DAILY BYTE
As we conclude this week’s devotions, I’d like to share a recent personal experience where slowing down and becoming more attuned to God’s presence brought an experience of deep gratitude and joy.
A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in the Botanical Gardens in the midst of a massive wind storm that swept through Durban. It was exhilarating. This incredibly powerful wind suddenly gusting with full voice, then fading momentarily to a mere murmur, before bellowing forth unashamedly once more. As I sat there listening attentively to all this, conscious of God’s majestic presence, I suddenly realized that the very trees around and above me were singing.
I could hear unmistakable percussive sounds marking out a rhythmic beat. There were lilting harmonies, great guttural expulsions of noise, sudden startling crashes (which were branches falling around me), and gentle whisperings. As the tree above me caught the wind it would swell into a deep resonant baritone, and then wait while other trees nearby answered back. It was a great chorus of voices, more than I could count, making magnificent music together.
At times it sounded like the ebb and flow of the ocean. At times it was like the gurgling of a mountain stream. At times I could hear what sounded like thunder, or maybe the galloping of wild horses, and hidden almost imperceptibly in this great cacophony, in the rustling of the trees was the sound of birds singing.
One biblical scholar has suggested that God sang creation into being, declaring that it was very good. If that is true, then what I heard that day sounded like a little piece of creation singing back joyously, ‘Yes. It is very good indeed.’
Of course, it’s not just the trees in the Durban Botanical Gardens on a windy day that sing out in beauty and love. Everything with the breath of life within it seems peculiarly shaped to be an instrument of praise.
The biologist Lewis Thomas tells us that termites make percussive sounds that play a significant part in their social cohesion. The trumpeting of elephants is certainly not just a figure of speech. Right now, massive humpback whales are singing long and complex and beautiful songs under the ocean that can be heard for hundreds of kilometers all around. And even in the most distant reaches of the universe, the scientists tell us, stars are bursting into existence, releasing radio waves and other forms of multi-frequency energy that if we could hear, would fill our ears with every conceivable note and tone. When the scriptures speak of the morning stars singing together, maybe it’s not just beautiful poetry. Maybe it’s expressing what God actually hears.
The point of all this is that we live in a world where the praises of God are already being offered in glorious and exuberant profusion. We live in a world of prodigal praise. Indeed, the prodigal praise of all creation points us to our life’s deepest purpose, that we too have been created to praise. All around us there is a cadence of grace, enfolding us and holding us. Which means that the reorienting of our lives towards God is never any further away than a single breath, if we allow that breath to join in the worship of God that constantly rises all around us.
By slowing down, listening, looking, we come to experience things of God that we otherwise would simply miss. It’s the simple invitation of grace that lies open and accessible to us all – in every moment of every day in every place.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord, I was made to be an instrument of worship that would resound with prodigal praise to the glory of your name. Help me to rest more in you, and so allow your hands to hold me and play me, that my very life would add to the magnificent music of creation that echoes all around. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 146:1-2
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Friday 29 October 2010
Thursday 28 October 2010
Paths & Roads
DAILY BYTE
Today, in continuing the thought begun yesterday, I’ll be leaning on the reflections of two other writers I’ve already made reference to this week.
First, a short anecdote from Tom Smith. He writes:
“At least once a year I take a group of men into the wilderness spaces of South Africa - mostly the Drakensberg. It is always a fascinating experience. When we leave Johannesburg, we leave the city by way of the highway called the N3. As we travel on it the highway makes way for country roads. Country roads make way for dirt roads. When we start our hike, these dirt roads that vehicles can use make way for roads that are only fit for off-road vehicles. These then make way for roads that can only be accessed by foot and then when we get into the deep alpine wilderness, the path disappears all together.
When we leave the city it always strikes me how the conversations and attention level of the group is affected by the medium we use to travel. In the vehicle on the highway the chatter is usually incessant. As we transition onto the smaller roads and open the windows, it is as if we emerge out of a city hibernation and start to notice again. Once we’re in the wilderness our verbosity comes to a screeching halt, for it is mostly inadequate to describe the grandeur and magnificence of what is around us.”
Secondly, I’d like to share this insightful piece by Wendell Berry, as he reflects on the difference between a path and a road.
“The difference between a path and a road is not only the obvious one. A path is little more than a habit that comes with knowledge of a place. It is a sort of ritual familiarity. As a form, it is a form of contact with a known landscape. It is not destructive. It is the perfect adaptation, through experience and familiarity, of movement to place; it obeys the natural contours; such obstacles as it meets it goes around.
A road, on the other hand, even the most primitive road, embodies a resistance against the landscape. Its reason is not simply the necessity for movement, but haste. Its wish is to avoid contact with the landscape; it seeks so far as possible to go over the country, rather than through it; its aspiration, as we see clearly in the example of our modern freeways, is to be a bridge; its tendency is to translate place into space in order to traverse it with the least effort. It is destructive, seeking to remove or destroy all obstacles in its way. The primitive road advanced by the destruction of the forest; modern roads advance by the destruction of topography….
I only want to observe that [the road] bears no relation whatever to the country it passes through. It was built, not according to the lay of the land, but according to a blueprint. Such homes and farmlands and woodlands as happened to be in its way are now buried under it…. Its form is the form of speed, dissatisfaction, and anxiety. It represents the ultimate in engineering sophistication, but the crudest possible valuation of life in this world.”
In the light of these reflections we could say that the way of Jesus is much more like a path than a road. Which means that it’s a journey that isn’t focused on speed, comfort and convenience – as if its only objective were to get us to some destination (heaven perhaps?) as quickly as possible. Rather, the journey that Jesus calls us to is long and winding and sometimes tough going. It’s a journey that recognizes the varying contours of this life, with all its ups and downs, and is resolutely committed to going wherever life’s path may take us, confident that this is where God can be found.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Thank you Lord that while the way of Jesus is not always easy, comfortable or convenient, it is always good. Thank you that I do not have to follow this path alone, but that in Jesus I have a friend, a traveling companion and a guide. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
John 14:6
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Today, in continuing the thought begun yesterday, I’ll be leaning on the reflections of two other writers I’ve already made reference to this week.
First, a short anecdote from Tom Smith. He writes:
“At least once a year I take a group of men into the wilderness spaces of South Africa - mostly the Drakensberg. It is always a fascinating experience. When we leave Johannesburg, we leave the city by way of the highway called the N3. As we travel on it the highway makes way for country roads. Country roads make way for dirt roads. When we start our hike, these dirt roads that vehicles can use make way for roads that are only fit for off-road vehicles. These then make way for roads that can only be accessed by foot and then when we get into the deep alpine wilderness, the path disappears all together.
When we leave the city it always strikes me how the conversations and attention level of the group is affected by the medium we use to travel. In the vehicle on the highway the chatter is usually incessant. As we transition onto the smaller roads and open the windows, it is as if we emerge out of a city hibernation and start to notice again. Once we’re in the wilderness our verbosity comes to a screeching halt, for it is mostly inadequate to describe the grandeur and magnificence of what is around us.”
Secondly, I’d like to share this insightful piece by Wendell Berry, as he reflects on the difference between a path and a road.
“The difference between a path and a road is not only the obvious one. A path is little more than a habit that comes with knowledge of a place. It is a sort of ritual familiarity. As a form, it is a form of contact with a known landscape. It is not destructive. It is the perfect adaptation, through experience and familiarity, of movement to place; it obeys the natural contours; such obstacles as it meets it goes around.
A road, on the other hand, even the most primitive road, embodies a resistance against the landscape. Its reason is not simply the necessity for movement, but haste. Its wish is to avoid contact with the landscape; it seeks so far as possible to go over the country, rather than through it; its aspiration, as we see clearly in the example of our modern freeways, is to be a bridge; its tendency is to translate place into space in order to traverse it with the least effort. It is destructive, seeking to remove or destroy all obstacles in its way. The primitive road advanced by the destruction of the forest; modern roads advance by the destruction of topography….
I only want to observe that [the road] bears no relation whatever to the country it passes through. It was built, not according to the lay of the land, but according to a blueprint. Such homes and farmlands and woodlands as happened to be in its way are now buried under it…. Its form is the form of speed, dissatisfaction, and anxiety. It represents the ultimate in engineering sophistication, but the crudest possible valuation of life in this world.”
In the light of these reflections we could say that the way of Jesus is much more like a path than a road. Which means that it’s a journey that isn’t focused on speed, comfort and convenience – as if its only objective were to get us to some destination (heaven perhaps?) as quickly as possible. Rather, the journey that Jesus calls us to is long and winding and sometimes tough going. It’s a journey that recognizes the varying contours of this life, with all its ups and downs, and is resolutely committed to going wherever life’s path may take us, confident that this is where God can be found.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Thank you Lord that while the way of Jesus is not always easy, comfortable or convenient, it is always good. Thank you that I do not have to follow this path alone, but that in Jesus I have a friend, a traveling companion and a guide. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
John 14:6
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Footpath Faith
DAILY BYTE
I must acknowledge that the core idea for today’s devotion arose from a reflection written by Tom Smith. In his reflection, Tom suggests that the medium with which we travel will determine to a large extent our experience and appreciation of our surroundings, and that this has tremendous implications for the way in which we undertake the journey of faith.
Let me try to illustrate the point. Imagine you’re driving along a road through the Kruger National Park like a real Park Mamparra, speeding along at 100 km/h. What are you going to see? Or more importantly, what will you fail to see - not because it isn’t there, but because the way in which you’re traveling makes it virtually impossible to notice? A magnificent elephant would be little more than a blur of colour, and even if you caught a glimpse of it, what chance would there be to experience and appreciate what an elephant is really like?
Now imagine you’re walking through the same Park along a bush path (hopefully with an authorized guide). And suddenly, up ahead in a clearing you spotted an elephant. How would your experience of the elephant be different? To what extent does the medium with which you are traveling – a footpath – influence the nature of your encounter?
Many people are eager to encounter an elephant, but only from the relative safety of a car, with an open road behind and in front of them to speed away, if things get a little too close for comfort. The medium with which they are traveling gives them a greater measure of control in the manner in which the encounter will unfold.
In a similar way, the medium we use to undertake the journey of faith will determine to a large extent the nature of our encounter with the holy. What do I mean by this? Well, many people make sporadic forays into the territory of the Spirit – perhaps by going to church on a Sunday, or attending a small group meeting, or maybe by reading these Barking Dog-Collar devotions. These sorts of activities are good, and the extent to which they enable us to slow down and take the time to become aware of God’s awesome presence all around us, make them an important part of the life of faith. But all too often ‘spiritual’ activities like these are little more than a momentary slowing down to see what there is to see of God, before putting the foot on the accelerator again and returning to the breakneck pace of life in which the beauty of God’s presence all around becomes nothing more than an indistinct blur.
In contrast to this, Jesus calls us to follow him, as he makes his own wandering way through the world. It’s really a call to a footpath kind of faith, in which the totality of our lives becomes the territory in which God can be encountered. There is something unpredictable, engaging and risky about traveling in this way. It brings a greater openness to being surprised by breathtaking beauty, or indeed terrified by the immensity of holy mysteries that we stumble upon so unexpectedly. As we follow a footpath faith we gradually become aware that everything around us is filled with the presence of God, and every moment in our often full and demanding lives is a precious opportunity for God to be known. Maybe then we’ll be less anxious to rush on to the next thing, and can become more present to God’s Presence in our midst.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord, forgive me for the times when I rush on by without noticing you in the midst of my life. Forgive me for thinking that I can encounter you on my own terms, and for trying to limit you to what I can manage or control. Help me to step out on a footpath kind of faith that is willing to follow Jesus wherever he might wander, and lead me along the contours of grace that traverse every part of my life. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 4:21-22
Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James & John, in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
I must acknowledge that the core idea for today’s devotion arose from a reflection written by Tom Smith. In his reflection, Tom suggests that the medium with which we travel will determine to a large extent our experience and appreciation of our surroundings, and that this has tremendous implications for the way in which we undertake the journey of faith.
Let me try to illustrate the point. Imagine you’re driving along a road through the Kruger National Park like a real Park Mamparra, speeding along at 100 km/h. What are you going to see? Or more importantly, what will you fail to see - not because it isn’t there, but because the way in which you’re traveling makes it virtually impossible to notice? A magnificent elephant would be little more than a blur of colour, and even if you caught a glimpse of it, what chance would there be to experience and appreciate what an elephant is really like?
Now imagine you’re walking through the same Park along a bush path (hopefully with an authorized guide). And suddenly, up ahead in a clearing you spotted an elephant. How would your experience of the elephant be different? To what extent does the medium with which you are traveling – a footpath – influence the nature of your encounter?
Many people are eager to encounter an elephant, but only from the relative safety of a car, with an open road behind and in front of them to speed away, if things get a little too close for comfort. The medium with which they are traveling gives them a greater measure of control in the manner in which the encounter will unfold.
In a similar way, the medium we use to undertake the journey of faith will determine to a large extent the nature of our encounter with the holy. What do I mean by this? Well, many people make sporadic forays into the territory of the Spirit – perhaps by going to church on a Sunday, or attending a small group meeting, or maybe by reading these Barking Dog-Collar devotions. These sorts of activities are good, and the extent to which they enable us to slow down and take the time to become aware of God’s awesome presence all around us, make them an important part of the life of faith. But all too often ‘spiritual’ activities like these are little more than a momentary slowing down to see what there is to see of God, before putting the foot on the accelerator again and returning to the breakneck pace of life in which the beauty of God’s presence all around becomes nothing more than an indistinct blur.
In contrast to this, Jesus calls us to follow him, as he makes his own wandering way through the world. It’s really a call to a footpath kind of faith, in which the totality of our lives becomes the territory in which God can be encountered. There is something unpredictable, engaging and risky about traveling in this way. It brings a greater openness to being surprised by breathtaking beauty, or indeed terrified by the immensity of holy mysteries that we stumble upon so unexpectedly. As we follow a footpath faith we gradually become aware that everything around us is filled with the presence of God, and every moment in our often full and demanding lives is a precious opportunity for God to be known. Maybe then we’ll be less anxious to rush on to the next thing, and can become more present to God’s Presence in our midst.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord, forgive me for the times when I rush on by without noticing you in the midst of my life. Forgive me for thinking that I can encounter you on my own terms, and for trying to limit you to what I can manage or control. Help me to step out on a footpath kind of faith that is willing to follow Jesus wherever he might wander, and lead me along the contours of grace that traverse every part of my life. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 4:21-22
Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James & John, in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Wednesday 27 October 2010
Speed Kills
DAILY BYTE
Speed is the slang word for a chemical drug that consists of amphetamine or methamphetamine. It’s a powerful stimulant that’s often used in the clubbing scene to keep people alert and awake, but its temporary pick-me-up type effect on the nervous system means that it is used in a variety of other settings too. For instance, I once spoke to a recovering speed addict who said that she was tempted to start using again during one of my slightly-longer-than-usual sermons!
As a drug, Speed is aptly named, because of the rush that it literally delivers. It does so by increasing the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, accelerating the action of these key neurotransmitters. This leads to an increase in perceived energy levels, heightened awareness and feelings of euphoria.
All of which sounds pretty terrific. But when you follow the road that Speed takes you on – the initial rush, the increased tolerance, the dependence, the addiction – when you follow that road you discover that it leads, quite literally, to a dead end. It destroys life. It’s true – speed kills.
But it’s not just the chemical variety of speed that people get addicted to. We live in a world that is obsessed with getting things done faster and faster all the time. Efficiency, productivity, minimizing down-town, maximizing output – these are the standards by which we are judged in this rat-race-ish world. And without even realizing it we trade Life for something-less-than-Life.
But every now and then someone comes along who challenges the conventional wisdom of the day. Wendell Berry is one such person. He is an author and poet who is fiercely critical of the short-sighted progress of technological advancement and our society’s endless obsession with doing things faster and faster. His ideas run counter to the mainstream thinking of our contemporary culture, and he is often derided as a result. But what he says cannot be so quickly dismissed.
He’s somebody who walks the talk. For instance, although he has written over 40 books, he refuses to buy a computer. Instead, he writes his manuscripts in long-hand with a pencil, and then gets someone to type them out for him. Now before you laugh this off as hopelessly outdated and embarrassingly archaic, listen to what he says. He writes:
“I acknowledge that, as a writer, I need a lot of help. And I have received an abundance of the best of help from my wife, from other members of my family, from friends, from teachers, from editors, and sometimes from readers.... But a computer, I’m told, offers a kind of help that you can’t get from other humans; a computer will help you to write faster, easier, and more. Do I, then, want to write faster, easier, and more? No. My standards are not speed, ease, and quantity. I have already left behind too much evidence that, writing with just a pencil, I have sometimes written too fast, too easily, and too much. I would like to be a better writer, and for that I need help from other humans, not a machine.”
My purpose here is not to argue for or against the merits of using a computer. But rather for us to reflect on what is truly important. Wendell Berry suggests that speed, ease and quantity are not the best yardsticks by which to measure our work and the productive contribution we make to the world. That in fact, these values can choke the life out of us, and rob us of much of Life’s beauty and passion.
This is an arresting thought. Maybe before rushing into the rest of your day you’d like to pause for a moment and reflect a little more deeply on it. In what ways are you experiencing the truth that ‘speed kills’ – in your lifestyle, your work, your relationships, your spiritual life? How are rushing past Life and missing it in the process? What would it take for you to slow down today?
PRAY AS YOU GO
Slowly pray this meditative prayer, based on Ps 46:10, pausing between each line:
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Speed is the slang word for a chemical drug that consists of amphetamine or methamphetamine. It’s a powerful stimulant that’s often used in the clubbing scene to keep people alert and awake, but its temporary pick-me-up type effect on the nervous system means that it is used in a variety of other settings too. For instance, I once spoke to a recovering speed addict who said that she was tempted to start using again during one of my slightly-longer-than-usual sermons!
As a drug, Speed is aptly named, because of the rush that it literally delivers. It does so by increasing the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, accelerating the action of these key neurotransmitters. This leads to an increase in perceived energy levels, heightened awareness and feelings of euphoria.
All of which sounds pretty terrific. But when you follow the road that Speed takes you on – the initial rush, the increased tolerance, the dependence, the addiction – when you follow that road you discover that it leads, quite literally, to a dead end. It destroys life. It’s true – speed kills.
But it’s not just the chemical variety of speed that people get addicted to. We live in a world that is obsessed with getting things done faster and faster all the time. Efficiency, productivity, minimizing down-town, maximizing output – these are the standards by which we are judged in this rat-race-ish world. And without even realizing it we trade Life for something-less-than-Life.
But every now and then someone comes along who challenges the conventional wisdom of the day. Wendell Berry is one such person. He is an author and poet who is fiercely critical of the short-sighted progress of technological advancement and our society’s endless obsession with doing things faster and faster. His ideas run counter to the mainstream thinking of our contemporary culture, and he is often derided as a result. But what he says cannot be so quickly dismissed.
He’s somebody who walks the talk. For instance, although he has written over 40 books, he refuses to buy a computer. Instead, he writes his manuscripts in long-hand with a pencil, and then gets someone to type them out for him. Now before you laugh this off as hopelessly outdated and embarrassingly archaic, listen to what he says. He writes:
“I acknowledge that, as a writer, I need a lot of help. And I have received an abundance of the best of help from my wife, from other members of my family, from friends, from teachers, from editors, and sometimes from readers.... But a computer, I’m told, offers a kind of help that you can’t get from other humans; a computer will help you to write faster, easier, and more. Do I, then, want to write faster, easier, and more? No. My standards are not speed, ease, and quantity. I have already left behind too much evidence that, writing with just a pencil, I have sometimes written too fast, too easily, and too much. I would like to be a better writer, and for that I need help from other humans, not a machine.”
My purpose here is not to argue for or against the merits of using a computer. But rather for us to reflect on what is truly important. Wendell Berry suggests that speed, ease and quantity are not the best yardsticks by which to measure our work and the productive contribution we make to the world. That in fact, these values can choke the life out of us, and rob us of much of Life’s beauty and passion.
This is an arresting thought. Maybe before rushing into the rest of your day you’d like to pause for a moment and reflect a little more deeply on it. In what ways are you experiencing the truth that ‘speed kills’ – in your lifestyle, your work, your relationships, your spiritual life? How are rushing past Life and missing it in the process? What would it take for you to slow down today?
PRAY AS YOU GO
Slowly pray this meditative prayer, based on Ps 46:10, pausing between each line:
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Monday 25 October 2010
Life in the fast lane
DAILY BYTE
Near to where I live the M13 highway heads inland from 45th Cutting just outside Durban towards Pinetown. Before it reaches Pinetown, the M13 winds through a fairly picturesque area (as far as highways go) of indigenous bush before merging with a double-lane offramp flowing from the N3.
In my experience, the traffic from the N3 offramp is usually traveling considerably faster than the traffic on the M13, and because this faster traffic merges from the left hand side, it leads to an interesting scenario. You can be taking a leisurely drive along the M13, pretty much minding your own business and enjoying the scenery, when suddenly you find yourself in the fast lane of a multi-lane highway, with cars rushing up behind you, flashing their lights and hooting at you to move over or get a move on.
Whenever it happens to me I never fail to reflect on how this is true of so much of life – how easily I find myself traveling in the fast lane, and I’m not even sure how I got there. Think for a moment how this might be true for you, with the demands of work, marriage, kids, friends, church and family requiring more and more from you. And when you manage to catch your breath for just a moment and reflect on the breakneck pace of your life, you realize that you’re living in the fast lane, that’s it’s pretty much “go go go” all the time, and you’re not even sure how this happened.
The 59th Street Bridge Song by Paul Simon & Art Garfunkle begins with the memorable words, ‘Slow down you move too fast.’ The song goes on to paint a somewhat idyllic picture of a more gentle paced life, that is the exact opposite of life in the fast lane. Consider these words in the final verse:
Got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy!
At this point we say, ‘Aha! Wishful escapist fantasy.’ (And certainly, any song with the word ‘groovy’ in it would probably fall into that category.) And I guess that it is, for who of us can honestly say, ‘Got no deeds to do, no promises to keep.’ Given this reality, is there any hope for us to live a less frantic, frenetic life that doesn’t require a complete abdication of all of our roles and responsibilities?
That is the theme that will be explored in our devotions this week. For the scriptures are clear that there is more to life than rushing from one thing to the next. Indeed, the compelling witness of our faith tradition is that woven into the sacred rhythms of a balanced and abundant life are times for rest and reflection and renewal, which are not only possible but essential if we are to live healthy, productive, sustainable and faithful lives.
PRAY-AS-YOU-GO
Gracious God, sometimes my life gets completely out of control as I rush from one thing to the next, constantly dealing with all kinds of demands and juggling many different responsibilities. Remind me that there is more to life than racing along in the fast lane all the time. May this week be an opportunity to examine the busyness of my life in the light of your word, that I may live more truly the life that you call me to. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
Hebrews 4:1, 9-10
“Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it... So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labours as God did from his.”
Near to where I live the M13 highway heads inland from 45th Cutting just outside Durban towards Pinetown. Before it reaches Pinetown, the M13 winds through a fairly picturesque area (as far as highways go) of indigenous bush before merging with a double-lane offramp flowing from the N3.
In my experience, the traffic from the N3 offramp is usually traveling considerably faster than the traffic on the M13, and because this faster traffic merges from the left hand side, it leads to an interesting scenario. You can be taking a leisurely drive along the M13, pretty much minding your own business and enjoying the scenery, when suddenly you find yourself in the fast lane of a multi-lane highway, with cars rushing up behind you, flashing their lights and hooting at you to move over or get a move on.
Whenever it happens to me I never fail to reflect on how this is true of so much of life – how easily I find myself traveling in the fast lane, and I’m not even sure how I got there. Think for a moment how this might be true for you, with the demands of work, marriage, kids, friends, church and family requiring more and more from you. And when you manage to catch your breath for just a moment and reflect on the breakneck pace of your life, you realize that you’re living in the fast lane, that’s it’s pretty much “go go go” all the time, and you’re not even sure how this happened.
The 59th Street Bridge Song by Paul Simon & Art Garfunkle begins with the memorable words, ‘Slow down you move too fast.’ The song goes on to paint a somewhat idyllic picture of a more gentle paced life, that is the exact opposite of life in the fast lane. Consider these words in the final verse:
Got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy!
At this point we say, ‘Aha! Wishful escapist fantasy.’ (And certainly, any song with the word ‘groovy’ in it would probably fall into that category.) And I guess that it is, for who of us can honestly say, ‘Got no deeds to do, no promises to keep.’ Given this reality, is there any hope for us to live a less frantic, frenetic life that doesn’t require a complete abdication of all of our roles and responsibilities?
That is the theme that will be explored in our devotions this week. For the scriptures are clear that there is more to life than rushing from one thing to the next. Indeed, the compelling witness of our faith tradition is that woven into the sacred rhythms of a balanced and abundant life are times for rest and reflection and renewal, which are not only possible but essential if we are to live healthy, productive, sustainable and faithful lives.
PRAY-AS-YOU-GO
Gracious God, sometimes my life gets completely out of control as I rush from one thing to the next, constantly dealing with all kinds of demands and juggling many different responsibilities. Remind me that there is more to life than racing along in the fast lane all the time. May this week be an opportunity to examine the busyness of my life in the light of your word, that I may live more truly the life that you call me to. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
Hebrews 4:1, 9-10
“Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it... So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labours as God did from his.”
Thursday 21 October 2010
Our Gospel
DAILY BYTE
We’ve been talking this week about the challenge of sharing the Gospel with others, yesterday remembering that if we’re going to be sharing, it’s important for us to be seeking out greater depth in our own faith and knowledge of scripture. But, if we knew our scripture well, we would know these words from 2 Timothy – “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David – that is my gospel.”
Without feeling the need to be any fancier with our lingo and speeches about why people should believe in God and come to church, we are called simply to “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David.” That is our gospel.
That is the crux of the good news that we have to share with people. So, without being a rocket scientist or a biblical scholar, we can all take ownership of those words.
Remember Jesus Christ – the one who has saved us and continues to offer saving grace to us every day.
We remember the miraculous and life-changing promise that he was raised from the dead, and so we aren’t bound by death either. We are unchained and free to be unashamed of who we are, even if we don’t understand entirely the miraculous faith we profess.
And we know this because of the scriptures, which tell us God’s faithful journey with his people – Adams and Eves all the way through the line of King David, never ending – faithfully staying with people through Jesus Christ up until us now.
This is our gospel. Jesus Christ. Raised from the dead. Gave us a promise. That we are raised too. God has been faithful. Has shown us this in the scriptures. And will never leave us. This is my gospel. This is my good news.
No matter what else confuses us or happens around us or to us – no matter how much suffering comes about, as Paul says, this is his gospel – this is our gospel. It has changed our life.
And if we believe it, then we have to share it. Otherwise what is the point?
If we can talk for hours on end about the sports report, our relationships with our friends, our favourite jazz music, and the book that we read last week – if we can talk about everything else in the world that brings us joy, nourishment, and growth, what is the point of any of it, if we cannot talk about the one thing that holds all of those other things together?
If we tell God that he is at the centre of our worship – the reason for our life, wouldn’t we want to shout that from the rooftops and get as many people as possible to come access that life, too?
FOCUS READING
2 Timothy 2:8- 9 (NRSV)
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David – that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord God, I remember who you are – Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendent of David. I want to proclaim that this is the good news for my life! Help me learn to do this with humility, faithfulness, boldness, and joy. Amen.
We’ve been talking this week about the challenge of sharing the Gospel with others, yesterday remembering that if we’re going to be sharing, it’s important for us to be seeking out greater depth in our own faith and knowledge of scripture. But, if we knew our scripture well, we would know these words from 2 Timothy – “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David – that is my gospel.”
Without feeling the need to be any fancier with our lingo and speeches about why people should believe in God and come to church, we are called simply to “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David.” That is our gospel.
That is the crux of the good news that we have to share with people. So, without being a rocket scientist or a biblical scholar, we can all take ownership of those words.
Remember Jesus Christ – the one who has saved us and continues to offer saving grace to us every day.
We remember the miraculous and life-changing promise that he was raised from the dead, and so we aren’t bound by death either. We are unchained and free to be unashamed of who we are, even if we don’t understand entirely the miraculous faith we profess.
And we know this because of the scriptures, which tell us God’s faithful journey with his people – Adams and Eves all the way through the line of King David, never ending – faithfully staying with people through Jesus Christ up until us now.
This is our gospel. Jesus Christ. Raised from the dead. Gave us a promise. That we are raised too. God has been faithful. Has shown us this in the scriptures. And will never leave us. This is my gospel. This is my good news.
No matter what else confuses us or happens around us or to us – no matter how much suffering comes about, as Paul says, this is his gospel – this is our gospel. It has changed our life.
And if we believe it, then we have to share it. Otherwise what is the point?
If we can talk for hours on end about the sports report, our relationships with our friends, our favourite jazz music, and the book that we read last week – if we can talk about everything else in the world that brings us joy, nourishment, and growth, what is the point of any of it, if we cannot talk about the one thing that holds all of those other things together?
If we tell God that he is at the centre of our worship – the reason for our life, wouldn’t we want to shout that from the rooftops and get as many people as possible to come access that life, too?
FOCUS READING
2 Timothy 2:8- 9 (NRSV)
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David – that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord God, I remember who you are – Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendent of David. I want to proclaim that this is the good news for my life! Help me learn to do this with humility, faithfulness, boldness, and joy. Amen.
Wednesday 20 October 2010
Shame and dry spells
DAILY BYTE
Yesterday, we talked about our hesitancies in sharing the Gospel. You may have thought to yourself, ‘I’m not ashamed that I go to church – I don’t hide my face when I’m leaving home to get there in the morning. I’ve been a Christian for years – I’ve stuck with it so long – I’m not ashamed of it!’
But if we’re not ashamed a little bit – or maybe – anxious – just a little bit – of sharing and ‘rightly explaining the word of truth’ without shame – then why aren’t churches full? Because while numbers certainly are not everything – the reality is that if every single person brought just one other person to worship, churches would be busting at the seams!
But that call to rightly explain the word of truth sounds like something you might need to be a professional for – I mean isn’t that why pastors go to seminary – to learn how to explain all of the complicated stuff? Well, pastors go to seminary to grow in knowledge and understanding. But, as Christians, we are a priesthood of all believers – which means that we are all called to that same calling – a calling to grow and deepen our understanding and practice of faith.
A couple of months ago, I sat down and had a chat with a family member about a book she had been reading, called, Little Bee. She talked about how powerful she had found it and the different ways it had made her think, and as I love reading, I eagerly soaked up her revelations. And then she left the book with me for me to read it for myself.
This is how we operate as human beings who care for one another, is it not? When things pique our interest, when they speak to our souls, when they change us and grow us in some way, we want to tell others about it and offer them a piece of that growth, too!
And so when it comes to sharing and “rightly explaining the word of truth,” I think we make that scary concept of evangelism more complicated than it actually is.
We think that we have to have all the answers to peoples’ questions. We think we need to know our Bibles backward and forward and be armed with some sort of spiritual ammo or degree before we dare to try and tell anyone about how we’re learning and growing in God. It’s easy to talk about how any old novel has affected us, but when it comes to talking about how the Bible has affected us, we are not as forthcoming.
And perhaps the reason that we’re not as forthcoming is because we’re stunted a little in our own spiritual growth. Perhaps we actually feel like we have very little to share or are in a dry spot. And if that’s the case, then this is not a time for condemnation but a time for encouragement. That’s the time to speak to a minister. It’s the time to join a small group to study the scriptures and be accountable to others for your growth. It’s not a time to be ashamed, confused, and hidden away.
Are you in a dry spot in your faith? Do you feel like you have little to share with others? Do you ever feel ashamed of what you believe? If so, do you want to keep growing in confidence and passion for your faith? What steps might you need to take to encourage growth?
GUIDING SCRIPTURE
2 Timothy 2:15 (NRSV)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.
Yesterday, we talked about our hesitancies in sharing the Gospel. You may have thought to yourself, ‘I’m not ashamed that I go to church – I don’t hide my face when I’m leaving home to get there in the morning. I’ve been a Christian for years – I’ve stuck with it so long – I’m not ashamed of it!’
But if we’re not ashamed a little bit – or maybe – anxious – just a little bit – of sharing and ‘rightly explaining the word of truth’ without shame – then why aren’t churches full? Because while numbers certainly are not everything – the reality is that if every single person brought just one other person to worship, churches would be busting at the seams!
But that call to rightly explain the word of truth sounds like something you might need to be a professional for – I mean isn’t that why pastors go to seminary – to learn how to explain all of the complicated stuff? Well, pastors go to seminary to grow in knowledge and understanding. But, as Christians, we are a priesthood of all believers – which means that we are all called to that same calling – a calling to grow and deepen our understanding and practice of faith.
A couple of months ago, I sat down and had a chat with a family member about a book she had been reading, called, Little Bee. She talked about how powerful she had found it and the different ways it had made her think, and as I love reading, I eagerly soaked up her revelations. And then she left the book with me for me to read it for myself.
This is how we operate as human beings who care for one another, is it not? When things pique our interest, when they speak to our souls, when they change us and grow us in some way, we want to tell others about it and offer them a piece of that growth, too!
And so when it comes to sharing and “rightly explaining the word of truth,” I think we make that scary concept of evangelism more complicated than it actually is.
We think that we have to have all the answers to peoples’ questions. We think we need to know our Bibles backward and forward and be armed with some sort of spiritual ammo or degree before we dare to try and tell anyone about how we’re learning and growing in God. It’s easy to talk about how any old novel has affected us, but when it comes to talking about how the Bible has affected us, we are not as forthcoming.
And perhaps the reason that we’re not as forthcoming is because we’re stunted a little in our own spiritual growth. Perhaps we actually feel like we have very little to share or are in a dry spot. And if that’s the case, then this is not a time for condemnation but a time for encouragement. That’s the time to speak to a minister. It’s the time to join a small group to study the scriptures and be accountable to others for your growth. It’s not a time to be ashamed, confused, and hidden away.
Are you in a dry spot in your faith? Do you feel like you have little to share with others? Do you ever feel ashamed of what you believe? If so, do you want to keep growing in confidence and passion for your faith? What steps might you need to take to encourage growth?
GUIDING SCRIPTURE
2 Timothy 2:15 (NRSV)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.
Clamming up
DAILY BYTE
Yesterday, we laid out a few staged conversations about life and faith. Let’s think back on that first conversation. In that chat, Joe asks his friend how he’s spending his time that weekend. Joe goes on and on about his excitement over the rugby, free food and undoubtedly, beer. Joe is clearly passionate about sport and is specific about his passion for the Sharks and Cheetahs. When given the opportunity to respond to the same question – ‘What are you excited about this weekend…?’ His friend responds only by saying, ‘Me too….’ He doesn’t speak about his own passions. He just goes with the flow of what Joe already thinks is cool. Ring any bells?
Let’s look at the second conversation. In this conversation, again, Jane describes in detail and with great excitement an experience she’s had with the jazz festival, something she clearly enjoys – maybe even something that speaks to her soul. Her friend then responds by mentioning her involvement helping at her church, but she does so almost grudgingly– maybe even with regret that her experience didn’t seem as exciting as Jane’s. Frankly, she just didn’t act as passionate about church as Jane had been about jazz. Does this ever sound like you? I confess that sometimes it sounds like me….
And consider the third conversation. Joe doesn’t have to be shy about bringing up the topic of faith because his friend does it for him – actually asking him flat out what he believes about God. And still, Joe responds almost shyly, giving a vague answer about his consistent church attendance without describing anything about what he believes and how it’s affected who he is.
Why is it that we can talk for hours on end about rugby? We can invite people happily to watch movies that we know have little to no enduring value in our lives. We invite people to eat in our homes. We brag about experiences we’ve had that are exciting, expensive, and culturally impressive, but when it comes to inviting people into our sacred space – our beliefs about God and our practices like church-going that feed and grow our understanding of God and ourselves, we clam up.
We are afraid of being offensive and overbearing. We are afraid that we don’t know enough, and we might say the wrong thing, giving someone the wrong idea about God and our own beliefs. We are afraid that the other person might know more than we do and we’ll end up, like Paul warns in the scripture for today, ‘wrangling over words’ that we may not even understand. We are afraid that if we invite someone into such a vulnerable place inside of ourselves, they might disagree, chipping away at some of our confidence. And if we’re honest, we are afraid that if we invite people to church, and it ends up being a Sunday when things don’t run perfectly in the service, the sermon is a little confusing or boring, or we end up sitting next to someone who doesn’t smell the greatest, people might think our choice to worship is… silly.
We want our churches to grow, and we think someone else should take responsibility for that, but we forget that we are the church.
Because you see, in a survey that was done at Church of the Resurrection, a church of over 15,000 people in Kansas, they realized that even with their fancy marketing campaigns, radio ads, and website, that still over 90 percent of the people who come to their new member coffee say that they visited and got interested in the church because someone they knew invited them (Catch: Attracting and Connecting Visitors).
In other words – no matter what people do in a church office, people will ultimately come to worship because of the way that we live our lives in the places we work and socialize – the way that we, ourselves, take ownership of the Gospel. The way that we share what we believe without shame. As Paul says, we are to be workers who have “no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.” What might it mean for you to be unashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth to those you know outside of church?
FOCUS READING
2 Timothy 2:14b (NRSV)
…warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.
Yesterday, we laid out a few staged conversations about life and faith. Let’s think back on that first conversation. In that chat, Joe asks his friend how he’s spending his time that weekend. Joe goes on and on about his excitement over the rugby, free food and undoubtedly, beer. Joe is clearly passionate about sport and is specific about his passion for the Sharks and Cheetahs. When given the opportunity to respond to the same question – ‘What are you excited about this weekend…?’ His friend responds only by saying, ‘Me too….’ He doesn’t speak about his own passions. He just goes with the flow of what Joe already thinks is cool. Ring any bells?
Let’s look at the second conversation. In this conversation, again, Jane describes in detail and with great excitement an experience she’s had with the jazz festival, something she clearly enjoys – maybe even something that speaks to her soul. Her friend then responds by mentioning her involvement helping at her church, but she does so almost grudgingly– maybe even with regret that her experience didn’t seem as exciting as Jane’s. Frankly, she just didn’t act as passionate about church as Jane had been about jazz. Does this ever sound like you? I confess that sometimes it sounds like me….
And consider the third conversation. Joe doesn’t have to be shy about bringing up the topic of faith because his friend does it for him – actually asking him flat out what he believes about God. And still, Joe responds almost shyly, giving a vague answer about his consistent church attendance without describing anything about what he believes and how it’s affected who he is.
Why is it that we can talk for hours on end about rugby? We can invite people happily to watch movies that we know have little to no enduring value in our lives. We invite people to eat in our homes. We brag about experiences we’ve had that are exciting, expensive, and culturally impressive, but when it comes to inviting people into our sacred space – our beliefs about God and our practices like church-going that feed and grow our understanding of God and ourselves, we clam up.
We are afraid of being offensive and overbearing. We are afraid that we don’t know enough, and we might say the wrong thing, giving someone the wrong idea about God and our own beliefs. We are afraid that the other person might know more than we do and we’ll end up, like Paul warns in the scripture for today, ‘wrangling over words’ that we may not even understand. We are afraid that if we invite someone into such a vulnerable place inside of ourselves, they might disagree, chipping away at some of our confidence. And if we’re honest, we are afraid that if we invite people to church, and it ends up being a Sunday when things don’t run perfectly in the service, the sermon is a little confusing or boring, or we end up sitting next to someone who doesn’t smell the greatest, people might think our choice to worship is… silly.
We want our churches to grow, and we think someone else should take responsibility for that, but we forget that we are the church.
Because you see, in a survey that was done at Church of the Resurrection, a church of over 15,000 people in Kansas, they realized that even with their fancy marketing campaigns, radio ads, and website, that still over 90 percent of the people who come to their new member coffee say that they visited and got interested in the church because someone they knew invited them (Catch: Attracting and Connecting Visitors).
In other words – no matter what people do in a church office, people will ultimately come to worship because of the way that we live our lives in the places we work and socialize – the way that we, ourselves, take ownership of the Gospel. The way that we share what we believe without shame. As Paul says, we are to be workers who have “no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.” What might it mean for you to be unashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth to those you know outside of church?
FOCUS READING
2 Timothy 2:14b (NRSV)
…warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.
Conversations
DAILY BYTE
Consider this conversation:
Hey Joe, what are you doing this weekend?
Hey! My boss got me the most amazing tickets to the rugby – box seats to the Sharks/Cheetahs game. I’m so excited – I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks. I’m gonna eat my heart out with all that free food – not to mention all the free drinks, and then after that, we’re gonna have a braai at the stadium. I mean – seriously great weekend coming up. What about you?
Yeah – cool – yeah – we’re going to have a braai, too…. And then I promised my other friend I’d go with him to see that new Saw movie. Looks awful, but hey – it’s something to do….
Or this conversation:
Hey Jane, what’d you get up to last weekend?
Oh hey! I’m absolutely obsessed with jazz, so it was such a cool weekend because the Durban Blues Festival was going on. I spent the whole weekend just hanging out, going to the different bands – it was the best weekend ever!
Cool – wow – I wish I’d caught that – it sounds amazing – instead I was stuck at church, cleaning out the storage closets, but hey, maybe I’ll get to do something cool next weekend….
Do conversations like this sound familiar to you?
Or even this:
Jeesh, Joe, I’m feeling pretty confused about my life at the moment and what I think about God and stuff – you know? I mean, my parents raised me to let me figure things out for myself, but I just really don’t know – it all seems so confusing. What do you think?
Ummm, well – I, uh, go to church every week – it’s pretty cool. I think it’s important to go – I mean, I’ve always gone – you know?
No, perhaps Joe doesn’t know. Perhaps Joe really wants to know. But we are too shy and afraid to talk about it.
Can you hear your own voice in these conversations? This week, we’ll be exploring how we talk about our faith. If we are disciples of Jesus Christ, what does that mean for how we interact with other people?
FOCUS READING
Psalm 47:5-7 (NRSV)
God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm.
Consider this conversation:
Hey Joe, what are you doing this weekend?
Hey! My boss got me the most amazing tickets to the rugby – box seats to the Sharks/Cheetahs game. I’m so excited – I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks. I’m gonna eat my heart out with all that free food – not to mention all the free drinks, and then after that, we’re gonna have a braai at the stadium. I mean – seriously great weekend coming up. What about you?
Yeah – cool – yeah – we’re going to have a braai, too…. And then I promised my other friend I’d go with him to see that new Saw movie. Looks awful, but hey – it’s something to do….
Or this conversation:
Hey Jane, what’d you get up to last weekend?
Oh hey! I’m absolutely obsessed with jazz, so it was such a cool weekend because the Durban Blues Festival was going on. I spent the whole weekend just hanging out, going to the different bands – it was the best weekend ever!
Cool – wow – I wish I’d caught that – it sounds amazing – instead I was stuck at church, cleaning out the storage closets, but hey, maybe I’ll get to do something cool next weekend….
Do conversations like this sound familiar to you?
Or even this:
Jeesh, Joe, I’m feeling pretty confused about my life at the moment and what I think about God and stuff – you know? I mean, my parents raised me to let me figure things out for myself, but I just really don’t know – it all seems so confusing. What do you think?
Ummm, well – I, uh, go to church every week – it’s pretty cool. I think it’s important to go – I mean, I’ve always gone – you know?
No, perhaps Joe doesn’t know. Perhaps Joe really wants to know. But we are too shy and afraid to talk about it.
Can you hear your own voice in these conversations? This week, we’ll be exploring how we talk about our faith. If we are disciples of Jesus Christ, what does that mean for how we interact with other people?
FOCUS READING
Psalm 47:5-7 (NRSV)
God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm.
Friday 15 October 2010
Your Christmas Spirit is too small!
Daily Byte
In his book, “Your God is too small,” J.B. Phillips explains that the trouble facing many of us today is that have not found a God big enough for our modern needs. In a world where science and technological discoveries have stretched our minds to the limits (I mean who would have imagined magazines on our cell phones!), our ideas of God have remained largely stationary. Phillips challenges us to expand our notions of God past our traditional Sunday school versions of a “Policeman God” or a “Santa Claus” God. The point is that insufficient ideas of God will negatively impact the growth of our faith.
As you should already be able to tell by the way I have ripped off his title, I want to expand on Phillip’s excellent point. Today I would like too make the point that if our ‘Christmas spirit is too small’ then we are in danger of stifling and limiting a very important part of our overall faith.
For example, if we see ‘Christmas spirit’ as something that only exists for the second half of December then our Christmas spirit is definitely too small! What we celebrate at Christmas time – God becoming human through Jesus – is an essential aspect of faith that should be remembered all year round. Furthermore, during Christmas we are challenged to attitudes of peace and goodwill to all. Why limit that message to one month a year? The reality of God’s presence with us through Jesus should touch and transform every part of our lives every day of the year.
So this Christmas time resolve not to limit God. Instead commit yourself to a continual year round celebration of the very essence of the Christmas spirit, which is the message that God is always with us and always loving us.
Pray As You Go
Lord, we acknowledge that we often live with inadequate pictures of who you are. Help us to recognise how this limits the growth of our faith. This Christmas time we pray that you would expand our pictures of you and in this way deepen and grow our faith. We pray that everything you teach us about your character and mission to the world through Christmas time would be lived out in us every day of the year. We also pray that our ‘Christmas spirit’ would forever be modelled on your abundant and generous mercy, grace and love. In Christ name we pray. Amen.
Focus Reading
Luke 2: 9-14 (The Message)
There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Saviour has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:
‘Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.’
In his book, “Your God is too small,” J.B. Phillips explains that the trouble facing many of us today is that have not found a God big enough for our modern needs. In a world where science and technological discoveries have stretched our minds to the limits (I mean who would have imagined magazines on our cell phones!), our ideas of God have remained largely stationary. Phillips challenges us to expand our notions of God past our traditional Sunday school versions of a “Policeman God” or a “Santa Claus” God. The point is that insufficient ideas of God will negatively impact the growth of our faith.
As you should already be able to tell by the way I have ripped off his title, I want to expand on Phillip’s excellent point. Today I would like too make the point that if our ‘Christmas spirit is too small’ then we are in danger of stifling and limiting a very important part of our overall faith.
For example, if we see ‘Christmas spirit’ as something that only exists for the second half of December then our Christmas spirit is definitely too small! What we celebrate at Christmas time – God becoming human through Jesus – is an essential aspect of faith that should be remembered all year round. Furthermore, during Christmas we are challenged to attitudes of peace and goodwill to all. Why limit that message to one month a year? The reality of God’s presence with us through Jesus should touch and transform every part of our lives every day of the year.
So this Christmas time resolve not to limit God. Instead commit yourself to a continual year round celebration of the very essence of the Christmas spirit, which is the message that God is always with us and always loving us.
Pray As You Go
Lord, we acknowledge that we often live with inadequate pictures of who you are. Help us to recognise how this limits the growth of our faith. This Christmas time we pray that you would expand our pictures of you and in this way deepen and grow our faith. We pray that everything you teach us about your character and mission to the world through Christmas time would be lived out in us every day of the year. We also pray that our ‘Christmas spirit’ would forever be modelled on your abundant and generous mercy, grace and love. In Christ name we pray. Amen.
Focus Reading
Luke 2: 9-14 (The Message)
There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Saviour has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:
‘Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.’
Thursday 14 October 2010
Fatigue
Daily Byte
Alright, enough already I hear you say! Enough of all the ‘-isms’! So far this week we have discussed pessimism, cynicism and materialism. So today, no doubt you will be glad to hear, we will not be dealing with yet another ‘-ism’. Instead our theme is that of fatigue.
I don’t know about you but I find run up to December to be an exhausting time. In case you had not already noticed, December comes right at the end of the year, and so for many of us December arrives when we are already feeling tired and drained. We then find ourselves pushed onto a never-ending treadmill of Christmas parties, shopping trips, and lists of things that have to get done.
Fatigue poses great dangers to our spirituality. This is because fatigue affects our perspectives and ability to think straight on issues. It is also because fatigue drains us emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. Instead of being a time of rest and renewal, the Christmas rush can lead to even further exhaustion, leaving us depressed and down.
It is very important therefore that we learn how to deal with our fatigue, before it ‘kills our Christmas spirit’. In the next few weeks try out the following two suggestions:
This is your challenge today. Book yourself time out to rest, not to do shopping or other chores but just to rest. Ensure that at least part of this time is spent in solitude and silence – just you and God.
Pray As You Go
Lord God, today we want to bring to you our fatigue. Help us to remember the great danger that living continually with a sense of fatigue can be to us. Give us the strength and discipline to regularly place ourselves in your presence. Help us to take time out in silence and solitude. Thank-you Jesus for your promise that if we do come to you we will certainly find rest for our souls. Help us to be still and know you as God. Amen.
Focus Reading
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Alright, enough already I hear you say! Enough of all the ‘-isms’! So far this week we have discussed pessimism, cynicism and materialism. So today, no doubt you will be glad to hear, we will not be dealing with yet another ‘-ism’. Instead our theme is that of fatigue.
I don’t know about you but I find run up to December to be an exhausting time. In case you had not already noticed, December comes right at the end of the year, and so for many of us December arrives when we are already feeling tired and drained. We then find ourselves pushed onto a never-ending treadmill of Christmas parties, shopping trips, and lists of things that have to get done.
Fatigue poses great dangers to our spirituality. This is because fatigue affects our perspectives and ability to think straight on issues. It is also because fatigue drains us emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. Instead of being a time of rest and renewal, the Christmas rush can lead to even further exhaustion, leaving us depressed and down.
It is very important therefore that we learn how to deal with our fatigue, before it ‘kills our Christmas spirit’. In the next few weeks try out the following two suggestions:
- Take regular time out to rest. This is just so obvious that it really is a ‘duh’ suggestion but the fact remains we just do not do this enough. Did you know that in his 3 year ministry, Jesus is recorded as having a holiday or retreat 14 times. 14 retreats in 3 years! What is more, in the story of Creation, we are taught that God worked only 6 days before resting on the 7th. Rest is a gift given to us by God and modelled to us by Jesus. We may say to ourselves that we cannot afford the time to rest but the truth of the matter is that we just cannot afford the time NOT to.
- The second suggestion follows on from the first. Henri Nouwen once said that, “Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life.” Again I would remind you of how often Jesus took time out to spend in solitude and silence. Jesus knew that times of solitude and silence provide fuel for the soul and therefore are vital to countering the effects of fatigue.
This is your challenge today. Book yourself time out to rest, not to do shopping or other chores but just to rest. Ensure that at least part of this time is spent in solitude and silence – just you and God.
Pray As You Go
Lord God, today we want to bring to you our fatigue. Help us to remember the great danger that living continually with a sense of fatigue can be to us. Give us the strength and discipline to regularly place ourselves in your presence. Help us to take time out in silence and solitude. Thank-you Jesus for your promise that if we do come to you we will certainly find rest for our souls. Help us to be still and know you as God. Amen.
Focus Reading
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Materialism
Daily Byte
So who the heck went and stole Christmas anyway? Here’s the thing: not only was Christmas stolen but it was done is such a way that nobody even noticed! “How awful,” I hear you say, “how terrible. By the way, what on earth are you talking about? Christmas hasn’t been stolen. There it is on the calendar – December 25th as usual.”
But before you fob me off as yet another religious loony, let me make my point. Christmas has been stolen because it’s meaning and identity has so radically changed over the last few decades. Since when did Christmas move from being a time of sharing, and giving, and celebrating God to a time of spending, and taking, and celebrating materialism? Why is Christmas so identified these days by creaking bank accounts, overdrawn credit cards and empty wallets? Of the everyday issues that threaten to kill off our Christmas spirits perhaps materialism is the worst of them because it is so subtle and yet so destructive.
Jesus said it himself: “a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions.” Materialism is an unhealthy obsession with the possession of things and sadly Christmas is now the season where the possession of things is promoted to sickening excess. It goes without saying that this is not the original reason Christmas was set aside as a major event in our calendar. Christmas is meant to be a time when we celebrate the extravagant generosity of God’s love in sending us Jesus. Christmas is to be remembered as a time of giving and sharing, not indulging and spending.
Materialism potentially steals the very spirit of Christmas from us because its focus is at such odds with the original intent of this season. Perhaps it is time that we actively take a stand against materialism by focusing our energies on God and on obeying God’s call to share with others.
Pray As You Go
Lord God, we know that it is your nature to be extravagantly generous in love and mercy. Christmas is a time of remembering how you have held nothing back from us through the gift of Jesus to the world. Forgive us for how easily we allow this season to be defined by possessions rather than the celebration of your presence among us. Transform our attitudes to this season and help us to live with the same generous giving to others that is in your nature. Amen.
Focus Reading
Luke 12:15 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions."
So who the heck went and stole Christmas anyway? Here’s the thing: not only was Christmas stolen but it was done is such a way that nobody even noticed! “How awful,” I hear you say, “how terrible. By the way, what on earth are you talking about? Christmas hasn’t been stolen. There it is on the calendar – December 25th as usual.”
But before you fob me off as yet another religious loony, let me make my point. Christmas has been stolen because it’s meaning and identity has so radically changed over the last few decades. Since when did Christmas move from being a time of sharing, and giving, and celebrating God to a time of spending, and taking, and celebrating materialism? Why is Christmas so identified these days by creaking bank accounts, overdrawn credit cards and empty wallets? Of the everyday issues that threaten to kill off our Christmas spirits perhaps materialism is the worst of them because it is so subtle and yet so destructive.
Jesus said it himself: “a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions.” Materialism is an unhealthy obsession with the possession of things and sadly Christmas is now the season where the possession of things is promoted to sickening excess. It goes without saying that this is not the original reason Christmas was set aside as a major event in our calendar. Christmas is meant to be a time when we celebrate the extravagant generosity of God’s love in sending us Jesus. Christmas is to be remembered as a time of giving and sharing, not indulging and spending.
Materialism potentially steals the very spirit of Christmas from us because its focus is at such odds with the original intent of this season. Perhaps it is time that we actively take a stand against materialism by focusing our energies on God and on obeying God’s call to share with others.
Pray As You Go
Lord God, we know that it is your nature to be extravagantly generous in love and mercy. Christmas is a time of remembering how you have held nothing back from us through the gift of Jesus to the world. Forgive us for how easily we allow this season to be defined by possessions rather than the celebration of your presence among us. Transform our attitudes to this season and help us to live with the same generous giving to others that is in your nature. Amen.
Focus Reading
Luke 12:15 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions."
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Cynicism
Daily Byte
We are continuing with our week’s theme of ‘Killing the Christmas Spirit,” and today we will be looking at the topic of cynicism.
Cynicism is similar to pessimism in that it is a negative attitude towards life that leads to a loss of hope. The difference is that cynicism is a somewhat angrier attitude than pessimism. Cynicism not only believes things are bad and will probably get worse, but also gets exasperated at those who believe positive change can happen. James Cozzens humorously defines a cynic as “someone who found out when they were ten that there wasn’t any Santa Claus and is still upset.”
Cynicism is knocking things before they have even been tried. Cynicism is sitting back and declaring that you are sick and tired of it all anyway. Cynicism loudly asserts that it is not interested in trying to make a difference because someone once tried that back in ’74 and it didn’t work then and certainly won’t now!
The daily South African stories of corruption and crime can so easily lead to cynicism if we are not careful. Cynicism can kill the Christmas spirit by sucking everything positive out of us and leaving us feeling angry and irritable. It will also leave those around us feeling hurt, downcast and wishing that they had different friends! In today’s focus reading, the writer of Ephesians encourages us not to live in any “futility of thinking” or “darkened understandings” but instead “to be made new in the attitude of our minds” and to put on a “new self created to be like God.”
One of the best ways we can counter cynicism is by learning to be thankful. By looking around us every day and giving thanks to God for all the good things we can see. I know it sounds nerdy but it really, really works. One of the most important prayers we can learn to pray is three simple words: “Thank you Lord”. Doing this opens our eyes to a whole new way of thinking and being.
In these weeks before Christmas, take time to dedicate yourself to doing exactly that. Take time out every day and give thanks to God for all the good things you can see.
Pray As You Go
"The cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a person, and never fails to see a bad one." — Henry Ward Beecher.
Help us O’ God to carefully check our hearts today. Do we sometimes tend to overanalyze other people’s motives and question their sincerity? Do we inwardly or outwardly knock other’s efforts to make a difference? Forgive us O’ Lord for the times we have chosen to be cynical. Help us to trust your message of hope and to open our eyes to the difference your love makes throughout the world. Help us to trust others more so that we might be free of the suspicions and doubts that lead to a cynical spirit. Help us to be made new in the attitude of our minds. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
Focus Verse
Ephesians 4: 17-24 (NIV)
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
We are continuing with our week’s theme of ‘Killing the Christmas Spirit,” and today we will be looking at the topic of cynicism.
Cynicism is similar to pessimism in that it is a negative attitude towards life that leads to a loss of hope. The difference is that cynicism is a somewhat angrier attitude than pessimism. Cynicism not only believes things are bad and will probably get worse, but also gets exasperated at those who believe positive change can happen. James Cozzens humorously defines a cynic as “someone who found out when they were ten that there wasn’t any Santa Claus and is still upset.”
Cynicism is knocking things before they have even been tried. Cynicism is sitting back and declaring that you are sick and tired of it all anyway. Cynicism loudly asserts that it is not interested in trying to make a difference because someone once tried that back in ’74 and it didn’t work then and certainly won’t now!
The daily South African stories of corruption and crime can so easily lead to cynicism if we are not careful. Cynicism can kill the Christmas spirit by sucking everything positive out of us and leaving us feeling angry and irritable. It will also leave those around us feeling hurt, downcast and wishing that they had different friends! In today’s focus reading, the writer of Ephesians encourages us not to live in any “futility of thinking” or “darkened understandings” but instead “to be made new in the attitude of our minds” and to put on a “new self created to be like God.”
One of the best ways we can counter cynicism is by learning to be thankful. By looking around us every day and giving thanks to God for all the good things we can see. I know it sounds nerdy but it really, really works. One of the most important prayers we can learn to pray is three simple words: “Thank you Lord”. Doing this opens our eyes to a whole new way of thinking and being.
In these weeks before Christmas, take time to dedicate yourself to doing exactly that. Take time out every day and give thanks to God for all the good things you can see.
Pray As You Go
"The cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a person, and never fails to see a bad one." — Henry Ward Beecher.
Help us O’ God to carefully check our hearts today. Do we sometimes tend to overanalyze other people’s motives and question their sincerity? Do we inwardly or outwardly knock other’s efforts to make a difference? Forgive us O’ Lord for the times we have chosen to be cynical. Help us to trust your message of hope and to open our eyes to the difference your love makes throughout the world. Help us to trust others more so that we might be free of the suspicions and doubts that lead to a cynical spirit. Help us to be made new in the attitude of our minds. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
Focus Verse
Ephesians 4: 17-24 (NIV)
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Monday 11 October 2010
Killing the Christmas Spirit. What Already?
Christmas is just around the corner! Are you starting to brace yourself or is that little “buzz” of excitement starting to bubble? For many of us Christmas is a time of great excitement as we think of stuff like food, family and presents. However, for others Christmas is something they dread rather than look forward to. Reports tell us that depression and suicide rates actually increase at this time of year.
With this in mind we will be spending this week looking at some of the common issues which can turn Christmas into a real downer for us. Issues that if left undealt with, can potentially kill off our Christmas spirit. This year we’re looking at these issues early so that we can have time to address them and enjoy a truly blessed Christmas.
Daily Byte – ‘Pessimism’
The first issue we will be looking at is pessimism. Pessimism can be defined as a general belief that things around us in the world are bad, and are tending to become worse. There is a great deal of pessimism today that grips and even paralyses people. Some of the challenging issues we South Africans face can lead to pessimism if we are not careful. We read stories of horrible crimes, we drive past hungry street children, we hear tales of corruption and power abuse and we begin to lose hope as a result. Hey, I’m starting to feel depressed just writing all this down!
Seriously though we need to remember that to lose hope is to lose life. The movie, “Children of Men,” although graphically violent, is a stark portrayal of what happens to people when hope is lost. In the movie the human race loses its ability to reproduce and so begins to go into a downward spiral of deep depression. Pessimism becomes the norm because no one can see any hope for life beyond themselves. The lesson of the movie is that everything collapses around us when we do not have hope to hold us together within.
The opposite to pessimism is not blind, idealistic optimism. Instead it is faith. Faith is being sure of what we do not see (Heb 11.1); and so faith counters pessimism because it holds onto hope despite even the worst circumstances. While pessimism can kill the Christmas spirit, faith is that quality which lightens our hearts and minds with the good news of Christ’s love and presence. Let us never forget that Christmas is a powerful reminder that God is with us always and everywhere. As the second part of today’s focus reading reminds us, even if we face great opposition (such as crime, poverty and disease), we need never lose hope if we can keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.
Pray As You Go
Lord God, we give thanks to you for Jesus Christ who is hope and life for all the world. We confess that we often allow a pessimistic spirit to grip and even paralyse all that is good and positive within us. We bring to you our fears Almighty God. The feelings we get when we look around us and are overwhelmed by the world’s problems. We ask that you would renew our hope and strengthen our faith. Help us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, no matter what problems we are currently facing. Amen.
Focus Readings
Hebrews 11:1-3 (NIV)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful people, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
With this in mind we will be spending this week looking at some of the common issues which can turn Christmas into a real downer for us. Issues that if left undealt with, can potentially kill off our Christmas spirit. This year we’re looking at these issues early so that we can have time to address them and enjoy a truly blessed Christmas.
Daily Byte – ‘Pessimism’
The first issue we will be looking at is pessimism. Pessimism can be defined as a general belief that things around us in the world are bad, and are tending to become worse. There is a great deal of pessimism today that grips and even paralyses people. Some of the challenging issues we South Africans face can lead to pessimism if we are not careful. We read stories of horrible crimes, we drive past hungry street children, we hear tales of corruption and power abuse and we begin to lose hope as a result. Hey, I’m starting to feel depressed just writing all this down!
Seriously though we need to remember that to lose hope is to lose life. The movie, “Children of Men,” although graphically violent, is a stark portrayal of what happens to people when hope is lost. In the movie the human race loses its ability to reproduce and so begins to go into a downward spiral of deep depression. Pessimism becomes the norm because no one can see any hope for life beyond themselves. The lesson of the movie is that everything collapses around us when we do not have hope to hold us together within.
The opposite to pessimism is not blind, idealistic optimism. Instead it is faith. Faith is being sure of what we do not see (Heb 11.1); and so faith counters pessimism because it holds onto hope despite even the worst circumstances. While pessimism can kill the Christmas spirit, faith is that quality which lightens our hearts and minds with the good news of Christ’s love and presence. Let us never forget that Christmas is a powerful reminder that God is with us always and everywhere. As the second part of today’s focus reading reminds us, even if we face great opposition (such as crime, poverty and disease), we need never lose hope if we can keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.
Pray As You Go
Lord God, we give thanks to you for Jesus Christ who is hope and life for all the world. We confess that we often allow a pessimistic spirit to grip and even paralyse all that is good and positive within us. We bring to you our fears Almighty God. The feelings we get when we look around us and are overwhelmed by the world’s problems. We ask that you would renew our hope and strengthen our faith. Help us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, no matter what problems we are currently facing. Amen.
Focus Readings
Hebrews 11:1-3 (NIV)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful people, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Friday 8 October 2010
Unless the Lord builds the house
DAILY BYTE
I mentioned earlier this week that my literal house-building experience has been very limited. That is certainly true where I have been the sole builder – my achievements being half a kennel and a postbox. As you can well imagine, I’m not holding my breath waiting to be nominated for the Master Builder of the Year award.
But I have had another significant experience where I was involved in a real house being built. I must stress that I wasn’t actually the builder. But together with others in a similar position to myself, I helped out in what was a truly remarkable event.
It happened through Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds houses with the poor. Each year Habitat International organizes a week-long house-building event called The Jimmy Carter Work Project, in which literally thousands of volunteers from around the world converge to build as many houses as possible. In 2002 it was Durban’s turn, and I was fortunate to be one of the volunteers at the Ethembeni site in Sherwood where 100 houses would be built in 5 days.
It was my first time on a building site as a worker. I wasn’t sure what to expect, or even if I would have anything of value to offer, but straight away I was put to work. Over the next few days I had the time of my life mixing mortar, carrying blocks, hammering in nails, laying tiles – things that I never knew that I could do.
Working on our house were people from South Africa, Canada, the USA, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Philippines, Zambia & Mozambique. What an amazing thing, this diverse mix of people from around the world helping to build a house – and I was a part of it.
But there was something more amazing, because that house was just one of a hundred being built at that site that week. I remember standing on a roof truss hammering in a nail and looking out over a large section of the building site and seeing how dozens upon dozens of houses, like ours, had sprung up literally overnight. And I remember thinking – I’m a part of this.
But there was something even more amazing, because I learned that while Durban was the principal site for the 2002 Jimmy Carter Work Project, it wasn’t the only site. That in 17 other countries in Africa, this same scene was being replicated though admittedly on a smaller scale.
Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, the DRC, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Egypt. All in all 1000 houses being built for the poor in 18 different countries on our continent in 5 days. Something miraculous was happening, and in a small but real way I was a part of it.
That experience is something of a parable of what can happen when we dare to allow our lives to be gathered and built into something much bigger than just ourselves.
Earlier this week I asked the question, ‘What are you wanting to build with your life?’ But really the question should be, ‘What is God wanting to build, in which your life can be a part?’ So that through you, your children & grandchildren, your family & friends, your work & your church, your community and country might know what it means to live in the shelter of the Almighty.
Unless God builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Thank you, Lord God, for remarkable ministries like Habitat for Humanity, in which your passion for the healing and transformation for this world can be seen being expressed and established in concrete ways. We pray for such ministries, that they would be strengthened and encouraged to persevere in the good work that you have given them to do. And help all of us to recognise the unique part that we each can play, in our families, in our places of work or learning, in our churches & communities, that will see your kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 127:1-2
Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labour in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for God grants sleep to those he loves.
I mentioned earlier this week that my literal house-building experience has been very limited. That is certainly true where I have been the sole builder – my achievements being half a kennel and a postbox. As you can well imagine, I’m not holding my breath waiting to be nominated for the Master Builder of the Year award.
But I have had another significant experience where I was involved in a real house being built. I must stress that I wasn’t actually the builder. But together with others in a similar position to myself, I helped out in what was a truly remarkable event.
It happened through Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds houses with the poor. Each year Habitat International organizes a week-long house-building event called The Jimmy Carter Work Project, in which literally thousands of volunteers from around the world converge to build as many houses as possible. In 2002 it was Durban’s turn, and I was fortunate to be one of the volunteers at the Ethembeni site in Sherwood where 100 houses would be built in 5 days.
It was my first time on a building site as a worker. I wasn’t sure what to expect, or even if I would have anything of value to offer, but straight away I was put to work. Over the next few days I had the time of my life mixing mortar, carrying blocks, hammering in nails, laying tiles – things that I never knew that I could do.
Working on our house were people from South Africa, Canada, the USA, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Philippines, Zambia & Mozambique. What an amazing thing, this diverse mix of people from around the world helping to build a house – and I was a part of it.
But there was something more amazing, because that house was just one of a hundred being built at that site that week. I remember standing on a roof truss hammering in a nail and looking out over a large section of the building site and seeing how dozens upon dozens of houses, like ours, had sprung up literally overnight. And I remember thinking – I’m a part of this.
But there was something even more amazing, because I learned that while Durban was the principal site for the 2002 Jimmy Carter Work Project, it wasn’t the only site. That in 17 other countries in Africa, this same scene was being replicated though admittedly on a smaller scale.
Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, the DRC, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Egypt. All in all 1000 houses being built for the poor in 18 different countries on our continent in 5 days. Something miraculous was happening, and in a small but real way I was a part of it.
That experience is something of a parable of what can happen when we dare to allow our lives to be gathered and built into something much bigger than just ourselves.
Earlier this week I asked the question, ‘What are you wanting to build with your life?’ But really the question should be, ‘What is God wanting to build, in which your life can be a part?’ So that through you, your children & grandchildren, your family & friends, your work & your church, your community and country might know what it means to live in the shelter of the Almighty.
Unless God builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Thank you, Lord God, for remarkable ministries like Habitat for Humanity, in which your passion for the healing and transformation for this world can be seen being expressed and established in concrete ways. We pray for such ministries, that they would be strengthened and encouraged to persevere in the good work that you have given them to do. And help all of us to recognise the unique part that we each can play, in our families, in our places of work or learning, in our churches & communities, that will see your kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 127:1-2
Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labour in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for God grants sleep to those he loves.
Thursday 7 October 2010
The Master Builder is God
DAILY BYTE
God’s words to David, “Don’t you build a house for me, I will build a house for you,” remind of us two important truths. The first of these we looked at briefly yesterday – that God cannot ever be contained. God is sovereign, unconstrained and utterly free to move and to act however God chooses.
The second truth contained in God’s words to David is this:
The building work that really matters is ultimately God’s work. It’s what God does. Yes, we discover that it’s work in which we are called to participate. But we mustn’t forget that the true architect and builder of the things that really matter is God.
All great spirituality in the end is about letting go – letting go of our own agendas, letting go of our own plans, timeframes, dreams and ambitions. And aligning our lives, our purpose, and our very selves with the things of God. As the Psalmist says, ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart,’ because when we delight in the Lord the desires of our hearts shift to conform with the desires of God’s own heart.
Flowing out of this truth is a wonderful nugget of wisdom that has been expressed by various people, most recently Bono of the rock-band U2. He says, “Don’t ask God to bless what you are doing. Rather, find out what God is doing and get involved with that – it is already blessed.”
The wonderful news is that as we seek to find out what God is doing, we discover that God is actively involved in lives of the people that matter to us, and many others beside, but not always in the ways in which we expect.
Listen to these words from Eugene Peterson’s translation of Ephesians 2:
“God is building a home. He’s using us all – irrespective of how we got here – in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day – a holy temple built by God, all of us being built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.”
It’s true - God is building a home. Quite remarkably in this building programme the principal resource God chooses to use are ordinary people like you and me. So will you become a part of what God is seeking to build, a house which could use your life, but which is so much bigger than just your life?
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord, open my eyes to see what you are doing and what you are building in my midst. And then give me the humility, the courage and the grace to abandon whatever other building agendas I may have had in order to give myself completely to what you are doing. Use me, O Master Builder Divine, use me! Amen.
God’s words to David, “Don’t you build a house for me, I will build a house for you,” remind of us two important truths. The first of these we looked at briefly yesterday – that God cannot ever be contained. God is sovereign, unconstrained and utterly free to move and to act however God chooses.
The second truth contained in God’s words to David is this:
The building work that really matters is ultimately God’s work. It’s what God does. Yes, we discover that it’s work in which we are called to participate. But we mustn’t forget that the true architect and builder of the things that really matter is God.
All great spirituality in the end is about letting go – letting go of our own agendas, letting go of our own plans, timeframes, dreams and ambitions. And aligning our lives, our purpose, and our very selves with the things of God. As the Psalmist says, ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart,’ because when we delight in the Lord the desires of our hearts shift to conform with the desires of God’s own heart.
Flowing out of this truth is a wonderful nugget of wisdom that has been expressed by various people, most recently Bono of the rock-band U2. He says, “Don’t ask God to bless what you are doing. Rather, find out what God is doing and get involved with that – it is already blessed.”
The wonderful news is that as we seek to find out what God is doing, we discover that God is actively involved in lives of the people that matter to us, and many others beside, but not always in the ways in which we expect.
Listen to these words from Eugene Peterson’s translation of Ephesians 2:
“God is building a home. He’s using us all – irrespective of how we got here – in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day – a holy temple built by God, all of us being built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.”
It’s true - God is building a home. Quite remarkably in this building programme the principal resource God chooses to use are ordinary people like you and me. So will you become a part of what God is seeking to build, a house which could use your life, but which is so much bigger than just your life?
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord, open my eyes to see what you are doing and what you are building in my midst. And then give me the humility, the courage and the grace to abandon whatever other building agendas I may have had in order to give myself completely to what you are doing. Use me, O Master Builder Divine, use me! Amen.
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Building a house for God
DAILY BYTE
Yesterday I posed the question, ‘What are you wanting to build with your life?’
That’s the very question that kept King David awake at night. As the newly appointed king of Israel he had established Jerusalem as his capital. He had brought to Jerusalem the Ark of the Lord which symbolized the very presence of God. He had built for himself a royal palace, and was comfortably settled there, enjoying the peace which his reign had already brought to the land. In the brief time that he had been king, David had achieved a great deal, he had built a great deal.
But still a nagging question remained for David, ‘Should I be doing something more?’ Quite specifically, he was concerned that there was no formal sanctuary for God. He was living in a stately palace, while the Ark of the Lord continued to be housed in a tent, as had been the practice when the Israelites were still wandering in the wilderness. David thought that what he should do was to build a temple for God.
On the face of it, it seems like a noble and generous gesture. It seems like the sort of thing a God-fearing king should do – to build God a house. And initially, even the prophet Nathan endorses what David has in his heart to do. But God had a different idea. Speaking through the prophet Nathan, God says to David, ‘No! I don’t need what you propose to build.’
You can hear the absurdity of the very idea in the question God asks of David when he says, “Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?” And then God goes on to say, in essence, “Don’t you build a house for me. I will build a house for you.” Referring, of course, not to a physical structure, but to David’s line and legacy. God reminded David that God was the one who had taken him from being a shepherd boy and established him as ruler over his people Israel. And God would be the one who, long after David had died, would continue to act in the lives of his descendants in a similar way.
And so God says, “Don’t you build a house for me. I will build a house for you.” It’s a powerful line that contains two important truths that we would do well to remember. We’ll consider the first today, and the second tomorrow.
The first is this, ‘Don’t think that God can ever be contained. Don’t think that God can ever be safely domiciled in some human structure. Don’t think that God can ever be manipulated or controlled. God is sovereign, unconstrained, and utterly free to move and to act according to God’s own good pleasure and purpose.’
The sooner we let go of our delusional notions that we can control God in any way, the better. God is who God is. Accept that – it can be powerfully liberating.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Forgive me Lord the crazy idea that I can somehow control you, contain you, or in any way manipulate you. Remind me that you are the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, and that you move and work with utter freedom. Help me today to kneel before you in my heart with complete humility, and to be open to the surprising ways in which you will choose to reveal yourself this day. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
2 Samuel 7:4-7, 11b
That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying:
"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
"The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you.”
Yesterday I posed the question, ‘What are you wanting to build with your life?’
That’s the very question that kept King David awake at night. As the newly appointed king of Israel he had established Jerusalem as his capital. He had brought to Jerusalem the Ark of the Lord which symbolized the very presence of God. He had built for himself a royal palace, and was comfortably settled there, enjoying the peace which his reign had already brought to the land. In the brief time that he had been king, David had achieved a great deal, he had built a great deal.
But still a nagging question remained for David, ‘Should I be doing something more?’ Quite specifically, he was concerned that there was no formal sanctuary for God. He was living in a stately palace, while the Ark of the Lord continued to be housed in a tent, as had been the practice when the Israelites were still wandering in the wilderness. David thought that what he should do was to build a temple for God.
On the face of it, it seems like a noble and generous gesture. It seems like the sort of thing a God-fearing king should do – to build God a house. And initially, even the prophet Nathan endorses what David has in his heart to do. But God had a different idea. Speaking through the prophet Nathan, God says to David, ‘No! I don’t need what you propose to build.’
You can hear the absurdity of the very idea in the question God asks of David when he says, “Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?” And then God goes on to say, in essence, “Don’t you build a house for me. I will build a house for you.” Referring, of course, not to a physical structure, but to David’s line and legacy. God reminded David that God was the one who had taken him from being a shepherd boy and established him as ruler over his people Israel. And God would be the one who, long after David had died, would continue to act in the lives of his descendants in a similar way.
And so God says, “Don’t you build a house for me. I will build a house for you.” It’s a powerful line that contains two important truths that we would do well to remember. We’ll consider the first today, and the second tomorrow.
The first is this, ‘Don’t think that God can ever be contained. Don’t think that God can ever be safely domiciled in some human structure. Don’t think that God can ever be manipulated or controlled. God is sovereign, unconstrained, and utterly free to move and to act according to God’s own good pleasure and purpose.’
The sooner we let go of our delusional notions that we can control God in any way, the better. God is who God is. Accept that – it can be powerfully liberating.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Forgive me Lord the crazy idea that I can somehow control you, contain you, or in any way manipulate you. Remind me that you are the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, and that you move and work with utter freedom. Help me today to kneel before you in my heart with complete humility, and to be open to the surprising ways in which you will choose to reveal yourself this day. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
2 Samuel 7:4-7, 11b
That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying:
"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
"The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you.”
What are you wanting to build?
DAILY BYTE
Yesterday I suggested that all of us, by virtue of being human, are house-builders at heart. Of course, I don’t mean that literally. I for one, have very little literal house-building experience, other than the blanket and duvet variety I referred to yesterday.
I did attempt, once, to knock together a wooden kennel for one of my dogs. I got about halfway through when she came to inspect what I was doing, and gave me one of those big, droopy, doggy-eyed looks as if to say, ‘You have got to be kidding.’ And I looked at what I’d done and I realized that this poor mutt was absolutely right, and that the kindest thing I could do was to stop right there and then.
I did make a wooden postbox once that looked a bit like a little house. It even had a little roof on it, and a little canopy over the slot where the letters would go in, and I made sure it was north facing, which if you think about it is a bit odd, as if your mail really cares about where it lies until you collect it.
But while my literal house-building has been rather limited, in other ways I recognize that I am a house-builder at heart after all. I want to provide for my children. I want to give them the kind of firm foundation on which their lives can be grounded. I want to offer them the kind of space in which they can flourish and grow, and become more and more the unique and beautiful individuals that God has created them to be.
In the work of ministry that is my great privilege to do, I want to offer myself in such a way that lives can be transformed, and rich community can be forged, and the church of God can be built up.
As a citizen of this country, I want to play my part in the ongoing task of nation-building within this remarkable land of ours.
And I have a hunch that in similar ways each one of you is a house-builder at heart as well.
So let me ask you: As you think about your children, or your grandchildren perhaps, and what you are doing to enable them to live more fulfilled lives. As you think about your work, and how it can make this world a better place. As you think about your friends and the kind of influence that you are to them. As you think about your contribution within the church or the wider community. What are you wanting to build with your life?
Why would anyone not want their miraculous lives to be put to magnificent purpose? Surely, this one chance that we’ve got to take hold of this never-to-be-repeated gift of life should be seized with everything we have and all that we are? And surely, in that which we build, we would want it to be solid, wholesome and good, something that will last, something that will stand in an enduring, life-giving way?
In the parable that Jesus told about the wise and foolish builders, the only criterion that ultimately mattered and which ultimately distinguished them from each other, was whether or not they acted on the words of Jesus that they had heard.
As you think about what you want to build with your life, what words of Jesus resonate within you? What are you doing to act on them?
PRAY AS YOU GO
It’s true Lord, I want my life to matter. I want my life to count. I want my life to contribute to making this world a better, more beautiful place. I want my life to be a positive part of the building up of your Kingdom. So help me to hear your word and act upon it – that I might be one of those who builds on the rock. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 7:24-28
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Yesterday I suggested that all of us, by virtue of being human, are house-builders at heart. Of course, I don’t mean that literally. I for one, have very little literal house-building experience, other than the blanket and duvet variety I referred to yesterday.
I did attempt, once, to knock together a wooden kennel for one of my dogs. I got about halfway through when she came to inspect what I was doing, and gave me one of those big, droopy, doggy-eyed looks as if to say, ‘You have got to be kidding.’ And I looked at what I’d done and I realized that this poor mutt was absolutely right, and that the kindest thing I could do was to stop right there and then.
I did make a wooden postbox once that looked a bit like a little house. It even had a little roof on it, and a little canopy over the slot where the letters would go in, and I made sure it was north facing, which if you think about it is a bit odd, as if your mail really cares about where it lies until you collect it.
But while my literal house-building has been rather limited, in other ways I recognize that I am a house-builder at heart after all. I want to provide for my children. I want to give them the kind of firm foundation on which their lives can be grounded. I want to offer them the kind of space in which they can flourish and grow, and become more and more the unique and beautiful individuals that God has created them to be.
In the work of ministry that is my great privilege to do, I want to offer myself in such a way that lives can be transformed, and rich community can be forged, and the church of God can be built up.
As a citizen of this country, I want to play my part in the ongoing task of nation-building within this remarkable land of ours.
And I have a hunch that in similar ways each one of you is a house-builder at heart as well.
So let me ask you: As you think about your children, or your grandchildren perhaps, and what you are doing to enable them to live more fulfilled lives. As you think about your work, and how it can make this world a better place. As you think about your friends and the kind of influence that you are to them. As you think about your contribution within the church or the wider community. What are you wanting to build with your life?
Why would anyone not want their miraculous lives to be put to magnificent purpose? Surely, this one chance that we’ve got to take hold of this never-to-be-repeated gift of life should be seized with everything we have and all that we are? And surely, in that which we build, we would want it to be solid, wholesome and good, something that will last, something that will stand in an enduring, life-giving way?
In the parable that Jesus told about the wise and foolish builders, the only criterion that ultimately mattered and which ultimately distinguished them from each other, was whether or not they acted on the words of Jesus that they had heard.
As you think about what you want to build with your life, what words of Jesus resonate within you? What are you doing to act on them?
PRAY AS YOU GO
It’s true Lord, I want my life to matter. I want my life to count. I want my life to contribute to making this world a better, more beautiful place. I want my life to be a positive part of the building up of your Kingdom. So help me to hear your word and act upon it – that I might be one of those who builds on the rock. Amen
SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 7:24-28
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Monday 4 October 2010
House-builders at Heart
DAILY BYTE
One of the fantastic things about having young children is the cast-iron excuse it provides for doing ‘little kid’ things yourself. One of my personal favourites is when we get to spend a lazy Saturday morning together building houses out of blankets and duvets and pillows in the lounge. I’m sure you know the routine. Lounge furniture gets pushed around. A draped blanket over two couches becomes a roof. Duvets become walls. Pillows become padded floors. And before you know it you’ve got just enough of a darkened cave that you can all squeeze into, which feels like a palace fit for a king.
Because when you’re huddled up with your kids around a communal cup of tea with dunking rusks in your hand, in a house that you’ve built together, truly you are on holy ground.
I’m convinced that kids love to build blanket and duvet houses not just because it’s a fun thing to do. But also because rooted deep within all of us as people there is need for the security of a safe space. There is need for a sanctuary where we can belong.
According to Maslowe’s famous hierarchy of needs, the need for shelter is one of our most fundamental human requirements. So maybe what gets played out in my lounge on certain Saturday mornings is an expression of a deep yearning that we all share as human beings.
Could it be that all of us, whether we’re young or old, whether we’re consciously aware of it or not, could it be that all of us, by virtue of being human, are house-builders at heart?
That’s the theme that we’ll be exploring this week in The Barking Dog-Collar, as we think about the deep need for sanctuary that is within all of us, and the yearning that is ours to build something meaningful with our lives.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Gracious God, there is this deep yearning within me for a safe place where I can find shelter and sanctuary. Thank you that in you this deep yearning is met and fully satisfied. Help me to trust that. And help me to partner you in playing my part to ensure that others might find such places of shelter and sanctuary in their lives also. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 91:1
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
One of the fantastic things about having young children is the cast-iron excuse it provides for doing ‘little kid’ things yourself. One of my personal favourites is when we get to spend a lazy Saturday morning together building houses out of blankets and duvets and pillows in the lounge. I’m sure you know the routine. Lounge furniture gets pushed around. A draped blanket over two couches becomes a roof. Duvets become walls. Pillows become padded floors. And before you know it you’ve got just enough of a darkened cave that you can all squeeze into, which feels like a palace fit for a king.
Because when you’re huddled up with your kids around a communal cup of tea with dunking rusks in your hand, in a house that you’ve built together, truly you are on holy ground.
I’m convinced that kids love to build blanket and duvet houses not just because it’s a fun thing to do. But also because rooted deep within all of us as people there is need for the security of a safe space. There is need for a sanctuary where we can belong.
According to Maslowe’s famous hierarchy of needs, the need for shelter is one of our most fundamental human requirements. So maybe what gets played out in my lounge on certain Saturday mornings is an expression of a deep yearning that we all share as human beings.
Could it be that all of us, whether we’re young or old, whether we’re consciously aware of it or not, could it be that all of us, by virtue of being human, are house-builders at heart?
That’s the theme that we’ll be exploring this week in The Barking Dog-Collar, as we think about the deep need for sanctuary that is within all of us, and the yearning that is ours to build something meaningful with our lives.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Gracious God, there is this deep yearning within me for a safe place where I can find shelter and sanctuary. Thank you that in you this deep yearning is met and fully satisfied. Help me to trust that. And help me to partner you in playing my part to ensure that others might find such places of shelter and sanctuary in their lives also. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 91:1
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
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