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.

Being is Desiring...

"Desire is often talked about as something we ought to overcome. Still, being is desiring: our bodies, our minds, our hearts, and our souls are full of desires. Some are unruly, turbulent, and very distracting; some make us think deep thoughts and see great visions; some teach us how to love; and some keep us searching for God. Our desire for God is the desire that should guide all other desires. Otherwise our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls become one another's enemies and our inner lives become chaotic, leading us to despair and self-destruction.

Spiritual disciplines are not ways to eradicate all our desires, but ways to order them so that they can serve one another and together serve God."

- Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey

I have gone through extended phases in my life where I believed (or was led to believe) that all my desires were wrong. This led to a false sense of fear and and overwhelming feeling of worry. This idea that all desires were wrong desires led to me to believe that if I was content or happy doing something, it was not of God. I got this warped idea that if it wasn't difficult, it wasn't the right path. These things are simply not true and not of God.

Our desires can be a really good thing. A desire to please God that permeates our existence will redeem and reorder other desires that are, as Nouwen put it, a little "unruly" and slightly irrational. The desire and the need for love and community and support is not a bad thing. A desire to make a lasting impression in the world is not a bad desire. Even the desire for another person is not a bad thing. When all of our desires come under our ultimate desire to love God and love people, they are generally good and most certainly of God. God does desire to give us "the desires of our heart" as long as those desires are in keeping with His one desire for us (Psalm 37:4). And what is that but that we know Him and make Him known to others? Far better than we do, He knows our heart's desires and what we need. Let us trust Him to guide us and, in turn, trust ourselves to walk.

Unshakable Confidence

The title for the blog comes from a phrase I picked up from our reading of The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. Those two words have been following me around for the last several days. I cannot escape that phrase - unshakable confidence - and everything it implies. To have a confidence that cannot be shaken requires a great deal of trust and belief. Unshakable implies that this confidence is unwavering, unchanging, unswerving, unflinching, immovable, and steadfast. All of these words seem impossible until we consider that our confidence comes from one whose love for us was/is all of those things.

Manning also shared this quote from Marjorie Kemp, "More pleasing to me than all your prayers, sacrifices, and good works is that you would believe that I love you." And I would add to that simply this: Believing with unshakable confidence that God truly loves us will always call forth love in our lives. We have not fully received God's love if it does not grow in us a desire to share that love with others. Love calls forth love...always.

Words...

In case you haven't noticed, most of the blogs posted here are inspired by other people's words. I have a deep appreciation for prayers and quotes from saints - past and present. I also like the occasional movie or television quote that makes me think or laugh. I am relatively sure I can call up a quote for just about any occasion. In fact, as I talk to people I often find myself thinking of quotes, verses, or songs that describe them (or what they are talking about at the moment).

All of this got me thinking that it might be fun for us to word-share. This is your opportunity to share a quote, prayer, poem, or passage that inspires you or brings you joy. Share anything (tasteful, of course) - sacred or secular.

Wisdom from Thomas à Kempis

"Love is a mighty power, a great and complete good. Love alone lightens every burden, and makes the rough places smooth. Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing wider, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller or better in heaven or earth; for love is born of God, and can rest only in God, above all created things.

Love flies, runs, and leaps for joy; it is free and unrestrained. Love gives all for all, resting in One who is highest above all things, from whom every good flows and proceeds. Loved does not regard the gifts, but turns to the Giver of all good gifts."

- The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis (1380 - 1471)

Open Our Eyes, Lord

We have just returned from a week in inner-city Memphis for a mission trip. It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. All week long, I was reminded of that old praise and worship song Open Our Eyes, Lord.

Open our eyes, Lord

We want to see Jesus,

To reach out and touch Him,

And say that we love Him.

The words to this song have always haunted me. On more than one occasion, I have found myself near tears and wanting to stand up in the middle of a worship service and ask if we really meant the words we were singing. Do we really want to see Jesus? A lot of times He is dirty, cold, hungry, and thirsty. Is that the Jesus we are looking for these days?

That is certainly the Jesus we look for when we are on a mission trip. On those trips, we see Him everywhere. We see Him in the 24-year old woman we worked for who is struggling to raise her four children and many of her own siblings. We see Him in the hundreds of families who have made the commitment to live in inner-city Memphis and love their brothers and sisters who are broken because they are broken, too. We see Him in the older man who lives in an abandoned car wash that smells of urine and beer. He wakes up each day shaking violently, desperate for a drink. We saw Him everywhere.

We are home now. Are our eyes still open? This is where it counts. It is not enough to go out and serve one or two times a year. It has to translate into the everyday. This is not to diminish the work done last week (and throughout the year through Service Over Self). But it is fleeting if it only lasts for a week or so here and there.

Jesus is all around us - always hungry, thirsty, dirty, cold, and broken. Sometimes in the most unlikely places. He is in that woman you see everyday at work who seems to have it all together. Or maybe in the man who holds it all together each day for his family, but is dying inside because of some secret addiction. That child who feels isolated and unloved at home and at school. Sometimes he looks like a friend or family member who is just having a bad day and stands in need of extra encouragement. And yes, sometimes He looks just like what we saw last week in inner-city Memphis.

There are times when the hunger is physical. There are just as many times when it is a spiritual hunger. There are times when the best thing we can do is offer a cup of water. Then there are times when the thirst can only be satisfied by Living Water. Sometimes the dirt is noticeable and real. Other times it is hidden in the recesses of our hearts. There are days when the need is for a coat to bring warmth. Many days the need is for listening ears and the warmth of a smile and a hug at just the right time. We encounter Jesus in our everyday. Will we recognize Him? Sometimes the task is like the one we tackled last week - a mission project. Most days it takes the form of the mundane - hospitality, encouragement, listening, courtesy, availability.

There's this old quote that I love. I wrote it out for my mom years ago and she still has it on her bulletin board at home. I wrote it in a fun sort of font because that is the way I understood it then. It carries new meaning today. The quote reads, "People see God everyday, they just don't recognize Him..." (Pearl Bailey). Oh, that we would open our eyes and see Him, reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him...everyday.

This is Jesus

I have always loved the excitement that surrounds Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. I remember waving my palm branch with everything I had as a child. In the church where I grew up, our Associate Pastor "looked" like Jesus (keep in mind that I was no more than 8 years old!) and always rode on a real donkey through our makeshift Jerusalem. We would shout "Hosanna!" as we waved our palm branches at the coming King. I - along with all my little friends - always got caught up in it all. I am pretty sure I thought our Associate Pastor was Jesus for at least part of my childhood!

I imagine the scene at that first Palm Sunday was not unlike the ones I remember so vividly from my childhood. The background was different, as Jerusalem undoubtedly looked and looks nothing like North Little Rock, Arkansas! But the reaction of the people to Jesus' entry wasn't much different than that of the children and adults who gathered each year at my home church to celebrate together.

In Matthew 21:1-11, we see Jesus received as a King as he enters into Jerusalem. He comes riding in like royalty and the people spread their coats ahead of Jesus, waved palm branches, and the crowds were shouting praises at Him.

"Hosanna to the Son of David!"

"Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Hosanna in the highest!"

Matthew tells us that the "entire city of Jerusalem was stirred as he entered" (v. 10).

"Who is this?" they asked.

"This is Jesus..." the crowds replied.

This is Jesus. That phrase jumps right of the page for me every time I read this passage. A powerful statement made by a crowd of people who knew not what they were saying. Sure, they greeted him with a response fit for a King and all the fanfare that implies. They "understood" that he was King, but they did not really understand what kind of King. They missed it...and we often do, too.

The paradox of the Kingship of Jesus Christ is that he is the humble king. Royalty, yes...but not the kind the people expected. This King was born to die a death not fit for a king. His was to be an everlasting Kingdom, ushered in by the most surprising and shameful of means. Death on a Cross. This first Triumphal Entry is but a prelude to the Passion of Jesus Christ. His life, death, and resurrection accomplishing the unimaginable for the people of Jerusalem and countless generations to come: eternal life.

Yes, this is Jesus. Humble King. Obedient Son. Lord and Savior.

Indeed, "Hosanna!" is what we should cry with the crowds. For this phrase literally means, "God save us!" And this is what He has done for us.

So, as you approach this Palm Sunday, ask God to open your eyes to see this Jesus in a new light. Experience Palm Sunday as one who knows the rest of the story. The story of redemption, restoration, and new life that awaits on the other side of the Passion.
But stay a while at Palm Sunday and let the experience of that first one and this one really register. This is Jesus. Behold, your King and Savior!

A Lenten Prayer

Almighty God, merciful Father, and my good Lord,

give me heart-piercing goodness and humility...

Help me to love You and pray to You,

praise You, and meditate upon You.

May I act and think in all things according to Your will,

purely, soberly, devoutly, and with a true and effective mind.

Let me know Your commandments, and love them,

carry them out readily, and bring them into effect.

Lord, let me go on with humility to better things

and never grow slack.

- St. Anselm, Prayers and Meditations

This prayer appeared in a Lenten Reader I received last year. I thought it was a beautiful prayer and worth passing along to you. Make this your prayer during this Lenten journey...

Faith and Facebook

It seems that I, a thirty-three year old woman, am mildly addicted to Facebook. At first, this realization freaked me out a little. Then I realized that my love for this social utility is rooted in my desire for deep and abiding fellowship with others. This is a good thing.

Please don't get me wrong. Facebook has its flaws. Some people use it to keep tabs on others or stalk someone. These things disturb me. But at its core, it is really a fantastic tool. I am connected to people from every major period in my life because of it. It keeps me connected to people I would struggle to stay in touch with otherwise. And it provides me with a space where I can send quick notes to people I love to encourage them or let them know I am thinking of them.

I get very excited when I get a message or someone posts on my wall. I like seeing the faces of those I only have the luxury of seeing every once-in-a-while...it makes them seem closer. I especially love to read the "About Me" section of my friends. It is insightful and often funny.

One such friend is my buddy Rob. Random. Adventurous. Loyal. Deep. Lover of Jesus. All of these things make me appreciate what he states are his "religious views" on Facebook.

"It is not God that I don't like, it is just His fan club that annoys me."

This makes me smile...and think. It makes me smile because it is just like Rob to say something so pointed/funny/profound. It makes me think because it is the truth. Our reputation in the world - especially the Western World - is not the best.

What are you doing to change that?

Passion 2008 // Dallas, TX

A handful of us attended the 2008 Regional Passion Conference in Dallas, TX this past weekend. I speak for all of us when I say that it was a powerful experience from start to finish. The music was incredible (and loud!), the messages were inspiring/challenging, and the movementof the Spirit was felt through it all.

I am not going to lie. The volume of the music made me feel a little old. A lot of bass. A lot of sound effects. A lot of intensity. I am officially old. :) Noise level aside, it was incredible. Just watching people like the David Crowder Band, the Chris Tomlin Band, Kristian Stanfill, and Christy Nockels is a sight to behold. Music done with excellence to the glory of God. Not to mention the fact that all around us were 6000+ college students being energized, inspired, and humbled by it all. It was a beautiful experience just to watch it all happen.

The messages were Spirit-filled and unbelievably convicting, encouraging, inspiring, and challenging. Yes, all of those things. Louie Giglio did not disappoint. He is such a gifted storyteller with a heart for The Story. He is passionate about our Overcoming God and in his belief that one life can make a difference for The Kingdom. Francis Chan was also awesome. He was funny and deep. A rare combination that blessed us all. I would love to hear him again and again, soon.

I am not sure that I've processed our weekend at Passion just yet. Every piece of it (including the unbelievable hospitality of our host family!) inspired me. All I know right now is that God is powerful and can do mighty things through each of us...individually and corporately. I knew that before, but Passion just reminded me of that. It is my prayer that we all take more seriously our part in The Story and that we seek to point out Christ daily for a world that is desperate to know Him.

The new Passion album is called "God of This City." The title track was written by Chris Tomlin. The entire song is a beautiful prayer we can pray for our campuses and for our world. The refrain really resonated with our group and I offer it to you today.

"Greater things have yet to come

and greater things are still to be done in this city."

May you begin to see and to play your part in the "greater things" still to be done on your campus, in your life, and in this world to the glory of God.

Our Great and Only Delight

"The great and firm foundation of the spiritual life is the offering of ourselves to God and being subject to his will in all things. We must completely forget ourselves, so that we regard ourselves as an object which has been sold and over which we no longer have any rights. We find all our joy in fulfilling God's pleasure - his happiness, his glory and the fact that he is our great and only delight. Once we have this foundation, all we need to do is spend our lives rejoicing that God is God and being so wholly abandoned to his will that we are quite indifferent as to what we do and equally indifferent as to what use he makes of our activities."
~ Jean-Pierre De Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence

Walking Together

(Map of the Christian Year by John David Walt)

Just a few short hours ago, we began our Lenten journey for the year. Lent is the 40+ days leading up to Easter. It is meant to be a season of reflection, fasting, and self-denial. During these days we do whatever it takes to follow Jesus into the valley of the cross. To really make the journey with Jesus, we have to renounce ourselves. This usually gets translated into "giving up" something for the season of Lent. This is a great idea...but only if it causes deeper reflection and identification with Christ in his life, death, and resurrection.

To be perfectly honest, for the better part of my life Lent has been more about me than it has been about Jesus. I spent many years giving up the same things and getting the same results. I'd succeed (most of the time) at staying away from whatever I gave up, but fail miserably at really focusing on Christ during the season. Year after year I would reach Easter, heart unprepared, frustrated.

The past few years have been a different story. I haven't given anything up...I've added some things instead. More time in the Word, specifically the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. More time in prayer. Specifically about the things that bind me and keep me from God. More time reflecting on Christ and His sacrifice and what He is calling me to do in response. It has made all the difference in the world.

If you've already decided to give something up during this season (chocolate, Facebook, etc.), please don't take this post as an encouragement not to do so. Go for it. Self-sacrifice is a good thing. But in the midst of it (whether you're giving something up, adding some things, or whatever), be present these 40 days. Ready your heart for what is to come in the days ahead.

Walk.

Listen.

Watch.

Reflect.

Learn.

Sacrifice.

Pray.

Renew.

Fast.

Feast.

Worship.

Surrender.

Transform.

Take the journey with Jesus down to the valley of death. Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him (Matthew 16:24). All the way. You will never be the same.

Sunshine and the Sacred

My office has many windows. This can be a good and a bad thing. On gray and blustery days (like we've been having...), it makes my office dark, depressing, and cold. I find that a little extra diet coke or a nice, hot cup of coffee is necessary on those days! But on a sunny day like today, it means that my office is brighter, warmer, and happier. I love days like this. Sunshine just has a way of affecting my attitude and my motivation. It is not that I hate a gray day. Those can be good and productive days, too. Gray days are some of the best days to curl up with a good book or spend extra time in silence and prayer. Each day - gray or sunny - has something to offer.

But there's something about a bright, sunny day that affects us. It gives us...energy...hope. It invigorates us. I don't think this is a bad thing. Sunshine is God's ideas...and so is shade. Both types of days ought to teach us something. Perhaps sunshine invigorates and gray days cause us to contemplate. Maybe for some of you it is something completely different. One thing is sure, thought. Everyday is a day that the Lord has given us and that alone ought to cause us to praise him - sunshine or rain.

Roald Dahl, author of the peculiar Willy Wonka books, once said, "Watch with glittering eyes the world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely of places." I've framed this quote and placed on my desk here at work. It serves as a reminder to me just to be present each day and take notice of what God is doing and saying around me. I am not sure that is what Dahl was aiming for with his words, but that is what they inspire in me. May they do the same for you.

Living Free

Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again."
- Galatians 5:1 (CEV)

What does it mean for us to live free? It is clear that God desires it for us, but how do we do it? How do we hold on to our freedom and fight our tendency toward enslavement? Why do we so often choose a life slavery over the free life that we have in Christ?

God wants us to experience true freedom in this life. He wants for us to experience joy and freedom in Christ now. But very few who call themselves Christians are really living free. We are trapped by our own ideas of what a Christian should look lie. We are enslaved to what others think of us. We are bound by our culture. We are tangled in a web of rules we have created for ourselves.

"You were called to be free."
- Galatians 5:13a

I dare you to do it. Live free. Loose the chains of the law and live out of the overflow of your love for God and for others. I guarantee you that you will fail if you attempt to do this on your own. But connect yourself to Christ, walk with him in the details of the everyday, and you will succeed.

There is this old hymn that I love called "Make Me A Captive, Lord." It was written by George Matheson in 1890, but the words still speak to us today. I believe the first verse really captures what freedom in Christ ought to look like. Make these words into your prayer that you might live free now.

"Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free.
Force me to render up my sword, and I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life’s alarms when by myself I stand;
Imprison me within Thine arms, and strong shall be my hand."
- Make Me a Captive, Lord by George Matheson

Making All Things New

There is something about the turn of a new year that excites us. There is this strange sense of anticipation and exhilaration as we begin again. We find that we have all sorts resolve to make this new year count. We vow to make this year better than the last, even if the previous year was a good one. The new year brings with it new...hope.

And so we make resolutions. Eat healthier. Exercise more. Spend more time in the Word. Remember birthdays. Save money. The list is endless. The great thing about the fresh start of a new year is that we find ourselves really believing we can make those changes. And we do...at least for the first few weeks. Then the smallest failure discourages us and causes us to give up completely.

I think this is a problem. Not because we fail to keep our resolutions. The problem is that we give up so easily. Of course we do...because we cannot do it. We do not have the strength to make needed changes in our lives. Changes that honor God, but are apart from him if we do not ask him for help.

"Behold, I am making all things new," our Lord says to us in Isaiah 43:19. God makes a way for us. Failure is not the end of the story. It never has been. Over and over again in the Bible, we see how God makes his mercy and grace new for us every morning (see Lamentations 3:22-24). And so we begin again. Each morning is a new year, a new chance to honor God with our lives. With each new day, let us resolve to rely on God more. Go ahead and make resolutions. Change is good if it honors and relies on God.