September 19th, 2013 Commentary on Henri Nouwen's Daily Meditation

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Daily-Meditation--Standing-Under-the-Cross.html?soid=1011221485028&aid=KRBXylfOe5U

In case the above link to Henri Nouwen’s Daily Meditation doesn’t work:

Thursday September 19, 2013 

Standing Under the Cross

Standing erect, holding our heads high, is the attitude of spiritually mature people in face of the calamities of our world.   The facts of everyday life are a rich source for doomsday thinking and feeling.   But it is possible for us to resist this temptation and to stand with self-confidence in this world, never losing our spiritual ground, always aware that "sky and earth will pass away" but the words of Jesus will never pass away (see Luke 21:33).

Let us be like Mary, the mother of Jesus, who stood under the cross, trusting in God's faithfulness notwithstanding the death of his beloved Child.

My Commentary:

I don’t know how many of you love the processional cross in worship.  Speaking for myself, it has special meaning for the day of my conversion experience some 10 years and 2 months ago; it was a processional cross along with a sending hymn where I heard God’s calling me to ministry.  Each and every week at my husband and I’s new church we get to once again experience seeing the Cross lifted high in Words of prayer and song.  In thinking of the ‘why’ of worship—we need to experience the cross moving into our lives, towering over us with great Love, mercy and GRACE. We need to be reminded that our lives are cross shaped as disciples.  We nurture and grow our individual relationship with Christ (the vertical) and obey Loving God and Neighbor with open hearts and arms (the horizontal).

Taking in the Cross also takes a humbled heart.  A humbled heart comes from growing to begin to understand the magnitude of Christ Jesus’ gift imparted to us all.  He defeated sin, death and the devil through the Cross and the resurrection.  GRACE is the fount of new life showered upon us all.  Holding to living in the light of God’s GRACE as a spiritual discipline will most assuredly be our armor against the darkness and efforts of the evil one.  These things are a must as we grow and go for the sake of the Gospel!

God Bless Your Thursdays!

Nicole Collins