Journal of Sacred Work

Caregivers have superpowers! Radical Loving Care illuminates the divine truth that caregiving is not just a job. It is Sacred Work.

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Former President & CEO of multiple hospital systems and founding president & CEO of 20-hospital OhioHealth, best selling author, film artist, ordained minister, composer, published poet, syndicated T.V. host, trial attorney, federal prosecutor and Municipal Court Judge. Erie is internationally known as the founder of the Radical Loving Care(R)movement. He also heads Erie Chapman Foundation, Dane Dakota Productions, LLC, and Chapman Health International, Inc.

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Day 14 & 15 – The Still, Small Voice of Love

January 14, 2009

Cathy Self, Sr. V.P. at the Baptist Healing Trust, provided this piece from Henri Nouwen's book, Bread for the Journey.

Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, "Prove that you are a good person." Another voice says, "You'd better be ashamed of yourself." There also is a voice that says, "Nobody really cares about you," and one that says, "Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful." But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, "You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you." That's the voice we need most of all to hear. To hear that voice, however, requires special effort; it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen.

That's what prayer is. It is listening to the voice that calls us "my Beloved.'"

Posted in Meditations

6 responses to “Day 14 & 15 – The Still, Small Voice of Love”

~liz Wessel

January 14, 2009

I feel sad allot. I know some of it is my brother Johnny’s death and some just a sense of loss about life in general. I think when someone close to us dies it brings up an evaluation of our own lives lived up to this point.
Of late, I feel that every selfish thing I have ever done has returned for me to experience. The good in that is an awareness of what it must have been like for the person on the receiving end of my behavior. Do they call that Karma? It’s all a mirror sometimes.
Father Scott Jenkins shared a beautiful homily last Sunday and the point of his message was we are all worthy of Love. Yet, so often, we withhold Love from ourselves and others, I guess because we don’t feel worthy. To reverse that I must we willing to forgive myself and others, and open be to receive and be Beloved.
Thank you for sharing this prayer of listening, I receive this gift with a listening heart.

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Jerald Smith

January 14, 2009

My wife asked he how I liked the IPOD shuffle she gave me for Christmas and if I had used it during my morning walk. I told her I liked it, but I don’t use it for the walk. I don’t like noise while I am walking, that is my time to talk and listen.It is then I most often hear those whisperings of love.

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Maureen McDermott

January 14, 2009

As I read these heart tauching reflections on an extremely hot Sydney day – a day when we remember the birth of Blessed Mary MacKillop (15 Jnauary 1842) I can’t help but think of the difference that her voice made in the lives of many people, espeically those who were poor in Asutralia and New Zealand. 100 years after her death, the voice of Mary contineus to whisper hope, encouragement, compassion and love to many people – especially those who come to her seeking her solace. That voice that was in tune with her God and God’s people – that is the voice that continues to inspire us down under. Mary knew where her treasure was and that is the treasure that we hold with great temderness and appreciation. May each of you be attuned to hear whatever the Voice wishes to whisper to you.

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Edwin Loftin

January 14, 2009

The voice of “my beloved” is a joyful and exciting voice. to hear we need to open our eyes, ears, and heart to our children, family, grandchildren, parents, friends, healing partners, etc.
While it takes solitude at times to tune in it also takes celebration.
How many of us have stopped at a meal or occasion and circle, either by holding hands and or in spirit and spend a moment in recognition and celbration of “my beloved”? In this it is us/family/community that makes a loving difference.

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~liz Wessel

January 15, 2009

Wonderful comments, I just wish to thank you for risking your heart and putting yourself out here on this Journal. I realize many people feel too intimidated to express themselves on an open forum. For me, I can hardly contain myself from sharing with all of you.
Last night I saw a movie called “Kite Runner.” What a moving story about friendship between two young boys, misfortune, betrayal, courage, fear, Love, forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation, amid great strife and turmoil. Definitely worth seeing and I’ve heard the book is excellent too.
Have you ever heard a beautiful song called, “A Still Small Voice,” by folk singer Bob Franke? It is worth listening to. Here are the lyrics as best I could scribble them down as I listened to his song tonight.
A Still Small Voice
In a still small voice in the middle of the night
Brother Martin heard the simple truth
And he followed its bleeding Though it led to a crossroad
Parting in the days of my youth
From the heart of my city came a single scream
And I heard it through all the white noise
And the papers told me they had killed the dream
But they never killed the still small voice
Oh, the lies come at you in a million ways
Some you hear and some you tell yourself
And they say that virtue is a pile of gold
And weapons are a nations wealth
But when kings stand naked in their ugly schemes
Will the poor of this world rejoice?
Will they sell their children down a bloody stream?
Will they listen to s still small voice?
Oh, the one eyed bandit in your living room
Will convince you that you have no time
It swear to take you on your one free ride
While its looking for your last dime
But the light of heaven is a simple gift
And you can see it when you make that choice
It will shine like riches in your inmost heart
And it will speak in a still small voice.
Oh, the sky will open when the trumpets sound
And the thunder will shake these walls
And these stones so silent as they bring us round
And they shatter when they hear that call
And the chains will clatter when they hit the ground
When my lover comes to call me home
It will be in a still small voice.
~Bob Franke

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Diana Gallaher

January 15, 2009

Nouwen’s book “Life of the Beloved” was life-changing for me. Once I knew I was beloved, I understood it was universal.

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