2 NOVEMBER 2020

WORKING FOR THE COMMON GOOD
By guest contributor: Joan Chittister

In all my years of traveling around the world, one thing has been present in every region, everywhere. One thing has stood out and convinced me of the certain triumph of the great human gamble on equality and justice.

Everywhere there are people who, despite finding themselves mired in periods of national [disruption] or personal marginalization refuse to give up the thought of a better future or give in to the allurements of a deteriorating present. They never lose hope that the values they learned in the best of times or the courage it takes to reclaim their world from the worst of times are worth the commitment of their lives. These people, the best of our selves, are legion and they are everywhere.

It is the unwavering faith, the open hearts, and the piercing courage of people from every level of every society that carries us through every major social breakdown to the emergence again of the humanization of humanity. In every region, everywhere, they are the unsung but mighty voices of community, high-mindedness, and deep resolve. They are the prophets of each era who prod the rest of the world into seeing newly what it means to be fully alive, personally, nationally, and spiritually.

It is that steadfast, unyielding, courageous commitment to the eternal Will of God for Creation-whatever the cost to themselves-that is the prophetic tradition. It sustains the eternal Word of God while the world spins around it, making God's Word-Love-the center, the axle, the standard of everything the faithful do in the midst of the storm of change that engulfs us as we go.

Our task is to be obedient all our lives to the Will of God [which is Love] for the world. And therein lies the difference between being good for nothing and good for something. Between religion for show and religion for real. Between personal spirituality that dedicates itself to achieving private sanctification and prophetic spirituality, the other half of the Christian dispensation.

Yes, the Christian ideal is personal goodness, of course, but personal goodness requires that we be more than pious, more than faithful to the system, more than mere card-carrying members of the Christian community. Christianity requires, as well, that we each be so much a prophetic presence that our corner of the world becomes a better place because we have been there.

The quality of life we create around us as "followers of Jesus" is meant to seed new life, new hope, new dynamism, the very essence of a new world community.

Source: Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister is a theologian, author, and speaker. We offer you these encouraging words from her about what it means to work for the common good.

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26 OCTOBER 2020

IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

If I lead hundreds down a meaningful spiritual path but neglect my family, I am only a blind guide. If I have the gift of teaching and can command great audiences in person or on the Internet and if I have a faith in God that can move mountains but neglect my family, I have missed the mark. What does it say if I am present every time the church doors are open but my family is not with me? If I give great gifts to the poor and work tirelessly at a food kitchen but do not feed my family, I am nothing. If I join great protest movements, march in the streets for justice and am even arrested for my activism but neglect my family, it is for naught. If I "pray without ceasing" while my family goes hungry, my prayers are useless. If I support social change, the right political candidates, and work for equality but do not create a stable family, it means little.

In the family there is love. And love is patient, love is kind. The loving family does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor; it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. A loving family does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The family is the bedrock foundation of society and all civil and religious organizations. The family raises up the next generation and does not leave that task to others. The family stays together. The family loves one another. It is in the family that spiritual values are instilled. Parents model how to live, how to suffer, how to care, how to learn, how to work, and how to resolve conflicts. And children eventually become the caregivers for their parents. They do not leave this responsibility to the state. Families that play together, pray together, and work together stay together. And society is the better for it!

And now there remain these three: church, family and government. All are important. But the greatest of these is the loving family.

As Mother Theresa said, "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family."

And now get this…a loving family starts with me. Jennifer Christian, LPC, has written with wisdom that, "Family is the practice ground where we have the opportunity to learn how to love, work through conflicts, and practice virtue with one another. One thing that I have learned is that my desire for a loving family is a call to personal responsibility. We have to be careful when we hold the expectation to look like a "loving family" over the others in our family. I am called to be loving and open-hearted and let them be as they are without trying to control them. I have to let go. This is a tall order. I can only be truly loving and open-hearted through God's work on my heart, surrendering to God's loving presence and action within me over and over again. A loving family starts with me."

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19 OCTOBER 2020

CHANGE YOUR WORLD

I can add no words that would amplify the impact of Mother Theresa's eloquent quote below. Act on it this week!

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu

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11 OCTOBER 2020

Making a Retreat at Home
By Michael Casagram

(Using this time of pandemic as an opportunity for real prayer - for
developing that sense of finding yourself absorbed in the presence of God)

We often speak of "making a retreat" as going off to a retreat center or some other quiet location. These days of pandemic offer us another alternative. The life of many families in recent months has been much more confined because of the virus and the way it continues to spread. Many find themselves restricted, impoverished and limited because of the danger of being infected. One sees the negative consequences easily enough, but it is also a real and heart-warming opportunity to grow spiritually as well.

Walter Ciszek experienced imprisonment in Russia during the 2nd world war. He was carried off to Lubianka, one of the worst prisons in Russia not far from the Kremlin where he would hear a clock tolling the hours over Red Square only a few blocks from where he was confined. He was given a starvation diet, confined to a cell with no chairs, interrogated regularly for long periods of time. But in the midst of it all he learned the meaning of true prayer.

"Real prayer occurs, [Ciszek says] …when at last we find ourselves in the presence of God. Then every thought becomes the father to a prayer, and words quite often are superfluous. Such prayer is all-absorbing. Once you have experienced it, you can never forget the experience. But I am not speaking here of some great mystical grace, I am speaking only of a conversation with God, the spontaneous outpouring of a soul that has come to realize-however fleetingly-that it is standing at the knee of a loving and providing Father. Thoughts of praise and of thanksgiving spontaneously arise, as well as questions and petitions and thoughts of friends and their needs, mingled with trusting confessions of failure and simple promises to follow in the future only what he would have us do."

The recent restrictions to our lives (because of the virus) seem to facilitate this kind of encounter with the living God, where prayer becomes all absorbing. "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me" as the Apostle Paul says.

Everything depends on how we deal with the restrictions with which we are faced. As indicated above, they may open new depths of intimacy with God. One way to do this is to set aside in our own homes two half hour periods each day or at least one forty-five minute period when we are totally there for God in whatever form of prayer works best for us. The self-emptying is demanding but becomes the very means of being filled with grace.

I would also strongly suggest that one reads from the Scriptures, especially from the New Testament for a half hour or longer each day as well. Let the Divine Word speak to you. It is only when we take time with the Sacred Scriptures that they really begin to speak to us on a very personal level.

There are any number of inspiring books available to us at a very reasonable cost if we will only take the time. I fear we are all too often inclined to prefer some entertainment instead. So, this will demand again some discipline but it will be very rewarding. There is something that happens when we are sitting with an experienced person of the spiritual life. Their words have a way of touching our hearts and minds in a way that gives us new incentive to pursue our spiritual journey, to adopt methods of discipline that free us from our false selves and enable us to see new horizons for spiritual growth. What is crucial is to take the time each day and not let your focused reading become haphazard or dependent on human whim. Fidelity to it goes a long way. Being faithful to it frees the mind and heart for our own deepest longings, our desire for communion with God. It will become an especially graced time if you are faithful to it, showing just how serious you are about being open to God's word and being transformed by it.

Let me touch on one final aspect of our lives that is always relevant to every Christian's life. This is self-knowledge, the readiness of know what is really going on in our hearts. Meg Funk has a book called Thoughts Matter that touches on the theme in a very modern idiom. She draws heavily on the early desert tradition and shows us how it is as important today for spiritual growth as it was among these early seekers of divine encounter. We will come to know God to the extent that we see ourselves in God's own divine light. So often this is what stands in the way of our spiritual growth, the fact that it means facing ourselves as we truly find ourselves standing before the living God. Being naked before God is the prerequisite for this intimacy that we long for more than anything in the world. For it is then that we come to know and love God even as we are known and loved by the One who made us and holds us in being with great tenderness.

Our thoughts are very revealing of who we are and what our priorities are. When we love a person, we want to know all about them, discover what moves them and makes them so attractive to us. To become a friend of someone means being willing to share one's likes and dislikes, one's interests and values. Our thoughts are indications of all these, allowing ourselves to explore our own thinking.

To recognize the thoughts that arise in whatever situation is to come to understand where our hearts truly lie, what we treasure. If our thoughts are focused on self, our own interests, to the neglect of others we can be sure we are moving away from God and those dear to us. We will only find our true freedom when our thoughts are focused on God and others, when we are no longer at the center of the universe and take every measure to live in that love we find revealed on every page of the gospels. Watching our thoughts as they arise from our hearts tells us everything we need to know to find that freedom and joy Christ wants for us. I can think of nothing more satisfying along the spiritual journeys of so many of the participants in the NationsUniversity community.

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu

Source: This reflection originated with Fr. Michael Casagram who serves as Prior of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky and is also the monastic advisor for the Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani. It has been edited to speak more effectively to the community of NationsUniversity.

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6 OCTOBER 2020

GOD SPEAKS TO WOMEN TOO

Have you ever noticed how in the scriptures men are always going up into the mountains to commune with the Lord? Yet in the scriptures we hardly ever hear of women going to the mountains. But we know why - right? Because the women were too busy keeping life going; they couldn't abandon babies, meals, homes, fires, gardens, and a thousand responsibilities to make the climb into the mountains!

I was talking to a friend the other day, saying that as modern woman I feel like I'm never "free" enough from my responsibilities, never in a quiet enough, or holy enough spot to have the type of communion I want with God. Her response floored me, "That is why God comes to women. Men have to climb the mountain to meet God, but God comes to women where ever they are."

I have been pondering on her words for weeks and have searched my scriptures to see that what she said is true. God does indeed come to women where they are, when they are doing their ordinary, everyday work. He meets them at the wells where they draw water for their families, in their homes, in their kitchens, in their gardens. He comes to them as they sit beside sickbeds, as they give birth, care for the elderly, and perform necessary mourning and burial rites. Even at the empty tomb, Mary was the first to witness Christ's resurrection. She was there because she was doing the womanly chore of properly preparing Christ's body for burial.

In these seemingly mundane and ordinary tasks, these women of the scriptures found themselves face to face with divinity. So if - like me - you ever start to bemoan the fact that you don't have as much time to spend in the mountains with God as you would like. Remember, God comes to women. He knows where we are and the burdens we carry. He sees us, and if we open our eyes and our hearts, we will see Him, even in the most ordinary places and in the most ordinary things.

He lives. And he's using a time such as this to speak to women around the world.

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu

Acknowledgement: This Reflection came to me via a Facebook posting by Jerry Heiderich, husband of NU's Gail Heiderich. He credited it to a Heather F. I am thankful to both of them for this deep insight into God's ongoing communication with his children.

P.S. While this particular Reflection is oriented to women, my observation is that it applies just as often to men.

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28 SEPTEMBER 2020

Two Hundred Thousand and Counting

Dr. Paul Riddle, Spiritual Care Director at Lifeline Chaplaincy in Houston Texas, wrote this on September 22, the day the death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic surpassed 200,000 in the United States. I appreciate Paul's willingness to share it with our NationsUnivesity community.

Two hundred thousand American lives [and now 1,000,000 lives world-wide] have been claimed by a disease we didn't even know existed when this year began. In America's case this amounts to almost the total number of American lives claimed by World War 1, Korea, and Vietnam combined (211,241) and almost half the number of American lives claimed by World War 2 (405,399). As a chaplain, and as a member of the human race, I believe this moment deserves attention and reflection.

Please join me in a moment of silent prayer to honor our fellow Americans who have died of COVID-19, as well as the people in other countries worldwide whose lives the disease has taken so far…

On this day of lament, I invite your attention to Psalm 46, which offers assurance of God's steadfast love and presence in the midst of troubled times:

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city;[b] it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.[c]
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth."
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. (NRSV)

"God is our refuge and strength." A refuge is not merely a place of protection. It is also a place for gathering strength. I believe that Psalm 46 offers both comfort and a challenge: The comfort of God's steadfast love, and a challenge to practice that love by using our skills and talents to make our troubled world a better place.

The pandemic has exposed many areas of human need, and individuals and groups throughout our society are stepping up in countless ways to address those needs. Many of you are involved in these efforts, whether through involvement with Lifeline Chaplaincy, NationsUnivesity or in other ways.

As we reflect on the lives that have been lost to COVID-19, and the families and communities that have been affected, may each of us become more intentional this week in looking for ways to use our particular skills, gifts, and resources to address needs in our communities. May we counter the darkness of our present moment with the light of God's love. He is indeed our refuge and strength.

So, in this dark hour we collectively ask God to heal the sick, comfort the grieving, protect all who are employed in high-risk jobs, provide for those who are experiencing financial difficulties, and guide our local, national, and world leaders. We ask also for open and helping hearts as we look for ways to be the hands and feet of Christ to those around us, remaining mindful that we are all grieving and experiencing deep disorientation.

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu

Note: This article was originally penned by Dr. Paul Riddle. The ending prayer came from the Chaplain's personal home congregation.

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14 SEPTEMBER 2020

HOW TO CLEAN A FISH

Fishing has always been an enjoyable past time for me. And "fishing for men" has a lot of similarities. For example, once a fish is caught one must "clean" the fish prior to cooking it. There are a number of ways to do this. Fishermen in different parts of the world tend to use different methods. One can scrape the scales off, fillet the fish, or simply place the fish on a grill and cook it scales and all after removing the 'innards". The result is the same in each case, i.e. the fish is ready to be cooked and once cooked, consumed.

This morning I am thinking of Christian "ministry". Most of us who are associated with NationsUniversity have been called to ministry. NU might be thought of as the preparation process. But what form of ministry shall we go into? And is our choice the most practical for our situation? Some have earnestly desired a quiet life of prayer and service but find themselves called to public proclamation of the gospel. Others see themselves as becoming great public "preachers" of the word but because of family circumstances are unable to move in that direction. Yes, in fishing there are a lot of ways to "clean the fish". And there are a lot of ways to go into "ministry".

I recall visiting a career counselor sometime during my university training. I was majoring in chemical engineering but felt a call to "ministry". I was two thirds through the engineering program and eventually decided to complete my degree. That led to a career in the international petroleum industry followed by, yes, ministry. In fact, as I worked around the world, I found myself "ministering" in ways that would never have been possible had I simply become a "preacher". That experience prepared me for my current role (like Moses, 40 years later) as the Chaplain for NationsUniversity. One never knows what God has in store!

Another aspect of selecting a form of ministry has to do with one's obligations to family and community. I know of individuals whose spouse has a life-long illness that requires constant care giving. It is not practical for these individuals to, for example, become a traveling evangelist. In fact, his or her greatest ministry will probably become the care given to the spouse and ministry given to the children. On the other hand, he or she may find other ways to minister outside the home, such as on the Internet.

The apostle Paul had similar problems. He wrote that he earnestly desired to travel and revisit the churches he had established. However, he found himself in prison and unable to do that. Yet, he was able to write his epistles from a prison cell. These have now benefited generations of Christians for centuries. And he rejoiced in his suffering because he knew it would serve to grow the kingdom.

So, this week ask yourself what form of ministry you are called to. Consider the practical aspects of that calling. If it is 'blocked", is there some way to modify your path so as to serve in perhaps even more meaningful ways?

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu

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7 SEPTEMBER 2020

A Reflection on Grief

At my age one begins to notice old friends passing away almost daily. And if they haven't yet left the physical world, they are certainly dealing with age related health issues. Like Mac and Marty who are spending this holiday at a physical rehabilitation center in Tennessee. Like my cousins in Texas who lost their "mum" this past week. Like so many who are sharing in the loss of Bettye who died a couple of days ago. Like the elderly who reside in assisted living facilities and are sharing the pandemic with one another but cannot visit in person with family. Like those dealing with mental health issues, so alone while not alone. Like those passing the days in prison. There are so many levels of grief here. One of my Facebook friends, Ana Lisa de Jong, just posted a poem that she titled, "Clothed". Yes, warm memories but memories that are accompanied by frequent bursts of chill that infiltrate us in the most unexpected places.

I am thankful for the One who walks with us in our grief, in our aloneness, in our wanderings when those familiar ones are no longer on this earth with us. May we be blessed this week by their memory and by the very presence of a God who remains so very close, even when the chill breeze finds its way into the core of our being. Yes, may everyone we brush shoulders with be affected by God's presence in our lives.

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu

CLOTHED

Grief wears such warm clothes.
The warmth of love remembered.
The warmth of memories.
It's just, it's cold where the clothes let in the wind.
Under the cuffs. Inside the collar.
Beneath the shirt hem.
It's like the grave freshly covered,
the blossom on the overhanging shrub.
Everything's so beautiful under the sky blue,
the daffodils in a glass jar,
the exquisite tender feeling.
But then you remember
in a sudden chill of wind,
that you're bereft of that person now
six feet under.
They can't share this.
You can't share them.

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1 SEPTEMBER 2020

CHANGE, CHOICES AND COVID-19

These are challenging days of change for everyone. Millions of people around the world are sharing the COVID-19 pandemic experience. We are painfully aware, especially at times such as this, that change is a constant in our lives. How has your life changed in the past six months?

I recently read that the choices you make during times of change will either destroy you or make you; in either case the choices you make will define you. How shall you manage your life during this time of change? This Reflection lists some simple suggestions for how one might more effectively approach meaningful change. Follow them and, in the end, you may even come out of it stronger than you were before.

Blessings and peace,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu

Don't waste a crisis.

Nike has coined the slogan, "Just do it." The first thing to do in such an unprecedented time as this is just to do something. That is, find something productive to do, something you may not have done had the crisis not come upon us.

Many of us are literally being forced to be idle at home. Times like this are an opportunity to think about our lives and how we might do things differently in the future. An idle mind often leads to mental health issues such as anxiety, fear or depression. On the other hand, doing something meaningful can heighten our energy if we view it as worthwhile, value-added work. Put another way, concentrate on where God longs for you to serve, and that will be the most effective work you can do. It will no longer feel like "idle work".

Strive to live out a fulfilled spiritual life.

Many of our lives have in the past been consumed by multiple activities. Multitasking was the mode of the day. And this is somewhat natural. But this is not a natural time. It may be akin to reading a new novel about life. One wonders if social distancing might become the "new normal"; if so, scheduling time for spiritual life-building can become part of the solution to filling the void. Concentrate on tasks that bring fulfillment and increase joy and peace, particularly those that grow your spiritual life - rather than merely doing activities to fill the time. Read the Bible and spiritual books, pray and contemplate. Seek time in nature. Take in a particularly beautiful sunset. Listen to the birds in the early morning. Help others.

View the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity, rather than just a challenge.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is a mammoth challenge, the existential part of change itself is an equal stressor amid all specific stressors. Once again, I go back to the adage of "Don't waste a good crisis." Herein is the glass half-full versus half-empty of changing one's perspective. Another adage goes, "A person's perception is his/her reality." Sometimes change can be tilted toward a silver lining and that things aren't as bad as they seem to be. One way to be prepared for the best or the worst-case scenarios is to see the opportunities amid the challenges. A story was once told of a famous inventor whose laboratory blew up. But when asked about the bad in the situation, it was said that he replied, "Good, all my mistakes have been erased." If COVID-19 can be seen as an opportunity, then look for the opportunities that may come to you. A friend of mine's initial reaction to any bad news is, "I'm so thankful…!" She can find something good in any of life's events. Can you?

Look for the good that you can do to help others.

Think about small acts you can do to brighten someone else's day. Every drop of water makes and ocean when added together. Think donations to those impacted by natural disasters. Think of playing games or music with neighbors from a distance. Think of telephone calls and cards to keep others connected. Making them happy will make you happier.

Watch for ways to grow and learn.

During this time, some families are joining church services through online streaming and others are even attending drive-in services. While perhaps not as effective as face to face worship, these alternatives are giving congregations and their attendees new ways to be involved in worship. We could use some outside-the-box thinking, and a crisis such as this might afford that opportunity. I am enamored with the potential for attending virtual church services that are being held across the world in vastly different cultures. Open my eyes, Lord.

Don't become a couch potato.

It times like this it is easy to simply sit back and rest (all day) on one's sofa. I've found that taking ten minutes each hour to do some form of physical activity is helpful. This may take the form of formal exercise or simply walking to the post box. Usually, that is combined with some form of spiritual activity, like reading a short passage of scripture or listening to Christian music. It is a blessing to be able to rest on the sofa, but as has been said, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing.

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Note: The content of this Reflection has been liberally edited by the Chaplain for NationsUniversity from an article by Lynne S. Gots, PhD, a licensed psychologist in private practice in Washington, D.C.

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August 16, 2020

Many of us are accustomed to an annual physical exam by our "primary care physician". During this season of global pandemic, it might be useful to seek a spiritual health check of our souls. This week's Reflection highlights how much we fear the Covid-9 virus and compares this fear to our fear of the Lord. May you be blessed as you reflect on its content.

Blessings and peace
Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nations.edu

If only…A COVID-Like Spiritual Health Check
(Edited from an article by Rev Sng Chong Hui)

As one views the world-wide reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic it becomes easy to realize how much we fear the outbreak. It has changed the way we work, the way we conduct our meetings, and the way we socialize. It has brought out the best in us and the worst in us. The Covid-19 fear has led many into irrational behavior such as panic buying and extreme isolation. These may or may not be appropriate at this or that location, but for sure they show the extent to which we fear this virus. If we do a Covid-19 check, we might easily conclude that in practical terms we fear the virus more than we fear the Lord. Which leads to the following reflections on
"If only…"

If only we feared God like we fear Covid-19, which we cannot see but know for sure is real and deadly.

If only we monitored our spiritual temperature regularly like the way we conscientiously monitor our physical termperature.

If only we washed our souls as much as we wash our hands and sanitize them whenever we touch something suspiciously unclean.

If only we masked ourselves to prevent the spread of sinful infection in our lives and the lives of others.

If only we avoided visiting and going to known places that contaminate our minds and our bodies.

If only we self-imposed isolation just to be in solitude with the Lord.

If only our travel history showed that we have been in the presence of God.

If only we read the Bible like we read the report of Covid-19 day after day.

If only we were as wary of rumors of false teachings and fake insights as we ae of fake news stories circulating about Covid-19 on the Internet.

If only we took time to fill up our treasure trove of spiritual knowledge, insights and revelation instead of storing up rice, instant noodles and toilet papers.

If only we feared the Lord like we fear the virus.

One writer has said, "We fear circumstances so much because we fear God so little." Jesus made it clear: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
Let's do a spiritual health check this week. May we learn to fear God more than we do Covid-19!
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Reverend Sng Chong Hui is a retired Methodist Pastor after serving 38 years in 10 churches.