Archive for the ‘Spirituality’ Category

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Conversations

June 19, 2009

It’s amazing the conversations you can have just by opening up–and by listening. I travel a lot for business and have had some of the most deep and interesting conversations at dinner. This week I was in Phoenix. There was a dinner for people from the media (I’m a magazine editor) and various marketing and engineering people from the host company. I sat with my journalist friends from Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Silvia from Brazil asked if I was “how do you say, Protestant”. Then she wanted to know what sect. (Her English is far better than my Portugese.) I told her I was Methodist. She laughed. Her father-in-law is (as close as I can tell) the equivalent of a District Superintendent and her brother-in-law is a local church pastor both in the Methodist Church in Brazil.

She is Catholic, no surprise to me, but we went on to have a fascinating conversation about religion and spirituality, about my favorite stream of Catholicism–the Carmelites.

At other dinners I’ve discussed spirituality with a wide range of Christians and with Hindus, Buddhists and Moslems. If you’re polite, listen, present your ideas with humility, it’s amazing what you learn about people and the seeds you can plant in return.

I’ve heard the phrase frequently lately from Gandhi about “I like your Christ, but I don’t like your Christians.” I’ve also read other people who couldn’t figure out why, when they should agree with people of various Christian persuasions, didn’t–only to discover it was really the people they didn’t like, not the idea.

Lord, save me from being one of those people who turn people off. Make me a better listener. More like a gentle rain than a hurricane in my dealings with others.

— Gary Mintchell

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Sinful

June 10, 2009

Reading in Romans to prepare for a new series has been reinforcing some of my meditations lately. It is so exceedingly easy to see the sin in others. I’ve had a lifetime (long one) to see the bigger picture, yet I still sometimes find it easy to see the sin in someone else and become critical.

When you meditate deeply in God, you are given the experience (or opportunity) sometimes to see all the sins that you have done in life and those that you are capable of doing. When you experience intimately the evil that lies within you, next comes the experience of complete grace. This is the grace where God says, “It’s OK. I know what you’re capable of, but you still can have everlasting rest in me.”

If I have such grace, why do I want to rush to judge others? That’s just another sin. Lord, help me remember my grace–the grace that you offer to all.

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Pointing back at you

June 8, 2009

Recently there was a small group discussion. I should agree with the participants–at least most of the time. But sometimes I am uncomfortable. It’s a rush to judgement thing. And there are a couple of “bogeymen” that just raise their ire. Reading in the first chapter of Romans where Paul lists the many ways that people sin, they immediately jumped on the homosexual issue.  They stopped reading at the end of the first chapter. Too bad. The second chapter begins (by the way, Paul didn’t write in chapters, so he would have expected the discussion to proceed through this next thought):

Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.

Have you ever taken the time to be quiet for periods of time every day and let God talk to you? Have you ever used this time to look into your heart and see all the hatred and evil things in there that you are capable of? Have you realized the grace of God that you have either overcome those impulses and desires or the grace that says, “you are forgiven, go and sin no more”?

When I was a kid, there was a saying “When you point a finger at another, three fingers are pointing back at you.” It is so easy to sit in judgment of others. Remember, someone is judging you. And it isn’t pretty. It is a better attitude in life to realize how thankful each of us should be for the grace of God–and to extend that grace in His name to everyone we meet. And how hard it is to live that thought.

Peace, Gary Mintchell

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Maintain Focus

May 8, 2009

Last weekend, the word of the day seemed to be distraction. I noticed in church so many people were distracted from the worship and teaching. Later at a concert, the same thing. So many thoughts and concerns running through their heads. So much need to talk.

But I know focus is a hard thing. I’ve been pondering how to maintain focus, study and prayer while living a hectic life. Last week I was in California (from Ohio) all week. Five days, four hotels. Up at 3:30 am Monday to catch the 6:15 flight eventually to San Diego. Off the plane, meet my colleague, drive up to Temecula, check in hotel, drive to company we’re visiting, discuss technology and business, leave for dinner and back to hotel 10 pm PDT (1 am EDT).

Next day up early, videotape interviews, lunch and back to airport for flight to San Francisco. Once again in hotel about 10. Same thing Wednesday and Thursday. Friday up early to head to airport, home 1 am.

This week just two days that bad, but the problem is–how do you maintain discipline and focus in the midst of life? It’s easy for me to sit in observation mode and watch others in a state of distraction. Harder to step back and watch myself in distraction. Let he who is without sin cast the first rock, as Jesus once said.

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Ache Search Rejoice

April 20, 2009

— Gary Mintchell

Now that we are celebrating after Easter, this passage from Luke seems even more meaningful. I’ve been contemplating on Luke 15 for months now, and finally decided to write about it. During my study of Luke, I visited Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago. Founder/Pastor Bill Hybels was concerned that his church had lost a little edge and brought out one of his original “Contagious Christians” talks. The outline is his, other thoughts mine.

It seems that well into his ministry, Jesus heard the grumbling of the church people–those who observed all the laws (so they thought anyway), attended services, hung out with the right people and all that. These are things we can recognize today from “church people.” So he told three stories to answer their question about why he hung out with “sinners and tax collectors.” The first story is about a shepherd who has a flock of a hundred sheep. Upon discovering that he has lost one, he leaves everything to find it. The second story is about a woman who has lost a coin and searches diligently until she finds it. The third story is about a man who loses one of his sons and looks longingly every day until that sons returns.

These stories have three things in common: aching, searching, rejoicing. And they all describe God. And as we live in remembrance of the Easter events and celebrate the risen Jesus, remember this context.

God aches for every lost person who cannot find the way to salvation and wholeness. Just as we should ache for those same people. Ache is deeper than shallow emotion. It is as if something in us is missing and we won’t be complete without it. Do we care about those who are lost? Or are we comfortable with those around us? Do we always sit an empty chair in our small groups in remembrance that we need to fill that chair with someone who needs to be brought into relationship?

The aching leads to action–searching. The shepherd diligently searches though all the rocks and crevaces until he finds the lost. The woman sweeps the floor, moving furniture, looking under things until she finds the coin. The man goes out to the hill and looks everyday for the return of his son. Do we ache so much for the lost that we search for them? Are we trying to bring wholeness through Jesus to people in need?

Finding leads to rejoicing. In each case the finder is so overjoyed that they invite all their friends over for a big celebration. Just as Jesus was telling the Pharisees and other “church people” (including us) that God rejoices for every person who was lost and then was found, so we should rejoice when a person finds the way and comes to God. As we live in this after Easter celebration along with facing a chenge in pastoral leadership, it’s important to remember we can have Easter celebrations every week that we find lost people and help them find wholeness. That’s what has grown our congregation, and what we need to continue to focus on.

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Easter 2009

April 11, 2009

-Gary Mintchell

Reflecting on being in Jerusalem last month and thinking of the Easter story gives an entirely new perspective. The people close to Jesus had a week of remarkable high highs and remarkably low lows all in the space of eight days or so. And the geographical area covered is so small. I took a picture of the “Palm Sunday” road from the Temple Mount. It is a road that comes down a mountain (hill?) to a valley and immediately rises toward Jerusalem and the Temple. The religious leaders would have easily seen the procession and commotion across the valley. From the peaceful setting of the Garden of Gethsemenee to the prison cell where Jesus was likely kept for the balance of the night (probably in a harness that kept him suspended from a hole in the floor down into a cave-like room) was not far in physical distance but light-years in terms of experience. Then a day of going back and forth between judges to the walk through crowded market streets to the cross. But hope comes from the empty tomb. Earlier in the trip we visited Tabga where the risen Jesus came to Peter and asked him three times “Do you love me?” Then “feed my sheep.”

I suppose that’s our challenge after Easter, too. Feed Jesus’ sheep.

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Pilgrammage

March 24, 2009

Sorry I’ve slacked off from this blog. Starting last August I have been traveling almost every week, and I simply ran out of time to do my job and also all my “hobbies.” Acutally I’m writing this post on an airplane on the way to Florida on a business trip. But I hope I’ve worked out a process to write occasionally. I’m just back from a second trip to Israel, this time extended with a side trip to Egypt.

Pictures are on Flickr . You can make the trip as a sight-seeing trip, or for history/architecture or for a cultural experience. It is best done as a spiritual journey–to the land where monotheism began and grew. Where Abraham established his legacy and where Jesus walked, taught, died and reappeared. People who view religion as a formula, where you repeat things you were taught to believe can miss an entire panorama of emotions and spiritual insight. And the experience is different every time. It depends on where you are in your journey and where God needs to meet you–or lead you.

Egypt adds an entirely new meaning to the experience. It is the land from which the Hebrews “escaped,” of course. Celebrated in the Passover rituals followed to this day after some 3,000 years. The Pyramids predate Abraham. Age so great that Americans with their paltry 300 years of history cannot comprehend–only to stand in awe of the genius of such ancient people. Maybe we don’t know everything after all. Part of the trip is a hike to the summit of Mt. Sinai. We stood where the Hebrews lost faith in Moses and induced Aaron to lead them in the molding of a god they had left behind in Egypt. This is now the site of one of the oldest monastaries of the Christian faith. The hike is about three miles in a winding path upwards about 2,000 feet in elevation. It is strenuous, but can be taken reasonably slowly with breaks. The final ascent tests your endurance, but then you are standing on the small level summit where Moses communed with God and came down after 40 days with the beginnings of God’s Law. The point of this pilgrammage is to ascend before dawn and witness the sunrise over the distant mountain peaks. The experience is awe inspiring. No wonder Moses could talk to God there. You felt as if you had ascended directly to Him. We are reminded that individually we are not as great as the American self-help gurus would have you believe.

God is Great. And He speaks to you in the stillness of the shores of the Sea of Galilee; in the chaos of the marketplace in Old Jerusalem where Jesus walked his final mile; in the caves of the Judean wilderness where David launched his campaigns; and in the height of Mt. Sinai. To the attentive listener, a message awaits. On my first trip I didn’t feel peace but the hate of distrustful religious followers who cannot break the barrier into understanding and living together. But I also felt challenged to pray for others–not myself–and to consider more deeply what I can do to bring peace to the world. In this second trip, God’s peace was pervasive. I returned at peace and rested.

It’s a trip everyone should make.

Gary Mintchell

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Inspired to act

September 3, 2008

I guess I’ll continue the theme of actions today, because I just read this blog post by Steve Leveen, founder and CEO of Levenger–a retailer of fine pens and productivity tools for thinkers. On a suggestion from a friend, he read “Mountains Beyond Mountains” by Tracy Kidder about Dr. Paul Farmer (MD) who established a medical mission to Haiti even though he is a Harvard physician. The book inspired him (Leveen) to become a tutor at a local school. Interesting how ideas come together. I began my study of Luke this year with thoughts about John the Baptist’s teaching that following spiritual renewal you should go out and help other people. Jesus then began his ministry essentially the same way. Reading, listening to the Spirit, doing. Those three go together. Makes me wonder what I’m doing…

-Gary Mintchell

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Turn the world upside down

August 22, 2008

It seems as though I’ve been on constant business trips this month. Finally home for a while. My regimen of posting to four blogs while traveling sort of lapsed. Anyway, continuing in my study of Luke, I’m looking at his reporting of the Sermon on the Mount in Chapter 6. “Blessed are you who are poor”; Blessed are you who hunger”; Blessed are you who weep”; Blessed are you when men hate you”. On the other hand, “Woe to you who are rich”; “Woe to you who are well fed”; “Woe to you who laugh”; “Woe to you when all men speak well of you”.

It is probably impossible to overstate the impact of the Roman Empire, the god-like worship of Caesar, the culture of power that permeated society at the time. These words are revolutionary. It’s not so much political revolutionary suggesting the replacement of one government with another. It is Jesus saying that all people need to replace one worldview with another. Replace the attitude that rich people are somehow superior in every way to poor people. Replace the attitude of “if you’ve got it, flaunt it.” Replace the attitude of “I’ve got power over you, do what I say.”

I’m not so sure that humans have progressed all that much from Roman times. We still have a predominant society of “getting mine” and “screw the rest.” Even among Christ-followers, there has recurred a theme of “we’re better” or “we’ll get financially rich because we’re Christians.” On the other hand, perhaps the body of people who truly try to follow the teachings of Jesus (and Paul) is slowly growing over time and may perhaps see the eventual overturning of the Roman worldview replaced by a God worldview. I pray that it’s soon.

Gary Mintchell

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Rules

July 23, 2008

After Luke records Jesus’ dealing with temptations, he proceeds into a compilation of events and sayings. Luke was a physician, and you’ll see more healing stories in his book than anywhere else. Significant among the early healings and other stories was the way Jesus dealt with the Sabboth. I was taught (and have never seen anything to contradict it) that Jewish Sabboth observance really caught on during the Babylonian Captivity as a way to keep their heritage alive. Over time, thinkers kept trying to define what it meant to “keep the Sabboth holy.” If you are to do no work, then what is work? So began a long process of writing definitions–otherwise known as laws or rules–about how to keep the day holy.

Jesus realized that the problem with rules is that they become a burden on the people. They forgot about concentrating on being holy and started concentrating on not breaking the rules. Today psychologists have verified Jesus stance that what you think about determines what you’ll do. When Jesus healed a man’s withered arm on the Sabboth in full view of everyone, he asked whether it was God’s will to do good or to do evil on the Sabboth.

The lesson for us is to reflect on our thoughts and actions and see where our concentration is. Are we more concerned with rules, and not breaking them? Or, are we concerned with God and what He wants us to do in every situation, with every minute? I know which one Jesus picked. Wish I could be as perfect as He!

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