Faith Venture

Good Soil Goes Bad Hardening Your Heart

July 22, 2011

This spring was cool and very wet in western Ohio. You had to mow the grass twice per week to keep up. The soil was moist and fertile. This morning I’m on the patio reading and meditating. I notice the ground is hard, dry, unsupportive of life.

Thinking back to the parable of the soils and the talk I heard a few weeks ago about how you can improve the soil by clearing, cultivating.

But it works the other way. How easy to harden your heart. You start, maybe, by becoming suspicious of someone. Or you get hurt. Or you think someone is getting something you’re not. Soon you’re shutting out people. You become more alone. Your thoughts are dark and brooding.

This is a danger that is real. It can happen to us all. And it’s insidious. It can sneak into your life and be there before you realize it. Just like the soil here became hard and the grass started going into dormancy and the garden had to be watered before the realization sunk in that we have gone from flood to drought.

I see this effect in our political life where hearts are hard and battle lines drawn. I see it in relationships all the time. I can see it happen to me on occasion.

Just like any change, you first must recognize it. Then you have to water your soil. In your life you do it through reading the Bible (and letting it sink in slowly). Through positive relationships you can nurture. Through prayer.

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Search for Justice

July 21, 2011

I’m not sure where this post is going. I’m beginning without an end in mind, because this incident is a tragedy.

While I was in Florida, the Casey Anthony case was coming to a close. She is the young woman accused of causing her 2-yr-old daughter to die. I think the entire population of the state watched the trial on TV. The jury voted acquittal after almost no deliberations. The one juror who spoke (probably the leader of the small group) hung her vote on a comment the defense attorney made at the beginning–that since there was no way to know the cause of death, there was no way to convict her of first-degree murder.

The facts as I got them were that Anthony was a terrible mother. She fed the little child prescription drugs to make her sleep so that she could go out partying. After the girl died, she hid the body until decomposition set in such that it was impossible to conduct an autopsy, all the while saying the baby was at the nanny’s (there was no nanny).

To take the jurors’ side (which is difficult for me), the trial was in Orlando, but they brought the jury in from Tampa. They were housed in a hotel together with no outside contact for the duration of the trial. One juror was booked on a cruise that left the Thursday after the Fourth. His motivation was hardly justice. It was getting out.

Meanwhile, Anthony has been offered $1 million for her story. And she is now free–at least of jail.

What kind of society do we live in? My disgust with lawyers reaches the same height as my disgust with politicians. But the sensationalist media makes both of them look like amateurs.

I keep asking myself, where would Jesus fit into this story. What a tragedy that no one stepped in to guide Anthony into a responsible life. What a tragedy that the parents first went along and then turned on her, but never provided tough love and guidance. What a tragedy that a little child dies and there is no criminal justice.

But I can pray that somehow the tragedy breaks through Anthony’s shell; that the tragic results of her lifestyle brought nothing but grief to her and her family become clear to her and that she is shown a better life. Many people have overcome tragedy to become Christ followers with great effect. We can pray that the same happens to her.

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Is It All About Me

July 15, 2011

On my drive to Chicago yesterday, I passed a car with this bumper sticker:

“I only have time enough today to think about one person. And I choose…me!”

They probably bought that and put it on their vehicle because it seemed to be cute. But what you think is cute reveals much about your thinking–whether you intend it or not.

Let’s think about that phrase. First, how many people do you know of whom you can say, “It’s all about her (him)”? Can you say that about yourself? How often do you think about your own wants, needs, desires, cravings?

There are times in your life where “stuff” happens, and you need to devote a lot of thought to your situation. But is that your normal thought pattern? Maybe I should step back a little and ask, do you ever think about what’s on your mind? It’s a growth exercise.

Let’s take another look–at your heart. Really? Is your heart so small that you can only think about yourself? If you know someone whose heart is that small, would you want a relationship with him (her)?

Who are some of the people you know whom you would most like to emulate? Aren’t they people whose heart is so large that they can love and care about many people while not neglecting themselves?

I’m positive that in my life I would be much wealthier if I thought more about myself than the task or job or others. And I am far from perfect in this regard. It’s always a challenge for me to remember others when I pray or in my thoughts.

Several months ago I was invited to an intimate dinner whose guest of honor was a published MIT professor. During the conversation, he was asked about today’s students. He recommended a book (which I finally got around to buying) “The Narcissism Epidemic.”

You remember Narcissus. He’s the guy who of ancient Greek myth (those marvelous psychologists), who saw his reflection in a pond and fell in love with himself. Look around. What do you see? Is there a way we can open up all those hearts to encompass others and avoid the tragic fate of Narcissus? I hope so.

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Work out your faith

July 13, 2011

At a church team meeting this week, I related about the post I made regarding spiritual disciplines as “work.” And how someone was upset with the idea of working. Now, I took the comment to be from someone like some people I know who think work (as in expending energy doing something) as a bad thing. “Boomers” as a generation bought into the idea 30 years ago that work was something you did to make as much money as possible so that by 50 you could stop working.

Of course the pastor took the word in its theological context of “works”–as in “you are saved by grace, not works.” (Ah, you gotta love those theologians.)

Jesus argued that the Jewish religion he grew up in had tried the “salvation by works” thing and it didn’t work (oops, bad pun, try “succeed”). People were not closer to God simply by obeying the rules. In fact, many who played by the rules were far from God.

Jesus taught there was another way–it was easy, but it was also hard. He said all you had to do was believe. To us, that sounds easy, because we take that word believe to mean that we say agree with the proposition that “Jesus saves us from our sins” and that’s it. And in America, that’s easy. Not so easy in China, even today. Or many other places around the world. But still easier.

Faith to Jesus was more than saying a few words or even an emotional feeling. Jesus said, if you believe in my words you will love one another. Love (agape) once again is an action verb, not a feeling. Or, Jesus said, you will go and make disciples. Paul said, we must work out our faith in fear and trembling, and in another place, you will be equipped for all good work.

Obviously, we must not just sit around discussing what the Bible says. We must “be doers of the Word, not hearers only.”

I’m still studying John and just came across one of my favorite metaphors–“I am the vine and you are the branches.” Spiritual disciplines are sort of like consciously chosen habits. The habit (or discipline) of prayer can be pictured as being a branch and finding all our nutrients coming from the main vine. The habit (or discipline) of service can be pictured as the branch growing a bunch of grapes (bearing fruit).

Now, the question is, are you better at one discipline than another? Should you be consciously cultivating another habit to get you into that flow of life from Jesus into a new disciple? I’m better at prayer and study. Weaker at service. That means I need to cultivate a service.

It’s not complicated. Just requires you to get up and get going.

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Control Your Emotions

July 12, 2011

I just spent a week mostly off the grid. I did some work but mostly watched and played with my grandkids–who are 4 and 2. I love kids. You can often find me at family gatherings with the kids–especially reunions at parks. I’ll take the kids to the play areas.

They are usually inquisitive and show unbounded joy. If they like something, you know it. If they don’t, you know it.

On the other hand, they are quite demanding. Especially at this young age, they are still in the worldview that they are the world. They only gradually realize that other people and things are not an extension of them. And, they want your undivided attention.

Jesus taught that you can be a slave to your emotions. Kids show that. They are controlled by their emotions. They can be happy; they can be angry. They also learn early to be “drama queens.” You should have seen the look the 2-yr-old gave me when she suffered a slight touching by her brother and started screaming and I told her that she could just stop the drama, that it wasn’t that bad. I think she knew what I meant.

A big part of parenting–and the community of faith with kids–is to help them grow past the view that everything revolves around them and that they need to put their emotions under the control first of their intellect then their soul.

We also need reminding. Kids bring out a variety of emotional responses in adults. We need to remember our focus on Jesus and not react to the kid’s emotional outbursts with those of our own. And, oh, what hard work that is. But it’s part of our own growth.

How can we be true disciples of Jesus, and disciple-makers in our own right, if we are continually buffeted by our emotions? And if we are entirely self-centered?

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Jesus and Controversy Still Go Together

June 30, 2011

One of the Spiritual Disciplines is study. After I learned how to study (unfortunately that was during my third year of college), it has come naturally for me. I’m sure for others it’s difficult. Maybe like work. When I teach the Bible, I encourage people to try to come with fresh eyes. Sure you have heard the stories. You’ve memorized passages. How can you read with fresh eyes?

For example, I’m reading the Gospel of John–again. It’s my favorite book. But reading it, I’ve found emphases that I don’t remember. John really emphasized the controversy that surrounded Jesus. He keeps saying that the Jews are divided about him. Is he the Messiah? Is he a prophet? Is he a troublemaker?

What strikes me the most is how controversial Jesus remains. And that’s even among Christians.

I’ve often taken as my guide the passage from Hebrews where Jesus is referred to as the pioneer of our faith. I like that. I can understand it. He was first to exhibit the new way of forming a relationship with God and taught it. There were people in the faith tradition who had a relationship with God. But they did something significant and the deeds were recorded. Jesus taught us that we all should cultivate and deepen that relationship.

If only we worked more toward following Jesus into a deeper God-relationship instead of arguing minute points of law, maybe we’d all be better off.

“The Jews” to whom John refers didn’t figure it out in total. Many followed him even after his death. Some killed him. Today, there’s still a division. I guess Jesus didn’t teach a unity of all humanity? Just a chance to “drink from the water of life.”

Posted in Christianity, Relationship | 2 Comments »

Becoming a Disciple

June 29, 2011

Somewhere in the Pastor’s sermon last Sunday, he said, “We are called to be disciples.” He must laugh to himself when he sees me grab my Moleskin notebook and fountain pen and begin writing feverishly. But, I started making notes.

But then I wondered what is a disciple? Have I been a disciple? Or better, am I now a disciple?

A Web search pulls up tons of worthless information. But the word itself comes from Greek and Latin words that mean “hearer.” By tradition, a disciple was someone who followed a teacher (literally) and learned from the teacher. The teacher was to be emulated in every detail.

Note that to be a disciple and to be an apostle are two different roles. We call The Twelve disciples, but they were also The Apostles (evangelists). The New Testament refers to many disciples.

Paul uses the terminology of athletes when he talks about spiritual growth and discipleship. He means that athletes don’t just perform in the games. They must adopt a lifestyle of constant training and learning in order to succeed.

There are many people today who think that all you have to do is say you believe in Christ and that’s the end. There is no need for learning and practicing disciplines, because that’s work. They think there is no work. You just say you believe, then you say you agree with other sayings, and that’s all you need.

Jesus and Paul were much smarter about human beings than that. They both emphasized a lifestyle where you need to train and practice being with God. It’s easy for a human to slip away and begin living the “easy” lifestyle that leads away from God. (“The path is wide…”)

To be a disciple means to be constantly learning and training to live a life that’s pleasing to God. Then you’ll be ready for the main event–resurrection.

Posted in Christianity, Disciplines, Living | 1 Comment »

Shocked by Jesus Emotion

June 28, 2011

John includes a curious story. Like most stories about Jesus, it’s familiar. In fact, it is so familiar that we often just read through it without letting the emotions of the story sink in.

Jesus had left Jerusalem and the region of Judea where the authorities were trying to kill him and was about half-way north toward Galilee. He received a message from two of his best friends that their brother was very sick. They wanted him to come down to Bethany and heal him.

Jesus doesn’t go right away. He says it’s only a trick and that this will show the greater power of God. Then he hears that Lazarus has died. That doesn’t even seem to faze him.

But when he arrives and sees the anguish of his friends Martha and Mary and of their friends, he is deeply touched. It’s almost as though he never considered how they would feel waiting on him. When he felt their pain, he cried.

How often do we know what we’re doing, yet fail to communicate with others? How often do they misunderstand us and jump to the wrong conclusion? I bet many of the problems of people in the world, even huge political problems, can trace their roots to a cause such as this.

Jesus felt their pain and cried with them. Whatever your picture of Jesus, add to it that he was an emotional human being. Shocked? Don’t be. He at times exhibited anger, outrage, impatience, maybe even fear (or at least trepidation).

The key is that he always mastered his emotions. He didn’t dwell on them. After he shared a moment of grief with his friends, then he took command of both himself and the situation and told Lazarus to walk out of the tomb. That shocked everyone. They imagined all manner of morbid stuff. But just as Jesus said before he left for Bethany, Lazarus was just “asleep” and showed no signs of having been dead and buried. When Jesus makes you well, you’re well all the way.

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Benefits of Meditation

June 27, 2011

I got into a brief conversation on mediation based on this post from a week ago or so. Beyond the initial response, this discussion caused me to think a little more deeply about the situation.

Many people, even Christians, are suspicious of what has been called spiritual enlightenment. They are more rooted into everyday life and prefer the physical realm. Not a criticism–it’s just the way people are wired. Often Christians are worried about creeping “New Age” mysticism infiltrating churches. This worry is not without justification. I’m amazed at the number of New Age books in bookstores these days–and at the number of middle-aged women buying them.

But–there are two aspects of meditation that will change your life if you practice it.

There is first of all a physical side. Apart from the histories of Christian, Buddhist or Hindu meditation, there is mounting scientific evidence that the mere physical acts associated with meditation have beneficial effects upon your health. When I teach Yoga, I don’t teach Hindu theology. But I teach mind-body awareness. That’s the first step toward feeling better. Long-term practice of meditation (simply sitting quietly in silence for a period of time even as brief as 10 minutes twice a day) will help slow your pulse, reduce high blood pressure, lower stress, make you calmer.

Think of the deeply spiritual people you have met. Don’t they live a combination of calmness and energy? This sounds contradictory, but it isn’t. They actually go together.

Further than the physical benefits are the spiritual ones. Rather than sitting quietly and concentrating on your breath or a sound, you can read a passage from the Bible as the source of contemplation. As you sit quietly, allow God to talk to you through that scripture. You will be amazed at the insights you will receive. Your knowledge and spiritual growth and maturity will ever expand.

Skeptical? Even professional soccer referees are taught the value of pausing a moment and taking one or two deep breaths before confronting an angry coach or player. Your actions will be something you won’t be embarrassed watching on TV replay. Same with you.

Posted in Prayer, Spirituality | Leave a Comment »

Who Is This Guy Jesus

June 21, 2011

OK, I can’t answer that question in 300 words or less. Pope Benedict (when he was Cardinal Ratzinger) wrote “Jesus of Nazareth” and, while it’s an excellent work of scholarship and writing, doesn’t completely answer the question.

But in John (especially chapters 7-9) Jesus keeps saying things and the people can’t figure him out. He mysterious. Is he the Messiah? But he can’t be, he’s from Galilee. He talks about talking with (not to) the Father (God). Is he demon possessed? In other places, he’s the most compassionate human being ever known. In another, he makes a whip from cords lying about and drives flea-market merchants out of the Temple. Who the heck is he?

To this day, millions of people think he’s a prophet. The blind man he healed (see John 9) calls him such. Moses who was a great prophet who talked with God (and scared the people who didn’t think you should talk with God) said that after him would come a prophet greater than he.

There are many today who follow prophets. In Israel even in the hottest day, I saw Orthodox Jews wearing fur hats. Others wearing various types of fedoras tilted at different angles. Why, we asked? Because the teacher they follow dressed like that (maybe in Poland), and they want to imitate their teacher.

We don’t know what Jesus looked like. He never sat for a portrait (that’s an amusing thought–Jesus sitting still while some guy painted his picture). Our pictures of how he looked and how he dressed comes mostly from Renaissance European painters. If we want to imitate him, we’ll have to choose a different way.

One thing I’m sure of. That small community of followers for whom Jesus was real would never have grown to such power and size were it not for the resurrection. If he were just a teacher who died, there would never have been the power of the Spirit that changed the world forever. People didn’t figure him out (even his closest friends) until after the resurrection. That’s what makes Jesus different.

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