Perfectly Complete

God is fascinating. Really. I am constantly amazed by His creativity. It is astounding to me how He gives us both free will and miracles. How He manages to be present and active in our daily lives without forcing Himself upon us will ever and always amaze and bless me. There are times when He seems so far away and times (like this week) when He has felt ever-so-near. Both have the capacity to strengthen and bless us because God is just like that. Amazing. Wonderful. Creative. Indescribable.

One of the surest ways for God to speak to me is through conversation with others. I had a series of conversations with a couple of people yesterday that truly blessed me. Actually, it sort of started as eavesdropping. I wasn't trying to overhear, I just happened to be in the workroom while a conversation was happening about perfection. I overheard two people talking about our standard and need for perfection. They were talking about trying to encourage people in their lives to strive for excellence, not perfection.

I couldn't resist chiming in, so I peeked my head around the corner. I mentioned that in the New Testament (Greek) the word for "perfect," actually means "complete." We started talking about what that meant and I soon found myself in the middle of a conversation that I needed to have. I joined the conversation to share a little insight and gained much more for myself. I was reminded of my own perfectionist tendencies (at an all-time high these days...) and sensed God speaking to me through my own words and this conversation with others.

What I said to the two other women was that to be "perfect" is simply to be "complete" in Christ. This is Christian perfection. God requires it of us because He knows what is best for us. Nothing else will satisfy. But we've made perfection into something we attain on our own. This should not be. I was reminded of this yesterday and freed once again from the tyranny of striving for perfection apart from Christ.

I left the conversation already feeling blessed and went back to my office. I pulled out my devotional to read for the day. You can guess the theme for the day: perfection. God is so cool. I'll leave you with these words from Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning.

"You know, in spite of the fact that Christianity speaks of the cross, redemption, and sin, we're unwilling to admit failure in our lives. Why? Partially, I guess because it's human nature's defense mechanism against its own inadequacies. But even more so, it's because of the successful image our culture demands of us. There are some real problems with projecting the perfect image. First of all, it's simply not true. We are not always happy, optimistic, in command. Second, projecting the flawless image keeps us from reaching people who feel we just wouldn't understand them. And third, even if we could live a life with no conflict, suffering, or mistakes, it would be a shallow existence. The Christian with depth is the person who has failed and who has learned to live with his failure."

The Way of Holiness

We are studying Ephesians in Sunday School during the summer months. I absolutely love this letter. It has long been one of my favorites of the Epistles. This is largely due to a title it was given in my old Student Bible. During a particularly frustrating time in my journey, I discovered Ephesians. I flipped open my Bible and found this title: A Book for the Discouraged. It was like a personal invitation from God to dig deep into the letter. I devoured it and have returned to it over and over again in my journey. I hope it blesses you the way it blesses me every time I read it.

The beauty of Ephesians is that it is not only an encouraging book. This book will also challenge you if you will let it. If you let Paul's words sink in, you will not be able to finish the book unchanged for the better. This letter to the Ephesians will free you from the status quo and take you to deeper places in your walk if you really pay attention. Allow it to encourage, convict, and inspire you and you will never be the same.

One of the major themes in the letter is holiness. That is not something we talk about in everyday conversation. If you're like me, just the word holy conjures up some uptight and rigid images that I would rather not associate myself with as a Christian. Then there are the more positive images and thoughts of people who I really would consider holy. Some of these people I know personally, others I have only come to know through my love affair with the saints of the ages and church history in general.

Holiness is not something we talk about everyday, but we should be encountering it in each other everyday. Holiness is our calling as Christians. We are called to pursue holiness because God himself is holy and demands the same of us (see Leviticus 11:44a). And what is holiness but simply recognizing our need for God and seeking His holy face?

Wesley called the pursuit of purity "holiness of heart and life." I think it is safe to say that all of us long for that phrase to fit us and describe us. In your pursuit of holiness, remember that the journey begins by sitting down and letting God lavish his love on you.

I leave you with these wise words on holiness from Frederick Buechner. May we all see the other way of being human in this world that is holiness. I daresay if we would our world would never be the same.

"It is in Jesus, of course, and in people whose lives have been deeply touched by Jesus, and in ourselves at those moments when we also are deeply touched by him that we see another way of being human in this world, which is the way of holiness." - Frederick Buechner

Divine Double Take

When pressed as to what was the greatest commandment, Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind' (Deuteronomy 6:5). This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Leviticus 19:18)." This reply, found in Matthew 22:37-39, is significant to us for more than just the obvious reasons.

That last part of the second commandment has captured my attention...the "as ourselves." We know the first part well and have even memorized the second part, but it hasn't really registered to us. I know this is true because if it had we would treat ourselves and others differently.

In my own meditations on the "as ourselves" I stumbled across a fantastic book about this very thing. The book is called A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self Hatred by Brennan Manning. It was a life-changing read for me, reminding me of the immeasurable love God has for me that I need only receive. And it is only in this reception that I am truly able to love Him and others fully. I encourage you to get your hands on a copy of this remarkable book...yesterday.

Below is an excerpt from another one of Manning's books, Lion and Lamb. Most of his books carry the common theme (major or minor) of accepting God's infinite love and grace. This one is the same and bears repeating as we consider the "as ourselves" part of God's commandment to us.

"One of the most shocking contradictions in Christian living is the intense dislike many disciples of Jesus have for themselves. They are more displeased, impatient, irritated, unforgiving, and spiteful with their own shortcomings than they would ever dream of being with someone else's. They would never judge any other of God's children with the savage self-condemnation with which they crush themselves.

Through experiencing the relentless tenderness of Jesus, we learn first of all to be with ourselves. To the extent that we allow the compassion of the Lord to invade our hearts, we are freed from the...self-hatred that we are now even ashamed of. It is simply not possible to know the Christ of the Gospels unless we alter our attitude toward ourselves and take sides with him against our own self-evaluation. Would you like to know this moment how Jesus feels about you? Bernard Bush says this is the way you will know: if you love yourself intensely and freely, then your feelings about yourself correspond perfectly to the sentiments of Jesus.

And the divine double take, of course, is that loving ourselves frees us to love others."

- Brennan Manning, Lions and Lambs

Stillness and Sabbath

I have just returned from a week at the beach with my wonderful fiancé and his sweet family. It was great to just get away and enjoy the ocean and the beach. I love how time seems to move at a different speed when you find yourself on a beach somewhere. It is hard to explain. It is even harder for a person like me to surrender to something like that.

This week at the beach really revealed to me how difficult it is for me to simply be. I long for it, but have hard time embodying it. I'll give myself a little grace this time, given this was the first full week I spent with my future in-laws. They are exceptional people, deeply loving and incredibly hospitable. They are thoughtful and fun people all-around. Still...it is hard to really relax while you are still getting to know your new family! There is in me a deep desire to please people, especially these people! Needless to say, it took me a few days to really relax. This is ironic given the fact that the men of the family are incredibly easy-going and generally relaxed themselves. His mom is relaxed in her own way (she fell asleep on the beach almost everyday), but is more concerned with whether you're relaxed and having a good time (like most moms!). The whole week was wonderful, but it was especially nice once I just relaxed and let go.

I learned from this - my first full week of pure vacation in my professional career - that I really struggle with rest and relaxation. I think this is because I rarely relax in the day-to-day. It is impossible for us to let go when we're on vacation or a retreat if we have not already learned to do so in our daily lives. This is why our Lord has always encouraged Sabbath rest. He knew well the importance of coming apart to rest, relax, and revive. We see evidences of it and the importance of it throughout the Old and New Testaments. Why, then, do we find rest so difficult? I say "we," because I know that I am not alone in this.

I heard someone say once that Sabbath is not a day in the week, it is a state of the heart. This is undoubtedly true. So, how do we begin to create of our hearts what Thomas Kelly calls an "inner sanctuary"? I am not sure I have a definitive answer to that, but I believe it begins with confession and prayer. Begin by telling God that you struggle with simply being and resting. Ask for forgiveness and for the strength to embody a stillness of soul. Pray the same prayer each day for a few weeks. Consider using one of the prayers of the saints like the one below (or other short prayers) or Psalm 46:10 (or another Psalm). When I do this, I find myself better able to be still no matter what is happening around me. I am beginning this practice again today and hope you will join me in the same.

"O Lord, my God, grant us Your peace;
already, indeed, you have made us rich in all things!
Give us that peace of being at rest, that sabbath peace,

the peace which knows no end."

St. Augustine

Breathless with Amazement

I thought you all might enjoy this beautiful prayer by Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1703-1791). His words are rich and deep, inspiring and challenging...

"Lord, when my eye confronts my heart, and I realize that You have filled my heart with Your love, I am breathless with amazement. Once my heart was so small in its vision, so narrow in its compassion, so weak in its zeal for truth. Then You chose to enter my heart, and now in my heart i can see you, I can love all your people, and I have courage to proclaim the trust of Your gospel to anyone and everyone. Like wax before a fire, my heart has melted under the heat of Your love."

My Leader and Provider

Enjoy this excerpt from the daily This Day with the Master by Dennis Kinlaw. It will encourage, inspire, and challenge you as you enter the summer months. Regardless of where you find yourself over the next few months, remember that God is leading you. You are not alone. He is with you and longs to love you and love others through you in whatever you do this summer.

"One of the happiest things that occurs in salvation is that suddenly we find we are not alone. The Lord Jesus comes into our life, and he is present there in the same way he was in the boat with the disciples when the storm came. He delivered the disciples from their fears and from the threat of the storm. After our conversion we find that he is not only present but also at work in us and in our circumstances.

There ought to be evidences in a person's life when Christ is in residence. Other people ought to be able to sense the presence of the risen Christ. When Israel followed Yahweh, there were certain evidences of God's leadership. Likewise, when Jesus told his disciples to follow him, their lives became set apart from the rest of the world because of that primary relationship with him. This is the essence of the Christian life. When we turn our attention to Christ, we turn away from our own desires, plans, and purposes. We hear the call of Christ, and we follow. Christ's purposes then become our purposes.

When we allow Christ to separate us from all else in order to be in his presence, then God is able to provide for us in ways comparable to his provision for the people of Israel. When they were hungry, God provided food. When they were thirsty, God provided drink. When they needed protection, God provided deliverance. When they needed guidance, he provided a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to lead them. When we enter into a relationship with God, he becomes our Guide, our Leader, or Provider, and our Protector."

A Journey Without Maps

"Faith is better understood as a verb than as a noun, as a process than as a possession. It is on-again-off-again rather than once-and-for-all. Faith is not being sure where you're going but going anyway. A journey without maps." - Frederick Buechner

Journey. I really love that word. It awakens something in me that I cannot explain. It seems so...infinite and inviting.

Infinite because it seems to capture the endless possibilities and lessons to be learned in this life. Also because as Christians we know that we are not Home yet, but we're ever on our way. Sometimes that way is treacherous. Sometimes it is wondrous. Most of the time it falls somewhere in between.

Inviting because it seems so...communal. The idea of journey seems to imply that there are others on the road with us. Oh sure, sometimes it seems as if we are all alone on our journey. Like we are being asked to walk this endless road by ourselves. We feel lonely, abandoned, and utterly isolated. But this is all an illusion. There is at least that Eternal Someone there beside us and often countless others surrounding us seeking to walk the same path. On our best days there's a tangible person or two with whom we can share the ups and downs of the journey who has chosen to take the journey, too.

This is what a life of faith is: a journey without maps. There have been times in my life when that thought might have caused me to shudder. These days I am in the more enthusiastic camp. I like the idea that there is no real blueprint for the journey...only endless possibilities and a God who has promised to go before me and with me all the way (Deuteronomy 31:8). And because I am a part of the greater communion of saints - past and present - I have a community of people who love and support me along the way.

This journey without maps is the way of the person of faith. And what an amazing journey it can be if we simply surrender to it! My prayer for you is that you'll embrace it. Walk the path with holy confidence. Whether you find yourself simply closing another semester or actually graduating, just give yourself to the journey. You'll find a lot of unexpected things along the way. There are some things you can count on through it all: the hand of God to hold you, His love to sustain you, and companions for the journey.