Christian Mystics?

St. Thérèse of Lisieux
"Little Flower of Jesus"
1873-1897





Growing up in the Roman Catholic Church, I heard many stories about the lives of saints. I was deeply moved by the way they lived out their faith. Today, I know many of them to be Christian mystics - those who have been touched by God in extraordinary ways.

I think the word mysticism brings about visions of works related to new age philosophies, witchcraft and satanic activity for some people. In reality, mysticism means complete transformation. A Christian mystic seeks to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus.

God wants to reveal Himself to us. It is His greatest desire for us to know Him and lead others to Jesus. We know Him through Holy Scripture, creation, in prayer and the awareness of the Holy Spirit as we seek the will of God - we experience intimacy with Him. We are told the kingdom of heaven is within us and around us but do we have the eyes to see it or the ears to hear it? I cannot close my heart to the Christian mystics because I think they show us how not to return God's Word to Him empty of the response He demands of us in Holy Scripture.

It is said that Christian mystics live the Gospel more intensely and become living examples of what it means to love God with one's whole heart, mind and soul - and to love one's neighbor as oneself. Most of them give up everything to follow Jesus. Their lives are completely devoted to seeking the will of God. Their earthly work is for His love alone and to share that love with others. Suffering and illness to not keep them from loving others. It is common in the life of mystics - despite their suffering and illness - that their gaze remains outward showing the love of God to all that come into their presence.

The Christian mystics are thought to have intimate glimpses of God. Some then know long periods of darkness or the absence of God which is quite painful for them. The world was shocked when it was disclosed that Mother Theresa, an icon of compassion and Christian mystic, lived many years feeling the absence of God and yet she continued on serving others to show them the love of Christ - her faith unshakable.

Thérèse of Lisieux is a beautiful example for homeschooling moms. Often, as homeschooling moms our lives are task oriented. Our days are filled with caring for our children, teaching, laundry, meals and dishes. Thérèse of Lisieux showed her love for God with her
"Little Way" - a spirituality of attention to the smallest details - even the smallest of deeds done for the love of God grow large in potential to reveal the face (love) of God. As we attend to the souls God has given us charge over, even the smallest detail or task done in for the love of God grow the kingdom bit by bit. I hope we can see holiness, instead of some tedious task before us, as we raise our children to the glory of God.

The private revelations of the Christian mystics do not carry the weight of divine revelation as found in Holy Scripture. They are helpful, insightful and inspirational - but not necessary for one's faith. I have found their lives and the way they experience God fascinating as I read about them.

Blogging....

I've been pondering over the last few days just why I find blogging and reading blogs so interesting. Kerry, over at The 10 O'Clock Scholar, has an interesting post about "blogging as a mother culture". Over the last several months I've become interested in how others experience God in their lives. When I socialize (with the exclusion of one friend) no one ever talks about how they experience God in their daily lives. Bloggers do! In the blogosphere, I can see God in action in the everyday lives of homeschooling moms. What a beautiful thing!

My current reading interests (outside of my Lenten reading) include reading about the lives of the Christian mystics - which include Jesus, St. Francis, St. John, The Apostle, St. John, The Baptist, St. John of the Cross, St. Terese of Lisieux, Mother Teresa etc.

Perhaps to some, it may sound over the edge. One of the books I'm currently reading comes with a warning - read with great caution and intelligent discernment. It continues...Holy Scripture is the inspired Word of God - mystics are touched by God in extraordinary ways and are inspirational and motivational. I accept that and read on.

Did you know that 39% of Christians polled report mystical experiences?

Be a friend - if you think I am swimming too far from the shore, throw me a life preserver...

Are You Using Your Spiritual Gifts?

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit,
and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord (Jesus Christ),
and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God (the Father)
who inspires them all in every one.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
1 Corinthians 12:5-7

As part of my Lenten journey, I am revisiting my spiritual gifts. Have you ever taken a spiritual gifts test? I took one many years ago - promptly filed in a church filing cabinet somewhere. I thought, then, that they (?) would call me if/when they found a place to use my gifts. No one ever called...

As I've matured, I decided that it is my responsibility to recognize, grow my gifts and be more open to the Holy Spirit to utilize my gifts. We are all gifted with spiritual gifts - defined in Holy Scripture - if we claim them. God created each of us uniquely and for a purpose...and then equips us to fulfill His purpose with unique spiritual gifts.

For the sake of clarity, it might be best to define and categorize spiritual gifts (which may vary slightly by denomination) into three categories related to God's revelation in creation, proclaiming the Gospel and the supernatural workings of God:

God's Revelation in Creation

Giving - cheerfully & generously beyond their tithe
Hospitality - can really make people feel at home
Mercy - demonstrates empathy through action toward those who are troubled
Voluntary Poverty - consciously maintain a lower standard of living than they can afford
Knowledge - able to develop new ideas valuable for the church
Organization - understands goals for specific areas of ministry and makes effective plans to reach those goals
Wisdom - help others to apply existing knowledge to specific situations
Artistic Creativity - dance, art, music, writing
Craftsmanship - anyone skilled with their hands
Music - singing & playing music

Proclaiming the Gospel & Helping People Grow in Knowledge of Christ

Evangelism - communicate the Gospel to non-Christians leading them to faith
Missionary - able to utilize gifts in another culture
Apostle - spiritual leaders recognized inside & outside their church
Counseling - serves others through comfort, admonition & encouragement
Leadership - able to set goals for the church AND communicate them so people volunteer to achieve them
Shepherding- able to assume long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual well-being of others
Teaching - able to communicate the Truth in a manner that helps others learn
Helps - used to lighten the load of others
Service - offer the gift of service to meet goals
Singleness - able to exercise gifts content in singleness

The Supernatural Workings of God

Faith - able to discern, with an unusual degree of confidence, the will of God
Prayer - pray for concrete requests over long periods of time
Suffering - enables Christians to suffer for their faith while maintaining a joyful, victorious spirit
Discernment - able to distinguish between truth & deception
Interpretation - interprets the messages sent in tongues
Prophecy - serve as the vehicle for divine messages and communicate it to others
Tongues - able to use a language they have never learned in prayer or for a public message
Deliverance - able to help others suffering from demonic oppression
Healing - serve as God's instruments for restoring the health of others without medical tools
Miracles - serve as human instruments through whom God performs powerful acts that surpass natural laws.

Are you using your gifts from the Holy Spirit, sent to strengthen us in service, to build the faith? My strongest gifts, according the the test I took, include prayer, suffering, mercy, faith, miracles and knowledge. Maybe I found the best environment to use my gifts in homeschooling my children...

When we use our gifts, we no longer have to rely solely on our human wisdom and understanding to carry out our commitments to God and His beloved children.

An "Ism" You May Not Know...

Ableism is a set of practices and beliefs that assign inferior value to people who have developmental, emotional, physical or psychiatric disabilities. Those of us who live in the world of special needs know this as a very real danger to our society in the form of eugenics.

A University of North Carolina professor, Albert Harris Ph.D., made this comment in his upper level embryology class: "In my opinion, the moral thing for older mothers to do is to have amniocentesis, as soon during the pregnancy as is safe for the fetus, test whether placental cells have a third chromosome #21, and abort the fetus if it does. The brain is the last organ to become functional."

For those who may not know, he is speaking of unborn babies with Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome.

Unknown to the professor, a young lady with a brother with Down syndrome sat there to angry to speak. However, she found her voice later.

The resulting debate has been quite public and very ugly at times.

The online communities that support individuals and families with children with special needs are up in arms over Professor Harris' comments. The same is true for online pro-life communities.


As a mother of a child with Down syndrome, I am outraged.

The young lady mentioned above, Lara Frame, has created an awareness project. She is looking for short blurbs (250 or so words) on how your child/sibling/familymember/friend/co-worker/ (or
even yourself) with Down Syndrome/disabilities has changed your life. She hopes to use the University Press to get them published and give a copy to Professor Harris. She is also looking for sibling stories.

Thank you, Lara, for speaking up for those with special needs - created in His image - loved and valued by our Creator with a right to life.

If you wish to contribute to Lara's project, let me know and I'll give you the contact information.

A comment from a reader reminded me: "another way you can stand up for unborn babies with Down syndrome is to sign this petition, then on March 21 (Down Syndrome Awareness Day) send the petition to your Congressional representatives and ask them to support the Brownback-Kennedy Prenatally and Postnally Diagnosed Condition Awareness Act."

I Never Get Tired of These Beautiful Faces....

Look here

Pysanky

If I can do this so can you! Pysanky are Ukrainian Easter eggs. The girls and I had our first lesson a few days ago. My egg doesn't look quite as good as these but who knows what will happen with a little practice! We were promised that with a little practice we would soon be teaching others.

This site has a good overview of the history of pysanky and the process involved. We worked for 3 hours to complete our first egg. We are hooked though!

The Down Syndrome Store

Just opened! When you make your purchases through the Down Syndrome Store, you generate a donation to The Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation. Each purchase will advance research about Down syndrome to accelerate the development of effective therapies to increase cognition in individuals with Down syndrome and create opportunities for greater independence and achievement.

The partnerships are just a click away and truly benefit a great cause!

Valentine's Day...

Is also Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day. Did you know that less than one percent of children (7 in 1000 births) are born with congenital heart defects(CHD)? I have had 3 live births and two children with complex heart defects.

My oldest, Michelle, was born with pulmonary atresia, ventricular septal defect, hypoplastic (absent left) pulmonary arteries - a severe form of Tetralogy of Fallot. Her life was a marked by a series of surgeries and procedures with intervals of relative peace and normalcy. My life was filled with prayers for as much time as I could have with her. When she passed away after a courageous battle for life, I was totally devastated. I took a great deal of comfort that she was in a place where there are no tears, there is no pain - healed and in heaven.

I think the hardest part of losing a child is learning to live this life again without them. She left a huge void in my heart when she went home to our Father in heaven. I resisted learning to live without her. In my irrational, grief muddled mind and with a broken heart I did not want to let go of her. My faithful Lord and Savior walked with me on my journey in grief, making me new in Him, gently bringing me to a place where I could step out and risk life and love again.

Fast forward a few years and Miss K. entered my life - beautiful, healthy and strong! Her only hospitalization was at birth and we didn't stay long! She only saw the pediatrician for well-child visits and immunizations. She gave me a taste of what might be a "normal" life as a mother. Now I know what it is like to parent a delightful teenager!

Not long after that I had a miscarriage discovered 10 weeks into the pregnancy - another devastating loss for me. Once again my dear Savior was there to guide us through our grief.


Two and a half years later my youngest, Miss R., was born. We had no prenatal testing other than routine sonograms to avoid any risk to our newest blessing. Back then the risk of miscarriage from amniocentesis was about 1 in 200. The results of any prenatal testing would not affect our decision to carry this beloved child to term. We waited with great expectation to meet her. She was delivered at a local community hospital - delivered by my dear hubby - after a short, uneventful labor. I knew immediately that she had Down syndrome (DS) and within an hour the pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist were examining her. Approximately 50% of children with DS are born with congenital heart defects. Deep waves of grief came - not because she had Down syndrome but because the echocardiogram showed a heart defect common to children with DS. Could I again live with all that goes with CHD - the anxiety waiting for repair and fear of losing another child?

Mother Teresa said - I know God will not give me more than we can handle, I just wish He wouldn't trust me so much - this my heart cried out too...

A few months passed, filled with feeding issues and appointments with various specialists. My whole life was devoted to feeding this beloved child and chasing after a very active toddler. I pumped breast milk, gave it by bottle, and nursed her 24 hours a day. I tried to hand over my anxiety to the Lord without much success but I felt His presence deeply as I worked to get her up to a safe weight for surgery.

Did you know it doesn't get any easier to hand your children over to the nurse who takes them into the operating room? I've lost count of the times I have had to hand my babies over. At three months of age Miss R. was ready for her repair. The repair was a complete success though complicated by complete heart block. She had a permanent pacemaker (a major procedure in infants - unlike adults where it is relatively minor) placed 10 days later. The pacemaker has little effect on our everyday lives - we do monthly telephone transmissions, visit the cardiologist every six months and occasionally Miss R. needs a pacemaker tune-up with a visit to the operating room. She is my Energizer kid!

I've known twenty plus years living with CHD. I call myself blessed for the time I have known with my children. I call myself blessed by the technology that gave me that time. I call myself blessed by the professionals who used their God-given talents to give me that time. I call myself blessed by their caring and concern over the years. Thank you, Lord, for placing them in my path - I've known the best of the best!

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. 1 Peter 5:10-11

Be Thou My Vision

I've been singing this song for weeks - and driving my children crazy. It's not like they don't like the song but you know how it goes! I'm giving it to you to save the sanity of my children...

My Faith Journey

It is my hope, as part of my Lenten journey this year, to share my faith journey. I think it is important on our faith walk to be able to share that walk with others so that they may see how God has worked in our lives, for others to know the grace we have received and just how faithful God is with His beloved children. I hope you will find a message of hope and joy in my journey with the Living God. It is truly amazing to me to look back and see His hand in my life - even when I wasn't a faithful child.

I don't know if I can tell the story in order but hopefully I can convey His work in a way that makes sense. I am going to start with my Baptism. I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church and received the the Sacrament of Holy Baptism as an infant. In the Catholic (Roman & Anglican) faith we are marked as Christ's at Baptism. We are called to a new way of life in Him and called into community with our fellow Christians. I, of course, do not remember my Baptism but I cry at every Baptism I attend. What a beautiful celebration of new life in Him as we renew our Baptismal vows and again commit ourselves to our covenant with God!

I was an odd child. I am the oldest of five children - four of us were born in five years. Needless to say, my parents were very busy during those early parenting years. I was very (possibly pathologically) quiet and introverted. As the oldest of five, I didn't get a great deal of attention nor did I demand attention from my parents - just a fact - not to say anything negative about my parents. They love me and were just doing the best they could! I did not grow up in a religious environment but my family got me to church in the early years. The greatest impression I have of those years is the parenting I received in the form of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He spoke to me directly and reached into the lonely and dark parts of my heart and soul. I felt I knew Him intimately through His Word and He knew me! I would need Him more than I could ever imagine and am deeply grateful for the love I knew then and today!

Oops...

This is what happens when the wife has been looking for a certain, special recipe in one of the four places she keeps her cookbooks. She is a little rattled because she has been looking for 20 minutes in the same four places. She finally finds the cookbook and leaves the cabinet above the computer desk open. Hubby (who is used to the wife working around him in a responsible manner) stands up, bounces off the cabinet door, and goes directly to the ground - bleeding from the head. It only took 3 staples to stop the bleeding but I still feel bad.

Temptation

This recipe swap at Randi's blog has my mouth watering! Let's just say I am using every bit of self-discipline I can muster today looking at all the gorgeous pictures of food with recipes.

Movies for Lent

As part of our Lenten tradition, my dear hubby and I generally watch movies we reserve for the season:

Jesus of Nazareth
King of Kings
The Robe
The Ten Commandments
The Passion of the Christ
Ben Hur

Looking for other suggestions to add to our journey!

Sharing My View of God's Creation This Ash Wednesday

Covered by a blanket of snow - about a foot so far - a quiet day of reflection...






The snow keeps falling...










Faithful God, trusting in you
we begin
the forty days of conversion and penance.
Give us the strength for Christian discipline,
that we may renounce evil
and be decisive in doing good.
We ask this through Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Henri Nouwen

A Carnival for Lent - An Anglican Family Lent

Has been posted!










See Kerry's blog! I know it has blessed me...


Image: Christ in the Desert by Ivan Kramskoj.

Lent - Fasting and Self-Denial

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting - one full meal and one light snack, both meatless - in the Anglican Church. The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), p. 17, tells us Ash Wednesday and other weekdays of Lent and Holy Week, Good Friday and all other Fridays (except Fridays in the Christmas and Easter seasons) are to be observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial - and traditionally meatless. Sundays are an exception because the are celebrations of our Lord's resurrection. My husband and I limit our diet to soup and salad during Lent - meatless according to what is outlined in the BCP.

In a wonderful book, To God Be the Glory, Growing Towards a Healthy Church by the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman and Mrs. Joann Ackerman, we learn how to live out the implications of the guidelines set in the BCP - additional attendance at mass and other Anglican liturgies, Morning and Evening Prayer, attend a Lenten series at church and/or participate in a Bible study. It is common for Christians to give up something for Lent, but much harder to add something in the form of self-discipline to our already busy lives. How about adding an additional obligation of study, prayer and/or service and give up what is frivolous and unnecessary?

The spirit of fasting is related more to freeing ourselves from outside control, distractions and temptations which separate us from God. Can we let go of that which controls us and give ourselves over to freedom found in a closer walk with the Lord as a child of God? A freedom which allows us to serve Him - to shape God's kingdom on earth.

My children will pick something to give up something important to them this Lenten season - a favorite food, an electronic form of entertainment (TV, Nintendo DS etc.) and it will be hard for them. We will talk about why it was hard when it becomes difficult...and we will talk about how (un)important these things really are.

So how do we go about fasting as serious, mature Christians? It is very easy for me to give up chocolate for Lent. It isn't something I eat frequently, nor do I crave it. I could give up television but I don't watch it. Both would trivialize Lent and do nothing for my spiritual growth or the desired closeness I seek with the Lord on this earthly journey.


Mmmm....what will it be this year?

Lent - Self-Examination and Repentance

So much separates me from the love of God. My sins, though mostly boring and shabby, are uncountable. On Ash Wednesday, we will be reminded that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. Only by His gracious gift, are we given everlasting life. We acknowledge our sins, repent so that we can approach the holy season of Lent with clean hearts.

Many will have made a sacramental confession on Shrove Tuesday and received absolution but this seems to have fallen out of favor. Most seem to prefer the communal rite of confession which some think depersonalizes sin. A sacramental confession is a very effective tool for spiritual growth because of its personal nature as we reconcile our relationship with God.

Self-examination and repentance do not end with the beginning of Lent but continues throughout Lent. In fact, many continue it as a part of a rule of life throughout the year. I grew up in the Roman Catholic church where self-examination and weekly confession were the norm, not the exception.

I have some literature with questions for self-examination that I picked up at church many years ago which can be adapted for all ages which can be used as a guide during this Lenten season.


Me and My Family
How is my relationship with my family? Do we treat one another with love. Am I sensitive to their needs? Do I help them? Do I expect to be the center of attention and have others wait on me?

Me and My Neighbor
How am I at loving the people around me - my friends, my enemies, people to whom I tend to be indifferent, people who are hurting me, people in authority over me? Have I gossiped and lied about people? Am I seeking to create love where there is hatred? Or do I just avoid certain people and situations? Do I apologize when I am wrong? Do I try to make up with others even when I am right or do I just nurse hard feelings?

Me and God
Do I consider god and His will when I make decisions? Have I directed any love toward Him? Do I pray? Read the Bible? Confess my sins? Is God more important to me than success, romance, power, money, popularity, appearance and family?

Me and My Time
What activities most occupy my time? How much of my time is well use? Idly used? Stupidly used? Destructively used?

Me and My Things
How generous am I? Do I give away money and time for good purposes? Is accumulating things or clothes or money at the center of my life? Am I greedy and jealous of what others have?

Me and Myself
Am I honest? Have I stolen, lied or cheated? Have I used drugs or overindulged in alcohol? Have I tried to get others to do these things?

Lent - Holy Scripture and Prayer

As Anglicans, we are invited to approach this holy season of Lent as a season of self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.

Book of Common Prayer, p. 265

I plan to spend a great deal of time during this Lenten season with God's Word and in prayer. I always associate God's holy Word with prayer. Lectio divina - holy reading - goes beyond an intellectual exercise while reading the Bible. It is reading, meditating and reflecting on Holy Scripture until Truth emerges and one finds herself/himself resting in the love of God. It is a difficult experience to describe but a form of prayer I discovered unwittingly while grieving my oldest child. Little did I know then that it is a form of prayer that dates back to the sixth century!

Since our pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the fall of 2006, the Bible has come to life for me in a new way. I was awed by the desolation of the wilderness. I felt the isolation even though I was surrounded by others. My appreciation for the Lord's trials and temptations in the wilderness has grown deeper though I can't imagine the depth of what the Lord experienced there. I walked the Via Dolorosa - The Way of the Cross - where children spat upon us and my dear husband was attacked by a toddler...all because we worship Christ. Please pray for those who are so filled with hate they indoctrinate their little ones.

Lent is a good time to make Morning and Evening Prayer a daily goal in self- discipline that might continue beyond Easter as part of a rule of life. For many busy families it might be easier to add one office a day and building from there for those who have never done it before. Mark time and make it holy by reading the Daily Offices as a family.

I also have my devotional picked out and ready to pick up. This year I am using Henri Nouwen's Show Me the Way, Readings for Each Day of Lent. I am also going to read Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son - and for Holy Week, Nouwen's Walk with Jesus, Stations of the Cross. I love everything Henri Nouwen writes.

I am presently reading my older daughter's devotional for Lent so I can discuss it with her as she reads: Lenten Days, Lenten Grace, Forty Days with Jesus by Raymond Chapman. My youngest, with Down syndrome will use How Many? A Book of Daily Lenten Devotions for Children and Their Families by Arden W. Mead. It seems to be at about her developmental level. I look forward to their insights as we move through this holy season!

Lent Will Be Here Soon...

To make Lent as meaningful as possible, I am planning this year! I am taking full advantage of all my resources so that we can grow together as a family and walk closer with the Lord. Our Lent will be simple - and fruitful I hope.

This article is from my bimonthly church newsletter which first appeared in The Anglican Digest by The Right Reverend Michael Marshall, former Bishop of Woolwich in England and founder of The Anglican Institute:

"The Church's season of Lent reminds us that the gift of God's love and life within us is a gift which, like all human life, requires discipline and practice - even the plain hard work - if it is to come to perfection. The athlete, the tennis player or the concert pianist - gifted as they all are - will all tell you that their performance which makes it look so easy, certainly did not result from just 'doing what comes naturally'...

Are we willing to exercise a similar discipline for the sake of spiritual growth; to bring us just a few steps away from the prison house of 'my will be done' in the direction of the land of freedom where it is 'Thy will be done'? If so, then the equation is inevitable. Less time for self; more time for others - for Bible reading, prayer and (above all) for Worship. Less money spent on self; more available for where there is a greater need. Less self-indulgence; more awareness of others and above all God. In short, a time of practice and rehearsal on earth, to equip us to enjoy the gift and glory of heaven."

As Anglicans, we are invited to approach this holy season of Lent as a season of self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.
Book of Common Prayer, p.265