 WITNESS
TALK: LET GO AND LET GOD!
Twenty months ago, I sat where you
are – basking in the love of
Christian community like I’d never
felt it before. I knew God loved me.
I knew other
 Christians
loved me. And I was excited to start
putting what I learned during my
Cursillo weekend into practice as
part of my Fourth Day, which is
really the rest of your life.
You’ve learned about the
three-legged stool, prayer, study
and action, and for me, the greatest
gift I got from Cursillo was being
more intentional about letting God
be in control in my life. For those
of you know me, that’s easier said
than done but I think I have been
better about turning stuff over to
God, knowing He knows the outcome
and He will help me to handle the
pieces of whatever falls my way. And
I feel a certain comfort in knowing
that when I put my trust in the
Lord, that He continues to bless me
and those I care about.
In my Fourth Day, I’ve long been
involved in action and I’ve worked
hard the past two years to improve
my study habits. I have read a
number of books since my Cursillo
weekend and have embarked on a
journey to read my Bible regularly.
I participate in a couple of small
groups and attend the Midlands
Ultreyas when the demands of family
and work don’t get in the way. I
enjoy spending time with other
Christians that are continuing their
journey, and many times I learn
something from these folks that
helps enrich my life and journey
with Christ.
There are other times where I have
actually recommended to my friends
that they too need to look for ways
to make Jesus a greater part of
their lives and I hope that’s made a
positive difference in their lives.
Don’t misunderstand – I’m not
suggesting you browbeat your friends
to come to Cursillo or lecture those
back home how they need to get with
the program or else. But I would
encourage you to open your eyes,
ears and heart to discern when
someone you care about is struggling
and looking for a lifeline or safety
net to help them in their time of
trouble. That’s when you might
consider offering that letting God
into their situation may be helpful.
I have a friend who has struggled in
an unhappy marriage for a number of
years. She has young children and is
caught up in the rat race of life
where you go from one activity to
the next, rarely taking time to step
back and reflect on the journey
you’re taking. When she shared with
me recently her being near her wit’s
end, I asked her plainly - what are
you doing to fill your soul? What
time do you make for yourself and do
you ever think about God during
those times? Flabbergasted, she
admitted like most of us probably
would – what time to reflect?! And
how is God going to make sure my son
does his homework or that my
daughter gets to gymnastics on
time?!
I suggested that maybe she takes a
few minutes each morning before
everyone gets up and say her
prayers, read her Bible or a book my
Cursillo sponsor gave me, The
Coffee Mom’s Devotional, a book
that I had found helpful in getting
me to look at the busyness of life
through a different set of lenses.
Did her church offer a Bible study
or a class during the week that she
could attend while her kids were at
school? I said just maybe, if you
take few minutes each day or a class
once a week where you can
concentrate on your relationship
with God, that maybe you will start
to feel differently. Why not give it
a try? What did she have to lose? I
found that those kinds of activities
were certainly bringing a calming
and spiritual impact on my life and
I hoped that it would help her as
well.
Well several weeks later she called
to tell me how amazed she was that
the suggestions were working. She
had enrolled in a six-week class
with other women from her church and
she was starting to realize that she
wasn’t the only person out there who
was struggling. Some were facing
illness, others adult children who
had turned away like the Prodigal
Son, and a few that were just
craving for attention and love. She
had purchased the devotional I
suggested and was taking time to
read it and ponder the role Jesus
plays in her life and how she could
bring her children closer to God.
More importantly, she was opening
her mind and her heart to Jesus
Christ.
Sadly my friend’s husband has
started divorce proceedings and she
is at loose ends with all the
craziness that is coming to light as
part of that process. I have been
praying for her regularly and
encouraging our friends to pray for
her and her kids as they go through
this difficult and uncertain time.
Sometimes when I speak to her by
phone, she just needs me to listen
to her as she tries to process the
turmoil she’s going through. Every
time we speak I remind her that God
loves her and that I along with many
of her friends continue to pray for
grace, healing, forgiveness and
strength. And that seems to bring
her great comfort which makes me
feel better. There’s not much I can
do living hundreds of miles away. I
can’t pick up her kids from hockey
practice or take her a home cooked
meal. But I can pray for her and
remind her that she’s a precious
gift from God and that He loves her
and will help her get through this
chapter in her life. And she thanks
me for that gift of prayer and
tearfully asks me to not stop. I
assure her that I won’t.
We all have troubles in our lives
from time to time and sometimes the
greatest gift we can give is the
unconditional love that Jesus showed
to others during his life. In the
14th chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus
says “I am the Way – yes the Truth
and the Life. No one can get to
Father except through me. Just
believe it – that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me.” He later
adds, “If you love me, obey me; and
I will ask the Father and he will
give you another Comforter, and he
will never leave you. He is the Holy
Spirit, the Spirit who leads into
all truth.”
Take the blessings of God, Jesus and
the Holy Spirit with you as your
return home to your loved ones and
friends from this Cursillo weekend.
Enjoy the warmth of His love as you
get back into your routines, and
maybe you will adjust your routines,
to make greater room for God in your
lives.
Share the love of Jesus with those
around you and know that you too can
bring others to Christ. Let Him be a
continual blessing to your lives and
praise God for all He has given you.
Share your thanksgivings and when a
moment presents itself, let God help
you bring someone you know or even a
stranger that crosses your path to
learn about the love of Jesus
Christ. You’ll be amazed how God
just puts the words right into your
heart and then into your mouth. If
you simply ask for His help, He will
certainly show you the way.
Ultreya
Witness talk given by Karen Owens,
Upper South Carolina #116, St.
Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church,
Chapin SC, at Diocese of Upper South
Carolina Cursillo #121
Gospel
Response
God Calls us to reach out to people
in need, Matthew 25, and sometimes
it is our friend. Karen listened to
her friend’s struggle and then she
offered to
 her
the name of a book that meant a
great deal to her, but she also
called her to prayer and worship, to
piety. She like the Good Samaritan
did not just leave her friend, she
continued her relationship of
support and witness. She met with
her and encouraged her in her
worship and study. To Evangelize
our Environment means doing what we
can with the Faith we have to “make
a friend, be a friend, bring a
friend to Christ”. It is about us
“going out of our way”, getting off
our busy, full life track and being
present to another person in need
with the gifts we have, giving what
we can to bring them to Christ. In
the days ahead, where you are, take
the opportunity to share the faith
with someone who has questions, is
struggle, on a journey needing to
know Christ.
The Fourth Day is the rest of your
life. In the Fourth Day we continue
to build on the foundations of our
faith. Cursillo gives us a
disciplines which can empower us as
we strengthen our foundation; piety,
study and action and group reunion.
As we are intentional about using
these disciplines we become prepared
for times of service for and with
others. God calls us to reach out
to people in need, Matthew 25, and
sometimes it is our friend. Karen
listened to her friend’s struggles
and then she went into action. She
challenged her to think about her
soul and the place of God in her
life. She offered to her, the name
of a book for study, but she also
called her to prayer and worship, to
piety. Karen, like the Good
Samaritan, did not just leave her
friend, she continued her
relationship of support and
witness. Karen met with her and
encouraged her, in worship and
study. To Evangelize our
Environment means doing what we can
with the Faith we have to “make a
friend, be a friend, bring a friend
to Christ”. It is about us “going
out of our way”, getting off our
busy, full life track and being
present to another person in need
with the gifts we have, giving what
we can to bring them to Christ. In
the days ahead, where you are, take
the opportunity to share the faith
with someone who has questions, is
struggling, on a journey needing to
know Christ. Our thanksgivings are
intended to be shared, so our
foundation is strengthened, and our
loyalty to Christ becomes food for
those who are hungry and thirsty.
ULTREYA
Gospel Response presented by Fr.
Phil Pursuer, St Francis of Assisi,
Chapin SC |
