imagination

Do you ever wonder what place imagination plays in a faith in God?  I've got to admit that I tend to rely on precise explanations of Bible verses and stories, word definitions, careful examination of the culture in which the Bible was written, etc.  I'm a rational type of guy.  Like Sargeant Friday it's "just the facts" for me.

Recently I've come to see that I've been short-changing my faith by being so rational.  You see, the rational parts of our brains just can't grasp the full scope of reality.  Spiritual reality is beyond precise word definitions.  It requires pictures and images that only the imaginative part of our brain can begin to grasp.  In fact, I've come to believe that that's why a book like Revelation is in the Bible--to fire up our imaginations, to help us think of our faith in a new way when our explanations come up flat and dry.  To quote Eugene Peterson:

   "Imagination is the capacity to make connections between the visible and the invisible, between heaven and earth, between present and past...For Christians, whose largest investment is in the invisible, the imagination is indispensable.  (then he quotes Nobel-prize-winning poet Caeslaw Milosz) 'He is convinced that our imagination-deficient educational process has left us with a naive picture of the world.  In this naive view, the universe has space and time--nothing else.  No values.  No God...it is by means of the imagination that we pack in the glory."  (Under the Unpredictable Plant, pp. 169, 170).

This new awareness into the importance of our imaginations is opening a whole new world to me in my faith.  Give it some thought (if you haven't already), and see what it does for your sense of wonder and adventure.  Blessings.

Rick

Emotion

I've been thinking a lot about emotions a lot lately...especially how we mismanage them.  Please understand, I'm not a very emotional guy.  I grew up learning how to take care of my sad, mad, scared feelings without  anybody else's help.  Our family just wasn't very good at dealing with them which made not dealing with them seem normal.  On top of that was popular advice given to boys like, "Big boys don't cry" and "Stop being such a baby", etc. 

Two problem areas have made me take a look at emotions in new light--addiction and marriage.  Isn't it true that many people develop an addiction because they don't know how to deal with their pain and loss and grief (emotions) in a healthy way?  They're overwhelmed by a truck load of negative feelings and so deal with them the only way they know how...they medicate.  And  in marriage, husbands and wives sometimes don't bond as strongly as they could because they don't learn how to explore their negative feelings and to comfort each other in those negative feelings.  They may share information and raising children and and chores around the house and vacations but they leave unexplored a whole other dimension of their humanity (their emotions) and so fail to connect at a deeper level.  One or both may feel something is missing but they're not sure what.  And so there's disappointment, and sometimes divorce.

This is where Jesus enters the picture.  He didn't minimize negative feelings or avoid them.  He said that in his kingdom, people are blessed (happy) when they mourn (a negative emotion) because they will be comforted (think of comfort as relief from the pain).  We will have pain and when we do, with Jesus, we can find genuine relief.  We don't have to medicate or avoid the sadness.  We can get through it.  And in the case of marriage, the grief will even draw the couple closer together as they learn to comfort each other.  In our unhealthy approach to painful feelings we have actually multiplied our pain through addiction and failing marriages.

When I used to come home from work I'd ask the family "what's the latest news we can use".  I was all about information.  But now I'm beginning to explore feelings with my family and we're all the better for it.  How about you?  Are you experiencing any painful feelings?  Do you know what they are and why you have them?  Have you talked to anybody about them?  Are you finding genuine relief from the pain?  May the God of all comfort be with you.

Rick

Genesis Sex

Turn on your t.v. and it takes about 3 nano-seconds before the subject of sex comes up.  There must really be something to this whole sex-thing if it's such a popular topic.

Well, while I was reading through Genesis recently (first book in the Bible), I noticed plenty of references to sex there too.  And it wasn't all pretty--incest, rape, prostitution, seduction.  Two sisters get their dad drunk so that he'll sleep with them (mom is dead) so that they'll have children so that they'll carry on the family line; a widower (Judah, whose line Jesus came from) hires a prostitute to sleep with him (just because) who happens to be his daughter-in-law who was left hanging without one of her dead husband's brothers to marry (the widowed woman was supposed to be given one of her husband's brothers if the husband died); Leah pays off sister Rachel so that she can sleep with the husband they both share so that she can have more babies; and Potiphar's wife does her best Mae West imitation to seduce the young, handsome Joseph.  Potent stuff.  Hollywood wasn't the first to notice.  And then there's the fall-out:  Nations emerging from the incest that would be a thorn in Israel's side for years;  revenge; jealousy between half-brothers; an innocent man being framed for rape. 

Sex is powerful.  Just imagine how powerful it can be for the good when it's contained within a life-long covenant of love between a husband and wife.  No messes to clean up; no broken hearts; no attachment disorders.  Think about it.

Blessings

Mattress shopping

 I recently went mattress shopping.  Since we spend about 1/3 of our day on our mattress, I thought it important to be thorough.  So I went to 4 different mattress stores to investigate which mattress would be best for my sleep hygiene.  I talked to the "evangelists" (salesmen) in each store; I listened to "eye-witnesses"(both in person and online) who gave their testimonial as to the benefits/drawbacks of their mattresses; and I personally tested the different mattresses to see which one I preferred the most.  Then, after discussing the options with my wife, we made the commitment to purchase what seemed to be the best bed for us (although we were not 100% certain). 

If  choosing a bed could inspire that kind of careful scrutiny, then choosing a leader who will impact our entire life and eternity deserves careful investigation.  After his resurrection, Jesus' followers worked through their doubts about him.  They needed some evidence.  Have you done your own investigation of the evidence of the resurrection?  This is too big of an issue to put on a back-burner.  Talk to an "evangelist" (somebody who's already bought into following Jesus Christ); talk to "witnesses" who've experienced him for themselves;  test the faith for yourself.  Then, when you're ready, make a commitment of faith in him.  You don't have to be 100% certain, either (that's why they call it "faith", not "certain").  As a witness myself I believe you'll be satisfied with top-of-the-line spiritual hygiene.

Rick

A Weighty Word

I recently spoke with a friend of mine about his ministry of church-planting.  He has planted thousands of churches in the Philippines, Indonesia, Africa, South America, and elsewhere.  His approach is different.  He takes the words of John 17 very seriously, where Jesus talks about his followers being one so that the world may believe that the Father sent Jesus into the world.  My friend has taken Jesus' words and applied it to a church planting model:  Bringing together believers and pastors from different traditions to plant churches.

As I listened to him I thought to myself, "He takes Jesus' words in John 17 more seriously than I do.  To my friend they've got weight.  For me, John 17 is nice in an ecumenical service (kind of a Gospel-lite), while he's changing the world with them."  Isn't it true that we can read God's Word the way we read letters to the editor?  "Yeah, I like that teaching (because I agree with it or it makes me feel good)" or "No, I'll bypass that teaching (since it makes me uncomfortable or  doesn't make much sense in my world)".

Well, how about reading it as if it's actually true?  God's Word represents reality, and reality bears out the truth of God's Word.  My friend is proving it:  When believers are one, Jesus is glorified and people are drawn to him.  God's Word is far weightier than letters to the editor.  Why not let it have its "weight" with us?

One-Day-at-a-Time

I'm at a different place in life right now--there's lots of stuff going on that doesn't fit into my sequential, linear way of doing things.  I have more responsibility, which has had the effect of making me feel like one of those cartoon characters with dazed eyes and  little birds swirling around their head. 

So I've had to take a new approach:  1-day-at-a-time.  I ask God  for grace for each day's load, and it's been good.  I'm staying in the moment, getting things done, while staying fresh in the process.  I'm not thinking as much about the future and enjoying the present more.  It fits with what Jesus instructed us to do, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will woryy about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Mt. 6:34)

I realize that there's a place for planning for the future, but doing so while missing the present I don't believe is the Jesus way.   As with all of his instruction, it's so much more liberating.  I highly recommend it.  Blessings.

Rick

hospitality

Anyone out there wondering whatever happened to "hospitality"? The kind of thing we do when we open our homes to each other or strangers. The word literally means "kindness to strangers" or the "love of strangers". The word "stranger" has a scarey connotation to a lot of us today, but does that mean we just don't do it because it sounds scarey or invasive of our privacy? It still is the heart of God. So I wonder how much we miss when we simply hide away in our castles, protected from all the people on the outside.

Growing up it seemed like we were frequently in each other's homes. It was normal; we got to know each other; and our lives were enriched. We recently welcomed some "strangers" into our home who needed a place to stay while they supported a family through a court case. They are believers in Jesus from another faith tradition. We agreed to some boundaries and, after sensing it was the right thing to do, we welcomed them. While we have made it affordable for them to support this family in crisis, we have been enriched. We have heard their stories of living in Morrocco for 4 years as missionaries and of hosting Muslim students in their home. Because of hospitality, we have seen more of how God has moved in our world. We have been encouraged by the faith of one of their Muslim students who committed to follow Christ despite his family's death threats on his life. The whole experience has added more texture to our lives.

I know that I've been cared for many times by people opening their homes to me in a time of need. It's a great idea. "Practice hospitality", says God. Don't you think it's about time to recover what is fast becoming a lost art?

Sincerely,

Rick

spring training

I went to Spring Training with my dad and brother this week to watch a little baseball in the warm Arizona sunshine.  At one of the games I sat next to a Dodger fan (I've been a life-long Willie Mays/Giants fan...not exactly the coziest of seatmates).  Well, he turned out to be an interesting guy.  He played college ball and then made it all the way to the Triple A level.  He had a real respect for the men playing the game that day because, as a former minor leaguer himself, he said that there are days that you just don't feel like playing the game.  These guys, he said, paid the price and made it.  They persevered.

Is there any "field" in life where perseverance isn't important?  It sure is for anyone following Jesus Christ.  I've been surprised at how many times I felt like packing it in and then, maybe a day or week later, something great happened because I kept the faith.  I kept going.  Nothing fancy or very inspiritional...just one foot in front of the other.  Like Paul said, "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope."  I like character and hope a lot.  But they don't come without persevering through hard times.  Keep going, friend.

the language of prayer

Hello,

I read recently that learning how to pray should be like learning a new language--you immerse yourself in the language of prayer until it becomes of a part of you.  And the place to immerse yourself in the language of prayer is in the book of Psalms.  Psalms has been believers' prayer/worship book for millenia. 

That's been true for me.  In college I had a religion professor who said we ought to read the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, and that a good place to start was in the Psalms.  So I started reading Psalms.  A funny thing happened:  I started praising God more (because it happens all the time in Psalms), and my vision of God got bigger (because God is really big in Psalms).  And it's wasn't like I sat under some theologian who analyzed the structure of Psalms for me or explained they're meaning.  No, I just absorbed these truths into the warp and woof of my being like a child learning the word for "ball" or "dog" from mom and dad after months of immersion in their home.

Why not try it?  A Psalm a day, year after year, until you pick up the language of prayer/worship?  No sterile classroom environment or boring lecture, but a steady diet of the language of prayer in the comfort of your own home (or office or commuter van,etc.).  Blessings.

Pastor Rick

Aging

Good Morning,

I've been thinking about "aging"recently.  Since we all do it (unless we die first), it's probably something we think about.  In the 4th century a.d. a bishop named Athanasius theorized that the aging process could be slowed by fasting (not eating for a period of time).  He believed that fasting helped to put the soul in control of the body, which in turn helped to prevent harmful pracitices to the body.  His case study was Saint Anthony who fasted regularly and then lived to be 105.  Now even science is beginning to think the same thing.  So, besides the spiritual benefits of fasting, it may have some longevity benefits.

I think another good way to age well is to find wonder in the world all around us.  One of my favorite "aging examples" is John Adams, 2nd President of the U.S.  John Adams and his wife Abigail had a wonderful marriage.  When Abigail died some thought John would join her soon in the grave.  But he didn't.  He lived many years beyond Abigail's death and developed a keen sense of wonder in the simplest things.  He wrote this about something as ordinary as grammar:

   "I never delighted much in contemplating commas and colons, or in spelling or measuring syllables; but now...if I attempt to look at these little objects, I find my imagination, in spite of all my exertions, roaming in the Milky Way, among the nebulae, those mighty orbs, and stupendous orbits of suns, planets, satellites, and comets, which compose the incomprehensible universe; and if I do not sink into nothing in my own estimation, I feel an irresistible impulse to fall on my knees, in adoration of the power that moves, the wisom that directs, and the benevolence that sanctifies this wonderful whole."  (John Adams, by David McCullough, p. 630).

All that from a sentence!  Here's a thought:  How about, instead of merely expanding our porfolio of experiences in the big, wide world, how about lifting the lid on the wonder that's in the world in the spaces we currently occupy?  That's doable, and we don't need a hefty retirement package to fund it.  Just a thought.

Bible reading

Hi virtual reader,

I recently read through the Bible in a short period of time ( a little more than a book a day).  It struck me, esp. in Genesis, how it read like the story of family.  It's a story, an interesting one, and it's written in plain, direct, understated language.  It's not like reading about mythological gods who are more like humans with super-sized apetites.  Reading it in large chunks helped me appreciate the drama, with God and this one particular family at the center of the action.

Welcome To My Blog Church!!!

Hey Church,

I wanted to start a blog for you to see my thoughts and communicate to you things coming up.  Encourage you to follow me so you get all the updates!

Pastor Rick