Wednesday, September 30, 2015

We don't have to act as if we have life all figured out



I recently read a blogpost by Addie Zierman. It's about looking back on the faith you might have had as a teenager and finding it's not the easy romp in the sunshine as some folks make it out to be.

I love Addie's honesty.

And it motivated me to write about this subject of faith and how we grow in it, especially when it might not add up to our expectations.

It's undeniable that there's something in the human spirit that longs for something deeper. Voltaire, who was razor sharp in his criticism of intolerance and dogma, once said, "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him."

If a guy like Voltaire admitted an inherent need for God, I think he'd be o.k. with us spending a few minutes taking a look at faith, which is required to believe in God in the first place.

Faith is a gift. 

Sometimes we forget that simple premise, upon which everything else about faith rests. We don't find God, as much as God opens us up to the possibility of relationship. Spiritual heavy-weights like Paul (who wrote much of the New Testament) and Martin Luther (who, like Voltaire, challenged the religious establishment of his day) pointed this out. 

Faith is an expression of God's mercy towards us. 

On a bad day, when things don't make sense, I need to remember this. In the middle of a torrential downpour of pain, I need to grab hold of this. During times of long-suffering, I need to cling to this faith to help anchor me.

God loves me. 

That means I should take God's love personally. If I believe that God loves me, because God has given me faith, then it must mean that God is after relationship with me. 

My relationship with God isn't based on feelings, or what is/isn't happening at this moment. 

In fact, my relationship with God isn't the sum total of feelings, at all. It's based on commitment and faith in God's nature. It's this aspect of relationship with God, remembering who God is, that helps keep that foundation of hope and trust alive, no matter what else may or may not be happening around me.

God never promises a stress-free life. 

There are scriptures that point to this reality. Faith in God isn't a spiritual tranquilizer. It doesn't numb us from life's disappointments and pain. But it is a buffer that reminds us that after the storm, we will be stronger. 

Our faith in God should cause us to grow spiritually.

As we experience tough times, as we hold on to our faith, it should cause our faith to be strengthened. The apostle James wrote: "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." We're being cautioned to expect trials, so that we won't be upended by them. James goes on to say that the goal is completeness. And if we don't understand how this works, we can ask God for wisdom, "who will give it to you and will not rebuke you for asking." 

Having doubts doesn't mean God has failed us. 

We don't have to act as if we have life all figured out. When we experience doubt, we can take those doubts to God because God doesn't condemn us for having them. God will ultimately use those doubts to strengthen us. Believing, having faith in God doesn't mean we will never fall. But it does mean God will always be there to pick us up. 

Here's the link to Addie's post: Addie's PostAddie, thanks, so much, for having the courage to write it! 

So, readers, now it's your turn! Please feel free to leave a reply, what does faith mean to you?

Photo Credit: www.soulstylebeauty.com

Monday, September 28, 2015

Where we see failure, God sees hope!



Have you ever bitten off more than you can chew?

Yesterday evening I wrote an email to an organization where I was taking volunteer training towards the goal of being a mentor. The training consisted of two weeks, four days each day, four hours a day.

It was detailed. Very, very detailed; because the audience for the tutoring were kids who have dyslexia or ADHD. The goal of the organization is to help them learn how to read.

After sitting through four days of the training the feeling was confirmed that it was, at this moment in life, too much to absorb. I was already scheduled to start a new part-time job in a few weeks and the training was severely testing my brain's ability to store and retrieve information.

Our homework assignment over the weekend was to write up our first lesson plan, assuming that we were going to tutor a child. I simply couldn't do it. I found myself staring at the notebook, and at the blank lesson plan outline. 

It became painfully obvious that I needed to notify the organization's trainer (who is amazingly upbeat, knowledgeable and gracious) that I had to bow out because I wasn't learning fast enough.

I wasn't getting it fast enough because there was already too much on my plate. My gut instinct told me after the first day that I shouldn't continue the training. It wasn't a matter of brain power. It was a matter of timing. I'm a fairly intelligent person and over the years I'd learned to multi-task with the best of them. But in this case, I simply should have followed my instinct and said "no" to the training earlier in the week.

Why didn't I?

Because of pride - I hate to give up. I hate to say no. I hate to disappoint people. And, most of all, I hate to admit when I've made a mistake! 

So, it was somewhat embarrassing for me to send off an email last night to the tutoring instructor. Her response was gracious and actually encouraging.  She understood and was extremely kind about my bowing out.

We live in a culture that doesn't abide admitting when we've made mistakes. Under normal circumstances, we equate mistake with failure. (If you don't believe me, try saying the word "mistake" out loud a few times and let me know what feeling immediately comes to you). 

Why is this so?

We don't like making mistakes because they are opportunities for others to see where we might need help or practice. We don't want to appear vulnerable. But how else do we learn? Does anyone obtain perfection the first time we attempt something? Isn't the point of practice to allow time for mistakes? But somehow, in real life, we sometimes seem to pull the plug on making mistakes after setting up an arbitrary timeline.

But the truth is, this side of heaven, there is no such thing as perfection. We are all beings in training. Even Paul cautioned us to work out our salvation "with fear and trembling." 

What was the lesson I learned in all of this?

It was two-fold. First, I need to trust my gut instincts more often. Specifically around the issue of putting too much on my plate, to the point of where there is actually no more room. If a plate is already too full, you're only going to cause something to fall off if you attempt to put something else on it.. The first time I felt like I had made a mistake in the timing of signing on for the training, I should have acknowledged it and saved myself a week's worth of discomfort. 

Secondly, I should have spent more time in prayer about signing up. I signed up on an impulse to do good. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but as the saying goes "timing is everything," and knowing that I was about to start a new job, I should have held back and concentrated on gearing up for what was already ahead of me.

If you are in a similar place right now, I'd like to encourage you. It's not too late to bring God into your decision making! It's always a good time to do that! God's plate is never full and God will help you through it! 

And most of all, God doesn't consider a mistake a failure! God sees our mistakes as opportunities to grow!

Photo Credit: www.pastorfury.com







Saturday, September 26, 2015

Gaga ball and Preemptive Love

Earlier this spring, I began volunteering at a place called Peace House.

It's located in a very lively neighborhood within the city where I live. There are tons of kids on the street where Peace House sits. Many of them come from fragile homes experiencing difficulty in getting along with every-day life.

Two weeks ago, I was helping to supervise the Gaga ball area in the backyard. Here's what it looks like. (A disclaimer, the photo below isn't the Gaga ball pit at Peace House, but I wanted to give you an idea of it).



As you can imagine, the game is fast and furious. (Think dodgeball played within in a small area).

At several points in the game one of the kids playing called another of the kids "out" meaning the ball had hit them, or their pass of the ball had been caught in the air.

Needless to say, kids being kids, most of them denied being called out, and looked to me to decide the play. 99% of the time, the action of the game was so fast I didn't actually see the play, and I couldn't call it. So I told the kids to start a new game.

This didn't set well. During the course of the afternoon, four of the kids who were called out left the Gaga pit and walked away. When I ran after them and asked, "Tell me what's going on?" Without exception, each of them looked at me and said, "Get out of my face! I'm leaving!"

Kids being kids, every one of them eventually returned to play again.

On the way home that evening, I initially thought, "The kids were sort of rude. I was only asking them to explain what caused them to walk away from the game."

Then, it gradually dawned on me, that one possible reason why those four kids responded to my invitation to a conversation by saying, "Get out of my face!" was because they lived in a neighborhood that didn't encourage such openness. Their homes most likely weren't ones in which they experienced much compassion. And probably, what they said to me ("Get out of my face!") was exactly what they were told to do at home.

No opportunity to talk it through. No discussion. Only a truncated experience of frustrated communication, with very little chance of love to show through.

This all got me to thinking about Jeremy Courtney and his Preemptive Love Coalition. 

I wrote about Jeremy and this  group a few weeks ago Preemptive Love. Basically, what Courtney is doing is offering us an opportunity to "love first, and ask questions later."

The world that Preemptive Love Coalition and Peace House and groups like them are building is the exact opposite of what the kids in that Gaga pit are currently experiencing.

At the end of his TED talk, Courtney presents an interesting challenge. He asks: "What's your dream? What act of preemptive love can you do this week? An act of extending trust to another, who perhaps hasn't earned it yet? An act of suspending fear in your life?" 

I think it's a powerful question, so I'm also asking: What would our workplace, our families, our neighborhoods, our churches look like if we assumed positive intent? If we extended grace? If we made a choice to love, without counting the cost? 

As you think about the answer to this question, please consider that, as far as most faith traditions go, we already have been given that same chance, that same love. What would the world look like if we simply passed that love on to others, no questions asked?

You can view Jeremy Courtney's TED talk here.

Photo Credit: www.camporkila.blogspot.com




Friday, September 25, 2015

Can God's will be done on earth like it is in heaven?


"...Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
How often did I pray that prayer as a boy growing up? How often did I mouth those words in church or in parochial school or at home? But did I understand what I was praying, what God's son was saying?
In heaven God's will is accomplished perfectly. In heaven there is no sorrow, tears or pain. In heaven God's presence is manifest and it’s recognized. In heaven there are no missed opportunities. In heaven tears of mourning get turned into tears of joy. In heaven love is expressed in its purest form.
In heaven there are no regrets, no disappointments, no might-have-beens or if-onlys. In heaven God's word is accomplished to its ultimate intent.
That’s what heaven is like.
So, try to imagine what it’s like to be part of that. Try to imagine what it’s like to be in a place where nothing but God's will gets accomplished. Not only because God wants it so, but because the place itself promotes it, due to God's presence, and everyone there being in agreement.
There is no dissention in heaven because everyone and everything has been reconciled. 
There is a push in our country for diversity and inclusion. But yet there is much division and prejudice and hatred borne of insecurity and fear. In heaven there is amazing diversity, in fact, representatives of every nation and tribe on the face of the earth will be there. And it will be glorious. The song of praise emanating from heaven will be so rich and harmonious that it will far surpass anything our imagination could come up with.
All of these things will constitute heaven. All of these things will constitute heaven because of God's presence being there in its fullness. Now, after imagining these things, can you begin to understand what God's Son was talking about when he said, in response to his followers asking him to teach them how to pray to God: "Pray like this...your (God's) kingdom come, your (God's) will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Remember C.S. Lewis’ description of grass in The Great Divorce? How it was so beautifully deep that the narrator of the story had experienced nothing like it and almost wept seeing and experiecing its fullness. Now try to consider how everything - every object, every being -will be in its perfect state in heaven.

Are you beginning to get the picture? 

Are you beginning to get excited? Are you beginning to understand the significance of God's will being done on earth like God's will is being done in heaven? Some people say that thinking about heaven in this way is a waste of time; that its all pie-in-the-sky. But why would God's son encourage us to pray for it's coming on earth if it wasn't possible? 

We don't have to wait for the ultimate fulfillment of this prayer until our life on this earth is complete. It's happening now and we can be part of it.
This is a prayer without limits. This is a prayer that erases doubt and confusion. This is a prayer that opens up a highway from God's heart to our soul. And to the soul of anyone else who cares to say yes to this magnificent invitation!

Photo credit. www.boxoffice.com

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Have You Ever Been Nervous???



Have you ever been nervous?

I mean really, really nervous. The type of nervous that you can feel in the pit of your stomach. The type of nervous that causes you to hear your own heartbeat? 

Probably the classic scripture that addresses this challenge is found in Philippians, 4.6: "Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all that he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. God's peace will guard your heart and your mind as you live in Christ Jesus." (NLT)

I like the NKJ version as well. It reads; "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus."

Both versions are powerful. 

A verse before these life-affirming words, Paul wrote about rejoicing in the Lord and letting our gentleness be known, because God was at hand.

Then he launched into directly addressing this issue of how to handle anxiety.

The first piece of advice is to not worry. We're being encouraged to nip anxiety in the bud by recognizing what to do when we begin to worry. 

We're supposed to get in the habit of praying, about everything. And thanking God for all the things God's done for us. Then when worry knocks on the door, praying and being thankful are second nature to us.

This covering of prayer and giving thanks is like armor for our soul. It enriches us, it strengthens us, it helps keep our focus off our challenges and on the Eternal One who has the resources to help us meet them.

It's a message of hope. It's a message of looking beyond the here-and-now and beginning to dwell in eternity. 

To our natural, logical mind, this may seem absolutely ludicrous. Pain is real, so are the myriad challenges of everyday life.

Who would deliberately choose to pray and start being thankful when anxiety is nipping at your heels? On one level, it doesn't make sense. But on another, it does. 




When we step out in faith, God meets us. When we are in communication with God and feeding our soul (by praying about the little things in life) and thanking God, then our soul is strengthened to face life's larger challenges.

It doesn't mean we won't go through difficult times. But it does mean that we will have the assurance that we aren't alone. We are going through those challenging times with the Creator of the Universe who promises to hold us close. 

We have a covenant relationship with God. That means we can go to God with any situation or need, knowing that all God has is available to us. That's what a covenant is; we exchange what we have for what the Eternal One has. We come to God when feeling weak and receive God's strength in return.

Paul was writing from personal experience when he penned his letter to the Philippians.
He had learned, first hand, that he could come to his Creator in times of worry and distress. 

Here's some Good News!!! We have free access to the same Creator!

Photo Credit: www.howtomakeagreatpresentation.com
www.mkiellinikou..org






Monday, September 21, 2015

What Are You Thinking? Random Thoughts on a Monday


Happy Monday everyone!

I'm no Einstein, but every once in a while I think it's a healthy thing to identify trends and thought patterns and examine them. For instance:

1. There's been a tendency in the religious press to use the term "these are perilous times." As if there haven't been perilous times before. People who lived during World War II thought it was a perilous time. As did those who lived through World War I, or the Great Depression, or the Civil War, or the Flood (i.e. Noah and the Ark). I'm pretty sure children of the descendants who wandered through the desert with Moses were told, "these are perilous times!" 

Maybe we can give ourselves a collective break and stop using this term so often when trying to set this current period of world history apart from all others?

2. One of the offshoots of #1 is that some keynoters in the media tend to call up a litany of current sins as evidence that God is really, really fed up with us, so much so that God's about ready to pull the plug on planet earth and, by default, us. About three years ago I read the Bible straight through four times in a year's time. One lesson I learned from doing that is sin is part of human nature. Even the chosen folks fiddled with it, sometimes in a very big way. Since our spiritual ancestors were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, we've sinned. And as far as types of sin go, there's nothing new under the sun. In fact, it's kind of boring to see that we tend to repeat the same old types of sins throughout history. This isn't to say that I'm complacently condoning sin, I'm just not allowing myself to get sidetracked by its continued existence. 

When we respond to others by judging, using mean statements or exhibiting rude behavior, we are probably sinning.

3. Next year (in the United States) it's a presidential election year. Already the politics around the candidate selection process has become mired down in accusation, deception and half-truths. That's nothing new. It's also not new for candidates to call on the name of God as if God has given them a personal endorsement. Followers of candidates do the same. I've seen bumper stickers that boggle the mind in their interpretation of God's thought process. 

I don't mean to disillusion anyone, but God isn't a Republican. God's also not a Democrat, or an Independent. No political party perfectly captures the heart of God.

4. Some writers with a faith-focus tend to ignore or gloss over the fact that life is suffering, with or without God. There are terrible things that happen on a regular basis. We do each other a disservice if we ignore this fact. When we don't acknowledge another person's pain, or admit our own, we are passing by opportunities to give and receive love, mercy and grace. One of the most potent ways by which God's mercy, grace and love are shared are through times of deep and inexplicable pain. 

When we admit our hurts, that doesn't disqualify us from encouraging others. Admitting our pain can actually help others know they are not alone in their suffering. 

5. I came across a brilliant response to a one-word editorial the other day on Facebook. (The word in the editorial was "no," written in response to the question: Should a state legislator who was recently dismissed from the legislature for misconduct be allowed to run for another seat?) The writer on Facebook was concerned about the lack of thoughtful discussion around the topics of the day. This writer said he was saddened by the lack of articulate, well-thought-out editorials. The same writer concluded by saying, "Just because I have strong opinions doesn't mean that I don't respect yours."

Having the ability to speak our mind while actively listening to others who may not hold the same opinion is a safeguard towards maintaining a government that is truly free. It's also a sign of respect for others at it's most basic level.

Speaking of which, thank you for reading this post! Feel free to respond with your own thoughts! I'm listening!

Photo Credit: www.libguides.brenau.edu








Friday, September 18, 2015

Trusting God in the ordinary things of life



I'm really learning how to trust God. I mean, literally. 

Yesterday I received a check in the mail. I wasn’t expecting it. It was for $100. I saw that check as a blessing. It reinforced the promise God made to me over 13 years ago that I would not have to be anxious about my finances. 

At that time, I had almost finished 14 months serving on a kids' ministry team, making about $80 a week. I had left my well-paying job, not guaranteed that I'd be hired back. 

But I was hired back, and eventually made an even higher salary. I recently retired after 27 years there. And currently my only source of income is Social Security. A much smaller amount than my work check had been. So that $100 check I mentioned meant a great deal.

The whole trusting process sounds easy. But it isn't. 

The fact is, there are times when bills come and it's a stretch to pay them. I still need to trust that God's promises are true. For example, I'm looking for part-time work. As this blog post is being written I'm waiting for a call-back following an interview at an elementary school. So I'm not speaking out of a position of absolute certainty, borne of my own ability to secure my financial future. 

I'm simply relating what God has been teaching me about how trust works in everyday life.

God has been showing me, in very concrete, extremely ordinary kinds of ways that God's promises are true and that God's words to us are true and that God is for us!

God's son said, "Peace I give you, my peace I leave you."

And that peace is part of the foundation that helps us rest secure.

We have peace because God is for us. We have peace because God is at work in our life. We have peace because none of what God has given us can be taken away – God's grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, comfort, joy – all of those things can’t be taken away from us if we remain in relationship with God.

God's son was the perfect embodiment of God. He was the perfect expression of pure love. That’s why he said, “No one gets to the Father except through me.” Part of what he meant was that if we want relationship with God, to know what that relationship looks like, if we want an example of how to go after it, we can follow the example of God's son.

Those who are grounded in relationship, those who know God, are blessed. 

Every part of our life bears fruit when we're in that relationship. In fact, there is a river flowing through our life, strengthening every aspect of our character. Those in relationship can run and not be weary, they mount up with eagle’s wings because they have learned how to wait on God. 

So that's why the photo above, with the caption: "Trusting God when you don't feel like it means you're putting your faith where your heart is," makes perfect sense to me. It means I'm not putting my hope or trust in myself, or in my ability to figure it all out. 

When troubles come, we can know exactly where to go – under the shelter of God's wings. And we can know, despite suffering, that ultimately, the tears shed as we go through trials and experience pain will ultimately be exchanged for the oil of joy. 

That is true security. That is true happiness. That is true joy. That is life without limits. That is kingdom living!! And that is true peace!

Photo Credit: www.ccsouthbay.org/blog

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Please, let's help the refugees!!!



Yesterday on Twitter someone asked, "Why don't I see any children (in the photos of Syrian refugees)?" So for their benefit, and for anyone else who might be thinking the same question, here's a photo of some kids. The people in the picture above actually look a lot like a family, wouldn't you say? Almost typical, except those are Hungarian police in the background. And the family isn't out for a noonday stroll. They are running away from their country because much of it is now rubble.



The same person on Twitter asked, "And what about women?" So, for the record, here's a photo of a mom walking along a railroad track towards Germany and, hopefully, freedom.

There's also been a Facebook post from someone who questioned the validity of the photo, now infamous, of a young boy who drowned, face down, on a beach who didn't make it to Western Europe at all. The person posting on Facebook said that they heard the photo had been doctored up and wasn't authentic. But the photo was very real and the boy's father was seen in a video crying out for his son and wife, who both perished in the sea.

It's always easier to second guess instead of pitching in to help. 

What if we call a moratorium on waiting to lend a hand, and commit to do one thing today. Be it send a donation to an established front-line charity that's in the field offering help, or adding our names to the petitions already circulating in the US and Canada to open up our respective countries to the refugees.

If you've been following the news, it hasn't been good. Hungary has placed razor-wired fences across its borders, forcing the Syrian refugees to head elsewhere to access Western Europe. Officials are worried that they may cross fields that have mines placed in them from a past military conflict. Meanwhile Germany is slowing down on its own commitment, making it much harder for Syrian refugees to enter.

The time has long since passed to sit back and wait to see how this situation plays out. There is no more room for second-guessing. 

If you're wondering how to get involved and you're a fan of Ann Voskamp, check out her post from a few days ago here. She has five solid suggestions regarding what to do. 

Photo Credits: Matt Cardy, Getty Images




Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Sometimes we need to be emptied in order to be filled



Sometimes we have to be emptied of everything else in order to be filled with the good stuff.

Sometimes the room has to be emptied of clutter – like jealousy and bitterness and anger and judgment and disappointment and regret.

These things take up space and get in the way of experiencing the good things.

Sometimes the past takes up so much space that there’s no room for the future.

Past relationships or friends can continue to influence us, and our memory still is listening to them so we can’t hear the sound of God's voice.

Sometimes secrets that should be confessed are holding our memory in a prison of guilt, keeping those secrets from being confessed and being set free.

Heartache can take up an enormous amount of space.

It can grow over the years until there is no room left for joy or hope. In fact God's word says that hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it’s a tree of life.

How about judgment? If judgment is sitting on the throne then God's not even in the room.

Judgment is heavy and it brings the weight of condemnation. It not only condemns the recipient to being an emotional outcast, unable to have relationship with the one who judges; but it also condemns the one who judges with ostracizing their own self from their soul.

Sometimes the clutter of “me” makes no room for the love of “us.”

When we demand our rights, oftentimes little room is left for the other to be known and grow. Sometimes demanding takes up so much space that relationships start to suffocate from the strain.

There is only so much space, so much time, so much energy, only so much when we are focusing on our self, on our own resources. 

But when we allow God to do some spring cleaning of our soul, space, time and energy are freed up and increased.

Our soul suddenly becomes larger and free of distraction and our thinking becomes broader. Our ability to love and extend mercy and grace grows exponentially. As we give away mercy and grace tremendous healing happens and a wellspring of joy and hope and trust pours forth. 

We find out, firsthand, that God's mercy never ends, God's faithfulness is fresh every morning and there is a delicious freedom that permeates every action we take. 

Sometimes we have to be emptied of everything else in order to be filled with the good stuff!


Photo credit: www.sheeptotheright.com

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Stephen Colbert: "Tragedy is sacred."



A couple of days ago I received a late night (for me) phone call from one of my brothers who wanted to talk about a cover story GQ magazine wrote on Stephen Colbert.

I'm a big fan of Colbert's (from the Colbert Report), so I listened to my brother and then read the piece.

Buried within the main topic of Colbert taking over The Late Show were a few gems I'd like to share.

During his interview Colbert talked about returning to his hometown of Charleston, SC shortly after the massacre there to participate in a peace march across the Arthur Ravenell Jr. Bridge.

"Tragedy is sacred," said Colbert. "People's suffering is sacred."

What an amazingly compassionate and deeply spiritual thing to say!

Perhaps Colbert's take on what happened in Charleston was fueled by his own upbringing. He was raised a Catholic, the youngest of several siblings. He lost the two brothers who were closest in age to him along with his father when they died in an accident when Colbert was 10.

He said it was his Mom's faith that helped him through the process of coming to terms with the family tragedy.

He also talked about being grateful.

"And so that act, that impulse to be grateful, wants an object. That object I call God... That's my context for my existence. That I am here to know God, love God, serve God, that we might be happy with each other in this world and with Him in the next - the catechism. That makes a lot of sense to me."

The GQ piece also offered another gem. For years Colbert had a quote from Pierre Telihard de Chardin taped to his pc. It read: "Joy is the most infallible sign of the existence of God."

It turns out that Telihard de Chadin was a Jesuit priest, a philosopher and paleontologist who helped discover Peking Man. Here's another quote from Telihard de Chardin:

"Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."

During this time of so much contention in the world regarding the Syrian refugee situation and a myriad of other events, I would offer that Telihard de Chardin and Colbert, are right. 

There are strong links among joy, being grateful and faith.

Photo Credit: www.en.wikipedia.com







Monday, September 14, 2015

Weren't we all once spiritual refugees?



Like a lot of other people, I've been following the Syrian refugee crisis.

Some countries have closed their doors. Others seem more hospitable.

A nephew of mine recently said, that in the history of immigration, it's either a "pull or push" situation. That is, something in the country of origin has gotten so intolerable that it forces a person to leave; or else another country has something so alluring that it motivates a person to come.

Either way there is a leaving of what's familiar, of what's considered normal in order to be pushed or pulled to go someplace else.

While this is happening, of course, there are all sorts of opinions being given. Politics aside, it comes down to if other countries are willing to open their doors or shut them. Most recently there have been hundreds if not thousands of voices lifted up offering opinions one way or the other. 

And it got me to thinking, on it's simplest level, weren't we all once spiritual refugees? 

That is, from a faith perspective, weren't we once "lost?" Weren't we strangers in a strange land? Didn't our descendants spend 40 years wandering in the desert as refugees after escaping from Egypt - ironically only a hop-and-a-skip from Syria?

Didn't we receive protection by being placed under God's wings? As followers of God's son, didn't we receive a warm welcome into another kingdom-country? Guaranteed open access for all eternity to God's love, mercy and grace?

Aren't you glad that God didn't set up a security patrol to keep unwelcome guests out? Aren't you thankful that God didn't require us to speak God's language or have the proper identification papers before welcoming us in?

I'm so thankful that God didn't close the border to heaven!

Photo Credit: www.abcnews.go.com

Friday, September 11, 2015

9/11: When Church Moved Into the Street



Today is the anniversary of 9/11.

One of my most vivid memories has to do with a decision I made shortly after that horrible day. I decided to move back to New York and get involved with Metro Ministries (now called Metro World Child).

New York City had been my home for eight years before heading back to the Midwest. So, I wanted to do something hands-on by joining Metro Ministries, helping them in their outreach to kids.

During our internship, which began the February after 9/11, one of the first things we did was visit Ground Zero, which was still an active site. 24 hours a day relief workers were continuing to sort through the rubble, searching for the remains of those who had perished.

There were gigantic flood lights around the enormous hole that had been the World Trade Center Towers, giving it a very eerie feel. And around the iron gate of St. Paul's Church there were hundreds of memorials taped up. St. Paul's was close to Ground Zero and the Church opened its doors to relief workers. People from all over New York came there and put up "Have You Seen?" flyers along with impromptu memorials (which ran the range from children's drawings of their missing family members to teddy bears). It was evidence of the emotional turmoil that still bled from a gigantic spiritual wound. 

In fact, there were so many memento-type items taped along the wrought iron gate that you could hardly see the gate anymore. 

I remember traveling from Brooklyn (where the ministry was headquartered) into Manhattan and almost every street had "Have You Seen?" or "In Memory Of" flyers taped to light poles. Some had little votive candles. The whole city was in a state of mourning for its deceased and the pain went very public. So much so that church had moved into the street.

There was an increased police presence at the subway entrances and in public gathering places. And I remember feeling, "will this sense of loss ever go away?"

The answer to that question, of course, was no. You never completely forget or get over a tragedy this big. One death of someone you love is enough to teach you that.

However, what I did learn is that gradually, very gradually, the immediacy of the pain receded. It receded a little every time our ministry team engaged a group of kids with Sidewalk Sunday School. Each time our Sidewalk Sunday School team visited our designated neighborhoods in Harlem and ministered to the kids, a little bit of hope came through.

It took some time, but eventually love began to win out over anger, shock and confusion.

I remained at Metro Ministries, staying on staff for 14 months and I look back at that time as sacred. 

P.S. What do YOU remember about the aftermath of 9/11? Feel free to share!

Photo Credit: www.followme.org


Thursday, September 10, 2015

Intimacy is a brave act!



Followers of God often struggle against the idea of what is considered normal in their culture as they try to change the world.

It wasn’t normal for fishermen in Judea to drop their nets and go follow a rabbi. It wasn’t normal for a prophet to lay on top of a widow’s dead boy and raise him back to life through God intervening. It wasn't normal for a guy to build an ark in the middle of a desert. It wasn't normal for a grieving widow to leave her country where her family had plenty of money and follow her mother-in-law, who had nothing, to a strange land. It wasn't normal for an unknown woman to have free access to the king, eventually interceding for her people.

All of the people who performed these unusually brave acts did so because they were in deep relationship with God. 

When you get right down to it, there is always a price to pay for deep relationship. And these followers of God (like Abraham, Sarah, Israel, Moses, Noah, Deborah, Ruth, and Esther to mention a few) were willing to pay it.

Intimacy isn’t always easy. 

At the very least, there is the sacrifice of time – spending time with the other person, deferring to the other person, listening to the other person simply so that we can get to know them better. It is getting lost in the other. At the end of the day, deep relationship doesn’t happen without sacrifice.

On the other hand, there are privileges. 

The privilege of another being known to you and you being known by the other. Walls come down, fears are overcome in the light of deep relationship. Brave things begin to happen.

How can we change the world without intimacy? 

With deep relationship changing the world is no longer a burden. With deep relationship changing the world is no longer mind-boggling. With deep relationship changing the world becomes fueled by love instead of guilt. With deep relationship changing the world rings true in the experience of those we are trying to lift up because they see genuine concern instead of obligation. 

With the intimacy of deep relationship, brave things begin to happen!

Photo Credit: www.hislovingembrace.wordpress.com

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Faith helps us to the other side of life's tragedies



You know the scripture, ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.’

It’s one of the more commonly known scriptures. Even people who have never picked up a Bible know this one if they went to Sunday school as a kid, or attend church or socialize with people who do.

For some people this scripture is a declaration. They speak it out like a solider saying ‘yes sir!’ to their commanding officer. Maybe without much thought, but simply because they were trained to say it. So there may not be much effort attached to the saying, even if they believe it on some level.

For other people, this scripture is spoken out as an anchor. They are in a tight spot, a rough place, a place between the promise and the provision. They are hurting and they want the hurt to end. But nevertheless they speak out these words as a statement of faith. It is a new day, even though they may not feel its newness, and they make an active choice to rejoice because faith is all they have left to hold on to.

And some people are like King David. They have seen the hope of God in the land of the living or else they would have given up. Their eyes of faith not only speak out these words, but the words have become a beacon, a light to show them the path of trust and hope.

In each of the above examples, a decision is made to go beyond present circumstances. In each case an invitation is extended to go deeper in relationship. In each case more love, mercy and grace are available for those who want it.

The key to whether we accept the invitation, or not, is our ability to trust and hope. 

Belief hinges on that.                                                 
                           
Both parts of the scripture depend on it. “This is the day the Lord has made.” 

Do we choose to believe that God's actively involved in each day of our life? Do we choose to believe that God knows our situation and circumstances? Do we choose to believe, no matter what our eyes or logical mind may tell us?

Then there’s the second part of the scripture. “I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

If our answer to the above questions are “yes,” then the rejoicing and gladness flow from it. There is no hope without trust, and there is no trust without faith.

In order for us to receive the full benefit of the scripture, to see the promise behind it, there needs to be faith. And faith is dependent upon relationship. After all, we can’t have faith in someone we don’t know. 


So, why then, is there a scripture from Joshua (talking about being bold and courageous) up at the top of this blog post? 

Because it's important to acknowledge that faith isn't some form of cheap grace. 

It's refined and strengthened during hard times. Hence the irony of the situation. Faith can help us through difficult situations.  But just as faith isn't dependent upon our feelings, it also doesn't always take pain and disappointment away. Hard things sometimes happen to faithful people.

However, ultimately, it's faith that helps us to the other side of life's tragedies. Because knowing these things about faith; it's inter-connectedness with trust and hope, founded in deep relationship; will help us keep our faith strong and growing.

Photo Credit: www.ibelieve.com; www.biblestudytools.com


Tuesday, September 8, 2015

God holds our future, and it's very good!



You know the scripture, ‘he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.’ Did you ever wonder what it meant? (1 John 4.4)

There’s a twofold meaning to it. First, the scripture is referencing God. It’s assuring us that there is no one in the world, there is no force in the universe, that is greater than God. We should be encouraged and receive comfort and confidence from that. No situation, no person is greater than God.

The second thing follows from the first. Which is, we are carrying God's spirit inside us always, everywhere we go. We not only have access to the Creator of the Universe, we have God's very spirit inside us. That means that we are bringing God's presence into every situation, every relationship, literally everywhere we go.

When we go to the supermarket, we are taking God there. When we go for a walk around the neighborhood park we are taking God there. When we teach kids in our home church in Sunday School God's in the room with us. When we are engaged in conversation with our family or friends, the Eternal One's with us.

God wants to give us a profound understanding of this fundamental truth. Greater is he who is in you that he who is in the world.

That also means that we are rooted in eternity. We are rooted firmly in heaven. We are bringing heaven to earth every place that our feet tread. It may not seem like it or feel like and our experience of this may, at times, be very small, but it’s still the truth.

Take heart. There is no reason to fear. There is no reason to be discouraged. There is no reason to fret about tomorrow. God holds our future and it’s very good!

Photo Credit: www.fortheloveofthistruth.com


Monday, September 7, 2015

Jeremy Courtney & Preemptive Love



I'm about 80 pages into the book Preemptive Love by Jeremy Courtney.


He's been living and working in Iraq for about seven years with his wife and children and is the director of Preemptive Love Coalition.

The focus is on helping kids in Iraq get surgery that is necessary for their survival. He started out by sending the kids to another country to get the treatment because at the time there were no hospitals in Iraq that were equipped. Years later, Preemptive Love Coalition has helped to set up hospitals in cities across this war ravaged country.


The whole idea behind preemptive love is to act first, with love, and ask questions later.


As Courtney said in a TED Talk, "If we live skeptically and only by the principles of risk-management, I fear we'll miss the opportunity to remake the world around us."

The whole idea of preemptive love sounds at once brave, naive, powerful and disarming. But to hear Courtney describe his own experience with it, preemptive love is also miraculously able to bridge cultures in a way no other force has.

I'd like to offer a few other quotes from Courtney that are included in his TED Talk:

"Violence unmakes the world. But preemptive love unmakes the violence and allows us to remake the world."

What did God's son have to same about the same subject? Didn't God's son say something about loving our enemies? Doing good to those who would seek to harm us? (Matt. 6.43-44).

"Preemptive love unmakes violence. Preemptive love unmakes injustice. And preemptive love can kick out fear."

What Bible verses come to mind regarding helping the poor? (1 Sam. 2.8, Job 5.16, Ps. 22.26, Ps. 35.10, Ps. 68.10, Pr. 17.5). What did God's son say about peacemakers? (Matt. 5.9). About those who are merciful? (Matt. 5.7),

Towards the end of Courtney's talk, he posed a refreshingly outrageous question and a challenge: "What's your dream? What act of preemptive love can you do this week? An act of extending trust to another, who perhaps hasn't earned it yet? An act of suspending fear in your life? Would that help accomplish your dream?"

It got me to wondering, what would the world look like if we all began to practice preemptive love? If we asked God, each day, to show us just one person or situation where we could put preemptive love into practice? 

photo credit: www.jeremycourtney.com









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