Monday Morning Message - Fast and Slow

"My soul thirsts for ______." What would you put in that blank? Recognition? Fame? Power? Wealth? Sympathy? Family? Something else? The Psalmist filled that blank with "God" (see Psalm 42:2). Not surprising, but oh so wise. All else quickly fades and loses its ability to satisfy. God alone fully and finally satisfies the deep thirst of our souls. Our problem is we constantly drink from other fountains and never allow our thirst to drive us to the sole source that satisfies. So how shall we to develop a thirst for God? The answer is quite simple - but the practice is patently unsavory; we need to fast.

The spiritual discipline of fasting is, by and large, lost to western Christianity. I believe this to be a function of the unprecedented affluence we enjoy in the U.S. In our affluence the discipline of fasting requires a far greater sacrifice than the giving of money. We are not accustomed to "denying ourselves" anything. Certainly not on purpose! Yet in the practice of fasting we discover a way to break the sensual thrall of our lives and allow the all-sufficient and all-satisfying grace of God to enter.

"The disciplines of abstinence are designed to weaken or break the power of life involvements that press against our involvement in the kingdom of God." (Dallas Willard, Renovations of the Heart) Fasting reveals the things that control us and in so doing reveal the things that we have set up as "false gods" in our lives.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6:12, offers a powerful premise for our consideration. "'All things are lawful for me,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful for me,' but I will not be enslaved by anything." What enslaves you? Food? Recreation? Your cell phone? The internet? Perhaps a fast from that which enslaves/controls you is in order. Perhaps you will discover there is a deeper, more urgent thirst you have simply covered with temporary things.

Fill in the blank, "My soul thirsts for _____."

The Habit of Perfection
Geral Manly Hopkins
(1844-1889)

Elected Silence, sing to me
And beat upon my whorled ear,
Pipe me to pastures still and be
The music that I care to hear.

Shape nothing, lips; be lovely-dumb:
It is the shut, the curfew sent
From there where all surrenders come
Which only makes you eloquent.

Be shelled, eyes, with double dark
And find the uncreated light:
This ruck and reel which you remark
Coils, keeps, and teases simple sight.

Palate, the hutch of tasty lust,
Desire not to be rinsed with wine:
The can must be so sweet, the crust
So fresh that come in fasts divine!

Nostrils, your careless breath that spend
Upon the stir and keep of pride,
What relish shall the censers send
Along the sanctuary side!

O feel-of-primrose hands, O feet
That want the yield of plushy sward,
But you shall walk the golden street
And you unhouse and house the Lord.

And Poverty, be thou the bride
And now the marriage feast begun,
And lily-coloured clothes provide
Your spouse not laboured-at nor spun.

The Church at Auvers

My friend Carol over at Watch Me Paint (which BTW is pretty incredible - watching her take a canvas and convert it into a work of art - WOW!) got me thinking about art. Please understand I am not one who has a great knowledge of art nor have I been exposed to much through my years. I recall 3 visits to art museums in my 40 years. With that disclaimer, there are a few pieces that have spoken volumes to me through the years. This piece by Van Gogh is one.

The Church at Auvers was painted during Van Gogh's last years during a time of serious mental and emotional stress. His life circumstance certainly colored his view of this grand edifice and I think it serves as a message to the church that needs to be heard today. A few things I notice about the painting are...

1. The church dominates the canvas. Literally, there is no way to avoid it.
2. There are two paths leading around the church - both happen to lead through the shadow of the church.
3. Sadly, there is no door into the church.

I'll leave it to you to generate your own conclusions about the message Van Gogh is sending us from 1890. I'd love to hear what you think...

Pray for Idaho

Just came from my buddy Paul Thompson's blog, Bridge Bloggin, and they are in a crisis out there. His church is in a position to be on the front lines in caring for some folks who need help and hope right now. Let's get some folks praying for this church family and the people who are in the path of these incredible fires.

Here are a few suggestions for prayers...
*Pray for rain!
*Pray for Eastside Baptist Church. Pray for them to be bold in stepping forward to meet needs. Pray for them to be sensitive to those who are hurting. Pray for them to be a source of hope for some people who have lost hope.
*Pray for Paul. As pastor he will be called on to fill a lot of roles from administrator to counselor to friend. Pray God will give him strength during these days.
*Pray for opportunities to share the gospel with people. C.S. Lewis said that pain is "God's megaphone". Maybe God is speaking to some people through this terrible time.

Take a moment and drop by Paul's blog and leave him an encouraging word.

Monday Morning Message - Grow up!

Trying something new on the blog...as always any feedback/suggestions are appreciated. The idea is to give you my Sunday morning sermon in 150 words or less. (Those of you who are part of my Sunday morning flock please hold your snide remarks about long-winded preachers!) So, here goes!

"Like new born infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." (1 Peter 2:2-3)

His name was Tim and he never grew up...literally. Confined to a wheelchair he moved through life much like any other 15 year old, only he lived with the constant threat of broken bones. Tim had brittle bone syndrome and he never grew up. Simple, everyday activities were a potential threat to his health. It was common to see him with a new cast or for him to be facing a new surgery. His body just never grew up.

I believe many Christians have a spiritual disease similar to Tim's physical disease in that they have failed to grow properly. Why is this? I think it is largely because many never intended to grow. I talk with so many who tell me of an initial rush of growth in their walk with the Lord that faded over time. They have become frustrated or disillusioned with pursuing God's plans, shouldn't He be pursuing them?

What is the solution to this dilemma? Grow! Peter encourages his readers to "long for the pure spiritual milk". He's telling us to crave the food that helps us to grow into salvation. Just as you are not likely to forget to eat today, let me encourage you to not neglect the feeding of the new life that is yours in Christ.

"Grow dear friends; but grow, I beseech you, in God's way, which is the only effectual way. See to it that you are planted in grace, and then let the divine Husbandman cultivate you in His own way and by His own means." Hannah Whitall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life.

Pearls of Wisdom and Peals of Laughter

Enjoy a couple of quotes that tickled my funny bone.

"Never criticize someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. Then if they get mad, you're a mile away, and you have their shoes."

"Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge; some only gargle."

A Different View of the Immigration Issue

Don't have time to fully develop this one right now, so I'll offer you a teaser to bring you back in the next day or two...

Imagine what it would be like if 50% of the kids in your local elementary school, or better yet, 50% of the kids on your street had dads (and sometimes moms too) living in another country. This is exactly what we encountered in Guatemala. I never considered the immigration issue from the other side of the Rio Grande. One of the unseen problems this unchecked flow of people from Latin America is causing is the terrible, and unprecedented, stress being placed on the social and familial fabric of those nations.

In one home we encountered a woman who had simply taken in three boys because their Mother and Father had abandoned them and gone to the United States. I'm sorry, but for the life of me I cannot think of anything that would make My Beloved and I leave our three kids. Stunned only begins to touch our reaction. More on this later...

It Speaks for Itself...

Louisiana became the first state in the Union to make this late term abortion procedure illegal. The following quotes are from a couple of news articles concerning the Louisiana law. Here's hoping other states will follow suit quickly. Please note, the law does allow for the procedure if the mother's life is in danger.

I am glad I don't have pictures to attach. The description speaks for itself.

"Anti-abortion activists call the procedure "partial-birth abortion;" surgeons and abortion rights activists call it "dilation and extraction." It involves partially removing the fetus intact from a woman's uterus, then crushing or cutting its skull to complete the abortion." Fox News

"The procedure at issue is generally used only to end pregnancies in the second or third trimesters. It involves pulling the fetus through the birth canal and then collapsing the skull before extraction." Times-Picayune, New Orleans