Questions

I ripped the following excerpt out of a church bulletin a while ago, and it's languished on my desk ever since. Not sure where to put it for safekeeping, I decided to put it here.

The following questions were attributed to a sermon by Margaret Crockett, who "asks twelve additional questions as she invites us to hear Jesus' question to Bartimaeus and ready ourselves as He puts the question on us. Really, it is a vital challenge to open ourselves to healing by daring to spell out to God what we most deeply long for and urgently need."

Our priest is a cerebral sort of guy.

He adds, "I remember seeing a rabbi hold up his Bible and say to an audience, 'Here we have the answers ... but what good are the answers if we don't have the questions?'"

Do I want help?

Do I want to feel better?

Do I want to be included, or would I rather feel sorry for myself?

Do I want to assume the risk and responsibility of a relationship, or would I rather stay alone?

Do I want to love and be loved?

Can I let go of my anger?

Can I forgive?

Do I want to get well?

Am I willing to give up the power of pain?

Am I ready to let go of inner sickness and inner illness?

Am I ready to let go of attitudes that keep me unhappy and paralyzed with anger and bitterness?

Am I ready to forgive so that the inner parts of my heart are opened to another's love and goodness?

Am I ready to stop punishing myself because of a sense of guilt?

Can I forgive myself?

Am I ready to stop feeling sorry for myself so that I can step out of my dark corner into the light?

Am I ready to risk entering God's loving presence and to get close to him?