Comments on: KATHY - we’re in good company http://blog.therefugeonline.org/2007/09/25/kathy-were-in-good-company/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:09:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Brent http://blog.therefugeonline.org/2007/09/25/kathy-were-in-good-company/comment-page-1/#comment-143 Brent Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:25:00 +0000 http://www.blog.therefugeonline.org/blog/?p=42#comment-143 I find her letters comforting and disturbing. I think they would fit comfortably next to some of the Psalms. I once questioned why God would allow some things into the book of Psalms that border on blasphemy. I now believe that God included them within the Bible to honor us and our human condition, and of course to comfort us. Sometimes we are angry with God, sometimes we are fearful, we are tired, we question God's justice, we doubt, we look longingly at the grass on the other side of the fence. <br/>I am comforted by the fact that God is not at all freaked out by our weakness in these moments, nor does he rush to reach for a whip when we question him. Instead he helps sustain us in those darkest times.<br/>While we may not understand it or like it, Job suffered because God trusted him enough to allow him to suffer. Perhaps Mother Terresa faced such a dark hour because she was so completely sold out to her master and could be trusted to keep on walking with him even when she could not see him or feel him. <br/>If Mother Terrisa and God didn't forsake each other during that dark time, I can take heart that God and I won't forsake each other either. I find her letters comforting and disturbing. I think they would fit comfortably next to some of the Psalms. I once questioned why God would allow some things into the book of Psalms that border on blasphemy. I now believe that God included them within the Bible to honor us and our human condition, and of course to comfort us. Sometimes we are angry with God, sometimes we are fearful, we are tired, we question God’s justice, we doubt, we look longingly at the grass on the other side of the fence.
I am comforted by the fact that God is not at all freaked out by our weakness in these moments, nor does he rush to reach for a whip when we question him. Instead he helps sustain us in those darkest times.
While we may not understand it or like it, Job suffered because God trusted him enough to allow him to suffer. Perhaps Mother Terresa faced such a dark hour because she was so completely sold out to her master and could be trusted to keep on walking with him even when she could not see him or feel him.
If Mother Terrisa and God didn’t forsake each other during that dark time, I can take heart that God and I won’t forsake each other either.

]]> By: Susan http://blog.therefugeonline.org/2007/09/25/kathy-were-in-good-company/comment-page-1/#comment-138 Susan Wed, 26 Sep 2007 19:51:00 +0000 http://www.blog.therefugeonline.org/blog/?p=42#comment-138 I read some about this when the news first came out.<br/><br/>Mother Theresa didn't mention this publicly because she didn't want to discourage other believers - place doubts in their minds or fan the flames of doubts.<br/><br/>She did find some comfort when one of her confessors reminded her that Jesus also experienced the same abandonment on the cross when he cried out to God asking why God had forsaken him.<br/><br/>I guess no one is exempt, but Kathy had it right when she brought up the point that Mother Teresa "stayed in", as did Jesus.<br/><br/>I find it unbelievable that in the face of such conditions, that either one of them could "stay in". That is what is so inspiring. I read some about this when the news first came out.

Mother Theresa didn’t mention this publicly because she didn’t want to discourage other believers - place doubts in their minds or fan the flames of doubts.

She did find some comfort when one of her confessors reminded her that Jesus also experienced the same abandonment on the cross when he cried out to God asking why God had forsaken him.

I guess no one is exempt, but Kathy had it right when she brought up the point that Mother Teresa “stayed in”, as did Jesus.

I find it unbelievable that in the face of such conditions, that either one of them could “stay in”. That is what is so inspiring.

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.therefugeonline.org/2007/09/25/kathy-were-in-good-company/comment-page-1/#comment-137 Anonymous Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:43:00 +0000 http://www.blog.therefugeonline.org/blog/?p=42#comment-137 Maybe the way we look at faith forms our experience of it. I think we can look at it from the inside, outside or through.<br/> Most of us, including dear Mother Theresa, probably grew up with ideas of faith that were more inside or outside, and not much through. Tragic because she became the saint of through.<br/> From the inside, we question this thing we have or maybe don't have- our faith. is it good enough? Kathy, this quote was intersting... (i think those of us who were trained in the evangelical-think-truth-and-then-it-will-become-your-reality strains have a greater degree of shame when we doubt)- very true for faith viewed from an inside perspective. This is the Christian equivalent of the same magical thinking that is in "the secret", only put into the guise of the faithful. the prayer equivalent might be "your kingdom come, your will be done in heaven i sure hope i get there, and on earth when you get around to it".<br/> From the outside, faith is waiting for the experience of God- for us to be directly touched in a certain way that we have in mind. It is in the way that we look for it that we sabatoge ourselves, in my opinion. the prayer would be "your kingdom come, your will be done but it feels like i'll have to wait 'till i'm dead to experience it.".<br/> God is there to touch us all the time, Through everything all around us- people of all sorts, relationships, experiences, nature (his creation). Faith through life is where I experience and can participate in "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven". living out our faith and seeing Christ all around is the reward. Faith is hardly ever talked about this way. yet it is the way I experience it the most.<br/> I wish i understood better what Mother Theresa was looking for. whatever it was, I trust she has found it now.-Sage Maybe the way we look at faith forms our experience of it. I think we can look at it from the inside, outside or through.
Most of us, including dear Mother Theresa, probably grew up with ideas of faith that were more inside or outside, and not much through. Tragic because she became the saint of through.
From the inside, we question this thing we have or maybe don’t have- our faith. is it good enough? Kathy, this quote was intersting… (i think those of us who were trained in the evangelical-think-truth-and-then-it-will-become-your-reality strains have a greater degree of shame when we doubt)- very true for faith viewed from an inside perspective. This is the Christian equivalent of the same magical thinking that is in “the secret”, only put into the guise of the faithful. the prayer equivalent might be “your kingdom come, your will be done in heaven i sure hope i get there, and on earth when you get around to it”.
From the outside, faith is waiting for the experience of God- for us to be directly touched in a certain way that we have in mind. It is in the way that we look for it that we sabatoge ourselves, in my opinion. the prayer would be “your kingdom come, your will be done but it feels like i’ll have to wait ’till i’m dead to experience it.”.
God is there to touch us all the time, Through everything all around us- people of all sorts, relationships, experiences, nature (his creation). Faith through life is where I experience and can participate in “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven”. living out our faith and seeing Christ all around is the reward. Faith is hardly ever talked about this way. yet it is the way I experience it the most.
I wish i understood better what Mother Theresa was looking for. whatever it was, I trust she has found it now.-Sage

]]> By: Erin http://blog.therefugeonline.org/2007/09/25/kathy-were-in-good-company/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Erin Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:16:00 +0000 http://www.blog.therefugeonline.org/blog/?p=42#comment-136 What I can't help but wonder is if at some point she realized that she had a role in evidencing God even when He is not "experienced". We cannot look at her life and say "she did not know God because she didn't experience Him" for we KNOW she knew God by her life. <br/><br/>And so she encourages so many of us for the dark and quiet times...her life had amazing purpose. What I can’t help but wonder is if at some point she realized that she had a role in evidencing God even when He is not “experienced”. We cannot look at her life and say “she did not know God because she didn’t experience Him” for we KNOW she knew God by her life.

And so she encourages so many of us for the dark and quiet times…her life had amazing purpose.

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