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Effortless Generosity

Feb17

In today’s blog, we explore faith and good works and the effortless nature of giving when we know and trust in God.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

Can that faith save him?

If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them,

“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?

So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

James 2: 14-16

The Fear that Keeps us from Giving

In my book, Authentic Freedom – Claiming a Life of Contentment and Joy, I address the very topic explored in James’ epistle above.  I do not directly relate giving to faith, but in essence that is what we are talking about.  We begin by exploring the first of the seven spiritual fears, there is not enough and how this fear causes us to gather to ourselves more than what we need through the compulsion of gluttony and how we fail to share our resources with others because of this fear.  As we allow this fear to be healed within us, we find that we naturally and effortlessly share our resources with others through the virtue of generosity.  At the end of the day, it is FAITH that allows us to be healed of this wound so that we can freely and generously share what we have with those who have not.  Generosity is our faith in action – and demonstrates how much we really believe in the truth of an abundant God.  When we know that our needs are being abundantly met, then we are free to give to others.  But here is the really cool thing….when we have faith and trust in God, we give to others even when it doesn’t seem as if we have enough to give….in other words, we don’t just give from our surplus, we give from what we might need to survive.  This is true generosity.

Fake it til you Make it

Faith,  however, is not always an easy thing to accomplish.  Whether it is due to our upbringing, our education or religious indoctrinization or just our personal temperment, sometimes we just simply struggle to BELIEVE.  When we don’t believe, generous giving might be a challenge.  But, there is something really magical that happens when we are generous with our resources – regardless of our faith.  There is a universal law of nature that when we give, we get back 100 fold.  I know, it is a leap of faith to believe in this “law” but sometimes faking it (the belief part) and giving anyway has the miraculous effect of establishing within us the foundations of faith.  We might call this, “Fake it til you make it.”  In other words…..give to others when you see they are in need and see what happens in your own life.  Take that $10.00 bill out of your pocket and give it to the homeless guy…just because….and regardless of whether he really needs it or not and whether or not he might use it to buy alcohol or drugs.  Just give it…without condition, without expectation, without judgment……and see what happens.  See if you don’t find something you have needed suddenly showing up in an amazing, wonderful and unexpected way.  Give and see what comes back to you….and let this be the seeds of faith.

The Generosity Challenge

There are  two fabulous resources I have found to help us in this journey toward being an effortlessly generous human beings.  The first, of course, is my book, Authentic Freedom.  :)   The second is a project called The 29 Day Giving Challenge.   This project is based on the founder’s (Cami Walker) experience of giving and how it freed her from the symptoms of an MS flareup.   Check out her website for details on the project and to get involved if you feel so called.

How Authentic Freedom Ministries is meeting this challenge

In the spirit of faith and generosity, I am pleased to share with you that Authentic Freedom Ministries is putting its resources (not just money), where its mouth is.  What good is all the work we do at Authentic Freedom Ministries if we are not giving back?  Believing in the abundance of God and wanting to freely and generously share our resources, we have recently entered into a community partnership arrangement with one of the local high schools.  Thanks to this partnership, we will be one source of support for the needs of the student and teaching populations of Oshkosh North High School.  With 47% of the student population qualifying for free and reduced lunches and with the continually decreasing resources available to teachers, Oshkosh North High School is in a state of great need.  We will be providing financial, material, networking as well as volunteer support as needed and as we are able.  We hope that this partnership becomes a model and a source of inspiration for other local businesses to follow.

How are you being called to share your gifts and resources in service to humankind?

Where does the fear there is not enough prevent you from giving?

How are you being invited to fake it til you make it?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

You Have Been Called

Jan9

Today’s blog continues the discussion on Divine Call.  How are you called to be a vessel through which Love is known in this world?

Thus says the Lord,

Here is my servant whom I uphold,

my chosen one with whom I am pleased…

I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice,

I have grasped you by the hand;

I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations,

to open the eyes of the blind,

to bring out prisoners from confinement,

and from the dungeon those who live in darkness.

Isaiah 42: 1, 6-7

 YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED:

Today’s blog is more of a reflection activity than an actual “blog.”  I invite you to slowly and prayerfully read the scripture passage above, imagining that these are God’s words FOR YOU!  Imagine that these words are being addressed to you personally, that you ARE the servant with whom God is pleased.  Now imagine that you are the one being called for the victory of justice, to be a light of peace to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to set prisoners free and to lead people out of darkness.   Because guess what?   YOU ARE that person…..as are each and every one of us.  Now, in your notebook or journal or on a random piece of paper, write down how you feel about this call.  How, specifically, are you being called to live out this call?  How are you already living out that call?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Feed My Sheep

Jan6

Today’s blog explores the topic of “Divine Call.”  How do we know what we are called to do in this life and how do we respond?

Ok, So Maybe I’m Weird!

For as long as I can remember, I have had a profound sense of purpose.  I felt like I was supposed to be doing something – specifically something that would help other people and have some sort of positive impact on the world.  Perhaps I felt his sense of purpose because of the time in which I was born – 1965 to be exact.  I was born too late to be a hippie, but that didn’t keep me from wanting to be a part of “The Revolution.”  Maybe it was because the first song I ever remember hearing was “The Age of Aquarius” which continues to be my all-time favorite song and the song that has been the guiding principle of my life :  Harmony and Understanding, Sympathy and Trust Abounding… Then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars.  Really, who doesn’t want that?  Maybe it is because I was raised Catholic and encouraged to believe in the magical, mystical, mysterious and impossible (you know, like turning bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ).  Or maybe I’m just plain weird and a little delusional.  At any rate, I have always believed I was put here to facilitate change and to work toward bringing more peace, love and harmony to our planet.  This belief, I have learned, was the beginning of what I would now call a “Divine Call.”  I have also learned, that this “Divine Call” is not unique to me, in fact, each and every human being on this planet is here to do the work of the Divine…..if we would only take the time to be quiet enough to hear what that call might be and courageous enough to break through the obstacles that might otherwise prevent us from living that out.

Bricks Can Fly Baby!

For me, the revelation of Divine call began with impatience, frustration and restlessness.   I found that I could never be satisfied in corporate America and went from job to job to job trying to find fulfillment and satisfaction.  Needless to say, I got nothin.  So, one day, in a fit of frustration I poured my anger out to God.  “What the heck am I supposed to do?  I went to college for four years for this?  I’m not making any money.  I hate my job.  Please tell me what the heck I’m supposed to be doing.”  The answer came in the form of a red brick that flew through the air and hit me square between the eyes.  Not literally, but it sure felt like it.  I can still hear Fr. Jeff’s voice ringing in my head, “If there is something you’ve always wanted to do and you haven’t done it….get off your ass and do it now!”  (PS  He really did say “ass”….he is a really cool priest!)  That brick led me into seven years of advanced education and formation in theology, pastoral ministry, adult faith formation and spiritual direction, and empowered me to enter active ministry within the Catholic Church where I worked for nearly 10 years.

Feed My Sheep

As my ministry work continued to grow and expand, I found that the Catholic Institution was too small to hold the expansive sense of the Divine that I had come to understand and that had been revealed to me in my prayer, meditation, contemplation and life experiences.  I found that as I tried to live out this sense of an expansive God within the Institution I kept hitting the wall created by doctrine and Canon Law.  So, apparently it was time to go.  So, I left, but I did not leave my faith or my relationship with Jesus behind.  In fact, in another moment of “Divine Revelation,” while sitting in quiet contemplation Jesus himself took me by the hand and led me down a long hallway.  At the end of the hallway was a door which he opened and invited me to enter.  I stepped through the doorway and before us stood a multitude of people….too many to count.  As I looked out on this sea of people, Jesus gestured toward them and said to me, “Feed my Sheep.”  I fell to my knees in humble awe over this invitation.  It is this encounter with Jesus and his words of invitation “Feed my Sheep” that has guided my ministry for the past seven or so years.  And it is this invitation that I respond to as we launch the Authentic Freedom Ministries’ Sunday Service this coming weekend.  I don’t know where it will all lead, or even what exactly it will look like, but I know that it will be about nourishment – giving those who attend the tools through which they can find the spiritual nourishment they crave while empowering them to come to know the Divine that lives within their own hearts, to know themselves more fully and to begin to explore what their own Divine Call might be.

Where are you feeling restless, bored, impatient, unfulfilled? 

How might that be the beginning glimpses of Divine Call?

How are you remembering love and living that out in your life in service to humankind?

 

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Resolutions, Intentions and Vows

Jan5

As a rule, I do not make New Year’s resolutions.  Resolutions can be broken and are too easily bargained away.  I do, however set intentions and goals for the coming year and this year, in addition to my intentions and goals, I felt called to make a Spiritual Vow.  A vow, is a promise that we make to ourselves and to that which is beyond us, what I call “God.”  A vow is like an intention, but in my mind, is more binding, more permanent, has more bang for the buck.  Through our Spiritual Vow, we enter into a covenant relationship in regards to our life’s vocation which is related to the unique way we are called to reveal Love in the world, to be a source of healing and comfort for others and to be of service to the world for the betterment of humankind.  This is my vow for 2012 (and beyond):

Under the blessing and guidance of my teachers,

Jesus, called Christ and Miriam, called Magdalene,

I, Lauri Ann Lumby, allow myself through my own

unique giftedness to freely, humbly and generously

be a vessel through which Divine Love (Agape’)

is known in this world.  

What spiritual vow are you feeling called to make for the coming year?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Taking Back the Missing Parts

Nov30

Today’s blog explores the topic of soul retrieval – reclaiming and taking back the parts of ourselves that we “gave away” or “lost” to another person or through life circumstances.

 

 

Missing Parts

Do you ever have the feeling like parts of yourself are missing – like you are having a hard time or you are unable to be the person you know yourself to be?  This is something that I have been acutely aware of within myself of late.  I feel like there are certain qualities that I do possess, beliefs and traits that are certainly part of who I am, but for some reason, I feel unable to be those parts of who I am.  For example:  courageous, prosperous, confident, self-assured, creative, artistic, joyful, motivated, energized, strong, intelligent, etc.  I know these are all qualities that I possess, or used to possess….so where did they go?

Enter the Victim and Martyr

The first, and sometimes easiest place to go when entertaining these questions is outside of us – to our intimate relationships and life circumstances.  The easiest place for me to go when seeking the parts of my soul that seem to be missing are to “those” who I want to think have the power to take these parts away from me or to whom in my mind I gave that power. He/She/they took my confidence, my sense of value, my joy, my belief in myself and my truth.   For a few moments, I found it helpful to entertain my inner victim/martyr and the value of doing so might open our eyes to individuals or circumstances that may be inviting new boundaries.  However, as I entertained these victim thoughts, all I could hear was my teacher, Julie Tallard Johnson reminding me that “no one can take your power away from you without you agreeing to it.”  Ha……Somewhere in this I need to accept the role that I played and the agreements I made that allowed me to set aside, ignore, bargain away these parts of my soul.

The Agreements we Make

If we want to step outside of the role of victim, we need to acknowledge our own role in giving away parts of our soul.  And the great news is that when we do this, we are then able to reclaim and retrieve the “lost” parts of ourself…because in truth, they’ve never been lost, just forgotten.  Julie Tallard Johnson, in her book, Wheel of Initiation, offers a formal process through which we are empowered to acknowledge the agreements we made that allowed us to forget certain parts of our soul along with certain tools through which we can release these agreements and reclaim the “missing” parts of our soul.  She calls this work, recapitulation.  As I found myself reflecting on the “missing” parts of me, I decided to revisit Julie’s book and entered into the process of naming the agreements that led me to forgetting parts of myself.  These are some of the agreements that I uncovered:

  • It’s my fault
  • I have no right to ask for my needs to be met
  • My needs, wants and desires are of no value
  • The work I do is not of value
  • I can’t make it on my own
  • The work I do is not a “real” job
  • Writers, spiritual directors, ministers live in poverty
  • My writing is not of value
  • My poetry is unworthy of acceptance
  • I have to remain small, insignificant
  • I can’t be seen or draw attention to myself
  • I’m weak, afraid, depressed, sick
  • I’m lazy and unmotivated
  • I’m selfish
  • I do not know my truth
  • I doubt my truth

Each and every one of us, at some point in our life, for various and asundry reasons, make these kinds of agreements.  We bargain away parts of who we know ourselves to be for the sake of “keeping the peace,” not “rocking the boat,” “keeping others happy,” or just because in the moment we don’t know any better.  The good news is that we get to reframe these agreements, make another choice and RECLAIM the parts of ourselves that we have lost somewhere along the way.  So today…….

I ‘m taking ME back!

And I invite you to begin the work of doing the same for yourself!!!!!!

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Seeking Clarity on our Path

Nov11

Discernment is the spiritual process through which we determine our life path – specifically, what path will be in our highest good and is God’s intention and desire for us and what path is not.  Discernment is a tricky process and not to be entered into lightly and we are invited to be cautious of the danger signs along the way as we seek the path of light.

 

Identifying the Path of our Highest Good

“God’s will” might be a phrase some would use in describing the path that is in our “Highest good.”  The idea of pre-destination notwithstanding, this phrase may cause philosophical issues for most, if not many people.  I think of it this way…..the Source of the Universe (which some might call God), knows the path that is in our highest good and wants us to discover and follow that path because it is the best thing for us and it is the best thing for the world.  I understand the path of our highest good to be that which leads us towards the discovery of our highest and most authentic selves, heals us of our false-perceptions and ego-attachments, assists us in transcending our fears and leads us toward the discovery, cultivation and eventual sharing of our unique giftedness….in service to Love/God and in service to the world, thereby bringing the world to a greater state of peace, freedom, joy and harmony.  Cool, right?!  The good news is that the discovery/awareness of this path is available and accessibly to us RIGHT NOW if we but have the eyes to see, and the faith to trust in Divine Timing!  (ie: letting go of our need to “make” things happen, manipulate and control outcomes!)  This path is also recognized by some very significant markers/signposts/identifying characteristics.  Here are those markers:

  • The path of our highest good leads us toward freedom.
  • The path of our highest good leads us toward peace, contentment, joy, love, compassion, justice.
  • The path of our highest good is expansive, liberating, moves of its own volition
  • The path of our highest good is life-giving
  • The path of our highest good makes the best use of our gifts as well as our perceived weaknesses or imperfections

 

Beware of Grandiosity

So, let me give you an example of how one might begin to seek clarity in our path to our highest good.  I shared with you a few weeks ago the vision that I received that was given in response to my prayer for “direction and clarity.”  The image was of me in white robes, wearing a red stole, presumably presiding over mass/liturgy in front of a multitude of people also dressed in white.  My initial reaction to this vision was, “NO WAY…NO HOW….YOU MUST BE NUTS….GO AWAY GOD!”  Well, I know better than to question or challenge what might be God’s “call” for me, so for the past several weeks, I have been seeking clarity about what this vision might mean.  At first it seemed it was God calling me to the priesthood.  Then I came to understand that I am already priest in the work that I have been doing and will continue to do.  Then it seemed it was God calling me to “build a new church.”  ARGH!  Certainly the furthest thing from my mind, but an idea I could not at least examine, question, challenge and think about pursuing.  Somewhere in the mix of these ideas, potential calls, etc. came thoughts of  “Well, at least someone might finally get this ‘church’ thing right.   It is about time someone considers reforming the priesthood.  To heck with the stupid black shirt and collar, I will be a priest that dresses as the people dress.”  Is there a need for reform in the church?  You betcha.  Are there changes that could be made around our ideas of priest!  YUP!  And, as I have been discerning this call and wrapped up in thoughts such as these, it all felt big, daunting, a bit overwhelming, and dare I say “important” and “grandiose.”  How cool is it that God would call ME to reform the Church and the Priesthood.  HA!!!!!   Today, it seems, God is laughing ….. again….. at little Lauri as she tries to find her way in the world.

 

KISS – Keep it Simple Stupid!

Somewhere along this path of discernment, I had forgotten the #1 rule on Don Lumby’s “Rules of Project Management.”  (for those that don’t know, Don is my dad….and one of my greatest teachers!!!).  The rule is: “KISS – Keep it Simple Stupid!”   So after much discernment, consultation with my Spiritual Direction and local advisors and spiritual brothers and sisters, it seems the BIG VISION I received might not be so big.  In fact, it might be as simple as gently expanding on what I have already been doing and empowering certain individuals to do the same.  HMMMMM   Still not sure exactly how it will all play out…..but it feels good to know that it is not my job to CHANGE THE WORLD.  (ok, it is all of our jobs to change the world……I just don’t have to do it single-handedly as a priest in a newly formed church of my own making.  YAY!)

 

Where are you tempted to give into gradiose or big plans for yourself?

How do you recognize the path of your highest good?

How has formal discernment played a role in your own life?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

The Proof in the Pudding

Oct31

I have been of the contention that it is only through sound spiritual formation (not to be confused with religious formation) that people can be empowered to become spiritually mature and through which we can bear witness to the effortlessness of authentic discipleship.  Now I have proof that it works.

 

Discipleship by Accident (but not really)

My first “official” role at the Newman Center (Catholic Campus Ministry) and my first “official” foray into lay ministry was as the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) Coordinator.  My job was to provide the process through which interested adults could become formal members of the Catholic Church.  From the beginning….I accomplished this task in a non-traditional way (go figure!).  Instead of providing a program grounded in religious formation (doctrine, dogma, catechism), I provided a program firmly rooted in spiritual formation.  My reasoning was that if you didn’t know God and you didn’t know yourself, what good was a bunch of knowledge about rules?  As such, the focus of this process was the rich tradition of spiritual practices that were part of the Christian tradition – Lectio Divina, Imagination/Contemplation, Mantra prayer, etc. etc. etc.  What we ended up with at the end of the 9 month process was a group of empowered individuals, excited and enthusiastically ready to use their gifts in service to God and to the world.   They had come to know God intimately and personally, in coming to know God they had come to know themselves, and in doing so, had come to identify their own unique gifts and how they were being called to share them in the world.  In a process that nationally has an abysmal retention rate of only 30%, the Newman Center’s 70% retention rate showed me that the approach we had chosen worked.  Today I thank my experience with the RCIA (and Fr. Jeff VandenHeuvel for assigning me to this ministry) for being the foundation upon which I have established my post-Institutional ministry work, and I am continually awed by the results.

The Ministry Team has Already been Formed

So, as I stand on the brink of accepting more fully my call to be “priest/ess” and to acknowledging that what I have been doing (since leaving professional employment in the Catholic Church) is and always has been “church” and wondering exactly what that might mean and what that might look like, I find that the “ministry team” has already been formed.  Standing ready and right in front of my eyes is a group of men and women who have courageously followed the path of sound spiritual formation, and who are apparently chomping at the bit to put their formation to work.  (who knew?!)  When I first dared to share this discernment in the world, my email inbox was full of inquiries, “How can I help?  You will need children’s programs and that is my gift.  We would like to offer relationship classes. Can I help with presiding?”   YIKES!  I hadn’t even mentioned the word “church” and I have a mob of people who have been fully formed ( in my opinion) and are ready to step into their own unique giftedness to help others find the peaceful contentment, joy, compassion and personal empowerment that they have all found through a 3-4 year process of sound spiritual formation.  Ha…..I knew it….this stuff works!

What tools have you discovered to help you know God, to know yourself and to empower you to share your gifts in service to love for the betterman of humankind?

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

We Are All Priest

Oct27

I want to thank one of my readers for providing the content for today’s blog.  This post is written by Sylvia Gunter at http://www.thefathersbusiness.com, and inspirational newsletter of non-denominational Christian beliefs.  While the language might be a little more “he and him” than I might use, the point is well made – we are all called and blessed to be priest to one another. Thank you Lynn for sharing this! 

You Are A Priest  -  Isaiah 61:6

The Bible says you are a priest. The basic functions of priests were to represent God to man and man to God. One of the duties was to bless the people. Our culture doesn’t understand blessing as it was practiced in the Bible. The Bible was written in and to a culture that was steeped in blessing: the blessing of shalom, blessing the child with his name, the patriarchal blessing to sons, the blessing of God for his people, the blessing of Jesus, of the disciples, of the early church, of Peter, Paul, and James.
In the New Testament the priestly functions are transferred to all believers, and we are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). We have authority and privileges as priests. Through Jesus our High Priest we have the right to come into the holiest place in worship. We are called to offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and prayer (1 Peter 2:5), abiding in his presence, drawing near to him and dwelling in him, and he in us.

In the Bible, blessing flows three ways: from God to people, from people to God, and from person to person. Because Jesus is in us, we can pass on to his people the blessings of his heart for acceptance, identity, meaning, affirmation, legitimization, and God’s good purposes.

Here’s a blessing for your spirit in your identity as priest.

Isaiah 61:6 promises,
“You will be called priests of the LORD and ministers of your
God.” And in Revelation 1:6. “[Jesus] has made us to be a kingdom and
priests to serve his God and Father. To him be glory and power for ever and
ever! Amen.”

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. Now the awesome privilege of access to the inner court belongs to all believers. You may boldly come to praise, worship, adore, and glorify your Father. Be blessed with knowing your free access to him. Receive the words of 1 Peter 2:5 and 9. You are a priest and minister to God. That is your duty and your privilege as a member of the royal priesthood. Be blessed in drawing near to him, abiding in his presence, and dwelling in him, and he in you, as you offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and prayer.

Be blessed as you minister to God in the secret place where he releases his heart to you. Be blessed as you seek him intimately and experience all of who he is. Worship and adore him, being joyfully, willingly submitted to the One you love. Meet him in complete surrender of all you are. Draw near as the Spirit of the Lord abides in you, indwells you, rests on you, and anoints you.

Be blessed as you represent God to others by releasing his heart of blessing to your world. By standing in the gap in prayer, faith, intercessory living, and blessing, you open the door for restoration for yourself, your family, and others. You are an instrument of renewal and rebuilding of generations of desolation and ruin. As God moves you, you can bless and minister to others, so that God can convict, woo, love, and reconcile them. He will make all things new and glorify himself as he ministers through you, and the glory of the throneroom puts its stamp on all you are and do in his name.

You are blessed to be a blessing. Be blessed to speak deeply personal words of acceptance, identity, meaning, affirmation, and legitimacy. Be blessed to envision God’s special future for others as they come into the fullness of all he made them to be. Let God’s presence and blessing flow through you to his glory and praise. As you sow to the Spirit, and you will reap the things of the Spirit, for the one who sows to the Spirit reaps life. Be blessed in the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2).

Be blessed in the name of Jesus, your High Priest (Heb 3:1; 9:11).

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

Ordination for Everyone?

Oct17

Warning:  today’s blog might be considered blasphemous to some.  ;)   Exploring ordination and asking the question “what is it for, who is it for and why?” 

Ordination as Most Know it

In the Christian tradition, ordination is the ceremony or sacrament (if you are Catholic) that designates a certain individual (usually male) to act “in persona Christi” (in the person of Christ) and empowers them to serve as minister, pastor, priest within their designated denomination and Church (notice I used “Big C” Church).  In the Catholic tradition in which I was raised, this designation is even more restricted and clearly defined- heterosexual male only (don’t ask don’t tell), the ONLY one who can act in the person of Christ, the ONLY one who can preach, perform the sacraments, preside over mass, lead a congregation, run the business of the congregation, heal, teach, evangelize, etc. etc. etc.

Pew Potatoes

Being raised in the Catholic Church, I had an opportunity to see the negative effects of this restrictive approach to ordination – most specifically prior to the Vatican II Council….but its effects still linger and I wonder what will happen under the rule of Benedict XVI and his “reform of the reform.”  When you have only ONE MAN who is empowered to perform the ministry of Christ in the world….you get ONE THING…..PEW POTATOES.  Pew Potatoes are dis-empowered Catholics (or any other denomination for that matter), who are never challenged, invited, formed or empowered to do anything other than show up to mass on Sunday.  They have fulfilled their “Sunday obligation” and are therefore done with their job of being Christian.  Now they can go back into the world and live as they normally live, perhaps somewhat inspired to be more loving and caring in the world, but in my humble (ok, maybe not so humble) opinion, Jesus wanted more from us.  Like our pastors, priests, ministers, etc. WE TOO are called to BE CHRIST in the world and to be vessels through which God’s healing love, compassion, mercy, peace, justice, joy can be known in the world.  We are called to do more than just show up and let the priest do all the work!  And in truth, I feel sorry for our poor priests who are expected to BE EVERYTHING and DO EVERYTHING. No wonder no one wants to join.  No wonder so many are burned out or acting out!  What would happen if the Institutions did something different with ordination and gave these guys a break!?

Crazy Ideas from a Mystical Madwoman!

So, I have a crazy idea….what would happen if ordination was available to EVERYONE?  Before you have a heart attack over this blasphemous idea…..Paul had a similar thought.  In his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 12: 1-27). Paul reflects on how each and every one of us is uniquely gifted to serve God and to be a source of Divine revelation in the world and went so far as to say that in doing so, “WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST.” (ahem….”in persona Christi”).  Why don’t we take this reading seriously?  Why aren’t each and every one of us given the tools through which we can discern what our unique giftedness might be and to discern how God might be calling us to share these gifts in the world in service to love and recognize that in doing so, we are the Body of Christ?  Why not?

Ordination for all

So here’s my crazy thought in form…..which will mostly likely NOT show up in any institutional church anytime soon.  But, what if people were given the tools to come to know themselves more fully, to come to KNOW God in a very deeply and intimate way within their own hearts?  What if people were given the tools to discover, cultivate, nurture and claim their own unique gifteness and how they are called to reveal God in the world through the sharing of their gifts.  And WHAT IF…….when those individuals are ready to claim these gifts and step into the world to boldly share these gifts in service to God and God’s love….WHAT IF….THEY WERE ORDAINED?  GASP!  Then instead of having one man who is expected to fulfill all the gifts as healer, teacher, preacher, listener, confessor, counselor, administrator, accountant, evangelizer, etc. etc. we had individual people empowered and ordained as:

  • ministers of healing
  • ministers of teaching
  • ministers of administration
  • ministers of preaching
  • ministers of leading
  • ministers of discernment
  • ministers of service to the poor
  • ministers of hospitality
  • etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Just a thought!

Where have you been invited to know God and in knowing God, knowing yourself in a very intimate and personal way?

Where have you been invited to name, claim, cultivate your gifts?

Where have you been empowered to share those gifts in the world in service to love/God? 

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com

We Are God’s Hands

Oct4

For today’s blog, let me offer a song that perfectly describes the inspiration and motivation for what I do and why I do it!  I am forever humbled and grateful to be able to be a vessel through which the healing love of God can be shared in the world…….MORE IMPORTANTLY…….I am honored to remind you and to assist you in realizing that you are invited to do the same!  We are all God’s hands for one another and for the world!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfsS3pIDBfw&ob=av2e

Lauri Lumby

Authentic Freedom Ministries

http://yourspiritualtruth.com