SIMPLE
WAYS
(TO SIMPLIFY MY FAITH)
I would
like to simplify my faith a little more. Christianity seems complicated at
times (to me) and it is hard for me to see the forest because of all the trees.
Christianity is a 2,000 year old faith which has accumulated a large amount of
traditional customs, rules and regulations. I want to cut through all the red
tape and simply find meaning for my faith (that is what Francis did with his
rebuilding of the Church through simplicity). St. Francis once said: “God is my
all in all”. That is a simple faith statement that has become the core of my
faith’s existence.
There are
sincere Christians that knock on my door and ask me two questions: “Are you
saved” and “Do you accept Jesus into your heart”. What is the simple truth
here? My understanding of these two concepts is different than theirs but my
answer should be yes. My concept of salvation is usually a continuous process
(not just a onetime event where I am knocked off my horse – like St. Paul). The Holy Spirit can be a
strong wind to dramatically change me at one moment but usually it is a gentle
breeze that gradually changes me. I feel as long as I am on my Christian
journey of salvation, that I am saved by a loving God.
I believe
that when I consume a communion host, I am accepting Jesus into every cell of
my body as he nourishes me. I based this on all of chapter 6 of the Gospel of
John. The Late Jerry Falwell Sr. once told a friends that he would be on his
hands and knees all the time if he believed in the real presences of Christ in
the Eucharist. I would be that way too if communion was only to honor Christ. I
believe that the main purpose (of the Eucharist) is to allow Christ to move
through me and to others. I am transformed into sweet communion bread (itself)
for others who have need. I am to be transformed into love, justice and peace.
For me, this is not complicated but very simple. I hope those Christians who do
not believe in the real presence will still make communion sacred and special
so they too can be transformed into the actions of Christ.
I have to
give my faith simple meaning by understanding it better and allowing myself to
participate in it more. It is more than just having a religious traditional
ceremony done for me. The most anti-Christian people that I met in my life
journey are ex-Christians who slowly eliminated their faith to the point of
taking no personal ownership of it. I must take ownership, I will read the
Sunday Scriptures ahead of time so my mind does not wonder off and I can
completely pay attention. I once could not relate to the church ceremony (it
was something done for me and I was not a part). Then I read the words of the
average church service early each morning before work for a year. Now (in my
mind) I participate during the service. I
look forward to each Sunday because Christianity is also my personal faith that
I love. It is more than a faith that I participate in; it is a part of me
(body, soul and mind).
D. Crone
QUESTIONS:
1 How can you take the complications out of faith but still be a
sincerely devoted believer?
2 Is church more about you or God?
3 Were we created in God's image to worship him or do we worship
God based on our creation of God?
(TO SIMPLIFY PRAYER)
There are
several forms of prayer that I can simply use: 1- My life can be prayer itself.
This is the highest form of prayer. 2- I use physical prayer. A physical prayer
is a thing that I hold that communicates my need for God. It can be a cross or
any Christian item. This is the easiest form of prayer for me. 3- Meditative
prayer is a relaxing form of prayer. Meditative Prayer is when I clear my mind
through focusing on something and having peaceful concepts of God and his love
for Him. 4- Repeating chants or short formal prayers also clears my mind.
Repetitive Prayer is repetitive phases that relaxes me and allows me to focus
on God. This form of prayer is best for me when I am upset. I can see my mood
change as I repeat a phase over and over again. 5- Regular prayers are my good
old stand by prayers. Formal Prayer (like “The Lord's Prayer”) is regular
prayer that I use often since childhood to communicate with God. This is the
most routine form of prayer for me since I know so many of them by memory. 6-
Just openly speaking to God in prayer builds up my relationship with God. Free
Verse Prayer is my ordinary conversational speech when I am alone and talking
to God. This is the prayer form I use when I question life or God or am
confused. It makes God my best friend - for deep within my heart I know God's
responses to my conversation. 7- Talking to God through my thoughts (inside my
head) is another way I pray. These Thinking Prayers are my special form of
prayer (instead of thinking or talking to myself in my thoughts, I direct your
thoughts as thinking towards God). It takes a lot of self-control to do this
because I find myself switching back to me instead of God within my
thoughts. This is another conversational
form of prayer but unspoken this time.
D. Crone
QUESTIONS:
4 Which form of prayer works best for you? Why?
5 Do you pray more than one way?
(TO
SIMPLIFY MY CONCEPT OF GOD)
I ask
myself, how do I live with God? In the past, I understood God like a series of
Russian Nest Dolls (one placed inside of another). Suppose I took the larger
doll and placed it across a room. That would represent my relationship with the
father. I would admire the Father at a distance for such wonderful creations as
people, the beautiful mountains, the ocean and lovely tees within the world.
Suppose I took a medium size doll and place it within my shirt pocket. That
would represent Jesus, my companion, my teacher, my brother and God walking
with me. I carry Jesus wherever I go. Suppose I took the smallest doll
and placed it within a Zip-lock sandwich bag and position it against my heart.
That would represent the Holy Spirit (under wraps, sealed up and unable to work
within my heart. The Holy Spirit was the only person of God that I would not
utilize.
Now I know
that “The Father” is God that provides all my blessings and creates all the
beauty that life can produce. Jesus is God made man, God that loves me so much
that he walked in my shoes as human. It is amazing that his death and
resurrection can bless all the small deaths and resurrections that my human
existence can produce (from my sins to God’s forgiveness of them). The Holy
Spirit is God inspiration within me, motivating within me and driving me to do
good deeds for others. The least important person of God (in my past) has
become the most intimate person of God. So intimate that my gifts of the Holy
Spirit are shared with all people.
D.
Crone
QUESTIONS:
6 How do you live with God? - Mostly on Sundays? Only when you are
having Problems?
7 Is God your friend or some distant concept?
(SIMPLY FINDING GOD)
Can I
find time to experience my love with God? Who has time for anything, anymore? I
especially need to find time to be alone with my thoughts and feel my love with
God. Without God, my life seems too cold and all the ordinary miracles that
surround my life go un-noticed. I seem to be going about from place to place
just surviving until another day. Somehow I need to incorporate my love with God
into my daily life more. Now (at this moment), I am asking God to bring light
into my darkness, give warmth to my coldness, wash clean any bad behavior,
create rain within my dryness, strengthen my broken heartedness, heal my sicken
soul and guide me while I am lost. I know I need God’s love throughout my life
if only I would allow it. It is a simple path. The best way to do this is to be
God’s love for others and to give others what I myself need. I guess it is a
matter of giving and I will receive. I must love in order to be loved. I just
need to humble myself enough to allow God’s will to be in control sometimes.
The earth could be here and gone someday but my love for my God, my family and
my friends will always be a part of God’s Love (that last forever).
D. Crone
(I Pray):
I believe in you, O Lord,
and give to you what severely burdens me.
I understand to receive your blessings,
and listen to hear your message;
therefore, I shall walk your simple path.
If I find it hard,
I will wait until it is easy … then give.
For it is good to give,
and to believe in you (O God), for all my days.
Amen
D. Crone
QUESTIONS:
8 How much time do you spend on God when away from church?
9 Do you communicate with him (in prayer) a lot?
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