Going to the deepest level of communication,  
Where back and forth has never stopped.   
Where I am not the initiator but the transmission wire itself.
—Richard Rohr  

Episcopal priest and activist Adam Bucko describes a simple prayer practice that sustains him:  

One of the greatest lessons in my life about prayer came from a renegade rabbi who spent decades working on the streets of New York City rescuing kids from homelessness and prostitution—a holy man who dedicated his life to seeking God in the darkest shadows of Manhattan. He helped to make prayer real by giving me these simple instructions: “When you pray, talk to God just as if you were talking to your best friend. Tell the Holy One everything. Especially, dedicate specific times each day when you tell God about all your worries, all your hurts, all of your problems. Take off your mask and just speak. If you do that, if you really let your whole essence speak to God like that, some days there will be a lot of tears. But that’s a good thing. And when you are done telling God about your hurts, … just silently rest in God, letting God hold you. And then for the rest of the day practice joy and optimism knowing that you are God’s beloved child, knowing that you are loved, and knowing that you are carrying a great gift in your heart….”  

In some of the most difficult times in my life, this way of prayer is what saved me—telling God everything, crying with God, wrestling with God, and then when all is said and done, just resting in God, feeling loved into newness, feeling loved into aliveness and joy. [1]   

Father Richard lately has been enjoying a simple form of prayer he calls interlocution:   

God is the constant Interlocutor with the soul.  
This voice so constant and insistent, you do not know how to differentiate it from yourself.  
YOU are so in charge here, that what you choose the voice to be, is what it is! You are always calling the shots.  
YOU know this voice so much, you take it as a given and for granted.  
It cannot be taught, because teaching is about what you don’t know.  
You know this voice as your own interior dialogue about everything, so it really cannot be taught. It can only be heard.  
When I can just stop and enjoy this interlocution, it is an ENJOYMENT.  
When I refuse to recognize or honor this voice, it is an ABSENCE.  
You really do not have to try hard, nothing perfect needs to be done.  
God leaves you (the soul) in charge of what it wants—all the way to heaven and hell. It is a rather total surrender on God’s part. And on yours!  
Why would you resist this?  
Why not let it be Love!  
For you and everything else. [2]  

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Sarah Young Jesus Calling

  You cannot serve two masters. If I am truly your Master, you will desire to please Me above all others. If pleasing people is your goal, you will be enslaved to them. People can be harsh taskmasters when you give them this power over you.
     If I am the Master of your life, I will also be your First Love. Your serving Me is rooted and grounded in My vast, unconditional Love for you. The lower you bow down before Me, the higher I lift you up into intimate relationship with Me. The Joy of living in My Presence outshines all other pleasures. I want you to reflect My joyous Light by living in increasing intimacy with Me.

RELATED SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 6:24 NLT
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Additional insight regarding Matthew 6:24: Jesus says we can only have one master. We live in a materialistic society where many people serve money. They spend all their lives collecting and storing it, only to die and leave it behind. Their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters. Whatever you store up, you will spend much of your time and energy thinking about. Don’t fall into the materialistic trap, because “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1st Timothy 6:10). Can you honestly say that God, and not money, is your master? One test is to ask yourself which one occupies more of your thoughts, time, and efforts.

Revelation 2:4 NLT
4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

Additional insight regarding Revelation 2:4: Paul had once commended the church of Ephesus for its love for God and others (Ephesians 1:15), but many of the church founders had died, and many of the second-generation believers had lost their zeal for God. They were a busy church – the members did much to benefit themselves and the community but they were acting out of the wrong motives. Work for God must be motivated by love for God, or it will not last.

Ephesians 3:16-17 NLT
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

Additional insight regarding Ephesians 3:16-17: God’s love is total, says Paul. It reaches every corner of our experience. It is wide – it covers the breadth of our experience, and it reaches out to the whole world. God’s love is long – it continues the length of our lives. It is high – it rises to the heights of our celebrations and elation. His love is deep – it reaches to the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death. When you feel shut out or isolated, remember that you can never buy God’s love. For another prayer about God’s immeasurable and inexhaustible love, see Paul’s worlds in Romans 8:38-39:

Romans 8:38-39 NLT
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Episcopal priest and spiritual director Margaret Guenther (1929–2016) reflects upon the challenge of “true” simplicity:  

Simplicity is not one of the cardinal virtues, but perhaps it should be. The old Shaker gift-song tells us that “When true Simplicity is gained / To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed. / To turn, turn will be our delight, / ’Till by turning, turning we come ’round right! [1] 

This is scarcely a new or radical idea for Christians. Jesus teaches that we should avoid distracting encumbrances: the disciples are sent out without so much as a backpack. They are “to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics” (Mark 6:8–9). This is simplicity carried to the point of austerity and—in my midwestern view—improvidence. I would want at least an umbrella, a change of clothes, and a twenty-dollar bill tucked into a secure pocket. And maybe a few sandwiches. And a credit card. Just in case.  

To embrace simplicity calls for a radical trust that does not come easily. Simplicity is not a gift; along with the freedom that it brings it is the gift. But it must be, in the words of the song, true simplicity….  

We grow in generosity as we embrace simplicity. We are able to hold all things lightly and, if need be, let them go—our possessions, our money, our pretensions, even our anger, our prejudices, and our fears. But the letting-go, if it is the fruit of generous simplicity, can never be coerced. It must be joyful, and it must be voluntary. It is not to be confused with spiritual deadness, living without passion. Indeed, we live more passionately because we are set free from the burdensome work of holding on tightly to anything that comes within our grasp. [2]  

For Benedictine monk Augustin Belisle, simplicity provides a necessary self-emptying so we can dwell more fully in the presence of God.  

To live simply, simply to listen, to be simple in our response to persons and events, to speak with simplicity, to simplify our surroundings—simplicity helps to clear our vision. It dissipates the cloudiness which tends to fog our daily responses to God’s Word. Simplicity helps clear the confusion which can easily bombard us from so many directions…. It corrects the myopia we experience when we hold on to the possessive drive. This shortsighted obsession … adds to the burdens of others around us.… Simplicity works against our proclivities toward obsession—with self, guilt, weakness, and things. If we are not obsessed, we can be possessed by the sacred. If we know the emptiness which yearns to be filled—if we recognize the potential spiritual energy which lies within the heart—then we can feel at home with this emptiness. Our souls will be vibrated by it. To live the present in the presence of God is our aim. [3]  

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Sarah Young Jesus Calling

Trust Me, and don’t be afraid. Many things feel out of control. Your routines are not running smoothly. You tend to feel more secure when your life is predictable. Let Me lead you to the rock that is higher than you and your circumstances. Take refuge in the shelter of My wings, where you are absolutely secure.

When you are shaken out of your comfortable routines, grip My hand tightly and look for growth opportunities. Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new. I lead you on from glory to glory, making you fit for My kingdom. Say yes to the ways I work in your life. Trust Me, and don’t be afraid.

RECOMMENDED BIBLE VERSES:
Isaiah 12:2 (NLV)
2 See, God saves me. I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord God is my strength and song. And He has become the One Who saves me.”

Additional insight regarding Isaiah 12:1-16: Isaiah offers his personal hymn of praise – another vivid description of the joy the people will have when Jesus Christ comes to reign over the earth. These verses will preview what will take place as described in Isaiah 44-66. Even now we need to express our gratitude to God, thanking him, praising him, and telling others about him. From hearts filled with gratitude come deeply felt praise and the desire to share the Good News with others.
Psalm 61:2-4 (NLV)
2 I call to You from the end of the earth when my heart is weak. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You have been a safe place for me, a tower of strength where I am safe from those who fight against me. 4 Let me live in Your tent forever. Let me be safe under the covering of Your wings.

Additional insight regarding Psalm 61:1-2: David must have been far from home when he wrote this psalm. Fortunately, God is not limited to any geographic location. Even when we are among unfamiliar people and surroundings, God never abandons us. A towering rock would be a place of refuge and safety. God’s all-surpassing strength is always with us.

2nd Corinthians 3:18 (NLV)
18 All of us, with no covering on our faces, show the shining-greatness of the Lord as in a mirror. All the time we are being changed to look like Him, with more and more of His shining-greatness. This change is from the Lord Who is the Spirit.

Additional insight regarding 2nd Corinthians 3:18: The Holy Spirit’s way of transformation works better and lasts longer than even Moses’ glorious experience. With the freedom the Holy Spirit gives, our false beliefs and misconceptions fall away. We can clearly see what God wants and better reflect it to others. The Spirit works progressively in us to point out where we need to change. Step-by-step, he gives us insights on how to do it and empowers us with his love. Some change happens quickly, but God works in his own timing. The process may be slow in some areas, so never give up if you don’t see the spiritual progress you desire. God will work it out (Philippians 1:6).

Today’s Prayer: 

Dear Lord,

In times of uncertainty, help me to trust You without fear. When my routines falter and comfort eludes me, lead me to the refuge of Your everlasting strength. Guide me to embrace growth amidst change and to see Your hand shaping me for Your kingdom. Let me find security under the shelter of Your wings, and may I reflect Your glory as I journey from strength to strength. In your name, Amen.

Richard considers Francis and Clare of Assisi models of the liberation and joy of letting go.  

When Francis said, after kissing the leper, “I left the world,” he was saying that he was giving up on the usual payoffs, constraints, and rewards of business-as-usual and was choosing to live in the largest kingdom of all. To pray and actually mean “thy kingdom come,” we must also be able to say, “my kingdoms go.” At best, most Christians split their loyalties between God and Caesar, but Francis and Clare did not. Their first citizenship was always, and in every case, elsewhere, which paradoxically allowed them to live in this world with joy, detachment, and freedom (see Philippians 3:20). 

When we agree to live simply, we put ourselves outside of others’ ability to buy us off, reward us falsely, or control us by money, status, punishment, and loss or gain. This is the most radical level of freedom, but, of course, it’s not easy to come by. Francis and Clare created a life in which they had little to lose, no desire for gain, no debts to pay, and no luxuries they needed or wanted. Most of us can only envy them. 

When we agree to live simply, we can understand what Francis meant when he said, “A man had not yet given up everything for God as long as he held on to the moneybag of his own opinions.” [1] Most of us find that this purse is far more dangerous than a money purse, and we seldom let go of it.  

When we agree to live simply, we don’t consider people who are immigrants, refugees, or unhoused as a threat or as competition. We’ve chosen their marginal state for ourselves—freely and consciously becoming “visitors and pilgrims” in this world, as Francis puts it (quoting 1 Peter 2:11). A simple lifestyle is quite simply an act of solidarity with the way most people have lived since the beginnings of humanity.  

When we voluntarily agree to live simply, we don’t need to get into the frenzy of work for the sake of salary or the ability to buy nonessentials or raise our social standing. We enjoy the freedom of not climbing. We might climb for the sake of others, but not just for ourselves. 

When we agree to live simply, we have time for spiritual and corporal works of mercy, prayer, service, and justice work, because we have renegotiated in our minds and hearts our very understanding of time and its purposes. Time is not money, despite the common aphorism. Time is life itself! 

When we agree to live simply, people cease to be possessions and objects for our consumption or use. Our lust for relationships or for others to serve us, our need for admiration, our desire to use people or things as commodities for our personal pleasure, and any need to control and manipulate others, slowly—yes, very slowly—falls away. Only then are we truly free to love.

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There is No Escape Clause

No one can deny that mobile phones have profoundly changed the way we live, and many people now consider the devices essential to their lives. A Pew Research study found many teens put their phones in the same category as air and water, and would rather have a finger amputated than give up their smartphone.The rise of devotion to our phones has had an inverse effect on our commitment to virtually everything else. In the past, less immediate communication meant plans had to be made and committed to well in advance. Today, plans are held loosely, can be amended on the fly with a quick text, or can be dropped at the last minute. Mobile access to social media also fuels FOMO (fear of missing out), which further erodes any incentive to make firm commitments. Options must be kept open in case something more exciting appears. This constant access to information and communication means our commitments now carry an implicit or explicit escape clause. “I’ll be at the dinner unless a better opportunity comes along in which case I’ll text you.”For every decision or commitment we make, we are forsaking all of the other decisions we could have made instead. Economists refer to this as the “opportunity cost.” Consider how much easier it is to order at Chipotle with its very limited menu versus ordering at The Cheesecake Factory where the menu is a 21-page spiral-bound book.  When we perceive there to be few opportunities, it’s easier to make commitments. But the more opportunities we have, the more difficult it becomes to choose just one. Smartphones are an infinite scroll of opportunities; an endless menu of people and experiences. It’s no wonder Millennials are suffering from prolonged adolescence. Maturing into adulthood, after all, is defined by the ability to make and keep commitments.Our generation’s aversion to commitment makes Jesus’ parables about discipleship that much more challenging. He tells us to “count the cost” before we make the choice to follow. Those costs including the many opportunities we will miss because we’ve chosen Jesus’ way rather than another path. And unlike the loose commitments that we expect in our culture, when we commit to Jesus there is no escape clause in the contract. There is no going back, no reverse gear, no jumping ship when something better comes along. And, as the parables make clear, the failure to complete what we’ve started will bring shame and ridicule.Therefore, we must ask ourselves and those who identify themselves as a follower of Jesus whether we’re committed to finishing what we’ve begun. Do we have what it takes to stay the course? Will we abandon Jesus when a better opportunity presents itself or when the first signs of trouble appear? As Klyne Snodgrass says, “To say ‘Jesus is Lord,” does not mean ‘Jesus is Lord unless….’” DAILY SCRIPTURE LUKE 14:25-32  LUKE 9:57-62  ROMANS 5:1-5 WEEKLY PRAYERFrom G.K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936) O God of earth and altar, Bow down and hear our cry, Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die; The walls of gold entomb us, The swords of scorn divide, Take not your thunder from us, but take away our pride! From all that terror teaches, From lies of tongue and pen, From all the easy speeches, That comfort cruel men, From sale and profanation Of honor and the sword, From sleep and from damnation, Deliver us, good Lord. Amen.