Life in the Spirit

January 9, 2014

How do you read Revelation, he asked me in exasperation. The small group was studying the book based on a study guide that explained rationally one view of how to interpret signs. But the author of the study book explained the other view. Very well.

Then I said, both views are interesting–the Dispensationalists and the Reformed–but both are merely rational and only developed long after the book was written (19th century and 17th century).

I have thought about this for quite some time. How do you read visionary writing? Are there secrets in the Bible that only the “spiritually adept” can know? Despite writing where we learn that God hates fortune-telling, we still want to believe that we can know the future with certainty.

There was a group of people in the early years of the church. Paul fought against them. They were the Gnostics. Descendants of some Greek lines of thought. They understood secret spiritual truths. Their thought was dangerous according to Paul.

But Paul was not purely a rationalist. He understood life in the Spirit. Not only did he experience the risen Jesus, he had also written about having a spiritual vision–or experience.

I think that it is dangerous to read visionary writing, that is, writing about spiritual experiences, unless you understand such experiences. I don’t believe that purely rational analysis works, and it can lead people dangerously astray.

I know that this line of thought puts me at odds with the way philosophy, theology and literature is taught in the Western tradition. Been there, done that, have the T-shirts to prove it as the saying goes. Once you’ve explored life in the Spirit beyond the purely emotional and then the purely rational, then your eyes are opened to writers who report on spiritual experiences.

In the Bible, that would be Daniel, Ezekiel and John. But outside the Bible but in the tradition would be St. John of the Cross, Theresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, the Desert Fathers, and many more. A German philosopher, Hegel, tried to bring intellectual, rational order to the movement of the Spirit with disastrous results. Think Nazi Germany.

Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist, began as a rational seeker of the inner Spiritual life. By the end of his life he was asked if he believed in God. “Believe? No, I don’t believe. I know,” he replied. He had experienced the Spirit of God.

First devote your life to living in the Spirit. Understand the Spirit. Then approach visionary writing. These works don’t hide “secrets.” God does not work that way. They describe how the writer experiences a vision of God.

Most seekers who have had visions of God in their seeking are reluctant to write about the experience because it is so easy to be misinterpreted. If you try puzzling out visionary writing, then you understand why these seekers were worried.

The Bible was written and assembled to show us how God has acted with people throughout history and to show us how to live a life in the Spirit. That is the best stance to take as you explore the writings. Or, faith and works as James would put it. James would like the commercial playing on TV right now–I like and better than or.

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Anticipation

January 7, 2014

We just went through the advent season of anticipation. I wonder if it was as intense as the anticipation of the last few days in the American Midwest.

I quit watching The Weather Channel at least a year ago. Way too much over-the-top hype. I quit watching network TV news (and weather) 25 years ago. Still, I knew there was a “winter storm” coming toward western Ohio for several days. It was supposed to hit Sunday.

Saturday I wasted a little time on Facebook. Saw the people posting from grocery stores about how the shelves were bare in certain areas of staple items. People talked about the coming storm with worry and even fear for several days.

It was two things–several inches of snow followed by cold weather. Really not an unusual occurrence in our area in the winter. It’s actually beautiful on the days following snow. The sky is blue, the air is clear, sunlight reflected from the snow and ice on trees is enchanting. Oh, the temperature may be single digits F and sometimes below, but we have modern furnaces and clothes to counter it.

In my area, the storm sort of fizzled out. We were about 40 miles to the east of the line dividing rain from snow. In the end we got a couple of inches. Oh, it’s -9F as I write this, up from -11F when I went to bed. The heavy wool sweater I bought in Norway is a help.

Still I ponder, we get so worked up and agitated with the hype of weather systems (OK, when a tornado is coming, even I get worried). I don’t sense the same level of awareness during the season of anticipating Jesus’ birth. We get snow every year. We get Christmas every year.

What do we need to do individually to recapture the anticipation of Jesus’ arrival. Maybe too many presents and parties, not enough reflection and worship and celebration?

(Personal note: I hope Jon made it home yesterday OK. The roads through Chicago were still treacherous, and I bet US30 through Indiana was slick. And I hope all my Midwest readers had the common sense to not venture too far into the cold and ice. Stay warm today.)

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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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Set Your Path For the New Year

January 2, 2014

New Year’s Day coming on Wednesday really screws up a week. Normally there are several days strung together where I do year-end analysis (of myself and my businesses), prepare for tax season, and think about my direction for the new year.

This year, I worked on Monday and most of Tuesday. Here it is Thursday morning, and I’m going to spend most of the day on normal work.

I just read Andy Stanley’s book, “The Principle of the Path,” and my small group is studying the letter of James. As I contemplated these this morning, I found some parallels as I often do.

The principle of the path, to unjustly summarize, basically builds from the idea that you do something (consciously or re-actively chosen) and that starts you down a path of life. It may guide future decisions.

James follows a lineage of thought that is sort of, “to be is to do.” That is, the word “faith” does not mean a principle to which I agree with in my head (logically) or feel is write in my heart (emotionally). Faith is more of an action verb than it is a noun.

Back in my days of singing folk songs and campfire songs with my beat-up classical guitar, there was a song we sang called “Love is Something You Do.” Same idea.

Jon Swanson asked his readers for goals or words for the year. I don’t really choose goals in the usual sense or have a theme word for the year. But thinking about his question, I decided this year should be one of focus and energy. I got too diverted into too many things in 2013 and my energy sapped at times.

But as a disciple of Jesus, I feel more like it’s a “put one foot in front of the other” sort of thing. Where faith is choosing the path and assuring that each decision and action continue me on the path this year. Living consciously and intentionally.

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Your End-of-Year Spiritual Review

December 31, 2013

We are always in need of the discipline of pause and reflect.

Each week, best on Sunday evening, it is good to check your next action and review notes and compile a to-do list of the most important things you need to do during the week.

Each month, pause and reflect on the previous month. Did I accomplish the things I needed to get done? What were the distractions? What do I need to focus on this month to move me toward my goals?

Each year, take at least a full day and pause and reflect on the preceding year and the next year. What was the state of my spiritual health over the past year? Was I diligent in my Spiritual practices? Prayer, meditation, study, service, worship, teaching? Was I the kind of person that I want to be?

What things did I habitually do that helped me grow? What things did I habitually do that hindered my growth?

Aristotle, writing in the Nicomachean Ethics, said, “Some thinkers hold that it is by nature that people become good, others that it is by habit, and others that it is by instruction.” He thought habits were the thing. “The behaviors that occur unthinkingly are the evidence of our truest selves.”

“However, to modify a habit, you must decide to chant it. You must consciously accept the hard work of identifying the cues and rewards that drive the habits’ routines, and find alternatives,” wrote Charles Duhigg in “The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in Life and Business.”

This is a good day to pause and reflect. I have done this “religiously” for more than 30 years. Some years it’s only smaller things that come to mind. Some, like last year, precipitated major life changes.

For today, look at yourself as an objective observer would. What did I do habitually that was detrimental to my becoming the kind of person I want to be? The first step of change is to decide to do this work of identifying them.

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I’m Doing a Great Work

December 30, 2013

I’m Doing a Great Work

“I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.”

What is your great work for 2014? Can you see it in your mind?

Nehemiah saw a problem that troubled him greatly. His brother returned to Susa in Persia where Nehemiah was an official in the Emperor’s office with disturbing news about the state of affairs in Jerusalem–the ancient capital of his people.

He prayed and meditated on the problem for several months and came to focus on fixing one big thing–rebuilding the walls of the city. In those days, cities of any importance at all had walls. Jerusalem’s walls had been in shambles ever since the Babylonians had conquered the city some 100 years before.

One day while he was supervising the rebuilding of the walls, his enemies sent a message requesting a meeting in a village down on the plain. Nehemiah responded, “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.”

This year’s work

This is the time of the year for reflecting upon the past year and resolving to do better next year. I will adjust my schedule at the gym to allow for an influx of optimistic people next week. My Yoga class will double in size for the month of January.

People will make resolutions to lose weight, get fit, be healthier. But they won’t focus on the great work, and they’ll quit.

What is your great work for the coming year? Define it. Write it down and keep it in a place you’ll see daily. For in the coming time, every day you must make decisions–almost hourly–that will determine the outcome of your great work.

Do you need to have a better relationship? Deal with an alcohol or other addiction problem? End a toxic relationship? Start a new ministry? Define it, pray and meditate on it, ask God to bring people into your life that will help you.

My great work

Last year at this time, I heard Andy Stanley of North Point Ministries teach on this verse. I also read Henry Cloud’s book “Necessary Endings.” A friend had advised me to pray intentionally for God to bring people into my life.

Also last year I had been praying for God to open up some sort of ministry and to deal with a toxic relationship that I had found myself in. And to bring new people into my life.

It was an interesting year. I ended the toxic relationship, started a new business, accepted a request to re-start a ministry at church and started the process of turning around another business and to buy it.

My great work this year is to digest all that, achieve focus and purpose on each, and make them all successful. At the core, I pray to become a better communicator.

What’s yours? Are you stepping out in faith?

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Copy The Right Master

December 27, 2013

Yesterday, I wrote about human development. How we learn from copying the master and then incorporate those learnings into our lives so that we can then create within our own personality.

What about choosing the right masters to copy from? That is important for art, but even more so in spiritual development.

Jesus is such a hard model to follow. He was so perfect. He could do things that we’ll never do. On the other hand, he taught in the tradition of creating disciples. These are people who follow the master and try to emulate him. In certain Jewish religious circles even today you will see men wearing clothing of a certain style. This is the style of clothing that their master (teacher) wears.

What do we do to look like our teacher–Jesus? I am more and more convinced that the main point of the Bible story is to teach us how to live your lives. Jesus spends very little time talking about heaven. He spends almost all of his instruction time on how to live.

He’ll answer such things as how we treat other people, upon whom do we focus when faced with decisions (hint: God), how we manage our resources, how to teach, what to teach, how to bring healing to people.

People will say, “I believe.” Maybe they will even say, “I believe in my heart.” Jesus would say, “Fine, but what about that decision to spend money on another new TV rather than provide help to the homeless?” Or, “How about the way you treated the people you met today?”

It boils down to whether we focus on what God would have us do or whether we settled for satisfying our own pleasures or wants. It’s whether we model our lives on the way Jesus lived or on a rock star.

Choose your master consciously with discernment.

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Learn By Copying First, Then Creating

December 26, 2013

I’ve had several days with the grandkids over the past five weeks. They are old enough, especially the oldest who is six, to start playing with a little more sophisticated toys.

Have you noticed how some of the “creative” toy companies have come out with more structured toys? Specifically Legos. You used to get a box with maybe a couple of examples on the lid and then you just let the kid start creating. Now, there are specific toys. I’ve been helping Wyatt build Nijagas (or something like that–I’m afraid that I’ve lost touch with kid culture).

Originally I’d have had a negative attitude about such structure. But I’ve discovered that he’s learning some tremendous lessons that are appropriate to his age.

He is learning to follow instructions on how to build something. In so doing, he’s learning about the different types of blocks and what they do. As he masters these, then, if he is so inclined, he’ll move on to creating his own masterpieces.

Every artist I’ve ever studied has begun by mastering all the techniques that came before. The great ones then extend the practice by adding their own insights and techniques.

Leaders study other leaders. Practice what they learned. Study some more, and become eventually great leaders.

Even spiritually. I think a lot about the very short scene we have about Jesus’ life where he was 12 (which was “older” than today’s 12 in developed nations) and studying with the greatest teachers at the time in his culture. Even Jesus didn’t just drop in a spiritual master. He was human, too, and had to learn. He was just predisposed to focus on the right questions.

That is the value of learning and practicing the traditional spiritual practices. You practice, and practice, and practicce.

Almost no one is born a master craftsman or spiritual guru. But we can all become a master at something. Just by spending 15 minutes first thing in the morning developing the practice of study and meditation will, over a lifetime, bring you to spiritual maturity.

Start by learning the basics and copying someone or something good. Then add to the practice and become a master–even a spiritual master.

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It’s Just the Beginning of the Journey

December 25, 2013

The culmination of a month or longer of anticipation and build-up to the moment. I’m awake and downstairs before the kids. Soon, they’ll be up, tearing wrapping from presents and reveling in what Santa brought. Then it’s over.

Mary and Joseph had about a 9-month build up. Then a birth. Then visitors. Then fleeing for their lives to Egypt. Then back home to Nazareth. With them it was not 30 days of hype and then poof it was over. They had to live with results.

Birth really isn’t the climax–the end of the story. It’s actually the beginning of the journey.

For each of us, a reminder of a beginning. Perhaps an invitation into a new beginning.

Last year I had a new beginning even at my advanced age. New beginnings can happen.

Merry Christmas. And here’s to a beginning of a wonderful new journey for you.

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Spiritual and Emotional Maturity

December 23, 2013

I was taught a management study early in my career that has always stuck with me. Let’s say there are two types of bosses and two other types. These fit in a 2×2 matrix (in management circles, everything fits in a 2×2 matrix). That yields a box composed of four squares. On one side you measure either good feel for people or poor feel for people. On the other you measure good intellectual control over emotions and poor intellectual control over emotions.

Best boss

There are four possible combinations of the two sets. When people were surveyed, which do you think came out as the best boss?

Turns out that feel for people did not matter. What mattered was intellectual control over emotions. People wanted a stable boss, not one whose emotions controlled her/him.

That one lesson led to a lifetime of learning about the topic.

Once again, early in my education I was studying meditation. What better place to study how meditation helps you see God than to study the early Christian “desert Fathers.” I found the book “The Ladder of Divine Ascent” by John Climacus.

Wonder what that book is about? Getting control over your emotions. You could read that instead of Freud and be much the wiser.

Today’s lesson

Last week I listened to a TED Talk by Sally Kohn. She is the “gay, lesbian Talking Head” on Fox. The point was about emotionally connecting to people even if you disagree with them on politics versus letting pure emotion drive combativeness, hate and anger. She called it being emotionally correct (riffing off politically correct). I call it emotional maturity (or you can take it as Emotional Intelligence after the title of a book).

Then I heard about some sort of scuffle about some guy who looks like an aging ZZ Top singer–I guess some sort of reality TV guy from Louisiana (I have no idea what Duck Dynasty is, and I don’t really care to learn) who spouted off with a bunch of emotionally charged opinions.

So, everyone goes off on their opinions. I finally decided to read what the guy said. It’s the same stuff I grew up with. Every white male (and most females) held the same opinions and considered themselves the model of Christianity. In fact, about half of the people I’m connected with on Facebook are still at that level.

What comes to mind in both cases is emotional maturity. Or lack thereof.

There are ways to say things that just stir up people. Or, there are ways to emotionally connect with people to show a more mature nature. People in general respond to the emotionally mature person, even if they don’t agree with everything.

I am trying to learn that sort of maturity. Sometimes I slip. Then I am convicted of my failure.

One last thought–don’t get all worked up about TV and terms like freedom of speech. TV is all about money. And people who are concerned first and foremost with money do not want to offend groups of people with money who might part with it to them. Ask a friend who similarly lost a job.

There is freedom of speech. Then there is the freedom to speak wisely.

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