Presents or Presence

My grandson was trying to negotiate with his mother about when Santa would come and he could open presents.  He had faith and trust that there would be wonderful gifts waiting for him on Christmas morning.  If only he could make it come sooner.  Truly a child's way of thinking!

But is it really?  Don't we all want our gifts to come as soon as possible?  Isn't it really hard to wait?

And what about those presents.  Is that what we celebrate?  Or is it the real presence of God.  Emmanuel! God with us!  That is a real cause for celebration.  He is present!  God came to earth to live among His people!

Do we buy presents to show our love or do we give real presence to those that we truly love!

As we approach the new year, I hope to be able to be more present to those I love and to remember that God is always present.  He is in this world and the entire world is in Him.  Each and every creature on the earth shows that God is present.  Do you see?  Can you feel it?

We often get caught up in our fears about tomorrow and our regrets about yesterday, but all we have is this moment in time.  That is our present.  

Can we be aware of God in this moment?  One of my spiritual practices is to take time periodically throughout the day to reflect on what has happened over the past few hours and to try to see where God was present in those moments or events.  It's one way for me to keep spiritually connected to God throughout the day. Noticing the sacred in the everyday ordinary.

Being grateful for His presence.  He has given us His Spirit to help us become more like Him!

Living in His grace!

Watch and Prepare

As the Advent season draws to an end it has been a wonderful time for reflection on self, the state of our world and the greatest gift that has ever been given since creation.  The themes this season center around watching and waiting.  I have been especially tuned into those little miracles that God reveals to us in our everyday lives if we are awake to observe them.  

One of the recent lessons is the parable of the bridesmaids waiting for the groom.  Some took extra oil for their lamps and others didn't.  After waiting and watching for the bridegroom to arrive, those who were not prepared had to fetch more oil and missed the celebration.  How many people have been preparing so diligently for the Christmas season that they have missed the real opportunity for celebration?  How many have begun by preparing their hearts and minds through prayer and meditation to receive the gift that keeps on giving?

In a meditation on 2 Corinthians 8, we find Paul writing about the Macedonians: And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. ⁵ And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

The Macedonians were a very poor people and in their severe trials and extreme poverty they felt overflowing joy.  How was this possible?  As it says in the first verse, they were open to receive the grace of God.  The grace of God created overflowing joy and that joy then overshadowed the severe trials and extreme poverty resulting in rich generosity.  Not only of money but also of love and compassion. 

That is what is in store for us.  If we prepare our hearts to receive God's grace, we too can have overflowing joy in the midst of our spiritual poverty being ever willing to share the love and compassion of Christ with all people of this earth.

Peace and Grace to all at Christmas!

Perspective

The view from the top of a mountain, or the micro detail seen from the eyes of a two year old scouring the ground for things to touch and pick up.  Both very different perspectives.  How boring would life be if we could only see things from one point of view.  Or what if everything were in black and white like an old photograph.

I was listening to a Mars Hill Bible Church teaching this past week on one of Jesus' parables.  It is one that many people don't like because of the way in which the "King" becomes angry with his people causing death and destruction. It is the parable of the Wedding Banquet from Matthew 22.  

The responses to the teaching on the web site were very interesting.  Many thought that Shane's interpretation was completely skewed and skirted the issue of God's wrath.  A few thought that his message was one of hope and love.  Others took a "Pharisee" approach and would only see it interpreted in the way they wanted it to be.  

Personally, I like to look at the parables in as many ways as possible.  To see them from a distance and to look into the very meanings of the words.  Shane's interpretation was his view or lens of this parable.  It is like when a referee's call is questioned.  They don't simply look at one view, the judges look at every view available to get a 360 degree view of the play.  Only then can they decide on the call.

I am starting to see how this view helps us in our lives as well.  When we only see things from our own narrow point of view, do we always have the best information to make an interpretation or decision.  It really is best to ask others, listen to their position and then try to discern a point.  Our single lens can often times lead us into making the wrong assumption or decision.

Holding differing points in dialectical tension is the only way to truly test your point of view with suspicion.  Hopefully your faith will be mature enough to accept that others have as much right to their opinion or belief as you do yours.

Peace for all on this blessed day!

A New Day

Oh how wonderful the sunrise as it re-lights our world and brings the new day.  We are given this promise of a new day by our God. Luke 1:78-79 promises that "because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."  With each day we are given another chance. 

Another chance to love.  

Another chance to forgive.  

Another chance to live.

It has been quite awhile since I have posted on this blog.  It seems that time has passed swiftly and that I have been racing to keep up.  Sometimes life gets like that and all you can do is try to remain focused on the tasks of the day and to find time for thanks and praise.  I have returned to the academic life and am trying to balance that with work, family and my spiritual journey.  The program that I am in helps me somewhat in that respect.  I have started down the road to my Masters degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling.  So far, I have completed one three credit semester course in eight weeks and am embarking on my second class.  Much theory, reading and writing.  Thus, not much time for blogging.  But I seem to be settling into the routine a bit now and I hope to continue my thoughts and ramblings here.


In earlier posts, I spoke about the need to listen and to quiet the naysayer within.  I also spoke of trying to be a better farmer in helping to grow the seed.  These things I have started to put right, and so I listen and I learn.

Today is a new day!  

Each day that I am given is a day to celebrate the creation of our God.  Find the beauty of Him in His will and let His hands shape you into what He has planned.  It is the way to find the sacred in the ordinary, and a way of peace.


Now as this day comes to a close and the night falls quiet 'round me, I prepare for the 'morrow and if He is willing another new day awaits.  

In His peace and grace.

Speak Softly

Remember when you were in school and the teacher wanted to get you to pay attention?  She didn't shout over the classroom noise.  Instead, she spoke in a quiet voice causing the room to settle down and listen.  Our world continues to be so noisy.  Where is that quiet voice speaking to us?

In an earlier reflection, I talked about listening to that quiet voice that calls and our resistance to the message.  Again, I want to reflect on one lesson that was revealed to me recently.

A couple weekends ago, we waited in line to get into the Bayfront Blues Fest on a beautiful Saturday morning.  The line was cordoned off by some temporary barriers on either side.  On the outside stood a man shouting about the way to eternal life through Jesus,  and how Jesus died for our sins and that the only way to heaven was through Jesus Christ.  All perfectly good information in my book, but the way it was being delivered was all wrong.  The people in line stood watching this spectacle and shaking their heads and missing the message completely.

What was wrong wasn't the message, but how it was being communicated.  First, the man had placed himself outside the barrier and was shouting at the people on the inside waiting in line.  Wasn't Jesus about getting rid of the barriers that separate us?  Next, he was shouting his message at people.  I never read in the Gospel where Christ shouted at his followers.  Wouldn't it have made more sense to show compassion and love for those waiting in line?  Maybe by offering a cold drink of water or offering to carry their bags. Maybe even a hug or sign that he really cared about those that were waiting.   Finally, the message is one that needs to be spoken softly so that people will want to pay attention to what is being said.

How often do we act in this same manner, trying to shout our message at people from across a barrier (be it physical or emotional).  Life experiences like this can serve to remind us to speak softly!

Walking Home

Footsteps echoing across time, one after another.  Dust rising gently from each footfall.  How wonderful it feels when we know that we are on that last part of the journey and home awaits.  Good and comforting.   A place of refuge.  A place of rest.  Weary bones sag into a comfortable chair while hot sweaty feet cool in the breeze from the lake.  It is good coming home!

Not every walk or hike is like this, but that last part of the journey, knowing that you are past the halfway mark and are on the back half of the walk is always the best part.  Is life like that as well?  I am finding that this part of the journey is becoming more sweet in knowing that the mid-point in life has been reached and now I am walking home.  Is it the destination that I long for, or is it that I am just becoming more comfortable with the road that I am on?

The bible teaches us to set our minds on things of heaven, not things of earth.  I find that hard when I am still earthbound and still human.  Just this week I heard a comment that one can be so heavenly minded that he is of no earthly use.  That is not where I want to be, nor how I want to be remembered.  I want to be the one who washes the dusty feet of the weary traveler and one who provides refuge and rest.  Is that a heavenly goal or one that is grounded in an earthly existence.

What I have found on this journey is that it is hard enough without carrying a bag full of rocks of resentment, bricks of anger and shouldering the burden of excessive fears.  Somewhere along the first part of the journey I started picking them up and putting them in my backpack.  I wanted to keep them hidden so that others couldn't see the load I was carrying.  Once revealed, they could then be discarded and the burden lightened.  Now I have to be ever vigilant not to pick them up again.

I am certainly not ready for the journey to end as I know that there is much more wonder and splendor to behold, but it is still good to know that I am walking home!

Travel well!

Resistance

"A measure of the degree to which an object opposes an electric current through it", this is one of the definitions for the word resistance.  In today's society, this word can mean an underground movement or opposition to someone or some government in power.  In my meditations recently, I have been contemplating this word in regards to something a bit different.  An earlier post was focused on listening to the call of God regarding what we were created for.  Our calling so to speak.

In that post, it was more about being able to truly listen to that quiet voice of God that exists within us.  My spiritual practices have opened me up to hearing the message, but how do I move past resisting the direction it is leading me.  Remember when you were young and your mom called out from the back porch that dinner was ready.  However, you weren't ready for dinner, so you kept playing pretending not to hear the call.  That is a passive form of resistance.

What is it that keeps so many of us from doing what we truly long to do?  Why is there always a naysayer within that keeps us from following the call.  Like water running downhill, we tend to follow the path of least resistance.  We choose that which allows us to merely survive rather than thrive. Resistance arises from the depths of our minds, our cultural upbringing, the preference for what we know versus the adventure of the unknown.  How do we get past or around this resistance?

For me, it has to be faith and hope that gets me through, and maybe that is the way to go.  Through the resistance rather than around.  Along with the call to do what we were meant to do comes the limitations that go along with it.  Many of these limitations are in regard to our wants and desires. Physical or material comforts. Things that get in the way of what we truly need!  In order to move through these, we have to come to accept these limitations.  By accepting these through a grieving process, we will be able to see the real blessings that God is trying to give us.

Do you want to just survive, or would you rather thrive?  Lose the resistance to that deep inner voice of God.  Follow His voice and thrive!

Better Together

Much of my posts in the past have had to do with finding peace and serenity in life.  I have found these things in my Spiritual practices which include meditation and prayer.  Both of these I prefer to do in solitude and on my own.  This past weekend reminded me of how it is sometimes best to include others.

Pastor Paul and I headed out early Friday morning for a road trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan to celebrate worship at Mars Hill Bible Church.  I have been a follower of Rob Bell and the Mars Hill activity for about five years now.  It began with reading "Velvet Elvis", one of Rob Bell's books about the church and its role in serving Christ.  I have wanted to visit Mars Hill since reading this book the first time.  Passing the book on to Pastor Paul, he became a fan and we included Rob's NOOMA series videos in our services over Lent last year.  Since Paul is on a sabbatical and working to redevelop our outreach vision.  I finally had my opportunity.

The worship service was very different for this Lutheran.  Celebrated in "The Shed", a converted big box store in a mall, we started with a varied mix of music led by a dynamic music group.  An inspiring message from Shane Hipps followed and that was it.  No liturgy, Lords Prayer or communion.  A very different, yet awesome worship experience.  

Had we not had the experience together, it would have been hard to describe to Paul what my feelings really were.  We spent many of our travel hours discussing what to do with what we had witnessed.  Thoughts flowed and ideas were tossed back and forth like a tennis match.  It is hard to play tennis, or any other game by yourself.

One of the things that I have learned over the past four years is that when we try to do life alone, it just doesn't work well.  It's too hard and we soon get lost in our aloneness.  Try going to the movies alone,  or dining alone.  God made life to work better together.  When we live in community with one another, we share the burdens that life gives us and celebrate successes so much better together.  Life is never more complete than when you do it in relationship.

Share your life.  Don't just let Jesus be your personal Savior,  share Him with everyone! 

Berry Picking

They hang dark purple in the afternoon sun.  Ripe morsels on sun filled sweetness.  I reach through the leaves to gather these tiny globes, wary of the biting thorns that hold them fast.  

We have an abandoned cabin next door that hasn't seen an owner in over six years now.  Ruthie died many years back and the daughters who now own the property are in California and only came back once six years ago to box up some of the contents.  We still tend the yard and beach as we have the past twenty five years now, lest it become overgrown and impassible.  Our only  compensation is the growth of wild black raspberries that have taken over the front of the cabin, now blocking entry to the door that remains unlocked!

Picking these little gems is a bit of task.  The thorns on the canes are extremely sharp and grabbing as I reach through to find the berries hiding under the green leaves.  Trying to clutch them in your fingers and pulling them from the canes results in a purplish-blue mess on your hands.  Instead, I have to coax them ever so gently and let them fall into my hand for rescue less they tumble to the ground only to become future growth.

As I was picking and letting my mind wander, I began to think about how my berry picking was like finding souls who are seeking Christ.  The sweetness of hearts that are hidden from view and protected by the thorns of experiences that won't allow them to be touched.  You can't just clutch at them firmly and pull at them because you are sure to be stuck by the thorns, but when coaxed gently from the vine they fall into waiting hands.  Like the raspberries there are many to pick.  Some may not yet be ripe.  Some may be far in the back and you have to work your way through the bramble to get to them.  Some may be over ripe and fall apart as they are touched.  Oft times we have to ignore the sharp pain it takes to get to the best ones.

It is only with love and gentleness that we can even begin to harvest, but the bushes are so full and ready.  It is in the sacrifice that makes it all so worthwhile.

Happy harvesting! 

The King

Last night at my bible study on Colossians we studied Chapter 3, where Paul lays down some "Rules for the Christian Household".  The first of these is the oft quoted, "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord". This is followed by "Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged."  These words are timeless and echo across the centuries.

They also cause me to meditate on my own life and household.  How have I loved my wife?  Do I treat her harshly?  Have I supported and not embittered my children?  How can I do better by my family?  For me, the first thing that I can do is remember who truly is the head of the household.  If we, as a Christian family, make Christ the head of our house, then we can follow his example when it comes to love, compassion, patience and forgiveness.  These are the tenets of what a home should be.

I am reminded of the day we took our marriage vows almost thirty-three years ago.  At that service, a dear friend told the story of an acting troupe who had been putting on the same play for many weeks and were readying for the final performance.  Their lines had become lifeless and the movements rote.  They were relieved to know that the run was coming to an end.  Suddenly, a page burst through the door with news that the King had arrived and was going to view the performance.  The excitement ran rampant through the cast and the energy was renewed.  That evening was the best performance of the run.  All because of that renewed energy and attention by having the King present for their performance.

Our marriages and family life can quickly become a dull play, like the acting troupe and the daily performance.  We can end up just going through the motions. That is, until we recognize that the King is always present.  If we make Christ the head of our household and recognize Gods presence in all that we do; then our home and family life can take on renewed energy and life. The selfless love of Christ provides us an example of how we can live each day in the presence of the King.

Live today well loved!

Hearing the Call

It was a few posts back that I focused on listening.  Do we really listen or just hear noise?  A recent teaching from Shane Hipps of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan stirred up these thoughts again as he talked about hearing our calling of who we were meant to be amongst the white noise of the world.  He likened it to listening to music while driving with the car windows down and how hard it was to hear the music.  No matter how much he turned up the music, it still didn't come through with all of the white noise from the road and the wind.  Finally, he rolled up the windows, shutting out the distracting outside noise and could now truly hear the music.

In order to hear the true calling of what we were meant to be requires that we cut out the white noise of the world and especially those voices in our head that keep distracting us.  God's voice is like a pool of water, that in its most natural state is totally still.  It is only outside forces like the wind or a pebble that disturbs the surface or muddies the water.   If I want to see the image that God has planned for me in the surface of the pool, I must learn to be quiet and still.  My meditation practices allow me to be better at finding that image, but it is often illusive.  Even the slightest disturbance causes it to vanish, like a skittish bird flitting swiftly away.

Shane's teaching also focused on why we need to hear God's voice.  It is not that we need to hear it to be obedient to God or that God really needs us to do anything, but that it is to find that Spirit that truly makes us happy. So often, we do things that we think we should because of the outside forces of the world.  Those things that we were told were the right thing to do.  He likened it to a guitar, which makes a perfect bat for wiffle balls.  Easy to swing, broad surface for contact and the guitar really doesn't care that it is being used to bat a wiffle ball. However, when someone uses the guitar for what it was truly made; sweet and beautiful music can be made. 

That is the result of finally hearing our calling.  Sweet music is made and the noise of the world can't drown it out.

How do we know?  Listen for the music!

Loon Dance

A loon glides across the still water as the sun starts to set and reminds me of a time a few years back.  I was kayaking on the lake at midday in the middle of the week.  There were no other boats on the lake.  The water was calm and the sun brilliant.  A most beautiful day.

I spotted a number of loons through the channel and paddled silently toward them to get a closer look.  They were doing the typical loon dance of circling, bobbing their heads and then stretching out their necks and wings.  As I neared them they started to dive, so I just let the momentum of my paddling carry the kayak silently forward.  They soon started to pop up in pairs.  Eight in all, they surrounded the kayak on all four sides.  Reminding me of the native medicine wheel and the four directions.  I was breathless as I watched them continue to dance all around me; including me in their sacred ceremony as if I were a part of them.

Times like these keep me grounded and remind me of how connected we are to the earth and to the creatures that inhabit it.  Something sacred in something so simple.  That is what I receive when I am mindful of what is going on around me.  Not questioning why.  Not worrying about what was or planning for what will be, but being present in a current place and time.  

Most times are not as spectacular as the occurrence of the loon dance.  I was truly blessed to be able to experience this treasure.  It comes back to reaffirm me of how we were made to exist with our God and the creation of his hands.

Live with God today, and like the loons; enjoy the dance!

Bridges

I lie on my back on the mat with my knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then gently raise my midsection toward the sky, keeping my feet and shoulders touching the mat.  A slight resistance of aging muscles and tendons, but a feeling of openness and stretching.  A Yogi's soothing voice echos across time saying breathe and envision your bridge carrying you across rivers of fear, streams of resentment, chasms of guilt; anything that blocks your journey.  This bridge is the way across.

I have found Yoga and meditation as a way of opening my mind and stretching my body to help me on my journey of life.  I have found it to be a way of serenity and peace.  Allowing me to envision things that I need to do or change to keep me on my journey without having to run all the way around, and then be cut off again from my goal.

For me, I have found that I need two basic tools for building bridges.  One is forgiveness and the other is grace.  Forgiveness is a tool that I need to use to see past the valleys and chasms blocking me from my current relationships; helping to lay the foundation for those who can help me on my path.  Grace is not a tool that I wield, but one that is wielded for me.  It is the constant gratitude for the blessings that I have been given and the hope of each new day.  When used together, they form a strong bridge over any chasm and even span oceans of feelings.

I do have to keep in mind that I only need to build a bridge when I have approached a place that I cannot get across without one.  So many times I have built bridges in my head for situations that don't even require them.  In the meantime, I am so busy building that I have forgotten to approach the situation with confidence only to find that it is a solid road that has been paved by grace.

We all face these troubled valleys at times in our lives.  I hope your bridges are strong and sturdy!

Planting Seeds

The green shoots have emerged from the depths and stretch their thin necks towards the sun.  After days of wet cloudy weather they relish the warmth from above.  The grass seed that I threw down over bare patches has sprouted and now cover them with a bright green fringe.

This time of year we watch what has been planted and fertilized start to grow and flourish.  Sometimes it is hard to tell which are weeds and what will grow to bear good fruit.  As we work in our flower and vegetable gardens we sometimes have to look hard to tell the difference.  Some people try to kill off those beautiful but pesky yellow flowers that dot their lawns.

Many of us try to grow our own vegetable gardens on small plots in our yards or in barrels and planters, but true farming takes much skill.  Preparing the ground, choosing the right seed and fertilizers, planting at the right time, cultivating; the list goes on and on.  When we have done all this correctly, we still are at the mercy of God to make things grow.

This is much the same with our spiritual journey and how we go about spreading the Gospel.  I am often frustrated as I try to plant the seeds, but they seem to fall on soil that is not prepared.  Sometimes the thorns take over what I have planted and they are choked out.  I don't know how much to fertilize; to little and things don't grow, too much and they burn out.

As I reflect on these things, I am trying to learn all I can on how to be a better farmer for God.  I know that I cannot reap that which I do not sow.  I also know that the ground is fertile and crying out to be planted.  Do I have the right tools and knowledge to do the farming?

I do know that all I can do is plant the seeds, water and fertilize.  God is the one that makes things grow!

Like a Child

She runs on the sand, pigtails flying, chasing gulls and the waves wash away the footprints that had marked the trail of her adventure.  Inquisitive, she asks where they have gone to and I tell her the they have been washed away.   She smiles and turns to make more footprints that will quickly wash away. 

How quickly the time passes from little girl, to young woman, to mother; but still always "Daddy's girl".  The years now seem to be a blur as I watch her with little ones of her own answering those questions that never quite seem to end.  One answer just leads to another question.  The unending cycle of a child's perspective.

Oh, but to continue to be that inquisitive.  To be an open mind to the world once again without the preconceived notions of the way things are or what they should be.  To see the world through the eyes of a child without my childish ways is what I seek.  To see others without judgment. To accept life just as it is without trying to change it or cursing for what is.  To be able to cry when your hurt and not feel stupid or weak.  To be able to laugh even when nothing is funny. To see each new day as an adventure.

John McAndrew's song "Like a Child" keeps me yearning for the simple pleasures that a child experiences as they learn and grow.  To see life in our world as never before.  New and exciting with hope and trust in a Father that is there to pick us up when we fall, comfort us when we are hurt and tell us we can be anything we want to be; and then like the sea he washes away the footprints of our past, forgives us in grace.

Carpe diem!  Seize the day and make it one of wonder and praise for a Father that never leaves us.  Like a child, we keep on learning.

Listen

A loon’s eerie call on a cooling evening just at sunset. The raspy voice of a tree frog croaking to find a mate. The screech of a red winged blackbird. The warble of an Oriole. Nature speaks to me through the voices of creatures familiar to me. I listen to them and try to hear the Creator’s voice which gently and quietly urges me to seek Him.

How often do you find yourself hearing but not really listening.  I am quite guilty of this all the time.  Sometimes when someone is talking to me I try hard  to listen, but my mind is on a different adventure and tries to pirate me along with it.  Other times my mind is moving ahead of the speaker and I try to put words in their mouth.  Maybe those things I would like them to say, or just because I have tuned out of the real meaning of their words.  Mostly, it is because I have refused to give my time and my attention to the one who is speaking.  The selfishness takes over.

One of my favorite Native American sayings is “listen or your tongue will make you deaf”.  Mine has made me hard of hearing many times.  When I have a thought or an idea, I don’t even have to be speaking for me to be deaf to others views and opinions. 

What does it really mean to listen?  To be generous and give your time and attention to another human being without being judgmental or self serving.  At times this is so difficult.  Our culture doesn’t lend itself to truly listening to one another.  The TV or radio blares in the background, cell phones ring or silently buzz and people are so hurried and easily distracted.  Sometimes it seems the whole world is becoming ADD.  It is a special and sacred time when two people are able to sit and openly and honestly share themselves with each other without regards to time or the world around them.

How about the time you spend with God?  I so often take charge of the conversations with Him.  After all, He has such a soft voice, that I usually  don’t hear Him.  I am the one doing the talking, repenting, asking or pleading.  He is always silently listening.  Waiting for me to finish my rantings and then in a very quiet voice says “Be still, and know that I am God”.  This causes me to stop; take a few deep cleansing breathes, and finally agree with Him.

Take the time to listen.  Listen to one another.  Listen to the quiet voice of your Creator.  He has plenty to say when we finally find the time to listen!

Pruning Branches

Our Korean lilacs have been just beautiful this Spring. They have grown large and lush over the past couple years.   Full of blossoms this year, they smelled just wonderful.  Over the past week though they had finished their blooms and it was time to do some pruning because they had become so large.  As I pruned off the first layer it became hard to keep their shape.  I was instructed to prune further; to cut them "way" back. As I pruned, I was shocked.  What I thought were beautiful bushes on the outside, were nothing but barren sticks on the inside.  Dead wood needing to be trimmed.

How many of us are like those bushes?  We look great on the outside, but when pruned of what we own and what we wear and of the house that we occupy; what do we really look like.  The superficial beauty on the outside when pruned reveals what is truly on the inside.  Is it just bare sticks without any shape, with out any green leaves or new growth?  Are we dead wood?  Have we lost our connection with the source of new growth and vitality. 

Not only can people be like these bushes but our churches can very much be like this as well.  Lovely large buildings, full of well dressed people with preachers who are eloquent in their sermons; but what lies underneath.  Is there any new growth?  Are there any new shoots branching out?

I believe that we who are living the American dream, and our churches as well, have lost our real connection to the life giving Spirit.  "It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel.  It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity."  This is a quote by Fredric D. Huntington in Forum Magazine and the date was 1890.  Our congregations are dwindling as we try to look nice in the neighborhood and keep up our image while underneath we have lost sight of what is important.  As Pastor Tim Kizziar of Sisters Community Church said, "Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."

It is time to see where our roots connect to the earth and send them deep into the soil so that we can find that life giving source of water and nourishment.  What are your priorities?  What really matters?

The bible tells us in Matthew 22 that when Jesus was asked "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

As I read Francis Chan's book Crazy Love, I am given a chance to review some of my priorities and where I need to do some pruning in my life so that I can find new growth!

Eagles

An eagle rises up to catch the wind and soars heavenward.  Native people believe that seeing an eagle is a sign that the Great Spirit hears their prayers.  They offer tobacco to the earth as a sign of their gratefulness when they see the eagle.  I look for the eagle each day.

There is a large eagle's nest in a tree that I can see from the highway as I am on my way to work each day.  I have been watching this nest and its inhabitants for a few years now.  Over the past few months, I watched the adult eagles (recognizable by their white heads) prepare the nest for this years hatching.  I would love to be able to get a glimpse of the fledglings; but this Spring has been so warm that the trees have leafed out early and it is much harder to see.  There are about five nests that we are aware of and we try to watch them whenever we are in the various locations.

When I was young, it was a very rare sight to see a bald eagle because of the use of DDT and other chemicals which poisoned their food supply and also them.  Today, Minnesota has the largest populations of eagles in the contiguous 48 states and seeing them is almost a daily occurrence.  We have seen many gathered together on the ice in the Spring as the ice is going out to feed on the winter-kill of fish.  Each time I see one I am still amazed at their strength, their beauty and their grace. 

This morning as I drove into work my mind was wandering elsewhere and I missed the opportunity. I am reminded that these sightings, though they may be fairly often are truly a gift.  Acknowledgment to me that my Creator does in fact hear my prayers.  How often do I miss other messages from God because I am distracted by the routine daily life?  He reveals Himself to us in so many ways.

A huge orange moon on the horizon over the lake.

An intricate Spider's web glistening with dew in the morning light.

The call of a loon at dusk.

Do you listen?  Do you see?  Can you smell the freshness of His breath?

There is something sacred happening all around reminding us of His presence. We just need to pay attention and be aware!

Storms

A nearly full moon didn't have the strength to shine through the clouds that had thickened during the evening hours blocking out all light from the heavens.  Suddenly, the flashes of light on the horizon and bolts of lightening connected earth to sky.  Sounds of angels rolling bowling balls shook the walls and the rains came down to refresh and cleanse the earth.  I love sleeping with the sound of rain on the roof and the distant booms of thunder.

Awakening to a sunny morning and the smell of the the fresh post thunderstorm air, I notice how much brighter the sun shines after the storm.  Drops of water on the leaves glisten in the warming light.  Birds sing louder and with more fervor,  animals scamper with new purpose.  It always seems calmer and more beautiful on these days.

Just four years ago I was stuck in the middle of a storm that I never thought would end; or if it did, that I would not survive.  Life is like that sometimes.  First we find ourselves overcome by darkness as clouds block the light from Heaven.  Then the lightening and thunder pound our minds to the point where we can no longer think clearly, or act with any sanity.  Our waters are riled and we overflow, flooding the innocent land that surrounds us and sweeping away those in our path.  Some drown; others learn to swim to the safety of shore hard and fast.

Today, the sun shines much brighter and the light from Heaven illuminates my path.  My world is cleansed and fresh again.  Green shoots spring forth from what was barren earth and the flood waters recede to show new life.  It is like awakening to a new dawn after a storm.

I know of someone who is caught in the midst of the same type of storm today.  I pray that she may be able to see her way through.  To ask and accept the help she needs in this time of turmoil; and with a hopeful ray of light from Heaven to see the dawning of a new day in her life.  A day after the storm where the sun shines forth and life is refreshed from the rain.

Peace to all who are in the middle of a stormy period in their lives today.  There is a new light and hope in the presence of the Spirit.  The sun will shine once again!

Spirit of Pentecost

The prevailing winds were out of the south and that made for huge white caps on our side of the lake.  As the Spring warmth rushes from the south to push the cold of winter back north where it belongs, we can experience some turbulent weather.  This weekend was no exception with thunderstorms and battering wind that broke branches and even toppled trees.  The power of the wind is often mind boggling.  How can something we cannot see be so powerful.

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting."(Acts 2)

As the disciples gathered to celebrate Shavuot, a Jewish festival that celebrates the giving of the torah, they encounter this wild and forceful wind filling the house. 

The Hebrew word for wind ruach, is also translated as spirit. The Hebrew nomads were very familiar with the wind patterns as they would follow a prescribed path indicating the coming season. From this word comes the idea of breath as it is the wind of man which also follows a prescribed path of inhaling and exhaling. The ancient Hebrew saw the breath as an essential part of the man, just as much as the mind is.

As our breath is such an essential part of us, so is the spirit that we were given on Pentecost.  This spirit is the most powerful. The Spirit of love.

The power to heal isolation and brokeness.

The power to solidify relationships.

The power to overcome resentment.

The power to forgive.

The winds of Pentecost can be turbulent winds, but they bring Peace in the Spirit!

Still Water

Smooth stillness of the water reflecting a sky just turning light.  The warmth of the water rises up as a soft blanket against the chilling morning air. He leads me beside still waters. The words of the Psalmist written on my heart now ring forth in my mind. Words of comfort in a world of turmoil.

Think of what the words; "still water" meant to the Psalmist. Living in a barren and desert land, more than likely a herder of sheep; what did this phrase hold for this brother from long ago? When the rains did quench the thirst of the earth, they probably came in torrents causing flash floods and threatening his cherished flock. How he longed lie in pastures of green beside the calming waters as his flock drank and ate of the green grass. How much easier would his life be if this were the case instead of constantly searching for even a scraggy patch of grass through the dry rock and rubble.

He restores my soul. A promise that echoes across the centuries and is even more relevant today. Can we not only believe, but truly have the faith that it takes to put our will and lives in His hands. Not my will but thy will be done.

My cup overflows. Have you checked your cup lately? It is with these words that I review the "cup of expectation" that I hold; Are my expectations realistic? As the Psalmist dreamed of green pastures and still water; what dreams does your cup hold? Some may view their cup as half full, and others as half empty; but as I count the multitudes of blessings that I have received, the cup that I hold overflows. My soul is restored.

Windows

Our soul is like a house with many windows.  This is an adaptation of a quote by Robert Louis Stevenson, and reveals to me the options that we have for viewing our world.  When we look out a window that faces a world view of pain and despair; is that our only option? The media today seems to point us in that direction. Could we instead look out of a window that faces hope and opportunity?  Are we so set in our ways or so tired that we can't move our chair to a new view?  So many times we are overwhelmed by our life experiences that we forget to look out another window or that we even have the choice to see things differently.  We focus on the misery of self, and miss the beauty that shines through when we surrender ourselves to the care of others and the loving care of God working through them.

A recent article in the St Paul Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/ci_15089161?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com&nclick_check=1 featured a friend, Todd Fultz, who was injured in a life threatening and life changing automobile accident in the summer of 2008.  His recovery has been long and very painful, yet Todd continues to exude life in each and every small victory that he achieves.  I remember him telling of the very first victory after the accident and coma.  The simple act of drinking a small glass of juice.  He cherished these small victories as he progressed through his ability to walk on his own, playing with his young children again and even making them a hot breakfast each morning.  Some call this fortitude and a will to survive, but more than that Todd is grateful each and everyday for the gifts and blessings he has been given.  He does not dwell on what is missing, but on all that he treasures in life.  His family, his friends and his very life.  He shows us the power that we can receive by the Spirit.  The power to not only survive but to thrive with beauty and grace.


As we approach Pentecost, the time in which our Lord gave us the power of His Holy Spirit, we are given the power to see through a new window. Each Spring, many of us set about cleaning the windows of our homes which have grown dirty over the winter.  It is also a time to clean our souls with a fresh breath of Spirit that was a gift to us from the Father, through the Son.  Don't be overwhelmed by the vision of the past, but find a window that lets in the sun and gives new light to your day!  Our past only describes what was, it does not define what is or what will be.

Throw open that freshly cleaned window and let the Spirit fill your life with amazing power; feel the fresh breath of His Spirit on your face!

Tragedy

Stealthily in the night the killer slipped in and ravaged the house killing all the little ones in their sleep.  The remnants of the massacre the next morning were all too noticeable to the mothers as they returned to find their home a bloody mess.  They could not enter the house as the scene was too horrible, so they just remained outside wondering what could have happened.

We look forward to the return of wood ducks to our nesting box each Spring.  These beautiful ducks usually show up shortly after the ice is out and begin to ready the box for their eggs.  Unlike most other waterfowl they nest in tree cavities or nesting boxes.  Wood ducks are egg dumpers, so a nesting box can have up to 20 eggs and a two or three attentive hens. This year was no exception and just around April 13th they appeared and started their activity.  The gestation period for wood ducks is just about 30 days, so we have been like first time parents awaiting the day.  Since they only spend about 24 hours in the nesting box after they hatch, it is extremely difficult to catch the moment the babies drop from the box (15 feet in the air) to the sand and then scurry off to the lake and their awaiting mommas never to return.  

When we arose on Saturday, we noticed two hens and a drake on the dock.  The hens would fly toward the box and when near the hole, would veer off to land on a nearby branch.  This activity was very strange and we thought she must be trying to lure the babies to the door of the box for their free fall to the earth.  This went on for over an hour before we finally noticed the bloody eggshells on the ground below the nest.  Upon further examination, it appears a raccoon must have ravaged the nest during the night.


The two mother hens and the drake kept vigilant watch throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday to see if possibly any of their young had escaped this tragedy.  Like mourners they kept watch on the nesting box by sitting on adjacent branches or on top of the box, but would never enter in.   Today they were gone.  They have moved on for this year, without the peeping little ones they had watched over so carefully for the last month.

Nature is often very cruel to observe; the lioness capturing the injured zebra or the crocodile taking the young wildebeest in a river crossing.  The circle of life is often violent in nature, but can also be beautiful in that life is ever re-creating life.  God created all plants and animals so that they could re-create themselves over and over again.  It is the inherent beauty in our world and where we find solace in knowing that even though tragedy continues to strike, the world goes on.

The wood ducks have moved on from their tragedy and will spend the rest of their summer dabbling in the water, possibly taking care of another broods' babies and then making their migration over the winter months to warmer climes and back again in the Spring.  I will clean out the nesting box, repair the damage and put fresh cedar chips in it to welcome them back home again.  Life goes on and we have been given a sacred view of something in our own backyard!

Keep watch for the sacred is happening all around you!

Breathe

Breathe, just breathe. These are the words of wisdom that I gave my wife last night after a meeting at church where the comments from one of our members made her stomach do flip-flops. These are the same words that EMT's tell the victims of an accident, a heart attack or other trauma. Life saving words! Studies have shown that if a person in this situation is able to focus on their breathing, they have a much higher success rate.

Breathing is something our subconscious controls, but when we are disturbed or injured our breathing usually becomes quick and shallow. Most people take about thirteen breaths per minute when the suggested proper breathing rate (one that delivers the most oxygen and nutrients to our blood) is about six breaths per minute. My experience with meditation and mindfulness always focuses on breathing. Breathing that comes from the diaphragm, your Xi, a place in the center of your body, behind your navel.

The Greek word, pneuma, means breath. It also is the same word that the Greeks used for Spirit. As we breathe, we breathe in the Spirit and the Spirit gives us life. As God created Adam from the earth, He blew into him the breath of life. God's breath - Our Spirit!

Pastor Rob Bell of Mars Hill Bible Church has a series of videos entitled Nooma. In one of these videos, he talks about the early Hebrews and the name that they used for God. The name was so holy that they just used letters to identify God in their writings. The letters YHVH would be pronounced ya-heh-veh-heh (most of us say Yahweh, but there is no "w" sound in Hebrew). When said slowly they actually sound like a person taking breaths. It's an interesting concept that each time we breathe, we speak the name of God.

Breathing is another thing that we all take for granted! Try not breathing for a while and see how you do. Become aware of your breath and the rate at which you breathe today. Slow your breath down to the proper rate, breathe from your Xi and reflect on the idea that with your first breath you called out the name of God and with your last breath you will speak the name of God. All the while that we are alive we are filled with the Spirit.

Breathe, just breathe!

The Potter's Hands

This past weekend my wife and I joined a group of friends to attend the St Croix Valley Pottery Tour. This has become a highly anticipated annual event for us and commenced with a wonderful breakfast together and talk of the artists we wanted to meet and the many various works we wanted to peruse. Although the weather was dreary, there was no shortage of seekers looking for new pots, plates, cups, vases and other vessels. Some pieces rough in form and some very fine and made of porcelain, all waited on shelves and tables to serve those who chose to claim them for their individual beauty.

The art of pottery has always intrigued me. A potter takes a lump of clay, matter of the earth, kneads it until it is ready and then plops it on a spinning wheel; expectantly waiting his caressing hands. As he pulls here and pushes there, pinches and forms; that former lump of clay starts to take shape and form. Sometimes during the process the form starts to collapse on itself and no matter how hard the potter tries to keep the shape going, he must start over. This can happen almost at once or when the work is almost finished. Without anger or malice, he lovingly kneads and readies the clay once again. With greater care and understanding of this particular lump of clay he begins again to pull, push and pinch it into form. I am like this lump of clay that so stubbornly refuses to be molded and formed by the potter’s hands. If only I could give in to his gentle touch and persistent urging to become the beautiful form that he has in mind for me. Are you like a lump of clay as well?

I wait expectantly to be molded and transformed by the potter’s hands today so that I can become a beautiful vessel willing to serve. To help serve those that are hungry, quench those that thirst or perhaps just to provide a comforting presence. We are all works of art in the potter’s hands. Some rough and functional, some fine with an elegant beauty, some just a crazy artsy mix. We all have our function and purpose.

As I am crafted and shaped by His hands today, I am comforted by the scripture verse; “He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it”. He’s not finished with me yet!

Reflecting Pools

As the cool rain falls, it makes puddles on the ground. Puddles reflecting the fullness of God's blessing and a well-spring of Spiritual water that comes from within to quench our thirst. Water is a gift that we all take too much for granted. In the land of 10,000 lakes it is as ubiquitous as mosquitoes in July. In a parched and barren desert, it is quite a different scene. Water means life or death for the plants and animals.

Today, as the tragedy in the gulf continues to pump thousands of gallons of crude into the water, threatening our sea and coastal life, I reflect on how careless we have become with our water. I have been in African villages where clean water was only a dream and bacteria filled murky water a reality that was still a three kilometer walk away. How guilty do you feel running the tap as you brush your teeth or water your beloved lawn. How can we conserve the gift that we have in clean water.

One of my favorite quotes (and I don't know where it comes from) is "Even a pool of water needs to be perfectly still in order to reflect". I was reminded of this today as I looked out over the rippled lake and watched the steady rain fall and replenish that which had been evaporating over the last several dry weeks. There was no reflection, only constant motion on the water.

The chaos and activity that fills our day makes it hard for us to really reflect and be grateful for all the gifts that the Spirit gives us. Even without the raging white caps of the storms that sometimes fill our lives, the daily dribble interrupts our ability to reflect. We need to find that quiet place today so that we can reflect and see the reflection of what God wants us to be. He has made us in His image so that we might reflect His love, His goodness and the hope He brings to us each day.

Happy Reflecting!