Meals and with Men.

One of the gifts that we have all been receiving is the men involved in our program.

The guys have been quite amazed at the transparency, and honesty of the men coming through and sharing their lives, and stories, and how Christ has impacted them. I have always been drawn to scripture, and specifically the lives of particular men, Joshua, David, Gideon, Moses, and Paul. Men on a mission, touched by God, walking out their calling, their fears, flaws and their love of God. And his heart for them.

It has been nice to meet those men, today. They still exist. It is not just for a time, long gone. They are around, and although might not be building tents, or tending to sheep. They are in the financial district, and taking down drug dealers, and counseling the broken hearted in an office. To know those men still exist, and are still in pursuit of the same Kingdom that the men who had come before them, sought after.

I think for so long, there was quite a disconnect. Was the bible the stories of the only men who took this journey? I know there were many around, that were walking, and serving, and committed to Christ, but it seemed, I never knew them, or got to hear their stories, and understand how they came from where they did, or what their trials, temptations, struggles were.

I feel like one of these young men, in many ways. Hearing these stories of the men who are living out of their faith. I guess in some ways, Cory and I created this program from our own needs, and desires. Sounds selfish? Maybe... but it came out of a place where we felt whether we ever get this or not, we know young men need this.

I can't deny one of the greatest gifts is sitting with these guys around a table, and doing our best in serving them, is that we are hearing the stories of the village that lives around me. Let me back up. It is said, "it takes a village to raise a child." It seems between our cop, counselor, nun, hunters, adventure guides, fly fishing guides, business men, we are beginning to form something of that here. Some remnant of that.

I must confess, I am the child in the village, receiving. And growing, and learning at their hands. What a gift. And honor. And to hear the stories of men, it is priceless.

Conversation vs. Communion.

Tonight we just spent our evening with Sister Therese from Benet Hill. We watched a video from a trappist monk named, Father Keating. He is a master in contemplative prayer. He said something that really struck me.... the prayer, sitting in silence, being present with Christ, is moving away from conversation and into communion.

I found that quite interesting. And how it seems most of my communication works. Words. I tend to use them alot. I write alot. I speak alot. I am on this blog alot.

Sister Therese said words was only one form of communication.

Wow.

That really hits me. And as she explained communion. She said think... union... "in unity" and comm meaning "with." One of the guys mentioned when he thinks of the words of communion he thinks of wine and bread. I related. Communion is that thing you do either every service, or once a month, or every blue moon that takes a long time. And gets you late to your meal.

But communion is deep. It is abiding, presence, and being with, and together. Jesus and the Father one, type of union. And it made me think isn't that what our spiritual lives are to become? Union. One with the Father, with Christ. And here I am talking about it again, writing on this about it. Using words, instead of sitting in it.

We did, sit in it. For 20 minutes tonight. In silence, and in communion with Christ. The length of most television programs is what we did in silence. It was beautiful, maddening, haunting, and everything that really should not have any words to describe, since it is communion not a conversation.

I think we shall do it again, and I hope to stop writing about it as much, and just start being one.

"Be still and know that I am God."