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Going with God ’ s Flow The Charity of Christ Impels Us

Going with God ’ s Flow The Charity of Christ Impels Us. by Regina Bechtle, SC. Introduction. Energy of God ’ s love Overview God ’ s energy impels us toward Relationship, connection, collaboration, partnership Ways we resist energy Resistance is an invitation to go with the flow

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Going with God ’ s Flow The Charity of Christ Impels Us

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  1. Going with God’s FlowThe Charity of Christ Impels Us • by Regina Bechtle, SC

  2. Introduction • Energy of God’s love • Overview • God’s energy impels us toward • Relationship, connection, collaboration, partnership • Ways we resist energy • Resistance is an invitation to go with the flow • Resource to harness energy of resistance • Wisdom of our Vincentian founders • Great Vincentian word “and”

  3. God’s Energy Impels Us • Reign of God = new way of being in relationship • Jesus’ dream - belonging • Vincent and Louise’s vision • Poor have a claim on us • We belong to one another • Elizabeth Seton’s vision • Relationships of belonging impel to lives of service • Frederic, Rosalie’s vision • Bring Christ’s love to a cold world, make it a place where all belong

  4. Creation • Fundamental direction of creation • From “I” to “We” • Grace of knowing we belong, especially to those in need • Called to break boundaries

  5. Breaking Boundaries • Rich and poor • Between • Our groups • Our Congregations • Our Provinces • “We are food and drink for one another. We are one another’s body and blood. We are one another’s salvation.” (Ivone Gebara)

  6. Resistance • A Look at resistance • Impel or repel? • All living things resist threats to survival • Institutions resist change • Resistance as a teacher • Usually in the place where we are afraid • Resistance has a positive face • Resistance is the dragon guarding precious treasure

  7. Resistance • Plays key role in transformation • Our wounds are doorways into conversion • “We must be so careful to meet our grace.” (Elizabeth) • “Go to the places that scare you.” (Buddhist Saying) • “What if, at least occasionally, we came together in order to change our mind?” (Margaret Wheatley)

  8. Motivation to Transformation • What moves us to conversion and transformation? • Opening to the needs of others • Place of resistance is a holy place where God is very active

  9. Wisdom of Our Founders • The Vincentian “and” • The way to God is the way of both/and • Love God AND love the neighbor • Rich AND Poor • Action AND Prayer • Solitude AND community • Head AND Heart • Now AND not-yet • Charity AND justice • Service that is material AND spiritual

  10. The Grace of “AND” • “And” is the place of grace for us in the Vincentian Family • Who else needs to be part of this conversation, this planning? • Whose wisdom are we missing? • What if we invited xxxxx to join us?

  11. Let Us Pray • God of relationship, deepen in us the conviction that we are one another’s food and drink, one another’s salvation. • God of the “AND”, turn our self-sufficiency into a deep desire to be about Your mission together. • Make us pliable in Your hands, ever-creating God, • And unrestricted in our readiness to serve Your energy,

  12. Let Us Pray • To go with Your flow, • To be re-shaped and refashioned in Your image of collaborative community, • Wherever You lead us. • AMEN

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