Using My Eyes to Hear God – Lectio Divina


I will look to see what he will say to me – Habakkuk 2:1


I will look to see what he will say.

What a strange way to hear You, Lord.

Looking to see what you are saying.

I miss Your voice when I listen more to the world’s noise than You.

I don’t hear Your message when I focus more on me and less on You.

I know at times You speak in a whisper.

I never thought of using my eyes to hear You better.

Looking around me, I see You in my backyard garden and know you tend my growth as well.

Digging into my Bible, I run my fingers over Your Word, Your words, and see in them You  printed before my very eyes.

Your love becomes visible in the twinkling delight of Kyla’s eyes and tiny fingers of newborn twins.

Pour out Your spirit upon me so I have the awareness when I turn away from Your face.

When I can’t hear Your voice, Lord, open my eyes to read Your lips.

Help me tune my antenna to Your wavelength of sacred signals.

Help me to listen.

Help me to see what You say.

Am I Ready? – Quote of the Week – Esther de Waal

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“It is so easy to play the world’s game which is the power game, the game which depends on setting myself apart from others, distinguishing myself, seeking the limelight and looking for the applause.

I find that it is only too easy to become compulsive in my continual need for affirmation, for more and more affirmation, as I anxiously ask Who am I? Am I the person who is liked? Admired? Praised? Seen as successful?

My whole attitude towards myself becomes determined by the way in which others see me. I compare myself with others, and I try to emphasize what is different and distinctive about me. The three temptations which Christ faced in the wilderness are equally my temptations: to be pertinent. To be spectacular. To be powerful.

Am I able, like Christ to put them down?

Am I prepared to shed all these outer shells of false ambition, of pride?

Am I ready to admit that the mask is a disguise put on to cover up the insecure self? And the armor a shield to protect the vulnerable self? Am I ready to receive a new self, based not on what I can achieve, but on what I am willing to receive?”

~Esther de Waal

Eight Ways to Practice Humility – Moshe Cordovero

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Humility – not a word we ponder much. At least I don’t.

Maybe that is the problem, right? HA!

Then I read this story the other day that made me mull over the concept of humility in my life.

A man asked his rabbi why people couldn't see the face of God. What had happened that they could no longer reach high enough to see God?

The rabbi, a very old man, had experienced a lot in his life and was very wise. "My son," he said, "that is not the way it is at all. You cannot see the face of God because there are so few who can stoop that low. How sad this is, but it is the truth. Learn to bend, to bow, to kneel and stoop and you will be able to see God face-to-face."

Ever notice when God stirs your heart on a matter, the key word pops up all over? He wasn’t done with me yet.

The day after I read that story I saw in the Thirty Good Minutes email a story about eight ways to practice humility. 30 Good Minutes is a collection of inspirational videos, stories of faith and reflections on spiritual topics from the TV show of the same name from WTTW 11 PBS, Chicago. You can read more about the show and sign up for their great newsletter by clicking here. 

Karyn Kedar shared in her reflection about a Jewish mystic named Moshe Cordovoro (1522-70), who wrote there are eight ways to practice humility, each corresponding to a place on the body. 

Now that got me curious so I searched for more information about Cordovoro’s eight ways. The quotes below are from his writing with a thought following them from me.

1. Head - Lower your gaze, a person who raises their head upward glorifies himself.

    I know a Lutheran pastor who bows when he greets people as a sign of respect and humbleness.  Maybe the Japanese have the right idea in how they bow.

2. Thoughts - “Meditate and contemplate on thoughts of goodness, godliness, kindness.”

     Reminded me of the Ralph Waldo Emerson saying: "You become what you think about all day long."

3. Forehead - A person’s forehead should display no harshness. Your face should reflect willingness, acceptance, pleasantry.

  Those deep winkles in my forehead – are they from worry and fear or do they show the joy of the Lord beaming from my face? 

4. Ears - Turn your attention to hearing good and positive things. Shut out falseness, evil gossip, judgment.

    What am I listening for?

5. Eyes -Do not close your eyes to the suffering of the poor. Think as much as possible of their predicament. Look for the good.”

    Pay more attention to the good side of people and seek to find those I usually ignore, lost on the fringes of life.

6. Nose - “Nary a breath of anger should ever be found in it. Rather it should contain the breath of life and good will and patience, even to those who are unworthy. Exhale forgiveness and pardon.”

  Never, ever thought that my nose would be part of practicing humility. But the Holy Spirit is the breath of God.  Breathing in His spirit deeply brings me peace and serves as a gentle reminder that it is not about me, but God. This also make me mindful not to be nosey and to mind my own business.

7. Face  “A person’s face should shine and he should receive all people with a cheerful countenance. All who look at such a face will find joy.”

    What a gift a smile is. Look deeply at others I come in contact with and smile.

8. Mouth - “Express good words of Torah. Do not speak ugliness, curses, anger, or frivolous talk. Speak well, expressing benevolence and blessing.”

   Lord, may the words of my mouth be a blessing to others.

Interesting how the outside appearance mirrors the internal heart, isn’t it?

These eight ways to practice humility serve as a practical reminder. Being humble makes us teachable, opens us up to better listening and therefore being a better friend and spiritual companion to others. Most importantly when we realize who we are and who God really is, we can humbly worship Him and be open to His will.

I am certain God is not done with me yet on the issue of humility and I know as I let go of my ego, some tough issues lie ahead. But God is good and gentle and will slowly mold us in His image if we turn to Him and are willing to learn. And these eight ways to practice humility gave me a new perspective on this topic.

How do you practice humility in your life?

Spiritual Lesson from Hawaii

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A guest preacher at our church this past Sunday told the following story:

When it is 1:00 pm in the Eastern Time zone, it is only 7 am in Hawaii. That makes for some interesting television.

The preacher has a friend who lives in Hawaii and loves football. When Monday night football is being shown live here, it is played later as a tape delayed in Hawaii.

The friend told the preacher that when his favorite team plays, he will listen to the game live over the radio, then watch it taped later that evening. 

“The fumbles and missed tackles and penalties aren’t so bad when you know the final results. I watch the game with an entirely different perspective because I know who wins,” he said.

Say that last line slowly to yourself.

Powerful, isn’t it?

I watch the game with an entirely different perspective because I knew who wins. Wow, what a statement.

As Christians isn’t that how we should try to live?

We know Who has already won the battle.  God defeated sin and death. With God, we are victorious.

Yet I dwell on my fumbles, focus on what is wrong with me when I missed opportunities, and fail to find the positive in learning from my mistakes. I concentrate too much on the insignificant incidentals in life and lose sight of the triumphant ending.

I am going to work on living life with a different perspective knowing God has already won. Join me?

The Unfolding of Your Words – Lectio Divina

The unfolding of your words gives light; 
it gives understanding to the simple. 

Psalm 119: 130

The unfolding of your words

I walked in my garden with you this week, Lord.

I watched You dance with the dragon flies and bounce upon the purple cone flowers.

Even with the very hot, dry July, Lord You coaxed a multitude of rose buds to bloom.

The petals slowly stretch their arms open as if they were reaching up to You.

I gazed at my newborn twin grandsons this week wiggle and unfurl their legs in the freedom of their new lives.

Unfolding – what lovely word, Lord.

The unfolding of Your words light my journey.

The spreading out of Your spirit guides me on my way.

You remove the blinders on my heart slowly and gently so I can savor Your wisdom.

You are revealed in Your words and become known to us simple mortals.

We probably couldn’t live seeing Your full revelation.

After all, You are God.

I celebrate the unfurling rose buds and join them in reaching my arms up to You.

Kindness – Quote of the Week – Max Lucado

I choose kindness

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone,

Kind to the rich, for they are afraid,

And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

Max Lucado

Praying for What is Right in Front on You: Praying the News

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What do you do when you hear a siren?

If you are driving, you pull the car over to the side of the road to let the emergency vehicle pass.

But my mom taught me one more thing:  When you hear a siren, say a prayer.

Pray for where the ambulance is heading. Pray for safety for the EMTs, law enforcement, or fire fighters. But always remember to pray.

We live in a rural area and sometime hear or see the emergency helicopter fly over transporting someone who needs immediate medical care. Another time a sound or sight triggers prayer.

The Carmelite Sisters in Indianapolis Indiana offer prayer in response to another set of sights and sounds. They pray the news.

Now I have noticed one of my favorite spiritually-related web sites, Spirituality and Practice, is also praying the news:

What a different mindset to have when watching the evening news or reading the paper or when a headline pops up on the computer.

Our Sunday newspaper prints photos on 8-10 mug shots of men and women wanted in NE Indiana for various crimes. For several years now, I look at each of the photos intently into their eyes and lift them up to the Lord.

But I haven’t prayed over the front-page stories of the daily paper or the real estate transactions, the obituaries, or the court proceedings. I imagine many of the divorce and foreclosures notices are in dire need of prayer. Even the wedding and baby announcements could be lifted up with thanksgiving.

I am going to pray the news more often. When I read the paper or listen to the news I am going to also listen with my heart. What jumps out to me? What name or situation causes me to pause? Is there one story or person I feel drawn to for prayer?

I believe in the power of prayer and know God works through our prayers to transform lives.

Lord I don’t know the results of my prayers, but I do know You call me to pray.

Help me to remember to drench whatever is right in front of my eyes into your healing waters.

Lord of compassion, open my heart to see what breaks Your heart and to love what You love

And may I be your hands and feet on earth in reaching others. Amen

Sometimes Life is Two-riffic

We Interrupt this Blog for an Important Announcement. . .

Life interrupted my routine this week.

Life  interfered with all my plans.

Life stopped me in my tracts to behold a wondrous phenomenon.

As Albert Einstein once said:

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

Miracle, yes indeed.  I experienced a miracle this week.

Actually two of them.

On Sunday my daughter, Katie, gave birth to two little boys. 

Korbin arrived at 8:15 am, weighing in just a little below five pounds. 

His brother, Kastin, may have been born second, but won in the weight division topping a little over the five-pound mark.

All are healthy and the boys are adorable.

My heart overflows with thanksgiving and praise of our Creator for these blessings. Thank you, dear Lord. Thank you to the Giver of Life for new life.

Yes, life engulfed me this week and love exploded.

And sometime a miracle from God comes in pairs.

What’s Next, Papa? – Lectio Divina

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life.

It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?"

God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!   Romans 8:15-17  The Message

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"What's next, Papa?"

What a prayer, Lord.

I lift this up as my prayer today.

"What's next, Papa?"

I relish in the spirit of living expectantly of Your blessings and presence.

I turn my focus from only on what is wrong to fixing my eyes on You, my father.

"What's next, Papa?"

You fill me with hope and giddy anticipation.

I lay on Your altar, my fears, worries, and doubts, so I can run empty-handed to embrace the life You’ve given me.

"What's next, Papa?"

My self-image is full of lies. My ego causes me to stumble. My over-thinking and feeble attempts to control life betrays me and falsely condemns me.

You have redeemed me and confirm who I really am – Your child.

And there is not better place to be or person to become.

"What's next, Papa?" 

Always Go to the Funeral– Quote of the Week

“This I believe” is a series and book by NPR where individuals, famous and not so famous, share essays. The following is a quote from one of my favorites:

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Always Go to the Funeral – Deirdre Sullivan

“Sounds simple – when someone dies, get in your car and go to calling hours or the funeral. That, I can do. But I think a personal philosophy of going to funeral means much more.

‘Always go the funeral’ means that I have to do the right thing when I really, really don’t feel like it…I’m talking about those things that represent only inconvenience to me, but the world to the other guy…In my humdrum life, the daily battle hasn’t been good versus evil. It’s hardly so epic. Most days, my battle is doing good versus doing nothing.”

God’s Palette

I am so grateful for God’s creation. Some days God’s palette of color overwhelms me.

After all, He could have made the world black and white.

Or said,

“Let’s keep it simple and only use primary colors.”

I love the springtime pastels and the fall hues set ablazed.

But one of my favorite times of year is when God turns Ohio golden.

The ripen fields of wheat snuggle against a deep green of early corn.

Then the Artist scatters swatches of orange as the Tiger Lilies spring up wildly in the ditches.

These colors grace us with a glimpse of heaven.

I bet God takes delight as we discover and enjoy His palette.

Do you have any idea how many colors there are in the world He created?

Scientists estimate we can see about 1000 levels of light-dark, 100 levels of red-green, and 100 levels of yellow-blue for a single viewing condition in a laboratory. This means that the total number of colors we can see is about 1000 x 100 x 100 = 10,000,000 (10 million).

But that is within a laboratory. Color is affected by how we view it: the light, the moisture in the air and how they reflect upon different surfaces. On top of that number, each of us sees colors a little bit differently too.

I read one estimate that with all the colors and various conditions taken into consideration, the number is truly endless. One example was given like this:

If we have 10-million colors, times 10- million lighting types, times 10-million lighting levels, times 10-million surrounding colors, times 6-billion people in the world, times 3 modes of viewing we get a really huge number. The result of that multiplication is 18 followed by 33 zeros (18,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000), or 18 decillion.

WOW! And just the site of one wheat field made me stop in thanksgiving and praise. I don’t think I could survive seeing all of God’s palette at one time.

Now that will be heaven, won’t it?

Praying to be Silly

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Do you pray to be silly? Sounds odd, doesn't it? But this is my prayer this week.

I love words. I enjoy learning their histories, their hidden meanings, their stories.

I learned new things about the word “SILLY” this week.

In my view, my perspective, silly means shallow, impractical, childish, and harebrained. Not quite the desirable characteristic to pray for, though being more childlike is Biblical.

But words evolve in their meanings over time.

Silly used to be the opposite of what it means now.

The word derives from the old English word seely, meaning happy, blissful, lucky, or blessed. From there it came to mean innocent, or deserving of compassion, only later mutating this sense of naive childishness. The related German selig retains its original meaning ‘happy, blessed’.

So I am praying to be silly:

Lord help me to be silly in its old definition.

Sprinkle me with joyous laughter and Godly giggles.

Thank you for pure moments that lighten my day.

Give me childlike eyes to see Your wonders.

And a silly putty heart to know You better.

By the Sea with Jesus – Lectio Divina

“That same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.” Matthew 13:1

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Sat beside the sea

Lord I can just imagine You rising early in the day when the morning mist was still kissing the earth.

You walked to one of Your greatest creations – the majestic sea  - and just sat by the water.

Soon people would demand Your time, Your energy, You.

I think You must have embraced these Sabbath moments.

Watching the waves rhythmically meet the sand.

Breathing in the fresh air and hearing the birds sing praises to Your father.

A brief respite.

Time with Your Dad.

I too need to remember to pause and spend time with Papa.

To intentionally sit by the sea with You.

To pause and inhale Your spirit.

To let the rhythms of the day sooth my soul.

To be with You by the sea.

To just be with You.

Ruler of my Heart - Quote of the Week – Joyce Rupp

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Ruler of my Heart

Tame the wildness in me

That wants to leap away

And do my own thing

Without regard for others.

Enliven the wildness in me

That gets overly complacent

With a too predictable life.

Rule over my flip-flop heart.

Do whatever it takes

To join the best in me with you.

Joyce Rupp

From her new book: Fragments of Your Ancient Name

Online Spiritual Direction

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I have been a spiritual director since 2006 and have offered spiritual direction, both individually and in a group.

Spiritual direction is the process of accompanying people on a spiritual journey. Spiritual direction emphasizes growing closer to God.

Spiritual direction, sometimes referred to as spiritual guidance or spiritual friendship, is an on-going relationship in which one person (the directee), desirous of being attentive to his or her spiritual life, meets with another person (the director) on a regular basis (approximately once a month), specifically for the purpose of becoming more attuned to God's Presence in order to respond more fully to that Presence in all of life.

Spiritual direction has been part of the Christian tradition for centuries.

The latest issue Presence, the journal for spiritual directors published by Spiritual Directors International, has an article about a new venue for this practice.

Online.

Image by Sean MacEntee via Flickr

“E-spiritual Direction: Providing Access for people in Outlying and rural Areas” was written by Joann Nesser who shares her initial reactions to listening this way, ideas on how it can work, unexpected benefits and the challenges she found.  She also mentioned some spiritual directors are offering their service using Sype.

Since I live in a rural area and am comfortable with technology, the article fascinated me.

The process Nesser found useful was a monthly email from the directee in which she responded by email. This led to the main benefit: the directees were writing once a month – reflecting and finding the words to describe - where God was meeting them that month. 

What a blessed opportunity. 

“As people’s schedules get busier and busier, I think that e-spiritual direction will become a common way to meet the growing need for spiritual direction.”

My first reaction was hesitation about offering something as intimate as spiritual direction without the person to person contact but after reading this article, I am thinking this just may have great potential.

What do you think? Would you be open to online spiritual direction?

Is Routine Spiritually Healthy?

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Is having routine spiritually healthy?

Lately I have rejoiced in the return to routine in my life. After months of much of my time not being my own, I now have days to write more.

Each morning is blessed with time with God – in His Word and listing in His presence.

I have time for that second cup of coffee and have even started once again some exercise by walking each morning.

Ahhh, routine.

There is a certain comfort to having known patterns in life, isn’t there?

I fly on automatic pilot in my morning shower, brushing teeth, and drying hair. I know without thinking which cereal to grab with my handful of blueberries on top. My to-do list is doable with some wiggle room to grab unexpected spontaneity.

I am snug in my comfort zone.

So I ponder routine.

1.  Is routine good? It does reinforce good habits.

2.  Is routine not so good? It also preserves bad habits.

3.  Is routine something I should really desire? It brings comfort after times of trial and provides a time and place of rest.

4.  Is routine where God wants me to live?  I think this is the real question He is inviting me to consider.

Perhaps the best place to be is on the edge. 

Reminded me of the memoir Calvin Miller wrote Life Is Mostly Edges. He writes:

“I do remember enough to know I like the middle of my stamp more than the edges. This is not unusual. We all like the middle. The middle is safe. You can’t fall off the middle. Only the edges are dangerous. The great lessons, the deep tragedies, the storms of unbearable heart-quakes always happen along the edges. We don’t cry much in the middle but then we don’t laugh much there either – at least not with any belly-deep laughter…Brinkmanship is the name of the game.”

One of favorite quotes:

Faith

When you walk to the edge of all the light you have and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown,

You must believe that one of two things will happen:

There will be something solid for you to stand upon,

or

You will be taught how to fly

Patrick Overton

Routine does provide a place of refuge to rest and recover, but I think I will cherish it less and hold it more lightly. I hide in routine  - a dark place where not much growth occurs. I bury myself in the safety of my comfort zone instead of running in faith to the Comforter.

Life happens on the brightly lit edges and perhaps that is the healthiest place to live.

What do you think?

Something More – Lectio Divina

Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.

 But I need something more!

For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

 I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. 

Romans 7: 15-25 (The Message)

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But I need something more!

Something more!

Something More!

I try and try to do it on my own.

Like a toddler stomping her feet in a rally for independence, I set out once again determined to love You with my whole heart.

Then I fail. Again and again.

My good intentions are not strong enough to face sin and my own humanness.

Even my strongest times are feeble.

I need something more.

I need more.

I need More.

You are More, Lord.

You are the something I need.

You know this about us, don’t you, Lord?

You know we can’t do it on our own.

Yet You lovingly, like an all-knowing, ever-watchful Father, allow us to try.

We learn in our struggle to trust in Your power, Your More.

You are present to be our something More.

More than we can ever imagine.

More than we can grasp with tiny human minds.

More than the world can comprehend and farther than the universe can reach.

You are something More.

Something More

More.

Morning Prayer – Quote of the Week – Macina Wiederkehr

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Awakening from the slumbering night

I gratefully open my entire being to you,

Receiving spiritual medication for my life,

Vitamins of grace for my soul’s journey.

Each morning as I enter into prayerfulness

I receive from your abundant medicine chest

Effective remedies for a lack of enthusiasm,

A renewed strength for the ability to love,

A clearer motivation for my daily occupation,

And an endless portion of health grace.

Macina Wiederkehr