Tag Archive - God

Be still. Be quiet. Be.

April 6, 2010 in God, Love with 0 Comments

I have to admit that I’m not a still or quiet person. Never have been. In fact, it should be considered progress for me to even understand that about myself and freely admit it to the wayward bored person that happens to read this post.

Lately, I’ve been reminded anew that both stillness and quietness are considered to be of great value when seeking God. Here’s what these things mean to me:

BE STILL
Physically | Find a place where the distractions are removed – auditory (people, computer, cell phone, etc. – leave them all behind), visually (perhaps minimal lighting), and comfort (be prepared for an extended time).

Mentally | Someone once gave me a great piece of advice in this area – take a notebook with you and when something comes to mind that wants to take your attention, write it down immediately and let it go. The purpose here is to allow your mind to wind down and in that process, you’ll notice that there are things you have swirling around in there so you don’t forget. Allow those things to fall out onto the paper and you can spin them back up after you get done (or decide to let them stay on the page – radical…I know).

Emotionally | This is the hardest for me as I don’t have easy access to the squishy parts of my heart. Nevertheless, there are emotions that I need to recognize are active and taking inventory of them on the front end is a good way to get in tune with what is going on in the present. These feelings will most likely be part of what this time generates. Again, the paper might be very helpful in sorting out the mess (for most of us) inside.

BE QUIET.
Yep, that’s right…hush.

Zip it pal.

Getting still will be a tough battle, but through that process, many things will be processed. After stillness has been (relatively) achieved, a time of silence is appropriate. Have ready the pen and paper should something come up, but the goal is to sit in passive listening mode. What is often missed with God is due in large part because we are normally in active mode – speaking and doing; all output, no input; exhaling, no pause to inhale.

Being quiet is turning off the loudspeaker we’ve become and enjoying the silence in the hopes that we hear…Him.

BE.
Have you ever thought about who you are…really…deep down, who you are. Are the things that first come to mind ugly and shameful or pretty and proud? I’ll bet that for the majority of us, the former is true. That’s our culture – focus on the deficiency and weakness. We think believe that if we could only eliminate those parts, we might just be able to experience love and acceptance – from others and, more importantly, God.

Sadly, that’s me more often that I like to admit.
It’s a lie – all of it.
The Truth is that God loves you – really loves you – exactly like you are RIGHT NOW? He doesn’t require you to overcome anything to experience Him – that was the purpose of the Cross. Access to the Father’s love and acceptance was given to all in one foul swoop – remember the veil that was torn when Christ died? [Matthew 27:50]

What keeps us from experiencing that Truth isn’t some set of rules that God made, but ones we have. What He longs for is for us to come…just as we are and BE with Him; to understand and accept His Grace and Mercy as no-limit gifts that keep pace with our junk.

As we practice stillness and quietness – may we explore how to BE as well…accepting His love just as we are.

I’m off to do some of this myself over lunch…wish me luck – LOL, J/K. Remember:

“Do or do not, there is no try.” ~ Jedi Master Yoda to a doubtful Luke Skywalker…
who only saw the impossible.

picture courtesy of cineSecrets

Easter: He is Risen

April 4, 2010 in God, Life, Love, Worship with 0 Comments

It is Sunday. Easter. The day we celebrate the empty tomb – a symbol of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Friday, He was crucified unjustly by the Roman government; died hanging on an Roman cross and was buried in a grave owned by a family friend.

Dead. As in not breathing. No synaptic activity whatsoever. Some have theorized that he wasn’t really dead, just mostly dead and somehow got better in the confines of a stone tomb without any medical assistance. First – that’s just silly. Second (and most importantly), if the Romans felt the need to crucify you, they made darn sure you were dead before they took you down from the cross.

Given the pressure from the Jewish religious leaders that put Christ up there to begin with, this would certainly be true in this situation. You see, the Romans designed crucifixion to be the most horrible form of capital punishment ever conceived and they were very good at making sure everyone knew how effective it was. So, their reputation was on the line to make sure those that hung on a cross came down good and dead.

Jesus was surely dead before He was laid in the tomb. Loosely prepared with burial wraps as was surely customary – both culturally and religiously. The Bible allows us to see what happened on that first Easter morning as Mary came to the tomb to finish the burial preparations:

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. [John 20:1-9]

Mary went to the tomb, saw that it was empty and ran back to tell the others – the same group that has been in complete despair for the past 36 hours. Then Peter and John came to investigate and they confirmed what Mary had seen.

There’s a saying Christians say on Easter. One person will say, “He is risen!” and then another would reply, “He is risen indeed!” I can just imagine that this came from this very account. I can just see Mary saying, “He is risen! Go and see.” And then Peter and John coming back and saying, “He is risen indeed!”

How wonderful is that news! It meant that their Lord wasn’t dead any longer – that He had indeed conquered death…just like He said He would and His promise of eternal life with Him could now be possible.

So, I have one thing left to say:

H E   I S   R I S E N !

Easter: It’s Saturday

April 3, 2010 in God, Love, Worship with 1 Comment

The day between. Probably a day of grief for Jesus’ disciples. The events of the past 24 hours must have seemed like a whirlwind. From feasting together in the Upper Room to the hours of praying in the middle of the night to one of their own betraying their rabbi for the measly sum of 21 pieces of silver to the sham trial of the century to the labored trek up the mountain and then the crucifixion and death of the man who changed their lives with a word.

I’ve tried to think of a modern-day analogy to help put this in terms we might understand better – but there isn’t one. The whole thing is so absurd and would leave anyone (especially the disciples) with a ton of questions and no answers. What’s worse, the fear of similar treatment kept His closest friends and relatives from investigating.

So they sat.

Scared.

Bewildered.

Exhausted.

Huddled together desperately trying to wrap their minds around what happened and what the future would (and should) look like. What a sad day Saturday must have been.

We don’t think much about the day between Good Friday and Easter – it doesn’t have a fancy name and there are no fancy events to attend. I just hangs out there on the way to Sunday.

I think it is a powerful day of reflection if you will let yourself be taken back and put in the disciples’ shoes for just a bit. The tendency is to look toward Sunday and the Resurrection and how all of the dots were about to be connected for these devout followers.

I’ve enjoyed resisting that tendency and staying in “Sad Saturday” all day – for some reason I’ve really wanted to make this Easter season more “real”. It’s been good.

Easter: Heavenly Help

March 30, 2010 in God, Worship with 0 Comments

So, it’s Easter week and like any good Christian, I heard about something cool regarding Jesus from my wife and decided to blog about it. She was reading the account of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before He is to be crucified.

So, it was probably late Thursday night or early Friday morning and Jesus had taken His boys into the garden while He got away to speak to His Father. During His prayer time, a visitor arrives:

41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,42 saying, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (color added) [Luke 22:41]

An angel from heaven comes to STRENGTHEN Him while he prays. Have you ever prayed so hard that you needed heavenly help to continue?

The account in Mark [Mark 14:32] shows Jesus praying in three distinct sessions before Judas came and John’s account states that Jesus would come to this particular garden often to pray [John 18:2].

Matthew’s account states that Jesus was praying the same thing – “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done. ~ Matthew 26:36” - in each of the three sessions and states that at least one of them was for an hour.

Putting all of these together, we see several things:

  1. Jesus wanted his closest disciples with him to help ensure that he wouldn’t be disturbed and to witness what would happen afterward.
  2. Jesus earnestly prayed to see the Father’s will be done and not His. This is interesting because Jesus IS God – why such a conflict? Two thoughts on this:
    • Jesus knew that in order to pay for humankind’s sin, He would have to be completely separated from His Father and the thought of that was gut wrenching
    • Jesus also knew how hard it would be for His disciples to watch what was about to happen – empathy and compassion can be incredibly hard emotions
  3. Jesus’ prayers were so important and intense that God had to send an angel to strengthen Him.
  4. Jesus confidently marches toward His death after His time of prayer. This signifies that He has complete peace about the process that is about to happen.

May we all understand fully that this time of year is a reminder of the most important decision a man has ever made in the history of this world and how our lives have been changed because of it.

And he was parted from them about a stone’s cast; and he kneeled down and prayed,42 saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.43 And there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.

Culture of Confession

February 2, 2010 in God with 0 Comments

I’ve been listening to Matt Chandler (http://www.thevillagechurch.net/) and really like not only what he says, but how he says it. There’s passion and reverence and deep logical thought behind his messages. In his message to pastors at Advance ’09 (Video), he talks about how he and the staff at The Village are working to create what he calls a “culture of confession.” He goes on to describe a place where people are open about the dark places and struggles in life.

This is nothing short of amazing because Christians are notoriously wicked when dealing with another’s mistakes. This is, by my estimation, one of the greatest hurdles the Church has to overcome. The minute we see someone stumble and judge them with condemnation, that’s the minute we expose our own dark heart, and more profound, our gross lack of understanding of what was done for us via the Cross. Do you see the irony and hypocrisy?

So, what are the elements needed for people to be willing to talk openly and honestly about the anguish of being a depraved man serving a holy God?

  • Humiliy | We all are completely unable to reach God on our own. It isn’t our worst that separates us from God, it is our best. The very best we can do is nothing more than rubbish to Him. Let us not forget our place.
  • Confidence | God holds us in His hands, yet we allow man to hold us captive with approval ratings and external appearances. That’s silly nonsense. Why should we cower to what man thinks when the God of the universe saw fit to send His Son for us. Look over your shoulder and you’ll see the Big Man standing there – He has your back, now move forward.
  • Community | One thing we all have in common is our natural separation from God – i.e. our innate propensity to do evil. Why should it be a surprise when we make mistakes? How can we be disappointed? Because we worship the person and not the God inside them.Let us both recognize that is only by His grace that we aren’t dead because of our depravity and just how special He is to have reached down and pulled us from the muck. Love is the theme of the Bible – let us make it he hallmark of our lives.
  • Courage | Sharing your junk out loud is hard for two reasons: 1) We fear how the judgment of our peers 2) We don’t want to hear the words out loud – to give a voice to our sin. The paradox is that by doing this with one another is the first step on the path to freedom. What we think can only kill us will actually give us life and make the love of God much more tangible.

What emotions are stirred in you when you hear about a husband cheating on his wife? Or a teenage girl getting pregnant out of wedlock? Or a pastor sent to jail for possession of meth? How would you feel if those emotions were directed at you?

The bottom line is this: our willingness to love and cry for the sinner is directly proportional to our love for God. It is also directly related to our love for the lost.

Lord, may I not pretend to be you by judging in my heart another man’s life. May you break my heart for my brother. May you give me the courage to be a catalyst for confession by trusting you with my heart and my future. And may your love for me spill over into every decision I make.

Rejection

January 26, 2010 in God, Life with 3 Comments

RejectionHave you ever known anyone who just always seemed to be on the outside – perhaps a kid in your class back in grade school or the guy at the end of the hall in your college dorm. Maybe that was you. It was me in certain circles. I was an awkward fella in high school – not athletic and just smart enough to be considered a nerd. I think a difficult transition to my school in eighth grade got me labeled as an outsider and it stuck throughout high school.

But in college, things were different. I was able to start over and I took advantage of it big time. I played every intramural sport (even spades and chess – yes, they were sports at my school) and won more than I lost. I played on the varsity tennis team, one year on the soccer team and even was an assistant coach for the women’s volleyball team. I was part of one of the more elite majors (very few members) on campus – physics. I was cool. I found confidence in who I was, which helped make friends – the “right” friends this time.

Then Jesus happened. He changed everything – especially my aspiration to be cool. I now wanted to be effective for His Kingdom on a campus that rejected religion and did its best to satisfy each and every one of man’s desires. Rejection was again part of my daily life, but the difference was no matter who rejected me, He wouldn’t. Sure, I didn’t like someone telling me I was a mindless fool for following a God that allowed poverty and Aids and [______], but for whatever reason it was different.

Perhaps it was because I was part of a team being trained to be leaders of what has become an officially recognized organization on campus. I was on a team that saw value in my inclusion and participation. One where I was learning and being invested into with gusto. One where I had immense value to the mission of bringing the Light to my school. One that loved me to help me with my weaknesses rather than ostracize me because of them.

It’s amazing how powerful the words of affirmation from those you respect can be. That’s another topic, but suffice it to say – at that time, it gave me the courage of a lion and the fortitude of an army.

I have been serving my church with my leadership skills as a small group leader for about 10 years after a man looked at me and said, “I think you have what it takes to lead a group – are you interested?” Can you say confidence boost?

The past 6 I have been given leadership responsibility over other leaders after another man said, “I want you on my team because I believe our church and our leaders can learn from you.” Can you say affirmation of self.

Over those six years, I have been trusted with increasing amounts of responsibility and access to some pretty neat conversations at the heart of one of the largest and more influential churches in my state. God was using me to contribute to what He was doing in big ways and it felt natural and my confidence grew tremendously.

Today; however, I find myself back in high school. Rejected. Alone. In the belly of the valley and unsure of the future. I can’t go into the specifics and it really isn’t the point. The point, I’m realizing, is that we are creatures that need continued affirmation of our value to what’s going on and how we fit into what is really important. Furthermore, it isn’t just affirmation from a few, it needs to be felt throughout. If you get a whiff of rejection (real or phantom) from anyone, all of the positive comments are somehow tainted and they lose their power to propel.

My heart is fragile. My confidence is based on results. My significance is based on man’s affirmation. Conclusion: I have a long way to go and the valley has brought to light the truth of it. I’m stuck in the valley right now. At times, I feel petty. Other times, weak. Other times angry. I desire answers with very little hope of getting them.

Thank you God for loving me in the valley – I know you are here with me and I’m sorry that fact isn’t making more difference in the way I feel right now. I pledge to put one foot in front of another and find the courage to listen as you lead the way…

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