Discerning Your Path in Life 02/08/2011

Thomas Merton, a trappist monk who was incredibly influential in the modern contemplative movement of Christianity wrote this prayer:
God, we have no idea where we are going. We do not see the road ahead of us. We cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do we really know ourselves. And the fact that we think we are following your will does not mean that we are actually doing so. But we believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And we hope we will never do anything apart from that desire. And we know that if we do this you will lead us by the right road, though we may know nothing about it. Therefore, we will trust you always though we may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. We will not fear, for you are ever with us, and you will never leave us to face our perils alone.

It’s honest. It’s humble. It’s optimistic. It assumes relationship with the Divine. It assumes discipleship (there’s that word again that we’ve been talking about all year.) It assumes an ongoing life of learning and adjusting; growing and changing.

I like the prayer. It seems that each of us can find ourselves in it somewhere.

Go back and read it again. Where are you in it? Do you desire to please God? Are you hopeful? Are you looking for the road? Are you lost? Are you in the shadow of death? Are you faithfully taking each step?

A group of women in our church asked if we could do an adult Sunday school class on "Discerning Our Life’s Path.” I encourage you to attend if possible. So much of following God and learning of God comes through discerning our life’s path. (If this Sunday school class doesn’t work for you, during Lent we’ll be considering a series of stories from the Bible about how others "discern” their life’s path – some call it "calling.”)

How do we discern? How do we navigate the realities of life? How do we grow and change; mature and become what God intends? Here’s what I believe: God intends good for you. The Spirit has been and continues to work within your life, your thoughts, your friendships, your job and your family to mold you into a person of faith, who is whole, content, open and generous. You are God’s artwork in the world – every bit of your color and texture is meant to add to the color and texture of our world. Every bit of you adds such wonder to the world. how do I know this? You add all of that to our community of faith. And for that, we are so rich.