Month: September 2010 (Page 3 of 3)

Devotions taken from Sacred Romance book by John Eldridge

We Are Lovers

“The Scriptures employ a wide scale of metaphors to capture the many facets of our relationship with God. If you consider them in a sort of ascending order, there is a noticeable and breathtaking progression.

Down near the bottom of the totem pole we are the clay and he is the Potter. Moving up a notch, we are the sheep and he is the Shepherd, which is a little better position on the food chain but hardly flattering; sheep don’t have a reputation as the most graceful and intelligent creatures in the world. Moving upward, we are the servants of the Master, which at least lets us into the house, even if we have to wipe our feet, watch our manners, and not talk too much. Most Christians never get past this point, but the ladder of metaphors is about to make a swift ascent. God also calls us his children and Himself our heavenly Father, which brings us into the possibility of real intimacy- love is not one of the things a vase and its craftsman share together, nor does a sheep truly know the heart of the shepherd, though it may enjoy the fruits of his kindness. Still, there is something missing even in the best parent-child relationship. Friendship levels the playing field in a way family never can, at least not until the kids have grown and left the house. Friendship opens a level of communion that a five-year-old doesn’t know with his mother and father. And “friends” are what he calls us.

But there is still a higher and deeper level of intimacy and partnership awaiting us at the top of this metaphorical ascent. We are lovers. The courtship that began with a honeymoon in the Garden culminates in the wedding feast of the Lamb. “I will take delight in you,” he says to us, “as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will I rejoice over you,”

so that we might say in return, “I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me.”

(/The Sacred Romance /

Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, Spiritual formation

Often our cups are so full of our own opinions and speculations that we miss what God has for us now.  In spiritual formation we need a constant discipline of prayer so we can move from darkness to light. This transparency will change us  in relationship with nature, time, and with people.  We will no longer view property to control but a gift to be received and shared. Time is no longer a random series of events but an opportunity for a change of heart and peace in the present moment.  When people are no longer just interesting characters to meet or exploit for our own purpose, they can be loved, understood, and protected. So contemplative prayer helps us remove our blindfolds and see the world as sacramental- connected and constantly revealing to us the great love of God. Let us have eyes to see and ears to hear and receive God’s truth, beauty and wisdom.

Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, Spiritual Formation

When Henri talks about Spiritual formation, he is not giving steps or stages on the way to perfection. Instead it’s about “The movements from the mind to the heart through prayer in its many forms that reunite us with God, each other, and our truest self.” He thinks of prayer as standing in the presence of God with the mind in the heart, where we are one within ourselves, with God and with others. He names some practices that help fashion our hearts for God.

1. Reflection on our own hearts and times.  Our spiritual lives are lived in the midst of pains and joys of here and now. So we need to look at the way we think, speak, feel, and act to become aware of our hunger for the Spirit.
2. Lectio  divina. Lectio means to read the Bible with reverence and openness to what the Spirit is saying to us in the present moment. We read not for information but of formation. It is a sacred book to nurture us and to unify our hearts and minds.
3. Silence. Without silence the Word of God can’t bear fruit or become our inner guide and speak to us.  It is not an easy discipline but when our minds and hearts are filled with words, there is no space for the Word to descend from our mind into our hearts where it can become flesh and blood in us.
4. Outward journey to community. “Prayer in the spiritual life leads to community, and community to prayer.” In community we discover our own woundedness, but it is also a place of healing.  It is in community that we

       learn what it means to confess our weaknesses and to forgive each other.

Spiritual formation is the way of the heart and the way to freedom. We are set free to enjoy life in all its fullness.

Devotions from Fil Anderson’s book Breaking the Rules

Religion is the self-absorbed search for a way to be in control of our own well-being, says Larry Crabb.  It uses rules to keep us in line and rituals to remind us of our failure to live up to the rules. Shame and guilt compel us to strive to improve our performance and keep up our appearances. But it leaves us lonely and isolated and robs us of our contentment and joy.
But we were really designed to live in intimate union with God. Our part is to open up to Him, to be done with legalism and to enter a deep relationship with Him. It’s not about image and how we look to other people.  God hates when we put on a religious show and turn around and ignore the things that matter most to Him.  We cannot love Him apart from surrendering to His will. “Abandonment to God’s love is the way we find the home for which our souls most deeply yearn and the power to touch the lives of others in a healing way.”

The most remarkable thing is to see the transformation that occurs when His love touches a willing heart! When we walk with Jesus and observe how He does things, no rules are necessary. Let us pray, worship, ponder Scripture, and offer service to others until they become so natural to us that we no longer need rules.

Devotions from Fil Anderson’s book, Breaking the Rules

We actually perceive and experience the world through our memories.  Our memories help us to observe and process new experiences and give them a place in our own unique life experiences. The most important thing to remember is God and His promises. So many times in the Bible we are told to remember. There are some wounds we would rather forget.  We falsely believe that if we don’t think about them, they will go away. They don’t.  Unhealed wounds that are hidden set us up for added sorrow in our relations with God and others.  This behavior can even be passed on to future generations. But if we recognize our memory as God’s gift to us, those things we believe will always plaque us  can be redeemed.  Absolutely nothing in our lives remains outside the reach of God’s love and mercy. If we try to hide or deny parts of our life story from God, others and ourselves, we’re assuming a divine role.  But instead if we let Him bless the past He can take those dark painful parts and bring healing. If we hide and pretend, it can become our identity and mask. We will lose our true self and wind up living an illusion. This goes back to pride that wants to take control and forget the truth of our existence, that we were bought with a price. God forgives our past but he doesn’t delete it. When we are open to face our broken and wounded condition, then we are in a position to be healed and enter a new way of living.

Devotions from Fil Anderson’s book, Breaking the Rules

When we are at home in God’s love and know that He delights in us, are we not more joyful, grateful and free?  Our concept of God is constantly giving our life its purpose, definition and meaning. When our thinking about God is correct, consistent and focused, we have the basis for thinking correctly about everything. But when our thinking of God is incorrect, inconsistent or disjointed, we’re thinking incorrectly about everything else in our life.  Some of us may in fact, have to rework our own self-image if we accept ourselves as being loved unconditionally by God.  “The thing Jesus wants from us, more than any other thing, is our daily, unedited and unbridled response to God’s unconditional love.”  He desires that we give him every conflict, every disappointment, and every hurt.  He wants our attention and for us to be mindful of Him during the unfolding moments of each day. How important it is to be alert and responsive to what He is saying to us!  Let us not hurry through the day without making space for Him. As we do this we become more present, open, and free. Making room for God and belonging to His family requires becoming completely ourselves, setting aside our roles and achievement. As we become small and childlike, we can embrace the truth that we stand before God empty- handed.  All is grace!

Devotions from Fil Anderson’s book, Breaking the Rules

Mother Teresa said, “What I do you cannot do; but what you do I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”   The woman who anointed Jesus did what she could.  Successful living is seeking, knowing, loving and obeying God.  But we live in a world that awards love and respect on the basis of possession, accomplishments and reputations. This desire to achieve only leaves us empty, disappointed and lonely. It is important that we realize our calling to follow Jesus is rooted in where we are, the gifts we’ve been granted and the challenges before us. “Each of us is unique, a one-of-a-kind expression of God’s unspeakable creativity.”   We have a calling that is uniquely ours. It is senseless to compare ourselves with others but instead we must learn to trust that we’ve already been given all that is needed to be the person God has called us to be in the world. Let us be who we are and embrace our uniqueness!  Then we can rejoice for the opportunities that are given us each day to do whatever we can.

Devotions from Fil Anderson’s book, Breaking the Rules

“NO act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. “ AESOP

Sometimes it may just be a word of love but it can be a supreme act of love.  That’s because “when our words become flesh in our lives, the world is transformed.”

Jesus is the living Word and His words and actions are one and the same.  In Matt 5 he says, “Don’t say anything you don’t mean…You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying” I’ll pray for you, and never dong it, or  saying” God be with you,” and not meaning it. …..when you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.” 
How often do we waste words?  Or money?  Or food? Or talents etc.?   It’s true we are a wasteful culture but some of us have adopted religious values that placed usefulness above love for Him. Jesus wants us to be caring for others but He is our first priority. He wants to be the focal point of our affection and we’re to lavish upon Him all that we have, including our very selves.  Our friendship with Him cannot be measured by our usefulness or fruitfulness but by our intimacy and openness with Him.  That means “wasting time” with Him who knows us by name and loves us unconditionally!  We don’t have to be concerned about wasting everything on Him!