I believe that it was Rascal Flatts that sang "Life is a Highway." My grandson got me hooked on this song after we watched the animated movie "Cars" for the umpteenth time! Whether or not you like the song or the movie the truth is that life is a highway.
We are all on a journey. Now you may be sitting in the same house you were born and raised in and thinking, "life is no journey for me." But life is a journey and we're all on it. We are all traveling toward a destination that is out of this world. Your body may not be moving but your spirit is. The question is what direction are you traveling in? Are you going forward or are you falling behind? Are you headed toward a heavenly home our have you settled for where you are?
I'm a wanderer. I get bored easily and I don't like the status quo. I used to think this was a problem until I heard the story behind the phrase "wild goose chase." The early Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit the Wild Goose. When they felt the Spirit moving them to take a pilgrimage or go on a mission they called it a "Wild Goose chase." As history has shown the Celtic Christians were not afraid to take up their walking sticks or hop in a boat and go wherever the Spirit led them. They were a restless people who sought out adventure and God used that to spread the Gospel throughout the world. I guess I can attribute my restlessness to my celtic heritage, but I can also attribute it to God trying to get me to move out of my comfort zones and spread the Gospel around the world.
You don't have to travel the world to go on a Wild Goose chase! You can go out your front door and find an adventure. The key is to hit the bricks and spread the Gospel. We Christians cannot afford to stay cloistered in our homes, churches, and monastaries. It is time to hit the highway and move forward in our journey. Stagnation leads to atrophy. Many of my brothers and sisters in Christ are atrophying away.
Is the Wild Goose calling you? Are you feeling restless? Maybe it is time to change course and set out on a spiritual journey. As Mark Twain once said, "Throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails."
Fr. Rick
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
I Can't Do It Alone
Life is hard. It is so hard that many have chosen to give up on it. Some just drop out all together, neglecting family, friends, and work. Others go further and end their lives prematurely. Some continue to go through the motions but on the inside they have shut down completely. Life is hard.
I think we can all agree that life is hard. The question is whether or not it is worth the fight to persevere to the end. I believe that it is. But the problem that most people have with life is that they try to live it alone. They try to fight the battles of life alone and they end up losing. When we lose the battles we end up losing the war.
I discovered long ago that I can't do this thing called "life" on my own. I tried. I lost a lot of battles and I almost lost the war. But then I had an epiphany. I don't have to do it alone. I can have help and I can offer help to others. I also discovered that there is nothing shameful in asking for help. Pride almost destroyed me because it caused me to shut out the love and generosity of others. Wise King Solomon said that "Pride comes before a fall." He was right and he was speaking from experience. Pride almost destroyed him.
God has promised to be with us every step of the way in life. He has sent His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. But more than that He has given us many others to help make it through this thing called life. He has given us family. Even as I write this I know that many people have been abandoned by their families. They don't have that resource to turn to. But God, in His infinite wisdom, has given us another source of help called the Church. Now I know that as soon as I use the word "Church" many will be turned off. They have had horrible experiences with the institutional church, as have I. But when I use the term "Church" I am referring to the biblical concept of church, which is also known as the Communion of Saints or the Family of God. Church is a community of worship, not an institution or building. Church is God's people.
My worship community, All Souls Mission, meets in a house. We are part of what is known as the New Monastic Movement. We take seriously the biblical injunction to "bear one another's burdens" and to have "all things in common." We worship together, pray together, serve together, eat together, and have fun together. We have committed to helping each other fight the battles of life. When we need special prayer, we all pray. When someone is in need, we all give. When one cries, we all cry. When one celebrates, we all celebrate.
We have discovered that, by the grace of God, we don't have to live life alone. We have members of our worship community that have been rejected by society and their families. But they have found a new Father in God and a new Mother in the Church. They have found a Big Brother in Jesus and a Friend and Comforter in the Holy Spirit. Even when the world rejects us and tries to destroy us we have the support of the Divine Family to help us fight our battles and win the war. We can persevere to the end because God is for us, and, as the Bible says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Another thing I have discovered about life is that it is not all about me! One of the secrets I have discovered is that the more I try to help others in their journey in life the more blessed I am. When I stop focusing on me I find myself happy and exhilarated. When I find that I can help others I realize that I really do have a purpose in life and that just makes me feel good. That is the way that God intended it to be.
The Church as a whole has lost this since of purpose exactly because we have stopped looking outward and have become self-centered and self-absorbed. We are more concerned about the color of the carpet in the narthex than we are about the homeless guy sleeping outside of the building. We have become fixated on internal power struggles while Jesus continues to whisper in our ears reminding us that the greatest in the Kingdom of God are those who are the most humble and the most hospitable. Our buildings have become spiritual morgues rather than spiritual rescue stations.
When we formed the All Souls worship community we purposefully chose to call it a "mission" rather than a "church." We see ourselves as a mission station sending the Gospel into the world. We remembered our spiritual forefathers and foremothers who lived out their monastic vows, not in the cloistered solitude of a monastery, but on the edges of the wilderness bringing the Good News to a people who had never heard the "old, old Story" before. We also knew that we would not be reaching out to the high and mighty of society, but rather to the rejects of society - the homeless, the suicidal, the addicted, the lonely, the weak, etc. In short, we know that this Mission is not about us. This Mission is about God and about others.
The New Monastic Movement has helped us to look back to our roots in the Desert Fathers, the Celtic missionaries, and the Catholic cloisters. All of these monastics decided that a Rule of Life, a systematic and persevering prayer life, and the support of a devoted community would help them accomplish their purpose in life and help them survive the trials of life. In short, they realized they could not do this thing called "life" alone. We at All Souls have decided the same. With the help of God and our brothers and sisters we are moving forward to bring the Good News to our community and realizing our potential as creatures created with a purpose.
Life is hard. Don't try to do it alone. Turn to God for guidance and find a loving, caring, outward-looking worship community to help you on your journey. With His help you can win the battles of life, and in turn, win the war!
Christus Victor,
Fr. Rick
I think we can all agree that life is hard. The question is whether or not it is worth the fight to persevere to the end. I believe that it is. But the problem that most people have with life is that they try to live it alone. They try to fight the battles of life alone and they end up losing. When we lose the battles we end up losing the war.
I discovered long ago that I can't do this thing called "life" on my own. I tried. I lost a lot of battles and I almost lost the war. But then I had an epiphany. I don't have to do it alone. I can have help and I can offer help to others. I also discovered that there is nothing shameful in asking for help. Pride almost destroyed me because it caused me to shut out the love and generosity of others. Wise King Solomon said that "Pride comes before a fall." He was right and he was speaking from experience. Pride almost destroyed him.
God has promised to be with us every step of the way in life. He has sent His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. But more than that He has given us many others to help make it through this thing called life. He has given us family. Even as I write this I know that many people have been abandoned by their families. They don't have that resource to turn to. But God, in His infinite wisdom, has given us another source of help called the Church. Now I know that as soon as I use the word "Church" many will be turned off. They have had horrible experiences with the institutional church, as have I. But when I use the term "Church" I am referring to the biblical concept of church, which is also known as the Communion of Saints or the Family of God. Church is a community of worship, not an institution or building. Church is God's people.
My worship community, All Souls Mission, meets in a house. We are part of what is known as the New Monastic Movement. We take seriously the biblical injunction to "bear one another's burdens" and to have "all things in common." We worship together, pray together, serve together, eat together, and have fun together. We have committed to helping each other fight the battles of life. When we need special prayer, we all pray. When someone is in need, we all give. When one cries, we all cry. When one celebrates, we all celebrate.
We have discovered that, by the grace of God, we don't have to live life alone. We have members of our worship community that have been rejected by society and their families. But they have found a new Father in God and a new Mother in the Church. They have found a Big Brother in Jesus and a Friend and Comforter in the Holy Spirit. Even when the world rejects us and tries to destroy us we have the support of the Divine Family to help us fight our battles and win the war. We can persevere to the end because God is for us, and, as the Bible says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Another thing I have discovered about life is that it is not all about me! One of the secrets I have discovered is that the more I try to help others in their journey in life the more blessed I am. When I stop focusing on me I find myself happy and exhilarated. When I find that I can help others I realize that I really do have a purpose in life and that just makes me feel good. That is the way that God intended it to be.
The Church as a whole has lost this since of purpose exactly because we have stopped looking outward and have become self-centered and self-absorbed. We are more concerned about the color of the carpet in the narthex than we are about the homeless guy sleeping outside of the building. We have become fixated on internal power struggles while Jesus continues to whisper in our ears reminding us that the greatest in the Kingdom of God are those who are the most humble and the most hospitable. Our buildings have become spiritual morgues rather than spiritual rescue stations.
When we formed the All Souls worship community we purposefully chose to call it a "mission" rather than a "church." We see ourselves as a mission station sending the Gospel into the world. We remembered our spiritual forefathers and foremothers who lived out their monastic vows, not in the cloistered solitude of a monastery, but on the edges of the wilderness bringing the Good News to a people who had never heard the "old, old Story" before. We also knew that we would not be reaching out to the high and mighty of society, but rather to the rejects of society - the homeless, the suicidal, the addicted, the lonely, the weak, etc. In short, we know that this Mission is not about us. This Mission is about God and about others.
The New Monastic Movement has helped us to look back to our roots in the Desert Fathers, the Celtic missionaries, and the Catholic cloisters. All of these monastics decided that a Rule of Life, a systematic and persevering prayer life, and the support of a devoted community would help them accomplish their purpose in life and help them survive the trials of life. In short, they realized they could not do this thing called "life" alone. We at All Souls have decided the same. With the help of God and our brothers and sisters we are moving forward to bring the Good News to our community and realizing our potential as creatures created with a purpose.
Life is hard. Don't try to do it alone. Turn to God for guidance and find a loving, caring, outward-looking worship community to help you on your journey. With His help you can win the battles of life, and in turn, win the war!
Christus Victor,
Fr. Rick
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
What is a Punk Monk?
I have fallen in love with the term "Punk Monk." I think it describes me and my parishioners at All Souls Mission. I also believe it should describe the Church as a whole.
The dictionary says that a Punk is a member of a rebellious counter-culture group. Isn't that a description of who and what Christians are? As Christians we have rebelled against the prevailing culture of this world. We have rebelled against Satan and the forces of evil. We live counter to a culture that is steeped in greed, sex, and violence by being a giving, loving and peaceful people. And we live our lives, not as individuals, but as part of a group called the Church. According to this definition we are Punks!
The dictionary says that a Monk is a religious person living in cloister and devoting themselves to contemplation, prayer and work. We are a religious people. We come together on a weekly basis to worship the Almighty. We read and study the Scriptures as we contemplate what they mean for our lives. We pray, not just during worship, but everyday at morning, noon, and night. And we work. We all have jobs, whether it be in an office, factory, home, etc. And even though the word "cloister" is used, which means living together separated from the world, we do that as well. We may not always be under the same roof together but we live our lives as part of the community of faith. Therefore we are Monks!
We are Punk Monks! We are living our lives in radical devotion to Jesus Christ. Are you a Punk Monk? Would you like to be? Live your life as Christ has called you to and you will most definitely fit the definition of a Punk Monk.
The dictionary says that a Punk is a member of a rebellious counter-culture group. Isn't that a description of who and what Christians are? As Christians we have rebelled against the prevailing culture of this world. We have rebelled against Satan and the forces of evil. We live counter to a culture that is steeped in greed, sex, and violence by being a giving, loving and peaceful people. And we live our lives, not as individuals, but as part of a group called the Church. According to this definition we are Punks!
The dictionary says that a Monk is a religious person living in cloister and devoting themselves to contemplation, prayer and work. We are a religious people. We come together on a weekly basis to worship the Almighty. We read and study the Scriptures as we contemplate what they mean for our lives. We pray, not just during worship, but everyday at morning, noon, and night. And we work. We all have jobs, whether it be in an office, factory, home, etc. And even though the word "cloister" is used, which means living together separated from the world, we do that as well. We may not always be under the same roof together but we live our lives as part of the community of faith. Therefore we are Monks!
We are Punk Monks! We are living our lives in radical devotion to Jesus Christ. Are you a Punk Monk? Would you like to be? Live your life as Christ has called you to and you will most definitely fit the definition of a Punk Monk.
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