Stuck
This week I returned from a long break, and I have spent the last two days playing catch up. Yesterday, I beat down a pile of paperwork that had been accumulating, and today was spent dealing with my computer that had to be “refreshed”. Ironically, this is what a vacation is supposed to do for us, but my computer had to wait for me to get back for the same refreshment. All that being said, I still find myself in the same predicament that I was in when I walked through the door this morning, a lot of catching up to do, because today I was stuck giving the device that is supposed to boost my productivity its much needed “refresh”. I felt like I was stuck, like the people in the ride shown in the picture above. This is what the endless cycle of technology does to us sometimes, it makes us dependent upon it and then makes us work twice as hard trying to fix the problems it causes.
Funny thing that happened though in the midst of the maddening frustration with my computer was that I actually was allowed to move away from the screen, and I was able to put pen to paper and work on solving problems with all that education with which I have been blessed. Computers can be amazing, and I am thankful when they save me and abundant amount of time, but sometimes I need to remember that I should not rely upon them as much as I do. That is what made me feel as if I was stuck. Whether or not our computers, or iPads, or smart phones are working, things still need to get done. I am thankful for the perspective that today has given me regarding my technology reliance.
I am also reminded that I should rely upon God more. God did create the people that designed and built the computers, but God cares about me more than the computer, and God has given me a mind to problem solve. Today, I am loved by God, and with God I am not STUCK. Don’t get stuck in front of your screen, look up and notice that God has created a beautiful world around you, and that the Almighty would have still created it even if it was only you to enjoy it all.
Old Familiar Friends and Places
Today and tomorrow are going to be filled with reunions and gatherings throughout the US as the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us. For many of us it is a chance to connect with family and friends, and connect back to old places where we have memories both good and bad. Holidays themselves all a call to remember what has happened and to commemorate and/or celebrate something, some one, or some event. For this reason, we see people either looking forward to or dreading this time of year because we cannot escape the signs of the season, and they seem to begin their invasion of our offices, cafes, stores, and neighborhoods earlier each year.
This is also a time of year that we are confronted by the fact that our lives are not static as people are continuously coming into our lives, and leaving our lives. While we may not have to deal with the ebb and flow of people on an everyday basis, it unavoidably confronts us during these gatherings. In some ways this is exciting, like if a new member of the family has been added, such as the birth of a child, (this is my sweet Sophia’s first thanksgiving) or a new marriage. However, some people dread these times, maybe there has been a death, or a divorce, but there is clearly an absence that cannot be ignored.
During this time, we need to remember that no matter the people that come into our lives or leave our lives, God is constant. Take time out of your day today or tomorrow and look at the things that surround us and allow them to be our altars where we remember that God has been with us. The picture above is of the Campanile on the UC Berkeley campus, which reminds me that God is always beside me, even when it gets very dark and I have trouble finding hope. The people of Israel, as they crossed the Jordan, grabbed stones from the dry river bed and placed them on the banks of the Jordan to remind themselves and future generations that God had been there to allow them to enter into the promised land. The history of Israel had many ups and downs, but God never left them, and no matter what, the stones were there to remind them that it was God who led them into the promised land.
I have so many friends that each time we connect I am reminded that God loves me, and that it has been by His grace and mercy that our relationships have grown and flourished even though time, distance, and life have created space between us. So for those of you who I have not seen in a while, I thank God because of you, I thank God that our lives have crossed paths, and I thank God that because of our relationship I have become better than I was before we met.
So to my old familiar friends and places, I am thankful for you!
Flying
I spent the bulk of my afternoon watching my son fly through the air again and again on a small zip line. He absolutely loved doing this endlessly repetitive simple task all afternoon. While part of me wanted to say, “hey why don’t we go and do something else?” I instead held my tongue and marveled at his joy doing something that he had not previously done. My only regret is the fact that I didn’t join him and make a trip on the zip line. He actually appreciated the fact that he was “flying”, and he “experimented” with different ways he could speed up or slow down his flight on his repeat trips.
How many times do we find joy in the simple things? Shouldn’t we simply appreciate the ways we fly, even if it is repetitive, simple, or boring?
As Christ calls us to become like children, I am reminded that our children are often able to look at the world from such a fresh perspective, and I am encouraged to fly more often.
“Lord, guide me toward flight, and help me appreciate the things I often think are mundane and repetitive.” Amen
Where are we going?
Today I am flying on an airplane, and as I sat in the terminal waiting to board the airplane, I kept thinking about how everyone here is going somewhere, and the place that we all intersect is not the destination for any of us. The flow of people in and out of the gates at LAX is somewhat constant, people leaving and coming. Where are all of us going? Are people going to venture out and see their friends and family? Maybe they are going to that one last business trip before the Thanksgiving holiday? Just heading out for vacation? For nearly everyone there is a destination in mind. It just isn’t here.
This reminds me of the direction of the church today. Where are we going? Are we going to be a club for our inner circle of friends? Are we going to become shelters and food banks? Are we going to become commuter campuses that people from the surrounding suburbs come to congregate in the city once or twice a week? Are we going to be that place where we can confess and then go on with our lives afterward? Maybe we are even going to become the terminals that people pass through, but never think of as their destination?
Are any of these bad unto themselves? I don’t think so, I think each model of the church has some validity, but there are a few issues that we must all deal with in our models of “church”. If any of our churches lose sight of the fact that the Spirit is dynamic, then that particular church will become static, and stuck in the way that it has always done things. The Spirit is always moving and it is the Church’s responsibility to embody Christ’s mission for the world. Does our church feel stuck in it’s ways? If so, this is the fight we must fight. There must be a reason we do what we do, and that reason has to be Christ, and what we are called to do in scripture. Mission cannot be a program of the church, but must be the definition of the church.
I like the idea of the church as a terminal. Where we are at cannot be our destination, but rather we must get in line with that which God has called us. We are called to move and prepare God’s people for God’s Kingdom. Our work is never done, until God calls us home.
San Francisco
On my last trip to San Francisco, I got a chance to snap this shot. I am always thankful of my opportunities to visit this magnificent city.
Are we already done with our pumpkins?
I know that going to the pumpkin patch is something usually reserved for October, but I have become accustomed to seeing the beautiful orange gourd until at least Thanksgiving. However, this week the pumpkin has begun it’s disappearing act and the proliferation of red has taken over in anticipation for the Christmas season. This makes me sad, because I love the pumpkin, I love going to the pumpkin patch, I love carving pumpkins, I love eating all the wonderful pumpkin baked goods my wife makes, I love both preparing and eating pumpkin seeds, and I love the fact that it reminds me that Thanksgiving is almost here. I can’t overstate my affection for our orange friend. (Well, maybe I have.)
I am thankful for this day, and even though they have begun to disappear, I am reminded by the pumpkin that I have a lot for which to be thankful.
“Heavenly Father, thank you for the many blessings in my life. Thank you for family and friends. May you remind me that each corner I turn, I turn because I am blessed. Thank you Father God!” Amen
As a postscript: I hope that the disappearing act is happening because they are being transformed into delicious delicacies.
Planning, Ha!
As I walked through the doors today I had a well laid out plan about what I was going to do today, and the tasks that were finally going to be checked off, however my day didn’t go as planned. An entire host of things that demanded my attention came up, and the day spun out of control.
I need this prayer right now.
“Lord I thank you for the chaos that has surrounded me today, and even more I thank you for never leaving my side in the midst of the chaos that lies inside and outside. May I learn to become more dependent upon You, and less dependent upon the plans and task lists I make. Praise be You in all things and in all circumstances.” Amen
New and old at the same time…
In a recent trip to Berkeley, I got a chance to visit and watch games in the “new” Memorial Stadium on campus. I have seen dozens of games in Memorial Stadium, but over the last two years it has been renovated with a new press box, training center, plazas outside the stadium, concourses within the stadium, and seat configurations which have transformed this stadium from the 1920’s into a new creation. However, from the outside, much of the façade is the same as it was before the renovation.
So many of us concentrate on fixing up our exterior while leaving the inside the same. I am guilty of this. Over the last three years I have “renovated” my exterior, dropping about 150 pounds, and reclaiming my athletic roots, but some bad habits I have left alone in the core of my heart. This is inconceivable.
What have you left alone untouched in the corners of your heart? Where do you need renovation?
Heavenly Father, I relinquish to you those areas of my heart that need renovation. May you take on the ugliness that lies within, and make me a new creation in this old body. Amen.
Elpis and Shalom 