URBANarmy

"Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier." Mother Teresa Charles Ringma points out that "A central impulse to living the Christian life is that we seek to do good to others. We want to help not hinder, bless not curse, build up not tear down, encourage not alienate." He goes on to warn that this desire must come from a 'good place'. Guilt or 'self-aggrandizement' is not a good place. The need to be needed or from the desire to please others is not a good place. Helping and serving people with these motivations and intentions is inuthentic and ceases to be the blessing that it wass intended to be. Ringma challenges us "being a blessing must come from a very different place."

"Nothing can make me holy except the presence of God." Ringma points out that: "The Christian life is growth in love, holiness, and service. Holiness is growing in Godlikeness and this is the product of the grace of God and the empowerment of the Spirit. It is not the result of spiritual techniques." Mother Teresa goes to the heart of the subject. She comments, "Nothing can make me holy except the presence of God." Ringma continues "Christlikeness is the formation grace of Christ. It is becoming like Christ in obedience to God and in service to the neighbour. It is the growth to becoming a reconciling and healing presence in the many relationships of life." Holiness makes no sense without mission and mission makes no sense without holiness. Our spiritual formation if it is to be authentic needs to go beyond us as individuals to that of our community.

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:12 Ringma points out that: "Mother Teresa is quite convinced that service is a powerful form of witness. She prays, "Let us preach you without preaching, not by words, but by our example." Mother Teresa believes that love in action not only gives us the opportunity to help and bless the other person, but that this also opens the way for the sharing of the good news of the gospel. The deeds of the gospel make way for the words of the gospel. All of this is not to say that deeds are to have a priority over words. But words that speak of love must find their expression in deeds that reflect love." In a post-Christendom era when getting across the message of the gospel is increasingly falling on deaf ears, an era where people are said to be 'cynical about many institutions, including the church' . MT ...