June 27, 2008
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campfire. good stuff.“Solitude is the place where we find our identity. it is the place where we take a few moments in quiet before God to see who we are in relationship to God and to each other. in solitude we listen and wait to “hear” the voice of the One who loves us and who calls us to deeper love. and, we are never called alone. we are always called together. in solutude we recognize how we put our most personal talents in the service of a common work. we should never forget that God calls us as a people, and that our individual vocations should always be seen as a part of the larger vocation of a family or community.”
“Marriage is not a lifelong attraction of two individuals to each other but a call for two people to witness together to God’s love. the basis of marriage is not mutual affection or feelings or emotions and passions than we associate with love, but a calling, a vocation. it is to understand that we are elected to build together a house for God in this world.” (and i thank Becky and Micah & Karianne and Sylvain for living this out for me to see so clearly)
” the best definition of celibacy…celibacy is a vacancy for God.”
“Visual art is indeed the art of seeing and the practice of disciplines is a way to make visual what is seen. to contemplate (pray) is to see, and to minister is to make visible. the contemplative life is a life with a vision, and the life of caring for others is a life revealing the vision to others.”
All quotes from “Clowning in Rome” by Henri Nouwen
i was in church and something the man said about service made me wonder if that is really it. the reason i am here. could it really be serving? that is what makes me happy, fulfilled? yeah, service is “revealing the vision to others” (above quote), and before you can serve it comes from a life submitted to God, and it is just an overflowing of the love God puts there…but really…that is what i am going to do all my life? serve? and that is it? that is enough? that is the response i have to what i will do with my life?
