Imago Dei Christian Community

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Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

1Cor. 6:17

Prayer calls us from the periphery of our lives to the center of who we are; from what is superficial in us to the most profound aspects of our being; and from the illusion of autonomy to union with God as our first reality.  It is the crucible where we work out our salvation, becoming more and more conformed to the unity of Christ with His Father.

Such lofty thoughts are easier to grasp with the help of good imagery, and St. John of the Cross has provided us with a beautiful metaphor of this evolution towards unity in the image of a burning log.   In the same way that fire dries out a wooden log so that it can more deeply receive the flame, so too are we being carefully prepared for increasing union with God through the purification of our hearts.

John of the Cross likens the early stages of our spiritual life to a damp log that is thrown onto the fire.  Before the fire can claim the wood for itself it must first dry out the log.  He writes,

The fire, at first, acts on the wood by driving out all its moisture.  Very slowly, it expels from the wood everything that is inconsistent with the nature of fire.  It then starts to burn on the outside until at last it transforms the wood into fire.

The whole of our spiritual life can be seen as a preparation for the soul to receive more deeply the love of God.  And, in the same way that a dry log catches fire more easily than a wet one, so the soul responds more immediately to the impulse of God the more prepared it is by the Holy Spirit.  As St. John of the Cross writes,

In the prepared soul, the love of God enters immediately, for at each touch the spark catches fire in the dry tinder.  It seems to such persons that every time this flame shoots up, it raises them up to the activity of God in God.

John of the Cross describes the experience of unity as that of an inflamed heart caught up in the fire of God’s love.  Such congruence can only take place in a soul that has been purged from all that, in John’s words, is “irrelevant and immature.”  It is the excessive humidity in a log that prevents the wood from catching fire as readily as it should.  Similarly, the excesses of self prevent us from recognizing and responding to the movement of God within us.

This process of drying is something that, at first, we resist.  But we soon recognize its benefits in producing in us a greater conformity to God.  We become more united to Gods’ action within us.  As John of the Cross writes, the effect of this unity is that “it stirs the heart so deeply as to make it dissolve in love.”  The word “dissolve” means to loosen and set free.  It also means to combine, as in a solution.  Such is the experience of those whose hearts melt, or dissolve, in the unity of God’s presence.

And lastly, as the log becomes one with the fire, it takes on not only the properties of fire but also its ministry.  As John of the Cross explains,

In this way the wood loses all its own properties, and acquires all the properties belonging to the fire.  Once it is dry, it dries other things.  It acquires the heat of the fire and then produces heat itself.  It takes on the bright flames from the fire and then reflects that light itself.  This is all performed by the properties of the fire now that the log has been conformed to these.

Since the log no longer resists the flame, it now receives the fire deep within.  And, as the fire transforms the wood into itself, it makes it more directly a part of its ministry.

Make every effort to add to your faith, . . . for if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

I had lunch this week with Ray Simpson who is a pastor and founding member of the celtic Community of Aidan and Hilda at the ancient monastery in Lindisfarne, England (see http://www.aidanandhilda.org).  It is a dispersed community with members living in many places around Britain and the world who are joined in fellowship by shared values and practices of the spiritual life.

One of the things Ray spoke to us about was the “Way of Life” that members adopt as a sign of their pilgrimage together.  They pledge, among other things, to a commitment to justice, to regular retreats, to lifelong learning and to a rhythm of prayer in their day.  They also commit to meeting periodically with a soul friend—what the celtic tradition calls an anam cara—as a way of maintaining their relationship to these pledges.

Since we at Imago Dei are also a dispersed community I thought that both the idea of choosing a “way of life” as well as that of finding a soul friend with whom to share the hopes we have for our spiritual life would be of benefit to us.  With this in mind I am reprinting a section from my book, Fan the Flame, on “Cultitvating the Spiritual Life.”

Consider this list of recommendations below for your own life.  Consider as well someone with whom you might partner as soul friends.  Share honestly with each other the “ways of life” that you already enjoy as part of your spiritual practice.  Then take opportunity to consider other practices that you feel God inviting you to grow in.  Feel free as well to add other expressions of the spiritual life not listed here.

Recommendations for cultivating the Spiritual Life

These rules, or “ways of life,” are divided into two sections: general (ongoing) and particular (daily).  The phrase, “as you can,” which precedes each rule suggests that you should freely accept the limitations of your life at this time.

General Rules of Life

As you can, meet regularly with a small group of people who know and share your deepest desires for relationship with God. Enjoy prayer together, communion, meditations on Scripture, and worship. Share your experiences of the journey of faith as you commit to encourage each other in your spiritual longings.

As you can, live a simple and uncluttered life. Have time for hospitality with everyone you meet in your day, especially God. Invite others into your life, your home, your journey.

As you can, meet regularly with a spiritual director or a friend who can help you remain objective about your spiritual life. Be cautious about overly assessing your sense of spiritual progress, or setbacks, on your own.

As you can, find a regular outlet through which to offer your time, money or labour for the sake of others. Volunteer to serve with a mission or some other help group. Visit the sick, care for the poor, remember the elderly and befriend those around you who are needy in any way.

As you can, continually equip yourself for the sake of others. Study, learn new skills or cultivate the gifts you have so that others may be blessed by them. Endeavour to walk each day as close to God as possible so that the integrity of your spiritual life will encourage this in others as well.

As you can, plan dedicated times for spiritual retreat throughout the year—a day, a weekend, or a week away in silence with God. If you are married, help your spouse get away for times of renewal and recovery of spiritual focus.

Particular Rules of Life

As you can, start each morning thanking God for all that will happen in the day ahead. Anticipate goodness and the Lord’s love for you in all that will take place. Seek the Lord’s purpose in everything that happens as God works in and through you in your day.

As you can, start each day with 20-30 minutes of silent prayer, remembering the ground of who you are, and of who God is in your life. Do this as a way of preparing the disposition of your heart before you apply yourself to your day. The quality of prayer that you bring to your day will determine your effectiveness within it—how you respond, how you interpret, and how you contribute to the events of your day.

As you can, recall throughout the day one of the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer.  Let the unique character of each of these prayers impress itself deeply on the character of your day. (see  http://imagodeicommunity.ca/category/the-lords-prayer .)

As you can, practice Lectio Divina each day—a time of slow spiritual reading and study that has as its purpose the conversion of the heart more than the accumulation of knowledge. Read a short passage of Scripture, or from a journal of spiritual wisdom you have gleaned from others (if you don’t have such a journal, begin one). Let this wisdom enter deeply as the foundation of your life.

As you can, take 5 minutes between the prolonged activities of your day in order to recollect your soul before God. Let times of rest be among the many activities of your day.

As you can, in the evening, spend another 20-30 minutes in silence before God. Review the events of your day, especially noting times of spiritual enthusiasm or of spiritual difficulty.  From what God reveals to you in these times, try to adjust your life accordingly. (see http://imagodeicommunity.ca/category/awareness-examen ).

As you can, end each day in gratitude for all that has happened—for what has been given to you, and for what God has given to the world through your life, your thoughts, your prayers. Be grateful for the simple fact of life and for the invitation you have each day to play a constructive part in the incredible story of Christ’s presence unfolding in this world.

All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him.    Song of Solomon 3:1

In his book, Love’s Endeavour, Love’s Expense, William Vanstone explores the virtues of God’s love by first outlining the characteristics of false love.  He lists three marks which identify love as false and then contrasts these with the perfect love of Christ.

The first sign that love is false is the mark of limitation.  Authentic love implies a totality of giving.  Anything less than a complete offering falls short of the love demonstrated by Christ.  As Vanstone writes,

The falsity of love is exposed wherever any limit is set by the will of the person who professes to love.  However much is given it is known that something is being withheld.

The second mark denoting love as inauthentic is any form of detachment by which the one who loves remains unaffected by the person they love.  True love touches the person who loves.  It creates a vulnerability in them that wasn’t there before.   As Vanstone writes,

Love is vulnerable in and through the beloved in the sense that, in the beloved, its completion or frustration, its triumph or tragedy are at stake. The one who loves surrenders into other hands the outcome of what his or her love aspires to.

Signs of such vulnerability are most important to the person who is being loved.   The common question, ‘Do I really matter?’ is the question of whether I have power to affect the person who professes to love me.

The third mark that identifies love as false is that of control or manipulation of the other person.  In love that is freely given there can be no guarantees with regards to how, or if, the other will respond.  Authentic love risks the possibility that the love offered may fail to bridge the gap.   Vanstone anticipates this failure when he writes,

Love may be frustrated.  Its most earnest aspiration may come to nothing.  Or the greatness of what is offered in love may be wholly disproportionate to the smallness of what, if anything, is received.  Herein lies the poignancy of love, and its potential tragedy.

When it comes to love, our best intentions offer no guarantee of success.  Much may be expended and little achieved.   But love must remain precarious if it is to be genuine.  And the precariousness of love s most experienced in the passivity of ‘waiting.’  This necessity of waiting also highlights the precariousness of God’s love—the lack of final control over the object of His love.  It is left to us to determine whether God’s initiative of love results in triumph or tragedy.

From these three marks by which the falsity of love is exposed we can better appreciate the authenticity of God’s love. In the kenosis, or self-emptying of Christ, nothing is held back, nothing unexpended (Phil. 2:7).  In this we recognize God’s love as unlimited.  God’s love is also vulnerable.  The Lord risks rejection at the hands of His own creatures and is pained by our refusal to accept love.  And lastly, God’s love is precarious.  By the humble condescension of the Lord, we have power to determine whether His love succeeds or fails in its communication, or its intended effect.

I thought you would call me ‘Father’
Jer. 3:19