Gary Moon Quote…

“Saints are just like you and I—except they have determined to live their lives so close to God that it makes the devil too nervous to follow.”

Gary Moon, Falling For God

Proof…

“The greatest proof of Christianity for others is not how far a man can logically analyze his reasons for believing, but how far in practice he will stake his life on his belief.”

T.S. Eliot

“Faith without works is dead”

James

I’ve had the realization this week that I make things way to complicated.  Less talk, more walk…

Watch your word count…

“Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.  Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God for God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.”

King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

I’m teaching this Sunday.  We are walking through the book of Ecclesiastes and I’m teaching on chapter 5.  I’ve been looking at the words above all week and I’m amazed at how little I seek to listen in God’s presence.  The art/discipline of silence is counter to just about everything else in my world, and I feel the impact of it’s absence.  Adele Calhoun in her excellent book “Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us” says regarding silence…

“In quietness we often notice things we would rather not notice or feel.  Pockets of sadness or anger or loneliness or impatience begin to surface.  Our own outer agenda looms larger than our desire to be with God in silence.”

I’m not sure where this finds you today, but I know there is a deep place that stirs as I think about being in God’s presence empty-handed and silent.  I’ve realized that I presume a lot, and in those presumptions often miss God’s heart.  Yet there is also a hope…a hope that if I’ll be still and silent, He will move and speak.

God’s Big Picture…

God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible is a simple and accessible book that provides a great framework for grasping the greater story of the Bible.  It’s basically a  primer on Biblical Theology, the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity.  This subject was new to me, but has already been helpful in personal study, reminding me to not miss “the forest for the trees”.  The authors establish the paradigm of an overarching “kingdom” story that permeates all of Scripture.  This serves as a key to unlock the smaller stories of men like  Abraham, Moses, David, and Paul as well as my own.  Viewing through the lens of a larger narrative to help discern the implications for my own has been refreshing and deeply insightful.  It has also rekindled a passion to view life missionally.  As you begin to hear the whispers of this ancient story and find God’s invitation to join Him in even the most mundane of life’s moments life seems deeper and more beautiful even in the midst of brokenness.

If your looking for something to help kick-start your devotional journey in 2009…I’d recommend checking out God’s Big Picture.

Rebirth...

Last night Tracie and I spent time talking about our hopes for the coming year.  She asked for a word that described my desires and dreams for the next year.  Now when you really think about it...that's a HUGE question!  To try and look forward and sum up that much time in a single word is tough, I can barely think ahead to the next 24 hours.  Yet as soon as she asked, a word came...rebirth.  Her question immediately after was, "what do you mean?" to which I replied "I don't know."  I didn't know why I spoke that word, I just knew it came from a deep place and is true to what I am both feeling now and long for over the next year...rebirth.

So I got up this morning with the fragrance of that word still fresh in my soul...rebirth.  In Christian circles that word is spoken often, but I'm not convince it is truly experienced to the depths that God intends.  If I'm honest that is my observation of my own life.  I know the word, but feel more like a "new manager" than a "new creation".  By that I mean I spend more time doing old things in new ways rather than living as a new person from a new heart toward a new destination.  Yet even as I type that hope swells in places still unexplored in my soul...and that feels good.  This morning rather than anxiety about the future, I feel humility and gratitude for the present.  I am thankful for both the work Christ has done, and has planned for the next chapter in our lives.

How about you...what is your "word?"

Power of Mystery

"We have long emphasized preaching the truth and have usually defined truth as biblical facts that can be ingested and defended.  We forget that facts do not produce life, only the mystery of godliness can do that.  The key question of vitality is not 'Do you have the facts of the faith?' but ' Are you in touch with the mystery that empowers them?'"

- Calvin Miller, Into the Depths of God

Examen (05.03.08)

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• Where do I see the pain loneliness in others?  How can I be an expression of love in those places?
• Where did I experience loneliness?  Why and what does it reveal about my connection to Christ?

Examen (04.24.08)

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• In what relationship do I feel the most relational connection?  Why?
• In what relationship do I feel the most relational disconnect?  Why?

Examen (04.14.08)

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• What was the most beautiful/inspirational experience of my day?
• What was the most painful experience of my day?

Caught Between Two Worlds

We, our local church body…Fellowship Bible Church, began walking through the book of Ephesians on Sunday mornings last August. There is so much life-sustaining truth that is rich and deep but is still practical and applicable to my daily life.

We are finishing up with Paul’s explanation of the spiritual battle we find ourselves in. This is always such a fascinating subject to study. I also just finished Ted Dekker’s new book Adam that is a cross between Silence of the Lambs and The Exorcist (it’s a great book). The book includes a discussion between Ted Dekker and John Eldredge about spiritual warfare that was also really good. In that discussion, John Eldredge makes this comment…

“There is something in human nature that just doesn’t want to face the reality that we live in two worlds. We live in the physical, material world where we have jobs, read books, and go about our business. And we live in a spiritual world—and that is a world at war.”

I was reflecting on these words and found myself asking …“Why is it our nature to deny the spiritual world?” I came up with two reasons in my own life.

First, we live in a physical world. A world measured by the five senses where, according to secular humanism, science is the ultimate authority on what is real. In our daily maneuvering through this physical world topics like spiritual warfare simply don’t fit. Yet, when we are still and quite, there is a voice in us that whispers “there is more.” We can’t touch it, we can’t taste it, but if we are honest with ourselves not only do we hope there is more, we need there to be more! One of the glories of being human is that this physical place is not our only reality and to deny this is to be sub-human.

Secondly, to acknowledge there is more puts us in a much more dependent position than we like to admit. If our struggles really are not with flesh and blood but with an unseen enemy we need help. We can’t do this alone, and no matter how hard we fight to order our physical world, there is a huge part of our lives that is beyond us. What is interesting is that this realization is part of what makes the Gospel “good news”! We are dependent, whether we admit it or not, and we have the help we need. Though we may be physically alone, we are never abandoned! Once again, our dependence is a trait of our humanity and once embraced a source of limitless joy.

So, as with most things, it comes down to a crisis of belief. What is the final authority in our lives? What defines reality? Make no mistake…a decision must be made. Either we will seek to define reality ourselves, or we will submit to the one who spoke the worlds into existence. The choice is ours.

Examen (04.08.08)

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• In the last 24 hours, what has captured my minds attention?
• In the last 24 hours, what has captured my hearts affections?

The LORD is holy

Exalt the LORD our God,
   and worship at his holy mountain;
   for the LORD our God is holy!

Psalm 99:9

I read Psalm 99 last night with our kids as we settled in to go to bed.  After they drifted to sleep I continued to ponder the closing verse and realized how easy it is for me to forget this simple truth...God is HOLY!  In a world of bumper stickers and one line cliche's I've lost the eternal significance of this simple three word statement.  I know it on a subconscious level, realize I rarely bring to the surface so that it colors the world around me.  As I've continued to keep this truth at the front of my mind I've found my sense of gratitude growing.  I see the reality that the compliment to "God is holy" is "I am not!"  To realize the gulf that separates our very essence, and the intention and sacrifice God displays in crossing that gulf by filling it with Himself...I'm honestly left speechless.  All that rises is "thank you", then again...maybe that's all He's wanted to hear.

Friday Examen (03.21.08)

It's been awhile, but hope this exercise brings insight and blessing...

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• What event brought you the most joy?  Why?
• What event brought you the most pain?  Why?  How are these two events connected?

What the Church Has to Learn From Alcoholics Anonymous

In my spiritual journey, there are lessons that I return to time and time again.  They are milestones in my walk that mark a major paradigm shift and because of the combative world I live in, as well as my own personal resistance to change, I like to return to them and remember.

One such lesson that changed my vision of "Christian community" is an article called What the Church Has To Learn From Alcoholics Anonymous.  When I first read it there was a stirring for authentic belonging and life transformation that still challenges me today.  Here's a taste...

"Now perhaps the time has come for the church to be re-awakened and re-vitalized by those insights and practices found in AA.

I think some of you may be a little horrified at this suggestion.  I fear you will be saying to yourself, 'What have we, who have always been decent people, to learn from a lot of reconstructed drunks?'  And perhaps you may thereby reveal to yourself how very far you are from the Spirit of Christ and the Gospel, and how very much in need of precisely the kind of check-up that may come to us from AA."

For the full article CLICK HERE.

Friday Examen (02.01.08)

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• Who spoke most deeply to your soul this week?  What did they say 
• Who's soul did you speak deeply to?  What did you say?

Friday Examen (01.11)

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• If you could do anything today what would it be and why?
• If you could avoid anything today what would it be and why?

Friday Examen (Week 51)

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• What is the most tangible expression of God's love in your life right now?  Why?
• How can you be a tangible expression of God's love in someone else's life today?

Friday Examen (Week 50)

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• What positive emotions are stirred by the holidays?  Why?
• What negative emotions are stirred by the holidays?  Why?

Friday Examen (Week 49)

Examen - the practice of discerning the voice and activity of God within the flow of the day. The practice is simply to ask yourself two questions and then reflect on your answers asking God to reveal His presence and guidance.

This week's questions are:

• When did I sacrifice the temporal by choosing something eternal?
• When did I sacrifice the eternal by choosing something temporal?

A Christmas Prayer

"(I pray...) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might"

- Paul, Ephesians 1:17-19

The holiday season is usually a mixed bag for me emotionally. So much joy...so much junk! In the past I've found myself slightly cynical as the month of December begins to unfold, but this year things are different. God has been gracious to teach me that in a world where most things are out of my control, He has empowered me with the endowment of willful response. I can choose to see beauty in the brokenness and acknowledge it. In the midst of the insanity I can be a voice of peace and a hand of healing. The incarnation is a glorious miracle that continues to transform lives as I release my own life to the dreams of God. That really is "good news".

As a way of both recognizing and sharing the beauty most people miss during this season I'd like to send us out on assignment. As you move through your day try to be open to the subtle slivers of glory all around, and when you see them share it with us here in the comments. There's nothing like beauty to stir us to be more beautiful.

May Paul's prayer become a banner blessing over us all as we call out the beauty all around us...Merry Christmas.