Surfing the Net

Richard Foster says that "it is a positive virtue for us to remain ignorant of much of the attention-getting, ego-driven, greed-motivated words that whiz by on the information super highway. We do so in order to be attentive to words that speak life into our souls. This, too, is discipline."

Surfing the net is becoming the pass-time activity for most people who have a computer. These days, that is a lot of us.

All these words and images are now available to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Millions of people (this blog included) and organizations post ga-zillions of new web pages every day and we're all consumed with roaming through these piles of information on-line.

With all this information "whizzing" past us and coming at us, it is so easy for our mental energy to be consumed by the clutter. We are conditioned to consume-consume words and images in a new way in the age of the Internet. We chew fast and swallow, so we can move on to the next tidbit of information.

We are being conditioned to "speed read". I have a book about reading faster on my desk. I bought it because I have too many things I need to read and not enough time to read them.

But, as Foster asserts, "Some words deserve sustained attention, others do not."

Now, more than ever, is it possible those who follow Christ (or desire to do so), must learn to slow down our reading when it comes to the Scripture? Absolutely.

We can't "speed read" the Bible if we truly want the Word to penetrate our souls and change our lives.

We can't read the Bible the way we zip through the Internet, but that is the way our minds are being conditioned every day.

So there are a few implications for us with regard to "how we read."

First, we need to learn how to slow down as we read the Bible. If we read for speed, we are going to miss key truths God is trying to speak into our souls. When you crack open the Scripture, intentionally slow down and resist reading for quantity.

Second, we need to read the Bible with some sense of purpose. How many times do you find yourself aimlessly surfing the net? Doing so leads to trouble, but I've found most of the time, I surf the web with a purpose. Those bookmarks I have saved? Those guide where my eyes go. We need to read the Bible with purpose. Have a plan. If you just randomly open the Scriptures you are less likely to get what you need. Study the Bible purposefully.

Finally, with all this information flying around, things can get dangerous. There is information and images online that can get us into trouble. The reality of the Internet begs for us to develop the discipline of discernment. We need good judgment. Taking the first two points above seriously will help us develop a sensitivity about which words we need to pay attention to and which ones we need to "remain ignorant of", as Foster puts it.

What words gain your attention everyday? For me its the news content out there. I'm a junky.

What words to we need to focus more on? I need to focus more time and effort on studying Scripture.

Wow! If I spent as much time in the word as I did surfing the net......

Disicpline of Study: Looking at Familiar Objects from Different Angles

The best way to view a globe of the Earth is to spin it and turn it and look at it from all the different angles.

You won't learn much about the geography and topography of China if you are focused on the North American continent. Moreover, your broader understanding of how the different geographies relate to each other is much more accurately understood with a globe rather than a map on a flat piece of paper.

The Scriptures at times have become so familiar to me that I can read them and they teach me nothing. They lull me to sleep.

Do the Scriptures lack life and truth? Or is the problem more with me? Since "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", I'd argue the problem is with me.

Familiarity breeds contempt. As we study the Scriptures, we should take great pains to not allow them to become so familiar that we become numb to the voice of God calling out to us through the letters on the page. Fight the familiarity syndrome.

One good way to go about this is to read the Scriptures and study them from a different angle. Read someone else's thoughts about familiar passages. This often brings new light to the words and new life and meaning to our souls.

Study the roles of the characters in your chosen passage from the point of view of another culture. This takes some extra work to develop that point of view. However, when done properly, studying a passage through the eyes of a different culture allows us to contemplate familiar passages in new and fresh ways.

Be creative. The word of God is living and active.

Spin the globe and look at passages from a different point of view--a different angle. When we do this, familiar Scriptures become beautiful jewels over which we can marvel from any vantage point.

Creative study can revive our perception of the Word and bring greater light and Life into our lives.

Study the Roses! Don't Just Stop and Smell Them

The discipline of studying should not be confined to our daily office.

All of life presents an opportunity to study and learn more about ourselves and God. How can we affirm this? God works through all things for the good of those who believe in him, so goes the Scripture.

Life is our classroom. It's ebb and flow are the teacher. We would all be wise to not miss the opportunity we have right now to ask God what he is trying to teach us.

Sometimes we can recite the facts, but we miss the lesson.

Sometimes we see the lesson, but we forget its meaning so quickly.

Most of the time, the lesson is reiterated in our daily lives, but we're too busy to stop, reflect, and allow God to remind us.

The Itch: Seeking Authentic Connection with God Through Service

I'm talking to more and more people who have "the itch".

"The Itch" is a spiritual longing. It's like having a craving for something but your not sure if you want something salty or sweet.

"The Itch" is pervasive. It's not something isolated to a particular generation. It's a human nature thing.

I'm encountering people of all ages who are affirming the "itch" I feel in my own heart. It's an itch that says conventional, traditional worship and study are not enough. This craving is like an itch that is right in the middle of one's back. Neither your left arm nor you right arm are long enough to reach that spot for a good "scratch."

Let's be clear. "The Itch" is not the absence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life. If anything, "the Itch" is more akin to the Spirit working and guiding in the life of a person who desires a deeper spiritual experience.

The Mars Hill/Brian McClaren/Reggie McNeal movement has identified the itch as a need to balance traditional self-serve religion with meaningful action that brings our faith to life, builds the kingdom, and draws others to God. This is a controversial movement, but it is touching a deeply-seated need in the body of Christ. I must profess I'm grappling with this movement as a child of modernity, as are many others (who aren't able to define the tension they are feeling). Some react in hostility. Some ignore it. Some disregard it. Some embrace it and attack those who don't. All of these are natural reactions to the disruptive nature of an "itch".

There are diverse views on "the Itch". I think "the Itch" will define the Church of Jesus Christ in the 21st century. I'm more convinced than ever of that as what I'm reading in books is beginning to manifest itself in the hearts and minds of people of faith with whom I interact.

The Holy Spirit is moving. Do you have "the Itch"? How do you define it?

What are you doing to scratch your "itch"? Or are you resisting? If so, why?

Fasting: It's Not Just for Food Anymore

Fasting is one of those disciplines that perplexes me. For the most part, I've associated food with fasting.

However, we can fast from different aspects of our lives to open our hearts to a deeper relationship with God.

Our lives are full of stuff--stuff that distracts us from hearing God's voice. The stuff creates a barrier that the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit cannot hear. Just as food fills our bellies and lulls us into nap-time, the stuff of life fills us an lulls us to sleep spiritually.

So....today I've been fasting. I'm fasting from criticism....being critical, not receiving it. It has been an interesting process today. Some observations:

Fasting from being critical has tested my patience. It is hard to be patient when you can't criticize others for making you wait. Ouch.

It is hard to not be critical of others. This fast is just as tough as refraining from eating food.

It is amazing how aware I became to the critical self-talk that goes through my head.

We'll see where this fast goes. The spirit is leading me on this one.

One note: When the Spirit said "fast" from a critical spirit, I obeyed. I don't know if there is a connection (I suspect there is), but God specifically answered a prayer request I've been offering up recently.

When we fast from the stuff that fills our minds and lives, it allows God to talk directly to us. Fasting opens channels to God that aren't always open. Has your spiritual life been dry lately?

Try fasting from being critical of others....and share you experience, here or with someone else.

Prayer: Weak Prayer, Bad Connection

Prayer warrior Agnes Sanford contended that many Christians are afraid to make specific prayer requests.

Why? Because somehow, in our warped minds, we fear that if the request doesn't result in an answer, then somehow, someway God doesn't exist.

Couldn't be further from the truth!

Sanford tells a story of a man who struggled with this issue:

"...if he turned on an electric light and it had failed to shine, he would not have said, 'There is no electricity!' He would have said, 'There is something wrong with this lamp!'"

Sanford goes on to say that if our specific prayer requests are not answered, "it is not due to a lack in God, but to a natural and understandable lack in ourselves. What scientist would be discouraged if his first experiment failed? Since we intend with His help to heal our shortcomings, to repair our wiring, we need not fear to test His power by prayer."

(Agnes Sandford, Spiritual Disciplines by Richard Foster and Emilie Griffin: Renovare/HarperSanFrancisco, 2000)

Lacking courage in the effectiveness of your prayers? Your fear is ill-founded if it is focused on whether God is able to answer or not.

He is able.

How might you and I need to be re-wired so we can pray more effectively?

What is short-circuiting our prayer lives?

Prayer: Practice Your Piano!

I remember as a kid my mom always used to nag me to practice my piano.

Now my wife nags my boys to practice their piano (or their drums).

If you've ever taken up piano or guitar or any musical instrument you know how awkward it is to be a beginner. Where do your fingers go? What is the rhythm? Hand-eye coordination? Huh? Taking up a musical instrument feels like taking up a foreign language.

Prayer is that way, too.

Learning to pray is awkward for those of us less "practiced." Its hard for a beginner student to truly enjoy making music. For some it comes more naturally than for others. For all, prayer takes much practice and much patience.

"I don't know what to say."

"I don't know what posture to take."

"I don't know if anyone is there to hear my prayer."

These are all natural tendencies through which we all must travel to become people of prayer.

It's a fact: not everyone has the talent it takes to play the piano or guitar or drums well.

It's a fact: we all have the talent it takes to pray well.

That which separates strong people of prayer from the "anemic" is practice. We must approach prayer with practice, with patience, with prudence and with persistence.

Find a place today to practice--just as if you were going to practice your piano.

I'm not your mom.

I'm not going to nag.

Spiritual Roadblock: Self Condemnation

God loves us. He really, really loves us.

God is passionate about you and me. So much so that He gave his only Son to die in our place and to save us.

God loves us so much, He has sacrificed deeply.

He wants to love us more, but that entails that we love Him back.

Is it possible that we fail to walk more deeply with God because we can't imagine or really believe just how deeply he loves us? Is it possible our own "self-hatred" and "self-condemnation" holds us back from entering into a deeper, more profound relationship with our Creator?

We can't imagine God would "save a wretch like me", so goes the song.

God loves us. God wants to forgive us and restore us.

We have to forgive ourselves before we can step into that deeper knowledge of Him.

If we can't forgive ourselves, how can we believe God forgives us.

The first step to redemption seems to be forgiving ourselves.

Lord, help us take that step. And then, help us take it one step at a time as we meditate on and contemplate your love for us. Amen.

Is Your Faith Just Fire Insurance? (Merton on Contemplation)

I find my soul challenged by these words from Thomas Merton on the discipline of Christian contemplation:

"...if you desire intimate union with God, you must be willing to pay the price for it. The price is small enough. In fact, it is not even a price at all: it only seems to be so with us. We find it difficult to give up our desire for things that can never satisfy us in order to purchase the One Good in Whom is all our joy--and in Whom, moreover, we get back everything else that we have renounced besides!

"The fact remains that contemplation will not be given to those who wilfully remain at a distance from God, who confine their interior life to a few routine exercises of piety and a few external acts of worship and service performed as a matter of duty....they respect God as a master. But their heart does not belong to Him. They are not really interested in Him, except in order to insure themselves against losing heaven and going to hell.

"In actual practice, their minds and hearts are taken up with their own ambitions and troubles and comforts and pleasures and all their worldly interests and anxieties and fears. God is only invited to enter this charmed circle to smooth out difficulties and to dispense rewards."
(Thomas Merton, Spiritual Disciplines by Richard Foster and Emilie Griffin: Renovare/HarperSanFrancisco, 2000)

I don't want my faith to be a fire insurance policy only!!

I want to know my Creator and to love and serve Him with my whole being.

Deepak Chopra on a "Third" Jesus

New Age spiritualist Deepak Chopra has a new book out on "the third Jesus". The Washington Post has a story regarding the book and Chopra's views on Jesus online this week.

Chopra is a proponent of contemplative meditation. I have not read Chopra's book, but from skimming articles on-line, I do not think he would align his contemplative meditation with the Christian spiritual disciplines that I am promoting on this blog.

Christian meditation and Christian contemplation focus on bringing the believer of Christ into a more full and robust relationship with God. These spiritual disciplines and others were practiced by early church fathers and mothers many generations before the New Age movement.

I'm not going to play the role of apologist for Christian spiritual disciplines. My fingers can't take that much typing.

I will, however, draw the line in the sand for myself.

I believe in an appropriate form of Christian mysticism missing from the faith of many earnest believers in the 21st century. I believe that intentionally focusing our mind and spirit on the person of Christ and on God the Father orients a consecrated believer so the Holy Spirit can do its work. I believe there is value in prayer, meditation on Scripture, contemplative prayer, and other appropriate disciplines.

These disciplines are part of my Christian heritage and need to be reclaimed. Too many seeking believers live a shallow faith that lacks intentionality and strong connection to the Holy Spirit.

Chopra and others may promote contemplation and meditation, but unless the focus is on the Cross and it's Truth, the exercise is futile.

Spiritual Disciplines: From Meditation to Contemplation

The spiritual journey is a voyage from ignorance to knowing to being.

When we are lost in sin, we are separated from God. We are ignorant of even our need for redemption. We are incapable of knowing we are sick. Fortunately, God seeks us out, and through God's Holy Spirit, people are drawn toward him. Like a moth attracted to a flame, humankind is drawn into relationship with Creator.

As we are drawn near to God , we become aware of our sin and sinfulness, and subsequently, we know that we need fixed. Knowing Jesus, and accepting Him as our personal Savior restores our broken relationship with God.

I've found that as I learn (know) more about Christ, and God's love for me, that I want to know God more.

Christian meditation opens the soul to comprehend and better understand (better know, if you will) who God is, God's plan for our life, and God's love for us. But knowing does not equate to being.

There are many who know God, and know Christ, yet there is a disconnect in behavior. Sin (carnal sin) still lingers.

Frequent meditation on God's word and frequent meditation in prayer draw us into a broader and more in-depth awareness of knowledge about God. But there is more for the Christian.

To become more Christ-like takes more than just knowledge. We humans need an understanding of God that penetrates heart and soul, that displaces our "old sinful" self and changes our attitudes, desires, and motivations. That is not something that typically happens overnight.

The Christian who desires to take their relationship to the next level needs to not only meditate on God's word and meditate in prayer. The Christian who consecrates herself or himself fully to God the Father must move from meditation into a regular practice of contemplation.

To contemplate God's precepts and commands is to allow this logos to come alive, penetrate our souls and become a part of who we are as new creations. Sounds simple, but it takes time, effort, humility, and an openness to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Fostering contemplation by journaling or writing out one's prayer life is an effective tool in spiritual growth. Taking the time to articulate our spiritual stream of thought provokes a developed level of thinking and assimilation that ingrains Truth into our spiritual DNA.

Are you seeking to go deeper with God, to become more like Him, to find His will? Pick up a pen, and start writing down your meditations. Track the progress. Take your journey to a new level. Move from "know God" to "being" God's person.

Spiritual Disciplines: Meditation

I've been absent from posting recently due to a hectic schedule.

I'm currently focused on the role spiritual disciplines play in the life of the holiness Christian. Yes, spiritual disciplines such as meditation, prayer, fasting, charity, etc. play a vital role in the spiritual formation of the holiness Christian. While the disiciplines orient one to the leading of the Holy Spirit, it is important to note that it is the Spirit that does the work, not man.

Meditation is a spiritual discipline strongly endorsed by early church fathers and mothers. In the "new age" world, many think meditation is a bad thing (i.e transcendental meditation). Not the case here.

Christians on the journey need to take time for meditation. Meditation entails focus on God and God alone. Meditation entails some semblance of solitude.

The cares of the world can weigh down an aspiring Christian, impeding effective meditation.

Here are some thoughts on becoming more single-hearted in meditation:

• Detaching from worldly things. Consider what you can prune from your life that distracts you from focused meditation on God. Pray for guidance.
• Simplify your life. Often, our lives are consumed in overwhelming, trivial matters. What can you do to simplify your life so you can focus on what matters most--your relationship with God.
• Set time aside to meditate. Ever consider setting an entire day aside just for meditation and prayer? It may be just what the doctor ordered.

Meditation is one of many disciplines to consider as we aspire to open our hearts and minds to God.

Employing spiritual disicplines is a deliberate, willful act we can undertake to pursue God more vigorously in our lives.