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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 hope 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 please 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 .
Prayer
Dear Lord, I am not interested in being a spiritual star. I came to have enough of vainly seeking spectacular demonstrations, that I thought would prove my faith and spiritual status - and make me seen as a holy person. Now, I am interested in being a good, caring person, every day. If I would choose between visions or loving, I would choose loving any day. Help me to be quietly content with the little ways I can live a kind, compassionate life among others, and as an equal with them. Amen.
Scripture
3Then he said: I promise you this. If you don't change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. 4But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me.
*Matthew 18.3-5 (CEV)
13 These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.
*II Corinthians 11.13-15 (NLT)
22On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, "We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles." 23But I will tell them, "I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!"
*Matthew 7.22-24 (CEV)
Quotes
St. Therese of Lisieux (19th Century) is known for her Little Way. She realized it was not necessary to do great acts to attain holiness and to express love of God. Her Way was to do little things in faithfulness, a way of humility that seeks to impress no other person with what one does, but simply to act in humble love through small daily sacrifices.
Jesus made me to understand that the true, the only glory is that which will last forever; that to attain to it we need not perform wonderful deeds, but rather, those hidden from the eyes of others and from self, so that the left hand knoweth not what the right hand doth. (Matt. 6.3).
*St. Therese. Thoughts of St. Therese. Original source, Story of a Soul.
To draw near to Jesus we must be so little. . . Oh! how few souls aspire to be little and unknown. . .
*St. Therese. Thoughts of St. Therese. From a "Letter to Her Sister Celine."
Spiritual Teaching
Interesting, do you not think, that in the Beatitudes, Jesus never pronounces blessed the person who has what he or she - or others - call miraculous experiences? Seems the beatitudes challenges the estimation that a person who has or can enact remarkable "spiritual" experiences is necessarily blessed and a person of great faith.
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A man traversed land and sea to check for himself the Master's extraordinary fame.
"What miracles has your Master worked?" he said to a disciple.
"Well, there are miracles and miracles. In your land it is regarded as a miracle if God does someone's will. In our country it is regarded as a miracle if someone does the will of God."
*Anthony de Mello. One Minute Wisdom.
* * *
Wise spiritual directors caution persons about being fascinated with the miraculous, as miracle is typically defined as a spectacular evidence of great faith or spirituality. Such fascination is really for immature beginners, not for those ready to behave more maturely.
Indeed, spiritual spectaculars are open to being counterfeited by psychological symptoms. A person can be mislead by what he or she experiences, and that the person resists a challenge to it likely evidences pride.
That a person can levitate says nothing about his or her maturity as a person or spiritual being. So what? - birds levitate. That a person hangs in the air says nothing in itself about spiritual insight or holiness. All it says in itself is the person can hang in the air like a bird. To say this proves something spiritually is the same as saying it proves he or she is a bird.
Better to temper interest in the spectacular, the miraculous. Better to focus on possibly the greatest miracle you can perform - daily living out a life of humble obedience to the higher ideals - the "Will of God."
Possibly, even disowning the term "miracle" might help some persons. Persons say miracles defy Nature. No, they do not; what is a miracle today is understood within the dynamics of Nature tomorrow. Nothing happens without it already being within the spectrum of natural potential, otherwise, it would not and could not happen.
But, back to our main point - faithfulness. I am not much interested in what you could tell me about amazing spiritual experiences you might have had, but I would like to hear about how well you are prepared to love and forgive your enemy.
See, the "miracle" of all is practicing the Gospel of Love toward all. Otherwise, talk all you want about your "spiritual" experience. What does it amount to, if you are not learning to love and forgive, if you have forgotten how to live gracefully as a common man or woman among other creatures on this earth?
Responding
1. How does the idea of humility apply to this writing?
2. Can we become prideful spiritually? Explain.
3. How can you live out the Little Way of common daily faithfulness? Give some ways.
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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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