The Purpose of This Website

THIS WEBSITE and its accompanying resources will endeavor to explore what it means to be a little anchor of God's Anchor of Truth, as well as what it means to be devoted to a deeper spiritual life in general. It seeks to draw attention to the spiritual principles upon which God founded our existence, those signposts we so often fly by and forget to read.

THIS SITE is run by a layperson and is for the layperson who actually has a desire to walk closely with the Lord and to be willing to become a little anchor of truth as needed for those in our life-boat on this great Sea of Life. Though this writer follows a kind of an anchorite lifestyle, this website is not for the purpose of training up others for the same. Each person's calling is a spiritual matter between himself and God, and the one who writes these words feels unqualified to determine how others should pursue any calling; for the life of the devoted soul is one of freedom, and God uses countless means of equipping souls for Kingdom service.

Just PLEASE NOTE that this site and its opinions are in no way associated with the Catholic Church or its medieval form of asceticism or any other particular denomination. We have entered a new era, so let us advocate letting go of the old and embracing the new. The basic rule of thumb is, as said, freedom in Christ. There is much to respect in those devoted souls who passed this Way of Christ before us, but I do not believe God wants us in this day to resort to such harsh practices as many of them followed. Take from this site and the epistles (if you care to purchase any of the titles), and I hope, be edified. But place on your soul no unnecessary burden beyond remaining devoted to Christ.

ANCHORS keep us weighted down in the vast Sea of God's Truth. It is also a Sea of Life in general, but I do not want to give the impression that all mighty moves of the waves are from the world--evil forces attempting to upset the boat. A good deal of the time the Sea shifts and the soul feels heavy momentum because God is moving, and we live and move in Him. The basic point is that the whole corporate Person of the Church--Head and Body together--has a primary function: the manifestation in this earth of the Redemption. The Body does not act with certain principles in its arms and adhere to different ones in its legs. There are certain spiritual laws, like the laws of science, which operate at all times. The well-developed soul comprehends many of them and respects them as forces God established to bless us more easily, not to restrict us. Little anchors experience being immersed in the Sea of God in order to aid those in the boat who travel on God.

All parts of the Body adhere to the same principles of life; they differ in function and concentrate more specifically on different things for our easier comprehension of spiritual matters. But the same spiritual principles undergird all the Body of Christ and its various functions. Some are apostles, some prophets, some ministers, some teachers, and some evangelists (Ephesians 4:11). Some serve, some give, some pray (more than others are able to), some receive hospitably, and some provide a sturdy connection with the weight of God's Truth. Many of us in the Church perform many functions, especially in times when there is a dearth of willing servants, and in such ways that we do not feel called to and so feel uncomfortable in those tasks. I pray that you find only freedom here, and greater illumination on the more difficult points along the Way. After all, we are all in this together "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-13).

HISTORICALLY, just for reference, an anchorite was someone, man or woman, who withdrew from secular life for religious reasons. These persons exchanged communal living for an ascetic lifestyle and were intensely focused on prayer and the Eucharist (the sacrament of Communion, which remembers Jesus' sacrifice through bread and wine that symbolize His body and His blood--body broken so we might be healed and to live fully, and blood shed for the remission of our sins). They lived in little cells which were often attached to a church. In short, they were devoted to prayer, spiritual growth, and the contemplative lifestyle. Julian of Norwich is a well-known anchoress.

Anchorites were often known as powerful intercessors, and having an anchorite attached to a church in medieval days was considered inspirational. Their cells often became hubs of contemplation and devotion, and many were motivated to follow the spiritual example they had living in their midst. The old anchorite calling is often the influence for present-day souls drawn to an eremitical lifestyle (i.e., a religious recluse).

They were often considered good resources when spiritual counsel was needed; and so despite their commitment to isolation for the purpose of immersing the soul in Christ, they continued to be sought out for guidance and often could not help being strongly connected to their community. They were also significant in the preservation of sacred texts and in the copying of them. This is but a snapshot of the anchorite calling.

BUT this website is not primarily about what it meant historically to be an anchorite, even if this is where our thoughts typically first travel when we hear the term anchorite or the phrase little anchors of the Church. Though I had to pursue such a calling to be able to bring you these writings, this site and the epistles are devoted in large part to the Truth we glean from the deep recesses of God, particularly in the comprehension of the spiritual principles that invisibly shape our existence. This is not limited to those pursuing an anchorite calling, but finds in every soul willing to be transformed into the Christ-mettle a bit of material God can shape into an anchor--little anchors in the likeness of Christ our Lord, Anchor of our soul, He Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is the Essence of God which forms the great Sea of Him in which we serve as anchors for those in our life-boat--those in our sphere of influence who might be bouncing over the Sea. Our anchor may provide the stability these souls need so that they will not be bounced around as violently.

Again, this Sea can be the sea of life in the world, but it is also just as much the Sea of God the redeemed soul lives in and on. In truth it is both as long as we exist partly in this sin-tainted earth and the spiritual Kingdom of God. The depths of God's Sea extend far deeper than those of the world, and without the Anchor of our soul, our little souls cannot hope to escape the strong pull of the Current of the Spirit or the violence the enemy uses to destroy us (e.g., Mark 4:35-39). The Sea of God is always good to travel upon, but we have lost sight, I believe, of just how big and wide and deep God really is. We tend to become fearful at the wrong thing, interpreting God's great deeps for the dark abyss the enemy uses to paralyze us with fear. Let us invest some energy in discerning better which is God and which is not.

So this site, Little Anchors of the Church, is a serious attempt for laypersons to connect to God's Truth. It is in this I hope we can find some unity. We are all little anchors to some extent even if we do not feel this to be so or if we feel we do not possess the anchorite calling, because Jesus is the Anchor of all souls in that infinite Sea which is God, and this relationship with Christ makes it hard to pass through this life without at some time having to anchor another soul in the Truth: that Man needs a Mediator between himself and God, and it is this Jesus who is the Way [of salvation], [the embodiment of] the Truth, and the Life [of God for the soul].

If you are satisfied with the degree of Truth you have, this site is not for you. Go, live the gospel message as it has been given to you to live, and God bless you richly. It is for those souls devoted to going ever deeper into the Sea of God, blessing His Church with increasing spiritual health as they do so--praying for strong principles in a strong Body of believers. It is not about being overly concerned with what we have been called to be or to do. Put the first things first, and God will take care of the rest, as Jesus taught the people: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). As said, the rule of thumb is freedom in Christ. Anything that hinders freedom ought to be set aside--not the challenges of spiritual disciplines (such as the frustration sometimes felt with fasting), but that sensation of oppression, of adding to the cords that bind rather than diminishing them. We grow in the Christ-life in increments, and God the loving Father wishes to lead us on gently: "...thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place" (Deuteronomy 1:31).

This blog will contain mediations on the spiritual life in general. Yet only so much can be contained in a blog, which by nature is less-detailed (or people refuse to read them). Therefore, many topics have been compiled into small books--sized for carrying about easily--each one addressing a different matter, which you can find through the Epistles tab in the menu. If you found one that was helpful, please check back periodically for new titles.

THANK YOU for visiting.