Luther on Monasticism

Anyone who is familiar with the writings of Martin Luther knows that he did not hide his disdain for the monastic lifestyle from which he came.  Many people take that criticism to mean that Luther was advocating for the complete removal of monasticism from Christianity.  A careful reading of Luther does not support that conclusion, though.  For, in the midst of his vitriolic writings directed against the medieval monastic institutions, you can find quotes like these:

"And so, if you vow to take up the religious life, and if you live with men of like mind, with a clear conscience that in monasticism you seek nothing to your advantage in your relationship with God, but because either your situation has brought you to embrace this kind of life, or it appeared to be the best way of life for you, without your thinking thereby that you are better than he who takes a wife or takes up farming, then in that case you are neither wrong to take vows nor wrong to live in this way, insofar as the propriety of the vow is concerned." (From "Judgment of Martin Luther on Monastic Vows", written in 1521, and found in Luther's Works, Vol. 44, page 304).

In that same writing, Luther had nothing but praise for St. Anthony, the founder of monasticism:

"St. Anthony, the very father of monks and the founder of monastic life, most wisely and in a Christian manner believed and taught that absolutely nothing should be observed which did not have the authority of Scripture. He knew absolutely nothing about monastic vows and ceremonial of this kind, but willingly chose to live as a hermit, and of his own will chose to live unmarried, after the pattern of the gospel.  Pursuing human wisdom, his successors made this way of life into a vow, into a matter of obligation and compulsion.  This way of life is but a specious copy and a mistaken observance of the rule of Anthony, which is the rule of Christ." (Luther's Works, Vol. 44, p. 253).


These passages make it apparent that Luther did not seek to destroy monasticism, but to reform it, and to have it return to its roots according to the way of the early monastics. His criticisms were not directed at the very existence of monasticism, but at the system of vows that had developed, and at the medieval notion that monasticism was a superior form of life compared to other vocations, such as family life and other forms of labor.

Unfortunately, churches that are the heirs of the Reformation have largely forgotten that the rule of St. Anthony is the rule of Christ.  But, as I have noted elsewhere, the seeds are being sown for a new form of monasticism, based on the Gospel and the ancient forms of monasticism.  It is my belief that this new/old form of monasticism  will play a crucial role in the promulgation of the faith in our increasingly secular, post-Christendom context.    

Listening - An Unconditional Surrender to Abba

For those of you who have regularly followed my blog over the past year and a half, you might have noticed that I haven't posted as much during the last month.  Part of my blogging silence is due to lots of work commitments going on, and part of it is due to the kids being back in school, and the activities that go along with that season of the year.  Another reason is that beginning last month, I began a two year program to be trained in spiritual direction.  Portions of the class are taught at the beautiful Benedictine Peace Center, located at Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, South Dakota, and the balance is online.  So, there has been a lot of other reading and writing on my plate during the last month.

Last week, one of the assigned readings dealt with listening.  In the midst of the "busy-ness" of my fall season, these words resonated with my deep-seated need to slow down, so that I can be aware of God's presence and voice in my life:

"Listening is that attitude of the heart whereby that which is deepest and most mysterious in us remains in loving attentiveness to that which is deepest and most mysterious in God.  By listening, we abide in the simplicity of being in love with our God. We remain loving our Beloved, with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37) irrespective of words, thoughts and specific actions.

Listening is unconditional surrender to Abba.  Listening is a giving of our deepest to him whose depth has no end.  Thus, it is an act of abandonment in faith, hope, and love, a wordless, imageless, loving surrender of our whole being to God.

Listening is waiting upon God in watchful expectancy.  Not that we wait for or expect some-thing. Rather we wait for some-One: God himself."

(From "The Way of Spiritual Direction" by Francis Kelly Nemeck and Marie Theresa Coombs, pp. 62-63).

Death and Life (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Words from a recent sermon by Victoria Osteen, the wife of famous preacher Joel Osteen, have circled around the internet the past few weeks, and have been picked apart by numerous other bloggers and commentators, so I apologize for jumping on that bandwagon.  (If you missed that story, the essence of her message was that we are to "do good for our own self" and not for God, because God just wants us to "be happy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koIBkYl0cHk).

In a world where Christianity has all but been eradicated in Iraq, where ancient Christian communities have worshiped for nearly 2,000 years, and where journalists trying to cover events in that region are being captured and beheaded, those types of messages emanating from American Christianity must seem quite peculiar to the rest of the world, to say the least.   In the spirit of Martin Luther's commentary on the Eighth Commandment (the one about bearing false witness against our neighbor, according to the Lutheran/Catholic numbering of the Ten Commandments), I won't say more, except to just offer this quote from an anonymous Carthusian monk:

"Death to self and life in God are inseparably linked: the one without the other remains sterile." (From p. 43 of "The Prayer of Love and Silence".

Ask, Search, Knock (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Today's reflection comes from an anonymous Carthusian monk, regarding perseverance in prayer:

“Once we have understood that God is disposed towards us as a father, confident perseverance in prayer is a natural consequence.

‘Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.  For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.’ (Luke 11:9-10).

The one who gives and opens is God. Ask, search, knock. Ask for everything, ask for the Spirit, seek God, knock at the door of the Kingdom (‘Lord, open to us,’ 12:25-7).  Knock at the door which is Christ, he who is the way to the Father; through his wounds we have access to the Father, who, the first, is seeking after us in his Son. ‘Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come to you and eat with you, and you with me’ (Revelation 3:20). So, when I pray, my prayer is only an echo of God’s prayer.  In that case, how could he refuse, refuse himself? What a mystery prayer is.”

(From “Interior Prayer” by a Carthusian, p. 29)

 

The Contemplative Way (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Perhaps some people practice contemplative prayer to see visions or have dramatic experiences.  That is not the reason why Christians should practice contemplative prayer.  The reason why we are called to a life of contemplative prayer is to die to ourselves, follow the way of Christ, and to be drawn into the presence of God.  Regarding the contemplative way, Merton once wrote:


"The contemplative way is in no sense a deliberate 'technique' of self-emptying in order to produce an esoteric experience.  It is the paradoxical response to an almost incomprehensible call from God, drawing us into solitude, plunging us into darkness and silence, not to withdraw and protect us from peril, but to bring us safely through untold dangers by a miracle of love and power.  The contemplative way is, in fact, not a way.  Christ alone is the way, and he is invisible. The 'desert' of contemplation is simply a metaphor to explain the state of emptiness which we experience when we have left all ways, forgotten  ourselves, and taken the invisible Christ as our way." (From "Contemplative Prayer" by Thomas Merton, p. 92).

Daily Prayer (Monday Morning in the Desert)

While I have written about the Rule of St. Benedict lately, it has been awhile since I have quoted directly from the Rule, so I thought today's "Monday Morning in the Desert" post could come from the Rule.  Here is the portion of the Rule which speaks directly to the times of daily prayer:

"Let us give 'praise' to our Creator for his 'deeds of justice' [Ps 118(119):164] at the following times: Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline.  And 'Let us rise at night to praise him.' [Ps 118(119):62].

(From Chapter 16.5 of the Rule, quoted at p. 144 in "Day by Day with Saint Benedict" by Terrence G. Kardong, OSB).

Why is it important to pray throughout the day as the Benedictines do? Father Kardong writes:  "Life on planet earth requires that some time be given to tasks like eating, working, sleeping, and so forth.  So the monks try to space their prayer periods throughout the day.  What should we pray for? Benedict wants us to praise God for his deeds of justice."  (From p. 144 of "Day by Day with Saint Benedict).

Sometimes, people who are interested in daily prayer ask me what books they have to buy, or resources they have to have to pray such a daily pattern.  With the advent of online daily prayer sites and phone apps, finding resources for daily prayer is easy these days.  For me, though, while I enjoy praying online (I just tweeted Morning Prayer @Virtual_Abbey), I still like using books more often than not.  For Lutherans, Anglicans, and others who have a common prayerbook or hymnbook, the resources for daily prayer are right at our finger tips.  Lutheran hymnbooks, such as the Lutheran Book of Worship and Evangelical Lutheran Worship, have specific texts for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline, and also "Responsive Prayer", which contains the prayers for mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon.

Having said all of that, I still fall into slumps where I don't pray as often as I should.  But, fortunately,  God is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." (Psalm 86:15).

Patterns (Monday Morning in the Desert)

As my 44th birthday rolls around next month, the thought has occurred to me that I am almost halfway through the "regular" working years of my life - I finished law school and started practicing law when I was still 24 years old, so assuming that I work until my mid-60s, I have completed approximately half of my work life.

As I look toward the second half of my work life, the patterns that have developed during the first half will shape the future of my vocational path.  In my law practice, I have always preferred resolving disputes through reconciliation as opposed to the lengthy and sometimes soul-killing process of litigation.  I still litigate on behalf of a client when necessary, but upon recognizing the pattern of preferring reconciliation to litigation, I have sought out training in mediation, and have served as a mediator in certain cases.

My life as an ordained pastor (3 1/2 years) is much shorter than my career as a lawyer, but I have been doing it long enough to recognize certain patterns there as well - this blog has documented the development of my thoughts on how to incorporate the Benedictine way into my personal spiritual life, as well as into ministry in the context of a small Lutheran congregation.  The next step on this path will begin this fall, when I enroll in a two-year course on spiritual direction taught at a nearby Benedictine monastery.  

In other words, it took me approximately two decades - half of my work life - to finally figure out what I want to do when I grow up!  

It is through the patterns that have occurred in our lives that we can get a sense of where God is calling us to go.  Many times, we cannot see those patterns in our own lives, so we rely on others to identify those patterns for us.

St. Seraphim of Sarov was a hermit monk who lived in nineteenth century Russia, who had the gift of seeing patterns in the lives of people who sought his counsel.  He had these words to say about discerning God's will for our lives through recognizing those patterns:

"The visible pattern of every single life is of God's choosing.  We only have to become conscious of it, follow it courageously, and see that we don't distort God's intention.  No two leaves on a tree are perfectly alike. Neither are any two lives. Everyone must strive to fill this unique life of his own with a love of God so constant and so great that it flares up into a luminous love of man. Listen, my joy, we... must learn to feel, discern and understand.  This only comes through years of reflecting on good and evil. Then we see things good and bad, in the light of God's wisdom: and then we develop the gift of true discrimination without which no one dare guide others...... Try to see how the pattern behind the events of today is transformed into the pattern behind the events of tomorrow."

(Quoted at p. 51 of "A Simplified Life" by Verena Schiller).

Summer Reading (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Summer is here, so many people are talking about their summer reading plans.  Many people like to do their summer reading on a beach or a resort somewhere.  Well, our family hasn't made any big summer plans, and here in Iowa, there really aren't any beaches (a few square feet of sand adjacent to a small lake doesn't count) and the resorts are few and far between.  So, my summer reading will have to be out on our three-season porch (unless there is too much heat and humidity, which we do have plenty of in Iowa during the summer).

What will I be reading?  Well, I haven't made my final list, but here are a few thoughts.  Since I will be taking a youth group to the Lutheran/Presbyterian Mission Center on the Pine Ridge Reservation, I am reading a little bit of history ("A Terrible Glory:  Custer and the Little Bighorn - the Last Great Battle of the American West" by James Donovan, a book which is about more than just that one battle, but about the unfortunate history surrounding the takeover of the West).  I'm also going to read a book about the current state of Native Americans ("Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder" by Kent Nerburn).  

Theologically, I have come to realize that I have a gaping hole in my knowledge of two 20th century theological giants: Karl Barth and Hans Urs von Balthasar.  So, time permitting, I plan on reading through a couple of introductory books about those two theologians, and finish by reading a new book from Fortress Press, "Saving Karl Barth: Hans Urs von Balthasar's Preoccupation" by D. Stephen Long.  Somewhere along the line, I hope to read a bit of fiction as well, but I haven't decided what to read yet, other than perhaps re-reading "The Hobbit" before the final movie in that series comes out later this year.   

So, today's quote is about reading books, from Thomas Merton:

"Reading gives God more glory when we get more out of it, when it is a more deeply vital act, not only of our intelligence but of our whole personality, absorbed and refreshed in thought, meditation, prayer, or even in the contemplation of God. Books can speak to us like God...They speak to us like God when they bring us light and peace and fill us with silence.  They speak to us like God when we desire never to leave them."

(From "Thoughts in Solitude" pp. 55-56).  And finally, he offers this little gem: "Christ, the Incarnate Word, is the Book of Life in Whom we read God" (p. 57).

Letting Go (Monday Morning in the Desert)

It could be said that much of Christianity has been reduced to theology by "bumper sticker", consisting of sayings which can fit onto a sticker placed on the bumper of a car.  Or, using a more recent mode of communication, I could call it "theology according to Twitter", where the sayings are limited to 140 characters. Many sayings are of dubious quality, such as the notorious "God helps those who help themselves", the alleged quotation from the Bible which is nowhere to be found in Scripture.

One saying that I hear periodically goes like this: "Let go, and let God".  Again, like many of these sayings,it could be used at inappropriate times or for inappropriate reasons.  However, unlike "God helps those who help themselves", a saying with little or no redeeming qualities, there may be a legitimate use of "Let go, and let God". 

"Let go, and let God" can perhaps be used to describe the message in an anonymous letter dating from fourteenth-century Germany, which is sometimes called "The Silent Outcry".  It is believed to be a letter from a spiritual director, and the message of the letter is that it is only by letting go of God that God can be found.

"Learn how to let go of God through God, the hidden God through the naked God.  Be willing to lose a penny in order to find a guilder.  Get rid of the water, so that you can make wine..... [I]f you want to eat of the honey, you should not be put off by the bee's sting.  If you want to catch fish, learn to get wet; if you want to see Jesus on the shore (John 21:4), learn to sink down into the sea first."  (Matthew 14:30)

 ****

Listen.  Look.  Suffer and be still.  Release yourself into the light.  See with intellect.  Learn with discretion.  Suffer with joy.  Rejoice with longing.  Have desire with forbearance.  Complain to no one.  My child, be patient and release yourself, because no one can dig God out from the ground of your heart.

O deep treasure, how will you be dug up? O high perfection, who may attain you?  O flowing fountain, who can exhaust you? O burning Brilliance; outbursting Power; simple Return; naked hiddenness; hidden Security; secure Confidence; simple silent One in all things; manifold Good in a single silence; You silent Outcry, no one can find you who does not know how to let you go.

Release yourself, my child, and thank God that he has given you such a way of life."

(From p. 141 of "The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism", edited by Bernard McGinn). 

Mercy (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Yesterday, I prayed at the bedside of a family member who is dying.  The liturgical prayers of the Church which commend a dying person to God are quite beautiful, but it is hard to appreciate their beauty under the circumstances. 

There is one thing that those prayers have in common: mercy.  In the Church, we can debate for days, months, years, or even millenia about beliefs and doctrines about God, but in the end, on our deathbeds, what we cling to is God's mercy. So, today's quote is from Elder Epiphanios of Mount Athos:

"I am not afraid of death.  Not, of course, because of my works, but because I believe in God's mercy."

(From p. 73 of "Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit: The Lives & Counsels of Contemporary Elders of Greece" by Herman Middleton).

Interior Prayer (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Yesterday during worship, our Gospel reading was from John 17:1-11, and it contained what is known as the "high priestly prayer" of Jesus.   It is a prayer which emphasizes the unity of Jesus with God the Father, as well as our unity with each other and with Christ.

As I have discussed before, the Carthusian order of monks is perhaps the closest thing we have in the Western tradition of the Church to the Desert Fathers and Mothers.  The Carthusians teach that our ability to pray comes from the unity we have with Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, our Advocate:

"Prayer is the respiration of our being, hidden with Christ in God. It is silence of the mystery that we are; or cry of the hope of things unseen, of a waiting which is not yet fully consummated.  At such times, prayer rises from the depth of our heart, revealing to us who we are: a prayer that comes from beyond us, and yet which is within us, a prayer which is the manifestation of a love and a will which are mysteriously at one with God, and supremely efficacious.  This is the work of the other Advocate promised by Jesus (John 14:17)."

(From the book, "Interior Prayer" by an anonymous Carthusian, translated by Sister Maureen Scrine, p. 80).  

The Desert in Modern Times? (Monday Morning in the Desert)

The lives of the ancient Desert Fathers and Mothers seems highly peculiar to 21st century people. A life defined by silence and prayer? Who has time for that?  Who would even want to do that?

Certainly, this kind of life is not for everyone.  God calls people to a variety of vocations in life, and for most of us, those vocations revolve around "regular" jobs or family life.  Contrary to modern reason, though, there are people who are called to live a life of silence and prayer now.  But, instead of living in the deserts of ancient Egypt, they live around us in houses or apartments, both in cities and in rural settings.

A modern day Desert Mother is Sister Verena Schiller, an Anglican who lives a solitary life in northern Wales.  She wrote a book about her life, and it contains this passage on why God has called some to solitary lives of prayer and silence in the midst of modernity:

"In our twentieth/twenty-first century western world, we no longer live in a society like that of early antiquity when almost all were believers of some sort and lived in a climate where faith in God or gods was almost universal.  To be a believing active Christian in our age was in itself becoming more rare.  And yet, and yet.... the thirst for things spiritual was very much in evidence, a thirst for a meaning to life beyond the excessive materialism and need for instant gratification so prevalent in our society at present. Many feel as though they are staring into an abyss.  Deep in the human psyche lies the longing for whatever we may mean by 'God' and many harbour a great fear that death might mean 'extinction'.  Deeper still lies this search for meaning.  For me it seemed that at least in part, the renewal of the eremitic life (life of a recluse in the desert tradition) in recent years was an aspect of this thirst. There was a sense of urgency that in a world that was changing so rapidly and seemingly intent on destroying itself, the times were urgent.  The counter-cultural intent of monasticism needed to regain its cutting edge.  So my move into solitude began to take shape."

(From p. 7 of "A Simplified Life" by Verena Schiller).

(An image from the area of rural Wales where Sister Verena lives, from an article about her located at: http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2010/15-october/faith/solitary,-but-not-unguided).


Some may ask: "But what do people like Sister Verena do, really? Aren't they just seeking an escape from the world?"  My response is that they are living more deeply in the world than those of us who supposedly live in the "real world" can possibly imagine.  While we are working, playing, eating, or sleeping, there are modern day Desert Fathers and Mothers praying for you, me, and the whole world. They take no breaks or vacations from prayer.  It defines who they are - they could no more give up prayer than you or I could give up breathing.

The Church, particularly in the Western world, is in the midst of a transition, and we are struggling to figure out our place within a society where belief in God is an afterthought at best. As a part of that transition, I believe the Church needs to identify and lift up those people, few as they may be, who have a calling to live a life defined by prayer.  Their prayers will lift up those of us who struggle, who hurt, or who do not know of God's presence in their daily lives.  So, as they pray for us, we should pray for those called to that life as well, that God may give them the strength to pray without ceasing for the Church, the world, and all of creation.

Interior Silence (Monday Morning in the Desert)

As I have written about previously, I think it is important for Christians to experience intentional periods of silence (http://benedictinelutheran.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-spirituality-of-silence.html).  But peace and quiet is only one aspect of silence in the life of a Christian. 

Our thoughts can reflect the pace of modern society - our minds jump around from one subject to another, from subjects such as our "to do" list for the day, to mental images from our past, and thinking about news events we have learned about through the media.  So, even though we might be in a place where there is silence around us, we are not truly experiencing silence, because we lack interior silence.  Our racing minds can sometimes prevent us from being aware of the presence of God in our lives. 

A modern day monk who lives at St. Anthony's Monastery, in the deserts of Egypt, spoke about the difference between exterior and interior silence:

"First of all, there are kinds of silence.  There is silence and there is silence.  Silence can mean not speaking; you are going to stay in a place that is quiet.  This is helpful. It's nice to go into a nice forest or a nice garden where you are away from traffic and from talking with people, where you are away from the demands of the modern world.  But this is an exterior silence -- which helps you breathe slowly, to enjoy aesthetic pleasure, the beauty of creation -- but it is transient; it will not last. 

There is another type of silence, which is interior silence. Now this is much harder to find, but it is long-lasting.  For example, memories.  Here we are living in the desert; here I am living up there in the mountain.  For long periods of time -- two weeks, three weeks, one month -- I don't see any people.  I'm not committing sins of action daily.  I'm just sitting quietly and working and praying and being alone.  What about my mind? My mind can range everywhere.  If I don't have interior silence, I can be as busy in mind as if I were in New York."

(From pp. 34-35 of "Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer: Experiencing the Presence of God and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of an Ancient Spirituality" by Norris Chumley).

There is no magic pill which will get us to experience interior silence.  Ancient spiritual disciplines, such as lectio divina and praying the Jesus Prayer, are helpful practices - but our efforts, on their own, will not attain interior silence.  The kind of silence that helps us to become aware of God's presence around us is a gift - a gift we can ask for through prayer, and when it is received, we cannot take credit for it, but only give thanks.

Freedom (Monday Morning in the Desert)

When I think of what "freedom" means, I usually think of those freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution, which I swore to uphold when I was sworn in as an attorney.  Specifically, I think of the freedoms set forth in the Bill of Rights (freedom of speech, religion, assembly, etc.).  But as a Christian, "freedom" has a different meaning.   A monk of Mount Athos, St. Silouan, had this to say about freedom:

"People generally seek freedom in order to do what they like.  But that is not freedom, but the power of sin over you.... True freedom means constant dwelling in God."  (From p. 65 of "St. Silouoan the Athonite" by Archimandrite Sophrony).

In other words, Christian freedom should not lead to a self-absorbed lifestyle, nor a faith which is all about "just me and Jesus".  Christian freedom means that through grace, we have been reconciled with God, and because of that, we have been freed from the captivity of sin to willingly serve God and our neighbors.  Luther summed up the paradoxical nature of Christian freedom when he stated: "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.  A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject of all, subject to all."  

Love Alone (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Churches that are descended from the Reformation like to use the word "alone" a lot - "faith alone", "grace alone", "Scripture alone", "Christ alone", and "glory to God alone".  During online discussions about the Reformation, I've seen these five "solas" (Latin word for "alone") critiqued in a sarcastic, yet perceptive fashion: If these things are supposed to be "alone", why are there five of them? 

Well, I'm going to muddy the water further through this morning's quote from a modern day Desert Father, Elder George of Mount Athos, by adding another "alone" - "Love alone".  Elder George said:

"Love all your fellow men, even your enemies.  This is the most basic thing.  Always love not only those who love us, but also those who hate us.  Let us forgive them and love them all even if they have done us the greatest evil; then we are truly children of God.  Then our own sins are also forgiven.... Always preach love.  This is the most basic law of God: love and love alone."

(From p. 189 of "Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit: The Lives and Counsels of Contemporary Elders of Greece" by Herman Middleton).

Elder George's words are directly related to the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:43-44).  And, of course, Jesus directly invoked love when he answered the lawyer's question regarding which commandment was the greatest: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Matthew 22:37-39).

Those words seem so simple, but are so hard to follow.  Pray for our enemies? It is much easier to curse them.  Love our enemies? It is much easier to retaliate against them.  Love our neighbor? It is much easier to love ourselves. 

Which message sells better in politics? It is much easier for politicians to stand up in front of a cheering crowd and preach hatred of our enemies rather than love of our enemies.  Sometimes, the language and sacraments of Christianity are distorted in order to do so (http://thefederalist.com/2014/04/27/no-sarah-palin-baptism-isnt-a-good-punchline-for-a-terrorist-joke/).  In what is perhaps the most famous attack ad in history, the word "love" was distorted through its use in a message implying "vote for me, because the other candidate will start a nuclear war" ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k).

"Love alone" may not be one of the slogans of the Reformation, and it will probably never be a popular political slogan.  But if I were to be given the task of describing the message of Jesus in two words, those might be the two words I would select. 

Monday Morning in the Desert - Easter Edition

Christ is Risen! Alleluia! I hope you had a blessed Easter Sunday - remember that in the life of the Church, Easter is not just one day, but a season which lasts for the next several weeks.

 Before today's quote, I will note the slight change in direction that I'm going to take in the "Monday Morning in the Desert" series.

For the past six months, each Monday morning, I have posted a quote from one of the ancient Desert Mothers and Fathers, the original Christian monks who inhabited the deserts of Egypt a few centuries after Christ. I am going to continue the "Monday Morning in the Desert" series, but consistent with what I have learned about the "desert" over the past few months, I'm going to expand the source material to those from other times and places - even modern times - who who have practiced contemplative spirituality.  After all, contemplative spirituality is about developing interior silence, not just getting away to a place of exterior silence.  In other words, the "desert" can exist at any time and place where one's heart and mind is focused on God, and is not distracted by the internal noise of thoughts, impulses, and memories which can distract us from God.  As a modern day desert father (Father Lazarus of St. Anthony's Monastery, Egypt) said: "[E]xterior silence... is transient; it will not last....[I]nterior silence... is much harder to find, but it is long-lasting... If I don't have interior silence, I can be as busy as if I were in New York."  (From pp. 34-35 of "Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer" by Norris Chumley).

So, with that in mind, today's quote is from Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh.  I've quoted him in other recent blog posts, and he is an example of someone who sought interior silence in modern times.  His book, "Beginning to Pray" is a classic of modern spirituality that has been read by Christians of many traditions. Since it is Easter, today's quote is from one of his Easter sermons:

"Christ is life and the victory of life.  In the world in which he came, death was prevalent and seemed to be all-powerful over men; when he came, he defeated death by his Resurrection.  And nowadays we live in a world full of torment, of pain, of fear, of murder, of death, and we may say: but where is the victory? The victory is in each of us, the victory is in all those of us who believe that death cannot separate us from God, that death is no longer a victory of evil over us, but a triumph of us through our faith, because death is no longer separation.....  However frightening and dark the world is nowadays, we know that victory has already been won, that God has won and that we who believe in him partake together with him in his victory."

(From p. 186 of "Metropolitan Anthony: Essential Writings").

Forgiveness (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Christians talk a lot about forgiveness. For example, every time we pray the Lord's Prayer, we ask God to "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us".  In my everyday life, talk about forgiveness doesn't really seem to be that hard or unrealistic.  People offend me periodically in a minor way with their words or actions, but nothing  has required me to go to great lengths to forgive.

In a recent article in the New York Times Magazine, though, there is an article containing several almost unimaginable stories of forgiveness.  It was twenty years ago that one million people were killed in the Rwandan genocide.  Understandably, in the aftermath of such a senseless slaughter, there has been much grief and anger.  But, as the article (and in particular, the pictures that go along with it) demonstrates, there has also been forgiveness - mothers have forgiven those who killed their sons, people who had their homes burned and looted have forgiven the perpetrators, and so on.

(The man on the left killed the father and three brothers of the woman on the right).  For more pictures and stories, you can find the article here:
  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/06/magazine/06-pieter-hugo-rwanda-portraits.html?_r=0

 The Desert Fathers and Mothers were not victims of such a genocide, but in living lives of complete obedience to the will of God, they knew the importance of forgiveness, and entrusting matters of judgment to God, as this story demonstrates:

"One day Abba Isaac went to a monastery.  He saw a brother committing a sin
and  he condemned him.  When he returned to the desert, an angel of the Lord came and stood in front of the door of his cell, and said, 'I will not let you
enter.'  But he persisted saying, 'What is the matter?'  And the angel
replied, 'God has sent me to ask you where you want to throw the guilty
brother whom you have condemned.'  Immediately he repented and said, 'I have
sinned, forgive me.'  Then the angel said, 'Get up, God has forgiven you.
But from now on, be careful not to judge someone before God has done so.'" 

(From this online compilation of the sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers - http://www29.homepage.villanova.edu/christopher.haas/saying%20of%20the%20desert%20fathers.html).

What is Faith? (Monday Morning in the Desert)

Lutherans sure do make a big deal about faith.  After all, wasn't one of the rallying cries of the Reformation known as sola fide, "faith alone"? The problem, is, do we really know how to answer the question of what the word "faith" means? 

I'm sure that some Lutheran seminary professors would probably fail me if I gave this answer to the question of "what is faith", but I kind of like it anyway:
 
"A brother questioned Abba Poemen saying, 'Give me a word.' And he said to him, 'The fathers put compunction as the beginning of every action.' The brother said again, 'Give me another word.' The old man replied, 'As far as you can, do some manual work so as to be able to give alms, for it is written that alms and faith purify from sin.' The brother said, 'What is faith?' The old man said, 'Faith is to live humbly and to give alms.'" 

(From p. 115 of "Oasis of Wisdom: The Worlds of the Desert Fathers and Mothers" by David Keller).

A friend of mine who follows this blog likes to remind us Lutherans about the question posed at Luke 10:29 - "Who is my neighbor?" That question, of course, was asked by the lawyer who wanted to justify himself before Jesus (as a I lawyer, I admit that I sometimes resemble that remark).  In response to the lawyer's question, Jesus did not give the lawyer a systematic theological analysis - he told him the parable of the Good Samaritan.

So, that is why I like Abba Poemen's answer to the question of "what is faith?" Like Jesus, he didn't give a detailed theological explanation; just a few words which suggest that faith is intertwined with doing what Christ calls us to do - to live humbly and to give alms.

Monday Morning in the Desert

After a great experience last week at Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, South Dakota, it is back to the  grind for me.  Hopefully, I will be able to bring at least some of my experience in the figurative desert of the monastic setting into daily life.

While in the midst of a quiet setting, I had a chance to reflect on the damage that our words and deeds can do to others, so this morning's quote is on that subject:

"A brother asked Poemen about the words, 'Do not render evil for evil' (1 Thess. 5:15).  He said to him, 'The passions work in four stages: first in the heart, then in the face, third in words, fourth in deeds - and it is in deeds that is is essential not to render evil for evil.  If you purify your heart, passion will not show in your expression, but if it does, take care not to speak about it; if you do speak, cut the conversation short in case you render evil for evil.'"

(From p. 192 of "The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks", translated by Benedicta Ward).

This past week, I've also had the chance to listen to a series of talks at a Lenten retreat by Father John Behr of St. Vladimir's Seminary - he includes a lot of good quotes and observations from the Desert Fathers.  You can listen to the talks (about 15-20 minutes per podcast), entitled "The Call of God", at Ancient Faith Radio:

http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/svsvoices/the_call_of_god_part_1

http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/svsvoices/the_call_of_god_part_2

http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/svsvoices/the_call_of_god_part_3

Monday Morning in the Desert

This morning, I'm not going to post a quote from a Desert Father or Mother, but will simply note that right now, I am immersed in the "desert" - not a literal desert wilderness, but a figurative "desert", in the form of the stillness of a monastery.  So, I'll be taking a break, and will check in again a few days from now.

And, in case you're wondering where I am, I am at the Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, South Dakota - right above the beautiful Missouri River.