Saturday, March 12, 2011

The Whole of Holiness

My friend, Sherry Brady, gave me an article to read, "The Whole of Holiness"  written by Dr. Phil Amerson and Dr. Barry Bryant.

In this article, it mentions that to John Wesley, grace is the power of the Holy Spirit enabling us to believe, love, and obey. This grace and transforming power of the Holy Spirit is essential to the nature of our discipleship and it the essence of the wholeness of holiness.

My personal take on this article is that it isn't so much about our 'personal relationship' as it is about identifying who our neighbor is. Then after providing them food when they are hungry, asking the deeper question of, 'why are they hungry?" and helping to led them out of hunger, be it physical or spiritual. It is about social reform.

O Young and Fearless Prophet:
Stir up in us a protest
against our greed for wealth,
while others starve and hunger
and plead for work and health;
where homes with little children
cry out for lack of bread,
who live their years sore burdened
beneath a gloomy dread.

It's been a few years ago now, but I remember Martin Luther King Jr. and his peaceful protests - so very similar in nature to Ghandi.  His speech on "I've Been To The Mountain Top" can be found here: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm and speaks to Dangerous Unselfishness.

Have a wonderful weekend all, and it's day four of Lent, so my Decalogue for Daily Living is: Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.  And doesn't this fit in with social reformation?  God is good!
 
because we're His,
Tamara

3 comments:

  1. thank you for this stirring and convicting post.
    thank you.

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  2. If only I could get your decalogue for daily living through my husbands head! I think things would go easier for him!
    I love your words Tamara and your interpretation on the article. It makes good sense!
    Love Di ♥

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  3. @Di: saw a cute title to a book the other day, "You Can Lead a Politician to Water, You Just Can't Make Him Think" - could that be your hubs issue with the decalogue? Too Funny. Hugz!

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