I wish that word had more power. Like the power to heal a heart like the person saying it wished it did. The power to stop the hurting forever. The power to reverse and reset everything the way it should have been. The power to not have become the person the choices made you. The truth is, that word has as much power as the person receiving it determines that it does. To one wronged and harmed by another, the word may be the lifelong quest that they feel they need to hear to move on. Yet even when you hear it, it doesn't matter. How many times have you heard or said, "Sorry just isn't good enough." or "Sorry just won't cut it." or "It's too late for that." The demand for justice now merely begins with sorry. But the onslaught of punishment won't be held back until we come to realize that you can't inflict enough pain on another to cause it to cease within you.
Jesus didn't wait for our "sorry" to forgive. When hanging on a cross, dying beneath the sneers and stares of the brokers of religion and even a mocking thief sharing His fate, Jesus says, "Father forgive them. They don't understand what they're doing." Jesus wasn't appealing to a reluctant God, for He only said what He heard His Father say. Jesus was revealing the heart of God toward us at our worst. His grace isn't a reward for us generating enough goodness to become sorry. His grace is the kindness that draws us to realize that we were wrong. Yet while that realization may result in our brokenness, His grace continues and creates a kaleidoscope out of our shattered pieces. The light of the world shines even through the broken, and the prism of hope that illuminates a darkened world is a rainbow of grace. Grace is both the response to and the initiator of a heart that is truly from the depths of it's very being......sorry. Let this light shine upon you. To all those who have anything to be sorry for today, grace to you.
Monday, December 23, 2019
What's wrong with what's wrong?
What's wrong with "What's wrong?" Ever hear people ask the question, "What's wrong?" whenever something's going on that they don't understand? Everyone goes silent and the air gets sucked out of the room. Fear fueled curiosity widens everyone's eyes as all attention goes to the "victim." This is a great way to teach children to become the center of attention by being problem focused rather than problem solvers. Eventually someone like a boss or drill sergeant will respond to a whining complaint from that kid by getting in their face and asking, "What are you going to do about it?" So how can you teach your kids to be solution focused problem solvers? And how do you learn to be a faith filled listener rather than an anxiety ridden fear seeker?
Let's go back to the question at hand. The question, "What's wrong" opens you up to an avalanche of complaint. Mental self torment your kind of thing? Poking that wound until it bleeds all over you is a great way to make your day the opposite of better. Instead try asking these questions instead. "What happened, what's happening?" This question invites a perspective, a story, and puts freedom into the conversational equation. It doesn't assume or assign the identity of a victim and it doesn't put a negative knee jerk reaction of fear or panic into the atmosphere. Most of all it offers dignity to the one that something "happened" to. Because it doesn't invite them to become a victim in the story, they have a chance to get their power back.
Jesus encountered people who had issues all the time. They surrounded Him and bombarded him with medical and personal issues. He never once focused on the problem. He listened to people's stories and offered solutions. There was never an ounce of panic in His tone. Though He faced anxiety head on He was never without access to the solution. The disciples had a confidence in this. How do I know? Because in the garden He sweat blood beneath the crushing weight of what was to come, surrounded by disciples who never once asked, "What's wrong?" He was so conscious of the endless resources of heaven at His disposal that it never crossed the minds of His followers to consider that their Master was dealing with something deeper than they could fathom. Here's the question I wish beyond anything that they would have asked Him. "What's happening?" This may have provided some insight, clarity, and revelation. And isn't this what questions are supposed to produce? When we lose sight of why we're asking the questions we're asking, we don't mind asking the wrong ones. Dig into the stories before you by caring to hear of the happenings around you and you'll find yourself in a world of clarity rather than confusion.
Let's go back to the question at hand. The question, "What's wrong" opens you up to an avalanche of complaint. Mental self torment your kind of thing? Poking that wound until it bleeds all over you is a great way to make your day the opposite of better. Instead try asking these questions instead. "What happened, what's happening?" This question invites a perspective, a story, and puts freedom into the conversational equation. It doesn't assume or assign the identity of a victim and it doesn't put a negative knee jerk reaction of fear or panic into the atmosphere. Most of all it offers dignity to the one that something "happened" to. Because it doesn't invite them to become a victim in the story, they have a chance to get their power back.
Jesus encountered people who had issues all the time. They surrounded Him and bombarded him with medical and personal issues. He never once focused on the problem. He listened to people's stories and offered solutions. There was never an ounce of panic in His tone. Though He faced anxiety head on He was never without access to the solution. The disciples had a confidence in this. How do I know? Because in the garden He sweat blood beneath the crushing weight of what was to come, surrounded by disciples who never once asked, "What's wrong?" He was so conscious of the endless resources of heaven at His disposal that it never crossed the minds of His followers to consider that their Master was dealing with something deeper than they could fathom. Here's the question I wish beyond anything that they would have asked Him. "What's happening?" This may have provided some insight, clarity, and revelation. And isn't this what questions are supposed to produce? When we lose sight of why we're asking the questions we're asking, we don't mind asking the wrong ones. Dig into the stories before you by caring to hear of the happenings around you and you'll find yourself in a world of clarity rather than confusion.
Saturday, July 06, 2019
The Communion of Breath
The origin of man as Spirit is in the heart of God, and the birth of man as a physical being is in the breath of God. Man was born in a face to face encounter with God.
You said your first prayer when you took your first breath.
Our ability to condemn ourselves only reveals how blind we are to our union with Christ because if we knew how close we were to Him we would never condemn ourselves. Our sin nature is merely an excuse for our bad choices.
Meister Eckhart - “If the only prayer you ever pray is thank you, that will be enough.”
Prayer is the privilege of our union with God. It’s the embrace of a union that has no goodbye. Every breath is a prayer.
His Name is in our breath.
Relationship introduces creative interaction. It’s allowing the wind of the Holy Spirit to fill the sails of your vessel and letting the wind propel you toward your destiny.
He is both the goal and the guide. He is both the journey and the destination.
Yahweh is not just for you. He’s in you. You do not carry a God free zone. It’s like swimming. I move to engage with my environment. Lifting hands isn’t separation. Physical expression is not to get the attention of a God outside of us. God is within us.
Every human being speaks the name of God in every breath. This is how we pray without ceasing. If we stop praying we will cease to live.
You said your first prayer when you took your first breath.
Our ability to condemn ourselves only reveals how blind we are to our union with Christ because if we knew how close we were to Him we would never condemn ourselves. Our sin nature is merely an excuse for our bad choices.
Meister Eckhart - “If the only prayer you ever pray is thank you, that will be enough.”
Prayer is the privilege of our union with God. It’s the embrace of a union that has no goodbye. Every breath is a prayer.
His Name is in our breath.
Relationship introduces creative interaction. It’s allowing the wind of the Holy Spirit to fill the sails of your vessel and letting the wind propel you toward your destiny.
He is both the goal and the guide. He is both the journey and the destination.
Yahweh is not just for you. He’s in you. You do not carry a God free zone. It’s like swimming. I move to engage with my environment. Lifting hands isn’t separation. Physical expression is not to get the attention of a God outside of us. God is within us.
Every human being speaks the name of God in every breath. This is how we pray without ceasing. If we stop praying we will cease to live.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
A Different Take on Balancing Life and Ministry
From my perspective, the whole concept of balance IS stress. Go stand on a fencepost. Feel relaxed? Here’s another way to look at it. Take a rope in each hand tied to two horses running in different directions. One horse is called life and the other is called ministry. If you dare to let go of one, the other will drag you to your death anyway. Again, more stress. I got used to saying no and found that the respect level went through the roof when I did, because it gave my “yes” much more value. I’m just wherever I am 100% and enjoy every moment of it to the fullest.
Drink deeply the life out of every moment. When you’re in the office studying, love every conversation, every turn of the page and plink of the keyboard. When you’re home or out with the family love every second of the experience. Love it intentionally. Love information, love learning, love rest, love people, love being in love with someone that’s worth loving. Love making them smile. Live abundant love and you'll find abundant life. There’s no other way to do this ministry life without becoming a workaholic, a lethargic loner, or broke and bitter theologian. Fun is a Spiritual gift. Exercise that gift often and people will always want to be around you.
So take those two horses of life and ministry and hitch them together and make them take you to where you want to go. That’s balance. You, in the saddle, holding the reins, enjoying your bride and kids, picking up people along the way, dropping off supplies here and there, and letting life and ministry work together to bring you where you’re going. And don't forget to enjoy the ride.
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