Comments for Maney’s Musings http://maneynet.org/blog 2 Timothy 1:14 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:54:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 Comment on First Sermon by Stephen Armstrong http://maneynet.org/blog/first-sermon/comment-page-1/#comment-4268 Stephen Armstrong Sat, 14 Jul 2007 03:05:22 +0000 http://maneynet.org/blog/first-sermon/#comment-4268 Hello Kevin! Your site has certainly matured, and I congratulate you for your dedication and persistence in answering God's call. I pray He would use your diligence to great purpose in building His kingdom here on Earth, to the praise of His Name! I hope you are enjoying your new walk in service to our Lord, and I'm sure He is pleased with your obedience. Perhaps I will have the blessing to hear you speak in person some day as you carry out your pastoral duties. Your brother and friend in the Lord, Steve Hello Kevin!

Your site has certainly matured, and I congratulate you for your dedication and persistence in answering God’s call. I pray He would use your diligence to great purpose in building His kingdom here on Earth, to the praise of His Name! I hope you are enjoying your new walk in service to our Lord, and I’m sure He is pleased with your obedience. Perhaps I will have the blessing to hear you speak in person some day as you carry out your pastoral duties.

Your brother and friend in the Lord,
Steve

]]> Comment on The Purpose of This Blog by Brian Douglas http://maneynet.org/blog/the-purpose-of-this-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-948 Brian Douglas Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:28:37 +0000 http://www.maneynet.org/blog/the-purpose-of-this-blog/#comment-948 Dear JKM, Thanks so much for listing my web site on your site. This is a great compliment to me and I thank you for it. I do hope it has been useful to you. Every blessing, Brian Douglas Dear JKM,

Thanks so much for listing my web site on your site. This is a great compliment to me and I thank you for it. I do hope it has been useful to you.

Every blessing,

Brian Douglas

]]> Comment on First Sermon by Deborah http://maneynet.org/blog/first-sermon/comment-page-1/#comment-853 Deborah Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:53:48 +0000 http://maneynet.org/blog/first-sermon/#comment-853 Very nice, Kev. The baba Very nice, Kev.

The baba

]]> Comment on On Attending the VWHS Class of 1971’s Reunion by Kevin http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/09/04/on-attending-the-vwhs-class-of-1971s-reunion/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Kevin Wed, 20 Sep 2006 05:46:21 +0000 http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/09/04/on-attending-the-vwhs-class-of-1971s-reunion/#comment-35 Good observations, Travis. I think it takes time for some folks to get all the "bugs worked out," so to speak and admittedly we only have a minority of our class attend our reunions, something I truly don't understand. I fully appreciate your feelings of regret as well. I met one person at the reunion that made me stop and ask myself, "what if?" Only God knows but there remained a poignant sadness over lost opportunities... Thanks for sharing. Good observations, Travis. I think it takes time for some folks to get all the “bugs worked out,” so to speak and admittedly we only have a minority of our class attend our reunions, something I truly don’t understand.

I fully appreciate your feelings of regret as well. I met one person at the reunion that made me stop and ask myself, “what if?” Only God knows but there remained a poignant sadness over lost opportunities…

Thanks for sharing.

]]> Comment on On Attending the VWHS Class of 1971’s Reunion by Travis http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/09/04/on-attending-the-vwhs-class-of-1971s-reunion/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Travis Tue, 19 Sep 2006 16:11:19 +0000 http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/09/04/on-attending-the-vwhs-class-of-1971s-reunion/#comment-34 I have yet to experience as many reunions as you, but the two I've attended stirred in me sadness and regret. The sadness came from seeing how little people change -- the brokenness that was in many of my friends' lives in high school still exists and, in some ways, was even more pronounced. The regret came from realizing how much I've missed by not keeping in better contact with these people. The moments of delight, however, were bumping into people who were different. I remember in particular connecting with one guy who I thought was an arrogant teenage jerk (maybe because SHE went out with him and never with me) who turned out to be a remarkably kind, compassionate man. I have yet to experience as many reunions as you, but the two I’ve attended stirred in me sadness and regret. The sadness came from seeing how little people change — the brokenness that was in many of my friends’ lives in high school still exists and, in some ways, was even more pronounced. The regret came from realizing how much I’ve missed by not keeping in better contact with these people.

The moments of delight, however, were bumping into people who were different. I remember in particular connecting with one guy who I thought was an arrogant teenage jerk (maybe because SHE went out with him and never with me) who turned out to be a remarkably kind, compassionate man.

]]> Comment on Follow-Up—Tales From The Trenches by Parker http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/02/16/follow-uptales-from-the-trenches/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Parker Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:05:22 +0000 http://maneynet.org/blog/?p=41#comment-13 Thank you for your update. I will continue to pray for you and your discernment. Fr. Baird gives wise spiritual guidance. "How do you respond to Jesus when he answers you in a way you do not particularly like? What have been the results? Do these moments provide you with the opportunity to grow in grace?" When I am wrestling with something (resistance to acceptance) I experience acute tension at the base of my neck and the adjoining shoulder area (talk about ""getting the message"'.) Eventually through prayer and meditation (sometimes over prolonged periods of time) I come to a realization (understanding, discernment) of the leading of the Holy Spirit. I know this has occurred when I confess my resistance, accept the guidance I have received, and I have immediate relief from the tension. By the way, in my experience, our Lord God is not offended by a response that says" I don't like this Lord, but I accept it!" Usually, over time I come to an understanding of the reason I have been lead in the path given. By accepting, I am at peace with God and myself - very often experiencing a period of an intense awareness of God's divine love, a period of thanksgiving. That is the best I can do to explain this. Peace be with you! Thank you for your update. I will continue to pray for you and your discernment. Fr. Baird gives wise spiritual guidance.

“How do you respond to Jesus when he answers you in a way you do not particularly like? What have been the results? Do these moments provide you with the opportunity to grow in grace?”

When I am wrestling with something (resistance to acceptance) I experience acute tension at the base of my neck and the adjoining shoulder area (talk about “”getting the message”‘.) Eventually through prayer and meditation (sometimes over prolonged periods of time) I come to a realization (understanding, discernment) of the leading of the Holy Spirit. I know this has occurred when I confess my resistance, accept the guidance I have received, and I have immediate relief from the tension. By the way, in my experience, our Lord God is not offended by a response that says” I don’t like this Lord, but I accept it!”
Usually, over time I come to an understanding of the reason I have been lead in the path given. By accepting, I am at peace with God and myself - very often experiencing a period of an intense awareness of God’s divine love, a period of thanksgiving.

That is the best I can do to explain this.

Peace be with you!

]]> Comment on The Cost of Discipleship—Tales From the Trenches by Parker http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/02/06/the-cost-of-discipleshiptales-from-the-trenches/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Parker Fri, 10 Feb 2006 16:11:41 +0000 http://maneynet.org/blog/?p=40#comment-12 If you are called to a sacerdotal function within God's creation you will not loose the fire that burns within you. If you are not, you will know, and you will be redirected. Being tired, feeling harassed, experiencing doubt may all be part of your sanctification. You may even be directed to a sabbatical to experience growth and later return to complete your postulancy. Yield to the Lord, trusting Him to guide you and be patient. May the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Mother Mary watch over you in your time of discernment. If you are called to a sacerdotal function within God’s creation you will not loose the fire that burns within you. If you are not, you will know, and you will be redirected. Being tired, feeling harassed, experiencing doubt may all be part of your sanctification. You may even be directed to a sabbatical to experience growth and later return to complete your postulancy. Yield to the Lord, trusting Him to guide you and be patient. May the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Mother Mary watch over you in your time of discernment.

]]> Comment on The Cost of Discipleship—Tales From the Trenches by Jim http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/02/06/the-cost-of-discipleshiptales-from-the-trenches/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Jim Wed, 08 Feb 2006 18:57:33 +0000 http://maneynet.org/blog/?p=40#comment-11 You are further along than I. I just submitted my application for postulancy in the Provence of Christ the King. I audited 2 classes last semester at the Seminary in Berkeley and know what you mean about the time, effort and loss of the other parts of life, like family and friends. Before I took technology classes at the local junior college and found it easy to keep up and get straight a's. I had enough time to maintain my relationships too. Seminary is a more involved thing. It would be easier not to be married, but that's not where we find ourselves. Paul said to respond just where you are. The process of postulancy is discernment of the call. The call can be revealed to you as what you thought it was or it may be a little different. Time will tell. There is nothing wrong with finding out you are not to be priest. And yes there are many wonderful callings for husbands and fathers. There is a disappointment though. That may be hard to deal with. I am a retired probation officer/parole agent, who feels the continued call since I was in junior haigh school many years ago. i have been encouraged by my archbishop and the dean of the seminary, as well as my priest and my friends. None of them really know how much work it takes, how much discipline, and how much sacrifice it takes to answer the call. It would be easier to remain a layman. But what do you do with the call? I am certain that there is a call in each of us to go deeper with Christ and His Daddy. I know that the evil one is always at us as we move closer to our Lord. I know that the evil one can't get us because we belong to Christ. I am currently doing home study (Christology and New Testament Theology) while I wait for the standing committee's yea or nea. I have doubts about being able to handle all the reading, the commute or the living away from my wife during the week. But even more, I have the added issues of Catholic parents who think I am throwing away my faith because I want to be a priest in the Anglican Church. I know there are married Catholic priests that have moved from the Episcopal Church to the Catholic Church. That is not what moves me. Personally, I have seen the Catholic and Espiscopal Churches move away from the Gospel toward a liberalized, humanized version of the Gospel, that avoids sin and redemption. I will pray for you and look forward to hearing more from you. Don't give up on the call. Take your challenge or disappointment to the Lord and your brothers. Know that I believe this process you are going through is a life changing one. Your wife's willingness to sacrifice is most crucial. If she still wants or demands the same access to you and the Lord (seminary) is taking most of your energy, there will be a crisis. If she can have the same vision for your ministry, praying with out ceasing, then you two will be able to proceed. I know as I wrestle with this same issue. My wife is for me going to seminary, but does not want to move from our home town after that. My bishop is look for a priest who can follow his direction. He also knows that a man of 56 years, the last 27 of which have been married to the same woman, may have some difficulty moving away from a home in a desirable place an move to a less desirable place out of the area. Keep praying, keep studying and most of all listen to what is going on around you. You may have gotten the call right, but the Lord's timing is for later. Then the question is, what must happen inmy life before I can move forward. It could be forgiveness, the raising of your family, a big challenge in your life or something in your heart. Giving it all to Christ is a hard way to travel, especially in a world where folks want something different. Doing it His way is different to saying yes, Lord I will answer Your call, but I will do it my way because I always do things my way. God bless you and you wife and your calling. Keep writing and pray for me and my call. Perhaps we will be priests together in Christ's church or we will be examples of men who love their Lord and follow Him in another way. Jim You are further along than I. I just submitted my application for postulancy in the Provence of Christ the King. I audited 2 classes last semester at the Seminary in Berkeley and know what you mean about the time, effort and loss of the other parts of life, like family and friends. Before I took technology classes at the local junior college and found it easy to keep up and get straight a’s. I had enough time to maintain my relationships too.

Seminary is a more involved thing. It would be easier not to be married, but that’s not where we find ourselves. Paul said to respond just where you are. The process of postulancy is discernment of the call. The call can be revealed to you as what you thought it was or it may be a little different. Time will tell. There is nothing wrong with finding out you are not to be priest. And yes there are many wonderful callings for husbands and fathers. There is a disappointment though. That may be hard to deal with.

I am a retired probation officer/parole agent, who feels the continued call since I was in junior haigh school many years ago. i have been encouraged by my archbishop and the dean of the seminary, as well as my priest and my friends. None of them really know how much work it takes, how much discipline, and how much sacrifice it takes to answer the call. It would be easier to remain a layman. But what do you do with the call?

I am certain that there is a call in each of us to go deeper with Christ and His Daddy. I know that the evil one is always at us as we move closer to our Lord. I know that the evil one can’t get us because we belong to Christ.

I am currently doing home study (Christology and New Testament Theology) while I wait for the standing committee’s yea or nea. I have doubts about being able to handle all the reading, the commute or the living away from my wife during the week. But even more, I have the added issues of Catholic parents who think I am throwing away my faith because I want to be a priest in the Anglican Church. I know there are married Catholic priests that have moved from the Episcopal Church to the Catholic Church. That is not what moves me. Personally, I have seen the Catholic and Espiscopal Churches move away from the Gospel toward a liberalized, humanized version of the Gospel, that avoids sin and redemption.

I will pray for you and look forward to hearing more from you. Don’t give up on the call. Take your challenge or disappointment to the Lord and your brothers. Know that I believe this process you are going through is a life changing one. Your wife’s willingness to sacrifice is most crucial. If she still wants or demands the same access to you and the Lord (seminary) is taking most of your energy, there will be a crisis. If she can have the same vision for your ministry, praying with out ceasing, then you two will be able to proceed. I know as I wrestle with this same issue. My wife is for me going to seminary, but does not want to move from our home town after that. My bishop is look for a priest who can follow his direction. He also knows that a man of 56 years, the last 27 of which have been married to the same woman, may have some difficulty moving away from a home in a desirable place an move to a less desirable place out of the area.

Keep praying, keep studying and most of all listen to what is going on around you. You may have gotten the call right, but the Lord’s timing is for later. Then the question is, what must happen inmy life before I can move forward. It could be forgiveness, the raising of your family, a big challenge in your life or something in your heart. Giving it all to Christ is a hard way to travel, especially in a world where folks want something different. Doing it His way is different to saying yes, Lord I will answer Your call, but I will do it my way because I always do things my way.

God bless you and you wife and your calling. Keep writing and pray for me and my call. Perhaps we will be priests together in Christ’s church or we will be examples of men who love their Lord and follow Him in another way.

Jim

]]> Comment on On Putting Our Hopes in the Right Place—Reflections on the Writing of Bonhoeffer by Kevin http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/01/13/the-cost-of-discipleshipreflections-on-the-writing-of-bonhoeffer/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Kevin Sat, 21 Jan 2006 00:11:11 +0000 http://www.maneynet.org/blog/2006/01/13/the-cost-of-discipleshipreflections-on-the-writing-of-bonhoeffer/#comment-10 Nan, First, my apologies for this delayed response. Business on this blog has not exactly been booming and sometimes I forget to check for comments :( Second, thank you for your kind comments; I am very grateful. I pray God will use this blog as a source of nourishment for you in some way that is beneficial for you. More importantly, thank you for sharing your poignant story with us. I am touched by them and by your candidness. I will add you to my prayer list; you can count on that. Has your renewed devotional life been of help to you at all as you struggle to cope with arthritis that plagues you? You talk about finding a Peace but you also talk about wandering through the wilderness and so I am curious about this apparent dichotomy. I am also interested to know if you think things would be worse if you didn't have a renewed devotional life. Any insights you can offer us would be helpful. Grace to you and peace. JKM Nan,
First, my apologies for this delayed response. Business on this blog has not exactly been booming and sometimes I forget to check for comments :(

Second, thank you for your kind comments; I am very grateful. I pray God will use this blog as a source of nourishment for you in some way that is beneficial for you.

More importantly, thank you for sharing your poignant story with us. I am touched by them and by your candidness. I will add you to my prayer list; you can count on that.

Has your renewed devotional life been of help to you at all as you struggle to cope with arthritis that plagues you? You talk about finding a Peace but you also talk about wandering through the wilderness and so I am curious about this apparent dichotomy. I am also interested to know if you think things would be worse if you didn’t have a renewed devotional life.

Any insights you can offer us would be helpful. Grace to you and peace.

JKM

]]> Comment on On Putting Our Hopes in the Right Place—Reflections on the Writing of Bonhoeffer by nan http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/01/13/the-cost-of-discipleshipreflections-on-the-writing-of-bonhoeffer/comment-page-1/#comment-9 nan Thu, 19 Jan 2006 20:39:15 +0000 http://www.maneynet.org/blog/2006/01/13/the-cost-of-discipleshipreflections-on-the-writing-of-bonhoeffer/#comment-9 Thanks for your blog. the entries so far has given me much to think about. I found it a relief to think about my faith journey, how it has been shaped by the most unlikely things, and where it is leading me. I have been drowning in the heartbreaking politics and goings on in our denomination-ELCA. I am sure you can relate. My reading and study of god's word has been neglected and it was only recently that an admonition by a very wise pastor set me back on that road of personal spiritual practices of reading, study and prayer. I hadn't realized how malnourished my soul had become. but like you, circumstances have dashed hopes and dreams of what I expected my future to be like. Children almost raised, the future stretched out almost limitless. then 4 years ago I was struck down with Rheumatoid arthritis that is not responding to treatment. Everything shrunk down and I found myself at the mercy of things like weather, stress, fatigue, side effects of medications, etc. I thought I paid the price already surviving many difficult life expriences-somedays just grateful that I was still breathing. surely He would Restore all the years that the locusts had eaten. I would like to say I have come to a peace, and rest in Christ, my true center, but I still struggle daily. But the first step of realizing what is our true center is slowly sinking in. As to how God can use a body that is breaking down more each day, with no assurance that I will live out a full span, I wander in the wilderness right now. But traveling the Way with other pilgrims is one way to find strength and courage. PAX Thanks for your blog. the entries so far has given me much to think about. I found it a relief to think about my faith journey, how it has been shaped by the most unlikely things, and where it is leading me. I have been drowning in the heartbreaking politics and goings on in our denomination-ELCA. I am sure you can relate. My reading and study of god’s word has been neglected and it was only recently that an admonition by a very wise pastor set me back on that road of personal spiritual practices of reading, study and prayer. I hadn’t realized how malnourished my soul had become.
but like you, circumstances have dashed hopes and dreams of what I expected my future to be like. Children almost raised, the future stretched out almost limitless. then 4 years ago I was struck down with Rheumatoid arthritis that is not responding to treatment. Everything shrunk down and I found myself at the mercy of things like weather, stress, fatigue, side effects of medications, etc.
I thought I paid the price already surviving many difficult life expriences-somedays just grateful that I was still breathing. surely He would Restore all the years that the locusts had eaten.
I would like to say I have come to a peace, and rest in Christ, my true center, but I still struggle daily. But the first step of realizing what is our true center is slowly sinking in.
As to how God can use a body that is breaking down more each day, with no assurance that I will live out a full span, I wander in the wilderness right now.
But traveling the Way with other pilgrims is one way to find strength and courage.
PAX

]]> Comment on Reflections on a New Personal Insight From Psalm 51 by The Confessing Reader » Blog Archive » Maney’s Musings http://maneynet.org/blog/2006/01/17/reflections-on-a-new-insight-from-psalm-51/comment-page-1/#comment-8 The Confessing Reader » Blog Archive » Maney’s Musings Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:54:19 +0000 http://www.maneynet.org/blog/2006/01/17/reflections-on-a-new-insight-from-psalm-51/#comment-8 [...] And a post on Psalm 51 with strong imagery - imagery of being “washed in the blood of the Lamb” that I know well from the camp-meeting hymnody of my Baptist upbringing - that commends the figuralist reading of the Old Testament. [...] [...] And a post on Psalm 51 with strong imagery - imagery of being “washed in the blood of the Lamb” that I know well from the camp-meeting hymnody of my Baptist upbringing - that commends the figuralist reading of the Old Testament. [...]

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