Somewhat Entertaining, Somewhat Disturbing

I really enjoy Dr. John Byron's posts because they afford me the opportunity to read engaging articles from various sources without having to be the one to discover them. So thanks, Dr. Byron, for finding some "gems" for me to enjoy without the effort of mining them myself!

 http://thebiblicalworld.blogspot.com/2011/11/another-reason-why-people-should-read.html

Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea   One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

If you're searching for an uplifting and riveting story, check out Three Cups of Tea. This biographical account of one courageous mountain climber focuses on his quest to bring education to impoverished communities in the remotest areas of Pakistan. Mountaineer Greg Mortenson's promise and outcome to build a school in the Karakoraam Mountains of Pakistan is expertly chronicled by David Oliver Relin. Eventually fifty-five schools were built due to the perseverance of Mortenson fueled by a great compassion for humanity.

I'd love to hear what books you are reading that have captured your interest as well.

Abba

Check out Chris Cahill's post. Definitely food for thought and some healthy discussion~

http://sightingsontheway.blogspot.com/2011/10/courageous.html

Thanks Chris for your review of "Courageous."  I have not seen the movie so I cannot comment.

donna

Celebrating Saturdays

Many of our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ celebrated Reformation Sunday yesterday in worship services around the world. How glorious to acknowledge and praise God for the way he has moved in his Church. My heart has always been drawn to those chronos times in church when we become more aware of the kairotic moments of God's presence and activity in our lives. I enjoy hearing about all the hustle and bustle of preparing and experiencing Reformation Sunday from my daughter and her husband. I honor and respect Pastor Chris Cahill's reflections on Martin Luther and Chris' faithfulness to provide his church body with a sense of their biblical-historical tradition.

Isn't it wonderful when we can go to church and celebrate?

At Park Street Brethren Church, Pastor Bill often reminds us that worship is not about us, it's about honoring God. Yesterday we honored God by praising him for his love and thanking him for moving our church body to respond in loving obedience. We celebrated by testifying to how God is using our people to heal and bless the community we live in. The previous Sunday we gathered for breakfast, prayer and worship in song, and then scattered to serve the community in numerous ways. Wood was chopped for widows who heat their homes with wood stoves, parks were cleaned up, single Moms received help with household repairs, and blankets were sewn for first responders to take to children in crisis. These are just a few of the projects that were tackled last Sunday, and perhaps most importantly, new relationships were formed.  I anticipate some of these acts of service will be ongoing. That is something to celebrate!

Another celebration took place yesterday at  Inner Healing Ministries in South Euclid, Ohio. The church body was overflowing with praise for how God manifested his presence the day before. On Saturday, over eighty people representing ten churches participated in a healing conference. This conference addressed how to minister to: those who have been sexually abused; men who are seeking to become more like Jesus in their minds and hearts; leaders who want to facilitate healing in small groups; and God's people who are struggling with forgiveness. On Sunday, the Inner Healing Ministries church, under the shepherding of Dr. Reverend Benjamin Franklin, Jr., responded to God's anointing on Saturday through hearts of gratitude and praise for his greatness.

I've been thinking about the "Saturdays" of our lives. What is it that God is doing from Monday to Saturday, through you and through others, that you celebrate on Sunday?

What "Saturdays" are you celebrating on Sunday these days?

 You make known to me the path of life;

 in your presence there is fullness of joy;
 at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
 (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

You teach me the way of life.

In your presence is total celebration.

Beautiful things are always in your right hand.

(Psalm 16:11 CEB) 

The Anatomy of a Soul

Would you like to better understand yourself, others and God? Are you interested in understanding how your children's brains are developing? Would you like to keep up with the current neurological research without having to delve into its most technical aspects? If so, you may enjoy Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson, M.D. It is an easy read with rich insights to Christian spirituality and the way our brain processes our relationships to God and others.
You may differ with some of Thompson's theological concepts, but the heart of the book is quite engaging. If any of you out there are reading this book, I'd love to hear your reflections.

donna

Help for the Homeless

Greetings friends,
I am looking for a mental health facility or halfway house for a 22 year old schizophrenic man that will be released from the hospital soon. He tried to commit suicide Friday, broke both ankles through jumping off a bridge, and has no insurance or money to pay for residential care.

Anyone know of any leads? I understand the Vineyard Association churches have been very helpful to the poor and marginalized in the Cincinnati and Columbus areas. If any of you have a connection, please let me know.

Thanks,
Donna

Full Capacity

Today I am blessed by the visit of Pete Ohs and his wife Andrea. Our family has known Pete since he was born and he has been my son Brian's best friend since pre-school days. Interestingly, they are both "middle children" and incredibly sensitive, creative human beings. Pete and Brian spent many of their school years together in journalistic endeavors; Brian mostly in print but some video and Pete mostly in video projects. They would talk endlessly about film and script writing. Some of their joint high school projects were quite hilarious and they dreamt about the day when they would make their mark on the film industry. I, too, wondered where all this creative energy would lead them (especially as they matured) and am amazed at the way their sensitive spirits are touching lives through their giftings.

What they are doing today astounds me and I could not have envisioned the lives they are leading. Which brings me to the point of this blog. How often do we limit people by our preconceived notions of what we think they should be like? Do we place expectations on people according to our perspectives or agendas?

One of my most glaring examples of imposing my agenda on Brian was during his first Christmas teaching overseas. Much to my dismay, Brian called home the day after Christmas. I was awaiting his phone call and I had been praying that he would connect with a loving family to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I was worried about how lonely he would be. When he finally did call, I was humbled by his Christmas day report. "Mom," he excitedly shouted in the phone (that's Brian, he gets louder when he gets excited) "I just had the best Christmas day in my whole life!" Hmmmm.... without his family? (This is what I selfishly thought.) Brian continued with exuberance, "I spent the day with a friend who is a recovering alcoholic and I helped him from relapsing. I helped him with his loneliness which kept him from taking a drink. It was the best Christmas ever!"

In one split second I was full of a Mother's pride and the Holy Spirit's conviction. And again I wonder, how often do I limit people by my preconceived notions of what I think they should be like? I wanted Brian to find a loving family to take care of him. Instead Brian found the joy of caring for another. His loving action put my Christmas day agenda to shame.

Back to Brian and Pete. After high school they went to different colleges. Pete got married and Brian remained single. Both pursued their gifts. Brian is now a writer and teacher and Pete is now a film producer. Their career paths are not a surprise to me. But I did not anticipate how their interests would bring them back together again.  Unbeknownst to each other, Brian and Pete began studying the brain, mental illness and schizophrenia. Yes, that is quite the coincidence. Each have become absorbed with helping a population which is devastated by this illness. Brian spends his free time studying the latest research on neuroscience and neuropsychology. Pete spends his time gathering research for a documentary he is producing on the life of the schizophrenic which will be entered in national film festivals.

As I write, they are watching Pete's documentary and sharing what they've learned through their studies. Pete's goal is to raise awareness of the struggles for schizophrenics and their families, for his wife's brother bears that diagnosis with its daily struggles to just survive. Brian's goal is to someday write a book that makes a difference in the lives of those with mental illness. Through Brian and Pete, I am learning to appreciate the endless possibilities of what life can be for those I love and serve.

Through God's grace, he hasn't limited me. Miraculously, in him I have the capacity for becoming more than I ever thought I could be. He is slowly shaping me to become more like Jesus. Lord, give my eyes to see that capacity in others.

Jehovah-Jireh

Years ago, in my Findlay Bible Study Fellowship small group, I met a lovely young woman name Kim. She asked to meet after group because she felt  a connection with me. We only had a chance to have coffee and chat once because I was preparing to move to Ashland. Today Kim called me. After all this time, she remembered my name and the town to which I moved!

Kim's reason for calling was her concern for her 72 year old Mom, Carol, who is an Ashland resident. She wondered if I knew of anyone that could provide a listening ear for Carol, fellowship and perhaps some pastoral counseling. As we brainstormed a few ideas, Kim asked me where I went to church. I heard her audibly gasp when I told her Park Street Brethren Church. Coincidentally??? her Mom attends Park Street as well. Kim was even more astounded when I shared I am heading up Care Ministries at church and had several resources to suggest to her Mom for support and care.

Beyond my church leadership, I have a more personal interest in Kim's request. As a daughter, I know firsthand the need of an elderly Mother who yearns for the blessing of community. When my Mom was in and out of hospitals and nursing homes, her most immediate concern was access to friends and family. Once she became ill, loneliness became her reality. It was quite difficult for Mom to be stripped away of her social life due to her inability to see the people she loved on a regular basis. For me, one of the saddest circumstances regarding her death was the fact that she was surrounded by nurses and doctors she didn't know. She died in the very early hours of the morning and neither my brother and I, nor her sister or friends were at her bedside. I felt she died alone.

Two weeks ago at a church leadership team board meeting I met CEO Jay Brooks of Ashland Brethren Care. This residential facility is much like the one in which my Mom lived for most of her final months of life. Jay shared with me one of the most pressing needs of his residents is for someone to visit and spend time talking with them. Another coincidence?

My Findlay friend Kim had a strong sense that her Mom "just needed someone to talk to." On a happier note, Park Street Church can provide for Carol. Kim was full of praise for our conversation today and I truly understood the relief in her voice. Kim has more hope that her Mom will get what she needs. Could it be that the initial connection Kim felt with me was part of God's plan that is now unfolding? Is this the mystery of God to which we often speak?

It appears God has done his part in his provision (if I may humbly note) and now it's our turn to do ours. Spending time in nursing homes can be most discouraging, hospital visits can be awkward, and ministry to people facing the last season of their lives may be depressing. I know that on a deeply personal level. But if we're going to be like Jesus, we don't dismiss what is uncomfortable.

How about you? Do you know a person in need who "just needs someone to talk to?"

And if you still have the opportunity, call your Mom.

Care Ministries: Planning with Purpose

Last night I had the joy of spending time with a group of people that think like me. And yes, that can be a good thing! We gathered for the goal of solidifying the organizational structure of Care Ministries at Park Street Church.

Those of you who know me well may be thinking, of course Donna was enjoying putting together a plan for ministry. Yeah, yeah, I do like to initiate a plan and see it through, but I'm talking about something different today. Our meeting's focus was not about planning, but purpose.

We began the meeting with an invitation to share "I'm here tonight because . . ." The responses were amazing. God's purpose resounded through each person's story. And I realized I was in a room with some very special people. People who found purpose in life by giving to others in unique and unselfish ways. It was truly inspiring.

Here's where the "thinking like me" comes in. I've just always found joy through doing small things for other people. I don't say that arrogantly, because those closest to me know, (to apply an overused counseling term), my, ahem, "growth areas." They are blatant and numerous. But there's something positive and satisfying that expands within me when I am focused on giving rather than myself. And for me, I delight in the process. So to sit with others and hear the ways in which they consider the needs of those around them, for their families, and in the church body was both affirming and enriching.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 was our scripture lesson for the meeting because I do think Paul's voice regarding care giving is one of the most pointed and significant to care ministries.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort."

After a brief look at these verses, we prayed and asked the Lord to remind us of a time when he ministered to a need in our lives. After a few moments of silence, individuals shared their memories. This was definitely the highlight of the evening. Jesus had met them in profound and beautiful ways. No wonder this group of people were so enthusiastic about giving encouragement and comfort Paul spoke of in the scriptures. They experienced Jesus in their most difficult seasons of life. Truly, we can't help but want that for others.

Back to solidifying an organizational plan for care ministries . . . It begins with God's purpose for our lives. Somehow when that's the main point, the plan falls in place.

Helpful Depression?

Today I listenened to a fascinating interview on NPR by Bob Edwards with psychiatrist and author Nassir Ghaemi. The focus of the interview was on Ghaemi's book  A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links between Leadership and Mental Illness. According to his website, his book comprises "an investigation into the surprisingly deep correlation between mental illness and successful leadership, as seen through some of history’s greatest politicians, generals, and businesspeople.

 

A perfect book for my husband and me. He loves history and I love . . .  mental illness? (hmmmm.... somehow that doesn't sound quite right.)

 

 If you are interested in reading a review of the book, go to this site:

http://manicdepressiveblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/is-there-a-link-between-mental-illness-leadership-a-book-review-guest-post/

Regarding Isaiah 58

Today is a Bible study of Isaiah 58. It's certainly not comprehensive, but will take more than your usual time of reading my blog post. I hope some of you post a comment after you take a little excursion into this chapter.

Perhaps one of the strongest admonitions in the Bible regarding serving others is found in the book of Isaiah chapter 58. God had a lot to say through the prophet Isaiah about people who missed the point about what it truly meant to be his people through caring for others.  

Before we direct our attention to the theme of dying to self/serving others, let’s learn a little bit about the book of Isaiah.

Actually, I should say books of Isaiah, since biblical scholars divide this tome-like body of scriptures into three distinct prophetic works.The last “book” of Isaiah includes chapter 58. Scholars identify Isaiah 56 through 66 as a separate collection of oracles spoken by a group of unknown prophets.

Here they speak dual messages. One is of a heartbreak that cries against the sin of hypocrisy and the other contains hope of restoration for a struggling people.

 And what is this hypocrisy? It is the people of God being concerned about looking good to God through their religious performance while not looking compassionately toward others who need their care.

Let’s stop for a moment and let that last statement soak in.

Looking good to God through religious performance while not looking compassionately toward others who need our care . . .

We’re going to take a closer look at chapter 58 that speaks of this hypocrisy by dividing it into three parts.

          Beliefs that are distorted

         

Behaviors that God challenges

Behaviors that God desires

         

In part one, the belief systems of God’s people are questioned.

In part two, the behaviors of God’s people are challenged.

In part three, the behaviors God desires from his people are presented.

I’m guessing there are times when your own beliefs and behaviors are such that you miss God’s design for loving service to others. Sometimes we hold onto religious beliefs that get in the way from embracing the true nature of a loving God. Sometimes our religious behaviors don’t reflect the character of a compassionate Christ.

When have these stumbling blocks of religious beliefs and behaviors been true for you?

Part One Isaiah 58:1-3a Beliefs are questioned.

(vs. 1)“ ‘Cry aloud, do not hold back;

Lift up your voice like a trumpet;

Declare to my people their transgression,

To the house of Jacob their sins.'"

Isaiah is summoned to let the people of God know what’s on God’s mind: their sin!

And what is that sin? Their particular sin to which God refers unfolds in the next several verses.

Continue to read God’s complaint with his people, the house of Jacob.

(vs. 2) "'Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways,

As if they were a nation that did righteousness

And did not forsake the judgment of their God;

They ask of the righteous judgments;

They delight to draw near to God.’"

Now the Israelites start complaining to God.

(vs. 3a) "Why have we fasted, and you see it not?

Why have we humbled ourselves,

And you take no knowledge of it? “

God is directing his admonition toward their belief system.

They believed in the importance of a strict adherence to the spiritual discipline of fasting. But God knew they believed loving rituals was more important than loving relationships. This is their transgression, their sin.

One Bible scholar explains it this way:

"The people of Israel, during Old Testament times, as well as into the early New Testament times, were an extremely "religious" group. They placed tremendous emphasis on ritual, ceremony and tradition. Over the course of time, however, the externals of religious practice had become the totality of their experience (at least for most of them); they had lost sight of the spiritual side of their relationship with their God. Outwardly, they appeared to be a people devoted to God. Their love of ceremony made them visibly appear to be righteous to the casual observer (Isaiah 58:2). The problem was: they loved the ritual, but not God or one another." (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

Part Two Isaiah 58:3b-5 Their behaviors are challenged.

God continues to speak through Isaiah.

(vs. 3b)“’'Behold in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,

And oppress all your workers.

(vs. 4) Behold you fast only to quarrel and fight

And to hit with a wicked fist.

Fasting like yours this day

Will not make your voice to be heard on high.

(vs.5) Is such the fast that I choose,

A day for a person to humble himself?

Is it to bow down his head like a reed,

And to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?

Will you call this a fast,

And a day acceptable to the Lord?’”

What the prophet is trying to say to the people is: “Have a heart! You’re so preoccupied with showing off religious behaviors, you’ve overlooked what it means to be spiritual. The evidence of true spirituality is your attitude and care for one another.  Herein lays the hypocrisy that God was addressing.  

While you are fasting, proclaims the Lord, you fast from work but make your workers pick up the slack (vs. 3b).

Your fasting is causing irritability amongst you and fighting ensues (vs. 4a).

What good is fasting like this; it will not make me hear your voice, says the Lord (vs. 4b).

 How can your religious behaviors of bowing down, spreading the sackcloth and ashes, be acceptable to me, the Lord implores (vs. 5).

These religious behaviors, the Lord contends, do not make up for how you behave toward your fellow men and women!

Part Three Isaiah 58:6-7 Behaviors that God desires

(vs. 6)“’Is not this the fast I choose;

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the straps of the yoke,

To let the oppressed go free,

And to break every yoke?'"

“The yoke” was a description of the heavy spiritual and physical burdens the Jews were placing upon each other.  

(vs. 7)'"Is it not to share your bread with the hungry

And bring the homeless poor into your house;

When you see the naked, to cover him,

And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?’”

“To hide yourself from your own flesh” meant the Jews were not even paying attention to your own families’ needs and the family of God to which they belonged.

God examined the fast in which the Jews were engaging. Biblical scholars call this a religious fast. Yet God desired a spiritual fast. He redefines the practice of fasting. Then he lists the behaviors that are true signs of a spiritual fast. Bring freedom to those in bondage, share your food and share your homes. In other words, share your life! 

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."

 Proverbs 3:27
                                                                                                                                 

This seems like a good place to wrap up this brief study. Perhaps a good challenge for today is:

In what ways can you pay better attention to the needs around you?

May blessings abound,

Donna

 

Morning Meditation



My morning goal everyday is to walk outside and "be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Since I am quite the visual person, God's creation never ceases to inspire me to draw closer to him.





Perhaps an impromptu morning excursion to a beautiful park

 How do you focus on God at the start of your day?       


Perhaps it's enjoying the morning shadows across your lawn



                                       

  

Or a favorite chair beckons you to "be still."

The ways in which to be in God's presence are endless.
                                                                                    
If you'd like to experience him today with an inspirational visual tour, complete with music for meditation, check out Selah's new recording, " Be Still."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MR7J8xD0Y&feature=player_embedded

May blessings abound,
donna





Always In Process

I've been writing a lesson for a spiritual formation curriculum that focuses on dying to self and serving others. My key scripture passage is Isaiah 58, but on the way to Isaiah I got sidelined by the hymn of Christ in Philippians chapter 2. So here's where I will begin and will revisit Isaiah in a later post.

M. Robert Mulholland in his excellent book, Invitation to a Journey states

 “spiritual formation is the process of becoming like Christ for the sake of others.”

There's that process word. I'm forever in process. (sigh)

That last phrase in Mulhollands definition, "for the sake of others,” is the interpersonal aspect of spiritual formation. It’s what goes on between you and another person or persons.

Consider this~

We grow in Christ to become more like Christ to be Christ for other people.

Growing in Christ is your intrapersonal journey. It's your inner transformation.

I've been considering~ 

          How have I balanced my intrapersonal and interpersonal spiritual journeys?

          How have I experienced an inbalance in my spiritual journey?

Scripture profoundly illustrates what this means to become like Jesus in Philippians 2:1-8.

I appreciate Eugene Peterson's paraphrase that follows.

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. (The Message translation)

Easy for him to say.:) Tough for me to follow.

Check out the ESV translation for a solid word for word reading.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,t6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant,t being born in the likeness of men.8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (ESV translation)

  

Becoming like Jesus for the sake of others requires something from us.

What "something" is God requiring of you? 

Anatomy of a Care Ministry: Dissecting Donna

After a summer of concentrated prayer and exploring with the senior pastor how to care for the church body, I accepted the formal invitation to consider the board position of leading Care Ministries at Park Street Church. I have never, in my thirty years of church experience, gone through this church's particular process of moving into a leadership position. The beginning steps were familiar enough; seek God's will for my involvement at church, dialogue with others currently in care ministry at Park Street Church through lay leadership, and share ideas and dreams with the pastor on what it could be.

But last night moved from these small steps to one giant leap into a place I haven't been before. I was interviewed by a large group at church  bearing the openly accountable title, Spiritual Health Team. A position on a committee with that moniker would certainly drive me to more vigiliance regarding my Christian walk! Their task was to discover if I possessed the Biblical qualifications of a leader while posing questions about my own historical walk with the Lord, my family and my leadership skills. They assured me I wouldn't fail if I didn't meet all of the qualifications (no one is perfect, right?).

For a solid hour this dedicated group of people asked probing questions in order to get to know me on both a personal and vocational level. Although you truly don't know someone until you've lived with him or her, or in the case of church ministry worked side by side with that person, I was quite impressed by the effort. But the most remarkable piece of the process for me was the request for my husband's presence. The team inquired about Jim's spiritual journey as well and endeavored to know him personally.

Inviting a spouse to this juncture of  decison making is advantageous on many levels. For me, it provided a marriage enrichment bonus as I listened to Jim's responses with curiousity and admiration. For the Spiritual Health Team, it afforded them the opportunity to see that Jim adds to my own spiritual health with his steadfastness in the Lord and even temperament. For Jim, it gave him a different venue to express his faith as well as show support for my calling and service to the Lord. All in all, if the candidate for leadership has a spouse, it is a win win situation to have the spouse present. I especially appreciate the insight the committee could have gotten if Jim wasn't supportive. Perhaps even more importantly, if marriage issues or personal problems surfaced, it would give this group of people a chance to minister to us.

Harkening back to the anatomy analogy, I do admit my bones were a little rattled while driving home from the interview last evening. But a little shaking up is good for the soul and a lot of accountability is good for the church body. I'm thankful for these "inquiring minds who want to know" if I hold myself accountable to the Bible, my spouse and God's will for my life.

This morning I praise the Lord with this psalm that expresses my thoughts about my new season of  ministry:

" You make known to me the path of life;
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
                                          Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
  

Spiritual Synchronicity?

A few weeks ago I posted a piece on Benedictine spirituality  with a focus on humility as a way of becoming a caring community.  Lately I've been considering the prayerful component of Benedict's regula as I adopt his habit of daily  praying through the Psalms.

You've probably heard that two ways to develop a new habit are to: 1) practice the new behavior in the same place each day; and 2) practice the new behavior at the same time each day. I've chosen morning, as the sun climbs higher above our tree line, for my set time. And my sacred space for praying the Psalms is a comfy chair on my back deck.

(Adirondack chairs are courtesy of my husband; my Mother's Day gift!)

Today with coffee, journal and Bible in hand, I began my prayers with what Benedict called the Psalms of the Day. In this method, every day five psalms are read. The first psalm correlates with the date of the month. My first psalm of the day is Psalm 27 (because today is July 27). In true Benedictine fashion, I mapped out the day's reading to include every thirtieth psalm based on the current date. Thus, today's list of Psalms were Psalm 27, 57, 87, 117, and 147.

I turned to the first words of Psalm 27 and quietly prayed:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation."

As I rested my eyes upon these words, I noticed the morning grayness around me became brighter. I looked up and here is what I saw:

(Obviously I ran to get my camera.)

In perfect synchronization, the Psalmist's declaration "the Lord is my light" became a visual reality as the sun parted the tree tops and broke through with brilliance. And the statement kept getting louder.   

"The Lord is my light and salvation."

I couldn't have "said" it any better.



 

Worship Today

Thank you, Sheila Anderson, for introducing me to Kari Jobe and this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL0nDrEYDnk&feature=player_embedded

Worship him today.

Ultimate Care: Psalm 37.

If you're following this blog, you've been reading about developing a care ministry in the local church. A recent post, Putting Some Meat on Them Bones, promised some suggestions on providing care without a formalized ministry intact. While considering what to offer here, the Lord brought to mind a time during my college days when he presented me with a plan for my  own spiritual and emotional care. (Although I didn't have the faintest idea of what he was talking about!)

I majored in what is now a defunct course of study called Elementary Classroom Music at Bowling Green State University. The goal was to become a specialist in elementary music methods. Learning to sing in a somewhat pleasant voice was also a requirement. Fortunately for me, I loved to sing. But to my dismay our selections consisted of sacred vocal music. I didn't know God, didn't know the Bible and frankly, didn't really give much thought to either of them. Regardless, in order to pass my voice juries I needed to choose a song from the body of literature presented.

The song I picked had a beautiful, almost haunting melody and I loved it. Thus, the piece O Rest in the Lord by Felix Mendelssohn became my closest companion as I sang it day and night while nervously preparing for my performance at the end of the quarter.  (By the way, I passed my juries, although the critique from the judges' panel was brutal. Hmmm... a foreshadowing of American Idol?  And yes, to this day, I remember what was said.)

Well, fast forward to age 22 and I am working my dream job as an elementary classroom music teacher. I do meet Jesus, surrender to him as Lord of my  life, and start reading the Bible. And, who knew? There in the Psalms I found the words, almost verbatim, to my favorite song from my college voice lessons. I was quite enthralled because my song was actually a song of the Psalmist in The Bible!

When you literally have a song in your heart and the words are inspired by God, they can not help but take root. God planted the seeds of hope, comfort and care in my heart that I didn't recognize at the time. As I grew in my faith,  I pondered the lyrics/text of "O Rest in the Lord," Psalm 37, and verse four repeatedly captured my attention.

Eventually Psalm 37:4 blossomed into what continues to be my favorite scripture:

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Like so many non-believers (and sadly, many Christians as well) I spent most of my life delighting in whatever got me through to the next day, week and year. I may not have known the Lord, but I certainly knew the human desires of my heart. Biblical scholars state that once we delight in the Lord, he shapes our hearts' desires to match up with his and we are guided then by holy desires. For me this has been what spiritual directors define as a "slow work of God." But what if we can't delight in the Lord because we're so enmeshed in striving for our more natural desires?  

My colleagues with expertise in developmental healing state that God wires these natural desires, our core longings, into each of us. At each stage of life, from birth to death, we seek to get these longings met from our family around us and other significant people in our lives. Ultimately, these longings can only fully be met and experienced through a relationship with Jesus and partially experienced in the now through the body of Christ.  

Dr. Anne Halley, a pioneer in developmental healing, sums up these core longings in the following words: 

Unconditional love 
Belonging 
Security    
Understanding   
Significance   
Purpose

Here is where the body of Christ, you and I, can be mindful and move people from the despair of unmet longings to the delight in our Lord, the great provider.

First, help the care receiver identify the core longing that surfaces when he is hurting and;

Second, encourage the care receiver to bring that hurt and longing to the Lord in prayer.


How can you make a difference in the life of a hurting soul?
Validate his core longings. God designed us to have them.
Help him identify the particular longing or longings that are surfacing at this time of struggle. 
Reassure him that his longings are legitimate and Jesus wants to fill them. 
Encourage him to pray and bring these longings to Jesus.
Be Jesus to him by providing for these longings in Christ-like ways.

• How can you show him unconditional love?
• In what ways can you help him feel like he belongs?
• Can you empathize with his pain and seek to understand it?
• What spiritual gifts can you acknowledge and help him use that gives his life purpose?
• How can you help him feel more secure in his relationship with you?
• In what ways can you validate his worth and help him embrace significance?

This is the hard work that often precedes a season of delighting in the Lord. 

Since my college days, O Rest in the Lord , Psalm 37, has become more than a song to sing to pass a voice class. It continues to minister to me today.  Would you like to hear this exquisite melody? 

For a sweet and clear rendition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mkswYQ5hoA&feature=related

or for a different visual and more operatic voice:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fs1hCBDWpA&feature=related

You might want to turn to Psalm 37:1-7 in your Bible as you listen to the words and music. You'll notice that Mendelssohn paraphrased some of the scriptural text, but the meaning is not lost.

". . . and he will give you the desires of your heart."  

Why Fifty Eight Isaiah Part Two

Why Fifty Eight Isaiah?

1. Isaiah Fifty Eight was already claimed by another blogger!

2. It is formative. God admonishes His people to see their hypocrisy.

3. It is instructive. God teaches the difference between true and false fasts.

4. It is full of hope. God promises blessings for those who embrace a spiritual rather than religious way of life. 

5. It is full of compassion. God encourages us to care for the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of others.

Isaiah Fifty Eight-- a great chapter that calls us to be a caring community.

Why Fifty Eight Isaiah?

I had no idea how to pray. But here I was in the prayer room at the National Brethren 2011 Conference and prayer was my purpose for inhabiting that particular space for the next hour. The previous sixty minutes or so were spent with Brethren pastors, spouses, elders, delegates and lay leaders in the Ashland University auditorium.

On stage was Reggie McNeal, challenging us to be the church. Not just do church, but be church beyond the walls of our church buildings.

Replicating, summarizing, or even giving a few bullet points in order to capture the power of his message would be futile. All I could do after I heard him speak was feel. Feel for the lost, feel for the oppressed, feel for the poor in Spirit, feel for the marginalized, and feel for the times I've been more concerned with doing church than being Jesus with those closest to me, let alone the rest of the world.

So I asked the Holy Spirit to lead and picked up the Bible sitting on the prayer alter. I may not have words, I thought,  but God does, so I decided to pray scripture. And, you guessed it, I landed in Isaiah 58.

After praying through these scriptures, I knew the exact words to pray next.

Not prayers for the world, but prayers for myself.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive my trespasses . . .

Wholistic Care

You might have noticed on the right hand side of this post that I'm following another blog. At first glance, this particular blog content may seem somewhat out of place considering the topics upon which I usually reflect. ("One of these things is not like the other.")

On the other hand, one might consider this particular blog quite pertinent to caring for others.

It's about food and eating healthy. (She said sheepishly.)

Eating healthy can be such a touchy subject.

So if you are curious, check out 100 Days of Real Food and if you're interested, enjoy!

But there is something else I'd like to put out there. As caregivers we encourage others intellectually by suggesting good Christian fiction and non-fiction, emotionally through empathizing with peoples' heartaches, spiritually by pointing others to Jesus to meet our deepest longings, and relationally by connecting others to a healthy body of Christ. Thus, we promote wholeness . . . or do we?

I wonder, how often do we encourage others physically, to take care of our bodies given to us and created by God?

The new blog I'm championing is great inspiration for me. The author writes in an engaging, breezy manner. She's transparent as well as informed. Each of my children have been my motivation as well. Jeff shares Michael Pollan books and recent research with me, Brian and I talk about our workouts and Christy's kitchen is a mecca of natural foods and homemade meals.

I don't know about you, but I need all the encouragement I can get. But, boy, can I get defensive about the whole subject of my physical health and eating habits. And I'm guessing I'm not alone. The hardest part for me is that I'm a perfectionist, and changes in the areas of exercise and food have come so slowly. In fact, I've been working on this most of my life.

Yet, I can celebrate some victories and am looking forward to celebrating some more.

I hope you are experiencing some victories with taking care of your body as well.

Because . . .  I care about you.

Quality Care Control

A few months ago I picked up a book on Benedictine spirituality titled Ancient Paths by David Robinson. You may be familiar with the Rule of St. Benedict. Rule or regula  means measuring stick. Benedict intended the rule to be used to measure the growth and quality of  spiritual leadership, shared wisdom, spiritual formation, obedience, and humility.  Robinson's point of view intrigued me because he proposed that the contemporary church adopt these same spiritual growth essentials that Benedict integrated into the lives of a cloistered group of sixth century monks.

I've never really thought about the parallels between community life in a monastery and that of the local church, but certainly the operative word here is community.

But have you noticed there are days when it seems it's just easier being a Christian when you are spending time alone? You know, when your office or house is all quiet, you're focused on listening and talking to God, maybe meditating on a Psalm or digging into a letter from the apostle Paul. Or perhaps you are happily organizing a ministry for church-- putting the pieces in place at your computer. By yourself. And you are only relating to you. You can feel all holy inside as well as accomplished: a Mary/Martha all rolled into one.

While alone time is necessary and periods of solitude with God biblical, the struggles to be Jesus to others is exposed in community.

What I like about Robinson's book is the way he articulates the values of St. Benedict's monastic Rule. Sometimes when I struggle in relationships, a few words of wisdom go a long way. While Robinson provided commentary on each of Benedict's five spiritual growth essentials, his words on humility spoke most loudly to me.

"Humility calls us to stand gently upon the earth, to step into the shoes of another, to leave only the trace of Christ's love."

I hope to make this my regula as I care for my family, for my church, and surrounding community.

What helps you measure your quality of care for others?

Putting Some Meat on Them Bones

If you've been keeping up with my posts, you might agree with the statement that I've established a need for prayer quite well, thank you! So let's "put some meat on them bones" of prayer and move into the practical.

In a previous post, Anatomy of a Care Ministry: The Heart of the Matter, I promised to discuss how we currently minister to people while in the organizational stages of a care ministry. My experience in training seminary students for ministry is that many do not know their options when people are in crisis or struggling with trauma of the past and childhood wounds. For example, the last time I taught a Pastoral Care and Counseling class, I asked the students why they signed up for this particular course. For some, it was a requirement. But several of the students were graduating soon and were concerned with their lack of training for pastoral care ministry. They wanted to "get this course in" before they were done with formal seminary education. I'm always impressed at their sincerity and deep desire to love people with the love of Jesus and bring good biblical counsel to their future flocks. But I sometimes find a disconnect between their passion and their understanding of how to proceed.

The following is a conversation I've had over the years with many prospective pastors in my seminary Pastoral Care and Counseling 101 classes. It illustrates how some students think about care and counseling in the local church.

Me: "What will you do when people come to you with personal problems? Perhaps they are depressed, have marriage problems, or suffer from a mid-life crisis?

Student #1: "I will find out what their problem is and refer them to someone who is a specialist. After all, I'm not qualified to treat depression and haven't taken the advanced marital counseling class."

Me: "Yes, knowing your limits is a good thing. It is unethical and possibly hurtful to counsel someone that needs a professional or a specialist in their area of need. Finding out the problem is good so you know to whom to refer. What else will you do?"

Student #2: "I will pray during the session and ask them if I can put them on the prayer chain."

Me: "Yes, prayer is always a priority when we meet with people. What else?"

Student #3: "I will meet with them three times, explaining up front that I'm not a counselor, but will try to help in any way I can and then refer."

Me: "Yes, it is good to know your boundaries regarding your schedule and giftedness. What else, class?"

Student #4: "I will counsel them once a week for a period of six months. I love to counsel and that is one of my gifts."

Me: "You are wise in that problems often take a long time and hurting people may need a lot of attention. What else will you do?"

Blank stares from the class.

Hmmm... All of these students have excellent answers. None of the answers are off base. They understand the importance of making a good referral and taking care of their congregation members.

I do believe there are three central action plans that are missing in the above conversation. We can take action now, even before a well-developed care ministry is intact.

Here are three areas of focus you can initiate today with hurting people:

1. Connection to the body of Christ

2. Provision for core longings

3. Implementation of a team ministry concept


Referral to professionals is an important element of care for those who need that level of expertise. But, here's the good news!  There are specific things we can do within the local church body to make a difference in people's lives. 

I will develop each of these action plans above in future posts. In the meantime, I challenge you to consider the question regarding the provision of  care to our congregations.

What else can you do  "in the now" for people that need spiritual and emotional healing?

(comments welcome!)

Anatomy of a Care Ministry: Bare Bones Prayer

I did not anticipate such a prayer soaked summer, but I did ask for it. Perhaps that rather contradictory statement needs an explanation. With several life changes on the horizon, I knew I needed to spend a season of time praying for discernment, praying God would show me his plan, and praying I would be in tune with him and follow his lead. Well, here I am, soaking in this season of prayer. But I don't particularly want to stay here. Well, I do and I don't. (More contradictions.) It truly is a blessing to take time to pray, but my doing nature prods me to move along. Get going! Make plans! Organize! But God continues to slow me down to pray.

Here are a list of reasons I have not escaped a "prayer drenching" thus far this summer:

1. I attended a prayer event called "The Infilling." This was not just a soft summer rain, but a downpour! We prayed for others with boldness and the authority of Christ. And others prayed for me with boldness and authority. For four days I participated and received an overflow of the Holy Spirit through worship and prayer.
2. I directed an event called the "Summer Intensive" at the Formational Prayer Seminar at Ashland Seminary. Intensive is the operative word here. While my role was primarily leadership and administrative, God kept positioning me to pray for people. He also woke me up several times in the middle of the night to pray.
3. God keeps stretching my children and growing them which always motivates Mom to pray, pray, pray.
4. My husband ended up in the emergency room with what could have been life debilitating symptoms. He was finally diagnosed with a viral infection after numerous tests.
5. In a year, I will have more free time and I don't know how God wants me to spend it.

So, you might wonder, what does all this have to do with my subject line, Anatomy of a Care Ministry: Bare Bones Prayer? Quite frankly, I am not sure exactly. But here is what I do know. We are commanded to pray. I want to be like Jesus and follow his examples of prayer that I read about in the Gospels. In between preaching and healing, Jesus went to the wilderness to pray as he continued to only do what he saw the Father doing. I want to live out the lessons we are learning through our church sermon series about  Nehemiah and pray before I do any building of my own at church. I want to follow Nehemiah's lead of returning to prayer as he walked out his holy calling as a spiritual leader.

In the meantime, prayer opportunities keep surfacing. I will help lead a group of intercessors to pray for the activities and speakers at the Brethren National Conference in July. I will join with other intercessors at Park Street Church next month to pray for direction of our care ministry. I will pray with my spiritual formation group this Thursday.

What is on the horizon for your ministry?

Are you making prayer the bare bones of your planning time?

Anatomy of a Care Ministry: The Heart of the Matter

This morning a group gathered at my home to once again shape the vision for a ministry of care.

I began our time with a reminder from the apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. "He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ." Yes, we are his children, "chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love." Yet, we continue to have places within each of us that impede our growth to wholeness and reflecting the image of God. M. Robert Mulholland, in his book Invitation to a Journey, calls these "points of unlikeness to Christ." This morning the group was challenged to consider their own points of unlikeness and the importance of staying on their own journey of being conformed to Christ's image as we help others do the same.

After devotions, each group member was invited to share what God was doing in his or her life through "prayer planning." (See earlier blog, Anatomy of a Care Ministry: Prayer Planning.)

We sat out on my deck, enjoying the long awaited sunshine while the birds sang out to each other in the trees. Three women shared their personal stories and sang their own songs of how God was using them to bless people and the church. A bond was quickly created for they shared the same spiritual gifts and holy calling: discernment and intercession.

I think God brought these women together at this point in time so they wouldn't be alone in their calling. For no one truly understands what it is like to experience what one woman called the heartache and joy of the gift of intercession.

I love when God puts ministry together. As the leader of this small group time this morning, my job instantly became easy. Here is what quickly unfolded:

1. Each month, these intercessors, along with others that desire to become part of the team, will pray together for the church, the pastoral staff, for the new formational and healing care ministry and each other. (We haven't landed on a name for the ministry yet, but I think we might be close.)

2. Once a week, individual intercessors will pray in the two worship areas of the church and in other areas of the church as well.

3. The intercession team will come together in July to view a video on prayer, spiritual warfare and healing.

4. The women borrowed several of my books to help enrich their understanding of intercession and healing prayer. Authors Jim Cymbala, Dutch Sheets and Francis MacNutt will be perused and new concepts will be grasped.

5. We will communicate our plans to the Spiritual Health Team, the group to whom we are accountable.

6. We will begin to develop ways to educate the congregation on spiritual and emotional healing.

The anatomy of a care ministry at Park Street is becoming clearer.

Prayer serves as the endoskeleton and intercession is positioned in the body as the heartbeat of it all.



Coming next: while we are training people for a future formational and healing ministry, what do we do with people's needs in the Now?

Anatomy of a Care Ministry: Who Cares?

I hope I've caught your attention with my somewhat sarcastic title of this blog: Who Cares? In order to follow my attempt of this play on words, I'd first like to invite you to read the link I've provided below by my friend and scholar, Dr. John Byron. 

http://www.thebiblicalword.blogspot.com/
The Biblical World: What we need to do after the rapture doesn't happe...: "I imagine that by now there are few who have not heard about the rapture prediction for this Saturday, May 21 st . Those who have not yet he..."

Assuming you've read the article, I want you to consider the question "who cares?"  Consider the question in the light of  Dr. Byron's commentary on the biblical passages to which he refers.

We're called to care for people. Not just people that agree with us or think like us, but all people.

You may care about May 21st and the predictions on billboards, Facebook and the zeal of some churches, etc., etc.
You may not "give a care" about any of this.

Regardless, I think Dr. Byron hits hard on a bigger issue. Can we look past our differences and truly care for one another? Could it be that the very people who present philosophies and theologies that differ from us are the very ones that might need us the most? How about the people that behave differently than you might? Can you care for them?

If you've been following my blog, you know I'm helping to guide a group of people at Park Street Church to shape a ministry of care for spiritually and emotionally hurt people. Dr. Byron has given me a new appreciation of the ways scripture forms our method of care. Arguing about "rapture theology" just doesn't seem to be a caring response.

(Hmmmm.... a rapture prediction for Saturday May 21st. Excuse me, God, but I'm helping to launch a care ministry that morning. I really think I'm supposed to hang around here for awhile. Seems we Christians still have some caring, and learning how to care, for others to do.)

Thanks, John Byron, for a careful look at scripture and some timely words of wisdom.