E. Smith. Emphasis added Brian K. Wilcox.
See, faith is the way of entrance into a spiritual Paradise, which is no less than the intimate, inner Life of Christ, in the person you are and as you are, in reliance on the Working of God for you. So, we ask; in Luther's words, We ask God to work faith in us. We can even do this with the simple words of the criminal: "Remember me."
* * *
I would advise you to turn from fanciful end time schemes that flood the spiritual supermarket. Rather, what is externalized in the Scripture is meant to be internalized, by the Holy Spirit within us, as a spiritual experience, for now, always. We are each the criminal on the cross, we can each have Paradise in Christ, today. All we do is enter by a faithful reception by faith, of Who Christ is. For Christ is always going into Paradise, and that Paradise is the healing of the nations.
QUIETLY RESPONDING
1) Do you sense a growing delight in your union with Christ Jesus? Explain.
2) What are different means God might use to heal us?
3) In what ways have you found your relationship with Christ to be one of healing for yourself? Christ healing through you of others?
Blessings!
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox
May 9, 2009
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*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
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