The Henri Nouwen society also sends out a weekly email, written by someone who has been involved with the society, or L'Arche communities. This is the email I received this week...
On the Journey Toward Becoming Friends
written by DOUG WEIBE
Friendships are mysterious. They often begin and end when we least them expect them to. We sometimes become friends with people we are not initially drawn to. Sometimes we don't develop the kind of friendship we desire with someone we are attracted to. Some friendships take a lot of work, while others are as natural as breathing.
Friendship is a gift waiting to be revealed with every person I meet. With just a few people, the gift of covenant relationship will be revealed. With very many people, the gift of friendly waves and weather conversations will unfold. In between are the gifts of healthy working friendships, close lifelong friendships, friendships born in crisis, celebration, a shared passion for coffee, golf, children, faith, travel, et cetera.
Friendships are life-giving when we accept, nurture, and celebrate the particular gift that is present in each. Friendships are draining and difficult when we reject the gift by either not accepting the intimacy offered or trying to make the gift more intimate than it was ever meant to be.
These gifts of friendship are scattered like ripe fruit in the gardens of our lives, waiting to be tasted and enjoyed. Each gift is given by a loving God, who knows what we need and who desires a friendship with every one of us. Therefore, while we may choose our friendships, we do not create the gift of friendship. We can work on our friendships, but we cannot change them into something they are not gifted to be. This is the pain and the joy, the poverty and the incredible freedom we experience on the journey to becoming friends.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Loving the Church - Henri Nouwen
Loving the Church
Loving the Church often seems close to impossible. Still, we must keep reminding ourselves that all people in the Church - whether powerful or powerless, conservative or progressive, tolerant or fanatic - belong to that long line of witnesses moving through this valley of tears, singing songs of praise and thanksgiving, listening to the voice of their Lord, and eating together from the bread that keeps multiplying as it is shared. When we remember that, we may be able to say, "I love the Church, and I am glad to belong to it."
Loving the Church is our sacred duty. Without a true love for the Church, we cannot live in it in joy and peace. And without a true love for the Church, we cannot call people to it.
Loving the Church often seems close to impossible. Still, we must keep reminding ourselves that all people in the Church - whether powerful or powerless, conservative or progressive, tolerant or fanatic - belong to that long line of witnesses moving through this valley of tears, singing songs of praise and thanksgiving, listening to the voice of their Lord, and eating together from the bread that keeps multiplying as it is shared. When we remember that, we may be able to say, "I love the Church, and I am glad to belong to it."
Loving the Church is our sacred duty. Without a true love for the Church, we cannot live in it in joy and peace. And without a true love for the Church, we cannot call people to it.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
kind of without words....
What happens when a writer discovers that she doesn't have any words left?
I'm feeling that way a little tonight...
Thinking and praying for people across the country and around the world...
Two hours of quiet after I got home from dinner with a friend tonight - one hour for accomplishing stuff (dishes, emails, making tea) one for resting (candles, incense, drinking tea, prayer and reading).
This week I'm doing better at taking advantage of the free moments as they come and using them for rest. I hope that lasts.
I had a savoury breakfast crepe for dinner, ham and cheese and scrambled eggs, wrapped in this great crepe and topped with mozzarella and this great sauce. If you haven't eaten at this tiny little restaurant in Kensington with 70 plus varieties of crepes - sweet and savoury - then you need to. It's rapidly becoming one of my favorite dinner stops (and affordable too - less than 10 bucks for a filling meal).
Read entries in a Bible dictionary tonight... incense, hands, oil, wine... interesting reading...
watching "House" at the moment... then bed... tomorrow is Wednesday... Wednesday's have been not been very good days for me lately... wanting to be rested and prepared...
work is going to be nuts for the next six days... thousands and thousands of copies to print... and have to have it all done because I'm taking Thursday and Friday off next week...
I'm feeling that way a little tonight...
Thinking and praying for people across the country and around the world...
Two hours of quiet after I got home from dinner with a friend tonight - one hour for accomplishing stuff (dishes, emails, making tea) one for resting (candles, incense, drinking tea, prayer and reading).
This week I'm doing better at taking advantage of the free moments as they come and using them for rest. I hope that lasts.
I had a savoury breakfast crepe for dinner, ham and cheese and scrambled eggs, wrapped in this great crepe and topped with mozzarella and this great sauce. If you haven't eaten at this tiny little restaurant in Kensington with 70 plus varieties of crepes - sweet and savoury - then you need to. It's rapidly becoming one of my favorite dinner stops (and affordable too - less than 10 bucks for a filling meal).
Read entries in a Bible dictionary tonight... incense, hands, oil, wine... interesting reading...
watching "House" at the moment... then bed... tomorrow is Wednesday... Wednesday's have been not been very good days for me lately... wanting to be rested and prepared...
work is going to be nuts for the next six days... thousands and thousands of copies to print... and have to have it all done because I'm taking Thursday and Friday off next week...
Jesus coincidences and other thoughts...
I told a friend last night that my next blog post would be titled "I think I'm allergic to Jesus". I decided not to write the post, but I am still laughing at the idea... seems that the seasons in my life where Jesus is drawing me most intensely to himself, where I am being pulled from familiar comfort zones into the completely terrifying, stunningly beautiful unknown are always accompanied by a great deal of physical illness and weakness. As someone who has a number of food allergies and sensitivities, this kind of reaction of my body to the things going on with me mentally and emotionally always reminds me of an allergy - thus, "I think I'm allergic to Jesus"!
This present season has many parallels to be drawn to a season exactly two years ago at this time. The emotions feel very similar to that time, and that time is one that in some ways I'm still recovering from! So many beautiful things happened in a short, intense season, that I am still finding my way! And so, I'm sitting here at my desk this morning, sipping tea, and waiting to see what beautiful things come out of this new and crazy season. I'm excited. I'm exhausted. I'm sick. But Jesus is doing cool things.
And, speaking of weird Jesus coincidences, I had a fun one on my way to work this morning. I was in my own little world, walking to the train from home, listening to Jason Upton on my ipod. I was talking with Jesus about a couple of young women from the group of youth at church that I'm involved with, and thinking that I needed to phone one of them tonight. I stepped on the train, still in another world, and someone poked me to get my attention. Both of the girls I'd just been praying for were standing there, on the way to the temp job they're both working at just presently. We had probably 15 or 20 minutes of commuting time to chat, and it was great to see them, even in the midst of my early morning groggyness!
Today is yet again full of people (both lunch and dinner out with friends), and work is going to be busy for the next week or so, since we have a large conference and annual meeting at the end of next week, and I'm taking a couple days off at the end of next week as well. So, with that, I'm back to work!
This present season has many parallels to be drawn to a season exactly two years ago at this time. The emotions feel very similar to that time, and that time is one that in some ways I'm still recovering from! So many beautiful things happened in a short, intense season, that I am still finding my way! And so, I'm sitting here at my desk this morning, sipping tea, and waiting to see what beautiful things come out of this new and crazy season. I'm excited. I'm exhausted. I'm sick. But Jesus is doing cool things.
And, speaking of weird Jesus coincidences, I had a fun one on my way to work this morning. I was in my own little world, walking to the train from home, listening to Jason Upton on my ipod. I was talking with Jesus about a couple of young women from the group of youth at church that I'm involved with, and thinking that I needed to phone one of them tonight. I stepped on the train, still in another world, and someone poked me to get my attention. Both of the girls I'd just been praying for were standing there, on the way to the temp job they're both working at just presently. We had probably 15 or 20 minutes of commuting time to chat, and it was great to see them, even in the midst of my early morning groggyness!
Today is yet again full of people (both lunch and dinner out with friends), and work is going to be busy for the next week or so, since we have a large conference and annual meeting at the end of next week, and I'm taking a couple days off at the end of next week as well. So, with that, I'm back to work!
In the church and Not of it - Henri Nouwen
Another great bit from Henri Nouwen:
Being in the Church, Not of It
Often we hear the remark that we have live in the world without being of the world. But it may be more difficult to be in the Church without being of the Church. Being of the Church means being so preoccupied by and involved in the many ecclesial affairs and clerical "ins and outs" that we are no longer focused on Jesus. The Church then blinds us from what we came to see and deafens us to what we came to hear. Still, it is in the Church that Christ dwells, invites us to his table, and speaks to us words of eternal love.
Being in the Church without being of it is a great spiritual challenge.
Being in the Church, Not of It
Often we hear the remark that we have live in the world without being of the world. But it may be more difficult to be in the Church without being of the Church. Being of the Church means being so preoccupied by and involved in the many ecclesial affairs and clerical "ins and outs" that we are no longer focused on Jesus. The Church then blinds us from what we came to see and deafens us to what we came to hear. Still, it is in the Church that Christ dwells, invites us to his table, and speaks to us words of eternal love.
Being in the Church without being of it is a great spiritual challenge.
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