What has encouraged you?

[elanor]

One of the reasons I've longed for a fellowship forum for liberal Christians is to have a place to encourage and be encouraged by one another. So I'm wondering what has lifted your spirit today? What has spoken to you of the goodness of God? What has challenged you to know Him better, to serve Him more faithfully? Something you heard? Something you read? An experience?

I'll start. I attended a large gathering of Christian women last night where we studied the lives of several spiritual "giants," including Mother Teresa, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Ghandi. What encouraged me was the focus of these people. Although I spoke to the group about Bonhoeffer, I was most encouraged by the witness of Mother Teresa. Everything for her came down to her relationship with Jesus. Her desire was to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him. Everything she did was an extension of that. For someone like me who is so easily scattered, that is the message I need to hear. Focus on Christ--let everything else spring from that.

 

[Toney]

My spiritual journey began 16 years ago in Medugorje, Yugoslavia, although as an altar boy I hoped to be an (Episcopal) priest. In the beginning I learned that in order for the Holy Spirit to work in us we should keep our lives in a continual state of kenosis, or self-emptying. The simple analogy is that if ones cup is full, the Spirit has nothing to fill. So I spent the last 16 years learning about God as best I could, 16 years questioning my beliefs and forming new beliefs. And I have not been disappointed as each day brings some new insight into serving the Lord.

For my part, I am closer to the sacred than to the profane -- more vertically (spiritually) oriented than horizontally (feed the hungry, etc.) oriented. Mother Teresa was both. A reporter once asked if her lack of success in India discouraged her. She replied that God called her to obedience, not to success.

We are all called to that same degree of obedience and we all have a unique worldly ministry that is co-creative with the Father. Jesus is humanity's role model. Mother Teresa was a type of Jesus.

 

[seebs]

It's not "religious", but...

One day, I'm walking around a shopping mall, and I walk by this couple, and they were laughing. And the guy walks up to me, and he says "Hey, you know what? (pointing) I love this girl. I really love her." And they walk on their way, and I walk on mine.

I write this in the present tense because it is eternal. It will always be with me; not just that there is love, but that love is shared, even with strangers, and remains a thing of joy. That giggling, blushing, girl, was loved. That man loved her. I don't know what's happened to them since; it's been nearly 15 years. But in my heart, they are still in love, and still sharing it with people.

 

[Firefly]

Hi Elanor

The youth group at church inspired me greatly this week. They led the
services and served lunch afterwards. Then after that they worked at a
Food Bank and held a 30 hour lock-in (without food) to raise money for
famines.

I had to be locked in with them, and I couldn't make it without sneaking a
Snickers and justifying it with low blood-sugar. They didn't sneak and they
didn't complain. Some of them, I know, have a hard time at school and don't
have many friends, and they are the ones with the sweetest smiles and most
giving hearts. I feel very close to Christ when I am with them and they
inspire me to do more, give more and reach out more.

 

[elanor]

Here's what has encouraged me tonight: ANSWERED PRAYER!

I've been tutoring a Ukranian woman in English as a second language for several years. She and her husband have seven children, and they live in a small three-bedroom house. The house is really inadequate. The bathrooms are off the living room. Rats are a problem. The area is not the best. For the last year or more, we've been trying to get them a house through Habitat for Humanity. I just learned when I was there tonight that they are now next up! Habitat has been able to acquire some property in a quieter, nicer area, and they hope to break ground next spring on their five-bedroom home!! Praise God!!

 

[Anastasis]

Here's what has encouraged me tonight: ANSWERED PRAYER!

I've been tutoring a Ukranian woman in English as a second language for several years. She and her husband have seven children, and they live in a small three-bedroom house. The house is really inadequate. The bathrooms are off the living room. Rats are a problem. The area is not the best. For the last year or more, we've been trying to get them a house through Habitat for Humanity. I just learned when I was there tonight that they are now next up! Habitat has been able to acquire some property in a quieter, nicer area, and they hope to break ground next spring on their five-bedroom home!! Praise God!!

I love Habitat! It's such a great charity!

I was inspired today by answered prayer too - A couple in my church agreed to fund the rest of my mission trip so I can stop worrying about it!!
PRAISE GOD!

 

[elanor]

Wow! Praise God for that!

Tell us about your mission trip, Anastasis.

 

[Anastasis]

Wow! Praise God for that!

Tell us about your mission trip, Anastasis.

*and then Anastasis disappears for a few days*

Sorry about that - busy packing and buying some last minute supplies.

I'll be moving to Belfast, NI for a year. I serve in a community center and a church. I live in a house with 3 other missionaries about my age; they really place alot of emphasis on trying to form a Christian community together.

I would post a link to the community centre's website but I think I'm still too new of a member for that - so if you're interested you can prob go to google and search for the Vine Community and Advice Centre in Belfast.

I've felt a calling there all my life - it really hit me that there are people there, my age, who have only known peace for the past few years, and even that an unsettled peace.

You might disagree with this but I always thought that Christians can't play a role in solving conflict in the rest of the world til we solve our own conflict in N.Ireland. I mean, I might be wrong, but is a Jew or a Muslim really going to take a Christian talking about peace seriously when they see Protestants and Catholics blowing each other up? (it's not a completely religious conflict but that's the side of it most foreigners know)

I was just so moved by these kids who have known violence for so long that some of them have a hard time relating to a world where it isn't a factor anymore. If the peace is going to last, the prejudices and hatred need to be stopped.

 

[seebs]

Oh, that's awesome.

One thing that encouraged me was, one day, there was a bombing in Northern Ireland, and the Protestants and Catholics went to the funeral together, peacefully, and the victims said they were just gonna let it slide, not "retaliate". It says a lot that I no longer remember which side was which in that news story; because, see, in that news story, they weren't sides, but mutual victims of violence.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

I was encouraged just the other day. To start with, all my life I have been looked upon as somewhat of a religious oddball. A few people come to me for theology sometimes, but a lot of people don't. They think I am wrong or whatnot (though they have yet to provide scriptural support...). Anyways, I had a dream one night that I was a prophet. I told some of my friends about it, and they thought I was crazy. After that, a lot of my closest became alienated, and I was sort of labeled "dangerous".

Anyhow, that has recently changed. I have received even more signs and dreams. Also, I was looking through a thread and I found three links to test what team-oriented spiritual gifts you have. The one I consider the most accurate (due to the amount of questions, amount of possible choices, and formulae involved) gave some pretty interesting results. The highest score was 100 it said, and if you have 100 you have full potential for that gift. I scored a seemingly impossible 107 for being a prophet The two other tests showed amazingly similar results.

Anyways, now I have these results to show to those who do not believe in what I have said. Of course, this may not convince them, but it has really convicted me that no matter what others say, I do have the gift. In fact, one person said that every word I speak should be followed as law. It has helped me immensely

 

[Reader Nilus]

Dan and Phil Berrigan, John Howard Yoder, William Stringfellow, Jim Wallis, Blessed Mother Maria of Ravensbruck, Met. ANTHONY (Bloom) of Blessed Memory among others.
Jeff the Finn