Discovery or Rediscovery?
“Unless you change and become like children,
you will never understand the kingdom of God.”
From Matthew’s gospel (18:3)
Trying to find God can be a major challenge. Trying to believe in divine presence and power can be most difficult, especially when the wounds of life are so strong and overpowering. Going back to those formative years of our childhood, when a complex world didn’t seem so intimidating, can help. Macrina Wiederkehr (A Tree Full of Angels, page 63) shares her thoughts with us now:
What pains me most these days
Is my inability to reach back into my years and touch the child I was.
And yet,
Loving, living, stirring deep within my soul
That child lives on.
There are days when
My adult ways turn tasteless in my mouth
And the child of long ago starts pressing on my soul.
On days like that
I long to touch that child again
And let her take me by the hand and lead me down a path
That has a heart and show me all the things that
I’ve stopped seeing because I’ve grown too tall.
--Ben Keckler
06.30.08
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Daily Devotions - Friday, June 27
A Prayer from Mother Teresa
“A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink
and find great satisfaction in their work.
This too, I see, is from the hand of God for without him who can find enjoyment.”
--A wisdom saying Ecclesiastes
Chapter 2:24, 25
One of the daily prayers that Mother Teresa used as she delivered her care to children in India seems most appropriate for the work we do in this place.
Dearest Lord, may I see you today and every day in the person of your sick, and, while nursing them, minister unto you. Though you hide yourself behind the unattractive disguise of the irritable, the exacting and the unreasonable, may I be still long enough to recognize you in them…. Sweetest Lord, make me appreciative of the dignity of my vocation and it’s many responsibilities. Never permit me to disgrace it by giving way to coldness, unkindness or impatience…. Lord, increase my faith, bless my efforts and work, now and forevermore. Amen.
Have a good Friday in your labors. And, may your weekend be filled with divine grace notes that refresh and restore your soul.
--Ben Keckler
06.27.08
Editor’s note: Mr. Keckler serves as a hospital Director of Chaplaincy in the greater Indianapolis area.
“A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink
and find great satisfaction in their work.
This too, I see, is from the hand of God for without him who can find enjoyment.”
--A wisdom saying Ecclesiastes
Chapter 2:24, 25
One of the daily prayers that Mother Teresa used as she delivered her care to children in India seems most appropriate for the work we do in this place.
Dearest Lord, may I see you today and every day in the person of your sick, and, while nursing them, minister unto you. Though you hide yourself behind the unattractive disguise of the irritable, the exacting and the unreasonable, may I be still long enough to recognize you in them…. Sweetest Lord, make me appreciative of the dignity of my vocation and it’s many responsibilities. Never permit me to disgrace it by giving way to coldness, unkindness or impatience…. Lord, increase my faith, bless my efforts and work, now and forevermore. Amen.
Have a good Friday in your labors. And, may your weekend be filled with divine grace notes that refresh and restore your soul.
--Ben Keckler
06.27.08
Editor’s note: Mr. Keckler serves as a hospital Director of Chaplaincy in the greater Indianapolis area.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Daily Devotions - Thursday, May 26
Act with Mercy
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.”
--A wisdom saying from the Proverbs
Chapter 3:3
One day Mother Teresa was writing a letter to her fellow laborers in Calcutta, the Missionaries of Charity and their Co-Workers. Her goal was to inspire the workers as they performed their acts of mercy with people in need. She quoted from one of Cardinal Newman’s prayers and added her own thoughts. Pray with me today:
“Help me to spread thy fragrance everywhere I go—
let me preach thee without preaching, not by words but by example—
by the catching force;
let the sympathetic influence of what I do
be evidence of the full love my heart feels to thee.” (Newman)
She then continued saying, “Our works of love are nothing but works of peace. Let us do them with greater love and efficiency—each in her or his daily work both in your home and with your neighbor. Listen to the cry: I was hungry – not only for food, but for peace that comes from a pure heart; I was thirsty – not for water, but for peace that satiates the passionate thirst of passion for war; I was naked – not for clothes, but for that beautiful dignity of people for their bodies; I was homeless – not for a shelter made of bricks, but for a heart that understands, that covers, that loves.”
A prayer: God, may I act with mercy today. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
06.26.08
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.”
--A wisdom saying from the Proverbs
Chapter 3:3
One day Mother Teresa was writing a letter to her fellow laborers in Calcutta, the Missionaries of Charity and their Co-Workers. Her goal was to inspire the workers as they performed their acts of mercy with people in need. She quoted from one of Cardinal Newman’s prayers and added her own thoughts. Pray with me today:
“Help me to spread thy fragrance everywhere I go—
let me preach thee without preaching, not by words but by example—
by the catching force;
let the sympathetic influence of what I do
be evidence of the full love my heart feels to thee.” (Newman)
She then continued saying, “Our works of love are nothing but works of peace. Let us do them with greater love and efficiency—each in her or his daily work both in your home and with your neighbor. Listen to the cry: I was hungry – not only for food, but for peace that comes from a pure heart; I was thirsty – not for water, but for peace that satiates the passionate thirst of passion for war; I was naked – not for clothes, but for that beautiful dignity of people for their bodies; I was homeless – not for a shelter made of bricks, but for a heart that understands, that covers, that loves.”
A prayer: God, may I act with mercy today. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
06.26.08
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Daily Devotions - Wednesday, June 25
Grace of God through New Friends
“May God be gracious to us and bless us,
may the face of the Lord shine upon us
and all the ends of the earth will honor our God.”
--From a Psalm of God’s people,
Chapter 67, selected verses
God’s grace comes to us in a variety of ways. As new opportunities come our way, we gain new understanding about the awesome nature of God’s holy presence among us. I am finding, enjoying, and learning more about the graciousness of God.
You may have noticed that the face of the Lord is shining these days with new friends in your life – new neighbors or employees, new people on sports teams, at church, new members of organizations. It is important that we help welcome and integrate these folks into our community, at home, at work or at relaxation. As these new folks with their hopes, dreams and goals blend with the “seasoned” group, we all discover God gracing us and blessing us in refreshing ways.
A prayer: Gracious God, continue to bless the work of our hands as we join together with new friends and ideas. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
06.25.08
“May God be gracious to us and bless us,
may the face of the Lord shine upon us
and all the ends of the earth will honor our God.”
--From a Psalm of God’s people,
Chapter 67, selected verses
God’s grace comes to us in a variety of ways. As new opportunities come our way, we gain new understanding about the awesome nature of God’s holy presence among us. I am finding, enjoying, and learning more about the graciousness of God.
You may have noticed that the face of the Lord is shining these days with new friends in your life – new neighbors or employees, new people on sports teams, at church, new members of organizations. It is important that we help welcome and integrate these folks into our community, at home, at work or at relaxation. As these new folks with their hopes, dreams and goals blend with the “seasoned” group, we all discover God gracing us and blessing us in refreshing ways.
A prayer: Gracious God, continue to bless the work of our hands as we join together with new friends and ideas. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
06.25.08
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Daily Devotions - Tuesday, June 24
Vertical Listening
“God said to Moses,
I AM who I AM.”
--From the life of Moses, Exodus 3: 14
Active listening is an important activity for everyone to practice. Active listeners believe that the words of the other person are more important than their own stories.
It happens horizontally -- by that I mean the listening we do when relating to others, whether they be family members, friends or persons we meet. It also happens vertically. Today I want to encourage us to spend a few moments thinking about the vertical nature of active listening. By that I mean the listening we do as we practice our spirituality, regardless of our religious background.
When Moses heard the words, “I AM who I AM,” he probably spent the rest of his life struggling with understanding the fullness of those words. Active listening to divine leading can empower us in the tasks and routines of the day. Just this morning I wanted to grab a CD to listen to on the way to work. I grabbed one but, after taking a couple of steps, was compelled to go back and pick up a different one. While listening to this a capella group, my pager went off and I called the hospital. As I listened (horizontally) to the staff person, I realized that I had received a vertical prompting in my choice of CD for the morning. Coincidence? Listening to my gut? Maybe. I am comfortable if you want to view it as that and trust that you can be comfortable with my spiritual interpretation of the happenings.
To take time with the great “I AM,” to actively listen to the inner prompting and to respond without needing all the answers, is what vertical listening is all about. Henri Nouwen writes these words about our horizontal and vertical listening: “As long as we live on this earth, our lives will be marked by compassion.” Enjoy listening to the great “I AM.”
--Ben Keckler
06.24.08
“God said to Moses,
I AM who I AM.”
--From the life of Moses, Exodus 3: 14
Active listening is an important activity for everyone to practice. Active listeners believe that the words of the other person are more important than their own stories.
It happens horizontally -- by that I mean the listening we do when relating to others, whether they be family members, friends or persons we meet. It also happens vertically. Today I want to encourage us to spend a few moments thinking about the vertical nature of active listening. By that I mean the listening we do as we practice our spirituality, regardless of our religious background.
When Moses heard the words, “I AM who I AM,” he probably spent the rest of his life struggling with understanding the fullness of those words. Active listening to divine leading can empower us in the tasks and routines of the day. Just this morning I wanted to grab a CD to listen to on the way to work. I grabbed one but, after taking a couple of steps, was compelled to go back and pick up a different one. While listening to this a capella group, my pager went off and I called the hospital. As I listened (horizontally) to the staff person, I realized that I had received a vertical prompting in my choice of CD for the morning. Coincidence? Listening to my gut? Maybe. I am comfortable if you want to view it as that and trust that you can be comfortable with my spiritual interpretation of the happenings.
To take time with the great “I AM,” to actively listen to the inner prompting and to respond without needing all the answers, is what vertical listening is all about. Henri Nouwen writes these words about our horizontal and vertical listening: “As long as we live on this earth, our lives will be marked by compassion.” Enjoy listening to the great “I AM.”
--Ben Keckler
06.24.08
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