Category Archives: spiritual questions/musings/wonderings

October 5, 2013 · 01:33

in the lap

I’ve been thinking more about sitting in God’s lap (this is attributed to Calvin) since I have had this little guy sitting in my lap lately… When I see him, I wish to have him, awake or asleep, sitting with me.

in my lap

I find such peace and rest when I climb up into God’s lap for an extended time of prayer. Last week, someone tweeted that we should feel guilty if we were to fall asleep in prayer. The writer implied that God is not bothered by our falling asleep in His lap. As I think of Little Will sleeping in my lap, I really get this idea. To have sat with God long enough to relax and rest is, I think, what He longs for with us. He longs for such intimacy with us. Plan to climb up into God’s lap with His word in yours and rest with Him.

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Filed under experience, photos along the way, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings

September 30, 2013 · 12:02

pattern your reading

“We have to be continually reminded of what we believe.” (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity III.11.6)

Do you have scriptures that you return to on a regular basis, does your Bible have reminder flags?

IMG_20130829_130434_511 (1)

Create a pattern for your reading. You might start with The Path (link in the column on the right!). This is part of training the heart and mind.

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September 16, 2013 · 09:06

reboot part 2

This is part 2 (but it includes the intro that was part 1 – consider it in draft form please)

Sometimes the best thing to do with a PC is just to turn it off count to 10 and turn it back on. I think that, especially if, like me you’re running an older laptop and seldom turn it off, this is the case. We just get too much stuff going at the same time and stuff starts messing up and we need to shut it down, let it rest and start over.

I think we are like that too.

I was talking to an old friend recently who said that prayer and Scripture are dry. It would appear that this is true from time to time for us all. Well, at least those who pay attention.

So, what do you do when this happens? Well, I suggest a reboot.

People in vocational (paid) ministry that are in ‘secure’ positions, often have the ability to and so, take a ‘sabbatical.’ These sabbaticals sometimes last a couple of months. Its like when someone gets sent to rehab for this or that. They often don’t go until they are in trouble, and for many, its too late. I was once told that many ministry leaders wait until its too late and change jobs soon after the sabbatical. The have burned out too far.

But for most people, that is all totally impractical anyway.

So, I thought I would suggest the idea of what I call a “sabbath rest”. The background is that I had been unwell and dried out and blah, blah, blah and was asked the question “Can you take 2 weeks off? Over time a plan developed that wound up being 10 days (which is only 1 day longer than a week of vacation with weekends on each end).

The plan is simple but not necessarily easy. It does require discipline, but if you’ve read this far, you are on the right track and you need help planning and accountability during and after.

1. Go away. Alone. But keep the place simple. You don’t have time to establish routine so you must get there with enough familiarity to walk right into your plan. It’s called solitude.

2. Be quiet if not silent. Really. Keep your talking to the absolute minimum that you can without being rude to people. It’s called silence. If you are married, call daily to stay connected. But be careful about trying to answer the “how’s it going? question every day. That can be frustrating because progress is measured in longer increments not shorter.

More to come…

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September 8, 2013 · 09:23

reboot

Sometimes the best thing to do with a slow or struggling PC is just to turn it off count to 10 and turn it back on. We just get too much stuff going at the same time and stuff starts messing up and we need to shut it down, let it rest and start over. I think humans are like that too. They need to turn off and rest. reboot.

I was talking to an old friend recently who said that prayer and Scripture are dry. It would appear that this is true from time to time for us all. Well, at least those who pay attention to such things.

So, what do you do when this happens? Well, I suggest a reboot.

People in vocational (paid) ministry that are in ‘secure’ positions often have the ability to take a ‘sabbatical.’ These sabbaticals sometimes last a couple of (or a few) months. Its kinda like when someone gets sent to rehab for this or that. They often don’t go until they are in trouble with burnout, but for many, its too late. I was once told that many (most?) ministry leaders wait until its too late and change jobs soon after the sabbatical. The have burned out too far. Oh, they CHANGE jobs, not just churches. They go sell insurance or something (this is not a slam on selling insurance, I happen to like my insurance guy).

But for most people, that is all totally impractical anyway, the whole taking a couple of months off.

So, I thought I would suggest the idea of what I call a “sabbath rest.” Back in the summer I took one. The background is that I had been physically unwell and blah, blah, blah and was asked the question “Can you take 2 weeks off?” I thought about it and over a couple of months a plan developed that wound up being a 10 day (which is only 1 day longer than a week of vacation with weekends on each end) sabbath rest.

Over the next period of time (‘cuz I don’t know how long this will take) I will be posting how I did that and how you might profit from it. Stay tuned. This is te first and the other post will be in the category “rest.”

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Filed under rest, seeking understanding, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings, the self

September 2, 2013 · 10:42

being opposed

Being opposed is good for thinking. So says a coach of ceos. You can watch the TED talk below.

I agree.

I was in a meeting recently where understanding of a problem and subsequent solutions were sought. Honestly, in this conversation, I felt neither understood nor encouraged. However, I know those in this conversation have the greater good in mind. The value of additional/opposing opinions is that they make our thinking sharper.

In a feature on NPR, the story of a scientist who, in the 50s, sought the reason for childhood cancers in the UK. She discovered the reason through research, but her argument was sharpened by being opposed.

That’s what I am thankful to have experienced in that meeting. Being opposed sharpened my thinking and shook me from what is called “willful ignorance” or maybe, as I might call it, “rut thinking.”

I was telling a pastor friend about this. (This pastor is FREAKING out about the condition and direction he sees in the USA church.) He wondered if this could be an answer to what he sees as a decline of the USA church.

Could engaging with, say, post moderns (or whomever), about the church, or more importantly, about the biblical Jesus not just open conversations with these friends, but also sharpen our own thinking about this most important of topics? That, I think, is his question.

I think he is on to something. I recall a conversation a couple of months ago with a guy where we were talking about life and it became clear that a big part of where we differed a bit was our views of God. As we talked, our thinking was sharpened.

So, my question is, with whom are you collaborating, who provides you with opposition which helps you sharpen your thinking?

Links:
Margaret Heffernan: The dangers of “willful blindness” #TED : http://on.ted.com/dja4

NPR TED hour on making mistakes… http://m.npr.org/story/174030515

(I’m on my phone in a car so no imbeds today gang, sorry)

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Filed under culture, definitions, seeking understanding, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings

August 25, 2013 · 10:14

Gathered to Celebrate, asking questions.

Was honored to lead a wedding/worship celebration yesterday afternoon and attend the reception afterward.

This morning I’m thinking idealistically about church in that context.

We gathered in our finest attire, in my opinion, to honor and show respect for the couple and God. Because this was a real service of worship of God. And there was a real sense of joyous anticipation by the wedding party as I went to them and prayed with each group beforehand. Among the gathered family and friends there was a hopefulness and anticipation as they awaited the start. Then the procession began. As I reflect on this, it seems so appropriate for there to be a procession to signal the start of the worship. All gathered in our best to worship the King of Kings as He unites the couple in holy matrimony.

The image of the bride dressed in white being escorted by her loving father to her groom was not lost to me as I took it in standing next to the groom, a dear friend. Someday we will see that image lived out as we the Church, in our robes of righteousness, the Bride of Christ, meet the risen Jesus. But, I digress.

As we sang songs of worship, we sang songs of praise, the service was rich with Scripture and testimony and blessing. People brought gifts to help with the new family’s needs as they begin their life in their new home. There were smiles and hugs all around. There was the proclaiming of the Gospel.

I have only one message in my wedding sermon/homily/challenge: seek God as individuals and as a couple EVERY DAY. You can’t do it alone, God can, so connect together in him. Oh, it gets fine tuned for the couple but that’s pretty much it.

Afterward, we went to the home of the bride where a banquet had been laid and tables set up so that friends could gather and talk, catch up, encourage and bless one another. Then there was dancing and toasts and shouts of joy and fun.

So this morning as I reflect on this, as I think of weekly gatherings for church by members of and observers of the Church, I wonder: why isn’t the weekly gathering we attend a little more like what some of us experienced yesterday.

I reflect on these words of Jesus:

“Go and tell your friends”

“Go and make disciples”

Our gatherings should have such joy, many do not, why?

Why can’t our weekly gathering include this kind of community and fellowship?

Oh, I’m aware that we cannot sustain that level of activity every week. Especially if you attend a church that is as big as a civic center (and as impersonal where the preacher-teacher doesn’t know your name, let alone anything about you). But somehow a disciple making model of church which includes the sheer joy I experienced yesterday must be possible.

What would that look like? Wouldn’t that deepen the Church? Wouldn’t more people know God more deeply? Wouldn’t they be better equipped to “hold fast to God”?

Written and posted riding in a car, please forgive the grammar, spelling and lack of clarity, I just HAD to get this out of my system.

To God be the glory as He builds his church.

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