Christian Maturity- Seeing Thee More Clearly, Loving Thee More Dearly

Day by day,

Dear Lord, of thee three things I pray:
To see thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly,
Follow thee more nearly,
                                                Day by Day.        Words to Hymn 654, Hymnal 1982

         Christian maturity is seeking and living in a holistic (a complete and comprehensive) fellowship with Christ and our fellow Christians.  The hymn above, derived from a prayer composed by the 13^th Century English bishop, Richard of Chichester, describes such a faith. The formula for holistic Christianity is simple: 1) intimately and regularly communing with God; 2) intentionally growing in our knowledge and love of God; 3) faithfully serving God by following His Holy Spirit into the world. You can hear these things in the Richard of Chichester’s prayer.

         What is also reflected in his prayer is the critical ingredient of intentionality, which is the day-by-day pursuit of God who first pursued us.  Our secular culture tends to swallow us up and make us something other than holistic and intentional followers of Christ.  When it does, the Enemy is well pleased.                                                                                                                                                   Father Rob