Love. Romance. Passion. God? "One of these things is not like the other..." Or is it?
Today I want to explore the parallels between human romance and the love of God. I am not planning to cover the various categories of love and their distinctions (for that, I highly recommend The Four Loves in which C.S. Lewis has done an excellent job). Instead, I'd like to take some observations that I've made from own recent romance and how I believe they apply to God's love for us. When I say God, I refer to Jesus, Holy Spirit, and of course, the Father, whom many in the Judeo-Christian world often think of as "God." I am using God as a blanket statement for all three persons of this trinity as I see him. So, let's begin!
I don't typically use bullet points for my blog posts, but bullets seem fitting for this one. So here are a few observations I've made on the connection between romantic love and God's love for us human beings.
1. Love creates a deep longing to be with the other. In my own romantic relationship, I have noticed a growing desire to spend loads and loads of time with the woman I adore. Her presence is somehow life-giving such that I feel parts of myself coming more alive when I am around her. Of course, the same could be said for how some of us feel about our relationship with God, that his presence is life-giving, and that seems to be a common experience for many whom I talk to who are engaging in an active relationship with God. However, how many of us have thought about our presence as being life-giving to God and him craving to be in relationship with us? The more that I grow in my own relationship with my girlfriend, the more I am convinced that God longs to be with those whom he loves, and he will go at great lengths to make that happen. Look at the cross, for starters. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, Jesus, that whoever believes in him should not be lost in death but experience life eternal, continually in God's presence for all time."-John 3:16 (paraphrase mine) Yes, I daresay God went to great lengths to spend time with his love and that he goes to great lengths still, though this was the most dramatic, costly and clear demonstration of such love. Amazing. How many of us would give the life of our own pet, much less our own flesh and blood (or ourselves for that matter) to create the opportunity for fellowship with those who might not even love us back? Wow.
2. Love does crazy things, especially when it comes to TIME. I have already touched on one of the crazy things that love has done as relates to God, namely that love makes incredible sacrifices to spend time with the loved one, but how does this translate to one's use of time? It has been my experience that when I am with the one I adore, my awareness of or value for my own time easily goes out the window! I enjoy spending time with this girl so much that one or two hours can easily turn into 4 or 5 without me even realizing that so much time has passed. And the funny thing is that I rarely care that I have continued in fellowship longer than I had intended or planned. The only drawback is that it often means less sleep if I have to wake up early for work the next morning, but even then, this is a sacrifice that feels worth it given the life-giving benefit of spending time with such a beautiful creature. And isn't it the same way with God? I don't know about you, but I have found that God often likes to do things way past the timeframe that I gave him to do it in. For instance, when I was in Edinburgh, Scotland several years ago with a group of internationals to share Jesus with the people of Edinburgh Fringe Fest, I recall getting ready for bed one evening, thinking that the best of the day was behind us, and we'd better get our sleep to prepare for what God might have planned the next day. Apparently, God wasn't finished yet, though it must have been 1:00 in the morning when we felt compelled to pray some group members present. And God did some AMAZING things in that prayer time! I thought, "God, you're crazy! Shouldn't we be getting sleep?" And yes, sometimes we should be. But I find that God is much more of a late person than some of us are at times. So I have begun to try throwing out so many parameters of time when it comes to my own pursuit of God, deciding on occasion to simply "waste time" on him, if it can be called a waste at all. He's worth being pursued. And he loves to pursue us. So why not, even if it's 1:00 in the morning? (The Genesis Creation Story points to each day starting the night before, anyway.)
3. Love is a lavish gift giver. I am betting that many of you reading this right now have also read or heard of a book called The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. (If you haven't, I highly recommend it.) In that book, Chapman refers to different ways in which we as human beings like to express and receive love from one another, whereby certain forms, or "love languages," are preferential to others based on the person. One of my love languages is that of GIFTS! Whenever I receive or give gifts, I feel that something very special is being imparted. Does it have to do with the gift itself? For me, not so much. It is the thought behind it and the fact that somebody, whether God or an actual human being, wants to surprise me (or if I am giving the gift, that I get to surprise someone on the receiving end)! In a romantic context, I have discovered the utter joy of having a gift prepared with a delivery date that the receiver knows nothing about. The gift is in motion, I have paid for it and arranged for its delivery, but it has yet to arrive. And the anticipation I have felt is so great that it is hard for me to keep my mouth shut about the surprise that is coming. This caused me to recognize something about the love of God and his incredibly generous character. God has so much in store for his loved ones, much of which has a designated delivery date some time in the future which we are almost always in the dark about. Often, I myself whine about such gifts, having asked God to bless me with something (a romantic relationship, for example, which he finally did! And when he did, it was primo!) yet not seeing them coming fast enough and wondering if he forgot about me. All the while, God is on the other end going, "I've ordered it! It's coming! It's not there yet, but I know when it's going to arrive. I'm getting it ready, so just wait! It's on its way!!!" This kind of perspective, recognizing that God is eagerly anticipating blessing me in some way, though he and I will both have to wait for its arrival due to factors often unseen by me, has helped me to love God even more and to realize that he is not holding out on me. He's just much more patient. ;-) Of course, sometimes God can't even keep his surprises to himself and gives us a snippet of what he's bringing to us. One example of this is in Isaiah 42:9 when God was telling the Israelites about some incredible things he was about to do: "See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." If intimacy grows through confiding in one another, then this is surely one of God's ways of developing his love relationship with us.
I was going to list more axioms of romantic and divine love here, but given the specialness of the number 3, I will stop at that. For those of you who have mused on such lovely connections as these, I would love to read your thoughts. Perhaps I will write a second part to this exploration. For those of you reading this and going, "What? Is he crazy? I've never experienced God in that way, not in a tangible, romantic sense," I encourage you that such a crazy, loving God exists, and he is most clearly seen through the person of Jesus! As I write this on Good Friday, the downward/upward slope to Easter, I urge you to drink what the Giver of Chai is offering. He is not relegated to boring, religious ritual (though religious ritual can certainly help seekers and believers to experience God's presence.) He is, instead, a living, breathing, romantic who desires to drink a cup of chai (or coffee, if that floats your boat) with you. Won't you join him and let him caffeinate your soul? He longs for you and for the incredibly caffeinated, soothing drink that you are. The cross says it all.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Paradigm Shift: The Advantage of Loss
I want to talk about a paradigm shift, something that may seem backwards but when applied affects one's whole experience of the world. Here is the thought, direct from the words of Jesus: "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but she who loses her life for my sake will save it."
In the society of which I am a part, my peers and I are constantly striving to build upon what we've gained in order to secure the life that we want, and this often means keeping and cultivating what we have already established. This could be as basic as protecting the relationships that form our immediate community or making personal investments in a current job that we like and want to grow in further. It could involve building professional connections in a local sector of an industry (in my case, expanding my network in the local, Chicago theatre scene) and staying rooted in one locality in order to sustain and create credibility for oneself in that industry.
While each of the above scenarios are all good and well in themselves and have their proper place in the development of a thriving human life, I believe there are times when to stay in that "preservation" approach can actually undermine the growth that we need for our lives to move forward into realms of greater fulfillment and effectiveness. Once again, I am not saying that being rooted and establishing relationships in credibility in one place is a bad idea. (On the contrary, this can be quite necessary and beneficial in most cases, especially for people whose normal mode of operation is the opposite, simply bouncing from place to place.) But I do feel that there is an equally unhealthy emphasis on maintaining what we have, which keeps us from experiencing what awaits us as we let go of what is safe and predictable in our current state. Confused yet? Stay with me. ;-)
Let's explore this with an example from my life as an eighth grader. For some, the formidable years of middle school (or junior high as you might know it) are years that they would rather quickly forget, including their eighth grade year. For me, however, my eighth grade experience was one of the highlights of my educational, social formation. After two years gaining my bearings and finding my place in the obtuse adventure that is a magnet arts middle school, I arrived at my eighth grade year feeling on top of the game and in control of my destiny. I was well-liked by most of my peers (you can't please everyone, can you?), felt confident and respected as an active member of the theatre department and overall really liked the community of friends and colleagues--alright--teachers--that had been established up that point. That year was one of the most joy-filled years of my life and perhaps one in which I felt the most emotionally healthy.
So here is where this example comes into play with the subject at hand. Would it not be completely wrong and self-stunting for me (and for others with me in that king-of-the-world scenario) to stay in the eighth grade for at least one more year, despite the requirements that I leave my middle school life and advance into the ranks of the high school adventure? Most if not all of you reading this would unequivocally shout a unanimous "Yes!" (or at least think that such a question is ludicrous to ask in a scenario like mind where no academic reason for repeating the grade was necessary). And in this example, it seems all too clear that to move forward from one grade to another would be the obvious progression.
But what if I were back inside that eighth grade head of mine and thinking, "Why leave this place now? My community is solid, my reputation is intact, my artistic pursuits are smiled upon. I've got it made! I need to build in this place where I've developed roots for the past three years. What's another year or two going to hurt? This is where it's at."? I wonder if this is the mentality that we all too often get stuck in when given an increasing measure of success and comfort-level in our current life situations. You may retort, "Well, we're not in middle school anymore. This is adult life. This is different." But I ask, how do we know that the state we are in is in actuality the end of the season, ready to push us forward and out into the next? This is a question that I think is worthy of addressing, but which I will not attempt to address in this moment. Rather, I want to present the thought that there is a time to move on, and that in these times, the way forward feels counter-intuitive. We must often lose to gain, and if we keep too much when it is a time to give up, we can easily lose what we hope to gain as life and others move forward while we remain glued to the past.
I am considering grad school right now in New York City. That is the the looming change that is on the horizon for me, or the possibility thereof, at least. I have been in Chicago for the past four and a half years now, and it was only in the last few months that I was able to finally produce the very show that I came up here to develop. I am brimming with a wealth of rich relationships with the community that God has given me, and in certain work scenarios, particularly in the realm of some of my theatre teaching, I feel very much established and comfortable. However, there are other factors which are not quite settled yet, which I feel leaving Chicago and pursuing graduate study in NYC would further solidify, factors which I do not see as clear a solution for were I to stay in this beautiful city. I don't necessarily want to leave Chicago, the city of dreams (as I like to call it). But if I get into this grad program in New York, I know from my Chicago experience what rewards can come from leaving one city and starting a new life in another, as painful as the losing aspects of that transition can be.
What about you? Where might God or life be directing you to give up what's comfortable in consideration of gaining something greater where risk and unpredictability are assured?
Lose to gain, gain to lose. The cycle continues. What part of the cycle might you be in right now?
In the society of which I am a part, my peers and I are constantly striving to build upon what we've gained in order to secure the life that we want, and this often means keeping and cultivating what we have already established. This could be as basic as protecting the relationships that form our immediate community or making personal investments in a current job that we like and want to grow in further. It could involve building professional connections in a local sector of an industry (in my case, expanding my network in the local, Chicago theatre scene) and staying rooted in one locality in order to sustain and create credibility for oneself in that industry.
While each of the above scenarios are all good and well in themselves and have their proper place in the development of a thriving human life, I believe there are times when to stay in that "preservation" approach can actually undermine the growth that we need for our lives to move forward into realms of greater fulfillment and effectiveness. Once again, I am not saying that being rooted and establishing relationships in credibility in one place is a bad idea. (On the contrary, this can be quite necessary and beneficial in most cases, especially for people whose normal mode of operation is the opposite, simply bouncing from place to place.) But I do feel that there is an equally unhealthy emphasis on maintaining what we have, which keeps us from experiencing what awaits us as we let go of what is safe and predictable in our current state. Confused yet? Stay with me. ;-)
Let's explore this with an example from my life as an eighth grader. For some, the formidable years of middle school (or junior high as you might know it) are years that they would rather quickly forget, including their eighth grade year. For me, however, my eighth grade experience was one of the highlights of my educational, social formation. After two years gaining my bearings and finding my place in the obtuse adventure that is a magnet arts middle school, I arrived at my eighth grade year feeling on top of the game and in control of my destiny. I was well-liked by most of my peers (you can't please everyone, can you?), felt confident and respected as an active member of the theatre department and overall really liked the community of friends and colleagues--alright--teachers--that had been established up that point. That year was one of the most joy-filled years of my life and perhaps one in which I felt the most emotionally healthy.
So here is where this example comes into play with the subject at hand. Would it not be completely wrong and self-stunting for me (and for others with me in that king-of-the-world scenario) to stay in the eighth grade for at least one more year, despite the requirements that I leave my middle school life and advance into the ranks of the high school adventure? Most if not all of you reading this would unequivocally shout a unanimous "Yes!" (or at least think that such a question is ludicrous to ask in a scenario like mind where no academic reason for repeating the grade was necessary). And in this example, it seems all too clear that to move forward from one grade to another would be the obvious progression.
But what if I were back inside that eighth grade head of mine and thinking, "Why leave this place now? My community is solid, my reputation is intact, my artistic pursuits are smiled upon. I've got it made! I need to build in this place where I've developed roots for the past three years. What's another year or two going to hurt? This is where it's at."? I wonder if this is the mentality that we all too often get stuck in when given an increasing measure of success and comfort-level in our current life situations. You may retort, "Well, we're not in middle school anymore. This is adult life. This is different." But I ask, how do we know that the state we are in is in actuality the end of the season, ready to push us forward and out into the next? This is a question that I think is worthy of addressing, but which I will not attempt to address in this moment. Rather, I want to present the thought that there is a time to move on, and that in these times, the way forward feels counter-intuitive. We must often lose to gain, and if we keep too much when it is a time to give up, we can easily lose what we hope to gain as life and others move forward while we remain glued to the past.
I am considering grad school right now in New York City. That is the the looming change that is on the horizon for me, or the possibility thereof, at least. I have been in Chicago for the past four and a half years now, and it was only in the last few months that I was able to finally produce the very show that I came up here to develop. I am brimming with a wealth of rich relationships with the community that God has given me, and in certain work scenarios, particularly in the realm of some of my theatre teaching, I feel very much established and comfortable. However, there are other factors which are not quite settled yet, which I feel leaving Chicago and pursuing graduate study in NYC would further solidify, factors which I do not see as clear a solution for were I to stay in this beautiful city. I don't necessarily want to leave Chicago, the city of dreams (as I like to call it). But if I get into this grad program in New York, I know from my Chicago experience what rewards can come from leaving one city and starting a new life in another, as painful as the losing aspects of that transition can be.
What about you? Where might God or life be directing you to give up what's comfortable in consideration of gaining something greater where risk and unpredictability are assured?
Lose to gain, gain to lose. The cycle continues. What part of the cycle might you be in right now?
Sunday, December 9, 2012
When Community Fails...(or, one reason Christmas is so darn special)
Community. What comes to mind when you read that word? Necessary? Enriching? Elusive? Disappointing? In my experience, community has met each of those descriptors, and in this post I endeavor to explore why it is so elusive and what is to be done about that.
I want to focus my energy on the community which is built within the theatre, as that is perhaps some of the deepest yet most cyclical community I have experienced. For those of you reading this who are involved in the theatre, you understand what I mean almost immediately. For those of you not so involved, let me fill you in a bit.
In the process of putting together a show, a community is a natural by-product, and often this community is one that is very rich. Here you have several people coming together for a set period of time to pursue a common goal, passionately offering up their time, talent, and relational resources to give life to something which they all deem worthy of its stage time (limited stage time though that may be). From rehearsals to production meetings, those involved in a show can suddenly find themselves spending a lot of time with one another over consecutive periods in which a sense of family begins to emerge. Though roles vary, each participant is unified by the work. This sense of community and unification can become heightened when it is time to share the group's work with an audience, thereby inviting them, in a sense, into the community which the group has created.
But what happens when the work has ended, when the goal has been achieved? It seems that the community is slowly stripped away, first by the lessened time actors and production staff are spending with one another due to the lack of rehearsals or frequent production meetings once the show has gone up. At some point in the run, though the actors are still present to share the show each night (or day), the director no longer shows up each time, nor do all of the production team members. Finally, the last performance is at hand, actors and crew members are unified once again in the strike (destroying/putting away the set, costumes, and other materials that manifested the world of the show in the performance space), and suddenly, those actors are without the production and the community it provided.
At this point, you may protest, "Well, if it were real community, these people wouldn't need the show to continue in order for their relationships to keep growing,"
to which I might say, "Ah, good point."
Yet so often the community built over the course of a production feels authentic enough (yes, it varies in intensity and quality depending on the production, the people involved, and other factors). It feels authentic, the cause seems worthy, the passion and effort are there. So why does the community dissolve once the show has ended?
I have seen this happen in church settings as well, where everyone was unified over the course of weekly small group gatherings, praying for one another, studying the Bible, etc.---and when the group ended, some of those relationships were still in tact, but depth of community--the steady coming together of all of the unique parts--was no longer there.
Do we always need a cause, a format, an excuse to develop community together? Perhaps that's the problem; we feel we need an activity to justify the the sacrifice a community requires to exist. But what if the community is a valid enough reason in itself for such sacrifice? What if, in a theatre setting, church setting, or otherwise, the goal was just as much the community as the work which inspired it? What if, as a theatre endeavored to produce a show, it also endeavored to somehow sustain the sense of community that its play-making would inevitably create?
As I write, I realize that this topic is too broad to be contained in just one post. But I would like to offer up something that is lingering in the back of my mind as I write, a name and a concept that is perhaps a key in all of this (and quite fitting, given the Christmas season at hand).
In an ancient prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah, as recorded in the Old Testament, Jesus is named as "Immanuel," which means "God with us." In a sense, one of the core things we are promised in the coming of God on earth is...community. Not just God over there, God on earth doing his own thing...but God--get this--with us. Hmm...
As the old carol goes, "O come, o come, Immanuel." If God is eternal, and eternal means unending, and we get an eternal God with us, then that must mean...eternal community. Starting when? It has already begun. Jesus, preparing his disciples for his imminent death, resurrection, and temporary departure, told them,
"... I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." -John 14:16-20
I don't claim to understand how all of this works, but one thing seems clear. Jesus and his Father make their presence available through their Spirit, and as we join with them, we are offered constant community. I haven't worked all of this out practically yet, but I would like to see more of this in my own life and in the life of the theatre.
Immanuel...God with us...in community. I'll drink a chai to that.
I want to focus my energy on the community which is built within the theatre, as that is perhaps some of the deepest yet most cyclical community I have experienced. For those of you reading this who are involved in the theatre, you understand what I mean almost immediately. For those of you not so involved, let me fill you in a bit.
In the process of putting together a show, a community is a natural by-product, and often this community is one that is very rich. Here you have several people coming together for a set period of time to pursue a common goal, passionately offering up their time, talent, and relational resources to give life to something which they all deem worthy of its stage time (limited stage time though that may be). From rehearsals to production meetings, those involved in a show can suddenly find themselves spending a lot of time with one another over consecutive periods in which a sense of family begins to emerge. Though roles vary, each participant is unified by the work. This sense of community and unification can become heightened when it is time to share the group's work with an audience, thereby inviting them, in a sense, into the community which the group has created.
But what happens when the work has ended, when the goal has been achieved? It seems that the community is slowly stripped away, first by the lessened time actors and production staff are spending with one another due to the lack of rehearsals or frequent production meetings once the show has gone up. At some point in the run, though the actors are still present to share the show each night (or day), the director no longer shows up each time, nor do all of the production team members. Finally, the last performance is at hand, actors and crew members are unified once again in the strike (destroying/putting away the set, costumes, and other materials that manifested the world of the show in the performance space), and suddenly, those actors are without the production and the community it provided.
At this point, you may protest, "Well, if it were real community, these people wouldn't need the show to continue in order for their relationships to keep growing,"
to which I might say, "Ah, good point."
Yet so often the community built over the course of a production feels authentic enough (yes, it varies in intensity and quality depending on the production, the people involved, and other factors). It feels authentic, the cause seems worthy, the passion and effort are there. So why does the community dissolve once the show has ended?
I have seen this happen in church settings as well, where everyone was unified over the course of weekly small group gatherings, praying for one another, studying the Bible, etc.---and when the group ended, some of those relationships were still in tact, but depth of community--the steady coming together of all of the unique parts--was no longer there.
Do we always need a cause, a format, an excuse to develop community together? Perhaps that's the problem; we feel we need an activity to justify the the sacrifice a community requires to exist. But what if the community is a valid enough reason in itself for such sacrifice? What if, in a theatre setting, church setting, or otherwise, the goal was just as much the community as the work which inspired it? What if, as a theatre endeavored to produce a show, it also endeavored to somehow sustain the sense of community that its play-making would inevitably create?
As I write, I realize that this topic is too broad to be contained in just one post. But I would like to offer up something that is lingering in the back of my mind as I write, a name and a concept that is perhaps a key in all of this (and quite fitting, given the Christmas season at hand).
In an ancient prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah, as recorded in the Old Testament, Jesus is named as "Immanuel," which means "God with us." In a sense, one of the core things we are promised in the coming of God on earth is...community. Not just God over there, God on earth doing his own thing...but God--get this--with us. Hmm...
As the old carol goes, "O come, o come, Immanuel." If God is eternal, and eternal means unending, and we get an eternal God with us, then that must mean...eternal community. Starting when? It has already begun. Jesus, preparing his disciples for his imminent death, resurrection, and temporary departure, told them,
"... I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." -John 14:16-20
I don't claim to understand how all of this works, but one thing seems clear. Jesus and his Father make their presence available through their Spirit, and as we join with them, we are offered constant community. I haven't worked all of this out practically yet, but I would like to see more of this in my own life and in the life of the theatre.
Immanuel...God with us...in community. I'll drink a chai to that.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Steeping...
Today I want to explore the very unpopular topic of WAITING. This is something that I am not too good at yet something I am still forced to do, given the fact that there are many desires that have yet to be fulfilled in my life. Our one-click-away, microwave-and-its-ready culture (here in America) has made it easier for me to resist the practice of waiting. But I am starting to wonder if NOT waiting requires one to wait even longer. Let's take a look.
In my last post, I talked about resource and looking to Jesus to satisfy the deeper needs behind our needs on the surface. But this kind of dependence implies the need to reliquish control of getting needs met ourselves and waiting on someone else to do it for us. That doesn't sound too inviting when experience all too often tells us that others take too long, that they can't be trusted to do things right, or that they may not come through at all. Better to trust yourself, do it yourself, and get it done right. Right?
There's this prophet named Isaiah who, by the Biblical account, was sent by God to the ancient Israelites to reset their destructive course. Many times, the Israelites looked to others or to themselves to get things done, and this almost always in a way that was contrary to God's way of doing things. Often the ways in which they would do things ended up in selfish behavior to the detriment of others, and ultimately themselves. They were caught in a cycle of self worship and idol worship, looking to themselves and other things to get their needs met. But the results were always deceiving or temporary at best. In this context, God provides glimpses of another way through the cries and declarations of Isaiah, such as this description of how God worked for his people before:
"For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." -Isaiah 64:3-4
In this description of God, I am struck by the idea that he does things that his people do not expect, awesome things in fact. So often, I want to know what's coming and therefore try to act on my own so that I know what is happening. Control. But God here goes beyond and does things that we do NOT expect, awesome things at that. Many times, his surprises are much better than our pre-conceived plans of what will make us feel better.
I'm also struck by the last part that says that God is one who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. Is the converse then true, that he does not act for those who do not wait for him or trust him to come through?
Here's a description elsewhere of what it looks like when trusting in God as the ultimate resource:
Isaiah 30:15 : "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."
Israel was trusting in abnormal ways of getting their needs met: oppression, deceit, unhealthy alliances, and God said that all of that striving would get them nowhere. Rather, their solution would be in turning from those ways and in resting, in quiet trust. It seems that a solution was offered, but they denied the offer for help by their refusal to quiet their busy lives and stop their striving to take control.
Is the solution any different for us? In what ways are we trusting in things other than God and acting in ways that are harmful to ourselves and to others in order to get what we want? I'll tell you for my own part, it's not working. More and more I'm ready to try out this quiet trust, this restfulness that says, "Okay God, I'll wait. I'll do it your way. Show me what you're doing, and help me to follow in that, even if it takes longer."
Would you rather have home-brewed chai that may take a good while to make, or a few minute steep from a tepid tea bag? Or if God decides to act quickly with a good quality 5 minute tea bag, are you willing to wait the full 5 minutes for a proper steeping? The longer the wait, the greater the strength, the richer the taste, and better the chai.
God knows microwaved tea is an unsatisfying option. He'd rather we drink the good stuff.
In my last post, I talked about resource and looking to Jesus to satisfy the deeper needs behind our needs on the surface. But this kind of dependence implies the need to reliquish control of getting needs met ourselves and waiting on someone else to do it for us. That doesn't sound too inviting when experience all too often tells us that others take too long, that they can't be trusted to do things right, or that they may not come through at all. Better to trust yourself, do it yourself, and get it done right. Right?
There's this prophet named Isaiah who, by the Biblical account, was sent by God to the ancient Israelites to reset their destructive course. Many times, the Israelites looked to others or to themselves to get things done, and this almost always in a way that was contrary to God's way of doing things. Often the ways in which they would do things ended up in selfish behavior to the detriment of others, and ultimately themselves. They were caught in a cycle of self worship and idol worship, looking to themselves and other things to get their needs met. But the results were always deceiving or temporary at best. In this context, God provides glimpses of another way through the cries and declarations of Isaiah, such as this description of how God worked for his people before:
"For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." -Isaiah 64:3-4
In this description of God, I am struck by the idea that he does things that his people do not expect, awesome things in fact. So often, I want to know what's coming and therefore try to act on my own so that I know what is happening. Control. But God here goes beyond and does things that we do NOT expect, awesome things at that. Many times, his surprises are much better than our pre-conceived plans of what will make us feel better.
I'm also struck by the last part that says that God is one who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. Is the converse then true, that he does not act for those who do not wait for him or trust him to come through?
Here's a description elsewhere of what it looks like when trusting in God as the ultimate resource:
Isaiah 30:15 : "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."
Israel was trusting in abnormal ways of getting their needs met: oppression, deceit, unhealthy alliances, and God said that all of that striving would get them nowhere. Rather, their solution would be in turning from those ways and in resting, in quiet trust. It seems that a solution was offered, but they denied the offer for help by their refusal to quiet their busy lives and stop their striving to take control.
Is the solution any different for us? In what ways are we trusting in things other than God and acting in ways that are harmful to ourselves and to others in order to get what we want? I'll tell you for my own part, it's not working. More and more I'm ready to try out this quiet trust, this restfulness that says, "Okay God, I'll wait. I'll do it your way. Show me what you're doing, and help me to follow in that, even if it takes longer."
Would you rather have home-brewed chai that may take a good while to make, or a few minute steep from a tepid tea bag? Or if God decides to act quickly with a good quality 5 minute tea bag, are you willing to wait the full 5 minutes for a proper steeping? The longer the wait, the greater the strength, the richer the taste, and better the chai.
God knows microwaved tea is an unsatisfying option. He'd rather we drink the good stuff.
Monday, November 5, 2012
What do you WANT? (With a bit of encouragement for Singles)
I want to muse a bit on resources for the next few moments. If you continue reading for very long, you will find this topic is almost the same that I wrote about in my last post about fountains, yet looking at it from another angle.
The word resource can tell us a lot about our needs and what we are trying to do in getting our needs filled. When we are lacking resources or looking for resources in our lives, we are desiring to re-source ourselves, to refill the supply that we once had or were drawing from...to get to recharge our very core.
A question came to me the other night at a dinner and discussion group centered around the spiritual needs we have and ways in which Jesus modeled filling those needs. At one point after some group talk, we were asked to take a few moments to quiet ourselves and ask what it was that we were really needing deep down, in terms of resources for the soul. The second part of this was to ask God to provide those resources of soul. Th millon-dollar question that I felt God popped up for me during the first part of this exercise was, "What are the needs behind your needs?" In other words, "Go a little deeper, David. You are desiring, but what desires does A represent?"
I'll tell you what God did in a little bit, but first I want to explore this idea of God getting to the needs behind our needs. In Matthew's account of Jesus initial earthly ministry, there is a story of these two blind men who are calling out to Jesus as he passes along what sounds like a busy road, bustling with people. The men are crying out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on us!" Jesus' crew of disciples ignore the men and tell them to shut up (much like the world's response to our own needs at times, eh?). But these men keep crying out, and Jesus notices. He has the men brought to him and asks them a very key question, "What do you want me to do for you?" to which they reply that they want their sight back. Jesus then heals them, giving them their sight, and makes a key connection to their faith being what had saved them. (This is all from Matthew 20 in the Bible if you want to check it out.)
What I find interesting in that story is that Jesus asks these blind guys what they wanted. Why? Couldn't Jesus see that they were blind? Why would he ask such an obvious question? Perhaps it wasn't so obvious. Perhaps the daily traffic would simply hear these blind beggar's cries and assume that they wanted alms like so many other beggars they'd experienced. That wouldn't be a bad assumption, would it? But Jesus doesn't just assume. He asks, "What do you want?" He's getting to the deeper need. These beggars didn't just want a quick fix for the day, alms to get them by. They had the faith in this moment to ask for something BIG, something truly RESTORATIVE, namely, their sight! I wonder how many times we stop at the surface of our own needs, asking Jesus, life, or other resources to simply put a band-aid on the troubles of the day instead of restoring in a deeper, more substantial way.
I told you that I'd let you in on what God did later that evening at the discussion group during the quiet exercise examining our needs and how God may be able to resource us. After God asked me in essence, "What do you really want? What's behind these other things that you are initially wanting?" what I came to was the realization that I wanted to be noticed. "Noticed how?" you may ask? Well, I'll get a little more vulnerable with you, if you will read on.
As a single man approaching 30 in an American culture that equates being married or in a romantic relationship as "having made it" in the relational circus, it is easy to feel somewhat less-than at times. I, along with several other of my peers, would love to be in a relationship with someone such that cultural stigma of singleness no longer holds it finger-pointing power over me. So as I was thinking about my desire for deeper companionship and romantic relationship with a woman, God hinted that there was something even deeper that I was seeking. I didn't quite know what that was until the resource of the evening came.
Sitting quietly, waiting for Jesus to resource me with whatever he would provide for my soul in those few moments, I sensed him looking at me and saying, "Wow!" It was almost audible, as clear as it was. And in the depths of my spirit, I felt an immense peace, satisfaction and joy. I had just been validated by the God of the universe. Affirmation and validation were among those deeper needs I was longing for. And Jesus had them for me in some small yet significant way that evening. He noticed. I was noticed. Wow.
"The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." -Psalm 34:10
What are you seeking? What do you want? He is resource for us all, bread, life, fountain, good chai. Won't you drink with me?
The word resource can tell us a lot about our needs and what we are trying to do in getting our needs filled. When we are lacking resources or looking for resources in our lives, we are desiring to re-source ourselves, to refill the supply that we once had or were drawing from...to get to recharge our very core.
A question came to me the other night at a dinner and discussion group centered around the spiritual needs we have and ways in which Jesus modeled filling those needs. At one point after some group talk, we were asked to take a few moments to quiet ourselves and ask what it was that we were really needing deep down, in terms of resources for the soul. The second part of this was to ask God to provide those resources of soul. Th millon-dollar question that I felt God popped up for me during the first part of this exercise was, "What are the needs behind your needs?" In other words, "Go a little deeper, David. You are desiring, but what desires does A represent?"
I'll tell you what God did in a little bit, but first I want to explore this idea of God getting to the needs behind our needs. In Matthew's account of Jesus initial earthly ministry, there is a story of these two blind men who are calling out to Jesus as he passes along what sounds like a busy road, bustling with people. The men are crying out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on us!" Jesus' crew of disciples ignore the men and tell them to shut up (much like the world's response to our own needs at times, eh?). But these men keep crying out, and Jesus notices. He has the men brought to him and asks them a very key question, "What do you want me to do for you?" to which they reply that they want their sight back. Jesus then heals them, giving them their sight, and makes a key connection to their faith being what had saved them. (This is all from Matthew 20 in the Bible if you want to check it out.)
What I find interesting in that story is that Jesus asks these blind guys what they wanted. Why? Couldn't Jesus see that they were blind? Why would he ask such an obvious question? Perhaps it wasn't so obvious. Perhaps the daily traffic would simply hear these blind beggar's cries and assume that they wanted alms like so many other beggars they'd experienced. That wouldn't be a bad assumption, would it? But Jesus doesn't just assume. He asks, "What do you want?" He's getting to the deeper need. These beggars didn't just want a quick fix for the day, alms to get them by. They had the faith in this moment to ask for something BIG, something truly RESTORATIVE, namely, their sight! I wonder how many times we stop at the surface of our own needs, asking Jesus, life, or other resources to simply put a band-aid on the troubles of the day instead of restoring in a deeper, more substantial way.
I told you that I'd let you in on what God did later that evening at the discussion group during the quiet exercise examining our needs and how God may be able to resource us. After God asked me in essence, "What do you really want? What's behind these other things that you are initially wanting?" what I came to was the realization that I wanted to be noticed. "Noticed how?" you may ask? Well, I'll get a little more vulnerable with you, if you will read on.
As a single man approaching 30 in an American culture that equates being married or in a romantic relationship as "having made it" in the relational circus, it is easy to feel somewhat less-than at times. I, along with several other of my peers, would love to be in a relationship with someone such that cultural stigma of singleness no longer holds it finger-pointing power over me. So as I was thinking about my desire for deeper companionship and romantic relationship with a woman, God hinted that there was something even deeper that I was seeking. I didn't quite know what that was until the resource of the evening came.
Sitting quietly, waiting for Jesus to resource me with whatever he would provide for my soul in those few moments, I sensed him looking at me and saying, "Wow!" It was almost audible, as clear as it was. And in the depths of my spirit, I felt an immense peace, satisfaction and joy. I had just been validated by the God of the universe. Affirmation and validation were among those deeper needs I was longing for. And Jesus had them for me in some small yet significant way that evening. He noticed. I was noticed. Wow.
"The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." -Psalm 34:10
What are you seeking? What do you want? He is resource for us all, bread, life, fountain, good chai. Won't you drink with me?
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Fountains of Chai
What is a fountain? Why is it that when you or I look at a fountain, we typically respond with joy or at least appreciate the beauty of what we're beholding? I want to talk about fountains today, particularly fountains of life, or in classic David imagery, fountains of chai. So, let us indulge together.
Drinking some home-brewed chai this morning and talking to God some (moreso reading his words and letting him talk to me), I was struck by some things that feel pivotal in terms of where I and others get our source of life, well-being and joy.
So...Fountains. What's with those bubbling bodies of water (or chocolate if we get lucky)? Other than the sheer beauty that fountains possess, I think that what makes fountains most alluring is that they are a source of constant flow, and typically a continual flow of that which we all need to survive: water (or once again, chocolate, for any of you chocoholics out there). Where so many other bodies of water have the potential to dry up, diminish, or become stagnant, a fountain, at its best, is ever flowing, majestic and beckoning onlookers to behold both its rootedness as a source and its ability to grow beyond gravity.
I find that these qualities also ring true for things or people in life that we look to for a source of joy. In my life, I have friends whose fellowship and presence at times represent grounded-ness, joy, and life. Or I look to artistic passions such as writing, acting, and producing theatre to fill my needs for excitement, beauty, joy, and rootedness. None of these are bad in themselves until I begin to look to them as my primary fountains. Why? Because there is only one fountain that is primary, and the rest can easily dry out at any moment, just like the chai ceased to flow at Borders years ago (my nightmare come true).
One of my fountains has felt very dry recently, and I found myself thirsty for fresh chai. Here's what I found:
"They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights." -Psalm 36:8.
There has been a time in history where people who claimed to know God also claimed to have an experience with him that one of their writers characterized as "abundant" and as if drinking from a "river of delights." That's some strong language! Is that still available? Why would anyone speak of such a river of delights with such confidence? The answer is perhaps in the next verse of this Psalm (which was actually a song in its original form):
"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light, we see light." -Psalm 36:9.
This Psalm is a song to God, and here in verse 9, the writer of the song is referring to God as the FOUNTAIN of life, or at least saying that it resides somewhere with this God. We also see the imagery of light, which during Chicago winters, many equate to hope and joy (or a lack thereof). So with this God is a fountain (source) of life, and light which helps us to see light. Interesting words, once again.
I will not list all of the references to the well-being of soul that I have recently come across in the Psalms, but suffice to say that there are PLENTY! In learning about the soul, it seems that the soul is that place where our bodies and hearts receive nourishment, where we desperately desire love, affection, meaning, and everything that a fountain of life could possibly provide. And God is acutely aware of our souls' deep needs:
"I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place."-Psalm 31:7-8.
Moving from water to chai, a drink which caffeinates, awakens, and just plain makes me happy, So where can I get my chai that doesn't run out? What does it mean to feast on the abundance of God's house, to drink from his river of delights? If the fountain is with God, and in his light we can see light, where is that fountain and how do I get it? A woman from Samaria once had a similar conversation with God, and here's what Jesus had to say, regarding two kinds of water.
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."- John 4:13-14.
Hmm...Sounds kind of like a fountain to me. Elsewhere, Jesus says that he is the equivalent to bread, and the bread of life, as if we are to get our sustenance from him just like we would get our physical sustenance from one of the most basic of foods. And he goes onto say that the person who believes in him would never go thirsty. I have to believe he was speaking about more than just physical bread and water.
What are you thirsty for? What is your chai, the thing that caffeinates you and provides your soul with a sense of invigoration and well-being? Where are your fountains? And what might it be like to drink of Jesus as the primary fountain? If Jesus' claims are true and if the experiences of these Old Testament Jewish writers are true, then something is available that must be better and richer than any normal feast or fountain could provide. I've tasted it and want more....fountains of his chai*.
"Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." -Isaiah 55:2b
"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." -Psalm 34:8
*A friend of mine once told me that the letters "chai" also make up a Hebrew word which means "life." Bring on the chai and lots of it!
Drinking some home-brewed chai this morning and talking to God some (moreso reading his words and letting him talk to me), I was struck by some things that feel pivotal in terms of where I and others get our source of life, well-being and joy.
So...Fountains. What's with those bubbling bodies of water (or chocolate if we get lucky)? Other than the sheer beauty that fountains possess, I think that what makes fountains most alluring is that they are a source of constant flow, and typically a continual flow of that which we all need to survive: water (or once again, chocolate, for any of you chocoholics out there). Where so many other bodies of water have the potential to dry up, diminish, or become stagnant, a fountain, at its best, is ever flowing, majestic and beckoning onlookers to behold both its rootedness as a source and its ability to grow beyond gravity.
I find that these qualities also ring true for things or people in life that we look to for a source of joy. In my life, I have friends whose fellowship and presence at times represent grounded-ness, joy, and life. Or I look to artistic passions such as writing, acting, and producing theatre to fill my needs for excitement, beauty, joy, and rootedness. None of these are bad in themselves until I begin to look to them as my primary fountains. Why? Because there is only one fountain that is primary, and the rest can easily dry out at any moment, just like the chai ceased to flow at Borders years ago (my nightmare come true).
One of my fountains has felt very dry recently, and I found myself thirsty for fresh chai. Here's what I found:
"They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights." -Psalm 36:8.
There has been a time in history where people who claimed to know God also claimed to have an experience with him that one of their writers characterized as "abundant" and as if drinking from a "river of delights." That's some strong language! Is that still available? Why would anyone speak of such a river of delights with such confidence? The answer is perhaps in the next verse of this Psalm (which was actually a song in its original form):
"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light, we see light." -Psalm 36:9.
This Psalm is a song to God, and here in verse 9, the writer of the song is referring to God as the FOUNTAIN of life, or at least saying that it resides somewhere with this God. We also see the imagery of light, which during Chicago winters, many equate to hope and joy (or a lack thereof). So with this God is a fountain (source) of life, and light which helps us to see light. Interesting words, once again.
I will not list all of the references to the well-being of soul that I have recently come across in the Psalms, but suffice to say that there are PLENTY! In learning about the soul, it seems that the soul is that place where our bodies and hearts receive nourishment, where we desperately desire love, affection, meaning, and everything that a fountain of life could possibly provide. And God is acutely aware of our souls' deep needs:
"I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place."-Psalm 31:7-8.
Moving from water to chai, a drink which caffeinates, awakens, and just plain makes me happy, So where can I get my chai that doesn't run out? What does it mean to feast on the abundance of God's house, to drink from his river of delights? If the fountain is with God, and in his light we can see light, where is that fountain and how do I get it? A woman from Samaria once had a similar conversation with God, and here's what Jesus had to say, regarding two kinds of water.
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."- John 4:13-14.
Hmm...Sounds kind of like a fountain to me. Elsewhere, Jesus says that he is the equivalent to bread, and the bread of life, as if we are to get our sustenance from him just like we would get our physical sustenance from one of the most basic of foods. And he goes onto say that the person who believes in him would never go thirsty. I have to believe he was speaking about more than just physical bread and water.
What are you thirsty for? What is your chai, the thing that caffeinates you and provides your soul with a sense of invigoration and well-being? Where are your fountains? And what might it be like to drink of Jesus as the primary fountain? If Jesus' claims are true and if the experiences of these Old Testament Jewish writers are true, then something is available that must be better and richer than any normal feast or fountain could provide. I've tasted it and want more....fountains of his chai*.
"Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." -Isaiah 55:2b
"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." -Psalm 34:8
*A friend of mine once told me that the letters "chai" also make up a Hebrew word which means "life." Bring on the chai and lots of it!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
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