Meditations

For if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13

“One of the appeals of monasticism is that its norms and values are clear – it presents a focused way to live the gospel and a defined way to grow in faith. It gently challenges our tendency to self-absorption and self-determination, showing the richness of a life lovingly lived for God and the benefit of others. It is, as one Religious said, ‘the only way I know by which I can offer the whole of myself to God.” It also questions the greed and desire for ‘more’ and ‘the latest fashion’ that is ruining our planet, while countering our busy-ness through a balanced life of prayer, study, work, and rest.”

John-Francis Friendship in What Do You Seek: Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World (London: Canterbury Press 2021) 78.

Might you consider becoming a monk? Before you balk, remember this. All it means is that you adopt a rule of life that helps puts the flesh in check so you don’t destroy yourself.

Now that I have your attention, jettison the notion that monasticism relates to a select few. It’s for everyone who desires to lives a Christ-centered life.

My time serving my friend Dan Busby in the surgical ICU ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore this week deeply impacted me. And it reminded me afresh why I am on this earth.

The nurses and staff did not know what to do with me. They acted like no one had ever visited their ward. I was like an alien with a clerical collar visiting a foreign planet.

Most asked either why I came or what I did in the room. Why? In a ward with 16 beds where the doctor said 99% of patients did not walk away, the one I visited has miraculously recovered.

So, at the #6 ranked hospital in the USA, they wanted to know my secret. I said, it’s Jesus. He was restoring Dan to health and strength again in response to the prayers of many.

I told them thousands were praying for Dan. “But who is this guy that thousands would pray for him?” They asked. I said, “He’s a beloved member of a community, the Christian community of faith.”

This opened the door for me to share about Jesus repeatedly. How does this relate to generosity? If we fearless live out our Christian faith with focus empowered by the Spirit, we can have unfathomable witness.

Starving the tendency toward self-absorption and serving others with boldness not only avoids the latest craze. It’s the only fashion that never goes out of style!

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 2 John 1:10

“Give to every one who asks you, and don’t ask for it back. The Father wants his blessings shared. Happy is the giver who lives according to this rule…

Do not be one who opens his hands to receive, or closes them when it is time to give…Do not hesitate to give, and do not complain about it. You will know in time who is the good Rewarder.

Do not turn away from one who is in want; rather, share all things with your brother, and do not say that they are your own. For if you are sharers in what is imperishable, how much more in things which perish…

Welcome anyone coming in the name of the Lord. Receive everyone who comes in the name of the Lord, but then, test them and use your discretion.

If he who comes is a transient, assist him as far as you are able; but he should not remain with you more than two or three days, if need be. If he wants to stay with you, and is a craftsman, let him work for his living.

But if he has no trade, use your judgment in providing for him; for a Christian should not live idle in your midst. If he is dissatisfied with this sort of anarrangement, he is a Christ peddler. Watch that you keep away from such people.”

Didache, a.k.a. “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” that was viewed as canon by some thus it is included in the Apostolic Fathers. (late first or early second century). These excerpts, translated and edited by Tony Jones, come from 1.5; 4.5, 7-8; 12.1-5.

Today’s post comes explores the word “share” in an early Christian work that gives us a balanced view. We must share without hesitation and with discretion.

We must share without hesitation and without complaint because God is the good Rewarder. As sharers of what is imperishable, the least we can do is share what is perishable.

And yet, we do not do this blindly. I found the detailed thoughts related to using discretion particularly insightful. They match today’s Scripture.

In short, Christians should share by providing short term aid, by encouraging people to work, while also avoiding “Christ peddlers” who will try to take advantage of generous Christians.

This makes sense and alerts us to share without hesitation and with discretion in a way that does not give handouts that create dependencies but hand ups that build disciples.

This balanced view reminds me of the example that Dan and Claudette Busby have exhibited to me over the years. May God help all of us share without hesitation and with discretion.

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Colossians 3:14

“Charity obeys no created thing except Love.

Charity possesses nothing of her own, and should she possess something she does not say that it belongs to her.

Charity abandons her own need and attends to that of others.

Charity asks no payment from any creature for some good or pleasure that she has accomplished.

Charity has no shame, nor fear, nor anxiety. She is so upright she cannot bow on account of anything that might happen to her.

Charity neither makes nor takes account of anything under the sun, for the whole world is only refuse and leftovers.

Charity gives to all what she possesses of worth, without retaining anything for herself, and with this she often promises what she does not possess through her great largesse, in the hope that the more she gives the more remains in her.

Charity is such a wise merchant that she earns profits everywhere where others lose, and she escapes the bonds that bind others and thus she has great multiplicity of what pleases Love.

And note that the one who would have perfect charity must be mortified in the affections of the life of the spirit through the work of charity.”

Marguerite Porete in The Mirror of Simple Souls, trans. Ellen L. Babinsky (Paulist, 1993) 82. Special thanks to Daily Meditations reader, Bill Crowe, for sharing this with me.

Marguerite Porete was a French-speaking mystic and a Beguine. She wrote the book, The Mirror of Simple Souls for which she was burned at the stake as a heretic in Paris, 1310.

Charity is often defined as the voluntary giving of help to those in need. It is inseparable from love and impossible to extend to others without love.

Charity led me to answer a call today. It came at 7:35am. “Are you Rev. Dr. Gary Hoag?” the voice inquired. “Yes, I am.” I replied. “You have been cleared to visit Dan Busby.”

I learned it was a split vote between the doctors. The decision tipped in my favor by the patient advocate who told me that “patients like Dan turn around when visited by a person of the cloth.”

My dear friend’s life was hanging on by a thread this weekend. He had almost given up hope. Many rallied around him and we called the world to pray. I waited and the call came.

I booked a one-way ticket on the 11:20am flight, which was delayed. I finally landed at Washington Dulles at 5:45pm, jumped in a rental car, and raced to the hospital in Baltimore by 7:30pm.

The cover photo shows the place of honor they gave me in the staging room. That had my gear in it. “Put on charity.” I reminded myself.

After putting on multiple masks, a face shield, a yellow outfit, and blue rubber gloves, I was reminded of all the possible risks and dangers before entering. “Charity has no fear,” I thought to myself.

“Let’s do this,” I replied. “I want to lift up my friend.” It was sobering to walk a Covid ward with 16 beds given a 1% chance of walking out of there alive. I was escorted to “Area 51” as I affectionately called it, Dan’s room, #51, right next to the nurses station.

After undergoing further sanitization rituals, I entered his room. I think the visit really lifted his spirits. Our 90 minutes together was priceless.

He told me how hard it was sitting in the room, all alone, feeling like he was in the dark. That inspired me to read Mark 10:46-52 with him before I left. There, Jesus beckoned the blind man to come to him.

Dan could relate. He felt blind to all that was going on. I asked him the question Jesus asked Bartimaeus. “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “I would ask Jesus to help me close this chapter on Covid and seamlessly start my cancer treatment.” So that’s just what we did. It was a sweet prayer time.

Then I drove 90 miles to Winchester, Virginia, where I just checked in to a hotel. I am posting this just after midnight. Tomorrow I visit his wife to encourage her, then back to the hospital.

Dan’s excited that I am staying for a few days. “I was not sure I’d make it to the weekend,” he said. “Now I am sure I can.” All glory to God. Keep praying everyone!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:6-8

“Do not be anxious about anything. Keep silent, be careful for nothing, give yourself to reciting the Scriptures, sleeping and waking in the fear of God – then you will not fear the attacks of the godless.”

Anonymous Desert Father in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 48

These are times when we can be tempted toward anxiety, fear, and worry. How do we avoid it and make sure it does not shape our service and sharing? We must give ourselves to reciting the Scriptures.

This may mean that instead of spending time reading social media or watching TV, we focus on reading, meditating on, and memorizing Scripture. This can shape our generosity because when we need it to, it will drip from our tongues.

Verses like Psalm 94:19 have circled through my head. And I confess, I’ve been anxious lately because one of my dearest friends, mentors, and really like a father to me, Dan Busby, is battling both Covid and stage four colon cancer.

If you know him (or even if you don’t), join me in prayer, visit his CaringBridge site, and send some love. I am learning that my greatest act of generosity today is to remind Dan of what is true from Scripture and to call the world to pray.

Father in heaven, help Dan beat Covid. Restore his strength to battle cancer after that. Do this for your glory and for ministry into my life and so many others. Hear my prayer in your mercy in the name of Jesus. Amen.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:19-21

“I have to look inwardly and see myself as God sees me, the weak and sinful person I am, though loved by God ‘just as I am’. Union with God must be within that quiet room Jesus spoke of — the interior silence of the soul at prayer. Living the life of a contemplative is not solely for my own spriritual growth for God has given me the gift of being able to listen prayerfully to other people and the strength and courage to communicate His love both by listening to and praying for them.”

Mary Vickerage SCL as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 54.

I’ve had meetings this weekend that may result in a major grant for GTP over the next five years. It will require me to do a lot of writing that flows from the listening I did. Then, last night on the phone I spoke to a friend on the phone whose husband is in poor health and struggling to survive. After listening to her situation, I prayed for her.

We don’t often think of listening prayerfully in work meetings or on phone calls as an aspect of our generosity. But, often that’s the best way for us to love people. I have room for growth in this area. Perhaps you do it? God help us realize our own brokenness and need to listen and love others prayerfully and generously. Amen.

In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye. Deuteronomy 32:10

“To live the life of the solitary is to make a conscious decision for ‘aloneness’ with God and my additional vow of solitude seeks to make concrete my desire for God which becomes the foundation of my active ministry as the contemplative and the active influence and feed each other.”

Amma Sue SCL as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 38.

Today’s Scripture paints a beautiful picture. God finds us in hard places and shields and cares for us because of His great love for us. The contemplative goes to those places to experience God and to gain insight for serving the active.

I’ve often said that I like to be alone. I like the aloneness I enjoyed on a flight yesterday, and the aloneness in the peacefulness of my hotel room. Solitude is the gateway to my most important relationship, time with God.

The role of the contemplative is grow deep in God and, having done so, to influence and feed the active. That may be you. You have an active ministry, and you read these posts for inspiration. If so, soak in today’s Scripture.

Revel in God’s great love and care for you. And if you are the contemplative, sit with God in solitude to experience Him in a powerful way and go serve the active ones around you. Be filled in order to pour out to others generously.

And if you are an active person, interact with the contemplative to grow in your faith and support him or her generously so that, in community, you can both grow in relationship to God and navigate the challenges of life together.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24

“The Christian stands in a place of conflict… it is not an easy place to stand. It is not easy because we feel the pressures of the world telling us to give up or to give into pleasing the self… The steadiness of prayer and of offering is what is required, and God will do with it as He sees fit.”

Father Colin of Community of the Servants of the Will of God (CSWG), as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 25.

This short meditation has so much in it. Four thoughts surface for me.

Firstly, Scripture tells us repeatedly that the Christian life is a battle. IF you are not experiencing conflict, I’d ask yourself if you have given in to pleasing the self.

Secondly, I can totally relate to the pressures on one side to give up and on the other to pleasing the self. Both sides spout lies. We must stand in the middle.

Thirdly, the ability to stand with steadiness comes from two disciplines: prayer and offering, also known as giving. We attune to God and serve as generous conduits of blessing. That’s why we are here.

Fourthly, if we weather the conflict and stand by prayer and offering, God will do through us just what He sees fit. What a beautiful outcome! God’s will is done in and through us.

Father in heaven, help us not give in to the pressures, but instead, by your Spirit to stand with steadiness of prayer and of offering. Hear our prayer in your mercy in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

“What God is waiting for is not a right conclusion about a matter but for our suppleness in falling into His hands for Him to work in us.”

Benedicta Ward in The Way Supplement (1989) 14, as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 22. I’m liking this book.

I was speaking to someone recently about the new year and asked what word or phrase was guiding him. He said that “submit” was his word, and he wanted to submit to what God had for him.

God is looking for people willing to submit, be available, or as Ward put it, for our suppleness into falling into His hands for Him to work on us.

If you want to grow in generosity, grow in suppleness. In agricultural terms, it’s like being good soil. The world is planted in you. It bears fruit and saves you from yourself.

Father, save us from ourselves. Spirit grant us suppleness. Jesus, hear our prayer in your mercy. Amen.

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” He said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21

“We must remember that our life as Religious is not something over and above the ordinary Christian life. It is only the ordinary Christian life developed under such regulations as are rendered necessary for individuals, because the Church has at large has fallen away from her true spiritual calling of conscious and habitual union with Christ.”

Richard Meux Benson in The Followers of the Lamb (London: Longmans, Green and Company, 1900) 6, as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 12.

For years I rationalized my disobedience.

I thought to myself, passages like Today’s Scripture relate to the rich man but don’t relate to me. But in the context, the disciples proclaimed that they had left everything to follow Christ. For their obedience, Jesus promised them a hundredfold blessing.

So, why do so few people radically obey like the first disciples when such blessing is promised? Or in a word, why are so few religious? I find that the reason is they rationalize that such living is “something over and above the ordinary Christian life.” But think about it. Nothing about the Christian life is ordinary.

Just like nothing about living generously is ordinary!

To return to our calling and to maintain union with Christ leads us to a religious way of life. Again, it is far from ordinary! And, a fruit of this religious living is generosity, as our lives cease to focus on ourselves, but rather on loving God and others with all we are and all we have.

Pause today. Consider how you may be rationalizing disobedience. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. We are all guilty of this. We follow after the flesh rather than the Spirit. God forgive us and help our religious life be pure and faultless.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”Matthew 22:37

“If we really love God, everything will be freely and gladly given, regardless of what we feel in terms of consolations or awareness of Him.”

Sister Jane SLG (Sisters of the Love of God) in The Hidden Joy (Oxford: SLG Press, 1994) 20 as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 8.

Here, John-Francis quotes Sister Jane talking about the the sharing of those who set their hearts on God. Their sharing is free and glad because of their deep love for God.

The Rule of the Community of the Sisters of the Love of God declares that when the whole being is set on God, the hidden joy that is beyond all natural attainment is found.

They would likely add that one does not discover this until one pursues it. The point for ordinary people is not to look for consolations from God or awareness of God, but simply to love God.

To use a word picture, when our hands clutch money or things we think we need, we cannot hold onto God. But if instead we hold on to God, we can share freely and gladly because in Him we have everything we need.

And we discover hidden joy. Want to grow in sharing and generosity this year. Love God, regardless of what you feel in terms of consolations or awareness of Him, and do this in community.