Long Beyond the Goodbye

Dear Faith Family,

Saying Goodbye, "God be with you," until we meet again, is rarely easy. No matter where the ones we bless go off to, the unknown between seeing them now and seeing them again leaves our hearts aching in the void. 

Good thing true friends, spiritual companions, leave behind in those they've followed Jesus with "fruit that abides" (Jn. 15:16). The fruit of their faith sowed into our lives stays with us and continues through us. Praise the Lord for true friends! Reeds, we miss you already! 

And while on Sunday we had the privilege to honor the Reeds and glorify Jesus in them, there is no better way to celebrate and bless these friends, as well as the many other friends over the years who have invested God's grace to them in our faith family, than to continue their way of life in Jesus with others. May our abiding in Jesus and love for one another bear fruit that abides through all of life's goodbyes. 

Love you, faith family! God bless. 

Praying Like The Sinner

Dear Faith Family,

Our prayers reveal our hearts even, at times, more clearly than do our actions. 

At least, that is one take-away from Jesus' parable of "The Sinners" found in Luke 18:9-14. In the story, two men join with others to pray, to seek God for life true and whole. By all external observations, one man is well prepared for the encounter. Every habit of his life intentionally devoted to being there, in the place of God with God's people. None could look at him and see anyone other than a genuinely devoted man of faith. 

The other man was quite the opposite. By all external observations, he should be barred from the premises. Every choice of his life led him away from God and God's people, to taking advantage of them, promoting their lack of flourishing, and ensuring the success of their opposition. None could look at him and see anyone other than a genuinely faithless man. 

Nevertheless, both men come to pray, to seek God for life, true and whole. Yet here is the thing about face-to-face time with God; it's the heart that matters most: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:8) And while the heart may be hard to see, it can be heard, 

"For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."
(Lk. 6:45) 

And so, when the two men pray, we see that one has a heart of faith and the other a heart of hate. However, in Jesus' story, the invisible hearts don't match the observable exteriors. The hearts, it seems, are in the wrong bodies!  

Dulled by the distance of culture and the familiarity of sermonizing, the story's unexpected switch may not have the impact it probably should. We're all too ready to embrace the sinner's genuineness over self-righteous hypocrisy. But what if there is something more here for us to see? 

For millennia, "the Church" (both eastern, western, and everywhere in-between) has considered a post-resurrection adaptation of the tax collector's prayer as "essential to our spiritual growth." In Luke 18:13, the traitor by choice "pounded his chest saying, 'God! Be merciful to  [literally, 'Make atonement for'] me, a sinner."  And from then until now, pouring out of hearts in countless languages from grand cathedrals and within simple huts, Jesus' followers have joined in praying like the sinner, 

Lord Jesus, Son of God!
Have mercy on me, a sinner.

These simple words are not merely the beginning of faith but a mature and maturing expression of faith where "we discover a very personal and direct relationship with [Jesus]."  For, we cannot pray this prayer without faith: the assurance of what is hoped for--God's faithfulness to be true to His promises no matter our infidelity--and conviction of that which is unseen--our hearts' broken and made clean through His loving action. 

Repeating this prayer regularly (even repeatedly throughout the day as some do) is an action of persisting faith (Lk. 18:1-8), a "communion with God and participation in His grace." 

So, why don't we join in, praying like the sinner with faith:  "Lord Jesus, Son of God! Have mercy on me, a sinner." 

Love you, faith family! God bless. 

Looking A Little Closer to Home

Dear Faith Family,

Have you noticed that Jesus often responds to our inquiries with the most unanticipated replies? For example, when asked a question I'm sure we all have asked a time or two, "When will the kingdom of God arrive?" Jesus replies, "It's not a matter of timing but where you are looking." 

Well, maybe he didn't say that exactly, but I think that's what he meant. Here is what Jesus said, 

The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. 
(Luke 17:20-21) 

I don't know about you, but when I think of God's arrival, his action in the world to bring about both goodness and justice, my mind fills with the extraordinary stories of our scriptures. Impenetrable fortifications crumbled at the sound of praising trumpets. The sun stopped mid-sky to ensure a promised and thorough victory. Seas parted, God's people safely across, and their pursuing oppressors crushed as the water walls collapsed upon them. Each episode, even at a distance of time or faith, is an easily observable advent of rescue and adjudication.

If I am honest, I am often on the lookout, scanning the horizon as far as I can, straining to decipher what might be out there, all hoping to catch a glimpse of God's impending arrival. I long to see some sign, some indication, that He is here. If you're honest, are you looking out like me? Are your eyes set on the horizon, the world out there and all around us, hoping to see a sign of God's activity? Do you find yourself looking for yet wondering when the kingdom of God will come? 

If so, Jesus says we are looking in the wrong place. If we want to see the kingdom of God, God's acting to bring about goodness and justice, we have to look a little closer to home: "behold," says Jesus, "the kingdom of God is in your midst," literally, "within you." 

I don't believe Jesus is promoting self-aggrandizing navel-gazing. Instead, what Jesus says is that seeing God's kingdom coming into the world starts with seeing God's activity in your own life. His acting to bring goodness and justice into and out of your past and present. When we see God within us, inside our story, we can see and participate in His kingdom "going on all the time" and all around us. 

If you're asking when the kingdom of God will come, or desire to better see where Jesus says the kingdom is already arriving, I encourage you to take some time this week to look a little closer to home. I have included the exercise below that will help you (us!) do so. 

Love you, faith family! God bless! 

EXERCISE | THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN YOUR MIDST

While employed and applied under various labels, rhythms and methods, taking time to see God's activity in our past and present so that we might fully participate in His kingdom's future has been a regular habit of Jesus followers for millennia. In this exercise, we'll focus on the last month. 

START | Find a quiet (or minimally distracting!) place. Sit down with a pen and journal, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you eyes to see God with you and to guide you as you look back over the last thirty or so days. 


MOMENTS | Now take a deep breath and begin working back through significant moments over the last month. Moments when you did something important, like making a significant decision or a new friend. Moments when you felt something different or more intensely than usual--whether joy or grief or something in between. Moments when you experienced either the presence or perceived absence of God. 


MEDITATE | After you've marked out your moments, meditate on them. Asking the Holy Spirit again for eyes to see and answer:

• In what ways was God acting to bring goodness to and through me at that moment?

• In what ways was God acting to bring justice for me or through me at that moment? 

Remember, sometimes God's goodness and justice come through correcting us, sometimes through providing for us, sometimes through keeping us from things we couldn't see or know, and sometimes through not giving us what we deserve. 


PRAY | Once you've gone through the month in moments of God within your story, write out a prayer. In your prayer, name praises of God's activity as well as doubts and questions that surfaced. Pray, writing out what you learned about Him (His character and affection) and yourself and HIs kingdom going on all the time and all around you. And pray all in the name and to the glory of Jesus. 

Looking But Not Seeing

Dear Faith Family,

There is a way of living where we look at everything and see nothing. Like the “rich man” in Jesus’ story from Sunday, we can look at our circumstances (both good and bad) and never see God’s activity. Never recognizing his recognition of us in the simple and abundant graces of others.  

Likewise, we can look at our neighbors (or spouse or child or coworker or friend) and never truly see them. Never recognizing their humanity, their need, and their purpose. Either overlooking them or looking only for what they can do for me.

Too often, in the self-absorbed, constantly consuming world in which we live, we look but do not see. So this week, let’s pray together for the true sight of the One who always sees us, knows us inside and out, calls us to contribute, and lavishly loves us.  

Father, thank you that you always see us. That you recognize us, dignify us, care for us, love us.

Father, forgive us for looking around at our circumstances and failing to see your activity—your generosity and your grace through others.

Father, forgive us for looking at those around us yet failing to see who they are to you, and so failing to live compassionately.

Father, let us see, truly see the world of grace and wonder in which we live and in which we are made to contribute. Give us eyes that recognize you and recognize others whom you see.

Through Jesus we ask, hope, and are seen. Amen.

Love you, faith family! God bless! 

Oh Summer!

Dear Faith Family,

How are you feeling about summer so far? We're now at the halfway point of the season when it's culturally acceptable to slow down, get away, and rest (even if just a little), so how's it going? Do you feel the restoration and freedom of summer's leisurely character?

I've certainly experienced summers where my answer would emphatically be yes. But, if I am honest, I'm feeling more of the transitional character of the season this year. 

For all its billing of relaxing and getting away, summer rarely is a season of stopping, at least entirely. In actuality, most summers are an elongated (hopefully leisurely) season for transition. The transition might be from one grade to the next, like the twins moving from 4th to 5th. Or the change may be from one job or home to the next. Did you know that it's estimated that 80% of moves take place this time of year?! Maybe the transition is from one life stage to the next; think of all the weddings! Or the anticipation is simply the return of a "normal" pace and schedule. Regardless, summer inherently brings a level of expectation for the future and all the emotions accompanying change (both the good and the not-so-good!). 

It's the anticipation for the future that is especially marking this summer, at least for me. Sometimes the expectation is exciting, but sometimes the hope for what's next is a bit overwhelming, partly because it comes during a time when everything slows down so that it feels like little can get done! 

Still, just as sure as summer's heat will end, I know what's next is sure to arrive. Admittedly, as is the case with this summer's temps, the expectation for the future only increases the unease of the present! So what are we to do in the draw-out transition? Besides praying "Come quickly" to God for summer's end! 

Well, for me, the Lord keeps bringing me back to Psalm 34, 

"Young lions on the prowl suffer want, get hungry, 
but GOD-seekers are full of GOD, lacking no good thing." 
(Ps. 34:10)

I've found that when I feel the future's draw coupled with the present's drag, or when I long for summer's end so what's next can begin, that's in those moments when the Spirit leads me to seek our Father. Not something from Him, just Him. And that's when I get to experience summer's restful nature. 

So, if, like me, you feel this summer is less like a break and more like a transition (with all the accompanying emotions), allow those feelings to draw you into the presence of God. Instead of letting your mind and heart wander into the future or get flustered by the slower pace of the season, allow your longings to bring you to the place of God. A place where you can ask and seek and knock, knowing the door will always open, praying not for what's next but as communion with the One who has found us. 

If it helps, I have included below what I pray when these summertime emotions rise. Feel free to join me as one sharing the sentiments or sharing a burden; both would be greatly welcomed and appreciated! 

Love you, faith family! God bless! 

Father, you meet me more than halfway! Where I am going, that's where you've come from!

What have I to fear? Why am I so anxious, so restless, in such a hurry?! It's certainly not because I haven't tasted and seen Your goodness. Oh, how good You are!

So, search me, Father who knows me and loves me. See clearly my heart and its longing for more of You, and lead me along the Way to tomorrow in You.

Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Just What The Doctor Ordered

Dear Faith Family,

What is it, do you suspect, keeping us from experiencing the freedom in daily life that Jesus promised (Lk. 4:18-21)? Even when we've recognized our neediness (our captivity, blindness, and subjugation), accepted Jesus' words of freedom and favor, and find ourselves on the road with Him, the movements in step with His feel difficult and awkward. Nearly every step, decision, situation, opportunity, commitment, etc., is a wrestle, like our body, mind, and soul are fighting against the motion of life with God. 

Maybe you wouldn't describe your journey with Jesus in such a way, but there are seasons when I can. And I know many (too many) who cycle in and out of faith because of similar experiences. Sadly, I am sure you have a friend or two that would agree. 

There is an old word for this misfortune: dropsy. It's an ailment when the body retains fluid at the joints, making even basic movements, like walking, especially painful and awkward. Sadly, the illness is compounding, for the very issue (too much fluid) was often a result of the unquenchable craving for liquid that accompanied the disease. When satisfied, the thirst served only to exacerbate the symptoms, trapping the person in a life-thieving cycle. 

This bodily alignment mirrors our spiritual plight; at least Jesus makes that association in Luke 14,

One Sabbath, when Jesus was on his way to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees...there was a man before Jesus in the company who had dropsy...Jesus took the man and healed him and sent him away.
(Lk. 14:1-4) 

Jesus frees this religious leader from the bondage of his physical entrapment and then diagnoses and prescribes treatment for what is inhibiting the man's companions' freedom in life with God too. A timely diagnosis and prescription for those of us suffering today as well.

While our source of difficulty and unquenchable desire might not be for liquids like those suffering dropsy, we are somewhat obsessed with knowing where we fit. The same illness diagnosed by Jesus in Luke 14.

Later, at the meal, Jesus went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Watching their moves, how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, Jesus said,
 
“When someone invites you to dinner, don’t take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he’ll come and call out in front of everybody, ‘You’re in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.’ Red-faced, you’ll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left. When you’re invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes, he may very well say, ‘Friend, come up to the front.’ That will give the dinner guests something to talk about!
 
What I’m saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face. But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”

(Lk. 14:7-11)

Whether at home, at work, in peer groups, or within social norms, we (at least me) are constantly wondering if we are meant to be there or striving to justify that we belong. Unfortunately, such craving looks for satisfaction in others' assessment of us or our judgment of others. And for a moment, we find what we are looking for. But only for a moment. Inevitably someone by whom we measured ourselves does something we can't, we misstep and lose favor, or opinions and expectations change direction like the wind, and the entire cycle of worry and/or toil begins again. 

Jesus seems to think that our preoccupation with figuring out where/how we fit or holding on to our seat at whatever table is why we have seasons of fruitless freedom in our faith. Like the man with dropsy, obtaining what we crave does not ease the difficulty and awkwardness of daily living but only increases it. Yet the Great Physician's (Lk. 5:31) prescription for what ails us is relatively straightforward: rest in what you've received.

Jesus' doctor duties took place on the Sabbath, a day on which God's people were to rest in the covenant of His affection, provision, and purposes for them. It was a day to stop the cycle of worry and work by remembering that they were God's beloved, lavishly and sacrificially given all that they needed to flourish, and empowered to cultivate the flourishing of others. 

Unfortunately, like the religious leaders of Jesus' day, forgetfulness blinds us to the truth of our identity and purpose. And so, like them, the simple, God-given rhythm of the Sabbath becomes for us just another day to feed the cycle rather than step out of it. But it doesn't have to be. Like the man with dropsy on his way with Jesus, we too can stop, be healed, and set on a new path out of the cycle. All we have to do is be needy and willing to receive. 

If such an invitation sounds good to you, but you're unsure how the Sabbath prescription is filled, I think you'll find this resource helpful. 

May you rest in what you've received and experience the abundance of fruitful faith. 

Love you, faith family! God bless. 

Listen Up!

Dear Faith Family,

One of my favorite parables of Jesus was titled by one pastor simply, Manure. "put on manure," says the main character of Jesus' story, "Tend the soil and add a little stinky fertilizer, then we'll see what fruit will come."

Don't let the rather vivid simplicity of this parable fool you. This short story found in Luke 13:1-9 is profoundly revelatory. Through the words of Jesus, how we believe God acts towards us and others...and how he actually responds to our assumptions all come to light. 

Don't believe me? Then take a listen. Seriously, listen up to Chaz as he helps us enter into the words of the Word. It's well worth your time. 

After you listen to the story, let me encourage you to do one more thing this week: ADDRESS THE VINEDRESSER. 

"he said to the vinedresser..." 
(Luke 13:7)

ASK | What or whom am I giving up on? What calling,  situation, or person seems like a waste of space and energy. Whether in the unuttered quiet of your heart or in the cries of your prayers, what "fruitless fig" are you asking/believing/telling God you've given up on?

LISTEN | Once you've discovered and named the apparent fruitless and resource-sucking "tree" in your life, just as the landowner in the story does, listen to the Vinedesser's response. Then, let the Vinedresser continue His cultivation a little longer. 

May we be people who listen up, seeing the fruit of our Father's persistent patience in us and those we are ready to give up on. 

Love you, faith family! God bless. 

Where Your Treasure Is...And How To Find It

Dear Faith Family,

When I take the time and put in the effort to "meditate" on the words of Jesus, I am rarely disappointed in what I receive. Regardless of my familiarity with the specific passage, there seems to be in the Person whom they reveal a bottomless depth of new beauty, wonder, and majesty; as well as a never-dry well of always timely wisdom for daily living. 

While there is nothing novel in my observations, and perhaps the sentiment is a rather frustrating Christian cliche for some, the wealth of the Word is ancient truth: 

The revelation of God is whole
    and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
    and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
    showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
    and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
    down to the nth degree.

God’s Word is better than a diamond,
    better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better than red, ripe strawberries.

There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
    and directs us to hidden treasure.
(Ps. 19:7-11) 

But here is the caveat, as sure as a discovery of riches is, rarely do I uncover gold in the first shovel strike. More often than not, the wealth of a passage or parable, like ours from Sunday, comes into sight slowly and long after my scheduled "quiet time."

If I am being honest, only occasionally does a morning devo, study, or even Lectio, unveil both encounter and epiphany. Rather, the revelation of riches gradually appears in unanticipated appearances of the passage in daily living. The truth peaks out in interactions with Deedra and the kids. The signposts come into clarity while working my way through my "To Do" list. Hidden treasure paying dividends in coffee shop conversations and scheduled meetings. The better-than tasted on the commute from "A to B" and back again.

These are where the Word becomes life for me most often. It starts with a willingness to enter the words of Jesus, to open ourselves to Him in those disciplined moments. And then to enter again and again when our minds connect the current moment to the Word. Even when the glimmer appears at the least expected and the most inopportune times! 

I've come to believe that the treasure of meditating on God's word is experienced in these life moments. These moments when Jesus becomes "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Ps. 119:105). 

So, for the remainder of this week, let's do a little digging. Prayerfully and slowly read Jesus' words in Luke 12:13-21. Feel free to listen to Sunday's Gathering here if you need a little context. Then, go about your day. But, whenever something from the story comes into your mind, you should pay attention to that thought in the context of your activity. Be open to insights, convictions, and connections when you least expect them by not moving too quickly past them. When appropriate, speak them. When not, hold on to them and return to them in a quiet moment. Doing so is how we delight and meditate on the Word day and night (Ps. 1:2). 

May we be people whose words from our mouths and meditations of our hearts reflect the wealth of those "rich toward God." 

Love you, faith family! God bless. 

Where To Go From Here

Dear Faith Family,

In every generation throughout history, there are those whose conviction and (sometimes) vocation is to speak of God to the community, to show us who God is and how we can know God. While carrying a variety of titles throughout the centuries--from priest to Pharisee, pastor to scribe, elder to counselor, professor to prophet, etc.--the influence of these revealers upon lives and understanding of faith is no less significant today as it was in the first century. Perhaps the pervasiveness and potential impact of their influence are why Jesus was regularly direct (and as his ministry drew to a close, rather harsh!) with those in this group during his day.

Imagine being someone genuinely seeking God, whose understanding and access to God are controlled by these communally responsible and respectable persons. Now, imagine listening to Jesus depose those same persons: "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven [life with God] in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in." (Matt. 24:13).

How would you respond to Jesus' grief-filled condemnation? What emotions and questions would run through you? 

What you'd feel, do, and think might vary depending on your experience with these persons--how they treated you, what sort of respect they carried in your upbringing, how much you'd bought into their way, etc. But regardless, you'd probably wonder where you are to go from here. With the foundation of faith influencers shaken, who are you to look to know God? How are you to gain access to Him? 

The straightforward answer to your questions, the answer those in earshot of the deposing would learn over the coming days and weeks, and the answer those walking in their footsteps throughout the following millennia have learned is: Jesus, crucified and alive. 

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son...He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of God's nature...After making purification for sins the Son sat down at the right hand of the Majesty of high.
(Heb. 1:1-3) 

When we wonder who God is and how we can know him, we break the bread and drink the wine (or juice!) in remembrance of God's love and His opening for us the way into life with Him. The answer really is that straightforward and clear, no matter what else has been spoken to us. When we see who Jesus is--the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of God's nature--God speaks to us of Himself. And what better foundation for faith is there? 

Not all those whose conviction and/or vocation is to speak of God to others miss Jesus. Some see Jesus clearly. Like Nicodemus, for example, who came to recognize in Jesus' life God's self-revelation (see Jn. 3, & 19). Or some of the "devout men from every nation under heaven" who came to see Jesus dying and alive again as the way to God (see Acts 2). And when, like them, our eyes clearly see God in Jesus, we too can speak of God to others. 

No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a drawer. It’s put on a lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they’re going.

Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. 

Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don’t get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room so those entering can find their way too.
(Lk. 11:33-36) 

May we be persons who enter the kingdom of heaven ourselves and shine a light so others can find their way in too. 

Love you, faith family! God bless. 

Praying Like Lions

Dear Faith Family,

Certain circumstances compel us to pray. While we may or may not be accustomed to everyday conversations with our heavenly Father, two particular conditions drive us to plead our case no matter our daily habits: experience of evil and future aspirations.

We all experience the evil in our world. Whether the sin is perpetrated against us or others (like those in Uvalde, Ukraine, and in so many unnamed places), these experiences evoke a variety of responses. From fear to grief, anger to heartache, disgust to desperation. And, as we learned through Lent, in the depths of these experiences, we both cry out (i.e., pray) and find that we are heard and held.

"GOD met me more than halfway; he freed me from my anxious fears...When I was desperate, I called out, and GOD got me out of a tight spot...GOD keeps an eye on his friends; his ears pick up their cries...Is anyone crying for help? GOD is listening, ready to rescue...If your heart is broken, you'll find GOD right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath...The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth."

(Ps. 34:4,6,15,17-18,16)

When we experience evil, we pray. Every one of us. But that's not the only time when every one of us prays. We also pray when we can see glimpses of our future. Clouds of complacency lift, fogginess of fatigue dissipate, and our vision is clarified with aspirations of redemption for all that life could or might or will be. Here too, we pray with hopes for tomorrow in the security of God's goodness. 

"Who out there has a lust for life? Can't wait each day to come upon beauty?...Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see--how good GOD is. Blessed [already happy] are you who run to him. GOD pays for each slave's freedom; no one who runs to him loses out." 
(Ps. 34:12,8,22) 

Whether in response to evil or in anticipation of the future, we all pray. And you know what is fantastic, praying in such circumstances, knowing you’ve been heard, your desires known, your petition accepted, your person welcomed, we learn to pray with boldness and vigor.

"Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him...GOD's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray...He's your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken." 
(Ps. 34:5,7,20) 

You could say we pray like young lions in search of our prey. Full of confidence and strength, there is no doubt that what we seek, we will find...and take hold of it--whether justice or success. At least that's what the psalmist in the middle of this "all-of-us-prayer" seems to think!  

"Young lions on the prowl suffer want, get hungry, 
but GOD-seekers are full of GOD, lacking no good thing." 
(Ps. 34:10)

The psalmist, not wanting to temper our passion or courage even a single degree, refocuses our zeal towards its effective goal: “seeking GOD.” No matter what compels us to pray, our aim is nothing less than life with God, God himself. And, as Jesus taught us, when our vigor and confidence are thus focused, we’ll get what we are after: 

"And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him...when you pray!"
(Lk. 11:13) 

May we pray like focused lions this week and always. Tasting, seeing, and sharing the goodness of God over evil and in our future. Love you, faith family! God bless. 

The Heart of The Question

Dear Faith Family,

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when Jesus finished, one of his disciples said to Jesus, 'Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.'
(Luke 11:1)

"teach us to pray" is a relatively simple request, don't you think? Praying, after all, is something everyone does at some point in life, whether they believe in God or gods or nothing much at all. 

Yet Jesus heard in the disciple's elementary question an honest hunger for something more than a religious routine or doctrinal description. Something fundamentally more genuine. Something more abundant. Something more akin to "the good portion" (Lk. 10:42) over a moral obligation. Something elemental to Jesus' own life--the source of his power, joy, and fullness. 

And so, Jesus responds with nothing less than model words, but also with something more. Jesus heard in his friend's request a desire for what Jesus had, life with a good good Father. 

In his prayer, parable, and poem (Lk. 11:1-13), Jesus invites us into the life he shares. A life of God with him, God for him. God giving, revealing, and welcoming. 

Jesus taught his friends to pray with his same character and expectations. But Jesus also shows us how we too can invite others into the heart of their desires. To listen to them and speak to them, inviting them to ask and receive, seek and find, knock and be welcomed.

What if we were to listen to our children this way? Our spouse? Our roommate? Coworker, boss, neighbor, or friend? What if their most elementary question or comment about faith or spirituality or hurt or need was met not with rehearsed words but with an invitation to speak straightforwardly with a good good Father and Friend. What if we, like Jesus, recognized their honest desire and, like Jesus, believed "the Father who conceived them in love will give the Holy Spirit when they ask him?" (Lk. 11:13) 

So this week, think about what Jesus' recognizes and how he responds to his friend's elementary request. I know I will be! And then together, let's be ready to invite others into the life we share with Jesus. 

Love you, faith family! God bless. 

Answering the Call

Dear Faith Family,

Cohen and I awoke Sunday morning to the gentle sound of the Brazos River flowing a few feet from our tent. Having traversed nearly nine miles via canoe, survived the unrelenting heat, and exasperated our energy swimming, exploring, and playing the previous day, the surprising coolness and quietness of the morning crafted for us a welcoming sanctuary.  

Within an hour or so, the sun would dissipate the refreshing reprieve, and the efforts of packing up camp and returning to the canoe for the home stretch of our journey would distract from the tranquility of our organic worship. Nevertheless, for a few moments between the rigors and pleasures of the days business, we found ourselves a part of the world's worship. 

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the expanse proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard. 
(Psalm 19:1-3) 

While we cannot awake every morning on a river's bank, we nevertheless have opportunities each day, between the rigors and pleasures of living, to find ourselves a part of the worshiping world. Whether during a quiet moment over a coffee cup before the house's occupants fill the silence, or amid the motion of a daily commute, or in the unplanned stillness of tasks finished early or a meeting running late, there is an ever-welcoming sanctuary awaiting our attention...if only we look and listen. 

We don't wake each day in a different world from the one Cohen and I found ourselves in this weekend. This morning, I did not step out of bed into a world less alive, less full of the wonders of God's creation and grace. And neither did you. 

But, what we do is turn on the t.v., turn up the podcast, and turn on to the next task or email rather than looking out the window or at a face of God's wonder and grace, and so miss the call to worship. 

I'd certainly encourage you to get out of the city and into the worship of the woods, "the peace of wild things," this summer if you get a chance. The effort is worth the soul's refreshment. But even more so, I'd encourage you to periodically turn off the distractions, look around you, and recognize where you are: in a world of God's wonder and grace calling you into worship. 

Love you, faith family! God bless. 

Praying From The Source

Dear Faith Family,

The source of Jesus' spontaneous, exuberant exchange with the Father, found in Luke 10:21-22, was not assured authority and power (10:17-19), but rather persevering and affection loyalty (10:20). The same is true for you and me. The source of joy overflowing is not in what we can control, master, or exercise authority over. Instead, it is in the ever-loyal love of the One to whom we belong. 

As we discovered on Sunday, Jesus' prayer sounds a lot like the prayer of Psalm 131. A prayer spilling over with joyous contentment as the psalmist encounters rest in the freeing, every-loyal, mother-like love of God. A prayer that can help you and me speak like Jesus too. 

So today my friends, take a few moments to let yourself sink into the fount from which life and words for life overflow. I've provided a little guide below to help you do so. 

A LITTLE GUIDE

The Message translates the first part of Psalm 131 this way:

God, I’m not trying to rule the roost,
    I don’t want to be king of the mountain.
I haven’t meddled where I have no business
    or fantasized grandiose plans.

I’ve kept my feet on the ground,
    I’ve cultivated a quiet heart.

Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, let go of the weight of ambition, the anxiousness of control, and the arrogance of busyness. Confess to God that you are not him, that the source of your joy is not what you have authority and power over, and allow your feet to be grounded in His presence and your heart to be quiet in Him.  Focus your attention on Him and be with Him.

The psalm concludes with these words: 

Like a weaned child content in its mother’s arms,
my soul is a child content.
 
Wait, Israel, those who wrestle with God and live.
Wait for God.
Wait with hope.
Hope now; hope always!

Now set a timer for 3 minutes.

Then, take a deep breath, and as you breathe in, pray: “Like a child…" and as you breathe out: “… I am content in You…”

As thoughts come, anxieties rise, and distractions pull you away from being still in the presence of God, return your mind’s attention and your heart’s affection to who and whose you are through the breathed prayer.

When the timer ends, respond. Whatever thoughts remain, whatever emotions discovered, whatever is relieved or given; "spontaneously" pray what has been revealed by the Son to the Father in the Spirit. 

Then, go, and live like an empowered and forever loved child of God. 

Searching For The Words

Dear Faith Family,

Do you ever have issues with your language? Not the occasional use of colorful descriptors (insert winking emoji!), so much as finding the correct words for a particular conversation--whether at work, with your spouse or children, and especially about God. 

It may come as a shock, especially from one whose vocation is so word-oriented, but I often do not know what words to use in ordinary and eternal conversations. Struggling to find the right phrase or question, the conversation putters around on the surface, failing to go into the depths of person or Presence that words allow. Have you ever similarly struggled?

I know that my issue isn't everyone's. In fact, I know there are those with a verbal proclivity equivalent to the Niagra Falls! Nevertheless, the truth is, whether struggling to get out the words or second-guessing the words that get out, we all experience the endeavor of language that cultivates communion and conversion. 

Good thing for us, the One who is "the Word" has a fix for our language issues. Ironically, the solution has nothing to do with getting the verbiage right but rather what we treasure.  

Jesus, speaking directly to his disciples while amid a multitude, says, 

"The good person out of the good treasure of the [their] heart produces good and the evil person out of [their] evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks." 
(Luke 6:45)

If we want to use words well, regardless if our struggle is finding any words or using too many before we find the right ones, Jesus says the solution is to have a heart that stores up "good treasure." 

What is "good treasure"? Well, Jesus answered that question too. The joy of every deep desire satisfied in life with God,  a life in step with who we are in Him (Luke 6:20-22). When our hearts are full of such goodness, the right words flow out. 

So the only question left is, "How do our hearts go about getting this treasure?" Well, once again, Jesus' words make clear the way: 

"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."
(Luke 6:20-211) 

A humility that keeps us needy of another's help, a hunger for life that keeps us coming to the source of Life himself, a hurt felt at those things which make life less than whole is all that is required for our hearts to receive the "Blessed" good treasure. 

So this week, let's open our hearts to the good treasure of God with us, God for us, God in us. And from a place of neediness, hunger, and even hurt, speak words that bring life, "produce good," in our homes, offices, and neighborhoods. 

Love you, faith family! God bless.

A Wrestling Faith

Dear Faith Family,

Have you ever struggled with the difference between what you believe is true and what you observe to be true? If so, you're not alone. In fact, if we are honest, as honest as the psalmist of Psalm 73, we could freely admit that living by faith in Jesus, in the way of Jesus, sometimes feels like the wrong way to live. Especially as we look around at what is required to obtain the good of life.

The truth is, we all experience the disconnect between what we confess and what we can see. Between the confession "Truly God is good to His people, those whose hearts are singularly focused on Him" (Ps. 73:1) and the evident "prosperity of the self-interested" (Ps. 73:3).

Our problem is that we are not always comfortable enough with God or one another to be as honest as the psalmist. Rather than admitting our struggle of faith, we press on in the obligations of faith, growing embittered and brutish towards God and others (Ps. 73:21-22) as the Word and the world appear to line up less and less. Or, we put faith to the side, pulling it out when we need to be comforted but not employing it for any practical use (Ps. 73:10-11). But embittered religion or apathetic acculturation are not our only options. There is another way through the struggles of faith.

Psalm 73 is a post-Easter psalm. Like you and I today, the psalmist has pilgrimaged through the valley of death's shadows and is ready for the new life, a different world on the other side in "the dwelling of the LORD" (Ps. 23). And like us, the psalmist has discovered that the promised land of resurrection doesn't look all that different!

But unlike us, the psalmist neither begrudgingly holds to belief nor pragmatically sets it aside; rather, the psalmist wrestles...with God!

The candidness of the psalmist is not a wrestle to hold on to faith in important propositions but rather a wrestle with the One in whom he has faith. After all, like all psalms, this psalm is a prayer: genuine words spoken to and with an intimate God. The psalmist assumes that the contradictions he observes and feels are only cleared up in communion even while doubting,

"But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I saw the whole picture."
(Ps. 73:16-17)

Instead of denying his doubt or dismissing the practicality of his faith, the psalmist grabbed hold of the only sure thing, God's relationship/presence with him. And, like his forefather Jacob (see Gen. 32), the psalmist discovered that wrestling with God clears up faith's sight :

"Nevertheless, I am continually with You...You hold my right hand...You guide me with Your counsel...You receive me to glory...
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion, the one who does friendship forever."
(Ps. 73:23-26)

So faith family, as we continue into the Easter lands, "the land of the living" (Ps. 116:9), and encounter the struggles of faith, let us live up to our namesake, and be ones who "wrestle with God...and who prevail" (Gen. 32:28), so that we too might "see God face to face" (Gen. 32:30).

Love you, faith family! God bless.

A Little More Easter?!

Dear Faith Family,

On Sunday, we stood together with nearly a billion fellow Jesus followers and declared in song and scripture and sacrament: "We are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did!" (Rom. 6:11)

We are dead to all those actions, attitudes, affections, and even adversaries, that suffocate true life. No longer are we bound, imprisoned, entombed by that which decays life. Rather, we are free to roam in "the land of the living"! Alive to God because we've gone through death with Jesus! Or, in the Spirit-filled words of the apostle Paul,

I have been crucified with Christ [dying to sin as He died for our sins]. It is n longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
(Gal. 2:2)

For "the Church," Sunday was a planned public reminder of this world (re)creating moment that grounds our faith. Yet, every morning since that first Easter morning, including this morning, we who are loved by the Son who gave His life so that His life might be our life, should awake to declare afresh: "I am dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did!"

Try it. Right now, wherever you are reading this email. Take a deep breath and, out loud or in your heart, declare: "I am dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did!"

Now let the truth of Jesus' affection, attitude, and actions for you settle on you for a moment. Envision the remainder of your day lived free from sin. Unbound by actions, attitudes, and affections that take life rather than cultivate flouring. Freedom not because you are trying hard, but because Jesus "will destroy all the adversaries of my soul" (Ps. 143:12). See yourself entering every interaction and responsibility set before you, whether mundane or pivotal, as one who is dead to sin (your own and that of others) and alive to God with you, for you, in you. Then get on with the day, enabling faith to come into life.

And then tomorrow, repeat this Easter exercise: DECLARE-- ENVISION -- ENABLE FAITH! And keep repeating until every morning becomes an Easter morning as we follow Jesus deeper and deeper into the life of God.

Love you, faith family! God bless.

Out of Lenten Lands

Dear Faith Family,

It's hard to believe that our pilgrimage through the season of Lent is nearing our destination. The downward journey we began some thirty-plus days ago, following Jesus into the depths of the death of (old) self and sin, has us ascending with Jesus into life best described as "free." 

Psalm 130 led us to this final lesson of Lent, that dying to (old) self and sin is being set free from the things and ways of life that imprison us. So, as we make the final turn out of the shadowy valleys of death to the green pastures of life whole and holy in God, take some time this week to thank our Father for your freedom. Consider what ways of thinking, believing, and behaving have/are changing. What fears, anxieties, and ambitions have/are being reoriented. The signs of resurrection, new life, in your relationship with God and others you are seeing. 

Remember, that's what we "watch people" do, keep a trusting, clear out for the breaking of dawn in our lives and one another's. Waiting and hoping in the LORD! "For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plenteous redemption." (Ps. 130:7). 

Your loving spirit led me forth, my bonds
Were broken, and I took the pilgrim path
Towards your Easter, out of Lenten lands. 

(Malcolm Guite)

Calling for 'A Family Talk'

Dear Faith Family,

Whenever a parent says, "We need to have a family talk," usually there is something weighty to discuss. Rarely does a formal family conversation get called to choose a paint color for little Billy's room or what meals will make the rotation in the coming week. On occasion, the family talk might be primarily positive, like where to go on summer vacation. But most of the time, as is our case today, the conversation is spurred by something or some things a bit more serious. 

First things first, the opening verses of Psalm 102 are the community calling for "a family talk."

Hear my prayer, O LORD; 
let my cry come to you! 
Do not hide your face from me; 
in the day of my distress! 
Incline your ear to me; 
answer me speedily in the day when I call! 
(Ps. 102: 1-2) 

While these verses might not sound like a dad calling everyone to the living room couch, they've been heard as such by God's people for millennia. These two verses are repeated throughout the Psalms (39:12, 54:2, 61:1, 64:4, to name a few) and are the community's way of clarifying that it's time to talk to God one another. The verses that follow reveal the weighty nature of the conversation: death and life. 

As we discussed on Sunday, verses 3-11 get the conversation started as we share our experience of dying to (old) self and sin. The pain, unease, and loneliness we feel through the exposure and letting go of that which is less than true life, while particularly felt by us, is universally shared by all of us. We are not alone in our dying. We've all--including Jesus--felt death's sting, and we get to remind each other of this truth at the moment when we need to hear it (and repeat it!) the most. 

But our family talk does not end at death; it continues onto life anew. Verses 12-22 shift the conversation to life after death. Resurrection is serious talk. Talk of God's power and his compassion. Talk of his glory in our presence and across all the world. Talk of the end of imprisonment and the beginning of real and forever freedom. We share our experience of how God has/is changing us so that we never forget what reality truly shapes our daily existence. 

So, call a family talk this week! Make arrangements to share your dying and share of our rising with your spouse or roommate, your Gospel Community or DNA, your kids, co-worker, neighbor, or friend. Remember that such conversations take place,

"for a generation to come,
so that a people yet (re)created
may praise the LORD"
(Ps. 102:18) 

What To Consider At The End

Dear Faith Family,

The famed scholar of the psalms, Walter Brueggemann, once wrote, 

"The Bible is not interested in making lists of what is acceptable, as much as it is interested in transformational intentionality."

What spurred the Old Testament Professor's comment was his observation of apparently contradictory passages in our psalm from Sunday. The confusion begins with the psalmist's discovery of what God does and doesn't want from us--which is something we all want to know, right! 

For you will not delight in [atoning] sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a [peace] offering. 
The sacrifices of God are broken and contrite spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 
(Psalm 51:16-17) 

So, according to the psalmist, God is not so much interested in our ritual and religious acts done to make restorations for our sin or pacify His frustration with us. Instead, God wants only a spirit and heart that breaks when our relationship with him is askew. Great! God doesn't want me to do all those "religious" things--sacrifices, offerings, going to church, daily prayers, reading my bible, etc. What He really wants is for me to take our relationship seriously so that when I offend it, I feel the pain of wounding a loved one. 

This passage is quite modern! It checks all the boxes of generations moving away from religious structures. Here, it seems is no religion, just a relationship. But then the psalm continues and seems to contradict itself. 

Do good in Zion in your good pleasure; 
build up the walls of Jerusalem; 
then will you delight in right sacrifices, 
in [peace] offerings and whole burnt offerings; 
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
(Psalm 51:18-19)

Wait a minute. I thought the psalmist said God will not delight in sacrifices and offerings? Yet here, the Psalm seems to say that God does delight in sacrifice and offerings--even adding more ritual examples of what God finds acceptable! So, which is it? Does God want me to do "religious" things or not? 

It is easy in a season like Lent, where we are invited to do more "religious" things like fasting weekly, praying the Examen regularly, entering into Lectio Divina rhythmically, etc., to lose sight of why we are doing these things.

Perhaps, we think that in doing them--or any number of "Christian" activities--God will be pleased with us. And God's pleasure, after all, leads to the good things we are after in life, whether spiritually, emotionally, or even physically. Or maybe, subconsciously, we do them because we hope that doing so makes us a little better. Maybe even making up for some of the ways in which we are not who we want to be.  

Here, just as we begin the final leg of our pilgrimage, the psalmist leads us to consider the intentionality of our interactions with God. The psalm's end is not to get us to ask, "What does God want?" but rather, "Why am I doing what I'm doing?"  

The life we after through Lent--a favored life, forgiven, clean, whole, and new--is given to us, being formed within us. That's what verses 6-12 of Psalm 51 testify. God delights in the wholeness of our life in Him and in showing us how to live wisely (v.6). He has, is, and will purge, clean, wash (v.7), open ears to gladness, mend bones to dance (v. 8), not go hunting for sins but rather blot out iniquities (v.9), create a clean heart, renew a steadfast spirit (v. 10), not remove His presence but fill with His Spirit (v.11), restore joy, and exuberantly uphold life (v. 12). After such a list, what is there left for us to do?! 

Our "sacrifices" and "offerings" during the Lenten season are not efforts to earn favor or make amends. Jesus has already done that for us. The intention of our "religious" practices has been transformed at the depth of our inability to truly live (v. 3-5). No, we do these things because we desire to daily life more and more in sync with His goodness, purpose, and presence. Life as people who know and are known for the truth of who and Whose we are (v. 13-15).

So, faith family, let us take a moment to consider your intentions during this journey through the Lent season. Freed from attempting to do what only God can do (and has done!), may our practices do what they are meant to: help us walk in step with the Way so that others might do the same. 

Out of sheer generosity, He put us in right standing with Himself.
A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in
and restored us to where He always wanted us to be.
And He did it by means of Jesus Christ. 
(Romans 3:24)

Love you, faith family! God bless.

Speeding Our Arrival

Dear Faith Family,

The season of Lent may be the most antithetical to our human nature, not to mention our cultural values! This is understandable, of course. Throughout Lent, we are invited repeatedly to die--to let go of the old self and sin. Yet, day in and day out, we spend most of our living trying to stay off death!

The paradox of asking the living to enter the tomb willfully is demonstrated most poignantly in the days before we return "ashes to ashes." Before we kick off our pilgrimage through death's shadows, in Carnival and Mardi Gras (and their many imitations), we grab all that we can desire out of living! 

While most of us probably do not participate (at least not wholeheartedly!)  in these pre-Lenten parties, we also do not get too excited about giving up life--even if it is just a particular part for a specified time. Psalm 38, as we saw Sunday, gives voice to these struggles of letting go of life, of self and sin.

The voice is not so much a protest of dying nor its glorification. The psalmist loves life, and as an honest lover, does not hide the repugnant discomforts of dying. Rather than bemoaning or beckoning death, the voice of the psalm guides us through the rocky terrain of "the downward movement of the soul" from life to grave. Walking us through the struggles to cling to life and into the place we must all arrive if we are to find life new. 

In the first nine verses, the psalmist voices our desire for life and the pangs we experience as the life we know gives way to its end. Then, with heart panting to a finish, strength failing, the light of the eyes gone out, the psalmist's hearing fails; he's deaf to the voices within and without exhorting him to stay upright. Even his power of speech fades. He's mute, finally unable to offer a rebuke for the loss of life (Ps. 38:10-14). Here, at "the bottom of human helplessness," is where the psalmist has been leading us. The place we all must go, the grave of our old self and sin. And here, the psalmist does the only thing the dying can do: embrace death...and wait for life after. 

No more struggling with God (v. 1-2) and self (v. 3-8) to keep a broken life as it is. No more expecting others to rescue (v. 11) nor excuses because of the enemy's traps (v. 12). Here, the psalmist embraces death, entrusting even death to the Giver of Life:

"for you, O LORD, do I wait...it is you who will answer.
For I am ready to fall...I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for sin."
(Ps. 38:15-18)

The grave is where we arrive, the place we must reach, even if we tend to do everything to delay our arrival! Praise God, like Jesus, our stay in the tomb won't be for too long!

"all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death...buried…with him...in order that, just as Christ...we too might walk in newness of life." (Rom. 6:3-4)

So this week, as we enter the psalms through our Lenten practice of Lectio Divina, let's start praying for a speedy arrival. In the first movement of the practice, replace the "centering prayer" with this adapted Lenten prayer for the Orthodox tradition. And, when your mind wanders and your spirit wains in the struggle, come back to the prayer embracing death so that you might really live!

O Lord and Giver of my life!
Take from me the spirit of avoidance,
which keeps me from following Jesus into my grave.
Take from me the spirit of faint-heartedness,
despair that speaks the lies that the grave is where I'll stay.
Take from me the lust of power
that would have me fight to keep what is mine
rather than receive what is yours.
And, Father, take from me foolish talk,
letting my confession be without self-deceit.

May you find that in the dark depths of the death of sin, "night is bright as the day," for even here, His hand will lead and comfort (Ps. 139:8-12).

Love you, faith family! God bless.