Emmanuel

Emmanuel was the name Jesus was given at his birth. It is literally translated "God with us." Let that sink in for a minute.

God with us.

God with us.

God with us.

God with us.

Is there anything more mysteriously beautiful than the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ?

There is little else to say at this point but amen. May you experience Emmanuel anew this Christmas season and throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas!

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:14

Welcome to Our World

Welcome to Our World by Chris Rice

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

On Advent

"Advent is the beginning of the end of all in us that is not yet Christ." -- Thomas Merton

Once again, Thomas Merton has arrested me with his words. These sixteen words have been haunting me for a few days now. I am not struggling with their meaning. It is pretty straight-forward, don't you think? This season we love so much because it prepares us for the birth of our Savior and the joy of things to come (i.e. - that Christ will come again) is even more than that. Advent is not just about waiting expectantly for our Savior, it is about dying to ourselves and becoming more like Christ. If it sounds more like Lent to you, I would say you are not alone. But I find myself convinced of and convicted by Merton's words about this season.

If Advent really is about preparing ourselves to celebrate Christ's birth and anticipate his return, what Merton said must be part of that. This season must be the start of something deeper in us personally. As we celebrate His birth, we must celebrate our death. Only in death to ourselves can we experience the light and life that Christ brings. Only when we come to the end of ourselves can we begin again with Christ.

I love Advent more every year as my understanding of it grows. This quote from Merton is challenging, but I like it. I think there's real truth in his words. Any thoughts?

(NOTE: This post was taken from a blog I wrote elsewhere during Advent last year. Merton's words continue to resonate with me. I hope they will find a place with you this Advent Season, too.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

"You have given so much to me. Give one thing more...a grateful heart." - George Herbert

"Lord, you are to be blessed and praised; all good things come from You. You are in our words and in our thoughts, and in all that we do." - St. Teresa of Avila

As you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with your family, may you also remember and give thanks for all that God has given you. May you remember his goodness to you in the year behind you and look forward expectantly for promised blessings in the year to come. God bless you!

The Path of Perpetual Wonder

I have a well-worn copy of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers on my shelf. Actually, I have several copies. I received a couple of them when I graduated from high school and never opened them. I received another one summer for being on staff as a camp counselor. I did use that one...but only during the summer. Finally, I bought my own copy upon graduating from college to use in an accountability group with a couple of high school girls. That is the one that is well-worn.

I am relatively sure that I still have not read the entire devotional. It is a difficult read in some ways, cutting you to the core. That can get exhausting. Still, it is a book I return to again and again.

As I browsed through it again today, I ran across this quote. I have nothing to add. His words say it all. I thought this might speak to you all in the midst of the uncertainty called college. May it inspire and challenge you as you seek to follow Him.

"You do not know what you are going to do;the only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually revise your attitude towards God and see if it is a going out of everything, trusting in God entirely. It is this attitude that keeps you in perpetual wonder - you do not know what God is going to do next. Each morning you wake it is to be a "going out," building in confidence on God.

Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is."

Being Here Now

"Watch with glittering eyes the world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places." - Roald Dahl

I love the season of Fall. I love to watch the leaves change...and the temperature. With fall comes color, cider, warm blankets, bonfires, and the holidays. This year our Fall was a little delayed. The leaves aren't as bright as usual because of the lack of consistent rain and a late frost last year. Even still, this season is beautiful. I think somehow the sparseness of the color has made me notice it even more. As I drive down random streets, I encounter a bright red or bright orange tree here or there and it just takes my breath away. God is so creative.

The season of Fall also means the stress of tests, papers, and projects for you as a student. I know...I was one not long ago. I remember well the feeling of excitement for the holidays coupled with the tension of finishing what felt like a thousand papers and projects each year during seminary. The irony of it all is that just outside of the library where I spent the better part of my afternoons and evenings (and some mornings!) stood the most gorgeous ginkgo tree you could ever imagine. (See the photo above for a glimpse of a ginkgo tree right here in Arkansas. The one at Asbury was even larger and more vibrant than this one!). Most days I was too wrapped up in my studies to see it. Even in the middle of Kentucky (stunning in the Fall, by the way...), I found it difficult to enjoy this season I love so much.

My challenge to you today is to be present in this season and every season of your life. It is so easy to look too far forward and miss what God is saying right in front of you. Even looking too far ahead to otherwise good things (holidays, family, graduation, etc.) can cause us to miss the unbelievable things He is trying to say to us and show us in our present. And He has so much to say to us through creation and the created...

Stop. Breathe. Relax. Enjoy. Pray. Listen. Be.

Our Major Effort

"To cling always to God and to the things of God - this must be our major effort, this must be the road that the heart follows unswervingly." - John Cassian (c. 365-435)

This quote is a permanent fixture on my desk. I cut it out of a little devotional book because it spoke to me. I look at it and find myself wondering if I am really doing as it says. Do I cling to God or to my own idea of how things should be? Do I find myself following after God unswervingly or relentlessly after my own will? What does it even mean to cling to God unswervingly? Is all of this my major effort or am I spending the better part of my time on lesser things?

The answers to those questions are not always as positive as I would like them to be. I find myself taking detours and shortcuts more than I would like to admit. I often cling to my ideas of what it all ought to look like and fail to see what God is trying to say all around me. I expend a lot of energy on things that are not of God like worry and fear. My heart is easily swerved off the path of faith and trust.

Despite all of this, though, I believe that I am doing what this quote says to the best of my ability. I believe that awareness of where we falter is evidence of where our heart truly is on any given day. I join the late monk Thomas Merton (1915-1968) in my belief that the desire to please God does, in fact, please him (see the full prayer here).

Do you find yourself struggling to hold fast to God and follow Him unswervingly? If so, you are in good company. You are not alone. If we are honest, we all struggle to stay the course. But God is faithful and does not leave us to walk the path alone.

Need some reminders? Print out the prayer linked above and place it somewhere you'll see it often. Memorize Hebrews 10:23. While you're at it, read the rest of that passage (Hebrews 10:19-25) and surround yourself with friends in the faith who will provide the encouragement and support you need to keep going. Engage in the spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, worship, service, celebration...just to name a few!) on a regular basis. And remember that to cling or hold unswervingly requires the effort of at least two...you and God. You and I cannot do that on our own...

Living Close to God

If you're looking for a new daily devotional book, let me encourage you to pick up Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning. It is one that I return to year-after-year. I love the way this man talks about grace and God's unspeakable love for us. I believe it is because he has experienced it so deeply in his life. I think you'd enjoy his reflections. They are filled with Truth and will both encourage and challenge you on the journey. You can find it at Barnes and Noble and countless other places (in stores or online).

Anything you can find by Brennan Manning will bless you and convict you. I have read A Ragamuffin Gospel more than once and find it to be one of those books I return to in dry seasons. I am currently reading A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self-Hatred slowly. It is blessing me and bringing me to my knees, as everything else I've read by this man has done. This particular book is especially good if you struggle with inadequacy and self-doubt.

If your budget is tight right now, put this on your Christmas list and start your year with one of these books. Any of his books will re-order the way you think about God, yourself, and your call as a Christian. He just has a way with words!

Here are a couple of quotes from his books:

"God is tender and loves us as just as we are, not in spite of our sins and faults, but with them. God does not condone or sanction evil, but he does not withhold his love because there is evil in us. The key to this understanding is the way we feel about ourselves. We cannot stand or accept love from another human being when we do not love ourselves, much less believe or accept that God could possibly love us." - A Glimpse of Jesus

"In essence, there is only one thing God asks of us--that we be men and women of prayer, people who live close to God, people for whom God is everything and for whom God is enough." - A Ragamuffin Gospel

I have been convicted lately that more than anything God just wants us to let Him love us. Receiving that love will lead us to trust Him. Allowing ourselves to trust Him will lead us to worship Him. Worshipping will lead us to serve Him. And serving Him will cause us to lean on Him and rely on His love all over again. In the best of all possible worlds that cycle will repeat itself until it all bleeds together and we experience the love, trust, worship, service, and reliance all at once...everyday.

The books I've suggested will help you along the way, but they are no substitute for The Book. They will only serve to point you to The Book. Start with the Psalms. There you will find 150 of the most honest prayers of praise and frustration, joy and pain. From there, move to one of the letters in the NT (Ephesians is always a good one...).

That is all for now...

Continual Conversation with the Creator

It seems that the last post really resonated with many of you. Given the comments (online and in-person) that I received, it is clear that this is something weighing on your heart as a student. How do we live an integrated, undivided life during our college years and beyond? How is that possible, given the number of things demanding our attention on any given day? What does it even look like to live undivided? We desire it, but we're not sure where to start.

It has been a decade since my own graduation from college and I can tell you that I still don't have all the answers to the above questions. I probably never will. What I do have are some ideas that I've gathered from the saints (ancient to modern) that have worked for me. I'll share a few of those (and some resources) in the next few posts.

One of the most fantastic books on seeking an undivided heart and life is The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. This little book (barely 100 pages) gives beautiful insight and wisdom into what it means to live constantly in the presence of God. It is nothing but a series of letters never meant to be published. It has proven indispensable to Christians for years. The practical insights in this book have helped me to realize that I can give God every moment of my day. [Note: It is a priceless book, but you can find it for as little as $2.50 online!]

"He does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time...the least little remembrance will always be most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us that we think." - Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Throughout the book, he encourages those he is writing simply to do everything to the glory of God. For a student that might include studying, driving, walking to class, talking to friends, etc. Thinking of our daily activities this way helps us to take "every thought captive to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). This book radically re-ordered my thoughts on "quiet time" and what devotion to God is really about. Lawrence encourages daily devotions and what we would call "quiet time," and so much more. More than this, though, he is concerned that Christians be in "continual conversation" with God and do everything "for the love of God."

Is it possible to live in "continual conversation" with God in a world that is so filled with noise and distractions? I believe the answer is unequivocally, "Yes!" The how is a different story. There are times in my life when I am better at this than others. It is a constant battle, but one that I am willing to fight so that I might live undivided...and truly free.

The Undivided Heart

"Lord, teach me how you want me to live. Then I will follow your truth. Give me a heart that doesn't want anything more than to worship you." - Psalm 86:11 (NIRV)

It is easy to get into the habit of compartmentalizing your life during your college years. I know...I did just that as a student. I started each week with a "Master Plan." It was beautiful. Daily tasks for school were listed under each day. There were separate boxes for friends and social activities to plan and yet another for my walk with God. I thought that in order to get everything done, I needed to put things into categories: school, work, friends, God, etc. The hope was that by creating this list, I'd give enough to each area to feel as if I was living something resembling a balanced life. But no matter the master plans and the best of intentions, it rarely happened. Oh, I might very well mark everything off my list, but there was an emptiness and a frustration to such a way of life.

Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with getting yourself organized. I still delight in marking things off my "To Do" lists each day/week. I sometimes write things down just so I can mark them off! It makes me feel like I've accomplished a little something for the day. It is nice to be able to look at the day and see where the hours went. I'd encourage you to make some lists of your own and see if you don't have a more productive day/week yourself!

However, I have learned that there are risks involved in this kind of life. If I become too bound by my lists, my relationship with God and with others tends to suffer. Quiet times become just another thing to mark off the list as done. Prayer becomes demanding. Time with friends and with God is reduced to something resembling scheduling an appointment. Looking at it that way (however subconsciously) makes it easy to postpone.

So, what is the solution? Get rid of the sacred "Master Plan" or "To Do" list? Not necessarily...

The solution is to stop compartmentalizing. Integrate your life. Have an undivided heart. Live with your eyes turned to God no matter what you are doing. Studying. Sitting. Praying. Walking. Talking. Relaxing. Everything.

We really should do what the Psalmist said and live our lives in worship and praise to Him. Our relationships, our studies, our rising and our laying down should reflect our love for God. For that to happen, our lives must be integrated, undivided. If you want a kick start to integrating your life, begin in the Psalms. Start with Psalm 86, even. Make the whole thing or even a part of it your prayer for the week.

Living the Uncommon Life

College-life is grand. All around you are opportunities to explore new things. That is how it should be. This is a season of self-discovery and newfound freedom. It is both simple and complicated, full of the exciting and the unexpected. It is (for once!) what our culture says it is...the time of your life. It is the time where you make decisions about life, career, and calling that affect the rest of your life. It is a time of unparalleled freedom and unbelievable pressure. It is a grand experiment and the choices you make and habits you form during these years will be hard to break.

So...live the uncommon life during these years. Go ahead and explore. Re-invent yourself. Believe in your dreams. Make daring decisions. Have fun. Pave your own way. Do everything you should do as a college student...but include God and lean on each other at every turn.

Living your faith is hard. It is especially hard as a university student. It was for me a decade ago and it is for you now. This blog is here to lighten that load. It is a space to read, reflect, and respond. If there is one thing I know about the life of faith it is that we need each other. It is impossible to live an integrated, faithful life without each other.

This blog is an experiment in community. An ongoing conversation where you can comment, question, and support each other. A regular post will appear each week to start the conversation. Visit often. Participate frequently. Question freely.

Let's get started!