Tonight we are gathering to read through Chapters 5-8 of Book Two of The Imitation of Christ. Throughout his meditations, á Kempis keeps returning to the theme of having an intimate friendship with Jesus. An aspect of that friendship is the art of knowing how to converse with him. There are different ways of having a conversation with our Lord. The standard means of a divine conversation is the Lord’s Prayer. We address God in a formal manner ending with a request. But this isn’t necessarily how we converse with someone with whom we are intimate. With someone we know well and love, we can have a very open and angry conversation. We see this type of conversation with Job. A more modern example is this Clip from Robert Duvall’s “The Apostle” – where, as his mother says, “sometimes he talks to the Lord and sometimes he yells at the Lord.” On the other extreme, is the silent conversation that we can only have with those whom those whom we know best. It is a silence that recognizes mere words are insufficient to communicate the ineffable. Where a mere touch of a hand, or glimpse into her eyes conveys more than words can. There are times when we say things best when we actually say nothing at all. As you prepare for our gathering this evening, think about those ways in which you converse with Jesus.
Dinner is at 6. The menu is chili. Discussion around 6:45. Hope to see you here.
It is a great art to know how to converse with Jesus, and great wisdom to know how to keep Him.
Book 2, Chapter 10