Can you ever have too many good quotes? I for one don't think so! I do apologize for any of you who read this and grow tired of so many quotes. But here's one I feel is worth pondering a bit.
"Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, 'Pray for me that I not loosen my grip on the hands of Jesus even under the guise of ministering to the poor.' That is our first task; to grip the hands of Jesus with such tenacity that we are obliged to follow His lead, to seek first His Kingdom." Richard J. Foster, Freedom from Simplicity
What a great thought! I know that many of us are highly interested in what it takes to be fully-devoted Christ-follower. We're not interested in half-hearted, mediocre, luke-warm commitment. We want to give our all for Jesus just as He has given his all for us. So how do we do that? How, as temporal, simple human beings do we completely devote ourselves to following Someone who is Wholly Other? As Foster states, we grab hold of him with such fierceness of resolve that we can't help but go where He is leading! As we wrap our lives around Jesus and make it our highest aim to know and serve Him, we can't help but follow in His steps.
May He lead you in your journey today.
Nick
Friday, February 23, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
The Heart of Evangelism
I've been reflecting on this reading lately as it relates to the Christ-follower's call to make His name known to all people:
"True holiness is a witness that cannot be ignored. Real sainthood is a phenomenon to which even the worldling pays tribute. The power of a life, where Christ is exalted, would arrest and subdue those who are bored to tears by our thin version of Christianity and wholly uninterested in mere churchmanship...We must recover for ourselves the significance and the necessity of the spiritual disciplines. Without them we shall continue to be impotent witnesses for Christ."
-Albert Edward Day, Discipline and Discovery
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the "going" nature of faith that we can supplant true spirituality with mere activity. We're so concerned with what we're doing on behalf of Christ that we lose sight of who we are in Christ. And this is a crucial mistake, because true evangelism is the overflow of our sincere devotion to Christ. If you had to pick between spending time in prayer and spending time in "evangelism" (as if it were an activity we could segregate into time allotment) I would say pick prayer every time. For if our heart is developed in Christ through prayer, we can't help but become evangelists.
In Eugene Peterson's The Message paraphrase of the Bible, he translates I Peter 2:11 to say, "Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul." At first glance, we might not think of this verse as having much to do with evangelism at all. But in this letter, the apostle Peter goes on in the very next sentence to say that when we live in this manner of holiness- where our soul-care is of utmost importance- the result is that the ungodly will see Christ in us! We can never sacrifice eternal and unchangeable realities for the fleeting moments of pride and self-gratification so prevalent around us. What seems appealing and pleasant to us now may be seen as a great abomination when we see it from eternity's viewpoint. Have in mind the things of God- things that will last, that will grow and enrich your soul- and not the things of man, things that we grasp and strive for but that leave us empty. All the praise in the world and the highest pulpit to preach from won't mean a thing if it's "us" and ego-driven. Our souls are in His hands, and so we trust Him with all that we have.
And when we live in this way, we can't help but proclaim the truth of our Savior to people everywhere, both in word and in deed.
May your soul be His alone as you continue this journey.
Nick
"True holiness is a witness that cannot be ignored. Real sainthood is a phenomenon to which even the worldling pays tribute. The power of a life, where Christ is exalted, would arrest and subdue those who are bored to tears by our thin version of Christianity and wholly uninterested in mere churchmanship...We must recover for ourselves the significance and the necessity of the spiritual disciplines. Without them we shall continue to be impotent witnesses for Christ."
-Albert Edward Day, Discipline and Discovery
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the "going" nature of faith that we can supplant true spirituality with mere activity. We're so concerned with what we're doing on behalf of Christ that we lose sight of who we are in Christ. And this is a crucial mistake, because true evangelism is the overflow of our sincere devotion to Christ. If you had to pick between spending time in prayer and spending time in "evangelism" (as if it were an activity we could segregate into time allotment) I would say pick prayer every time. For if our heart is developed in Christ through prayer, we can't help but become evangelists.
In Eugene Peterson's The Message paraphrase of the Bible, he translates I Peter 2:11 to say, "Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul." At first glance, we might not think of this verse as having much to do with evangelism at all. But in this letter, the apostle Peter goes on in the very next sentence to say that when we live in this manner of holiness- where our soul-care is of utmost importance- the result is that the ungodly will see Christ in us! We can never sacrifice eternal and unchangeable realities for the fleeting moments of pride and self-gratification so prevalent around us. What seems appealing and pleasant to us now may be seen as a great abomination when we see it from eternity's viewpoint. Have in mind the things of God- things that will last, that will grow and enrich your soul- and not the things of man, things that we grasp and strive for but that leave us empty. All the praise in the world and the highest pulpit to preach from won't mean a thing if it's "us" and ego-driven. Our souls are in His hands, and so we trust Him with all that we have.
And when we live in this way, we can't help but proclaim the truth of our Savior to people everywhere, both in word and in deed.
May your soul be His alone as you continue this journey.
Nick
Friday, February 16, 2007
The End of All Things
Ok, so it's not the end of all things, but every time I come to the end of this two week experience, it feels like a major accomplishment! It's a bit odd to feel "filled up" spiritually and mentally, and yet be drained physically and emotionally. I hope that you have enjoyed walking this journey with me and I hope that in some way, even if it is small, you have been challenged in your thinking by something you've read. I'll keep posting after this- so keep checking back in! It probably won't continue to be daily, but I'll shoot for a couple times a week.
So, what will I take from this experience? One thing I always take from this is the grandness of God and my relative smallness. Growing up in a safe, evangelical context, I have learned to see and speak about God in ways that make sense to me. When I come here and am challenged by different theologies and different ways of seeing God, I feel like God grows in size. Now, we know that it is impossible for God to grow; but in my perception of Him He has grown larger. He is more than I know and more than I can understand. This continues to lead me to a place of humility and dependence. Life can be so "me-centered", so the larger God becomes in our mind, the more foolish this way of living appears. He is all, and so our best decision is always to give Him our all.
I am also impressed again with the value of others. As the greatness of God helps move us beyond "me-centeredness", so does a recognition of the need we have to interact with others. I am blessed here, and back home, to be part of a great community. In this intensive time out here, we have no choice but to lean into relationships and learn from one another. Honestly, when I return home, I realize that I have gained as much or more from interacting with my peers as I have from the classes themselves. I would say that the classes give us a context from which to build community. In some ways, I think this is a little how church services work. The church service is not the end all and be all of our faith. Those that treat it as such usually end up with weak and poorly developed spiritual lives. The gathering of believers, however, gives us a context out of which we build community and meaningful relationships, both with God and one another. I don't know how connected you are to others in your world, but I hope you are becoming more and more convinced of our need for others; our need to have people who pour life into us, challenge us, and in turn are challenged by us. It is this "healthy friction" that causes us to grow and become less like fallen beings damaged by sin and more like men and women created in His image to honor Him with our life.
May you know the love of God and the partnership of others as you journey in this life,
Nick
So, what will I take from this experience? One thing I always take from this is the grandness of God and my relative smallness. Growing up in a safe, evangelical context, I have learned to see and speak about God in ways that make sense to me. When I come here and am challenged by different theologies and different ways of seeing God, I feel like God grows in size. Now, we know that it is impossible for God to grow; but in my perception of Him He has grown larger. He is more than I know and more than I can understand. This continues to lead me to a place of humility and dependence. Life can be so "me-centered", so the larger God becomes in our mind, the more foolish this way of living appears. He is all, and so our best decision is always to give Him our all.
I am also impressed again with the value of others. As the greatness of God helps move us beyond "me-centeredness", so does a recognition of the need we have to interact with others. I am blessed here, and back home, to be part of a great community. In this intensive time out here, we have no choice but to lean into relationships and learn from one another. Honestly, when I return home, I realize that I have gained as much or more from interacting with my peers as I have from the classes themselves. I would say that the classes give us a context from which to build community. In some ways, I think this is a little how church services work. The church service is not the end all and be all of our faith. Those that treat it as such usually end up with weak and poorly developed spiritual lives. The gathering of believers, however, gives us a context out of which we build community and meaningful relationships, both with God and one another. I don't know how connected you are to others in your world, but I hope you are becoming more and more convinced of our need for others; our need to have people who pour life into us, challenge us, and in turn are challenged by us. It is this "healthy friction" that causes us to grow and become less like fallen beings damaged by sin and more like men and women created in His image to honor Him with our life.
May you know the love of God and the partnership of others as you journey in this life,
Nick
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Rising From Our Knees
Well, only one more day of class left to go! I think my brain is full and I may be too tired to say anything profound, but I'll still leave a thought from today. (I realize that after hearing this, some of you may feel that perhaps I have been "tired" my whole life! Just trying to make a joke at my own expense. Ha, ha.)
We've started each day of class by looking at a leadership example from the Bible. Today, we began by looking at Nehemiah chapter one out of the Old Testament. In this book, Nehemiah has just received some depressing news from Jerusalem- the people were in distress, the wall was torn down, and the gates had been burned. As a Jew living in exile, this dire message from his homeland broke Nehemiah's heart. The Bible tells us that he sat and wept; praying, fasting, and mourning for his people. The next many verses are his cry to God, asking Him to remember the people of Israel.
For many people, the story would end here. Sad news is received, mourning follows, and life goes on. But not for Nehemiah. The last thought of his prayer is, "Please grant me success now as I go to ask the king for a great favor. Put it into his heart to be kind to me." Nehemiah has grieved, but now he is ready to go. The passion he feels for his people has stirred him into action, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to see the fortunes of Israel change.
One more thing- this chapter ends with a seemingly "cast-off" sentence, "In those days, I (Nehemiah) was the king's cup-bearer." The significance of this statement may be lost on modern ears, but in Nehemiah's day this role was one of great importance. He was one of few people who had unlimited, daily access to the king. Nehemiah goes on to leverage this position to ask for help on behalf of Israel. King Artaxerxes ends up commissioning Nehemiah and a group of Jews to return home to re-build the wall and refashion the gates, a task which they would complete 12 years later.
Notice what has transpired here: Nehemiah receives bad news and we see that he has great passion. Then we learn he is a right-hand man of the king, someone powerful enough to help. And finally, in chapter two we learn that God's hand is on Nehemiah and God blesses him to go and accomplish this task. Put plainly, a need arises which matches up with Nehemiah's passion, and he in turn uses his position to go forth and accomplish God's purposes.
I wonder how many of us would stay in our "prayer room," content to mourn the fortunes of those we love but not willing to do much about it. But be assured of this- there is a place in your life where your passion and position are lining up with God's purpose, and as they do- be ready! He's going to use you! In fact, the reality is that for many of us, that opportunity may already exist! The question is, will we have the courage to move from a place of prayer into action? When we do this, we are accepting the fact that often times, we may be a part of the answer to our own prayers. As we pray, God says, "I'm so glad this has caught your heart- now go, I want to use you to answer your prayers and mine." Is this too much for us? I don't think so. Why else would God grant us passion, and places of influence or "power"? He wants to use us!
Lift your life to Him and offer Him all that you have. And don't be surprised if He takes you up on that offer!
Journey on-
Nick
We've started each day of class by looking at a leadership example from the Bible. Today, we began by looking at Nehemiah chapter one out of the Old Testament. In this book, Nehemiah has just received some depressing news from Jerusalem- the people were in distress, the wall was torn down, and the gates had been burned. As a Jew living in exile, this dire message from his homeland broke Nehemiah's heart. The Bible tells us that he sat and wept; praying, fasting, and mourning for his people. The next many verses are his cry to God, asking Him to remember the people of Israel.
For many people, the story would end here. Sad news is received, mourning follows, and life goes on. But not for Nehemiah. The last thought of his prayer is, "Please grant me success now as I go to ask the king for a great favor. Put it into his heart to be kind to me." Nehemiah has grieved, but now he is ready to go. The passion he feels for his people has stirred him into action, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to see the fortunes of Israel change.
One more thing- this chapter ends with a seemingly "cast-off" sentence, "In those days, I (Nehemiah) was the king's cup-bearer." The significance of this statement may be lost on modern ears, but in Nehemiah's day this role was one of great importance. He was one of few people who had unlimited, daily access to the king. Nehemiah goes on to leverage this position to ask for help on behalf of Israel. King Artaxerxes ends up commissioning Nehemiah and a group of Jews to return home to re-build the wall and refashion the gates, a task which they would complete 12 years later.
Notice what has transpired here: Nehemiah receives bad news and we see that he has great passion. Then we learn he is a right-hand man of the king, someone powerful enough to help. And finally, in chapter two we learn that God's hand is on Nehemiah and God blesses him to go and accomplish this task. Put plainly, a need arises which matches up with Nehemiah's passion, and he in turn uses his position to go forth and accomplish God's purposes.
I wonder how many of us would stay in our "prayer room," content to mourn the fortunes of those we love but not willing to do much about it. But be assured of this- there is a place in your life where your passion and position are lining up with God's purpose, and as they do- be ready! He's going to use you! In fact, the reality is that for many of us, that opportunity may already exist! The question is, will we have the courage to move from a place of prayer into action? When we do this, we are accepting the fact that often times, we may be a part of the answer to our own prayers. As we pray, God says, "I'm so glad this has caught your heart- now go, I want to use you to answer your prayers and mine." Is this too much for us? I don't think so. Why else would God grant us passion, and places of influence or "power"? He wants to use us!
Lift your life to Him and offer Him all that you have. And don't be surprised if He takes you up on that offer!
Journey on-
Nick
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Our Greatest Need
This morning our professor made an interesting statement. He asked the class, "Do you know the answer to every community problem?" We all stared at him a little dumb-founded. Could any one answer possibly suffice? The problems that communities face are so diverse and complex, how could any such simplistic solution exist? But the confidence of our professor was unmistakable. He believed in the answer he was about to give. Seeing no hands raised, he continued by answering his own question. "The answer to every community problem is simply more leaders."
What do you think of that? I know that at first I really had a check in my mind. But the more I think it through, the more it makes sense. This isn't to say that money, systems, resources, etc, are of no importance. It simply means that without leadership, all the money and resources in the world won't solve the problems. Some pundits would interject at this point that governments, schools, and various businesses have proven this! When leaders get involved however, real change becomes possible. And when I say leaders, I don't have in mind only those who are naturally born to lead. What I have in mind is people who care enough about a situation or purpose that they rise to the occasion and take an active role in working for a solution.
If this statement is true, that the answer to every community problem is more leaders, then this is a very challenging thought. You see, most of us would rather throw money at a problem. Or hire an expert to take care of it for us. Or merely go somewhere else where the problem doesn't exist. If the answer is more leaders, more people that will say, "follow me as we give ourselves to this cause", then we are drawn personally into action. This kind of self-sacrifice for the good of a group can be the hardest thing in the world, but it can also be the greatest.
I know that for many people, just this idea about leadership is bothersome. Leading is a scary concept! By and large, most of us don't think we have what it takes to lead. And by and large- I say you're wrong! God has crafted and created each and every one of us with talents, traits, and personalities that uniquely qualify us to lead in a way that no one else can. Do we lack knowledge to lead? We can be trained! Do we lack courage to lead? We can find support from God and others! Do we lack opportunity to lead? God can and will lead us to the place.
As I look at the local church- not just ours but churches all over the place- I can resonate with Dr. McCloskey's words. The answer to every church problem is simply more leaders; more men and women who are captured by God's grander vision of life and have given themselves to him. When our willingness to lead aligns with God's passion to use us, nothing can stop us! Search within yourself- you know the power to influence others is within you. And it's not just you; it's what God has made you to be. Will you lead? Will you wrestle with what this means until God puts an answer on your heart?
As you journey in His grace, may you turn around to find that others have followed your lead.
Nick
What do you think of that? I know that at first I really had a check in my mind. But the more I think it through, the more it makes sense. This isn't to say that money, systems, resources, etc, are of no importance. It simply means that without leadership, all the money and resources in the world won't solve the problems. Some pundits would interject at this point that governments, schools, and various businesses have proven this! When leaders get involved however, real change becomes possible. And when I say leaders, I don't have in mind only those who are naturally born to lead. What I have in mind is people who care enough about a situation or purpose that they rise to the occasion and take an active role in working for a solution.
If this statement is true, that the answer to every community problem is more leaders, then this is a very challenging thought. You see, most of us would rather throw money at a problem. Or hire an expert to take care of it for us. Or merely go somewhere else where the problem doesn't exist. If the answer is more leaders, more people that will say, "follow me as we give ourselves to this cause", then we are drawn personally into action. This kind of self-sacrifice for the good of a group can be the hardest thing in the world, but it can also be the greatest.
I know that for many people, just this idea about leadership is bothersome. Leading is a scary concept! By and large, most of us don't think we have what it takes to lead. And by and large- I say you're wrong! God has crafted and created each and every one of us with talents, traits, and personalities that uniquely qualify us to lead in a way that no one else can. Do we lack knowledge to lead? We can be trained! Do we lack courage to lead? We can find support from God and others! Do we lack opportunity to lead? God can and will lead us to the place.
As I look at the local church- not just ours but churches all over the place- I can resonate with Dr. McCloskey's words. The answer to every church problem is simply more leaders; more men and women who are captured by God's grander vision of life and have given themselves to him. When our willingness to lead aligns with God's passion to use us, nothing can stop us! Search within yourself- you know the power to influence others is within you. And it's not just you; it's what God has made you to be. Will you lead? Will you wrestle with what this means until God puts an answer on your heart?
As you journey in His grace, may you turn around to find that others have followed your lead.
Nick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)