Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Spiritual leaders answer: this week’s subject — perseverance
Editor’s note: Every Friday a question is printed at the end of this column inviting a response. If you are a religious leader on Kaua‘i please send in your thoughts or suggestions for future topics. Next week’s subject is on doubt. The suggested topic at the end of the column is for the following week.
by Pam Woolway - The Garden Island
This week’s suggested subject, perseverance, drew a variety of insights as well as many shared threads that wove the four pieces into a cohesive essay.
Rev. Rita Mekila Herring
Eclectic minister in Kekaha
Universal Brotherhood
Movement
The dictionary on my Mac has two definitions for perseverance: steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success; or theology: continuance in a state of grace leading finally to a state of glory.
I’ve never liked the word perseverance ... it sounds so severe — although steadfastness is much more enticing and inviting. Sometimes drumming up enough energy to be steadfast is just as challenging. Still, our successes in life are truly attributed to that ability within us to do just that ... trudge through the muddy, challenging part.
I’m reminded of a quote I once heard attributed to an anonymous author: “Remember, when you see a man at the top of a mountain, he didn’t fall there.”
Isn’t it interesting that the theological definition of the word perseverance pertains to being continuously in a state of “grace.” As children most of us were taught to say grace before eating, that grace being a short prayer offered up in gratitude for the meal we were about to eat. There’s that gratitude again. Just as we talked about last month, gratitude helps when you’re trudging through the muddy, challenging parts of your life.
Although it’s easier said than done to think of something to be grateful for in that moment, even in the definition of the word perseverance we’re given the clue that gratitude is the way out. So we do what we have to do to find and remember the things we’re grateful for — fueling ourselves, our souls, with the energy they need to persevere until we reach that state of glory.
You know what the dictionary says about “being in one’s glory?” It says: “In a state of extreme joy.” Neither grace nor glory is reserved for the saintly. They are available to each one of us. They start within us.
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Koloa
The Baha’i faith has no formal clergy or individual leaders
One of the major educational goals of people of the Baha’i faith is to develop our characters by acquiring and developing spiritual virtues. All God’s messengers have extolled the importance of acquiring these same virtues. In our Baha’i children’s classes we teach the importance of virtues such as unity, justice, kindness, honesty, respect and perseverance.
In his book, “My Baha’i Faith,” Justice Saint Rain states that “virtues are skills, and like every other skill we acquire … they take practice. Sometimes we are fairly good at them, and sometimes we are not. That’s when virtues become tests ... overcoming the test will almost always strengthen your virtues … that is why every major religion has challenged common wisdom and insisted that difficulties are good.” Therefore, if we are committed, steadfast and persistent, in other words, if we persevere in our efforts to acquire virtues, we will improve our spiritual character.
The importance of perseverance in the face of obstacles is very important to the Baha’i faith, as revealed in the following words of two early leaders: “Perseverance is the virtue they mostly need at present. An all-mighty providence is watching over them. Never must they feel disheartened.” — Shoghi Effendi
“Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit.” — ‘Abdu’l-Baha
Wendy Winegar
North Shore Christian Science Informal Group
I was having my teeth cleaned while watching “Finding Nemo” on an overhead DVD monitor when the cleaning tool hit something and I let out a yelp. The hygienist took a break while the dentist checked the x-rays. He said, “Root canal time,” and he scheduled me to come back the following week.
The closer I got to the appointment, the more the tooth hurt. As a Christian Scientist I’d had many wonderful healings by turning to God instead of to aspirin for healing, but I found myself going along with the dentist’s plans. The night before the appointment I woke up in pain. I turned on the light and started to read my church’s weekly lesson sermon from the “Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary Baker Eddy. It was full of healing spiritual truths about God and His creation. The pain left and I went back to sleep.
Two hours later I was up again. But I knew from experience that if my previous prayers worked so well, that more prayer would bring complete healing. I went back to the lesson sermon. As I cherished each healing thought it presented, I could feel those thoughts cherishing me. Soon I slept peacefully. I woke up with the same scenario two more times, but each hour I was awake with God’s healing angel thoughts (Psalm 91). I grew more confident of my victory over pain until it was completely gone. It was a long night but I got up refreshed and made it back to the dentist’s office to finish “Finding Nemo.”
Before I could find where I left off in the movie the dentist shut down the DVD player and gasped incredulously, “This doesn’t happen.” In his hands were two x-rays, the one from the week before and the one from just a few minutes prior. The tooth had been completely healed with no signs of decay or abscess.
“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” — Christ Jesus.
He doesn’t say how many times you have to know the truth or how long or how deeply you have to know the truth, but like “Finding Nemo,” perseverance gives a great payoff.
Rebecca DeRoos
Science of Mind practitioner
Believing in a Higher Power requires perseverance, as well as love. I’m not talking about convincing another to believe as I believe, but to humbly demonstrate my own love for God without worrying what another thinks or believes. When amongst non-believers, even my own son, it’s tempting to set aside one’s own beliefs and soothe anther person’s ego. But I stop and remember, that ego identifies with “edging God out.” This is not my intention.
Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary gives a theological definition of perseverance: “Continuance in a state of grace to the end.” Its Latin derivation: “To persist.” And my mother’s saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
There are other relative definitions of perseverance: Belief, knowing, acceptance, determination, diligence, effort, fortitude and strength. To say a prayer that works, one needs to persevere with one’s own beliefs and know that Spirit will produce whatever we want. In fact, God loves us so much that if we think a negative thought with perseverance, we’ll receive even that.
In using perseverance in a positive way, we are challenged to think only of the good that we deserve. Not easy. Ernest Holmes taught that “Thoughts become things.” If we persist in thinking about receiving like-minded friends into our life, or having a new silver Toyota four-wheel drive truck, or finding that perfect surfing spot with 5-foot waves, we will have it.
The key is to persevere, is visualizing our desire, seeing ourselves actually enjoying the moment, and believing that we deserve it. Even Jesus said that God wants only good for us. Perseverance is our tool.
Next week’s question:
• Will you speak to us on flexibility?
• Spiritual leaders are invited to e-mail responses of three to five paragraphs to pwoolway@kauaipubco.com.
• Deadline each week is Tuesday, by 5 p.m.
by Pam Woolway - The Garden Island
This week’s suggested subject, perseverance, drew a variety of insights as well as many shared threads that wove the four pieces into a cohesive essay.
Rev. Rita Mekila Herring
Eclectic minister in Kekaha
Universal Brotherhood
Movement
The dictionary on my Mac has two definitions for perseverance: steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success; or theology: continuance in a state of grace leading finally to a state of glory.
I’ve never liked the word perseverance ... it sounds so severe — although steadfastness is much more enticing and inviting. Sometimes drumming up enough energy to be steadfast is just as challenging. Still, our successes in life are truly attributed to that ability within us to do just that ... trudge through the muddy, challenging part.
I’m reminded of a quote I once heard attributed to an anonymous author: “Remember, when you see a man at the top of a mountain, he didn’t fall there.”
Isn’t it interesting that the theological definition of the word perseverance pertains to being continuously in a state of “grace.” As children most of us were taught to say grace before eating, that grace being a short prayer offered up in gratitude for the meal we were about to eat. There’s that gratitude again. Just as we talked about last month, gratitude helps when you’re trudging through the muddy, challenging parts of your life.
Although it’s easier said than done to think of something to be grateful for in that moment, even in the definition of the word perseverance we’re given the clue that gratitude is the way out. So we do what we have to do to find and remember the things we’re grateful for — fueling ourselves, our souls, with the energy they need to persevere until we reach that state of glory.
You know what the dictionary says about “being in one’s glory?” It says: “In a state of extreme joy.” Neither grace nor glory is reserved for the saintly. They are available to each one of us. They start within us.
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Koloa
The Baha’i faith has no formal clergy or individual leaders
One of the major educational goals of people of the Baha’i faith is to develop our characters by acquiring and developing spiritual virtues. All God’s messengers have extolled the importance of acquiring these same virtues. In our Baha’i children’s classes we teach the importance of virtues such as unity, justice, kindness, honesty, respect and perseverance.
In his book, “My Baha’i Faith,” Justice Saint Rain states that “virtues are skills, and like every other skill we acquire … they take practice. Sometimes we are fairly good at them, and sometimes we are not. That’s when virtues become tests ... overcoming the test will almost always strengthen your virtues … that is why every major religion has challenged common wisdom and insisted that difficulties are good.” Therefore, if we are committed, steadfast and persistent, in other words, if we persevere in our efforts to acquire virtues, we will improve our spiritual character.
The importance of perseverance in the face of obstacles is very important to the Baha’i faith, as revealed in the following words of two early leaders: “Perseverance is the virtue they mostly need at present. An all-mighty providence is watching over them. Never must they feel disheartened.” — Shoghi Effendi
“Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit.” — ‘Abdu’l-Baha
Wendy Winegar
North Shore Christian Science Informal Group
I was having my teeth cleaned while watching “Finding Nemo” on an overhead DVD monitor when the cleaning tool hit something and I let out a yelp. The hygienist took a break while the dentist checked the x-rays. He said, “Root canal time,” and he scheduled me to come back the following week.
The closer I got to the appointment, the more the tooth hurt. As a Christian Scientist I’d had many wonderful healings by turning to God instead of to aspirin for healing, but I found myself going along with the dentist’s plans. The night before the appointment I woke up in pain. I turned on the light and started to read my church’s weekly lesson sermon from the “Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary Baker Eddy. It was full of healing spiritual truths about God and His creation. The pain left and I went back to sleep.
Two hours later I was up again. But I knew from experience that if my previous prayers worked so well, that more prayer would bring complete healing. I went back to the lesson sermon. As I cherished each healing thought it presented, I could feel those thoughts cherishing me. Soon I slept peacefully. I woke up with the same scenario two more times, but each hour I was awake with God’s healing angel thoughts (Psalm 91). I grew more confident of my victory over pain until it was completely gone. It was a long night but I got up refreshed and made it back to the dentist’s office to finish “Finding Nemo.”
Before I could find where I left off in the movie the dentist shut down the DVD player and gasped incredulously, “This doesn’t happen.” In his hands were two x-rays, the one from the week before and the one from just a few minutes prior. The tooth had been completely healed with no signs of decay or abscess.
“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” — Christ Jesus.
He doesn’t say how many times you have to know the truth or how long or how deeply you have to know the truth, but like “Finding Nemo,” perseverance gives a great payoff.
Rebecca DeRoos
Science of Mind practitioner
Believing in a Higher Power requires perseverance, as well as love. I’m not talking about convincing another to believe as I believe, but to humbly demonstrate my own love for God without worrying what another thinks or believes. When amongst non-believers, even my own son, it’s tempting to set aside one’s own beliefs and soothe anther person’s ego. But I stop and remember, that ego identifies with “edging God out.” This is not my intention.
Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary gives a theological definition of perseverance: “Continuance in a state of grace to the end.” Its Latin derivation: “To persist.” And my mother’s saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
There are other relative definitions of perseverance: Belief, knowing, acceptance, determination, diligence, effort, fortitude and strength. To say a prayer that works, one needs to persevere with one’s own beliefs and know that Spirit will produce whatever we want. In fact, God loves us so much that if we think a negative thought with perseverance, we’ll receive even that.
In using perseverance in a positive way, we are challenged to think only of the good that we deserve. Not easy. Ernest Holmes taught that “Thoughts become things.” If we persist in thinking about receiving like-minded friends into our life, or having a new silver Toyota four-wheel drive truck, or finding that perfect surfing spot with 5-foot waves, we will have it.
The key is to persevere, is visualizing our desire, seeing ourselves actually enjoying the moment, and believing that we deserve it. Even Jesus said that God wants only good for us. Perseverance is our tool.
Next week’s question:
• Will you speak to us on flexibility?
• Spiritual leaders are invited to e-mail responses of three to five paragraphs to pwoolway@kauaipubco.com.
• Deadline each week is Tuesday, by 5 p.m.
 |
||
| Critter Camp days at Kaua‘i Humane Society |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of kauaiworld.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
RSS