Thanksgiving and Contentment

"give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread." Proverbs 30:8  

Quite a counter-cultural statement, isn't it? It doesn't sound very aspiring. It doesn't paint a picture of someone climbing the proverbial ladder of success, and it doesn't exactly seem like someone who thinks they will become financially blessed by God because they have faith stronger than the next person. It doesn't sound like someone who has read the latest Christian self-help book. And it doesn't exactly sound very American, or very "Christian" for that matter.     

Contentment is a bad word during this time of year. I mean, isn't that the antithesis of what holiday is all about? Does it represent what the real motive in the act of giving? For many, the holiday season is not really about what "they" want, but rather about what "we" can get. Let's face it. That's the essential motive of all Christmas advertising. Companies rely on the restless discontented spirit of Americans and hone in on that one question that many of us ask ourselves, "What do I WANT?", 

Every year, it seems earlier and earlier that the stores begin packing the aisles with festive Christmas advertising, displays and Christmas themed products, which produces a mindset of over-consumption. Each and every year it begin well before Thanksgiving, which causes me to often wonder if we're gradually moving toward one single collective "Winter Holiday Season”, rather than two individual celebrations. Thanksgiving is basically rolled over by the Christmas steam engine. Kids find it boring and stores see it to be just an unprofitable holiday that is more obligatory rather than intentional. Just a low profit celebration stuck between the big money profits of Halloween and Christmas. A Speed bump.

When I was in college, my parents gave me an inspirational picture for Christmas that I eventually hung in my first office. The peaceful image was of a golden sunset silhouetted by a man in a kayak rowing across a calm glassy lake. Beneath the picture was the title Contentment, followed by a small caption that read, “When you can look at the past with pride and the future with hope, you can live comfortably with today”. It wasn't until many years later that I realized how true and essential these words really are.

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. - Philippians 4:11-13 

To quote the words of the Dali Lama, "If one's life is simple, contentment has come. Simplicity is extremely important to happiness. Having a few desires, feeling satisfied with what you have, is very vital: felling satisfied with just enough food, and shelter to protect yourself from the elements. And finally, there is an intense delight in abandoning faulty states of mind and in cultivating helpful ones in meditation."    

From these essential words of universal truth, we begin to realize that contentment is now. We have no real control over the past or the future. The only period of time that we can physically and spiritually live within is the present moment, and our present situations in life can only be made peaceful through a complete centered focus on the true inner-self, not on possessions. And does this not seem to be the essence of what being thankful is all about? It's no wonder that advertisers don't want our focus to be on thanksgiving and gratefulness. We just might grasp the essential meaning being grateful and not spend as much because we realize that we are truly content with what we already possess, not what we acquire.

As we celebrate this day of Thanksgiving, may we commit ourselves to actually being thankful; not just in the utterance of the word, in conversation or prayer, but in the  honest and spiritual act of giving thanks. Let us put our Christmas plans on pause. Take a break. In light of the recent challenges that we've faced in 2020; physically, financially and politically, it's not difficult to realize that we have much more to be thankful for than we may realize. If you have life, have a roof over your head and a tribe of family and friends surrounding you this day, you have more than you need be content. And if circumstances beyond your control have left you alone today, get in touch with me. You have a place around my collective table.

Celebrate Thanksgiving. Take some time to meditate on what it means to be thankful. Let us remember that contentment doesn't lie in the endless accumulation of possessions. Contentment lies in being infinitely thankful for what we have been given each and every day; whether good or bad. Contentment is living life within the now. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Contentment is real-time. Time is an illusion. Contentment is a continuous thankful spirit for each moment. Breathing in and out and focusing on the precious gift of life. Now. Contentment. Freedom. 

"Just become totally content and happy from within. Then you will get all you want." Shri Shri Ravi Shankar

Ash Wednesday Reflections

Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Growing up Roman Catholic, Ash Wednesday was always a big day for those observing the liturgical Church calendar. Somewhat of the Christian's "Day of Atonement", Ash Wednesday is the first day of the 46 day Lenten season, which ends on Holy Saturday, April 19, the day before Easter Sunday. Lent is a time of spiritual reflection based on the forty days of temptation that Jesus faced in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1-11) Lent is a time of deep reflective prayer, fasting, sacrifice, spiritual self-examination and repentance, in anticipation of the day Christ sacrificed Himself in atonement for the sins of all mankind. Specifically, Ash Wednesday is a day to be reminded of our human mortality; the ashes being a sign of mourning over of the fragility of live and the sin that has birthed that condition. It calls us to repentance and begins a long 40 day journey of coming to terms with sin and committing ourselves to face it, wrestle with it and deal with it throughout the remained of the year.   

Growing up, I always perceived Ash Wednesday as the magical day when all "good " Christians somehow purged themselves of the debauchery and hedonism that has crept into their lives over the last year; especially after Mardi Gras. Mostly, I remember classes being cut short so that all good Catholic school students could attend Ash Wednesday Mass, and the subsequent embarrassment of walking around all day with "dirt" on my forehead. "Hey, church boy! You've got dirt on your head!" When I got home from school, my mom was always quick to remind me not to wash the ashes off until bedtime, but was more lenient once I started to develop acne. Those oily ashes can wreak havoc on a teenage forehead. I have always found it perplexing that some pastors have the skill of creating a perfect cross, while others only seem to manage an unidentifiable smudge.   

But as I look back on my spiritual journey, Ash Wednesday was merely a strict religious observance and nothing more. I had no idea why I was called to observe the day, and had no clue what the ashes were supposed to symbolize in terms of my faith. I was a faithful Catholic and believed in Christ, but in terms of dedication, giving up meat on Friday was about as far as I would go. Have you noticed all the fast food restaurants pushing fish on their menus lately? I wonder what McDonald's will do to rival the culinary delight of their "Fish McBites" from last year?    

So this year I'm wondering to myself if Lent is suppose to mean more than just giving up something? Is it more than marathon prayer meetings, fasting, reading scripture and other "religious" activities? Is there more to Ash Wednesday? Is there more to observing Lent? I think there is, but I think that most of us don't want to think about it, because Lent has to do with a really nasty word. OK, now I'm going whisper it so that no one else hears. Ready? "Sin". Gasp! There, I said it! I know. I know. No one likes to talk about it, right? But we're all screwed up anyway, so let's just throw it out there and get it out in the open.

When you get right down to it, Lent is about sin. It's about looking back and reflecting over the last year and coming face to face with all the crap that has infected our lives. It's about taking stock of our walk with Christ, and meditating on the areas that we have fallen short. And as we enter these 40 days together, it's a time to prepare ourselves for Easter. A time of the year that we stop and remember that our Christian faith revolves around the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and nothing more.

Lent is not about looking more "holy" because you have ashes on your forehead. It's not about fasting so that all your friends can see how dedicated you are. It's not about piously praying several times a day so that those you work with can witness your awesome dedication to God. And I've got news for you; it's not about sacrifice. God doesn't want out lame sacrifices anyway.

When we think of Lent, we automatically think of giving up something, right? We give up sweets, coffee, smoking, technology, drinking, sex (no way!), anger, meat, cussing, etc...etc...etc. And although sacrifice is a vital aspect of the Lent experience, I think it has become a distraction from what what we are really called to as followers of Christ. We live in a culture, and are even part of a Church, that finds it politically incorrect to talk about sin. We don't like to confess sin to one another, because that makes us "bad" Christians. We don't like to hold someone accountable for sin, because that would be judgmental. And let's face it, in the post-modern church of today, sin is offensive. It's become intolerant to even mention sin for fear that others might think we're religious zealots.

Now, I am in no way advocating that we pursue campaigns of judging one another, and I'm not suggesting forms of self-righteousness. I'm not even asking us to feel bad about our faults and failures. We carry enough guilt during the rest of the year. Like I said, we're all screwed up to some extent, and those of you that know me know that I'm up there with the worst of them. I guess what I'm getting at is that maybe it's time to observe Lent for what it is: a time of repentance. Repentance is a good thing when you think about it. It's not about some angry person on the street corner screaming, "REPENT!"  It's not about doom and gloom, fire and brimstone and God's wrath on pathetic worthless sinners like you and me. Repentance, when you get right down to it, is about loving one another. When we call each other to turn from our sins and turn back to God, we are essentially communicating to them that we care about them. It's about saying to those we love, "Repent! Please! Because I love you and see what a freaking mess your life is! And my life is a mess too!  Help me! I'll help you! We're in this together!"

So, as we begin Lent on this Ash Wednesday, let's commit to the discipline of repenting. It really is an ancient discipline, when you get right down to it. Repent! And do me a favor. Challenge me to repent as well, especially when I fall short. Because I will fall short again and again. I promise. Because I'm a mess.

Living Psalm 88: A re-post from 1/23/12

I'm living Psalm 88 today.  No other explanation could paint a clearer picture of the depths of depression that I find myself in. Read Psalm 88. Psalm 88 is a Psalm of lament. It's a picture of despair that seems to have no end or resolution. At the time of his writing, the Psalmist knows nothing but sorrow and is consumed by overwhelming grief. It's the only Psalm that apparently does not end with some kind of resolution between God and man. It ends as it starts, with the Psalmist engulfed in utter desperation and lacking of any hope. No light bulb goes on. No rainbow springs up in the distance to lift his spirits just a bit. No ray of light to illuminate the darkness. Silence. He turns to God in his pain, in hopes of an answer for the dark state that he find himself in. Silence. God doesn't reveal a nugget of theological truth that causes him to break out in songs of praise and thanksgiving. There is no reason for his pain. No explanation for the silence from God. No answer for the perpetual anguish that the he finds himself in. No hope. This is what depression feels like. 

Depression is very heavy on me today. I live with depression. Not as much as I did many years ago, but I still struggle with depression from time to time. That time is now. It always comes back with a vengeance. Depression sucks. I have no inspiration to write today and motivation is non-existent. I'm writing this in the hopes of you extending me grace. My mind is consumed with a fog that is going to prevent clarity and attention to grammar. That is one of the side effects of depression. The fog consumes, thick with confusion. I'm currently unable to keep a coherent thought within my mind. It would be a nightmare to have a cup of coffee right now. So please forgive me if this is not a literary masterpiece. My minds races with dozens of thoughts that are overwhelming me, and yet I can't focus any single topic. 

It seems that a lot more people have been seeking to know what depression is all about these days More people who don't deal with depression are seeming to be asking more questions and trying to understand how this disease effects others. Maybe more people are dealing with depression in those close to them. Maybe it's just becoming more common. Maybe the stigma is waning a bit and the discussions are opening up. Recently someone asked me to describe what depression is like. What better time to describe the pit than when you find yourself at the very bottom of it, right? I usually don't share this side of me. Usually I just isolate myself. You won't hear from me for a while. My blog will not be updated and I'll draw inward. But here it is. Full color. High def. No editing.       

I didn't sleep well lst night. Most of the night was filled with nightmares and dark dreams I woke up this mourning at the end of a particularly eerie dream. You know the kind that leaves you feeling icky the next day? Nothing really specific about the dream seems to reveal anything to me. The setting was just dark, funky and gloomy. That feeling seemed to have attached itself to me when I awoke. It's been stuck on me, clouding everything I've attempted to do today. Yeah, I've put on a smiley face and tried to "fake it until I can make it", (I hate that expression. No doubt invented by some chipper motivational soul who means well, has no comprehension of what it's like to experience depression for even one day). Was it the same one who coined the phrase "Too blessed to be depressed"?  That makes me nauseous.

Depression is unmoving. It just sits there, like oil stuck to the sides of and old steel drum. Water just beads off of it. I could scrape it out, but it would just make a bigger mess, and I've convinced myself to just deal with it. As always. You've mourned the death of someone close to you, right? Remember that feeling? That's depression. No, I'm not being melodramatic or exaggerating. That's what it feels like, but with no explanation to it's cause. Mourning for no one. Nothing. Just mourning.         

Anxiety and panic usually begin to set in when I'm in the depths of depression. I feel the urge to run. I feel the urge to drive somewhere, but have no destination. It's like running or driving down a tunnel that has no end in sight. You can't see anything from the right or left and all you can hear is a deep droning sound. My ears are ringing, even as I type this and my heart is racing just a bit more. All I can think about is what others think of me. How apparently incapable I am to function at full capacity. I beat myself up, and any previous victories that I've had quickly become failures in my mind. I discredit anything I've accomplished and assume that I've just fooled myself through my entire life up to this point, as well as everyone else. I'm not a writer. I'm not a minister. I'm not a good husband and I've failed as a father. I know. In reality, none of this is true. But in the midst of depression, it's extremely difficult to see anything else. Reality is twisted and distorted. Warped. You wonder who this person is as you gaze in the mirror. I wonder who this is typing these words.

Another companion emotion of depression is anger. Anger comes in waves and in many ways more welcome than depression. Anger feels more controllable and more powerful. Depression just makes you feel weak and out of control. I often get angry with God, and today is no different. I feel like smashing my fists through a wall, in hopes that He'll see how much I hurt. As if God needs a physical demonstration. I walked this morning, feeling isolated and alone. Almost an hour I walked with my dog Dexter. He pants. I pray. I talk out loud and sometimes raise my voice at God. People must think I'm mentally ill, and maybe I am. I just wish that one of them would stop me an ask what's wrong. Do you ever just long for someone to put their hand on your shoulder and say, "It's OK."? Never underestimate the power of the human touch, especially when you feel nothing. I feel cold and completely alone. The clicks of Dexter's nails on the concrete remind me of a clock. The seconds ticking by, reminding me that times stands still while in the depths of depression.   

Recently, I told God that I hated Him. Not because of who He is, or what He's done in my life, but because of what He seems to have not done. I assume that God can handle me saying that. Teenagers often tell their parents that they hate them, right? They come back and apologize and mom and dad know they don't mean it. I told God that I didn't mean it. He knows. But I felt it. I wanted Him to hurt like I'm hurting. Maybe I feel hatred toward God because I feel hatred toward myself. What is self-love? How are you supposed to love yourself when all you want to do is flee from the person you've become? It's a paradox.   

This morning I read the words of Psalm 88. I'm living Psalm 88.But in the midst of depression, I hold onto faith. Faith in a God that has pulled me out of deeper pits. Although I feel life ebbing away, I know that it will be restored just as quickly as it's slipped away from me. I take solace in knowing that things have been much worse and I survived. Like the Psalmist, I'll continue to call on the Lord "every day" and keep bringing my petitions before Him. I'll shake my fists at my Maker and raise my voice to Him. But I trust Him. I know that joy will come again, because I've tasted it before. I've reveled in it. Possibly, that's why the depths of depression hit me so hard. When you've tasted the goodness of God, and been taken to higher planes of living, the distance back down is even further. We fall, but rise again. I will. I always do.           
     

Stations of the Cross: Station 5 - Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

          

“As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.”

Luke 23:26

Simon, coming in from the  fields

pressed to carry Your cross. 

He heard Your cries.

 He felt Your pain.

 Did he sense who You really were?

 That You were more

 than a mere man?

 Have I been pressed

to carry Your cross as well? 

My own cross?

My own suffering?

I’ll walk by Your side, Lord

I’ll carry the cross

until it is finished.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006 

Stations of the Cross: Station 4 - Jesus Meets His Mother

"Simon said to Mary, His mother: This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that all will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed .  And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Luke 2:34

 I can only imagine

Your Mother’s deep love for You, Lord

and imagine her grief at

watching You suffer and die. But it

 is beyond my imagination,

beyond comprehension,

  to contemplate her realization

 that You were her Lord and

 Savior, and the unspeakable

joy of witnessing Your glorious

resurrection.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Stations of the Cross - Jesus Falls

Station 3

Jesus Falls

He “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.”

Philippians 2:7 & 8

How strange to see You fall

as anyone does who cannot go on.

When we feel that we cannot take another step.

And yet You rise again,

to take the few steps more that You can.

Jesus,

give Your grace to me

when I fall and

cannot rise on my own.

Lift me to my feet

That I make walk beside You again

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006 

 

Stations of the Cross - Jesus Carries His Cross

Station 2 

Jesus Carries His Cross  

“So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.  Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgatha).”

John 19:16 & 17

Led to Calvary,

carrying the cross

By Yourself.

Alone.

Abandon. 

Yet was the cross only Yours,

or was it mine to carry as well?

Jesus, by Your cross

make me strong and able

to take up the cross that I

 must bear each day.

I meditate on the wood.

The weight.

The pain.

I carry it with you, Lord.

I won’t let go.

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006  

Lenten Reflections: Entitlement

"....they crucified Jesus...and they cast lots to divide his clothing." - Luke 22:33-34
 
"Mine!"

Even the youngest of children have an entitlement mentality.   

We want what is OURS.  We want what we deserve. We want what we earned. We want to keep what we've worked for. 

"It's mine!"

A sense of entitlement permeates the culture that we live in. One of the disadvantages of a Capitalistic society is that it has the propensity to create selfishness. And one of the after effects of selfishness is a false sense of security. With the tightest of grips, we hold on to what is OURS. Our "stuff" makes us feel safe.

The poor remain poor.

The wealthy remain wealthy.

We keep what's ours.

Christ lived a life of poverty. He came into this world with nothing. He left this world with nothing. Even after His last breath was breathed, the last few possessions were taken from Him.

While His example was one of humility, selflessness and sacrifice, Western Christianity has not exactly followed His lead. Our possessions become weights around our necks that keep us from fulfilling what Christ has called us to do. A culture of over-consumption has made even the poorest in America wealthy by the worlds standards.

Instead of building God's Kingdom for all, we have chosen to build little kingdoms for ourselves.

If we could narrow down the main message of Lent, it would be sacrifice. We sacrifice in order to share oneness with Christ, while reflecting on the sacrificial life that He lived. We sacrifice so that our hearts become more open to sin; sin that was covered over by sacrificial death.

Nothing is really OURS to begin with. When we see life from this perspective, OURS becomes THEIRS. THEIRS becomes GOD'S, and in divine irony, GOD'S becomes OURS.

Lord, in a culture  of consumption and possession, we find it difficult to let go of what we feel we are entitled to. In doing so, we don't reveal Your Kingdom, but build kingdoms for ourselves. Help us to let go of the entitlement mentality and focus more our releasing more of what we have. We thank You for Your blessings and ask You to help us take better care or what You're given us. Amen  


 

 

Stations of the Cross - Jesus is Condemned

Station 1

Jesus is Condemned

“‘Here is your king’,  

Pilate said to the Jews.  But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’… Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.”

John 19:14-16

“Behold your king,” says Pilate.

“Away with him,” The people shout.

And they sent you to your death.

Lord Jesus, Word made flesh,

Light for this dark world,

Light my path

In times that I feel alone

Rejected

Condemned

As this journey begins,

As you stand before me,

 condemned by the world,

may love compel my every

 step, as I walk with you

Art by Lindsey Leigh - 2006

Technological Induced Simplicity

I can't think of a verse that sums up my outlook on life these days. "give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread." - Proverbs 30:8

Over the last couple of years, I've been seeking more simplicity in my life; not only physical simplicity, but mental and spiritual spiritually as well. I was as if I came to a point in my journey where the "things" of life became frustrating distractions and I began to pursue the old adage, "More is less". Or maybe I just began to understand what that phrase really means. Through simplicity, I've found more peace than I ever imagined possible. As I focus more on obtaining less and getting rid of what I don't need, I find that the things I once zealously pursued, I don't really want after all. The lure of accumulating unnecessary possessions doesn't drive me as much as it once did, and because of that, I feel that a liberating burden has been lifted from my shoulders.

Now, I am by no means perfect. There are still times when a certain "thing" will catch my attention and I hear that subtle little voice whisper, "You GOT to have that!". And I admit that I give into it from time to time. But often these days, I find myself rejecting the materialistic attractions and moving my focus on to things that will actually bring me more peace. It's not always easy. We live in a culture in which we are endlessly inundated with advertising messages that are geared toward breaking the resolve of even the most ascetic among us. From the moment we wake, we are selected, targeted, marketed and most of the time, sold. You can begin your day feeling completely content, only to end the day feeling that you are somehow incomplete because you didn't buy this or that.

But physical things are not the only distractions that clutter our lives and increase our stress levels. We can inundate our lives with mental and spiritual junk as well. In fact, a case could be made that this form of accumulating is more dangerous that the former. The seemingly endless pursuit of more knowledge can exhaust us just as effectively as buying things for the sake of possession. Think about this for a minute. With an increasing technologically advanced culture, knowledge has become just as much of a commodity as the things you can see, touch and smell. The pursuit of a seemingly endless stream of information forces us to slip into the false sense that we have to be "connected" 24/7.  We wake up with out iphones resting beside our beds, powering up for another full day of access.  We turn on of computers before bushing our teeth and carry our laptops or tablets with us wherever we go, as to not loose one second of informational access. If we're not "connected", we're out of the loop, and that means someone else is "connected" and downloading junk into their brains before you. Keeping up with the Jones is not just a an issue of having what your neighbor has, but it extends to cyberspace and has become a desperate need to know what they know.

Spiritual accumulation can be a problem as well, although this one might be a bit more difficult to overcome.  After all, why would it be such a bad thing to become more spiritual and accumulate more spiritual wisdom than the next guy? Well, I think this one goes hand in hand with the accumulation of information. As technology advances and information becomes more easily accessible, our accumulation for the spiritual things increases as well. Don't get me wrong. This is not necesassily always a bad thing. But the problem arises when we subconsiously begin to equate more information with more spirituality. We all know that the accuumulation of more information does not guarentee more knowledge. Consequently, more information does not always mean a deeper spiritual life. In fact, many times the opposite it true because our focus rests on the means and not the end.

Sometimes I think that the pursuit of accumulation, whether it's physical, emotional or spiritual, is simply a distraction from ourselves and dealing with the realities that confront us each day. Being disconnected from ourselves creates a false emotional, spiritual and comfortable disconnect. When we face ourselves, we sometimes begin to feel isolated, and when we feel isolated, we feel uneasy and sometimes afraid. We feel as if we're out of the loop because we don't have what someone else has or know what they know. When we feel disconnected, our spiritual life becomes disconnected because we feel that we're somehow spiritually inferior to others.  In reality, when we face ourselves, our fears, angers and frustrations, we inadvertently delves further into the spiritual and grow more in wisdom and security. I believe that these are the times when we experience the most intimate communion with God.

When our focus is driven outside ourselves, toward others, possessions and position, we actually find ourselves serving masters that have no real control over us. The apparent control is in actuality nothing more than a phantom. In reality, our souls cry out for God in all of His simplicity, and through complete communion with Him, we actually find complete communion with ourselves. God is Spirit. (See John 4:24), and as we worship Him in Spirit, we realize that we are one with ourselves. (See 1 Corinthians 3:16)  Complete union with God. Complete union with self.
                                                   

Advent reflections: 4th Sunday - 12/23/2012

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:30-33 (NIV)

Reflection

Sometimes it is in our darkest hour that we finally hear the words from God, “Do not be afraid.” We often go about our days, rushing from one place to another, feeling as though we are spinning our wheels. We attempt to conquer our to-do lists, but they end up longer than before. We pay one bill, and two more come in the mail. We finally “get there”, wherever that may be, only to realize that we are utterly and completely lost. This is the point that many of us know all too well:  the point of complete exhaustion. The point when we feel as if we can’t take another step. We can’t handle another responsibility or deal with another disappointment, and then…

Through the silence. Through the pauses for a deep breath. Through the anxiety and fear. We 

hear it. “Do not be afraid.” You’ve heard it, haven’t you? The voice of God? The voice that calls out to you when you feel as if the final wave has crashed over you, and no amount of strength will bring you to the surface? You hear it. “Do not be afraid,” and suddenly, when you least expect it, you feel the peace that goes beyond your understanding. You realize that He is there, He loves you and you have found favor with Him. 

It’s easy to imagine that Mary may have been in a place like this. She had been going about her life as usual, trying to make ends meet and prepare for her marriage to Joseph. From what we know of this young couple, they didn’t have it easy. Life was not without struggles and fears and they had both probably accepted that their future would be bit of an upward climb. Needless to say, the Bible tells us that Mary was afraid when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. But rather than first announcing to her that she would become pregnant, and that her baby would be God’s only Son, he focuses on Mary’s immediate need first. One of God’s children was afraid and He comforts her in the way only He can. “Do not be afraid.” 

           

Prayer

Lord, we thank You for comforting us when we need You the most. As the Angel Gabriel told Mary to not be afraid, let us hear those same words when we face fears, uncertainties and troubles in life.  Amen  

New Stuff: A Back to School Devotion for Youth

Well, it's back to school time again!  I know!  Stinks, doesn't it?  I mean, can you believe that Summer is already over?  As always, it went by fast!  A new school year can mean different things for different people. Some of us are ready to get back into the school routine and some of us are bummed out. Some of us might be feeling excited to see old friends and make new ones, and some of us might just be sad that summer is over. You might even be a little scared about going back to school because of all the “new” things that you are going to face. You will have to deal with “new” teachers, try and make “new” friends, and some of you might even be going to a “new” school. School is not always easy, is it? And when there are “new” things to experience, it can be even                                                                more challenging for all of us.

Starting a new school year is also a time when we see that many people around us seem to have “new stuff". Some people have new clothes, new phones, new ipods, new backpacks and maybe even a new car. And if we let it get to us, it can bring us down because other people have new” things that we don’t have. When we see a lot of “new stuff" it can even make us a little angry because we want those things for ourselves.  We’re only human, right? I mean, who doesn’t want “new stuff”? 

The big companies want us to feel envy for what other people have and how they look.  They spend tons of money on commercials and adverting in hopes that you’ll feel envious enough to spend as much effort and money as you can to buy what they’re selling.  And what happens next?  We start comparing ourselves to others, right? When we do this, we get jealous, angry and feel like we’re not as good as other people. This kind of thinking is messed up, and not the way the world is supposed to be!

But let’s face it. We all feel like this sometime. I know I do. The problem with envy is that it leads us feeling unhappy, empty and lonely. Like a cancer, it gets inside us, and starts to eat away at our soul. It's a sickness!  But the great thing is; we don’t have to feel this way! God wants us to know that “new stuff” is not always the things that we can see or touch. By trusting in Him, He gives us a “new” way of seeing life and the world around us! Instead of feeling envy, God can help us to feel love for others and love them because of who they are, not what they have or don’t have!

By trusting in God, he gives us a new way of life that is not based on the stuff we have or don’t have. The “new stuff” that God wants for all of us is on the inside. Let it out! He wants us to love instead of hate! He wants us to share what we have, even when we only have a little! He wants us to not be alone, but live together in families, schools, churches and all kinds of communities! God wants all of us to have “new stuff”, but most importantly, he wants us to have a “new life”! We can have “new life” through Him and by loving each other! Trust in God this school year, and make this a year of “New Stuff”!

The Good Life

“A rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find a Southern fisherman lying leisurely beside his boat. ‘Why aren’t you fishing?’ asked the industrialist.

“ ‘Because I have caught enough fish for the day,’ said the fisherman.

“ ‘Why don’t you catch some more?’

“ ‘What would I do with them?’

“ ‘You could earn more money,’ was the reply. ‘With that, you could fix a motor to your boat, go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough money to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats . . . maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me.’

“ ‘What would I do then?’

“ ‘Then you could really enjoy life.’

“ ‘What do you think I am doing right now?’ said the fisherman.”

                                                                                                              Anthony de Mello

Lenten Reflections - Being Good Enough

Isaiah 6:1-8

"I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.' At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.'

Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.'

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"

I found myself reading through this passage of Isaiah this morning as part of my devotions for Lent. My first thought was that God was speaking directly to Isaiah when He said, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” But I realized that Isaiah only overheard God while He was calling out to these bizarre flying creatures that surrounded him. What's a "seraph" anyway?  It was Isaiah that took the initiative to answer God’s call. Isaiah wasn’t forced into serving God. No one twisted his arm or made him feel guilty. He only heard the call of God, realized that the stakes were high and answered. No questions asked, just “Send me!”

How often do we find ourselves thinking that we are just not good enough to serve God? How often do we think that others are more qualified? How often have we thought that our past failures or screw-ups keep us from being used by God?  We can see from scripture that Isaiah wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t necessarily ready. There may have been others more qualified. But God revealed to Isaiah that the only requirement for serving Him was something we often forget: being available.

God needs people who will readily answer the call simply because it is Him who asks. And He doesn’t need us to pass a test first and He doesn’t want us to dwell on our past failures. He wants imperfect people that will humbly receive His forgiveness, and impulsively and radically answer, “Send me!” God isn’t looking for ability, as much as He is looking for availability. As we celebrate Lent, let us meditate on what it means to be available, and answer when He calls, regardless of the cost.

KONY 2012 and Invisible Children

By now, I'm sure that most of you have heard of the KONY 2012 movement.  Several people have asked my opinion on the issue and to be honest, I haven't really developed one at this time.  There have been some very legitimate concerns regarding allocation of finances, Ugandan military support and questions regarding the organizations overall intentions.  However, regardless the questions that have developed, at the heart of this issue, there still lies the evil of Joseph Kony and the overwhelming tragedy stemming from his actions.  From a Kingdom of God perspective, this is not something that can be ignored followers of Christ or the Church in general.  The best thing to do before deciding to support any charitable action is to of course spend time in deep prayer and meditation on the issue.  Then spend some effort on researching the background of the issues at hand and the organizations behind the movement.  I've decided to dedicate the remainder of this blog to a blog by Rachel Held Evans, who has done the best job so far in chronicling the details, facts and opinions of the KONY 2012 issue in a very open and non-bias format.  You can read her blog below, or at her website to join the discussion.


Some Resources on the Invisible Children Controversy:  Rachel Held Evans   

When I shared the Invisible Children’s now-viral Kony 2012 video on the blog this morning, I had no idea it would be so controversial. At first I was surprised, then frustrated, then—after hearing from so many of you—strangely encouraged by the fact that we’re actually getting passionate and worked up about something that matters! 

If you haven’t already heard, the charity Invisible Children launched a campaign this week to make Joseph Kony, the Ugandan leaders of the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) famous. By making Kony famous, they hope to mobilize millions to pressure Washington to continue assisting the Ugandan government in their efforts to hunt down and arrest Kony for his war crimes against children.
It was Invisible Children that first made me aware of the plight of child soldiers around the world, and so I’ve always been sympathetic to their cause.  However, some have raised legitimate concerns about Invisible Children’s strategy and finances, suggesting that IC may do more to hurt the situation than help it. 

This is an important conversation to have, and I’m convinced we can have it without questioning one another’s motives or resorting to personal attacks.  I think it’s safe to assume that the overwhelming majority of those who have devoted their time and money to trying to help families suffering injustice have done so out of compassion and a sincere desire to help.   We can’t let naivety on the one hand or cynicism on the other prevent us from seeking a peaceful resolution to this conflict. 

So with that in mind, here are some of the most helpful resources shared by readers on Twitter, Facebook, and the blog. 

I’ll be updating this as new ones come in, so be sure to check back. 

Background...

 

The New York Times: Topics/Archives, “Lord’s Resistance Army” 

The Washington Post: “Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army: A Primer”

The New York Times: Video, “On the Hunt for Joseph Kony” 

Foreign Affairs: “Obama Takes on the LRA” (this artcle includes one of the earliest criticisms of IC) 

International Crisis Group’s November 2011 Report on the LRA 

Lisa Ling reports on the LRA for The Oprah Show

Christianity Today - "Deliver Us From Joseph Kony"

From Invisible Children...

 

Invisible Children Web Site

Invisible Children Team

Invisible Children Financials

Kony 2012 Video

Kony 2012 Campaign 

Facebook response from John Rudolph Beaton, Crisis Tracker Project Developer for IC

Invisible Children - Official Response to Critiques *NEW*

Critiques & Responses...

 

Visible Children

David Sangokoya (Nigerian American aid worker) – “Selling Old Newspapers Shouldn’t Be Profitable” 

Solome Lemma (Innovate Africa) – “You Don’t Have My Vote”

Justice In Conflict – “Taking Kony 2012 Down a Notch” and “Kony 2012: The Invisible Children Advocacy Campaign to Catch Kony” 

James McCarty – “Christian Ethics, Invisible Children,  Kony 2012, and International Advocacy”

Joshua Keating (Foreign Policy Magazine) - “Joseph Kony is not in Uganda and other complicated things”

Angelo Izama - “Invisible Children’s Campaign of Infamy” 

Musa Okwonga - “Stop Kony, yes. But don’t stop asking questions”

Dianna Anderson - "On Kony 2012 and Thinking Critically" *NEW*

Press Coverage...

 

Washington Post: “Invisible Children Responds to Criticism  About ‘Stop Kony’ Campaign"

NPR: “Ugandan Warlord Joseph Kony Under Spotlight Thanks to Viral Video”

Christianity Today: Why Joseph Kony is Trending *NEW*

Other Resources...

 

Charity Navigator’s Report on Invisible Children

Charity Watch – “The Best Ways to Assist in Providing Emergency Relief in Uganda”
When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert

(Note: I’ve not yet read this book, but it comes highly recommended by folks I respect) 

From the Blog...

 

“Poverty Tourism, Poverty Elitism, and Grace” (seems relevant) 
And we've been discussing the issue over on my Facebook Page as well

I'll continue updating this page, so check back for new information. (I'll indicate which articles are new.) 

What are your thoughts on Kony 2012 and Invisible Children?