Month: July 2011 (Page 2 of 3)

Devotions based on Kenneth Boa’s book, Conformed to His Image

We are either defined by our world or by God. “To love ourselves correctly is to see ourselves as God sees us.”  We are always in danger of letting the world define us instead of God. It is so easy to shape our self-image by the attitudes and opinions of our parents, peer groups and society. We may also think we have to perform and earn God’s love. We need to define ourselves by the truth of the Word, rather than the artificial way of the world. TO grasp who we are at the core of our being requires that we know the truths of scripture, and to have the fellowship of other believers. Otherwise we gradually lose who we are and may not grasp our true identity. Grace tells us that we are new creatures in Christ and our past has been changed, that we are secure in Him.  The most important thing about us is not what we do but who we are in Christ. Our actions should flow out of being (our identity) and reflect His character. The more we embrace the affirmations from the Word, the more stable, grateful, and assured we will be in the course of our lives. May we see ourselves as God sees us!

Devotions based on Kenneth Boa’s book, Conformed to His Image

Our spiritual life is an all-encompassing, lifelong response to God’s initiative in our lives, as our trust is in Him.  It begins with the gift of forgiveness and goes on through faith and obedience. It is a journey with Christ rather than a journey to Christ.  We never arrive on this earth for our journey is not complete until the day of our resurrection. In the meantime we are pilgrims and exiles as our citizenship is in heaven. ( Heb 11:13) Nothing on this earth can fully satisfy our deepest longing for that longing is for God. Our pilgrim-life is filled with joy and sorrow, pleasure and affliction, clarity and confusion, comfort and pain, hope and despair  etc. But others have preceded us in this journey and left us some maps along the way to guide us. And God has equipped us with the spiritual resources He knows we will need throughout our journey. This author gives 12 facets of the spiritual journey which I will share in the future devotionals. If we approach our spiritual journey with an open and teachable spirit, we will get fresh insights from the Word, the people we meet, the books we digest etc. One size does not fit all. Because of our unique temperaments and circumstances we will be drawn to some more than other approaches. It is good that we are all different and need each other to grow, for we are not complete without others.

Devotions from Kenneth Boa’s book, Conformed to His Image

God created us for intimate relationship with Him- to know, enjoy, and honor Him. Because God is a relational being, He wants fellowship with us. The better we know Him, the better we know ourselves. Isn’t it amazing that our God who created over 200,000,000,000 stars and knows them by name, wants to seek intimacy with us?  His love for us is causeless, measureless, and ceaseless. (Rom. 5:6-11). God’s love is spontaneous and unending and nothing we do can cause Him to love us less. A prayer of St. Richard of Chichester often prayed today  is,  “..That we may know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly; for Thine own sake.” Loving Him completely involves our intellect, our emotions, and our will. The more we come to know Him the more we love Him and are then willing to trust and obey Him in the things He calls us to do. If we are to cultivate this kind of relationship we need to set aside time in silence and solitude, prayer, reading of scripture etc. The more we experience Him the more or hearts will respond in love and gratitude. May we realize that God is not the enemy of our joy but the source of our joy.  “Our great task in the spiritual life is to will to do His will, to love the things He loves, and to choose the things He sets before us for our good.”

Devotions based on Juliet Benner’s book, Contemplative Vision

As I read this book I saw how spiritual sight is even more important than physical sight for without it we are limited in seeing God in our lives and world. If we go through life “blissfully unaware” we feel disconnected from God and ourselves. To be truly aware in life is to be truly alive. I want to be awake to God’s presence and see Him in everything, not just the good times but in the painful times as well.  I believe God wants us to see through His eyes and to see Him in all of our circumstances. As we do this we will be living out of our center, where our heart is aligned with His. To be intentional about practicing awareness it helps to spend times in solitude and stillness with Him and open our hearts to what ever He wants to do in us. Life is never the same when we give everything to Him in surrender and we become full of joy. At times we might be surprised  where we find Him but with clearer vision we will be alert to His presence. As we reach out to the world we not only see with His eyes but respond with His heart of compassion. May our eyes look to Him and as it says in Ps. 124:1-2 “To You I lift up my eyes…Our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He is gracious to us.”

Devotions based on Juliet Benner’s book,  Contemplative Vision

The life of Jesus was a life of love and He saw value and worth in each person. There was no one that was excluded from his welcoming embrace. He invited His followers to change the way they saw others and to see with His eyes of love and compassion. He wants us to change our perspective too and to reach out to those who seem undeserving and least like us. Juliet uses Giordano’s picture of The Good Samaritan to show us how when we extend mercy to the least of them, we are ministering to Jesus himself. ( Matt. 25:40 ) The word compassion means “to suffer with” and we need to be connected with those that suffer and show mercy and compassion. We must allow ourselves to be close enough to feel their suffering, as the Good Samaritan. There is a Jewish proverb that says most people will not see God because they will not stoop low enough.  As we are transformed we can see our neighbor as equally loved by God as we are.  Let us look at others in our midst and see God in them and have His heart of compassion.

 Devotions based on Juliet Benner’s book, Contemplative Vision

When we surrender our will and life to God we don’t do it out of fear but rather in response to His love. His love risked everything for us and reaches out to us even when we are most unlovable. He desires to unite us with Him in depth and closeness. Juliet shares her thoughts of Peter Rubens painting of Descent from the cross. Rubens created art for the church with the intent to speak to the senses and emotions rather than through reason. It is a moving picture of Jesus close friends lowering His body from the cross. Their love and devotion is so evident in their expressions and each one provides care and dignity in their own way to Him. They are united in their grief and in their attention just as we are with other believers as we focus on Christ. As we serve in sacrificial love we become a Christ-bearer too. This picture was intended to be placed above the altar of the cathedral so that when they took communion the picture of His body was right at the Communion Table. Just think of the impact on those receiving. We also receive His body each Sunday as we receive the bread and the wine and enter into this mystery of the sacrament.

Devotions based on Juliet Benner’s book, Contemplative Vision

When our hearts are transformed by God’s love they become places that offer space of hospitality to all. The Rule of St. Benedict says to let all guests who arrive, whether a stranger or not, be received like Christ.  The gift of hospitality begins in our hearts as we extend grace and love to everyone. That means setting aside our own preoccupations and interests to be fully present to another. When we do this, the space we offer is sacred because God is there. Juliet uses the painting by the artist He Qi, The Visitation, of Mary going to see Elizabeth after Gabriel appeared to her. As she stands with Elizabeth, she looks so humble and peacefully surrendered to God’s will. Elizabeth holds her hand and welcomes Mary just where she is. She lays aside her own story to give Mary undivided attention and that together they can listen to the leading of the Spirit. By opening her heart and home to Mary, Elizabeth has offered her space and safety and undivided attention. She listens with her whole being as she bends her head toward Mary. We are also called to share in each others’ story too. When we accompany others, offering them soul hospitality and space to share their experience of God, we become more aware of the sacred in others. Let us become more ready and available to others and watch with awe and gratitude the transformation that God is doing in us all.

Devotions based on Juliet Benner’s book, Contemplative Vision

Our hearts can only be transformed through the grace and love of God. God is always offering us His love but we have to receive it and allow it to change us. That means being willing to give up our self-centered ways and let Him be the center of our lives. God takes the initiative, calls us by name, and invites us into the fellowship of the Trinity. The author shares comments on Caravaggio’s painting of “The Calling of Matthew”. In the picture Matthew’s finger is pointing to himself as if he was questioning his worthiness to be chosen by Jesus to follow Him. Haven’t we also questioned that in our lives? How can God love and choose me? Jesus hand is outstretched extending the invitation just as He does to all of us. Matthew is being offered a chance to find a new identity as one who is loved by Christ. Jesus never coerces but offers love and life without any questions asked.  As Matthew responded his life was changed and completely turned around for he was loved and accepted just as he was. He chose to fix his eyes on Jesus rather than his earthly treasure. Just like Matthew, Jesus comes to us in the midst of our ordinary activities and pierces our darkness and calls us to Him. May we hear His voice calling us and leave all to follow Him.  A poem by Kathy Hughes called “Love with No Edges” may have been what Matthew must have experienced in is call.

“Love given free of charge,

no strings attached, no puppets.

Acceptance as is,

no judgment, no prosecution.

Love with no edges,

a wide open plain.

No accusations

to knock me down.

Just love warmly leading into the sun

to freedom, laughter and life.”

Devotions based on Juliet Benner’s book, Contemplative Vision

When the Lord becomes the center of our lives, we become aware that His creative love is within us. This enables us to live in freedom, with authenticity, and with new awareness of what is truly important. As our lives are continually transformed we will be willing to die to the things that keep us from Him.  The author shares her thoughts on Ridolfo Ghirlandaio’s painting of “Procession to Calvary” which shows Jesus on his way to be crucified. Jesus bears his cross with courage and faith and presses on toward the goal. I wonder if we can see Him when our circumstances are dark and involve suffering.  The people around Jesus are united with Him in His suffering as well as each other.  Sharing our faith journey with others creates the kind of community where we can help each other see where He is in the middle of our life’s adversities. When we walk the way of the cross our struggles are given perspective and meaning. We know there is always ultimate meaning because of the resurrection. We have a wonderful, glorious, assured destination!!!  Let us share the” fellowship of His sufferings. Phil 3:1.