Movement toward full incarnation

Every time you close another door--be it the door of immediate satisfaction, the door of distracting entertainment, the door of busyness, the door of guilt and worry, or the door of self-rejection--you commit yourself to go deeper into your heart and thus deeper into the heart of God.

This is a movement toward full incarnation. It leads you to become what you already are--a child of God; it lets you embody more and more the truth of your being; it makes you claim the God within you.

Henri Nouwen ~ The Inner Voice of Love

Thoughts on prayer

Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.

                  ~George Herbert

When you recognize the festive and the still moments as moments of prayer, then you gradually realize that to pray is to live.

                  ~Henri Nouwen

Remember that bodily exercise, when it is well ordered, as I have said, is also prayer by means of which you can please God our Lord.

                  ~St. Ignatius of Loyola

The music that I have learned and want to give is like worshipping God. It's absolutely like a prayer.

                  ~Ravi Shankar

Go deeper

Every time you close another door--be it the door of immediate satisfaction, the door of distracting entertainment, the door of busyness, the door of guilt and worry, or the door of self-rejection--you commit yourself to go deeper into your heart and thus deeper into the heart of God.


This is a movement toward full incarnation. It leads you to become what you already are--a child of God; it lets you embody more and more the truth of your being; it makes you claim the God within you.


Henri Nouwen ~ The Inner Voice of Love

Advent prayer by Henri Nouwen

Lord Jesus, Master of both the light & the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.

We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.

We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.

We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.

We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light. To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!”




Advent prayer by Henri Nouwen, hat tip to Diana Butler Bass via Facebook

Henry Nouwen: "You are not what the world makes you"

During our short lives the question that guides much of our behavior is: ‘Who are we?’ Although we may seldom pose that question in a formal way, we live it very concretely in our day-to-day decisions.

The three answers that we generally live—not necessarily give—are: ‘We are what we do, we are what others say about us and we are what we have,’ or in other words: ‘We are our success, we are our popularity, we are our power.’

Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity and power is a false identity—an illusion. Loudly and clearly he says: ‘You are not what the world makes you; but you are children of God.’

Henri Nouwen, from Here and Now: Living in the Spirit

Jesus' compassion, a downward pull

Once again, the folks over at the "Inward/Outward" Blog (the Church of the Saviour of Washington, DC) have offered up a quote that has struck me in a profound way. As we move toward Holy Week, the "downward pull" of Jesus' compassion is clearly an important way to reflect upon the journey of next week. Check out Henri Nouwen's quote below, and do check out "Inward/Outward" Blog, they have wonderful postings, quotes, and reflections -- and they have an amazing church as well!

Peter+

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Henri Nouwen, et al

Jesus’ compassion is characterized by a downward pull. That is what disturbs us. We cannot even think about ourselves in terms other than those of an upward pull, an upward mobility in which we strive for better lives, higher salaries, and more prestigious positions. Thus, we are deeply disturbed by a God who embodies a downward movement. Instead of striving for a higher position, more power, and more influence, Jesus moves, as Karl Barth says, from “the heights to the depth, from victory to defeat, from riches to poverty, from triumph to suffering, from life to death.”

Jesus’ whole life and mission involve accepting powerlessness and revealing in this powerlessness the limitlessness of God’s love. Here we see what compassion means. It is not a bending toward the underprivileged from a privileged position; it is not a reaching out from on high to those who are less fortunate below; it is not a gesture of sympathy or pity for those who fail to make it in the upward pull. On the contrary, compassion means going directly to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there. God’s compassion is total, absolute, unconditional, without reservation. It is the compassion of the one who keeps going to the most forgotten corners of the world, and who cannot rest as long as he knows that there are still human beings with tears in their eyes. It is the compassion of a God who does not merely act as a servant, but whose servanthood is a direct expression of his divinity.

Interrupted by.....?

My whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered the interruptions were my work.

~~Henri Nouwen (1932-1996)


(hat tip to Irenic Thoughts blog)

St. Catherine's School - Chaplain's Blog: Interrupted by.....?

SPACE, the Final Frontier...

No, I don't mean Star Trek - space...for surely that is the final frontier (I always wanted to be an astronaut, but couldn't hack the 3D motion sickness)...but "Space" in our lives also seems to be the final frontier. How can we make space? How can we take the time for rest? How can we make the time and the space for Sabbath, which is, afterall, one of the commandments!? (sorry to sound so biblical and religious...!).

Can we make space for the angels to come to us as Mary did?
Can we hear God's voice among the cacophany of voices?

Henri Nouwen has some comments on space and time and such that I found helpful as I am striving to live into a Holy Advent:

By Henri Nouwen

Empty space tends to create fear. As long as our minds, hearts and hands are occupied we can avoid confronting the painful questions, to which we never gave much attention and which we do not want to surface. “Being busy” has become a status symbol, and most people keep encouraging each other to keep their body and mind in constant motion. Occupation and not empty space is what most of us are looking for. When we are not occupied we become restless. We even become fearful when we do not know what we will do the next hour, the next day or the next year. Then occupation is called a blessing and emptiness a curse.

Many telephone conversations start with the words: “I know you are busy, but…” and we would confuse the speaker and even harm our reputation were we to say, “Oh no, I am completely free, today, tomorrow and the whole week.” Our client might well lose interest in one who has so little to do.