Faith Venture

What a Jesus-Follower Look Like

April 4, 2017

I’ve been writing at the beginning of the year for several years that we should determine who we wish to be, what sort of person we want to become, and then choose actions and attitudes that support that outcome. Many people think this is far better than some of the Resolutions or goals that people make.

The last 13 verses of chapter 12 of Paul’s letter to the Jesus-Followers in Rome paint a great picture of what we should become. It’s like a list–and humans love lists. But it’s not like a checklist where you can compare your “score” with someone else.

Rather this is a description of a person.

I’d like to be that person.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.

18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I know people who resemble this person. I wish more of them were inside the church rather than outside. I pray that there would be more people like this.

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Thinking We Ought To Be In Charge

April 3, 2017

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think…”

“Do not claim to be wiser than you are.”

Paul had never visited the little community of Christ-followers in Rome. Yet, I wonder what he must have heard about them.

Twice, in consecutive paragraphs, Paul offers these words of humility.

How often do we say, if only I were in charge, things would be different. Meaning, of course, better.

But, do we have the gifts to be in charge?

It is so much easier to criticize than do. Criticizing puts you above the doer, at least in your mind.

But, actually making the decision and living with it–that’s an entirely different matter.

That’s why we respect those who have accomplished something. They have something to say. Yet, they seldom do. They understand the difficulties.

It is so worthwhile to pause at intervals and “view ourselves with sober judgement”.

Those who know their gifts and use them are the happiest.

Posted in Attitude, Disciplines, Gifts | Leave a Comment »

Love Isn’t A Strategy

March 31, 2017

No promises
(No demands)
No demands
(Love is a battlefield)
Love is a battlefield

What is love?

An emotion? Yes, I guess.

A Battlefield? Pat Benatar sang it was.

Battlefields imply strategies. Winners and losers. And losers in the battle often also lose their lives.

Believe me
Believe me
I can’t tell you why
But I’m trapped by your love
And I’m chained to your side

That surely doesn’t sound like the freedom promised by the kind of love Jesus and Paul and John (the apostle) talked about.

Bob Goff, an interesting guy, a “recovering lawyer” and honorary Consul for the Republic of Uganda, writer of “Love Does.” Goff recently said, “Love People isn’t a strategy; when it has an agenda, it isn’t love anymore.”

I guess we all know manipulators. We don’t like them. Even when we fall under the power of one.

No, love just does things for others. Not with an agenda, say, to get love back, or to gain some sort of power over the other. No, just service from the heart. Sometimes love means doing nothing–just quietly being there for someone. It means watching out for others’ needs. Awareness of the other person without thought of ourselves.

Love is a way of living from a heart in tune with God. I think that’s what Jesus was talking about when he said, “You will know my followers by their love.”

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Chasing Illusions

March 30, 2017

Persistence Robin

It is nest building time in Ohio. Robin has been flying into our front window for five days. Thud. Thud. Thud.

It goes away. Then returns. The reflection from the magnolia is so bright, it is convinced that there is a better place to build a nest than in the real tree behind it.

In fact, it sits in the real tree in between bouts with the window.

At least it’s not like other birds who hit the window and knock themselves unconscious.

I was wondering. How often do we chase illusions? Reflections? Not the real thing?

We want something to be true. We are positive that what we see is much better than what we have. It is so delicious. So welcoming. It attracts us.

We chase it again and again. And we hit the wall. And we retreat. And then hit it again.

One day we hit it so hard that we are finally awakened.

That wasn’t reality we were chasing. It was an illusion. A mere reflection of the real thing.

We could have the real thing–peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, self-control–it is right at hand.

The Word is near us. Yet, we listen to the enticing whispers or illusion.

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Offering Ourselves As a Living Sacrifice

March 29, 2017

“I appeal to you therefore to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.”

This was a summation statement by Paul in his discussion to the Christ-followers in Rome.

We are all sinners–that is, we all fall short of doing what we should at all times and can commit any number of acts that separate us from God and people.

We acknowledge our belief that God brought Jesus back to life after he was killed.

We are brought to understanding that there are no divisions within the community of Christ-followers (the church). We are all the same.

Then Paul says, “therefore.”

That means given all these facts, we must do this next.

But what does this mean?

We do not come from a culture of killing live animals on the alter at the Temple.

First Jesus, then Paul, revolutionized the way we think of temples by referring to our bodies as the Temple of the Holy Spirit (that is, God).

Then not only did Jesus revolutionize relationships–basing them on love instead of power, Jesus also revolutionized what we think about God. God does not live in some stone building where we bring animals for a ritual slaughter.

Instead, we see it that our bodies are a temple in which the Spirit dwells. And we offer it to God as a sacrifice–not as one who is killed, but as one who lives.

I’m not sure what all Paul had in mind when he wrote that. But I’m guessing it has to do with things such as

Doing things that are pleasing to God
Putting into practice the teachings of Jesus about love
Putting others ahead of me
Giving not only our tithe, but also offerings, generously

As we try to focus during Lent on a Jesus sacrificed and resurrected, maybe we move beyond (at least in America, if not western culture) the Easter bunny, new clothes, candy, and other trivialization of the holiday.

Maybe an act of service. At least once a day. Or, maybe, just as a natural part of living every day.

Posted in Christianity, Disciplines, Faith, Living, Service | Leave a Comment »

Living With God Every Day

March 28, 2017

Do not be transformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern the will of God. Paul, the apostle, writing to the church in Rome

Paul has dropped that ancient wisdom on us before–you become what you think about. He knew that centering our minds on the right thing leads to life. On the other hand, focusing on the wrong things leads to alienation, strife, destruction.

Yesterday, I was pondering the passage from Steindl-Rast’s book about spirituality infusing us as an everyday thing. Perhaps this is a part of that living spirituality.

We transform our minds. That means a choice. And will. We intentionally choose things, reading, activities, and the like, that will renew us in our knowledge and relationship with God.

With our minds renewed daily by focus on God, we can move beyond the vicissitudes of political winds–beyond “political stupidity”, which by the way is different for you and for me. Or theology which is often different for you and for me. But God is still God. The creator. The essential life-force.

Just before Paul told us this, he told us to offer our lives as a living sacrifice to God.

I’m not entirely sure about all the implications of what he meant. But I’m sure that he means for us to wake up daily, pray / meditate asking God what we are supposed to do for him today. The day is his, not ours.

And if we are clueless, then Paul drops some hints. Read Romans 12:9-21. Paul Simon once sang about 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. Paul the Apostle gives us 29 ways to show love and be that living sacrifice–he could have written a song “29 Ways To Be a Lover”.

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Spirituality Is Part Of Life

March 27, 2017

“You should be on that committee, not me,” the man told me, “you’re more spiritual.”

That confused me. What made him think that?

Why is someone considered spiritual?

Because they read the Bible? Even atheists can do that. Scholars who have no religious orientation can do that.

Because they work on church committees or even just go to church? Many people just show up. We all know people on committees who just show up–occasionally. Maybe the body is present, but the mind?

Maybe they just seem different from other people?

“Sometimes people get the mistaken notion that spirituality is a separate department of life, the penthouse of existence. But rightly understood, it is a vital awareness that pervades all realms of our being…”

I’m currently reading The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred In Daily Life by Brother David Steindl-Rast.

He pointed out this thought at the beginning of one chapter.

Being spiritual does not necessarily mean otherworldly. The spirit is part of life–infusing the physical body, incorporating the mind, yet also pointing toward something beyond–God.

The apostle Paul talked about considering our bodies as Temples to God. A temple was the place where the people’s god (gods) lived. It’s an important place.

Therefore, we should take care of the body. And the mind.

As for being “spiritual…”, maybe he just thought that I thought about God more often. Or that I could pray in public (many people are too shy or insecure to do that). Or that back then I was quiet. Aren’t quiet people more spiritual, after all?

The point is that we can all be “spiritual.” Just let the spirit infuse our bodies and life.

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The God I Wish You Knew

March 24, 2017

Running on a treadmill 40 stories above the Detroit River yesterday, there was the most gorgeous sunrise. It was a red sun reflecting from a few high clouds and off the river ripples.

And I’m listening to Mike Breaux, a preacher who is now an associate serving with Gene Appel at Eastside Christian Church in Orange County, California. Both are excellent communicators.

But I love listening to Breaux. (pronounced bro for the French challenged, from Louisiana)

They are teaching on the idea of “The God I Wish You Knew.”

Appel was saying that people come up to him and say they hate God. He’ll ask, describe God. When they finish, he’ll say, “I don’t like that God, either. Here is the God I wish you knew.”

Breaux was explaining the Bible as a love story. A story that tells how a God loves people so much–even though they keep rejecting him. He continues to pursue them.

What a way to think about God.

Not like some who see God as the Great Vending Machine In The Sky. Oops, need a new car. Drop a prayer in the slot and poof, here’s a new Mercedes. Or, I know I’ve been abusing my body for years, but drop a prayer in the slot and poof, I’m restored to health.

Or, there is the Great Rule Maker In The Sky. Look, here is a list. If we just follow this list of rules, then we’ll be OK. As a bonus, we can compare ourselves to each other. Ha ha, I got 90%; you only got 85%. And look at those poor fools over there who don’t belong with us–they are only batting 33%. Surely they’re going to hell.

I like the idea of the Great Lover–but not in the sky, remote. Time after time in the Bible they talk about God being right here, with us, inside us, around us. Why do we keep missing he point? From a speech made more than 3,000 years ago, “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart.”

And we get these reminders every once in a while, if our spirit is in the right place, like that sunrise.

Posted in Awareness, Disciplines | 1 Comment »

Humility Is The Secret

March 23, 2017

Humility is the secret of the wise. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

They always put large mirrors over the desks in hotel rooms. At least in Marriotts. And I’m in another one. Detroit. Overlooking the Detroit river. I look south and see…Canada.

After immersing in research at my computer, I glance up. See myself. Startled. I’ve been up 45 minutes. My hair is still standing up from 7 hours in bed. A reason to be humble.

Yesterday I shared the story of the man in the village who wanted the kind of riches that the wise man had who could give away a huge fortune so effortlessly.

The secret is humility.

People are nice to me. Say good things about my writing. Some are sincere. I love them. Encouragement is rewarding. Some are afraid that I may say something bad about their product, service, themselves on my business blog. So they are nice. I don’t know motivations. I just assume they are in the first group.

The danger lies in letting the compliments go to my head. Never think I am good. Keep learning. Keep praying for other people’s successes.

A friend once came up to me. “No one really wants to be humble,” he said.

I was puzzled. Then I realized that aside from the psychologically needy who feel bad about themselves, healthy people have trouble putting others ahead of themselves. That’s what humility is.

I just saw a saying from Gandhi where he talked of “reducing oneself to zero.”

I’m sure not in a psychologically unhealthy way. It’s just less of me; more of Jesus; more of others.

That’s humble. What’s so wrong with that?

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The Discipline of Simplicity–Letting Go

March 22, 2017

This story came to me through James Martin, The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything. He got it from the Jesuit writer Anthony De Mello, who got it from India–where much spiritual writing originated.

The samnyasi (wise man) had reached the outskirts of the village and settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said, “The stone! The stone! Give me the precious stone>’

“What stone?” the samnyasi asked.

“Last night the Lord Shiva appeared to me in a dream,” said the villager, “and told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk I should find a samnyasi who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever.”

The samnyasi rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. “He probably meant this one,” he said, as he handed the stone to the villager. “I found it on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it.”

The man gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond, probably the largest diamond in the whole world, for it was as large as a person’s head.

He took the diamond and walked away. All night he tossed about in bed, unable to sleep. Next day at the crack of dawn he woke the samnyasi and said, “Give me the wealth that makes it possible for you to give this diamond away so easily.”

Are we controlled by our possessions? What is holding us down?

Jesus talked about our inability to serve two masters: God or our money (stuff).

Let us do a check in with our soul and our possessions. What weight holds us back from trusting God?

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