November 3, 2019, 2 Corinthians 13:1-11 – Post 3

XI.

Before we leave this portion of Paul’s letter, allow me to mention one more item Paul writes,

Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves.

XII.

Maybe we could start to implement Paul’s direction by going over this letter and find the things, the ideas, the behaviors, the relationships that to Paul indictes one is “living in the faith.”

Then we could create a checklist so we could check off if all of us are doing the things we should be doing.

But sometimes such a checklist could lead us astray.

XIII.

There is nothing wrong with a careful reading of the letter to see what Paul writes about as “living in the faith.”  If we do embark on that path, please include 1 Corinthians in your careful reading.

But if we take our checklist and being applying it to the others in our community, our church, to see how they live up to list, we have taken a first step I don’t think Paul intended.

He encourages us to examine ourself, to test ourself.  Not to start by testing the walk of others.

XIV.

A checklist might take us astray in another way also.

Paul speaks to us about “living in the faith”

The faith we live in is not just a matter of do’s and don’ts.  It is about what we do but it is more. It is about behavior, but it is more.

It is about relationship.  I don’t think Paul would disagree with Jesus when Jesus said we are first to love God.  To me loving God includes seeking God, giving ourselves to God and paying attention to what God is about in the world.

XV.

And that brings me one more thing to mention today, The Prayer of Examen.

In its simplest form the Prayer of Examen is taking time, with God’s help, to review your day, to seek what in the day drew you close to God and what in the day hindered your closeness to God, and then to consider what that tells you about “living in faith” tomorrow.

At Discipleswalk.org I have posted several times about the Examen.  You can find links to those posts here http://discipleswalk.org/?s=examen&x=0&y=0 

XVI.

Friends,  Go in Peace to live in the Faith, more and more each day.

charles

{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}


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