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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 .
Opening Prayer
Grace me, My Lord, with good work. May I take pride in all I do, and do all as unto You, not counting any task too small or any work not good enough for my mind and heart to engage with love for You and those to be blessed by my faithfulness. May I work with all the skills and giftedness I am given, yet work so as to rely on Your grace to enable me to remain in Love at all times, regardless the task. Amen.
Today's Scripture
The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it.
*Genesis 2.15 (CEV)
Spiritual Teaching
About a thousand years ago, a sage felt drawn to a construction site. He watched from the edge of a clearing in the forest, while workers bent over their tasks.
The sage, curious about what was going on, walked up to one worker. He asked, "What are you doing, my good man?" The man looked up briefly and returned to his work, saying rudely, "I'm working!"
The sage was not satisfied with his answer. He walked up to a second worker. He asked the same question, "What are you doing, my good man?" "You can see I'm breaking stones," came the abrupt reply.
The sage was a man of determination; he was not leaving without an answer that felt right. He walked over to a third worker, and he posed the same question, "What are you doing, my good man?" "I'm building a temple," spoke the man smilingly.
The incident opened the eyes of the sage, for all three of the workers were breaking boulders into smaller stones and for the same edifice. But they were not doing the same job; the vision of the temple was only in the heart and mind of one of the three workers. The third worker was working for a cause much larger than himself, and it showed in his attitude toward his work.
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Many treat work as a curse. They speak of weekends as real life, and Monday through Friday at the job as a detour from real life, from joy, from pleasure. This is not the Christian ethic regarding work. In Christ, we are to be free of work as a curse.
The Genesis story of Creation pictures work as innately good, holy, and pleasing. So, if we are not enjoying work, there is something wrong. Possibly, we are doing a work not for us. Or, we are not letting ourselves enjoy the work. Possibly, we need an attitude adjustment - this, for the Christian, would entail seeing our work as a gift from God and a gift to God.
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Work, theologically speaking, is participation in Creation. We enter the creative action of Spirit through our action. Work is a primary means for us to give shape to Love, reverence, and gratitude.
Quietly Responding
1. Do you enjoy your work? Explain.
2. Describe a Christian attitude toward work?
3. Do you see work as a curse or a blessing? Explain.
Brian Kenneth Wilcox August 2, 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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