About 16 months ago, I was informed by my G.P. that I am Insulin Resistant.  This is a fine medical term that is being used to describe the condition of people who are on the bullet train that is heading for diabetes.  They also call it "pre-diabetic" condition, but this term has fallen from favor as more media outlets cover the question of whether or not pharmaceutical companies are 'inventing' pre-conditions in order to create markets for their very expensive new drug therapies.

The diagnosis of Insulin Resistance is news that I must take very seriously, since there has been quite a lot of diabetes in my family history on both sides of the genetic code.  Perhaps you are taking it seriously, as well.  Over 20 million people in America have been diagnosed with Diabetes and another 50+ million are Insulin Resistant.  That's a huge market on the supply side of the FOOD chain, but just try to find packaged foods that won't add to your blood sugar!  Almost impossible to do.

I spent the next 13 months researching and experimenting with holistic approaches to reverse the course of this condition, as I prefer to avoid the complications of drug therapy.  The first recommendations from all the experts are get more exercise and lose weight.  Sounds simple, but when high blood sugar makes you feel sleepy all the time and inflammation/joint pain prohibit normal exercise, the continual rising trend in blood sugar becomes increasingly debilitating.  Frustration and discouragement create an overwhelming sense of defeat, having a tendency to immobilize all but the most stalwart souls.

Over time, I learned a very few baby steps that led to enormous increases in improvement.  There are some basic steps that I rely upon in general. 

• More than 20 years ago, my son was a hyperactive child and I became an obsessive label reader when we had to eliminate chemical provocateurs from his diet.  Now I'm checking labels for refined sugars, among other things.  Anything with high fructose corn syrup goes back on the shelf.  Likewise, anything with more than 14 grams of sugar (any kind of sugar) per serving.
   
• I've always prefered home-cooking to packaged/convenience foods or even most restaurant meals.  We use convenience foods and we do eat out, but less often than the typical working American.  When I cook, I often prepare double portions of the entree course and freeze half.  This keeps wholesome food on hand with half the prep work.  And when I cook, I can use low glycemic sweeteners like organic agave syrup and date sugar.  Check my pantry page for examples of these.

I tried a variety of supplements that are reported to help with controlling blood sugar, but none of these made any difference to my readings and my symptoms.  These included cinnamon (I used Cinnabetic II for a couple of months with no improvement), gymnema, bitter melon (capsules or herbal tea or as an ingredient in other formulas, this product left me so depressed that I wanted to die -- not suicidal, just empty).  Many people claim that these products have helped them, but they were not useful in my campaign for recovery and, in fact, my fasting blood sugar readings continued to climb while using these.

Eventually, I heard about Banaba Leaf and did some research on this product.  It's been used safely in Asia for centuries.  I decided that I wanted a whole leaf product, as opposed to the corosolic acid extract that is frequently sold.  I wanted the benefit of the constituents holistically, as they have not been found to be harmful.  I learned that the commonly used therapeutic standard is 1.5% corosolic acid.  I've seen products up to 18%, but that seems excessive to me by comparison.  I understand that the mechanism of efficacy in Banaba Leaf appears to be at the cellular uptake level.  It doesn't alter the amount of insulin your body produces, it unlocks the (receptor) sites in your cells that allow the body to utilize that insulin efficiently.

This works for me!  It worked from the second day and it has worked consistently for the intervening ~2 months.  I take (1) 250 mg capsule by Paradise Herbs at bedtime and another approximately 12 hours later, roughly with lunch.  Along with the other steps I've taken to reduce the refined sugar in my diet (something I have always avoided anyway), I have reduced my fasting blood sugar by 20 - 30 pts consistently.  Additionally, I wake up refreshed with better cognitive function, have more energy throughout the day and more ambition/ability to work and exercise. 

I tried cutting back to one dose per day and my levels started rising, so I am sticking with (2) doses daily.  I can lead a fairly normal life with this product, as long as I don't indulge in desserts after 9:30 or 10:00 pm.  Even the small glass of wine or single un-sugared cocktail doesn't have an adverse effect on my numbers.  (I make up my own cocktails, eliminating simple sugar and processed mixers, using my own fresh squeezed juice, green tea, etc for flavors instead.)

There are a couple of other things that I do to enhance the improvement in blood sugar and energy levels, but I'll cover those in future post. 

Serve the Lord with gladness...

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...

Grilled Halibut with Morel Mushroom Sauce

1.5# Halibut Filet, fresh
2 TBS Organic Olive Oil
1 tsp Lemon Pepper blend
1 tsp Sage & Thyme blend (dried & ground from Simply Organic)

1 TBS Organic Olive Oil
1 TBS Organic Walnut Oil
1 medium Shallot, fine dice
12 Morel Mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed*
1/2 Cup Orvieto (Italian White Wine)
1/2 TBS Tarragon (dried)
1 Cup Creamed Chicken Vegetable Soup (non-dairy. see below)**
1/2 Cup Green Tea
Salt & Coarsely Ground Pepper to taste

Directions:

Prep and heat the grill.  Wash fish, pat dry with paper towels, coat with olive oil, then season with herbs and set aside to rest.

Heat Olive & Walnut oils in a medium skillet, then saute the mushrooms & shallot over medium high heat for 4 minutes.  Reduce the heat slightlly and deglaze with white wine.  Cover and simmer briefly (1-2 minutes).  Remove from heat and gently stir in the remaining ingredients.  Simmer on lowest heat while grilling the halibut, duration depends on thickness of fish.  I use disposable aluminum pan with cover or wrap the filet in foil.  Cook 4-5 minutes, then rotate package 180 degrees to ensure more even heat.  Cook another 4-5 minutes, then reduce the heat and open the package.  Grill for 2-3 minutes, enough to brown the fish.  Plate with mushroom sauce & side (ravioli, artichoke hearts, asparagus tips, broccolini, etc).  Serve with side salad.  Tonight's salad = Galia Melon dice with Mache greens.

This recipe is sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free.  In non-alcohol households, substitute an herbal green tea blend for the white wine.

* Always begin morel prep by cutting each mushroom in half to check for insects, as the cavity of this wild varietal is a favorite hang-out for crawly things.  Wash, drain, ready to go.

** Creamed Chicken Vegetable Soup = homemade organic chicken soup with Bija Cold Stop tea, celery, carrots, crimini mushrooms, and a cup of polenta, thickened with stick blender to fine, silky consistency.  We had the soup for dinner last night.  Remaining soup went into this sauce for dinner tonight.

HYPO Oxtail Soup

Servings:  6 - 8
Ready in: ~ 2.5 - 4 hrs.

Ingredients:

3/4 C Potato Flour
1.5 Tsp Paprika
0.5 Tsp Ground White Pepper

2 lbs organic soup bones (I used 1 lb of oxtail with 1 lb of lamb shank)

2 TBS organic olive oil
2 TBS organic walnut oil
2 med organic shallot, rough dice
1 tsp minced organic garlic
0.5 lbs organic baby carrots
1 bunch of organic celery, use leafy ends (about 5-6 inches, top of bunch)
1 small bunch of fresh, organic basil leaves
1/2 bottle of hearty red wine (I used Razor's Edge Shiraz; dry, mineral finish)
1/2 - 1 whole bottle of Bard's Tale Beer (Dragon's Gold gluten free, lactose free)
3 large, ripe organic red tomatoes
1 qt chicken stock
1 qt of herbal tea (use a smoky flavor in winter, light & bright in springtime)
2 bay leaves
1 Tsp dried thyme
1 Tsp alder smoked sea salt

Okay, if you never had oxtail soup, this sounds completely weird.  It is one of my husband's favorite meals and here in the Pacific Northwest, we get fresh, organic oxtails at PCC Market regularly.  He is European, so maybe it's an acquired taste.  It is completely delish, hearty and satisfying without being heavy. 

Begin by rinsing off the bones in a colander under running lukewarm water.  I use food service disposable gloves in the kitchen, so I don't get hung up on the way things feel or whether I'm spreading bacteria from one source or surface to another.

Heat olive and walnut oils in large stock pot.  Add shallot and garlic to heated oil and sizzle till translucent, then remove from oil and set aside.  This will flavor the oil in preparation for the browning the soup bones.

Place the potato flour, paprika, and ground pepper in a large (gallon size) ziploc bag.  Add bones to bag, just a couple at a time, and dredge thoroughly.  Brown the bones,uncovered, in the seasoned oil -- about 3-4 minutes on the first side, then about 2 minutes on each remaining side. 

As the bones are browning, rinse the baby carrots and process in Cuisinart to small dice.  Remove bones from stock pot and reserve.  Add carrots to stock pot (add a little more oil if you need it now) and saute until soft.  Rinse celery tops and process to small dice in Cuisinart.  Add processed celery to stock pot.  Add back the shallot and garlic at this point.  Process basil leaves in Cuisinart and add to pot.  (The order of addition is important here because these foods all cook at varying time intervals.) 

Add back the soup bones at this point, then pour in 1/2 bottle of dry red wine.  If you are a sans alcohol household, substitute steeped tea or apple cider (watch out for sugar content) here.  Deglaze the pan by scraping up all of the browned bits into the liquid using a spatula or turner.  Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes to encourage the blending of flavors.

Add the Bard's Tale Beer (Dragon's Tale, gluten-free, lactose-free) or a dark Belgian ale and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, process 3 large, organic tomatoes in the Cuisinart and add to pot.  Add remaining liquids, seasonings, cover and simmer on low for 2 or 3 hours (longer if time permits).  This soup does need to be skimmed occasionally during this phase.  Discard the skimmings in compost or disposal.

Serve with a side salad, gluten-free biscuit or other fresh bread and some fresh fruit.  Lush!

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, chemical-free and organic.

PARENTING BONUS:  The soup can be served with or without the bones, but if your kids love the Shrek movies, I'd recommend serving the bones in the soup (as above).  Call it Ogre Soup and let them eat the meat/marrow with their fingers.  They'll love it.

Servings: 6+
Ready in: ~1.5 hrs.

Ingredients:

1 TBS organic, chemical-free butter (or other non-stick product of your choice)
2 TBS good quality olive oil for cooking
1 TBS walnut oil
1 LB young leeks (use white and about 1.5" of green), sliced medium thin
2 average sized Portabello mushrooms, large dice
1/3 LB Niman Ranch Chemical-Free Bacon, diced
2 large, organic eggs
1/3 CUP UNSWEETENED almond milk
1/3 CUP Bija brand Cold Stop Tea (this one relies on thyme for flavor, rather than on mint)
Sea Salt and freshly ground mixed peppercorns
1 TBS gluten-free flour (potato flour, fava bean flour, etc)
4 TBS freshly grated Organic Fontina Cheese (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).  Coat a glass casserole dish to eliminate sticking; I use the butter for this purpose only and it worked very well.

Heat olive oil combined with walnut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Walnut oil will prevent the olive oil from burning and it gives a nice smooth finish to the palate, so you won't miss the butter in your recipes.  Plus, it's heart-healthy!  Bonus!

Add leeks and cook until beginning to soften, about  5 minutes.  Push leeks to one side and add bacon.  Cook until browned and moderately crispy.  (Good, organic bacon will be very lean and will not leave much fat in the pan.  If your bacon has more fat, brown separately, then add just the bacon to the leeks.)  Add portabello and cook another 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the almond milk, tea, sea salt, peppercorns and GF flour in a blender.  Add eggs and process on low for about 1 minute.  Add Fontina Cheese, if desired.  Process on low for about 30 seconds.

Spoon leek mix into the prepared casserole.  Pour almond milk mixture over top.  Place in center of hot oven and bake for 1 hour or until the filling is set and nicely browned.  Rest dish for 15 minutes before serving.

Delicious!  Very savory as a side with broiled halibut or other mild white fish.  Also great for breakfast!  Warm in microwave, add GF toast or biscuit.  Enjoy!

HYPO = hypoallergenic recipe

(Modified from Italian Leek Tart on cdkitchen.com; this preparation is gluten free; if you omit the cheese, it would also be dairy-free.  I tend to tolerate Fontina better than most dairy, and this is the "larger" week of my cycle, anyway...)

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?

peace ~~ personal peace begins with me . . .  just an ordinary, tax-paying US citizen; not a doctor or a lawyer or a billionaire or a salesman; noting the steps in my own journey as a way of providing some documentation, should my husband or family ever need to speak for me

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