Tag: faith

Thoughts On Moving Beyond

      It is a common human experience that we all need to move beyond certain phases in our life and onto another, new, situation. As we do this, the next phase may not be quite as clear as we would like. There are blank areas, there is ambiguity, confusion and, genuine fear about how to move ahead.

       We call this being human.

       Some of us are better at taking risks and moving beyond our present circumstances: others of us, not so much. But this isn’t something born into our DNA. Learning to take risks of faith and moving out can be done safely. Somewhat.

       One thing is certain, if you play it safe and stay where you are stagnation and frustration will eventually creep in. Actually, I’m going through a transition like this in my life right now. The future is not as clear as I would like it.

       But I have to forge ahead! Wherever “ahead” is.

       Here are some thoughts on facing our futures—

1.      You and I need to let go of our pasts; whether successful or painful, LET THEM GO!

2.      Some friendships will stay with you. Many will simply fade to a memory. And that’s OK. It may be sad, but trust in the God who made you to drop new meaningful relationships into your life.

(He kind of does that, doesn’t He. I can live with that. Can you?)

3.      Don’t think all your ducks have to be in line before you press forward. They do not.

4.      You may find some “life-pauses” interrupting your forward motion. That’s OK too. Seriously, where’s the rush?

5.      Get some help with thinking outside the box. Other people can spot your strengths/weaknesses before you can.

6.      Remember God does have your best interests at heart. He is not sitting up there in heaven thinking of ways of screwing you over.

7.      Transitions to a new phase in life make take time. Our Scripture reminds us, “They that WAIT upon the Lord will renew their strength.

       Are you really trying to define your future before it’s time? Bad move. Take things as they come; don’t force the change. God is still in control so you don’t have to be.

Take Courage and move ahead,

Gary

NEXT— EMPulse 26- Marking time

New Eyes of Faith

  Ever notice how your eyes have to adjust when you move from a light room to a darker one? It takes the eyes longer to make out shapes, figures, and people.

       Going through a transition in life into a new phase is similar. You can’t quite make out the new images and shapes of faith you need to adapt to. You truly must become a new person.

       For most of us, God calls us to new shapes of faith throughout our lives. Sometime, those new shapes are simply a rolling over from our last shape of faith. Other times…, not so much. Deeper faith is always a challenge.

       And, there is no going back to the way you were. NO WAY. Your only way out if forward. It’s like going from the light into the dark. You need time to adjust to who you will become now.

      Retirement is definitely a move from light to dark, where the future is not so clear. Things will take time to become clearer.

       So, whatever you are going through now will have to face new images of you, new ways of seeing things. The shape of your faith will have to adjust to this new reality.

       Some of the things we will have to change are—

1.      How we use our time.

2.      Deciding what our new priorities should be.

3.      Changing friendships, meeting new people.

4.      Adjusting to a lower income.

5.      Becoming more just-the-two-of-us.

6.      What it means to be Christian in this new Quantum Era.

       As I’ve aged things I did not understand in my 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s are now making more sense. You will find that in your life as well.

       Progressive perspective.

       If we do not adapt to these new realities we will become stuck in our old ways. There may have been safety there— But we cannot stay there.

       Adapt. Adjust. Become something other than who/what you were. Jesus had to when he came to earth.

Find hope my friend, in the God Who knows you,

Gary

NEXT– thoughts on moving beyond.

Phases and Transitions 2024

       We’ve all gone through numerous phases and transitions in life. Graduating high school, workforce, college, grad school, first professional job, marriage, kids, divorce, world travel surprises. Then there our successes, disappointments, failures, grand triumphs, learning new things. They all play a part in shaping who we are, who we become, throughout our lives.

       One of the most difficult transitions I’ve ever had to face is the one between purpose and retirement. I’ve moved from having great influence in peoples’ lives, with the commensurate travel, to one of silent bewilderment.

       Who am I now? What was I before? What are my definers in this new phase of life? What is, or should, be important to me now?

       Ever been there? This is my first time retiring. And it’s not an easy place to be.

       I used to be good at this stuff— defining the attributes of a phase, understanding the lack of definers when we’re in a transition, etc. And it really is true that we cannot go back to the previous phase. That part of our life is gone. We must move forward.

       But what if you don’t know what forward looks like? Hummm. Impasse? Tough one.

       Is that the time when we should gather a cadre of friends around us, who know us well, and get their input, their take on the conundrum? I think probably yes.

       Still, especially in these days, I fall back on Psalm 42 for its wisdom and admonition.

Why art thou cast down, o my soul?

And why art thou disquieted within me?

Hope thou in God,

For I shall yet praise him,

Who is the health of my countenence,

And my God.

       Our God can sustain me and my confusion through these transitional times without answers, and lead me out the other side.

Find hope my friend, in the God Who knows you,

Gary

…staying the course

       There has been a lot written about staying the course. Very Definitely in the military; even more in the projections in the business & financial communities. Even within the Christian community we are called to stay the course, to persevere, to overcome trials, persecutions, and rejections.

       But this is easier said than done. I know Christians in this world who go through unspeakable persecution, loss of hope, and depths of despair; some even loss of family and life.

       So what about you, or me? Have we experienced persecution? Have we felt the pain of rejection from our community, our family…, our church? There is so much rejection and separation in our world, and in our Christian communities, that there are few of us who have not experienced some form of isolation from those who surround us.

       Keep in mind the admonition of the apostle Paul to his young mentee, Timothy— Suffer hardship with us, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. [2 Timothy 2:3] How will we suffer hardship? Where will it come from?

       FROM ANYWHERE! EVERYWHERE!

       Still, we are admonished throughout Scripture, through the Old Testament and the New, that we are different than the world in which we live. I like the t-shirt from THE CHOSEN docuseries—

Get used to different.

       Many disciples before us have suffered persecutions unimaginable just because they are different. Christians in the West have known little of what those before us, and around this world today, have been subjected to.

       To stay the course, in our era we would do well to heed the words of Paul—

       Therefore I endure

for the sake of the elect,

that they too may obtain the salvation

that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

       Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with Him,

we will also live with Him.

       So, how are you doing? Staying the course? Or, are you too easily going off the mark?

Gary

NEXT–Course correction guide.

Afterthoughts – A Confession

 The saying goes that Confession is good for the soul. Actually, it is good for a lot of things. Whether confessed to a priest, a pastor, or a good friend— admitting wrong, or sin, can start to free your spirit from the burden of guilt you carry for what you have done that did not clear with your own conscience, let alone before the throne of grace.

       By admission, I’ve always wanted to have an impact on the American Evangelical world in the area of evangelism. I’ve come to believe that I have failed. It might be that the way I form my presentations is to obtuse or offensive. I do challenge our simplistic 4-point gospel outlines. Actually, the “canned” gospel approach may have been acceptable for a brief time in the early 1950s, but it has long since lost its effectiveness.

       But back to the point. I have always wanted to make a difference, both in the church and in our world. As I look back over the last 60 years I am not sure I have made that much of an difference. That is my confession. If there is any impact it has been God’s work through my pitiful efforts to matter.

       As I face my 79th birthday next month (gifts appreciated) I am keenly aware that I do not have another 79 years in front of me. So, what’s next?

       On December 31st, I say goodbye to 40+ years of ministry through NEEDinc, I am trying to determine what God has designed me for next. Any ideas.

       When I first started in ministry the Lord defined my calling as such—

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

                                                              — Isaiah 61:1 (NIV)

Not much has changed from that initial definition. It has been not only a call to action, but a call on my heart as well. I have grown in passion and compassion for those who increasingly have little understanding of the Lords claim on their lives. This has saddened me greatly.

       What has hurt me is the minimal efforts by the evangelical community to care for those around them. The church has become a kingdom unto itself, NOT into the world. May God forgive us all.

       End of confession.

Gary

NEXT— what to do next!?! .

Afterthoughts – The Tyranny of the Urgent

       Early in 1974, a friend of mine, one Charles E. Hummel, released a small book titled—  The Tyranny of the Urgent. It created significant repercussions throughout the Christian community across America. Charlie challenged our persistent need to be constantly busy. He admitted to me that he had struggled with this for most of his life. [I never admitted to anything.]

       Here we are, some 50 years later, still cramming our schedules so full that we barely have time to breathe. We don’t even have time to read a book on time management—  let alone take a course on setting priorities!

       The ramifications of that are inconceivable. Western cultures have become obsessed with filling every little crack in our schedules with…, something.

       To be honest, I used to be this way. Kind of a busy-ness is next to godliness mentality. And I was blind to what I was doing.

         Somewhere along the line I developed one of my not-so-famous axioms. STOP! Give God some room to work. Why is it we always want to run ahead of Him to do OUR work?

         Then we complain we do not have enough time to get everything done. Maybe we need to take a step back and have a good look at how we are filling our time. I don’t believe God needs us to do anything. He does grant us the privilege of serving those around us in His name. Or do we do that in our name but say it is in His?

         As I asserted in the last EMPulse, I was rather arrogant in my younger days. Now, not so much. But what about you? What does your schedule look like? Packed to the gills? No space between appointments?

         Why?

         Do you think you can do more in your lifetime than Christ did in three years?

Gary

NEXT— EMPulse 15 – a confession

Afterthoughts – Faith Shapes

   Ever since the ascension of Jesus Christ the forms and shapes of our faith have been affected by the surrounding culture, individuals within that culture, the extent of our knowledge of Scripture, how that knowledge was used to build theology, and even our geography. (Think John Knox in Edinburgh in the sixteenth century.) Our expressions of the faith have varied from culture to culture, continent to continent, and been refined by individual Christian leaders in each setting.

   Even today there are so many expressions of faith it is almost impossible to keep track of them all. The diversity of Christian expressions and shapes is immeasurable. The greatest diversity would probably be the Western Church expressions and the Orthodox (Eastern) expressions. (there are also numerous expressions across the South Sea Islands and Africa.) Historically, these two Eurasian forms were even at war with one another for dominance. Then there are at least 127 Protestant denominations (Europe, North/South America, Iceland, and numerous African expressions), the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox expressions; and 64 Baptist denominations. I think.

   The point is that the Christian faith comes in a myriad of expressions; and even they have evolved over 2000 years of Christian history.

   Many Protestants follow the Book of Common Prayer for a structure for their faith. Catholics use the Lectio Divina. Those we used to classify as Pentecostals are now Charismatics. And the Charismatics have been absorbed as today’s common expression of Protestant Christianity.

   So what’s next?

   Before we judge various expressions of our faith we should be planted squarely in one where God has placed us. Withhold judgement on others. Give the Holy Spirit of God time to test our spirits.

   That brings us to a question we all must ask. What shape of faith is our Lord calling you to follow? A lot of the answer may be tied to the personality He has given you. Trust that God has designed you to worship and express your faith in ways appropriate to the times, your personality, your geography, and Scripture.

   We are not all the same. We define our faith in different ways given our experiences, our relationships, our personalities, and the age in which our Lord has placed us. But we are never to express our faith in a way that is incommunicable to others.

Gary

NEXT— The Shower— rekindling the fire

Afterthoughts –  Clutter

 Years ago, when I was younger, I was more organized, even planning a year ahead, by thirds of days, color-coded by arena of operation. I was so proud of myself. But as I grew into my late 20s & early 30s I started to realize that my world was fairly small. Of course, I could plan well; I had very few responsibilities. I managed so little and did not know it.

   Then my world grew extensive as God expanded our ministry. I could barely keep track of it 

   Now, I must confess that, at 78, my world is growing smaller. Smaller.  Not so much by choice as by simply growing older. I cannot keep track of as much as I used to.

       One thing, though, has remained constant, if not expanding. CLUTTER. Stuff just does not dissipate in life. IT BREEDS. Like dust bunnies under the dresser, clutter replicates itself in exponential expansion. [“I thought I threw this out?!?” I didn’t.]

       In my previous life I was a fashion model. I like clothes. Still do. The problem is that I have grown in size since my 40s. I have a lot of clothes, which hang there and collect larger dust bunnies.

       “Houston, we have a problem.”

       After a while clutter can take over. Unless some of the buildup GOES, it will continue to breed. And breed. And breed.

       How about you attack one “room” of your life each week? Clear out those things that hold you back. Too many books, class notes from kindergarten, failed friendships, attempts at reconciliation that are dragging you down, past hurts, even past successes.

       You cannot live in your past. And you don’t want to rust on your laurels. Or rest.

       What will it take for you to move past who you were to who God has made you to be now?

       Some call it faith. Others, decisions. Whatever it is, God hasn’t told you to simply throw in the towel. Will you have difficulty discovering the new you? Sure you will. But don’t you think it’s worth it?

       Unless you are lying in a hospital bed gasping your last breath, you are not done with serving our God and the people around you. So…, get up! Get going.

       Yes, even when you don’t have the strength to do it. God is still full of surprises.  See Psalm 42.

[n.b. This is just as much a challenge to me, as it may be to you.]

Gary

NEXT— The shape of our faith

The Whiskey Chronicles 26 – I’m OK…, you’re out of your mind

   In my conversations with the normal people of this world [the Christian faith is no longer the norm] I find that many of them simply respond to the assertions about my faith, I’m OK— you’re out of your mind. They truly believe that all this mumbo-jumbo about faith in Jesus is just plane NUTS.

    Christ’s claims about who He was and what He came to do for this world were just the ravings of a madman who was disconnected from reality. And that makes His followers equally disillusioned.

    They are not going to question their own sanity. They’re just fine. We’re the nut-jobs.

     And that should draw us to question some presumptions about our own faith. Are we crazy to blindly accept the principles and precepts of our own faith with little investigation or examination? Christian faith is NOT just a assemblage of declarations about what we think is true and accurate. It comes down to two enquiries — 1. Can history be verified? and, 2. Is faith a viable surety?

     Before you dismiss these questions as extraneous to our faith, consider that it is worth reexamining the foundations of our faith. Considering the proposition that history cannot be verified [Did George Washington, Lenin, or Julius Caeser ever exist?] then we must question all OR, in faith, believe the reports about them are true. Considering the validity of faith on an individual level, there is a history of people who believe in things which postModern, postChristian people believe that they can be only scientifically verified.

     Then, really, are historical/faith questions all that matter?

     What about intuition? What about ESP? What about that special sense that lodges itself just below your consciousness?

     There are more ways than scientific confidence to give veracity to a belief. History itself is a matter of faith— Well supported faith, but faith, nonetheless.

     When believing followers of Christ are challenged that we are out of our mind, we must remember that our beliefs have a great deal of certitude surrounding them. We are not an ignorant people.

     Too many assertions in the Bible have later been proven accurate. And far too often have the lives of true Christians saved the civilizations of this world.

     So, when our world accuses us of being out of our mind our response should be twofold.

1.   Look at the corroboration of history. There’s just too much to support our faith.

2.   Simply love those who accuse.

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©

Gary

NEXT— Afterthoughts…, my best ideas come to me in the shower

The Whiskey Chronicles 24 – Salvation from… What?

As I peruse the intellectual, practical functions of Western Culture I find little understanding of Christian faith. So when we tell people of their need of salvation their general response is— from what?

       On one hand the church in the West has lost its ability to express its beliefs in a language that people can grasp. But it’s worse than that. People truly do not know that there is anything wrong with them.

       When Thomas Harris (M.D.) released his classic I’m OK: You’re OK in 1967, he could not have had an idea of its subsequent far-reaching effects. The title says it all. None of us really have a problem. There’s no right, no wrong, no anything. Everything is simply a matter of perspective.

       If people do sense any need for salvation they will work it out for themselves. There was no need for Christ to die for our sins. There is no sin. We’re all OK.

       Do we really believe this?

       My wife and I have many friends who don’t come close to being Christians. We are a novelty for them, but they still like us. There is something to be said for loving and not condemning. Something to be said for accepting them for where they are in life…, and in the process teaching them about God. The key ingredient in our relationships with them is prayer. We rarely say anything; but we pray. PRAYER is always the underlying foundation for our relationships with people— Christian and Normal.

       In many ways I’ve grown used to their complete ignorance about our faith and about our Lord. Explaining their need for Christ and his salvation is like drawing a white rabbit in a snow field. Blank. Still, we are called to love these people in their ignorance.

       They cannot save themselves. They do not know this. Nor are they aware of the glory and blessing that awaits them in the safe arms of Jesus. Rather, He is seen as a threat to their individuality and freedom. Have we done that to them with a hundred years of hellfire and brimstone preaching? I don’t know that either. But I am sure that our constant calling them to account for their sins hasn’t shown much mercy and grace. One more reason to find the Christian message baffling.

       I pray that, one day, people will see their need of Christ and His salvation. It is still freely offered. And it will be offered through the likes of us.

Loving God; loving people… and bringing the two together! ©

Gary

NEXT— I am happy the way I am.