Lenten Reflections: Worship

Some Sunday mornings I find it hard to get going. In the quiet of a still house the warmth of my bed calls to me, and sleeping late seems good. There are Sunday mornings I go through the motions because it's what I do... what I've done all my life. This was one of those mornings.

I entered the dim sanctuary, guitar slung over my shoulder, bag heavy in my hand. The microphones needed setting up, stools put in place, music stands set for the morning. It's been a year now. Gathering with others to begin Sunday mornings through prayer and praise. The group of worshipers span all ages and stages of life.

She's the youngest of our worshipers... the tiny tot with the blonde hair. She walked in holding the hand of her grandfather and sat snuggled among cousins. The music began and she bobbed her head, clapped her hands all the while grinning from ear to ear. 

During this Lenten season we've joined voices in praying the Prayers of the People, an old tradition in our church I encountered for the first time at church camp as a young girl. The prayer takes time as people voice their concerns for our world, our community and our church. As we completed our time of prayer with the Lord's Prayer, I raised my eyes and see her there. Sitting on her grandfather's lap, eyes closed, resting. I wondered has she fallen asleep? 

As we sang our last song the worshipers greeted each other, shared God's love, and she entered the aisle to leave. Only she's not leaving... she's DANCING. Her aunt watched as her little hands clap and she moved to the music. I giggled inside because there are times I would like to dance in the aisle just like her.

This was the Sunday we talked about saints. How every Believer is a saint and each one of us is called to invest in the growing, loving, and teaching of others. That tiny pig tailed girl just now learning to talk gave this girl a lesson on worship I won't soon forget.

She taught me to hold tight to the Father's hand as I enter His sanctuary to worship. She reminded me sometimes going through the motions means sitting right down snuggled in among other Believers, my brothers and sisters in Christ.

When it's time to pray and you've used up all your words, why not get comfortable and close your eyes. Rest in the knowledge the one's lap you sit in has it all under control, and He'll never let you go. 

And shouldn't we all leave worship dancing down the aisles... moving to the rhythm of His love and grace?Bubbling over with joy.

Jesus said it once, "unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven". Who knew such a power packed truth would come through the little one just learning to say my name. The preacher was right Sunday. Every single one of us is a saint, from the youngest to the oldest. And we all have a message to give, and gifts to use, time to invest in others.

She won't remember the Sunday she taught me to worship. But I will... it's a lesson I'll never forget.

Lenten Reflections: Ouch!

...that so many of you are a generation of triflers: triflers with God, with one another and with your own souls? For how few of you spend, from one week to another, a single hour in private prayer! How few have thought of God in the general tenor of your conversation! Who of you is, in any degree, acquainted with the work of the Spirit, his supernatural work in the souls of men?

John Wesley

What EXACTLY are you saying John?

I looked up the word trifle. It means something of little value, substance or importance... ouch! So let me put John Welsey's message into words we might understand a little better.

So many of you are a generation of believers who do not value your belief. You don't give God, others, or your own soul the value you should. I bet very few of you have spent an hour a week in talking to God. You probably haven't had a conversation about God this week. And let's not even talk about the supernatural work of God through His Spirit.

Double OUCH!

John Wesley was not a preacher who minced words. He said what he meant and he practiced what he preached. He believed prayer, sharing with others about God, and learning to follow the leading of the Spirit was crucial to our faith. 

I guess if you think about it, Jesus did the same thing. He talked to God often, shared with others daily, and always followed the Spirit. And... when someone needed a stern talkin' to... well, He did that too.

The truth is there are times I put God on the back burner, forget to talk to Him and get so busy there's just no room for the Spirit's leading.

OK... Mr. John Wesley... I get your point. Because we all need a come to Jesus lecture once in a while.

Message received!

Lenten Reflections: Compassion

Two different books... two different scriptures... one word.

My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.-Hosea 11:8

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, very patient and full of faithful love.-Psalm 103:8

Theses scriptures reveal something about God's character. Merriam-Webster defines compassion as sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Empathy is the identifying with how someone feels... sharing in the pain. Compassion is the desire to fix the problem and take away the pain.

Let me explain a little further. Empathy is when those of us born and raised in the south say, "Well bless their hearts." I have a shorter version, "Bless 'em." I do mean it. I want God to bless those suffering or in trouble, but I myself am not planning to do anything about it. After all for the most part those troubles I witness I have no power to fix anyway. And when I've tried... well let's just save that story for another time.

Honestly, I'm not a good sympathizer. My husband and family will tell you I'm the nurse from Hades. When you're sick around my house, for the most part you're on your own. Thank goodness my better half is much more compassionate when it comes to illness than I am or I'm certain my children would be damaged for life.

There are moments I'm moved to compassion for others. Just last week I read a testimony written by a preacher who went to see the reality of  human trafficking throughout the world. Last night I watched a special on the conditions of starving children in a country across the globe. I was sickened by the information and wanted desperately to do something... but what? What could I do to make a difference?

Both books I'm reading (Yes I read more than one book at a time. Drives my sweet mama crazy.) point to God's compassion for His people. Isn't Jesus the perfect picture of compassion? God limiting himself in the flesh of a human to better identify with our condition. He experienced temptation, pain, rejection and suffering to alleviate ours. It has become clear to me... Jesus is God's compassion.

Do you hear them? The words of one of my favorite songs drifting through the air...

Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

  Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

    “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me! 

Want to hear the song for yourself? Just click on the link below.

Lenten Reflections: 3 General Rules

The founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, lived by three rules. At first glance the rules seem a bit simple.

Ten words... is that it? Because a list of rules of biblical proportions would make me feel more secure. Like I might have some way of measuring whether or not I'm getting it right. Rules checked off inch me closer to becoming a member of the heavenly in-crowd. Oh, if I only had more rules, than relationship would never have to be involved.

John Wesley must have known a person's tendency to try to measure up. And if he would left well enough alone and only lived by the first two rules, things might have been easier. I could make a mental list of the harm I did... the good I accomplished and at the end of the day I would either be a puddle of sorry on the floor or a proud peacock.

But NO... he had to throw the last one in the mix. I wish I could sit right down with John and ask him, "How DO you stay in love with God?"

I once heard a woman married fifty years respond to the question, "How do you stay married this long." She smiled and answered, "We've just never fallen out of love at the same time."

But God, He doesn't fall out of love. Every single action He takes is motivated by His love for us... from the beginning of time until this very moment. So this "staying in love with God" thing is not about God not loving, it's about me not loving. Slowly, slowly I'm learning faith is completely wrapped up in a loving relationship with Father, Son, Spirit. It has nothing to do with the hours I pray, the Bible verses I have memorized, or the good deeds done.

Paul tells the Corinthians the same thing.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.--I Corinthians 13:1-3

I'm convinced Wesley's first two rules are near impossible without the last one, and I'm inclined to think he would agree. Maybe one day, when I get where I'm going, I'll ask him.

Lenten Reflections: Go With the Flow

I'm sort of "go with the flow" kinda girl. Each  morning I wake up with a general idea of what's happening, all with the understanding what's happening might change before my feet hit the floor. For the most part I'm o.k. with it changing, as long as my "general" list of to-dos get accomplished at some point. Even though my calendar is not up to date, and I'm not prone to schedule every moment of the day, I still find security in knowing which direction I'm going.

The sentence catches my attention, "It is God who chooses to make our way known to us."

The statement blows my whole "general direction" thing out of the water. And I can't help but wonder... what would life be like without knowing what direction I'm going? I mean, I'm fine with a few wrong turns and taking the long way around as long as we get to the place I'm planning to go.

I read this week trusting God and having a relationship with Him is much like being in a river. The river is already flowing, and I am in it... whether I like it or not. Well honestly, I like it as long as it takes me the direction I want to go.

I guess I'm not as "go with the flow" as I thought I was. There are days I'm cranky because my list of things is longer than the minutes in the day and darn it, I'm determined to get it all done. Days when I look everywhere but into the eyes of the one standing next to me in line because I'm not up for a conversation. Days when I'm swimming against the current and gasping for air. The truth about myself isn't pretty. I am most comfortable knowing where I'm headed.

And is it possible this needing to know is keeping me from knowing God more fully? The author of The Divine Dance puts it like this:

You just have to let go of whatever it is within you that is saying no to the flow, judging it as impossible, or of any shame that is keeping the Indwelling Spirit from guiding you, because guess what? Even your sins often become your best teachers. The Great Flow makes use of everything, absolutely everything. Even your mistakes will be used in your favor, if you allow them to be. That's how good God is.--Richard Rohr

God is calling me to live each day on a "need to know" basis. Allowing my general direction compass to sink to the bottom of this River I'm in and be. Be confident in the fact He knows where I'm going and let that be enough.

Lenten Reflections: Listen

The last few mornings I wake up and hear these words, "Listen, O Israel. The Lord your God is one." You'll find these words in the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy and it is part of the morning and evening Jewish prayer. These are traditionally the last words to be said before you fall alseep. 

I began hearing the words before I noticed these were the very same words Jesus used in His response to the leaders' question. "What is the greatest commandment?" In Mark you find Jesus' answer,

Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”--Mark 12:30-31

And the devotional reading today says,

In a word, there is no point in space, whether within or without the bound of creation, where God is not.--John Wesley

I'm coming to realize no moment in time, no place I am, is void of God. Loving God and others is in every second, every place... every circumstance. So when the young girl came in today asking me to teach her how to fix her top I was a bit stunned.  She's come into our store a few times. She asked if we would hire her, and even offered her help with no pay. She explains she wants to learn to do what we do. We set up a time for her to come back, but it wasn't today.

I didn't really have an hour to spare. No time set apart in my schedule for an alteration tutorial with someone who doesn't know how to thread a sewing machine. Just minutes before she wanders in all bright and ready to learn, I wrote the words on my arm.

(I know you shouldn't write on yourself. No lectures please... lol)

I walk back to get a few supplies with my eyebrows raised at the sister and she replies, "Well, you did say you were giving the gift of time for Lent." Oh my, I did didn't I. Put it out there for the whole wide world to read... more time to connect with God and others. 

Somewhere along the way I've come to believe time is mine. I have twenty-four hours in a day and I get to decide what I'll do with it. I determine who gets how much and when. I decide... I determine...I... I... I! 

"LISTEN, Stacy, The Lord your God is one!"

God's creation has become my possession and I'm downright stingy with it. Have you ever noticed when you attempt to keep something for yourself, it eventually keeps you?

I realized today as our heads huddled close over the sewing machine...  there's freedom in giving it away. 

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.--John 8:34-36
 

Lenten Reflections: Beginning

I pull up to the window to pick up the hubby's dinner and she greets me with a smile. Just your everyday meeting with the one who takes my money and hands me change. Except she keeps staring at me like she knows something I don't. I wonder if I know her... does she know me? She asks if I want ketchup and then says, "Its that time of year again isn't it?"

She smiles at my questioning expression as I think, "What in the world!"

"I should have gone to church today. I knew it was getting close."

It's only been ten minutes since I left the sanctuary with black ashes in the shape of a cross on my head. How in the world does one forget in the span of a few blocks? I'm like the person looking in the mirror and forgetting what I look like as soon as I walk away. (James 1:23) I've considered what God is calling me to do during this season. I've heard the conversations of others today about how they will be observing the season of Lent. My ears just heard the sermon preached and watched as black crosses were drawn with the whisper of words... ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Odd isn't it? How a black ash cross connected this girl gone to church to the one wishing she had. And maybe that's the whole point. Jesus made a way for us to get connected... connected to God and to others. 

I'll not give up anything during this Lenten season except time. Time to connect with the One I have chosen to follow... time to connect with others along the way. 

Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”-Mark 12:30-31 The Message