Touched by the Risen Christ

It has been several months since I have written something for the Centenary United Methodist Church's web site. I completed the Paul's spirituality series back in the early summer (of 2009). At that time the church was undergoing a change in pastoral leadership and I was uncertain whether the new minister would want me to continue my writing ministry. However, as it seems, Pastor Tom has decided to allow me the privilege of continuing to share with you some of the insights I have received in my studies of our faith in the Lord Jesus. Naturally I was pleased, although it did raise the problem of where do we go from here? What direction should we take?

Giving Oneself Entirely to God

If you have been reading along with me you may remember that I suggested a short series on spiritual growth based on the work of a man who has influenced me very much. He was a French minister who lived at the turn of the seventeenth century. He is not well known in America and his works are relatively few in number. Nevertheless, he helped me to grasp ways of thinking about God that were for me fresh and invigorating. He helped me answer questions that had nagged me for many years. And wherever I have shared his thoughts, other people have deeply appreciated what he had to say. I dare to think he will do as much for you as well.

A number of years ago I wrote a month's worth of daily reflections and prayers based on Jean-Pierre de Caussade's book Abandonment to Divine Providence.

I am going to select ten topics from that series and put them on this website at the rate of one per week, beginning this week. When warranted, I will rewrite the material for Christians I know at Centenary and be hopeful that other members of the church will be blessed as well. Each article will have the same format. They can be used for personal study and prayers, as material for Sunday classes or in-home bible study groups, or as subjects for sermons or other forms of sharing. And what are these subjects which we will study together? They will revolve around the human heart touched and energized by the risen Christ and given over entirely to God's will, or as de Caussade put it:

I do not know much about de Caussade the man and probably would not have known him at all if it were not for Thomas Merton. Merton was a highly respected spiritual writer in the mid-20th century. He mentioned in a lecture I heard that we should read after de Caussade, that Caussade's sense of God was very high and we would learn much about prayer and faith from him. Sure enough, after I found a copy of Caussade's book. Back then, it was hard to do -- not so now: a check with Amazon.com when this web page was published indicated 15 editions available! I was elated at his teachings and have not ceased to recommend him to others for more than thirty years.

The Possibilities of Grace

I know at least this much about Caussade. He was a teacher and an administrator for a college. He was appreciated by students and colleagues alike, especially those who believed themselves called into ministry. At times he served as a spiritual guide for Christian groups. He carried on a sizeable writing ministry; some of his letters have been published under the title: The Fire of Divine Love. His own ministry was carried on at a time when "naturalism" or the so-called "divinity of nature" ran rampant among French intellectuals of the period. That is, Christian faith was in decline, both intellectually and morally. Caussade offered a vital Christian faith based on the love of God and the possibilities of grace among God's children. Caussade died in 1751, at the age of 76 years. What a blessing his life has meant to me. What a grace to know of this man and learn from his teachings.

I am glad you will be reading along with me for the next two and a half months. Let us pray for one another, especially that we will be open to the Holy Spirit's influence in the writings of this good man, Caussade. He never married, devoting his life as completely as possible to Jesus and the work of the Church. He did not judge others, rather he encouraged them to love God and one another. He considered prayer more important than the study of religious books, even though he was a professor and writer himself.

So peace to you, my sisters and brothers. May it please God to draw us into Himself in new ways. May we be allowed to learn of the Galilean and the Spirit so that we may be His genuine followers.

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