Warning! You May Not Like This…
Here is an article from the America blog about a new book “Flying In the Face of Tradition” by
Brother Louis DeThomasis, FSC, that discusses what we have discussed here many times; the need for a sort of death in order to bring new life to our imploding institutional church.
If you are one to not keep up on church events, as I was years ago, you may think that Brother Thomasis is a regular heretic suggesting the church die to itself. However, I would offer that the church is dying anyway, and the best way to assure a resurrection is a change of heart.
On Facebook, many people suggest that this is an attack on the church. But I wholeheartedly disagree. I believe that our guidebook, the Bible, contains many passages, including the entire death and resurrection of the person we claim to follow, Jesus of Nazareth, as a way to come alive again and right our relationship with God. It also points to ways in which God does not want us to do this. When Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac, God intervened because he had gotten what he came for; Abraham’s trust… Abraham’s heart. Many of us understand first hand what it means to die in order to live. Many of us know that it is in the very darkest moment when we relinquish our all to God a little flame flickers more brightly, until it burns unending with assurance. Most often, before we are willing to change our heart, to wholly trust God and not our own judgements, when we embrace our creaturehood, it is then that the Holy Spirit can do her work in us…but only then.
Abraham knew that.
The apostles knew it, they had lost everything but gained the world and in turn offered up their lives for what they had witnessed.
The saints knew it. They devoted themselves to something so out of their control or understanding but continued to trust, many suffering horrific consequences but believing until the end that what they did here, mattered there!
So why don’t we know it? How many ways can God call us to be more bold or more unafraid? “Fear not!” again and again is what I hear and yet, what do we do? We live in fear and anxiety that God will somehow make us suffer for the very gift of revelation and guidance that we get from the Holy Spirit, the third person in our Triune God.
I just don’t get it. I am completely baffled.
Is Women’s Ordination something we should pursue? Yes! Why do I think that? Because the Body of Christ calls for it, because people are not being ministered to. Because in order to receive what you and I are entitled to by our baptismal inheritance, we need more people to preside over the consecration of the Eucharist, who are called by the urgings of the Holy Spirit. How can we question when a person has a true calling? Who do we really think we are? God?
What is the point of all of this if we are simply here to “feel good.” There is a time and place for that. But there is also a time and place to be with the Christ who suffered horribly for us. Can we not see how we dishonor his bloody, exhausted body as he carries the cross all by himself? Can we imagine how alone he felt? I just feel like I cannot let him be alone. There are too many of God’s people who need us to speak for them. We need to be the “Light of the World” to be “The Good News” otherwise, what is all of this even about?
Here is the article, and I would like to say I am ever more impressed with these brave men.
Folks in the Vatican ought to be reading this! ….at least the one’s open to a change of heart!
Humility and openmindedness are the requirements in our church as we explore new ways in which God is leading.