...besides the year.... Clearly that's new. Advent has come and gone. The Christmas season has come to a close with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and we are left to face a new year in all of it's unknown and potential. In our staff prayer this week this came up and I want to share it because it about sums up my life right now. Despite the fact that we just celebrated Christmas and Jesus has come to us, to you and to me personally, I find that I still must remind myself of these words, that I must still pick myself up and bring myself to him. "It is impossible to persevere in a fervent evangelization unless we are convinced from personal experience that it is not the same thing to have known Jesus as not to have known him, not the same thing to walk with him as to walk blindly, not the same thing to hear his word as not to know it, and not the same thing to contemplate him, to worship him, to find our peace in him, as not to. It is not the same thing to try to build the world with his Gospel as to try to do so by our own lights. We know well that with Jesus life becomes richer and that with him it is easier to find meaning in everything. This is why we evangelize. A true missionary, who never ceases to be a disciple, knows that Jesus walks with him, speaks to him, breathes with him, works with him. He senses Jesus alive with him in the midst of the missionary enterprise. Unless we see him present at the heart of our missionary commitment, our enthusiasm soon wanes and we are no longer sure of what it is that we are handing on; we lack vigour and passion. A person who is not convinced, enthusiastic, certain and in love, will convince nobody." I think this is for all of us. Each of us is a missionary. Each of us have made commitments: to our families, to our work, to relationships, to parishes, to our communities. "Unless we see him present at the heart of our missionary commitment, our enthusiasm soon wanes....we lack vigour and passion." But the Lord makes this promise to those who are with him. ...they shall mount up with wings like eagles, So let us come to him again. again. again. Let us seek him and we will find him. Let us rush out to meet him. Let us re-encounter love. The Lord is our strength. From January 2-5 all of SPO staff gathered together for a retreat in Minnesota. It was a peaceful time of coming to the Lord, re-encountering him, coming to draw from the wellspring of life (and to enjoy on another's company) before heading back to our campuses. Please keep us in your prayers!
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This Blog...I'm Emily: a mission leader with Saint Paul's Outreach. This is blog is here to keep you up to date with what is happening in the mission field at Ohio State! Archives
October 2016
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