Tag Archives: Paul The Mystic

Daily Riches: The Backbone of the World (James Campbell, Tennyson and David Benner) *

Posted on by under Being the Beloved

“Father is a name which implies personal and affectional relations. It embodies the highest conception of God which can be gathered from our knowledge of earthly relationships. It is the divine name which constituted the most distinct contribution of Jesus to religious thought. … Tennyson says that to take it away is to “take away the backbone of the world.” The God who is over all is the Father of all; the God who is through all is the Father of all; the God who is in all is the Father of all. This is the God to whom every man may come, claiming a child’s place, a child’s privileges, a child’s blessing.”  James Campbell

“Imagine God thinking about you. What do you assume God feels when you come to mind? [Many people say disappointment or anger.] … In both cases, these people are convinced that it is their sin that first catches God’s attention. …the truth is that when God thinks of you, love swells in God’s heart and a smile comes to God’s face. God bursts with love for humans. God is far from being emotionally uninvolved with creation. God’s bias toward us is strong, persistent and positive. The Christian God chooses to be known as Love, and that love pervades every aspect of God’s relationship with us.” David Benner

“So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
Whatever is good and perfect
comes down to us from God our Father,
who created all the lights in the heavens. ….
And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”
James 1:16-18

Moving From Head to Heart

  • Do you think of God as one to whom you can come “claiming a child’s place, a child’s privileges, a child’s blessing?” Do you think of yourself as his “prized possession?”
  • If instead, you feel God must be disappointed or angry with you, can you quiet yourself and listen for his voice to you, letting him confirm his love? his “bias” towards you?
  • Can you dare to believe that “when God thinks of you, love swells in God’s heart and a smile comes to God’s face?”

Abba, may I always remember how you prize me.

__________

For More: Surrender to Love by David G. Benner

_________________________________________________

The “Daily Riches” from RicherByFar are for your encouragement. My goal is to give you something of uncommon value each day which you might share with others. –  Bill (Psalm 90:14)

Daily Riches: Our Need to Impress (James M. Campbell and Ruth Haley Barton) *

Posted on by under applause, approval addiction, Ego Issues, Humility, Obscurity and Secrecy

“For fourteen years he had kept silent about it.” James Campbell

“…  I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven [and] this man … heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. … I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations.”  2 Corinthians 12:1-7a

“We might commit ourselves to pondering the things that take place during solitude in our heart, as Mary did, at least for a time, rather than sharing them too quickly or using them immediately as tools for ministry. This a way of keeping some things precious and sacred… [like] we protect the privacy of our interactions with intimate friends.” Ruth Haley Barton

In a “supassingly great” manner, the apostle Paul was transported to heaven where he saw powerful “visions” and heard “inexpressible [secret] things.” In all his days of ministry, he never tried to use this to enhance his reputation, and he refuses to do so now. (:5) Even here, he refers to himself only indirectly as “a man in Christ.” This comes up now only because the Corinthian church was immaturely infatuated with the “superapostles” in their midst (:11). Paul’s experience put him in a special class. No one else had such credentials! Even so, “For fourteen years [Paul] had kept silent about it.”

Moving From Head to Heart

  • Could you keep silent about something so impressive for fourteen years? Paul did. What does this says about him?
  • Are you quick to share things that make you look good? a substantial prayer life, some “power encounter”, a long fast, an experiment with monastery life, years of keeping the Sabbath or centering prayer, etc.? How often do we hear about such exploits in a sermon, an article, in a blog, or through social media? What do you think this says about us?
  • When you share something “precious and sacred”, it changes it. What is gained instead, by keeping something sacred a secret?

Abba, deliver me from my need to impress or be thought well of. Let your approval suffice for me.

__________

For More: Paul the Mystic by James M. Campbell

_________________________________________________

The “Daily Riches” from RicherByFar are for your encouragement as you seek after God, and as he seeks after you. My goal is to give you something of uncommon value each day in less than 400 words. I hope you’ll follow my blog, and share it with others. I appreciate your interest!  –  Bill (Psalm 90:14)

Daily Riches: The Backbone of the World (James Campbell, Tennyson and David Benner)

Posted on by under Being the Beloved

“Father is a name which implies personal and affectional relations. It embodies the highest conception of God which can be gathered from our knowledge of earthly relationships. It is the divine name which constituted the most distinct contribution of Jesus to religious thought. … Tennyson says that to take it away is to “take away the backbone of the world.” The God who is over all is the Father of all; the God who is through all is the Father of all; the God who is in all is the Father of all. This is the God to whom every man may come, claiming a child’s place, a child’s privileges, a child’s blessing.”  James Campbell

“Imagine God thinking about you. What do you assume God feels when you come to mind? [Many people say disappointment or anger.] … In both cases, these people are convinced that it is their sin that first catches God’s attention. …the truth is that when God thinks of you, love swells in God’s heart and a smile comes to God’s face. God bursts with love for humans. God is far from being emotionally uninvolved with creation. God’s bias toward us is strong, persistent and positive. The Christian God chooses to be known as Love, and that love pervades every aspect of God’s relationship with us.” David Benner

“So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
Whatever is good and perfect
comes down to us from God our Father,
who created all the lights in the heavens. ….
And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”
James 1:16-18

Moving From Head to Heart

  • Do you think of God as one to whom you can come “claiming a child’s place, a child’s privileges, a child’s blessing?” Do you think of yourself as his “prized possession?”
  • If instead, you feel God must be disappointed or angry with you, can you quiet yourself and listen for his voice to you, letting him confirm his love? his “bias” towards you?
  • Can you dare to believe that “when God thinks of you, love swells in God’s heart and a smile comes to God’s face?”

Abba, may I always remember how you prize me.

__________

For More: Surrender to Love by David G. Benner

_________________________________________________

The “Daily Riches” from RicherByFar are for your encouragement. My goal is to give you something of uncommon value each day which you might share with others. –  Bill (Psalm 90:14)

Daily Riches: Paul’s Practice of “Secrecy” (James M. Campbell)

Posted on by under approval addiction, Obscurity and Secrecy

“For fourteen years he had kept silent about it.” James Campbell

“…  I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven [and] this man … heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. … I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations.”  2 Corinthians 12:1-7a

In a “supassingly great” manner, the apostle Paul was transported to heaven where he saw powerful “visions” and heard “inexpressible [secret] things.” In all his days of ministry, he never tried to use this to enhance his reputation, and he refuses to do so now. (:5) Even here, he refers to himself only indirectly as “a man in Christ.” This comes up now only because the Corinthian church was immaturely infatuated with the “superapostles” in their midst (:11). Paul’s experience put him in a special class. No one else had such credentials! Even so, “For fourteen years [Paul] had kept silent about it.”

Moving From Head to Heart

  • If you had experienced something like this, could you keep silent about it for fourteen years? Paul did. What does this says about him?
  • Have you noticed how quick many of us are to “share” things that make us look good? a long fast, an experiment with life in a monastery, years of keeping the Sabbath or of centering prayer, etc.? How often do we hear about such exploits in a sermon, an article, in a blog, or through social media? What do you think this says about us?
  • When you share something good that you’ve done, it changes it. What is to be gained instead, by keeping something sacred a secret?

Abba, deliver me from my need to impress or be thought well of. Let your approval suffice for me.

__________

For More: Paul the Mystic by James M. Campbell

_________________________________________________

The “Daily Riches” from RicherByFar are for your encouragement as you seek after God, and as he seeks after you. My goal is to give you something of uncommon value each day in less than 400 words. I hope you’ll follow my blog, and share it with others. I appreciate your interest!  –  Bill (Psalm 90:14)