Spiritual disciplines aren't laws or rules they're tools to create space so God can work in us. We can't transform ourselves. That's God's work, by God's grace. Disciplines help us cooperate with the work of the Spirit.
Think of it this way; we don't have the power to make the sun rise, but we can choose to be awake when it happens. Spiritual disciplines help us stay awake.
Jesus said, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"You begin the journey with a wonderful gift, if you already know you are poor in spirit-if you already see how desperately you need God.
Humility is always the starting place for those who want to draw near to God."
"Of course, there's also a disabling sort of poverty that sneers you're never good enough, no matter what you do or how hard you try. The right kind of spiritual poverty is a pathway to seeing God; the other kind prevents you from seeing who God has created you to be. Perhaps your journey will take you from one to the other."
Starting at verse 6. "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."
Maybe if I had really taken to heart what John the Baptist modeled, ministry would have been different. Maybe I would have spent less time trying to be the Light and more time pointing people to it. Inviting them to watch for it dawning in the darkness. Encouraging them to trust its coming.
Tourist or Pilgrim?
I stand at the edge of myself and wonder
Where is home? Oh! Where is the place
Where beauty will last? When will I be safe? And where?
My tourist heart is wearing me out. I am so tired of seeking
For treasures that tarnish. How much longer, Lord?
Oh! Which is the way home?
My luggage is heavy. It is weighing me down
I am hungry for the Holy Ground of home.
Then suddenly, overpowering me with the truth,
A voice within me gently says:
‘There is a power in you, a truth in you
That has not yet been tapped.
You are blinded with a blindness that is deep,
For you have not loved the pilgrim in you yet
There is a road that runs straight through your heart.
Walk on it.’
To be a pilgrim means to be on the move, slowly,
To notice your luggage becoming lighter,
To seek for treasures that do not rust
To be comfortable with your heart’s questions,
To be moving toward the Holy Ground of home with empty hands and bare feet.
And yet, you cannot reach that home until you have loved the pilgrim in you.
One must be comfortable as a pilgrim before one’s feet can touch the homeland.
Do you want to go home?
There’s a road that runs straight through your heart
Walk on it.
by Macrina Wiederkehr
