Faith Venture

Staying Connected

January 24, 2013

I love technology. Recently, and actually many times over the past 10 years, I have been involved in online discussions on technology, the future, impacts on jobs, and the like.

I can remember when I was one of only a few who had a mobile phone. Maybe that even made me feel technologically superior. I needed to be out front in gadgetland.

Then everyone had a mobile phone. But I had a mobile phone and a Palm Pilot. Ha! Eventually those merged into a “smart phone.” When the Dayton Pops had a concert at the same time as an Ohio State University football game, everyone in my section asked for scoring updates during breaks in the music action since I could access the Internet and get ESPN online.

But technology is only useful if just about everyone can benefit.

Last night I was helping out a team of people on a ministry project serving a lasagna dinner to a group of people in a retirement apartment complex. Before I prayed at the beginning of dinner, we asked for prayer requests. They were concerned about one of the residents who had several serious ailments occurring simultaneously.

After dinner and entertainment (two very talented girls from a local high school), a woman of about 80 years of age stood up and, holding a Samsung Galaxy smart phone in a cool hot-pink case, asked if the group wanted an update on how their friend was doing in the hospital. Sounded like she was reading from a Facebook post. I was so impressed. And they were able to rejoice that their friend was showing positive signs of recovery from a stroke.

My mother had gotten into email before she passed away several years ago. She and one of my brothers were determined that they would get it set up without asking me for help. They did. And she was connected to her dispersed brothers, nieces and nephews for the last few years of her life.

It’s not the technology. When that gets out of the way and allows us to connect, that’s the cool thing.

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Excellence Is A Habit

January 23, 2013

This is the 500th post to this blog. I sort of played around with it for a while, then got serious a couple of years ago. I appreciate all the comments either here or by email or Facebook or Twitter.

Rummaging around for a quote for Yoga class last night, I ran across this one from the Greek philosopher Aristotle:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”

You just need to keep doing the best you can and pretty soon that becomes a habit. Just like a morning routine. Or, like service.

In the U.S., we have stop lights at most intersections. To expedite traffic flow (well roundabouts are better, but we won’t go there), it is usually legal to turn right on a red light after stopping and checking for oncoming traffic.

I noticed some time ago that if the light is changing and I have space, I’ll move into the left lane if there is no one in the right. In that way someone behind me who wishes to turn right can do so without waiting for the light to cycle.

Someone else just wrote that they noticed someone else who does that. Out of habit. One little service to others.

So I wondered, do we make serving others a habit? Not necessarily one big annual go out and do something. But in several daily acts, repeated every day. In other words, is serving others an act? Or, a habit?

I think of all the times that Jesus served in little ways (well, for him little) even when it distracted him from what he was doing or where he was going. He stopped and served. It was a habit. Part of his life.

From these habits of service weaves a pattern of a Christ-like life.

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Our New Life Pattern

January 22, 2013

The Willow Creek Association conducted a huge survey of Christ followers. The results were interesting. I have heard of a couple that I noted. For those who had lost interest in church, the thing that brought them back into a life with Christ and his church was the development of a spiritual practice or discipline.

Considering the results from everyone in the survey–hundreds of thousands of people from many global locations–the practice that they overwhelmingly noted that kept them close to God was the practice of studying the Word.

That shows one reason why I think it is so important to develop the life pattern of rising early, reading Spiritual material–the Bible first and then good teachers and thinkers on the Bible–first, meditating on the Word, and holding your concerns in prayer before God.

So, we start by changing our personal story from “I’m not a morning person” to “I arise early and start my day with God.”

“I am now able to meet the day and my responsibilities with a new perspective.”

“I now have a new focus every day by starting with God.”

This does not assure a stress-free life. People and circumstances will always interfere. But now you are more able to cope and make clearer decisions.

Trust me. It works.

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Mindfulness for Spiritual and Physical Health

January 21, 2013

I’ve been more interested in practical teaching to begin this year. New years can be new beginnings. And new beginnings begin with developing new patterns in our lives.

My last post dealt with being in the moment because that is a way toward happiness. We have long known both through ancient wisdom and through modern science that meditation has many spiritual and physical benefits. Simply slowing down for a few minutes a day can help lower blood pressure which leads to reducing risk for other ailments.

Slowing down is also good for the mind and for the spirit. When you meditate on the Word, you slow down your racing thoughts and probe more deeply into the meaning that God has for you that day.

Recently a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin concluded that mindfulness meditation showed a correlation to reducing inflammation. Inflammation is bad thing physically associated with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and asthma — in which psychological stress plays a major role. Inflammation also seems to play a role in the development of dementia and Alzheimers.

People may think that mindfulness meditation is either Buddhist (and to be reviled by Christians) or New Age bunk. Actually, there is also a Christian tradition of mindfulness meditation–we just don’t teach it. The Western Christian church became so captured by proponents of reason and logic, that it became a religion of the mind rather than the Spirit.

It has been a source of frustration for me for many years that we do not teach people how to pray deeply. I tried a class on time about 15 years ago. The class wanted to learn about prayer, not how to actually pray.

In this TED Talk, Andy Pudicombe describes how to meditate mindfully. In reality, it has nothing to do with chanting, pillows, gongs, incense or any other physical stuff. You simply sit, stand, walk, even lie down, and let your mind just be in the present moment. You become aware of your surroundings–the sights, sounds, smells. If a thought comes into your head, you just let it play around and leave.

When I teach Yoga, I teach both the physical postures designed to strengthen and add flexibility to the body, as well as, teaching students to be aware of only the moment. Neither caring about past or future. Only where they are in the present.

Students always report leaving the hour refreshed. This practice actually develops the mind. It strengthens the soul. And it helps with physical well being.

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Happiness Comes From Being In the Moment

January 18, 2013

What makes you happy? Big house? Expensive car? Large income? In the United States we have achieved this. Yet, there seems to be worry, fear, anxiety–everything but happiness.

Ancient wisdom taught that we are best when we live in the moment. We neither fret over what we did yesterday, nor worry about what may happen tomorrow.

Athletes report that when they are in “The Zone” they are exceedingly happy. When their entire focus is on the next play, on just the moment, neither replaying the last play or thinking three plays ahead. They are just at one with the game, teammates, competitors and the game flows.

Jesus taught (see Matthew 6 for example) that we should not worry. It does us no good. I can’t think of anyone else I’ve ever read about who lived as much in the moment as Jesus.

I am trained in science and the scientific method. I have no conflict within me about science and religion. I do not thing they are separate spheres, either. But often they study different things. I also believe the ancients were scientists, too. They observed, thought about it, observed some more, and wrote what they learned.

But they didn’t have iPhones and a ubiquitous connection called the Internet with the Web to study things. Matt Killingsworth did. He set up a study with many thousands of people checking in with their iPhones so that he could study what people were doing when they were happy or unhappy at the moment.

He defined focus on the present and mind-wandering as the two variables to study. He found a significant correlation between mind wandering and unhappiness–or the other way around, a correlation of focus on the moment to happiness.

Ah, science, always there to prove ancient wisdom is correct.

I picked this up on a TED Talk. Here is his presentation:

Matt Killingsworth Be Happier Stay in the Moment

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Wisdom Sayings Are A Guide For the Heart

January 17, 2013

“Happiness is something that multiplies when it is divided.”

A friend posted on Facebook yesterday. She “tagged” me (whatever that means). But it made me check it out. Then translate it.

This is an example of a Wisdom saying. It along the order of “Love grows when you give it away.” They are easy to say and forget. But they really should be pondered.

Jesus was fond of Wisdom sayings. He quoted Proverbs extensively. James (author of the general letter) also was in the Wisdom tradition. As it happens, I’m reading in Hebrews right now (end of chapter 3). That author says “Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.”

You must “have” happiness in order to divide it (among others). Show it in your life. Envy and selfish ambition? Impediments to happiness. I have always found a smile is helpful even when I don’t feel like smiling (say at an airport when my flight is cancelled).

In this era of such divisiveness and hate in our society, we need to remember these Wisdom sayings. Not only remember, but live into them. Even when we fail (as I do far too often), we just need to refresh these and bring them into our lives afresh.

So, thanks for reminding me, “Happiness is something that multiplies when it is divided.” Smile at someone today.

Posted in Disciplines, Gratitude | Leave a Comment »

Share Your God Experience Through Listening

January 16, 2013

Last weekend I heard a speaker who gave two presentations on sharing God with others. Those who have read this blog for a while know that I consider listening a Spiritual discipline. He didn’t go that far, but as he talked about sharing with people, that point came through.

Someone said, how do you start a discussion on Spiritual topics. There didn’t seem to be a formula. I have not found a formula. But sometimes asking a question such as “how are you” and listening to the reply is a great starter. You can ask a follow up “why is that” type of question. Then “how does that make you feel”.

There are some keys. No matter to whom you are talking, it is important not to be condescending or judgmental. That will just turn people away and build a wall.

You build a conversation and watch for the appropriate opening. One thing I’ve found is not to give advice–exactly. But you can share what you’ve experienced. If people have been hurt or are cynical about “religion” just talk about the essentials. It’s not about religion. It’s about your life. How you live. What’s its purpose. Meeting the right sort of friends. Caring. Being cared for.

It’s not religion–it’s life.

Someone asked about different religions. When I was growing up, the different religion we worried about was Roman Catholicism. My, times are different. But I have friends who are Muslim and Hindu. Doesn’t matter to me. I can still simply talk about the Spirit and what it means in my life. People are interested in the spirit. If I can just encourage that, I’ve done them a great service.

It all starts with listening. With your heart. No agenda. Except to share what you have for where they are in their life.

Don’t be afraid. It’s fun.

Posted in Disciplines, Listening, Spirituality | Leave a Comment »

Achieve a Simple and Pure Life

January 14, 2013

” ‘Tis a gift to be simple, ’tis a gift to be free.”

That’s a line from an old Shaker hymn known as “Simple Gifts.”

One spiritual practice that doesn’t always land on the charts up there with prayer and study is the practice of simplicity.

Clutter in your environment is a distraction. It impedes or prevents focus on what’s important. It is good in the beginning of a new year to take the time to clear out the accumulated clutter of the past year.

Some of that clutter may be physical. You may have too much stuff. We tend to buy things and add them to a room. It becomes like the metaphor of boiling a frog–if the water temperature is raised a little at a time the frog won’t notice when danger is upon it. Just so, a little at a time we add clutter until our living space is no longer simple and pure.

We can also clutter our minds and souls with clutter. Memories that need to be released. Poisonous relationships that need to be purged. Too much thinking, not enough doing. Focus and clarity must be our guides.

Matthew reports that Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Pure means not mixed. Not an alloy. Nothing added. This can be related to simplicity. Unadorned. Uncluttered. Focused.

Jesus was most concerned about the state of our hearts. Keep it simple and pure. You shall see God. Maintaining simplicity as a practice helps us on our way to God.

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Pray With a Listening Heart

January 11, 2013

The most important book for my spiritual development that I’ve read in the last couple of years is titled simply “Jesus of Nazareth” written by Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI. This was written from his personal quest to discover who Jesus is. Despite the fact that he is a fantastic scholar, this book is not a dense scholarly tract, but a very readable tour through the gospels in search of Jesus.

Lately I’ve been discussing practical advice on starting the new year by starting new patterns of our lives. Firstly, by getting up early to study and pray. This lays a foundation for the day to keep us organized and focused rather than a day characterized by rushing from one crisis to the next mostly caused by our failure to focus and plan.

Ratzinger said something interesting while discussing the Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father in Catholic tradition, I guess). When we pray “Thy Kingdom come,” he says, we should pray with a listening heart. After all, the Kingdom is a relationship with Jesus. We should be listening, right? He knows more than we. He saw the face of God.

As you prepare your day by arising earlier, studying and praying, pause and listen. It may only be five minutes. I’ve gone as long as a couple of hours, but I can’t do that every day and still do my day job.

What is God trying to tell you today?

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Practice Prayer As a Conversation

January 10, 2013

Funny thing about Jesus. He came as a human. He related as a human. He encouraged his followers to trust in him as in a relationship. He did not proclaim himself son of god, lord of lords, prince of peace (all titles Augustus Caesar gave himself). He reflected God because he had seen God face to face just as Moses and the prophets had foreseen.

When we come into the the practice of prayer, we come into a conversation with a person. We are not merely pleading with a distant, foreboding entity–on on the graces of the political ruler trying to make himself God. We are just in a conversation.

Sometimes in a conversation among friends, one of the people does all the talking. The other listens. One would hope practicing “active listening,” that is, actually paying attention to the speaker. God, we trust, always listens. We can do the talking.

Then a point of the conversation occurs when you stop talking. Then you listen. Sometimes the other can merely offer empathy. Maybe that’s all you need–someone to listen. Other times the other may ask a question designed to make you take a deeper look into why you feel that way. Maybe you mistook a comment to mean one thing when it was meant as another and you became angry or disappointed. Again other times the other may offer guidance.

Jesus says many times that we are to trust in him just as in our very best friend. Sometimes he just listens. Sometimes he asks a question. Sometimes he gives advice and direction.

Practicing prayer means finding regular times in a day (Jesus went up on a mountain side to pray evidently every evening; Daniel went to his room three times a day) to have a conversation. With a friend.

Listening is part of having a conversation. Sometimes I listen first, talk later. Sometimes all I do is listen. Usually I will concentrate on people whom I know that have needs and bring them into the prayer silently.

The hard part of faith is that I trust that God is there even when there is no answer. It’s not a matter of answered prayer. It is a matter that I trust God to be there.