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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 pray 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 I hope you 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.
Brian encourages support of the 4-Star Christian organization Compassion, which supports children worldwide; see www.compassion.com .
Today's Scripture
9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do."
*John 14.9-11 (NLT)
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God [or, that God is One] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
*James 2.17-19 (NLT)
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Spiritual Teaching
Bruce Larson tells the following, in Charles Swindoll's Living Above the Level of Mediocrity:
When I was a small boy, I attended church every Sunday at a big Gothic Presbyterian bastion in Chicago. The preaching was powerful and the music was great. But for me, the most awesome moment in the morning service was the offertory, when twelve solemn, frock-coated ushers marched in lock-step down the main aisle to receive the brass plates for collecting the offering. These men, so serious about their business of serving the Lord in this magnificent house of worship, were the business and professional leaders of Chicago.
One of the twelve ushers was a man named Frank Loesch. He was not a very imposing looking man, but in Chicago he was a living legend, for he was the man who had stood up to Al Capone. In the prohibition years, Capone’s rule was absolute. The local and state police and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation were afraid to oppose him. But single-handedly, Frank Loesch, as a Christina layman and without any government support, organized the Chicago Crime Commission, a group of citizens who were determined to take Mr. Capone to court and put him away. During the months that the Crime Commission met, Frank Loesch’s life was in constant danger. There were threats on the lives of his family and friends. But he never wavered. Ultimately he won the case against Capone and was the instrument for removing this blight from the city of Chicago.
Frank Loesch had risked his life to live out his faith. Each Sunday at this point of the service, my father, a Chicago businessman himself, never failed to poke me and silently point to Frank Loesch with pride. Sometime I’d catch a tear in my father’s eye. For my dad and for all of us this was and is what authentic living is all about.
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The courage and work of Frank Loesch reminds us of the message of James. James reminds us true faith results in good works. James affirms there is no true faith without a corresponding fruition in deeds.
No, likely you are not called to the kind of daring work Loesch undertook. Yet, in your spiritual confession is an implied affirmation of a work you are to do and and which proves the genuineness of your trust in God.
Without work corresponding to our faith, we are no better off regarding faith than demons, spirits who believe but have no fruition. Their faith is intellectual only. We can assume a demon could affirm many things about God, matters many of us confess in affirmations of faith or creeds. Yet, such words mean nothing in and of themselves.
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As a clergyperson, I am concerned we expect too little of those who commit to faith in Christ. I have seen church after church ravaged spiritually by lack of accountability among members - for the pastor or priest cannot fulfill this function for the members themselves. I have seen churches who have no problem reciting the Apostle's Creed week after week. I have pleaded for accountability, and been ignored always. How much easier to confess our belief than be disciples.
Why lack of accountability? Is it we are too "nice" to hold each other accountable to our common confession? Is it we do not each one hold ourselves accountable and, thus, cannot do that for others? Have we lost touch with the Jesus who was not timid in expectations of his followers?
In most churches we do not hold persons accountable for too much, we simply do not hold persons accountable period. Then, we wonder why churches are dying - and we wish to blame someone: usually the cleric. I have yet to hear a confessing Christian say something like this: "Our church is dying, and our lack of living our faith is what is killing it." Interesting, do you not think?
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Robin R. Meyers, in his Saving Jesus from the Church, writes, in the chapter "Discipleship as Obedience, not Observance," of a man in his late fifties. This man had started attending the church regularly, always sitting in the back. He listened to the sermons closely. For months he came, listened, scratched notes on the bulletin, and left without speaking.
The man, at last, began to engage Meyers in theological talk over coffee. He appeared remarkably versed in church doctrine, Christian practice, and what the life of faith expected of persons. He was well read, and Meyers anticipated, with delight, that the man would join the church.
One Sunday, the pastor was surprised, however. The man approached him after worship service. He informed Meyers he would not join the congregation. Meyers tried to encourage him, complimenting his knowledge of the gospel and teachings of Jesus: "You probably understand the Christian faith better than 99 percent of the people who join this church. What's holding you back?"
The man stared downward. After a time of silence, he said, "I'm a military man, and I know how to take orders. Therefore, my level of understanding is not an advantage. It might even be grounds for a court martial."
Meyers said he must have looked confused to the man. That is when the man clarified: "Reverend, I get it. I just can't do it."
So, possibly, many persons who have not committed to a church or to following Christ are more honest than many among us in the churches - many who may be only "confessing" Christians - which is, of course, a contradiction in terms.
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This story reminds us of something very important: We can't do it. I mean, no one can live up to the expectations of the Gospel of Jesus. Possibly, honestly admitting that we, in ourselves, cannot follow Jesus is the opening to be graced to do exactly that.
In John 14.10, Jesus speaks of the Source of the works he did, and does. His Father did it through him. Is that not a model for us? Is it not apt to say, in essence, any work of faith we do is the "Father" working in and through us His, or Her, work?
Quietly Responding
1. What does it mean to you that admitting you cannot, in yourself, follow Jesus is a potential opening to grace?
2. How might we in Christian fellowship hold ourselves accountable in a graceful manner?
3. Do you have at least one other person whom you rely on to hold you accountable to living your faith confession? If not, possibly, you will consider finding such a person or joining or forming an accountability group.
Brian Kenneth Wilcox July 28, 2009
briankwilcox@yahoo.com
Facebook: Brian Kenneth Wilcox
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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, with friends and under a vow of simplicity. Brian is an ecumenical-interspiritual leader, who chooses not to identify with any group, and renounces all titles of sacredness that some would apply to him, but seeks to be open to how Christ manifests in the diversity of Christian denominations and varied religious-spiritual traditions. He affirms that all spiritual paths lead ultimately back to Jesus Christ. 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 briankwilcox@yahoo.com . Also, Brian is on Facebook: search Brian Kenneth Wilcox.
*Contact the above email to book Brian for preaching, Spiritual Direction, retreats, workshops, animal blessing services, house blessings, or other spiritual requests. You can order his book An Ache for Union from major booksellers.
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