Lent Day 18: Who's talking?

Are you listening?

Last night I met with other writers for the monthly meeting of the Northwest Christian Writers Association. I highly recommend the organization for aspiring and published authors.

The opening devotional spotlighted grace:

• G - everyone is gifted. (Those in the room are gifted with writing, among other things.)
• R - we're redeemed. Rescued. Given a testimony to share.
• A - we're anointed to minister (writers: through writing); God's authority goes with us.
• C - we need commitment and courage. (Writers are criticized and scrutinized.)
• E - we need endurance. (The path to publication or any other worthy goal is often long ... lined with rejection and failure before recognition.)

I was ready to go home at that point. Full of things to think about.

What do you hear?

Even before our word-crafting session, an exercise to stimulate writing creativity. We were asked to choose one scripture from several on a handout. Then we wrote for 5 minutes "without editing your writing."

I chose Isaiah 55:8-9, 11 for my writing meditation. God tells the prophet (also a writer):

So shall My word be that goes forth
from My mouth;

it shall not return to Me void

but it shall accomplish what I please.

And it shall prosper in the thing
for which I sent it.

This tells me God's Word is:

1. Purposeful. God is intentional in sending out His word.
2. Proper. It comes from His mouth with intentionality, force, and character.
3. Prosperous. It is effective and accomplishes what God sets out to do.
4. Pleasureful. God is pleased when His word does its work.

The Word spoke worlds into existence. His words fill all of creation with movement, breathing among us -- the power of God-with-us.

What does the Word speak to you?

Who's talking to you today?

Do you schedule time to listen to and hear the Word -- through scripture, prayers, the church, and other believers?

• If so, what does He say to you? 
• If not, why not? You are missing out on the Grand Conversation, the mystery of a God who created us for relationship with Him.

Body and soul convergence zone

Do you ever get the feeling of settling into your true self? That body, mind, and spirit are coming together? As though a puzzle is complete? As though you've slipped into your groove?

You might be one of those who love to serve by caring for people. Do you feel fulfilled when setting up a computer program or administrating an office? Do you thrive when baking, crunching numbers, cleaning, or driving? Artists and runners talk about a "high" when their skills, training, and focus converge.

This morning I was astonished. Surprised by joy. I connected a piece to my life-puzzle while leading a workshop. When I speak in front of a group (large or small), my whole body relaxes. I like it. It feels peaceful. Fulfilling. (The last time I did this, I couldn't have been more content if shot up with "happy drugs." Really! Strange, I know.)

Let me acknowledge those who hate getting up in front of crowds. You may assume every speaker pushes forward for attention. That insiders hog the limelight with prideful ambition. Or that those up front want to show off their talents.

Sometimes that's true. People on stage may look like they have their act together. Some wear flashy clothes and bling. Some come across as downright obnoxious.

But most of us are just showing up. Saying "yes" to our calling, like God's servants do in other arenas.

"How shall I decide what to do?" a ministry colleague asked me. "How will I know God wants me in a particular ministry?"

My advice was to say yes whenever the time, place, and your gifts match. Sure, I was nervous last week, thinking about the session. My speaking skills feel rusty. As I age, I depend on God's help more than ever before. "Yes" is not always easy. It often requires extensive preparation beforehand.

When I was done this morning, I called Mom to thank her for prayers. I depend on her wise counsel and her gift of intercession."Always remember," she said, "this is the Lord's gift, not something you can drum up."

Her caution rings true. Some of you would rather die than speak in public. Yet how soothing standing up with material to share is to those like my husband and me. W and I have discussed this talent: we've never sought after the speaker's chair. But somehow God wired us for this. (W comes home from teaching exhilarated - when others would be crawling on the ground, exhausted. Teaching fills him up rather than draining him.)

Those gifted to speak understand: our service has little to do with being up front, nothing to do with pushing forward. We rarely tell others about the pleasure of speaking because it makes us seem like show-offs.

Instead, this confluence of gift and calling makes us happy! We get to tell the Story or explain what we're learning ... out loud. How cool is that!

I don't look for ways to stand up and talk. More often than not, it's more fun to push others forward. (Another part of my wiring wants to see those in the shadows step into the spotlight. Smile on my face thinking about that pleasure!)

But when I stand with my notes, open my mouth, and hear God fill it, oh ... how grateful I am for this lovely gift and the ease it brings to my whole being.

What does your natural "groove" look like? How do you know when you're serving the way God designed you to be?

Read more:
*The Lord gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:34 (NIV)

*Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant. Matthew 20:26

*Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT

Moravian Prayer: Son of God, we humbly come before you this day thanking you for bringing us through another week. May whatever we do this day be a reflection of you. May we experience your holy presence guiding us to serve our brothers, sisters, and strangers in your name. Amen.

God speaks. Can you hear him?

Need a God-phone?

Do you ever wonder if God still talks to people? Would he talk to you? If so, how can you tune in to listen? I'm sharing a few ideas about conversing with God today. Remember that a conversation involves talking AND listening:

1. The most reliable source for God-talk is the Bible. Find direct quotes or "God said" to eavesdrop on a God-to-humanity conversation.
2. Join a good church. Don't look for fads or trendy gatherings. The best companions are found among people on the journey of faith together. Here are a few churches I can recommend in looking for such groups around Seattle: Creekside in Shoreline; Neighborhood in Bellevue; New Life in Maple Valley or Renton; and Calvary in the UW district. (Add your recommendations in comments below.)
3. Take time to hear God speak and to talk to God. That might include setting regular "let's talk!" appointments of meditation or prayer.
4. Listen to the conversations of others. Seek out friends who have a relationship with God and talk to them about their stories.
5. Watch for God at work in your workplace or community, as you meet the needs of others, and as people share life with you. He's personal and loves to interact with us. Become intentionally aware of God's presence during the day or night.
6. Take a walk in nature or a neighborhood to observe God's beauty, his sense of order and renewal, and his care for the planet and its inhabitants.

Seems like a lot of people are inventing "designer gods" to suit themselves. They set up altars of nature or "important stuff" and worship god-in-their-image. They pursue greed or asceticism, seek nirvana (the winking out of the light of life), and cover the bases (doing good or being better than the next guy).

What an unsatisfying way to live: such human-made gods can never be bigger than we are. Life devolves into a continual DIY project and self-help. Co-creators of "god-likenesses" often infringe on others' rights and expectations, too.

The apostle Paul notes that the one true God reveals himself in nature so that everyone is without excuse: God already reaches out to each person (Romans 1:20).

No matter how wonderful or weird your life has been to date, God is waiting to chat with you, to introduce himself, and be found by you. Tune in today!

Read more:

*Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes and does not keep silence. Psalm 50:2-3 

*Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success. Psalm 118:25

*“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me."  Isaiah 43:10   NIV

*And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11

Moravian Prayer: Lord God, you shine forth your word and call us to express ourselves in worship to you. Cleanse us and bless us as we offer our lives in dedication to you. We love you Lord and are grateful for your unconditional love. We lift our voices to you and sing your wondrous grace. Your word amazes us, verse after verse baptizing us into your truth. With a thankful heart, we pray. Amen. 

Personal bias vs. a godly life

"Well, at least my intentions were good!" Have you ever heard that from someone who just spoiled a job or broke a relationship with an ill-fated attempt to help? 

"I just thought they should know that." Ever watch someone control another person with spiritual legalism or slice a frail person to ribbons with cruel facts?

"It's his/her job, not yours. Stay out of it." Ever seen a project fizzle without realizing its potential because a gifted person is overlooked by political correctness or stultifying hierarchy?

Most people land on both sides of the equations eventually. We act, speak, and delegate without thinking through the implications of our actions. And we've been knifed by careless words, undermined by bad "help," and refused the opportunity to use our skills.

When W was principal of a Christian school, we attended a conference where men and women were separated for some sessions. Since the articulate wife of the main speaker "could not" address men, the women attendees got the full blast of her teaching on Southern Baptist submission. All males were superior in position to females by God's decree, she told us. Whether or not women were smarter or more skilled than male peers, every woman had better knuckle under and let a man lead. No woman could teach a man anything, whether at home or in public. Oh, and no trousers permitted for the truly holy women of God.

W found me in tears in our hotel room after I'd endured three hours of lectures. "What's going on?" he asked, puzzled to find me sobbing on the bed, especially at a "how-to" Christian school convention. "What happened? Are you okay? Are the kids all right?"

"I can't do it!" I wailed. "I can't go into the bathroom, shut the door, pray God to give you direction, and let you decide everything for us. I will go crazy!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Patti-Belle said if her husband decided to move to Alaska, she would never cross him or challenge him, even if it was terrible timing for the family. She'd go into the bathroom, pray earnestly that God would give her husband good counsel through godly men, and come out smiling and ready to pack up the house. I don't think I could be that kind of a 'good wife,' ever!"

W looked at me with dismay and shock. "Why would God give men a marriage partner if he didn't intend a husband to benefit from his wife's counsel and interactions? In marriage, two heads and two viewpoints are better than one."

I dried my cheeks with a sign of relief. However, the trauma of that woman's attempt to foist on her listeners the spirituality of male dominance has stayed with me all these years. I'm delighted not to be in her denomination or culture! (Though admittedly, my mom, girlfriends, and family therapists confirm that even in the strongest marriages, a wife's advice is often heeded less than casual remarks from a husband's peers or boss. Oh well.)

Nothing I read in scripture tells me that God, usually referenced as male, thinks less of his daughters than his sons. He gifts them both through the Spirit, calls them to serve in dangers and challenges, to be faithful through good times and bad. He uses the values of each culture to emphasize his right to "the best" people acknowledge, own, or accomplish in their communities (such as the firstborn son, the dowry of a bride, or the tithe from the harvest).

It's amazing how God works to build his Kingdom in all cultures, drawing us to himself within all our worldviews and traditions. He stoops to listen to our prayers, to grant our petitions, with love that cherishes us more than we can love ourselves or each other.

How arrogant of us to read our finite understandings into Scripture, to presume that our tribe, our gender, our nation, or our Christian community pleases him more than all others. 

In contrast, Jesus assumed a humble and lowly position rather than arriving as a "somebody." He was born into a tradesman's family in an unimportant town, at a time in history when his nation was despised by their conquerors. As his servants, let's not pretend that we are more important than he through our personal bias and self-importance. How dare we ignore his call to imitate his humility with a godly life, no matter what our station or status.

Read more:

*"In times of trouble, may the answer your cry. May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm. May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem… May he grant your heart's desires and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers." Psalm 20:1–2, 4–5 NLT

*"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

*Jesus replied, "And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.' 

"But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, 'Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.' In this way, you say they don't need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.'" Matthew 15:3–8 NLT