As I wrote of in my last blog, as followers of Christ we are just temporary residents of this world. Our world, our normal, our home place is the Kingdom of God. As such we are to find our center in our personal relationship with the Father and maintain communication through His ever present Holy Spirit. What that means is that wherever we are...we are at "home". We remain connected to Him and everything else can change.
Well, I experienced that this week. I had a thought while walking home from the office on Mon. Here I am in downtown Washington DC in a suit and tie walking past the tall buildings of a center city toward the Metro for my ride back to where I am staying. Couldn't be any different from hauling Amish in a carpenter crew truck or living next to a horse and buggy Mennonite farmer.
Although only 24% of men in the US own a suit, 99% of those work in cities. I saw them this week (and sweated along with them) in the 102 degree heat of Thurs afternoon. That's when I had to take a walk of about 10 blocks from one VA building to another. On Mon while dressed for my orientation I had to walk around several blocks of downtown (because I exited the wrong street from the Metro station). By the time I got to the meeting I was soaked...literally...from sweat. After checking my ID and giving me a temporary pass to the building the security guard handed me a paper towel to wipe my face!
I'm in a downtown building where the security is tight. ID cards, scanners, armed guards and nobody just wandering around. Security for the internet, encrypted emails when sending important information. No funny programs loaded on the network computers. They don't have time for the little evil bugs to be turned loose on the systems that control what is happening.
Several other changes I noticed this week. People who didn't know me...complimented me. I got compliments on my glasses and on my ties. I'm not used to someone noticing that kind of thing and saying something about it. Friendly people, especially the black people. I'm having fun with them. They are loose and yet are very competent in their jobs. I was introduced as being just as crazy as they are so I would fit right in.
I was also introduced as being a former pastor so that I could be contacted if someone had a spiritual need. Now that's a change from the business world I've been traveling in. Quite a few believers there praying for what is happening. I'm sure I'll learn more about that as time goes on.
I'm walking the equivalent of 4-5 blocks on each end of my Metro ride each day. I'm carrying my soft-side brief case and yellow school bus lunch box (not really!). The Metro is full of people either listening to their ipods, their phones, texting, reading their ipads, the paper or sleeping. Yep, sleeping standing up, sitting down...any way they can. Sometimes the a/c works on the Metro. Sometimes it doesn't. The men usually congregate around the escalator stairs where the a/c vents pour out cold air while waiting for the next train.
Downsizing and energy efficiency are the words of the day. We'll be thinking about these as we design buildings, utilize space in existing buildings and keep the facilities from hindering the programs for veterans.
One thing hasn't changed. I'm right in the middle of the battle for the hearts and lives of men and women. I have opportunity to be courteous, stepping aside at the Metro, holding a door open for someone or just smiling to someone who needs a smile. There are men and women all around me who still are not firing on all cylinders regarding their gifts, their leadership abilities and with support to do the job they have been entrusted with. I'm going to get to help build leaders, build a team and contribute to the change of the government culture. I believe many of the people I am working with right now are going on to be leaders in other government agencies in the future.
Changes. Plenty of changes have occurred and there are plenty more to come.
Please be in prayer for my immediate supervisor, Mike, his supervisor, Bernard, his supervisor, unnamed and Bonnie who is our Deputy Under Secretary.. When God wants to do something special you can bet the enemy will rear his head and attempt to destroy it. Let's summon the warring angels to come fight alongside me...and you wherever you are...to bring the Kingdom of God to bear on this world.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Sojourners
I remember standing on the deck behind our house in OH a number of years ago talking to my then college-aged son. I have forgotten what triggered the conversation but I remember distinctly telling him that we as followers of Christ are sojourners in this world.
That's an old term. In fact its probably from the King James. It basically means that we are temporary residents here. We are aliens in this world. Our citizenship is in another world...the Kingdom of God.
So what made me think of that this morning as I woke up clearly and couldn't go back to sleep? I was freaking out a little yesterday from all the changes I am going through. It's been 20 years since I wore a suit or sport coat and tie to work. I started out yesterday morning at a tailor's in downtown Lancaster getting my suit fitted as well as a blazer I bought a few years ago.
I printed out my selection package for my job that I need to have completed by when I report on Monday, June 6. It's at least a quarter of an inch thick. Intimidating.
I'm making a significant change in my way of life. From wearing jeans, tee shirts, comfortable shoes (I found out they do have some of those for dress) and getting dirty to wearing a dress shirt and tie daily in an office building that is probably too warm for my comfort but energy-saving.
This is the first time in my life when I am working in a downtown office building, living out of the city (maybe) and riding public transportation to my job. That's a lifestyle change but one that millions of people in the world experience every day.
What is my task in this very different world I am entering? The same task I have always had...to use my gifts to serve and bless those for whom I am employed. To represent the One I follow and to spread His love to those who are hungry for it.
Am I going to take tracts with me to hand out? Or carry my big KJV reference bible to work every day? Or have a lapel pin of the cross?
No. My life is going to be my testimony. How I serve in a world that is different than where I usually find myself but similar in so many ways. I am going to be among people who have not experienced the love of God. Or if they ever did they have lost touch with it.
People who are having struggles in their world with their marriage, their children, with their job, with their future and a million other things we all ponder as we wonder what is happening next in our lives. Our lives all seem a little out of control. One of my friends in OH was mentioning how she thinks NE OH may be turning into the next rain forest. I suggested that at least she hasn't been transported to tornado alley. She was glad for that because tornadoes are so random.
That describes the world we are living in...random. A record number of tornadoes this year. Record catastrophic floods. Record gas prices. Record food prices. The uncertainty of our job futures.
The world around us needs the assurance that we can offer them...that we are all sojourners in this land. This is not our permanent home. Our security is not in our retirement package or our paid down or off mortgage or our health from "good, clean living". Some of us have lived good clean lives and still gotten deathly sick.
Our lives are to demonstrate to those around us who have no hope what it is like to live with hope for a future that isn't dependent on Wall Street. How does one live in a world where nothing is "normal"?
We live as citizens of another Kingdom. We live with responses that come from the opposite Spirit than that who roams this world. We live so that others may ask "what is the hope that you live with?"
It's kinda hard to live like that. The pressure is to go with the flow. If your income increases, ramp up your lifestyle so that you can impress those around you. If someone snaps at you, snap back. They deserve it. If someone is taking out their fears and frustrations on you, give them a cold shoulder.
Living as citizens of another world. Sojourners in the one we find ourselves in this morning. Father, give us the grace, a full dose of your Holy Spirit and empower us to live as those who belong to a world that is far different that the one we serve in this day.
That's an old term. In fact its probably from the King James. It basically means that we are temporary residents here. We are aliens in this world. Our citizenship is in another world...the Kingdom of God.
So what made me think of that this morning as I woke up clearly and couldn't go back to sleep? I was freaking out a little yesterday from all the changes I am going through. It's been 20 years since I wore a suit or sport coat and tie to work. I started out yesterday morning at a tailor's in downtown Lancaster getting my suit fitted as well as a blazer I bought a few years ago.
I printed out my selection package for my job that I need to have completed by when I report on Monday, June 6. It's at least a quarter of an inch thick. Intimidating.
I'm making a significant change in my way of life. From wearing jeans, tee shirts, comfortable shoes (I found out they do have some of those for dress) and getting dirty to wearing a dress shirt and tie daily in an office building that is probably too warm for my comfort but energy-saving.
This is the first time in my life when I am working in a downtown office building, living out of the city (maybe) and riding public transportation to my job. That's a lifestyle change but one that millions of people in the world experience every day.
What is my task in this very different world I am entering? The same task I have always had...to use my gifts to serve and bless those for whom I am employed. To represent the One I follow and to spread His love to those who are hungry for it.
Am I going to take tracts with me to hand out? Or carry my big KJV reference bible to work every day? Or have a lapel pin of the cross?
No. My life is going to be my testimony. How I serve in a world that is different than where I usually find myself but similar in so many ways. I am going to be among people who have not experienced the love of God. Or if they ever did they have lost touch with it.
People who are having struggles in their world with their marriage, their children, with their job, with their future and a million other things we all ponder as we wonder what is happening next in our lives. Our lives all seem a little out of control. One of my friends in OH was mentioning how she thinks NE OH may be turning into the next rain forest. I suggested that at least she hasn't been transported to tornado alley. She was glad for that because tornadoes are so random.
That describes the world we are living in...random. A record number of tornadoes this year. Record catastrophic floods. Record gas prices. Record food prices. The uncertainty of our job futures.
The world around us needs the assurance that we can offer them...that we are all sojourners in this land. This is not our permanent home. Our security is not in our retirement package or our paid down or off mortgage or our health from "good, clean living". Some of us have lived good clean lives and still gotten deathly sick.
Our lives are to demonstrate to those around us who have no hope what it is like to live with hope for a future that isn't dependent on Wall Street. How does one live in a world where nothing is "normal"?
We live as citizens of another Kingdom. We live with responses that come from the opposite Spirit than that who roams this world. We live so that others may ask "what is the hope that you live with?"
It's kinda hard to live like that. The pressure is to go with the flow. If your income increases, ramp up your lifestyle so that you can impress those around you. If someone snaps at you, snap back. They deserve it. If someone is taking out their fears and frustrations on you, give them a cold shoulder.
Living as citizens of another world. Sojourners in the one we find ourselves in this morning. Father, give us the grace, a full dose of your Holy Spirit and empower us to live as those who belong to a world that is far different that the one we serve in this day.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Opposition
I love my Jesus because He is so practical. The Father called Him Emmanuel--God with us...right here in the middle of my day.
Another wonderful aspect of our faith (if we are practicing it and not just intellectualizing it) is that it is relevant every day in normal experiences we have. Woe to those who have made following Christ so complex that it appears that only theologians can ever attain that joy!
I went to Washington DC yesterday for an interview. Do you think the Father wants to bless me? Do you believe He wants the best for my life and your's? Do you believe that if He wants to do something good for us that there will be opposition? You bet your sweet bippie!
I left the house yesterday morning about 2 1/2 hours earlier than the 2 1/2 hour drive I had to the Metro station in MD where I was going to catch the train into town. I experienced the normal traffic congestion during rush hour but my Father because of the work He has done in my heart, helped me to remain calm and stress free.
I arrived at the Metro parking lot in Glenmont in plenty of time. But the parking garage was full...completely. I checked by driving around even though the sign said it was full and I had to pay $4.75 for "parking". What now?
In the "kiss and ride" lot (where you drop off your mate to catch the train) I saw a Metro police van. I approached it and asked the officer where I could find parking. She was very kind and interrupted a phone conversation to patiently answer my questions (just like my Father--she was one of His agents). She told me if I could wait until 10 am she wouldn't ticket me if I parked in a reserved spot. Or I could drive to the next station down the line where there was always ample parking. She gave me very good directions.
I chose the latter and drove about 5 miles to the next station. When I drove up to the parking garage I discovered I was supposed to have a SmartCard to get into the garage. They didn't take ATM cards there and there was no attendant. There was a very helpful fellow who just "happened" to be standing by who told me that I had to go to the main station and purchase a SmartCard. The main station was two blocks away.
So I drove to the station, parked without having any change for the meter and found my way into the station. There I found another very helpful agent who pointed me to the machine. I purchased my ticket for my ride into town while I was there. Back to the garage, parked and back to the station to catch the next train. I was now after 10:10 and I had a 27 min ride into town and a 4 block walk for an 11 am appointment.
I promise I was not stressed...which is incredibly unusual for how I used to be. I realized that laying down on the ground and pitching a fit like a 5 year old was not getting me a parking spot, or a SmartCard or a ride into town. Being nasty to those around me that I was expecting to help me wasn't going to get their cooperation.
The attendant showed me where to catch the Metro and a man sitting there assured me that I could catch the next train into Farragut North where I needed to go. He said, in fact, "I am going to that same stop. Just follow me." The Metro was very clear in its instructions but I still thanked my fourth or fifth benefactor for his help.
Oh, did I tell you I had to make a phone call to the person I was to meet...and my cell phone battery was dying?
I walked at a normal pace, found my way to the building and then had to go through security a couple of times because I kept forgetting things in my pockets. I finally made it upstairs to the fifth floor where the interview was to be held...but I desperately needed to go to the bathroom. While we're standing outside the door of the Director I was to meet with (by this time I was 5 or 10 minutes late to my interview--not a positive way to start a first impression) several people kept interrupting, asking to see her. I quickly got the fellow to take me to the bathroom.
Finally, the meeting began with the Director and two other men, only one of whom I had ever met or had any conversation with. It was very intimidating and my mind went blank when it should have functioned well. More opposition.
When I left the meeting (it was over in 15 minutes!) I was bummed. In fact, I had to put bandaids on my bottom lip because of dragging it on the pavement all the way back to the Metro station. I didn't have any bandaids for the blisters on my heels because of the shoes I was wearing.
When I got home I was feeling completely defeated. In fact, the enemy was starting to remind me of some of the old tapes that I used to enjoy playing about what a failure I was and how I would never succeed. I didn't press "play" but I did listen to the intro.
But in steps the Body of Christ. A friend who has been closely watching this process with me was experiencing a very difficult day as well. And she realized that it was the enemy trying to stand in the way of blessings that God wanted us both to enjoy. You really don't think he would step back and let us walk right into the open door of a great thing, do you, without opposing it with everything he has?
That's the MO (modus operandi) of the enemy. He will oppose every good thing the Father wants to do in our lives. He loves to hit us where we have been wounded before and make it hurt again. But as the scripture tells us we have to resist him and stand firm in the faith. I can't begin to describe how light-hearted I feel today. There are still hurdles to get over but I know that my Father has my best interests in mind and that I have an enemy who doesn't.
Do you recognize any opposition you are getting right now that is urging you to give up? That is saying that you aren't worth it? That is telling you that the Father doesn't care about you? Those are lies...and the Father doesn't lie.
Another wonderful aspect of our faith (if we are practicing it and not just intellectualizing it) is that it is relevant every day in normal experiences we have. Woe to those who have made following Christ so complex that it appears that only theologians can ever attain that joy!
I went to Washington DC yesterday for an interview. Do you think the Father wants to bless me? Do you believe He wants the best for my life and your's? Do you believe that if He wants to do something good for us that there will be opposition? You bet your sweet bippie!
I left the house yesterday morning about 2 1/2 hours earlier than the 2 1/2 hour drive I had to the Metro station in MD where I was going to catch the train into town. I experienced the normal traffic congestion during rush hour but my Father because of the work He has done in my heart, helped me to remain calm and stress free.
I arrived at the Metro parking lot in Glenmont in plenty of time. But the parking garage was full...completely. I checked by driving around even though the sign said it was full and I had to pay $4.75 for "parking". What now?
In the "kiss and ride" lot (where you drop off your mate to catch the train) I saw a Metro police van. I approached it and asked the officer where I could find parking. She was very kind and interrupted a phone conversation to patiently answer my questions (just like my Father--she was one of His agents). She told me if I could wait until 10 am she wouldn't ticket me if I parked in a reserved spot. Or I could drive to the next station down the line where there was always ample parking. She gave me very good directions.
I chose the latter and drove about 5 miles to the next station. When I drove up to the parking garage I discovered I was supposed to have a SmartCard to get into the garage. They didn't take ATM cards there and there was no attendant. There was a very helpful fellow who just "happened" to be standing by who told me that I had to go to the main station and purchase a SmartCard. The main station was two blocks away.
So I drove to the station, parked without having any change for the meter and found my way into the station. There I found another very helpful agent who pointed me to the machine. I purchased my ticket for my ride into town while I was there. Back to the garage, parked and back to the station to catch the next train. I was now after 10:10 and I had a 27 min ride into town and a 4 block walk for an 11 am appointment.
I promise I was not stressed...which is incredibly unusual for how I used to be. I realized that laying down on the ground and pitching a fit like a 5 year old was not getting me a parking spot, or a SmartCard or a ride into town. Being nasty to those around me that I was expecting to help me wasn't going to get their cooperation.
The attendant showed me where to catch the Metro and a man sitting there assured me that I could catch the next train into Farragut North where I needed to go. He said, in fact, "I am going to that same stop. Just follow me." The Metro was very clear in its instructions but I still thanked my fourth or fifth benefactor for his help.
Oh, did I tell you I had to make a phone call to the person I was to meet...and my cell phone battery was dying?
I walked at a normal pace, found my way to the building and then had to go through security a couple of times because I kept forgetting things in my pockets. I finally made it upstairs to the fifth floor where the interview was to be held...but I desperately needed to go to the bathroom. While we're standing outside the door of the Director I was to meet with (by this time I was 5 or 10 minutes late to my interview--not a positive way to start a first impression) several people kept interrupting, asking to see her. I quickly got the fellow to take me to the bathroom.
Finally, the meeting began with the Director and two other men, only one of whom I had ever met or had any conversation with. It was very intimidating and my mind went blank when it should have functioned well. More opposition.
When I left the meeting (it was over in 15 minutes!) I was bummed. In fact, I had to put bandaids on my bottom lip because of dragging it on the pavement all the way back to the Metro station. I didn't have any bandaids for the blisters on my heels because of the shoes I was wearing.
When I got home I was feeling completely defeated. In fact, the enemy was starting to remind me of some of the old tapes that I used to enjoy playing about what a failure I was and how I would never succeed. I didn't press "play" but I did listen to the intro.
But in steps the Body of Christ. A friend who has been closely watching this process with me was experiencing a very difficult day as well. And she realized that it was the enemy trying to stand in the way of blessings that God wanted us both to enjoy. You really don't think he would step back and let us walk right into the open door of a great thing, do you, without opposing it with everything he has?
That's the MO (modus operandi) of the enemy. He will oppose every good thing the Father wants to do in our lives. He loves to hit us where we have been wounded before and make it hurt again. But as the scripture tells us we have to resist him and stand firm in the faith. I can't begin to describe how light-hearted I feel today. There are still hurdles to get over but I know that my Father has my best interests in mind and that I have an enemy who doesn't.
Do you recognize any opposition you are getting right now that is urging you to give up? That is saying that you aren't worth it? That is telling you that the Father doesn't care about you? Those are lies...and the Father doesn't lie.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Guidance
I've been a follower of Christ for almost 50 years. I've seen a lot of changes in my relationship with my Savior including how I receive His guidance.
Early on I resorted to things like opening to Bible to a random place to find a scripture that might just give me an answer to the question I had. I also relied heavily on "fleeces" to confirm what I thought God was saying to me. Then there was the time in my life when I expected the supernatural...God speaking directly to me through a prophet or some other phenomena.
But as I have aged and as I have become more comfortable with the intimacy of my relationship to my heavenly Father I am leaning more through nudges and gentle leading.
When we left OH three years ago it was obvious that God wanted us to shake loose. He brought help at just the right time, opened person's hearts to show ways He loved us and provided a buyer for our home when the realtor was bracing us for low ball figure due to the economy.
We got here with every intention of staying here for the rest of our lives. Nissa seemed the least likely one of our children to be moving any time soon. Besides the other two live where summer is only a day or so a year. I was going to invest in my son-in-law's business and help him grow it as a gift of blessing to him.
But that didn't last and my job with a former congregational member who had been after me for years to work for him went up in smoke after 9 months. I now have spent the last 8 months being unemployed. That's a first for me in all my working life. I've usually gone from one job right to another with little time in between, started at the bottom earning vacation and trying to find a comfortable spot to excel.
It became evident recently that we don't appear to be destined to stay in Lancaster County very long. In fact, June 1st will be our three year anniversary of when we arrived. Strange to think that I may be starting a job in another city with a move in the wings on my 3 year anniversary. What a change from what we expected!
I found that's how the Father is. When we got to Holmes County in 1992 we came there to hide from the world and recover from the brokenness we experienced in serving God full time. We didn't ask God if it was okay with Him. We just sent Him a change of address card. We purposely bought our home west of where we had a lot of friends so we could hide, thinking that we would again retire right there...forever.
When God calls He often does so contrary to our plans. He shakes us loose. He causes circumstances to go differently than we expected. And if we are listening, He is gently nudging us toward His will for our lives and not our own.
I have been encumbered by things most of my life. I'm still carrying around sweatshirts from my college days (no they don't fit anymore). I just put my low cut Converse tennis shoes from high school and 70's style boots from my navy days in a bag to go to Goodwill. I have toy trucks from my father and also from my childhood that I have drug around expecting some day to stop long enough and have enough space to display them. I've never lived in a museum yet.
After the last 8 months at home with time to go through things I am hearing the Father tell me to get rid of the clutter. It was a difficult step to admit that the Jeep I've owned for 25 years needed to go away. I finally had a place to store it well and work on it but have never had the time or resources to do so. I bought it with the idea of fun and that's what it has represented to me all these years. And yet, it has caused me a lot of work to move it here and there.
I have realized that my identity isn't in all these things that I've carried around all these years. They don't define who I am. Neither does my job represent the sum total of who I am. So in these quiet days the last several months I am hearing a very loving, gentle Father set me free from all the things that I thought defined me.
He hasn't done it with lightning, fleeces, prophetic words or any of the colorful ways I used to expect Him to speak to me. He has just quietly spoken to my heart. He has gently nudged me toward things I was afraid of. He has walked right beside me in my transformation.
We may be moving to the Washington, DC area. I'll know more after Tuesday. Live in the city? Ride the metro to work every day? Live in a condo or townhouse? Not have room for all my stuff? Who would have thought? My Father, who wants the very best for me in all the ways He impacts my life. Would I have left the tranquility of Holmes County to go directly to Washington? Very doubtful.
We'll keep you posted on where the nudges take us.
Early on I resorted to things like opening to Bible to a random place to find a scripture that might just give me an answer to the question I had. I also relied heavily on "fleeces" to confirm what I thought God was saying to me. Then there was the time in my life when I expected the supernatural...God speaking directly to me through a prophet or some other phenomena.
But as I have aged and as I have become more comfortable with the intimacy of my relationship to my heavenly Father I am leaning more through nudges and gentle leading.
When we left OH three years ago it was obvious that God wanted us to shake loose. He brought help at just the right time, opened person's hearts to show ways He loved us and provided a buyer for our home when the realtor was bracing us for low ball figure due to the economy.
We got here with every intention of staying here for the rest of our lives. Nissa seemed the least likely one of our children to be moving any time soon. Besides the other two live where summer is only a day or so a year. I was going to invest in my son-in-law's business and help him grow it as a gift of blessing to him.
But that didn't last and my job with a former congregational member who had been after me for years to work for him went up in smoke after 9 months. I now have spent the last 8 months being unemployed. That's a first for me in all my working life. I've usually gone from one job right to another with little time in between, started at the bottom earning vacation and trying to find a comfortable spot to excel.
It became evident recently that we don't appear to be destined to stay in Lancaster County very long. In fact, June 1st will be our three year anniversary of when we arrived. Strange to think that I may be starting a job in another city with a move in the wings on my 3 year anniversary. What a change from what we expected!
I found that's how the Father is. When we got to Holmes County in 1992 we came there to hide from the world and recover from the brokenness we experienced in serving God full time. We didn't ask God if it was okay with Him. We just sent Him a change of address card. We purposely bought our home west of where we had a lot of friends so we could hide, thinking that we would again retire right there...forever.
When God calls He often does so contrary to our plans. He shakes us loose. He causes circumstances to go differently than we expected. And if we are listening, He is gently nudging us toward His will for our lives and not our own.
I have been encumbered by things most of my life. I'm still carrying around sweatshirts from my college days (no they don't fit anymore). I just put my low cut Converse tennis shoes from high school and 70's style boots from my navy days in a bag to go to Goodwill. I have toy trucks from my father and also from my childhood that I have drug around expecting some day to stop long enough and have enough space to display them. I've never lived in a museum yet.
After the last 8 months at home with time to go through things I am hearing the Father tell me to get rid of the clutter. It was a difficult step to admit that the Jeep I've owned for 25 years needed to go away. I finally had a place to store it well and work on it but have never had the time or resources to do so. I bought it with the idea of fun and that's what it has represented to me all these years. And yet, it has caused me a lot of work to move it here and there.
I have realized that my identity isn't in all these things that I've carried around all these years. They don't define who I am. Neither does my job represent the sum total of who I am. So in these quiet days the last several months I am hearing a very loving, gentle Father set me free from all the things that I thought defined me.
He hasn't done it with lightning, fleeces, prophetic words or any of the colorful ways I used to expect Him to speak to me. He has just quietly spoken to my heart. He has gently nudged me toward things I was afraid of. He has walked right beside me in my transformation.
We may be moving to the Washington, DC area. I'll know more after Tuesday. Live in the city? Ride the metro to work every day? Live in a condo or townhouse? Not have room for all my stuff? Who would have thought? My Father, who wants the very best for me in all the ways He impacts my life. Would I have left the tranquility of Holmes County to go directly to Washington? Very doubtful.
We'll keep you posted on where the nudges take us.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Belief
Most of us have been raised to be mental Christians. We've started early on in our lives to be "educated" about our faith. Sunday School. Sermons. Vacation Bible School. In fact, the innocent, childhood beliefs we had have been intellectualized right out of our hearts.
It's sad. We've replaced the wonderment and awe of a child with facts and figures about the Kingdom. One time I was at a meeting of Mennonite clergy. One of the ministers bored us all with Bible trivia. How many donkeys did King David have? What Honda did the disciples drive around in? It was boring and made light of a walk of faith with the Father. Sad. Very sad.
So what's wrong with having an intellectual faith in the Father? For one thing, it turns the Bible into a book of facts and figures and not a living Word. When we try to dissect the Gospel as just another book we kill the life of it. The Scriptures are meant to be a living letter from the Father to us, not to be the end of His communication with us, but to train us by experience how to hear the Father speak to us.
We lose the living Spirit of the Bible when we try to limit what God is going to say to us to just the specific examples of how He has spoken in the past. We are to be having a vibrant, daily conversation with the Father with whom we have a relationship. Sounds more like the conversations of a child than the words of a theologian.
When we have an intellectual faith it looks just like what we did when I attended seminary. We, Pat, the kids and I, were dependent on others to send us gifts to meet our daily expenses. I mustered up my best intellectual faith, posted a note on the refrigerator that "God is our source" ...and worried every time bills were due. My faith was not in a loving, immovable Father but in the "fact" that He would support us. My belief was in the words and not in the Word. My worry demonstrated what was really in my heart about my Father.
True belief is not what we can mentally spout off. It's what we act on in our daily lives. Do I believe that God is my source? If I really know Him in that way then I can live in peace when financial catastrophes loom on the horizon. I trust that He will show up and walk with me through the difficulty. I don't rush out and sell everything I have and expect the world to end. I don't go borrow more money to see me through. I don't go crying the blues to those around me looking for sympathy...and donations to my plight.
Does the Father want me to lose my house? Probably not. But He may want me to downsize...or relocate...or simplify my life? Maybe. Why? Because He loves me and wants the best for me. And what I think is the best might not be the best.
What we truly believe is demonstrated in our actions...not our words. I have a peace in my heart about what the Father believes about me. I trust Him. I know His heart toward me is good. I know He wants the best for my life. And I can wait until He unfolds that will in my life, living each day in peace and tranquility.
Am I the model of faith? No, to the contrary. I face battles of my belief. I am attacked by an enemy who wants to remind me of how I used to think and believe before I saw the Father show up in His loving glory. I have to allow my Spirit to speak to my heart and not my head. I must allow my actions to be based on my experience with the Father. I learn more about His trustworthiness as I trust Him on a daily basis. I don't need to go around spouting off what I know about the Father. I just live it and let my actions speak for my belief.
Ah, yes. I am ready, as Paul said, to give a report about why I believe what I do. I can quickly tell you how good my Father has been to me. I see Him daily showing me how He loves me.
I pray for you today that you will know the depth and width and height of the love of God for you...in your heart and not in your head. Watch for it!
It's sad. We've replaced the wonderment and awe of a child with facts and figures about the Kingdom. One time I was at a meeting of Mennonite clergy. One of the ministers bored us all with Bible trivia. How many donkeys did King David have? What Honda did the disciples drive around in? It was boring and made light of a walk of faith with the Father. Sad. Very sad.
So what's wrong with having an intellectual faith in the Father? For one thing, it turns the Bible into a book of facts and figures and not a living Word. When we try to dissect the Gospel as just another book we kill the life of it. The Scriptures are meant to be a living letter from the Father to us, not to be the end of His communication with us, but to train us by experience how to hear the Father speak to us.
We lose the living Spirit of the Bible when we try to limit what God is going to say to us to just the specific examples of how He has spoken in the past. We are to be having a vibrant, daily conversation with the Father with whom we have a relationship. Sounds more like the conversations of a child than the words of a theologian.
When we have an intellectual faith it looks just like what we did when I attended seminary. We, Pat, the kids and I, were dependent on others to send us gifts to meet our daily expenses. I mustered up my best intellectual faith, posted a note on the refrigerator that "God is our source" ...and worried every time bills were due. My faith was not in a loving, immovable Father but in the "fact" that He would support us. My belief was in the words and not in the Word. My worry demonstrated what was really in my heart about my Father.
True belief is not what we can mentally spout off. It's what we act on in our daily lives. Do I believe that God is my source? If I really know Him in that way then I can live in peace when financial catastrophes loom on the horizon. I trust that He will show up and walk with me through the difficulty. I don't rush out and sell everything I have and expect the world to end. I don't go borrow more money to see me through. I don't go crying the blues to those around me looking for sympathy...and donations to my plight.
Does the Father want me to lose my house? Probably not. But He may want me to downsize...or relocate...or simplify my life? Maybe. Why? Because He loves me and wants the best for me. And what I think is the best might not be the best.
What we truly believe is demonstrated in our actions...not our words. I have a peace in my heart about what the Father believes about me. I trust Him. I know His heart toward me is good. I know He wants the best for my life. And I can wait until He unfolds that will in my life, living each day in peace and tranquility.
Am I the model of faith? No, to the contrary. I face battles of my belief. I am attacked by an enemy who wants to remind me of how I used to think and believe before I saw the Father show up in His loving glory. I have to allow my Spirit to speak to my heart and not my head. I must allow my actions to be based on my experience with the Father. I learn more about His trustworthiness as I trust Him on a daily basis. I don't need to go around spouting off what I know about the Father. I just live it and let my actions speak for my belief.
Ah, yes. I am ready, as Paul said, to give a report about why I believe what I do. I can quickly tell you how good my Father has been to me. I see Him daily showing me how He loves me.
I pray for you today that you will know the depth and width and height of the love of God for you...in your heart and not in your head. Watch for it!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Trying Harder
I had a check in my spirit yesterday right after I posted about "Now what?" It was confirmed by a comment Nissa, my daughter, made about my post.
So many of us have been raised with the idea that our spirituality is up to us. We have to make the effort to make God want to speak to us, to be with us and to teach us. What we end up doing is carrying our spirituality on our own shoulders. I once had a person tell me about someone I was trying to have a relationship with that I can't carry both sides of the relationship.
The same is true with God only he doesn't require me to carry both sides. It's just that most of us have gotten used to being both sides of a friendship and we don't know how to let God love us without doing so much.
My parents raised me with the best of the tools they had at that point. They ingrained me with the idea that I had to act so that everyone liked me. Besides watering down who I am, it led me to collapse emotionally. I was trying to please two sides of a congregational fence as their pastor and I got caught in the barbed wire.
I don't know when I came to the realization that God didn't require me to try harder. I suppose I learned a lot about that while I was working with Theotherapy. I remember once driving along listening to oldies from the 70's (not meditating on God's goodness) when he spoke and told me to turn off the radio. He had something he wanted to tell me.
At that time in my life I had quit reading the scriptures, stopped praying (at least on Wed nights, before meals, etc) and was trying to give up all the religious things I had learned. I discovered that the Father still wanted to communicate to me and didn't require that I try harder.
So many people that we worked with in receiving emotional healing had had the following formula crammed down their throats by their churches in response to their brokenness..."Just pray more, come to church more, tithe more, serve more...(try harder to be good). They were worn out and had given up on the church. They had also given up that they were ever going to measure up to God's (man's version of it) standard.
It was only when they began to experience the unconditional love of God that they realized that he is a friend who initiates friendship. He wants to be in a relationship with us and he is pursuing us. He wants us to stop trying harder...and just yield to his promptings.
Whew! Was that ever a load off my shoulders when I realized it wasn't up to me to initiate it. All I had to do was respond to his love. His Holy Spirit was going to lead me into all truth. He was going to deepen my spirituality as I spent time with him in whatever context I found myself. He was going to lead me to repentance if I'd quit trying so hard on my own to be righteous.
Funny, the scriptures remind us that all our righteousness is as filthy rags...not just dirty ones, or soiled ones...but filthy. We don't have enough Tide or Clorox to get our righteousness up to par.
As I walk out my daily relationship with the Father the interactions I have with others come out of the abundance of that love between us. I don't have to try to be nice to others. I just show the love I have been shown. I don't have to remember to be polite. I am just polite because I was loved first and now I can love.
I am enjoying my walk with God, my Father, my friend, my Savior as I yield to his loving attention to me. I am enjoying the improvement in my relationships with others as I bask in His love. I have given up trying harder. It just wears me out.
So many of us have been raised with the idea that our spirituality is up to us. We have to make the effort to make God want to speak to us, to be with us and to teach us. What we end up doing is carrying our spirituality on our own shoulders. I once had a person tell me about someone I was trying to have a relationship with that I can't carry both sides of the relationship.
The same is true with God only he doesn't require me to carry both sides. It's just that most of us have gotten used to being both sides of a friendship and we don't know how to let God love us without doing so much.
My parents raised me with the best of the tools they had at that point. They ingrained me with the idea that I had to act so that everyone liked me. Besides watering down who I am, it led me to collapse emotionally. I was trying to please two sides of a congregational fence as their pastor and I got caught in the barbed wire.
I don't know when I came to the realization that God didn't require me to try harder. I suppose I learned a lot about that while I was working with Theotherapy. I remember once driving along listening to oldies from the 70's (not meditating on God's goodness) when he spoke and told me to turn off the radio. He had something he wanted to tell me.
At that time in my life I had quit reading the scriptures, stopped praying (at least on Wed nights, before meals, etc) and was trying to give up all the religious things I had learned. I discovered that the Father still wanted to communicate to me and didn't require that I try harder.
So many people that we worked with in receiving emotional healing had had the following formula crammed down their throats by their churches in response to their brokenness..."Just pray more, come to church more, tithe more, serve more...(try harder to be good). They were worn out and had given up on the church. They had also given up that they were ever going to measure up to God's (man's version of it) standard.
It was only when they began to experience the unconditional love of God that they realized that he is a friend who initiates friendship. He wants to be in a relationship with us and he is pursuing us. He wants us to stop trying harder...and just yield to his promptings.
Whew! Was that ever a load off my shoulders when I realized it wasn't up to me to initiate it. All I had to do was respond to his love. His Holy Spirit was going to lead me into all truth. He was going to deepen my spirituality as I spent time with him in whatever context I found myself. He was going to lead me to repentance if I'd quit trying so hard on my own to be righteous.
Funny, the scriptures remind us that all our righteousness is as filthy rags...not just dirty ones, or soiled ones...but filthy. We don't have enough Tide or Clorox to get our righteousness up to par.
As I walk out my daily relationship with the Father the interactions I have with others come out of the abundance of that love between us. I don't have to try to be nice to others. I just show the love I have been shown. I don't have to remember to be polite. I am just polite because I was loved first and now I can love.
I am enjoying my walk with God, my Father, my friend, my Savior as I yield to his loving attention to me. I am enjoying the improvement in my relationships with others as I bask in His love. I have given up trying harder. It just wears me out.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Now what?
Yesterday my two good Mennonite neighbors mowed their lawns so I was assured that it was okay to do the same to my lawn on Easter Monday. Don't ask me where Easter Monday came. I think it's an Amish holiday...another way to get a day off. Maybe it celebrates that Jesus rested after being resurrected. I checked to make sure there weren't any other restrictions on Easter Tuesday.
I've been waiting for Easter since Christmas. It was then that I had a conversation with a devout Hindu, the father of a friend of Ben and Rose's. He mentioned in the course of our conversation that he had seen a sermon title on the sign of a Lutheran church somewhere..."He is Risen...now what?"
Easter has so many memories attached with it. Easter egg hunts. New shoes and an outfit for church. The energy of spring after a long winter. Sunrise services. Breakfasts at church so we didn't have to go back home between the services. But now that it is over, what do we look forward to? Or as I entitled this blog...now what?
What does it mean to be a Christian post Easter? How does it change my life that Christ, my redeemer, has risen from the dead? For one thing, no other religion claims their founder rose from the dead. For that matter I'm not sure any other claims to have come from the Father to show us how to live a redeemed life in relationship with God and then returned. It's more than my human brain can comprehend (and I would suppose anyone else's) to understand how God can be three in one. I don't think we're supposed to figure that one out.
So will people know that I serve a risen Savior because I have a new pair of shoes? Or I can show them the remnants of the candy I got (with the green artificial grass all over the house)? Or have the nicest lawn with my mulch already in place?
It's got to be more than that. In fact those other indicators don't even need to be repeated next year. I serve a risen savior and I have an intimate relationship with the Father because of Jesus. And it changes my life today...and every day since Easter. In fact, I downplay Easter now because I don't want people to get the impression that that is the only time I serve Jesus.
I serve him in the way I treat my neighbors. I serve him in the way I respond to aggressive drivers...first by not being one. I serve him by loving the unlovely. I have compassion on those who are angry and spiteful. I treat my wife with respect. I serve those around me. I live a lifestyle that is different because I serve a risen Savior. Not because I want to be in tune to the green focus our culture has now. Or give away money so I can get my name on buildings all over LA like the guy I saw on 60 Minutes a few days ago.
It's time for us to live as people of a risen Savior...every day of the year and not just on Easter. It's time for us to have an intimate relationship with him so that we can love as he loved us. It's time for us to repent of the daily ways that we don't reflect the Savior when the Holy Spirit prompts us. It's time for us to change our lives and join in the resurrection of our Redeemer.
Forget the dandelions in your yard and focus on removing the dandelions in your spirit. Forget getting a new pair of shoes and get a new heart by giving your life to him. Forget getting up so early for one morning of the year just so you can have coffee and donuts at church with your friends. Join others who need fellowship and need to know the risen Savior at the local Dunkin Donuts next Sunday morning. Love the checkout clerk at your local grocery store. Show compassion to the attendant at the convenience store. Come in the opposite spirit of the aggressive driver and bless them in their stress.
Now what? We've got a whole year ahead of us, 365 days to live like people who have been resurrected.
I've been waiting for Easter since Christmas. It was then that I had a conversation with a devout Hindu, the father of a friend of Ben and Rose's. He mentioned in the course of our conversation that he had seen a sermon title on the sign of a Lutheran church somewhere..."He is Risen...now what?"
Easter has so many memories attached with it. Easter egg hunts. New shoes and an outfit for church. The energy of spring after a long winter. Sunrise services. Breakfasts at church so we didn't have to go back home between the services. But now that it is over, what do we look forward to? Or as I entitled this blog...now what?
What does it mean to be a Christian post Easter? How does it change my life that Christ, my redeemer, has risen from the dead? For one thing, no other religion claims their founder rose from the dead. For that matter I'm not sure any other claims to have come from the Father to show us how to live a redeemed life in relationship with God and then returned. It's more than my human brain can comprehend (and I would suppose anyone else's) to understand how God can be three in one. I don't think we're supposed to figure that one out.
So will people know that I serve a risen Savior because I have a new pair of shoes? Or I can show them the remnants of the candy I got (with the green artificial grass all over the house)? Or have the nicest lawn with my mulch already in place?
It's got to be more than that. In fact those other indicators don't even need to be repeated next year. I serve a risen savior and I have an intimate relationship with the Father because of Jesus. And it changes my life today...and every day since Easter. In fact, I downplay Easter now because I don't want people to get the impression that that is the only time I serve Jesus.
I serve him in the way I treat my neighbors. I serve him in the way I respond to aggressive drivers...first by not being one. I serve him by loving the unlovely. I have compassion on those who are angry and spiteful. I treat my wife with respect. I serve those around me. I live a lifestyle that is different because I serve a risen Savior. Not because I want to be in tune to the green focus our culture has now. Or give away money so I can get my name on buildings all over LA like the guy I saw on 60 Minutes a few days ago.
It's time for us to live as people of a risen Savior...every day of the year and not just on Easter. It's time for us to have an intimate relationship with him so that we can love as he loved us. It's time for us to repent of the daily ways that we don't reflect the Savior when the Holy Spirit prompts us. It's time for us to change our lives and join in the resurrection of our Redeemer.
Forget the dandelions in your yard and focus on removing the dandelions in your spirit. Forget getting a new pair of shoes and get a new heart by giving your life to him. Forget getting up so early for one morning of the year just so you can have coffee and donuts at church with your friends. Join others who need fellowship and need to know the risen Savior at the local Dunkin Donuts next Sunday morning. Love the checkout clerk at your local grocery store. Show compassion to the attendant at the convenience store. Come in the opposite spirit of the aggressive driver and bless them in their stress.
Now what? We've got a whole year ahead of us, 365 days to live like people who have been resurrected.
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