Will shares about what is exciting his heart.
Seekers Church is one of my four circles of family. I’m part of a men’s group and I regularly participate in a twelve-step program. Then of course, there is my blended family with Teresa. We enjoy five children and five grandchildren. The web of relationships in these four circles provides me with a stage on which I practice living a life of faith. This morning I would like to share two small steps I have taken on this journey.
For the past three years, I have become more interested in developing a prayer life. I quickly came to realize that I talk about prayer more than I experience prayer. I also noticed how distracted I become when I prayed. Out of curiosity, I decided to follow a path to prayer using the metaphor of the soul as an interior castle as described by Teresa of Avila, a sixteenth century saint. Recently I found myself praying in one of castle rooms and the following questions were posed: “What choices have brought me happiness? Was my happiness the result of an odd mixture of experiences that seemed to come out of the blue? or was much of my happiness the result of something I chose?” These questions seemed to open my senses to a wider view of how my prayers are answered.
As a result of contemplation of the above questions, when working with the lectionary, recently, I read a statement of Jesus which really “grabbed my heart” and help me find my answers. Jesus said, “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Jesus subsequent statements, however, did not penetrate my consciousness until last week. Jesus further said, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (v14-16). These words grabbed my heart because I realized that my happiness comes from a friendly, spirit filled relationship with the Divine. Thus my happiness was a result of being chosen and my acceptance of the gift.
I continue to worship with Seekers because of the opportunities I am afforded to preach, to lead a retreat, or to share spiritual insights like this. Seekers Church offers me a safe stage (or I like to say “playground”) for expressing my life of faith.
June 2018
