The Contemplative Companion for Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Brothers and sisters:
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit
for anything as coming from us;
rather, our qualification comes from God,
who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant,
not of letter but of spirit;
for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life. – 2 Corinthians 3. 1 – 6

Letting go is a big part of our spiritual life. In little and big ways, the practice of letting go reveals what we trust in and what we are afraid of – and most of all where we are holding too tightly, perhaps for a host of complex known and unknown reasons: if I don’t hold on who will? What will happen to so and so if I stop holding on?, etc. 

The invitation to spiritual growth is really a slow letting go process of all certainties, inviting us to live in pure faith – which is the realm of the Spirit. It is the Spirit who gives to the trusting soul unimaginable, inward assurances, support, strength and “qualifications”, in ways that are not always understood, respected or practiced by the cultural mode known as “a show of force” or “dominate with superiority.”

Perhaps the kind of people and pastors the Spirit wishes us to become is less dependent upon anything that can be seen, touched, felt, measured, quantified, and more courageous and gentle in spirit as ones who walk by faith not by sight; by intention not attention; by loving service not the pursuit of personal success at the expense of other’s failure.

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