Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Ministry and the Spiritual Life

Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Acorns are falling all around and when I stepped outside this morning, I had to avoid stepping on them, even though the porch was swept yesterday! But the weather is perfect and the sun will shine, and God is good!

I saw a woodstork yesterday at Lynch Lake, looking very disgruntled as it stood near a flock of ibis, which were not paying any attention to the woodstork. Usually, the woodstorks just look depressed, but this one was animated. And up above on a wire, was a hawk. Seems like the lake was teeming with wildlife. Must have been good dining around there! I went to the Park and the big, shiny gator was on the bank again, and across the street on the weir bank were three turtles. A little ways down on the grassy bank, were another three turtles, only one of them was a very large, soft shell, snapping turtle. All were enjoying the sunshine!

From Bread for the Journey
by Henri Nouwen

All Jesus' words and actions emerge from his intimate relationship with his Father. "Do you not believe," Jesus says, "that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord. It is the Father living in me, who is doing his works, You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works." (John 14:10-11)

Just as all Jesus' words and actions emerge from his communion with his Father, so all our words and actions must emerge from our communion with Jesus. "In all truth I tell you," he says, "whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works...Whatever you ask for in my name I will do" (John 14:12-13). It is this profound truth that reveals the relationship between the spiritual life and the life of ministry.

I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!

Love and hugs,
Amaryllis