Purpose in Spiritual Disciplines

Please enjoy a blog writing by Elder Chairperson Jerry Verseput:

Several years ago I was visiting family in Southern California and attended a church service down there.  During the service they had an open-mic opportunity for people to share what God had been doing in their life.  Having grown up going to church, I know this is always a dangerous situation.  You run the risk of getting the guy who just likes to talk into microphones.  There’s the lady who can’t stop crying about her neighbor’s dog who has some sort of a blockage. The couple who needs prayer about whether they should get the XL or the XLT version of the car their thinking about.  As soon as the mic started going around I had already started my internal eye-rolling.

It turns out I was in store for a spiritual slap in the head.  A lady, I’ll call her “Marge”, stood up and mentioned that she was just going about her day a couple of weeks ago when she got this overwhelming feeling to write “Sarah” a note.  She commented, “I don’t typically write notes, but I felt like I was going to go crazy if I didn’t write Sarah a note.”  So she jotted down something simple, like “I just wanted you to know that Jesus loves you, and so do I” and put it in the mail.  What she didn’t know was that Sarah’s adult daughter had died a few days before.  Sarah was feeling overwhelmed and that God had abandoned her, and then she received Marge’s note.  Marge said she felt good that God could use her in this way, gave a few more details, and then sat down.

A skeptic would see this as a coincidence.  A Christian might think this is a wonderful story of how God works; more significant and obvious than little Johnnie getting over his cold or the house finally selling, but an extension of the same thing.  But this was not the typical “God told me…” story I was expecting, and I felt a little ashamed for my preemptive eye-rolling.  Everyone in that church service was getting a window into what it looks like when God needs something done, and a Christian has put themselves in a position to do it.  Here is a lady who just lost her daughter and is experiencing untold amounts of grief.  This doesn’t escape God’s notice, and although He has an infinitely bigger picture of life and death, He feels her pain just the same.  So He taps Marge on the shoulder and tells her to write a note to Sarah.  If this is true (and it sure sounded authentic to me), then the Creator of the Universe…let me repeat that, the Creator of the Universe just demonstrated a personal awareness and compassion for what Sarah was going through, and pressed Marge into service.  There was no sense of “please.”  In Marge’s words, “I was going to go crazy if I didn’t write a note.”  Now, admittedly, Marge certainly felt good about being able to bring some comfort to Sarah, but that wasn’t what had the impact on me.  The impact was that THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE looked around for someone who had the spiritual maturity to listen, found Marge, and said (commanded) “Marge, write Sarah a note.”

 

I want to do stuff like that.  If God is real, then we have no purpose than to serve Him and carry out whatever part of His plan He has for us.  On that day for Marge, it was to comfort one of His children who was hurting by writing a note.  In order to put herself into a position where she would "go crazy" if she didn't do what God was telling her to do, Marge probably has a fairly rigorous spiritual discipline regimen.  It probably involves prayer, and solitude, and study, and community with others.  But the goal isn't to fulfill an obligation to practice spiritual disciplines, or make her life more fulfilling.  It's so that when God says "go do this," she can hear it (obviously fairly strongly) and respond with "I got this covered."  Marge didn't know it (another by-product of her doing what God told her), but she really had an impact on me in terms of how I should view my personal and professional life, the purpose of spiritual disciplines, and the immaturity of eye-rolling in church.

God is Good

Please enjoy a blog post by Elder Ben Harrison:

Last weekend Mike closed the sermon discussing how Paul might have experienced the goodness of God in all his hardships.  This is a subject that resonates with me.  I feel that God keeps drawing me into a deeper understanding of how good He really is.

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home.  We went to church and Sunday school.  I was taught early in my life that God is good, and if asked, I would have answered that He was.  Even so, I was afraid that God might not be trustworthy.  I mean, what if He required some major sacrifice from me such as becoming a missionary or serving people in some way that I did not like.

About ten years ago I attended a Renovare conference sponsored at Oak Hills.   Something wonderful happened to me during that weekend.  When it was over, I wasn’t afraid any longer about what God might require of me.  Instead, I became fearful of what I might miss out on if I wasn’t willing to obey God in whatever He asked.  I switched (I believe through a merciful gift from God), from fearing God’s required obedience to fearing my lack of obedience.  I don’t know if it is possible describe the impact that has made on my relationship with God.

Just recently God has reminded me of His goodness in a way that surprised me.  In the last few weeks I have struggled through a particular circumstance.  The specifics are not as important as what I am learning.  I felt as if I was on a forced journey; on a path which I did not choose and which I did not want to take.  That path lead me to a point of profound sorrow; almost a grieving (including tears, etc).  At one point, I prayed for God to rescue me.  Almost immediately, I felt an answer.  God was lovingly allowing me to feel His sorrow in what is a very sorrowful situation.  I understood He is much more mournful about this problem than I am.  In His goodness, He allowed me to feel a little bit of what He feels.  I sensed His goodness, a gift from Him, even though I was deeply sad.  How extraordinary.  I pray that all of us will continue to discover more deeply how wonderfully good God is, in all circumstances.

Mutuality in Mission/Life

Please enjoy the following blog by Elder Tim Hooey:

In one ear is a voice. The voice is encouraging and prompts me to write. “You have something to say, something people should hear. Yes, it could get messy, but you need to share in order to build up the body.” 

In the other ear is a voice. The voice is compassionate and asks that I keep my thoughts to myself. “Don’t you see, by writing about this you are only creating more hierarchy, objectification and distinction. You are losing the trust you have worked so hard to build.”

Mutuality in mission and life is a messy endeavor.

I have been a part of a group that, for the last year and a half, has attempted to engage a marginalized community in Folsom. We have gone about this, not by creating programs, but by seeking friendship. 

Creating programs for, or “serving”, the marginalized has a tendency to create space between the one who has all of the answers and the one who needs direction. Grant it, not all programs are bad. Many are useful and necessary. But when a large group of middle to upper class folks enter a community of people with less resources in order to “help” the result can be demoralizing and humiliating. The effect on both the marginalized and those “serving” is subtly thwarted.

Mutuality in friendship requires humility, trust and an openness to learn from one another. Entering more fully into God’s Kingdom and being complete in Christ means learning from those we have a relationship with, and not in a backhanded “Through this experience I have learned to appreciate all I have” sort of way. Learning from each other means actually hearing what people have to say and then hearing or seeing God through the person. The person whom God uses may be a nine year old in need of a mentor, an illegal immigrant, or a single dad struggling to take care of his kids.

A friend of mine once attended a church that would sometimes gather to share a meal together. Everyone would bring a dish to share with the group. They referred to this tradition as a Pot Faith. I find this ridiculous and funny. Once a month the group I am apart of from Oak Hills has a pot-luck (taboos and all) at Theodore Judah Elementary School. We eat with families from the school and neighborhood. Having a pot-luck is an intentional way of creating an environment where everyone contributes and we are all on equal ground (my strange green jell-o is no different than your strange green jell-o). For more than a year we have shared a meal once a month with marginalized families. There has been nothing magical about this time together. Much of the time it is awkward. However, over time many relationships have been created and many of those relationships are now friendships. I guess it is fair to say we have had great luck faith in relationships.  

If you are interested in talking more about engaging the community surrounding Theodore Judah Elementary school through mentoring programs, conversational english tutoring, or developing friendships though pot-lucks email Tim Hooey at thooey@gmail.com.

Trustworthy

Please enjoy the following blog written by Elder Allison Carlos:

Basic explanations of what trustworthiness means can be found from various sources, in books, articles, or online. A number of interesting points are made, such as the description of it as a moral value, considered to be a virtue. Intrigue seems to surface as explanations reflect upon trustworthiness in terms of how well actions meet expectations or beliefs. Yikes … that can be a little hard to think about!

Maybe it is not so hard for more obvious matters of trust, such as when we are asked to keep a confidence of another person. That seems fairly straightforward. However, trustworthiness is a more difficult concept when considered in terms of how one acts in a manner that is in conflict with stated beliefs and expectations. Now that is truly painful to think about, yet is such a challenge in so many areas of life. And,… the challenge doesn’t evaporate as one becomes a believer in Christ.

A well quoted example of this is the apostle Peter in his denial of Christ. In Matthew 26:34-35, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial of Him. “I tell you the truth”, Jesus answered, “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times”. But Peter, declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” In subsequent verses, 26:69-75, Matthew recounts the three times Peter denies Christ in fear for his safety, the crowing of the rooster, and Peter’s despair at recalling Christ’s words to him. Well, by most measures of trustworthy behavior one would typically consider, this would seem to rank pretty high on the “gee whiz” scale.

In the book Absolute Surrender, Andrew Murray reflects upon this event in Peter’s life. He provides a description of the progression of Peter’s transformation through his failings as he denied Christ out of concern for himself. He suggests that although Peter believed in and was devoted to Christ, Peter was not ready to fully follow Christ. He had not been brought to an end of himself; he did not know himself (the shadows and fears of his own heart), and he therefore could not fully follow Christ. Remember, as much as Peter loved the Lord, he was often quick tempered and had great confidence in what he thought he knew of the Way of Jesus.

A.W. Tozer comments in The Pursuit of God that self (self-love, self-righteousness, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, etc.) is an “opaque veil that hides the face of God from us”. That the whole work of God in redemption is to undo the tragic effect of sin and bring us back into right and eternal relationship with Himself. Thankfully, God is faithful and trustworthy in his plan that restores that which is broken in us when we cooperate with Him.

After the betrayal, Peter had choices. He could have continued to focus and trust in himself and his understanding about life in Christ, never experiencing fullness as he ultimately did. Or perhaps, still focusing on himself, he may have deemed himself unworthy and become weak and imprisoned in that failure. He chose neither of those paths, but instead a path walked by one who has put their worth and trust only in Christ. Peter was humbled. His love for God’s truth in Christ allowed him to stand in the pain of his betrayal. He wept bitterly, allowed Christ to pierce him to reveal his true heart and mind, repented, accepted mercy and grace, took his place within the community of disciples with greater vision and wisdom, and surrendered his life to be kept by the power of the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-2 provides a wonderful reminder that as we are surrendered in Christ we can live without condemnation because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set us free from the law of sin and death.

When confronted with a spiritual formation challenge in his walk with Christ, his self-sin, in faith and love Peter acted in a manner worthy of trust. He accepted that his hope is only found in the power of Christ and not within the confines of self and human understanding.

Thanksgiving

Not surprisingly, as Thanksgiving approaches, I have been giving extra thought to what it means to be thankful. Many of us probably have traditions at this time of year that include counting our blessings or verbalizing what we are thankful for to others. These are beautiful and redeeming practices, and I always enjoy participating in them and hearing what others are thankful for.

I have begun to appreciate a different side to being thankful lately. Gratitude is more than expressing how much we like certain things. Gratitude is responding with joy to our lives and the things that make up our lives. It is easy to be thankful when we are happy, content and do not lack. It can be much more difficult to be thankful when we are hurting or struggling. Our thoughts and emotions can get clouded by what we do not have and what we wish we had.

In Philippians 4, Paul states:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(v. 4-7.) Later in the same chapter Paul explains:

. . . I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

(v. 11b-13.)

One thing that stands out in this passage is that Paul’s exhortations to rejoice are explicitly unrelated to external circumstances of being in need or having plenty. Rather, Paul’s thankfulness and joy are directly tied to “Him who strengthens me.” Paul has a vision of the world that is rooted in something other than himself and his circumstances. Paul’s vision is centered on the peace of God and guarded in the name of Jesus Christ. (v. 7.)

Put another way, Dallas Willard states that the disciple of Christ believes and understands there is nothing in this world that can irredeemably damage us while we are living in the Kingdom of God. When we are in the thick of our own problems and suffering, this can be hard to believe. If we pause to take a step back and connect with “Him who strengthens [us],” we realize the truth. We are safe and provided for in the Kingdom of God, and we have much to rejoice about and for which to be thankful.

How do we do this? Paul provides the answer to that question as well. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (v. 8.) We can choose what we think about. Here, Paul instructs us to focus upon those things that are true and good. This Thanksgiving, let us choose to dwell upon things that are good and true, such as the fact that we are safe and provided-for in the Kingdom of God regardless of our earthly circumstances. Then, we can stand before God with joy and thanksgiving, and our requests to God will be made, not from a heart of fear and scarcity, but a heart confident in God’s love and provision for our lives.

Until We Meet Again . . .

As many of you are aware, Oak Hills has lost two members tragically in the span of a couple of weeks. Hugh Reed was a leader within the Oak Hills community for many, many years. He was unexpectedly diagnosed with extensive cancer on June 22. He passed away on August 8 from complications before he had the chance to thoroughly battle his cancer. Tarrah Mead was actively involved in the Youth Ministry at Oak Hills both as a student and a leader for several years. She was involved in a catastrophic car accident on August 12 that left her body alive but broken, and her brain irreparably damaged. She passed away on Sunday. She was 21. It was obvious from the first time you met or even observed Hugh or Tarrah that they were the type of persons that made this broken world a brighter place. Since they have been gone, the world has seemed dimmer and colder.

Oak Hills has lost wonderful people in the past and will unfortunately lose wonderful people in the future. But the tragic, sudden and unexpected deaths of Hugh and Tarrah have sent a shockwave of grief through the church. Our community is reeling.

As I attempt to process my grief, I cannot escape the pain. I don’t think we are supposed to. Death is the inevitable and gut-wrenching result of a fallen world where disease and violence reach everyone. It hurts. Our Leader, Jesus Christ, knew and felt the pain of death and loss. When Lazarus died, he wept. (John 11:33-36.) When Jesus overlooked the city of Jerusalem, he lamented its destruction and loss. (Luke 19:41-44.) When faced with his own impending death, Jesus pleaded for an alternative. Even God incarnate felt the sting and ache of loss and death. Jesus’ mourning shows us that our mourning is alright, because all things have not yet been set right.

I have realized that this grief is a temporal matter. That is, in the Kingdom of God, our loss is not permanent. We will be with our brothers and sisters again in the Kingdom of God. In my experience, this truth does not do much (if anything) to lessen the pain of loss, but it does underscore that pain with hope. All is not lost to the very real pain of grief. Our hope in God can carry us forward to the day when we will be with all of our loved ones and the grief and pain will finally be fully healed. Our hope in God helps us live our lives out of our love for God and those we miss rather than being controlled by our pain and grief.

When I was a child, the idea of eternity frightened me. Eternity (I thought) was an endless stretch of time that could never be understood. The older I get, and the more loss I face, the more I realize that eternity is a place without the constrictions and boundaries of time where we will enjoy the sweet fellowship of those we love.

Lord, we miss Tarrah and Hugh and our other lost loved ones. It hurts. It breaks our hearts to be without them. But we place our hope in You, knowing we have an eternity without bounds to be in Your presence with them.

Prayer

Please enjoy a blog written by Elder Allison Carlos on Prayer:

What do we really think about prayer or praying? Maybe, a more interesting question is, what do we, as Christ followers, allow prayer to become in our lives? Could it be at times that the idea of prayer invokes images of routine or performance of ritual, in our own lives and as promises in care for others?

It is painful to think of all we would compromise and abandon if prayer were reduced to a habit formed to compartmentalize and create discrete packaging for what we engage in, simply becoming something else we do. Frankly, if we were so inclined to neatly package important nuances of our lives, “tidy” treatment of prayer life would come too easily for comfort. That would be immeasurably sad and an unfortunate discarding of what God provided for His good pleasure and our benefit.

What if we believed prayer was the avenue by which we could be known for who we are, and experience peace, truth, and reality? Wouldn’t we listen and speak into that all the time for comfort and clarification? Perhaps at times we hold back or are discouraged from fully accepting that the God of the universe would be so available and instructive to us in an intimate way.

In recently reading of the life of St Theresa of Avila, her description of her struggle around prayer was striking. In many of her most difficult and early years of distraction with illness and temptation, she describes her courage to still practice intentional prayer. She beautifully explains the courage it takes to know that even in ones betrayal of God, with at times a divided heart, He will be present to us. She describes His presence not merely as being near us, but so attentive and intimate that it is as if He is looking directly at only us.

The thought makes the bones quiver while the soul is slain in gratitude. How humbling is the image, and how well we can see His beckoning nature and the pureness of what He offers. If it were not for His mercy and love for us, we could not withstand His gaze in the midst of our imperfections.

But we can have courage that is woven with the threads of humility that helps us accept that we are not so much for God’s eyes to gaze upon in our own right. It is by the power of the cross through Christ that with great anticipation and faintly beating hearts we stand affirmed and can boldly offer our praise and present our petitions.

It is His instruction that we pray continually; at times as joyful utterances or burden laden groans. Not out of routine, but in faith and watchfulness that we may better know his will through spiritual wisdom by the Holy Spirit, and be kept by His power and in His fellowship.

Service

Please enjoy a blog post written by Elder Tim Hooey on Service:

Sometimes I think I understand love. I know what it means that God loves me and I choose to enter into His love. I choose to look at people with love and treat them accordingly. This love is generous and disinterested in personal gain.

Sometimes I am in desperate need of understanding love. I can’t imagine why or how God would love me and I choose to reject His love in favor of my own way. That way is not always pretty, but sometimes seems good. When I choose that way, I also choose to love people the only way I know how, through my own effort. This is sometimes good, but often greedy and full of motives that ultimately have my best interest in mind.

Over the past month and a half, as a church, we have been talking about service. Lately, I have been thinking of service as an action that flows from love, something that finds its breath from love and cannot survive without love.

When I mention service, I’m not referring to any kind of act that helps people. We are all perfectly capable of helping people without thinking twice about why we are doing it and how God is involved, and to some degree we do this regularly. The type of service I am referring to is Kingdom-extending, selfless, and often sacrificial. This type of service comes in the mundane and everyday as well as the heroic and extraordinary.

Matthew 22:37-40 has a lot to say about love and service. After Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he answered:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love God. Then, let that love for God produce love for people. If we love people, and are concerned for them, it seems that it would be natural to serve them.

I found out almost two years ago that Theodore Judah Elementary School was in desperate need of help, attention and love. Almost 50% of the student body is living under the poverty level, and numerous families are homeless. As I let myself enter into God’s love, and then let that love produce a love for my community, it was natural to jump in and begin serving Theodore Judah. For me, that meant mentoring a boy from the school once a week at lunchtime. The two greatest commandments ever created required that I spend $3.25 on popcorn chicken and tater tots so that I could be involved in the life of a person who needs me. I find this thrilling. Not always easy, but thrilling.

Service is love in action. Sometimes I choose to love and my eyes are open to the heart of those around me. Sometimes I choose not to love and I miss out on extending the reach of God’s Kingdom to the ends of the earth. My prayer for Oak Hills is that we would be people eager to experience God’s love, then, as a response to His love, we would love our community actively.

A Month/Night with Gary Black

Our blog post today is written by Rick Johnson about some thoughts he had in the wake of Gary Black visiting our church last month:

Many of us at Oak Hills were strongly encouraged with the recent month long visit and evaluation from Gary Black, currently working on his P.H.D. Doctorate on “Willardian Theology” at Exeter , England . Gary's research and upcoming dissertation is on a recent movement with some new Evangelical Churches in the United States to pursue Discipleship and intentionally Living in the Kingdom of God as their mission. After studying dozens of other churches attempting to pursue this mission, Gary then this last February and March studied Oak Hills transition from a "Seeker" based church to a Discipleship and Spiritual Transformation based church.

As you are probably aware, about 10 years ago Oak Hills Church was in the midst of being a successful "Seeker" growth model based church with a robust and growing church body, then shifted to a Discipleship and Spiritual Transformation based church (for more details regarding that calling and shift refer to the Elder Board Blog posted on 8/16/10), weighing heavily from the teachings and writings of religious scholar Dallas Willard. Part of Gary Black's evaluation unique to Oak Hills, was whether a church can successfully transition from a "Seeker " or growth model church to a church based upon purposeful Discipleship and Spiritual Transformation, as many believed it is impossible to do so and too risky to try.

Gary discovered that after a sometimes painful yet necessary transition, Oak Hills Church led by its Church Leadership has become a model centerpiece of a Discipleship /Spiritual Transformation based church with a smaller yet committed and purposeful body many of whom are knowledgeable of and practicing Discipleship and Spiritual Transformation concepts and disciplines, including those taken from Willardian teachings such as "Renovation of the Heart" VIM-Vision, Intent and Means-as evident in forums such as Small Groups, Missional Living Group, the Spiritual Formation Academy and the Men's Retreat. There have been countless stories and testimonies by Oak Hillians whose lives have been transformed by purposefully entering into the reality of Christ and living in His Way and Kingdom Living as a church community at Oak Hills.

At a special evening with the Elder Board, Gary tearfully commented that based upon his research and from his own church experience that this was the closest thing he has found to purposely Living in the Kingdom of God together and what he has been looking for in a church. To a tee the Elder Board then reflected "Where Else Would We Go" than a church based upon Discipleship and Spiritual Transformation? Gary advised that Oak Hills Church use this evaluation as a Benchmark, and that we just continue to press on in pursuit of and seeking after Christ as disciples and that the rest will fall into place through the power of the active Holy Spirit according to God's Will...

So much for the nostalgia! Seriously though, I for one say despite our imperfection at seeking after Living in the Kingdom of God as a church, where else would I go! We still have much to learn about Discipleship and Spiritual Transformation, thankfully, but through God’s Grace we are purposefully and intentionally seeking after Jesus Christ and to "Follow Me" together with the higher truth and abundant real and glorious life that only comes with it. What can be more important and better than that, where else would we go? Yes, despite all the hardships that also come with “Follow Me”, Living in the Kingdom of God and Jesus' Way, IT IS WORTH IT!!!

I and the Elder Board would love to see your comments and feedback?

A Few Thoughts on Fasting

Over the past couple of years, the idea of a “full body cleanse” has become a popular topic in the media. The idea is that a person will stop eating altogether or severely restrict their diet for a period of time in order to allow their digestive system to expel the accumulated “gunk” in their system from years of eating less healthy foods. I have listened to these pitches with a fair amount of skepticism over the years. However, as much as I have no desire to spend a month eating the edible equivalent of wood chips, I must admit there is a certain appeal to this “cleansing” idea.

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I always feel more comfortable and confident driving my car after an oil change and car wash. There is simply something good about knowing that I have just washed away (or had someone else wash away) the grime and waste left over from my daily driving for the past three months. Somehow, my car feels fresher, and I feel that my engine is healthier than it was before the oil change.

It is this positive feeling that I have after getting my car’s oil changed that makes a “full body cleanse” an intriguing idea. If I were to eat a certain way for a month, would my body feel renewed and fresh? Would I be able to wash away the effects of eating cheeseburgers for the past several years? Well, probably not. But just as an oil change helps mitigate the effects of my daily driving, I can imagine a body cleanse would help refresh the body.

As we enter into the Lenten season, I found a similar line of thought occurring with regard to fasting and the health of my soul. Fasting is a good thing, and a well-established spiritual discipline, for many reasons. For example, fasting provides us with an opportunity to rely on and seek God when we remove those things from our lives we otherwise rely on in lieu of God.

I also think that fasting can have a cleansing effect. Every day, I engage in activities that are not particularly bad, and sometimes are even good, but that leave their traces on my soul. Everything from listening to the radio and surfing the internet to watching television and looking at magazines in the checkout aisle, my mind is being constantly barraged with messages that affect my thoughts and my soul. These messages are varied and numerous: I am the most important person; my desires and pleasures matter most; winning is all that matters; looking good makes me a better person; rich people matter more; and on and on the list goes.

If I stop to think about it, I know that these messages are false or dangerous or both. I don’t always stop to think about it. As a result, these messages creep into my mind and color my thoughts. They affect my perception of the world, and they begin to change my behavior. Before I realize it, these messages have made their way into my habits, like a splinter under a thumb nail.

I have developed habits and thought patterns based upon these messages. I have become numb to real beauty and true heartache because of the accumulated “gunk” left behind by the messages telling me what I should have or deserve. The constant appeal to my desires and pleasures has blurred my vision of God, of those hurting or in need, and of my own brokenness and salvation.

As I enter into Lent this year, I have decided to “cleanse” my soul by finding ways to limit the barrage of soul-numbing messages from various mediums. I am going to leave my radio off. I will severely limit my use of the internet (check email; pay bills; update this blog). I will use the space left by those things to focus on and rely on God and His messages for me.

One more thing – a “full body cleanse” or an oil change are allowed by and limited in their effects by the laws of the physical universe and the shortcomings of the physical vessels which are involved. The renewal of the soul is a spiritual matter, and it is therefore essential that it be done with an open heart to God. If you go through the motions of performing an oil change, you can expect that the oil will be refreshed because you are dealing with physical matters in a physical way. However, just going through the motions of a fast does not guarantee a particular result, because you are dealing spiritual matters that require more than just physical actions (though our physical actions matter). In fasting, we must ask God to renew our souls, we must seek His Truth to show us the way, and we must rely on His Goodness to refresh us and draw us closer to Him.

Will you join me? Is there anything you will give up for Lent as an invitation and request to God to refresh your soul?

Back Up and Running

Welcome back to the Elder Blog! As Valerie has come to the end of her term on the Elder Board, she has signed off of the Elder Blog. However, she created a very enjoyable and useful thing, and the Elder Board has decided to continue the blog.

I think that I can speak for the Elder Board (something I will not typically do) in expressing our deep gratitude for Valerie’s service as an Elder. Not only did she create and maintain this blog, she was a consistent, wise and gracious Chairperson of the Board. Her presence at meetings has been and will continue to be missed.

Now, I will address a few “housekeeping” type matters regarding the blog, so that hopefully we will not have to revisit them often. I will be the moderator of this blog. But since I am not as skilled or prolific of a writer as Valerie, I have asked for assistance from the other Elders. Frequently, the posts will be from different members of the Elder Board. Hopefully, you will enjoy the varying perspectives over time. Also, this blog will consist of the musings and opinions of the individual elders contributing to the blog. Finally, I encourage lively discussion and thoughtful debates about anything said on this blog, but also demand respect and civility. I will not elaborate further, in the hope that I have already said more than necessary.

I am looking forward to this endeavor, and I hope that you all will come back frequently to share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section. Please look for a new (more substantive) post early next week.

In the meantime, if you like, let’s have a little fun in the comment section with a couple of fill in the blanks:

I truly enjoyed Valerie’s blog post on _________ because ________.

I would like to see Mike Lueken interview the following fictional animal or character: ________ (e.g., the Cowardly Lion).

Signing Off

It is with real regret and sincere thanks that I sign off on this blog. To those of you who have been reading, I appreciate the connection that we’ve had together. The opportunity to write this blog has helped me clarify my thinking and get in touch with my feelings on a wide variety of topics over the last few years. The diarist Anais Nin noted, “We write to be able to transcend our life, to reach beyond it. We write to teach ourselves to speak with others, to record the journey into the labyrinth. We write to expand our world…” This has been true for me, whether writing about politics, banned books, or civility; engaging with the church calendar or the invitation to say “yes” to God. All of it has been a part of my own journey and hopefully every once in a while it has helped or challenged you as well.

It isn’t clear if the next board will continue with the blog or not. It may be used as issues arise or perhaps several different elders will contribute their thoughts. I suggest that you check the church website from time to time (in case the link changes).

As the 2011 Elder Board meets next week to choose a new chairperson and engage with the business of the church, I would like to encourage you to pray for each of them. They shoulder a heavy burden by willingly taking on the responsibility for discerning what God is doing in our church and making staff, financial and ministry decisions. They are a great board, men and women who love God and love Oak Hills, and I have every confidence that God will use their collective wisdom to lead us into this New Year! If you’re wondering how you can help to carry the burden of the church here are my three suggestions: give your time, give your prayers, give your money. And then expect God to use them to expand his kingdom both within you and within the church.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
With much affection,
Valerie

Streams of Waiting

This year I’ve been thinking of Advent as a flowing river. We are invited to step into the story, letting the stream of events swirl around us. The prophecies of old and the promises of God course by as we light the candles and sing the carols together each Sunday, yet we still stand in the stream of time, waiting for the arrival of the long anticipated Messiah.

As I reflect on it, there seems to be three different Advents that we are waiting for. The first is the coming of Christmas Day. On this day we celebrate God’s amazing plan for our salvation and redemption with the birth of Jesus, the Christ who was foretold in scripture. We mark the days with Advent calendars and the weeks with the lighting of Advent candles and it all leads up to this annual event by which we remember the gift of love God has given us.

But we also wait for the return Advent of Jesus, when the kingdom of God will be unshakably established for all time and the whole earth will rejoice in the restoration of all creation. When I see the Advent colors, the candles, the Christmas decorations, I’m reminded that another year has rolled around and still we are people who wait for our coming King.

Finally, I wait for the Christ to be fully birthed in my life. As much as I wish that what Paul said was true of me, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me,” (Galatians 2:20) I know that I’m still in process. Sure, I have a few fleeting moments when it is Christ who is in charge and I’m surrendered to his will, but it is far more common for me to be in a struggle for power and control.

And so this Advent I celebrate the wonderful story that has already been given to us, even while I look forward to the future events that remain hidden around the bend. And perhaps most importantly, I remember that in this moment, right now, I can surrender and welcome the Advent of Jesus into myself. Thomas Merton said, “The Advent mystery is the beginning of the end of all in us that is not yet Christ.” I want so much to be flooded with the reality of that, to be “ready for Christmas.” Amen! Come Lord Jesus, Come!

A Litany of Gratitude

As I reflect on this season of Thanksgiving, and all the many blessings I have in my life, I have been thinking of the gifts and graces that I have received from serving as an elder at our church. This isn’t maybe the normal way of thinking about service, and I’ll admit that lots of times I’m more focused on what I’ve given than what I’ve received. Sometimes, I’m more prone to conjure a litany of complaints than otherwise. But as I prepare to leave the Board after a longish stint, I’m in a mood of thankfulness.

I have received the obvious gifts of a place to serve and use my talents, the camaraderie that develops from working on a team, the fun of being in the middle of things. But the real standout moments have happened when I have been invited into other people’s stories and been asked to pray for and with them. These moments of prayer and anointing have been incredibly humbling and sacred times for me. I have been awed, over and over again, at how God meets people at their point of need, and in some mysterious way I also receive a blessing just by being a part of it.

There are certain moments that I treasure and which I will carry with me always. The chance to participate as a celebrant of our communion liturgy was a surprisingly big deal to me, partly because the inclusion of women in the life of our church is always on my heart and partly for the personal expression of trust that I took from the opportunity.

Another moment occurred after an anointing service, when someone I didn’t know well circled back after everyone had left and offered to anoint me, too. It was a profound and unexpected blessing.

And just last week I was invited to come to the final meeting of a James Bible Study. After the group discussed the last verses of James, where he exhorts them to call the elders to pray and anoint them with oil, they had me pray for each person who desired it. Again, I left incredibly blessed and touched by the experience.

There are twelve years of anecdotes and not enough space to recall them all, but, my heart is full of gratitude for each person who has trusted me with their need for healing, guidance, forgiveness or blessing. You have no idea how much it has been a grace in my life to be invited to stand in the gap with you. It’s been an amazing privilege!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Living in Rhythm

As we’ve been reminded in our current series, For All Intents and Purposes, our life with God requires intentionality. We will not be zapped with lightning and changed in an instant, despite our very strong wish that this could be so. Instead, our transformation is more like a long journey, requiring steadiness and purpose to arrive at the destination. We want to be Christlike, but how do we get there?

For years I heard about the practice of developing a Rule of Life, which is a statement of an individual’s (or group’s) specific intentions for daily, weekly, monthly and annual living and cooperation with the grace of God. However, nothing with the word “rule” in it is appealing to me. For one thing, I don’t like being told what to do and immediately want to do the opposite. Clearly, I have some issues. Secondly, even writing my own Rule made me feel like I would be boxed into my relationship with God, and I’ve been on the journey long enough to know that change is good and discomforts me in ways I need to be stretched and challenged.

But then I received a little booklet from Renovare on Rhythms of Life and read that the word “Rule” was more closely related to a ruler – that handy device for making straight lines. To quote from the booklet, “A Rule of Life outlines a pattern of living which is immersed in Christ, and invites us to shape ourselves to it- to become straight and true. Those wooden rules we used in school never commanded us to draw triangles, nor told us where the triangles should be drawn, nor did they make us draw rectangles instead. But, when we wanted to draw a triangle well, they suddenly became invaluable.” With that encouragement, I began to draw up my own Rule of Life. After using my Rule for the past year or so, what I lack is the voice of another asking me “How are you doing? Why is this commitment in your Rule and yet you almost never do it? What are your true intentions?”

A group of people recently went through a Spiritual Formation retreat on how to develop a Rule of Life, and I thought about how useful it would be for me to have others to experiment with in this endeavor. So, I am going to be meeting with anyone who wants to join me over ten Thursday evenings to share our Rules, refine them, and most especially implement them. And ask some nosy questions about where we’re finding it hard to put our “intentions” into actual practice. If you find this appealing and would like to meet with us, send me an email or give me a call. Even if you didn’t attend the retreat, you can get a Rule developed before our first meeting. Start by reading the eleven page Renovare booklet – it’s packed with practical information. We’ll meet from October 21- January 13 (with breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas) at the church. Hopefully at the end of this time we will have fully engaged ourselves in living with our own rule and rhythm and will have become more “straight and true” in our lives with Jesus.

Celebrating God's Goodness

I’ve been enjoying our current look at the book of Acts. I find the power and activity of the Holy Spirit at work in the early church and in those first leaders to be challenging and thought provoking. Where do we see the Spirit breaking out in our church? How do we experience him as leaders in the 21st century? At our last elder board meeting Shawn Loorz pointed out that it has been a decade since our church began this experiment of focusing our church and its ministries around the reality that the Kingdom of God is at hand and we can experience the fullness and the transformational reality of it as we seek to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. As one of the “eyewitnesses” of that weekend, I’d like to share what seems significant to me ten years later.

That weekend remains the most profound experience of the Holy Spirit moving in a group that I have ever had. While we sense God’s direction and the movement of the Holy Spirit with some regularity on our elder board, it is made manifest in consensus and unity on agenda items, in an encouraging word from someone attending the Elder prayer times, but not in unexpected directions. When we went on this retreat we had our agenda of things to discuss. Radically altering the church was not one of the bullet points. This just arose among us in a surprising way. The more we talked and became excited about what God was doing, the more amazed we were by how a group of people could be together in discerning that God was up to something. At one point, Rick Carr asked, “Is this is a holy moment?” It felt like we should take our shoes off at the potent presence of God. There were no tongues of flame or disturbing noises like the first church experienced, but there was certainly a gentle prompting and call to restructure the church around Jesus’ teaching that the Kingdom of God was available to all who would follow him as disciples. This group awe and solidarity was a really good thing, as it has kept us from ever second guessing our decision to refocus the church. We know God was in it. The verse that we returned to again and again that weekend was Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The importance of this weekend isn’t so much in the story of what happened there, but in how our church has changed and impacted people’s lives and spiritual formation. So, please welcome our guest blogger, Shawn Loorz, for a personal reflection on what the last decade of Oak Hills’ ministry has meant to him:

"I am so enthralled by this Biblical teaching on the Kingdom of God, and I am so filled with hope that this kind of life is actually possible, that I am dedicating the remainder of my life to fully explore just how real it can be.”

- Kent Carlson, February 17, 2002 “What is the Kingdom of God?”

The above quote is from the first sermon I heard at Oak Hills Church almost eight and half years ago. I was 20 years old, engaged to be married, and looking for a church to call home. I had recently gone through a difficult time in my relationship with God, during which I faced my most difficult doubts and questions. Although I had begun to make progress through some of these struggles, I was still looking for direction. I had faced my doubts, and I still believed. What came next?

At this point, Tara and I first came to Oak Hills together and heard the series entitled “Reality Check: Living in the Kingdom of God.” Kent taught that the Gospel, literally “Good News,” taught by Jesus was not only to offer eternal salvation, but also to offer the best life possible here and now. Mike’s teaching helped me see that through our intention and actions, the Holy Spirit will help us become the person we were meant to be. Through Oak Hills, God showed me what came next. Tara and I chose to make Oak Hills our community, to, as Kent said, “dedicat[e] the remainder of [our] life to fully explore just how real [living in the Kingdom of God] can be.”

What I did not know then, but have learned over the years, was that this same journey toward Kingdom Living had largely begun for Oak Hills at the retreat that Valerie writes about above. Not having been there, or even at Oak Hills at that time, I have slowly pieced together an idea of what happened at this retreat. Despite my limited knowledge, one thing has been clear to me: when the leadership of Oak Hills Church gathered in a cabin near Donner Lake ten years ago, God showed up. God showed up in a powerful and unexpected and disruptive and redeeming way. I believe it was clear to those involved, and it is clear now, that God was “up to something.”

Ten years later, God is still “up to something” at Oak Hills. The trajectory of Oak Hills was permanently altered at that retreat. The evidence that God is present and active in our church in the changed lives of the congregation, in the way that people interact and love each other, and in the ongoing leadership toward increased discipleship.

This is not to pretend the last ten years have been easy. There have been many difficulties. There has been some trial and error to figure out what it means to be a church that teaches people how to easily and routinely do the things Jesus taught. Oak Hills is leaner now than it was in 2000. We have experienced many losses that have been felt and grieved by the church as a whole.

I have found there is a temptation to think that if we are truly following God’s direction, that everything should be easy, or at least easier. But this is simply not true. What is true is that we needed God in 2000, and He showed up in an amazing and unexpected and glorious way. It is equally true that we need God and His presence and direction just as much in 2010 as we did in 2000. This is a good thing. We have a God who is faithful, and who has shown that He wants to lead us. Thank God that His presence and direction does not lead us to a place where we are “okay” or “good” without Him.

When I realized it had been 10 years since this journey started, a strong feeling of celebration and appreciation and joy welled up within me. In times where it can be easier to be caught up by scarcity and fear, it is worth celebration that God gave our Elders a “holy moment” ten years ago that changed our church. It is worth celebration that we still rely upon God’s presence and direction ten years later. And I also celebrate that the journey that began at Donner Lake ten years ago that became such an intimate part of my own story.

During a sermon a few weeks back, Mike asked “Is there anything happening at Oak Hills that can only be explained by the action of the Holy Spirit?” Ten years after the Holy Spirit moved in a way that fundamentally altered Oak Hills, let us celebrate the many answers to that question!

Making Room

I’m going to do something that might embarrass a few people and tell a story about them. The last time there was a chance to sign up for Dinner Rounds at church (which is a group of 8-12 people that take turns hosting dinners at each of their homes), Ben and I signed up hoping to meet a few new people. As it turns out, seven of us have stuck together and formed an on-going group that meets about eight times a year. The original intention was to get to know a few people over the course of a year or less, but we’ve been going for about 3 years. We were scheduled to meet again and we had a house guest staying with us, so we asked the group if it would be okay to bring him along. We obviously know this group well enough to know that they would be welcoming and friendly. But I was still struck by the hospitality and goodness of these five other people to make space in a group that now has lots of “inside” jokes and ways of hanging out together. Every person made an effort to get to know our friend. They were, even dining al fresco, the church in the truest and best sense of that word. They cared, they listened, they were curious about someone else. And they were authentically themselves, in a very winsome and welcoming way. I knew they were great people, but as I sat at the table with these friends eating, laughing, and talking about God and life, I was really impressed with them and the way they had of putting a stranger at ease. So Ronna, Dave, Teresa, John and Pat, you have really captured the reality of this quote from Dorothy Day:

“We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other: We know Him in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone any more. Heaven is a banquet and life is a banquet, too, even with a crust, where there is companionship.”

Now that I’ve had my chance to tell a story, what story do you have of the church breaking out in meaningful ways?

Pentecost

I’ve been thinking a lot about the Holy Spirit recently. Several people I know, in addition to the staff, have been reading a book about this aspect of God’s personality, and because of that I’ve found myself in conversations about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We also have a three week series starting up this Sunday on the subject. And coming up is Pentecost, the day the Spirit came upon the disciples and the church was officially “born.” It’s a nice convergence to have all these different threads coming together.

Some people may think that the Holy Spirit is a New Testament phenomenon, but the Spirit of God permeates scripture, from the very beginning of creation itself in the first chapter of the Bible (Genesis 1:2) to the end times in the very last chapter of the Bible (Revelation 22:17). He is not “new” to the Trinity, but has been a part of the personality of God forever.

The images of the Holy Spirit captivate me. They are boundary-less and uncontainable: water, cloud, fire, wind, noise, dove. When I think of these images, I realize they all have the ability to expand, to move freely, to touch what they will. I find myself desiring to have the Spirit of God, which I know is in me but is not contained (or controlled) by me, expand and have freedom in my life. I wonder what it is he is creating in me at this moment. And I have that same desire for our church. What would it look like to notice the Spirit’s work more? To see where ministries are expanding and infused with a supernatural power? I hope we learn to develop a better language for calling this out in our midst and in each other. It would be a wonderful encouragement to us all.

I am looking forward to this three week focus, to the chance to retell the story of God from the activity of his Spirit in our lives. Let’s keep looking for and discussing the ways the Spirit is moving among us. It will be exciting!

Easter People

I see on my calendar that today, Easter Monday, is a bank holiday in many countries. For a moment I let myself imagine it was because people had celebrated Easter so heartily and whooped it up so mightily that they needed this day off to recover from the emotional and physical toll of celebrating the Resurrection. But really, for most of us, Easter is now over for another year and we are moving on. But I can’t imagine Jesus’ disciples felt that way. After those painful events of Thursday night through Sunday morning, every day that they got to spend with Jesus must have seemed an Easter miracle, over and over again.

According to the church calendar, Eastertide is a fifty day celebration. Every Sunday is an Easter Sunday and on the seventh Sunday, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is a chance for us to exult in the truth of the resurrection, to embrace the peace and joy and renewal that we have because of Easter. To continue the celebration of light over darkness and the defeat of death. I’ve stumbled across several quotes by St. Augustine lately that I love:

“We are Easter people and alleluia is our song.”
“A Christian should be an Alleluia from head to toe.”

Aren’t those great and motivating sentiments? To show up at work, at school, at home as an Alleluia would be an awesome thing! To gather together on each of the next Sundays of Eastertide proclaiming, singing, reading scripture, with enthusiasm, just dripping with Alleluias because we embrace the resurrection so fully it comes out of our pores. I think it’s a good challenge to us. As we walk through the next 48 days, let’s let our lives shout out the truth that we are Easter people, that what we say we believe has really taken root in us as individuals and as a gathered community of believers. Here is one last quote from Augustine (who lived from 354-430):

“In the psalms it says, ‘Sing to the Lord a new song; sing his praise in the assembly.’ We are urged to sing to the Lord a new song. It is a new person who knows a new song. But make sure that your life is singing the same tune as your tongue. Sing with your voices, sing with your hearts, sing with your lips, sing with your lives…Do you want to speak the praise of God? Then be yourselves what you speak. If you lead good lives you are God’s praises.”

Let’s proclaim it with our lives: He is risen indeed!

Lent: Saying "yes" to God

Once again we are in the season of Lent. This is an annual observance which helps to prepare us for Holy Week and Easter. The forty days are symbolic of many things: the 40 days of the flood (Gen. 6-8), the 40 days Moses spent on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments (Ex. 24:12-18), the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert (Num. 13-33), the 40 days of Elijah’s flight to Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19:1-12), and most significantly, Jesus’ 40 days fasting in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11; Mark 1:9-12; Luke 4:1-13). I think it’s not coincidental that all of these are journeys that various people took with God, encountering him on his own terms and in the process growing stronger in their knowledge and faith. And this is exactly what we are invited to do. We don’t have to go up a mountain or wander into a desert or seal ourselves in an ark, but we can use the next 40 days to journey with God right where we are. It’s easy to see why fasting is such an integral part of this experience. The more we can strip down our lives of what is excess and diversionary, the more space we make to encounter God and find out what he wants to prepare in our hearts. Whatever we choose to give up, whether it is chocolate or facebook, meat or video games, shopping or TV, our fast goes beyond just saying “no” to ourselves (although that is good and useful) but opens us up to the hunger and thirst that ultimately only God can fill. I think we often focus too much on the “no” of Lent, feeling self-satisfied with our denial and sacrifice, but I like to think instead that Lent is the opportunity to say “yes” to God. To strip away the things that keep God’s movement in our lives at arms length and to invite him to come journey with us and show us what it is he is calling us to as we walk with him from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. How much more joyful is the redemption and life that he offers us when we have looked squarely at our need and been humbled by the very real presence that is with us always? I hope that you will accept the gift that Lent offers and think about saying “yes” to God.