Monthly Archives: June 2015

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 24, 2015
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The “Evils” of Good Works — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 24, 2015

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “G*d, I thank you that I am not like other men…unjust, adulterers….or even like this tax collector. The tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “G*d, be merciful to me a sinner!” Luke 18:11, 13

“The principal evils into which a man may fall through vain rejoicing in his good works and habits I find to be seven:

The first evil is pride…for a man cannot rejoice in his works without esteeming them.

The second evil is…this: it is our judging others, by comparison with ourselves…when it seems to us that their acts and good works are inferior to our own.

The third evil is that…they look for pleasure in their good works, they usually perform them only when they see that some…praise will result from them.

The fourth evil follows this. It is that they will have no reward from G*d, since they have desired in this life to have joy or consolation or honor or some other kind of interest as a result of their good works…they have received their reward.

The fifth of these evils is that such persons make no progress on the road to perfection. For, since they are attached to the pleasure and consolation which they find in their good works it follows that, when they find no such pleasure…they commonly faint and cease to persevere.

The sixth of these evils is that such persons commonly deceive themselves thinking that the things and good works which give them pleasure must be better than those that give them none.

The seventh of these evils is that, insofar as man stifles not vain rejoicing in moral works, he is to that extent incapable of receiving reasonable counsel and instruction with regard to good works that he should perform. Such persons as this are greatly weakened in charity toward G*d and their neighbor; for the self-love with respect to their good works in which they indulge causes their charity to grow cold.”

John of the Cross (1542 – 1591), Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book III, Ch. XXVIII, “For All The Saints”, volume II (p. 128-129)

Enough said…..Amen.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 23, 2015
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It Is Work — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 23, 2015

“I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:8-9

“One of the disconcerting facts about the spiritual life is that G*d takes you at your word. Sooner or later one is given a chance to prove his love. It was all very well to love G*d in His works, in the beauty of His creation…” Account of her conversion Dorothy Day (1897 – 1980) “For All The Saints”, volume II (p. 125)

It is one thing to say “I love G*d” — it is another to live your life in a manner that someone will say about you “They love G*d”. To prove that your love is genuine will come in the earnestness of your actions. And, as Dorothy Day so eloquently puts it, “G*d takes you at your word”. In other words, if you say you love G*d, then G*d expects that you live and you love in the manner G*d expects of all of us. And of course we will constantly fail — because we cannot meet the complete expectations of G*d — that is why we have Grace. But we cannot fall back on Grace time and time again and say “Well Jesus died for me so I don’t have to love every day.” That is not the kind of faith life we are all called to live. We need to keep Grace as the safety net that catches us when we go out into the world, into the unknown, into places we do not want to go, or to people we do not want to see and do loving things for them. We need to keep Grace as the safety net we need when we go out and work for peace, justice and to feed the hungry. We will not always do what we should, or to the length we should, but we need to continue to live in a manner where we prove the love we have for G*d. That sounds like works, but it isn’t — but it is work.

Pastor Dave