I like the way these two posts from my inbox and from my blog surfing position together to tell us that we want way too much for ourselves in this relationship with God. Do I demand too much of God? Is my heart the salesman's temple table, trading sacrifices for whatever profit I can muster? Somehow, these two pieces are speaking to me.

I've been through these waters before. Everywhere I look, I find myself alone, and God is difficult to find. It's more about where I am than where He is, or where anyone else around me is. It's more about what's going on inside than what's occurring outside. And inside, where I desire God's affirmation - am I finding that I lack faith? Am I opening up to the possibility that God is disgusted by my filthy-rag-righteousness, and can only accept what's in me that's been placed there by His hand?

I have nothing with which to barter. None of us have anything comparable to what has already been given freely. It's an Easter meditation on my own consumer mentality. Forget Christmas: there's a spiritual capitalism that's gained too much ground around us...

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Nothing in Return - Meister Eckhart

As long as we look for some kind of pay for what we do, as long as we want to get something from God in some kind of exchange, we are like the merchants. If you want to be rid of the commercial spirit, then by all means do all you can in the way of good works, but do so solely for the praise of God. Live as if you did not exist. Expect and ask nothing in return. Then the merchant inside you will be driven out of the temple God has made. Then God alone dwells there. See! This is how the temple is cleared: when a person thinks only of God and honors him alone. Only such a person is free and genuine.

Source: "Meister Eckhart: A Modern Translation" by Raymond Bernard Blakney.

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*from Brett @ the journey, 04/05/2004

From Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

“The desire to feel loved is the last illusion: let it go, and you will be free. Just as the sunrise of faith requires the sunset of our former unbelief, so the dawn of trust requires letting go of our craving spiritual consolations and tangible reassurances. Trust at the mercy of the response it receives is a bogus trust.”

...read further at Brett's blog.

- posted by Rick @ 08:48