Lent Day 4: It's complicated

Do you find life complicated? Some people try to make everything bigger, harder, weirder, or more dangerous than needed. I prefer things simple. Direct. When they're embracing rather than off-putting.

"Are you afraid?" people often ask us, about our call to Indonesia. Some wonder if the move from here to there is so huge and complex that it will suck the breath out of us.

Well, yes and no, as far as fear goes. We're not afraid of volcanos, violence, or opposition. Stuff happens here as well as there, and there's no safer place than under God's watchful eye. We'll try almost anything once (including food). The big thing for us? God shows up every time his people gather, so that's a delight we're anticipating.

We are occasionally cautious or feel trepidation about what we don't yet know. How will it go 'over there'? Will we learn the language? Will we fit in and love the culture (as we expect)?

The planning is complicated. And perhaps the landing will be, too.

That said, God assures us that we CAN understand his intentions through scripture. We don't have to make trusting him more complicated than it is. The secret stuff belongs to him (Deut. 29:29) and the rest belongs to us. The goal is obedience that leads to abundant life in Christ.

During Lent, let's open our hearts and our minds to receive the gospel (Good News). Let's embrace the things we know, don't know, and our fears.

Surely a God who could perfectly spin the Earth on its axis can help us negotiate today and tomorrow!

Read more:
*They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read. Nehemiah 8:8 NIV

*The large crowd was listening to Jesus with delight. Mark 12:37 ESV

Moravian Prayer: May your Word, Lord, go out to all the world. May all who follow your precepts find great delight in loving one another—and serving you. Amen.

Lent Day 12: Panic stations

What makes you panic? Chokes off your breath and makes your stomach heave?

Do you remember riding the roller-coaster or Zipper at the fair as a teenager? I loved loved loved the upside down, flip me over, screaming-with-adrenaline jolt of those rides. I tried them a few years ago and hated it! My life had become so hectic and stressed that there was no margin for physical shocks. Besides, older bodies handle balance differently. (Don't believe me? Try soaring high on a tree swing. There's a reason - besides weight - that kids use them more than their parents!)

Some people start out timid. They lack courage until they become confident, one small success after another. Others begin with a roar, climbing the fridge at age 2, skiing the bunny hill at 3, and never looking back. Many of us like learning new things, but learn caution as we go along. A few become debilitated by fear: their experiences devastate their confidence.

Among Jesus' disciples, Peter was the early adopter and fearless flyer. Thomas was more cautious about accepting what he was told. Each of them found a role in God's kingdom. Jesus accepted them as they were and built character and stamina into his followers.

He can do the same for me. And for you.

What are you afraid of today? How can Jesus help you through? Start here:
1. Commit your whole self to God, fears and all.
2. Admit that you're not in control .. and never have been. We often fear what we cannot anticipate, plan for, or dominate.
3. Cast your cares on God, who knows the past, present, and future. He is big enough, smart enough, and loving enough to see us through and to make things go as He has determined they should.
4. Lodge your present fears and future hopes in God's reliability--His unchanging Goodness and Justice.
5. Live in the moment. Enjoy the day. Though it is wise to plant crops for a future harvest, anxiety about future rain or hail ruins the view of today's sprouts or a field of golden grain!
6. Be grateful. "This is the day The Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Count your blessings!

Read more:
You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Psalm 30:3 (NIV)

*She [Wisdom] offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. Proverbs 3:16–18

*The disciples woke Jesus up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. Luke 8:24

*For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, "Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you." So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island. Acts 27:23–25

Moravian Prayer: Master of wind, wave, and fire, we are terribly aware that the fiercest storms that threaten us can come from within rather than without. Lead us to the calm center where you are with us. In Christ’s name, Amen.

The beautiful ability to fear

We use the word "fear" variously to describe emotions and attitudes. We may be afraid of:

• physical harm like natural disasters or being homeless or hungry
• scary things that go "boo" on Hallowe'en or frighten us in horror films
• personal phobias like the dark, spiders, small spaces, or airplane trips
• relationships that threaten malice (or envy), political ill-will, and other harms
• being overlooked or deemed insignificant
• think others may interrupt our dreams or disrupt our goals
• approach change with uncertainty or doubt

But we "fear" in other ways, when we:

• respect those with power over us
• honor and admire those who become role models
• worry about the future
• take risks into new challenges beyond our comfort zone (act courageously)

J. T. Lowery

I'm wrestling through an idea from scripture: "Unite my heart to fear your name." (Psalm 86:11 KJV)

My mind stumbled and stopped at the connection between unity of heart and our ability to honor and respect God. When our inner beings are divided, distracted, and scattered, can we comprehend the foundation of our faith--the hinge on which we pivot toward God--which is respectful fear?

Paul writes also that hearts that are divided within faith communities cannot understand or know God: "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ." Colossians 2:2 (See context below: read more.)

Only when we are single-minded in pursuing our relationship with God and we single-heartedly forgive and accept others in the "bond of peace," can we approach God.

Our common alternatives to such the hard disciplines of unity and love?

• Hail God as a friend or buddy, always on hand to help out or alleviate our loneliness. "You're not alone; you have God's shoulder to lean on." We don't have to change a thing - he's our crutch when we get in trouble. We may feel abandoned and disappointed when God doesn't come through like a cosmic vending machine of goodies.
• Self-help through gurus who tell us how easily (and without sacrifice) to appease God's expectations or ward off bad "karma." Our designer god looks a lot like us and only demands what we are willing to give.
• Hypocrisy and self-deception where we live as "Christians" and claim to be followers of Jesus without giving up secret sins or destructive habits. We look good while ignoring Jesus' blunt warning: "You white-washed tombs. You look nice on the outside but stink of filth and rot inside."
• Procrastination and increased fear. We never resolve the inner conflicts and fragmentation . We spiral further into darkness rather than walking in the light.

Fear of things out of our control will debilitate us.

BUT awe and reverence for God will set us free. 

He's in charge, in control, and strong enough 

to hold all things together by the word of His power.

Are you amazed at his love? Dumbstruck with wonder at his provision?

Harmony isn't a denial of suffering or ignoring of circumstances. Instead, true holistic living begins with willingness to lay down our own fragmented interests and desires to unite our hearts to fear His name.

Both personally and in the community of faith.

Read more:
*For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name for ever. Psalm 86:10-12 NIVUK

*Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his commands; seek righteousness, seek humility. Zephaniah 2:3

*A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. … But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went." Acts 8:1, 4 NEV

*Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord. 1 Corinthians 12:4,5

*(Paul) I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.Colossians 2:1-4

*If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1
Moravian Prayer: Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous his thoughts and turn unto the Lord. Amen.

Lent Day 18: Thankful for God's will

"How can I know God's will? Is this the right thing to do?"

W and I are old people in the faith. We've served God since childhood and heard those two questions almost as often as we've asked them. "Should we choose this or that? What will happen in the future if I go this direction?"

I have two stories today about finding the will of God. The first is from my childhood. An old preacher told our youth group to get into motion if we wanted to know what God wanted. "Have you ever tried to turn the wheel of a car without power steering? It is very difficult when the car is sitting in the driveway but once you start moving you can easily turn the wheel.

"In the same way, God will direct you if you will work hard and do what is at hand. If you sit and wait around, you may not be ready for the job that comes along."

The second story illustrates the old man's admonition. This weekend, a high-schooler did the impossible. With a few seconds to go in the state championship basketball game, his basket wins the game and leads his team from heartbreak to victory and the prize. (Click here to view the astonishing moments = Watch #4.)

I've watched the footage of the final seconds of the game many times, tracking where this youngster comes from before he makes the play.

Coaches will be inspiring their teams with the clip in coming years. Rather than waiting to see what would happen, the player sprints from center court toward the basket. There is no play that would have specifically called for him, no strategy that requires his action.

Yet he runs at full tilt ... and when a split-second opportunity means a win or loss, he is THERE! The announcers can't believe what they've seen and they can't find him on the replays. All of a sudden, he's changed the whole game and his school's history. Doing what needs to be done, heroically on the spot! Winning because he is in motion and in the right place at the right time ... after years of rebounds and dribbling and layups and boring drills.

How many times would God ask us to do the impossible with his help, but we've not been nearby? How many opportunities have we missed to share the gospel, help the hurting, or get that perfect job? Are we willing to practice and train, to get up early to study scripture and devote ourselves to God, to do the mundane tasks in preparation for extraordinary moments?

Where do we fit into God's will? Realistically, some of us will never have that "glory moment" when everyone looks at us with stupefaction and wonder. We'll never be the star who shoots the winning basket. Instead, we may play on the team to let someone else shine. The young man could not have done his amazing tip-off without his team.

However, sometimes the star misses her chance and the underdog becomes the hero. For that to happen, someone has to be in motion, fearlessly becoming the one who saves the day! Let it be you. And let it be me, O Lord.

Read more:

*Don't worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun." Psalm 37:1–6

*O Lord our God - we set our hope on you. Jeremiah 14:22

*We wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13

Moravian Prayer: Almighty God, we lift our hearts to you; and our eyes are fixed upon your unchanging glory. We rejoice in the promises of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power and majesty. Amen. (from Reign of Christ Liturgy, MBW p109)

The prison of our fears

Speaker and author Carol Kent shared the devastation that followed "life-without-parole" sentencing for her only son. 

"A parent's worst nightmare," she described it. When she finished, she told us, "You can tell me your stories, but please don't say my pain is much worse than yours. Pain is pain is pain, whether that is from illness, financial trouble, or other traumas."

Afterward I talked to our daughter. Kirsten said people often told her that they felt badly for her, "and though we are suffering, we can't imagine going through what you do." (She has severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.)

"No one has to go through what I do," said Kirsten. "Everyone has their own pain. There's no comparison between experiences."

Comparing the weight of humanity and downplaying our own suffering sends a clear message to someone in the middle of devastation. "Our hurts are bad, but yours is definitely worse. We feel so sorry for you..."

Such a statement of "comfort" carries the implication that if something even more horrid happens to someone else, this suffering is less than the other person's. Yet, how can we measure the brokenness and hurts? What kind of increment or tool could show the physical, emotional, or spiritual toll of stress, worry, or grief?

"Everyone's cross is shaped to their own back," says my mother, who has gone through many sorrows and trials. She is wise, after watching life go by.

Though not everyone is behind physical prison bars, many of us inhabit a prison of our fears. We worry that life will be too difficult, that good times may not last, or that we are not strong enough to survive the future.

Only God is able to sustain us. "Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares for you," said the apostle. And, "Think on good things, and be thankful. And God's peace will surround you beyond your understanding." Such inner resilience and trust springs our prison gates open so we walk in freedom, no matter what our circumstances.