How to Pray

February 17, 2011

How do you pray? What do you visualize, if anything? I think that it was Donald Miller who gave me the picture of God as some sort of giant vending machine. Put your request in, pick up the solution from the little tray at the bottom. Do you picture God as a giant Dad to whom you ask for the keys to the car so you can go out?

I have hit the sections on prayer in Julian’s Reflections and she has several meaningful observations. Like contemplatives before her (including Paul who talked about being one with Christ), she builds on her experiences and discusses prayer as union with God.

So, when you pray, are you just looking from a goody from the vending machine in the sky–or are you resting in the bosom of God. You can slow down, breathe, open yourself in trust to God, and let Him just infuse your being. Think rather than machine but a tea infusion that lets the tea totally mix with the hot water.

Sometimes we’re in a rush. We just need a friend to talk to. If you’re in a rush, that’s the best signal to slow down and take time with God. If you need a friend, that’s OK, just take the time to settle in with the friend–kind of like meeting your friend for coffee and taking a little time to connect before sharing all your problems.

Julian has another observation. When you pray, conform your soul to God. She says if you try to make God conform to your soul, it won’t work–because God is never changing. People of my generation in the US (called Boomers) have been great at trying to manipulate everything to conform to their wishes. I see people trying to conform God to their own ideas or wishes.

No, God is God. God is the creator, not the created. God existed before humans, and will exist after humans have disappeared. The best thing is to quit trying to make God into something and just rest in Him. In that way, the fruits of the Spirit will grow in your life and you’ll find true happiness.

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Prophets not fortune tellers

February 16, 2011

Those who have sat through any class I have taught know one of my pet peeves about our understanding of prophets and prophecy. That is the understanding (or misunderstanding) that prophecy = fortune telling. If you read carefully, you’ll see that God never lays out the details of the future. In fact, many times there are warning about fortune tellers.

On the other hand, God is really good at noticing when His people have strayed from the path of living with Him and pointing out the consequences. The formula is “if you continue doing this, then that will happen to you.” And “that” is always bad. It was the job of the prophet to carry this message to the people.

And prophets were almost always kind of weird people. Take Hosea, whom I just discussed yesterday. God was unhappy that Israel (the people in that country) had take up with prostitutes (other gods). So he had Hosea marry a prostitute to show people the misery that comes with that situation.

Then at the end of the story of Hosea, God pleads with the Israelites to give up bad things and accept that which is good; give up the idea that salvation comes from Assyria and turn to Yahweh, their God. And He says that if they do, they will “flourish as a garden.” He says that their fruitfulness comes from Him. “Those who are wise understand these things.”

So yesterday I asked what prostitutes you have invited into your life (consciously or not). Today I invite you to step back and look at the direction your life is taking. If you continue doing what you’re doing, where will it lead? God says it’s never too late to turn to Him and discover the fruits of living a life with Him.

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Stay Pure Guard Against Infiltrators

February 15, 2011

Do you ever watch what things and emotions and thoughts insinuate themselves into your life? Sometimes much time has passed before you realize that some thought or obsession has taken control over you. God called this activity prostitution in the Old Testament. He was always complaining that the Hebrews were prostituting themselves.

When they entered into the “Promised Land,” God told them to wipe it clean of other people. He knew the weakness of a man for a woman. And He knew that women are typically the bearers and pro-creators of culture. Therefore, He knew that if the Hebrew men had access to the women of other tribes, they would begin to marry them. The women in turn would bring their gods and culture into the house.

And, sure enough, it happened. Time after time. The men never learned (OK, I can hear all the women reading this…). So God even sent “crazy” guys, like Hosea who married a prostitute then tried to make her an honest woman symbolizing God’s “marrying” the Hebrews in their prostitution and trying to make them pure God-followers.

It didn’t work. The people didn’t listen to Hosea at the time and followed their prostitution into destruction. First the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, then the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Pffft. Gone.

So, what “foreign gods” have you prostituted yourself with? Pride? Envy? Obsession with sex, alcohol, drugs, TV? What diverts your attention away from God? Recognize it and prune it. Seek help from a friend or counselor if need be.

If you love someone, you pay attention to them–that is, you give them your attention. To live with-God, pay attention to Him. Don’t let the outsiders in.

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Developing New Leaders in the Spirit

February 14, 2011

One of the most important tasks we have on earth is developing young people to become leaders. We need to provide them with the structure, tools, support that help them make life decisions solidly, in the Spirit.

Yesterday our congregation accepted a number of young people into membership. They have made a decision. We have guided them toward that decision. They have received instruction, been offered opportunities to grow and find their mission in life and supported. Are they ready?

Events come at them constantly. Decisions must be made. Many of these are small, but cumulative. Sometimes hell awaits just one little step at a time. Have we given them the foundation to make the right decisions?

There has developed a culture that I’ve seen in the United States, in some areas of Europe, and I fear it has reached into parts of Asia by now. This culture worships kids–by trying to make them stay kids (and the parents who, not wishing to grow up themselves, also want to be kids). Are we forsaking the future of these young people by not providing a disciplined lifestyle? The strength to face the world?

This is such an awesome responsibility that Jesus pointed out specifically–woe to those who cause one of these little ones to stumble.

It’s a role we should never leave. Even when our own children are grown and gone, there are always young people to teach.

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Both-And Limitless Spirituality

February 13, 2011

Julian of Norwich had a vision on her deathbed. During the succeeding 20 years, she wrote the experience along with interpretation in her Reflections. Among her thoughts were the three I just discussed–seeking, waiting and trusting.

Psychologist (scientists of a sort), including Christian psychologists, tend to categorize dreams and visions as random firing of neurons in the brain–meaningless, just reflecting random past events in your life. Indeed, most of your dreams are probably just that.

On the other hand, a tremendous number of examples exist documenting a seemingly breakthrough of the spiritual world (a world rejected by materialists of all types) into a person’s life. The Bible documents many. Perhaps I’ve even experienced such an event.

So, is the spirit world just something that is made up in your head? Is the only reality the material world that we can describe?

I just finished reading a book on business strategy called “Both And.” Its premise asks why just limit yourself to one thing or the other, why not do both? As I’m reading Julian and thinking about modern psychologists, I find myself thinking that same thing.

I’m a trained scientist, love the scientific method, and recognize that the tools derived from scientific research have greatly improved the quality of our lives (there are side effects, but that’s for a later essay). But science works in a closed universe. There are too many variables to consider if there are multiple universes. I read once where Dallas Willard had developed a line of thought similar to what I’ve been thinking for years, so I don’t feel like I’m straying from logic.

If God created the universe, then He must be outside our universe. Given both of those propositions, then it stands to reason that God can intervene at times (note: I’m obviously not an 18th Century Deist, sorry if you are). Therefore the numinous dreams and visions that have occurred throughout the history of humans. It’s God reaching out to people–usually to people who were seeking, waiting and trusting. They are open to God and let Him in.

I don’t think that having a God vision is necessarily delusional, but I acknowledge that some people suffer from delusions. You can test a vision by comparing with the long history of God visions.

So, I think we can trust Julian (and others in the tradition) with their experiences and reflections on their experiences. Scientists are great within their closed systems, but typically their expertise does not include experience outside their systems.

Don’t get caught up in false either/or–either science or faith–discussions. Don’t let science shake your faith, but don’t disparage science when it sticks to what it knows.

Both-And–Seek God, Wait on His presence, Trust His coming.

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Trust Jesus Completely

February 8, 2011

The third of Julian of Norwich’s “objects” of seeking God is trust. Remember first is seeking. Second is waiting. “The third is that we trust in him mightily in fully certain faith, for it is his will that we know that He shall appear without warning and full of blessing to all His Lovers — for His working is secret, but he wishes to be perceived, and His appearing shall be truly without warning, but He wishes to be trusted, because He is most simple and  gracious.”

While you are waiting for an appearance of Jesus, you must trust Him that He is there and that He will come. As he said once, he’ll come like a thief in the night. Without warning. A surprise.

Trust is tricky. A child will trust completely. One of the most devastating things I can imagine is to betray a child’s trust. I can imagine the look on its face. We have all trusted someone in our lives. Even the most cynical of you trusted someone before you became cynical. And we have all had someone betray our trust. Maybe even a close friend. Maybe a spouse. It’s tough.

Even if you feel that you can no longer trust anyone because of a betrayal so deep and painful that seemingly there is no cure, you need to try to trust Jesus. Why? It is part of being fully human. The inability to trust destroys you chance for personal freedom and communion with the Spirit.

Julian is just one more witness who can testify to the trustworthiness of Jesus. She had a powerful experience of God when she thought she was dying. She then lived 20 more years in a little room in serious contemplation of God and everything he had done for her. He was steadfast for her. He can be for you.

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Waiting on God’s Arrival

February 7, 2011

“The second is that we await Him steadfastly because of His love, without grumbling or struggling against Him, until our life’s end.” Julian of Norwich’s second teaching.

This sounds almost like a paradox of the first teaching. Look at the verbs. The first is to seek. The second is to wait. The first is active, the second sounds as if it is passive. But I don’t think that is the meaning. Waiting is an active verb, too.

Imagine a hunter in the woods and meadows. He is seeking his prey. That means he has determined what his prey will be (deer, elk, pheasant, rabbits, whatever). He goes to an area where that prey is known to live. He looks for the right habitat and finds the most likely places to find his prey. That is similar to the seeking that Julian taught in her first saying. Go out and look for God in places where you would expect Him to be living.

Then, you must wait. But in waiting is the anticipation of finding your prey. All of your senses are at work. Do you see anything? Hear anything? Smell anything? Taste? Feel? And your emotional “senses” must also be tuned into what you are waiting on.

Waiting is active, but it is also tiring. It may get cold. You may get uncomfortable. You may get discouraged. Will the prey every show? Is it all in vain?

If so, do not grumble and complain. Maintain your vigilance. It is tiring to be always on alert, but you must carry on. And Julian says that you must maintain that state of watchful waiting until the end of your life. You never know when God may speak to you again. You must be ready. You must be receptive.

When you wait, be vigilant.

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Seeking God Willingly

February 4, 2011

People over the years have developed some strange (at least to us) practices. In 14th Century England (the time of Chaucer for you literary buffs), sometimes a woman of some means would both become widowed and have a religious experience. They would lock themselves in a room, never to exit alive.

Julian of Norwich was such a woman. Her room was built on the outside of the wall of the local church. She had a small window that looked in toward the alter, a locked door and a window open to the alley so that she could talk with people (and I presume obtain food).

Before this happened, she was thought to be on her death bed. The priest was called. He brought the crucifix up to her lips during the last rites. At that moment she had an overwhelming experience of God. It was revealed in many “showings.” She lived many years afterwards and wrote her “Reflections” which detailed the visions and her explanations.

Early in the manuscript, she says there are “three objects of our seeking.” That is, there are three things that a seeker of God must do to find Him. These are seek, await and trust.

She says that we must seek willingly and diligently without laziness and gladly and merrily without unreasonable sadness and useless sorrow. This is overwhelming to ponder.

I went to a geek conference once. When you’re dealing with electronics, sometimes you can’t see what you’re looking for unless you believe there’s something there. The T-shirt they gave us that year had the phrase “Some things can’t be seen unless you believe that they exist.” That’s like God.

You believe He exists. You seek Him. But, you have to do it willingly (not by accident, but by persistent searching). You must be diligent without laziness (every day, not just on a whim, and don’t get lazy and think you’ll do it tomorrow). And with joy (remember Jesus talking about people going around looking serious and pious trying to draw attention to how religious they were, and how he disdained that).

I think that if she had not written anything else, this one instruction would serve us well.

Next week, I’m off to another conference for manufacturing geeks. This is where I get to practice that diligence. Starting Sunday, I’ll have dinners that last until 10 or so followed by breakfasts the next morning at 7. Fitting in time for physical exercise; study, meditation and writing; and answering about 150 emails will be a challenge. I’ll try not to let these meditations dry up. You can hold me accountable and ping me with your proddings.

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Waiting for God

February 3, 2011

Have to admit that I was somewhat uneasy Tuesday afternoon and evening. A major storm was coming. We were on the edge of projections between ice and snow. I’ve been through one ice storm lately where we were without electricity for several days. So I spent the evening listening to the sleet hit the windows and tracking the storm on my iPad.

I thought of people whose stories were recorded in the Bible. How David must have had some of that unease while he was in the desert with the storm of Saul’s army around. How he wrote so many Psalms that sometimes complained to God about the situation he found himself in while he thought he was a loyal God follower.

It’s interesting about the Psalms. It’s a book of songs (without the music–not even the guitar chords). But it is more a conversation with God. Some songs show delight in God’s goodness. Some are the blues. I’m not sure if any other religion deals with such honest emotions of people in their sacred writings.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the Psalms the prayer book of the Bible. He even wrote a book with that title. I wish I still had it. He organized them into themes so you could easily find the one that suits your mood. The Psalms are a good place to go when you feel that unease and while you wait for God’s presence.

He always appears. Just not on my whim–more like on His.

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Thinking about sin

February 1, 2011

I’ve been thinking a lot about sin. Not to the point where I want to purposely try them all out, I suppose. But I wonder what you first think when you hear the word. What does it mean to you? What pictures come to mind? Is it just a “church” word? So you immediately picture a controlling person who has a strong judgmental streak in them who enjoys telling you what to do and especially what not to do?

Sin is something (action, attitude, uncontrolled emotion) that many times you think feels good and is a result of freedom. Then you discover that living that life is not really a life of freedom because now you are controlled by whatever it is that you chose–or thought you chose.

The early Christian “desert Fathers” spent a lot of time exploring this topic and several developed something akin to family lineages of emotions that would keep you away from living with God.

So, what if I didn’t use the word “sin?” If I used another word, would it have less visceral judgmental reaction and cause you to stop and take a look at your life. See what attitudes, actions, uncontrolled emotions are controlling your life and preventing a God relationship?

One thing I know–humans have continuously for thousands of years tried to draw up a list of rules for other people to follow so that they would not sin. In Jesus’ time, they were called Pharisees. We have them today. “Let’s just pass a law,” they say, “and everyone will behave–or we’ll send them away.”

Jesus said that we should just have a relationship with him. Then those things will lose their power over us. We won’t need the list of laws. We’ll do what Jesus wants because he’s walking with us.

I didn’t know where this thought would lead when I started, but ending with Jesus seems like a good thing.

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