Faith Venture

Living the Spiritual Disciplines

April 18, 2023

Yesterday I wrote about a prayer class and how I had to overcome the predisposition to learn about prayer instead of learning and practicing prayer.

Similarly, I led a class on the Spiritual Disciplines. Many wanted to learn what the disciplines were. Few would incorporate the disciplines intentionally into their lives.

I think that most of the ten people in the class could name five different spiritual disciplines (practices) a month after the class.

I think most had not incorporated one new practice intentionally into their life.

An amusing anecdote. One person later told me that the pastor had assigned a book for the staff to read and discuss. Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster. This sounds familiar, the person thought. Oh, it was that class I took with Gary. At least the lesson returned.

If you choose to read that book, and I hope you will, make it a goal to incorporate at least one new practice into your daily life. Don’t let the book go to waste by just reading through and putting it on the shelf. (One of my daily disciplines is reading, thinking, and then writing these short posts, for example.)

Another of my disciplines is fitness and nutrition. I’ve recently been reading “a positive corner of the internet” Pump Daily by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Interesting–I may have only seen one of his movies (Kindergarten Cop?) and I most likely would not have voted for him for governor were I a California citizen, but his evangelism for positivity and health for everyone is worth copying. God knows, literally, that we need more positivity on the internet these days.

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Prayer Guides

April 17, 2023

I once tried teaching prayer. It would be a class at church.

My idea was to teach prayer—not about prayer, but how to pray with practice.

Several people accepted the challenge and signed up.

It turned out that they wanted to learn about prayer. You know, types of prayer—intercessory, confession, praise, contemplative. Like a seminary course. All in the head.

One of my guides to the inner life was Morton Kelsey (The Other Side of Silence). He talked about being suspect at seminary by other students and faculty when he and a small group of friends met regularly for prayer. I’ve read about John and Charles Wesley and a few friends who met regularly for prayer at seminary and were called, not warmly, “methodists” for meeting intentionally and methodically.

Living in our heads comes so easily to us. We seem to have a million thoughts per second. Yet, the two ways we need to go are hard and often ignored.

To go deeply into the soul touching God.
To go out into the world and act as if we really followed Jesus.

Oh, and how to pray? Kind of like the advertising slogan–Just Do It. Every day. Several times a day. With intention. Don’t forget to use part of the time to listen.

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Do All The Good You Can

April 14, 2023

“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”
John Wesley

Read that piece of advice from John Wesley again.

Then perhaps every morning read it two more times.

Then leave the bathroom and endeavor to live this advice.

What better way to show that you are a follower of Jesus?

“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”
John Wesley

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Capable of Evil?

April 13, 2023

I listened this morning to a psychologist describing the end of the Stanford Prison Experiment from 50 years ago. Researchers recruited students to act as prison guards with prisoners in an actual prison. They stopped the experiment when they saw student behavior changes toward becoming sadistic tormenters.

When they debriefed everyone afterwards, all were shocked at the personality changes among the students. Even those who did not become sadistic questioned why they themselves did nothing to stop the behavior.

I was led in meditation toward a deep understanding that within me lay the capability to do the deepest evil. I have overcome those impulses. But if circumstances changed, how would I act?

The Apostle Paul describes this very part of human nature at the beginning of his great work on spiritual formation—the Letter to the Romans. He uses this letter to describe the spiritual journey we take from evil to faith to service. I have taught on this letter and found it a powerful tool for personal spiritual development.

Read it sometime with that attitude. See what it does for you.

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Distinguished By Behavior

April 12, 2023

Three days ago Western Christians celebrated Easter—Resurrection Day. I thought about living in a post-resurrection world. Luke documents the changes in Jesus’ followers when the implications of the resurrection sank in.

Sitting in contemplation this morning I saw a bird flying across the yard toward a large tree. A finch, I thought, I can tell by the way it flies. Hmm, I can distinguish among many species by their unique behaviors.

Those early Christians, those who lived in the first century, could be distinguished by their behaviors.

Today, I wondered, can we distinguish Christians by their behaviors?

What would be the distinguishing characteristic?

Would it be the peace, joy, and love of the first century Christian? The Acts 2 Christian?

Would it be a loud-mouthed US Congressperson or other politician US or elsewhere?

Perhaps the pastor and his congregation outside with a loudspeaker shouting epithets at people they don’t agree with or people who look different from them?

Or, perhaps the person who does not make news headlines quietly serving others and passing the peace and joy and love along?

Looking in a mirror, what behavior of mine do I see? What about you?

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What Is Church All About?

April 11, 2023

Promotions for a new movie called Praise This recently popped up on my TV screen. The plot centers on the dramas around a competition for best church praise choirs. At first I thought this was a reality TV show they were promoting. I thought, this performance-based religious experience has gone too far.

A few church leaders in the US (and elsewhere) surveyed the state of church attendance wondering how to attract young Baby Boomers into church. They observed the success of Jesus Music. Music companies also observed that—and changed the music’s tone and promoted new artists. Seeking to “build a church that unchurched people would attend”, these leaders teamed with the new music to build the “Rock Concert with a TED Talk” style of worship.

The megachurch was born.

I witnessed a few early ones. Seemed OK. But, like the premise of this move more often than not praise music became a performance.

And church leaders scrambled to get numbers. 5,000 was not enough. 10,000. 20,000. Numbers meant everything.

Realizing that something more than Sunday performances was needed, they pushed small groups. These small groups mostly failed to catch on.

Jimmy Buffet playing to his loyal following of “Parrot Heads” does a better job of involving his crowds than most praise bands.

Maybe the Boomers wanted to be entertained. I don’t know. I’m sort of a Boomer, and it doesn’t fit my profile. Later generations prefer connection. Maybe we all do. And maybe it’s not all about numbers. Maybe growth is a two-edged sword.

How did the early church grow?

Like the famous restaurant scene in Harry Met Sally, “I want what she’s having,” people were attracted to the early church because of the way they lived and the type of people they were. No gimmicks. Spirit and service. As John Fischer says, Grace Turned Outward.

So many have missed the point.

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Prejudicing Another

April 10, 2023

How easy it is to plant a thought of prejudice into another human! Especially a youth.

She makes a statement. You cannot help yourself but interject a feeling.

Oh, I always hated that (class, person, group of people, country, whatever).

A seed is planted. Perhaps ruining something for that person for life.

Often a pause between thought and exclamation is the most important part of a conversation.

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Transformation

April 7, 2023

I gave a presentation on the Internet Wednesday. The topic was manufacturing transformation. Someone asked a question about what skills he should develop–innovation? I replied, no, develop curiosity. Broaden your reading. Listen to a wide variety of podcasts. Ask questions. Be amazed. That will lead to being innovative.

I write this post on Good Friday. This anniversary remembers a series of events that has provoked the spiritual transformation of millions of people. Spiritual transformation also transformed the ways millions of people have lived their daily lives, related to those other humans around them, lived within themselves.

The events aroused the curiosity of millions as they try to imagine what it was like in Jerusalem all those many years ago. And to put themselves in the places of the various actors on that stage. What was it like to be a member of the Jewish ruling council? Or Pilate? Or the women followers? Or the close friends?

Better to be curious about what the meaning in your own life. Have you been transformed? What has that meant? What could that mean for how you live tomorrow?

For millions this has been a day to pause and reflect. Grab a bit of time today (or whatever day you happen to be reading this) and pause and reflect.

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Seeing The Big Picture

April 6, 2023

I sit in contemplation this morning with the full moon beaming in the sky in front of me. This full moon signifies the special calendar times for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All together. I feel connected somehow.

Andy Stanley once asked people to consider what breaks their heart. Many things break my heart—one of which is how much those three religions separate from each other and generate hatred while each professes love.

A couple of days ago we had heavy rains. The next morning earthworms flushed from their lairs in the ground were on the streets and sidewalks by the hundreds. Were the robins out there feasting? No. They were in their same hunting areas as usual hopping, looking, pecking.

They couldn’t see the big picture. They were fixated on the way they’ve always done it.

This full moon 1,990 years ago found Jesus’s friends and followers fixated on what they thought the Messiah would be and do. Jesus spent a huge amount of the day teaching them. They didn’t see the big picture.

Even on Sunday with the empty tomb and the resurrected appearance of Jesus they could not comprehend the big picture.

It must have been 40 days later when it all came together for them.

How about for us? How often do we miss the big picture? How long does it take for lessons to sink in for us? Have we even now grasped Jesus’s teachings of love and grace? Sit in stillness and let those thoughts sink in. And see the big picture.

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The Futility of Controlling Nature and Others

April 5, 2023

My study window faces west. Early every morning even before dawn I see robins already beginning the days chore of finding food.

This morning I sit in my mediation chair and look out I see lightning from an approaching thunderstorm. I know it is supposed to hit about my usual time for walking to the fitness center.

I realize, there are no robins. What do they know? Are then sheltered in the evergreens and bushes already?

The rain will come soon.

Do you have any water leaks in your house? Or water rising in the ground around your house? We puny humans have been trying for thousands of years to control water, yet it remains a problem from catastrophic to annoying.

Yet, we think we can search through the writings of the Apostle Paul in order to compile a list of things we are not to do or be and then force other people (or even ourselves if truth be known) to follow these rules exactly!

We can’t control ourselves, let alone have the responsibility to control others.

The power of Easter morning and the realization of the extent of God’s grace.

Search diligently instead for Jesus’ teaching on how we are behave toward ourselves, toward others, and toward God.

Extend grace and love to yourself and each person you meet today.

See if you can do that better than you do controlling water in your house.

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