CRI article on Saint Augustine

I have written or mentioned quite a lot on Augustine and his Platonist influence that I believe influenced Calvin and scores of others into a “soft Gnosticism”. Now I am not saying Augustine is not worthy to be read, on the contrary I believe him to have added some great thoughts to the historical Christian dialogue that continues even today.

Yet, many who push Augustine miss he was a Christian Mystic and influence many, including St. John of the Cross. Not only this but that Augustine was heavily influenced by Plato which could have gave a Gnostic twist to the Gospel.

Here is an article by Gordon R. Lewis at Christian Research Institute, (not to be confused with those whack job wannabees) which goes deeper into these ideas.

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Ingrid’s Hidden Contemplative Agenda

“Music Till Dawn will provide a relaxing contemplative atmosphere, where the Holy Spirit can speak to quieted hearts.”

See their original version here.

For more humor try this!

Ingrid’s Hidden Contemplative Agenda

“Music Till Dawn will provide a relaxing contemplative atmosphere, where the Holy Spirit can speak to quieted hearts.”

See their original version here.

For more humor try this!

What day is it anyway?

I am a bit in a tizzy as all the things happening in the last few weeks.

1. Mom went in for routine knee replacement and did both knees. One became infected so they needed to open it up again and remove the infection. They placed antibiotic “pearls” in for couple of days and then went in and removed them. Apparently someone neglected to tell me that these “pearls” were so potent that if one broke and got into her blood stream she would die instantly…. maybe it was good I did not know! She is doing better though it sound like she will need antibiotics for the rest of her life. She is doing well so far and has been up walking a bit.

2. Work has been hard. I was informed that there was a hire freeze. That pretty much cheesed me off… (Oh Brother Lawrence where are you!) They held a meeting and then let me know I could hire people after all. I have been working 6 -7 days a week and it is getting old as it has gone on since November.

3. I did a test where they hooked up a meter to me for 72 hours to track my blood sugars. I lasted 48 and just could not handle having a needle in my side. It was most likely bad placement as when I sat in a car seat the concave of the seat would, the seat would hit it. As I jumped in and out of the truck at work I would feel like I was going to pass out as the pain shot across my back. After about 48 hours I told TES to get it out of me as I was in tears from the pain. I felt sooooooooooo much better after it was out. They want me to try it again next week! LOL!

4. I thought I was going to get a 4 day week… not consequetively but at least on paper I saw I had 3 days off… well someone told me they were not able to help as they were already scheduled and a driver lost a relative in a car accident last night so I went in. Please prayer for her. I am not sure how this week will go now so also please pray for me.

5. I am also trying to get ready for the start of Kinship Groups (Vineyard’s name for small groups). I am going to go through the book by Brother Lawrence called Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of Holy Life. I already had someone on the leadership team comment (jokingly) about me teaching RCC stuff. Yet, I see that John Wesley and A. W. Tozer both recommended him. Yet, Lighthouse Trails who thinks everyone is a heretic/apostate thinks that he is just a dangerous contemplative mystic. (Funny that they have no issue with quoting Tozer (PDF) yet still condemns who Tozer recommended! Really makes me wonder….) = )

What day is it anyway?

I am a bit in a tizzy as all the things happening in the last few weeks.

1. Mom went in for routine knee replacement and did both knees. One became infected so they needed to open it up again and remove the infection. They placed antibiotic “pearls” in for couple of days and then went in and removed them. Apparently someone neglected to tell me that these “pearls” were so potent that if one broke and got into her blood stream she would die instantly…. maybe it was good I did not know! She is doing better though it sound like she will need antibiotics for the rest of her life. She is doing well so far and has been up walking a bit.

2. Work has been hard. I was informed that there was a hire freeze. That pretty much cheesed me off… (Oh Brother Lawrence where are you!) They held a meeting and then let me know I could hire people after all. I have been working 6 -7 days a week and it is getting old as it has gone on since November.

3. I did a test where they hooked up a meter to me for 72 hours to track my blood sugars. I lasted 48 and just could not handle having a needle in my side. It was most likely bad placement as when I sat in a car seat the concave of the seat would, the seat would hit it. As I jumped in and out of the truck at work I would feel like I was going to pass out as the pain shot across my back. After about 48 hours I told TES to get it out of me as I was in tears from the pain. I felt sooooooooooo much better after it was out. They want me to try it again next week! LOL!

4. I thought I was going to get a 4 day week… not consequetively but at least on paper I saw I had 3 days off… well someone told me they were not able to help as they were already scheduled and a driver lost a relative in a car accident last night so I went in. Please prayer for her. I am not sure how this week will go now so also please pray for me.

5. I am also trying to get ready for the start of Kinship Groups (Vineyard’s name for small groups). I am going to go through the book by Brother Lawrence called Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of Holy Life. I already had someone on the leadership team comment (jokingly) about me teaching RCC stuff. Yet, I see that John Wesley and A. W. Tozer both recommended him. Yet, Lighthouse Trails who thinks everyone is a heretic/apostate thinks that he is just a dangerous contemplative mystic. (Funny that they have no issue with quoting Tozer (PDF) yet still condemns who Tozer recommended! Really makes me wonder….) = )

The mystic ladder of Divine love, according to Saint Bernard and Saint Thomas Step six

The mystic ladder of Divine love, according to Saint Bernard and Saint Thomas Step six

ON the sixth step the soul runs swiftly to God and touches Him again and again; and it runs without fainting by reason of its hope. For here the love that has made it strong makes it to fly swiftly. Of this step the prophet Isaias speaks thus: ’ The saints that hope in God shall renew their strength; they shall take wings as the eagle; they shall fly and shall not faint,’Isaias xl, 31.
as they did at the fifth step. To this step likewise alludes that verse of the Psalm: ’ As the hart desires the waters, my soul desires Thee, O God.’Psalm xli, 2 [A.V., xlii, 1].

For the hart, in its thirst, runs to the waters with great swiftness. The cause of this swiftness in love which the soul has on this step is that its charity is greatly enlarged within it, since the soul is here almost wholly purified, as is said likewise in the Psalm, namely: Sine iniquitate cucurri.Psalm lviii, 5 [A.V., lix, 4].

And in another Psalm: ‘I ran the way of Thy commandments when Thou didst enlarge my heart’;Psalm cxviii, 32 [A.V., cxix, 32].

and thus from this sixth step the soul at once mounts to the seventh, which is that which follows.

The mystic ladder of Divine love, according to Saint Bernard and Saint Thomas Step six

The mystic ladder of Divine love, according to Saint Bernard and Saint Thomas Step six

ON the sixth step the soul runs swiftly to God and touches Him again and again; and it runs without fainting by reason of its hope. For here the love that has made it strong makes it to fly swiftly. Of this step the prophet Isaias speaks thus: ’ The saints that hope in God shall renew their strength; they shall take wings as the eagle; they shall fly and shall not faint,’Isaias xl, 31.
as they did at the fifth step. To this step likewise alludes that verse of the Psalm: ’ As the hart desires the waters, my soul desires Thee, O God.’Psalm xli, 2 [A.V., xlii, 1].

For the hart, in its thirst, runs to the waters with great swiftness. The cause of this swiftness in love which the soul has on this step is that its charity is greatly enlarged within it, since the soul is here almost wholly purified, as is said likewise in the Psalm, namely: Sine iniquitate cucurri.Psalm lviii, 5 [A.V., lix, 4].

And in another Psalm: ‘I ran the way of Thy commandments when Thou didst enlarge my heart’;Psalm cxviii, 32 [A.V., cxix, 32].

and thus from this sixth step the soul at once mounts to the seventh, which is that which follows.

The mystic ladder of Divine love, according to Saint Bernard and Saint Thomas Step Six

Wherein are treated the other five steps of love.

ON the sixth step the soul runs swiftly to God and touches Him again and again; and it runs without fainting by reason of its hope. For here the love that has made it strong makes it to fly swiftly. Of this step the prophet Isaias speaks thus: ’ The saints that hope in God shall renew their strength; they shall take wings as the eagle; they shall fly and shall not faint,.as they did at the fifth step. To this step likewise alludes that verse of the Psalm: ’ As the hart desires the waters, my soul desires Thee, O God.’

For the hart, in its thirst, runs to the waters with great swiftness. The cause of this swiftness in love which the soul has on this step is that its charity is greatly enlarged within it, since the soul is here almost wholly purified, as is said likewise in the Psalm, namely: Sine iniquitate cucurri.
And in another Psalm: ‘I ran the way of Thy commandments when Thou didst enlarge my heart’;and thus from this sixth step the soul at once mounts to the seventh, which is that which follows.

The mystic ladder of Divine love, according to Saint Bernard and Saint Thomas Step Six

Wherein are treated the other five steps of love.

ON the sixth step the soul runs swiftly to God and touches Him again and again; and it runs without fainting by reason of its hope. For here the love that has made it strong makes it to fly swiftly. Of this step the prophet Isaias speaks thus: ’ The saints that hope in God shall renew their strength; they shall take wings as the eagle; they shall fly and shall not faint,.as they did at the fifth step. To this step likewise alludes that verse of the Psalm: ’ As the hart desires the waters, my soul desires Thee, O God.’

For the hart, in its thirst, runs to the waters with great swiftness. The cause of this swiftness in love which the soul has on this step is that its charity is greatly enlarged within it, since the soul is here almost wholly purified, as is said likewise in the Psalm, namely: Sine iniquitate cucurri.
And in another Psalm: ‘I ran the way of Thy commandments when Thou didst enlarge my heart’;and thus from this sixth step the soul at once mounts to the seventh, which is that which follows.

Tozer devotional: Truth Must be Lived

Tozer Devotional

Collective Writings from the Books of A.W. Tozer

That Incredible Christian

Chapter #28

To Be Understood, Truth Must Be Lived

Being Participants in Truth

Truth cannot aid us until we become participators in it. We only possess what we experience. St. Gregory of Sinai, who lived in the fourteenth century, taught that understanding and participation were inseparable in the spiritual life. “He who seeks to understand commandments without fulfilling commandments, and to acquire such understanding through learning and reading, is like a man who takes a shadow for truth. For the understanding of truth is given to those who have become participants in truth (who have tasted it through living). Those who are not participants in truth and are not initiated therein, when they seek this understanding, draw it from a distorted wisdom. Of such men the apostle says ‘the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit,’ even though they boast of their knowledge of truth.” Here is a simple but neglected doctrine that should be restored to its rightful place in the thinking and teaching of the Church. It would work wonders.

Prayer

Lord, teach me what it means to participate in Your truth that through it I may be free.

Scripture

The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is made up only of rules taught by men.’
— Isaiah 29:13

Thought

Some of us measure our commitment to Christ by the truth we mouth and the rules we keep–rules which may be man-made and not from God. But truth must be tasted through living if we are to be participants in it.