What do you do when fearful?

I was in LA attending a conference and retraced some early steps in a walk around to have dinner. Leaving the restaurant to return to my hotel I decided to travel a street that I had neglected in my previous travel. I made a wrong turn and slowly became aware of dwindling population, change in those that I encountered, music heard on the street and feelings of being fearful arose within me. Looking around I saw people pitching tents for a night on the streets of LA; noticed an increasing lack of diversity that one sees in the downtown hotel area and I began to be fearful...

I was sharing this story with someone I met on my ride to the airport and their question to me was...Did I witness to anyone? They shared that their cousin was a missionary in Ecuador and had been for thirty years. Sometimes they would be flown into remote areas that held imminent danger and in those instances they witnessed most readily...I thought and have been thinking...

But I was fearful, quickly relying on my instincts to remove me from danger, and only had thoughts of what I could do in the situation...how quickly we can remove ourselves from reliance on God, seeking His presents and will in our lives...perhaps missing an opportunity to re-present the kingdom in real and tangible ways. As I changed course and began to encounter familiar landmarks then wiping the sweat from my forehead I realized that I had not once thought about God or to seek His protection in my unfamiliar surroundings. My fellow traveler to the airport has brought me to my knees!

What do you do when you are fearful?

New Life in New Creation

I just finished participating in the Greater Dayton Men's Walk to Emmaus #50 serving on the live-in team as Assistant Spiritual Director. My devotional this morning is a prayer form Norman Shawchuck:

" O God, I surrender to you the habits and sins that, like frost, chill my soul and cause your life-giving energy to cease its flow in me. Uproot me form the weed patches of evil wherein I have chosen to sink my roots. Plant me instead in your field of righteousness.

Direct the search light of your love into every crevice of my life that I may see to journey from this long winter of sin, to once again flourish in the summer of your goodness and love.

Send the gracious showers of your forgiveness to break the long drought of spiritual aridness that has shriveled my soul, and grant, my Lord, that I may become more like you and less like my shadowy self.

This day I pledge to you and to myself that I will begin even now to pursue right thinking and right living, but my God, I need your help. Amen"

This prayer has led me on a reflection of the weekend events. One of my colleague's had seven men from the church he serves present as pilgrims on this walk and another had four. I am convicted that this weekend experience can as I have seen before help build the local church community. One pilgrim was a pastor of a new church start and will incorporate this community experience into his building plan. I fill renewed by the witness of the weekend; and that I've found another component that will facilitate our efforts for Stillwater @ the Kleptz Y to not only be energize but also to realize the vision for "spirituality connecting health and wholiness" as a re-presentation of the kingdom of God in real and tangible ways.

Spirituality Connecting Health and Wholiness

Having taken a hiatus from writing on my blog, I now return with new purpose and focus. I've wrestled with the direction and content in this activity. I will use this to reflect on the practices and disciplines that will help me connect the theme of "Spirituality connecting Health and Wholiness" as a reflection of life in Christ. In James Bryan Smith's book The Good and Beautiful God, he makes the statement that "Christians are people Christ dwells in". This truth gives me pause to think on the question that if this is true why are so many of us are living lives that are unhealthy, unconnected, and unfulfilled. I begin this journey with these words on prayer by Michael Casey...To pray well I must first find out where I am. Self-knowledge is never procured cheaply. To pray well I need to face up to realities about myself, that I would prefer to ignore: my anxieties, fears, private griefs, failures, lovelessness, my utter lack of resources. To accept the truth about what I am, as also the truth about other human beings, demands courage. If I do not pray well, it is usually because I lack that kind of courage. Do you pray well?

Thanksgiving

As I begin my morning this Thanksgiving with a phone call from my son and his family on board a plane bound for California, I began to think about daily living in a state of thankfulness.

I was led to Hebrew scripture where I found some guidelines that can help live in a state of thankful Christian living:

Hebrews 10:23..."Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith." This speaks to fellowship with God...Quiet time, personal devotion or some other spiritual practice that is set aside each day to draw near to God

Hebrews 10:24..."Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess." This speaks to a commitment to outreach to the lost through personal witness or simply active participation in the Great Commission. We are to hold the confession of our faith high like a banner, never growing silent, never denying the Lord who has bought us for Himself

Hebrews 10:25..."Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." We are to encourage and motivate each other in the Christian life through meeting together in worship and small group to get instruction from His Word.

As I embrace these guidelines I find that I am able to experience joy and contentment in whatever circumstances and to give sincere thanks to Him who is able to do more than I could ever image or dream. This allows me to enjoy the unfolding wonder of each day as God reveals Himself in unexpected ways.

I truly have much to be thankful for! Praise be to God!

More Than Enough

"She out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood"... Mark 12:44

God looks at the heart, not the hand; the giver, not the gift.

In Adam Hamilton's book More Than Enough , he wrote: "Once Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, their immediate reaction was fear. From that time on, we human beings have found ourselves perennially afraid. Most of our fers are a result of our separatio from God and the distortion of what is good in us. As a result, we often live in fear of others who are different from ourselves, which can lead to hate and violence and even war...and in economic times such as these, we fear financial instability and distress."

Adam suggest the keys to overcoming fear are: Trust God, Offer Gratitude, and Live a Life of Service and Generosity to others.

I find as the Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out we learn that our ability is never the measure of our possibilities. We grow to live lives filled with gratitude and choose to be thankful because every circumstance is used and shaped by a will greater than our own.

Thanksgiving a time to be thankful!

More Than Enough...Faith

I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as a surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains...Habakkuk 3:18b-19

Mother Teresa is quoted saying, "I don't think there is anyone who needs God's help and grace as much as I do. Sometimes I feel so helpless and weak. I think that is why God uses me. Because I cannot depend on my own strength, I rely on Him twenty-four hours a day."

God or Self?

More Than Enough

And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possession...Luke 12:15 NRSV

The riches of this world are vain, they vanish in a day; But sweet the treasures of God's love--they never pass away...Bosch

Why the obsession with aquiring, consuming and hoarding? Do you choose to live assuming scarcity or abundance? Your choice is an issue of the soul and lives of others hang in the balance.
What is your reality?

FORGIVEN

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

We serve a great and loving God whose offer of grace and forgiveness creates new hope and new life. We come to learn that His love is endless and His faithfulness in care for us is grounded in truth exampled and proclaimed by countless witnesses. Even when we walk way from God, He continues to reach out with His offer of new beginnings.

As we are forgiven...let us forgive!

Truth about Forgiveness Cont'd

He who cannot forgive another breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself...George Herbert

In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others...Matthew 6:14-15 Message

Where are you stuck with forgiveness? What event, person or idea creates the problem?

Forgiveness is constructive as we travel the journey to Christian perfection...

Truth About Forgiveness

The Sovereign Lord says, "I will remove form them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh". Ezekiel 11:19

This forgiveness stuff is definitely a thing of the heart. I realize how much I struggle to embrace true forgiveness for myself and for others. It so easy to compare myself to others always finding someone worse than I which allows me to minimize how much God has forgiven me. My Spirit screams...Please open my heart, Lord, and show me how to forgive! I'm not strong enough to do it on my own

Dear God, soften our heart where hardness impairs our relationship with you and our neighbors. Restore in each of us a healthy spiritual heart. Amen

FORGIVENESS

The path to salvation following the Roman road...

The Scriptures tell us, "No one is acceptable to God"...Romans 3;10

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...Romans 3:23

Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die...Romans 5:12

But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful...Romans 5:8

So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others. The Scriptures says that no one who has faith will be disappointed, no matter if that person is a Jew or a Gentile. The is only one Lord, and He is generous to everyone who asks for his help. All who call out to the Lord will be saved...Romans 10:9-13

FORGIVENESS IS OUR GREATEST NEED!

Forgiven our sins we must forgive others.

Please open my heart, Lord, and show me how to forgive. I’m not strong enough to squash my hatred—they’ve wronged us so much…my hatred is so heavy that it could crush me. Touch my heart, Lord and show me how to forgive...Immaculee Ilibagiza author: LEFT TO TELL...Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

To Know Love

I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you...John 13:15

To know love, open your heart to Jesus. To show love, open your heart to others.

As we are awakened to the ingathering love of God, the brokenness that divides us from ourselves and others begins to mend.

Pray without ceasing...

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests...Ehesians 6:18a

God, source of my strength, keep me praying all day long...Amen

Ambassador...Who me?

We are Christ ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" 2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT

Truth...There are some days that I just don't feel like it! That is being an ambassador...

I met Malcolm Boyd, writer of Are you Running with me, Jesus? while in LA attending the Kaleidoscope Institute, Media and Faith seminar, at the Episcopal Cathedral Center of St Paul last week. I had an extensive conversation with Malcolm about Professor Gates' encounter with police, Malcolm's work as a spiritual director, and his long served participation in the civil rights movement, which led me to purchase of this book, considered by many a spiritual classic. The opening poem spoke to me and now I share it with others who may not just feel like it today:

"It's morning, Jesus. It's morning, and here's that light and sound all over again.
-I've got to move fast...get into the bathroom, wash up, grab a bite to eat and run some more.
-I just don't feel like it. What I really want to do is get back into bed, pull up the covers, and sleep. All I seem to want today is the big sleep, and here I've got to run all over again.
-Where am I running? You know these things I can't understand. It's not that I need to have you tell me. What counts most is just that somebody knows, and it's you. That helps a lot.
-So I'll follow along, OK? But lead, please. Now I've got to run. Are you running with me, Jesus?
...Malcolm Boyd

Pray

"Pray", a cooperative prayer videoproject between the GBOD and the Kaleidoscope Institute is in full swing. Listening to Safiyah Fosua teach and preach "Prayer Essentials" has been a spiritual renewing of the mind. Reflection on how we teach our congregations to pray, language of the church that may not connect with an unchurched populace as well as music that moves my heart that is unfamiliar with those new to the faith awakens again my sense of the need for greater intentionality of purpose in presentation of the Gospel. I wonder...

Truth in the Message

"Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
1 Timothy 4:12

Do others know from how we act at home, at work, at play, that we have Jesus in our heart and live for Him each day? D. DeHaan

Hypocrite is a Mask-Wearer

Hypocrisy is living life with a double standard so that there is a discrepancy between what one is and the image one projects to others...Living with integrity starts with being transparent...its not about life style--being good, doing the right thing, not sinning....We must stop presenting ourselves as the message and begin presenting Jesus as the message

Live the message of Christ...Love

I invite you to take the "love" test: read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 but substitute you name each place the word "love" is used or implied. How do you measure up?

Read a Gospel this week...Hear Jesus' call to commitment.

Lead Where You Are...

Leadership defined by James C Hunter author of The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principles:"The skills of influencing people to enthusiastically work toward goals identified as being for the common good, with character that inspires confidence".

The author highlights skills, influencing and character as key to effective leadership. I find the foundation upon which these keys are to be developed in Mark 12:29-31. From this I connect that to lead is to serve...wherein it follows that we must become the change we wish to see in the world!

Are you willing to sacrifice ego, lust for power, pride and other self-interest for the greater good? ...Jesus did!

Are you willing to serve others, forgive, apologize, and give others credit even when you don't fell like? ...Jesus would!

Are you willing to extend yourself for others, be rejected, under appreciated and even taken advantage of at times? ...Jesus did!

Are you willing to sacrifice and subordinate anything that gets in the way of doing the right thing? ...Jesus would!

Will you say yes? ...Jesus did!

Lead Where You Are! ...

God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple hours. This is for keep, a life or death fight to the finish against the Devil and his angels. Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your fee....God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your bothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out... Ephesians 6:10-20 Message

We find that empowered and equipped by God through the Holy Spirit we are to stand...pray...and keep alert in order to be the lived change, reflecting life in Christ, that God desires for the world He so deeply loves. Let our prayer this week be: God, let me know your strength today so that I may be a faithful disciple and witness to your power. Amen.

Lead Where You Are!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am: send Me!" Isaiah 6:8 NRSV

We often hear that God does not call the equipped but equips the called...So it was with Isaiah, he felt himself to be unworthy to be in the presence of God but God touched Him and removed His guilt before his sacrifice was made....

Christians, if we will hear God's Word with our souls, be deeply moved by what He says, and speak a simple message of the gospel of Christ to others, God will use us too.

Pray: Lord, as I read Your Word, speak to my heart and give me the desire to follow Your will. Amen.

We are called and equipped to lead where we are!

Come, Holy Spirit, Come!

God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. Acts 2:32-33

Come, follow me...The Holy Spirit calls us into fellowship with Christ. To live in fellowship with Christ means to move through the day in obedience to Him--seeking His will and not our own, loving Him and not the things of this world, spending time with Him in prayer and reading His Word. It means to seek first the kingdom of God. And that's the heart of the whole thing.

If you are praying for God to teach you, are you willing to respond to what He directs?

May your prayer be: Lord, as I spend time with You, help me to respond to Your leading in my live...every day. Amen