Faith Venture

Illusions of Discipleship

September 7, 2012

Are you under the illusion of being a disciple of Jesus?

I’ll give you a moment to contemplate that idea.
Many of us see ourselves as better, smarter, more attractive than others see us. Probably not all that bad within some limits. We need to be optimistic. The unfortunate people are those who are opposite. That attitude can get in the way of living a joyous, serving life.

Then there are those people–you’ve met some, I’m sure, I know some–whose view of themselves bears little resemblance to reality. Maybe they are not “diagnosable” under some term of the DSM. But still, they can be difficult to be around.

Worse yet, is when that gets in the way of their spiritual relationships and life. They keep telling themselves and others about what a disciple they are. Their actions and words tell an entirely different story.

We all need reality checks at times. Taking a time to pause and reflect on what we really do and really say. Few people take that time. Doing that will help you keep on the right path.

Robert Burns, the Scottish poet said it well a few years ago:

“O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An’ foolish notion.”

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Don’t Let Spiritual Practice Become Spiritual Prison

September 6, 2012

Dr. Henry Cloud was speaking recently about spiritual growth. If you don’t know him, pick up one of his books. He is a psychologist and has keen insight into people. He pointed out in the talk that at an early stage of spiritual growth, people become fascinated with practices such as prayer and study. They think that if everyone prayed and studied, everyone in the world would be saved and live in peace.

Unfortunately, at some point we begin to realize life gets in the way. We also, if we are not careful, slip into a pattern with our prayer and study. We say the same things in prayer. We no longer read with joy of learning new things, rather with the expectation of seeing things that reinforce what we know.

In a word, we become rigid.

I’m preparing my mind, heart and Spirit to begin leading a group in learning the Spiritual Disciplines (or Spiritual Practices). Cloud’s words are a reminder to not let our practices become rigid. We need a prayer that reminds us to open up our hearts to the teaching and guidance we need to grow.

It’s not just prayer–it’s a new conversation with God every day. It’s not just study–it’s opening our minds to see new ways God is speaking to us. It’s not just attending a celebration–it’s singing with joy. It’s not just service–it’s caring for others.

Jesus said he came to set the prisoners free. Sometimes the prison is our own mind.

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Distance Provides Perspective

September 5, 2012

I took the weekend off. Actually started with half of Friday and then took half of Tuesday. Had almost no access to the Internet. Hiked a bunch of trails around the Old Man’s Cave area of Hocking Hills in southern Ohio. Read a couple of good books. (“False Economy” about choices governments and societies make that lead to economic success or failure; “Distributed Computing and the Cloud”–pretty geeky, but I need to try to stay abreast of technology; also read through Paul’s pastoral letters again, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus)

Did you take off a little time? You can get so close to your work that you get lost in the details. A few days away can give you space and distance from which to view where you’re going.

I’m involved in lots of things. Evidently I’m only happy being involved. It was a time to take a break and then contemplate the bigger picture of what I’m doing in each area of my life. I do this a couple of times a year–the other time being the space between Christmas and New Years.

The main focus of the weekend was gratitude. I could say I’ve earned what I have. That would be only partially correct. Certainly I work hard and never stop learning. But people have come into my life at various times to point a path. I’m grateful for every one of them.

I just saw one couple that had great influence on making me a leader and (slightly) more social. Typical of seeing old, lost friends, this was at a funeral. Most unfortunate sudden loss of another long-time friend.

So, my meditations involved remembering those who have influenced me being grateful for everything God has placed before me. It’s a great way to take a break.

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Bible Study and Christian Service

August 29, 2012

Bible study as a culture neutral experience? Or, better said, cross-cultural experience. Bible Study magazine has an article this month on the organization InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. This is an organization for college students with local associations run by students.

It raised an interesting point. For many students, going away to the university (for my international readers, we use college and university interchangeably over here) is perhaps the first experience in multi-culturism. Perhaps it’s even the first time associating with people of different Christian persuasions.

The idea that the Bible is actually neutral in that regard–where you can gather groups of people from different cultures and different denominations in an honest and deep study of Scripture–never dawned on me. Not that I don’t approach it that way. But as a philosophy, that’s cool.

Perhaps since I was raised Methodist (4th generation, I’m told) with two Baptist minister uncles and then taught in a Catholic school, I regard all these and the rest as just different manifestations of how to worship God. Often it’s a matter of culture and upbringing. Fortunately in the U.S., outside of bouts of discrimination toward new denominations, we have not fought any religious wars along sectarian lines. In Europe, there’s an entirely different experience, which I’m sure deeply influences things there.

Just start with small groups and a Bible. And a passion for learning.

Service opportunities

Thought I’d pass along some reading I’ve done. There is a Website called “Lifehacker.” The hacker part comes from the technology sector where people “hack” electronics and programs to make them better. So Life-hacker is site that offers tips on how to live.

One of the Spiritual Disciplines is service. Many people are either confused or apprehensive about service opportunities. This Life hacker article discusses How to Find a Volunteer Gig You’ll Enjoy. Maybe it’ll help push some of you over the hurdle into a life of finding satisfaction in volunteer service.

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Argumentative Just To Be Argumentative

August 28, 2012

Looking at Paul’s instructions to Timothy about his vision for a local church, Paul talks about idle chatter as I discussed yesterday. He could also be referring to his comments a little earlier about those who teach something different from Paul’s teachings having a “morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words.” He also calls those people conceited and “understanding nothing.”

Learning comes from study plus discussion. Maybe the discussion is held through reading many books. The discussion could also be among people–say in a small study group. Someone says, I just read this but I don’t understand exactly what the author means by this. Another says, I think it means that. Still another refers to an ancient source that offers an interpretation.

We don’t enter the world as humans knowing everything that everyone has figured out before us. We must learn it for ourselves. That is hard work that many do not wish to undertake. Many just say, tell us what to believe and we’ll be happy.

Dostoevsky tells a story about Jesus meeting the Grand Inquisitor in medieval Spain in his novel “The Brothers Karamazov.” (Read the book, don’t watch the movie.) In the story, the Grand Inquisitor tells Jesus that the people just want to be fed. They don’t want freedom. So please just go back to where you came from and let the Church tell people what to believe.

Other people are rebellious. They don’t want to follow the leader. They just like to argue. I have known these people in both church and business. Even in soccer. They just seem to like to argue. They absorb a lot of your energy just dealing with them.

I’m with Paul on this one. If you have someone who is just plain argumentative–maybe because they just need the spotlight focused on them–you’re better off without them around.

I don’t think Paul would dislike the honest discussion of seekers. It’s those “conceited” people who just like to argue who are the problem.

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Connecting or Profane Chatter

August 27, 2012

Dilbert: So you say whatever pops into your head?

Dilbert’s date: That’s called conversation.

In the popular cartoon strip, Dilbert is the typical engineer. If you work with engineers and wonder about their personality, read this strip. I know it enlightened one of my sisters-in-law.

Some of us don’t really like “idle chatter” that others call conversation. We tend to like this thought from Eleanor Roosevelt (wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt), “Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss activities; Small minds discuss people.”

In 1st Timothy, Paul advises his protege to “avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.” I’m not sure these thoughts are linked, but Paul didn’t like bickering, argumentative, opinionated people.

Ever have a conversation with someone who does say whatever first pops into their head? Often, all you hear is opinion not based on facts or learning. I’ve heard two people go back and forth for a half hour and never say anything substantive.

An idea worth pondering: Are our conversations too shallow? Are we failing to connect with others because we are in a rush to just say something? Rather, a conversation should take some time, but not too much, and include listening, then thinking, then response. It’s hard to connect with someone when conversation is like a ping pong match.

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Connecting With Other People

August 24, 2012

Jesus looked at the rich young man, and he loved him. The young man had followed all the laws for his entire life. He was earnest. He was religious. He wanted assurance of eternal life. Jesus looked upon him and connected spiritually with him and loved him. But…

Jesus loving him and connecting with him was not blind to the entire person. Jesus saw that there was something holding back the young man. He did all the right things, yet he felt no assurance of eternal life. He did, yet he did not feel. Jesus saw that and went to the root cause of the problem–the man’s wealth. It stood between him and salvation.

Today’s point is that we can learn connection from Jesus. It doesn’t mean analysis. It doesn’t mean ignoring unpleasant truths about the person. It means we connect at a deep level and come to understand the other.

Henry Cloud talked about happy people connecting with others, as I wrote the other day. This could almost be seen as a revolutionary statement in today’s American culture, not to mention many other cultures to be sure. He was speaking to Baby Boomers–often called the “Me Generation” after their orientation. The “It’s all about me” generation. And then there are kids of Boomers supposedly raised to be narcissistic. Once again, self-centered. Can people who worship themselves connect spiritually with others?

I don’t think that this orientation is unique to people born over the past 60 years. When you read ancient books–for example, the Old Testament–you see that self-centeredness is actually just a human condition that God wants us to overcome.

Our church sponsors a summer camp experience for teens. The theme used to be (I have no idea any more what the themes are), JOY–Jesus first, Others next, Yourself last. An apt teaching.

There are people who think they connect with others, but they are far from the mark. A long time ago (30 years?) I had a boss whom I kept admonishing to stop making agreements with himself about other people. You sort of need to include the others if you’re making agreements. He didn’t connect. In fact, his failure to connect with others drove the business to bankruptcy.

Check yourself. Are you trying to connect with others? Are you deluding yourself into thinking you’re connecting when you’re not really? Do you practice this piece of wisdom from Ernest Hemmingway, who said, “When others talk, listen completely”?

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Teaching on Handling Wealth

August 23, 2012

Do you feel wealthy? Have a lot of money? Most of the readers of this publication likely rank above average on the US income distribution. Many are from overseas and probably still rank fairly high. But do you feel it?

I had a friend some 20 years ago whose income was greater than $100,000 per year. He complained about being poor. I’d tell him that he ranked among the top 5% of wage earners in the United States. Didn’t help his attitude. There was an article in today’s Dayton Daily News on the US middle class–household incomes from $39,000 to $118,000.

There was a book published a few years ago (I need to try to find the reference, I’ll browse my library later this week to find the book) that asked the question, if we are doing so much better today, why do we feel so bad. The author pointed out things such as we live in houses twice the size that we grew up in, have more money, have more toys, yet researchers continually return results that show Americans are not happy.

Jesus spent a lot of time talking about our relationship with wealth. The Menlo Park Presbyterian Church staff has been teaching on “Respectable Sins” and last week Kevin Kim spoke on wealth. He cited the story of Jesus and the rich young man. You know, the guy who was perhaps the most perfectly religious guy whom Jesus had ever met. But he went away grieving when Jesus told him to sell all he had, give it to the poor and follow. In his heart, wealth took precedence over God.

A group I’m in has been reading First Timothy. These are tips from Paul the builder to his young friend Timothy who was the church leader. At the very end of the letter, Paul gives instructions about wealthy people.

Typical regarding the subject, Paul does not try to shame wealthy people. Nor does he send them on guilt trips. Just like Jesus who loved the young man in the story. It’s not about having wealth. It’s about who is your God. Paul’s tips to the wealthy were simple, really.

Don’t be haughty
Don’t set your hope on riches
Set your hope on God
Do good
Be rich in good works
Be generous and ready to share

Those instructions apply to us today as much as in the first Century.

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God Needs Deep People

August 22, 2012

Richard Foster begins “Celebration of Discipline” saying, “Superficiality is the curse of our age. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”

This thought came to mind while I was listening to Henry Cloud speak yesterday. Actually, he spoke last weekend at Willow Creek Community Church. I heard him via my iPod while exercising. Cloud is a psychologist who has written several books that are worth your time reading if you have not yet had that pleasure.

He was talking about stages of growth as a Christian. It’s sort of like stages of growth as a human. You start out not knowing much of anything. Then you’re introduced to God, Jesus, the Bible and disciplines such as prayer. Then you enter a stage of doubt only to emerge with a deep relationship with God.

He talked about getting stuck in stage two. You know the type. Maybe, like Garfield the cartoon cat, you “resemble that remark.” You discover God. You discover the Bible. Suddenly it all seems so clear and simple. You think everyone should know this. This is great. But if you become stuck in this stage, you tend to become rigid. Increasingly everything is black and white and you think a few words will save the world.

Many times that type of person becomes obnoxious. No one wants to be around them. Sometimes they may even get in the way of bringing people to God–the very thing they are trying so desperately to do.

It reminded me that when I teach the Spiritual Disciplines I try to return to the reason for the practice. The reason is not for the sake of rote practice. The reason is to bring people to a deeper relationship with God and therefore participate in the liberation that can only be known in God.

Maybe it’s time for a reality check. Are we dealing with people by telling them what to do? Or, are we dealing with others out of a deep relationship with God that we wish to share?

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Seems Like the Answer Is Always in the Bible

August 21, 2012

I’ve spent some time thinking about submission. Some of the posts from the past couple of weeks have been on that theme. Mostly I’m just curious and wonder where the thought process will take me. Some amateur psychologist would try to read between the lines–my problems submitting to authority (especially if I don’t respect its direction), relationship to my father (Freud would love that analysis thread), my quiet rebelliousness (OK, I did love Albert Camus’ book “The Rebel”), and so on.

Really, I think we all have problems with submission except maybe those who lack self respect and area too submissive. We must realize that we are always submitting to someone or something even when we think we are acting purely independently.

For Jesus, we live in one of two states. One state is that of doing his teachings (not just “believing in your heart” but actually practicing what he preached). The other state is one of sin–that is, doing the opposite. Psychologists say that you are really a slave to something, you just get to pick that something.

Jesus once said, “If you follow my teachings, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8)

The “Jews” with whom Jesus was debating answered him, “We are children of Abraham and have never been slaves.” OK, so their historical memory was a little faulty (Egypt, Babylon, Rome). Their attitude shown through. They thought highly of themselves and their freedom.

Jesus said, “Whoever sins is a slave to sin.”

It was a revelation to many when psychologists figured that out a hundred years ago. Shouldn’t have been.

You can follow that path of separation from God while living in sin. You can choose to follow the path of recognizing the authority of Jesus who came to lead us to God–and then doing as he taught. If you choose the latter, then you will realize what truth is and you will be free.

It’s just not theory. It’s life.

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