Faith and Congregational Development

I am blessed to receive many different email messages from great leaders in Christian Church. Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary. His post on Seven Steps to Move Members Into Ministry really hit home the other day so I thought I would share it with my readers. Chuck writes….

Sam attends his church faithfully every Sunday, but he is not involved in doing ministry through his church. Others view Sam as a committed member simply because he is there every Sunday morning, and no one would dare question his faithfulness.

Yet, Sam is really doing nothing in his church.  How do you move members like him into ministry?  Here are some basic principles we learned in a study published in my book, Membership Matters.

1.  Pray for Laborers

Jesus gave us clear guidelines for securing workers: pray for God to provide them (Luke 10:2).  The fields, He said, are ready, but the workers are few.

My experience is that churches look for laborers, and they begin praying earnestly only after they’ve not been able to secure workers through their established processes. Is it possible we would have less difficulty enlisting workers if we started praying before recruiting?

I encourage churches to build praying for laborers into their DNA. The staff and church should pray not only for current workers, but also for potential workers. Prayer meetings should include a time of focused prayer for more workers, even when all the current positions are filled. God will provide the laborers if your church will follow His command to pray.

2.  State Expectations Up Front

Here’s the primary reason church members don’t get involved: churches expect very little.  One of the best ways to correct this problem is to state expectations in a membership class.  Our study shows that churches with effective membership classes stress five expectations of members:

·       Identifying with the church (e.g., through public baptism)

·       Attending worship services and small groups

·       Serving in the ministry of the church

·       Giving financially toward the church’s work

·       Promoting unity in the church

Stating these expectations is no guarantee there will be no members like Sam in your church, but not clarifying expectations almost assures you will.

3.  Have a Ministry Placement Process in Place

In the churches we studied, leaders had an intentional placement strategy.  Those strategies included the SHAPE concept (Rick Warren), the DESIGN program (Wayne Cordeiro), BodyLife (John Powers), and Network (Willow Creek). These processes are built upon the assumption that God works through our life experiences, desires, spiritual gifts, personalities, and abilities to prepare us to serve in His church.

4.  Recruit Face-to-Face 

We asked laypersons in our study why they chose to get involved in their church’s ministry.  Listen to the personal recruiting that their answers reflected:

·       “A minister spoke to me and challenged me to get active.”

·       “The Minister of Education sat me down and talked to me.”

·       “Two guys approached me and asked me [to serve].”                      

Leaders in the churches we studied did not recruit workers through bulletin board sign-ups, worship folder tear-offs, or pulpit announcements.  Rather, they sought workers by challenging members face-to-face—the way Jesus recruited disciples. In most cases, a personal challenge and invitation made the difference.

5.  Offer Entry-level Ministry Positions

Not every member is ready now to be a teacher, a deacon, or an elder.  All members might, however, be ready to take on the challenge of “entry level” positions that allow them to get involved in the church.

Entry-level positions include parking lot greeters, refreshment committees, class custodians, choir members, and any position that does not demand significant training.  The goal is to help everyone get involved at some level as quickly as possible so new members feel needed and wanted.  Moreover, entry-level positions help to evaluate potential leaders, as a person unwilling to serve in an entry position probably won’t make a good servant leader later.

6.  Recognize and Affirm Workers

Too often, we take for granted dependable church members who serve week after week. To be fair, most of these workers would not want any recognition, but their reticence to be recognized does not let us off the hook.  We honor God by affirming His work in the lives of those who give their best for His church.

One simple way to recognize workers is to sponsor an annual Workers Banquet.  Cater it, publicize it, and make it special.  Not only will the current workers be grateful, but potential workers will also see that their church will appreciate their service.

7.  Don’t Give Up Easily

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul taught that God puts His church together as He wishes (12:1-11). Our task is to help members find their role, challenge them to serve, equip them, and hold them accountable.  This work is not easy, though, and sometimes it’s tempting just to give up and overwork the current workers.  Rather than taking that wrong step, the answer is to return to principle #1 and start the process again.

What specific action does your church take to move members into ministry?

This is really good stuff to think about, live by, and more importantly grow by (especially #7). Hope these tools will bring your faith community new leaders in the new year.

Love One Another - Brian

"Lord, teach us to pray...." A Light That Never Sets

Lancelot Andrews spent a good portion of his early life as a Puritan. But history remembers him as one of the outstanding figures in the Anglican Church. Andrews was consecrated Bishop of Ely, Winchester, and Chichester, and later chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I. He was a Fellow at Cambridge and one of a few scholars who was appointed in 1607 to prepare the texts for the King James Version of the Bible.

Andrews had many gifts. But chief among them was the ability to write prayers that “lifted up the mind to God.” What follows below is a selection taken from a book of private devotions which Andrews never intended to publish. Apparently, the kind Bishop used these prayers as a daily devotional aid. For those who are well versed with the Book of Common Prayer, some of what follows should be quite familiar.

A Light That Never Sets

“Through the tender mercy of our God, the dayspring from on high has visited us. Glory be to Thee, O Lord; glory to you, Creator of the light, Enlightener of the world. God is the Lord who has shown us the light.

Glory to you for the visible light: the sun’s radiance, the flame of fire; day and night, evening and morning. For the light invisible and intellectual: that which may be known of God, that which is written in the law, oracles of prophets, melody of psalms, instruction of proverbs, experience of histories – a light which never sets.

By your resurrection raise us up into newness of life, supplying us frames of repentance. The God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will. Work in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.

You who sent down on your disciples Thrice-Holy Spirit, do not take the gift from us, but renew it, day by day, in us who ask you for it.” (Lancelot Andrews and His Private Devotions, translated by Alexander Whyte, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1981)

Love One Another - Brian

Sabbath Rest

Tuesday is the weekly Sabbath at the John 13:34 Blog. Back at it again tomorrow. I hope you will return, dear reader, and journey with me.

Thoughts on Leadership..... Wasting Energy and Time

Thom Rainer, church consultant and author, sends out a weekly post with lots of helpful ideas and insights about leadership in the Church. This column by Ron Edmondson appeared the other day. I thought it would be a good reminder, at the start of a new work week, for all of us who are called upon to lead an organization. Edmondson is a church planter in Kentucky.

7 Common Energy and Time Wasters for Leaders

Wasting time and energy may be one of my biggest pet peeves as a leader. Some days I leave work and feel I never got off the treadmill. It’s physically and mentally draining.

Does that ever happen to you?

I firmly believe if we get rid of common energy wasters we can dramatically improve our performance as leaders. With that in mind, I’ve spent time in my personal development finding ways to eliminate time and energy wasters.

Here are 7 common wastes of energy in leadership:

Focussing attention on the naysayers – I have found that worrying over what the critics are saying, especially the ones I will never make happy, delays progress and takes time from and frustrates the positive people who believe in the vision and are ready to move forward.

Refusing to delegate – When I make every decision, or become too controlling as a leader, I rob myself and the team of valuable energy and talent and I feel overwhelmed more quickly.

Second guessing decisions – I find it is better to work to make better decisions moving forward rather than live in a pity party of bad ones already made.

Trying to have all the ideas – Many leaders feel they have to be the originator of all the creative energy of a team. They waste time brainstorming alone rather than expanding the creative process. Consequently, the best ideas often never surface. Original thoughts, better than ours, are usually in the room or the organization if we will welcome them to the table and it preserves my time for more efficient use.

Living with broken structure – Let’s face reality. Over time, rules take on a life of their own. What was once created to improve structure actually begins to slow progress and waste valuable time. Change the rules…or even drop them… and you often free up valuable space for people to breathe and enjoy their work.

Disorganization – Need I expand? Many leaders feel overwhelmed because they don’t have good organizational skills. Learning how to better handle routine tasks such as processing emails, calendaring, and scheduling work flow each week will drastically improve time efficiency.

Completing tasks not designed for me – This could be any number of things. Even reading a book. For example, perhaps a silly example, but I have discovered that sometimes I read too much. That sounds strange…I know…but really it’s because I read things I didn’t need to read. I start a book and within the first chapter I know it’s not helpful or even enjoyable…my sense of completion wants to finish. but, better is to put it aside and pick up another book. The novel length email…I try to determine first if I’m the one who should respond. Many times I’m not. It could be attending a meeting…or supervising a project. Whatever it is that I am not the best person for the job or it is just a time waster, the sooner I stop it or hand off the task, the more energy I preserve.

http://www.ronedmondson.com/2013/02/7-common-energy-and-time-wasters-for-leaders.html

Love One Another - Brian

The Sunday Musical Offering - Diana Krall: Live in Paris

I am a real novice when it comes to jazz music. I can't tell the difference between Mississippi Fred McDowell and Fletcher Henderson or John Coltrane. With a son who looks to be on the verge of a musical career in this particular art form, which is a pleasure and honor to be a part of, I think it is time to become more acqauinted with this distinctly American musical genre. 

Diana Krall is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide. On December 11, 2009, Billboard magazine named her the second Jazz artist of the 2000–09 decade, establishing her as one of the best-selling artists of her time. She is the only jazz singer to have eight albums debuting at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums. To date, she has won two Grammy Awards and eight Juno Awards.

I simply love to listen to her sing which she does in this clip to perfection. Recorded a couple of years ago, this is from a live concert given in Paris, France. Krall will sing in Columbus, Ohio on April 24th this spring. Hope I can catch that performance. Enjoy this outstanding entertainer and musician.

Love One Another - Brian

The Weekly Round-Up for February 23, 2013

A very busy and extremely rewarding week of teaching, editing at the television studio, and preparing to take students to the Big Apple! But that does not mean that news worthy events, reflections, and opinions aren't still flowing into the John 13:34 Blog. Here are the notable contributions to this Week's Round-Up.

The Most Stunning Pictures of Mars the World Has Ever Seen (memolotion.com)

Russia and America: The Dread of Each Other (The Economist)

Editorial: The Real Cost of Shrinking Government (NY Times)

Editorial: Minimum Wage Economics (NY Times)

Review: Why Priests? (NY Times)

Review: Lincoln's Tragic Pragmatism (NY Times)

Commentary: The Details Paul Ryan Doesn't Want You to Know (Rachel Maddow)

Music: Striking New Look for Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera (Huffington Post)

Music: Can You Learn to Like Music You Hate? (NPR)

Music: From Bow to Baton - Joshua Bell Conducts Beethoven (NPR)

Sport: Nine Golfers Sinking Putt

Faith: It's Not About Me (The Christian Century)

Faith: Changing Poverty Into Opportunity:A Moral Cause to Bring Us Together (sojo.net)

Faith: Death of the Mall and the Future of Church Buildings (Thom Rainer)

Faith: Five Hopeful Signs for US Congregations (thearda.com)

Faith: The 6 Essential Social Media Skills of Leaders (churchmag.com)

Faith: Leadership Training Has Reached a "Tipping Point" (faithexpressions.org)

Faith: Towards a Non-Malignant Faith - An Interview with Brian McLaren (religiousdispatches.org)

Faith: DJesus Uncrossed:The Violent Remaking of Jesus in America (patheos.com)

TV: Downton Abbey Season 4 - What's Next? (The Neff Review)

TV: Downton and Downward (NY Times)

That should keep you busy (at least before the Oscars begin!!)

Love One Another - Brian

"Lord, teach us to pray...." Listening to that Other Voice

C.S. Lewis will be remembered as one of the most important Christian thinkers of the twentieth century. He was born in Ireland in 1900, and the major part of his adult years was spent as a Fellow at Magdalen College in Oxford, England, where he taught medieval literature. It was in 1931 that Lewis was “surprised by joy,” his own description of his conversion to Christianity. Lewis was a brilliant scholar and writer, who used his considerable talents to reach thousands of persons through the printed and spoken word. This excerpt comes from his book, Mere Christianity.

Listening to that Other Voice

 “The real problem for the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussing’s and fretting’s; coming in out of the wind.

“We can only do it for moments at first. But from those moments the new sort of life will be spreading through our system: because now we are letting God work at the right part of us. It is the difference between paint, which is merely laid on the surface, and a dye or stain which soaks right through.

“Jesus never talked vague, idealistic gas. When Jesus said, “Be perfect,” he meant it. Jesus meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder – in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

Love One Another - Brian

Sabbath Rest

Tuesday is the weekly Sabbath at the John 13:34 Blog. Back at it again tomorrow. Hope you will return, dear reader, and journey with me.

Six Stone Jars

wordpress.com

From the Gospel of John: “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there for a few days.” (John 2:1-12)

As my readers are well aware, I adore the Gospel of John. This portion of the second chapter is a terrific example of just why I admire the Fourth Gospel for the Evangelist take great care in making sure the reader takes in all of the details of this story. Six stone jars are mentioned in the text. Why six? Why stone? Why 30 gallons? Is there a larger purpose for their inclusion in this story?

Stone jars, in contrast to earthen jars, were free from the possibility of Levitical impurity. The “rites of Jewish purification” probably refers to the ritual cleansing of hands at meals. This must have been a large wedding for the quantity and capacity of these jars is most unusual. Could the size of the jars be in direct correlation to the extravagance of the miracle?

Numbers were used in symbolic ways in the literature of the Mediterranean world. And John’s Gospel is loaded with numerical symbolism. The number six (6), it should be remembered, was symbolic for the idea or concept of “imperfection”. The “imperfect” was about to be transfigured or transformed into perfection by the Lord of all Creation.

A careful reading of the text will note that the Fourth Evangelist narrates the “before and after” of the miracle but not the precise moment. New wine is created in old vessels of the Jewish purification rites, symbolizing that the old forms are given new content. I believe this is a very important concept to remember in that Jesus did not reject Judaism. On the contrary, Jesus was a very good and faithful practicing Jew of his time.

Those six large stone jars stood empty, waiting to be filled. These oversized containers were filled with a wondrous new gift. The miracle is not a rejection of Judaism, by any means; but, something new that was taking place in the midst of Judaism.

These six stone jars symbolize for me something very important about the Christian Church. We are living in a time of major change and flux. It is apparent that God is doing something new. We are caught up in it. We are part of it whether we like it or not. What it will be or become has yet to be discerned or clearly visualized. I understand the Church today like these six stone jars: part of the tradition; imperfect; waiting to be filled and transformed by the power of Almighty God.

Love One Another - Brian

The Sunday Musical Offering - Frank Sinatra/Count Bassie Band: Fly Me To The Moon

I had a drink the other night with a musical friend of mine whom I have not seen in some time. A wonderful and in depth conversation ensued over excellent bourbon and a good cigar. We were speaking about the Count Bassie Band and that great generation of jazz musicians, of whom so many of the young people today have no idea of or what gifts these musicians gave to the musical world. A great shame in my opinion.

I was blessed in April of 1984, while studying in New York, to venture over to Carnegie Hall one night in my tuxedo. I sat up near the top of the Hall; but I had the extraordinary opportunity to hear Frank Sinatra live in concert. Buddy Rich and his band opened for Old Blue Eyes. Count Bassie had died the day before and Sinatra opened his set with the Bassie arrangement of Fly Me To the Moon. You could have heard a pin drop on Sixth Avenue. The audience was spell bound. There is no video of that actual performance but we are blessed to have this recording of The Chairman of the Board and the Bassie Band. Is there anything better?

Love One Another - Brian

The Weekly Round-Up for February 16, 2013

The State of the Union, a Pope resigns, for many Christians Lenten observances commenced, musicians are probably smarter than the rest of us, and there is always news from Downton Abbey. Wow! We are living in amazing times for this past week was full of interesting and historic events. The Weekly Round-Up follows  below.

Congress - not Email - Destroyed the Postal Service

A Warning to College Profs from a High School Teacher (The Washington Post)

What is Over Parenting? Madeline Levine Provides Answers (ThinkBig.com)

Elizabeth Warren Asks the Most Obvious Question Ever and Stumps a Bunch of Bank Regulators (upworthy.com)

Spiritual Piece - I Am Letting the Anger Drop

Spiritual Commentary: Ashes to Where? (the8thday.posterous)

Spiritual Commentary: Ashes and Hope (sojo.net)

Spiritual Commentary: On Our Behalf: Reclaiming Repentance As A Progressive Christian (patheos.com)

Spiritual Commentary: Dont' Get Caught in the Lent Trap (huffingtonpost.com)

Religious Freedom and Its Place in the Public Square (religionandpolitics.org)

The Church is Christ's Bride - Not His Baby Mama (thegospelside.com)

The Pope Resigns! (Marian Ronan Blogpost)

A Pope Lets Go (NY Times)

Papal Retirement - A Matter of Conscience ( (A)Theologies)

Matthew Fox: With Pope Benedict's Resignation, It's Time to Move from Religion to Spirituality (huffingtonpost.com)

Progressive Christianity is as Broken as Evangelicalism: Here Is How To Fix It (redletterchristian.org)

Music - Top cellist Has His Bow Snapped By US Airport Security (artsjournal.com)

Study Finds Musician Probably Smarter Than the Rest of Us (huffingtonpost.com)

Top Secret Drum Crops..... (wimp.com)

The Nineteen Indignant Faces of Downton Abbey (thebuzzfeed.com)

Is God the Missing Character in Downton Abbey? (sojo.net)

Love One Another - Brian

What To Do About Youth Ministry in the 21st Century Church?

Lately, I have been doing a fair amount of reading and reflecting about youth ministry. Specifically, what is the best way to pastor to young people between the ages of grades 1-12? In my new ministry situation, the reality of life is that most families are only going to commit to an hour for worship that includes some sort of education for their children. I have been fighting that resistance for nearly twenty-five years. To be honest with you, I wish not to engage in that battle anymore.

So, I am coming to the conclusion that young people in grades 1-6 need to be offered some sort of education during the limited time we have them on Sunday morning. I also believe that students in grades 7-12 need to be in worship on Sunday morning learning the basic teachings of the faith and being mentored by the larger community in the prayers and praises that we offer to God. In addition, parents need to be parents and teach their children the Way of faith, not opting out of their responsibilities as far too many do (but that is another post for another time!).

Somewhere in all of this mix is the need for additional time to nurture our young people outside the confines of Sunday worship. I have witnessed more than my fair share of folks who have come to me over the years with the promise of doing "cutting edge ministry" with the teens. In the end, the promise never comes to fruition and the Church hurries on to the next fad or craze in ministry.

Cameron Cole who serves as the youth director for the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama offers some very wise counsel about youth ministry and what all of us should be doing and supporting in our local congregation. His article is entitled: "Resisting the Urge to do Cutting Edge Youth Ministry". Cole writes....

In my early twenties upon moving to Birmingham, AL, I attended for three months a mega-church with an impressive growth rate. The pastor regularly boasted about the church’s increasing attendance in between opportunities to talk about the large audiences, to which he was speaking around the world. My last Sunday was capped by the pastor’s proclamation that the incredible prosperity of the church resulted from the “cutting edge ministry,” which they performed (and, oh yea, God too.) I exited with a bad taste in my mouth and a headache from the number of times I rolled my eyes that Sunday.

Fast forward ten years. I had been working for six years as a youth pastor at the Cathedral Church of the Advent. During a meeting with a business leader in town, where I explained our somewhat unique approach to reaching postmodern teens through a fragmented ministry of smaller, intimate clusters of students, the entrepreneur said, “Wow, it sounds like you guys are really working at the tip of the spear.” As I burned with pride, the voice of my ego whispered, “You might even say that we are on the....cutting edge.” In the one- and only one- potentially cutting edge moment of my life (which lasted ninety seconds), I felt this rush of pride as if my efforts made the difference and as if I had distinguished myself from other ministries. (These are ironically vain sentiments for someone who still uses a flip phone.)

In all spheres of ministry, the temptation lurks to be “cutting edge.” This enticement may exist more in youth ministry more than other sectors, due to the frequently evolving nature of teen culture, where the target seemingly moves every five to seven years. In a valuable manner, youth ministry people seek to keep a watchful eye on the most efficacious means by which to reach teenagers. It is part of what makes the field exciting and dynamic. At the same time, youth ministry can dedicate exorbitant amounts of attention to finding a magic bullet in our methodology.

The longer I work with students, the more convinced I am that there is nothing sexy or cutting edge about effective youth ministry. I have annoyed many a colleague with my penchant for repeatedly saying, “There is nothing new under the sun: if you want to be cutting edge, go into biomedical engineering or particle physics, not ministry.” Effective youth ministry boils down to pursuing relationships, teaching scripture, proclaiming the Gospel, worshiping, and praying fervently. That is it. Ministry revolving around these five components has endless possibilities. Other parts of ministry, such as missions, social justice, and fellowship, can have great vibrancy with such a foundation. Ministry that lacks relating, exegeting, proclaiming, worshiping, or praying usually evolves into an exercise in futility or a practice in “playing church.”

Such a minimalistic philosophy will not sell many books or land you on a panel at the next conference. Nobody has ever been impressed when I describe our strategy with a few participles: loving, teaching, proclaiming, worshiping, and praying. Perhaps, this is because effective youth ministry involves a healthy lack of confidence in our ability to effectuate change and transfers all hope upon what Jesus did do and what the Holy Spirit can do. Thus, our methods become less sexy and sophisticated and more simple and basic. What a relief! Thanks be to God. (The Rooted Blog)

There is another reflection on youth ministry that you should read (too long to print here and pretty damning of what the Church has failed to accomplish over the past fifty years - but well worth the read). Youth Ministry - The Fifty Year Failed Experiment by Father John Peck.

And one more reflection comes by the way of The Christian Post suggesting that today's youth ministries should be disbanded, calling the common practice of separating congregations by age for worship and Bible study "unbiblical." In the paradigm shift, Scott Brown said churches would have "the older gathering together with the younger for worship, celebration, and instruction. It would look like what happened in Deuteronomy 12 where Moses commands the parents to bring whole families to come and worship and sacrifice. It's the only pattern you see in Scripture. You never see Moses, or Nehemiah, or Jesus, or the apostle Paul, or anyone ever segregating people by age. On the contrary, integrated discipleship is really an un-disputable pattern of Scripture." See more of this article by clicking here.

 

Cole's message has always been my experience with young people. The best youth ministry moments in my life have been the one on one relationships grounded in the Scriptures, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, and surrounded by much prayer. There was that Thursday night Youth Bible Study at Christ Church in Charlotte that still offers me fond and cherished memories. As a matter of fact, I am still in relationship with many of those young people years later - thanks be to God.

A Church Development Officer once told me it was best to keep ministry simple. Perhaps that is the way forward in ministry to our young people.

Love One Another - Brian

"Lord, teach us to pray..." Contemplation & A Sense of Wonder

When the Zen master attained enlightenment
he wrote the following lines to celebrate it:

"Oh, wondrous marvel:
I chop wood!
I draw water from the well!"

After enlightenment nothing really changes. The tree is still a tree; people are just what they were before and so are you. You may continue to be as moody or even-tempered, as wise or foolish. The one difference is that you see things with a different eye. You are more detached from it now. And your heart is full of wonder.

That is the essence of contemplation: the sense of wonder.

Contemplation is different from ecstasy in that ecstasy leads to withdrawal. The enlightened contemplative continues to chop wood and draw water from the well. Contemplation is different from the perception of beauty in that the perception of beauty (a painting or a sunset) produces aesthetic delight, whereas contemplation produces wonder - no matter what it observes, a sunset or a stone.

This is the prerogative of children. They are so often in a state of wonder. So they easily slip into the Kingdom.

Anthony de Mello, The Song of the Bird, pages 16 and 17

Love One Another - Brian

Ash Wednesday 2013 - Lenten Disciplines

It is hard to believe that in forty days Christians shall gather to celebrate the great feast of Easter. Where does the time go? In order to arrive at that glorious Sunday, the Christian journey takes a period of introspection: to be in “the desert”, so to speak, – experiencing the season of Lent.

Blue Eyed Ennis Blogspot

Following up on my post from last year at this time, I am offering some suggestions of things you can do to assist in making these next forty days a time of blessing and renewal. Some of the suggestions are mine and others have come from different sites on the web. In such cases I have included the name of the author or the website. I encourage you to make any additional suggestions in the comment section of this blog for the benefit of other readers from across the globe.

May you have a blessed forty day’s journey which will end with a joyous celebration of Easter.

10 Questions to Ask Yourself (Rachel Held Evans)

1.When I wake up on Resurrection Sunday morning, how will I be different? 

2. From what do I need to repent? 

3. Is there one particular sin in my life that repeatedly gets in the way of loving God with my whole heart or loving my neighbor as myself? How do I address that sin over the next 40 days?

4. Is there anyone in my life from whom I need to ask forgiveness or pursue reconciliation? 

5. What distractions most commonly interfere with my time in prayer/Scripture?

6. What spiritual discipline do I need to improve upon or want to try? 

7. What are some things in my life that I tell myself I need but I don’t? 

8. Why am I giving this particular thing up? How does giving it up draw me closer to God and prepare me for Easter? 

9. What am I going to tell myself when self-denial gets hard? 

10.Is it necessary/helpful for me to share the nature my fast with others or should I keep it private?

10 Book Recommendations  

1.    40 Days of Living the Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight 

2.    Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

3.    The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

4.    The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

5.    The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

6.    A Gift For God: Prayers and Meditations by Mother Teresa

7.    Followers of the Cross – Daily Devotions for Lent by Martin Marty

8.    Following Jesus by NT Wright 

9.    Show Me the Way: Daily Lenten Readers by Henri J. M. Nouwen

10.The Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross 

Other ideas…

Choose a saint or a Christian you deeply admire to “guide” you through the Lenten period. (Consider St. Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa, Oscar Romero, Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther King, Jr., or St. Teresa of Avila). In addition to studying his/her work and meditating on his/her prayers, learn about his/her life. Journal through the experience. 

Incorporate the color purple into your home, office, and church. A simple purple candle or orchid or note card with a verse can remind you of the season and help keep you focused. 

Choose to make water your only beverage for 40 days to help Blood: Water Mission provide clean water for people in Africa who don't have a choice. Check out their website for more information by clicking here.

Traditionally, Christians abstained from eating meat during Lent, so consider joining millions of fellow Christ-followers around the world in this fast.   

Give up eating out for 40 days and donate the money you save to The Battered Womens Shelter of Summit and Medina Counties. Their website is here. Or join The Community of Saint John in the Shelter’s Suitcase Campaign (more information can be found by clicking here.) 

Do a 40-day purge of all your excess stuff and donate the best of it to Goodwill or a local thrift store that benefits your neighbors. 

Unplug—TV, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, etc. This is perhaps the single best way to carve out some extra time in your day for prayer and meditation. 

Write 40 Lenten Love Letters to people who have had a big impact on your life, both in the present, and in the past, including some people who don't like you and some who have passed away...and especially to God.

At the suggestion of theologian Phyllis Tickle check out Paul Soupiset's awesome website and meditate on the amazing art which he creates. Truly outstanding and original. Click here.

Here is a great idea from Rethink Church. For the creatives in the group, a chance to use your gifts for photography and introspection. Lenten photo-day challenge. Click here for more information.

Some helpful prayers and poetry for the journey…

· This is a prayer used during Great Lent in the Eastern Orthodox Church:

O Lord and Master of my life, grant not unto me a spirit of idleness, of discouragement, of lust for power, and of vain speaking. But bestow upon me, Thy servant, the spirit of integrity, of meekness, of patience, and of love. Yea, O Lord and King, grant that I may perceive my own transgressions, and judge not my brother, for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages.  Amen.

· From the Book of Common Prayer

"Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your loves sake. Amen."

· A beautiful poem by Madeleine L'Engle

“For Lent, 1966”

It is my Lent to break my Lent,
To eat when I would fast,
To know when slender strength is spent,
Take shelter from the blast
When I would run with wind and rain,
To sleep when I would watch.
It is my Lent to smile at pain
But not ignore its touch.
It is my Lent to listen well
When I would be alone,
To talk when I would rather dwell
In silence, turn from none
Who call on me, to try to see
That what is truly meant
Is not my choice. If Christ’s I’d be
It’s thus I’ll keep my Lent.

·  Poetry of Carl Sandberg

Last Answers

I wrote a poem on the mist

and a woman asked me what I meant by it.

I had thought till then only of the beauty of the mist,

how pearl and gray of it mix and reel,

and change the drab shanties with lighted lamps at evening

into points of mystery quivering with color.

I answered:

The whole world was mist once long ago and some day

it will all go back to mist,

our skulls and lungs are more water than bone and tissue

and all poets love dust and mist because all the last answers

go running back to dust and mist

 

· From Patrick Overton’s “The Leaning Tree” Book of Poetry

When you come to the edge of all the light you have,

And must take a step into the darkness of the unknown,

Believe that one of two things will happen.

Either there will be something solid for you to stand on –

Or you will be taught how to fly.

 

Wellness includes body, mind and soul! Take advantage of this Lenten period to reflect, to listen, and to understand what God is seeking for your life.

Love One Another - Brian