Sunday, October 16, 2016
Monday, October 10, 2016
Spirit and Ego
Henri
Nouwen tells a story of faith and hope. It is a story about birth and life
outside the womb.
It
can be an invitation for us to think about death in a new way? We can live as if this life were all we had,
coming to an end with death. Or we can choose to believe our divine childhood
and trust that death is the painful but graceful passage that will bring us
face-to-face with God (“Our Mother”).
Spirit and Ego
Imagine
this scene if you will. Two babies are in utero confined to the wall of their
mother's womb, and they are having a conversation. For the sake of clarity we
will call these twins Ego and Spirit.
Spirit
says to Ego, I know you are going to find this difficult to accept, but I truly
believe there is life after birth. Ego responds, don't be ridiculous. Look
around you, this is all there is. Why must you always be thinking about
something beyond this reality? Accept your lot in life. Make yourself
comfortable and forget about all of this life-after-birth nonsense.
Spirit
quiets down after a while, but her inner voice won't allow her to remain silent
any longer. 'Ego, now don't get mad, but I have something else to say. I also
believe that there is a mother.'
'A
Mother!' Ego guffaws. 'How can you be so absurd? You've never seen a mother,
why can't you accept that this is all there is? The idea of a mother is crazy.
You are here alone with me. This is your reality. Now grab hold of that cord.
Go into your corner and stop being so silly. Trust me, there is no mother.'
Spirit
reluctantly stops her conversation with ego. But her restlessness soon gets the
better of her. 'Ego' she implores, 'please listen without rejecting my idea.
Somehow I think that those constant pressures we both feel, those movements
that make us so uncomfortable sometimes, that continual repositioning and all
of that closing in that seems to be taking place as we keep growing, is getting
us ready for a place of glowing light and we will experience it very soon.'
'Now
I know you are absolutely insane' replies ego. 'All you've ever known is
darkness. You've never seen light. How can you even contemplate such an idea?
Those movements and pressures you feel are your reality. You are a distinct
separate being. This is your journey. Darkness and pressures and a closed in
feeling are what life is all about. You'll have to fight it as long as you
live. Now grab your cord and please stay still.'
Spirit
relaxes for a while, but finally she contains herself no longer. 'Ego, I have
only one more thing to say and then I'll never bother you again.' 'Go ahead'
Ego responds impatiently.
'I
believe all of these pressures and all of this discomfort is not only going to
bring us to a new celestial light, but when we experience it we are going to
meet Mother face-to-face and know an ecstasy that is beyond anything we have
ever experienced up until now.'
'You
really are crazy Spirit. Now I'm truly convinced of it.'
Sunday, October 2, 2016
What Is Wu Wei (无为)?
A
Taoist story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids
leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life.
Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the
falls. People asked him how he managed to survive. "I accommodated myself
to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be
shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I
survived."
One
of Taoism’s most important concepts is wu wei (无为), which is sometimes translated as
“non-doing” or “non-action.” A better way to think of it, however, is as a
paradoxical “Action of non-action.” Wu wei
refers to the cultivation of a state of being in which our actions are quite
effortlessly in alignment with the ebb and flow of the elemental cycles of the
natural world. It is a kind of “going with the flow” that is characterized by
great ease and awake-ness, in which - without even trying - we’re able to respond
perfectly to whatever situations arise.
By
Elizabeth Reninger
But
“go with the flow” can all too easily become an excuse for apathy and
indifference.
Friday, September 30, 2016
How Faith Leads to Trust
How Faith Leads to Trust
Dena Johnson Dena's Devos
2014 15 Jul
“Trust
me with your heart.”
Those
words whispered to my heart continue to haunt me, and with each passing day I
reach a deeper and more complete understanding of what God meant.
I
feel as if life is spiralling out of control. God’s promise vanished from my
grip in a moment. My children are being forced to spend a large part of this summer
away from me. I am scared and lonely. My heart is being ripped to shreds. I do
not understand what God is doing.
But,
God continues to tell me that life is out of my control—but it certainly isn’t
out of his control. He continues to remind me that his ways are higher than my
ways, his thoughts are higher than my thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). He continues to
remind me that when I can’t see his hand, I can still trust his heart. He keeps
reminding me to focus my eyes on him, to be still and know that he is God
(Psalm 46:10).
Despite
the fear, pain, and loneliness, I am reminded that God always has a purpose in
the pain. No trial is wasted, and if we cooperate with God, trials always
produce fruit. I have been begging God to show me the purpose of this pain, to
open my eyes to what he wants in this time. And, I am beginning to get a sense
of anticipation for what he is doing.
I
am beginning to see that this momentary trial—as difficult and painful as it
may be right now—is actually a set up. God is setting the stage to step in and
show himself mighty in my life. He is preparing the way to do things that only
he can do, things that will point others directly back to him. He is working in
my heart to develop not only faith—but also a trust in him even when life
simply doesn’t make sense.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight
(Proverbs 3:5-6).
God
has spent the last four years building my faith. The journey has been
unbelievable! In the last two years especially, I have been stretched beyond
what I ever imagined possible. He has brought me to a place where I truly
believe he is able to do above and beyond all I could ever ask or imagine
(Ephesians 3:20-21). He has taught me to hear his voice and believe what he has
to say. I am at a place where I hear the whispers of God, I recognize his voice
immediately, and I then walk in obedience. And, I have an anticipation of
seeing God show up.
But
now, God is moving from teaching me faith to teaching me trust.
I
had never considered the difference between faith and trust, but I am beginning
to understand. Faith is a strong belief in someone or something without logical
proof. But, trust is a firm reliance on the character or integrity of another.
I’ve developed a faith in God—a belief that he is able. Now, he is trying to
teach me to totally and completely rely on him.
In
recent weeks, my world was rocked when a promise I’ve been clinging to for two
years seemed to vanish, walked away, became completely impossible—humanly
impossible. I believed God was able when it looked as if it could be a reality,
when I thought I could make it happen on my own. But now, I can’t do anything
to make this promise become a reality. I must fully and completely rely on God
to do the work.
I’m
beginning to realize that I’ve been leaning on my own understanding. To fully
trust God with all my heart, I have to be willing to lean into him when life no
longer makes sense. I have to be willing to trust him when life is spiralling
out of control, when everything of value has been stripped away. I have to
learn to trust that God is still able when I am not. I have to trust that every
single pain and trial becomes a holy hammer to mould me into his image.
As
I walk daily through the fire, I see how much work God still has to do in my
life—how much growth I have left in the areas of faith and trust. I truly want
to be fully devoted to him, to live my life in a way that takes full advantage of
all the goodness he offers to us as Christians. Even though I know better, I
want to have the blissfully happy life that we tend to imagine.
But
I am learning that the abundant life can be ours even when circumstances are
against us. I am learning to trust that God is sovereign and has a purpose in
every pain. I am learning that if I seek his face in every situation, he will
show me what he has for me. I am learning to be content in any and all
circumstances. I am learning to trust him even when it seems dangerous.
What
is God doing? I really don’t know. But I know that he sees the entire
picture—from start to finish. He has ordained all my days even before I took my
first breath (Psalm 139:16). I am a masterpiece created by him to do good works
that he has already prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). I am learning that
he can do anything and no plan of his can be thwarted (Job 42:2). I am learning
to wait for Yahweh and put my hope in his work (Psalm 130:5).
Even
though I can’t fully understand his ways, even though I can’t grasp what he is
doing behind the scenes, I know that he is taking everything and weaving into a
beautiful mosaic for my good (Romans 8:28). He is my all-seeing, all-knowing
Father who loves me so much; therefore, I can trust him.
As
difficult as it can sometimes be, isn’t it better to trust our lives to the One
who can see the finished picture? Isn’t it better to trust the One who has the
full perspective from beginning to end? Isn’t it better to let him fight our
battles, to let him figure out how he is going to finish the work he has begun?
I’m
tired of fighting. Today, I choose to trust.
Dena
Johnson is a busy single mom of three kids who loves God passionately. She
delights in taking the everyday events of life, finding God in them, and
impressing them on her children as they sit at home or walk along the way
(Deuteronomy 6:7). Her greatest desire is to be a channel of God’s comfort and
encouragement. You can read more of Dena’s experiences with her Great I AM on
her blog Dena's Devos.
Thursday, September 29, 2016
What is the difference between faith and trust?
In life, there are some people you’ve met who are backstabbers,
betrayers, or people who just want to climb up the corporate ladder. We trust less and less as we grow older.
Read the short analogy of The Great Blondin in the article
Can Faith lead to Trust?
What is the difference
between faith and trust?
Answered
by: Ben, An Expert in the Christianity
Faith
vs. Trust:
Quite
often the words faith and trust are tossed about in religious circles. These
words are used like salt, seasoning any dialogue with a distinctly
"christian" flavor. But what do they mean? Is faith the same thing as
trust? If not, what is the difference?
Faith
is a noun.
It
is something we HAVE... As He reveals Himself and His Love to us, this
"knowing" of him in our head (knowledge), and in our heart (beliefs),
is the substance, our evidence, of Him and His Love (Hebrews 11:1 "Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.").
Faith
says "I know Him, and I believe!"...
but
faith is not trust...
Trust
is a verb.
Trust
is something we DO...
Trust
is faith in action! It is the manifestation of our faith in our thoughts and
actions. While faith says "He can...", trust says "He is... and
I will think and act accordingly!"
It
is far easier to have faith in God; there are unbelievers who have this. It is
a lot harder to exercise trust in Him...
A
short analogy (...though based on a real story):
The
Great Blondin
In
the late 1800's there was a great performer named Jean Francois Gravelot. He
was known as "The Great Blondin." He was a "daredevil" of
sorts; a tightrope walker specifically.
One
of his greatest stunts, involved walking a tightrope high above the world
famous Niagara Falls. Blondin performed this death-defying feat more than once,
adding elements of difficulty each time. Once he even carried his manager on
his back!
Blondin
was quite the showman, he had a knack for engaging the crowd, stirring the suspense
and excitement. Upon completing one attempt, he asked the crowd if they
believed a second attempt would be a successful one. The crowd unanimously
agreed it would. Always looking to better his last great feat, Blondin now
asked the crowd if they believed he could cross the falls on the tightrope
while pushing a wheelbarrow. Having seen his previous stunt, and how seemingly
easy it was for him, the crowd had no doubt he could pull off this new, more
difficult one. Again, the response was unanimous, the crowd had no doubt
"The Great Blondin" could do it!
Blondin
was ready to attempt this amazing feat that only he could do, but before he set
out on the rope, he had one last question for the crowd: "Which of you
will ride in the wheelbarrow?" The crowd was frozen, still, silent. Not a
single man or woman responded to his challenge...
All
of those people witnessed Blondin cross the falls on the rope. They gained
first-hand knowledge of his abilities. They had a well founded belief that he
could perform the more difficult stunt. Yet, when it came time to act on those
beliefs, they were silent...still. They did not trust him.
Many of us have seen what God can do, and we believe (faith)...
when He calls us to "ride" with him (trust), will we sit silent? Will
we stand still?...
...just
a thought...
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Faith and Trust
Got Question on Faith and
Trust
Question: "What does
the Bible say about faith?"
Answer:
Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain
of what we do not see.” Perhaps no other component of the Christian life is
more important than faith. We cannot purchase it, sell it or give it to our
friends. So what is faith and what role does faith play in the Christian life? The
dictionary defines faith as “belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or
something, especially without logical proof.” It also defines faith as “belief
in and devotion to God.” The Bible has much more to say about faith and how
important it is. In fact, it is so important that, without faith, we have no
place with God, and it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). According to
the Bible, faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him.
Where
does faith come from? Faith is not something we conjure up on our own, nor is
it something we are born with, nor is faith a result of diligence in study or
pursuit of the spiritual. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that faith is a gift
from God, not because we deserve it, have earned it, or are worthy to have it.
It is not from ourselves; it is from God. It is not obtained by our power or
our free will. Faith is simply given to us by God, along with His grace and
mercy, according to His holy plan and purpose, and because of that, He gets all
the glory.
Why
have faith? God designed a way to distinguish between those who belong to Him
and those who don’t, and it is called faith. Very simply, we need faith to
please God. God tells us that it pleases Him that we believe in Him even though
we cannot see Him. A key part of Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “he rewards those
who earnestly seek him.” This is not to say that we have faith in God just to
get something from Him. However, God loves to bless those who are obedient and
faithful. We see a perfect example of this in Luke 7:50. Jesus is engaged in
dialog with a sinful woman when He gives us a glimpse of why faith is so
rewarding. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The woman believed in Jesus
Christ by faith, and He rewarded her for it. Finally, faith is what sustains us
to the end, knowing that by faith we will be in heaven with God for all
eternity. “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do
not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious
joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls”
(1 Peter 1:8-9).
Examples
of faith. Hebrews chapter 11 is known as the “faith chapter” because in it
great deeds of faith are described. By faith Abel offered a pleasing sacrifice
to the Lord (v. 4); by faith Noah prepared the ark in a time when rain was
unknown (v. 7); by faith Abraham left his home and obeyed God’s command to go
he knew not where, then willingly offered up his only son (vv. 8-10, 17); by
faith Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt (vv. 23-29); by faith Rahab
received the spies of Israel and saved her life (v. 31). Many more heroes of
the faith are mentioned “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered
justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched
the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was
turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign
armies” (vv. 33-34). Clearly, the existence of faith is demonstrated by action.
According
to the Bible, faith is essential to Christianity. Without demonstrating faith
and trust in God, we have no place with Him. We believe in God’s existence by
faith. Most people have a vague, disjointed notion of who God is but lack the
reverence necessary for His exalted position in their lives. These people lack
the true faith needed to have an eternal relationship with the God who loves
them. Our faith can falter at times, but because it is the gift of God, given
to His children, He provides times of trial and testing in order to prove that
our faith is real and to sharpen and strengthen it. This is why James tells us
to consider it “pure joy” when we fall into trials, because the testing of our
faith produces perseverance and matures us, providing the evidence that our
faith is real (James 1:2-4).
Question: "What does
the Bible say about trust?"
Answer:
The words translated “trust” in the Bible literally mean “a bold, confident,
sure security or action based on that security.” Trust is not exactly the same
as faith, which is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, trusting is what
we do because of the faith we have been given. Trusting is believing in the
promises of God in all circumstances, even in those where the evidence seems to
be to the contrary. Hebrews 11 talks about faith, which is accepting and
believing the truth that God reveals about Himself, supremely in the person of
His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the practical consequence of
faith in God is trust, which we prove by living out our full acceptance of
God’s promises day by day. Furthermore, it is by this trust that we are
promised peace: “You will keep in peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he
trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
The
classic verse regarding trust is Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the LORD with all your
heart and lean not on your own understanding.” This verse sums up the Bible’s
teaching on trust. First, it is the Lord in whom we are to trust, not ourselves
or our plans, and certainly not the world’s wisdom and devices. We trust in the
Lord because He and He alone is truly trustworthy. His Word is trustworthy
(Psalm 93:5; 111:7; Titus 1:9), His nature is faithful and true (Deuteronomy
7:9; Psalm 25:10; 145:13; 146:6), and His plans for us are perfect and
purposeful (Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 29:11). Further, because of God’s nature, we
are to trust Him with all our hearts, committing every aspect of our lives to
Him in complete confidence. Finally, we are not in trust in ourselves because
our understanding is temporal, finite, and tainted by our sin natures. Trusting
in ourselves is like walking confidently across a rotten wooden bridge over a
yawning chasm thousands of feet deep. Disaster inevitably follows.
Trust
in God is a feature of many of the psalms of David. There are 39 references to
trust in the Psalms alone, whether referring to trusting in God and His Word,
or to not trusting in riches or the things of this world. It is on the basis of
this trust that David finds deliverance from all the evil he encounters. Many
of David’s psalms describe situations when he was pursued by Saul and his army,
as well as his other enemies, and always did the Lord come to his aid. One
thing that can be noted about biblical trust is that it always engenders
further trust in our God. The man of God never stops trusting in God
completely. His faith may be knocked, He may stumble, or He may fall into the foulest
of sins, but “though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him
with his hand” (Psalm 37:24). The man of God knows that, though trials will
beset in this life, his trust will not waiver because that trust is based on
faith in the promises of God: the promise of eternal joy with the Lord and the
promise of an inheritance that “can never perish, spoil and fade” (1 Peter
1:4).
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
2016 St Vincent de Paul Feast Day Mass and Dinner
Click on the picture to see the photos taken during the 2016 St Vincent de Paul Feast Day Mass and Dinner
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)