from SRQ

>Again I ask, why would God bother sending a message to me through
>someone who has not eared my respect?

it is a mystery.

And yet, there have been many messages delivered, in the Bible and
outside of it, to people by people with whom they had no relationship
and for whom they, therefore, had no respect. Many times those to
whom the message was delivered were able to recognize it as beneficial
and heeded it.

I listen to what I refer to as my "radio preachers" on self labeled
Christian radio because, even though a lot of what they have to say
grates me and even annoys me and is, from my reckoning, dead wrong.
There is some stuff of value in there for me to hear and I benefit
greatly from it. This is even true of Dr. James Dobson of the Focus
Family. There may be a lot of straw mixed in with the alfalfa they
are handing out, but they still feed this sheep.

A very common experience that perhaps un programmed Friends can relate
to is to be sitting in meeting and have someone stand whose standing
is not, for some reason, anticipated with eagerness by those gathered.
Sometimes even the most tiresome, the ones who don't really understand
what vocal ministry is about, and who commonly drone on and on, producing more fidgets than enlightenment, are actually used by the Spirit
to deliver a message that needs to be heard. It's hard to go up
afterward and acknowledge and encourage that person, knowing full well
that one is creating the possibility that s/he will be reading two
chapters of George Fox's Journal outloud, next week.

My take is that The Spirit moves through everyone, in one way or
another, and it is beneficial to listen to what all have to say that
one can hear.

I have learned some very important things from people with whom
contact was not pleasant and even from some who meant me absolutely no
good at all. But God was using those people who meant me no good
to tell me something, to shape me through my experience with them. (if
the OT spin on things is correct, heathen armies were used to deliver
messages to Israel. I am not sure I buy that, but, there, for what it
is worth, it is).

The "noise" that came with the message, in such instances, made it
hard to discern. The medium through the message came, in such
instances, made it harder to accept. Both of which factors made it
take longer for me to realize the importance of the message. But
neither diminished its importance to me, or the necessity that I hear
it and heed it.

Why did God make it hard for me to get the message? I dunno. Why is
there so much about life that is hard when God is powerful enough to
change it so that the University of Oregon wins all of its football
games? I dunno. Beyond me. It would be so obviously correct to set
things up that way.

But it's God's creation, not mine. I'm just here to help feed the
hungry, heal the sick, clothe the naked, worship and do the rest of
the tasks that have been left for me on the pad by the phone. (and to
use that phone, to pray, often)

>Is God so powerless that
>he is unable to speak to me directly?

we are very powerful when it comes to ignoring messages that come from
God. we are very able to harden our hearts when the message we are
getting is not consistent with what we want to hear, when it conflicts
with what we "know" must be right. Jonah's experience illustrates
(whether we believe, literally in the most famous part of Jonah's
story, or not) the lengths to which God must sometimes go in causing
us discomfort because we will not listen to very direct and clear
messages.

are we so important that we need a personally engraved invitation,
wrapped in a package that pleases us, with our favorite chocolate
thrown in, so we will be sure to be in the right frame of mind to
accept what's sent?

This is especially true when what God has in mind is correcting us.
We don't like correction. We rarely think we need it. We usually
fight correcton, justifying ourselves and pointing out how we are
fine, it's all these other people who need to square themselves away
(try correcting my nine year old--who has two lawyers for parents. I
don't know where she gets it). Sometimes correction comes from God in
very unpleasant and disrespectful packages.


>Am I in need of a priest to
>act as a go-between between me and God, or is a direct contact
>possible?

of course it is possible. As is flight or programming a computer, if
we are prepared and attuned to it. One must put oneself in a position
to hear. One must, for a part of one's day, anyway, be still and be
open--even to things that don't "make sense" to one's earthly sense of
reason--not thinking, but listening..

And one will know if what one is hearing is of the Spirit, no matter
who or what it comes through--if it contributes to changing one to
conform more to Christ/Logos, it makes one more a part of what holds
the fabric of the universe together (rather than separates its
elements and tears them apart), if it contributes to the simplicity,
harmony, equality, integrity and community in one's life then it is
from the Spirit.

If it contributes to the opposite then it doesn't matter if it is a
voice shouting in one's head at 100 decibels--it's from another
spirit.


2:32:53 PM    

"Being attuned to the Spirit also allows a different response to
woundings we do and receive throughout our lives. I have never been
able to avoid periodically hurting the people most close to me, not to
mention strangers, whether through inattentiveness, preoccupation with
other things, or any of a million other reasons. When I am paying
attention to the inward monitor, I am less apt to harm others. When I
am focused on my own needs, and do harm, attention to the Light makes
this more visible to me and prompts me to make amends. I don't always
respond, buy the potential to do less damage is there for me if I will
take it. Similarly, when I am listening to the Inward Guide, I am
less apt to take offense when others inadvertently hurt me. This
entire process seems akin to what the Buddhists call "non
attachment"--not holding on to my own sense of being the center of the
universe and being more present to others in a less self interested
way. Being changed and being healed in the process is ongoing and I
expect it to take the rest of my life or longer."

"layers and layers of preconceived notions and bad habits take time to
be perceived and be let go. If baptism is a process of dying to the
old self and entering new life, for many of us, this does not happen
all at once. Many small deaths, many times of letting go appear
unexpectedly through the years."

Marge Abbot
2:26:21 PM