The Carpenter by Nathan GreeneUnless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. Psalm 127: 1Lord, You are the Master Builder. I am a mere apprentice.You are in charge.You hand me the supplies I need for the day’s work.You give me the tools and teach me how to use them.You guide my hands in learning the craftsmanship of my trade.You hold the final blueprints - I just follow your daily assignment.You see the the whole picture - I only see the nail and board in front of me.Oswald Chambers wrote: “Jesus, the Master Builder, takes us over so that He may direct and control us completely for His enterprises and His building plans; and no one has any right to demand where he will be put to work.” Reporting for duty! Where to, Boss? … [Read more...]
Living within the Presence of God – Every Moment, Every Day
“Each moment is a revelation of God.” Jean-Pierre de Caussade"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18The phrase pray continually beckons my heart. Living each moment in the presence of God is a deep hunger within me. Surveying my shelves this week, I discovered quite a few books discussing this spiritual practice and realized once again just how God is inviting me to dwell with him in every moment – even the ordinary ones throughout my day. Wow – isn’t that just amazing? God – in all His glory, majesty, power, wisdom – desires to spend time with little ol’ me. With all of us! And not just an occasionally fleeting visit or an hour on Sunday, but every minute, second, and nanosecond. Gregory Boyd wrote a book I read this week: Present Perfect – Finding God in the Now – that relit this desire within my heart. (See review below and be sure to leave a comment because I will be giving … [Read more...]
PLAN B – Spiritual Lessons when Life is Not Fair
What can we learn from life’s Plan B’s? Plan B is a new direction we take or are forced to take when what we originally planned/hoped/dreamed for fell apart. Often we are not happy when we first enter this new place – we are angry, disappointed, and hurt. I recently read new book by Pete Wilson, called Plan B (see review below of the book that I received as part of Booksneeze book reviews). This book inspired me to think about the Plan B’s in my life and the lessons I learned.Every life overflows with Plan B’s (and probably C’s. D’s and XYZ’s too). The honest truth is that we are not really in control no matter what we chose to think.I planned to have my dad walk me down the aisle – he died when I was 16.I envisioned my mom holding my babies – she died ten months before I conceived.I thought I would earn my Masters degree before the age of 30 – I did achieve that dream, but not until my 40s.Bill and I thought we would live our entire lives in a midsize college town - yet God planted … [Read more...]
Loving Others as Jesus Love Us – Lectio Divina – 5/2/10
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34Love one anotherLove one another? Love the person that hurt me? Love the lady in church who thinks she is better than the rest of us? Love the person who created so much sadness in my life? Love that smelly, dirty person lying in the back alley? Love another whose values seem so foreign to me? Love others who strapped bombs to themselves and slaughter innocent people? Lord I am sure I can never love others as you have loved me.My heart is not large enough, not strong enough, not wise enough.My efforts fail to keep this command.I come to You with my weak and empty heart: only You can strengthen me and fill me with Your love. My love is inadequate. My love is weak. My love fails.Your love is plentiful. Your love is robust. Your love thrives.You are Love! … [Read more...]
CATHERINE OF SIENA – LESSONS TO REMEMBER
Each year on April 29, many churches remember or commemorate Catherine of Siena. Commemorate means recognizing and learning from the lives of exemplary Christians throughout church history. Until a few years ago I never heard of this fascinating lady, Catherine of Siena, and she has much to share with us today. Catherine of Siena lived during the chaos and violence of the fourteenth century, a time of the Black Death, famine, and numerous civil wars. Catherine was the 25th of the 26 children of a northern Italy wool dyer and was born in 1347 at Siena, Italy. Catherine claimed to have had her first vision of Christ when she was aged five or six. He smiled at her and blessed her. At age seven she vowed chastity, but that was not unusual among little girls at the time, and they were not supposed to keep the vow once they reached puberty. A girl was regarded as marriageable at twelve, which implied that she took an interest in wearing make-up and bleaching and curling her hair. Catherine … [Read more...]
Internal Non-Violence – Discovering My Violent Heart
I didn’t beat my children. I don’t own a gun. I’ve never even been arrested. But an article I read recently made me realize I have a violent heart. The thought made me uncomfortable. As a spiritual director I have learned to be aware of the movements within my spirit and this concept of having a violent heart resonated deep within me. What was God teaching me?Marie Beha wrote “Formation for Nonviolence” in the spring 2003 issue of Human Development. She asked the question in the formation of non-violence where do we start? Her answer is in the recognition that what goes on inside of us contributes to the culture of violence surrounding us.Reminds me of the song lyrics: Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.Beha writes, “Violence isn’t always noisy….How I respond to others, even to myself, reveals who and how I am. My morning might begin in violence as I smash the button of my ringing alarm clock, resentful of its shrill summons from still needed sleep. Getting into … [Read more...]
God says, “Yes” – Lectio Divina – April 25, 2010
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)Yes!No matter my questions; the Lord answers YES.No matter my doubts; the Lord answers YES.When I am full of fear, is God still with me? The answer is YES.No matter when the answers in this world and lifetime seems to be no; the Lord is saying YES.All my no’s disappear because in Christ they are a YES.Does God keep His promises? The answer is YES!Is Christ the answer? YES!My words are inadequate. All I can answer is AMEN!Hymn of Promise by Natalie SleethIn the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.From the past will … [Read more...]
Savoring the Small Sacred Spaces
I almost missed it.Driving to a meeting last Tuesday evening, I glanced down at my dashboard. The odometer read:99999.As the next mile sped along, I keep watching for the exact moment the numbers switched to:100000.As luck would have it, there was a safe place to pull over and snap this photo of this silly moment.But is it so silly?A small unimportant moment opened my heart to the Important. I paused for one brief minute and thanked God for having a reliable car. For times He kept me safe in the near misses and times I didn’t realize how He protected me. I was grateful for the too many times to count that the car turned over and started its engine – some thing I take for granted. For its heat in winter and the air conditioning in sweltering summers. For the moments of pure pleasure of singing along with the music at the top of my lungs. I thought of the headlights to guide me home in the dark. And felt grateful for the hands that built this car and changes its oil. Pausing to savor … [Read more...]