Stronger: Part Two

(Multnoma Falls in Oregon...not the creek in which I was wading!)

When I look at thy heavens, the work of they fingers, the moon and the stars which thou has established; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?  Yet thou hast made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:3-5)

"The dark night is when (Christians) lose all the pleasure that they once experienced in their devotional life. This happens because God wants to purify them and move them on to greater heights." -John of the Cross

I remember the moment I slipped off that rock that I was sitting on with my sister.  The excitement of the creek rushing all around me did not last long.  And I don't know if it was a bump from my sister or simply a misplaced step on that mossy rock we were sharing...but soon, I slipped and found myself bobbing down stream just under the surface of the rolling water.  I remember holding my breath, looking up, and watching all the trees and the rocks on the bank of the creek pass by.  I don't remember being scared.  After all, I knew my father was not too far off and I knew that he would rescue me.

He remembers the moment that he saw my head of hair floating through his fishing hole.  That was all that he could see, but it was enough.  At that time in my life, I didn't enjoy getting my hair cut and my hair was probably a little too long.  However, it was a good thing because my father dropped his pole, ran along the bank, and then plunged his hand into that rushing water, grabbed my longish hair, and with one mighty heave, pulled me out of the brink and raced me over to the picnic table where my mother stripped me of my dripping clothes...including my Husky jeans...and placed them on a nearby branch to dry.

The same is true of our faith. We may slip, and it seems that all that is left of our spiritual life is hanging out to dry, but we aren't far from our Father's grasp. 

In these moments, John of the Cross encourages us to hold our breath and take a look inward. There are dangers as we grow in our relationship with Christ. Sometimes we crave the experience of our faith more than the Author of our faith. John of the Cross called this, "Spiritual Greed."  Sometimes, we become spiritually lazy.  Once upon a time we had that moment on the rock in the middle of the creek when our relationship with God was young and exciting and rewarding, but somehow other things have become more important. We quit praying and reading God's word. We skip church and don't study. John of the Cross called this, "Spiritual Sloth."  Or, maybe, we see that someone else is experiencing God in an exciting way and it just doesn't seem fair because they are a new Christian and we have been at it a lot longer. John of the Cross calls this state, "Spiritual Envy."  

When you enter that Dark night, hold your breath.  Look in. Be honest, but also be gentle with yourself.  God loves you and He isn't far off...

And keep looking up.  Preferably, look up far from town on a clear night. Consider the innumerable stars and the vast reaches of space and then remind yourself of God's power.  He will save you.  This too shall pass.

The Dark Night will happen. It's normal. No one is to blame, not even my sister.  When it happens, remember to hold your breath and remember God's love, but also look up and remember His power. He will come for you and He is stronger than you know.  Amen

Church stopping. Less doing. More being.

Stronger: Part One

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. I know that this man was caught up into Paradise-- whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows - and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.(Paul the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 12:2-3)

"The dark night is when (Christians) lose all the pleasure that they once experienced in their devotional life. This happens because God wants to purify them and move them on to greater heights." -John of the Cross

When I was growing up, our family would spend Memorial Day in the small town where my mother spent her childhood. We would visit family, than stop at the park for a gourmet picnic lunch.  My mother is a pro at picnics. While she set about transforming the rustic table into a beautiful setting fitting for a delicious meal, my father would race over to the creek tumbling off the hillside for some much-anticipated fishing while my big sister and I would get busy exploring.

I remember on one occasion, when the creek was swollen with spring, my sister, who is three years older than I am, managed to work her way out on to a rock that sat in the middle of that roiling water.  It looked amazing and I simply had to join her there on that magnificent perch.  It wasn't easy for me. My father told me at the time I was about three years old and, at that stage of life, I was short and round.  My mother always told me, "Husky", was just the brand of jeans that I wore...but I made it, and for a few wonderful moments, I joined my sister on that rock as the water rushed by.  It was thrilling, and a little bit scary.

Sometimes are spiritual lives are like that.

We know that it was for Paul.  Most Biblical scholars believe that Paul is being humble here in this passage from 2 Corinthians, and the "man in Christ" that Paul knows and that was caught up to the "third heaven" was Paul himself.  And, in the Biblical understanding of heaven, the "third heaven" and "Paradise" was probably very similar to Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6:1-5.  Paul is recounting a time in his life where he felt as if he was in the very presence of God. It was thrilling, and a little bit scary.

Perhaps you have has such an experience.

You have felt the presence of God in worship or in prayer. You feel that you are in the very presence of God.  And, when you read the Bible, you are amazed that even familiar passages come alive and God speaks to you in new and exciting ways. I hope you have experienced the "third heaven"; the love and power of God. This experience is one of the most exciting seasons in a Christian's life.

But it isn't always like that.

Sometimes we experience what John of the Cross in the 16th century called the, "Dark night of the Soul."  Even in the 21st century, the dark night is still something that Christians should be familiar with.  While it is true that God will never leave us or forsake us, sometimes it seems like God is distant.  We feel far away from that third heaven, the seraphim, and the shaking ground (see Isaiah 6:3-5).  We feel like we are just going through the motions of worship and prayer. God's word, which once felt so alive, now seems thick and dry. But don't despair.

Such experiences are normal. When we go through them, hold on because we are about to discover that God's love and power are stronger than we could ever imagine.

(...to be continued.)

Church stopping. Less doing. More being.

No Fear

Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. - Proverbs 23:18

(A guest post my my beautiful wife, Jennifer.)

This is us...winning the Disney vegetable car race.  Well, OK, we didn't win the race but they gave us a medal for best team name..."Corn-fed." But these medals might as well have been Olympic gold because I like to think they were hard-fought and won.  This time last summer, fear came knocking at our door.  Actually, fear broke the door down and started hauling off our personal belongings. Things like our future, our joy, our life as we knew it.

But that was silly. 

Fear wasn't, and isn't, welcome.  So let me bear witness to what Cancer and fear cannot take...they can't take true friendship and the depth family will go to lift you up. They can't take the ability to respond to suffering and pain with dignity and courage. My heroic husband went through fire and was not burned. It was hell. That's all there was to it, but I stand firm in a faith that believes hell has been defeated.

So stick it, Cancer. Stick it fear.

Those pictured here are stronger, healthier, better people than we were a yer ago.  I am forever grateful for all of those who prayed us through the last year. Geoff is feeling great. Everyday he gets stronger...and funnier...and more himself. He's on no medication and has no pain.  For all the bad news on social media let us be bearers of some good news. Hope is stronger than fear and cancer doesn't get a voice.

Church stopping. Less doing. More being.