The Joy of Learning

September 28, 2016

I hated school. Well, I was bored for much of it. Then I went through a period of not working hard enough. Then I learned the “game” of school and got good grades…and got out.

There was the time in graduate school when I looked at the professors and thought, “I don’t want to be them. I don’t want campus politics. I don’t like the picky hierarchy.” So, I got a job.

When you’re no longer doing something just for the grade, it’s liberating. Not that I didn’t learn a lot at university. I did. It’s just learning wasn’t fun.

Paradoxically, I’ve had on my mind for months the idea of the joy of learning. A couple of years ago, I went through about 1,800 pages of scholarly work on Paul the Apostle. Had it been a grad school assignment…well, who knows. But such a deep dive over an extended period of time brings an understanding of the person that can only be explained as a great joy in learning–and in understanding.

I missed a couple of posts last week and I’m a little late this morning because I’m on the West Coast. Well, today I’m in Phoenix, not the coast for sure, but the same time zone. What am I doing? Learning. My job for the past 20 something or even 30 years has been to learn about a technology, digest what it means, and then explain and interpret it for others. There is joy in that exercise. The end result is to help others build machines and processes to improve manufacturing and production.

The same holds true for Bible study–or also studying great interpreters. It is the pure joy of learning what the Scriptures really say and then bringing it into a life that builds deeper understanding and a deeper response to life.

The challenge in this sort of study is to understand the gap between knowing and doing. Or as some writers have taught–the distance from the brain to the heart. There is joy in learning, but the goal is to change the way you live. That comes when the knowledge becomes embedded in your entire being. You change the way you live.

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To Debate or Not To Debate

September 27, 2016

“They” said the rating for the presidential candidate debate would be in the range of Super Bowl audiences.

I have the graduate studies in political science. My wife wanted to watch the debates. I said, why. We know whom we are voting for. The debate will change nothing. And then you go to bed emotionally intense. Now you don’t get a good sleep. Then the next morning you feel down.

A quick check of CNN.com last night for something couldn’t get past the hype. This is “crucial”; the most important thing; and so on. This morning–not so much.

Ah, hype. So ephemeral.

I post a marketing message every morning on Facebook for a local business. That forces me to Facebook. People had been posting about who “won” the debate. Each side said “polls” said that their candidate won. Tip–don’t put faith in the polls.

It must be significant that I’m not emotionally involved “for” a candidate. Mostly I’m emotionally involved against one. I’m not going to change. As soon as I can vote absentee, I will. Then it’s over for me until election night when I will allow myself some worry.

Mostly, I’m trying not to be manipulated by the media or by a candidate. Mostly, I’m trying hard (and not all that successfully) to live a spirit-filled life concerned with the more important matters (to paraphrase my Teacher).

And take care of my health.

I’ve heard these political charges before. Kennedy was elected and the Pope didn’t rule the US (remember those days?). Johnson was elected and most of us survived. Nixon was elected and the country made it through. And so on.

Presidents can’t do anywhere close to what they promise. The American people as a whole are industrious and creative. We keep the country growing. Mostly we need politicians to protect us and support us.

And we just need to maintain perspective from the better point of view.

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A GPS for the Bible?

September 26, 2016

When you travel, how much do you rely on your GPS? In your car? In your phone?

We use it often. I’ve tracked taxis. I’ve charted walking paths in cities to a restaurant or other destination.

And of course we rely on it when driving somewhere. Confidence that we are on the right path is priceless. Having an estimated time of arrival helps with planning.

But we have discovered that slavishly following the GPS can lead to lost time or even the wrong path. We were just in Naperville, IL heading back to Ohio. I punched in the street address. It said turn right. I said, “Huh?” Then it said you will reach your destination in 35 minutes. Admittedly I drive fast. But I’m not paring 4+ hours off a trip. Oops, the GPS defaulted to the closest city with my street address–Joliet.

Once I was waiting for my wife to pick me up at an airport while she was enroute from another location. She was about 1.5 hours late. I told her that regardless of what the GPS might say, to make sure she got on Interstate 77. Well, the GPS routed her over the Appalachians to Interstate 75 in order to avoid tolls. It wasn’t set up well. She went way out of her way.

I’ve seen a similar situation with Bible study. We may come to it with pre-formed opinions. We just read our opinions into the words.We lose that “Ah, ha” moment when a new truth sinks into our awareness.

Or, perhaps we choose the wrong GPS.

I remember when that point came home to me. About 45 years ago I read a popular Christian book. It had a few obvious flaws of logic, but the overall theme seemed sound. And everyone around me thought it was great.

Then I read the author’s next work–a study of the letter to the Hebrews. I started the book, but something seemed wrong. I went back to the beginning and opened to that letter reading the translation of the Bible I used at the time (and probably comparing through an 8-translation Bible I have) along with the book. I just kept muttering, “Where did he get that?”

I put the book back on the book shelf and never read that author again. He lost his place as my GPS.

I read lots of scholars and theologians. But I read them in light of the Bible itself. I try to stay true to many of the earliest students–Augustine, Jerome, the Desert Fathers, and others.

A GPS is a good thing; but only if used wisely.

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Imagine What A Wonderful World

September 23, 2016
I see trees of green,
red roses too.
I see them bloom,
for me and you.
And I think to myself,
what a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue,
And clouds of white.
The bright blessed day,
The dark sacred night.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow,
So pretty in the sky.
Are also on the faces,
Of people going by,
I see friends shaking hands.
Saying, “How do you do?”
They’re really saying,
“I love you.”
–Louis Armstrong
Bill Hybels, Sr. Pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, once talked about a staff retreat they held a few years ago. They told him that he should be teaching more. He said, “Oh, no, not that. Teaching is so hard for me.”
Well one reason it is so hard is that he tackles difficult topics. He doesn’t go for the easy softballs. And he does it with depth and sensitivity even while knowing that it will be a challenging message for many listeners.
So listening to him talking during his Sept. 18 taking on the topic of hate, I wasn’t surprised.
The amount of hate I see and hear just tears up my heart. People we might suppose to be good people post some of the most hateful things on social media. Even in casual conversations with people I may meet I hear hateful comments.
Much of the time, I think that the people posting such things or uttering such things would be shocked to be told that they are being hateful. Many think it is merely funny. Some think it is only descriptive.
Alongside that emotion is that of anger. Turn on many of the so-called “news channels” and you hear people screaming at each other—all in the name of raising emotions among enough listeners that the ratings are sufficient to attract advertisers.
Hybels opened the Bible to find an example of hate. He found it in Jonah. You know, the fish guy.
God told Jonah to go preach to the people of Nineveh sharing God’s love for them and the right response to that love. He wanted the people of the city to repent so that he didn’t have to destroy it and all the people in it.
Jonah, hated Nineveh. With good reason. The leaders of the city were cruel, warlike people. They sparked fear in all the area. Kind of like an ISIS. Jonah hated it so much that rather than obey God, he ran away in the opposite direction.
We know the story—a big storm out of character for that season on the Mediterranean came upon them; they discovered the reason was Jonah, they threw him overboard; the storm stopped; a fish came and rescued Jonah; took him back to Palestine and deposited him. So Jonah says, “OK God, you win. I’ll go. But I don’t like it.”
So he goes to the city and preaches. Repent and change your ways, follow the ways of the Lord or you will perish. They did. Was Jonah happy? No. He hated them. He went off and sulked. He said to God, I knew this would happen. I knew you would save them. But I’d rather that they were destroyed.
There is the story of God versus hate.
Hybels didn’t leave there. He offered help for avoiding hate. I’ve written about some of these before. Good tips.
  • Fill yourself with the love of God daily.
  • Steer clear of places that are full of hate: Websites, Talk TV, violent movies, cage fighting.
  • Hang out with radically loving people—the vision of the Acts 2 church.
Remember what Paul wrote to the people in Corinth (1 Cor 13), “and these three abide, faith, hope, and love, and the greatest is love.”
Imagine what it would be if we all lived that teaching. Sing it Louis.

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Your Body Is God’s Temple-Take Care of It

September 20, 2016

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?  1 Corinthians 16

Last night I still had some work to do. But I needed to eat. I had returned to the hotel from the conference and decided to just walk down the street for something rather than drive back for conference food.

There’s an Olive Garden about a half-mile away and I had not been to one in years. Although I know that diet is like religion–we get something we believe and cling to it against all evidence–I’m not opposed to carbs. Spaghetti can be OK, it’s a “slow” carb in that it digests slowly. Problem is quantity. I had salad and spaghetti with marinara. Ate almost half the bowl and two breadsticks (that is the bad stuff).

Walked back to the hotel and was in bed within a half hour. My energy was shot. Should have had no breadsticks and only a quarter of the bowl of pasta. My, don’t we make bad decisions?

Food–too much or wrong kind–has both an immediate and a long-term effect on the body. As Paul teaches, in this new religion of Christianity, God does not dwell in a temple that is a building as in all the other religions. God dwells within us. Therefore, we are a temple. Therefore, we should take care of it.

Kevin Meyer, formerly president of a company and a Lean consultant, writes about Lean and leadership. He also just published a book, Simple Leader.

He writes, “During that time, being overweight impacted my personal and professional leadership. It hurt my self-confidence, lowered my energy level, and complicated my life. Clothes didn’t fit right, so business travel and presentations took more planning.”

The basic pillars of Lean thinking are respect for people and elimination of waste. My food choice was full of waste. Loss of energy was the result. Meyer applied the Lean goal of eliminating waste to his diet. Stop eating wasteful things. Eat nourishing whole grains, vegetables, fruits. Portion sizes are wasteful. Take only a little.

Years ago there was a cartoon strip called Bloom County. Opus, the penguin, was always jumping on the latest fad. In one strip he was jumping from one fad diet to the next. Meanwhile, Milo, the voice of reason, says, “Eat less, exercise more.”

There are medical conditions that create weight gain, so don’t look at everyone and judge. But judge yourself. Am I eating less and only the right things while increasing my exercise? Am I making the decisions required about 50 times a day about the right foods?

How do I feel? That is good feedback about whether you’re on the right path or need an adjustment. As for me, today it’s off to better decisions. First, time for that run…

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Inheriting Eternal Life

September 19, 2016

Just walking along the road. Minding his own business. And a young man walks up to him. “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Something must have been bothering him. What was it? An uneasiness in the gut? A whisper? Some uncertainty?

Something compelled him to approach the famous teacher and ask the pivotal question.

The teacher asked if he knew the commandments from his Scriptures. “Yes, I’ve followed them all my life.”

Well, that should have done it. According to the orthodox teaching of his faith, one earned his way into eternal life through following all the commandments. The young man should have felt assured.

He didn’t.

What about us? There is a current teaching reaching back a couple of hundred years or more that Donald Miller, back when he was writing stories, called “propositional Christianity.” Just say that you agree with their propositions, and you are saved–that is, you inherit eternal life.

But many, like the young man still have an uneasy feeling. Is this really the way? Why do I feel this little nagging in the gut?

The teacher says something to the effect of, well, you know the commandments, there must be one more thing in your way. Sell all you have and give the money to the poor.

At this the young man went away sad. For he was quite wealthy.

The teacher had disciples. His name was Jesus. He was always baffling his disciples–those who were trying hard to learn from him.

They looked at Jesus, puzzled. He said that it was almost impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. This was shocking. Everyone was raised to believe that the rich had it all. They could buy their way into anything. They were especially blessed.

“Who can enter the Kingdom of God if not a rich man?”

“With man, it is impossible. But for God, nothing is impossible.”

(Mark 10:17-23)

When we let go and trust God, then we find the Kingdom.

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Be A Bridge Not An Obstacle

September 16, 2016

Oh, if you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind — Paul Simon

I have been thinking bridges lately. This song popped up on the playlist of one of the channels I listen to in the car (Sirius XM 32, “The Bridge”–interestingly enough).

Fridays are often “leadership day” here at Faith Venture. The concept of bridges fits for that, too. Leadership means relationship–we just don’t often think of it that way.

“Like a bridge over troubled water.”

Leaders take us from one place to another. The good ones take us from a place to a better place. Higher performance. Sales and profit growth. Higher levels of customer satisfaction (no matter who your customer may be–profit or non-profit organization). Continued growth as individual people and as an organization.

Let’s consider the opposite. Leader (or other person) as an obstacle. Perhaps you’ve been on both sides–been an obstacle or been impeded.

Leaders who place obstacles in the way of growth and success usually are unaware. Often they are self-absorbed. So worried about themselves, they forget the mission and the needs of others.

Do a self-check. Are you building a bridge or sowing obstacles?

In Yoga, we have a pose called Bridge (see, the word just keeps popping up). You lay on your back, bring the feet close to the body, knees up, arms alongside the body. You activate or energize the upper legs and “core” (abs, glutes, lower back) lifting the body off the mat. Weight is supported in the heels and shoulders. (Check it on YouTube.)

This pose strengthens, stretches, is good for circulation. It’s an all around beneficial pose. A Bridge.

Have a friend in need—build a bridge to hope or calm or confidence.

Leading a department, committee, company—build a bridge from where it is to where it is serving its customers.

See someone struggling to succeed—build a bridge to growth and success.

Be a Bridge, not an Obstacle.

 

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Lose Your Love When You Say Mine

September 15, 2016

Love is a rose
but you better not pick it
It only grows when it’s on the vine.
A handful of thorns and
you’ll know you’ve missed it
You lose your love
when you say the word “mine”.
–Neil Young, recorded by Linda Ronstadt

This verse contains enough good thoughts for a short novel. But they are meaningful.

Trying to possess something or someone ruins the entire experience. They say that money is the most frequent cause of marital problems. But I’d bet that money quarrels are merely a symptom of deeper problems. Let’s use the song–“say the word mine.”

It’s when we put ourselves first that problems begin. When we don’t outgrow our inner 2-year-old, whose favorite word is “mine.” A 2-year-old really doesn’t differentiate a distance between herself and the other. Everything revolves around him. But, that is natural child development.

When we’re 40 and still acting that way, well, that’s a problem. Time to see a shrink.

I sing this (or read it) and I cannot get everything that John wrote in the New Testament.

Jesus as the true vine. We obtain our life nourishment from him. Separated from the vine, we just wither and die. Sort of like this love that someone wanted to possess and in so doing crushed it.

I think of all the times John talks about love. God is love. We should all love. The world will know Jesus’ followers by their love (oh, if only this were true).

Then I think of Jesus when he checked up on people and pointed out pride and self-absorption. His instruction was to be humble–not weak as the word is often misunderstood but simply placing others ahead of us. It actually takes strength–strength of character, strength of faith–to be humble. The easy route is to boast, to put ourselves first (people tell me, “but of course I put myself first, duh”), to exaggerate our successes, to talk about ourselves.

Love is a rose. I love that picture.

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Let Us Lay Aside Every Weight

September 14, 2016

Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us . — Hebrews 12:1-3

Bill Hybels at Willow Creek Community Church often talks about having a “life verse”–a verse from the Bible that is a statement of your faith.

This is not a concept I had been taught. But if I had a life verse, this one might be it. It was the theme for the Emmaus team I was on once.

Let us take this verse in relation to the spiritual discipline of simplicity. Just think of all the “weights” we carry around.

Let’s think this way as I was taught by a co-worker once. He lost 16 lbs. once. He was a big guy, but you could really tell he was down some. He talked about how much better he felt. “It’s like I was carrying a bowling ball around with me all the time, and now it’s gone,” he explained.

Sometimes our weight (as in excess body weight) is the result of carrying other weights–anxiety, depression, worry, fear, low self-esteem.

Sometimes we carry the weight of a past sin–something we did or said that we wish we had not done or said. How it would be so great for that weight to be laid aside.

Some may be carrying an addiction–sex, food, porn, drugs.

Often the weight is just simply too much “stuff”. We accumulate more stuff. We need more money to get more stuff.

But there is forgiveness. God’s forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice. It is there for us.

As we experience that forgiveness deeply, we can shed some of those weights. We can live more simply. We do not need more stuff. We lay aside, true with much work, the weights of addiction or emotional illness. We begin to heal.

We learn that living simply is possible–and healthful–and spiritual. We are lighter, as if the bowling ball or two we were carrying around was gone. We have more energy.

We can now run that race that God set before us, doing what was intended for us from the beginning. And we take a step, and another step, and another, until God says Well done.

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Living With God

September 13, 2016

The LORD himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Why did the translators choose not to translate some of the words? Weird. So now, we translate the word to understand it. In English, the name of the child is “God is with us”. Doesn’t sound like Timmy, but a name nevertheless.

The Bible I use (although the translation is NSRV) originated with the Renovare community–Richard J. Foster and Dallas Willard and friends–who brought us back into the discussion of Spiritual Disciplines. It is the Life With-God Bible.

They note, “The Bible is all about human life ‘with God’ and how God has made this ‘with-God’ life possible and will bring it to pass….that we should be in every aspect a dwelling place of God.”

The Spiritual Disciplines Index lists more than 100 citations of God with us verses.

I think that is why Paul once taught us to pray without ceasing. In so doing, we keep our attention on God. And how easy it is for our attention to drift into our emotions or desires.

And we take this life with-God into our daily tasks. It may be a little out of context, but a Zen master from years ago said, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

We still work in our daily lives, but it is now all different. We have new focus. New energy. New attitude.

That is why we practice disciplines. They help us along the way. How do we live the with-God life? By practicing prayer, service, study, silence, simplicity.

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