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High School Benediction
by John A. Sullivan III on 10-Jun-09 09:32

Thank you, Lord, for educating us beyond our books and our classrooms.
Thank you, Lord, for all the unfairness we have experienced
  for it has taught us the importance of Your Justice.
Thank you, Lord, for all the difficult times, for the

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The Real Tragedy of Abortion
by John A. Sullivan III on 08-Feb-09 21:10

Those of us who struggle, work, and pray to end the self-genocide of abortion must not forget that pro-choice proponents do identify legitimate problems. They are not all raging, hate-filled, self-absorbed, hedonists.

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Other Religions
by John A. Sullivan III on 26-Nov-08 11:28

Do please read this entry at face value as it is easily misinterpreted. Some will think it an expression of Christian arrogance while others may think it says one's choice of religion doesn't matter.

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Stirring the Cake Batter

I sometimes grow frustrated at how much we "preach to the choir." We focus so much energy inward that we can inadvertently become very self-absorbed and inwardly focused as Christian communities.  It does wonders for our ego to speak and present to those who agree with us and pat us on the back, congratulating us on our message but is it helping to bring hope and good news to those outside of the Church? Why do we not spend more energy focused outward? Perhaps, there is a reason.

This is not to say we should not focus more outwardly.  We should desperately desire to bring many to the fullness of faith delivered to us by God willing to walk in human flesh - not to conquer or win them but to share this great gift - to help them leave the love vacuum of this world and bask in the warmth of the knowledge that the world is ultimately good and loving.  It is not survival of the fittest and it's not ultimately a dog-eat-dog world.  If anything, the merciless cruelty we see in the animal world is a reminder of the outcome of a life lived for self rather than love.  As humans in the image of God rather than animals, we do not have to be that way.  The desire to share that peace should propel us outward despite frequent rejection.

However, our constantly stirring those who already believe may be way to bring in those on the outside however slowly.  We may tire of it always being the same people who serve, who come to Bible study, who express an interest in deepening their faith.  But, perhaps the dynamic is like stirring cake batter.  We spend lots of energy whipping the batter at the center and, as that energy radiates outward, the whipped batter slowly brings in the dried mix around the edge of the bowl.  Perhaps we should not be so frustrated when it is the same people participating over and over again.  As they are stirred, every once in a while they bring in someone new.  The same with the Church in general.  We keep stirring and energizing those in the pews and they occasionally bring in one of the dry bits of mix into the fluid batter.

So, I'll try not to grow discouraged but rather rejoice to keep seeing the same faces knowing that, as they are energized and edified, they will bring in the dry bits I cannot reach myself.  So thank you all who have stirred me and thank you all those I may be honored to stir.  Together may we draw all the human mix into the peace of Love Incarnate!

 

Virginia
Posts: 1
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Cake batter
Reply #1 on : Sun April 27, 2008, 16:06:18
It does seem often that what's happening is "preaching to the choir", a kind of core group that shows up and tries to do what needs doing without much united effort (?) or success in bring in new members. And indeed the mission is to spread the Good news and bring all peoples to Christ.
There is a sense in which the Church today is struggling towards what might be called a 'new maturity'. The safety of a readily available clergy is diminished, many persons are less involved even in their personal, individual participation, and the choir is learning new music - how to preserve and grow the Church developing lay leadership. So the mixing of the cake is essential. The dry bits are getting stirred in, as you say. But the cake is also being shared and consumed, nourishing and nurturing the consumers. When I connect with you and others in ideas and prayer, I am encouraged to speak more openly to anyone I meet about what I believe. More than just feeling good because you affirm me in some way, joy is renewed in me and seeks outward expression. I don't mean the Polyanna approach. I mean something deeper, something that is unquenchable and known to be God's gift. Joy is so much scarier and more overwhelming than the 'happinesss' we often equate it with. Yes, that response to sharing the cake is more individual than communal.
I guess I believe I that if the current members of the choir can deepen the level at which they share with each other how they truly love Christ in each other as well as in their own hearts, then the response to mission will grown into being communal rather than acted on individually.
This is way too long -

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