Tuesday, March 10, 2009

God's Self-revelation


The Self-revelation of God

The dialogue between God and humanity is the give-and-take of self-revelation and response. That's what's happening in every relationship, you can't understand the rules of prayer.
In prayer God is gradually disclosing himself, revealing herself. So revelation and faith are correlative. There cannot be faith without revelation. We cannot believe in a person who has not shared himself or herself with us. To the degree that person has shared with us, we can believe in that person.

It's the same way with God. When we waste time with the Lord and listen, we're allowing
God to reveal not information but Self. This is what's symbolized on the cross: God is totally disclosed, God is the totally given God. But it takes us a lot of scraping and converting to open ourselves up to that disclosure. If we are filled with ourselves, there is, quite simply, no room for the other, and surely not The Other.

excerpt from The Price of Peoplehood
Radical Grace, Daily Meditations
By Richard Rohr, O.F. M
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And so it is, as I read this, thatmy prayertime this morning came to mind. Though I seemed focused on the prayers I was saying and the words upon which I was reflecting, I was doing all the talking...MY prayer should be, "Lord keep me QUIET." Perhaps my concern is that if I'm not talking, he won't be listening. Well, I couldn't be more WRONG. Can you sit and be quiet? Can you simply just SIT and be quiet. There are no lessons for this. There is no text with a lesson plan. I have to teach myself the art of QUIET! Will I ever learn!?! The funny thing is, only God will know!

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Thanks be to God!


4 comments:

  1. It is very very hard for me to to do that.
    I am such a worrier and dreamer that quieting my head is a skill I need to practice more.
    Great post.

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  2. Uh, yes to just be still and silent.

    May God bless you.

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  3. Just last evening, I was telling my daughter of a certain trouble and how I'd been praying about this for such a long time to no avail. She said, "maybe if you stop thinking about it all the time, the Lord will THEN answer your need."

    I prayed on the way to work this morning, "Lord, please take this from me." I came to work and an answered awaited me from God's lips to my heart.

    Thanks be to God!

    Blessings,
    Abbey

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  4. Being quiet before the Lord is one of the hardest things for me. So many things start scrambling around in my head. But I guess like everything else, the more practice you get, the easier it may become. Thanks for sharing this. Blessings to you!

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Your insightful comments are appreciated and I want all to feel comfortable and welcome.