Life of Moses and Effectiveness in the Ministry - Assignment Example

?Reflections on the Life of Moses and Effectiveness in the Ministry Introduction This paper is a compendium of my reflections on the “Life of Moses” by St Gregory of Nyssa, and the lessons I could apply to the performance of my ministry. The life story of Moses is filled with practical examples of how my calling to the ministry can be carried out with greater zeal and effectiveness. Relying on his intensive pastoral experience in early Christianity marked by intellectual confusion and moral relativism, St Gregory shows how the life of Moses was transformed by God from that of a privileged citizen of a pagan empire into a religious leader of a chosen nation, a man of faith and virtue who enjoyed a special relationship with God. Gregory divides the book into two major parts: Book I is a brief chronology of the life of Moses, while Book II contains the spiritual applications of the lessons found in Moses’ life. The reflections of Gregory on the life of Moses is punctuated by the three encounters between God and Moses. Each theophany marks a stage in the life of Moses and his growing intimacy with the Creator and Lord of the Universe, thus acting as milestones in the spiritual journey of any soul who seeks God, who eventually knows and loves him, and then ultimately serves him with one’s life and being. This paper is divided into three parts, according to the key components of the life and work of any minister of God who must be constantly guided throughout life by faith, love and hope. The first part covers the life of faith and prayer, the central point and the soul of my life, ministry and apostolate. As a minister, my role is to know God’s will, carry it out, and share it with others. This is why a life of faith and prayer is crucial for my ministry to be performed with rectitude of intention and a spirit of service and humility. The second part considers the active life, best described as the life of love or charity, which highlights my calling to occupy a special place as mediator between God and his people. A life of love for all needs to be balanced with the life of prayer, because every minister is called by God to perform a special mission in the world, among men and women, amidst good and evil, with the special task to help in the transformation of the world and to conform everything and everyone to God’s image and likeness. The third part is on my life of hope, a reflection on the challenges I will face in the world as God’s minister, and how Gregory’s reflections on Moses struck me as inspirational and appropriate. Learning from Moses, human but at the same time called by God, with weaknesses and defects, is made by Gregory into a deep, human and supernatural experience. The trials of Moses parallel the ordinary trials facing me, and from which I could learn key lessons for life. The conclusion ties up the practical lessons from the Life of Moses into a summary that would guide me in the performance of my ministry. This also functions as a memory aid that could help ensure a fruitful life of prayer, faith, love and hope not only for me but for anyone who wishes to serve God in any way. Called to a Life of Prayer and Faith Like a light that attracts, such is the call to the ministry; as God in the burning bush drew Moses in the first of a series of intimate encounters, after which unfolds the panorama of Moses’ divine calling (II, 1-116). Gregory reveals in detail the meaning behind key events in the life of Moses, linking each experience to the significance of that encounter with God in the burning bush (II, 10-12; II, 13-18; II, 39-40). This shows that every call from God is an extraordinary event in the life of a person whom God wants to be a minister. I too share in this experience. When God calls someone to serve him and the community, he reveals the need for a life of faith and prayer, and that this is part of an omniscient divine plan (II, 168). Anyone who tries to follow God does so in full confidence in a divine Providence acting as an infallible guide along one’s life in the world. God attracts as light, because he leads us to the light of love and grace, and the light of happiness in heaven. As his special instrument in the world, I will guide others to the light, but I can only do so if I know how to see God in the light, and follow him through my ministry with the solid conviction of faith strengthened by prayer. God’s “passing by signifies his guiding the one who follows, for someone who does not know the way cannot complete his journey safely in any other way than following behind his guide. He who leads, then, by his guidance shows the way to the one following. He who follows will not turn aside from the right way if he always keeps the back of his leader in view” (II, 252-54). Reflecting on these words, I realized the importance of being conscious of the divine will and freely carrying out that will, no matter the cost. This assures me of the importance of a life of prayer and faith, for only thus can I communicate with God and show my willingness to know his divine plan for me and my congregation, how I can carry out that plan, and how I can face difficulties and overcome the obstacles in the way. Among the most important aspects of the call to the ministry is the call of Jesus to perfection, to be “perfect as your heavenly father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). As Gregory’s reflection on the “Yes” of Moses concluded: “we should show great diligence not to fall away from the perfection which is attainable but to acquire as much as is possible. To that extent let us make progress within the realm of what we seek, for the perfection of human nature consists perhaps in its very growth in goodness” (I, 9-10). These words remind me of the universal call to holiness, a central message of Jesus that all men and women are called by the Father to spiritual perfection, one marked by heroic service to the Lord in the ordinary duties of each moment, a life of prayer and faith, fidelity to God’s commands, and in exchange for which our personal struggles would lead to the enjoyment of eternal happiness on earth and in heaven. Christ is the model for spiritual perfection, but he is now with the heavenly Father, acting as the eternal guide for those on earth. Christ and the Father are the one and perfect Good which all Christ’s followers must imitate: “The Divine One is himself the Good (in the primary and proper sense of the word), whose very nature is goodness” (I. 7). Christ, however, appointed apostles, from whom ministers descended. And I, wanting to be a good minister, have been called to perpetuate the Christ-like model of faith, hope and love to the rest of the world. Thus, I too am called to divine perfection, to model my life to Christ’s and the apostles, despite the the latter’s faults and weaknesses, shortcomings and defects. The notion of divine perfection is the goal of spiritual struggle, an ideal to be aspired to, a dream I can reach only with the help of grace and the support of my community. “But in the case of virtue we have learned from the Apostle that its one limit of perfection is the fact that it has no limit” (I, 5). This is why prayer is important, because Christ continues to guide his people, especially ministers like me, in an intimate communion of grace and divine inspiration, so that we could faithfully reflect the life of Christ and the intimate relationship that leads to knowledge of God’s will for all. Like Moses, I must boldly approach the very darkness itself and enter the invisible things where “he was no longer seen by those watching. After he entered the inner sanctuary of the divine mystical doctrine, there, while not being seen, he was in company with the Invisible...and believe that the divine is there where the understanding does not reach” (I, 46). Such is the significance of the encounters between Moses and God. Every time Moses would be frustrated because of the hardness of heart of the chosen people, he would cry out to God in anguish and frustration. God, showing patience and understanding for the weaknesses of his people, would give Moses opportune advice, such as where to cross the sea, or strike the rock, or what to fashion as a standard, and where to lead his people. This direct communication between Moses and God reminds me strongly of the importance of prayer and faith. If I want to be an effective instrument like Moses, I should be a living model of prayer and faith. Prayer will help me grow in faith, and faith will sustain in me a life of deep prayer, even if at times, as God did with Moses, those prayers would be seemingly left unanswered. Most of the time, God answers our prayers with a “Yes!” Living a life of faith would prepare me for those moments when God decides to answer me with a “No!”. God’s Minister Spreads Love in the World Christ came “not to be ministered, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). These words are a reminder that God called me to his service to imitate the life of servitude of his Son. This attitude of Christ echoes Gregory’s quasi-epitaph to the life of God’s servant, Moses: “That Moses the servant of Yahweh died as Yahweh decreed, and no one has ever found his grave, his eyes were undimmed, and his face unimpaired” (Deuteronomy 34: 5-7). From this we learn that, when one has accomplished such noble actions, he is considered worthy of this sublime name, to be called servant of Yahweh. This for him is the end of the virtuous life, an end wrought by the word of God. History speaks of “death”, a living death, which is not followed by the grave, or fills the tomb, or brings dimness to the eyes and aging to the person. What then are we taught through what has been said? To have but one purpose in life: to be called servants of God by virtue of the lives we live” (II, 313-15). I am but the servant of God. I must reflect a life of servitude through my thoughts, words and actions. This is a logical consequence of living a life of prayer and faith: I learn to live as Christ and Moses did, and whose second theophany on Mount Sinai (II, 117-201) alludes to the loneliness of the minister who offers her whole life at God’s service. Every ministry is a thankless job, and one needs to be ready for it. This is not easy. But I know that if I keep my eyes set firmly in doing God’s will on earth, I know that I would the more easily keep my eyes on the eternal reward that awaits my perseverance and fidelity. As a minister, I must be a model of charity, divine love, reflecting the infinite, perfect love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit on their chosen people. As God continues to deal with his people in full understanding of their weaknesses and faults, so must I be ready to offer my life as a ransom for many, to the point of martyrdom if needed. In the early years of Christian faith, to be a Christian was synonymous with suffering, death, injustice and the hatred of all who hated God. As it was then, so it is now. I must be ready to face the hardness of hearts of those I will lead to the promised land of heaven. I must learn from the example of Moses, whose behavior showed how I can effectively lead God’s people. Through my example of understanding and love, all men and women must see the servant Christ in me. As Gregory wrote, human nature looks to male and female models to be directed in virtue (I, 12), and Moses serves as “our example for life” (I, 15). In the history of Christianity, much is accomplished through example rather than preaching. The suffering and death of Christ, and his imitation by the early martyrs, serve as the model for my giving and emptying of myself. After commenting on the plagues that afflicted the Egyptians so that God may set his people free, Gregory writes that “salvation was assured to them by the shedding of the blood” (I, 28), a reference not only to the saving blood of Christ whose sacrifice we commemorate, but also the life of sacrifice of the minister who celebrates it, because anyone who “would be a priest to God also bring his own body to the altar and become a sacrifice, not by being put to death, but by being a living sacrifice and rational service” (II, 191). Faithful to the teachings of Christ, I have to likewise guard the deposit of faith and transmit Christ’s words to the people, loyal to the teaching authority of the leaders of the church, so that “if we should be involved with profane teachings during our education, we (do not) separate ourselves from the nourishment of the Church’s milk, which would be her laws and customs” (II, 12). One of the most powerful enemies of a soul is ignorance, specifically the ignorance of the teachings of Christ. Through misunderstandings, pride and hardness of heart, many people either know a false Christ based on biases and misconceptions, or refuse to know him at all. Here lies a great challenge to me, whose life and example must be attractive enough so that armed with learning and goodwill, people will see, seek, know, love and serve Christ in and through me. It is Christ whom the people should follow, not me or any human model, whose charisma may not last a lifetime, because human life is imperfect as it is in a state of flux. Only Christ is God, the perfect model worth imitating, finding, and loving. I am just like the usher at the theater; it is Christ, and not me, who should be the main attraction. The love of God, likewise, spurs me to defend truth against falsehood and to uphold the good over evil in the face of attacks from the profane wisdom of agnostics and non-believers. In line with Gregory’s words, it is the minister’s mission to “scatter the wicked shepherds from their unjust use of the well -- which means let us reprove the teachers of evil for their wicked use of instruction” (I, 17). However, as Christ wined and dined with publicans and sinners, I too must learn to walk the line between sin and virtue, knowing how to separate virtue from vice, as Christ did with the Samaritan woman, the publicans Levi and Zacch?us, and the woman caught in adultery. Gregory exhorts readers to be open-minded and understanding but firm in Christian teachings to discern the “certain things derived from profane education which should not be rejected when we propose to give birth to virtue” (II, 35-40). Here is where study and prayer prove their worth, for unless I become a person of learning, prayer and virtue, instead of raising the whole creation to God, I would end up being worldy. I must learn to love the sinner and hate the sin; I must be wise as serpents but guileless as doves. My service in the middle of the world would lead me to mature in my spiritual life, enabling me to discern those that “will be useful when in time the divine sanctuary of mystery must be beautified with the riches of reason” (II, 116), by which Gregory reminds the followers of Christ that holiness can be achieved amidst the hustle and bustle of the world if I know how to love God above all and to love others out of love for God. Only Human: Hope in Struggle and Trials I am only human and, therefore, imperfect. But God has called me, a sinner, to be a leader who speaks with God with the “voice which is melodious and ascends to God’s hearing...not the cry made with organs of speech but with the meditation sent up from a pure conscience” (II, 118). My struggle as a minister is to stay true to my mission of helping all men and women be purified so they can see God, while at the same time grappling with my own imperfections caused by the world, the flesh and the devil. Persevering in my work and fighting frustrations are the object of the virtue of hope, allowing me to conquer “the various passions of the soul by which man is enslaved...the undisciplined intellectual drive and the sensual impulses to pleasure, sorrow, and covetousness” (II, 122) that Gregory likened to Pharaoh’s army in pursuit of the Jews across the Red Sea. Like Moses, I must be at the head of my congregation, crossing to the “other” side of virtue with God’s Providence and grace, without looking back due to disordered attachment and pride, and secure in the knowledge that God would do his part. My role to help in the interior struggles of my community is similar to the interior battles highlighted by Gregory’s analysis of Moses’ request to behold the glory of God from the cleft in a rock, the third theophany (II, 202-321). Like Moses, I must follow God, looking at his back and constantly yearning for “the very things which leave his desire unsatisfied” (II, 235). As the visible sign of God’s presence in the world, I will be following in God’s footsteps like Moses, the best guide appointed by God for his people. Yes, I am a sinner, but unlike the rest of the people, I have been especially appointed and chosen, given a specific task, and this because God trusts me, with my weaknesses and defects surely, but with the divine grace to struggle to “purify his manner of life from all sensual and irrational emotion” (II, 157). My mission as a minister would be to help all men overcome sin in the world, at times at the cost of personal sacrifice, which means first of all the conquest of vice in my soul, for “everyone who destroys some evil that the Adversary has contrived in him kills in himself that one who lives through sin” (II, 211). Thus, my weaknesses are not an excuse to go soft on my people, but rather a spur to become “ever great, at no time (stopping) in his ascent, nor (setting) a limit for himself in his upward course” (II, 227). I lead not because I am perfect, but because God has asked me to do so. This is only possible if prayer has given way to love, and the soul has perceived the beauty of God and has made the free, personal decision not to let go and to continue following in God’s footsteps until the end. As Gregory wrote: “Such an experience...belong to the soul which loves what is beautiful…. (for) (h)ope always draws the soul from the beauty which is seen to what is beyond, always kindles the desire for the hidden through what is constantly perceived. Therefore, the ardent lover of beauty, although receiving what is always visible as an image of what he desires, yet longs to be filled with the very stamp of the archetype” (II, 231). For me, therefore, my ultimate reward is to enjoy that full union with God, and the ultimate punishment is failure, because “falling from God’s friendship (is) the only thing dreadful and we consider becoming God’s friend the only thing worthy of honor and desire” (II, 320). Conclusion: Key Lessons from the Life of Moses The Life of Moses contains several lessons for my life as a future Minister. The first is the value of faith, prayer and knowing God as a friend. Prayer is the best means to know the will of God and learn how to communicate the divine will to the people in a manner that would encourage them to understand, accept and endeavor to carry out that will. Without a deep prayer life, my life of faith would not be effective and far-reaching. Second, like Moses, I am called to a life of service so I can bring God’s love to all the ends of the earth, amidst life’s ordinary circumstances, with the purpose of helping others discover God in their daily life and respond to Christ’s call for everyone to perfection. While I am merely human, with my own faults and weaknesses, trusting in God’s goodness and grace and struggling to overcome temptations, my confidence and hope rest in the fact that, like Moses, God has called me in a special way to be his friend and apostle and entrusted me with a unique mission: to know God in Christ and to transmit Christ’s love to the rest of the world. The most reassuring thought, however, is that if I persevere in prayer and virtue to the end, like Moses, I will be happy and holy and saved. Work Cited Gregory of Nyssa. The Life of Moses. Translated by Abraham J. Malherbe and Everett Ferguson. 1st Edition. San Francisco: Harper, 2006. Read More