Trusting God – Lectio Divina

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What they trust in is fragile; what they rely on is a spider’s web. Job 8:14 (NIV)

A spider’s web.

Lord, once again I put my trust in something other than You.

I turn my focus outside of You and lay my hope into human hands.

Even worse, I take control all by myself with false self-confidence that I could do it on my own.

I know that foundation is weak,

I know it may fail even before I begin.

I hold my breath…

Take one stop onto that thin ice…

and think maybe…

maybe this time….

Yet like this verse I put the weight of my burdens on the fragile spider web and expect it to hold up.

Lord, the world weaves a tapestry of spider webs. The sinister spider invites me to believe in the safety on its web.

I see the fascinating intricate patterns masquerading as strengths. I cling to them before their stickiness adheres to me. I trust in what I easily see instead of what I know to be true.

Or I grip onto my own plans instead of waiting for Your clear guidance.

Your word in the book of Job is to beware of spider’s webs.

I grab for a spider’s web and it crumbles in my hand.

I reach for You and You catch me in Your perfect love.

I am fragile, Lord. Hold onto me, please.

In You I trust, my Hope and my firm Foundation.

A Swedish Blessing - Quote of the Week

Fear less, hope more;

Eat less, chew more;

Whine less, breathe more;

Talk less, say more;

hate less, love more;

and all good things are yours.

Swedish Proverb

A Promise from God – Guest Post by Phil Malmstrom

     About a year ago I discovered a great blog, Inspirations by Phather Phil written by Phil Malmstrom. 

     He honestly shares his heart and his conversation with God in a way that makes you feel you are drawing up a chair and taking part in the intimate discussion between three good friends: you, Phil and God.

    Since I have spent much of this month trying to see the cold bleak Ohio winter season with new eyes and discovering its lessons, I asked Phil if he would share some thoughts about winter with us. 

    Thank you Phil for giving me insight and hope in winter.

The Promise

Stark…

Cold…

Bleak…

Unyielding…

Such is the way many choose to view the winter landscape.

And yet,

I believe that winter carries with it a deeper message;

A Promise from God.

I absolutely love taking long, quiet walks in the woods; spending that communion time with my Heavenly Father, surrounded in the majesty of His bounty. In that Stillness, I find that I feel powerfully connected to God’s presence, and He’s used those moments of intimacy to bring me some wonderful revelations.

I try to visit our local forest as often as possible, even during the “less comfortable” seasons.  Seeing the many transitions and phases of God’s creation never fails to unveil new truths to me, and whatever the conditions are I always come away feeling Blessed for my time there…

Even in the dead of winter.

Hmmm… The “dead” of winter…

Not a very accurate description in my opinion.

I actually enjoy walking through the woods in the winter months.  Strolling among the leafless timbers, the barren landscape lies in stark contrast to the lush foliage that normally fills the scene. And yet, while first impressions are that all life has left this place, nothing could be further from the truth…

Life still resides here…

Waiting…

Promising to burst forth and begin anew with the breath of spring…

Just as God designed it to.

And funny enough, He designed our lives that way as well.  Like that forest, our paths are bound to the seasons God lays out for us…

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

Times of abundance, and periods of trial; both are gifts from God. We celebrate those moments when His Blessings shine brightly all around us, and yet those times of wanting are also cause to rejoice…

When instead of dwelling on our pain,

We give thanks for His promise;

The promise that it is in fact, a season,

And that in the “dead” of our Winters, there is still life,

And there is still love.

Thank You for our Winters Lord, and Your promise of the Springs ahead.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Creator God and Chocolate – Two Great Words Beginning with the letter “C”

Patty Wysong has created a fun meme where once a week bloggers posted on the letter of the week. Check out the details here. It is called A2Z: Take 2. A2Z as she challenges bloggers to write a post each week going through the alphabet.  Take 2 since this is the second time she has used this meme. Anyone can join in and you don’t have to always participate.

What does the letter C bring to my mind and heart? 

Creator God and Chocolate

One of my best friends – a retired Catholic priest – begins his prayers when we are together with these words, “Creator God…”

I love it how he starts all his times with God remembering and honoring God as Creator. 

The attributes of God as Creator humble me, yet draw me closer to this God who can do absolutely anything and everything including loving us simple and frail human beings.

God’s hands shaped the universe out of chaos. In a blink of His eye, God established the hundreds of billions of galaxies, black holes from which nothing can escape, even light and the estimated two million comets just in our solar system.

God’s mind dreamed detailed description of life:  the polkadots on the giraffe, more than 12,000 species of ants, whales who compose underwater musical compositions, 30,000 facets or lenses in a dragonfly’s eye, four noses on a slug, eels who can produce a shock of up to 650 volts, catfish with 100,000 taste buds, and the 62,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body – laid end to end they would circle the earth 2.5 times.

God created another of my favorite “C” words: Chocolate

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One of my most requested topics as speaker and retreat leader is called “What Chocolate Taught Me about God.” This the story I tell at the beginning of the talk.

~~~~~~~

God decided one week to be creative.

 After the first day of work when he returned to heaven, Michael, the archangel, asked him, “What did you do today, Lord? 

He answered,  “I made light and darkness, and it is good.”

After a second day of work, God sat down with Michael and told Michael that on that day he separated the waters and made the sky and is was good.

The third day it was getting rather late, Michael was worried. It isn’t like God to be late, you know. Finally the Lord appeared, skipping and happy, showing all sorts of signs of joy.

“What did you do today Lord that made you so happy?” 

“On this third day, I separated the water and made the dry ground appear, and then all the vegetation began to grow.”

“Oh,” said Michael, “all the brown stuff on your hands and face, is dirt then? 

“Oh no,” said God, “this is chocolate. It is great stuff and it is very, very good.”

“How are you ever going to top that creation Lord?”

“Mmmm, let me think about that for a few days,” replied God.

On the fourth day God made the sun and the moon and it was good.

Still thinking, the fifth day, He made animals, birds, creatures of the sea and it was good.

And on the sixth day, He said, “let us make man in our own image.” And He did make man and woman and gave them all the things of the earth to take care of. The Bible even mentions God gave them all seed bearing plants. Genesis 1:29 – “I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the earth and every plant that has fruit with see in it.” – that is chocolate plant. 

He looked over everything he had made and it was good, so very good.

I praise the Lord for His creativity – snails, sea horses, and stink bugs.

I praise the Lord for His wisdom – the sun to provide light and life and waters to nourish us.

I praise the Lord for starting it all – the order – rhythm of the tides, the pattern of the seasons, and beauty in His rich color palette.

I praise God for the lessons I learn in the waiting and rest of winter.

I praise the Lord for spring – time of new births, fresh air, and renewed spirit.

I praise the Lord for seeing to the details that enrich our lives beyond measure – the smell of a newborn babies, the smile of a 99 year old friend, the laughter of families together, and yes, the yummy taste as sweet chocolate as it melts in our mouths.

I praise the Lord for who He is – Creator God.

Answering God Without Delay – Lectio Divina

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. Mark 1: 16-20

At once

Without delay

Lord that is how I want to respond to You.

At once

Without delay

No doubts

No hesitation

No maybe later

No let’s talk about this

No whining about too much to do

No postponing until it is more convenient

No forgetting my good intentions

No because I have more urgent things to do

No excuses

At once

Without delay

May I pay attention and seek You in every detailed moment of my life.

May I turn and listen to You immediately when I hear You call.

May I follow You without hesitation, keeping my eyes only on You.

May I hear Your direction and follow in Your footsteps

May my hands and heart serve You whenever You ask

May my answer be “Yes, Lord, here I am,” even when I don’t fully understand or know where You are taking me.

At once

Without delay

I am yours.

Our Vocation/ Our Call – Henri Nouwen

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Quote of the Week

It is very important to realize that our vocation is hidden in where we are and who we are. We are unique human beings, each with a call to realize in life what nobody else can, and to realize it in the concrete context of the here and now.

We will never find our vocations by trying to figure out whether we are better or worse than others. We are good enough to do what we are called to do. Be yourself!

Henri Nouwen from Bread for the Journey

Why Do You Go to Church?

I read this story the other day:

A minister was talking to a man about joining the church.

“I want to join a church because I want to be fed,” said the man.

The ministered answered, “Well that is fine, but we all would be better off if you would take off your bib and put on an apron.”

Good answer, Pastor, but to be honest one of the reasons I do attend church is to feed my spirit. I attend for an opportunity to worship and be with God and to serve Him by helping and being with His community. So if you put all three reasons together I attend for God, for others and for myself.

Is that so bad?

The Barna Group recently surveyed Americans who have attended a Christian church sometime in the past and discovered what they say about their experiences in these congregations.  I found some of their discoveries very fascinating and through provoking. Also interesting to note that the size of the church didn’t matter – small, medium or large answered in similar ways.

·      Most people responded that they did connect with God at church. I thought it was sad though that a third never felt His presence at church. After all 66% is considered failing in school. Yet part of me is also surprised that two-thirds did experience God in a church setting.

·      One-quarter of Americans (26%) who had been to a church before said that their life had been changed or affected “greatly” by attending church. Another one-fourth (25%) described it as “somewhat” influential. Nearly half said their life had not changed at all as a result of churchgoing (46%). Almost one half said church had not changed their lives? Wow!

·      When asked to think about their last church visit, three out of five church attendees (61%) said they could not remember a significant or important new insight or understanding related to faith.  Can you recall a new insight from last Sunday?  I am really appreciating and enjoying our new pastor as I usually do take away awareness that applies to my daily living.

·      This study also showed that 68% of the respondents said when they attend church they feel “part of a group of people who are united in their beliefs and who take care of each other in practical ways.” On the other hand, one-quarter (23%) of those with church experience selected the description that church feels “like a group sharing the same space in a public event but who were not connected in a real way.”

·      The survey asked respondents to consider the budget, activities, and encouragement of the church they usually attend and to rate how much of an emphasis is placed on serving the poor. In total, 40% of adults with church experience said caring for the poor was emphasized “a lot,” while 33% indicated it was “somewhat” of a priority.

I am thinking of sharing these findings with our church council and Sunday School class. May get some good discussion going.

What do you think? Do you agree with what they found out? Why do YOU attend church?