This is the second in a series of posts about ‘Love’ from the Daily Meditations of Fr. Richard Rohr. In this one he talks about our ego’s, and how they can hinder our spiritual life.

Do I love God, or my own accomplishments?

The ego wants to ensure us that the things we do are all significant and worthy of our attention, that this event will make me important. Our activities become attempts at self validation and little life merit badges. We all enjoy putting another check on our life resume, or even on our spiritual resume.

Much religion uses God to bolster one’s own self-image, I am afraid. True religion would not be attached to self-image at all, but only to God. In fact, the closer you actually get to the Light, the more of your own shadow you see. Maybe that is why a lot of people do not persevere on the journey toward the Lover.

Christian life has little to do with me doing anything right. It has everything to do with falling in love with a Lover who always does everything right. What I love is that Lover and not my own accomplishments; nor am I surprised or unduly humiliated by my own failures. We must come to know who is always the Lover and who is always the beloved.

Adapted from Radical Grace: Daily Meditations, p. 23, day 22

Mantra:
Be in love

One thing I particularly like about these meditations from Fr. Richard Rohr, is the way they get me to think about myself in a different light. As I was reading this one, my ‘ego’ was telling me that perhaps I’m doing okay. That was, until I came to the second half of the penultimate sentence: “nor am I surprised or unduly humiliated by my own failures”. Ouch! I’m not surprised that I fail, but I do feel unduly humiliated when I do so. And I can see that that isn’t good. Something else for me to pray about, and to work on, methinks.

The email this came from was one of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. If you would like to subscribe too, and I can recommend them, the website is here: The Center for Action and Contemplation. It won’t cost you anything.

This is the first in a series of posts about ‘Love’ from the Daily Meditations of Fr. Richard Rohr. In this one, he talks about the difficult commandment Jesus gave us, to love our enemies, and asks what we can learn from them.

What can our enemies teach us?

In the spiritual life, your enemies are your best friends. That’s why Jesus makes his most daring commandment that you must love your enemies (Luke 6:27). Until you allow the enemy at the gate to come in, allowing the “not-me” to enter your world, you’ll never be able to face your sin, your dark side, nor will you love others at any deep level.

People who turn you off, people you’re afraid of, have a message for you. We reject and hate our own faults in others, for some strange reason. I’m not saying you have to go out and become best friends with people who threaten you, but you should put up your antennae: they’re triggering something within you–about you. You need them.

From Radical Grace: Daily Meditations, p. 182, day 194

Mantra:
Be in love

I really like what Fr. Richard has to say in this. I can certainly recall times when I’ve found myself taking an instinctive dislike to someone, and realized, when I’ve really thought about it, that what I’ve disliked in them, is a character trait of my own that I dislike too. But I haven’t thought of taking that realization further, as Fr. Richard is encouraging us to do, and try to learn more about myself from them.

The email this came from was one of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. If you would like to subscribe too, and I can recommend them, the website is here: The Center for Action and Contemplation. It won’t cost you anything.

I was intrigued by the title of this week’s piece from Lou Tice at the Winners Circle. In this one, Lou talks about the choices we make between acting out of fear or love, and comes up with some surprising answers.

Love versus Fear

If you had a choice between love and fear, which would you choose? If you think the answer is obvious, what I have to say may surprise you.

If you were offered a choice between feeling and acting out of fear or out of love, which one would you pick? No question about it, most people don’t even hesitate before they say, “Love!” But this is not a hypothetical question. It is a choice you and I are faced with every day of our lives. And all too often, whether consciously or not, we choose fear.

When you avoid success, harm your physical health, or hold back your attractiveness, you are choosing fear. When you fail to set goals, or give up your power to a boss, mate, friend or authority figure, fear is motivating you.

When you deny the truth, feel afraid to say ‘no,’ ignore your feelings or focus on negative feedback, you do it out of fear. In fact, all negative emotions can be traced to some form of fear. And the truth is that you can’t feel both love and fear at the same time. So when you act out of fear, you are choosing to shut out love.

Becoming aware of this process is the first step toward change. It takes work, persistence, and a willingness to risk, but it can be done, and I guarantee you, it’s worth it! Get help if necessary, but don’t wait even one more day to begin. Choose love, and choose it with your whole heart!

Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute

If Lou is right in this, and I’ve certainly no reason to think he isn’t, I can see that I frequently feel and act out of fear, at least in my personal life. And that surprises me a little. I can see that there are times in my life when I feel and act out of love too, but not as many as I would hope for. Consciously, I do choose love; subconsciously, I probably choose fear more than love. So, it seems, that I need to make an attempt to swing the balance of my life more towards love, and away from fear.

Another great post from Lou Tice at the Winners Circle. His posts are always a great help, and encourage me to think differently about things: If you think you might be helped by reading many more of them, do please consider subscribing for the daily emails yourself.

Today is the Fifth Sunday after Trinity. Our Collect today reminds me of the awesome responsibility we each hold as ministers of the gospel. Everything we do should show the grace that we have been fortunate enough to receive, and to share that grace with all whom we minister to.

To help me in this, I try to base my preaching and ministry on two truths. The first is that God loves each and every one of us. And the second is that the gospel is good news (which is what ‘gospel’ means).

I always try to consider how, what I want to say, fits with the God of love, the God who loves each of us as much as if we were the only ones too love. If it doesn’t, then I have to seriously consider whether it’s the right thing to be saying.

And then I consider whether what I want to say is good news for those who will hear it. If it isn’t, again I would need to seriously consider whether I’m saying the right thing.

I hope, and pray, that trying to base all of what I do as a minister of the gospel on those two truths is the right thing to do — fire and brimstone really is not my style. As ministers of the gospel I don’t think it’s a bad gauge for us to be measuring ourselves against, the Love of God. And even though I know I will frequently fall woefully short, it doesn’t mean I should stop striving towards that goal.

I appreciate that people from varying traditions will have differing emphases than me. I don’t think they’re wrong and I’m right, nor vice versa, I just think we’re different, and that’s a part of the countless gifts of grace that the God of love gives us.

Almighty God,
send down upon your Church
the riches of your Spirit,
and kindle in all who minister the gospel
your countless gifts of grace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect for The Fifth Sunday after Trinity
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

It was Father’s Day yesterday, at least, here in the UK. A day when I think about how lucky I am, and a day when I think back to how lucky I was. This is yesterday’s daily email from Fr. Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. In this one he talks about the “father wound” that so many in society suffer from in today’s world.

What do boys need from their fathers?

When I was giving priests’ retreats in Peru, a sister working in the main prison in Lima told me a story I have never forgotten. She said as Mother’s Day was approaching the prisoners kept asking for Mother’s Day cards. She brought card after card so they could write to Madre. As Father’s Day approached she decided to be better prepared. She bought an entire case of Father’s Day cards, so she could give them to the prisoners when they asked. She told me that case is still sitting in her office because no one asked for a Father’s Day card. She couldn’t give them away!

My friend looked at me with tears in her eyes because she understood the source of so much suffering. She realized so many of the men were in prison because they never had a good father or a father at all. Sometimes I think the “father wound” might be the most common wound on this earth.

I wonder if the jails and prisons of the world would not be much emptier if young boys had fathers to bless them, encourage them, and initiate them into manhood.

Adapted from Radical Grace: Daily Meditations, p. 270, day 281

Mantra:
Liberate men to be truly masculine.

As I said, I remember how lucky I was. My father was always there when I was growing up, always had time for me, and always tried to guide and encourage me in the way he thought was right. But he was always willing to listen to me too, and allow me to do what I thought was right. Sometimes that meant making mistakes, him or me, or both of us; but I think we both learnt from those experiences — yes, he was always willing to learn from me too. He’s been dead for quite a few years now; I still love him and miss him a great deal, especially on Father’s Day.

I also said how lucky I am. I’m a father too. My daughters have grown up into two wonderful adults whom I love dearly. I tried to emulate the relationship I had with my father, in being a father; recognizing that it isn’t the same, we are all different people. I’ve always tried to guide and encourage them in the way I thought was right; but also to listen to them, and allow them to do what they thought was right. We haven’t always got it right between us, but I hope we’ve learnt from any errors. It’s good to remember these things, especially on Father’s Day.

But, when I look around, especially in the area where I live, I realize that there are many many youngsters growing up without a father-figure in their lives — or one that changes frequently. And it does seem to be especially telling for boys without that role model to encourage them and initiate them into manhood. And that makes me really sad, especially on Father’s day.

The email this came from was one of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. If you would like to subscribe too, and I can recommend them, the website is here: The Center for Action and Contemplation. It won’t cost you anything.

I mentioned yesterday about talking about “love” a lot on this blog: and here it is the subject of another post already. This post is another one of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. In this one he talks about the differences between divine love and human love, and how we experience the former.

How does divine love differ from human love?

The great thing about God’s love is that it’s not determined by the object. God does not love us because we are good. God loves us because God is good. It takes our whole lives for that to sink in because that’s not how human love operates.

Human love is largely determined by the attractiveness of the object. When someone is loveable, nice, good, and attractive physically or in terms of their personality, we find it much easier to give ourselves to them. That’s the way humans operate outside of the economy of grace.

Divine love is a love that operates in a quite unqualified way without making distinctions between persons and without following my personal preferences. We almost don’t have an outlet in our head to receive that notion! Divine love is received by surrender, which is why the mystics use that word a lot also.

Adapted from Following the Mystics through the Narrow Gate (CD)

Mantra:
Fall into the love of God

This has helped me to come to some understanding, I hope. My relationship with God hasn’t always been smooth sailing; far from it in fact. Through all the ups and downs I think I’ve always known, deep down, that he loves me — even when I went through a particularly rocky period when I fought hard to convince myself that he didn’t. But I think I’ve felt his love most when I’ve been at my lowest, when I’ve given in, stopped fighting, and just let everything wash over me. In amongst all the pain and the mess that’s in my mind, my soul, I’ve also sensed the love of God casting its light like a candle on a dark and stormy night. Perhaps that’s the “surrender” that Fr. Richard Rohr is talking about; and perhaps I can learn something from those experiences.

The email this came from was one of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. If you would like to subscribe too, and I can recommend them, the website is here: The Center for Action and Contemplation. It won’t cost you anything.

I think it’s probably fair to say that I tend to talk about “love” in one way or another quite a lot on this blog; and make no apology for doing so. To my mind, it is one of the most important aspects of our Christianity; and, of course, something that Jesus himself had quite a lot to say about.

Most of the earlier posts on Love have been about God loving us, or us loving God; both, of course, very important. But this Collect seems to be, to my mind, talking about something entirely different; love of each other. The phrase, “law of love”, feels a bit awkward, though. Can we legislate for love? Surely, love, if it’s to mean anything, has to be freely given?

A passage from Matthew’s Gospel comes to mind, which, for me, starts to make sense of the idea of this “law of love”. It comes from that great block of Jesus’ teaching known as “The Sermon on the Mount”:

‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:38-end

In these verses Jesus sets out the ideal that we should be striving to achieve. It’s a very high ideal, and certainly a very difficult one to achieve. But that shouldn’t stop us attempting it. After all, the higher we aim, the higher we will achieve. I think, currently, I fall a long way short — a long way!

However, there are people that have come close to the ideal set by Jesus in the sermon on the mount, even in our own period of history. Mother Theresa of Calcutta, who I posted about yesterday, is one particularly notable person in the last century. But we can also think about Pope John Paul II, the Polish Pope who was the catalyst that helped bring about the fall of Eastern European Communism; and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who helped to bring apartheid to the peaceful end that everyone thought was impossible. I’m sure you can think of many more.

So we can see that despite it being difficult to achieve, or even get close to, the ideal set by Jesus, it is possible — even by us weak human beings. Keep praying that God will help us to keep his law of love, and we may even find that one day, we, too, are getting close.

God of truth,
help us to keep your law of love
and to walk in the ways of wisdom,
that we may find true life
in Jesus Christ your Son.

Additional Collect for The First Sunday after Trinity
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

This day, the Day of Pentecost, nearly two thousand years ago, the Church was born. We think of Pentecost as the birthday of the Church because it’s when the apostles first went out among the people and began spreading Jesus’ message, thus establishing the beginning of the Church. It seems to me that praying for God’s love to breathe new life into the Church is especially appropriate on the day we celebrate its birthday.

I find it virtually impossible to think of God’s love without thinking about that wonderful description of love Paul gives us in his First Letter to the Christians in Corinth:

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13 (NRSV)

The widespread popularity of those beautiful words is understandable; it’s a magnificent depiction of love provided by Paul. It’s interesting to note, though, that Paul probably never intended those words to stand alone, as they so often do. In the context of what he’d been writing, the importance of love was provided as a solution for the various problems that had been dividing the Church. And that’s why I quote them today.

There is, sadly, much division and hostility in the Church today. There is also, still, I believe, a great deal of unity and good in the Church today, but much of that is being undermined by a vocal minority, which leaves an impression that it’s all division and hostility. People question how we can solve the problems without irrecoverably dividing the Church, again. And, yet, the answer is right there in front of us, and has been for nearly two thousand years. Love!

I’m sure that’s really quite an idealistic way of looking at things. But maybe birthdays are days when we can allow idealism to come to the fore. And, besides, with God breathing his love into our Churches, maybe there really can be a revival. A revival based on love.

Holy Spirit, sent by the Father,
ignite in us your holy fire;
strengthen your children with the gift of faith,
revive your Church with the breath of love,
and renew the face of the earth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect for the Day of Pentecost
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

When you look at the churches around about — certainly here in England, and much of Europe, not sure the same would be true for all of the world — it’s very often relatively easy to see something of the power they have enjoyed over the centuries. We have a magnificent legacy in the buildings that are our churches and cathedrals.

The picture above is of Ely Cathedral, our diocesan cathedral. It dominates the fenland skyline for miles around and is a truly wonderful building, both inside and out. Find out more about the cathedral by clicking this link: Ely Cathedral.

Buildings like these don’t spring up from weak Churches. No it needs power to build them. And, while the purpose of building such magnificent buildings is more about God than an overt display of power, power is, nevertheless, one image that is projected by them.

Our Churches aren’t so good at displaying their compassion however. Perhaps that’s because compassion isn’t so easy to picture in something physical. Sometimes you can’t help but wonder if it even exists when you look around at all of the arguing and disagreements between the Churches, both of the same denomination and different ones. It must give a poor image of God at times when you see some of the pettiness that causes untold misery to people everywhere.

But there is compassion in our Churches; both institutional and individual. At Godmanchester, I think, we’re very good with pastoral care. There’s a whole team of people who’s role it is to care for others in the congregation and the town: and a whole lot more people who do the same in an informal, and, too often, unrecognised way. With the other Churches in Godmanchester that is expanding all the time. We’re in exciting times; made more so because the care and compassion is about care and compassion, and not about bringing more people into Church.

And when you read Church websites and magazines, you can see the same kind of things happening all over. The compassion and care is there within our Churches, it’s just that it happens quietly, less visibly.

So, while I would want to pray that our Churches here on earth will be filled with power and compassion: I would also want to pray that they, particularly the compassion, could become more visible; so that more of those who need it can access it. It’s one sure way of sharing God’s love with those around us.

Risen, ascended Lord,
as we rejoice at your triumph,
fill your Church on earth with power and compassion,
that all who are estranged by sin
may find forgiveness and know your peace,
to the glory of God the father.

Additional Collect for The Seventh Sunday of Easter
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

I have always enjoyed sitting by water of any kind — rivers, lakes, gravel pits, or the sea — and probably don’t do it often enough nowadays. For me, it’s a great way to become aware of the presence of God, through the beauty of his created world. I very nearly took up fishing once, just for the excuse it would’ve given to sit by the water for hours at a time, absorbing the peace of God which passes all understanding.

But when the disciples met with Jesus by the lakeside after that first Easter (John 21:1-19), it would not have been the peaceful event I describe. Jesus was dead. Their dear friend and leader, the person they’d invested all their hopes in, was dead. They must’ve been completely devastated, and probably only went fishing because they just didn’t know what else to do.

They’d worked hard all night, but to no avail, and were heading back to shore. Nothing was going right for them, and I imagine they must have been extremely depressed. As they approached shore they saw a man standing watching them. As happened in many of the resurrection stories, they didn’t recognize him immediately. But this stranger encouraged them to do something a little differently, shift their position so to speak. Perhaps they thought he could see something from his vantage point that they couldn’t. But, whatever the reason, they followed his advice, and caught a huge net-full of fish. It was then that they realized who it was on the beach.

And when they finally hauled their catch to shore, Jesus welcomed them with a warm fire and breakfast cooking. That must have been an incredible welcome for those disciples, cold and wet as they were. I can imagine the turmoil their emotions were going through.

One of the things that grabs my attention in this story is that Jesus didn’t really mention the huge catch of fish. Apart from a few fish to add to what was cooking on the fire for them all to eat, nothing is said about them. They were a gift; freely given for the disciples to do with as they would, there were no pre-conditions, no strings attached, nothing — just a gift.

After they’d eaten their breakfast, after they’d been given the gift of a huge catch of fish, Jesus asked Peter, three times, if he loved him. And in doing so, renewed Peter’s calling, and through him the rest of the disciples’, and even our calling too — theirs, and our, calling to love and care for our fellow human beings.

Maybe when we truly recognize, and act on, that calling, that vocation, we might be able to bring others to warm themselves in the fire of Jesus’ love.

Risen Christ,
by the lakeside you renewed your call to your disciples:
help your Church to obey your command
and draw the nations to the fire of your love,
to the glory of God the Father.

Additional Collect for The Sixth Sunday of Easter
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council