Broken Spirit

April 1, 2011

Are you totally self-sufficient? Does all of your success come because of you–your intelligence, your work, and so on? We live in an age that glorifies the strength of an individual.

Charles Darwin studied evolution. One day he hit on an idea that seemed to explain observations of nature that he and others had noticed He called it “survival of the fittest.” Within 10 years, social theorists picked up on this thought and translated it into human experience. This was “liberalism” in the 1880s, now it is “conservative” in our day in the US. I know many people who attribute their relative success in life (at least financially and socially) to being “fit.” Poor people? They just aren’t fit. See, it’s all about me.

Today, we still live in the shadow of those ideas. We celebrate strong, self-sufficient, wealthy people.

We’re not unique. King David had it all. He was “fit.” He was King. He commanded and people moved. As I discussed yesterday, he commanded that a woman be brought to him and that act started a chain of evil acts.

In Psalm 51 where David pours out his heart after realizing how bad he had become, he writes, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit.”

Our society hates that image. Had I started this meditation with that thought, many would have skipped it. And they would have because they misunderstand strength. Only when you come to the realization that on your own you have too many weaknesses–often that bury themselves and surface as supposed strengths–will you be “fit”. To realize your weaknesses and the things you do that are wrong is really a sign of strength.

Only when you see “there but for the grace of God, go I” rather than praying like the Pharisees “Thank you God that I am not a miserable sinner like them” will you be able to tap into the greatest strength in the universe–God.

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Restore Me To Joy

March 31, 2011

I’m grateful to Bill Hybels for pointing out Psalm 51 to ponder during Lent. This plea from David has much to contemplate.

After the horror of the terrible things he had done became apparent to David, he wrote, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.”

As you contemplate each day what Jesus did for you and how the Spirit can now enter your life, maybe it’s time to ask God to restore you to joy. It is good when Christians are a smiling people. Happy in outlook because they are resting in salvation.

But David doesn’t ask for personal joy just for himself. In this era we live in, it seems that everyone is tuned to the old famous radio station WII-FM (what’s in it for me). I’m sometimes discouraged by the many conversations I have where the other person is only interested in themselves. Humans have probably always been self-centered to a degree. Today, though, that attitude seems to define the era. It is everywhere just like mixing yeast into the dough.

David wants restoration of his relationship with God—so that he can tell others. “Then I will teach transgressors your ways.” A witness coming from deep personal experience is the most powerful one. I can teach you from theory or from other people’s problems. But when you’re broken and restored, it’s a powerful witness.

And by the way, David did teach us. We’re reading his words 3,000 years later. Wow, that’s powerful.

It may seem weird to pray for joy in a time when emotions akin to mourning are more prevalent during Lent. But I think it’s a God thing.

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Clean My Heart O God

March 30, 2011

So yesterday I contemplated sin as a life out of balance. Then I went out for my morning run. I listen to “podcasts” when I work out (audio talks and programs downloaded to my iPod). As things often work, I listened to Willow Creek Community Church senior pastor Bill Hybels who was talking on sin.

It seems there was a king who decided not to lead his troops into battle but stayed home. While looking out over the city from his palace in his idleness, he saw a beautiful woman on a nearby rooftop. He desired her, sent a servant to bring her to him, had sex with her that led to pregnancy, had her husband killed so that he could marry her to cover up the act. Whew. What a list of sins.

This king’s name was David. His friend Nathan came to him one day and told him a story. The story indicted David and pierced David’s soul as if like an arrow. You can read about David’s repentance in Psalm 51.

Two verses stand out to me. In one, David says (verse 3) “for I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” One consequence of sin, that is doing things that you know are wrong and send your life away from God, is that you can’t forget. Like Lady Macbeth, you just can’t wash the blood from your hands. It weighs on your mind.

There are times when I am contemplating and it seems that every sin I’ve ever committed flashes before my eyes. I am reminded constantly.

But David goes on to ask God (verse 10), “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”

Jesus came to show us the way to that clean heart. He showed us the way to God. He said I will die and show you the resurrection. I will die and show you that God can create in you a clean heart and you don’t have to listen to the Accuser who tells you that you aren’t good enough, that your sins are too great.

Ask God for that right spirit.

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Out of Spiritual Balance

March 29, 2011

I’ve been thinking a lot about the word “sin”. Is it an “old-fashioned” word that lacks power to communicate these days? It’s a judgmental word–but has it moved from meaning God’s judgment to other people’s judgment? Is it too much pointing fingers at each other?

The minor prophets whom I have been studying were great at pointing out all the sins of their people and telling them what would happen if they continued. But the people didn’t listen.

There is an ancient spiritual discipline of balance. You know, there have been commercials touting products to help you if your digestive system is out of balance. What if your whole life is out of balance?

Life well lived has God as the fulcrum–the center point around which your life is balanced. You are supposed to have a work life, a family life, a God life, a play life. You also have an emotional life, a rational life, a spiritual life. These all need to be out of balance.

We pull out that old word “sin” to describe when we’ve become captured by the worst of one of those lives. When it’s too much me, not enough God and others.

Instead of feeling judged for your sins and then getting defensive and not doing anything about them, try this. Look at your life as getting back into the balance that God created. This is a good time of the Church year to reflect on the parts of you that are out of balance.

Jesus wanted you to have a whole life, with God at the center, free from worry about “going to Hell,” free to serve others and God. He died to make it happen.

Except that you have to participate, too.

How do you put God back at the balance point? It’s both simple and hard. You stop every morning, first thing, and focus your attention on God. Maybe you talk to God. Maybe you read from the Bible or other spiritual books (I’m currently reading the words of the 12th Century mystic Richard of St. Victor, maybe you read Henri Nouwen or Dallas Willard). This starts your day with the right attitude.

Then take brief pauses during your day where you take a few deep breaths and remember your morning starting place. Go back to the center. Try it every day from now until Easter and it will become a lifelong habit. Might just keep you from “sinning.”

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God’s Passion Consumes

March 28, 2011

Reading in Zephaniah (short book, located toward the back of the Old Testament, a prophet of the 8th Century BC predicting that if the Hebrew people don’t straighten up they will be sent into exile–they didn’t and they were), chapter 3, verses 8-10. First God through Zephaniah talks about how bad humans have become and how He will bring judgement. Then He says His passion will consume the earth and the speech of people will be turned to pure speech.

At that point, God had been trying laws–sets of rules–to guide people into a relationship with Him. He was also trying ritual. God’s people, who were supposed to be His light to the world, had become legalistic and ritualistic.

The 10 Commandments were less rules than the explanation of the covenant with God. But humans thought they needed to be explained. And the more they thought about explaining, the more rules they needed. Sounds sort of like today–legislators from cities to states to nations don’t consider their work done unless they approve more rules and regulations.

Laws require people to interpret them–lawyers; and people to point out to other people that they have transgressed them–judges. Eventually everyone things he or her is a lawyer and judge–but only to point fingers at others. Never to see how they themselves are living.

Rituals require priests. Priests have their own set of rules about how to worship, when to worship, what you should do, how you should behave.

Both of these human institutions are prone to corruption. The records of the prophets of Israel and Judah reveal the depth of corruption at that time.

No wonder God talked about wanting his passion to consume the world. His people kept forgetting him. They got involved in human institutions forgetting about the reason for it all.

Jesus came to show a different way to God’s passion, which I interpret as Spirit. But even his witness was not enough. People still returned to institutions, that in turn became corrupt.

As you ponder your relationship to God during this Lent, are you open to God such that you are consumed by His passion? His Spirit? Are you open to stop judging others and yourself and start living in the Spirit and revealing the Spirit to others. Otherwise, why did Jesus die for you?

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Active Listening as Communication

March 25, 2011

I’ve been on a business trip to Chicago. In this economy, I got the chance to hire someone and she started Monday. So I needed to make sure she got started on the right foot. But I also got the chance to have dinner with my daughter and her husband. They are both mental health therapists (letters after their names on the business card).

We started talking about therapists and doing therapy with adolescents. They related experiences. I thought about how it works in so many situations.

Kids are a great source of information about yourself. They see through “fake” and “condescension” better than adults most of the time. If you are going to relate to a kid, you need to treat them as a real person, look at them when you listen, get down on their physical level, don’t preach. (Man, I still can remember the ‘preaching’ I got as a kid–never worked and not fond memories.)

Then I thought about Christians. So many of us are so filled with passion we just can’t wait to tell  everyone. But the trouble is, we want to tell everyone. And what do we tell them? Is it just a formula? “Trust in Jesus and you’ll be saved.” But what does that mean to someone who is hurting? Probably nothing. Just empty words.

What if you treated all conversations like a good therapy session. Not that you’re “curing” anyone. But just listen. Supposedly famous baseball player Yogi Berra said “you can hear a lot just by listening.” Ask questions and wait for a response. Don’t jump in with a formula for fixing the problem or issue.

When you listen, try empathy. Not sympathy. Empathy. That is, show concern for the other person. Look at them. No matter what their age, appearance, odor, intelligence–treat them with respect as an equal. Did I mention look at them? Give them your attention. Amazingly, that is communication.

In doing this, you are actually representing Jesus. I am editorial director of a magazine. My mantra is show, don’t tell. People learn more that way. When you’re giving a talk, tell stories for illustration. It’s the same here. Show Jesus through your concern and understanding. He did it–with considerable effect. I bet we can, too. I bet you get a healthier response from the other person and are more likely to get them into a group (church?) that will help them grow by true listening than by spouting off formulas that people will tune out.

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Freedom or Irresponsibility

March 23, 2011

What does it mean to be free? Can you even be free?

We use the word free a lot. Sometimes it means no value–this product is free. Sometimes it has high value–free from political or religious oppression. Sometimes it means free from restraint–I should be able to do what I want.

This last one is tricky. Perhaps what you want isn’t a free choice. Perhaps you are controlled by inner desires and you only think you’re free to choose to go to the bar, but you’re really driven by a craving for alcohol or adventure or hopes of sex.

I’ve studied this concept for years. Still trying to figure it out. But I just saw a quote from a man in China, “You Westerners confuse freedom and irresponsibility.”

Wow, does that ever describe much of our culture. I hear lots of talk about “rights” but little (or no) talk about responsibility.

Paul wrote a lot about freedom. See especially his letter to Galatia. Paul was worried about this very thing. If Jesus died to absolve us from our sins, does it leave us free (that word again) to do whatever we want? Well, no. Jesus expects us to live a responsible life.

Because we are free (that is released from the oppression) of sin, we are free to actively live with God. And to do that will involve being responsible. God does not enslave us by piling up regulations, laws and religious rites. No, people do that thinking that they are guiding others to God.

In reality, because we have freedom by living a life intimate with the source of all creation, we are free to live a responsible life content in the fruits of the spirit. It’s a much happier and more fulfilling life than one of irresponsibility trying to “do my own thing.” Don’t get seduced by that phrase. Real freedom is union with God. And thanks to Jesus for showing the way.

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From Whom Comes Your Power

March 22, 2011

What is the source of your strength? Do you think it is all in yourself? Or do you depend upon some other person for your strength?

Many people seem to feel that they are independently strong. They need no one or no thing else. Americans especially buy into this myth. Eventually an opponent who is stronger appears. Sometimes this opponent is not a physical force. Sometimes it’s an insidious emotion that wells up inside and eats away the strength. It could be pride. Or greed. Or lust. The opponent brings them down.

Others are dependent people. They feel they have no strength and depend upon another person to be their strength. Inevitably that person will let them down.

I was just reading Habakkuk and this line of the poem struck me, “Their justice and dignity proceed from themselves.” I am not sure what he meant when he reported this saying of God in the context of the awesome power of the Chaldeans who were about to attack and destroy Israel. I’m not teaching what Habakkuk meant.

In the tradition of Lectio Divina, I was just reading and waiting for the Lord to speak. And this hit me. What is the source of your power? All the minor prophets I have been reading lately presented long lists of reasons why God was displeased with the Hebrews. Then there is this statement. There it is. Their source of power and strength came not from the Lord, but from other places–themselves, other gods, whatever.

But if your strength comes from the Lord, the one God, then it is built upon a foundation that never wavers. In fact, He is the source of all creation and all strength and all power. Why seek elsewhere when you can draw strength from the source?

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Contributing Money In a Crisis

March 18, 2011

I’m sorry. I went to California this week (Sacramento and Auburn, not LA and San Diego–it was cold and rainy) and my usual combination of late dinners and early meetings wrecked my schedule. Chicago next week shouldn’t be so bad. But Hanover, Germany the first week of April will be another grueling week at one of the world’s largest manufacturing trade shows. But, I’ll be six hours ahead of EDT, so maybe I’ll still blog on time.

The world is gripped by the crises in Japan. First the earthquake and tsunami that apparently killed over 16,000 people (this follows the devastating earthquakes in New Zealand–and no, I don’t think this is a sign of the end of times–but my heart is always ready). As if that wasn’t bad enough, the natural disasters have caused big problems for a nuclear reactor in Japan, that, if it is damaged enough, could send large amounts of radiation into the air possibly killing many more people.

People in North America and Western Europe, and probably much of the rest of the world, are personally quite generous in the face of crises. Perhaps because Japan is a prosperous country, I have not seen the number of fund-raising efforts that I’ve seen for some other disasters, for example Haiti.

I recently read something that reminded me about giving in these times. Know ahead of time the general relief agencies that you trust and give them the money–but do not earmark it. I have read where much money donated for Haiti is sitting unused because the agencies must spend it there, but the infrastructure is so poor that it is actually hard to get the money to the right people in the right manner.

An unfortunate situation among humans is the character flaw of greed. This is universal, by the way. You probably automatically thought of poor, small, undeveloped countries where the wealthy minority siphon off money thought to be going for development.

Ah, no, greed is a universal human flaw. Just look at the small number of Americans who latched on to great wealth on Wall Street a couple of years ago before almost destroying a banking system that caused the rest of us great financial strain. Of course, many of these people use their wealth to become politicians and blame the rest of us for the financial predicament the world faces.

Pray for the people affected by these disasters. Pray for those valiant heroes who are trying to keep the nuclear reactors under control. Give money to relief agencies that work directly with people (rather than government to government). Thank God that you’ve been spared–this time.

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The Lord Hates Your Worship

March 14, 2011

How many times have I read that in the Bible? People worshiped. They gathered according to custom. They gave offerings according to their custom. They developed laws to explain how to obey the 10 “Commandments” that sealed the covenant with God. Then they tried to obey those laws.

But God said time after time that the odors of the sacrifices were a stench in His nostrils.

We gather together. We sing. We pray together. We worship according to our customs. What does God think?

Maybe I’m rushed. In a hurry to get there. In a hurry to get somewhere else. Maybe I’m distracted by worries at work. Or worries because I have no work. Or by the woman (or man) across the aisle. Or maybe because the pastor has a flap of his coat pocket accidentally tucked into the pocket.

Maybe God just doesn’t seem real to me today.

Maybe God won’t accept my worship today.

Maybe it’s time to slow down. Take a deep breath. Read a Psalm. Focus on God–and leave all the distractions behind.

Maybe then he’ll honor my worship.

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