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Welcome to OneLife Ministries. This site is designed to lead you prayerfully into a heart experience of Divine Presence, Who is Love. While it focuses on Christian teaching, the writer hopes persons of other faiths find inspiration here. Indeed, "God" can be whatever image helps you trust in the Sacred, by whatever means Grace touches you. Please share this ministry with others, and I hope you return soon. There is a new offering daily.
Blessings,
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox, MDiv, MFT, PhD
Pastor-Teacher, Author, Workshop Leader, Spiritual Counselor, Chaplain
OPENING PRAYER
God, if I do not find myself in You, I will not find myself at all, for I am in You, Who Is; indeed, the I am of myself is in all things by being in You, and in You by being in all things. I shall come to know myself, by seeing who I am within all that is in You, as I Am, and I shall find my place within the places of all else, even as I matter as much to them as they to me - for we find ourselves within the whole of our being in You. Then, I shall know myself, as both one with all others and distinct from them, in You, who holds in perfect symmetry the potential of both sameness and distinction. Amen.
LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURE
11 Then God said, "Let the earth produce plants — some to make grain for seeds and others to make fruits with seeds in them. Every seed will produce more of its own kind of plant." And it happened.12 The earth produced plants with grain for seeds and trees that made fruits with seeds in them. Each seed grew its own kind of plant. God saw that all this was good.13 Evening passed, and morning came. This was the third day.
*Genesis 1.11-13 (NCV)
RECEIVING SACRED TEACHING
A great orchestra was practicing, led by an eminent conductor. There was a great din of noise arising from many instruments. A man playing the piccolo thought to himself, "In the midst of this great noise, my little instrument is not important, it will not be missed." So, he quit playing, whereupon the skilled conductor, with a keen ear, stopped the music and asked, "Where is the piccolo?"
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Considering that as God planned the universe not even one leaf on a tree is wasteful, it is not possible that any human being be without importance.
*Donald X. Burt, Editor. Day by Day with Saint Augustine. January 10, "The Value of Being Human." St. Augustine. On Freedom of Will.
Granted that all humans are reflections of God, why am I so important, considering that there are so many others more gifted and virtuous people? That answer is that I am unique. I must be important to God because otherwise I would not have been called into existence. Small as I may be, and cracked as I am, without me the universe would be lacking that special color of God's presence that my unimpressive life provides. On days when I feel dull and unimportant, I think of that and am consoled.
*Donald X. Burt, Editor. Day by Day with Saint Augustine. January 10, "The Value of Being Human."
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Creation around us reminds us of the wisdom of how creatures fit together to form a whole. The whole is dependent on the distinction of each creature. We, too, embody that same wisdom.
We are who we are, and special, for being distinctly who we are in Nature, in God. In our distinctions, we are most alike; in being most alike, we find our distinctions.
I can ask, "God, what is my purpose for being here?" The answer is discovered in a second question, "What special color am I within the Presence of God?"
QUIETLY RESPONDING
Prayerfully reflect on your uniqueness. Ask yourself, "What is so distinct about me that such distinction guides me in my purpose for being a part of the whole of Nature in God?
Blessings!
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox
May 25, 2009
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*OneLife Ministries is a ministry of Brian K. Wilcox, of SW Florida. Brian lives a vowed life and with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis. Brian is an ecumenical spiritual leader, open to how Christ manifests in the diversity of Christian denominations and varied religious-spiritual traditions. He is Senior Chaplain for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Punta Gorda, FL.
*Brian welcomes responses to his writings or submission of prayer requests at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Contact the above email to book Brian for Spiritual Direction, retreats, or workshops. You can order his book An Ache for Union at major book dealers.
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