markdohle Posted June 17, 2016 Group: Senior Member Followers: 11 Topic Count: 77 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 641 Content Per Day: 0.22 Reputation: 328 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted June 17, 2016 Stories Callistus is a very gifted man. He loves people and they love him back. He is very good with groups and he has enriched the community by his presence here and his creative approach to how we relate to the community around us. Yesterday he called me while here in the retreat house office and asked me if I could be one of the monks to meet with a ‘story-telling group’. The other member of the community was Elias. Elias is a very wise man, who has the great gift of being a true listener, and is very good with the new members of our community when they enter here. He is a very good Novice Master and since he listens and the new members experience his gift, we have a good number of those going on to making a commitment to our life. I am very thankful that these two men are members of our community. So late yesterday morning Elias and I went to the crypt chapel and met the group. It can be easy to forget the importance of each ones life, their depth and how hard the journey can be. If the importance of stories is forgotten, then the ability to really listen can be lost as well. This group exist to educated the public on how important each life is, and how deep and rich human experience actually is. Varied experiences, both those that are pleasant, as well as those that are tragic, help to make up the rich tapestry of our lives and the more we learn to listen to others, the deeper we can get in touch with our own journey. Hearing a story from another can bring forth memories perhaps long forgotten that have had a deep impact on ones life. This can lead to further insight and healing for both parties. The one telling the story as well as the one listening, enrich each other. Life is so short, not always sweet, but every experience is important and even crucial. For as we develop our own stories and how we respond to them can help us to learn other or better ways in how we deal with life further down the road on our pilgrimage. One choice builds on another. Merely instinctive responses can lessen our inner freedom and hinder our often slow process towards deepening our humanity. Compassion for others outside of ones family, or social and religious group, is not as common as one would think. So looking back on our lives and seeing where we are in this ongoing process, can help us to see a bigger picture. Two of the stories that were shared with the group did not have happy endings. Elias told one about the 2nd world war, the second story was close to it. Both had to do with the killing of Jewish children. The first story told by Elias evoked a memory for one of the memories of the ‘story-telling’ group. Both brought to the fore that not all stories have a happy ending, but they leave a deep longing for healing and mercy as well as justice. Compassion comes when we understand that endings that lead to further longing are an important part of deepening our ability to feel for the ‘other’…. the stranger, those on the fringe etc. When that does not happen we do loose something deep and important. We lose a part of our ‘human’ heart, and become simply a fearful one, interested only in survival. Scriptures are full of stories. Not all of them pleasant, nor do they all have happy endings. They are about human beings, their shortcomings, their sinfulness, as well as their ability to find deeper meaning and healing in their lives. People are often shocked by what happens in the Scriptures, but they are merely a reflection of the human heart, its failures and wanderings away from its true calling. Yet there is always hope. We can change, or attempt to turn around. Most likely more than once, towards that which beckons us ever forward. For we often do not know what we are doing. We turn around when we finally do understand, if it is only in part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FresnoJoe Posted June 18, 2016 Group: Graduated to Heaven Followers: 207 Topic Count: 60 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 8,651 Content Per Day: 1.17 Reputation: 5,761 Days Won: 4 Joined: 01/31/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/04/1943 Share Posted June 18, 2016 he purpose of the Seeker's Forum is strictly for the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the only forum on Worthy that can be posted to by unregistered "Guests". The goal here is that guests can come to Worthy, read the forums, and ask questions about the Lord in Seeker's without having to first register. Our foremost burden with this forum has been to preach the gospel to the unsaved. However, since we started this forum the focus has been changing. We have gotten a number of "trolls" here, and atheists whose only desire is to contend with the faith. In a sense we have opened the door for argument and debate, where we had intended it to be simply for the gospel. It is so easy for the saints to lose sight of the purpose of this forum, and to involve themselves with apologetic type arguments. Therefore, to curb the number of these debates, we have decided to place the entire forum under "moderator review". What this means is that a moderator will first review all posts that go to this forum in order to insure its appropriateness to the forum's intentions. Current members may respond to a post here, but these will also be reviewed by a moderator and approved, or not approved, as they apply to the gospel. Please note that any moderator here can approve or not approve a post to the forum. Which means that posts that are not approved simply remain in the post queue - they are not deleted. We do not wish to offend any member by not approving their post, or by choosing one over another. Our desire here is strictly to obey the Lord's leading. We are very burdened here for the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So "Seekers" will be a place especially for that purpose. We must remember the Lord's command to us to spread the gospel to the nations (Mark 13:10). We hope that "Seekers" will facilitate at least a portion of the Lord's burden. We would ask all Worthy members to pray for the ministry, but particularly for this forum. Pray that the Lord will provide increase to His Body through this forum. Pray for the sons of peace (Luke 10:6) in this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwikphilly Posted June 19, 2016 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 96 Topic Count: 307 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 18,143 Content Per Day: 4.61 Reputation: 27,834 Days Won: 327 Joined: 08/03/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted June 19, 2016 Blessings Mark,,,,, Welcome to Worthy,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I am understanding that you live in a type of "retreat house" & have been asked to be a "monk",,,,,,,yes,the Scriptures are full of "stories" Stories that show us that God can use very ordinary people to do extraordinary thin For His Glory The Scriptures are ALL ABOUT JESUS,,,,,,,,,,,,,,both Old & New Testament........... Quote 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27 Praise Jesus! Is it safe to assume you are a Christian? Is there something you would like to discuss or is there questions you have? With love-in Christ,Kwik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdohle Posted June 19, 2016 Group: Senior Member Followers: 11 Topic Count: 77 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 641 Content Per Day: 0.22 Reputation: 328 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 2 hours ago, kwikphilly said: Blessings Mark,,,,, Welcome to Worthy,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I am understanding that you live in a type of "retreat house" & have been asked to be a "monk",,,,,,,yes,the Scriptures are full of "stories" Stories that show us that God can use very ordinary people to do extraordinary thin For His Glory The Scriptures are ALL ABOUT JESUS,,,,,,,,,,,,,,both Old & New Testament........... Praise Jesus! Is it safe to assume you are a Christian? Is there something you would like to discuss or is there questions you have? With love-in Christ,Kwik I am a Christian, a catholic monk, this is a nice place. I need to look around more before I might ask a question. Thanks for the warm welcome. Peace mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwikphilly Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 96 Topic Count: 307 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 18,143 Content Per Day: 4.61 Reputation: 27,834 Days Won: 327 Joined: 08/03/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 Blessings Mark You are very welcome,my pleasure,,,,,,,,,,,,,,yes,Worthy is a Wonderful & God Blessed Place,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Take your time,look around,enjoy and whenever you're ready "ask away!!!" We are glad you are here,,,,,,all Praise,Glory,Honor & Thanksgiving to God in Christ Love Kwik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1to3 Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 22 Topic Count: 141 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 4,265 Content Per Day: 1.24 Reputation: 3,089 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/28/2014 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 Thank you for your post markdohle and Welcome to Worthy! 1to3 : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdohle Posted June 26, 2016 Group: Senior Member Followers: 11 Topic Count: 77 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 641 Content Per Day: 0.22 Reputation: 328 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 On 6/21/2016 at 11:02 AM, 1to3 said: Thank you for your post markdohle and Welcome to Worthy! 1to3 : ) Thank you very much. Peace Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIC Posted June 27, 2016 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 13 Topic Count: 34 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,443 Content Per Day: 0.83 Reputation: 2,643 Days Won: 3 Joined: 05/02/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/11/1989 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Nice story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdohle Posted June 27, 2016 Group: Senior Member Followers: 11 Topic Count: 77 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 641 Content Per Day: 0.22 Reputation: 328 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Author Share Posted June 27, 2016 2 hours ago, SIC said: Nice story Thank you. peace Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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