Someone once said that 'one's perception is their reality.' Think about it, ponder it, and question it. Is that statement true? Is my perception the true reality or just the reality of what I see?
Much of life's arguments and troubles come from the debate about whose perception of reality is better, or true. It is the root of many of the wars between countries, faiths and even within our own faith as we increasingly distance ourselves from Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17 that "they may be one."
We see selective readings and preaching of scriptures to validate our views. In biblical interpretation, the quest for the reading and interpreter is to choose between two ways to viewing the text-
1. The first marked by having a view already created and then heading into the scriptures to validate that view. This is called Eisegesis. In essence, we use the bible to validate our predetermined ideas and ideals. The danger is that we become blind to what the scriptures actually say and help shape them into what we want them to say- normally to validate a viewpoint.
2. The other way to view the text is to allow the bible to speak into our lives and shape our ideas and ideals. This is called Exegesis. The goal is to allow the sacred scriptures to inform how we live, what we believe and how we care for others.
I'm sure you have seen both of these practices enacted. Yesterday, we looked at Mary Magdalene and her impact in the story of Jesus. She has been coined "The Apostle to the Apostles' for she is the first witness to the resurrection and given the command of the apostles to 'go and tell.' For most of us, we have not seen her in this light. In fact, we have not seen the vital role of women in the scriptures for some have grown up in traditions of Christianity that have painted women as subservient to men. By selecting some passages over others, this view has been validated. Yet when we study them role of women in the New Testament, the scales that have blinded us quickly fall as we realize their involvement in Jesus' ministry and the foundational role in Paul's missionary journeys.
Sometimes we need God to peel the scales away that blind us to what has always been in scripture. We need clear eyes that allow scripture to shape our our ideas and ideals. Too often we selectively read the scriptures to the detriment of our own spiritual formation.
Perhaps today we can pray that God peels the scales that blind us to His call to follow. It is a dangerous prayer for it may invite us to extend grace to some that we have withheld grace; forgiveness to those who have hurt us; and an extravagant welcome to the least, the last, and the lost rather than fortifying our safe shelter.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
What's Your Language of Love?
One day as I listened to NPR, I heard a story that I couldn't believe. The story was talking about people who fall in love from different countries with vastly different cultures. I was intrigued, but what really caught my ear was a statement one man said- "When we married, neither of us were very good at speaking each other's language."
He went on to describe that now after 40 years of marriage, they have learned to speak each other's language. Their love, beginning some 40 years before, was marked by attraction. Yet it had taken them a lifetime of marriage to speak in a language that both could understand.
I spent many hours thinking about what that man said and reflected on the countless weddings I have attended or officiated. When a couple gets married, most often they have fallen in love in a romantic, life-changing way. They adore each other and can't imagine life without the other...and this is very important!
Yet, most often couples are just learning how to speak the language of love. They are still finding out who they are while learning about their spouse. They are not yet fluent in the language of love. These love languages- Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Gifts and Physical Touch- are keys to unlocking how we understand, or hear, that another loves us. Yet equally powerful to knowing your language is knowing the language of another.
In the weeks ahead, we'll discover the beauty of unlocking the love languages. As I shared yesterday, it changed the relationship of a father and son! The son only wanted his dad to spend quality time with him whereas the dad believed that by giving his son gifts, his son would know how much his dad loved him. It wasn't until a trip away that the son got the clear message "I Love You!"
Perhaps that is why these love languages are really God's Love Language. Each of us is unique and experience love differently. Yet God has provided conduits to communicate his love to us. May you hear afresh that you are loved by God and through understanding your love language, be able to receive that love!
He went on to describe that now after 40 years of marriage, they have learned to speak each other's language. Their love, beginning some 40 years before, was marked by attraction. Yet it had taken them a lifetime of marriage to speak in a language that both could understand.
I spent many hours thinking about what that man said and reflected on the countless weddings I have attended or officiated. When a couple gets married, most often they have fallen in love in a romantic, life-changing way. They adore each other and can't imagine life without the other...and this is very important!
Yet, most often couples are just learning how to speak the language of love. They are still finding out who they are while learning about their spouse. They are not yet fluent in the language of love. These love languages- Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Gifts and Physical Touch- are keys to unlocking how we understand, or hear, that another loves us. Yet equally powerful to knowing your language is knowing the language of another.
In the weeks ahead, we'll discover the beauty of unlocking the love languages. As I shared yesterday, it changed the relationship of a father and son! The son only wanted his dad to spend quality time with him whereas the dad believed that by giving his son gifts, his son would know how much his dad loved him. It wasn't until a trip away that the son got the clear message "I Love You!"
Perhaps that is why these love languages are really God's Love Language. Each of us is unique and experience love differently. Yet God has provided conduits to communicate his love to us. May you hear afresh that you are loved by God and through understanding your love language, be able to receive that love!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Meandering Down Memory Lane
Do you ever take a stroll down memory lane?
This morning, with the power of the internet, I took a stroll down memory lane of my last 17 years. Marked mostly by the churches I have served in one capacity or another, I rejoiced to see that each of these are growing communities of faith in which people's lives are touched, changed, and being innovative to create space for others to be encountered by the Resurrected One.
Some are most notable for their worship attendance and styles. One is marked by their impact in the community through clinics, giving away over $1 million to the local needs.
Yet what stats and websites don't show are the relationships of each place. I have these fond memories of growing in faith, asking questions, my wedding and a host of other memories flooding in. What has amazed me this morning is the reality of tangible love that each community expressed to me and my family. In the midst of their large sizes, there are specific names that resound in my memory- Brian, the one who taught me integrity; Marty, the one who shared a compassionate Jesus; Artie, the one who taught me the value of a friend; Jason, the one who taught me perseverance; Mark, the one who taught me authentic love.
These are just a few for there are many on this list. And I would imagine that there would be many on yours. For the church is the Body of Christ in which we find mutual care and connection. Just as I have these names implanted on my life, I hope that in serving and caring for others my name is implanted on theirs. And this isn't for notoriety or pride, it is the culmination of doing life together. We touch each others lives- sometimes purposely but most often unknowingly.
If you had to take a stroll down your memory lane, which names would be listed in the memory bank? Which faces pop into your mind as you think of doing life together, of learning from others, and of mutual care? Perhaps today is a day to grab a piece of paper and begin remembering- remembering the names of those that have shaped you but also those to whom you have helped shape.
This morning, with the power of the internet, I took a stroll down memory lane of my last 17 years. Marked mostly by the churches I have served in one capacity or another, I rejoiced to see that each of these are growing communities of faith in which people's lives are touched, changed, and being innovative to create space for others to be encountered by the Resurrected One.
Some are most notable for their worship attendance and styles. One is marked by their impact in the community through clinics, giving away over $1 million to the local needs.
Yet what stats and websites don't show are the relationships of each place. I have these fond memories of growing in faith, asking questions, my wedding and a host of other memories flooding in. What has amazed me this morning is the reality of tangible love that each community expressed to me and my family. In the midst of their large sizes, there are specific names that resound in my memory- Brian, the one who taught me integrity; Marty, the one who shared a compassionate Jesus; Artie, the one who taught me the value of a friend; Jason, the one who taught me perseverance; Mark, the one who taught me authentic love.
These are just a few for there are many on this list. And I would imagine that there would be many on yours. For the church is the Body of Christ in which we find mutual care and connection. Just as I have these names implanted on my life, I hope that in serving and caring for others my name is implanted on theirs. And this isn't for notoriety or pride, it is the culmination of doing life together. We touch each others lives- sometimes purposely but most often unknowingly.
If you had to take a stroll down your memory lane, which names would be listed in the memory bank? Which faces pop into your mind as you think of doing life together, of learning from others, and of mutual care? Perhaps today is a day to grab a piece of paper and begin remembering- remembering the names of those that have shaped you but also those to whom you have helped shape.
Monday, January 13, 2014
The Sign Says...
I wonder if we all wore a sign that hung around our necks that said "In need of Grace" if it would change the way we look at others. Quite often I have found that we realize our individual need of grace but are quick to forget that everyone else is equally needing that same grace.
Jesus repeatedly invites us to remember the important message of grace. This grace is often realized through the granting of forgiveness. To be sure, this isn't easy. Forgiveness is the giving up the power of a grudge, of the anger, of the right to be right. Forgiveness is the very act of bestowing onto someone else the grace that we want, and need, in our own lives.
Conflict is a natural part of human interaction. Somewhere along the journey we learned that if conflict is present, we react in one of four ways:
1. We RUN from it;
2. We HIDE from it;
3. We DANCE around it;
4. We DEAL with it.
The first three responses are the ones that at times seem valiant or right, but the conflict is never really resolved. They are the responses that we have learned to protect ourselves and/or protect others. Throughout life, we have learned that if we respond in one of these ways, then the conflict will seemingly go away. Yet what really goes away are the relationships. That is the collateral damage of the first three responses.
The final response, that we DEAL with it, is one that takes courage and grace. For we often fret over another's response and what the outcome will be. Yet if we deal with the conflicts in our lives, the end goal of healthy relationships can finally be realized.
Yet the key for all conflict is that both people come to the table with a humility to admit when one is wrong, when one needs to ask for or grant forgiveness and to live into the future with grace toward the other.
So, what if you began looking at others, and the conflicts that present themselves, as an opportunity to practice grace. What if each of us is really trying to live whole lives but too often we get sidetracked by the encounter with conflict? Perhaps if we learned to deal with conflict then we would become a people marked by our willingness to forgive and grant grace!
Jesus repeatedly invites us to remember the important message of grace. This grace is often realized through the granting of forgiveness. To be sure, this isn't easy. Forgiveness is the giving up the power of a grudge, of the anger, of the right to be right. Forgiveness is the very act of bestowing onto someone else the grace that we want, and need, in our own lives.
Conflict is a natural part of human interaction. Somewhere along the journey we learned that if conflict is present, we react in one of four ways:
1. We RUN from it;
2. We HIDE from it;
3. We DANCE around it;
4. We DEAL with it.
The first three responses are the ones that at times seem valiant or right, but the conflict is never really resolved. They are the responses that we have learned to protect ourselves and/or protect others. Throughout life, we have learned that if we respond in one of these ways, then the conflict will seemingly go away. Yet what really goes away are the relationships. That is the collateral damage of the first three responses.
The final response, that we DEAL with it, is one that takes courage and grace. For we often fret over another's response and what the outcome will be. Yet if we deal with the conflicts in our lives, the end goal of healthy relationships can finally be realized.
Yet the key for all conflict is that both people come to the table with a humility to admit when one is wrong, when one needs to ask for or grant forgiveness and to live into the future with grace toward the other.
So, what if you began looking at others, and the conflicts that present themselves, as an opportunity to practice grace. What if each of us is really trying to live whole lives but too often we get sidetracked by the encounter with conflict? Perhaps if we learned to deal with conflict then we would become a people marked by our willingness to forgive and grant grace!
Monday, January 6, 2014
The Art of 'Hanging Out'
A few weeks ago I was watching a group of teens hanging out. I was close enough to hear their conversation as they were quite boisterous in sharing. A couple of the jokes were more about flirting than laughter but suddenly the conversation changed when asked about what they were doing over the holidays. One commented that they 'had to hang out with their family!'(implant sarcasm here!) The others all nodded in agreement that they too were being sentenced to life with family.
It got me to thinking about those days long gone by. Do you remember them? When being with family was a sentence one must survive until the reunion of friends happened? Or thinking that your parents were not cool or smart? Or thinking that the most important thing in the world was hanging out?
I remember them. I remember waiting until 3 pm so I could hang out after school. I remember Friday and Saturday nights being vital to my existence. And I remember sharing life together which included major topics like what our parents did, the hope we had for the future, whether God really existed, wondering who we were going to date, etc.
Perhaps the teenage population still has something on us adults. Perhaps teens have this innate ability to be drawn into community just as the first church was. Truth be told, teens do need and listen to their parents. Yet the community is where they learn to trust others, develop communication skills, be a part of something larger than themselves and find social norms.
The early church was marked in their desire to dwell together. It shapes much of Acts and the letters. These first Christians found strength, hope, love and purpose together. They learned that in their being a community they could withstand any storm that brewed as they encouraged each other in the ways of Christ.
What if that marked our community today? What would it be like if our community was a place where each person had no need for anything? What if our community was marked by hanging out and doing life together? Perhaps that was the vital role of the Church in some of the hardest of days and should be even today!
It got me to thinking about those days long gone by. Do you remember them? When being with family was a sentence one must survive until the reunion of friends happened? Or thinking that your parents were not cool or smart? Or thinking that the most important thing in the world was hanging out?
I remember them. I remember waiting until 3 pm so I could hang out after school. I remember Friday and Saturday nights being vital to my existence. And I remember sharing life together which included major topics like what our parents did, the hope we had for the future, whether God really existed, wondering who we were going to date, etc.
Perhaps the teenage population still has something on us adults. Perhaps teens have this innate ability to be drawn into community just as the first church was. Truth be told, teens do need and listen to their parents. Yet the community is where they learn to trust others, develop communication skills, be a part of something larger than themselves and find social norms.
The early church was marked in their desire to dwell together. It shapes much of Acts and the letters. These first Christians found strength, hope, love and purpose together. They learned that in their being a community they could withstand any storm that brewed as they encouraged each other in the ways of Christ.
What if that marked our community today? What would it be like if our community was a place where each person had no need for anything? What if our community was marked by hanging out and doing life together? Perhaps that was the vital role of the Church in some of the hardest of days and should be even today!
Monday, December 23, 2013
The Longest Day of the Year
We have finally passed the milestone- that day each year marked as the shortest daylight day. Each year, I find this an interesting phenomena. Most go about the day without noticing it or even realizing that the following day a few more minutes of daylight was added. It is not a stark change but rather a slow, gradual change. Sure, 3 months from now the difference will be clear, but not so today.
Perhaps that is why we place the birth of Jesus right at this same time of the year. Perhaps the birth of Jesus is this reminder that light is shining now more than ever before. In the darkest of nights, in the longest of days, that is exactly where God shows up.
And isn't it the way of God to gradually, but incrementally, change our world? Surely God could have taken some other approach to show our world the depth of his love for all, but instead it was a slow and steady spreading. It is much like yeast, a common element in baking that Jesus uses in one of his parables. In Matthew 13:33 Jesus compares God's kingdom to yeast... "He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through all the dough.”
Just as each day adds a few minutes, each century has seen Christianity spread- the yeast of the Good News working. The yeast doesn't happen instantly but works its way through the dough. Perhaps this longest day of the year is also a great reminder that when night seems to be engulfing the light, God shows up and shines brighter. Yes, God isn't quite finished; instead, God is still working in this world until all have heard the most amazing news- "You are inherently loved by God and are lovable! Go, and love others in the same way!"
May we celebrate the coming of Emmanuel, God with us, in this season of Christmas!
Perhaps that is why we place the birth of Jesus right at this same time of the year. Perhaps the birth of Jesus is this reminder that light is shining now more than ever before. In the darkest of nights, in the longest of days, that is exactly where God shows up.
And isn't it the way of God to gradually, but incrementally, change our world? Surely God could have taken some other approach to show our world the depth of his love for all, but instead it was a slow and steady spreading. It is much like yeast, a common element in baking that Jesus uses in one of his parables. In Matthew 13:33 Jesus compares God's kingdom to yeast... "He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through all the dough.”
Just as each day adds a few minutes, each century has seen Christianity spread- the yeast of the Good News working. The yeast doesn't happen instantly but works its way through the dough. Perhaps this longest day of the year is also a great reminder that when night seems to be engulfing the light, God shows up and shines brighter. Yes, God isn't quite finished; instead, God is still working in this world until all have heard the most amazing news- "You are inherently loved by God and are lovable! Go, and love others in the same way!"
May we celebrate the coming of Emmanuel, God with us, in this season of Christmas!
Monday, December 16, 2013
In the Shadows
I often wonder the details that are left out of the Christmas story.
Certainly we have the basics and see it in every pageant- things like angels,
Mary, Joseph, a manger, a baby, Magi, and shepherds. Yet over the years,
I have become a bit curious about that which isn't mentioned.
Let me explain...
We have heard the Christmas tale as something that all happens in a night. Yet if we read the only two Gospels with Jesus' birth story, we find that they tell two different narratives. In one, Joseph's experience in Matthew is marked by his wrestling with what to do and an angelic intervention that culminates with the simple 25th verse- "He had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." Between that verse and 2:11, it appears that some time has passed- most believe two years (2:16). What happened between Jesus' birth and the visit of the Magi?
Or if you prefer the Lukan text, we have Mary as the primary person in which the angel Gabriel appears to her and by the end, she is at peace with being pregnant. While 'with child,' she visits a relative who is also pregnant with a child (John the Baptist) who leaps in her womb and Elizabeth declares how blessed Mary is. Upon this interchange, the beautiful words of Mary are followed. Soon after Jesus' birth is shared in Luke 2, angels and shepherds have an interaction and they head to see this child. Upon their return, they can’t help but worship!
When the narratives are combined, they make for a majestic story! Angels appearing to both Mary and Joseph, to Zechariah and to shepherds as well! Another child leaping in a womb! Two songs of praise by Mary and Zechariah! A birth in a barn! Magi following a star, interceding on Jesus’ behalf. It is a lot to take in!
Yet, in the shadows, are untold stories. In the shadows are the details of the parents delight over a son. In the shadows are the first coo’s, the first flip by the baby, the first crawling around the house, the first word spoken by Jesus. In the shadows are Mary and Joseph’s response to Magi appearing at their home.
In the shadows remain the fullness of the mystery of our Christmas story. And I suppose that is what has always been, and will be, for us- the great mystery! The shadowy details invite us to dig deeper, to imagine, to paint pictures in our mind and on canvas, of what it must have been like.
Or perhaps it is as simple as pondering such a phrase from the mouth of an angel… “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28) Yes, Emmanuel- God with us…He is really with us and that is just what we need to hear once again this Christmas.
Let me explain...
We have heard the Christmas tale as something that all happens in a night. Yet if we read the only two Gospels with Jesus' birth story, we find that they tell two different narratives. In one, Joseph's experience in Matthew is marked by his wrestling with what to do and an angelic intervention that culminates with the simple 25th verse- "He had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." Between that verse and 2:11, it appears that some time has passed- most believe two years (2:16). What happened between Jesus' birth and the visit of the Magi?
Or if you prefer the Lukan text, we have Mary as the primary person in which the angel Gabriel appears to her and by the end, she is at peace with being pregnant. While 'with child,' she visits a relative who is also pregnant with a child (John the Baptist) who leaps in her womb and Elizabeth declares how blessed Mary is. Upon this interchange, the beautiful words of Mary are followed. Soon after Jesus' birth is shared in Luke 2, angels and shepherds have an interaction and they head to see this child. Upon their return, they can’t help but worship!
When the narratives are combined, they make for a majestic story! Angels appearing to both Mary and Joseph, to Zechariah and to shepherds as well! Another child leaping in a womb! Two songs of praise by Mary and Zechariah! A birth in a barn! Magi following a star, interceding on Jesus’ behalf. It is a lot to take in!
Yet, in the shadows, are untold stories. In the shadows are the details of the parents delight over a son. In the shadows are the first coo’s, the first flip by the baby, the first crawling around the house, the first word spoken by Jesus. In the shadows are Mary and Joseph’s response to Magi appearing at their home.
In the shadows remain the fullness of the mystery of our Christmas story. And I suppose that is what has always been, and will be, for us- the great mystery! The shadowy details invite us to dig deeper, to imagine, to paint pictures in our mind and on canvas, of what it must have been like.
Or perhaps it is as simple as pondering such a phrase from the mouth of an angel… “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28) Yes, Emmanuel- God with us…He is really with us and that is just what we need to hear once again this Christmas.
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