Dear Friends,
As we looked at the readings for the Feast of Christ the King yesterday, we were struck that “King” is probably the last title Jesus would have chosen for himself. As Jesus moved among his friends
washing their feet at the Last Supper, he modeled Servant Leadership—a gentle-strong use of power and said “what I have done for you, I ask you to do for one another.” It prompts us to ask: “How do we/you use power”?
Marianne Williamson provides inspiration for us, in what became our second reading at Eucharist:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
― Marianne Williamson, Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"
We see all kinds of use of power in our world, some positive, some negative: 1) the Vatican Taliban kicking out Fr. Roy (see below); 2) the Egyptian President using his office to broker a truce between Israel and Palestine and then the next day seizing “absolute power” for himself; 3) Ben Afleck using his fame to bring attention for the American People and for Congress and the President to the conflict in the Eastern Congo that has claimed three million lives; 4) the Wayland couple (whose daughter ran away) using the Internet, Facebook and Twitter to win interviews on four TV stations to attract attention to get their daughter back. How will we use our power? Perhaps standing up against a bully or committing ourselves to some peace and justice cause. Sometimes we shrink from our power or give away our power or don’t claim our power. This feast encourages us to stand up and tell the truth, to reach out in connection or in service to others. Jesus says, “You can do it because I am with you.” The Spirit of Life Community says, “You can do it because we will help you and stand with you.” We cannot not do anything!
We remind you that during these winter months our Eucharist is at 4:00PM, until the clock changes again in the spring, Sunday, March 10th, when we will return to our 5:00PM time.
At The Spirit of Life, we are intentional about following the call of the Spirit in our lives, by deepening our understanding of what it means to be humans who are truly led by the Holy Spirit. We invite you to come and walk with us in prayer and action at The Spirit of Life. Through our time of prayer and sharing together, we work together to grow in our self-understanding and in our relationships with God and with God’s people. We celebrate the gift of our faith and the responsibility that is ours as followers of Jesus Christ. It is our prayer that what we as a community experience in our praying together will overflow into the rest of our lives, making us more fully human and more ‘whole’….holy! We invite you to join us in this endeavor and journey with us as we seek to grow in our love of God and to grow in our capacity to be living expressions of God’s loving peace and justice in our world.
Blessings of boldness and presence for peace and justice in your corner of the world!
Ron & Jean