The dean of a religious school spoke to the dean of another religious school from the same denomination, “The ministerial graduates of your school are known as the best preachers of all graduates from our schools. How is that?” The dean called up his Professor of Preaching and asked, “Why do your preaching students have the reputation of being the best preachers from all our schools?” The Professor of Preaching replied, “Well, I teach them what the other Professors of Preaching in the other schools teach; like, how to research, how to use the biblical languages, how to detect literary devices, and the importance of praying about the message. But, I teach them something that is the secret to their success.” “What is that?” asked the dean. "I teach them to remember and practice one simple thing after they stand up to preach- Get yourself out of the way.

*Brian K. Wilcox

St. Paul says his intent is a mystical one: "bring each one into God's presence ... in union with Christ." No person in himself or herself can do that. That would be an impossible task, an arrogant or ignorant one to assume without reliance on Divine Grace. Yet, St. Paul is fully engaged with his natural powers to do just this: "I toil and struggle."

Here is the key to St. Paul's success in ministry: "[U]sing the mighty strength which Christ supplies." Where is this "mighty strength"? "In me," says St. Paul. Not in the text. Not in the message. "In me." "In you." God in you. This does not mean the text or message cannot be infused with Grace, with Power, only that is not what St. Paul focuses on in this passage.

Stephen Fitzhenry, in "Qualities of a Contemplative Soul," writes: "It's ridiculous to think we can do anything of value solely on our own. The spirit of anonymity allows the Spirit to be the contemplative's atmosphere, propelling him or her further into mystery."

Fitzhenry, additionally, posits the attitude of a contemplative, which is a key ingredient in spiritual power: "It is the desire to be known only to and by God, to fold into a space in which the individual is not recognized as being special."

Spiritual power pertains to this spiritual attitude. The acceptance to step aside for the Spirit to emerge to minister to the other, and you get no credit for it - for only Christ to be seen, heard, and felt through you to the other.

And, with this, is the acceptance and rejoicing that the True You, who chooses to surrender the self, is a Secret known only to God - where you and Christ are one In Love beyond the "sight" of others.

To be so known only to God, allows one to be more known through Christ, to those God assigns the contemplative to serve in Love.

The less I am seen, the more Christ can be seen. The more I recede into the background, the more Christ moves to the foreground. This requires constant vigilance of self-surrender, a dying on the cross, that Christ's resurrected Life might move and touch through your whole being in His Be-ing.