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That nothing … is me!

May 27, 2008

I buy books according to what catches my interest. I may hear someone talking about it, or see something written about it, but most times, I am attracted for some reason to pick-up the book at a store and impulsively buy it. Ten or more years ago, I probably bought Breakfast at the Victory by James P. Carse in that manner, but never read it. I found the book this morning in a basket of books that once sat by the loveseat, but was moved out for the new carpet to be installed. I started to read it and the first quote hit me perfectly. In my mind, this is one of God’s many blessings. Like when you put on a jacket and find money in the pocket – an unexpected bonus put away from a previous forgetfulness.

Gary is right in saying not to wait for permission. That requires faith in God though; assurance in the fact that we are hearing and following in the way He would have us go. My problem is I have trouble with the follow-thru. I am an ideator, if you have ever taken the Strength Finders. My mind popcorns ideas constantly, but I tend to lose interest in the process unless there is a challenge involved. In this instance also, since kids are not my world, I doubt my ability to connect.

Now, let me tell you my God story in all this. My mind went into what the Gestalt world would call projection. ‘A projector, unaware that she is rejecting others, believes they are rejecting her.’ (paraphrased from Gestalt in Pastoral Care and Counseling – A Holistic Approach by Jeffrey D. Hamilton, D-Min.) I convinced myself this was a bad idea and no one else in the world was the least bit interested. Also, in this process though, I started to read Momentum for Life by Michael Slaughter and attended, as a singer with the school choir, commencement for UTS where he spoke. He used that book as the basis of his message. He told about visioning. He said he had stood in the original Ginghamsburg church asking God for the vision of what he could work towards there. He saw a future church where three-thousand people would attend while standing behind that tiny country church with no parking lot and just a half circle drive.

I asked God for a vision on my future and sat in quiet for a couple mornings. I read Psalm 86 repeatedly, mainly because I have to write a sermon on it for July, I read my devotionals and I wrote in my journal. I talked with my husband and to a few friends, not directly on my “crisis”, just skirting the subject. Then this morning, I picked-up this book and in the first quote, it was like the proverbial light bulb coming on. I didn’t see a vision, but I remembered a truth. I am God’s child and it is mine to be a co-creator with Him. (That is in the Slaughter book as well.) I cannot explain how this verse and my mind work, but I am in awe and so very sure. Of and by the way, I have heard from all the church leaders I contacted and I’ll meet with three of the four of them tomorrow. As a Christian counselor once assured me, “Always look for more than one affirmation from God.” There are always more than we will see.

posted by Darcy

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To Seek and Save

May 21, 2008

I’d often find him playing beside the back porch or under the deck around the ugly above-ground pool that took up most of the backyard where we lived in Toledo. He would sneak in around the bushes and over the wire fence in the back. The gate and wooden fences to the front didn’t stop him. I don’t remember how often I shared my meals with him or tried to engage him in conversation. He was broken goods; the spent product of an explosive family where love had lost to anger and manipulation, sanity to drugs and fear. I think he was about 11 or 12. After his dad left and his brother was sent to prison for abusing his mom, he stopped coming around.

I had forgotten about him until last Wednesday. We had our last Ministerial Formation group meeting at the Original Pancake House and while waiting for everyone to show up, my friend from Cleveland asked about the children in my life. I am used to saying we have no kids, but he then said ‘You surely influenced some along the way.’ That thin gaunt face came across my mind and I remembered. I wonder where he is now.

I don’t have any kids, I have never been a teacher and I have spent many Mother’s Days wondering why God – why did we not have a family. Lately though, I have had this unexplainable desire to work with youth. It started with the amazing young adults at General Conference and my refreshingly supercharged roommate for the week. Then I awoke one morning with this idea for blending my passion for spiritual growth and my need to help others avoid the painful path I walked. I had a leadership class project requirement, so I set the plan to paper and PowerPoint.

I wish I could say my presentation was a success. I failed on many points, including a claim that I said OK 46 times (?), but I received great insight into what needed to be changed. I also failed to excite the leaders in my church when given the chance by our Senior Pastor to present the idea. But, that has only made me more determined to try again. I truly feel the need to stop the senseless wasting of the fertile minds of the next generation – “to seek and save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).

It is often in the small things that we really make a difference. Many we would probably never realize if asked, but to someone else that could be the pivotal point. That’s what makes it so important to be open to God’s will and seeking the opportunities to serve.

I have not given this blog the attention I promised, but hope to increase my attention from this point forward. I would love to hear your thoughts.

posted by Darcy

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Put in a skylight

May 14, 2008

Oliver Wendell Holmes said:

There are one-story intellects, two-story intellects, and three-story intellects with skylights. All fact collectors, who have no aim beyond their facts, are one-story men. Two-story men compare, reason, generalize, using the labors of fact collectors as well as their own. Three-story men idealize, imagine, predict; their best illumination comes from above, through the skylight.

Where are you on your faith journey? This is a powerful little way to chart growth. You begin reading the Bible and listening to talks and sermons trying to learn facts. Then you analyze and think about what you’ve learned. But if you are going to find the mission and ministry that God has put in front of you, then you’re going to need that illumination from above.

What new ministries could your church develop? What would a new type of worship look like? Where are the people who need to deepen their lives through a relationship with Jesus? How would you reach them? What needs could be met? Children imagine all the time. But then they become fact gatherers. It’s time to imagine, idealize and predict again in your life. How? First devote yourself to listening and watching for that illumination from above. Then, boldly set out to realize that dream in life.

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Live in the present

May 7, 2008

I was on a business trip last week and lucky to blog much at all. But there was another interesting dinner conversation where we got into the subject of living in the present. Living in the present is a learned skill for most of us. But it is an ancient and important spiritual practice. Jesus addressed this concept recorded in Matthew 6. You can read the entire passage from verses 26 through 34, but He summarized, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

This time of the year could be very stressful for me. It’s a demanding time for business travel. I am responsible for assigning soccer referees for a half-dozen clubs and/or leagues, not to mention recruiting, assigning and managing about 150 referees who will come to Sidney Mothers Day weekend for our soccer tournament. Then there are other responsibilities, not to mention keeping my wife happy. But years of contemplation and practice have cured me of constant worrying. I look at the future, of course. I plan, watch out for obstacles or opportunities. But that is controlled thought. When I start to worry if I’ll get everything done, I just divert my attention to what needs to be done. You write everything that needs to be done on a list (I use a computer program called Thinking Rock plus plain old pen and paper in a little notebook) then decide what tasks I’ll do right now to tackle these things one at a time. You discover that being aware and focusing on the present means the future will take care of itself.

Or, as one of my childhood heroes–Alfred E. Newman of Mad Magazine fame–used to say, “What? Me worry?” Or as Jesus said better, God will take care of our future. Let’s just take care of the present.

Gary

Tags:Christianity
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Making sausage

May 7, 2008

In my profession, I observe high technology happenings as they relate to manufacturing. There is a committee currently attempting to write a standard for a new method of digital communication between sensing devices in a process plant and computers. There is a phrase about not watching them make sausage if you want to eat it. Watching a committee work is something like watching sausage being made as I wrote in a recent post in my professional blog. Well, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church is something like that. It is political in the sense of a large number of people gathering to establish policy, but many of them have greatly differing points of view.

Darcy and I talked about her post Sunday and a little about her experience at the Conference. She was taken aback by the protesters. Well, I earned my old Jackson Center nickname as “the protester” in the late 1960s. I saw the FBI agents (you knew them, they had dark suits, white shirts, narrow ties) taking pictures at anti-war rallies. I was stupid enough to drive through Mississippi into Louisiana in 1970 with an equal rights decal on my car. Can’t believe I’m still alive. On the other hand, I learned something about protesting–the only person that feels good about it is the protester.

I have been at a worship service led by homosexual people, with the greater part of the audience also homosexual people. It was a fantastic Christian worship experience. I’m willing to bet that I’m the only one reading this post that isn’t offended. That’s part of the “sausage making” of a big conference when there are truly differing views on a topic–each convinced that God, Scripture and whatever else is on “our side.” Except, I don’t do sides anymore. You’ll never move people forward through spectacle. People’s hearts change over time by personal experience with “the others.” If I had my way, I’d strike out every adjective that modifies the description “Christian.” We’re just people trying to journey on the path set before us by Jesus. That’s hard enough to do let alone trying to saddle other people with guilt and hard feelings.

I began this blog thinking about a book “The Congruent Life,” by C. Michael Thompson. The congruent life lets Jesus shine through me in everything I do. Although it may be trite, the phrase “what would Jesus do” does have meaning. As the writer of Hebrews says at the beginning of Chapter 12, let us fasten our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. So, when Darcy wrote about kindness–that’s part of the equation. Empathy, understanding, listening, sharing–they all fit, too. I think just as soon as I’m perfect, then I’ll start telling others they need to be perfect, too. Until then, we’re just journeying on…

Gary

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True Kindness

May 3, 2008

As Christians and Americans too, we have a concept that we must be kind. The problem with that philosophy is that it enables people to maintain inappropriate and destructive behavior without fear of recourse. At the UMC General Conference, I was reminded of this all too plainly.

Our instructor for the class and trip to the conference is a seasoned veteran of the conference system and he opened my eyes to many of the nuances and political dances taking place within the committees and through the petitions. As I said before, this is not my world. The one point he made which led me to post this blog was that the church is too kind – kind enough to sacrifice the organization to save the feelings of the individual.

Our church is to be the body of Christ in this world. We humans were created to be in God’s image and although we strayed from the garden, God has not stopped in pursuit of re-imaging us. Where did we become so one sided that we determined that standing up for God’s Word, our Creed, theology and beliefs were not principles worth fighting for? What do we see in the Bible that indicates that Christ would just sit down in the face of injustice or distortion of God’s word? I believe that righteous anger can help us to see and promote the truth. Tough love is necessary to teach right from wrong. And most of all I believe there will be some who never get it, no matter how hard we try to teach or give to them.

It’s not easy, this commandment to love thy neighbor, nor is it easy to continually love a wayward child who refuses to change. God does though and we need to try to do the same. Yet, God showed jealous anger. Cities were leveled and the Israelites were enslaved that they might learn, repent and return to God. In the long run, this was truly kindness. It reminds me of the mother giraffe. When the baby is born in order to survive, the kid must learn to stand and run almost immediately. Failure to learn those skills can lead to death not only for the baby giraffe, but for the mother or other members of the herd. So, the mother will proceed to knock the new born down until it learns. That at first glance does not seem like kindness, but in reality it is the greatest love.

PS – Checkout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogXJZmlz_W4 for a smile from the Hope for Africa Children’s Choir. (A friend from seminary filmed this.)

Posted by Darcy

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The Art of Rationalizing

April 27, 2008

They say that all humans are political beings, but I sure do not relate to that title. This week will test my resolve as I am leaving in the morning for 4 days at the United Methodist General Conference. (If you want to see what is happening there, checkout the website UMGC .) I am not crazy about big crowds, I have little patience with those who think their ideas are more important than anyone else’s and dread all the special interest groups. I know I will enjoy the worship though. Worship with 3000 people and such fabulous talent should be awesome.

Really, it is amazing that God thought we only needed 10 Commandments and the Book of Discipline 2004 is over 740 pages of rules and guidelines. I think that life becomes more complicated as each person becomes less responsible. Like the McDonalds cup having “Caution – contents may be hot!” Who would pay for cold coffee? Of course, it is hot. Why waste the ink? Because someone felt they could make easy money?

My devotion this morning was on the “Anatomy of Temptation”, from The One Year Walk With God by Chris Tiegreen. It asked “Are you skilled in the art of rationalizing?” I sure am. I can always find an excuse for why I didn’t do this or that. I think it is too easy. We humans need to own-up more often and quit trying to think our way out of our responsibility. After all, isn’t that where sin first started? “Did God really say…?” – Genesis 3:1

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God is Good

April 21, 2008

Ah, the first really neat day of the spring where I can sit on the patio in the evening with gold finches and woodpeckers at the birdfeeder, spring birds calling, the neighborhood is quiet. Even if I am out here with my WiFi and laptop, it’s peaceful. Reminds me to take a few deep breaths, shut down the brain and realize, God is Good. Here’s a nod to St. Francis of Assisi.

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A Little Path

April 21, 2008

Ultimately, we are responsible. In everything, in every choice – it is up to us to discern and act accordingly. God will open the doors, but we must choose to seek Him. That is an awesome responsibility. One we drop, pick-up, dismiss, lose sight of, search over, blame someone else for, and re-address on a daily basis. And most of that time, we are not even aware of it.

God wants into our lives. It is not our actions or our deeds which are important, but our relationship with God. That is all that is important. If we can get to that basic, everything else becomes so much easier. I often wonder why it is so hard to stay on this path.

I had a dream. (I do record my dreams.) There was a small path, barely noticeable in the grass, yet it is straight and clear. A highway is to the left. A four lane thoroughfare, divided, paved and thoroughly modern. It would seem the fastest way to go. The highway seems the “normal” way to go. But a roller coaster beckons to the right with the highs and lows and thrills along the way. Who knows what is next and where it might lead?

I have been on all three paths. I know them all. I have taken the thrilling yet devastating ride seeking a good time. I have also been left crying on the sidelines. I have stumbled back to find the straight little path. It is not big and it too goes down through the valleys, but it is clear enough.

Then again, I have wondered onto the highway, even maneuvered into the fast lane. I have schemed and lied, planned and climbed onto the corporate ladder. I have crashed and burned into the median. The straight little path seemed inviting then.

On and off I have gone to the left and to the right – yet the straight little path is clear enough. It sparkles in the cool moonlight to draw me back from my fallen state.

“The light and the way” – the little path is clear enough. Why do we find it so hard to stay upon it?

Posted by Darcy

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Who is Jesus?

April 19, 2008

I travel often on business and this week was no exception. After a busy day and a late dinner, I found myself chatting with the woman seated beside me. The conversation turned to a spiritual life, as it seems to do often around me, and she described her growing up process as a true California Bay area girl. She was not raised with any knowledge of religion and turned to Buddhism–talking about chanting while facing a blank wall. Then she liked the mind-body connection of Yoga and turned to Hinduism. When I told her I was a member of a United Methodist congregation, she suddenly asked the crucial question, “Who is Jesus?” Unfortunately, she also has a touch of ADD and before I could say anything turned to jump in a conversation elsewhere. But the question is crucial–just who is Jesus?

What would you say if someone asked you? I try to be sensitive to where the person is in a faith journey. I meet many, many people with no religious upbringing or background. You can’t answer in formulaic phrases. You must answer from experience in order to connect. Enough books have been written where the author speculates about who Jesus is to fill a small library. I’ve read some of them. But the best thing I’ve seen that helped me explain comes from Hebrews where the writer refers to Jesus as the founder and pioneer of our faith.

I could have said, “He’s the Son of God” and stopped there. But that won’t mean very much to many people. But to say Jesus was perfectly full of God’s Spirit, and through a real relationship with him, I have learned to be full of God’s Spirit, too (maybe a little short of perfectly full, but you get the picture).

She’s a business associate whom I will see several times a year, and as long as I don’t do something stupid to ruin her view of me, I’ll have many opportunities to gently show and tell her who Jesus is. I’m pretty clear in my mind and experience. How about you? Could you answer the question in terms that someone with no faith can understand? Add a comment, I’d love to collect a bunch of answers. I seldom have the only right one.

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