Gary Mintchell

Author Archive

Smooth is Fast

October 7, 2021

Slow is smooth; smooth is fast.
Navy SEAL Saying

I heard a story of a guy who got into fitness, bought a bicycle, and began riding a route as fast as he could. One day he was somewhat more tired and rode at a little slower, yet more comfortable pace. His time for that route went from 43 minutes to 45 minutes.

I’ve noticed over the time of my life that I’ve stopped trying to do everything in a great rush. When driving I consciously stop and pause at stop signs (unlike the guy I saw this morning who blew through a stop sign making a right turn in front of oncoming traffic not far away–guess he trusted the other guy to slow down). Yes, I still commonly drive at speed limit + 5, but I no longer tempt more speeding tickets like 30 years ago.

Take a moment several times a day to pause, breathe, relax, refocus, then return to work. And accomplish more.

This season of the year finds me with the pressure of finding referees for soccer matches. This year has been especially hard. Before the season even began, I lost 20% of the officials on my list due to health, retirement, jobs, or moving away. I gained one person. Not a good long-term trend.

I could sit there and stare at my screen that said 90+ games lacking a referee and panic. Or, I could just breathe and tackle them one at a time. Solve this one and move to the next.

Slow is smooth; smooth is fast.

More gets accomplished; my attitude remains calm.

Try it, you’ll like it.

Posted in Attitude, productivity | Leave a Comment »

Avoid Praying Against Anyone

October 6, 2021

Strive to avoid praying against anyone in your prayer so that you do not destroy what you have been building up by making your prayer a defilement.
Evagrius, 4th Century Teacher

I had to pause at this chapter and consider. I don’t think of myself as one who bears grudges and puts myself against others. Oh, yes, there are many with whom I disagree theologically and politically. And, yes, I’ve been wronged many times. But I don’t dwell on these and pray for their destruction.

I think of poor Jonah, who took his God-given message of destruction to the people of Nineveh with great joy for their demise. Then they repented and God told Jonah, good job, they have come to me. And Jonah was bitterly disappointed.

Have I ever sat in prayer and wished bad to come to someone? Have I ever paused for a quick prayer of condemnation toward another human, another of God’s children? If so, I stand condemned.

We pray that we may more closely be with God and that others also will be and for their healing. Take a blessing from this teaching today.

Posted in Disciplines, Prayer | Leave a Comment »

Images

October 5, 2021

The first Jesus-followers strove to figure out this whole Jesus and resurrection and Messiah thing. They heard the first-hand stories and as the movement spread read reports of the resurrection. They began studying the Hebrew Scriptures for signs pointing to Jesus. Along the way, they picked up a few teachings. Such as, you shall have no graven images of Yahweh.

Unlike all the other religions, Jews did not make a picture or statue of their God. Christ-followers picked this up. As we read, for example in the gospel of John, God is spirit, worship in spirit and truth.

Evagrius writing in the 4th Century warns about how images may come to you in prayer and that these are the work of spiritual forces opposed to God.

When I began meditating at age 17 or so, I was sternly taught–no images. Do not picture God. Maybe staring at a mandala will help focus the mind, but in reality, these are to be avoided.

One of the sub-plots in The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky concerns whether it is right to have ikons. These have traditionally been popular within the Eastern Orthodox churches.

By the way, if you have not read this book or if it has been a long time, make it your next novel. Don’t watch the movie as a shortcut. It is a terrible representation of the book.

When I read this teaching in Evagrius, all these thoughts ran through my head. And, to this day, I do not visualize God when I meditate. I visualize nothing. I concentrate on my breath. Or, I say a mantra such as “God” or “Spirit” or the long form “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”. These can help slow the mind and aid focus. Mostly, I can just sit, adjust my breathing, and dwell in silence for a time. Done for a period of time, it effects physical changes in the brain and helps lead to a calmer life.

Posted in Meditation | Leave a Comment »

A Person In Chains

October 4, 2021

Sometimes we sit or kneel or lay in prayer and we cannot settle down.

Evagrius wrote 1800 years ago, “A man in chains cannot run. Nor can the mind that is enslaved to passion see the place of spiritual prayer. It is dragged along and tossed by these passion-filled thoughts and cannot stand firm and tranquil.”

Ancient language, but he captured our problem.

We want to be at peace with God. Have an honest conversation. Talk to someone who listens, and listen to God’s advice and wisdom.

But so often we are chained to thoughts churning up from the gut. Angers, fears, feelings of being slighted, or being left out, worry, these all lead us astray. They must be dealt with through focus in God.

Today we teach breathing and have apps on our smart phones to calm the mind. All to the good.

When we were teens, sometimes we became attached to a peer group that led us into doing things we knew were wrong. Evagrius and other writers of his age would say “chained to” the group.

We had to find a way to leave the group and find a new one going the right way.

So, with our thoughts and passions. We must fill our minds with wisdom and knowledge and seek the spirit in quiet. We must break the chains of attachment. With me, this is not theoretical knowledge. It is life.

Posted in Disciplines, Meditation, Prayer | 1 Comment »

Finding A Heart

October 1, 2021

The New Testament, as well as more ancient advice and modern spiritual explorers, teaches us to be aware and be careful of being ruled by our passions.

This can be as mild as foolishly spending money on unnecessary things. Or choosing to spend time with the wrong people.

It can be as bad as letting fear, lust, anger, greed, pride, and the rest rule our lives.

On the other hand, a coldly rational outlook following the rules and inhibiting relationship fuels a life alone and unsatisfying.

A TV series from Belgium explores some of these themes with deep probing and gentle understanding. Professor T features the struggles of a genius criminologist professor who assists a former student now detective inspector in solving murders. Along the way the writers probe the struggles and growth of perhaps 10 other characters.

The acting is superb. The soundtrack outstanding. The spoken language is Flemish (with some French—it is Belgium, so both languages are spoken—and English). We found it on Amazon Prime. I realize there are people reading this in countries where you may not be able to find this program. But if you can, it’s worth it. It was recorded in 2015, 2016, and 2018. Three seasons of 13 episodes. We’ve watched it over the past month. I’m going to miss the characters.

There is an English version, as in performed in England in English. We have seen this one. Not as good. There are also versions in German and French. We have not seen those. Watch the Belgian one. I cried at the end.

Overcoming passions keys a sound life. But as a preacher I used to listen to said, “Jesus was the first cardiologist. He was concerned with the condition of our heart.”

Unless your heart is in the right condition, overcoming passions will leave you cold.

Posted in Disciplines, emotions, healing | 2 Comments »

Become the Master Over Anger and Lust

September 30, 2021

Evagrius teaches us, “The man who strives after true prayer must learn to master not only anger and his lust, but must free himself from every thought that is colored by passion.”

Evagrius was writing to monks in the 4th Century–to those who chose to separate from society in order to deeply seek after the spirit of God. True prayer meant that deep meditation where ones soul meets with the spirit of God and becomes transformed.

I’m not writing to male monks in the desert. You all are from different cultures and countries and religious backgrounds. But we all, American or Chinese or European, male and female, young and old, business people or technologists or retired, we all have in common the desire for God’s spirit to infuse and change us.

Some people in America think not wearing a surgical mask to protect themselves and others is true freedom. That is not what Paul was describing in his letter to the Galatians when he attempted to describe true freedom that comes from letting Jesus lead us into the kingdom of heaven.

True freedom is for those who live with-God and together master the turbulence of unmastered passions.

Posted in emotions, Freedom, Spirituality | Leave a Comment »

Approaching Scripture

September 29, 2021

When we travel, my wife prefers a list view of the trip. Turn right here, turn left at the stop light, stay on Route X for 40 miles, and so forth. Now, I like the GPS woman to give me next turn advice when I’m driving, but I prefer having a map. I want a picture of the route. It helps me greatly to understand where I’m going and where I am at the moment.

Some people approach their Scriptures or other ancient spiritual writings as if they were a user’s manual for living. They seek to compile a list, like my wife’s trip. Just give me a set of rules that I can follow to give me assurance that I am pleasing God. Oh, and it also serves as a measure of me against everyone else. I’m getting a B while the class average is C. Great. I’m doing OK.

Another approach considers the writings as the story of the encounter of humans with God. We don’t care about historical or scientific fact. These writings are neither history the way we understand it today or science. Check out Abraham who encountered God, and re-encountered God after yet another failure. Great story of following and failing and following. Sounds like us.

Look at the New Testament people we follow. Peter–full of failure, yet persisted to become a great leader. John–stumbled at times, but became the theological guru. Saul/Paul–was a murderer of Christ-followers, encountered God, became a great leader and theologian. I love the story of the Hebrew Daniel who administered great empires yet kept his focus firmly on God.

Lists are hard to follow, in the end. And I have no wish to continually compare myself to others–I always hated grades. But when I fail, I get solace from realizing the stories of failure and triumph providing a picture of people of God on the journey. And it’s all a journey until we die.

Posted in Living | Leave a Comment »

Imperturbable Calm

September 28, 2021

My internal clock awakens me at approximately 5:30 am no matter what time zone I’m in. Fly to Germany? Next morning, no problem, rise at 5:30 Central European time.

This morning? 6 am. The one morning when I had an early conference call with Germany. Then two announcements of new corporate strategies and products. And pick up my phone at 6:10 to three messages from soccer referees with issues who needed to drop games (and me to find replacements). And things to read. Things to write.

The last thing I read last night before bed served me well. Evagrius Chapter 52 on prayer.

The state of prayer can be aptly described as a habitual state of imperturbable calm.

By “prayer”, he doesn’t not mean when you repeat the Lord’s Prayer/Our Father. Or when you present your list of supplications.

It comes in that quiet time with only you and God fully present.

And after years of that practice, your personality, your life, they change.

And I could breathe. Refocus. And tackle my day one thing at a time.

It doesn’t mean that here at 2 pm I’m not tired. But tired is OK. But not frazzled. Not discouraged. I did what I could. Contributed in the conference call. Learned some new information about information technology. Contacted people. Hopefully encouraged a few.

I am not imperturbable. But like the surface of a pond when a stone is thrown in I have some ripples that gradually lose themselves at the edges and the pond is still once more.

Posted in Meditation, Prayer | Leave a Comment »

The Spirit Becomes Dull

September 27, 2021

Why do demons wish to commit acts of gluttony, impurity, avarice, wrath, resentment, and the other evil passions in us? Here is the reason–that the spirit in this way should become dull and consequently rendered unfit to pray. For when man’s irrational passions are thriving he is not free to pray and to seek the word of God.
Evagrius

These passions suck your energy. And what have you to offer other than your energy?

These passions have invaded me at times. And God has shown me what more I am capable of. When these visit me at my times of meditation or working, my energy is diverted and squandered.

You rise from the desk to get a handful of peanuts or almonds for energy (and no subsequent weight gain) and your eye goes to the pantry’s snack food shelf. And one potato chip or cookie turns into a continual reaching for more, just what the food scientists working for those companies predict. Thank you gluttony for destroying my day, dulling my senses, increasing my waistline.

While researching something on the Web, you see one picture. The demons (as Evagrius calls them, we call them impulses) grab your imagination and all energy is diverted down an unhealthy path.

The comedian Flip Wilson (popular in the 60s) portrayed a character whose phrase was, “Get behind me Satan!” Actually, good advice.

Awareness of the approaching passion/emotion;
Intentionally push back;
Focus again on the task at hand;
Regain energy after a momentary diversion.

Posted in Awareness, Disciplines, emotions | Leave a Comment »

How Does Church Matter?

September 24, 2021

Most of my study and thinking regards individual personal spiritual practices and discipline. One ancient and generally accepted spiritual practice concerns some manner of corporate worship.

Many younger Americans have been rejecting churches. These include both evangelical and Roman Catholic churches.

I ran across this thought in my reading:

Losing My Religion–If people reject the church because they reject Jesus and the gospel, we should be saddened but not surprised. But what happens when people reject the church because they think the church has rejected Jesus and the gospel? What if people don’t leave the church because they disapprove of Jesus, but because they’ve read the Bible and have come to the conclusion that the church itself would disapprove of Jesus? That’s a crisis.
Russell Moore

I’ve struggled with those thoughts, trying to effect some change from the inside. Still, I wonder…

We need the encouragement of meeting with others. We do not need the discouragement of theological/political battles that seemingly leave Jesus on the outside, looking in. Perhaps this is one of those dynamic tensions upon which life is built.

Posted in Disciplines, Worship | Leave a Comment »

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