A PROPHETIC LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
Prophetic lights are sorely needed in a world darkened and wounded by war, poverty, terrorism, injustice and secularism. Lighthouse Community strives to be one of these beacon lights shining forth -- showing that God is alive among the people. In today's frenetically busy society, too many people are too busy for God. However, the deeply hurting, the poor, and the abused are hungry for God just as in Jesus's day. Often those who come to us have experienced abuse through alcoholic parents, domestic violence, rape, incest and poverty. Though they have trials, difficulties, pain and suffering, they come to have joy when they experience the love of God. It is a multifaceted ministry, which includes pastoring, healing, evangelizing, leading, teaching, spiritual directing, ministering prayer, leading worship and administrating. In addition to being Co-Director of Lighthouse Community, I also serve as Chairperson for the Catholic Charismatic Regional Service Team for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Diocese of Covington, KY, and serve on the Council of the National Catholic Charismatic Renewal. The life of the 120 covenanted members of Lighthouse Community includes a large weekly open Prayer Meeting, a monthly large Healing Service and Mass of Healing, a seven-week Life in the Spirit Seminar several times a year, an annual large Retreat, Introductory Programs and other workshops and activities. Most members are involved in one of the more than 40 Community ministries and each belongs to a small support group called a Care and Share Team. These groups meet twice a month to provide time for deeper sharing and personal prayer ministry. At the heart of Lighthouse Community is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In brief, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personal Pentecost. For the apostles it was the first Pentecost; today it is a new Pentecost personally experienced whereby the graces of Baptism and Confirmation are released in a fuller way. It is the same fire of the Holy Spirit that moved Mother Frances to heal the wounds of Christ in her day.
The essentials of the Christian life become experientially alive: the Holy Spirit, the prophetic gifts, the Lordship of Christ, the Word of God, the Sacraments, the charisms, prayer, and evangelization. Many experience a deep contemplative prayer life and a call to holiness. All the charisms and prophetic gifts of the early Church are freely used, as shared in 1 Cor. 12:4-11. At the large prayer meetings the gifts of prophecy, healing, varieties of tongues, teaching, anointed praise and worship abound. The healing ministry is operative in its many dimensions – physical, spiritual, psychological, emotional, relational and generational. This healing ministry is prophetic, as it is a sign of the presence of God among the people and the healing ministry that can take place in the Church. It re-echoes that Jesus Christ and His ministry is the same yesterday, today and forever. During the first 300 years the early Christians expected and often experienced healing. In fact the main method of evangelizing was not preaching to huge crowds (after all, they were hiding out from the Roman authorities), but was by healing the sick. By the 5th Century only occasionally and rarely was it expected that healing might take place, and the Church lost sight of this inheritance. Christians no longer learned to pray for healing and even the Sacrament of the Sick was named Extreme Unction to prepare people for death. Healing today is indeed a prophetic witness of the Kingdom of God among us.
Evangelization at Lighthouse is a very direct approach of bringing people to a personal - though not individualistic - relationship with Jesus Christ and learning how to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a call to conversion, to prayer and to live the Gospel way of life. It brings spiritual renewal to countless people. To receive the Holy Spirit and walk in the Spirit is to change – metanoia. It is totally different from superficial emotionalism as it goes right to the heart of the Gospel and the kerygma, which is the cross of Christ. In a world steeped in spiritual darkness, the light of Jesus shines as a beacon and a powerful prophetic witness to all who are hungering to know the Way, the Truth and the Life and want to experience the fiery flame of the love of God. © Franciscan Sisters of the Poor |
