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Posts Tagged ‘communion’

Conversion in a Vacuum

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 15, 2009| 2 Comments »

Acts 13:21b-22a
Then they [Paul and Barnabas] returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.

There were no Bibles for the new Christ-followers in Asia Minor, particularly the gentile converts. There were no “new believers’ kit” and there were no pamphlets. There were no “4 Spiritual Laws” and there were no welcome packets or prayer cards. There were no mentors nearby and no “big sisters or big brothers.” There were no pastors or Jesus-believing rabbi’s.

They had each other.

They had what they could remember from the introductory teachings of Paul and Barnabas. And, if they were lucky, they might have access to a free-spirited Jew who might share with them what he (or she… maybe) knew of the Law or perhaps there was someone who had memorized portions of the psalms and would sing/speak them. Only later, did they have the letters. And still much later, they had a few visits from other believers who trusted Paul and Barnabas and were willing to teach the message of Christ to the gentile converts.

They had prayer, their first and most vital connection to their faith. They had the Holy Spirit.

Their ability to “remain true to the faith” was under girded by the Holy Spirit. And I believe the message was a simple one. They were not dissecting the written word. They had the witness of Paul, Barnabas, and the resonance of truth within.

When I first asked Christ to guide my life, I was alone. I had had the witness of one fallible man, Tom, who had tricked me into reading the New Testament. And on the night I finished reading that Gideon edition of the New Testament, I could not call the essential message a lie. And if it was not a lie, then I had to reckon with the truths.

It is the essential messages that reach the heart: God loves human beings so much that God sent his son-self as a human to teach and show people the nature of the kingdom of God. Jesus proved himself and the kingdom over and over again. He loved and he served and he died (by choice). That sacrificial act made it possible for people to commune directly with God. Jesus then arose from the dead by the power of the Spirit. And that same Spirit manifests the kingdom of God within those who believe to this day. This is how faith operates. This is why we can commune (pray) with God.

But people want to codify the faith. They write, they translate, they extrapolate, they simplify, they complicate, they erase, they add, they emphasize, they minimize, they err, they correct, they change, they rearrange, they chisel, they smooth, they broadcast, they whisper, they blog, they twitter, the IM, they sing, they proclaim, they conceal.

Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [Luke 10:27]

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Power of a Name

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , on August 31, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 17:11b-12a
“…protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me….” [Jesus praying]

I read a lot of fantasy and the power of person’s “true name” is peppered throughout these stories. The norm is that there is power in a person’s true name. If someone knows a person’s true name, it’s mystical knowledge and one can compel the person in some way by using the name.

This probably evolved from scripture (and other religious literature), the power of a name. Historically, at least in Jewish culture, God’s name could not even be spoken. Instead, letters were used as a placeholder for the name, YHWH, in writing, and verbally, people extolled God’s characteristics instead: Mighty One, Holy One, etc.

But in this passage, we have Jesus referring to the power of God’s name and the power of the name God gave to Jesus. The primary attributes of these names are protection and the consummation of relationship. God gave Jesus a name and Jesus is giving us a name. In other passages, Jesus encourages us to use His name while praying or making supplications. It’s common practice today to end a prayer with the phrase, “in the name of Jesus.” We are working the promised power of His name. But what does all this really mean? I wish I knew.

In recent years, people have become more and more interested in the meanings of their names. I think that’s a good thing. Parents choose more carefully. And in some cultures, parents even create unique names as gifts to their children.

My name, Irmgarde, means guardian of a small space. When I discovered that meaning (and not the one my mother had always told me), I found myself walking it out with a kind of power. I found a contentment in a name I have found difficult to carry over the years.

When we adopted our teen aged daughter three years ago, one of her requests was that we would “rename” her. She wanted to give us that authority. Her new name would be a sign of her new life. As a family, we decided on Liliana Victoria, a beautiful name. Liliana is a derivative of Lily which is a symbol for purity. And Victoria is the feminine form of victory. Both meanings are powerful for her and she has embraced them.

And yet, there is still that “true name” underneath them all. There is the name that God gave to Jesus and the name Jesus gives to us. When we accept Christ, we are given a new name just like my daughter was given a new name. It’s a mystery. For now, we can use the characteristics, much as we do for God. We are children of God… babe chicks under His wings… His beloved … His bride. Many different relationships are expressed in these descriptions. But there is single name for each of us that makes us ONE with God. That’s the name I seek…. one day I’ll hear that name called and I’ll know.

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Bread of Heaven

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , on June 13, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 6:41
At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

The Jews of that time understood this image and didn’t like it because Jesus referred to himself metaphorically as manna [Exodus 16]. While the Jews wandered in the desert, manna appeared each morning with the dew and was only enough for that one day (except on Friday when enough was collected and lasted 2 days over the Sabbath). The message is a simple one for us then: we are to eat the Bread of Heaven daily. We are to participate and partake of Him daily.

In Matthew 6:34, Jesus is recorded as saying “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Each day is different and each day has different challenges.

It makes me want to return to a more Catholic tradition of communion each day. I can see the power of that imagery. I can feel the power of that act.

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On Virtue 4

Posted in Fifty days with Jesus, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 15, 2008| Leave a Comment »

In order to “do good” or choose good over evil, one must first “recognize” what is good. That may seem obvious but I’m not so sure in today’s world that it is done so easily. The world has become quite complex and the “knowing” of what is good requires thoughtful and prayerful attention.

Certainly, the Word gives us a strong foundation for choosing good, but this element seems to fall under “knowledge” which is our 3rd step noted in our anchor verses, II Peter 1:3-10. Choosing the virtuous or excellently moral way comes first. So, if it is not based on our own knowledge, it must be rooted within and then tempered and fine-tuned with knowledge.

Let’s remember, the foundation was faith. If we have grounded ourselves in faith and communion and intimacy with the Lord, our ability to recognize “good” begins there. A key element then is hearing the Lord within our spirits. It is important to nurture that sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, our Teacher and Counselor, who is always speaking, whispering, and encouraging, “go this way, not that way.”

Touch the Spirit in prayer and the ability to identify and “choose good” grows from that seed of faith.

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