Archive for the ‘Prayer’ Category

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Release Hidden Tensions

February 7, 2014

Neighbors called the rescue squad. There was something unusually quiet about the apartment of the old woman. They entered, found her in distress, and took her to the hospital. She had one hand tightly clenched into a fist. They could not get her to release. Finally, a doctor in the emergency room pried open her hand. Inside was a quarter.

Henri Nouwen tells this story in the beginning of his book “With Open Hands.” It is an image that has stayed with me for many years. The image of someone desperately hanging on to something valuable. So incredibly tensed up. Hanging on.

Jesus told stories about people trying to hang on to things. And he taught about the futility of that. Today I’m told there is a TV series (maybe more than one) about “hoarders” who can’t bear to throw anything away.

I’d like to relate this to the mindfulness discussion I started with this week. And prayer–which is where Nouwen took the story.

Part of being mindful is to open up. Become open to the world around you. Become open to God. You cannot walk around and really be with people if you are tensed up with worry about things which are of no value to God and actually impede your relationship with God and people.

In Yoga, I put people into positions where they hold a pose designed to stretch and strengthen a  particular muscle or muscle group. Then I will suggest that they do a mental scan of their bodies at that time. If we are working the upper leg muscle (say in Warrior pose), we discover often that we are holding tension in our shoulders. We should not be holding tension there. We should only be working the leg muscle. We remind ourselves to relax.

While warming up, I will have the class in sitting position cross-legged on the mat. We sit erect, stretch our arms out straight, then bring the palms of the hands together in front. Breathing deeply, we bring our arms back until we are pinching the shoulder blades together. We put the thought in our minds that we are opening ourselves up to greet the day. Then we bring our arms forward on the exhale and put the thought in our minds that we are releasing all the tensions of the day. Repeat about 4-6 times.

We have our minds and bodies intentionally working together alert to the moment–and only the moment. Now we can pray.

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Walking in Faith

January 22, 2014

Do you ever wonder about the people the writers in the Bible were addressing? Especially the New Testament letter writers?

One of my small groups is reading James. A marvelous little letter. But I started thinking–just what was that gathering of people like that caused James to write this letter to them?

His teaching included:

  • treating poor people just like you’d treat rich people
  • act out your faith, don’t just sit back and say you believe
  • watch what you say
  • be careful not to judge people as to their salvation
  • pray powerfully expecting results
  • if you’re rich, don’t hold it over other people

Picture this gathering of people. When they got together, they separated themselves among cultural lines just as if they were out in society. When things got tough, they whined. They were critical of each other, often saying mean things.

How many of these traits do we exhibit?

I remember long ago talking with a woman about coming to my church. She said, “I just wouldn’t fit in there.” What a powerful condemnation. She didn’t think our little Baptist church filled with middle class business people and teachers would accept a working person.

Even today, I can look across the 20 or more protestant churches in our town of 17,000 and see how often they are divided among income, cultural or racial lines. There is only one Catholic church in town, but there are several rural ones close by if people want to stay in the faith (protestants don’t seem to care about denomination very much any more, they just hop from church to church) and attend with people they feel comfortable with.

Wherever you are, do you try to live out some of these words of James?

  • make everyone feel equally welcome
  • speak kindly in the Spirit
  • perform acts of service in humility
  • pray powerfully with great expectation

I need reminding at times. Bet we all do.

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Pray With Intention

January 3, 2014

Eoin commented yesterday about faith being a gift. A valuable comment, thanks Eoin. James (in the letter bearing his name) talks about all the good and perfect gifts that come from God.

Prayer is another of those gifts. James also talks about when you pray, to pray with certainty. Pray with intention. Don’t pray with leaving God an “out” and revealing your ambivalence. James calls that “double-minded”.

I totally changed my life last year–and it was all through prayer. I look back and contemplated how suddenly busy I became the last half of the year. It came through praying with intention. Praying for a ministry. Praying for people to come into my life. Praying for some new creativity.

And it all came to pass.

And this year, there are new prayers. Prayer for the focus and energy to accomplish the tasks set out before me. Prayer to have an impact.

Are you all praying for something for this year? It’s not like a New Year’s Resolution that is stated and then forgotten. When you pray with intention, something will happen. It may surprise you–God always seems to come from a different place than we expect.

But trust me; no, trust James; actually no, trust Jesus. They also both said to pray directly and with intention that God the Father will do for His children what is right.

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Meditation Is Neither Complicated Nor Exotic

October 22, 2013

Ah, those New Age people. Always trying to make things complicated or exotic. Bookstore shelves are no longer filled with computer and business books. Now they are filled with New Age books.

If you are around my age, you may remember that the Beatles traveled to India, met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (making him famous along the way), and popularized meditation. Allen Ginsberg, the Beat poet, was interviewed in a magazine in the mid-60s and talked about meditation as if it were some exotic being that only the adept could gain access to.

Let me debunk that idea.

You, too, can begin meditating today. Right now. It’s healthy. It will clear your mind. It will help you focus. And, yes, it may help you experience God. I have studied Transcendental Meditation and Zen. But did you know that there is a rich Christian tradition of meditation? Well, there is.

I like to begin every day with silence and meditation. I’ve been meditating for at least 45 years. I know how it changes your personality. And, yes, I’ve had God experiences. That’s the bonus, not the everyday experience.

The real benefit is to slow your thought processes and your body rhythms. This latter point is actually beneficial for such things as high blood pressure and mild anxiety. As you practice over time, you’ll notice that you become less anxious and agitated. Your focus increases. You can approach situations calmly. As you center, you will be more aware of your body–where you hold tension, where you feel relaxed.

As you become still and slow your mind, then you are able to receive those whispers, nudgings, shouts from God. Ancient wisdom traditions teach the value of becoming empty in order to be able to filled with the right stuff.

You don’t have to sit cross-legged on a prayer pillow with your forefinger and thumb connected in a circle such as you see in pictures. Although you can. Or, you can sit in your favorite chair, preferably not a soft one. After all, the goal is not to go to sleep! You can actually lie on your back on a firm surface such as the floor (called corpse pose in Yoga).

Close your eyes. Check your body to release any tension you may be holding especially in your shoulders, the back of your neck, or other places. Then just focus on your breathing. There are “chants” or “mantras” you can say. These are merely designed to help you focus. I like the sound of God. Some Christian meditators use love, spirit, Jesus. You get the picture. Or you can simply say a vowel such as o, or ah, or a, or oooh (u).

Just do it 10-15 minutes. After a while you may want to mediate longer. But just a few minutes a couple of times a day will work.

Then just be open to the Spirit.

 

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Do Not Forget Prayer

September 26, 2013

When I run in the mornings and then do my personal Yoga practice, I listen to podcasts. If you are not familiar with that term, you can search in iTunes. You can actually find me there. My original podcast originating somewhere around 2005 was “Automation Minutes” which has morphed into “Gary on Manufacturing.”

But I don’t listen to me, of course. My weekly diet includes teaching from Bill Hybels, John Ortberg and Andy Stanley (actually two from him, he does a monthly podcast on Leadership). I also listen to NPR’s Frank Deford on sports–surely the best writer on sports in the country. Technology is a passion, and I listen to Tekzilla and The Gillmor Gang and Scobleizer on that subject. There is Michael Hyatt on personal development.

These are tips for your own growth and development. There are a thousand to choose from. Just load them on your iPod or iPhone and off you go.

Often topics come together. Today, the thought is prayer.

Do you pray intentionally? That means, you don’t drift in your talks with God. You pray specifically, intentionally for something. Some good topics are to pray for God to open your eyes to opportunities to serve. Or for God to bring people into your life for a purpose you need right at that time.

My wife was raised a fundamentalist Baptist. She was taught that all prayers should be from the heart and therefore spontaneous. Writing a prayer was unthinkable. And “saying” the Lord’s Prayer was just some almost-Pagan ritual that people like Catholics did. I simply asked, what about writing a prayer down on paper makes it less from the heart? Opened her eyes to an entirely new world. Then she discovered that Catholics could actually be Christian. Well….

Hybels recently said that he discovered that writing his prayers each morning helped him focus. But he also said something interesting. Some people just seem to go on and on when they pray. They forget the intentional part and just start repeating what they said over and over–forgetting the words of Jesus when he said that you can’t impress God with long prayers of many words.

Ortberg last week introduced a San Francisco transit bus driver who has built a community among the people on her route through her Christian witness and presence. She begins every day at 2:30 am in prayer.

Writing this blog is one form of my prayers. It helps me pause, reflect and seek God’s word.

And, I followed the advice of an acquaintance who suggested the intentional prayer for bringing people into my life. And for opportunities to serve. It all happened.

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Lost That Loving Feeling

August 12, 2013
Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, The Righteous Brothers

The powerful voices of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, The Righteous Brothers, pound in my brain. “You’ve lost that lovin’ feeling, oh-oh-oh, that lovin’ feeling; Baby, you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling and it’s gone, gone, gone.”

Our small group has been reading Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus by Kyle Idleman. In a chapter called Passionate Pursuit, he discusses a concept I haven’t heard for years–acedia. That’s a Latin word usually translated as sloth–one of the “seven deadly sins.”

Like Idleman, I pondered why “sloth” was one of those sins. It just didn’t seem to fit. Then I read the Desert Fathers writings and came across John Climacus (or St. John of the Ladder) who wrote The Ladder of Divine Ascent. This great book from the 7th century describes for the early monastic movement what emotions to overcome on your Divine ascent, and he devotes a lot of space to acedia (uh-see-dee-a).

You have been pursuing something with great passion. Your girl friend / boy friend. Your profession. Your sport. A deeper Spiritual life. You think you cannot live without the object of your pursuit.

Then, something happens. Usually a little at a time other cares start to impinge on your mind, emotions, energy. You don’t seem to care as much. Don’t devote so much time.

Then Bill and Bobby are singing your song–You’ve lost that loving feeling.

Passion is used often these days to describe oneself. Once in an editorial I wrote about being passionate about automation and manufacturing (I still am, by the way). A friend wrote that she is a “passionate communicator.” (and she is). So many people begin something with great passion and then wither–like the seeds scattered on thin soil that Jesus describes that sprout fast and then wither in the sun.

If you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling in your Spiritual quest, there are ways to get it back. You begin by getting back into the Spiritual Disciplines. Read The Bible or a devotional every day. Meditate and Pray every day. Worship and Celebrate with your Jesus-follower friends. Remember why you were first in love. Stir up the embers in the fireplace and add some new kindling. Get the fire roaring again.

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Pray With Intention

June 28, 2013

I sat down at the bar in the Waldorf Astoria in New Orleans this week. I intended to eat a light dinner there. Turns out that they don’t serve food at the bar. Not all intentions work out, I guess.

On the other hand, a friend told me several months ago that he prays intentionally for God to bring people into his life. It seemed like good advice. I’ve been doing that.

A couple sat down beside me. So I started a conversation. Turns out they were in town because he was at another tech conference going on in New Orleans at the same time. They both have full time jobs. But they were working on starting a new business designed to help kids.

I learned something of another ministry. Something to take back to mine.

Coincidence?

Or a combination of praying for opportunities and people coming into my life, no matter how briefly, where either they teach me something or I teach and share with them. Best is both.

I’ve discovered that praying with intention is only half the battle. And this prayer is only one of several. What do I do after I pray?

First, I have to go out into the world. If I just sit in my office, I am not that likely to meet new people. God only does so much. He expects me to put out some effort. So, I go out.

Next, I have to be open to others. You can start with almost any non-threatening question. The Spirit leads from that question to beginning a conversation to getting to the point of the need–yours or theirs.

Then, I have to focus on the other and opportunities that are presented in the course of the conversation. That is a listening  skill. I focus my eyes on their eyes and mouth (so I can see what they say, especially if the environment is noisy.

Finally, I respond appropriately.

You can learn new things. Make new friends. Share your story. Share Jesus’ story. Get help for a problem you have. Help someone else.

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Clear Your Mind For Better Meditation

May 30, 2013

Ancient traditions have taught the value of emptying your mind. Before you can sit down to meditate, pray or study, your mind must be clear and receptive to new thoughts. It must be clear for you to focus.

Jesus seemed always to have a clear mind and ultimate focus. Peter, on the other hand, did not seem to reach that level of maturity until later in life. He seemed always to be in a jumble of thoughts and questions.

So, how do you clear your mind so that you can turn your attention to the task at hand? Here are some thoughts.

  • Write. Yes, always have paper or note cards and a pen. If “mom” is on your mind, there must be a reason. Write down the action you must take (buy present, call her, send a note, etc.). There. It’s out of your mind. When your mind is full of “stuff” that you must do, write them down, then make a to-do list. It’s out of your mind, and you can concentrate on what matters at the moment.
  • Breathe. OK, we breathe naturally all the time (or you wouldn’t be reading this!). How are you breathing? Short, shallow breaths? Focus on your breath (in ancient Greek, same word as spirit, the ancients knew this). Take slow, deep breaths.
  • Word. Sometimes repeating a word helps focus. It can be just a sound, such as , “ahhh” or “ohhh.” I used to repeat the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me). Then I just shortened it to “God.” I like one syllable. Some people like spirit or Jesus. Some of you may have heard of the Sanskrit word from the Hindu tradition, “Om” (pronounced sort of “ahoooommmm” with the m sound more like a vibration). The idea is not magic. It’s to focus the mind and clear out all the rambling thoughts.
  • Relax. You can meditate lying on your back, sitting in a chair or on the floor or walking. But the three practices above should help you relax so that you’re receptive to murmurings of the Spirit.

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Visualize Your Prayer

May 14, 2013

There are two types of people. List people and visual people.

Give my wife directions, and she wants a list. She’ll follow the list to the end.

I want to see a map. I want to visualize the route and possible alternatives.

Since I don’t really believe in false dichotomies, I’ll admit that I also do lists. To do lists are the most powerful tools of getting things done.

Successful sales people visualize the conversation with a prospect before it happens. I used to sit in the parking lot for a few minutes and visualize the entire presentation and imagine the conversation and every objection the prospect might bring up.

Leaders visualize their outcomes. They can see what the results of success looks like.

Often when I pray, I will visualize the outcome or the person or the situation. If I am praying for someone, I like to just hold a picture of them in my mind while I focus on God. No words are needed. When I meditate on Scripture, I like to picture the event. Roll the film in my head, so to speak.

OK, maybe it’s because I didn’t have lots of friends as a kid that I imagine so much. Or maybe engineering training of drawing thoughts. Or maybe it’s a learned technique.

Whatever, it works for me. What about for you? Do you visualize conversations? Do you visualize leadership? Do you visualize in prayer?

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Live With Intention

April 19, 2013

The word intention has recurred all week. In many conversations, people talked of praying with intention. And God sends the right people into your life.

I’ve done that. It’s amazing.

But right now, my intention is a quiet time with my granddaughter. She knows I get up early. She, in her own way for 3 years old, prays with intention that I come and get up early with my coffee and then sit and read and watch the sun rise.

You need those moments.

Mine starts off this way. Then I’m ready for business and work.

What is your intention for the day?

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