Holy Adventure - Day 19

In Jesus’ teaching, one important thing that distinguishes his followers from others is the practice of loving one’s enemies. Yet there is no more reinforcement to do this in our culture than there was in Jesus’ day. Loving enemies is counter to what we are taught by prominent attitudes around. Most books and movies deal with enemies by wiping them out. We expect enemies to “get their due.” We think of enemies as “less than human.” We have to because it is harder to hate or wish suffering or death or ill on those who may be not all that different than we are.

In his sermon on the mount, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:43-48)

This is one of those difficult teachings. Yet it is filled with hope. Everyone is worthy of God’s love. Everyone can change. Each day is a new day, and you never know when an enemy may just become a friend, through the power of Christ.

Holy Adventure - Day 18

“Just as you did it to the least of these…you did it to me…” Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 about caring for the most vulnerable have been read and preached about and turned into skits and litanies. They are unsettling in their clarity. Jesus does not ask us to be nice to those less fortunate. Jesus does not ask us to take pity on “those” poor people, as if they were separate from him. Jesus basically says that he is those marginalized in society and when we help those who are sick or cold or homeless or hungry or in prison, we are caring for him. In extending God’s love to those who have little, we are serving and loving Christ.

Who are those people in our community? Who are the ones who are poor or suffering or lonely? We know there are homeless people in Ames. We can care about them and do what we can to make sure everyone has shelter over their heads. There are certainly people who struggle to have enough food to put on the table. We can help connect people with the resources in the Ames community such as free meals at Food at First (United Methodist Church) and the food pantries. Bethesda Lutheran Church has a clothing closet for those who need clothes. We can contribute to that and make sure people who need it know about it. We can visit and send cards to people who are sick. We can visit those who are homebound and just need to know they are cared for.

As you think about the scripture and see Christ in those who are in need, what ways do you imagine responding? Are there neighbors you could check in on? Are there people you encounter in your daily life who just need a listening ear?

I like Epperly’s line “We are called to contribute beauty, creativity, goodness, and compassion to God’s evolving experience of the world.” (p.106) What will your contribution be?

Holy Adventure - Day 17

In 1986, just two weeks after Tim and I were married, I went to Nicaragua as part of a delegation through Disciple’ Peace Fellowship. I spent 10 days learning to know some of the people of that country and the struggles they faced due to some insurgents who would come into the villages and kidnap their children and kill their husbands and fathers.

I went because I wanted to be part of a group of Christians who would share God’s love with those who suffer. I went in order to give some kind of hope to people in a hopeless situation. Being raised in the church, I had a deep sense in which my life, in part, was about giving to others and I saw this trip as a way to do just that.

You know the phrase, “it is in giving that we receive.” Well, that is precisely what happened. The people of Nicaragua that I encountered were so generous and faithful. Even though they were extremely poor, and even though they had every reason to doubt and despair, I have no doubt they gave more to me than I could even begin to give to them. They gave us the best, and in some cases, last of their food. They gave us their beds. They gave us their stories and songs. They gave us their infectious spirit of hope and faith from the depth of their soul. I left that place amazed and awed by how God’s love was alive and real and soaring. I came back and knew I needed to go to seminary.

Giving and receiving are funny things. It may start out with one of them and quickly turn into the other. Do you have stories of giving and receiving?

Holy Adventure - Day 16

As we think of God’s abundance and how hard it is to live into that sometimes, I was reminded of an African story that is kind of the opposite of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana. It really gives “food for thought.”

A Nigerian tribal chief sent out his messengers to invite all of the men of the tribe to a great feast. “All of the food will be provided,” they announced, “but each man must bring one jug of palm wine.”

Ezra wanted to attend the great festival very much, but he had no wine. He paced the floor trying to think of a solution for his dilemma. Finally his wife suggested, “You could buy a jug of wine. It is not too expensive for such a great occasion.”

“How foolish,” Ezra cried, “to spend money when there is a way to go free.” Once again he paced until he came upon a plan. “Rather than wine I will carry water in my jug. Several hundred men will attend the festival. What will it hurt to add one jug of water to the great pot of wine?”

On the day of the feast the tribal drums began to beat early in the morning, reminding the people of the great festival. All of the men came dressed in their finest clothes, gathering by midmorning at the home of the chief. As each man entered the tribal grounds, he poured his jug of wine into a large earthen pot. Ezra carefully poured the contents of his container into the pot, greeted the chief, and joined the dancers.

When all of the guests arrived, the chief commanded the music to cease and ordered the servants to fill everyone’s glass with wine. As the chief spoke the opening words of the festival, all of the guests raised their glasses and drank. Suddenly a cry of disbelief arose from the crowd, and they quickly drank again. What they tasted was not wine, but water. Each guest had decided that his one jug of water could not spoil the great pot of palm wine.

Holy Adventure - Day 14

Check in. It is now 2 weeks since we began this Holy Adventure. How has it been going for you? Have you done the reading each day? Have you prayed the prayers and said the affirmations and reflected upon the material? Have you been keeping a journal of your thoughts and reflections?

What has stirred in the deep places within you? Do you sense/hear God calling you in a particular direction? Are you feeling affirmed, or challenged? Is there an opening to see something differently than you have before? Are there points of disagreement you have with the author? Have you had any “ah-hah” moments?

Now would be a good time to reflect on what you’d like from this adventure. If you haven’t been doing the readings, would you like to renew your commitment to do so? Today is a new day and you can start fresh! If you haven’t started a journal, it’s not too late. Will you be in worship tomorrow so you can offer your heart, soul, strength and mind to God this week and get ready for what is in store?

Think about it. Pray about it. Pray for not only yourself, but your fellow adventurers.

Blessings!

Holy Adventure - Day 13

Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

What are the areas in your life where you may being called to “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch”?

If you read this story through a couple of times and let the words and images really take hold in your imagination, what comes to your mind?

When things don’t happen in our time, sometimes we want to give up, or we assume “it wasn’t meant to be” but what if we just need to cast deeper? What if we need to change something just a little in order to bring in the catch of a lifetime!

Holy Adventure - Day 12

When I was in college, majoring in Speech Communication, I remember very early on learning the concept of the “self-fulfilling prophecy.” You may have heard of the concept. It is the notion that if you think and say something enough (especially the negative, it seems) it has a way of happening. When we walk around in fear and suspicion that people are going to disappoint us or that we can’t do a particular thing, we are looking for that to happen, and so often, it does!

Another angle on this is the glass half empty vs. half full test. When you look at the glass on the table, do you see “half empty” (what is lacking) or “half full” what is there? When we walk around seeing the world through the lens of the “half empty glass” we miss SO much because we don’t see what is right in front of our eyes.

So what happens if we “have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus”? Instead of seeing only a few loaves of bread and some tiny fish, we see a meal to feed 5,000! We see little children as a blessing instead of a nuisance. We see the wisdom of a foreign woman who asks for the same treatment as the locals. We see the nets bursting with so many fish after a night of emptiness.

With the mind of Christ, today, what will you see?

Holy Adventure - Day 11

“Our greatest gifts can be the source of our greatest temptations.” (p.72) Have you found these words to be true? Living in a reflective way can help us see and avoid the pitfalls of such temptations. When you think about it, temptation is not bad. It can actually afford us with the opportunity for growth and clarity.

Look at the stories of Jesus in the wilderness… facing the temptation to use his gifts to bring fame and fortune to himself instead of using them for God’s purposes. In meeting those temptations head-on, Jesus clarified his mission and purpose in life and was strengthened to face more temptation in his daily living. That wilderness time was surely challenging, yet without it, would he have had the fortitude to face his own persecution and death for the sake of something greater?

What are your temptations? And what are your wilderness experiences? When do you have the opportunity to clarify who you are and what you are called to in your life? These are definitely questions for Lent.

Holy Adventure - Day 10

For some reason the phrase, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature…” (Lk.2:52) has always drawn me in. When I was young, I think I was amazed that this young boy was so attentive to things that mattered. I wanted to be like Jesus and could easily imagine myself in his shoes, listening to the teachers, trying to understand, letting my mind play with the ideas and concepts they expressed. And that is what I did in Sunday School with my teachers. That is what I did as I listened, or just took in my surroundings in worship. That is what I did as I talked with peers about the stories we were learning and as I debated with the Baptist minister’s son on matters of theology on the bus going to field trips in middle school.

That phrase still captivates my mind, … “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature…” I still want to grow and learn and be surprised and enlightened and proven wrong and have my thoughts confirmed and find that I can see from a different perspective that opens up new worlds of thought and faith and action.

You have embarked on this Holy Adventure with me. Do you find that you are growing in wisdom and stature as you read and pray and reflect upon the material you find in the book? Do questions arise? Do you take time to sit with those and allow yourself to be in the place of wonder, not needing to have an immediate answer? Wisdom comes in delighting in the questions as much as knowing the answers. How is God working within you for growth as you continue on this Holy Adventure?

Holy Adventure - Day 9

In the quote from Marianne Williamson I shared yesterday, she closes by saying, “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Epperly writes, “As we continue in God’s holy adventure, we discover that letting our light shine is a matter of vocation and service, not pride. Sadly, we often forget our identity as God’s light in the world, and we let ourselves live by fear, defensiveness, guilt, and scarcity. Though we may doubt our abilities and hide our gifts, God’s light still shines, constantly illuminating and transforming our lives even when we are unaware of its power.”(65)

How have you been a channel of God’s light in your life? Do you have fears that keep you from shining in ways you think God leads you? Are you afraid of failure, or embarrassment, or are you afraid of success and the responsibility that comes with that? Make some notes in your journal as you think about those questions today. And write down some words or phrases to describe what it might look like and feel like for you to let God’s light shine in you and through you.

Holy Adventure - Day 8

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

– Marianne Williamson

This quote is often attributed to South African President, Nelson Mandela, but is actually from the book, A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson. As a child of God, created in the image of God, we have a great honor and responsibility to live fully who we were created to be, and that may cause us to “shrink” at times. To live into and up to the image of God is certainly not the easy way through life. How are you being called to “make manifest the glory of God that is within” you?

Holy Adventure - Day 7

Just as we can feel like we are not creative, we can also feel like we are not worthy in God’s eyes. Maybe we have done things we are not proud of. Maybe we still carry some grudges about things past (or present). Maybe we haven’t picked up our Bible in years. Maybe we have thoughts we are not proud of. Maybe we don’t think we are good as a parent or a spouse or a friend. Maybe we think others seem to be better, nicer, more together, happier, etc. that we are. These thoughts can stifle our creativity and our ability to be open to how God may be calling us.

Today, try to feel just how much God loves you and just how much God wants you to face your shortcomings in order to grow beyond them. In God’s world, amazing things can be done through our weakness. In God’s world, it is often the smallest or last or least important one who has the insight needed or who gives all they have to feed a hungry crowd or anoints Jesus feet when others ignore what is coming for him.

Make sure to read Luke 15 today. Here you’ll find the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost sons (or prodigal son). Can you relate to any of these characters? If God can work through them and help them see a life they did not before imagine, why can’t God do the same with you? How will you open your mind and heart to God’s surprising love today? How can you offer that kind of love to someone else?

Holy Adventure - Day 6

I have often heard people say, “Oh, I’m not creative.” And when we look around at all the people we admire for their talent and creativity, it can seem as though we have little to offer. We see great works of art and we wonder how anyone could be so talented. We hear a great composer and we feel small by comparison. We read a beautiful poem or a well written book and we know we could never be so eloquent. And yet, created in the image of God, each of us has creative abilities whether we recognize it or not.

I am aware of that sometimes when Diane Brown puts flowers and clothes and other items together in the sanctuary. It seems to me, given the same items, I would never be able to come up with anything so beautiful. Or when I look at the Warm Hugs blankets and quilts and prayer shawls that come to the church to extend our love where it is needed, I think I could never be as creative as Lois Miller or Olene Dowell or Jeannie Fitz or Mary Israel. And there are SO MANY other examples at First Christian Church. Such creative people! Who in the church amazes you with their creativity? Where do you see the creative aspects of yourself shining? Is God calling you to create something new in your life?

Holy Adventure - Day 5

In worship several weeks ago we engaged in “breath prayer”. As we breathed in we thought to ourselves something like, “Come, Holy Spirit” and as we exhaled we thought something like “Mold me, make me”. In our reading for today, we are introduced to a breath prayer - “Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment!” Can you think of some other breath prayers that might be helpful along this Holy Adventure?

Breathing in, I inhale God’s creative energy

Breathing out, I release all my fear

Breathing in, I inhale love

Breathing out, I exhale resentments and grudges

Breathing in, I inhale new possibilities

Breathing out, I exhale the places I am stuck

You could write your ideas in your journal, or share them in response to this. Being able to see yourself taking in the positive and releasing the negative is a wonderful way to cooperate with God who is working to transform you that you may be a blessing to yourself, your loved ones, and the world.

Holy Adventure - Day 4

“Your life is your gift to God.” (p.44) Do you think about your life in that way? We often talk about how your life is a gift from God. And that is certainly true. But what if we lived as though our life was a gift to God? Your life is an offering of praise and thanksgiving! How does that change how you feel about yourself, your life, your choices? Does anything change?

“Every moment is the right moment for personal transformation. In every moment, God weaves together persons and possibilities in order to create a world of meaning and beauty.” (p.44) Epperly tells of a time when he felt compelled to go speak to someone after a speaking engagement even though he usually left immediately. He followed his “sense” and discovered what would become one of his closest spiritual friends. (p.46)

Have you ever been drawn to do something or talk to someone or take a different route to work or errands and discovered something that changed your life in a positive way? Do you think God has a part in these “synchronous” encounters?

Holy Adventure - Day 3

Day 3

In our Chalice Hymnal there is a song, “Creator God, Creating Still.” That idea is what Day 3 is all about – that God didn’t just create the world and then say, “Okay, that’s it!” God continues to create new possibilities, new ways of seeing the world, new ways of doing things, new chances at life and love. We get stuck sometimes when we think that how things are is the way they will always be and that we are powerless to do anything about it.

What would happen in our lives if we really lived with the idea that God is still creating within our lives and in our world? God is still opening up possibilities for the healing of the world and the strengthening of our lives as a blessing in a world that is in need of blessing. And what would happen if we began to see ourselves more and more as partners with God in renewing creation by our actions and our attitudes and our intentions? Can you imagine we took on the vocation of tikkun ‘olam – mending the world?

When you listen to your life, what do you hear?

Holy Adventure - Day 2

These words, “Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, our Lord!” (Romans 8:39) is often read at funerals as a reminder that death is not the final word when it comes to God. God’s love is with us each moment that we have life and breath and walk upon this earth, and yet, we believe that even death, even after we have taken our last breath, God’s love still holds us beyond this life.

What would life look like if we lived each day breathing in and out the thought, “Nothing can separate me from the love of God.” Not my own fears, not my own stubbornness, not struggle or questioning or making mistakes can be such that with the power of God’s love, cannot be turned around and made whole again. Epperly writes, “This is good news! With God as our companion, transformation is possible in every situation.” (p.39) Each day is a new day in God when we have the chance to change how we live and to be more in tunes with God’s visions and dreams for us.

How might you live into that reality this Lent?

Holy Adventure - Day 1

A question from today’s reading is, “How big is your God?” At First Christian Church, we have long been saying “God is bigger than_____” – you fill in the blank. You’d be hardpressed to find a word that you could not insert into that blank.

A few years ago, we had a brightly colored sign on the lawn that said, “God is bigger than______” Every few days we’d change the word(s) in the blank (it was a big slate board that we could erase and write something new). God is bigger than a breadbox. God is bigger than a giant. (That was the suggestion of one of our youth.) God is bigger than republicans and democrats. God is bigger than you and me. God is bigger than the Bible. And it was kind of fun to think about just how big God is… well actually, God is bigger than any of us can think or imagine. At First Christian Church, we celebrate that God is God and we are not. God is both known and unknown, seen in the face of a neighbor or stranger and beyond comprehension, imminent and transcendent.

What are some ways you have experienced God? How would you fill in the blank, “God is bigger than_______?”

Sunday, March 13th - Day 1

Tomorrow we will begin Day 1 of our 41 Days of Audacious Living! Don't forget to move your clock forward so you can rise to greet the day with time to give thanks to God for this adventure.

Tomorrow we will worship at First Christian Church at 10:30 with the theme, Transforming God, that will help us get into our theme for the week. Feel free to respond on the Facebook group page or on the blog as you are moved. Hopefully many will be inspired to share!

There are spiritual exercises and a prayer for each day. The reflections ask questions for us to ponder. So I suggest that you find a notebook or journal or blank sheets of notebook paper and set them with your book so that you can record your thoughts as you have them. You may also want to make sure your Bible is close by so you can look up scriptures as they come up. And, you may even want some post it notes to be able to put up reminders for yourself of affirmations you want to remember throughout the day.

Please share what stirs within you on this Holy Adventure!

Do you see your life as a Holy Adventure?

A major component of Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living by Bruce Epperly is that we are all called by God to a Holy adventure in our time and place. When we see our lives as such, all kinds of possibilities open up. Have you ever felt a nudge or "heard" a calling that you think may be God? In this season of Lent, through reading the daily reflections and prayers, may each of us become more aware of and in tune with God's presence in our daily life, the richness of our own story, and how God may be calling/nudging/whispering/hinting for us to explore new possibilities as our adventure unfolds. Feel free to post what you are thinking, what are your questions, where is your restlessness or puzzling happening, etc. We can share in the adventure!

Holy Adventure (and Lent) begins Wednesday, March 9

On Wednesday, March 9th, we will begin our Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living. Read the first three chapters of the book between now and the end of Saturday. Then on Sunday we will begin the daily readings. Don't forget to move your clock ahead before you go to bed Saturday night. On Sunday, we'll anticipate the first week of our adventure. Let me know what you're thinking as you read along.