Saturday, July 5

Today’s Readings: Psalm 45; Genesis 29:1-20; Luke 1:29-45a; Acts 15:1-12; Psalm 133

Many folks today think that facing contentious issues within the Christian community is a new thing. In their coverage of denominational meetings, newspapers nervously predict schisms will occur over issues like abortion or homosexuality. Each time I read these articles I chuckle because it shows how out of touch people are with the early history of the Christian movement. Today’s passage from Acts provides first century proof of this. In the passage, we are told the story of the conflict between Paul & Barnabas and the followers in Jerusalem. The issues over which they squared off weren’t homosexuality or abortion; if you can believe it, the issues they faced were much more emotionally and spiritually charged: circumcision and table fellowship. The passage provides a beautiful model for us “moderns” to follow in terms of how to deal with differences. Aspect one of the model: communicate. The church could have simply relied upon second hand information regarding what Paul and Barnabus were up to. They didn’t. Instead, Acts 15:2 tells us “the church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabus, and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem”. Aspect two of the model: listen. While some would assume that listening would automatically be included in communication, I’ve learned that today that’s a dangerous assumption to make. Many folks think communication is simply speaking your point. How do I know listening was an aspect of the model? Acts 15:12 tells us that after Peter took the floor “there was dead silence. No one said a word.” This tells me Peter’s audience had actually heard what Peter had said. This leads me to the third aspect of the model: be willing to change. The dead silence that followed Peter’s speech proves those in attendance didn’t spend their time during Peter’s speech trying to think of a clever reply. No, their silence meant that they had absorbed the truth and power of Peter’s words and were in a different place at the end of his speech than they were at the beginning. Communicate. Listen. Be willing to change. Those three elements diffused what could have been a fatal tension in the early Christian community. Imagine what might happen if we embraced those elements today in our own churches and in our own lives. Is there an area of your life where you are experiencing tension with others? If so, try using those three principles and see what happens. It’s amazing how God’s spirit can effect healing and reconciliation if only we use the tools that help create the space for the Spirit to work. Til next time…

Friday, July 4

Today’s Readings: Psalm 84; Genesis 27:46-28:22; Luke 1:26-38; Acts 14:19-28; Psalm 85

Today, as you know, is the 4th of July. It’s a day when those of us who live in the United States take the opportunity to celebrate the freedoms and new sense of life we gained when our ancestors had the courage to declare their independence from England. Today’s second Psalm also picks up on these themes of independence and new life, for in that Psalm the psalmist says: “You aren’t going to keep this up, are you? Scowling and angry, year after year? Why not help us make a fresh start – a resurrection life. Then your people will laugh and sing” (Psalm 85:5-6 – The Message). This sense of new starts, new beginnings, and a new sense of independence got me to wondering. Are there pieces of your life from which you need to break free: destructive habits, life-denying patterns, meaningless routines, counter-productive thought cycles, you name it. If so, you don’t have to wait another six months to break these cycles and make your New Year’s Resolutions – you can do it on this Independence Day. May today mark a new beginning for you as you get your fresh start and experience a taste of this “resurrection life” for yourself. Til next time…

Thursday, July 3

Today’s Readings: Psalm 146; Genesis 27:30-45; Luke 1:1-25; Acts 14:8-18; Psalm 81

In preparations for this Sunday’s worship service, I’m working with the second half of Sunday’s Gospel reading from Matthew. The second half of that reading has to do with Jesus’ words instructing his followers with heavy burdens to lay them down. The benefit of laying those burdens down? Rest! Those words leapt immediately to mind as I read today’s second Psalm – Psalm 81 for verses 6 and 7 of that Psalm read: “I took the world off your shoulders, freed you from a life of hard labor. You called out your pain; I got you out of a bad place” (The Message). Most folks outside of the faith assume that having your burdens lifted - or having the world taken off your shoulders - means that when you turn to God your problems magically disappear. In fact, some seekers turn to God with this expectation – conceptualizing God as a wand that they only have to wave in order to make all their problems disappear. Not so. In fact, over the years I’ve learned time after time that people of faith face the same number of problems in their life as people who claim no faith; the only thing that difference is how they handle those problems. Case in point, my friend Evelyn. Evelyn and her husband Denny gave me one of my first paid jobs ever – working around their farmhouse when I was just 12. She and Denny were a couple of real characters. But in the lunches I shared with them in the middle of my workdays, I got to know them pretty well. One thing I learned was that they were people of VERY deep and abiding faith. Evelyn was in her late sixties when I first worked for them, and over the course of the next ten years I watched her face many problems. First, she faced her husband’s illness and death. Next, she faced the loss of her family farm. And finally she faced the onset of aggressive lung cancer – a cancer that would soon claim her life. As you can see, by most people’s standards Evelyn had a pretty heavy set of burdens to carry. No matter what problem arose, however, Evelyn refused to carry the burdens. She kept turning them over to God. And even on the day of my last visit to her in the hospital, Evelyn had more peace and joy than anyone I had ever met. To use today’s words of the psalmist, God had gotten her out of the bad place. So where are you at in terms of facing the burdens of your life? Are you trying to manage and resolve them yourself, or are taking them off of your own shoulders and placing them on Someone else’s? If you are still trying to manage the unmanageable, I would encourage you to cry out to God in the midst of your own pain and frustration. Even though the external circumstances you face might not change (at least overnight or perhaps not at all), as you cry out you can take peace knowing that you are well on your way to getting out of your bad place no matter what happens. Til next time…

Wednesday, July 2

Today’s Readings: Psalm 101; Genesis 27:1-29; Matthew 28:11-20; Acts 14:1-7; Psalm 98

Ever since I was a child, folks have commented about my optimistic nature. I noticed, however, that after commenting on my up-beat nature many folks would immediately follow it up by saying, “Wait until he gets older and see how the world works. Then his attitude will change.” As I start my 42nd year on the planet, thankfully I’m still waiting for that change to occur. While my optimistic nature has yet to change, a seismic shift has occurred below the surface of my life that has gone undetected by some. That shift has to do with the source of my optimism. You see as a young person, my optimism was grounded in the belief that we human beings could solve any problem if we would just put our minds to it. “If only we could elect the right people,” I would observe, “THEN we would have responsible policies in place that would solve all of our problems.” Or when confronted with blatant expressions of bias, I would think to myself, “If only we could educate people, then all forms of prejudice would disappear.” I had an extremely lengthy list of “If onlys…” Over time, however, I began to realize that human efforts alone weren’t enough to remedy the problems we face. I’ve lived long enough to see both political parties control the executive and legislative branches of government and yet the problems continued. I’ve also lived long enough to see some of the best educated folks perpetuate one of the most insidious (and yet lesser recognized) forms of isms such as classism. Just as I was reaching the point where most optimistic individuals come face to face with stark realities that cause them to abandon hope and embrace cynicism, I got in touch with a new perspective that restored my sense of optimism. In fact, it didn’t just restore my sense of hope – it increased it. And what perspective was that? Well, it was the perspective put forward by the psalmist in today’s second psalm. As Psalm 98 culminates, the psalmist cries out: “A tribute to God when God comes; when God comes to set the earth right. God will straighten out the whole world. God will put the world right, and everyone in it” (Psalm 98:9 – The Message). Those words reminded me that the source of my optimism really lies not in MY efforts or MY commitments; the undying source of my optimism is none other than God. The next time you start to find yourself feeling defeated - defeated by the gas prices, defeated by the newspaper headlines, defeated by the stack of bills sitting on your table – remember the words of the psalmist. Those words will remind you just who is capable of “straightening out the whole world” – just who “will put the world right, and everyone in it.” If you keep your eyes on those words from the psalmist, then I can guarantee that you’ll join me in the camp of the eternal optimists. Til next time…

Tuesday, July 1

Today’s Readings: Psalm 149; Genesis 26:1-33; Matthew 28:1-10; Acts 13:44-52; Psalm 124

In yesterday’s entry, I spent some time exploring the notion of spiritual gifts and encouraging you to spend some time discovering what your gifts are. Today’s reading from Acts reminded me that there was a piece of information I probably should have touched upon that has to do with this notion of spiritual gifts. That piece of information has to do with a common misconception some have about what it means to connect with your spiritual gifts. You see some folks assume that when you begin to connect with and use your spiritual gifts this means you will always have warm, fuzzy experiences. I would agree – but only up to a certain point. While there usually is a rush associated with the sense of connecting with your spiritual gift(s), often this burst of life-affirming energy can take you to unexpected places: places that are outside of your comfort zone. Case in point: Paul and Barnabas in today’s passage from Acts. Paul’s spiritual gift of exhortation – the gift that helped Paul feel comfortable in front of groups – was the same gift that ultimately drew him to the synagogue. Who knew this gift would put him at such odds with the religious authorities?! And while most of us would have backed off immediately in the tone of our comments once we sensed the tension in the room, Paul’s gift caused him to press his point further until he was able to explicitly draw in the “outsiders”. The contentious experience that Paul and Barnabus had that day would have greatly upset most of us. Yet because Paul had relied so thoroughly upon his spiritual gift, he was able to walk away from the encounter “brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52 – The Message). So what’s the lesson for us today? Well, I see the lesson as being two-fold: first, the places our spiritual gifts take us won’t always be comfortable places; and second, the peace and joy we will get from using those gifts will make the discomfort worthwhile. As you continue to explore your gifts, my hope is that you too will walk away from the unforeseen places your spiritual gifts take you brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit. Til next time…

Monday, June 30

Today’s Readings: Psalm 2; Genesis 25:19-24; Matthew 27:55-66; Acts 13:26-43; Psalm 16

After 6 years in parish ministry, I’ve made a concerted attempt to re-think the way I approach living in spiritual community. Like many traditionalists I spent the first six years of my ministry conceptualizing church/spiritual community primarily as an institution. I often found myself relating to folks in terms of the way they could help support/maintain the institution. If we needed a person to serve on the Business Administration Committee, for instance, I’d be on the lookout for an individual with those set of skills. If we needed someone on the Mission Committee, I’d look for someone with those set of skills. Without even realizing it, I slowly slipped into the trap of thinking people existed primarily to serve the institution. About 18 months ago, however, I started to rethink my approach. Many resources I bumped into (people, books, tapes, websites, etc.) began to challenge that popular notion and reverse it; they began to ask, “What if the institution exists to spiritually develop and serve the people?” This reversal has turned my world upside down. One of the consequences of this shift is that I’m more conscious of helping individuals identify their spiritual gifts so they can begin to pay attention to those gifts and develop them. None of the spiritual gifts are better than any of the others; they all have an equally important role to play. I’m talking about all of this today because of today’s Gospel reading from Matthew. In that story there is an important person in Jesus’ story that often gets overlooked. That person? Joseph of Arimathea. There’s a good likelihood that Joseph has one of the most overlooked and underappreciated spiritual gifts of all time; it seems likely that he had the gift of servanthood. While most would focus on other individuals in Jesus’s story whom they considered to be major players – people like Pontius Pilate and Peter – it is Joseph’s quiet but powerful witness that stays with me even to this today. As a spiritual leader I’ve found that many individuals find themselves in a similar life circumstance as Joseph – with their spiritual gifts often overlooked and underutilized. The first step in valuing one’s spiritual gifts is to know what they are. Do you have a sense of what your spiritual gifts are? If not, today I invite you to take a short 5 minute spiritual gifts inventory on line in order to help you discover your gifts. You can take the brief test by clicking on this link: spiritual gifts inventory. When you arrive at the screen, choose the third box on your right marked “Online Gifts Assessment” and the inventory will appear. Once you know what your gifts are, the next steps on your faith journey will be to develop and deploy those gifts in service to God. May God’s grace and peace be with you as you embark on that journey of discovery. Til next time…

Sunday, June 29

Today’s Reading: Galatians 3:20-35

You might be wondering why I’ve strayed from my normal daily reading schedule today. Well, the reason has to do with the church I serve. About 15 months ago, the church I serve started setting aside the fifth Sunday of the month for members to share their faith journeys. It’s been an amazing and transformative experience to hear folks in a mainline faith community share so openly about their faith journeys! On this fifth Sunday, a few individuals thought we could accomplish two things: (1) we could continue our tradition of receiving a faith journey, and (2) we could do so by using the lens of a particular aspect of the human experience that has shaped all of our faith journeys – today that lens will be race. In reading Paul’s words, it’s clear that the vision for early Christian communities was one where all human beings were equal (“In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal” – Galatians 3:28 – The Message). In terms of vision, it doesn’t get much clearer than that. And yet 2,000 years later, how have we done living into that bold reality? Sadly, not so well. As Martin Luther King, Jr. observed in a 1963 speech at Western Michigan University, the most segregated hour in America continues to be Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM (the traditional hour for worship). So why is that? Why have even our most liberal or progressive faith communities failed to live into the vision Paul lifted up for us 2,000 years ago? Trying to answer that question for institutional Christianity would be nearly impossible as there are multiple reasons for it. I don’t have many explanations for the problem, but I can offer you one thing: my solution to the problem. My solution is that we cannot wait for institutions to get with the program and become models of inclusivity. The real transformative work must start at the individual level. Take a moment and examine your own life. Visualize your own friends and associates. As you survey the people in your own life, do they reflect the diversities to which Paul alludes (i.e. different racial, economic, social backgrounds) or are the folks in your life located in the same social strata as you? Is the abiding principle that guides your life one of equality or homogeneity? As you wrestle with those answers take heart knowing that the good news is that we don’t have to wait helplessly for another 2,000 years for institutional Christianity to get with the act. Real transformation happens immediately - one heart at a time. May that heart be yours! Til next time…