I just got back from a spiritual retreat near my town. About fixing our brokenness. There was an emphasis on compassion, hope, and acceptance. Here are some notes I wrote up about it. We are 5 weeks into Lent. The joy of Easter less than 2 weeks away!
From Brokenness to Wholeness: A journey from our head – to our heart.
Self Acceptance – Our equipment is broken. That’s why, when we want to do good, bad sometimes results. We have an illusion of who we think we should be, and we fall short of this illusion. The only way to get over this is to discover and accept ourself the way God made us, with our talents, our inclinations, our strengths, our weaknesses.
If we only live by rules, we never grow spiritually. Rules alone do not do it. Jesus’ Word makes us free.
Fixing brokenness can begin whenever we see our need to be more responsible, and more loving, to each other.
We are “pregnant with the Holy Spirit”. That is how close we are to God. Our personal relationship is with Jesus, not with a list of – do and don’t – rules.
* We are empty vessels – to be filled with God’s love.
* We are broken clay jars – hiding behind masks.
* We pray, “O Lord, lead us to wholeness”
Fulfillment – To become whole, we need to improve our spiritual equipment. Fulfillment is not only achievement and competence. True fulfillment comes from being a genuine, loving person. How can we build the Trust we need to be a genuine, loving person:
1. Honesty – are we always adapting to fit in? Let’s throw away the mask.
2. Concern – are we full of negativity? Let’s be positive and do something.
3. Communication – do we listen? Let’s share with another person what is going on inside us.
Guys especially, we need to open up, express our feelings, let people into our life. Because through communication, there is Love. And that leads us to God.
Reconciliation – Jesus tells us not to judge. The difference between Jesus – and institutional religion – is Compassion. Justice of God is totally different from the justice of man.
Seek metanoia – a new heart. Ask God to repair our broken equipment; we can’t do this on our own. Ask these questions, and then take action to begin the repair and the healing:
1. Is there anyone in my life – whom I have not forgiven?
2. Is there anything in my life – which I have not forgiven myself for?
God’s new law is love, compassion, forgiveness. Think of ways to fulfill this new law: an act of kindness, a word of encouragement, a prayer for children, taking time to listen, _______.
Empower – to grow stronger, we move the power of our hidden, masked self out into the open.
• Be conscious of God’s presence. When we pray “Our Father”, this makes the people around us “Our Brothers and Sisters”. God, our father, is in us. He shields us. He brings people into our lives. He wants us to impact these people in a positive way.
• Know Jesus. If we don’t know Jesus, how can we know God? Jesus dispels darkness: “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12). How does He empower us? By his example: like Jesus, we, too, can be light to others.
• Be open to the power of the Holy Spirit, our advocate, our helper. He is with us. He is in us. He teaches us and makes truth known to our minds. He empowers us with understanding, wisdom, courage, counsel. The Holy Spirit will do infinitely more than we can imagine.
Brokenness is – moving backward. Wholeness – is a personal journey – moving forward.
Ed's Blog 