In classic blogging tradition, I’m going to point you to another blog. Jon Swanson writes a blog called Levite Chronicles. In this post yesterday, he thinks of eight ways to gain perspective. Good points. Maybe I’ve introduced you to a new friend.
Posts Tagged ‘spirit’
Ways to gain perspective
June 19, 2010When God Speaks
December 15, 2009I last talked about prevenient grace relative to a discussion of the first chapter of Ephesians and the theories of predestination. So, the question occurred to me–when did I first feel God’s presence around me calling me to him? I think I’ve had that awareness ever since I could think. Even when I sin, I have had an awareness of God–and the disapproval of what I’m doing or thinking.
I asked this question in a small group and received an answer that for many awareness of the nearness of God didn’t happen until well into adulthood. Although I’ve had some big experiences of God, I never had that “salvation experience” that evangelists try to get you to experience. Many, on the other hand, seem to have no awareness of God. They just sort of travel blindly through life until one day they get smacked. Then they see the God that’s been calling them since before they were born.
I’ve been thinking about this experience of the awareness of God calling for several weeks. Sometimes you just don’t get it consciously. I have a friend in Brazil with whose husband I bet a bottle of wine on the outcome of a soccer match between the US and Brazil. We lost. Then I discovered it’s hard to send a bottle of wine internationally. I got busy and quit searching. Then I got the urge (hmm) to search again, and I found a company that sends gift baskets to just about any country. I’m a trusting soul (sort of), and ordered a basket with the bottle of red wine over the Internet, gave them my credit card number (a big act of faith) and hoped. Then I received a message yesterday from my friend. The basket arrived just as she was at a very low point in the Christmas season. It made her day. What a blessing.
Think that was God talking to me? Wonder what He’s saying now that I haven’t yet responded to? What about you?
Prevenient Grace
November 16, 2009I’m still studying Ephesians, but business has taken me to China and then California during the past three weeks plus I had to get a magazine out (my paying job). While traveling, I have continued my studies and thinking.
While talking about what Paul’s saying in this letter, I skipped over Chapter 1 where he discusses “predestination.” Of course, he is not discussing John Calvin’s theory–he didn’t know Calvin. But the thought still is–why is it sometimes Paul talks of freedom and decision and other times he talks of being picked by God (predestined)?
Finally a memory of one of the talks during an Emmaus Walk popped up–the discussion of “prevenient grace.” The question that always comes up is “if God picked us to be saved before we were ever born, then what does it matter what we do with our lives.” When I studied the Puritans many years ago, I was taught that they got around that thorny issue by telling people that they should all behave as if they were saved so that no one would know. Today, it seems that we all behave as if we are not saved and then just trust that God will have picked us.
Another way to look at the situation is more like asking and responding. God’s grace is extended to you before you were ever born. It’s prevenient–pre-existing. God is always there, surrounding you, enveloping you in his Spirit. However, you have to respond. It’s as if someone asks you to a party, but you can’t celebrate with them unless you acknowledge the request and then say Yes. God is there, right now, and if you say yes, then you open yourself up to the gifts of God.
Of course, it’s not over yet. You must still grow in your relationship with God. That’s sort of what Paul’s talking about in the rest of Ephesians. How do you come to imitate God (what a disciple does in relation to his/her master). How you relate to others (husband/wife, parent children, master/slave–today’s terms probably employer/employee). How you fight the spirits of darkness. Every day you must “work out your salvation in fear and trembling,” but it all starts when you acknowledge that God is there before you asking you to come to relationship. That’s sort of what Paul’s saying in the beginning of the letter. God’s there. He “picked” you (actually, he picked everyone in the beginning). You just need to acknowledge and respond–then live with him.
Praying
October 19, 2009Yesterday continuing the study of Ephesians, Barb spoke on prayer (the last part of Chapter 3). This is where Paul prays for the church in Ephesus. Thing is, when Paul “prays” in these letters, it’s still part of his message or argument. The one thing that always leaves me wanting more information is — what did all these spiritual heroes we read about do when they prayed? Jesus went off by himself and prayed. Daniel took time off from his busy days running an empire to pray three times daily.
I’ve spent a lifetime praying, learning about prayer, learning from my praying–and I still wish that the Christian church taught how to pray instead of telling you that you should pray.
I’m not going to write an essay on how to pray here, but maybe it’s something I should work on. I just remember when I tried to teach a class on prayer. The students seemed to want only to read and discuss the book. When I tried to have silent time to work on an aspect of prayer, it was awkward. Perhaps that’s part of the answer. Prayer begins in silence. There’s nothing wrong with calling it prayer time when you flood over with requests for God to handle for you. But let’s go back to the source. What did Paul pray for the Ephesians to experience? It was the deep dwelling of God in the inner lives of the people. Richard Foster of Renovare calls it the “with-God” life. Paul in another place calls upon us to “pray without ceasing.” The Russian peasant detailed in a lovely little book called “The Way of the Pilgrim” tries to live out that admonishment of Paul’s.
First, we need to become comfortable in silence. This is perhaps more difficult for us in the twenty-first Century than at any other time in human history. In silence, you can hear God and converse with God. There are techniques to become silent. But these require work. Perhaps that’s it. Prayer is work. And often we take the easy way out to just demand things of God rather than living continually with Him. Are you “with God” right now? Do you need to work on that experience? I’ve done this for years and my answer to the second question is still “yes.”
Awareness
October 17, 2009I’ve been pondering the first part of Ephesians–what are God’s spiritual blessings. As I settled into the whirlpool at the YMCA yesterday after my workout, it occurred to me that too often in my contemplation or other prayers–or even my work as a writer–that I sink into some sort of deadened state. Then the word (not The Word, I suppose) came to me–Alert. When I was first learning meditation, a teacher said you should be in a state of “restful awareness.” I’ve been resting without the aware part. Not a good combination. I’m sinking into a state of reduced energy and not being aware of the presence of God and others and not being alert to the opportunities and teachings that could be unfolding for me.
Time to check my energy level and restore the “aware” part of restful awareness. That’s related to another “a” word, attitude. Got to get them all correct.
Every Blessing
October 13, 2009One of my commentaries says Paul’s opening in Ephesians that includes God providing every spiritual blessing is derived from a common synagogue prayer in his time that his readers would have understood. However, a joy of reading with fresh eyes includes gaining new understanding. What would it mean to live as if you had every spiritual blessing? I recently heard a talk by noted management writer Gary Hamel where he quoted survey respondents saying that they saw no difference in the way their Christian friends lived and anyone else. Does that apply to you? Are you living as if you have received every spiritual blessing from God?
OK, that’s probably not something you attain as final during your life. Rather, it’s more like a guide during the journey. Few of us are perfect, but all of us can show something of the indwelling of the Spirit. Right?
Every Spiritual Blessing
October 10, 2009In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul says God gives every spiritual blessing. While pondering this passage, I heard a talk by Kevin Kim at the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. He talked about the story of Adam and Eve living in the Garden. They lived in a state of grace–their lives were a relationship with God, they walked with God, had no shame and there were no rules. Well, except one. They were not to pursue the knowledge of good and evil. God decided what was good.
Eve one day ponders “why does God get to decide what’s good for us?” So they decide to “eat the fruit” that is decide for themselves what’s good for them. The result was loss of intimate relationship with God, shame and sin. Jesus came to restore that natural order of God–relationship with God and life in grace. That would be every spiritual blessing
Believing is Seeing
September 8, 2009Well, actually, I should say “believing leads to seeing.” Steve Leveen, founder and owner of the mail-order “tools for readers” company Levenger, tells a story of not being able to see something because “we see what we look for.” I have a T-shirt from a conference with the quote “some things must be believed to be seen.”
Have you seen God alive and at work in the world? Have you looked for it? I was talking with someone this weekend who has come to the conclusion that there is nothing wrong with his hearing–it’s his focus. I think that this affliction hits all of us at times. Where is your attention? Your focus? Are you looking for God? Careful, you might just experience Him.
Pointing back at you
June 8, 2009Recently there was a small group discussion. I should agree with the participants–at least most of the time. But sometimes I am uncomfortable. It’s a rush to judgement thing. And there are a couple of “bogeymen” that just raise their ire. Reading in the first chapter of Romans where Paul lists the many ways that people sin, they immediately jumped on the homosexual issue. They stopped reading at the end of the first chapter. Too bad. The second chapter begins (by the way, Paul didn’t write in chapters, so he would have expected the discussion to proceed through this next thought):
Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.
Have you ever taken the time to be quiet for periods of time every day and let God talk to you? Have you ever used this time to look into your heart and see all the hatred and evil things in there that you are capable of? Have you realized the grace of God that you have either overcome those impulses and desires or the grace that says, “you are forgiven, go and sin no more”?
When I was a kid, there was a saying “When you point a finger at another, three fingers are pointing back at you.” It is so easy to sit in judgment of others. Remember, someone is judging you. And it isn’t pretty. It is a better attitude in life to realize how thankful each of us should be for the grace of God–and to extend that grace in His name to everyone we meet. And how hard it is to live that thought.
Peace, Gary Mintchell
Maunday Thursday
March 23, 2008The music was fantastic at the Maundy Thursday service. Cheryl and Jane played an arrangement of ‘What Wondrous Love Is This’ (on organ and piano respectively) which truly just took me away. I looked up from my seat in the choir to the beautiful stained glass window pouring the evening sun over the balcony and closed my eyes to better delve into the music. The negative imprint of the stained glass frame in glowing white was displayed through my closed eyelids. A shape of the human brain (a line drawing as in the encyclopedia) was transposed over it in my mind. ‘The sun in my mind’ I thought.
On the way home I told my husband the beautiful vision. He said “You have active imagination. Don’t forget we have to take the garbage out when we get home.”
The next morning my devotional was on Philippians 2:5 with reference to 1 Corinthians 2: 16 that Jesus’ mind was their inheritance – ‘the Son in my mind?’
As God took Christ home, the Spirit was left to continue His work. In the early church, miracles were performed by calling upon the Holy Spirit and seeking healing. The blind could see, the deaf could hear and the possessed were set free. The Holy Spirit remained, but our human egos put conditions and restrictions in place. Those who were afraid gave way to those who were not and the church leaders became rulers and owners of the ‘keys’ to church. We humans bought into the programs and gave away our faith and trust to be comfortable.
She is still here, waiting to be invited into every heart. The Spirit of the Trinity, of God has trouble making contact through the noise, the hardened intellects, the all too sure reality seekers, and the fearful multitudes which seem to dominate our modern world.
Am I crazy, probably, at least a little, but I believe we are missing out on so much because we fail to just ask. And once we have asked to truly pay attention. She does not lead, She nudges. She does not command, but whispers. “The wind blows … ”
I am Darcy Dill, a student at UTS working on a Masters of Divinity with emphasis on Church Renewal. My views are not to reflect in anyway on the Seminary or on Sidney First UMC, just ramblings from my mind.
Gary Mintchell
Faith Venture 