Ministry as reminder

Ministry as reminder
When we no longer walk in the presence of the Lord, we cannot be living reminders of his divine presence in our lives.  Then we quickly become strangers in an alien land who have forgotten where we come from and where we are going.  Then we are no longer the way to the experience of God, but rather in the way of the experience of God,  Then instead of walking in God’s presence we start walking in a vicious circle, and pulling others into it.   Henri Nouwen (The living reminder: Service and prayer in memory of Jesus Christ.  Seabury, New York.  P. 29)

To be living reminders of God we must be concerned first of all with our own intimacy with God.  Once we have heard, seen, watched, and touched the Word who is life, we cannot do other than be living reminders… In order for this response to be lasting and oriented to the felt needs of those to whom we minister, we need discipline, formation, and training.  But these can do little more than offer channels for the lived experience of God.  (p. 33)