Confession & the Cross of Christ

“Without the cross the Discipline of confession would be only psychologically therapeutic. But it is so much more. It involves an objective change in our relationship with God and a subjective change in us. It is a means of healing and transforming the inner spirit.”

“Confession is a difficult Discipline for us because we all too often view the believing community as a fellowship of saints before we see it as a fellowship of sinners.”

“The Discipline of confession brings an end to pretense. God is calling into being a Church that can openly confess its frail humanity and know the forgiving and empowering graces of Christ. Honesty leads to confession, and confession leads to change. May God give grace to the Church once again to recover the Discipline of confession.” Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline.

 

“Anybody who lives beneath the Cross and who has discerned in the Cross of Jesus the utter wickedness of all men and of his own heart will find there is no sin that can ever be alien to him. Anybody who has once been horrified by the dreadfulness of his own sin that nailed Jesus to the Cross will no longer be horrified by the even the rankest sins of a brother.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together.

 

Friends as Signposts

We need friends. Friends guide us, care for us, confront us in love, console us in times of pain. Although we speak of “making friends,” friends cannot be made. Friends are free gifts from God. But God gives us the friends we need when we need them if we fully trust in God’s love.

Friends cannot replace God. They have limitations and weaknesses like we have. Their love is never faultless, never complete. But in their limitations they can be signposts on our journey toward the unlimited and unconditional love of God. Let’s enjoy the friends God has sent on our way.

Henri Nouwen.

Ser bendecidos para bendecir

La persona bendecida siempre bendice, y las personas quieren ser bendecidas. Este parece ser el caso por doquiera que uno vaya. Nadie recobra la vida a partir de maldiciones, rumores, acusaciones o culpas imputadas. Todo esto sucede demasiado a menudo a nuestro alrededor y sólo trae consigo oscuridad, destrucción y muerte. Como personas bendecidas, podemos caminar por este mundo y ofrecer bendiciones. Esto no exige demasiado esfuerzo, pues es algo que fluye de forma natural desde nuestro corazón. Cuando escuchamos en nuestro interior una voz que nos llama por nuestro propio nombre y nos bendice, la oscuridad deja de distraernos. La voz que nos llama ‘hijo amado’ nos dará palabras para bendecir a otros y revelarles que ellos no son menos bendecidos que nosotros.

Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved, 1992.

Una oración de Tomás de Aquino

Concédeme, Dios misericordioso,

Desear ardientemente lo que te agrada,

Investigarlo con prudencia,

Reconocerlo verazmente,

Cumplirlo con perfección,

Para alabanza y gloria de tu nombre.

 

Ordena mi estado,

Y dame a conocer lo que quieres que haga;

Dame ejecutarlo como se debe

Y como conviene para la salvación de mi alma.

 

. . .

 

Que no me goce ni me duela nada

Sino de lo que lleva a Ti o aleja de Ti.

A nadie desee agradar o tema desagradar sino a Ti.

Que todas las cosas transitorias se me hagan viles por Ti, Señor,

Y que todas tus cosas me sean queridas,

Y Tú, Dios mío, sobre todas las cosas.

 

Que me fastidie todo gozo sin Ti,

Que nada desee fuera de Ti.

Que me deleite, Señor, todo trabajo por Ti

Y tedioso me sea todo descanso sin Ti.

 

. . .

 

Hazme, Señor Dios, obediente sin contradicción,

Pobre sin falta, casto sin corrupción,

Paciente sin murmuración, humilde sin fingimiento,

Alegre sin disipación, triste sin abatimiento,

Maduro sin pesadez, ágil sin liviandad,

Temeroso de Ti sin desesperanza, veraz sin duplicidad;

Concédeme hacer el bien sin presunción,

Corregir al prójimo sin altivez,

Edificarlo con la palabra y el ejemplo sin disimulo.

 

Dame, Señor Dios, un corazón vigilante,

Que ningún pensamiento curioso aleje de Ti.

Un corazón noble,

Que ningún afecto indigno rebaje.

Un corazón recto,

Que ninguna intención siniestra desvíe.

Un corazón firme,

Que ninguna tribulación quebrante.

Un corazón libre,

Que ningún afecto violento reinvindique para sí.

 

Concédeme, Señor Dios mío,

Una inteligencia que te conozca,

Un amor que te busque,

Una sabiduría que te encuentre,

Una vida que te agrade,

Una perseverancia que espere confiada en Ti,

Una confianza que al fin te alcance.

 

. . .

 

Dios que vives y reinas

Por todos los siglos de los siglos.

 

Amén.

You Know You’re a Missionary If

You know you’re a missionary if . . .

 

The scale in your house has been used more to weigh luggage than to track your diet.

 

One fine day you realize that people in other parts of the world eat the animals you kept as pets in your childhood.

 

Someone scares you and you’re likely to react in any number of languages.

 

You’re an expert in bathing without running water and washing dishes without a sink.

 

You can chat with friends in different countries in multiple languages at the same time.

 

You can talk on two phones at once, interpreting from one language to another.

 

You’re ready to teach a Bible class, preach a sermon or teach kid’s class at any moment.

 

You have no problem picking up and showing love to unknown street children.

 

You’ve learned to never take the word “no” from a government official.

 

You’ve learned to negotiate a price so well that the locals congratulate you when you seal the deal.

 

Someone has yelled at you for being a “gringo” to which you politely respond in any number of accents to confuse the aggressor.

 

At one time the barber told you that you were the first person with blonde hair that he has attended to in his forty years of work.

 

You’ve slept in any number of spaces, kinds of floors next to any number of people.

 

You know how to get off a bus without waiting for the bus to stop.

 

When after living so long in a tropical climate, you put on a jacket when it’s 65 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

 

You really start believing that it’s best not to show up on time for any appointment.

 

You have entire conversations with people and later you forget which language you were speaking in.

 

You see visits to dangerous ghettos as an opportunity to grow in your faith.

 

You’ve shared a fermented drink out of same cup with people who have no teeth.

 

These are just a few!

 

My Prayer

Was it so very long ago you came to live on earth?
When will I ever comprehend the value of the Savior’s birth?

A man with rough, but gentle hands, a carpenter by trade
I want so much to understand the sacrifice the Father gave

And in the silence I can hear a voice that calls to me
Sometimes it comes in loud and clear, sometimes I’m just not listening

The rains have come, the winds have blown, and stronger for the storm I stand
Amazing grace I’ve come to know while clinging tightly to your hand

Lord, help me hear that voice inside, the message coming through
Please take my heart and amplify the love I have for you

Please take my heart and amplify the love I have for you

 

Written by Chet and Danice Sweet of the a cappella singing group, Revival.

Parlez-vous le français?

I wish the more supernatural gifts were still around! If you know me, you know which one most interests me! That’s right – speaking in tongues! Every since I was little kid, I remember being fascinated by foreign languages!

I started studying Spanish in the 11th grade. My last year of Spanish I did not go to class. My teacher graciously taught me more accelerated classes after school four days a week. Once I arrived at Oklahoma Christian my freshman year I took Spanish. My sophomore year I began studying Brazilian Portuguese. It was my senior year that my love-hate relationship with the French language began.

Ever since I was a young child, I wanted to speak French! My goal, for many years, was to be fluent in French because I wanted to work for the U.S. State Department or the U.N. I thought I was good at imitating a French accent until I began studying French in college. It seemed as when I got in front of my professor, my accent suddenly went missing and I would begin to speak French with a Latin American accent. My French professor even told me one day, “Vous parlez le français comme un Vénézuélien.” I was a little insulted by the thought that I spoke French like a Venezuela, but I decided to take it as a compliment. Since then, I have bought a number of French CD’s and text books in order to keep learning. I even watch TV Monde, French television every now and then.

I really needed to speak French this last Saturday. Luis Gómez invited the young people from church to go to the Plaza Altamira, also known as the French Plaza to tell people about Jesus. I’ll have to admit I am a little timid and I prefer other types of evangelism, but they we were! I told my partner that we should buy some ice cream from a vendor and that we could talk to her for a while. I quickly realized that our new friend did not speak Spanish very well at all! She spoke French! Our friend Nicole was from Haiti.

She lived in a dangerous barrio in West Caracas and sells ice cream in one of Caracas’ favorite plazas. I used whatever French I could remember . . . I introduced myself, got her name, asked her about her family and where she lived . . . and that was about it! I could not remember any more French! I got so mad at myself!

Did you know that Caracas has a large Haitian community? There are more than 7,500 Haitians in Venezuela, principally in Caracas in the barrios La Vega and Antímano. A great majority of them come to Venezuela looking for better political and economic conditions. There is even a Christian bookstore that sells Bibles in French at a discount to the Haitian community.

What are we doing to help the Haitians in Caracas? How many members from the Lord’s church are praying for and helping these needy families? Who is telling them about God’s unfailing love? In missiology we talked about unreached people groups. For what I know, the Haitians in Caracas are an unreached group!

Who will go and preach to them?

My Jesus, as Thou Wilt

“My Jesus, as Thou Wilt” is one of my favorite hymns. It was written by Benjamin Schmolck around 1704 and was translated into English from German by Jane L. Borthwick in 1854.

My Jesus, as Thou wilt! Oh, may Thy will be mine!

Into Thy hand of love I would my all resign;

Through sorrow, or through joy, conduct me as Thine own,

And help me still to say, my Lord, Thy will be done!

My Jesus, as Thou wilt! If needy here and poor,

Give me Thy people’s bread, their portion rich and sure.

The manna of Thy Word Let my soul feed upon;

And if all else should fail, my Lord, thy will be done.

My Jesus, as Thou wilt! Though seen through many a tear,

Let not my star of hope grow dim or disappear;

Since Thou on earth hast wept, and sorrowed oft alone,

If I must weep with Thee, my Lord, Thy will be done!

My Jesus, as Thou wilt! All shall be well for me;

Each changing future scene I gladly trust with Thee:

Straight to my home above I travel calmly on,

And sing, in life or death, my Lord, Thy will be done!