Advent Reflections: The Image of the Stump and Branch

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1

While many North American Christian churches don't make much out of images and pictures, the season of Advent is actually filled with them.  Sure, we get our share of words that don't really have any kind of picture with them (joy, peace, hope and the like), but we also get a good number of pictures like this one from Isaiah.  The stump of Jesse having a single shoot that will spring forth from it and bear fruit.

There are a number of things about this image worthy of our reflection. First, I simply want to encourage you to picture this in your mind.  Perhaps it evokes something from your past, where you have seen a stump of a tree with a branch growing up out of it. Picture it in your mind.  Think about what you are seeing there.

Perhaps in your image you see the stump. It's cut off, relatively close to the ground.  It could be newly cut down or perhaps is weathered and aged. Yet, no matter how you picture it, you cannot deny one thing: it has been cut down.  No longer is a living, vibrant tree found there.  The promise and hope of life is gone. All that is left is a sad reminder of what used to stand there, strong, tall and powerful.

Yet, even from this dead stump, there still exists the hope of life.  That's what the shoot indicates.  It is fresh.  Perhaps in your image you see newly formed leaves, budding with a vibrant green filled with life. Life emerges where death had been found. That life grows, reaching upward and becoming strong and vibrant, finally getting to the point where it bears fruit once again.

That is the image that God gave to His people through Isaiah. There are several interesting things with this reading, as well. First is the use of the name Jesse.  While the promise of an everlasting ruler had been given to David, here Isaiah mentions David's father as the stump.  It's a reminder that God isn't impressed with our greatness, but with humility.  Jesse pales in comparison to his son David, and yet, the stump bears Jesse's name.

Another thing is that this word spoken by Isaiah came while there was still a descendant of David sitting on the throne in Jerusalem.  Isaiah lived in the time to see the northern kingdom of Israel conquered and marched off into exile, but he was not around at the time when the Babylonian army conquered Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah spoke God's Word, that the kingly line would be cut off, appearing dead.  Yet, even death would not deter God from fulfilling His promise.  A shoot would arise from that stump, and that shoot would grow to become a branch that would bear fruit.

As you reflect on this image, what do you find in your life that God may be saying needs to be cut off and die?  What new life is God working to raise up from the death of that?  As you reflect, may you also be reminded that God's Spirit is at work to bear that fruit in your life.

Advent Reflections: Peace

This time of year, the word peace makes its way around, especially in Christian circles.  We hear of Jesus being the promised "Prince of Peace", who came to bring "peace on earth, good will to men". In the hectic nature of this season, peace is also something that we find ourselves longing after.  With the pressures of gifts, of work, of family, and perhaps travel, we long for peace.  Even going to the store, hearing the ringing of the Salvation Army bells adding their trill to the cacophony of noise can make us long for peace and quiet.

Yet, do we truly know what we are asking for when we ask for peace?  Do we truly understand the peace that Jesus came to bring into this world?  I would dare say not.  On one occasion, Jesus made the statement, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." And that may strike us profoundly to hear Jesus, of all people, saying that. 

How would you define peace if you were asked?  Most of us might tend to lean toward the absence of conflict.  People are getting along.  When you hear people talk about peace on earth, that's usually what they mean.  The nations aren't actively seeking to hurt each other.  There aren't wars going on.  People are tolerating each other.  And we then bring that same meaning into what we believe Jesus came to bring.  An absence of conflict.  "We all just get along".

I would say that Jesus says that statement because that's not the kind of peace that He had come to bring.  Sure, the absence of conflict would be a mark of a perfect world, but then, Jesus didn't come and eradicate sin in this world.  He came to deal with its end result and repercussions.  He didn't come to remove conflict, but to deal with the thing that is at the heart of conflict.  He came to bring restoration to things to be the way that they were intended to be from the creation.  And the beginning point for that restoration would be to pay the price of guilt.

It sounds almost like a Christian cliche to say it, but Jesus came to make things right between the creation and God first and foremost, so that then, when the new creation comes into its being, we can be welcomed into it.  If things haven't been made right ahead of time, then the new creation would be empty and, therefore, pointless.  The peace Jesus came to bring is not merely the absence of conflict, but the removal of everything separating God from His creation.  It is much deeper and more profound than we could possibly imagine.

So as you reflect on peace this Advent season, I encourage you to consider obstacles that may be present in the relationships you share with others.  In the reflection of your Christian faith, how can you work to remove those obstacles and grow the peace that can more fully exist in those relationships?  That's the living out of this Christian peace in our lives here and now.

Advent Reflection: Joy

Over the past few days, the work joy has been on my mind considerably.  Part of this is the fact that I will be preaching in chapel this coming Wednesday and am choosing to focus on joy and rejoicing, two matters which show up in the assigned Bible readings for the day.  It also came up in the Bible study I attended this morning.  It's something that I am privileged to see quite often in the faces of my wife and children, and I hope they see if frequently on my face as well.

Joy is one of those words that is a bit challenging to define well.  It's not exactly happiness, since you can have joy even at times of sadness (think of the funeral where you know the deceased is with Lord and Savior, but is still missed). It's not a sense of well-being necessarily, since joy can be found even in pain and suffering.  You notice that I'm saying that joy isn't a lot of things.  Sometimes we have to define a word by emphasizing the things that it is not.

Joy is a sense that things are well and will turn out well.  For us, that means that joy is something that is ultimately out of our hands.  Our power and might will rarely be the thing that causes something to turn out well.  Sure, we might have an appropriate word to say at that given moment that improves the situation, but we also don't control how people receive that word. We might be able to do something that brings a bit of happiness into the situation, but that may not change the situation appreciably.

That's where I suggest that our Christian idea of joy actually hits the mark quite well.  Only God has shown the ability to work with all things, even to the point of utilizing sinful thoughts, words, and behaviors to further His purposes.  Only God can bring joy to the situation, which is why Paul's list of the fruit of the Spirit in his letter to the Galatians points us appropriately toward Him.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, and so on.

Joy lies in knowing and believing that God is the One working to bring all things to good.  Though the immediate circumstances may not be joyful or even good for our well-being, we find joy that God can and has overcome these in Christ Jesus.  His joy is in redeeming us, and because we are redeemed, we know we are safe in His hands.  That is what brings joy, even in sadness, even in distress.  That joy is something that truly is only a gift from God by His Spirit.

My prayer is that you see much joy this Advent season, but also in all seasons of your life.  Jesus is your Redeemer and has redeemed you through His blood.  Thanks be to God.

Reflections for Advent

At the congregation where my family and I worship, we have a regular booklet to guide our devotional thoughts during the week.  It's a great resource to have, especially as it keeps our thoughts in view of the message we hear at the assembly of the saints on Sunday.  We are encouraged daily with a Scripture reading, as well as guiding thought for the day.  And as is appropriate for Advent, quite often these reflections are on some promise that God makes to us.

Taking time to reflect on God's Word is not easy for us in the Western world.  We have been raised and taught that we are to be busy, active, and focused on all sorts of things.  When at work, we are taught to focus on our work.  We rarely take time to slow down, to stop, to think things through.  I remember hearing from a number of pastors over the years that many in the congregations they served would view their personal study time as something to be questioned.  Why?  Because the pastor wasn't "doing something".  His personal time of devotion and growing was seen as a waste because there was no activity to it.

It's difficult for us to slow down, to think, to reflect.  In fact, I would dare say that we are bad at it, and don't want to develop that discipline within ourselves.  Just imagine if you were sitting on your couch, or in your chair at work, quietly quoting a Psalm to yourself, letting the Spirit guide your thoughts, for about 4-5 minutes.  How focused on the Psalm would you be?  I would imagine that you would have all kinds of thoughts intrude and distract you from it.  On top of that, what if someone saw you doing this.  Would they think you were taking a nap?  Bored?  Needing more to do?

Quiet reflection time is precious.  If you ever get a chance to read all the way through Psalm 119 (all 176 verses), one theme you will see is that of reflecting and meditating on God's Word and Law. How do we do that, though?  What is gained by doing so?  Well, we do it by taking a verse or two, reading them (sometimes even multiple times), and then considering the areas of our lives where these speak. We let the Spirit guide us to see where we may be doing this, or to correct us when we aren't doing it well.  We may uncover sin issues that need to be confessed and dealt with.  And as a side benefit, we also start to develop discipline in our thinking, which benefits us outside of our reflection times.

For this Advent season, I simply want to encourage you to consider taking 2-5 minutes daily for a reflection on a Scripture reading of some sort.  Make it short, so you can remember it (or maybe even memorize it). Then let that Word work on you, your heart, your soul. If you find that you are not focused, take a deep breath and start again.  Don't be frustrated with yourself over your lack of ability, especially if you haven't developed this discipline before.  Start small, and work your way up.  Maybe start with two minutes, with the goal of four or five by the end of the season.  And let God's promise fill you as you reflect and develop this discipline.

It's Advent! Hurry up and Wait!

We have now entered the season of the Church year we call Advent.  This is part of the Christian tradition to which I belong.  It marks the beginning of the year for us faith-wise.  It's significant because it reminds us of the years/decades/centuries where God's people waited for God to send the promised Messiah.  So during this season, we hear the promises that God made, and we see how God patiently waited until the time was just right.

I don't know about you, but waiting isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to do.  The thing is, I am actually a fairly patient person a good portion of the time.  However, it is far too often that I get impatient.  I want things done and don't want to have to wait until I have the time, or until others get the idea and do it.  My impatience drives my life far too often.

Yet, God waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Fulfillment of a promise rarely happens immediately.  If it did, there would be no need for the promise.  The reason we have to make a promise in the first place is because it's not happening right now, right away.  It will happen, but until it does, waiting is called for.  Patience is called for.

In some ways, our current society life reflects this.  It's the time when many are buying gifts, putting up trees, and wrapping up presents for the tree and the stockings.  Yet, we wait until the time to open them. If you have kids, you get to teach patience (and believe me, they don't want to wait!). Even for you, you might be driven to distraction by the unknown thing(s) sitting in a brightly wrapped package, just beckoning to you.  Yet, we wait.

The season of Advent is a season of waiting.  God's promise will be fulfilled, which began with the sending of His Son, who would be born of a human woman and become a human being. Even then, though, redemption would wait.  It would be thirty or so years before the action of redemption occurred.  Even then, waiting was called for, as the tomb and grave seemed too much to defeat.  But the promise was fulfilled as the giver of life came back to life, to give new life to all who believe it was done for them.

So wait.  Take a few deep breaths when you find yourself impatient.  Relax, close your eyes, count slowly to ten, and then remember.  Waiting is a challenge, but God is growing you in that challenge.  

Do You Really Trust Me? (Empowerment)

Yesterday I encouraged you to read through Luke 10:1-23.  It may be a familiar story, or perhaps not.  Jesus empowered His followers by sending them into the villages ahead of where He was going, giving them the task to go and bring God's peace to the people they would encounter.  Yes, I know the word "empowerment" is not used by Luke, nor is it found anywhere in the Bible.  Yet, the idea of empowerment is a thread that runs throughout.  God routinely empowers people of His with His work, and that is a good and gracious thing.

Rather than make this a post only about empowerment, though, I want to focus a little bit on what all Jesus does here early on in this Bible reading.  I think it's very noteworthy with where He begins.  In the second verse, He tells them that there is an abundant harvest, but the workers are few.  Then we get to the meat of where He would have His followers begin.  "Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

When you think of it, the first thing Jesus does is have His followers approach God in prayer.  Yes, I'm sure you've probably heard something like this before.  Before you begin, take it to God in prayer.  That's the beginning point, and while we could spend time talking about what would constitute a good prayer or prayer life, let's just say that we shouldn't take this one for granted.  God wants to give to us, and He wants us to ask.  Maybe we should take that starting point quite a bit more seriously.

Then, Jesus sends the followers out.  Now, as you read through what He tells them in the sentences following His call to prayer, He gives them some fairly explicit instructions in how they are to conduct themselves.  While He gives them instructions, He also is trusting them to go and do the things He is sending them to do.  That sounds small, but in reality, this is a really huge matter.  Jesus trusts them to do what He is sending them to do.

You've likely had the experience at some point of being given a task by someone.  They said that they wanted you to do it, but the whole time, you found them looking over your shoulder.  Or, when you finished it, it wasn't exactly the way that they wanted it to be, and their reaction nullified the trust that had been shown in permitting you to take on the task.  In cases like these, you may have been empowered, but that empowerment was quickly cut off by the reaction of the person who empowered you.  In the first case, their actions demonstrate that they don't really trust you.  In the second, they let you do the task, but then declared that your effort was inadequate to their expectations.  Talk about killing any sense of empowerment.  In both of these situations, you are much less likely to think that you are being empowered or trusted the next time you are given a task.

That's the question we need to ask, either as the person empowering others, or as the one who is being empowered.  Is trust present?  If you look critically at the situation and discover that trust isn't present, then you need to address the situation.  Yes, that can be very challenging to do when you are not the one in authority.  In fact, I would dare say that most people find it easier to leave for another position rather than remain in an untrusting environment.  Trust is crucial to empowerment, and the lack of it will quickly kill the hopes of those being empowered.  That only adds to the burden of the leader, if he/she is not trusting those whom they should be empowering.  On the part of the leader, it does assume a risk.  The person may let you down, or may do it in a manner differently than what you were expecting.  If they let you down, you now have a teachable moment.  If they do it differently than what you were expecting, now you have learned something.

An environment of trust is vital to a good workplace.  Without it, the leader will always find himself doing more, which is unnecessary if he isn't doing the work of preparing them properly.  

Leadership, Empowerment, and Authority

After this the Lord appointed seventy two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. Luke 10:1

First, my apologies on the lack of posting recently.  I have noticed that being in a position which requires travel means that some of the regular things I'd like to do (like blogging) sometimes just doesn't happen as regularly as I would like.  Thanks for bearing with me!

Over the next few days, I intend to do a series of posts on the connection between the three main words in the title.  Leadership. Empowerment.  Authority. Over the years, and through lots of reading, study, and research, I have come to see how these are important attributes for any leader, but especially for those who lead in God's Church.  Good, effective leadership can be a great assistance to the Gospel message.  No, leadership in and of itself is not the Gospel, but it serves as part of God's creation to better facilitate how God's people work together as His Spirit sends them to one another and the world with that ongoing message of redemption in Jesus.

As you read the verse above, one thing we see there is that Jesus empowered others and gave them authority in His name.  I would suggest reading the whole selection, Luke 10:1-23, to get a better grasp of what all Jesus does here.  Jesus demonstrates leadership in a couple of ways here.  First, He empowers His followers with the work that He has designed for them.  As you read on following verse 1, He is actually pretty explicit about what He is empowering them to do.  This is worth noticing.  Jesus gives empowers them for His work, but He also gives them a good amount of detail of what they are to be doing.  He leaves how they do it to them, but He is very clear with what He wants them to be doing.

Empowerment involves giving someone a task to do.  You give them the expectation of what they are to be doing.  Then, you set the parameters of what that will look like.  To use a brief example, if I want my kids to build a fort, I might give them the instructions to "build a fort." I might even give them the specific materials to use (use blocks, don't use couch cushions, etc.). Then, they are left to do the task that I have given them.  They have a clear directive, as well as clear boundaries, and as long as they work within those boundaries, they are free to build and create to their hearts content.

I would suggest that many people who lead may think that they are empowering others, but they actually serve to sever their empowerment in several ways.  They may not be clear on the expectation.  They may give a clear expectation, but then meddle in the details to the point that they discourage those they are attempting to empower.  They may not give clear enough expectations or parameters, and then be surprised when things either don't go as they intended, or they get frustrated that those they are empowering aren't doing what is expected.

I'll touch on these a bit more over the next few days.  But for now, read through this account in Luke 10.  See how Jesus is clear with His expectation, as well as with His parameters. Note also He gives them freedom to do what they were sent to do.  I suggest that you even write down the various things that you note as you read, as well as any thoughts or insights you have. Feel free to comment with anything that you think calls for further discussion. 

Leadership and Humility

When you think about the two words I chose for the title of this entry, you could potentially have the thought that they are contradictory.  Leadership tends to call for someone to assert themselves, to set the direction.  It calls for having an idea of where you and those following are going, and you have the ability to convey that sense to others and encourage them to come along with you.  Leadership often means standing strong in the face of adversity, withstanding doubts, and other related factors such as this.

If this is the case, how can humility play a role in leadership then?  We tend to think of humility as someone who doesn't insist on their way being the right way.  Humility seems almost the opposite of being assertive.  Humility looks to others and sees the value in them and places a high priority on valuing them.  So it seems that leadership and humility simply are two diametrically opposite ideals.

I would suggest, though, that leadership is at its best when proper humility is observed in the one who dares to lead.  Yes, the leader does assert himself/herself in the direction of where things are going, and the leader does have to stand strong in the face of adversity, facing doubts, answering questions.  However, a truly effective leader will do these things while also listening to the ones who voice their questions, or who present the adversity.  They don't see individuals who have questions or who present obstacles as voices to be silenced, but rather, as someone who is sharpening their conviction and thinking.  They are willing to see the wisdom that others may present to them.  They look to make sure that the direction they are going is both led by God and His Spirit, and at the same time, serving the needs of those they are called to serve.  (As a side note, this also means that the leader isn't overly enamored with his/her own idea of what is right, and strives to get their way no matter the cost.)

In other words, the truly effective leader will work diligently to ensure that the direction they set is one that is truly serving others, as they have been called to lead and serve. Yes, it will require conviction.  After all, if God has truly set that direction, the leader has to be sure of it.  You can always figure out a leader who doesn't truly have conviction in the direction they are leading.  However, the leader hones that conviction by spending time individually with people, seeking to discover if the direction is one that truly serves.

In the end, I believe you cannot be an effective leader without also having an abundance of humility.  

The Price of Winning the Argument

How much is it worth to have the last word?  Or perhaps, I should ask it more accurately.  How much is it worth to prove that you are right and that the other person is wrong?  It doesn't matter how big or how small the matter may be, if you press things to the point where you prove that you are right and they are wrong, what have you gained and, more importantly, what price have you paid to achieve your victory?

Let's look first at what was gained.  You proved you were right.  Again, it doesn't really matter what the conversation was, what the disagreement or argument was over, you have proven that your point was the correct point.  You now stand more self-assured that you knew the right answer, you stood up for the right answer, and you used your knowledge and insight to prove that you were correct.  Nice work.  The only thing is, notice how many times I wrote the word "you" in this paragraph.  Pushing the point of the argument to where you prove you are right has really only had a benefit for you.  You've grown in your pride, and perhaps even arrogance.  You've shown yourself superior.

Which brings us to the other side.  What price have you paid?  What has been lost in you proving that you are correct?  Well, the other person didn't win.  Again, whether it was a large or small matter, you've now "ranked" yourself over them in some way.  Unless you are someone who takes pride in making other people feel smaller and less significant, that really isn't a win.  You've lost them, to some extent.  You've taken away from their worth and value.  You've exalted yourself and humbled them, which means that you have likely also lost some relationship currency.  They may not want to have similar conversations with you, if you are only going to prove that you are right and they are wrong.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote that the Philippian Christians were to consider others as more significant than themselves.  Winning the argument does just the opposite.  Now, to be sure, there are times where it is fully appropriate to win the argument.  If my kid wants to run in the street where cars are driving, I'm going to win that argument.  However, I only do so because there is a greater value at work, their safety.  If they want to color with red markers instead of blue markers, why do I need to win that argument?  Just because blue is my favorite color?  Just because the sky is blue, not green?

I admit that I have often pushed to win arguments in my life.  However, life experience and God's Word have gone a long way in showing me that winning the argument isn't the great joy it may seem that it should be.  I've learned, instead, to ask questions.  I've learned to listen a lot more, and speak a lot less.  Sure, there are times when my ego wants to win, and I even give in to that desire at times.  But I have also seen the Spirit calm that need within me, seeing what Paul wrote to the Corinthians, that it is sometimes better to be wronged than to get my way.

There is always a cost to winning.  Sure, we have to deal with substantive issues at time, but even then, when we need to be right, we should strive to do so in respectful, gentle ways.  I think most people would value someone who would be right, but would be so in a gentle, respectful way.  I hope that you will be guided by that next time you feel the need to be "right". 

It's all in the Nails

When our Lord Jesus was crucified, nails were used to hold Him up on the post of the cross.  One through each of His hands/arms and then one driven through both of His feet, one atop the other.  Nails became God's instrument to bring about redemption.  Though these nails caused pain, they also brought relief from pain.  The nails were the worldly means of keeping our Savior on the cross, though He Himself would have stayed up there even without the nails, such was the depth of His compassion for His fallen creation.

A nail, perhaps two, were used to post 95 statements onto a church door, just over 500 years ago.  The action of Jesus on the cross was still there, but many other things were now surrounding it, covering it, and even drawing the focus away from the cross, the nails, His death, and His resurrection.  More nails were used in an attempt to create a conversation about the central role of the One who had nails pierce His flesh to keep Him upon the cross, again, in the worldly sense.

The nails that held up Luther's 95 statements, or theses, were his attempt to bring the focus back upon Jesus, the One whom the nails had pierced, whose blood had been shed for the redemption and freedom of the world.  Not a freedom to do whatever we pleased, but instead, a freedom from that which shackled us, which condemned us, which would have led to our worldly death and our eternal death.  In one sense, we could say that it's all in the nails.

We Lutherans make a big deal about October 31 being called Reformation Day.  Luther chose this specific day for a reason.  You see, All Saints Day is November 1, a day that had traditionally been one of the big worship and festival days.  November 1 would be when the local people would be heading to that church to attend worship.  As they would enter, there would be Luther's 95 statements there, posted boldly for anyone to read, if they had the ability.  Those nails had a purpose, to draw attention and bring the conversation to Jesus and what He had accomplished for us.

When Lutherans celebrate October 31 as the Reformation, it's much more than remembering a monk who had 95 statements to initiate conversation.  Yes, that was a significant part of it.  But the thing to remember is that Luther posted those theses because he wanted to draw attention back to the original nails, the ones that had been used to help accomplish the redemption of each of us.  So yes, we sing proudly "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", and we lament that so many make the day more about costumes and candy rather than the cross and Jesus.  We wish many more would know the significance of these nails, nails which helped accomplish our redemption, and nails which helped draw the focus back to our redemption.  So Happy Reformation Day!

Reptition is the Mother of Learning

"Your steadfast love endures forever."  This is a refrain that rings out again and again in Psalm 136.  In fact, it is the ending of every verse in the Psalm.

I remember going through my confirmation years.  One thing that marks many confirmation classes in the church body I belong to is memorization of the Bible basics in the Small Catechism.  You say things like the commandments and their meanings over and over to yourself, repeating them to your classmates and the teacher.  You finally stand in front of the assembly of God's people and repeat them.  The intent is not to prove how proficient you are at memorizing things, but to start the process of "inwardly digesting" them, as one of our prayers says.  You learn by repeating.

While I am fully on board with changing things up so that people don't get bored with excessive repetition, I also see the value in saying the same things again and again.  We say the Apostles Creed and the Lord's Prayer frequently in congregations I have been a part of, and in the end, we take to heart the things that we speak of God or to God in them.  Sure, repetition has the potential of becoming rote, of just doing it because it's "the thing we do", but to offset that, it means that we take the time to occasionally review why we do the things we do, teaching the importance of them again and again.

If you think about it, this is actually how life works.  How did you learn to eat with a fork and spoon?  By practicing with it.  Watch any child start working with these utensils and you will see that you only improve by doing it again and again.  The first time, food ends up all over the floor, the clothes, the table, and even the hair!  But then, over time, they get much better at it.  They learn it to such a point that they hardly even think about it anymore.  In fact, reflect on how you use your utensils.  Do you even have to think about how you use them anymore?  Repetition is the mother of learning.

That's why I have become a huge fan of singing the same thing over and over, of saying the same thing over and over.  Now, I say that with a huge caveat.  You have to teach the meaning of what you are doing, why you are doing it, and be very explicit with what you are doing.  Just saying, "That's the way we've always done it" will not suffice as an explanation.  In the end, you will even find that teaching about why you are doing what you are doing is also something that calls for repetition, thus proving the point again and again, that we need to continually hear it to truly learn it.

The Fame of Anonymity

And Jesus sternly charged [the leper] and sent him away at once, and said to him, 'See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.' But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, to that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people where coming to him from every quarter. Mark 1:43-45

In my life and ministry, I have typically attempted to keep as low a profile as I could.  I have rarely aspired to be anyone of importance.  I have no desire to hold offices.  I even shy away from the thought that people might want to look up to me as a role model or anything like that.  Sure, it's an honor when people encourage their kids to look to me as an example, but what I am saying is that it is not something I aspire toward.

To some extent, I have come to see Jesus in a similar light.  Quite often we find accounts in the Gospels like the one above, where Jesus does some act of kindness or compassion toward someone, and then tells them not to make a big deal out of it.  Over the years, I've heard various reasons given for this.  Some say that He knew the best way to get them to tell others would be to tell them NOT to talk about it, but that hasn't sat right with me, as it makes Jesus out to be intentionally misleading people.  Others say He didn't really mean it, but that would then devalue what Jesus says, which we only do at our peril.

I've rather come to think that Jesus actually didn't want attention drawn to Himself when He would show compassion and care for others.  He didn't want the left hand to know what the right hand was doing, or to have His actions done for the praise of man.  Instead, I have come to see Him much more in the light of what He spoke in Matthew 5, where He said to let your light shine before others, that they may see your good and give glory to the Father for what they have seen.

I have come to deeply believe that, when you do good for others, such as showing care and compassion, and you don't do it to be noticed, that it will get noticed.  Yes, God notices it, and truly, that is all that matters.  Any good that we do should really be done for an audience of One, that of the Father.  Yet, when people realize that you aren't doing good to them simply to show how good you are, they will respect that, and will inevitably let others know that you are one who is trustworthy.  As people who have been the recipients of your care and compassion connect with one another, suddenly what you have done builds.  Again, not so much for your benefit, but that God is glorified through what you have done.  Yet, in the long run, it will cause you to be more noticed, and perhaps even asked to do more, or to show more compassion.  That is what we eventually see with Jesus, just like Mark points out at the end of his first chapter.

So yes, show your care and compassion toward others, and do it abundantly.  Don't do it to be noticed, and don't do it so that others will talk about what a good person you are.  Do it because your Father sees it and rejoices over Christ shining in your life.  But also don't be surprised if you then start to witness what I am calling the Fame of Anonymity. 

The Power of the Question

I was recently reading through a book in which the author mentioned that he started reading through the Gospel accounts with the goal of counting the number of questions that Jesus asked.  He said that he stopped at somewhere around 300 questions.  Think about that for a moment.  One of the things Jesus did repeatedly was ask questions.  More often than not, He also didn't answer them, but rather allowed the person to work through the answer for themselves.  (By the way, I've also read that letting others answer the question for themselves is just about the most effective way for them to not only learn, but actually retain that information.)

Over the past number of years, I have to say that I have noticed myself moving toward asking questions far more than answering questions, or inserting my thoughts into a situation.  Sure, I might have some knowledge or even wisdom to apply to a situation, and there may be a time where it is suitable to provide that.  However, far more often, it is most beneficial to ask others to work through their thoughts and assumptions on things, to see what they are thinking and, perhaps more importantly, why they are thinking that.  That begins to tap into the power of the question.

I realize that this really isn't anything all that profound.  Yet, it also goes against so much of our human nature.  We want to think that we have something to contribute to the conversation.  We have knowledge that fits the situation, and it just seems appropriate to provide it.  We have wisdom regarding what is happening, and it just seems appropriate to share it for the benefit of others.  Yet, how often have you provided knowledge or wisdom, only to have the other person do something else, regardless of how good or right your knowledge or wisdom was?  Just like we think we have something to contribute, we could also benefit from remembering that they also think that, and somewhere in the back of their mind, they may also think that their way of thinking of the situation is superior to ours.

To ask questions means that we put aside our human tendency to insert our thoughts into the situation. That, my friends, is a hard thing to do. It involves a very intentional effort.  It means that we do as Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians and consider others as more significant than ourselves.  Truthfully, we don't want to do that.  That's why the power of the question so often goes untapped.

I admit that I am still learning this.  I've been coached by a wonderful man of God, who introduced me to much of the power of the question.  I've seen repeatedly in my reading of God's Word how often God asks a question, looking for His people to consider their answer.  And I have grown to see that God's Spirit is at work in ways that I can hardly imagine, and sometimes I have to ask before I see how He is bringing this person before me at this time to contribute something that I would not have seen if I hadn't simply asked for their input.

The power of the question.  What is keeping you from making use of this powerful thing?  How do you see God using questions to grow His people in knowledge, faith, and maturity?  

On Motivation

"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore, all have died..."  2 Corinthians 5:14

What drives you and motivates you?  In some ways, this is an easy question to answer.  When you wake up in the morning, an empty tummy drives you to breakfast.  A full bladder drives you to the bathroom.  With a desire to approach the day anew, you may be motivated to shower, shave, and get ready for the day.  When you are tired in the evening, your droopy eyes and the darkness motivate you to sleep.

Other times, however, discerning this is not so easily accomplished.  What drives you or motivates you in how you approach your work?  Think about it for a moment.  It could be the need for a paycheck, which motivates you to work, but not perhaps to put your greatest effort into it.  You could be motivated to please those who determine your pay level, and so you are motivated to do the things that you get "graded" for, but not a lot else.  You could be motivated because you feel particularly called to what you do, and therefore, you go above and beyond what is expected.  And even within these, you may find a variety of different motivations for the different tasks you face each day.

We can apply this question to practically everything in life.  Your interactions with your family, with your friends, with your neighbors.  What motivates you to buy the food you buy, the car you drive, the house in which you live, and so on down the line.  Perhaps you have reflected and thought about it, or perhaps not.  The question of what drives us is likely not one we consider often enough.

In the verse above, Paul is mentioning that he is driven and motivated by what Jesus had accomplished for him in His death and resurrection.  The New International Version of the Bible even puts it like this.  The love of Christ compels us.  For Paul, the love that God has revealed in Jesus is the motivating factor behind everything.  The work he would do, whether as apostle or as tentmaker, would be motivated by Christ's death and resurrection for him.  The people he would engage with, he would do so because he was motivated by Christ's death and resurrection for him and for them.  The places he would visit, and even the end he would meet, would all be motivated by the love of God in Christ Jesus crucified and raised from the dead.

Think back now to the questions that were posed above.  What motivates you in those different things?  Sure, the love of God in Christ Jesus may be behind some of them, but you might not think about it for others.  How does the love of Christ motivate you, say, in the car you purchase?  The home in which you live?  How you interact with your coworkers or neighbors?  What role does the love of Christ play in how you approach your work, or your family?

You may notice that I'm not answering these questions.  These are yours to answer, and if we are honest with ourselves, we may not like how we answer them.  We may grow in our realization that much of what we do is not motivated or driven by the love of God in Christ Jesus.  That is uncomfortable for us to think about, and yet, it may be the very thing we need to consider so we start to find the love of God in Christ Jesus motivating us even more.

For example, how can the love of Christ motivate us in the house we purchase?  Well, it could be that we consider being good stewards of the gifts God has given us.  It could be that we consider how our house and home could be a place where we advance God's kingdom, which then impacts the type and style of home we purchase.  Say you are motivated by Christ's love to host.  Then you likely will choose a house where hosting is easily accomplished.  Say you are motivated by Christ's love to raise children, your own, foster, adopted, etc.  You choose a place where you can more easily accomplish this.  Or you are motivated to live in a place where you can live generously toward others financially, and so you choose a smaller, more spartan house.  You see how the love of Christ can motivate even something like the house you buy.

Motivation is not an easily discernible thing.  I would argue that we do not consciously know what motivates us in what we do, and so taking the time to reflect on that motivation could prove to be a helpful thing.  It may show us things about ourselves we don't like, but that's when we fall back in thankfulness to God's truth that one has died for all, and in our baptism, we have died with Him.  Likewise, we have been raised with Him through those same baptismal waters.  

The Loneliness of Conviction

One of the sides of leadership that I have never been able to prepare for, and really have always inadequately dealt with, is the loneliness that comes from conviction.  What do I mean by that, you ask?  Great question.

The Loneliness of Conviction comes when you know that there is something that needs to be done, or an issue that needs to be addressed, and you realize that you are the one who is being called upon to lead the charge.  Others may think or feel the same way that you do, but they have not been given the opportunity or strength to speak up or stand up.  Yet others may see your conviction as unnecessary, needlessly causing conflict and stirring up the pot from their normal, known, often comfortable ways.  Some may even stand actively against you, whether they (or you) are right or wrong, but simply find comfort in where they stand.

I will admit that this particular matter, the loneliness of conviction, has led to more sleepless nights than I would ever have hoped for.  I will also admit that even typing these words causes me to question myself.  The vulnerability that I admit to having in being lonely and in, at times, wanting not to be the one who has such conviction, is truly gut-wrenching.  However, I also have come to believe very firmly in what Paul wrote when he wrote that, in weakness, the power of Christ is revealed.  Vulnerability truly does have a way of opening up doors for the Spirit that power, pride, and confidence don't.

The loneliness of conviction is not something you typically learn when dealing with leadership.  We often want to think that we will be able to win the argument, to persuade others to our side.  We want to think that our influence will change their minds and their actions.  And, truthfully, sometimes our conviction is simply the conviction of a better way to do something, but the "old" way is known, comfortable, and may even be showing signs of life, however faint.  The conviction to move out into the unknown is not something given to everyone.  Why do you think the people grumbled against Moses when they were out in the wilderness?  Moses had the conviction that this was from God, and yet, even as badly as the people had it, it was easier to grumble against it.  And even Moses struggled with the loneliness of conviction.

The loneliness of conviction is real.  Perhaps it is something that you have never thought of before, and if you are reading this, I hope you don't go away disheartened.  Yes, the loneliness of conviction is hard, but often, it means that God has prepared you for this moment (think Esther, as her cousin Mordecai would tell her that God may even have put her in the position she was in for just a time as this). God has also redeemed this, as Jesus Himself knows the loneliness of conviction, eventually being completely abandoned by all as He bore the weight of the sin of the world and the wrath of God, only to overcome it with His resurrection.  It is His strength that flows.  Will we fail?  Yes.  Will we doubt?  Yes.  Will we be lonely?  Yes.  Will we feel guilty if we fail to act or stand on our convictions?  Yes.  And yet, there will be a Savior there who has scars of His own and who can tell you that He can and has redeemed even this moment.

To Engage, or Not To Engage: That Is The Question

I know quite a few people who are heavily invested in social media as Christians.  If you filter through their posts, you will see their Christian faith coming out, whether by quoting Bible verses, advertising things that their community of faith are doing, or simply showing how God continues His activity in their lives.  These are great things, and in some cases, I am actually envious of how open and up-front they are about things.

I also know any number of people who are quite limited in their social media activity.  They may have an account or two, but use them sparingly.  You may not find much evidence of their Christian faith in their posts, but their posts are fairly sparse to begin with.  I actually find myself amazed when I see some of them post, as it is so rare that I wonder what brought them to the point of actually signing in and posting.

What defines how much you post on your social media?  Since you are reading this blog, I will admit that you are already one who is likely active with social media and who looks to utilize it.  More likely than not, the people who rarely post will not see this and thus, will have a limited thought on it.  Those who choose not to utilize social media will surely not even know that I have typed up these words, much less have a thought on them.  That's somewhat of a sobering thought, too.

Why do you choose to engage with social media?  What are the benefits you see in its use?  On the other hand, what are the limitations you find with your use?  You might say that a benefit is that you connect with more people, but a limitation could be that you spend less time face to face with those around you.  Or, you may say that a benefit is that people see your faith as an active thing, but a limitation is that the words are open to misunderstanding and even ridicule.  Do you delete a negative post, or let it remain?  If so, why do you do what you do?

You may notice that I am asking more questions than I am providing answers.  That's because I truly do believe that social media use is up to the individual.  I will not belittle anyone for using it or not using it.  I may challenge someone who perhaps makes too much of it, where it may interfere with things like family life and thus detract from that most important vocational responsibility, or I may question what a particular post is saying.  I will not belittle anyone for actually using social media, though.

Why have you chosen to engage with social media?  I think it's an important question for you to ponder, and you may find that engage with it for reasons that you may not even have really thought of before.  Perhaps giving your use that critical look will help focus what you do with it, or you may find that you are doing exactly what you hope to do.  Either way, I hope that taking some time to reflect on it will deepen your understanding of what you hope to accomplish through your engagement with social media.

Social Media and the Gospel

When I first started attending seminary as a student back in 1997, the internet was a largely unknown place.  The year before, I remember my AOL disk arriving in the mail, and I thought I would try it out.  Over the next few years, I started to learn about things like chat rooms and the like.  I have to admit that surfing the net sure wasn't in the picture, as businesses hadn't really learned the power of this new thing (new to most of us at that time). Mainly, I met a few new people, occasionally talked with them, but overall, found it to be rather boring, since I didn't know them.

Flash forward a couple of decades, and everyone (it seems) is now connected virtually all the time via their phones.  Not only that, but the scope and reach of their thoughts and words can now touch countless people at practically any time.  We've gotten used to words such as tweet and post without having to explain them.  We can pin items, snap pictures to chat, and all sorts of other things.

Social media is now a given.  Many Christians also make extensive use of it. In fact, I would dare say that most Christians regularly use at least one or two of these social media sites frequently each day.  The real question that we are looking at today is, what is the message that we convey through our use of social media?  Let me give you some brief examples to consider.

Take a Christian who is highly engaged in political discussions.  He posts frequently his unwavering support of his candidate, even when that candidate's character may be found lacking.  Seems harmless, right?  However, those who read what he posts and know that he is a Christian potentially could see what he posts as though God doesn't really care about character matters of leaders, or that character even matters.  He may come across as though he's okay with the sins of people whose values reflect those that align with his, but obeying God's will and law is optional as long as they agree with his values.

Or, consider the Christian who only posts items that show her family as though everything is always good.  The pictures are always of the family smiling, the posts show how great her kids are, and if you read through her history, it seems like they are the example of the perfectly happy family.  How many people may read through what she puts out there and git the false sense that being a Christian means that everything is always cheery and upbeat?  When their life doesn't reflect that, they may wonder about their faith.

For our final example, consider the Christian whose posts show the full spectrum of what is happening in life.  He posts some things of joy, but others of struggles and hardships that he faces.  He is open when he doesn't know what is happening, or when his life with Christ ebbs and wans.  This person shows what is "normal" for most people.  He may post things that are completely unrelated to his faith, while other things may be deeply faith related.  He addresses all of life with what he puts out there, and in doing so, may give a picture that being a Christian is openly involved in the world around him, and his faith informs him on these things.

Now, I am not going to say that you are wrong if you do some of these things.  The thing I most encourage you to do is to read through the items you post and consider the message that you are conveying through those posts.  Are they what you would hope they would be?  I even suggest that you ask some of your followers or friends what "image" you are conveying, and take their responses seriously.  More than anything, simply look at what you are doing and see if it fits with what you want others to see of you.

Observations from a Technology/Social Media Challenge

Yesterday, I posted at length about a challenge to see how you use technology and social media for a day.  I did this myself, and wanted to share some of what happened on my part.

First, simply as a result of knowing that I was keeping a record, I noticed that I had a tendency to want not to use some of the various media and technologies that I typically do.  Where I might typically spend more time looking over a website, say, one of my Dallas Cowboys, I noticed that I would spend less time reading and browsing over it than I normally would.  The same goes for the two games that I will often find a few minutes to play (these two are a Mahjong game and one of those popular matching games, called Homescapes).  Instead of spending more time on them, I found that I wasn't quite as keen in playing them, knowing that I would be putting my usage out there for whoever to read.

Overall, my day demonstrated a marked lower usage of technology and social media overall, around a whole hour less usage.  Yes, I still had to use my computer while at work, but I devoted my time much more to getting work done and less surfing the web.  While I tend to have my Twitter feed open, I also spent less time reading over it (15 total minutes on the day today).

One thing that I typically make a very intentional effort to do is to put away my phone when I get home.  That was the same today.  From my time arriving at home until the kids are asleep, I usually only check my phone about 2-3 times total, and that stayed the same.  I truly believe in having face to face time with them and my wife, without any screen interruptions.  So that is something that I intentionally do no matter what.

My evenings are often spent checking Facebook for about 15 minutes, then putting my blog entry and my daily Facebook post together.  That is going to be the same tonight.  Some evenings, I will give myself a little time to play my phone games, and other nights, I focus on reading to continue my learning.  Tonight is going to be an evening where I look over some items for the congregation at which I worship for Sunday, as I will be leading a service at an assisted living center during the Sunday School hour.  Then I will devote a few minutes to deciding which book to start next for my continuing education.  So tonight, I anticipate about another 15-20 minutes of social media/game usage.

The main point from yesterday that I wanted to emphasize was simply checking to see if your usage matched what you thought it would be.  In my case, I am sure that I used less today than I normally do, simply because I was aware that I was doing so.  I also noticed that I did not miss that time that I usually spend on it.  While I am far from a social media junkie, I realize that even that extra hour or so in the day could be put to far better use, far more than in me spending it on myself.

What were your observations, if you participated in the challenge?  If you didn't, what do you suspect you might discover?  What is keeping you from recording your technology and social media usage?  

A Digital Challenge

Generally speaking, there are a few things in our lives that we can look at which help us determine what is of most importance in our lives.  How and where we spend our money shows us a certain set of priorities in life.  Likewise, who we spend time with, and where, also gives us insight into our priorities.  How we allot the time we spend throughout the day is yet another indication of what is of importance in our lives, and it is on this last one that I want to spend a few thoughts.

Do you currently know how you spend the time God has gifted you each day?  Or, perhaps, let me start from a different place.  How do you think you are spending the time that God has given you each day?  Sure, you have a certain amount of time dedicated to sleep.  Another significant portion may be set apart for work (though we will look a little at how we spend our time at work as well).  Then, depending on our life situation, we will allot the rest of the time in ways that reveal things that are important to us.

Initially, here is what I would ask you to do.  Write out how you expect that you are spending your time each day.  Now, don't give too much thought to this, but do take it seriously.  Don't try to pin things down to the exact number of minutes, but give the general feel for how you spend your day.  Please make sure that it adds up to 24 hours, though.  Though He reserves the right to do so, God rarely extends the day for anyone.

Now comes the hard part.  Starting tomorrow, make a log of how you spend your time throughout the day.  Again, don't focus so much on getting it down to the minute, but make sure you are giving an accurate representation of how your time is being spent.  If it takes you 15 minutes to drive to work, simply write down the time you leave your house and the time you arrive at work.  If you are sitting down to eat, note the time you start and then the time you wrap up.  Don't make the exercise more challenging than it already is.

This especially goes for your time on technology.  Write down when you sit down and turn on your computer, and then when you turn it off.  If you log onto something like social media, make a note of when you get on, and then when you get off.  For these, I would actually suggest that you keep it as accurately as possible (easy to do, since most computers have the time stamp at the lower right hand part of the screen).  

For work purposes, you likely have to engage technology in some way.  Rather than keeping track of how you spend your whole work day, focus instead on the time you dedicate to other activities besides work.  If you are surfing the net, write down when you do that on non-work related activities.  Basically, record anything that you do that falls outside of normal work expectations.

Do all this for one full day.  Then, the next day, compare how you thought you were spending your day to how you were actually spending your day.  What did you observe?  Were you surprised by the times you dedicated to certain activities?  What does your observation tell you about what is of importance to you?  Are these the things to which you want your time dedicated?  I'm offering this, not to make you feel bad about how you spend your time, but to encourage you to consider the time that God is giving to you.  You are a redeemed child of God in Christ Jesus, and my hope would be that your day would carry a reflection of how God would have you prioritize your vocations in service to Him and to neighbor.  If you find that is not the case, now is the time to repent and then start to work some change into your life.  We'll deal more with that in the next post. 

Book Review: Digitized: Spiritual Implications of Technology

Digitized: Spiritual Implications of Technology, by Bernard Bull, Concordia Publishing House, 2018

How often do you think about technology?  Chances are, you think about it quite often in our day and age.  Technology is an intricate part of our lives these days.  Every day, new technologies and new media are coming forth at a dizzying pace.  As we adopt technology into our lives, we seem to rarely consider how we are being shaped by it.

In Digitized, Bernard Bull challenges the reader to give consideration to the technology and media that are part of their lives.  Bull isn't against technology by any means.  In fact, in service to the salvation Jesus purchased for us on the cross and the resurrection, technology and media can be a tremendous asset.  Yet, just as there are great possibilities, there are also great challenges.  Technology and media can begin to consume our lives and, in doing so, can actually creep toward becoming idols.

Bull presents a number of thoughts that are worth considering, and I will likely touch on some of these in future posts.  One thing he asserts is that every technology is not neutral, but has its bias.  That is, every technology is created to perform a function and in performing that function, it means that it is not suitable for other functions.  For example, a hammer is a technology created to hit things.  Its bias is toward hitting things.  It doesn't do very well as a back scratcher or to dust your house.  We can see the same thing with other technology.  It has its biases, and how we utilize it according to its purpose means that we are being shaped by it.

Bull also presents another thought that we may not always consider.  Every technology has its affordances.  That is, particular technologies bring to light things that are beneficial.  However, there are also limitations that technology brings.  We typically focus mostly on the affordances, but spend less time on the limitations.  If you spend, for example, time on Facebook connecting with other people, that is an affordance.  However, you might also consider that it limits the time you are spending with your family, or doing another task around your house that may need to be done.  Giving thought to the limitations might help bring the use of technology into a greater perspective.

While Bull gives the reader many different points to consider when it comes to technology use (and these are vastly needed in our day and age), the main thing that he urges the reader to do is to approach all technology with the Scriptures open in front of them.  Technology is not neutral.  Therefore, as Christians, we need to be examining technology and our use of it with God's Word being a constant that we consult.  It's not just merely about the content of the technology, but even the technology itself, and especially our use of technology.  Having the reminder that we are redeemed children of God through the sacrifice of Jesus and His resurrection helps us as Christians to focus our use of technology in ways that serve God and our neighbor, and even provides a forum for us to ask for forgiveness when we find technology assuming too large a role in our lives.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who regularly uses technology (that means you).  You'll find yourself challenged by it, but in a very good way.

Saying "Yes" and Saying "No"

Let what you say simply be Yes or No; anything more than this comes from evil/the evil one.  Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 5:37

It's very likely that you have been asked to do something or to participate in something in the past.  You didn't really want to do it, but it was a noble cause, or it was something that you felt that you had some level of responsibility to do.  It could have been a matter of deep importance or something that was of far less importance.  You wanted to say no.  You really didn't have enough time for it, you didn't have the interest in it, or it wasn't in your area of strength.  It may have been something that was very good, but it just wasn't going to be a good match for you.  But instead of saying no, you said that you would think about it, that you would pray about it, and in the end, you may even have agreed to do it, even though it was with something less than enthusiasm.

For a moment, I want to suggest that we often say yes to things that we should not agree to do, and we say no to things that we should say yes to doing.  Answering these in the proper way often involves a level of discernment, and a great deal of getting over ourselves.  If we want to say no because we are too busy, or we don't believe we have the time, or we just simply don't want to do it, we should probably ask ourselves if we have selfish reasons for not wanting to do it.  If we say no for selfish reasons, some time to reflect and discern may prove helpful.  If we don't want to do it because we are busy, it may mean that we really should look at our schedule and see if we have too many other things to which we are saying yes, when we should be saying no.

On the other hand, we also sometimes say yes for without utilizing that same discernment.  We say yes because the person asking really wants us to do it, but we are a poor fit for it.  We say yes because we feel guilty saying no.  We say yes because it's a really good thing, even though our schedule is already full of really good things.  Again, this may be the time when we need to utilize discernment in our reasoning for saying yes.  We may need to get over ourselves again, whether it is getting over our sense of guilt, or because we really don't want to let someone else down and thus have a different opinion of us.

When I was reading this verse above, it really struck me deeply.  Jesus says that anything more than yes or no is from evil, and the reading of evil from the original Greek text implies more of the evil one.  That caught me.  If I try to qualify my yes or no, whatever I add could actually be of the evil one.  If I say yes simply because I don't like conflict, and therefore don't want to offend the other person by saying no, I'm "adding" to my yes, but for sinful reasons, and that is of the evil one.  If I say no because I simply don't want to do it, or I don't want to think about what I might have to give up, again I am "adding" to my no, but for sinful reasons, and that is of the evil one.

I'll be up front in saying that it is hard to simply say yes or no to a situation set before you.  We have this need to explain ourselves within us.  I would suggest that we probably need to actually take more time to discern, to pray, to consider our schedule of activities, and then to respond with either yes or no.  Discerning is difficult, though.  It may reveal that you have said yes to way too many things, and now you need to practice your no.  Or, it may reveal that you have said no simply because you don't want to give of ourselves, and now you need to practice sacrificial giving of yourself.

Now, I don't expect that you are going to read this and all of a sudden have an epiphany and completely change how you answer people.  Perhaps the most I hope for is that you actually do make a little more effort to discern the situation next time you face a "yes" or "no". It is worth noting that we face this discernment as a redeemed child of God in Jesus, connected to His death and resurrection through our baptism.  We will mess up, and add to our no and our yes.  Yet, we also live with the perfect life of Jesus within us, with His death in us, and His resurrection in us.  That makes our no and our yes definitely worth discerning, since He has freed us from the evil one. 

A Little Catching Up

Those of you who follow me may have noticed that I have been quiet for about a week.  Last week, I was crossing the plains of Nebraska in search of future workers for God's kingdom.  While it's not as large as my home state of Texas, there are still plenty of miles to travel there, and enough things to keep working on that I just ran out of time.

So, what else has been going on?  Glad you asked.  Just yesterday, we hosted a block party for our street for the second year in a row.  The smaller city we live in provides hot dogs and drinks, and leaves barricades at the ends of the street, so that the residents of the street can get to know each other, eat together, and create a stronger neighborhood.  Last year, we were pleasantly surprised at the turnout, and this year, it was even bigger.

When God tells us to love our neighbor, we understand that there are multiple ways to understand the term "neighbor."  Yes, it means the literal person who lives next door, and we are to strive to live at peace with them, as much as it lies with us.  It also means the people of our general area (city, metro area, county, state, and nation).  On the largest of scales, we also understand it to mean every person that God has created on this earth.

For us, the block party is a great way to bring that love and care to our literal neighbors.  We met some new neighbors, reconnected with some that we hadn't seen too much over the last year, and connected even more deeply with some we see with regularity.  It's also interesting to see their reactions when they learn of my work, though for the most part, they seemed rather accommodating to serving the Lord (especially since we have two sets of nuns that live on our street).  I even had one of the nuns ask me if I knew a certain pastor in the area, who just happens to be my pastor at the church I attend!  It's amazing what you learn when you live life together.

I had to miss an on-campus event that evening in which we hosted a theologian who was speaking on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book, "Life Together."  Though I missed the session, I would hope that Bonhoeffer would agree with the reason for missing it, that I was living life together with the people on my street.  My hope is that we Christians can become more known for such activities as this.

Who is your Thorn?

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:7

No one likes to have negative or sinful things about them pointed out.  Sure, we may say that we welcome correction or reproof, or that we are open to learning more of our weaknesses and shortcomings, but deep down, it really is something we resist.  We not only fail to go out of our way to find those who can point those out to us, often we actually shy away from anyone who would share those sins, weaknesses, and shortcomings with us.

Yet, there are few things more valuable to our growth as Christians than to have someone lovingly point out a sinful action or behavior, or a habit that we have that hinders others, or a weakness that we may not want to consider.  When such things are pointed out to us, we have the opportunity to address that issue and to grow from it.  I know personally that I have benefited from having this done for me any number of times, sometimes on matters of minor importance and at other times on matters that deeply affected me and others.  Each time, I have grown in my Christian faith and in the living out of that faith because of such encounters.

Truth be told, having someone do this for us is much like a thorn in the flesh.  To be honest, I made use of the verse above because it somewhat fit what I was looking for from a Bible verse for this post, rather than being the specific thing that Paul was talking about.  However, I do believe that we would tend to look at someone bringing a word of correction or reproof as a thorn.  It's something to avoid.  It keeps us from becoming conceited.  It may or may not be of Satan, but it does serve to remind us of the humility that God looks for in His people.

So the simple question tonight is, who is your thorn?  Who is that person that could address a sin issue, a weakness, or a correction, and that you would be open to their words?  Some might say it's your spouse, and there is something to that.  However, while it's good to be open and honest as a married couple, you usually want to focus on building up and strengthening each other.  Yes, at times that means addressing issues, but I would suggest that you don't necessarily want the person who is your thorn to be your spouse.

Consider, though.  Who is that person who can address that sin issue in a firm, yet caring way?  Who is there that you know who could correct something that you have done, and you won't build up a wall of pride to prove them wrong (or, at least, not too high a wall)?  Who could poke you in a way that hurts, but that serves to draw you to humility and care, and so the pain they inflict is something that you are thankful for?

If you don't have such a person in your life, perhaps it's time to look for that.  WARNING: doing this WILL be damaging to your pride and ego.  You are not perfect, and you will have some holes punctured in you.  Yet, when this is done in a caring way toward you, you can start to address these areas and grow as a Christian, which benefits you, the whole Body of Christ, and ultimately all of your neighbors as well. 

Technology, News, And Discernment

I'm in the midst of reading another book, one that touches on spiritual lives and the impact that technology has on our faith lives.  Let's just say that, a few chapters in, it already has me thinking deeply on a number of things.  (For those who may be interested, the book is called "Digitized", by Bernard Bull, Concordia Publishing House) I'll touch on a few of these here.

How do you learn about the world around you?  Most of us look to news information of some form, whether TV, newspaper, radio, or internet.  Yet, how often do we critically ask why these forums are reporting the news in the way that they are?  Why are they choosing the stories that they do?  What stories are they choosing to leave unreported?  What is the perspective that they bring to the story?  And then, especially with our day and age, are they reporting accurately, or are they trying to steer you in one direction or another? 

I would dare say that most of us would honestly have to say that we don't give it that much thought.  We listen to the ones that resonate with us, and disregard the ones that don't resonate with us.  We start to put our faith in the ones who are doing the reporting without critically asking what they may be trying to achieve with their words or stories.  And they have learned how to play on our emotions and thoughts, especially with our indwelling sinful desire to be right and to have others know that we are right.

What does this do to our faith lives?  Well, for one, I would argue that we get drawn to spending our time on the "news" rather than the "good news" (aka, the Gospel). We spend many more hours listening to perspectives, opinions, and the "stories of the day" rather than THE STORY that shows us our God and His fervent desire for us.  We pridefully proclaim that we know what is right, rather than humbly looking for the good of our neighbor, whoever they may be.  We spend our time defending our stance rather than proclaiming the good news of Jesus.

You know, that's awfully close to putting something else in God's place in our lives, a sin which God calls idolatry.  We get filled with the desire to know and to defend our position, and are willing to share that with others, even strangers, and sadly leave our Gospel proclamation and life tucked away.  We rejoice to wear a label, and even declare it on our social media sites, but fail to lovingly address our brothers and sisters with the tender care they need in Christ Jesus. We start to put people on the "right" side and the "wrong" side instead of realizing that God would have us not show partiality or favoritism.

It takes great discernment to take such a critical look at the information we take in daily. In our day and age, I would suggest that we have to do this at levels we never have had to before.  With great access comes a great need for discernment, and I pray that you will start to take a more critical look at the sources of your news information, and perhaps even ask what your time could be better spent doing.

Information Reflection

For a moment, think about the last thing you looked up on the internet.  What resources did you use to look up whatever it was?  How did you go about choosing the websites to look at that you did?  What were your criteria for determining if you thought the website was helpful or not? Did you just go with the first thing you saw and, if so, why did you take that approach?

I realize that taking the time to do these things I just wrote perhaps seems like a waste of time.  You just do it.  You "just know" if you can trust what you see or not.  You "just know" how to interpret what you see and how to understand it.  It's kind of like watching the news.  You "just know" that the reporters are just reporting the news.  You "just know" that they are presenting it objectively, without any attempt to steer your way of thinking.  Or, is that really the case?

Up front, I want to say this.  Reflection is difficult.  It is difficult to slow yourself down, ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing, to ask what you are trying to accomplish.  It's difficult to ask yourself why you trust this information instead of that information.  Shoot, most of the time we haven't taken the time to reflect on why we even are looking for what it is that we are looking for. We haven't taken the time to reflect on our motivations and instead are just doing it.

The day and age we live in is full of information.  It's also full of knowledge.  The amount of information we have access to is exponentially more than what previous generations had access to.  It would therefore stand to reason that we should be all the more reflective of the information we are looking at.  We should look at it critically (and for those who may not get this word "critically", by it I mean that you ask yourself why it is deemed trustworthy, not that you are being negative toward it).  Since there is so much out there, we need to work toward wisdom to understand what we are looking at, why we are looking at it, and what we hope to accomplish by looking at it.

Reflection isn't just something that I am encouraging you to do from time to time.  It is actually a lifestyle.  It guides you to know yourself better, your strength areas, your weak areas.  It gives you a clearer picture of who you are, and of why you do the things you do.  Most of us assume we know these things, but I would dare say that taking some time to reflect might actually open our eyes a bit, and not always in painless ways.

So next time you are looking for something on this world wide web, think about why you are looking at it.  Think about what it is telling you, and why you are processing it the way you are.  Start reflecting on it, even if only for a moment.  Perhaps that moment of reflection will lead to you learning something about yourself, which is far more valuable than whatever you may have been looking up. 

A God of Order and Chaos

Okay, so perhaps the title of the post is overstating it a bit.  Perhaps we should think of God as a God of order and disorder.  Order is clear as you read through the Scriptures.  A set pattern for creation.  The simple way that we humans are made and function within the world He created for us.  If you read through Exodus, you see a God of order at work, issuing things like the manner of life He expects of His people and the construction of His tabernacle on earth.

Yet, you also cannot read through the Scriptures without getting a sense that God is very much like the way C. S. Lewis describes Aslan, the Christ figure in the Narnia series.  "He's not a tame lion."  "Is he safe?"  "No, but He's good."  Just read through Jesus' words to Nicodemus in John 3 and you get a picture of a God who is above order.  "The wind/breath/spirit blows where it will, and you do not know where it is coming from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." And yes, I do believe that Jesus leaves it very ambiguous on whether He is talking about the wind, our breath, or the Spirit of God.  It proves the point.  God is a God of great order, and yet, God also at times seems extraordinarily disorderly.

Perhaps that is mostly due to the fact that we tend to focus on one side of this equation, or the other.  We see God's order, and we feel comfortable with that order.  We look for that order in all things, even in the way that God's Spirit works to create faith and draw people to Himself.  So we set about designing an orderly way, say, of evangelism, where you follow a script, memorize verses, and the like.  Yet, then we are surprised when that doesn't work the way we expect it might.  If God is a God of order, why doesn't He do things the same way every time?  Why don't we organize our worship times to be exactly the same everywhere?  And yet, we see God working through things that so often seem disorderly.

Or, we go the other way. God's Spirit cannot be predicted or confined, so we aim to "leave things to the Spirit."  Why have order to, say, a worship service if God's Spirit works in ways other than a set worship order?  Why think through a way of engaging someone with our faith in God if God's Spirit is simply going to do the leading?  So we strive for disorder, and yet are surprised that God works through regular ways that He Himself indicates do what He says (like baptism and the Lord's Supper).

We find it difficult to hold this tension.  That shouldn't be surprising, after all, we are a creation out of step with God and His creational aspirations for us.  When we expect order, God may respond with order, or He may respond in ways unanticipated.  When we expect that God will work in many and various and unusual ways, God responds with a call to observe how He created and wills for things to operate in this messy world.  God perfectly holds in tension that which we are unable.  And even more incredibly, God perfectly forgives through a bloody cross and an empty tomb, working through this seemingly chaotic course of events to bring His restoration through orderly means again and again.

Perhaps the opening title isn't so off base, then.  It seems like chaos to us.  But to the God who is able to hold order and disorder in perfect tension, it makes perfect sense.  And our faith clings to that God who is able to do that which we cannot. 

Self-Awareness and Reflection

For a moment, I want you to do something that is a little strange sounding.  Think back to the last real difficulty or challenging moment that you had.  As you think back to it, I want you to consider a couple of things.  First, what were the specific challenges that you faced?  In what ways were you prepared for it?  In what ways were you unprepared?  What could you have done differently and perhaps seen a different result?  As you think through these questions, perhaps even close your eyes and re-imagine the situation, or write down your reflections upon it.

I have come to believe that reflection is something that we do not attempt nearly enough in our lives.  We go through a situation, we quickly brainstorm an idea or two, or simply do the first thing that pops to mind.  Then, once the situation has come to its conclusion, we move along to the next one.  What's lacking in all of this?  Taking time to reflect.

If we take a few moments to reflect in the midst of the situation, we will likely come up with another direction or two that we could take.  Further reflection can even provide us with an opportunity to see how each of these different approaches could lead to different results.  Just a little reflection in the midst of the situation not only provides alternative avenues, but even the chance to consider if the avenue we are taking will lead in a direction we would like.

Additional reflection at the end also lends itself to bearing fruit.  When we look back, we can see the various points at which we could have gone a different direction.  We can reflect on if we made a good choice, a bad choice, an informed choice, or an uniformed choice.  We can also take that opportunity to reflect on what we learned and what the situation has taught us for the next encounter we have.

Several recent studies I have read show that taking time to reflect is actually one of the best ways to ingrain what we learn from a situation.  This is, for example, the power of journaling.  We reflect and write down what happened, what our thoughts were, what our reactions were, and what we could have done differently.  In doing this, we learn so much more than if we didn't take the time to reflect.

Taking this reflection approach also permits us to become more self-aware, to know who we are, what our strengths and weaknesses are.  Reflection can also allow us to learn what our "trigger points" are.  When we are struggling with a sin, reflection can help us learn of how we react leading up to the sin, and perhaps can serve to give us clues on how to battle against that sin in our lives.  Reflection also permits us to confess to God, knowing that He assures of us our forgiveness in Jesus, and to come to a greater awareness of our sins, faults, and flaws.  In doing this, we come to a more realistic picture of who we are, and I am convinced that doing this will also grow us in appreciation for God's gift of Jesus and our baptism, which connects us to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

Building this habit into daily life is not easy.  I have tried and, while I do it quite often, I also find many times where I fail to reflect well.  In the end, my times of reflection have served to grow my appreciation for God's Law and will, as well as to more fully understand the depths from which Jesus has rescued me.  I pray that taking time for reflection may do the same thing for you. 

Book Review: The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever

Book: The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever, by Michael Bungay Stanier

In this book, Michael Bungay Stanier would have leaders consider how they can work to equip the people they work with more, and in doing so, to end up taking away many of the tasks that they end up doing for others anyway.  His proposed solution to this situation is to ask questions, seven specific questions in fact.  These questions get to the heart of what a leader needs to learn from workers and provides an avenue for having the worker then arrive at possible solutions, thus freeing the leader from doing the work that rightfully belongs to others.

Stanier's questions are not profound questions, and in fact, are likely questions that many leaders are already thinking.  However, the manner which Stanier proposes for the leader to follow involves a more coaching approach to employees.  It also involves changing the (likely) ingrained habits that leaders have of providing advice or solutions, changing instead to a more questioning approach that leads workers to discover what is truly challenging them and then to discover solutions on their own.

These seven questions, as I said, are not profound, but it takes the development of a new habit and approach to incorporate them.  To assist in doing this, Stanier provides an area at the end of each chapter where the reader can write out the triggers that lead to their current habits, what their old habit is, and then the new habit that is proposed (which consists of asking each of the seven questions he provides, and sorry, I'm not listing them out.  If you want to learn them, you will need to read the book!). By taking this approach, the leader slows down his usual approach, engages the worker, enables the worker to discover solutions on their own, and thus empowers workers.

I found this book easy to read and, while the questions are not profound, the development of a new habit toward asking questions definitely would prove challenging to myself and many others.  I agree with his assertion that taking the time to reflect on what is learned is vitally important for both leaders and workers, and the approach he recommends calls for such reflection.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has to work with people and who may be frustrated when the workers consistently approach you with questions on what to do.  Initially, I believe it would involve more time, but over time, it would likely prove to be an approach that would grow the workplace and create an environment where creativity and productivity would follow, not to mention workers who feel empowered and thus are more invested in their work, which is a benefit to the leader and the organization.

Customer Service and Christian Love

As many of you may know, I do a lot of leadership reading, as well as reading to improve myself.  All of this in addition to the regular educational reading I do.  (Yes, I am admittedly a nerd, and not afraid to be one.)  One thing that I see a lot in leadership reading is the thought of customer service.  I'm sure you have heard the phrase, or one similar to it.  "The customer comes first" or "The customer is always right."  Reading through sales research, it's often highlighted that the best salespeople don't sell you the product they want to sell, but the one you want to buy.  Yes, I know that seems like a fine distinction, but it's also a very important one in the area of sales.

That got me thinking about how this could possibly relate to our life in Christ.  A good salesman looks to see what is of interest to the customer.  The good salesman looks beyond his/her own ego to see things from the customer's eyes, and then attempts to see what he/she can provide that satisfies what the customer is looking for.  To put it succinctly, the best sales people try to discover what the customer is looking for, and then works to find something that fits best with the customer's need or desire.

This echoes Christian love to some small extent.  (Yes, I know a few of you may take exception to me comparing Christian love with sales, but please bear with me on this.) As Christians, we look to put aside our own wants and needs to serve others.  Just read Philippians 2 if you want to see an awesome example of this.  We look not to our own interests (in sales terms, not to sell what we want to sell), but to the interests of others (again, in sales terms, to see what truly matters to the customer, seeing things through their eyes).  We do what is right for the other, not what we wanted to do for ourselves.

Now, every example is going to always fall short, and this one is no exception.  We don't "sell" Christian love to another with the ulterior motive that we want then to become Christian.  Of course, our hope and prayer is that they will see our caring action toward them and then question why we would put their needs over our own, or they will wonder why we were so interested in them and in their life, why we wanted to make sure that they received what they needed.  Yes, we hope that we will have the opportunity to share our hope in Christ Jesus with them and see them come to believe in what He has done for them.  But, and here's the kicker, we aren't caring toward them in order to do that.  We care for them because God created us to care for one another.  If we are kind and caring toward them with the hope of their conversion, we are basically utilizing another (poor, I might add) sales tactic, called bait and switch.

In conclusion, Christian love seeks to find what is of meaning and need with the person with whom we are relating, and then doing it.  We do it without any expectation in return.  Their response is in their hands, and is guided by God and His Spirit.  That is ultimately what grace is.  Giving with no expectation in return, and then pleasantly thankful when there is some response, such as an opportunity to share Christ's forgiveness and hope, or even to say that we did it because God first cared for us in such a way. 

Dependence: Good, Bad, or Neither?

Think about phrases that describe our North American lifestyle.  Some old ones are along the lines of "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps", "Never let them see you sweat", and "You can only rely on yourself."  Still today, you hear phrases like, "If you want the job done right, do it yourself."  In other words, the sentiment is still very strong out there.  You cannot rely on others, you should only rely on yourself.

A word that is often used to sum up this idea is "independent".  Independent means that you don't have to rely upon others.  You can do what you want, the way you want, in the time that you want.  This is contrasted with being dependent.  The idea of dependent is that you cannot do anything without relying on others.  To take it to extremes (which some do), it means that you are incapable of doing something without the assistance, direction, or motivation of others.  You are incapable of accomplishing it yourself.  To many, there is a very strong aversion to dependence. 

I've seen this aversion to dependence in a variety of ways over the years.  You get someone who is recovering from illness or surgery, and they have to rely on someone to tie their shoes, or help get dressed for example.  They almost seem embarrassed that they need such help, even if it is understandable, given their circumstances.  Yes, I recognize that this is a fairly benign example, but you get the idea.  We see it with parents whose children fail to leave home during or after college, where they are often viewed as dependent (with a negative connotation toward the idea).

The question we are asking today is this.  Is such dependence, while perhaps not normal for our culture, biblical?  Paul uses the image of the body, a multitude of parts that all rely upon one another, working in coordination.  Eyes do not function on their own, but as a part of the overall body.  The same is said for ears, the brain, the spine, the legs, the arms, etc. The body, as a whole, simply cannot have one part exist independently of the rest.

Yet, we also have examples from the Bible of the need to be a functioning part of the body.  Paul would also say that the worker is due his wages.  If someone refuses to work, then they should bear the consequences of such inaction.  This creates a tension.  We are to rely upon others, but at the same time, we are also to do the "work" given us to do.  We are dependent on one another as members of the body and as members of society, and yet, we are each also expected to fulfill the roles (work) that God gives us to do.  Because of our redemption in Jesus, we do this now out of love for neighbor rather than as a means of pleasing God, but the point is, we DO it.

I would dare assert that we spend much time trying to be overly independent.  That means there are times when we must give way to our independent instincts and allow others to serve us, just as we are also to serve them in their needs.  Yes, it means putting aside our pride and dying to ourselves, but those are held up as good things throughout God's Word to us.  Just as Jesus put aside His own needs to serve others, we do the same thing as redeemed, baptized children of God. 

As an end note, I realize that this is a fairly specific use of the word dependent that I am using for this post.  There are other uses of the word which I am not addressing in here where dependence is not a good thing.  But overall, what I most would like for you to take away from this is that we actually could stand to grow in our reliance upon others, seeking to put to death our self so that we are open to others serving us, just as we want to serve them and pray for them to be open to it when we see their need.