November 17-23
This week we are covering the chapters from “Let God Speak Through You” through to “Keep Choosing God” (pages 99-115). If a chapter has spoken to you, please share that with us. I would ask that you start by identifying the chapter by name and then posting your comment. Blessings, Jack
“Let God Speak Through You” – pg 99
What does Henri say our vocation is and how do we grow into it? What are the challenges?
“Know That You Are Welcome” – pg 101
Where do you feel welcome? Why? How do you cope with the fear of not feeling welcome?
“Permit Your Pain to Become the Pain” – pg 103
Henri writes, “Healing means moving from your pain to the pain. What do you think this means? What is the “tie in” with Jesus?
“Give Your Agenda to God” – pg 105
It is not easy to give your agenda to God. What happens if you do so?
“Let Others Help You Die” – pg 107
What do you need to let go of to “discover the true freedom your heart most desires”?
“Live Your Wounds Through” – pg 109
Henri states that, “You need to let your words go down into your heart.” What does that mean to you?
“For Now, Hide Your Treasure” – pg 111
What does this mean: “Finding the treasure without being ready yet to fully own it will make you restless”?
“Keep Choosing God” – pg 113
If we know what the right choice is, why do we so often choose the “self-rejecting way”?
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December 14th, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
Something happened today, something where I could be self-rejecting or choosing God. I’ve been praying for the last hour, taking it to God, and then came on the blog now to see if there were any more additions and discovered again how strengthening and inspirational all the contributions are. Like a soothing balm that is healing because of the sharing of experiences and faith journeys but most of all witnessing to Christ and the hope that is in being focussed on Him. I’m thankful for Him who is more true and more constant than anything we ever go through and for the army of believers who testify to that and pray and write so others can glean ever deeper understanding and comfort of written presence.
God bless,
Sharon
November 19th, 2008 @ 12:22 am
FOR NOW, HIDE YOUR TREASURE
For me, finding the treasure has been that step from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence. To have moved from the religiosity of learning, knowing, doing, to the simple state of being unconditionally loved by the Abba – to know in my heart – not my head – that doing the will of God is His delight and my true meaning in life. This is truly a conscious “Ah-ha” moment. But it is a struggle to make that love my own on a moment by moment basis. And it is that moving from conscious incompetence of knowing that it is there to conscious competence of experiencing it in every details of life and needing somehow to validate it with words to achieving a unconscious competence of being able to bask in and validate God’s love from the heart, not the mind. It is the essence of being a true mystic.
November 19th, 2008 @ 12:20 am
LIVE THROUGH YOUR WOUNDS
We all want answers. We want to think things through. We want to judge what is right or wrong, good or evil. In commenting on Jesus discourse in Luke 13 and Jesus focus on repentance rather than understanding, Nouwen challenges us to use the events of our lives – even our wounds – to turn our hearts towards God and their full the full meaning of life. I may never understand –or control – those things that have wounded me. But I can always choose to cry, “Lord, have mercy” and make the wound a journey of the heart to find God.
November 19th, 2008 @ 12:18 am
LET GOD SPEAK THROUGH YOU
“Your vocation is to speak from the place in you where God dwells.” It is the place of the Holy
Spirit in our lives that is the manifestion of Christ today in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit that brings about the new nature and helps us to be born anew. And it is a choice to listen or not. Speaking words of forgiveness, healing and reconciliation, obedience, radical commitment and service come not from within by nature but come from within by the nature of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The Spirit calls us to give up our guilt, our pain, our alienation in radical commitment and obedience to the Life in the Spirit: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.”(Jim Elliot)
Lord, help me to give up my fear, frustration, anger and pain at rejection to obediently believe and trust in You and that I can walk on water in faith.
November 17th, 2008 @ 12:50 pm
THE CONCLUSION:
Henri is able to look back on this time of anguish and despair and realize that he has been able to finally recognize the Inner Voice of Love i.e. the Inner Voice of God. That Love is sustaining him so he does not rely on day-to-day relationships to fill his soul with love and fill all his expectations. He is able to recognize the triggers for him that could lead him down the same road to depression,despair,and hopelessness. He can then choose to beleve God is truly with him and only HIs Love will take care of his needs totally for Peace and Trust that he is not alone.
Blessing to all..
Judith
November 17th, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
KEEP CHOOSING GOD:
I know that the voice of God is always positive and affirming. I decide what I think,say and do. I can think my way into Peace and Joy choosing to be nearer to God. I can learn from my past and affect my future.
It is not an easy time but I know I have prayerful support of others. God has put spiritual guides along my way.
I need to believe and trust that I am loved,safe and protected . I truly am never alone.
Judith
November 17th, 2008 @ 8:33 am
KNOW THAT YOU ARE WELCOME I’ve not felt that it would be better if I’d never lived, but the following part of this passage captures the nature of my journey almost exactly-it is the core of my spiritual battle, THE spiritual battle. For me, Henri speaks of the beauty of the journey in his book, Life of the Beloved. But it is also a journey of struggle as described in this passage. God always welcomes me.
KEEP CHOOSING GOD The answer to the question above about this passage is that wounds are painful, open up old scars, ravage the spirit and break the heart. It is not possible for me to heal without grace and in God’s time. But if I persevere in faith and trust in Him, despite the circumstances, He will bring me home- when I can get up, He is there, just as when I fall in the struggle. He is merciful, kind and patient- He never fails.
November 16th, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
PERMIT YOUR PAIN TO BECOME THE PAIN:
I have suffered rejection, abandonment, uselessness with specific, concrete circimstances relating to times in my life. Jesus at the end of His earthly life felt abandoned by His disciples; Pilate said hurtful things about Him; and, soldiers physically hurt Him.
Regardless of the specific circuimstances, each person, as part of our shared humanity, is open to suffering thereby participating in the common situation of pain. If I “keep focusing on my pain, I become angry, resentful, vindictive” and seek to alleviate it. But real healing comes from realizing my pain is a share in humanity’s pain and the pain of Christ.. I am called to live in solidarity with all. This is the hope of all Christians.
Peace
Judith
November 16th, 2008 @ 1:44 am
“Let God Speak Through You” I am reminded that “[I] am being prepared for a mission that will be hard but fruitful.” (p. 100) My focus of ministry is a remote village in Mexico. I envision “that [it] will be hard”, yet I am encouraged by Henri’s words “but fruitful”. Current preparation includes a God-given, God-sustained, hunger for Him. As I read from the life of Teresa of Avila, who hungered greatly for God, I was inspired to ask for such a hunger. My motivation may not be as lofty as Teresa’s, but my Lord is honoring my request. The difficulty that goes along with such a pursuit has already begun. I trust the One Who gave the hunger will be the One who satiates it. I think Henri would concur.
Your sister in Jesus, Sylvia
November 14th, 2008 @ 10:29 pm
pp 99 - Let God Speak Through You
Someone, or more exactly someones, have spoken to me words of “forgiveness, healing and reconciliation, words calling to obedience, radical commitment and service.” This is the most important thing that happened in my life. There is such a need in this world for all of us to be passionate in our relationship to Jesus, passionate about serving. What I especially don’t want to do is let my wounded self get in the way of anyone’s developing a passionate relationship to Jesus, a passionate desire to serve. Someone or more exactly someones didn’t let their woundedness stand in the way of my developing a passionate relationship to Jesus. Sometimes I get cranky with people, feeling that there isn’t enough passion for the serious problems that are going on in this world. I don’t want to think that but would much rather focus on how to let God speak through me and let Him take care of things in His Way. Maybe other readers can offer helpful insights on this reading. - Sharon