In the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus describes a few practices that are assumed. One is prayer ("When you pray..." Matthew 6:5), one is giving ("When you give to the needy..." Matthew 6:2) and the last is fasting ("When you fast..." Matthew 6:16). And so I try to keep up on all of those practices, to one extent or another.
Fasting is a new one for me. And it's not much fun. You see, I love food. I celebrate food. I have my favorite meals wherever I go. I get pretty specific food cravings on a regular basis. Sadly, fresh vegetables and other healthy foods are rarely among my cravings. Occasionally, though, I crave a salad. But that's beside the point. The physical act of restricting my access to food is ridiculous. My body is occasionally ready to revolt by 11:00 AM. With water, I am able to tame my body long enough to break my fast after 24 hours.
Hopefully, unless you are "in the know," you can't tell the days I am fasting. But I can feel a difference. By the end of my fast, my mind is pretty singularly-focused: I want a big meal. I want a burger. I want fries. I want a pizza (not a slice, the whole thing). Exercise only makes matters worse, because I run out of steam sooner and my physical strength, which I find pride in, falls apart. It is frustrating to fast sometimes. I bet I'm convincing you that this is a great practice, right?
But here's the deal. Jesus did not call us into a life that will always feel comfortable. Sometimes you will hunger because there is nothing around you, and sometimes you hunger because you choose to put yourself in a situation where you are completely dependent on God. You can't eat your feelings, or comfort that sneaky suspicion that you are created for something more by eating something more. No, God gets quick access into your heart and the mechanisms we use to run away are put aside for the moment. Needless to say, when I fast, I appreciate Jesus, the bread of life.
I would invite you to join me in fasting from food, technology, alcohol, TV, or whatever keeps you distracted from God.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
"Jesus the Bread of Life" (John 6): Eating your way in
It is no surprise to a food-lover, like myself, that God's intended future for the world has a lot to do with food. Isaiah has several images of a banquet prepared by God, Revelation 19 describes the victory over the power of death as a wedding feast, and Jesus often uses images of food for the Kingdom. We eat our way into the Kingdom, that's for sure.
In the Old Testament, we ate our way into covenant relationship with God. The sacrificial system was about more than killing things; it was about the act of eating together, even eating with God. This is evidenced by the first meeting of God with the people, which was a major feast on the top of Mount Sinai. Whenever you broke covenant, you ate with God in order to make it right. Imagine if you took everyone with whom you had a conflict out to dinner to mend it. I imagine my conflicts would become less important and the possibility of reconciliation would become pretty big.
In the New Testament, we are introduced to a new meal of the community- the Lord's Supper. It was a regular part of the first meeting of Christians (Acts 2) and led to a major teaching in 1 Corinthians. Paul called these dinners "love feasts," giving us the image of community and plenty. That is, everyone should have been able to eat their fill at these meals. Plenty of food hearkens us back to John 6, where Jesus fed the masses and everyone had enough. In the Lord's Supper, we acknowledge in Jesus Christ- his life, death and resurrection, we indeed have enough.
So grab a snack and consider the God in whom we have enough, and let's eat our way into the Kingdom today.
In the Old Testament, we ate our way into covenant relationship with God. The sacrificial system was about more than killing things; it was about the act of eating together, even eating with God. This is evidenced by the first meeting of God with the people, which was a major feast on the top of Mount Sinai. Whenever you broke covenant, you ate with God in order to make it right. Imagine if you took everyone with whom you had a conflict out to dinner to mend it. I imagine my conflicts would become less important and the possibility of reconciliation would become pretty big.
In the New Testament, we are introduced to a new meal of the community- the Lord's Supper. It was a regular part of the first meeting of Christians (Acts 2) and led to a major teaching in 1 Corinthians. Paul called these dinners "love feasts," giving us the image of community and plenty. That is, everyone should have been able to eat their fill at these meals. Plenty of food hearkens us back to John 6, where Jesus fed the masses and everyone had enough. In the Lord's Supper, we acknowledge in Jesus Christ- his life, death and resurrection, we indeed have enough.
So grab a snack and consider the God in whom we have enough, and let's eat our way into the Kingdom today.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
"Jesus the Bread of Life" (John 6): Eating Your Way In, Eating Your Way Out
I had an Old Testament professor who proclaimed, "You can eat your way into Christianity, and you can eat your way out of Christianity." As my appreciation for the Bible has grown, that statement makes more and more sense.
Here is what eating looks like to me on most days... a mad dash to put as many calories into my system as possible before I run out of food or get uncomfortably full. Stuffing myself used to be a daily occurrence. Then I was challenged to slow down my consumption. I found eating to be far more natural. I would take breaks in my eating, and found I had to actually enjoy my environment. I had to talk. Most of the time, when I eat, I talk before and after the meal. But during the meal, I do not talk. I eat. This had to change. Controlling my eating became one of the most important disciplines of my daily life.
Philippians 3 warns us of those whose god is their stomachs. I doubt that Paul is warning us of morbid obesity, but is drawing an important analogy from our stomachs. When our stomachs crave something, we can destroy ourselves trying to fill that craving. Stomach cravings are undeniable, strong, and are usually met with indulgence. And a simple look around at US consumerism reveals a god of the stomach. Paradise is indulgence. Check out the past 35 years of advertising here. Paradise is related directly to consumption.
I compare that to an Eastern view of paradise. Immortality, in many Far Eastern traditions (like Taoism), is marked by thriving on less. Stories of immortals include drinking the dew from a leaf and being satisfied from it. Biblical paradise seems to be neither over-indulgence nor asceticism. It seems to be satisfaction in Christ.
John 6 describes a warning from Jesus to avoid the bread which does not satisfy. These are ways in which we eat our way out of faith. What is the unsatisfactory food in your life?
Here is what eating looks like to me on most days... a mad dash to put as many calories into my system as possible before I run out of food or get uncomfortably full. Stuffing myself used to be a daily occurrence. Then I was challenged to slow down my consumption. I found eating to be far more natural. I would take breaks in my eating, and found I had to actually enjoy my environment. I had to talk. Most of the time, when I eat, I talk before and after the meal. But during the meal, I do not talk. I eat. This had to change. Controlling my eating became one of the most important disciplines of my daily life.
Philippians 3 warns us of those whose god is their stomachs. I doubt that Paul is warning us of morbid obesity, but is drawing an important analogy from our stomachs. When our stomachs crave something, we can destroy ourselves trying to fill that craving. Stomach cravings are undeniable, strong, and are usually met with indulgence. And a simple look around at US consumerism reveals a god of the stomach. Paradise is indulgence. Check out the past 35 years of advertising here. Paradise is related directly to consumption.
I compare that to an Eastern view of paradise. Immortality, in many Far Eastern traditions (like Taoism), is marked by thriving on less. Stories of immortals include drinking the dew from a leaf and being satisfied from it. Biblical paradise seems to be neither over-indulgence nor asceticism. It seems to be satisfaction in Christ.
John 6 describes a warning from Jesus to avoid the bread which does not satisfy. These are ways in which we eat our way out of faith. What is the unsatisfactory food in your life?
Friday, January 6, 2012
Top Five of 2011: Leadership
What is good leadership? I will get to that question in a moment, but I want to begin with my bias. I came into 2011 with a pretty severe bias about leadership. I was anti-cultural in my bias, because I was certain that Christians were supposed to learn leadership from mystics, musicians and monks, not politics or economy. I confess that bias because I was sinfully proud to ignore the voices of people who have some great things to say about leadership. I now hope that I am learning to appreciate all of the voices of leadership around me, finding great joy in reading Jesuit monks and CEOs (my current leadership read is "Onward" by Starbucks ceo Howard Schultz). What I have found is that great leaders pop up in every field of human endeavor, and so one must look to every endeavor to learn. So what did I learn about good leadership this year?
Great leaders are primarily learners, I think. A friend once told me that one characteristic united all of the pastors he knew- they were all curious about everything. I believe that I share this trait with the other pastors in his life. Leaders must be learners, because organizations (especially churches) can get paralyzed if the leaders aren't learning new things and reflecting on their experiences. That is why I was so delighted when our consistory committed to spiritual formation every other meeting. Our leaders want to learn, our leaders want to grow.
We also launched into a couple-year process of the Ridder Leadership Initiative with a small group of people. And for a year, we focused on personal transformation and the practices of a disciple of Jesus. After all, great leaders are primarily learners, and learner is just another word for disciple. This group is bearing fruit in the lives of the participants, and 2012 will see some of that fruit born in our congregational life as well. It's all very exciting.
I pray that 2012 will be a year of great leadership, of learning from new experiences and listening to the voices around us.
Great leaders are primarily learners, I think. A friend once told me that one characteristic united all of the pastors he knew- they were all curious about everything. I believe that I share this trait with the other pastors in his life. Leaders must be learners, because organizations (especially churches) can get paralyzed if the leaders aren't learning new things and reflecting on their experiences. That is why I was so delighted when our consistory committed to spiritual formation every other meeting. Our leaders want to learn, our leaders want to grow.
We also launched into a couple-year process of the Ridder Leadership Initiative with a small group of people. And for a year, we focused on personal transformation and the practices of a disciple of Jesus. After all, great leaders are primarily learners, and learner is just another word for disciple. This group is bearing fruit in the lives of the participants, and 2012 will see some of that fruit born in our congregational life as well. It's all very exciting.
I pray that 2012 will be a year of great leadership, of learning from new experiences and listening to the voices around us.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Top 5 of 2011: Imagination
I grew up with an active imagination, and a big imagination as well. While no artist, I would doodle my way through classes or imagine up stories whenever bored. There's little I enjoy more than a good story, whether it be in the form of book or movie or play. I always imagine things on the world scale as well. As a child, my dreams were mostly about me saving the world, or at least having the opportunity to save the world.
Imagination is a God-given thing, I think. Imagination is necessary to have a relationship with an invisible God, just like imagination is necessary to have a long-distance relationship. But God nurtures our imaginations and encourages imagining all throughout the Bible. What are prophets but people enraptured by a hopeful imagination?
We have done some hopeful imagining this past year. One place I see that is in the Ridder Leadership Initiative, where a small group of us is actively pursuing personal transformation and imagining ways in which the lessons we have learned can permeate our congregation and mission. Another place is in the HelpLink work, as it has offered us a chance to imagine what a county without poverty would look like.
Of course, a conversation about imagination would not be complete without a discussion of youth. From lock-ins to VBS, it has been a very active year for our children and youth. We had the biggest VBS in recent memory in terms of numbers of kids, and we had a great time with our middle school youth (who have very active imaginations as well) with weekly lunches and monthly events. For the youth, our Christmas party provided plenty of good memories that will last a lifetime (although I still contend that I got the short end of the stick with our white elephant gift exchange- I got a rock). I imagine that this year will see a lot of spiritual growth in our youngest generation.
What do you imagine for 2012?
Imagination is a God-given thing, I think. Imagination is necessary to have a relationship with an invisible God, just like imagination is necessary to have a long-distance relationship. But God nurtures our imaginations and encourages imagining all throughout the Bible. What are prophets but people enraptured by a hopeful imagination?
We have done some hopeful imagining this past year. One place I see that is in the Ridder Leadership Initiative, where a small group of us is actively pursuing personal transformation and imagining ways in which the lessons we have learned can permeate our congregation and mission. Another place is in the HelpLink work, as it has offered us a chance to imagine what a county without poverty would look like.
Of course, a conversation about imagination would not be complete without a discussion of youth. From lock-ins to VBS, it has been a very active year for our children and youth. We had the biggest VBS in recent memory in terms of numbers of kids, and we had a great time with our middle school youth (who have very active imaginations as well) with weekly lunches and monthly events. For the youth, our Christmas party provided plenty of good memories that will last a lifetime (although I still contend that I got the short end of the stick with our white elephant gift exchange- I got a rock). I imagine that this year will see a lot of spiritual growth in our youngest generation.
What do you imagine for 2012?
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Top 5 of 2011: "Increase our Faith!"
This cry from the heart of the disciples (Luke 17:5) is the response of anyone who hears the difficult call to discipleship. In our top 5 of 2011, discipleship has to be at the center. Here are just some of the things I noticed this year.
For one, we added to our pastoral staff this year with Jan Price's commissioning. She became our Pastor of Adult Discipleship. While the position would be considered part time, her commitment to making disciples is full-time. More than one person has told me that the guidance and dedication she offers has made a tremendous impact on their spiritual lives. You may notice that Jan has not launched a big program or started teaching classes, and this is intentional. We are pursuing a more organic and natural path to discipleship, similar to the way of Jesus. Efficiency, while great in a factory, does not create disciples like Jesus did. Jesus gained and lost the crowds the whole way, keeping a small group of dedicated disciples around Him at most times. Anyway, Jan's pursuit of the way of Jesus has already had a transforming effect on the way we function.
Discipleship has often been seen as what the "dedicated" Christians do, and the "fringe" Christians are meant to be entertained long enough for the Holy Spirit to encourage the step from "fringe" to "dedicated." Other than the problem of judgment in our hearts about who is dedicated and who is on the fringe (usually measured by church attendance), the equation just isn't true. Discipleship is the process every single Christian is invited into, and Jesus Himself had the devout and the skeptical around Him. And so I have been so pleased at how many and what variety of people have really stepped into various opportunities to be discipled.
In short, I pray that this spirit of discipleship grows deeper and deeper as we try to follow Jesus together.
For one, we added to our pastoral staff this year with Jan Price's commissioning. She became our Pastor of Adult Discipleship. While the position would be considered part time, her commitment to making disciples is full-time. More than one person has told me that the guidance and dedication she offers has made a tremendous impact on their spiritual lives. You may notice that Jan has not launched a big program or started teaching classes, and this is intentional. We are pursuing a more organic and natural path to discipleship, similar to the way of Jesus. Efficiency, while great in a factory, does not create disciples like Jesus did. Jesus gained and lost the crowds the whole way, keeping a small group of dedicated disciples around Him at most times. Anyway, Jan's pursuit of the way of Jesus has already had a transforming effect on the way we function.
Discipleship has often been seen as what the "dedicated" Christians do, and the "fringe" Christians are meant to be entertained long enough for the Holy Spirit to encourage the step from "fringe" to "dedicated." Other than the problem of judgment in our hearts about who is dedicated and who is on the fringe (usually measured by church attendance), the equation just isn't true. Discipleship is the process every single Christian is invited into, and Jesus Himself had the devout and the skeptical around Him. And so I have been so pleased at how many and what variety of people have really stepped into various opportunities to be discipled.
In short, I pray that this spirit of discipleship grows deeper and deeper as we try to follow Jesus together.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Top 5 of 2011: Baptisms
I thought I would try something new. I want to create a "Top 5" for 2011. What are the top 5 moments from ministry in the past year? Well, a top 5 would be really hard to come by. So instead, I will write about the top 5 themes of the year. The first is baptism.
We had a few baptisms this year, and we baptized in a few different venues. We had baptisms in our sanctuary, and we had a baptism in the waters of Lake Michigan. Both have profound meaning and deep beauty.
I recognize that, for many, baptism holds a fair amount of controversy. The practice of baptism holds some vicious memories for me as well, since Christian communities have ostracized me and my faith has even been called into question because of my infant baptism. I want to step beyond that today, only mentioning it to acknowledge that these feelings exist. But here's what I witnessed this past year.
This year, I performed my first adult baptism in Lake Michigan. It was a great moment, with members of our church surrounding a family as I baptized on its members. We waded out waste-deep into Lake Michigan, and "took the plunge" into its seasonally cool waters. In the midst of the onlookers and the waves, there was a moment that got me. I told the person being baptized, "now just let yourself fall back, and I will pull you back out." When I said those words, I realized that our entrance into life with Christ is not our work. It's not how deep we can dive or how quickly we run to the waters; at some point, it's letting go and falling into the arms of grace and knowing that we will be lifted out of death and into life. That was neat.
I also baptized infants as well, and there is a beautiful image that goes beyond facts and spoken words. A family stands before the community, professing their faith and making promises (as serious and deep as wedding vows) toward a child. A community stands around a family and makes the same vows. And then I get the (humbling) privilege of uttering God's promises found in the cross of Jesus Christ. And in baptizing this little one, we see the truth of the Gospel that God loves first, and that we belong before we believe.
I hope that we can reflect on our own baptisms today, and embrace the God who embraced us. Happy New Year.
We had a few baptisms this year, and we baptized in a few different venues. We had baptisms in our sanctuary, and we had a baptism in the waters of Lake Michigan. Both have profound meaning and deep beauty.
I recognize that, for many, baptism holds a fair amount of controversy. The practice of baptism holds some vicious memories for me as well, since Christian communities have ostracized me and my faith has even been called into question because of my infant baptism. I want to step beyond that today, only mentioning it to acknowledge that these feelings exist. But here's what I witnessed this past year.
This year, I performed my first adult baptism in Lake Michigan. It was a great moment, with members of our church surrounding a family as I baptized on its members. We waded out waste-deep into Lake Michigan, and "took the plunge" into its seasonally cool waters. In the midst of the onlookers and the waves, there was a moment that got me. I told the person being baptized, "now just let yourself fall back, and I will pull you back out." When I said those words, I realized that our entrance into life with Christ is not our work. It's not how deep we can dive or how quickly we run to the waters; at some point, it's letting go and falling into the arms of grace and knowing that we will be lifted out of death and into life. That was neat.
I also baptized infants as well, and there is a beautiful image that goes beyond facts and spoken words. A family stands before the community, professing their faith and making promises (as serious and deep as wedding vows) toward a child. A community stands around a family and makes the same vows. And then I get the (humbling) privilege of uttering God's promises found in the cross of Jesus Christ. And in baptizing this little one, we see the truth of the Gospel that God loves first, and that we belong before we believe.
I hope that we can reflect on our own baptisms today, and embrace the God who embraced us. Happy New Year.
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