Dear Lord, I am thinking of the wonders and the horrors we are seeing these few short days in Haiti. Short in terms of the wide world history, very LONG if you are trapped alive in the rubble.

Lord, continue to teach us Your everlasting greatness and relieve those who remain alive for the purpose of showing Your glory. You raise up those You will and You are so much more MERCIFUL than we are, so much more MERCIFUL than we imagine You to be . . .

Refresh all those who work in the rubble in Haiti and enable them to complete the work of saving those upon whom Your favor rests.

Spread Your grace and protection over the population and suppress the spread of violence and disease. Be pleased to expedite the formation of roads that will serve effectively to move supplies and transport patients. Remember the outliers and help us to remember and relieve them, too.

Let the healing begin, Lord . . .

If you remembered our sins and shortcomings against us, Lord, no mere mortal would ever stand before You, but You are gracious and forgiving because that is Your nature.

Open our hearts and minds to comprehend Your messages in all of this. Deliver us from evil and from the callus of lazy indifference that allows us to accept a verdict of 'unknowable' writ large upon this disaster.

Touch us with repentance, Lord, of our godless American sense of entitlement. We behave as though we have a DIVINE RIGHT to food and water and healthcare ourselves, yet we barely give a passing thought to those who have to suffer to get even the least of these.

Change us, Lord, in our willingness and our awareness. Lead us in Your way of honest, open-handed mercy. Convince us, Lord, that You care less what name we use to call upon You and so much more that we make the call in simple awareness that we need to be saved . . .

Think about what you can bring, not what you can take.

Read at least one thing that makes you think.

Challenge assumptions. Especially your own.

Do your best. Knowing that every day, "best" is relative.

Take time to be still. Breathe in peace. Breathe out peace.

See the other person's point of view. Really SEE it.

Refrain from those juicy steaks of gossip and criticism.

Tell the story of your charmed life. It will be a nice change from your tales of "woe is me."

Decide to smile more. Period.

Get some fresh air. Yes, even if it's cold. Yes, even for 5 minutes.

Be a little less self-righteous. A lot more compassionate.

Put your ego in your back pocket and build someone else up.

Remember that you are more than your job/career/labels. Much, much more.

Take nothing for granted. Crank up the volume on appreciation for every little thing.

Be a good detective. Find the good in each moment, situation.

Laugh. As much as possible. It's a great elixir.

If you find it hard to see the humor, pretend you're in a sitcom.

Imagine that all things ARE working together for your good. Act accordingly.

 Courtesy of @katjaib via Twitter, January 2010

Genesis 1 - 4 >> an assignment for participants in Spiritual Explorations Live with Ron Martoia >> read all 4 chapters daily over the coming week with a goal of discovering fresh insight there.

Simple list of where I am at the outset:

• The Genesis account(s) provide a basic topography of God at work in the cosmos with a special emphasis on God's attention to and plan for human development >> God is the creative force responsible for all that comprises our environment and experience, regardless of how or how long that actually takes >> God is the designer and animator of humankind, both male and female >> the imago dei resplendent in humanity is incomplete in either gender; it takes both genders, and indeed the totality of the redeemed human population, to draw a reliable portrait of the Divine, although redemption is not the topic of the earliest accounts >> God is personal, intimately involved with individuals, both men and women >> the typical human experience of the divine begins with the personal encounter, encompasses the primary relationships and bears influence on the various social and corporate interactions that humans experience
  
• Cause & Effect >> Creator takes responsibility for creation and involves humankind holistically in caring for creation; actions have consequences; work apparently came first, even before human relationship and definitely before the fall; work is NOT a consequence of sin
  
• The evil that confronts humankind is limited in scope and is mastered by Creator
  
• The term "serpent" serves as a plot device to describe the action of evil against the best {divine} interests of humanity >> hyperbole about talking animals and mythic constructs is no more helpful to fostering healthy discussion and spiritual understanding than dogmatic insistence on 6x24hr earth days of creation
  
• As far as I am aware, there is nothing in any traceable record that specifically and categorically precludes the possibility of a dual storyline in human development; that is to say that it is entirely possible that Omnipotence chose to specially create a specific couple with which to advance the species' development, even as primitive proto-human types evolved by natural processes
  
• The way the story is constructed leads me to conclude that it was/is important that the human genome remain fully human.  The story never hints that Adam was allowed or commanded to experiment with non-human partners before the human female was presented.  In fact, Adam was grieved until his human partner was revealed.  This storyline is important to countermand the base tendency of high-drive cultures where cross-species experimentation is practiced, whether for sexual gratification or gene-enhancement
  
• I don't take the Genesis accounts as strictly mandating heterosexual human relations.  It is clear that both masculine and feminine are inherent in the nature of God, our image-bearing, and so, to complete that original design in the ideal conditions of that time and place, the male was presented with a female.  In our fallen world, however, where humankind has been so ravaged by the effects of sin, our capacity for trust and love is warped and often mortally so.  The basis for relationship should be defined by the purity of the love and the quality of the commitment, not the gender or race or religion of the parties involved.

Act 20:24   "But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful KINDNESS and love. Act 20:25   And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again (i.e., on Earth). Act 20:26   Let me say plainly that I have been faithful. I am innocent of the blood of all of you, Act 20:27   for I didn't shrink from declaring all that G-d wants for you. "   Posted 2009-03.13

Today's passage is in Genesis 36, covering the generations of Esau's children.  I continue to be focused on understanding what G-D means when He says, "Esau have I hated" as I listen to this passage.  Let's see: 

• Esau fathered numerous sons with his three wives (and we can safely assume that there were numerous daughters among his progeny, as well; daughters who are not mentioned because they did no remarkable acts that would cause them to be remembered specially AND because, in that culture, they would have been counted in the families of their husbands estates when they married out of their father's household).
• He is forced to move away from his brother (Israel), not because of smoldering resentments or family feuds, but simply because the land cannot support all of the people and livestock produced by the brothers.  Sounds like a good problem to me!
• His sons and grandsons became kings and leaders of clans.  They built cities and developed territories -- the local equivalent of nations in their time.
• It seems they didn't know the God of their great ancestors (Abraham and Isaac), or if they did, they turned away from that faith.  Again, I note that we are never told that G-D ever spoke with Esau.  The lands that they settled and developed were the highly productive lands of Canaan, which Israel's descendants would later come to take by force, despising the pagan practices of their distant kin in that place and acting upon the direction they received by special revelation without ever questioning the logic or rightness of their actions.

This thing that the Bible describes as hatred looks like something completely different from what we think of as humans when we use the same word.  We think about punishment when we use the word hatred.  It's not clear to me that G-D meant any such thing when He chose the word.

To an astounding degree, we humans continue to be guilty of the sin of Esau, just the same as the descendants of Israel were when they entered the land beyond the Jordan in the lust of conquest.  We are more intent upon satisfying our appetites and needs than we are on preserving the peace and well-being of the whole family of humankind.  We will sell off our future and all of the incumbent responsibilities/privileges in order to enjoy the satisfaction of our present impulse.

Strangely or not, every problem that plagues our 21st century world can really be traced back to this same type of offense at its root. 

Only Jesus found a different way to deal with human need and impulse.  He didn't take, He didn't clamor, He didn't assert His rights, He simply trusted Abba God to make things come out right.  Granted, I believe He knew His calling and God's plan when He took His stand, but there He stood.  And even in that knowing, I find guidance.  If I am not equally assured of the unshakable commitment of Abba God in my choice, then I want to exercise discretion until that comes. 

I can't find another authentically altruistic model anywhere, however much I watch for one.  Let there be peace on earth -- the peace that was meant to be...

Notes of worship and theological insights . . .

This posting transitioned from it's previous address at the Christian Coach SIG website.

WHY PRAY?

I can't speak for all Christian Coaches, but personally I find that I often struggle with what seems to me an audacious proposition that we finite, limited, selfish creatures should petition our Omniscient and Sovereign Lord with our earthy perspective on matters that are largely beyond our comprehension, whether intimately personal or globally significant.  Mind you, I accept that we are commanded and encouraged to do so.  I believe the accounts of great things that have been wrought by prayer.  I apply myself to this discipline creatively, without neuroticism or legalistic obsessions.  I strive to ensure that the energy of my prayers is concentrated on bringing my thoughts and desires into alignment with what God is doing, rather than delivering to the Lord of All my puny human prescription for current ills or presenting my personal agenda for God's blessing.  I am both humbled and rejoicing that God responds magnificently to the prayers of His people, even to me!  I give thanks for the prayers of our ancestors that have brought us to this remarkable day in the history of humanity.  I gladly acknowlege that I am stronger and happier because of the prayers and kindnesses of others.

Still, I am on the lookout for every fragment of truth or insight that can undercut the riptide of reticence that I experience when I consider Who it is that hears my petitions and my praise, for how dare I address the Holy One of Israel directly or why should He ever receive my words?  Or, since we have confidence that God is for us and sovereignly working out His purposes on our planet, how can my prayers be important by comparison?  Won't God do the same good things without my needing to ask?

This page will serve as a collection point for notes on this topic that I find personally liberating.  I am primarily establishing this resource as a reference for my own personal use.  If you have quotes to share or find these items helpful, I'd love to hear from you, too.

• "God helped them as they fought. God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. God answered their prayers because they trusted him."
  ~~ I Chronicles 5:20
  
• "God has instituted prayer so as to confer upon His creatures the dignity of being causes."
  ~~ Blaise Pascal (quoted by Richard Foster, Prayer -- Finding the Heart's True Home)
  
• "Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the kingdom."
  ~~ C. H. Spurgeon (quoted by Richard Foster, Prayer -- Finding the Heart's True Home)
  
• "...when I talk, even if it is about myself, I am acknowleging the presence (and importance) of another." 
  ~~ Eugene Peterson, Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work

This posting transitioned from it's previous address at the Christian Coach SIG website; original post date = 2006-09.09

TO SEE WITH DOVE'S EYES

The Wise and Foolish Virgins
pre-Raphaelite Masterwork by Edward Burne-Jones of England; 1859

Matt 25:7-9

The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready.

The silly virgins said to the smart ones,
'Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.'

 (The smart, cagey ones) answered,
'There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.'

If ever there was an appropriate time and place in history to re-evaluate a traditional perspective, this is one.  Perhaps for millenia, believers have accepted the standard interpretation that this parable is meant to teach us that we will be left behind if we are not fully prepared to meet the Lord when He comes.

Why is it so easy for us to accept that God is willing to leave 50% of the bridal party behind and disassociate Himself from them?  How long will we meditate on the methods of Messiah before we understand that God is not willing that any should perish and that life is a gift we are meant to share?

The sons of Jacob, the Shulamite bride, the persistent widow, the wife of Zebedee, the quarreling disciples, the salaried workers -- do all of these examples fail to enlighten us in regard to this parable?

Jacob's sons didn't want to put up with their pampered brat of a brother any longer.  Who could blame them?  Clearly, Joseph was dad's favorite and the old man would never listen to a word against him.  And those ridiculous dreams of his!  He would never be the boss of them!  They'd see to that.  So they got rid of him.  They plotted and planned and sold him off to a passing caravan.  They told Pops he was killed by wild beasts.  Finally, they were free of their rival and the tradition of law and order could take precedence at last in their home lives and their fortunes.  Wrong!

Does anyone recall that the Shulamite bride from the Mother of All Love Songs missed the advent of her bridegroom, yet he did not abandon her!  Far from it, he took her as his most dearly beloved in the proper time and way.  And in the interim, the bride and groom continued to search for and to praise and to encourage one another.

But maybe that's too Old Testament for the post-modern mind, so how about this one:

Luke 18:1-8 (NLT) -- The Story of the Persistent Widow

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who was a godless man with great contempt for everyone. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. `I fear neither God nor man,' he said to himself, `but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!' "

Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this evil judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!

But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?"

Then there's the mother of James and John (the famous sons of Zebedee), who comes to Jesus bargaining for kingdom status for her boys.  The Lord rebuked her soundly. 

That alone should cast the light of a new day on the parable of the virgins, but just in case we're all myopic and night-blinded, the gospels go on from there to elaborate upon the quarreling that seems to have broken out in their band of brothers rather frequently towards the end.  On more than one occasion, Jesus had to stop them from arguing over who was greatest or least among them, who had the most intimate position, how they ranked against themselves and the rest of society in the sight of God.  This was never an appropriate viewpoint, according to the Master.

He even makes the point (in Matt 20) that the stuff of reward is His to disburse at His own discretion and that the hired help have no right to question the Owner in the use of His own assets and asks them the question, "Have your eyes become evil because I am Good?"  Or, as He asked in the widow's tale above -- "When I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who are putting faith into action?"

If we look through this parable with dove's eyes, those eyes of the Spirit to seek peace and pursue it, to become imitators of Christ, like-minded with God and transformed by the renewing of our minds, this whole story takes on a new significance.

The ten virgins, or bridesmaids, are a cultural icon from that historical time period.  It was customary that a bridegroom would assemble a party of friends who would accompany him to the home or trysting place of his bride-to-be on a specified date in advance of the wedding celebration. 

The bride also had a party of friends called bridesmaids, designated as virgins in the King James translation.  The term "parthenos" means a chaste and marriageable young woman in this context.  These bridesmaids had the responsibility of meeting the bridegroom's party upon arrival and escorting them to the waiting bride.  The number 10 (witnesses) was customary at all official Jewish ceremonies at that time and a wedding was certainly official. 

Frequently, the bridegroom might arrive after nightfall.  Remember that the Jewish day began in the evening, so this darksome arrival signifies the excitement of the groom, who has waited as long as he must but will not wait for the sun to come up before he arrives to claim his bride.  Thus, the bridesmaids could expect that he might come before sunrise and be ready to meet him even so, with their lamps trimmed and ready to light his way.  These are all regional, historical customs.

If the story were not about faith, the traditional conclusion might be considered normal and acceptable, but since we are talking about acts of faith and community, sharing the life and love of God with our neighbors and friends, it is antithetical to assume the correct response to distress or unpreparedness is to send someone away in the dark to find their own supplies.  Why, the shops in a Jewish village of that day would not even be open until daylight came!

These cagey, wise bridesmaids are, in effect, saying, "It's not my problem that you're not ready.  {Can anyone see the shadow of the Good Samaritan fall across this storyline now?}  If you are missing in action when he comes, it means more cake for me to eat and more bachelors for me to choose from at the wedding." 

If we take the life actions and teachings of Jesus as an example, we can begin to understand that He is using these cultural icons to show what the people look like from heaven's gate, how their greediness for status and worth is polluting their own image, as well as their expectations of God.

Humans want to judge the foolish virgins for not being prepared.  The Apostle Paul states in his second letter to the Corinthians, ch.10;v.12 that "comparing themselves among themselves, they are NOT WISE."

If only the non-Jewish widow that Elijah helped for so many years gone by could rise up and speak to us now, she would counsel us one and all -- "Pour out fair portions of oil for everyone.  The God you serve will not be late and there will be plenty for all."

Let us remember as we coach our clients and counsel our loved ones that God doesn't need us to manipulate the faith and actions of others by preying on their fears and insecurities. 

Perfect love casts out fear...

How can you share the light of your faith today
to help someone who is unprepared to meet God?

This posting transitioned from it's previous address at the Christian Coach SIG website; original post date = 2006-04.04

CHALLENGING THE CULTURE OF REALITY

Mark 11:27-33  ...they had arrived in Jerusalem again. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders came up to him. They demanded, "By whose authority did you drive out the merchants from the Temple? Who gave you such authority?"

    "I'll tell who gave me authority to do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied. "Did John's baptism come from heaven or was it merely human? Answer me!"

    They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe him. But do we dare say it was merely human?" For they were afraid that the people would start a riot, since everyone thought that John was a prophet. So they finally replied, "We don't know."

   And Jesus responded, "Then I won't answer your question either."

I don't watch much reality TV for a simple reason -- there's not much reality involved in these enterprises.  I saw about 4 minutes of Survivor once and one episode of BlackWhite, hoping for something different.  Sadly, it was not to be.

The fact that these programs continue to proliferate as a genre labeled REALITY TV on network and cable television must say something about our standards and expectations, if not our general concept of reality.  The artificial situations enacted before the cameras for the benefit of a few corporate sponsors have almost nothing to do with reality.  However entertaining we may find these amusements, let's not allow the general superficiality and flippancy of the genre to bleed into our coaching, our ministry, our approach to God's business.

The University of Chicago lists a coherent definition of reality:  The term reality perhaps most often refers to that which “constitutes the actual thing, as distinguished from what is merely apparent or external” and “underlies and is the truth of appearances or phenomena."

If we allow the artificiality of "reality TV" to permeate our expectations, then we may see the interactions described in Mark 11:27-31 as simple manipulation, a game of wits between the Pharisees and the Nazarene.  In ACTUAL REALITY, it was much more than that, but we need to place ourselves into that ancient and foreign culture to examine the motives and goals of the participants before we can properly appreciate this scene.

"By whose authority did you drive out the merchants from the Temple?"  When the Pharisees confronted Jesus in this fashion, they were questioning His credentials with the obvious intent of discrediting Him.  Nineteenth century biblical scholar Alfred Edersheim writes, "there was no principle more firmly established by universal consent than that authoritative teaching requires previous authorization" {see Edersheim, Alfred. (1993) The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Complete & Unabridged in One Volume), pp 737 ff; Hendrickson Publishing}.

Edersheim, raised in the Jewish tradition in Europe and converted to Christianity as a learned adult, goes on to describe the strenuous and strict process of qualifying for Rabbinical ordination in the contemporary world of Jesus.  This was no small feat of accomplishment, requiring many long years of rigorous study and apprenticeship, as well as proof of competency through public examination and sponsorship.  The authorities were attempting to sway popular opinion back to the Temple Authorities and silence the radical figure by essentially calling Him a quack.  They knew He couldn't cite one board or council in Israel that had ordained Him or one popular Rabbi who had sponsored His learning process.

This did not apparently cause so much as a ripple in His composure, for He understood their politics.  They were after the allegiance of the crowd and this crowd had lived out the story of John the Baptist in the first person.  They had wept on the banks of Jordan River in true repentance, they had waded into the muddy water for the ritual cleansing, they had mourned his martyred end.  In fact, many of the Pharisees themselves had gone out to see this living legend.  This crowd had already concluded that John was God's man for their generation.  The religionists and politicians could not defraud him of that or set themselves successfully against him and yet, John had not sat the councils or passed the ordination ceremony either.  By insisting on formal, institutional tradition, they could only lose this crowd.  They had asked the wrong question!

The system was designed to ensure competency and secure God's favor upon the practicing teachers; that was their reality, but they had not understood that God did not centralize His blessing in their system with any sort of exclusivity.  The "IN"s and "OUT"s of human judgment are simply not reflective of God's expanding economy.

Christian coaches are trained to adopt standards of excellence and to help others design and deploy their own high standards in order to minimize the disruptive effects of evil in the environment, yet we cannot let our standards become barriers to the Divine. 

Reality is dynamic and growth-oriented in God's Kingdom; it is rooted in change and yields the sweet fruits of transformation.  Is this the reason that disciples are called followers of God?  Is it because our leader, in REALITY, is this dynamic, growth-oriented God, the One who always LEADS through change, making followers of us all? 

How does YOUR REALITY allow for the SURPRISES that God brings?

This posting transitioned from it's previous address at the Christian Coach SIG website; original post date = 2006-03.12

GOBSMACKED FOR GOD'S GLORY

In making my way through the Chronological Bible, I've paused for a few days to meditate on the triumphal entry of Jesus of Nazareth into the ancient city of Jerusalem.  This is the origin of the event in the Church calendar that Protestants traditionally name as Palm Sunday. 

There are so very many, very savory and satisfying details to ponder in this event, which is recounted in all of the four gospels, but there is a very specific theme that rings through to me at this time:  REPUTATION. 

All of the writers mention the crowds that thronged the procession as they passed into Jerusalem at the height of the Passover pilrimage.  By comparing the various accounts, we learn that there was a core group that had traveled with Jesus from the outlying regions.  We learn that disciples AND Pharisees were among this core group, but as the procession draws near to the city, the little crowd swells with faithful pilgrims and curious onlookers until, at its peak, Matthew tells us that the entire city was stirred with the news of His approach.

And why was everyone so moved?  The stories and eye-witness accounts tell us it was because of the miracles and especially because Lazarus had recently been called out of the grave by Jesus.

So let's stop for a minute and put this event into the context of local celebrity.  If any popular hero you can think of came to your street in a celebratory parade today, what would people say about him or her?  Pick your own personal favorite, religious or no, and imagine the scene for a moment.  What would it look like?  Who would be there?  What would the banners say?  How would the media machine spin the story?  Close your eyes and feel the excitement for just a moment.

Now, look at what happened on the occasion of Jesus' most celebrated contemporary human moment.  All of the praise and all of the glory ascends upward to God.  The crowds aren't shouting Jesus' name.  They aren't talking about fishing trophies or carpentry expertise or relevant preaching.  They're NOT focused on human accomplishment.  They're recounting the things that only God could have done, the astonishments that relieved local human suffering, and they are praising God with great rejoicing.  They are praying out loud!  The cry of "Hosanna" literally means "GOD save us NOW"...

This was the measure of everything that Jesus did or said in the flesh:  how will people see Father God when this that I say or do falls into their heart/mind? 

Read the stories for yourself:  Mark 11:7-11; Matthew 21:7-11; Luke 19:35-40; John 12:12-19.

Not that He says nothing disturbing or controversial, for He often does exactly that.  But ultimately, please note that His operative modality was relief, liberation and constructive results rather than judgment or punitive measures. 

May we be selfless enough to live the kind of lives in which people can see that God is working for the good of the humans we meet in the days of our lives...  I'm asking God to lead me so that when they think of my life, people will be more ready to speak the glory of His name than my own... 

May God be pleased to help us, one and all, so imitate Christ...

This posting transitioned from it's previous address at the Christian Coach SIG website; original post date = 2005-12.17

WHEN IT'S OVER

I visited my non-denominational church yesterday to drop off my packages for this year's Angel Tree.  The Overlake Christian Church facility is a mega-complex and the stadium style main sanctuary was abuzz with activity on this Friday afternoon.  Overlake hosted more than 20,000 people (free of charge) for the Living Christmas Tree this year and the staff and volunteers were busily dismantling the set.

After I had delivered my packages to the sorting crew, I decided to stop into the main sanctuary to watch and pray for the workers.  We've had some health challenges in our household and I was, sadly, unable to attend this year's event. 

As I entered the auditorium, I was overwhelmed with the sweet scent of evergreens and pine bark.  The set was only partially dismantled and it was still possible to imagine the beauty and the glory of the multiple performances in this place.  I sat quietly and praised God for the kind of love that left me fulfilled by service to my beloved although I had missed this pageant.

And then I began to realize the profound parallel of this moment.  Sitting here in this meeting place, watching the skeleton crew that worked to dismantle the set and prepare the venue for the next event, gazing at the remnants of the glory that had filled the place, I suddenly recognized how like this we all are at Christmas.

We gather together, a handful of people compared to the total population, and try to see into the distant past.  We try to imagine the poverty and dignity, the sacred moments and mighty movements that God performed then, we inhale the lingering fragrance of tree-mendous glory, but time has elapsed and the event itself has passed into history.

Like the Living Christmas Tree, the coming of our Lord continues to warm hearts and win people into the grace-filled life that God desires for us.  The saga continues by the blessing of God.

What divine, coachable moments has God delivered
to you in this memorable season?