My feeble attention requires frequent reminders of my core principles.
Peace and Justice.
Peace is an action word. It’s not the Eagles’ “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” Rather practice peace through reaching out with love toward those who are hurting (which is everyone).
Justice without mercy is simply revenge dressed up. Rather practice justice through discovering others’ needs and helping.
Yes, there is a political component. In practice, it’s an attitude of individuals acting in community.
The election is finally over in America. Sometimes I like the parliamentary system where political campaigns consume seemingly endless time, money, and attention.
Maybe, just like in most of the rest of the world, your candidate one and you feel satisfied. Or maybe your candidate lost and you feel discouraged and worried. (Just as in all of my election history, some of mine lost and some won.)
Remember what Jesus said about this. Oh, wait, Jesus said nothing about politics. Jesus told us that we live best when we live in another kingdom—God’s kingdom.
Regardless of outcome, today is another day when life goes on. We must continue to follow Jesus first, loving God and loving others.
That never changes. That always satisfies.
I’ve used meditation for most of my life for both spiritual and physical benefits. I’ve had God experiences. The practice has been calming when I needed it. It’s even impacted my overall personality.
Meditation, called mindfulness, has become all the rage over the past several years as therapists have discovered its benefits for their clients.
Meditation is also one of the spiritual disciplines. People who intentionally pursue practices such as prayer, study, fasting, worship and the like can find a deeper God relationship.
There is a trap into which one is easily snagged—pride.
John Wesley discusses spiritual practices that he calls means of grace. He warns, “After you have used any of these, take care how you value yourself thereon: How you congratulate yourself as having done some great thing. This is turning all into poison.”
The tradition I grew up in discouraged broadcasting the practice. Pride is a horrible thing.
Instead of aging causing your muscles to lose their magic, the lack of physical activity reduces your muscles’ ability to respond to protein intake and exercise, accelerating muscle loss.
Instead of aging causing a closed mind and fixed opinions, the lack of reading widely and conversations with a diverse set of friends accelerates a fixed mindset.
Get out. Exercise the body through movement and resistance training. Exercise the mind and soul by reading widely and cultivating a diverse set of friends in conversations. Take time for meditation and prayer to bring some calm into your life.
The spirit resides in the body as the Apostle taught. Take care of both.
Real health is never a three-month change, no matter how many online influencers and companies sell quick transformations. It is a lifetime commitment.
We read many experiences where a diet (pick your poison) helps people lose weight only to discover a year later the weight that once was lost now was found.
How many people have you met who have prayed “the prayer” after a sermon asking Jesus into their heart and yet whose life has not changed?
Good health, as far as genes and environment permit, requires a lifetime commitment lived fully a day at a time. Eat real food (not super processed manufactured stuff), not too much, mostly plants. Exercise including some form of resistance training.
Good spiritual health is similar. Maybe you have that moment where you decide to become a follower of Jesus. Good. But now a lifetime commitment lived fully a day at a time. Study the New Testament and other spiritual writing, practice serving other people, gather with others regularly.
If you are not regularly reading Seth Godin, you are missing a treat. He’s not a spiritual writer, but his thoughts will make you think. Perhaps you’ll see some things in an entirely new perspective. I consider that a good thing.
Here is a recent post:
Professional woodworkers rarely have to be reminded to sharpen their tools. Of course they know this. The rest of us, on the other hand, regularly use digital tools we don’t understand, don’t maintain and haven’t optimized. Sometimes, our lack of care in the choice and use of tools only wastes our time. Often, it actually degrades the quality of what we’re seeking to create. If you’re not regularly getting better at your digital toolbox, you’re actually getting worse.
A starting tool set might be a good study Bible. A small (or larger) library of respected spiritual writers. You might start with, say, Henri Nouwen. Or perhaps Thomas Merton fits your personality better.
Many quality study guides exist on the Web that can offer a passage in multiple translations and even with an explanation of the original Greek or Hebrew words.
I think the best beginning tool is a regular location, a favorite chair or desk, to set the mood for study, reflection, mediation, and prayer.
Even before that a regular time when everyone knows you are not to be interrupted.
Take care. Choose your tools wisely. But don’t stop with the tools, build something—like your life.
I’ve talked a lot of times about how if motivation is what you seek, you will fall short. Momentum is what you need. — Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Pump Club newsletter.
Jan stopped me the other day at the beginning of my exercise routine. We sometimes meet during our early morning exercise. I told her I am always at the end of our street about 6:50 am. That brought back memories from when I was maybe 15 delivering the morning newspaper. Helping my grandfather do a little construction work on our house, I was later than usual on my collection rounds. The first woman said, “Where have you been? I can always set my clock that you’ll be here at 9:00 am.” I realized I’ve almost always been a creature of regular habits. Regular habits builds the momentum Arnold talks about.
Often we talk of what the spiritual disciplines consist. John Wesley talked of study and prayer. Richard J. Foster added 10 more.
Maybe the point isn’t as much which disciplines you follow as it is developing the habit, the routine, the making it part of your life.
Maybe we need to emphasize a prior step—forming habits. I refer you to Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit and James Clear’s Atomic Habits.
Maybe like me you can get out of bed in the morning, drink a cup of water, make coffee, then settle into your chair, pull out your Bible or spiritual reading, and study and meditate for 20-30 minutes. It’s just a routine part of starting your day.
Maybe mornings aren’t your prime time. As part of your shut-down ritual from work in the afternoon, you brew a cup of herbal tea, grab your book, sit, read and meditate before fixing dinner.
Make the coffee or tea the trigger that says “It’s time to sit.”
“This is my simple religion:
There is no need for temples;
no need for complicated philosophy.
Our own brain, our own heart is our temple
And the philosophy is kindness.”
I picked up this quote from the current Dalai Lama somewhere. There are echoes of the Apostle Paul drawing a picture of our body as the new temple, so we should take care of it in every way.
In this era in the world, we can all use a little kindness. Try expressing a little today by word or deed.
If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
This quote is attributed to Albert Einstein, although he, like Yogi Berra, are often attributed quotes they probably never uttered.
The point remains valid no matter who said it first.
I wish the Apostle Paul had heard this thought.
I love Mark’s gospel and James’ letter. They are so direct. They make a point and move on.
Luke’s gospel is similar.
But Paul felt a need to keep explaining. And therefore Luther, Calvin, and Wesley all read Paul’s letter to the Romans and came up with different versions of systematic theology.
My point…Jesus didn’t tell us to argue arcane points of theology. He told us to love God and to love our neighbor. Luke told three stories that explain who the neighbor is. Hint—not only those from your tribe who agree with you.
I have an eighteen-hundred page book (actually two volumes) that’s an in-depth scholarly look at Paul that I’ve studied. It’s a fantastic intellectual exercise.
But that doesn’t make me a better follower of Jesus. Helping the next person I meet is a start.
The driver bringing me home from a late flight from California to Chicago asks, “Do you know who you’re voting for?”
Questions beginning with a verb are easy. They are yes or no.
“Yes,” I answer. That’s easy. (No, I’m not telling you who.)
But…
“Who?” he asks bluntly.
I think, “Great. I don’t want a 10 pm discussion after a long day and a 5-hour flight.” But I tell him. Then I ask a leading question. It didn’t take much. He was talkative.
I heard a phrase recently—when someone disagrees with you, get curious. Ask questions.
Most (all?) people want to talk about themselves. Ask what they think. Why they think it. What are their fears. What are their hopes.
That can calm argumentativeness. Agreement and understanding may be beyond reach. But détente—maybe.
Gary Mintchell
Faith Venture 