How and why I became an Anglican Christian
Fr. Dale Matson
09-13-10
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10, NASB)
I was raised as a Southern Baptist and gave my life to Christ at age eight in my Sunday school class. God for me was a wrathful vindictive God who was to be appeased more than pleased. The sermons were full of law, fire and brimstone. On one side of Church was a plaque “Attendance Last Week”. A plaque on the opposite side of church was for “Souls Saved Last Week”. The altar call at the end of the service seemed like an endless wait for someone, anyone to come forward. I remember feeling guilty about holding hands with my first girl friend as we sat and sang together. My last memory of the church is the Haley’s Bible Handbook which I still have, given to me by the pastor in 1962 for high school graduation. I never went back to this church. Folks came to my parent’s home to persuade me to return and I told them that I needed more time to think about things. They of course, told me where I was headed in no uncertain terms.
“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:17, NASB)
It was half a lifetime of struggle later that I began attending a study called “Life with God”. It was actually an adult catechism course offered by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. In the small catechism, Martin Luther paired “fear” with “love” in each explanation of the Ten Commandments. I believe it was during this experience that I finally connected Jesus Christ to God. In fact, He was and is God. He was a God that I could love. He was a God that loved me. I was baptized as an adult in the LCMS and later was involved in the Charismatic Movement as evidenced by speaking in tongues. The LCMS church was wary of the Charismatic’s. Although they were not dispensationalists, there was a doubt expressed by the leadership that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were still available. The most remarkable experiences for me were a sense of the love the parishioners had for Jesus and for one another and the addition of the sacrament of the altar, Holy Eucharist. It was now a service of both Word and Sacrament. In addition to the concerns about the Charismatic experience, the LCMS did not offer a monastic approach to life where an individual could have varied opportunities for private worship also. It seemed that many of the reformed theologians had neglected the early church fathers with the emphasis on “Sola Scriptura”.
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2, NASB)
Fifteen years ago my wife and I were seeking a church where women were on a more equal footing with men yet I wanted to retain the liturgical worship setting. As we went through confirmation classes I found the “Book of Common Prayer” to be an answer to prayer. It was a worship book for both public and private settings. In addition to the Psalter, it contained the Baptismal and Eucharistic Services, Pastoral Offices, Ordination services, the Catechism, a calendar celebrating the feast days of Saints of the Church and the Historical Documents of the Church. I was now united to the Saints of the church since the Apostles. What a story! This was a continuation of the church of the New Testament. The Anglican Church was for me a kind of reformed Catholicism. Some call it “Via Media”, between Roman Catholicism and Protestant. The Celtic Church was already in place. The church in England preceded Augustine of Canterbury the first Archbishop of Canterbury sent to England by Pope Gregory the Great in 596.
With primacy of Scripture and the addition of Tradition and Reason (informed by God) the Anglican Church offers an opportunity to deepen and widen ones quest to see the face of God. We include our brothers and sisters who have gone before us. Their ancient councils with the guidance of the Holy Spirit came to agreement on critical issues facing the early church. Those decisions inform and guide our decisions to this day. Many have laid down their lives for the faith including the author of the Book of Common Prayer, Thomas Cranmer. Anglican missionaries shipped their goods overseas in a coffin because they did not expect to return alive. Anglicans are not as well known as Roman Catholics or folks from the Greek Orthodox faiths but they are the third largest Christian denomination. How much has the Anglican Church affected my life? I became a Deacon and then a Priest in this church. It is the final place God will call me to on this earth. It is a faith worth living and dying for.
“Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as I trust shall never be put out” (Thomas Cranmer’s final words while being burned at the stake.)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Sin, Behavior and The Fruit of the Spirit
Sin, Behavior and The Fruit of the Spirit
Fr. Dale Matson
O9-08-10
“For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.” (Romans 7:19-23, NASV).
This is a difficult passage. Who among us can’t identify with his struggles? He talks about his mind and will directed toward God but actions being contrary and directed by the evil resident in his members. It would seem that he attributed his sinful actions to his body which was captive to sin. Perhaps a more contemporary way of saying this is that he was a captive of his own repeated behaviors. This is especially true of those suffering from addictions or obsessive compulsive behavior. Behaviorists rightfully claim that the more we do something, the more likely we are to do it again. Behavior therapy is less and less about extinguishing or reducing inappropriate behavior and more about providing replacement behaviors.
So, how does this apply to Christians wanting to live a victorious, holy and transcendent life? I believe there are two approaches to dealing with sinful behavior. The first approach is to find a replacement behavior. If we take the seven deadly sins for example, there are also seven corresponding virtues. If we are at heart a greedy person then acts of generosity help balance out the greedy behaviors. Often the counsel of Jesus was behavioral in its intent. “If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.” (Luke 6:29, ESV). We don't just do things for people we love; we love people we do things for. That is why Jesus asks us to pray for our enemies. It may heap coals on their head but it also changes our heart toward them. The second approach is less behavioral and more a matter of faith. In Galatians, St. Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (5:22-23) This means that God is growing good fruit in His children by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
I believe as we journey through this life as Christians, God helps us to understand that it is our proper response as Christians to love and serve Him. Once again, the focus is not primarily about what we do for God but our acknowledgment of what He is doing in and through us. More and more it is Christ in me that acts from godly intentions. We simply cannot of ourselves live a Holy life that is not empowered by God the Holy Spirit. “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)
Fr. Dale Matson
O9-08-10
“For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.” (Romans 7:19-23, NASV).
This is a difficult passage. Who among us can’t identify with his struggles? He talks about his mind and will directed toward God but actions being contrary and directed by the evil resident in his members. It would seem that he attributed his sinful actions to his body which was captive to sin. Perhaps a more contemporary way of saying this is that he was a captive of his own repeated behaviors. This is especially true of those suffering from addictions or obsessive compulsive behavior. Behaviorists rightfully claim that the more we do something, the more likely we are to do it again. Behavior therapy is less and less about extinguishing or reducing inappropriate behavior and more about providing replacement behaviors.
So, how does this apply to Christians wanting to live a victorious, holy and transcendent life? I believe there are two approaches to dealing with sinful behavior. The first approach is to find a replacement behavior. If we take the seven deadly sins for example, there are also seven corresponding virtues. If we are at heart a greedy person then acts of generosity help balance out the greedy behaviors. Often the counsel of Jesus was behavioral in its intent. “If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.” (Luke 6:29, ESV). We don't just do things for people we love; we love people we do things for. That is why Jesus asks us to pray for our enemies. It may heap coals on their head but it also changes our heart toward them. The second approach is less behavioral and more a matter of faith. In Galatians, St. Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (5:22-23) This means that God is growing good fruit in His children by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
I believe as we journey through this life as Christians, God helps us to understand that it is our proper response as Christians to love and serve Him. Once again, the focus is not primarily about what we do for God but our acknowledgment of what He is doing in and through us. More and more it is Christ in me that acts from godly intentions. We simply cannot of ourselves live a Holy life that is not empowered by God the Holy Spirit. “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
CAPA Conference Statement
The following is an excerpt from The Conference Statement of the 2nd All Africa Bishops' Conference, which was held in Entebbe, Uganda, August 23-29, 2010. Two statements were released at the conclusion of the conference, both of which may be downloaded at the link provided below. A portion of the CAPA Primates Statement is presented in the preceding post, which follows this one. It is humbling to see not only their commitment to the Church in Africa, but their commitment to Global Anglicanism, as well.
2. The Anglican Churches in Africa will maintain its stand on the protection of Anglican orthodoxy and authority of Scripture as a rule of developing a Christ-centred life to uplift human lives and dignity.
3. The Anglican Churches in Africa recognises its historic contributions to the growth of Christianity right from its inception and propagation of the gospel throughout the continent and, in particular, the role of the African Church fathers and martyrs. We also recall its immense contributions during the missionary era to the provision of social facilities such as education, healthcare and the production of the African elite. Based on this, the Church mobilises its resources and takes its responsibility in shaping the Christian minds of the church worldwide in the third millennium.
4. We affirm the Biblical standard of the family as having marriage between a man and a woman as its foundation. One of the purposes of marriage is procreation of children some of whom grow to become the leaders of tomorrow.
5. Whereas we accept the rationale for an Anglican Covenant, we realise the need for further improvement of the Covenant in order to be an effective tool for unity and mutual accountability.
6. There is a more urgent need today for bishops to listen to their flock if they are to make this the African century of the Christian Church in terms of energy, growth and vision. To this end, lay participation in the ministry of the church is to be vigorously enhanced.
7. While we will always be prepared to listen to voices from other parts of the global Communion, it is pertinent that the rest of the world listens to the unique voice of the Churches in Africa. In this context, the Anglican Churches in Africa commit itself to a renewed engagement in global mission, recognising that in the 21st Century mission goes from "everywhere to anywhere."
8. The African continent continues to grapple with the problem of religious intolerance which, in many cases, negatively affects the rights, the ministry and the welfare of the church. While the conference calls upon Christians in Africa and elsewhere to be tolerant of other faiths, we must stand for the defence of the human and constitutional rights of Christians and churches in various countries. We will not compromise the commitment of the church to global mission.
The entire statement can be downloaded at www.africanbishops.org
All African Bishops' Conference
The following is an excerpt from the All African Bishops' Conference CAPA Primates Communiqué released on August 31, 2010:
6. Being aware of the reluctance of some of those Instruments of Communion to follow through the recommendations of the Windsor Report and taken by the Primates Meetings in Dromantine and Dar es Salaam we see the way ahead as follows:
A. In order to keep the ethos and tradition of the Anglican Communion in a credible way, it is obligatory of all Provinces to observe the agreed decisions and recommendations of the Windsor Report and the various communiqués of the past three Primates Meetings, especially Dar es Salaam in 2007. We as Primates of CAPA and the Global South are committed to honour such recommendations.
B. We are committed to meet more regularly as Global South Primates and take our responsibilities in regard to issues of Faith and Order.
C. We will give special attention to sound theological education as we want to ensure that the future generations stand firm on the Word of God and faithfully follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
D. We are committed to network with orthodox Anglicans around the world, including Communion Partners in USA and the Anglican Church in North America, in holistic mission and evangelism. Our aim is to advance the Kingdom of God, especially in the unreached areas.
The entire statement can be downloaded at www.africanbishops.org
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Journaling and the Search for God
Journaling and the Search for God
Fr. Dale Matson
07-16-10
The late Anglican Priest and author Morton Kelsey was a strong proponent of keeping a personal journal as a means of spiritual development. His book Adventure Inward: Christian Growth through Personal Journal Writing (1980) lays out several reasons for keeping a journal. They include personal historical continuity, enjoyment, creativity and the release of our imagination, help with decision making, therapy and the following idea. “If it is inner growth and self-knowledge which is one’s goal…this process is nearly impossible without journal keeping.” Additionally, he notes, “However, if I pursue the path of a relationship with God, then sooner or later I will use a journal for each of these other reasons as well.” In an interview I conducted with him at his home in Northern California in 1995, he reiterated that the journal was one of the most important means toward spiritual growth.
I began keeping a journal in 1994 and have reflections recorded daily for the past sixteen years. It is part of a commitment to a disciplined daily life. Each day begins at 4am with a devotional for each day of the year followed by the journal entries, then correspondence and finally physical exercise. It is a practice I take with me when I travel. I keep a small travel journal with pages that are later transferred to the annual spiral notebook journals. It is primarily a daily record keeping of the events of the previous day but includes dreams when I can remember them, tasks to be completed, ruminations and worries and concluding prayers that address the main worries. I have also employed what Fr. Kelsey would call active imagination where I dialogue with inner figures and outer figures. I have also written a considerable number of “portraits in prose” for many of the significant people in my life.
So what has happened over the last sixteen years? The journal is much like a camera that has taken photographs that I can review. I began in middle age with quite a confrontational and competitive style. There was territory to be conquered and defended, all for the sake of the ego. There were people who God continually used to challenge me to be more gracious toward including my sons. There was a hardened self righteousness about me. I was turned down in 2001 for the Diaconate by the Commission on Ministry. Perhaps it was a metastasized ego at the time. My primary emotions were fear and anger, well disguised of course. Some of the change is probably due to tincture of time. However, God has been growing the fruits of the Spirit in me also. There is less anxiety, fear, anger and resentment. There is more compassion, patience and contentment.
The journal is one of the most significant things that God has used to help me to find the Jesus part of me and to accept those parts of myself that are weak and unattractive. Those parts must be accepted because they cannot be hidden. They are our thorn in the flesh. There has been major healing for me along the way and in a mystical way; those around me have been helped to some extent also. Sometimes I consider stopping the journaling and destroying them but God is not finished and uses this process to help me. It is like the low dose aspirin I take daily. Unlike Mother Teresa, the church does not own my journals and thankfully they will be destroyed when I die. Unlike her, many of my comments could not bear the light of day.
I would hope that those that read this would consider a journal for themselves. It is time well spent and a good investment in a more whole and holy life. Amen.
Fr. Dale Matson
07-16-10
The late Anglican Priest and author Morton Kelsey was a strong proponent of keeping a personal journal as a means of spiritual development. His book Adventure Inward: Christian Growth through Personal Journal Writing (1980) lays out several reasons for keeping a journal. They include personal historical continuity, enjoyment, creativity and the release of our imagination, help with decision making, therapy and the following idea. “If it is inner growth and self-knowledge which is one’s goal…this process is nearly impossible without journal keeping.” Additionally, he notes, “However, if I pursue the path of a relationship with God, then sooner or later I will use a journal for each of these other reasons as well.” In an interview I conducted with him at his home in Northern California in 1995, he reiterated that the journal was one of the most important means toward spiritual growth.
I began keeping a journal in 1994 and have reflections recorded daily for the past sixteen years. It is part of a commitment to a disciplined daily life. Each day begins at 4am with a devotional for each day of the year followed by the journal entries, then correspondence and finally physical exercise. It is a practice I take with me when I travel. I keep a small travel journal with pages that are later transferred to the annual spiral notebook journals. It is primarily a daily record keeping of the events of the previous day but includes dreams when I can remember them, tasks to be completed, ruminations and worries and concluding prayers that address the main worries. I have also employed what Fr. Kelsey would call active imagination where I dialogue with inner figures and outer figures. I have also written a considerable number of “portraits in prose” for many of the significant people in my life.
So what has happened over the last sixteen years? The journal is much like a camera that has taken photographs that I can review. I began in middle age with quite a confrontational and competitive style. There was territory to be conquered and defended, all for the sake of the ego. There were people who God continually used to challenge me to be more gracious toward including my sons. There was a hardened self righteousness about me. I was turned down in 2001 for the Diaconate by the Commission on Ministry. Perhaps it was a metastasized ego at the time. My primary emotions were fear and anger, well disguised of course. Some of the change is probably due to tincture of time. However, God has been growing the fruits of the Spirit in me also. There is less anxiety, fear, anger and resentment. There is more compassion, patience and contentment.
The journal is one of the most significant things that God has used to help me to find the Jesus part of me and to accept those parts of myself that are weak and unattractive. Those parts must be accepted because they cannot be hidden. They are our thorn in the flesh. There has been major healing for me along the way and in a mystical way; those around me have been helped to some extent also. Sometimes I consider stopping the journaling and destroying them but God is not finished and uses this process to help me. It is like the low dose aspirin I take daily. Unlike Mother Teresa, the church does not own my journals and thankfully they will be destroyed when I die. Unlike her, many of my comments could not bear the light of day.
I would hope that those that read this would consider a journal for themselves. It is time well spent and a good investment in a more whole and holy life. Amen.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Commemoration of Bishop Wm White: A Prophetic Message for the Church
The following is an excerpt from the 1887 Centennial Commemorative Discourse celebrating the consecrations of Bishop White and Bishop Provoost, delivered in Christ Church by the Right Rev. William Bacon Stevens, D. D., LL.D. Bishop of Pennsylvania.
We may have the most perfect church organization which earth can furnish; we may have a well attested apostolic lineage for our ministry; we may have as grand a liturgy as the human mind can construct; we may have as gorgeous a ceremonial of worship as the loftiest aesthetic art can devise; we may have as magnificent cathedrals and churches as human architects can build;--but if our diocesan organization does not rest on Christ as its corner-stone; if that apostolic succession is merely the articulation of dry bones, and is devoid of the life-blood and nerve-force of apostolic fellowship and doctrine; if that lofty worship degenerate into mere lip-service and ceases to be the true worship of God in spirit and in truth; if that gorgeous ceremonial tends to fasten the mind on the accessories of divine service, and obscures, rather than unfolds Christ, and if our noble church edifices only echo through their aisles a teaching not warranted by Scripture, not supported by the Book of Common Prayer, not meeting the soul's true and eternal needs--teaching for doctrine the commandments and traditions of men, at once "strange and erroneous,"--then is our church indeed without Christ--a fair temple without the schekinah; like the Church of Ephesus, having "left its first love"; like Sardis, "having a name that thou livest but art dead," and like Laodicea, "lukewarm, neither hot nor cold."
Only as the Holy Ghost, the living Spirit of truth, teaches in our churches; only as the living Christ is heralded there in his perfect fulness as the sinner's only Saviour; and only, as the one living and true God, is worshipped there "in the beauty of holiness" and "in spirit and in truth," can we fulfil the true conditions of our existence as an organized Christian Church,--then only can Christ speak to us as he did to the angel of the Church of Philadelphia, one of the seven Churches of Asia, and emblemized by a golden candlestick, saying "I know thy works. Behold I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength and has kept my word and hast not denied my name."
By William Bacon Stevens, D. D., LL.D., Bishop of Pennsylvania.
The entire text is here.
Friday, July 9, 2010
A Still Small Voice
A Still Small Voice in Every Day Life
Fr. Dale Matson
O7-09-10
“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:11-12 KJV).
In this passage the Prophet Elijah comes to understand that God can be found in the “still small voice” (“gentle whisper” NIV). Certainly God communicates with us through Holy Scripture. He also communicates through His Sacraments, circumstances and through a word from our Christian brothers and sisters. In all these ways God leads us in our daily life. I once had a student who said about herself in all humility, “I have always been blessed to hear the voice of Jesus.” I understood her perfectly for I have also.
This voice is not the auditory persecutions experienced by psychotics. This voice is instructive, it is a Teaching voice. It is not the condemning conscience energized by the law written on our hearts. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). The voice is Comforting. The voice is not one of self criticism. The voice is a Counselor. The voice is not any louder than our own thoughts as God the Holy Spirit speaks to us.
Let me illustrate with three personal examples. I used to be in construction and had just completed a final grading of a new home site. As I talked with the owner who was smoking a cigarette, I was thinking some rather judgmental and critical thoughts. A question arose in my thoughts, “What makes you better than him?” I immediately repented in my mind, which was accompanied by uncustomary compassion.
I was recently visiting with a friend over lunch. We talked for a quite a time and when I was done with what I had to say, I was preparing in my mind to move on. “Wait, he’s not done yet. Stay awhile longer.” The friend didn’t take much longer and thanked me for listening.
At times this past week I thought about a former student that I have not seen since my retirement. I had heard she divorced her husband after a long estrangement about eight years ago and I remember her as being fragile emotionally. As I was plodding along on my Saturday long run today (I still call it running), I approached a couple heading toward me. She said, “Dale, is that you?” It was the former student who beamed as she introduced me to her husband. God was growing a compassion for her in my heart prior to our seeing one another again. She asked what I’ve been doing since my retirement. I said that I was ordained an Anglican Priest. It was a wonderful exchange and I reflexively blessed both of them.
He is the voice of the teacher, the counselor and the comforter neatly woven into our thoughts yet we are able to distinguish His voice from our own thoughts. With Elijah, God was not in the wind, earthquake and fire. Monks and Mystics seek silence and solitude to hear the voice of God yet ordinary Christians are blessed to hear God every day.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14 KJV).
Fr. Dale Matson
O7-09-10
“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:11-12 KJV).
In this passage the Prophet Elijah comes to understand that God can be found in the “still small voice” (“gentle whisper” NIV). Certainly God communicates with us through Holy Scripture. He also communicates through His Sacraments, circumstances and through a word from our Christian brothers and sisters. In all these ways God leads us in our daily life. I once had a student who said about herself in all humility, “I have always been blessed to hear the voice of Jesus.” I understood her perfectly for I have also.
This voice is not the auditory persecutions experienced by psychotics. This voice is instructive, it is a Teaching voice. It is not the condemning conscience energized by the law written on our hearts. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). The voice is Comforting. The voice is not one of self criticism. The voice is a Counselor. The voice is not any louder than our own thoughts as God the Holy Spirit speaks to us.
Let me illustrate with three personal examples. I used to be in construction and had just completed a final grading of a new home site. As I talked with the owner who was smoking a cigarette, I was thinking some rather judgmental and critical thoughts. A question arose in my thoughts, “What makes you better than him?” I immediately repented in my mind, which was accompanied by uncustomary compassion.
I was recently visiting with a friend over lunch. We talked for a quite a time and when I was done with what I had to say, I was preparing in my mind to move on. “Wait, he’s not done yet. Stay awhile longer.” The friend didn’t take much longer and thanked me for listening.
At times this past week I thought about a former student that I have not seen since my retirement. I had heard she divorced her husband after a long estrangement about eight years ago and I remember her as being fragile emotionally. As I was plodding along on my Saturday long run today (I still call it running), I approached a couple heading toward me. She said, “Dale, is that you?” It was the former student who beamed as she introduced me to her husband. God was growing a compassion for her in my heart prior to our seeing one another again. She asked what I’ve been doing since my retirement. I said that I was ordained an Anglican Priest. It was a wonderful exchange and I reflexively blessed both of them.
He is the voice of the teacher, the counselor and the comforter neatly woven into our thoughts yet we are able to distinguish His voice from our own thoughts. With Elijah, God was not in the wind, earthquake and fire. Monks and Mystics seek silence and solitude to hear the voice of God yet ordinary Christians are blessed to hear God every day.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14 KJV).
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