New Ideas to Head into the New Decade

I'm still in a bit of a turkey-and-pie-and-too-much-food-in-general coma from Thanksgiving, but as I slowly ease back into some sort of work rhythm, I'm excited to share a few things I came across in the last month. I hope these might give you some ideas and energy as you approach... 2020!

Godspeed. If you want to be totally refreshed and encouraged at a new (which is actually quite ancient) idea for "doing church," set aside 45 minutes or so to watch this. Then watch it with a church staff, or small group, or fellow pilgrims. I LOVED IT. I don't want to say much more. Just watch it.

Wanna Form a Band?! I played in pep and orchestral band in high school (picture me and my flute tooting "Ease On Down the Road" -- or don't...); my brother often plays in cover bands; my mom used to be in a ukulele band.... but sorry, I'm not talking about that kind of band. Good ol' John Wesley, his brother Charles, and George Whitefield started a little accountability and prayer group at Oxford that their friends mockingly called "the Holy Club." But out of that little group eventually emerged massive revival and transformation across England and eventually the US. A core aspect of the movement revolved around these tight little groups, which they called "bands." This link provides a 21st Century approach to forming such a group. Check it.

Celebrating Abundance: Devotions for Advent by Walter Brueggemann. I try to find a poignant, challenging, not-cheesy devotional every year for Advent, and folks, I found a WINNER this year. It's not too late, if you're still looking! Here's a quote that rang my bell:

In Advent, however, we receive the power of God that lies beyond us. This power is the antidote to our fatigue and cynicism. It is the gospel resolution to our spent self-sufficiency, when we are at the edge of our coping. It is the good news that will overmatch our cynicism that imagines there is no new thing that can enter our world. (my underlining) 

Let me know if you get a copy and we can exchange favorite quotes over and over... Brueggemann is such a gift.

Lectionary Poetry. This seems like a gold mine. Take a peek. It certainly tugs at my English major heart.

Final thoughts...
If I'm being honest, I'm a little ambivalent about December... for 11 years, Decembers were spent feverishly preparing for ski or winter camp that happened the week between Christmas and New Year's, and at the same time doing year-end fundraising to end the year in the black, however small that might be. I was always sick and exhausted by the end of the trip. And then for 15 years of working with the church, many preparations were needed for multiple celebrations and services. Often I was in charge of really big stuff like the candles at Christmas Eve (and scraping the spilled wax off the carpet afterward...) and turning off the lights at just the right moment for Silent Night.

What am I getting at? That the Christmas season has not always been easy street for some of us, not the warm, cozy time of Hallmark specials. I don't say that to feel sorry for myself, but to give myself permission (and perhaps a few of you) to not feel pressure to make this the. most. magical. time. of. the. year.

But I still do want to look for beauty and hope in unexpected places. I'll be gentle with myself (and hopefully others!) and keep Brueggemann's words from today's reading in mind:

But let me tell you the news that is proclaimed in Christ’s coming, about which we are reminded at every Communion service: Jesus has turned the world into abundance. God is the gift who keeps on giving, and the people around Jesus are empowered to receive abundance and therefore to act generously... We are recipients of enough and enough and more than enough, enough and enough and more than enough to share.

Have a lovely month of abundance. Thanks for reading.

Holy Week Readings, Day One

This week I am reading Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today by Joan Chittister. In the last five years I have been inordinately drawn to monastic spiritual practices and how they can be pursued without having to hide out in complete seclusion. Here's a great statement from the first chapter:

The spirituality that emerges from the Rule of Benedict is a spirituality charged with living the ordinary life extraordinarily well...  The problem becomes discovering how to make here and now, right and holy for us. (p. 6)

As you and I enter this final week of Lent, in preparation for Easter celebrations, I ask myself where resurrection is needed most in my life. I found this illustration from the book especially resonant, and a profound roadmap to guide me in that question:

Once upon a time, an ancient monastic tale says, the Elder said the businessperson:

     "As the fish perishes on dry land, so you perish when you get entangled in the world. The fish must return to the water and  you must return to the Spirit."

     And the businessperson was aghast. "Are you saying that I must give up my business and go into a monastery?" the person asked.


     And the Elder said, "Definitely not. I am telling you to hold on to your business and go into your heart."

At our weekly times in the park on the Westside, there is a 4 year-old boy named Ernesto who already has a very distinctive personality. He loves to play with carritos (toy cars) and catch balls. You can hear his voice all the way across the park as he plays and laughs. He is an Energizer bunny, endlessly demanding that one of us play with him. Yet as focused as he is on playing hard, his attention will be completely shifted if he sees a butterfly. "¡Mariposa!" he squeals, and starts chasing it, fruitlessly attempting to catch it. He will follow the butterfly throughout the park, up into bushes, across the field, away from everyone.

In the midst of my full and noisy life, I desire that when the Spirit is prompting me, that my attention would be taken away from the urgent and temporal things around me, instead following the Spirit where He leads.

Mammoth Diaries, Day 1

I am nestled in a warm cabin for five glorious days of rest and pure relaxation. Unexpectedly, we were greeted by early snow -- the first of the season. After a week of 70's and 80's at home, this is a pleasant shock!

The snowfall muffles everything with its pillowy calm. I spent the morning drinking coffee and reading various things. In my devotions, I landed in the Book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 6:16

This is what the Lord says:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around.
Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.
Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’

That last line is a killer. I don't want to be like Israel in Jeremiah's time. It's the opening lines of this message beckon me. Lord, I do ask for the "old, godly way," and certainly want to walk in it.

So what is the "old, godly way"?

Jeremiah 7:1-7

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go to the entrance of the Lord’s Temple, and give this message to the people: ‘O Judah, listen to this message from the Lord! Listen to it, all of you who worship here! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:

“‘Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land. But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!”

But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols. Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever.

Stunning words. This is all the more poignant for me because just yesterday I had a discussion with 70 high school students on this very topic. I am currently teaching on the Gospel of Mark in my class, and yesterday we were in Mark 7, where Jesus confronts the legalism of the Pharisees with surprising anger. He shames them boldly and then turns to the crowds, inviting them to hear:

“All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” (Mark 7:14-15)

One of the students said she doesn't like it when she is at church, or in school, and there are things being taught about God, but her mind and heart are somewhere else entirely. I pulled out an old tired (but still true) youth pastor-ism in response:

"Going to church (or a Christian school) makes you a Christian as much as going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger."

Certainly not an original thought, especially now when I read Jeremiah's prophecy from thousands of years ago, where he confronted the Israelites for the same thing! They found shallow comfort in going to the temple, hoping their presence there would cover a multitude of sins. In the same way, we must recognize that the ways we love (or don't love) our neighbor say much more about the states of our souls.

God told Jeremiah to tell God's people that we must admit that we cannot say we love God if the fruit of that love is not overflowing into our relationships and our communities. God was (and is!) angry with His people for not serving the poor, and for worshiping false gods. Perhaps we do not offer burnt offerings to other gods in 2011, but we certainly sit at the altars of things that we think will meet our needs... (can anyone say, iPhone 5?)

I kept reading this morning in Jeremiah, though I was feeling more convicted by the minute.

Jeremiah 8:6-7

I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth.
Is anyone sorry for doing wrong?
Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”?
No! All are running down the path of sin
as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!
Even the stork that flies across the sky
knows the time of her migration,
as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane.
They all return at the proper time each year.
But not my people!
They do not know the Lord’s laws.

Lord, like storks, turtledoves, swallows and cranes, may we "migrate" back to you, our true home. May our hearts and minds be warm for your presence and your calling on our lives. And may that time in your presence, where we pay attention to your still, small voice, prompt us to go out and be your love in the world.

Solitude Devotional

My church, Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara, asked me to write a study guide on the spiritual discipline of solitude for this month - July 2011.

I've mentioned this to a few friends I know and they have asked me for a copy, so I've decided to post it here. It will guide you through daily devotions for the entire month of July.

I'd be very curious to hear any feedback, should you choose to use it. The content came almost purely from my own pursuit of intimacy with God in these last 2 1/2 years or so. I've spent time studying Benedictine spirituality, reading authors like Henri Nouwen, Scot McKnight, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Parker Palmer, Kathleen Norris and Thomas Merton.

In terms of my own time today, this psalm came into my reading. It was a profound blessing that spoke directly to where I am right now. May your times with God this coming month be rich and real in new ways. Amen.

Psalm 4

¹ Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

² How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make groundless accusations?
How long will you continue your lies?
Interlude

³ You can be sure of this:
The Lord set apart the godly for himself.
The Lord will answer when I call to him.

⁴ Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
Interlude

⁵ Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
and trust the Lord.

⁶ Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
Let your face smile on us, Lord.
⁷ You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

The Long View

I cannot begin to describe the glorious, delightful, restful vacation I just had these past 10 days... due to the generosity of friends and family, I got to celebrate this latest birthday (a significant marker whose number need not be named!) by going to the Amalfi Coast in Italy with my best friend.

We started in Naples (forgettable and dirty, but stayed in a lovely hotel) then went on to Sorrento, the island of Capri, Amalfi, Salerno, Pompeii and back to Naples. This was unlike other trips I've made abroad in that we stayed within a relatively small piece of geography, not spending more than an hour traveling on any of our days there. So we were able to take things slow, sight see, read, linger over meals, get plenty of sleep, and give up any need to worry about time.

No email, no phone calls, no appointments... it was so great to just be there and really rest. The photo here is of one of my favorite sites, the Duomo in Amalfi. Though it is striking, no photo could really capture its dramatic presence. It practically explodes out of the square. Climbing the stairs made me feel like I was ascending a pyramid ~ they were so steep and wide, pointing up to the true center of town. The dramatic stripes and contrasting squares of black and white were utterly unique. This website gives more of the background of the cathedral and many more photos of what we saw there (photos of my own visit there, along with the rest of our trip, will come later I hope).

There were so many highlights to this trip. I am still in awe of it all, and so very grateful for the opportunity. But perhaps the most long-term effects will come from all the great reading I got to do on the trip. Between long plane flights and evenings with no distractions (along with a daily cappuccino break each afternoon, naturally!) I got to dig into some books I've been waiting to get to.

Here is the first quote that rocked me to the core. It's practically a statement of purpose, and I can only pray it speaks to how I have attempted to live my life. It comes from Archbishop Oscar Romero, martyred in El Salvador in 1980 for speaking against the repression of his people. I read it in my devotional:

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.

As I return to work tomorrow, to students and with churches whom I have come to love so dearly, I pray that God's Spirit would help me not give in to my flesh, which tends to have a great need to feel effective, and instead seek to take "the long view" as it is described here. And as Romero says, I pray that in realizing that I cannot do everything that I will be liberated to simply do the best I can, to the glory of God.

Promise

In my devotional reading I'm starting to see that not only is Advent a time of waiting -- reflecting on how Mary and Joseph, and Israel itself, awaited the birth of Jesus, and how we wait for Him to come again -- but it is also a time of promise.

God has made so many promises to His people. And as it says in 2 Corinthians 1:20,

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

To all of my questions, doubts and fears, God simply says, Jesus. He does not promise that we will be protected from danger and damage -- but He does promise that we will never be alone. He does not promise that I will have a solution to every problem, but He does say that all will be made right eventually in Him.

His promise is simple, yet utterly profound: Jesus. After so many years of relationship with Him, I still cannot begin to know how large and real and comprehensive that promise is.

We await Him during this Advent, and this waiting can and should prompt us to want to live an Advent life always, anticipating Him and His return as the only true meaning of my life. What I am realizing is that the only way to do that is to live in the light of His promise. I was reminded of that this morning as I read Isaiah 9:1-7,

¹ But there'll be no darkness for those who were in trouble. Earlier he did bring the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali into disrepute, but the time is coming when he'll make that whole area glorious— the road along the Sea, the country past the Jordan, international Galilee.

^2-7The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation,
you expanded its joy.
Oh, they're so glad in your presence!
Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration,
sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
all their whips and cudgels and curses—
Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
as surprising and sudden as Gideon's old victory over Midian.
The boots of all those invading troops,
along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned,
a fire that will burn for days!
For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us!
He'll take over
the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He'll rule from the historic David throne
over that promised kingdom.
He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing
and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
will do all this. (The Message)

I know that the words of Isaiah were written 600 years before Jesus came to earth. Reading them another two thousand years after that tells me that we are people who are wading in the stream of faith history. It is a surging river, and I must grip God's hand tightly if I am to navigate these waters without stumbling. I want to keep my life within the perspective of God's eternity. Otherwise, my issues are small and ridiculous.

In this Isaiah prophecy I also see how many of those promises have been answered ~ which helps me persevere as I still wait for others to come to fruition.

So I will wait, because I have been given a sure and steady promise.

Appetite

Yesterday was a hearty day of learning for me. It started in my Foundations of the Faith class at Providence Hall. We finished up a month-long series on Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. (Note to self: a month is not nearly long enough! Especially when I only get to teach on it twice a week. But something is better than nothing, right?)

It's a mixed bag in terms of how much students got out of our discussions. Lewis uses language that is so intricate and thought-provoking. And sometimes, just plain hard. So it takes awhile for teenagers (anyone, really) to shift gears into his vocabulary and logic. But it is so worth the effort!

In yesterday's meeting we spent time looking at two letters from the end of the book [Spoiler alert: if you haven't read the book, I'm giving away the ending here...] Letter 28 is a review of how the demons Uncle Screwtape and his nephew Wormwood have worked at tempting and deceiving and "muddling" the "patient." This book was written in 1942, so the heavy presence of the war, compounded by the carpet bombing of London, is prevalent as a ready source of discouragement and temptation. As a class we then spent time together thinking about and comparing how we are tempted in sunny Santa Barbara in 2010.

One of the many wonders of this short novel is how Lewis gets us to see how even the stupefying horrors of war can be used to bring believers closer to God. More wondrous still is how Lewis resolves the book. The "patient," a new believer tormented in various ways by Screwtape and Wormwood, nonetheless thrives in his faith, despite various ups and downs -- or "undulations," as Lewis terms them. Then the book ends with a big surprise -- the patient is killed during the bombings. As one student told me, "this actually brought me to tears. It took my breath away to realize that this was a good thing."

Indeed, amazingly, this is a "happy" ending, because the demons' efforts at destruction and damnation are thwarted. The patient ends life in this world loving his Savior, safely in the arms of the "Enemy," as the demons refer to God Himself.

As a school, we reviewed what we'd learned from our time reading through Screwtape:

1. Beware of how subtly and persistently Satan wants to destroy you. He will never give up.
2. The greatest weapons you have against temptation are prayer and godly, unselfish love.
3. This life is not all there is. We are sustained as we realize that we are being shaped for eternity. Develop a hunger for heaven...

There are a world of things I could say about those 3 lessons learned. But one thing in particular really hit home. The daily Nouwen quote that arrived in my email inbox said this:

If we do not wait patiently in expectation for God's coming in glory, we start wandering around, going from one little sensation to another. Our lives get stuffed with newspaper items, television stories, and gossip. Then our minds lose the discipline of discerning between what leads us closer to God and what doesn't, and our hearts gradually lose their spiritual sensitivity.

Without waiting for the second coming of Christ, we will stagnate quickly and become tempted to indulge in whatever gives us a moment of pleasure.

By sending this quote yesterday, I believe that God was using a "holy highlighter" with me, reinforcing the very words in my own life that I was to be teaching to others. I was reminded to strengthen my heavenly appetites, not my worldly ones. God is most satisfying when I allow myself to be hungry for him, "waiting patiently in expectation for him." If I eat the "junk food" of this life instead, I gain a false sense of fullness that leaves me shallow and wanting.

Thus I enter Thanksgiving, the beginning of the new church year (starting with Advent on Sunday) wanting to feed myself with Jesus even more, stoking the fires of true spiritual hunger. But where do I start? Providentially, a great opportunity to do so arrived in my mailbox the very day!

I have included a photo of the book that arrived. It has just been released by Zondervan, and its title is simple: Common Prayer. The subtitle says a bit more: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. One of its authors is a friend of mine, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. I can't even begin to describe all that it includes. But simply put, it's a unique sort of daily devotional, especially useful for groups to use too. I am so excited to get started on it. It provides a generous yet challenging structure for deepened prayer and devotion. I am going to get it for friends, and recommend it to everyone I talk to. I suggest you do the same... perhaps we can start a quiet little revolution!

I say all this not just because I want to support my friend's book (though I do!); but because I was reminded in multiple ways yesterday that, when it comes down to it, I have one fundamental prayer in my life:

He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30, NIV)

Restated in other versions:

He must increase, but I must decrease. (NASB)

That's why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines. (The Message)

One paraphrase I heard states it this way: "Less of me, and more of Thee."

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Advent, Happy next year in Jesus Christ. Stuff yourself with more of Him!

Work and Effectiveness

I'm reading a lovely book called Monastic Practices, by Charles Cummings. I discovered it when I was reading a book during my sabbatical titled Benedict's Way - and a particular passage from the Cummings book really resonated with me. (P.S. If you're looking for a good book to jumpstart your devotional life, go with Benedict's Way. I read through it twice during my sabbatical.)

I've only gotten through the first three chapters of Monastic Practices. I don't want to be in a hurry when I read it. The chapter on Work has stuck with me the most so far.

I usually have a tremendous need to get a lot done. I like being efficient. I like making lists, and checking things off those lists. I love the sense of accomplishment that comes after a big project is finished. I would not say that any of those things are necessarily bad... but they are deceptive in the ways I look to them for identity and success. This section from the book spoke deeply to me in this regard:

Jesus on the cross was in the position of one who could achieve nothing, who was totally unproductive. With his hands nailed to the cross, he was the picture of absolute powerlessness and uselessness. But simply by being there 'for love, and with trust in God's help,' Jesus redeemed the world. He redeemed us more efficaciously when he was powerless on the cross than when he was traveling about, preaching and working miracles.

My employment is a valuable thing. I have greatly enjoyed nearly everything about the jobs I have had. But I must remember that my greatest work does not come in what I do, but in who I am. Because that, more than anything else, shapes who I am eternally.

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.

Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. (Colossians 3:1-4, The Message)