From Theology to Practice

January 19, 2016

Andy Stanley last weekend talked about putting some motion in your devotion.

He captured it well.

Every time I dig deeply into either the Gospels to see what Jesus really teaches, or into the letters which were advice to the new disciples, I come to the same conclusion–the preponderance of the teaching focuses on how we live day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

I’ve been reading, studying, and contemplating on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

Some scholars think Paul didn’t write it because the tone is a little different from the rest of his letters. It sure sounds like Paul to me. I go with some scholars who say it was probably more of a sermon than a letter. After all, Paul was firmly in the rabbinic tradition.

Some scholars dissed the letter because they thought it was used to justify the power of priests 1,700 years ago. Maybe so, but I don’t see that today.

Paul begins where he always begins, with the history of God’s relationship with the Jewish people, the breaking of the relationship, and then, most importantly, Jesus coming to teach, die, and be resurrected. Paul’s theology begins and ends with the resurrection. That changed everything for him.

Just as in Romans, though, Ephesians teaches that once we settle on God’s grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus and our acceptance through faith, then the most important thing is how we live. Romans ends with practical advice; Ephesians ends with practical advice.

Part of our spiritual discipline, or spiritual practices, involves how we act. By the way, James who writes from a different tradition supports this thought. Be ye doers, he said (in 16th Century English).

But I digress. Today when you get dressed and head out to work or wherever you go, how are you going to act? What will you do? Will people see what you do and say, “There goes a disciple of Jesus”? Or, will they say, “There goes another one of those Christians who can preach belief but acts as if they’re the only people on Earth.”

I wrote yesterday about how I was once (?) book smart and common sense stupid. How hard it is for us to translate what we know into what we naturally do! But that is our task as set out by God. We may know. We may believe. But could anyone tell by watching?

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Shed a Little Light

January 18, 2016

I wrote today’s post over the weekend. I’m having trouble remembering what day it is anymore. Too many things on my mind, I guess.

This morning, reminded it was Martin Luther King Day, I was reminiscing about my youthful college days as a civil rights advocate in an all-white community (of 1,000 people) and the grief I took. Or driving through Mississippi on my way to LSU for grad school in 1970 with an equal rights decal on my car. Book smart, common sense stupid. That was me.

Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at my little liberal arts university not long before he was murdered. Guys told me that the farmers from around Ada, Ohio joked about how they should have run his car off the road on the trip from Lima to Ada.

Thanks to John Fischer and his email newsletter The Catch for pointing out this great song on YouTube to remind us of having a dream. Do we still have the dream? Listen and enjoy.

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How We Can Pray Without Ceasing

January 18, 2016

Our friend, the apostle Paul, gave this advice to the disciples in Thessalonica, “Pray without ceasing.”

That sounds so simple.

But wait, how can you do that?

You wake up in the morning. Think of that first cup of coffee. Grab the newspaper or check news sites on the Web. Think of the commute to work. Get the kids ready for school.

We wake up and we’re already swamped with tasks, worries, planning.

Where is prayer?

Same with the day. We have things to do, people to see, places to go. Pray? You’ve got to be kidding me. Didn’t the first Century Christians have life a lot easier? A slower pace?  More time for contemplation?

The anonymous pilgrim in one of my favorite books, The Way of a Pilgrim, pondered that question as he traveled the Russian countryside. He discovered that realistically you cannot literally pray ever second of every day. But his continual praying brought a number of important people into his life just at the right time.

Brother Lawrence, a 17th Century Carmalite brother recorded in The Practice of the Presence of God, was another man who sought to pray without ceasing. He talked of praying while cooking, baking.

Paul linked praying with other commands (tips, suggestions?). 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 records, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

These do not describe separate commands. They describe a way of life. We can call it attitude–the way we approach living. It could be habit–our response to life. It becomes imprinted on our DNA.

The most important thing is to start the day well. Rise 15 minutes earlier. Go straight to your favorite chair. Open your Bible, read for a few minutes. Pause, pray for a few minutes. Now you are ready for the day. Pray as we tend the kids. Pray as we fix breakfast. Pray as we commute.

Prayer means more than talking aloud. It can be done on knees, lying in bed, walking, driving, whatever we’re doing.

Talking is good. Listening is better. Attitude toward God–priceless.

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How We See Others

January 15, 2016

As a leader, how do you see your group? Not as a group, but as individuals.

Do you see them as hard working, dedicated, intelligent people? Or as lazy, slothful, needing constant supervision people?

I had a job once where I could get more done working from home than coming to the office. My boss said, “Well, as long as you’re working.” I thought, “Sheesh, no one puts out more work than I do, and he makes that comment.”

This phrase just popped up in my reading, “Your perception of me is a reflection of you.”

If you are looking at the team you are leading as a bunch of people you can’t trust to do their work. Maybe the problem really is you. Maybe you know that you’d like to slack off and are suspicious of others who might.

There was a story about a man traveling the back roads of the Midwest in the early 20th Century. He came across a farmer. He stopped and asked, “What sort of people live around here?”

“Well, what sort of people lived where you are from?”

“They were a lying, thieving bunch of people.”

“Well, I guess you’ll find people here about the same.”

A second traveler came by later and stopped. Asked the same question. The farmer asked what sort of people there were where he was from. “Honest, hardworking, trustworthy people,” came the response.

“Well, I guess you’ll find the people around here to be about the same.”

It is a great story pointing out that our perceptions are often colored by our emotions, thoughts, and opinions. We see what we want to see.

When I’ve dealt with people as a leader, whether as a parent or manager, I always just have this expectation, usually unstated but clear by insinuation, that people will live up to being what they were meant to be. I expect the best for other people.

When you deal with others, how do you view them? If the results are not forthcoming, perhaps a good look in a mirror is in order. Change your attitude toward others and watch how their attitude changes.

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Teach Us To Pray

January 14, 2016

“Lord, teach us to pray.”

Writing about prayer yesterday dredged up some memories of teaching people to pray. Paul has much to say that is practical. Jesus’ disciples asked him point blank one day. He responded with the “model” prayer that we call the Lord’s Prayer.

Once in my idealism, I offered a class on how to pray to my church. There were a few takers. My idea was to, well, er, teach them how to pray. As in, let’s see an example of a type of prayer, then spend the rest of the class practicing that prayer. You know, contemplation, intercessory, supplication–the whole thing.

The trouble was–they didn’t want to practice. They wanted what we call “book knowledge.” But they were uncomfortable actually praying.

Did the same thing with a class on spiritual formation. We gathered a dozen people into our family room and I led them through Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. What I tried to do during those 10 weeks or so was to get them to start actually practicing some of the “Spiritual Disciplines.” Did we pray daily? Study daily? Fast regularly? Worship? Serve?

They just wanted to learn the words from the book. I don’t know if any actually changed their life practices by incorporating a daily habit of spiritual practice.

Funny thing is I read constantly. But when I find something worthwhile, I try to add it into my daily or weekly (depending) habits. I’m far from perfect, but it would take a book to discuss the growth in my life due to spiritual practices. More even-tempered. Discernment. Ability to recognize the needs of others.

I think when Jesus taught his disciples to pray that he expected them to actually pray. Pray to recognize God’s holiness. Pray for our daily sustenance. Pray for God’s kingdom. Pray for others. Even pray for ourselves.

So let’s lift up our hands and actually pray–and follow Paul’s advice to do it without arguing or anger. Prayer is so powerful; it will change your life.

 

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Lift Hands In Prayer Without Anger or Argument

January 13, 2016

Do you ever get tired of scanning your Facebook “news” feed? I do.

Sitting here studying in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, “I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.”

We can’t even go to a church full of people who call themselves disciples of Jesus and pray without argument. Either we argue amongst ourselves or we argue about everyone outside the walls who doesn’t agree with everything we hold as opinion.

I just wish I could scan through my Facebook “news” feed and see more of that and no anger, hate, cynicism, misinformation bordering on lies. How about we stop trying to tear everyone down and start working for the improvement of our society, community, nation, world? That is my fervent desire.

Instead of complaining and whining about people from other ethnic origins and countries, what can we do to help people in Jordan and Iraq deal with the refugee problem there? Instead of disdain toward those in need in our community, how about we serve them?

Find someone who needs help and focus on that instead of yourself and your problems. That is what my master taught. It’s hard to follow, but it’s my job.

It’s even into sports. The Bengals/Steelers NFL game Sunday was packed with drama–not so much about the outcome of the game which was wild–but about how much illegal violence and bad sportsmanship would be exhibited.

The Steelers’ quarterback was injured and taken to the dressing room in a cart. Bengals fans cheered his injury and threw objects at him on the journey.

Days after the game, players and fans were still whining, pointing fingers, denying the obvious.

That’s just sports. Try politics. In America it sometimes appears that no one is interested in working toward the common good. It’s all about scoring points against the opponent. Attributing every evil known to man as a characteristic to the other party.

And most of these people, if you asked them, would claim Christianity.

Fortunately this is mostly just the outspoken people. But too many of those are politicians. Most of the country, indeed, most of the people in the world, just want to live in peace, help their neighbors and those in need, worship God. But we don’t hear from them.

Let us all try to pray diligently with our hands raised to God not in anger and argument.

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Is It All About Me

January 12, 2016

You deserve everything. Go for everything you want. You deserve it. — Horoscope

Horoscopes these days seem a little like “Dear Abby” advice. Some days when I’m a little bored, I scan the horoscopes for a chuckle. The other day, the one above was mine.

Many books have been written analyzing the mental health disease of our age, the conclusion–narcissism. Narcissists view others from the point of view of how others impact them. “Did you see what she did to me?” Not just “did you see what she did?”

There’s a lot of “I deserve it” attitude. “I’m entitled.”

Jesus said (Luke 14), “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”

What he’s asking us is who’s in charge. Am I all in for myself? Or, am I all  in for Jesus? Who is first?

Someone who truly has narcissism personality disorder won’t be changed by a blog post or by reading some words of Jesus.

The rest of us can read and learn. Jesus did change some people’s focus. They learned to start considering others first. They learned that it is not all about themselves.

Sometimes we need a reminder. Our first response might be for our own comfort or desires. Then we remember.

As we serve others once, then twice, then eventually it becomes habit. Habits build character. It becomes our nature–who we are. We are people who consider others first.

 

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Evolution 2.0

January 11, 2016

There are two types of people. There are always two types of people.

One has great faith and belief that the Bible explains science, and specifically believes that the English translation “day” in Genesis 1 means literally a day as we define it–24 hours.

The other has great faith and belief in a particular view of “science” some call “scientism” derived from the writings of Charles Darwin in the “Origin of the Species.”

These are both faith positions based on an interpretation of their different “holy books.” They like to argue with each other. But no conclusion can ever be reached. They can’t even agree to disagree. Total conquest of the opponent is the only imaginable outcome.

A different view

Sorry to break the usual speaker’s trick, but there are really other types of people. I, for example, am trained in both science and the Bible. I don’t agree with either of the two positions. I believe that there exist a great many people like me.

I do not wish to argue any merits of either position. I’m merely introducing a book sent to me by a friend written by a man I know through business.

“Evolution 2.0: Breaking the Deadlock Between Darwin and Design” by Perry Marshall is a book of considerable scholarship written in a totally non-scholarly way. Marshall’s study began with a crisis of faith caused by the conflict of science and faith.

He’s an electrical engineer who took the approach of communication, information, and networking engineering to the study of the two views of evolution–showing the evidence for a type of evolution yet thoroughly debunking the scientism views of the avowedly atheist Darwinists such as Richard Dawkins.

If you are in neither of the two types of people and if you have an inquiring mind, I recommend the book. Not necessarily because I agree with everything he writes, but because it should cause you to think. And that is a good thing.

If you are in one of the two groups of people above (although the one type most likely does not read this blog), then don’t bother. It will just get your blood pressure up.

As for me, whenever there are two poles of a dichotomy, I automatically presume that there must be a more rational alternative. Then I set out to find it. Perry’s set out an agenda for my scientific reading for a while.

But as for my faith, it does not rest on this argument at all. My faith rests on my knowledge of the presence of God and of the resurrection of Jesus. Science for me is just an inquiry into trying to understand the mind of God who created all this wonderful life.

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Great Leaders Have Great Interpersonal Skills

January 8, 2016

We were at a dinner. It was a special dinner with several courses each paired with a wine. The idea was to teach a little about wine and also sell the wines, of course.

It was a group experience. Most of us came as couples, not as a large group. We entered the room to discover it was set up with several long tables. We were going to share a table with six people whom we did not know.

The man adjacent to my wife was an owner of a local company. He was personable. Asked a lot of questions of my wife and the other people. Seemed genuinely interested in the other people’s lives.

My wife has been to many business dinners with me by now and has met many business owners or ranking executives. She comes from a working class background, so it was initially all new to her.

After the dinner on the drive home, she said, “Men like him are always interested in other people. They make others feel at ease. They are interested in others.”

An astute observation.

Recently while reading on leadership, I ran across this observation, “Great leaders have great interpersonal skills. They care for their people. As a leader, you need to know how to listen quietly and hear what people are really saying, by asking questions and being open to the truth. When challenges come, it’s especially important to open up and show you care.”

I’m watching a friend start a new business. He really cares about all the people he has hired for the team. He guides those who need a little help. He encourages each one. It’s a joy to watch.

No matter where you are called to be a leader, this is a great role model. Leadership isn’t all about me. It’s really all about them. How can I help them? How can I nurture them? How much do I care?

 

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Lost In The Futility Of Their Minds

January 7, 2016

Have you ever met someone who is so smart that they are actually ignorant? They have so many ideas rattling around inside their skull that often nonsense comes out of their mouth (or computer)?

These people are not only atheist philosophers. I have met people who call themselves Christians who live entirely in their heads. Religion is intellectual, ideas, agreements with propositions.

Sometimes people study things to overcome their own deficiencies. Perhaps I’m that way. For a couple of years at the university, especially the year I wasted in graduate school studying political philosophy, my goal was to be an intellectual. University was all about ideas. In fact, some philosophers who were really all about spirit were labelled “idealists” meaning they thought ideas were real.

Now, I often observe that people think too much. They read too much into other people’s writings.

Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God. They have lost all sensitivity. (Ephesians 4:17-19 excerpted)

After the era of Freud, people seem to like to psychologically analyze other people. They think about others problems. Sometimes they explain away evil acts by saying it’s all their mother’s fault or some other such nonsense. (OK, I like Jung and James far more than Freud from that era, I’ll admit.)

We read the Bible and try to dissect every word as if we were scholars who had lived with the nuances of the language for a lifetime.

Jesus basically said it’s all about the status of our heart. It’s how we live out love. Paul emphasized grace. He also was concerned about how we live out love–but he was worried that people would return to being legalistic about it instead of living in the freedom of grace.

But freedom didn’t mean thinking about whatever you wanted to until you slowly went insane. Thinking that leads to understanding of God is good. Better is getting up every day and deciding to once again live out God’s grace by sharing it with others.

Stop sitting around thinking; start reaching out to others in love.

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