I've always been fascinated by the lifestyle of a Monk. I think it's the unhurried, reflective, seemingly quieter lifestyle that appeals to me. Perhaps also its the "daily rhythms" of life that help preserve a sense of order and balance in terms of both "doing" and "being".
That's the key thing, our "doing" vs. our "being". It was in Genesis that we're reminded:
Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Our first identity is a stamp of God upon us. We're image bearers, "Adams" which is pronounced "AH, "DOM"...the ONES - male and female - created by God for communion, fellowship, the pure joy of creation.
When we're "doing" only, we're probably going to miss "being". We're not machines that "get things done" - even for God. We're connected to God in image...we bear the image of God...the character of love, joy, peace on all levels of existence.
Maybe the reason the Monastics learned to stop and "re-center" what they were doing on God was so that they wouldn't be tempted to think that what they were doing was eternal, but temporal, but that something was eternal, and therefore far more important than what they were doing.
We are physical beings, and also spiritual beings... Romans 8:14-16 (NIV)
14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
That "Abba" means "Daddy". There's something inside of each of us that wants to cry out to God as "Daddy". And we should.
Think about it...how do we come to this place of relating to God personally.
1. There's talking AT God - "Come Lord Jesus be our guest and let this food to us be blessed...."
2. There's talking TO God - "Our Father who are in heaven, holy is your name, let you Kingdom come, let your will be done...."
3. There's listening TO God - How? Where? Does this really happen? We do it in relationships all of the time, so why not with God.
4. There's being WITH God - the fact is, that scripture is replete with people who fellowshiped, worshiped and discovered the presence of God.
This is where we come back to the Monastics. There's a little bit of being a "Monk" in all of us. We simply desire the relationship quality more than anything else...we're made for that and our hearts will always be restless when we're trying to fill it with something different than him.
We don't have to put on scratchy robes, memorize prayers, chants, even live in a cloistered setting to practice a life of continual relationship with God. Stopping during the day at repeated intervals to just say "thank you Lord for being with me, I love you Lord, and I'm listening if there's something you want to say to me" is a good beginning point in this journey of communion.
John 15:15 (NIV)
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
This is God's gift to each of us...the opportunity to break free from "doing" to "being".
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