Religion and spirituality

 

 

Religion and spirituality are like the notes of a song; moving and playing throughout my life. Sometimes the notes are in harmony, sometimes in unison, sometimes in dissonance, but they are always a part of the music of my being.

Deb Horst

Lesson From Low Pressure

Taken from my journal on October 23, 2008

I sat on the boat dock this morning and prayed, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Then, I listened.

The water was moving; the wind blew the surface and when the ripples hit the far shore they would bounce back. Then whatever was in the way (boats, branches, etc.) created more ripples, which all crisscrossed each other on the surface (how does that work, exactly?). Bugs jumped around lightly on the surface tension. The water reflected the sky and the shoreline.

There was a lot going on, on the water.

There was a lot going on in the water. Under the surface, even though I could not see it, I knew there was activity as well. In addition to wildlife, the water was cooling, changing temperature for winter.

Then my eyes paused on the dam and I pondered it for a while. The water was contained by its structure but if a hole were to occur, the water would push its way through. Water always seeks the lowest and least resistant place to flow; gravity is the force that governs water’s movement and water is always seeking to release itself to that force.

The activity of the wind caught my eye. The sun, shining behind the fall colors, was brilliant. Way up on the tops of the trees a breeze blew and I watched it jump from treetop to treetop. If I let my eyes stay on any one spot, the movement of all the colored leaves sparkling in the sun was just astounding. What governs the movement of wind? Scientifically, the earth’s rotation, friction, and atmospheric high and low pressure are at work to cause wind. In the later, wind blows from a high pressure towards a low pressure area, which fit alongside my thoughts on water.

I asked God for spiritual imagination.

When I humble myself before God, physically and spiritually; crucifying self, prostrating myself, kneeling….the Spirit (the ruach wind/breath of God) rushes in. Like water seeking the least resistant places, like wind seeking the low pressure, the Spirit seeks the humble in order to raise up Jesus Christ.

I pondered this in relation to Philippians 2:6-8; the humility of Jesus, lowering himself from glory, lowered to being human, lowered to death on a cross… and then 9-11; rising on the power of resurrection, ascension, and glory!

And the Spirit rushed in (Acts 2:1-4) to occupy the God-space in each believer.

I pictured this in my mind; me lying prostrate, the Holy Spirit rushing in, and thermals of praise rising to God.

A powerful image and lesson taught to me from nature by the Spirit.

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord…

Get out of the way…

So that…

The King of glory can rush in. 

Wrastlin'

      When our oldest son began seventh grade he asked us if he could wrestle. I did not know anything about the sport of wrestling but I quickly learned as we sat through his first match. YIKES!! I clung to the arm rests of the bleacher seat as I watched my son and his opponent being contorted and twisted into pretzel-like shapes! Those six minutes seemed to stretch into a nerve-wracking eternity for this mother!

     He wrestled for his seventh and eighth grade years but did not want to continue in high school (thank goodness!). However, our second son declared that he wanted to wrestle when he entered seventh grade! I did my best to talk him out of it (what a terrible mother I was) but he insisted. I once again endured the maternal trauma of watching the limbs of one of my beloved children being distorted. This son decided he would continue wrestling through high school! I learned to relax and breathe during his matches, and enjoyed watching him pit his strength against another lad (and one lass), but I never did get used to the intensity (blood, sweat, and tears) of that sport!

     Wrestling is interesting in that it is both an individual and a team sport. Based on body weight, two opponents are pitted against each other using their strength and skill. The score of their match is then added to the total team score. While that one teammate is on the mat, the coaches are barking encouragement and orders (our son’s coaches were excellent role models of faith), the entire team is cheering their teammate on, and the fans are yelling their support! Depending on the skills of the wrestlers, a match can last the full six minutes (or more) or be over in seconds. The winning success of the team is based on the performance of the individual.

     The apostle Paul used sporting images in several of his letters to the early churches (1 Cor 9:24-27; Phil 3:12-14; 1 Tim 6:12; and 2 Tim 4:7-8). Perhaps as he watched the runners and the fighters at the games in Corinth the Holy Spirit stirred his imagination to see the discipline and commitment an athlete makes to his sport as similar to that which the disciple of Jesus Christ needs during his or her own faith “race.”

     I gained a similar image as I watched my sons wrestle. As individual believers we are to train and discipline ourselves because we never know when we will encounter the Opponent who will try to control, pin, and destroy us.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:12 KJV

     We must be prepared to offer our absolute all-out effort! But we are not alone—the Coach (Holy Spirit) surrounds us with his presence and power, “barking” encouragement and reminding us of the Word of God. The entire team, brothers and sisters in Christ, and the “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1) are there to cheer each other on, to pray, encourage, exhort, soothe wounds, and celebrate victories!  The winning success of the team (Body of Christ) is based on the Cornerstone individual performance of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:4-5) who calls, redeems, and equips all individuals who believe in him as Lord and Savior!

     So keep on keeping on! Exercise your spiritual muscles as you kneel before your Head Coach, Jesus Christ! Be encouragers of your brothers and sisters!

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8

 Wrastlin' for Jesus!

               

What I have learned

August 2011 was a difficult month for me; it held a lot of good-byes and an ever increasing silence. In addition to bringing closure to my camp career, we moved our oldest son, daughter-in-law and grandson to South Carolina, and our youngest daughter and son-in-law to Indiana.

One year ago today I was facing the last four days of my almost eleven years at Camp Luz. I had worked diligently to leave behind a comprehensive notebook of information that I had downloaded from my brain. I had tried to organize all areas of the camp that were storage spaces so that needed items could be found easily. I had educated the new bookkeeper and the new director as much as I was able. I had verbalized my farewells. My last four days at camp were actually spent helping to fall clean the buildings. It was therapeutic activity.

September 1, 2011. I woke up and my first thought was, “I have nothing I have to do. No one needs me.” For about two weeks I vegetated and grieved the inactivity and silence. Then I made a list of all the half-finished projects that I had set aside over the years, and got to work. When those were completed I thoroughly cleaned my house and reorganized the spaces. I took up some new fun (Pinterest) projects.

And I waited for God to reveal what He had up His celestial sleeve.

Between October ’11 and August ‘12 I worked at Lehman’s in the warehouse with some delightful people. Since June I’ve been working part-time as a Hospice Chaplain with some more delightful people.

And when I wake up exactly one year later on September 1, 2012 I will begin my new career, that for which God called and equipped me; as the part-time interim pastor at Beaverdam Mennonite Church, Corry, PA; with, you guessed it, even more delightful people most of whom I have yet to meet!

It’s been an interesting and challenging year.

Exodus 14:10-14

The escaping Israelites are trapped between the Red Sea and the approaching Egyptian army, led by an infuriated Pharaoh. The Israelites cried out in terror. “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’”

Psalm 46:10

The psalmist describes cataclysmic events of both earth and nations. Yet at the epicenter God says, “Be still, and know that I am God”

Ephesians 6:10-18

Paul encourages believers to find their strength in God’s power, to put on their armor for a spiritual battle, to stand still, and then…. “pray in the Spirit.”

Do you see what these verses have in common?

In the midst of approaching devastation: Be still and watch God.

In the midst of apparent catastrophe: Be still and know God.

In the midst of spiritual battle: Stand still and pray.

This last year contained a lesson for me in holy stillness. It was not easy and I did my fair share of complaining; but God kept whispering, “I want you to rest in Me.” I was not physically inactive, but my soul rested, trusted in God’s strength, and waited for His timing.

 

I pray that, no matter what you are facing today or in the coming days, you will hear God's gentle whisper calling you to holy stillness...it is the place of Love.

 

 

Why I give up something for Lent

Sometimes people give me a quizzical look when I say I've given up something for Lent. "But you aren't Catholic," some say. True; the history of Lent is rooted in Catholicism. But the practice of fasting, prayer, and repentance has its roots in Jesus Christ. The 40 days of Lent offer every believer an opportunity to sacrifice something in order to prepare for the celebration of Easter.

I decided long ago that just giving up chocolate, or tv, or pop, was just not sacrificial enough for me. If I am going to give up something, shouldn't it be something that really needs to go? For the past three years I have given up meats and sweets for Lent. That means a steady diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Sounds healthy, right? Right. And that is exactly the point. I am learning to eat to live, not live to eat.

I do not like the stronghold that is "food." I rarely eat for pleasure or for hunger; I mostly eat from boredom and sometimes frustration. I overeat because I can. "Portion control" means I can control the portion and usually my portions are large (in our house when serving ice cream one asks, "Do you want a regular size or a Miller size?"). Sometimes I don't know exactly why I eat the way I do (read here for an interesting reflection on the psychology of overeating). Overeating and eating the wrong things are very much a problem for me. Giving up "meats and sweets" is an opportunity for me to take back control.

Today's reading from Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest says this:

The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because at some point in my life I yielded myself to Him.

If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. For example, yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust, and although you may hate yourself for having yielded, you become enslaved to that thing. (Remember what lust is— “I must have it now,” whether it is the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind.) No release or escape from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. “. . . He has anointed Me . . . to proclaim liberty to the captives . . .” (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1).

When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, “Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like,” you will know you can’t. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it. It is easy to sing, “He will break every fetter,” while at the same time living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person’s life.

This perfectly explains why I give up something of significance for Lent; because I am a slave--I lose control in the face of food, and I want to break the stronghold of lust of the flesh for food. It is an extremely difficult struggle for me (especially sweets). I have had two days in a row where I've failed; I DO realize, as Chamber says, the tremendous control food has over me, and I am utterly humiliated. So I, once again, confess, repent, and begin the Lenten journey again.

Lent provides me space to experience what it means to yield myself to Christ. Lent forces me to see the ugly selfishness of my human nature; I see it and I hate it. "I am the one to blame," says Chambers. And that is true. Which only makes me hate that lust even more. The dark struggle of Lent allows me to live in the stinky back alley shadow of "self," so that I may better understand that the redemption of Jesus Christ is the only hope I have!

Easter is HOPE! Easter is FREEDOM! Easter is REDEMPTION! Easter celebrates Christ reaching down and lifting me out of the desperation and filth of self, and into His NEW LIFE!

And that, my friends, in choosing to give up something for Lent, I am really choosing to give up all rights to my self, and give myself to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Romans 6.

The Danger of Burnt Offerings

I decided to light a few candles during my devotional time this morning. Today I chose to use the ACTS model for prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. During the Confession time, I wrote my “vices” on the inside of a matchbook and then tore off the tiny strips and put them in the flames of a votive candle that was almost empty of wax. I watched in fascination as the single flame split into two flames that were joined by a gentle curve at their base. Each flame danced and moved, one growing larger while the other decreased. It was quite fascinating and I pondered the burnt offering and how life and light fed off the sacrifice, consuming it into ashes. It was a divine moment.

And then….I heard a loud CRACK….

I guess I should have had a coaster under that sacrifice. The initial crack was not that long, but slowly spread until it reached the edge. I'll probably lose that corner of 1/4" glass.

As I pondered this unfortunate event in the glass of my table, I wondered if I really understood the danger involved in confession. Seriously now; standing in the presence of the Divine, I confess my sin, both general and specific, and then have a sanitized expectation of God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness. I think we imagine confession much like saying, "I'm sorry" and then receiving a Fatherly pat on the head of "It's okay, go and sin no more." 

Maybe that loud crack is more representative of confession and forgiveness--a shock to my being, perhaps much like the ripping of the Temple curtain from top to bottom (Mk 15:37-38). I stared at that crack in astonishment! Did the Jews stare at the torn curtain in astonishment and fear? I can only imagine. 

Seriously now; I stand in the presence of the Divine (AMAZING!), confess my sin (and don't die immediately-INCREDIBLE!), and God, with a holy and gentle CRACK that is heard throughout the spiritual realm (ASTONISHING!) states, "Child, you are FORGIVEN." This is not an event that should be taken lightly nor be sanitized--this is a dangerous revelation of God's character; LOVE. Love that will not tolerate nor exist alongside sin. 

And those cracks made in MY character continue to spread so that those unholy pieces of my being fall off and are gently replaced with the character of God. 

May we all be aware of the danger of burnt offerings.