Comments on: Where you treasure is; there will your heart be also… http://gay-christians.org/2009/10/12/where-you-treasure-is-there-will-your-heart-be-also/ Faith and Sexuality Reconciled. Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:07:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: gaychristians http://gay-christians.org/2009/10/12/where-you-treasure-is-there-will-your-heart-be-also/comment-page-1/#comment-11165 gaychristians Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:20:20 +0000 http://gay-christians.org/?p=330#comment-11165 Thanks Rick Rhodes. How amazing is it that you found an old friend through this blog? I find that to be God's work and that what keeps me blogging on this site. God bless both you and Tyrone. I am happy to hear about your 44 years of committed relationship. That is simply amazing. Thanks Rick Rhodes. How amazing is it that you found an old friend through this blog? I find that to be God’s work and that what keeps me blogging on this site.

God bless both you and Tyrone. I am happy to hear about your 44 years of committed relationship. That is simply amazing.

]]> By: Rick Rhodes http://gay-christians.org/2009/10/12/where-you-treasure-is-there-will-your-heart-be-also/comment-page-1/#comment-11058 Rick Rhodes Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:02:43 +0000 http://gay-christians.org/?p=330#comment-11058 Dear Tyrone- I remember you very well from the time we shared at Holy Cross. Like you, I have over the years yearned for the monastic life; however, I have been in a committed relationship for 44 years and have made my peace with the vocation God has given me. In response to my monastic calling I have followed a Benedictine was of life while being an associate of the Order of Julian of Norwich. I am glad that you have found peace in your work and I pray for God's blessings on you and that you understand His blessings in your love. Love in our Saviour, Rick (Br. Richard) Dear Tyrone-

I remember you very well from the time we shared at Holy Cross. Like you, I have over the years yearned for the monastic life; however, I have been in a committed relationship for 44 years and have made my peace with the vocation God has given me. In response to my monastic calling I have followed a Benedictine was of life while being an associate of the Order of Julian of Norwich.

I am glad that you have found peace in your work and I pray for God’s blessings on you and that you understand His blessings in your love.

Love in our Saviour,
Rick (Br. Richard)

]]> By: gaychristians http://gay-christians.org/2009/10/12/where-you-treasure-is-there-will-your-heart-be-also/comment-page-1/#comment-1975 gaychristians Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:34:11 +0000 http://gay-christians.org/?p=330#comment-1975 Hello Tyrone, Wow - you've done more than I have. At least you can say that you've tried it and it didn't work. But like you, I have the same recurring emotions and the "desire" to enter the monastic life. You may want to investigate on the Franciscans, TOR (Third Order Regular). I have found the order to be the most forgiving and most open. The order has a base in Washington, DC but they have monasteries all over Pennsylvania. Thanks for the visit! And more power to you as well. Maybe working in a nursing home is your calling? Just a thought... :) Peace! Hello Tyrone,

Wow – you’ve done more than I have. At least you can say that you’ve tried it and it didn’t work. But like you, I have the same recurring emotions and the “desire” to enter the monastic life.

You may want to investigate on the Franciscans, TOR (Third Order Regular). I have found the order to be the most forgiving and most open. The order has a base in Washington, DC but they have monasteries all over Pennsylvania.

Thanks for the visit! And more power to you as well. Maybe working in a nursing home is your calling? Just a thought… :)

Peace!

]]> By: Tyrone Sills http://gay-christians.org/2009/10/12/where-you-treasure-is-there-will-your-heart-be-also/comment-page-1/#comment-1974 Tyrone Sills Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:40:45 +0000 http://gay-christians.org/?p=330#comment-1974 I too felt a call to the monastic life back in the 60's and after finishing a four year hitch in the Navy I entered an Episcopal Order in upper New York...Holy Cross. It was not the generous loving fellowship I imagined and after completing my postulancy I departed back to the world. Ten years later I joined a Benedictine enclosed community in Michigan and there did find the generous and accepting community but.....enclosure didn't work for me and after another year I left. Now. I'm in the world working in a nursing home as a cna and couldn't be happier. I believe I am doing the Lord's work every day with my brothers and sisters. I yearn for the monastic life and would still like to find a Franciscan order that accepts older men like me....67 and in good health to be a part of. If you know of one let me know. Pax! I too felt a call to the monastic life back in the 60′s and after finishing a four year hitch in the Navy I entered an Episcopal Order in upper New York…Holy Cross. It was not the generous loving fellowship I imagined and after completing my postulancy I departed back to the world. Ten years later I joined a Benedictine enclosed community in Michigan and there did find the generous and accepting community but…..enclosure didn’t work for me and after another year I left. Now. I’m in the world working in a nursing home as a cna and couldn’t be happier. I believe I am doing the Lord’s work every day with my brothers and sisters. I yearn for the monastic life and would still like to find a Franciscan order that accepts older men like me….67 and in good health to be a part of. If you know of one let me know. Pax!

]]> By: gaychristians http://gay-christians.org/2009/10/12/where-you-treasure-is-there-will-your-heart-be-also/comment-page-1/#comment-1909 gaychristians Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:59:56 +0000 http://gay-christians.org/?p=330#comment-1909 Hi Tony, I found myself in the same position as you did.. as we grow, our focus shifts as well. Mine shifted in a way that I cannot see myself living with generous, loving and honest men inside a monastery for I know that I would simply be setting myself up into trouble. I decided to live my life outside the walls of a monastery and serve others that way. So far, it's working well. But the voice lingers... <blockquote>can letting go of things – the abstract and the physical – bring us any closer to God than we already are? Or is he already close? Are we just unaware of it?</blockquote> Great question! We pretty much think alike. I can say for certain that letting go of things helped me to feel closer to the God... in the end, we do have to let go and it will not be by choice... :) Are you willing to let go of your possessions in exchange of the one thing we have an everlasting quest for? What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul? Thanks for the visit! I love listening to your thoughts. Hi Tony,

I found myself in the same position as you did.. as we grow, our focus shifts as well. Mine shifted in a way that I cannot see myself living with generous, loving and honest men inside a monastery for I know that I would simply be setting myself up into trouble. I decided to live my life outside the walls of a monastery and serve others that way. So far, it’s working well. But the voice lingers…

can letting go of things – the abstract and the physical – bring us any closer to God than we already are? Or is he already close? Are we just unaware of it?

Great question! We pretty much think alike. I can say for certain that letting go of things helped me to feel closer to the God… in the end, we do have to let go and it will not be by choice… :)

Are you willing to let go of your possessions in exchange of the one thing we have an everlasting quest for?

What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul?

Thanks for the visit! I love listening to your thoughts.

]]> By: Tony Single http://gay-christians.org/2009/10/12/where-you-treasure-is-there-will-your-heart-be-also/comment-page-1/#comment-1905 Tony Single Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:28:20 +0000 http://gay-christians.org/?p=330#comment-1905 In my youth, I too wanted to enter into a ministry of some description. As I grow older, I find that desire to be on the wane. Life has disappointed me far too often to want to go back to the idealism of yesteryear, and, I dare say, the possibilities that never got to be. So, believe me, won't you, when I say that I admire your frankness about what was, and what is now. St. Francis was an extraordinary man by anyone's estimation, and it moves me to read of the impact that he has had on your life. Would that we could all strip the clothes off our backs and hand them to our earthly fathers and declare our undying loyalties to our Father in heaven! I, however, throw a spanner in the works with my dislike of being naked in front of anyone. Of course, the nakedness I speak of is of the spiritual kind. Transparency is an attractive thing to me, and it's something I desire for myself. I wish to go about my days, to listen well, to give freely, to speak plainly and lovingly, but these are not things I tend to do because of my own inhibitions and the circumstances I find myself in. Yes, were that we could all be a little more like St. Francis, who, of course, modelled himself on his Saviour... our Saviour. To let things fall from my hand is not an easy thing. The harder I grip, the more empty I become. I have many possessions, things that are dear to me, things that have their individual histories, histories that add immensely to their value. However, these things will not love me as Jesus does; they cannot hope to because inanimate objects are not self aware, and do not feel let alone hope. This does beg the question, though... can letting go of things - the abstract and the physical - bring us any closer to God than we already are? Or is he already close? Are we just unaware of it? Or, put another way, does the letting go allow us to shift our focus from mere things to the One who originated us? I would like to let go and just be under his wing; that much I know. :) In my youth, I too wanted to enter into a ministry of some description. As I grow older, I find that desire to be on the wane. Life has disappointed me far too often to want to go back to the idealism of yesteryear, and, I dare say, the possibilities that never got to be. So, believe me, won’t you, when I say that I admire your frankness about what was, and what is now.

St. Francis was an extraordinary man by anyone’s estimation, and it moves me to read of the impact that he has had on your life. Would that we could all strip the clothes off our backs and hand them to our earthly fathers and declare our undying loyalties to our Father in heaven! I, however, throw a spanner in the works with my dislike of being naked in front of anyone.

Of course, the nakedness I speak of is of the spiritual kind. Transparency is an attractive thing to me, and it’s something I desire for myself. I wish to go about my days, to listen well, to give freely, to speak plainly and lovingly, but these are not things I tend to do because of my own inhibitions and the circumstances I find myself in. Yes, were that we could all be a little more like St. Francis, who, of course, modelled himself on his Saviour… our Saviour.

To let things fall from my hand is not an easy thing. The harder I grip, the more empty I become. I have many possessions, things that are dear to me, things that have their individual histories, histories that add immensely to their value. However, these things will not love me as Jesus does; they cannot hope to because inanimate objects are not self aware, and do not feel let alone hope.

This does beg the question, though… can letting go of things – the abstract and the physical – bring us any closer to God than we already are? Or is he already close? Are we just unaware of it? Or, put another way, does the letting go allow us to shift our focus from mere things to the One who originated us?

I would like to let go and just be under his wing; that much I know. :)

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