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Those of you who’ve read these appeals in prior years have probably noticed a difference in this year’s. I’m not inundating you with statistics about subscribers to Daily Seed, books sold, discussion forum messages and so forth. What I’m trying to communicate is a rationale for Internet ministry — namely, that it needs to be focused on countering harmful trends that seem to be related to
Internet use itself.
Basically, I regard the Internet as a good thing. That even includes social media! But it all boils down to the age-old principle which holds that “too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.” That’s all it is, really!
We all struggle with a tendency to fabricate a positive idea of ourselves and try to sell that to others, and the Internet (especially social networking sites) provides abundant opportunities to do just that. Does our Internet involvement reinforce these “false self” tendencies, or does it lead us to become more authentic, humble, loving and reverent? That’s what we all need to
keep an eye on.
A Daily Spiritual Seed can help you to do just that, and so can the other resources offered through shalomplace.com. The church has always endeavored to outreach to
the spiritual impoverished, and I think that’s what we’re doing with our Internet ministry. We’re also open to new ideas, and so if you have any suggestions on ways we can improve our ministry, please pass them along.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Peace, Phil
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Tax-deductible Donation Options
Donate any amount online using Credit or Debit Card
Send donation by check or
money order: Internet Ministry Heartland Center for Spirituality 3600 Broadway Great Bend, KS 67530 (be sure to include your email address)
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“I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to
disregard their talk and judge only their actions” - Dorothy Day
(“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” Mt. 7: 21) |
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1 MC 4:36-37, 52-59; 1 CHRONICLES 29:10-12; LK 19:45-48
R. We praise your glorious name, O mighty
God.
“Blessed may you be, O LORD,
God of Israel our father,
from eternity to eternity.”
“Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory.
For all in heaven and on earth is yours.”
“Yours, O LORD, is the sovereignty;
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honor are from you.”
“You have dominion over all,
In your hand are power and might;
it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.”
USCCB Lectionary
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If we approach God's word with a humble attentive heart and with a willingness to be taught by the Lord, then we are in a good place to allow God's word to change and transform us in the likeness of Christ. The Lord wants to teach us his ways so that we may grow in holiness. The Lord both
instructs and disciplines us in love to lead us from the error of our sinful ways to his truth and justice. "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). The Lord calls us to be a holy people who worship him with reverence and gratitude for his great mercy and kindness towards us. Do you allow God's word to transform you in his way of love and holiness?
"Lord Jesus, you open wide the door of your house and you bid us to enter confidently that we may worship you in spirit and truth. Help me to draw near to you with gratitude and joy for your great mercy. May I always revere your word and give you acceptable praise and worship." DailyScripture.net
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The Way of Perfection, by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Treats of these words in the Paternoster: "Dimitte nobis debita nostra."
Such persons would never on any account esteem themselves: they want
their sins to be known and like to speak about them to people who they see have any esteem for them. The same is true of their descent, which they know quite well will be of no advantage to them in the kingdom which has no end. If being of good birth were any satisfaction to them, it would be because this would enable them to serve God better. If they are not well born, it distresses them when people think them better than they are, and it causes them no distress to disabuse them, but only
pleasure. The reason for this is that those to whom God grants the favour of possessing such humility and great love for Him forget themselves when there is a possibility of rendering Him greater services, and simply cannot believe that others are troubled by things which they themselves do not consider as wrongs at all. - Chapter 36
(Keep in mind that she is writing to sisters in a cloistered contemplative order.)
Paperback (Kindle edition available)
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