Midweek Meditation: "Counsels on Discernment 4" (Meister Eckhart)

Continuing our series of meditation about counsels for discernment by the German mystic, Meister Eckhart, we look at why our tendency to worry about what to do, especially when it is more important to focus on what we want to BE. 

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Eckhart (1260-1328)

TITLE: Meister Eckhart: Selections from His Essential Writings (HarperCollins Spiritual Classics)
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Harper-One, 2005, (166 pages).

"Of the profits of self-abandonment, which one should practice inwardly and outwardly"

You should know that there was never any man in this life who forsook himself so much that he could not still find more in himself to forsake. There are few people who see this to be true and stick by it. This is indeed a fair exchange and an honest deal: By as much as you go out in forsaking all things, by so much, neither less nor more, does God go in, with all that is His, as you entirely forsake everything that is yours. Undertake this, and let it cost you everything you can afford. There you will find true peace, and nowhere else.

People ought never to think too much about what they could do, but they ought to think about what they could be. If people and their way of life were only good, what they did might be a shining example. If you are just, then your works too are just. We ought not to think of building holiness upon action; we ought to build it upon a way of being, for it is not what we do that makes us holy, but we ought to make holy what we do. However holy the works may be, they do not, as works, make us at all holy; but, as we are holy and have being, to that extent we make all our works holy, be it eating, sleeping, keeping vigil or whatever it may be. It does not matter what men may do whose being is mean; nothing good will come of it. Take good heed: We ought to do everything we can to be good; it does not matter so much what we may do, or what kinds of works ours may be. What matters is the ground on which the works are built. (6-7)

Midweek Meditation: "Counsels on Discernment 3" (Meister Eckhart)

Continuing our series of meditation about counsels for discernment by the German mystic, Meister Eckhart, we look at why it is so difficult for some of us to discern God's will. It comes down to the very basic call of God to us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and to follow Jesus.

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Eckhart (1260-1328)

TITLE: Meister Eckhart: Selections from His Essential Writings (HarperCollins Spiritual Classics)
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Harper-One, 2005, (166 pages).

"Of people who have not denied themselves and are full of their own will"

People say: ‘O Lord, how much I wish that I stood as well with God, that I had as much devotion and peace in God as others have, I wish that it were so with me!’ Or, ‘I should like to be poor,’ or else, ‘Things will never go right for me till I am in this place or that, or till I act one way or another. I must go and live in a strange land, or in a hermitage, or in a cloister’.

In fact, this is all about yourself, and nothing else at all. This is just self-will, only you do not know it or it does not seem so to you. There is never any trouble that starts in you that does not come from your own will, whether people see this or not. We can think what we like, that a man ought to shun one thing or pursue another – places and people and ways of life and environments and undertakings – that is not the trouble, such ways of life or such matters are not what impedes you. It is what you are in these things that causes the trouble, because in them you do not govern yourself as you should.

Therefore, make a start with yourself, and abandon yourself. Truly, if you do not begin by getting away from yourself, wherever you run to, you will find obstacles and trouble wherever it may be. People who seek peace in external things – be it in places or ways of life or people or activities or solitude or poverty or degradation – however great such a thing may be or whatever it may be, still it is all nothing and gives no peace. People who seek in that way are doing it all wrong; the further they wander, the less they will find what they are seeking. They go around like someone who has lost his way; the further he goes, the more lost he is. Then what ought he to do? He ought to begin by forsaking himself, because then he has forsaken everything. Truly, if a man renounced a kingdom or the whole world but held on to himself, he would not have renounced anything. What is more, if a man renounces himself, whatever else he retains, riches or honours or whatever it may be, he has forsaken everything.

About what Saint Peter said: ‘See, Lord, we have forsaken everything’ (Matt. 19:27) – and all he had forsaken was just a net and his little boat – there is a saint who says: ‘If anyone willingly gives up something little, that is not all which he has given up, but he has forsaken everything which worldly men can gain and what they can even long for; for whoever has renounced his own will and himself has renounced everything, as truly as if he had possessed it as his own, to dispose of as he would’. For what you choose not to long for, you have wholly forsaken and renounced for the love of God. That is why our Lord said: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ (Matt. 5:3), that is, in the will. And no one ought to be in doubt about this; if there were a better form of living, our Lord would have said so, as he also said: ‘Whoever wishes to come after me, let him deny himself’ (Matt. 16:24), as a beginning; everything depends on that. Take a look at yourself, and whenever you find yourself, deny yourself. That is the best of all." (4-6)

Midweek Meditation: "Counsels on Discernment 2" (Meister Eckhart)

Continuing our series of meditation about counsels for discernment by the German mystic, Meister Eckhart, we look at the place of prayer. In the middle ages, one of the focuses of prayer is union with God. This is one of Eckhart's distinctive teachings. In prayer, we seek not the gifts but the Giver. As we read the writings, one of the thoughts that come to mind is about the beatitude, what it means to be poor in spirit.

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Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

TITLE: Meister Eckhart: Selections from His Essential Writings (HarperCollins Spiritual Classics)
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Harper-One, 2005, (166 pages).

Of the most powerful prayer, and of the highest work of all

The most powerful prayer, and almost the strongest of all to obtain everything, and the most honourable of all works, is that which proceeds from an empty spirit. The emptier the spirit, the more is the prayer and the work mighty, worthy, profitable, praiseworthy and perfect. The empty spirit can do everything.

What is an empty spirit?

An empty spirit is one that is confused by nothing, attached to nothing, has not attached its best to any fixed way of acting, and has no concern whatever in anything for its own gain, for it is all sunk deep down into God’s dearest will, and has forsaken its own. A man can never perform any work, however, humble, without it gaining strength and power from this.

We ought to pray so powerfully that we should like to put our every member and strength, our two eyes and ears, mouth, heart and all our senses to work; and we should not give up until we find that we wish to be one with Him who is present to us and whom we entreat, namely God. (4)

Midweek Meditation: "Counsels on Discernment 1" (Meister Eckhart)

One of the most sought-after topics is discernment. What do I do with my life? What is my calling? How do I seek God for my decision making? Starting this week, we will be working through a series of counsels about discernment from the German mystic and spiritual writer, Meister Eckhart.

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Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)

TITLE: Meister Eckhart: Selections from His Essential Writings (HarperCollins Spiritual Classics)
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Harper-One, 2005, (166 pages).

About True Obedience

True and perfect obedience is a virtue above all virtues, and no work is so great that it can be achieved or done without this virtue; and however little and however humble a work may be, it is done to greater profit in true obedience, be it saying Mass, hearing it, praying, contemplating or whatever else you can think of.  But take as humble a work as you like, whatever it may be, true obedience makes it finer and better for you.  Obedience always produces the best of everything in everything.  Truly, obedience never perturbs, never fails, whatever one is doing, in anything that comes from true obedience, for obedience neglects nothing that is good.  Obedience need never be troubled, for it lacks no good thing.

...

In true obedience there should be no trace of ‘I want it so, or so,’ or ‘I want this or that,’ but there should be a pure going out from what is yours.  And therefore in the best of all prayers that a man can pray, there should not be ‘Give me this virtue, or that way of life,’ but ‘Lord, give me nothing but what you will, and do, Lord, whatever and however you will in every way.’  That is superior to the first way of praying as the heavens are above the earth.  And when one has concluded that prayer, one has prayed well, for then one has in true obedience wholly entered into God.  And just as true obedience should have no ‘I want it so,’ so also one should not hear from obedience ‘I do not want,’ because ‘I do not want’ is a sure poison of all obedience.  That is what Saint Augustine says: ‘God’s faithful servant has no desire for people to say or to give to him, or what he likes to hear or see, for his first and his greatest aim is to hear what is most pleasing to God.’ (3)

BookPastor >> "Reading Your Life's Story" (Keith R. Anderson)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Oct 27th, 2016.

conrade

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TITLE: Reading Your Life's Story: An Invitation to Spiritual Mentoring
AUTHOR: Keith R. Anderson
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (224 pages).

We are relational people. We grow best in a nourishing environment of friendship and honesty. Friendly and open with others; honest and bold about ourselves. We cannot grow on our own. We need others to guide us. We need spiritual direction. We need to be mentored in our own journey of life. Learning to read our life story remains one of the most crucial things we need to do. Unfortunately, this is also one of the most neglected. Some of the most important questions are often either not asked or ignored. This book attempts to boldly ask and to gently illuminate. It is an introductory book on the art of spiritual direction. It tells us about the importance of mentoring, what it is, what it looks like, and how we can go about establishing a mentor-mentee relationship. It shows us ways to:

• start and sustain a dialogue
• cultivate an honest and healthy curiosity about life stories
• appreciating human relationships
• desiring to deepen intimacy with God and others
• learning to tell one another’s stories
• being authentic through honest discovery

Midweek Meditation: "Nouwen on Discernment 5" (Exercises)

TITLE: Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

Exercises for Deeper Discernment

1. Discernment is about seeing, knowing, and being known. Do you want to be seen by God? Do you want to be truly known, with all your inner thoughts and outer activities laid out before an all-seeing, all-knowing God? Write a personal letter to God openly and honestly looking at the areas of life you are not sure you want God to investigate. Of course, God knows these things already. This is an exercise for you to see what areas of your life you might want to keep private. Once you identify them, pray that God will help you see yourself (and these tender areas) fully as God sees you.
2. People who are "reborn from above" (John 3:7) are those who seek to do what is pleasing to the Spirit of God. Make a list of all the activities and desires of your heart that you believe are pleasing to God. Try to write a poem or hymn of praise or gratitude for all God's goodness that overflows into your life.
3. Define your spiritual community. Who is allowed to know you and hold you accountable? If you have identified people who know you at a soul level, take a moment to write them a note of thanks for their role in your life. If you did not identify persons who have free range in your life to lift you up and encourage you, begin to pray about who to cultivate as a spiritual companion and how to do it. Discernment performed alone often can become delusion. We need each other.
4. What shared practices (meditation, prayer, songs, Eucharist, silence, service in the world) are your most natural pathways to listening to God in your daily life? Reflect on the times when you discerned God's presence. What were you doing? Where were you? What insight might these reflections give you about your need for sacred time and sacred space?

(Henri Nouwen, on "Embracing the Practice in Solitude and Community" in Discernment, New York: NY, HarperOne, 2013, 18-19)

Midweek Meditation: "Nouwen on Discernment 4"

TITLE: Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

Discernment as "Being Seen"

"I am struck by the way Jesus 'saw' Nathanael under the tree in the Gospel of John. Even before meeting him, Jesus said of Nathanael: 'Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!' When the two men met on the road, Nathanael asked Jesus with amazement: 'How do you know me?' Jesus answered him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.' Jesus's seeing through Nathanael under the fig tree was such a powerful act of discerning what was in his heart that it caused Nathanael to proclaim: 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!' To which Jesus remarked, 'You believe this because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these. . . You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man (John 1:47-51)

This wonderful story about seeing through to the heart of things raises a deeper question: Do I want to be fully seen by Jesus? Do I want to be known by him? If I do, then a faith can grow that will open my eyes to heaven and reveal Jesus as the Son of God. I will see great things when I am willing to be seen. I will receive new eyes that can see the mysteries of God's own life, but only when I allow God to see me, all of me, even those parts that I myself do not want to see."

(Henri Nouwen, on "Embracing the Practice in Solitude and Community" in Discernment, New York: NY, HarperOne, 2013, 7)

Midweek Meditation: "Nouwen on Discernment 3"

TITLE: Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

Discernment as "Seeing Through"

"By exercising spiritual understanding, we come to see more clearly and hear more deeply the mysterious interconnectedness of all things (what the desert fathers called theoria physike - a vision of how things hang together). Discernment allows us to 'see through' the appearance of things to their deeper meaning and come to know the interworkings of God's love and our unique place in the world. Discernment helps us come to know our true identity in creation, vocation in the world, and unique place in history as an expression of divine love.

Perceiving, seeing through, understanding, and being aware of God's presence are what is meant by discernment. Opening the heart to what is really and truly 'there' is a fruit of contemplation and spiritual practice. Those who practice discernment are often more contemplative than those who are so active that they do not take the time to reflect on the inner meaning of appearances. The most interesting things in life often remain invisible to our ordinary senses, yet are visible to our spiritual perception. In large measure they can very easily be overlooked by the inattentive, busily distracted person that each of us can so easily become."

(Henri Nouwen, on "Embracing the Practice in Solitude and Community" in Discernment, New York: NY, HarperOne, 2013, 6)

Midweek Meditation: "Nouwen on Discernment 2"

TITLE: Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

"Whoever or wherever you are in your life, as I see you in front of me in prayer, I feel very close to you, not in any sentimental way, but as a man who has lived your lives interiorly and knows about the pain and joy you hold in your hearts. As I let my eyes look deeply into my own heart and yours, I am increasingly aware of how lost we are. Those of us who are wealthy and successful are no less lost than those of us who are poor and experience life as a failure. Those of us who are healthy and strong are no less lost than those of us who are frail and weak. Those of us who are priests and ministers are no less lost than those of us who are lawyers, doctors, or business people. Those of us who are active in the church and society are no less lost than those of us who have resigned ourselves to passive waiting for the end of life. Those of us who are excited about new projects or full of energy to bring about changes here and there are no less lost than those who have become skeptical or cynical about the possibility of a better world.

Apart from the love of God in our lives, we are people lost at sea, without anchors. We stand alone without supporting walls, without a floor to walk on, without a ceiling to protect us, with-out a hand to guide us, without eyes that look at us with love, without a companion to show the way.

Dear friends, we have to know the darkness to be able to search for the light. We first must come to know our lostness if we want to find meaning, purpose, and direction in life. What I want to share with you is a way out of the darkness, a way to find the light.

The way of discernment begins with prayer. Praying means breaking through the veil of existence and allowing yourself to be led by the vision that has become real to you, whatever you call that vision—“the Unseen Reality,” “the Numen,” “the HigherPower,” “the Spirit,” or “the Christ.” Our prayers are directed not to ourselves but to Another, who wants to turn us around, who longs to be present, and who is able to guide us. The one who prays to God pierces the darkness and senses the source of all being. "

(Henri Nouwen, on "When There is Darkness, Light" in Discernment, New York: NY, HarperOne, 2013, xxvii-xxix)

Midweek Meditation: "Nouwen on Discernment 1"

TITLE: Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

"Henri emphasized that Christian discernment is not the same as decision making. Reaching a decision can be straightforward: we consider our goals and options; maybe we list the pros and cons of each possible choice; and then we choose the action that meets our goal most effectively. Discernment, on the other hand, is about listening and responding to that place within us where our deepest desires align with God's desire. As discerning people, we sift through our impulses, motives, and options to discover which ones lead us closer to divine love and compassion for ourselves and other people and which ones lead us further away.

In Henri's sermons and retreats, as well as in his thirty-five books, he highlighted a distinctive vision of Jesus Christ that was thoroughly grounded in Scripture and Catholic theology. To understand what Henri meant by discernment, it's important to repeat that for Henri the name of Jesus meant the eternal presence of the one who is God's continuing incarnation in human form. Henri was interested in the timeless dimension of Jesus Christ, the life that the crucified and risen Jesus shares with us now. According to Henri, the historical life of Jesus opened a new frontier in human experience so that the incarnation of Christ - which has no beginning and no end - could become an ongoing event for all human beings and, indeed, for all creation. Eventually, we can learn to discern the face of Christ everywhere and at all times. Henri's view often reminded me of the medieval Dominican friar, Meister Eckhart, who advised, 'Expect God evenly in all things.'"

(Robert A. Jonas, on "Henry's Way of Discernment" in Discernment, New York: NY, HarperOne, 2013, xvii)

Midweek Meditation: "Desire and Discipline"

Christian Disciplines have been much talked about whenever we deal with the health or spiritual growth of a Christian. Many Christian communities have at least these four disciplines:

• PRAYER: A desire to deepen our praying lives
• BIBLE: A desire to deepen our knowledge of God's Word
• FELLOWSHIP: A desire to deepen our connections with one another in the community
• SHARING: A desire to share the gospel both inside and outside of the Church

Disciplines alone can only carry us so far. Something else needs to inspire us toward doing these disciplines. This is called desire. Adele Ahlberg Calhoun observes the centuries of connections between Discipline and Desire. An important reminder is this. It is not the discipline that make us more like Christ. It is the Holy Spirit of God that prompts us to be more Christlike, using the disciplines as tools to help us along.

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TITLE: Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun (19-Oct-2005) Paperback

"From its beginning the church linked the desire for more of God to intentional practices, relationships and experiences that gave people space in their lives to 'keep company' with Jesus. These intentional practices, relationships, and experiences we know as spiritual disciplines. The basic rhythm of disciplines (or rule) for the first believers is found in Acts 2:42: 'They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching [a practice] and to the fellowship [relationships], to the breaking of bread [an experience], and to prayer [another practice].

The desire to know God and love God fueled these disciplines. But as the early Church community ran into new situations of want, conflict, temptation, and persecution, they wanted and needed help to persevere in keeping company with Jesus. The book of Acts recounts a variety of ways the first-century believers made space for God as they faced difficulties:

• Acts 3 - the discipline of compassion
• Acts 4 - the discipline of witness, intercession and detachment
• Acts 7 - the discipline of service
• Acts 3:1, 10:9 - the discipline of fixed-hour prayer
• Acts 14:23 - the discipline of fasting
• Acts 15 - the discipline of discernment.

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Ask yourself, How do I want to or need to be with God? Circle the letter in WORSHIP that most catches your attention.

Worship God
Open myself to God
Relinquish the false self and idols of my heart
Share my life with others
Hear the Word of God
Incarnate Christ's love for the world
Pray to God." 

(Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Downers Grove, IL:  IVP, 2005, p17, 21)

Video: The Story of You (A DNA Journey)

In a world of extremism and discriminations based on race and ethnicity, people often forget how they are more related than they think. In this video, 67 people were first asked about who they like and who they dislike. Subsequently, they were invited to take a DNA journey to discover who they are. Watch how their personal opinions of other races crumble when they see the results of their DNA journey.




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BookPastor >> "The Will of God as a Way of Life" (Jerry Sittser)

TITLE: The Will of God as a Way of Life: How to Make Every Decision with Peace and Confidence
AUTHOR: Jerry Sittser
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004, (256 pages).

When there is a book about the will of God, I will read. If it is written by an unknown writer, I may just borrow it from the library. If it is written by my favourite authors, I will usually buy it. This book is one of them.

According to Sittser, this book is about a perspective of the will of God, not a series of steps to attain the holy grail of the experiment called life. Sharing about how he manages to move through the twists and turns of life, the book reveals a lot about how Sittser fumbles through life, and eventually arriving at a clearer understanding of what God's will means for him. In Chapter One, he shares about 3 clues. Firstly, 'we will never know how things will turn out' (20). The second clue is about how suffering and loss dispels his idea of a perfect and nice will of God. The third clue is that the Bible says very little about the future path of God's way, but a present avoidance of anxiety and wrongful presumption. The conventional way of thinking is in terms of finding out that ONE specific will of God for each person. Such a thinking reveals 3 problems.

BookPastor >> "Spiritual Compass" (J. Bill Brent)

Interested in finding out God's will for your life? This is a good book on spiritual discernment. This review was first published on March 17th, 2013 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

conrade

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TITLE: Sacred Compass: The Way of Spiritual Discernment
AUTHOR: J. Brent Bill
PUBLISHER: Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2012, (208 pages).

Spiritual discernment is often talked about but rarely lived out. It is about sensing God's presence and guiding hands, rather than forcing our own ideas into a I-know-what-is-best mentality. Using a compass as a metaphor for spiritual discernment, Bill makes us realize that our deepest desires to find meaning and purpose for ourselves, stem from our attentiveness of our inner compass to God. It makes us sensitive to God's direction and to discover not simply a path we ought to go, but to discover God himself. Along the way, we become more self-aware and more God-aware.

Beginning with the famous Quaker-phrase, "As way opens," Bill describes the differences between a tourist and a pilgrim. Pilgrims recognize that the spiritual life is a long journey. It is an expedition of continuous learning from others. As one cultivates trust in God, one learns to see God in the many details. They travel together. Pilgrims let their lives speak to one another, that in the process of trying to discern one's own path, one helps others to discover both their paths as well a their uniquenesses. It teaches us to develop attentiveness. Learning becomes transformative, and one then learns to lead others in their journey too. The leadings come in many ways. It is patient. It is persistent. It is creative and beautiful. It is both calming and exciting. However, all of these leadings need an acute sense of testing whether they are from God. Bill provides seven helpful ways to test. He also provides some spiritual disciplines we can adopt to sharpen our awareness.

What is also helpful is how Bill brings out the dangers of the dark side. We need to discern whether the valleys are in fact mere spiritual dryness or some warfare. The former we need to cling on to God's promises. The latter we hang on to God's strength.  Bill provides tips on how we can still maintain that compass direction in spite of dark times. Some traveler's aids are listed for the benefit of readers, and excites readers about the dance of heaven on earth.

I appreciate this book a lot for its clarity. Five things strike me powerfully. First, the whole is greater than the sum of all its parts. Sometimes, we tend to highlight only one part of our lives over the rest. That is wrong. As pilgrims, we are not to base our lives on some highlights or high periods of positive experiences. Pilgrims travel the entire journey, and let the whole journey tell the full story. Second,  it is about God, not us. For those who are experiencing spiritual fatigue, it is an apt reminder that whatever we do or not do, does not change God's love for us. Third, even in dark moments, we can still learn spiritual discernment. Good spiritual discernment happens at all times, not only during feel-good moments. Four, the tools and tips provide readers an arsenal of resources to use. At times, when we feel like we have run out of ideas or resources, this book not only provides additional ideas for us to contemplate and put into action, but also to cast new light on old tools. One example is the way to "listen deeply." Most of us talk about the importance of listening. Bill's wide repertoire of listening pointers help us to listen beyond ourselves or our own needs. We are urged to engage in community sensitivity in listening. We are encouraged to listen for movements that benefit others, even when it does not lead to any direct self-benefit. More importantly, listening is putting the interests of others above our own. Finally, I enjoy the leading chapter of the book. It is not just about spiritual leadership. It is about true leaders are those who have been lead in the first place. The essence of leadership is about listening to God, and to lead like Jesus has led. Leading is learning. It is waiting when it is the time to wait. It is moving when it is time to move. It is gathering when it is time to gather. The interesting thing is this. True discernment is not about leading forth like a spiritual Rambo. True discernment is being led by the Holy Spirit to go to any place, willingly and joyfully, even to places we do not want to go. Above all, pilgrims on the spiritual journey will not be too caught up with what to do, where to go, who to meet, or how to go about the travel. They will be utterly content, knowing that it is God who is their traveling partner all the way.

This is an excellent guide for spiritual discernment.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Paraclete Press without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.