pray like Jesus

On the recommendation of a friend, I found this sermon called “The Gethsemane Prayer,” part of a series on praying like Jesus at Mars Hill Church in Seattle.

Wow.  Meaty stuff.  Be prepared for a serious 74 minutes.

practicing the presence of God

While reading The Purpose Driven Life, I was intrigued by the mention of a 17th century Frenchman named Brother Lawrence.  He was a layman who served as a cook and shoe repairman in a French monastery.  He developed a lifestyle of living in God’s presence, every moment of every day.  He mentored many people later in life, one of whom compiled several letters and short essays of Brother Lawrence’s into a small book called The Practice of the Presence of God.

I picked up a copy of the book and am reading it now.  I like the straightforward, clear yet profound exhortations.  Lawrence explains how he made a habit of speaking to God constantly, even in the middle of everyday tasks.  I was a little skeptical at first because I believe that God sometimes chooses to hide himself from us (Ps 10:1, 13:1, 89:46).  But Lawrence acknowledges this truth, explaining that God uses these spells to strengthen our faith in him.  God asks us to believe in him even when we can’t see his hand working in our situation, to continue to trust his goodness even when we can’t hear his voice.  Lawrence encourages us to keep talking to God, to keep praising him, and to keep asking for grace to live a life that pleases him.

Here are some excerpts:

If we knew how much He loves us, we would always be ready to face life, both its pleasures and its troubles.  You know, the difficulties in life do not have to be unbearable.  It is the way we look at them – through faith or unbelief. We must be convinced that our Father is full of love for us and that He only permits trials to come our way for our own good.

…

The first way in which the soul is united with God is through salvation, solely by his grace.  This is followed by a period in which a saved soul comes to know God through a series of experiences, some of which bring it into closer union with Him, and some take it further away.  The soul learns which activities bring God’s presence nearer.  It remains in His presence by practicing those activities.

I think I may read this book several times… maybe once a year.

what’s your business?

An idea gleaned from Rich Dad, Poor Dad: what’s your business?  Not where do you work – you may have a regular 9-5 working for someone else – but what’s your business?  Let’s apply that to spiritual life.

Q. What does God do all day (for all eternity)?

A. He works.

So what am I doing with my days?  Jesus at 12 years old asked, “didn’t you know I must be about my father’s business?” (Luke 2:49)  I should be working, just like Jesus, at the Father’s business.  His business should be my business.

What’s God’s business?  It’s His creation, including the lives of every person.  He made it all, owns it all, and loves it all.  Sure there are times we tick Him off, but that’s true of every artist and his artwork, every mother and her child.

What does He do in and for us?  He guides us into maturity.  He trains and equips us.  He gives us work to accomplish (“feed my sheep”).  We can do these things too: we can lead others into maturity (as Paul did), we can train and equip others, we can give others work to accomplish (see James).  In this way we become stakeholders in the kingdom, each of us putting our blood, sweat and tears as an investment into eternal things.

The Shack

I just finished The Shack last Friday.  On Saturday I saw the author, William P. Young, speak at my local library (we live in the same town).  Both the book and the author were very impressive.

I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t read it, but you should!  The author uses a story to convey his understanding of God, and it’s a powerful, incisive understanding.  His theology is sound, yet challenging and liberating to modern thought.

The story itself is good for a first time effort.  I can’t help comparing to C.S. Lewis… Young’s story telling is not on par with Lewis, but his ability to convey deep truth is, and that’s saying a lot.

I enjoyed the author’s talk very much.  He gave the history of the book, the writing process, how it got published, a bit about his personal life, etc.  At the end of the talk, Young said he’d sign everyone’s book, but he hates selling them, so we should buy them from Costco or other stores if we wanted to save money.  After signing each book, he gave each person who came a hug!

The Word

The opening of John’s gospel is curious.  Why does John call Jesus “the Word?”

John wrote his tale to convey to contemporary Hebrews and Greeks who Jesus was, and what he did.  In the Greek system of thought, “the Word” was used of the system of reason that governs the universe.  In Hebrew theology, “the Word” was sometimes used as a placeholder for God’s name (Jahweh), since Jews never pronounced or wrote his name.

So John is hinting that what he’s about to tell us has to do with the one who governs the universe.  Jesus is that which created and sustains all things.  He’s also the same God as Jahweh, the God of the Jews.  These postulations had to be considered both radical and heretical.

But there’s something else about “the Word.”  The Greek word here is logos.  Nothing remarkable about that, but why would you call a person a word?  Words convey meaning.  They carry communication from one party to another.  Maybe John is telling us that Jesus “became flesh” to convey to us a message.  Skip to chapter 17 and read the end of Jesus’ prayer that John records for us:

Righteous Father, the world has never known you,
But I have known you, and these disciples know
That you sent me on this mission.
I have made your very being known to them—
Who you are and what you do…

So Jesus, the Word, shows us God – the creator and sustainer of the universe, the same Jahweh worshipped by the Jews for thousands of years – who he is and what he does.  Wow!

life is not about you

Before I get on my soapbox, I want you to know I’m preaching to myself as much as anybody else.

Quit being selfish.  Life is not about you.  I know it’s difficult to separate your self from your perception of the world, but try.  There is more going on than what’s on your mind.  Consider how your actions impact those around you.  When your entire system of thought revolves around you, your universe contracts.  Your compassion shrinks, your influence withers, your generosity dries up, and your ability to relate to others fades.  Your life takes a downward, inward spiral.

When you’re ready to grow up, try doing something for someone else.  Do something unexpected.  Do something with no desire to be repaid or thanked or even acknowledged.  When you’re ready to grow up, you’ll see that your world expands when you put others first.  Your relationships will be easier and more fulfilling.  Your desire to see others blessed will outweigh your concern for self.

Life is not about you.  Leave everything around you better than you find it.  If you value others concerns more than your own, your path will be upward and outward.

rich dad, poor dad, part deux

I’m a little let down by the last few chapters of Rich Dad, Poor Dad.  The first chapters grab your interest, and you anxiously await Rich Dad’s words of wisdom.  But by the time the author gets into the meat of the subject, his writing (and the editing) fall flat.  He uses incomplete sentences, poor grammar, repitition, and references to material that doesn’t seem to exist.

Putting aside the poor writing, there are three basic messages I got out of this book:

1. The US tax code is structured so that it’s almost impossible to get ahead by working for a living.  Income is heavily taxed, wealth is not.  (This is probably not the most socially equitable arrangement, but it’s what we have for now.  See Warren Buffet’s recent comments.)

2. Given 1., you should put your money in revenue-generating assets.  These include real estate, investments that pay dividends, etc.  Then incorporate and pay all your (legal) expenses out of your corporation.

3. Be creative and take risks.  You’ll never “win” if you never try.

vocal power

Lately I’ve been digging female vocalists. Pandora is great for this sort of discovery.

I’m fascinated by what makes a singer great. So far my opinion is that the great singers are not only technically excellent, but they express their soul through their voice. Some do it through what sounds like improvisation of the notes around the melody (but it’s probably very practiced). Some do it by allowing their voice to get sort of rough and hoarse, which expresses deep emotion. Some do it by varying the timing of their voice relative to the music. I know there’s a lot more to it – educate me with your comments!

A few of my favorites:

rich dad, poor dad

Okay, so there are probably a million reviews of Rich Dad, Poor Dad out there, and yes, I’m behind the times. (Generally I don’t buy new books or music – I wait until their worth is proved over time.)

I have no idea if Kiyosaki is a Christian or not. But in a book about money, I certainly didn’t expect a lesson from the sermon on the mount.

“Rich dad” taught the author that the fundamental reason people are stuck in bad (or at least stagnant) money situations is that they don’t control two most basic emotions: fear and greed. They allow fear of loss and desire for what they don’t have to control their thinking and hence their actions. They’re afraid of losing the things they do have (the rich are often worse at this), so they keep trying to work harder. And the pleasure of acquiring something soon wears off and they begin to desire something new, so they keep working harder.  They are slaves to their emotions (and money) without realizing it.

I’m not done with the book yet, but it’s fascinating so far…

division is not of God

I admire my wife’s gifts and passions, all the more because they’re so different than my own. One of her passions is unity. Any whiff of division makes her spirit uneasy.

1Co 12:25 And so there is no division in the body, but all its different parts have the same concern for one another.

Work to preserve the peace. Forgive hurts that have caused division.

Eph 4:2-6 Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together. There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; there is one God and Father of all people, who is Lord of all, works through all, and is in all.

Keep a lookout. Our enemy uses division to make us weak. He knows how strong we are when we’re united.