Such important teaching! I had no idea that someone whose experiences I respected and was learning from also was looking to things I said, when I was expressing immature opinions, as actual advice about life-altering decisions that she was acting upon. I am not sure any of those decisions were bad ones. It was the casualness of my sharing and the seriousness of her acceptance that horrified me. I would like to say I have been much more careful since then. But the truth is that the walk of faith is a learning experience no matter how old and weather-worn you become. Being in fellowship means sharing what you've got, whether or not it's perfect. Which is why we continually return to the teachings of Jesus and to the scripture we have. Each of us has the responsibility of discerning guidance with the Holy Spirit in the awareness that our advisors are not perfect.
"Being in fellowship means sharing what you've got, whether or not it's perfect." This is a revelation to me! I've been taught, and thought, that it's disrespectful to share something imperfect. I've missed out on community, for sure, with this belief. And have lived a life of high anxiety, lack of trust and peace. New goals...
I'm saying this with a chuckle. One of my charismatic mentors, an Anglican priest, taught me that bit about personal discernment: it's my job to take spiritual "offerings" back to the Lord for discernment. It is the job of someone who thinks s/he has a Word from God to speak it, even if it doesn't make sense to that speaker God is using. His wife, on the other hand, would say, "When in doubt, do it, because the Lord can always redeem it." That wasn't a wide open door, of course, but it reflected her spontaneous spirit and her confidence in God's hand on her life. When she felt "right" about a situation she could "go with the flow." Another time, when a friend was highly critical of MY spontaneity, the same mentor said, "Laurna, you are nothing if you are not spontaneous." That was a very strong affirmation of my outgoing ways! He also preached one evening on "wading out into deeper water." I knew he was preaching to someone who would be willing to write God a blank cheque -- to forge out in the direction He was calling even if risks and uncertainties were involved. I could do that. I guess at this late stage I'm still doing it. Never easy, but necessary to accomplish some sorts of things. And that brings us full circle to what Fr. Paul is saying in this thread about Peter.
Such important teaching! I had no idea that someone whose experiences I respected and was learning from also was looking to things I said, when I was expressing immature opinions, as actual advice about life-altering decisions that she was acting upon. I am not sure any of those decisions were bad ones. It was the casualness of my sharing and the seriousness of her acceptance that horrified me. I would like to say I have been much more careful since then. But the truth is that the walk of faith is a learning experience no matter how old and weather-worn you become. Being in fellowship means sharing what you've got, whether or not it's perfect. Which is why we continually return to the teachings of Jesus and to the scripture we have. Each of us has the responsibility of discerning guidance with the Holy Spirit in the awareness that our advisors are not perfect.
"Being in fellowship means sharing what you've got, whether or not it's perfect." This is a revelation to me! I've been taught, and thought, that it's disrespectful to share something imperfect. I've missed out on community, for sure, with this belief. And have lived a life of high anxiety, lack of trust and peace. New goals...
Yes agreed thats a great line thanks Laurna.
I'm saying this with a chuckle. One of my charismatic mentors, an Anglican priest, taught me that bit about personal discernment: it's my job to take spiritual "offerings" back to the Lord for discernment. It is the job of someone who thinks s/he has a Word from God to speak it, even if it doesn't make sense to that speaker God is using. His wife, on the other hand, would say, "When in doubt, do it, because the Lord can always redeem it." That wasn't a wide open door, of course, but it reflected her spontaneous spirit and her confidence in God's hand on her life. When she felt "right" about a situation she could "go with the flow." Another time, when a friend was highly critical of MY spontaneity, the same mentor said, "Laurna, you are nothing if you are not spontaneous." That was a very strong affirmation of my outgoing ways! He also preached one evening on "wading out into deeper water." I knew he was preaching to someone who would be willing to write God a blank cheque -- to forge out in the direction He was calling even if risks and uncertainties were involved. I could do that. I guess at this late stage I'm still doing it. Never easy, but necessary to accomplish some sorts of things. And that brings us full circle to what Fr. Paul is saying in this thread about Peter.