In my last blog, I commented on the winsomeness of Thomas Kelly's description of the "wholly obedient life." In A Testament of Devotion, he says: "The life that intends to be wholly obedient, wholly submissive, wholly listening, is astonishing in its completeness. Its joys are ravishing, its peace profound, its humility the deepest, its power world-shaking, its love enveloping, its simplicity that of a trusting child...."
Kelly suggests a kind of "path" to this type of life. First, he says, we need to be grasped by "the flaming vision of the wonder of such a life," a vision which occasionally breaks into our mundane lives through biographies of the saints, through meditation on the life and death of Jesus, or through a haunting verse of scripture. "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalm 16:11, NIV), for instance.
Kelly says that these moments of insight and inspiration are the work of God: "The Hound of Heaven is on our track, the God of Love is wooing us to His Holy life!"
The second step to holy obedience is this: "Begin where you are. Obey now. Use what little obedience you are capable of, even if it be like a grain of mustard seed." One way to put this into practice is to begin by praying a simple prayer of submission such as "Be Thou my will; be Thou my will," or "I open all before You; I open all before You," or "How wonderful You are; how wonderful You are!" We should repeat this prayer again and again throughout the day--while we are walking or working, in the thick of business or at school or home. These short, repeated prayers will remind us of God's nearness and of our desire to immediately and absolutely obey the God of Love.
Kelly's third step to holy obedience is: "Don't grit your teeth and clench your fists and say, 'I will! I will!' Relax. Take your hands off."
In addition to these three steps, Kelly offers this important word of counsel: "If you slip and stumble and forget God for an hour, and assert your old proud self, and rely upon your own clever wisdom, don't spend too much time in anguished regrets and self-accusations but begin again, just where you are."
Maybe I've piqued your interest in A Testament of Devotion. You can get a used copy from amazon.com for under $10 (including shipping). Here's to happy reading and joyful obedience!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Wholly Obedient Life
Several of my favorite spiritual writers are Quakers. George Fox, the "founder" of the Friends--(isn't that a wonderful alternative name for the Quakers?)--lived and wrote in the 17th Century, and John Woolman in the 18th Century. Thomas Kelly, Elton Trueblood, Douglas Steere, and Richard Foster are my favorites in the 20th and 21st Centuries -- I don't know what happened to the 19th Century!
I recently was re-reading Kelly's A Testament of Devotion. From the outset of this devotional classic, Kelly commends to his readers a lifestyle of absolute and complete obedience to the voice of God. His words both convict and challenge me. Listen to what he says: "Only now and then comes a man or woman who, like John Woolman or Francis of Assisi, is willing to be utterly obedient, to go the other half, to follow God's faintest whisper. But when such a commitment comes in a human life, God breaks through, miracles are wrought, world-renewing divine forces are released, history changes. . . .To this extraordinary life I call you--or He calls you through me--not as a lovely ideal, a charming pattern to aim at hopefully, but as a serious, concrete programme of life, to be lived here and now, in industrial America, by you and me."
"The life that intends to be wholly obedient, wholly submissive, wholly listening, is astonishing in its completeness. Its joys are ravishing, its peace profound, its humility the deepest, its power world-shaking, its love enveloping, its simplicity that of a trusting child...."
"This is something wholly different from mild, conventional religion which, with respectable skirts held back by dainty fingers, anxiously tries to fish the world out of the mudhole of its own selfishness. Our churches, our meeting houses are full of such respectable and amiable people.... In some, says William James, religion exists as a dull habit, in others as an acute fever. Religion as a dull habit is not that for which Christ lived and died. "
I am not content with "religion as a dull habit." I am weary of safe, respectable Christianity. I yearn for the heights and depths of a wholly obedient life. I long to see miracles wrought and lives changed--including my own. In my next blog I will enumerate what Kelly says are some of the steps we must take in order for us to develop this kind of life.
I recently was re-reading Kelly's A Testament of Devotion. From the outset of this devotional classic, Kelly commends to his readers a lifestyle of absolute and complete obedience to the voice of God. His words both convict and challenge me. Listen to what he says: "Only now and then comes a man or woman who, like John Woolman or Francis of Assisi, is willing to be utterly obedient, to go the other half, to follow God's faintest whisper. But when such a commitment comes in a human life, God breaks through, miracles are wrought, world-renewing divine forces are released, history changes. . . .To this extraordinary life I call you--or He calls you through me--not as a lovely ideal, a charming pattern to aim at hopefully, but as a serious, concrete programme of life, to be lived here and now, in industrial America, by you and me."
"The life that intends to be wholly obedient, wholly submissive, wholly listening, is astonishing in its completeness. Its joys are ravishing, its peace profound, its humility the deepest, its power world-shaking, its love enveloping, its simplicity that of a trusting child...."
"This is something wholly different from mild, conventional religion which, with respectable skirts held back by dainty fingers, anxiously tries to fish the world out of the mudhole of its own selfishness. Our churches, our meeting houses are full of such respectable and amiable people.... In some, says William James, religion exists as a dull habit, in others as an acute fever. Religion as a dull habit is not that for which Christ lived and died. "
I am not content with "religion as a dull habit." I am weary of safe, respectable Christianity. I yearn for the heights and depths of a wholly obedient life. I long to see miracles wrought and lives changed--including my own. In my next blog I will enumerate what Kelly says are some of the steps we must take in order for us to develop this kind of life.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
A Magical Moment
Something fantastic happened during our second service Sunday!
The scripture text for my message was Philippians 2:15-16a (NIV): "Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..." I talked about what we need to do in order for us to become Christ's "stars in the universe." In my conclusion I began quoting the children's song:
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
How I wonder what you are.
As I began it, though, a child in the congregation that I didn't recognize began saying it along with me. I was so surprised that I momentarily forgot the words, but he kept going, so we ended up quoting it together. And, as we did so, smiles broke out across the congregation, and others began mouthing the words along with us. It was a moment of magic!
The boy was seated next to Jo Ellen, one of our fantastic Children's volunteers, so I e-mailed her that evening to find out a bit more about my "co-preacher". His name is Mikiah, and he lives a couple doors down from her. He is adamant about coming to church and pesters his mother each week to make sure that he is allowed (they live in Vancouver!). Jo Ellen said: "he will be goinginto 1st grade next week, and makes up God songs to sing to me on the way to church."
Jesus said: "Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Lk. 18:17).
For me, Mikiah was "a star in the universe" on Sunday. He twinkled all over our service!
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