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Noisy Cymbals

3/13/2019

4 Comments

 
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If you saw our update email a few days ago, you saw that we've got a bunch of speaking and travel to do in the coming weeks. And though we are extremely excited about meeting and serving with new and old friends, it's necessary to check ourselves each time we are asked to go. 

So what if I speak to tens of thousands... if I don't have love, I'm just a big noisy cymbal.

Big noisy cymbals... mic'd up... crashing in a church (or arena) with extreme amounts of reverb and echo. I literally can't think of a better image to be used for describing something so damaging to effective evangelism as that. When St. Paul chose those words in first Corinthians, he couldn't have chosen better. It's the last thing I want to be. The last thing we should want to be in a world starving for truth, beauty and goodness and Christ. 

And so we pray... God give us love, first and foremost, for each other, our children, our ten-foot radius. Give me grace to consider others better than myself, assuming the best and seeing their potential, not judging my neighbors, lest I am judged. When we are asked to speak on your behalf, let us do so with pure intentions. Your Kingdom come, your will be done. Amen.

​Honestly, the Catholic speaker culture makes me feel icky (yup, icky). Cana and I long for a day when it's not necessary at all, when the people of God love their neighbors and their own parishes so much, that it becomes obsolete. But until that day, we'll go where He sends us and preach where we are asked. We just don't want to skip the loving part in the process. 

Peace and Good! 
Ennie


"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

4 Comments
Jordan Montag link
3/14/2019 05:39:35 am

Loved this. It's helpful to remember at all times, too, not just on the stage. When we're in the office, or in public, it's so easy to create scandal when folks know we're "Christian" but our actions speak differently. It doesn't even have to be the big, profound, non-Christian actions. Even the nuances of our behavior (thoughts, words, actions, failed actions) are up for scrutiny. If we love on everyone in our radius, we can push the needle back the other way.

Reply
Ennie
3/14/2019 09:13:26 am

Yes! Love this Jordan! Our behavior in everyday ordinary situations shows the world who we are following.

Reply
Mary
3/14/2019 08:19:01 am

Beautiful, Ennie! It reminded me of the prayer of John Henry Newman:

"Help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly,
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me
that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me,
but only Jesus!"

Re: the Catholic speaking culture, I agree! Although it is meeting a need in many ways, there is something much more profound about everyday, living examples. And -- for the record -- you spoke at a youth conference I helped plan a few years ago, and I felt the love of Christ very profoundly in your talk. So did the kids. Thank you!

Reply
Ennie
3/14/2019 09:14:35 am

Love that quote Mary! And thanks for the encouraging words about speaking. It’s comments like that, that keep me going out. Many Blessings!

Reply



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    Cana and Ennie

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  • Home
  • About
  • The Open Porch
    • Start here
    • How it works
    • Register your porch
    • Find a Porch
  • Services
    • Speaking and Formation
    • Pilgrimage to Beauty
  • Blog
  • Follow
    • YouTube
    • Patreon
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Email updates