Lay Down Your Expectations

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Carl Simmons

Rather than attacking this idea from the front—and our previous rumination on goals and plans hit on many of the ideas inherent in this idea already—I’d like to approach today’s meditation from a different angle.

Over the last several years, and from multiple sources, God has reinforced the importance of expectancy in my life. Meaning: When we lay down our time, our possessions, our attitudes, whatever, and actually give God something to work with in our lives, do we really expect that God will show up?

At the same time, as I’ve been working on developing that sense of expectancy, I’ve realized how little expectancy bears resemblance to expectation. If I bring my own agenda, even with the best of intentions, about the only thing I can expect is disappointment—or at least to do more damage than good, and not least of all to myself. And that’s not only true about my relationship with God, but about every part of the life He’s given me. Conversely, when I turn to God and say, “This is Your gig; do what you will” (or the old-fashioned but still effective “not my will, but thine”), things tend to fall into line much more easily—because they’ve been left in the hands of Someone who can draw a line correctly.

Hopefully, it’s obvious that being expectant doesn’t translate to “do nothing.” It means: Go about the business God’s called you to, and let the results take care of themselves. The Parable of the Talents gives us a nice illustration of this:

 “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Luke 19:12b-26)

In re-reading this recently, something hit me that I hadn’t previously noticed. There is a bit of conjecture to it, but it makes sense: The king comes back after “receiving his kingdom,” and upon seeing the faithfulness of the first two stewards gives each of them authority over several cities. Where do you think those cities came from? My bet’s on the kingdom that the nobleman just received. Someone’s got to watch over those cities, after all.

Likewise, God wants to create new things through us, not just give us control over things (and kingdoms) we already know. But we can only prepare to receive them by remaining obedient to the King we already have, and by remaining faithful to His kingdom and the things He’s already entrusted to us. Expecting that God’s goodness (or in the third steward’s case, His “badness”) will look a certain way like is usually a futile exercise. God will show us what we need when we need it. Sometimes we get a glimpse into what God’s fulfilled vision in our lives looks like, but more often He’ll let us know when it’s time to move forward, and into what new kingdom.

So stop expecting too much from yourself spiritually, or otherwise. Stop expecting instant regeneration, or instant success. Trust in God as you once did. Don’t try to anticipate His moves before He’s made them. Allow Him to grow you at His pace, instead of thinking you can run out ahead. At the same time, don’t underestimate what God can do as you’re faithful with what He’s has already entrusted to you. Live in the expectancy that the good things He’s already given you will produce even better things beyond your expectations.

Lay It Down Today

We’re going to try a little parallel Bible study today. Read the Parable of the Talents again, in both versions—Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. Note the similarities and the differences between each account of the parable. More importantly, note what God’s saying to you through these both versions.

Then, reflect on this: What can you identify as things God has already entrusted to you—things you know God wants you to do? It could be a specific calling or impression of the Spirit; it could be something as “mundane” as being a better parent or spouse. Whatever those things are, list them out now. Then, pray over your list. Ask God to help you “[be] faithful in [the] very little” He’s given you so far, so that you may ready to receive the authority you need for the new works He has in store for you—both here and beyond.

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Lay Down Your Goals

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Carl Simmons

Let’s return to the idea of us “taking things out of God’s hands” through our own control issues—and specifically, through the plans and goals we lay out for ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with having plans and goals for our lives. They give us focus; they inspire us; they inspire others. And quite often, those goals are things worth aspiring to.

But there’s a down side: Namely, they’re our goals and plans. And thus, they can become a wall that gets between us and God’s plans for us—even when what we have in mind and what God has in mind look very similar on the surface. God is always more concerned with what’s going on under the surface. Let’s look at one of Jesus’ more blatant parables, and dig down from there:

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:15-21)

While this parable specifically addresses our possessions, we would be wise to expand our definition of the word “possessions.” Let me ask a simple question: When you’ve reached a goal, whose accomplishment is it? If you answered “mine,” congratulations—you have a possession. It’s no coincidence that in the Luke version of the gospel, Jesus follows up this parable with his command to not be anxious. When our goals are more our goals than God’s, we feel we’re the ones who need to protect them. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34).

The next time you’re feeling stressed, ask yourself, “What am I protecting here that God can’t protect a million times better?” Again, it may not be the goal or the plans that are wrong, but who’s being glorified by them. If God truly wants us to pursue such things, then we can lay down our goals at His feet, confident that He’ll take care of them.

In my previous book, I’d put forth a series of questions for those considering pursuing a “God-given vision”—specifically, to determine whose vision it really was. I think, with a few minor tweaks, those same questions are a good filter for any goals and plans we have in life. Think about two or three of the goals you have right now, and then apply the following questions to each of them:

  • As I’m pursuing this goal, am I sensing God revealing more about the things he truly cares about?
  • Once this goal has been reached, will it reveal more about God to others, or just more about me?
  • Which pieces of the plan were clearly not my idea (even if I’m excited about them now)?
  • Have I tried letting go of my plans, only to find God bringing them up again?
  • Would I still want this to happen even if someone else did it—or even if I did it and someone else got the credit?

How did you do? It’s OK (for now) if you thought, “Well, it’s both, actually—it’s me and God, it’s flesh and spirit.” But it’s critical that we stop to figure out what’s God and what’s us, because we’re almost certainly going to find ourselves disagreeing with God on some things. And guess what? God’s right. So when that happens, you’ll need to remember which parts are truly God’s, so you’re able to keep trusting Him when you don’t understand what’s going on. Hold your own plans loosely, and hang on for dear life to God’s plans.

 

Lay It Down Today

Read Luke 12:13-48—or rather review, review, and reflect. Because this passage is a three-parter: It’s today’s passage, a reiteration of Day 1’s passage, and two more parables that are tied in more than you might think. So read slowly. Then, when you get to verses 35-48, read them aloud. Put some inflection into your reading; think about how Jesus said these words to his disciples as you read. Because, after all, you’re one of them.

Reflect on today’s questions again, in light of what you’ve just read. Allow God’s Word to be “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:11). Ask God to help his Word to penetrate more deeply into your goals and plans, so that the parts that are “just you” are cut away—if even if that means all of them. Trust that God’s plans are far better than anything you could come up with, and act on His leading as it comes.

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Spiritual Rhythms in Solitude

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Carl Simmons

This one’s more a brief journal piece, but worth sharing. As promised a few weeks back, I’m working my way through Keith Meyer’s Spiritual Rhythms in Community. The Week 3 assignment was to watch, reflect, on, and preferably discuss the movie Into the Wild (and not that you shouldn’t—it’s a good movie). But instead, I chose today to take a 7-mile hike through the high-desert “wilderness” of Colorado’s steppes & foothills, about 10 minutes up the road from here. If you know me, you know I love hiking the mountains, and this was a good warm-up. Also, this particular hike was perfectly in line with the week’s meditation, Psalm 63. The hike was basically this:

  • 1 mile of prairie;
  • another mile climbing 500 feet to the top of one (Coyote) ridge;
  • another mile descending and walking through the valley between ridges (not the valley of the shadow of death — in fact, there was no shadow at all for 99% of the hike — but the terrain did feel very psalmlike nonetheless, especially on the way back);
  • a mile loop around the next ridge (RimRock);
  • then back again, through the valley and up and down the first ridge.

Did feel like I was beginning to hear God more clearly on the way back, especially as I finished coming back through the valley and prepared to go back up the first ridge. (Note to self: Let’s see who I’m working for/with come September.)

Got back to the ridge and stopped under the only bit of shade available the whole way. Looked up, and on the other side of the trail, in the only other shaded spot, was a herd of mule deer — maybe four or five at first, then joined by another handful as I sat there. (I didn’t have a camera; this is about as close a representation as I could find. They were maybe 10-15 feet away from me the entire time.) We spent a good five minutes just looking at each other. I then gave them a mini-sermon, a la St. Francis (I’d just finished the Little Flowers a week ago, after all).

Finally, someone else came up the trail, from the starting end. I stood up, put a finger to my lips, then pointed over to the herd; he was about to miss them as well. We both just enjoyed that “sacred space” for another couple minutes, then both moved on, him thanking me as we headed in opposite directions—him further into the wilderness and me back home.

I think I made the right choice to skip the movie. 🙂

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Lay Down Your Doubt, Part 2

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Carl Simmons

In the first part of this devotional, posted way back when, we looked at how our anxiety expresses itself in doubt and in trying to “control” the situation apart from God. Sometimes, however, we already know things are out of our hands. And yet, we wrestle with the same problem as the anxious and the self-reliant—a failure to acknowledge that things are still in God’s hands.

We see a great example of this as Jesus encounters a boy with an unclean spirit—and even more so in the people surrounding Jesus and the boy:

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” (Mark 9:14-29, ESV).

I love the incredulousness of Jesus’ “If you can!” here. It not only carries the sense of “Who do you think I am?” but also “Who do you think you are, in God’s sight?” Which is borne out by his next sentence, “All things are possible for one who believes.”

While again it’s not simply a matter of “God helps those who help themselves,” our inability to “make” God’s will manifest might indeed be a matter of us not “being in position” for God to use us. Our doubt blocks God’s ability to operate. Not that He couldn’t blow past it any time He liked, as Jesus in fact does here, but God wants us to believe and is willing to withhold His temporal blessings and deliverance until we do so.

Mind you, I’m not advocating a “name-it-and-claim-it” theology here. But I am suggesting a principle of “believe it and you’ll receive it”—provided it’s in God will. There is a truth within in the more positivistic applications of the gospel that’s gotten twisted, and it’s this: So much of God’s will for our lives remains unclaimed, because we can’t bring ourselves to believe that God would really want to do something good for us.

Thus, I suspect that the prayer and fasting the disciples lacked for this situation wasn’t purely a matter of failing to press the right spiritual buttons—let alone “if you do this spiritual discipline more regularly, you’ll be so much more effective for the Kingdom.” Rather, like every spiritual discipline, it was a way for the disciples to humble themselves before God so that they too could see the situation properly, become acutely aware of their own fallenness, human inability, and just plain lack of trust—and acknowledge, as the boy’s father did, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Lay down your doubt, and let Jesus help your unbelief.

Lay It Down Today

Let’s use today’s passage from Mark, and get more creative with it. Read it again right now, putting yourself in the disciples’ place. Experience the inability to heal, Jesus’ rebuke, the curiosity/humility afterward. Then, read it once more, from the perspective of the father—the overwhelmedness and desperation for his son to be delivered, and the equally deep desperation to want to believe fully that Jesus could, and would, deliver his son.

Who do you identify with more right now? Spend some time giving up your doubt, and the roadblocks you’ve placed to reinforce that doubt, to Jesus right now. Hand over to Jesus the things that are making you anxious or overwhelmed, and ask Him to keep those things out of your hands from this day forward.

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Lay Down Your Love (Retreat Session 4)

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Carl Simmons

Throughout the course of this retreat, as promised, you’ve been exposed to—and sometimes thrown into in—just a few of the spiritual disciplines. But the fact is, every spiritual discipline is a form of worship. It’s a way of being intentional about recognizing God’s “worth-ship.” And as you’ve hopefully discovered in a deeper sense, they get us out of our own way so we can see and appreciate God for who He is.

In this final session, we’re going to focus more on worship in the more “conventional,” outward sense, as well use the above disciplines, with Revelation as our guide. We need to always remember that our lives are prep time for eternity. Right now, we’re being prepared to live forever in God’s presence. Just thinking about that should help us look at our lives here differently. Thus, we’ll also consider what God still has in store for us here—how we can serve the world He’s placed us in, for His sake. So let’s begin to pick up our new life in Jesus, put it on, and walk it out.

Take 15 minutes to think and journal on these questions:

  • Out of the activities you’ve done during this retreat—study, prayer, silence, confession, “alone time with God” (and fellowship and service, if you’ve been with a group)—which have helped you connect with God the most? Why do you think that is?
  •  Which disciplines would like to spend more time with? How can you become more deliberate about doing so?
  •  Think about a meaningful time or season of worship (of any kind), or of closeness to God, that you’ve experienced. What made that time so meaningful to you? What did it feel like? How did it affect your thoughts and actions?
  • How has your idea of what worship is (and isn’t) changed during the course of your Christian life? How has your own approach to worship before God changed, as a result?

Read Revelation 7:9–8:3. Then read it again. Once more, if you need to, to get the whole picture of what’s taking place here. Then move on.

We’re not going to observe an entire half-hour of silence, but we are going to take a few more minutes to just sit and be silent before God. Close your eyes, and put yourself in the middle of this passage. Go from being an observer to a participant, because that’s what you’ll be one day. Meditate on this passage until you can truly see yourself there.

Once you’re ready to leave the scene, take at least 10 more minutes to reflect on these questions:

  •  How did you feel as you reflected on this scene? Were you excited? Uncomfortable? Scared? Or did you have a hard time resonating with it at all? In any case, why?
  •  Regardless of your answer, how does (or should) knowing our eternal future with Jesus help us make worship—however we do it—a higher priority in our lives?
  •  How easy is it for you to accept the idea that you’re created for God’s pleasure—and that God delights in growing you even further? Explain.

Before you move on to the next section, spend some time worshiping God, in whatever you’re comfortable doing. But do something audible and visible before God—maybe even shout, cry, and fall on your face. Get ready to become a part of what you’ve just experienced in Revelation 7.

Then, read Revelation 21:1-7, 21:12–22:5. Again, take as many times as you need for the images here to sink in.

Next, think once more about the people you’ve reflected on during the course of this retreat. (Those reading this for the first time can look through the previous entries below.) Consider this: They, too, with be with you for eternity. In fact, you’re going to spend eternity with every believer who’s ever walked the earth. Then, take 15 minutes to reflect on these questions:

  • How can remembering your destination enable you to begin living eternal life more fully right now?
  • Where is it most apparent to you that you’re not yet “one who conquers”? How can the One who has conquered help you in that battle?
  • Even more important than you: Who are the “conquered” in your life right now? Who needs joy? Healing? Comfort? A sense of God’s presence? Refreshing? A sense of their value to God? How could God use you to help bring that to them? Be specific.

Take at least 15 minutes to pray in response to that last question. Ask God to build upon and expand the vision He’s begun to place upon your heart. Ask Him to guide you to those people that either you can come alongside or who can come alongside you, or both, depending on your situation.

Try to have an extended time of worship between you and God to close your retreat time. Pray, sing, talk… give whatever you can give to God. When you feel you’ve done that, thank God once more for your time together, and then get back out there—because eternal life starts now.

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Past the Beauty, and to The Beautiful

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Carl Simmons

It starts kind of slow, but bear with it. Because, after all, this book is about slowing down enough to recognize God’s reflection in all of creation—as well as in our own creations, as we too reflect the Creator.

Steve DeWitt. Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God in Everything. 208p., $14.99, Credo House Publishers.

My reiteration of the message from Steve DeWitt, senior pastor at Bethel Church in Crown Point, Indiana, is this: We are all creators, created in God’s image. And thus we are all image-bearers, gifted with image-ination. And most of us have lost that sense. But as we learn to recapture it, we also begin to better sense God’s presence around us in everything—even things we may have discounted previously or misused for our own purposes.

“The strength of our longing proves that satisfaction is possible,” DeWitt says. “Our cravings are both a clue and a compliment. They are a clue that the desire was made for no earthly satisfaction and a compliment to the One whose satisfactions consummate our desires.”

That said, the first third or so of the book felt a bit obvious to me (and/or like transcribed sermon notes), and likely could have been condensed. But based on what follows, I suspect DeWitt’s intent was to make the access ramp as wide as possible before ramping things up. And ramp them he does. We find ourselves going from considerable overexposure to the word “wow!” (and my counteruse of the phrase “OK, I get it already!”) to practical suggestions on how to experience that “wow” for ourselves, drawing from sources as diverse and deep as Jonathan Edwards, St. Bonaventure and C.S. Lewis. As we apply the wisdom found here, we learn to use beauty as a catalyst for appreciating and worshiping God.

But the early stuff may not feel as obvious to everyone. If you need convincing, work through DeWitt’s early arguments here. If not, glean as needed. Either way, hang in there until the chapter “Beyond Beauty to Wonder,” because that’s where the book truly gets good. “The experience of beauty does something profound and powerful within the heart and soul of every human being. Beauty creates wonder in us.” And it enables us to encounter The Beautiful One in the following chapter. And if that doesn’t, the next chapter, “An Eye for the Gleaming,” seals the deal:

Every created beauty that we have ever enjoyed in this world is like moonlight. Void of any comparison, they seem like the best this life has to offer. But through the gospel and the Holy Spirit, we have seen The Beautiful One, Christ…. We used to worship reflections, but through the gospel and the Holy Spirit we discern a better beauty…. Once we discern His glory, however, we enjoy the moonlight of created beauties all the more because they remind us of Him.

But it’s not all inspiration; there’s also work involved. “Sin tilted created beauty toward us. But this is not beauty’s created purpose,” DeWitt says. “Since created beauty speaks of God, our experience of it requires us to swim upstream. Beauty’s source and satisfaction is found in the source, not the self.”

From this point, DeWitt extends his exploration into our own outward expressions and explorations of beauty, addressing the issues of “What is Christian art, and is there even such a thing?” and our attraction to the power of story, which points to The Big Story. The book ends—where else?—with a moving look at the closing chapters of Revelation, where The Big Story, God’s glory and us are at last complete. And still only beginning.

This book will get you on the road to seeing the Beautiful One, who creates all beauty, more fully. And it’ll even get you a ways down that road.

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Lay It Down and Lay It Out (Retreat Session 3)

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Carl Simmons

God has called each of us as individuals, and called us to respond to Him in the unique way He’s called each of us… but that doesn’t mean we’re in this alone. As we’ve already discovered, God has allowed us to experience some incredible things—even if they seemed hard at the time. There are probably even things in our lives that we wish God hadn’t allowed. But as we’ve seen, God can and will use everything for His good, even those things that seem lousy and unexplainable to us—if we’ll trust Him. Furthermore, God wants us to share what He’s done and give Him the glory for it.

This should be true of our Christian relationships as well—or perhaps, especially. However, the trick isn’t to pursue relationships with other Christians, but to pursue Jesus together as Christians. The two things sound similar, but there’s all the difference in the world between them. When Jesus is our focus, suddenly all the little things that often get in the way in our relationships don’t seem so important. When we pursue Jesus together, our relationships naturally become closer and deeper—because Jesus sets the tone. And Jesus is never going to steer us the wrong way.

We’re going to take an in-depth look at Romans 12, and use it as our roadmap from the individual to the corporate. In some ways this chapter seems all over the map, but as we work through it we’ll hopefully begin to observe the connections between who we individually should be before God, and how Jesus wants us to serve the world together as His Body.

Read Romans 12:1-2, repeatedly. Reflect on your time spent on this retreat so far (this, of course, assumes you have — view the previous 2 entries to get an idea), and then take at least 10 minutes to respond to these questions:

  • Based on what’s gone on between you and God so far, how do you believe He’s called you specifically to “present your bod[y] as a living sacrifice”? What do you think your next move actually looks like?
  • When do you find it easier to try harder, or “be conformed to this world,” to get things done, than to be “a living sacrifice”? What would God’s “good and acceptable and perfect” will look like in those situations? (And if your answer’s “I don’t know,” what do you need to change in your thinking to find out?)

Read verses 3-5, again repeatedly. Then take at least 15 minutes to reflect and write concerning the following questions:

  • Why is it important to remember that we’re part of a body—and only one part? Come up with at least one example to illustrate your answer.
  • Likewise, why is it important to remember that God has given each member a measure of faith?
  • When have you seen a healthy church body (or group) work together? What made it work so well?
  • On the other hand, when have you seen God’s purposes thwarted by His body? Complete this sentence, “If only….”
  • What was your part in that “If only…”—or what should it have been?

Before beginning your next reading, take two or three minutes to think of all the commitments you’re responsible for in a given week, and write them down as they come to you.

Now, read and re-read verses 6-10. Take at least 15 minutes to journal on these questions:

  • Where do you fit into this “short list” of spiritual gifts—or wish you did? How else has God gifted you that’s not listed here?
  • Who exhibits some of the gifts that make you say “that’s so not me”? How could working together with that person or people benefit both of you, as well as benefit those you’re serving (or would like to serve)?
  • Stay on those people you just thought of. How does showing mutual love and honoring those people help smooth over those places where it’s painfully obvious how different you are? Can you think of an example when that’s happened? Write that down as well.
  • What would mutual love and honoring look like, specifically, in your life right now?
  • Look again at the list you made earlier. How does this passage, and your responses to it, help you keep “your” work for the Lord in perspective?

Go on to verses 11-20. Read it, then re-read it. Take 10 more minutes to reflect and respond:

  • Which of these commands—if any—do you look at and say, “Hey, no problem”? On the other hand, which of these commands just make you cringe? In both cases, why?
  • Reflect once more on your co-workers from the section above. What, specifically, could that person or persons teach you that you lack?

This session has probably brought up a lot of current struggles. The good news is: God wants to help you in those struggles, and so do the people you thought about during this session. More than you know, or likely suspect. And now’s the time to invite God in (and if you’re in a group, others as well).

Which section resonated most with you as you studied and journaled? Spend time talking to God about it. Ask Him for wisdom, and for people to walk alongside you, as you pursue God’s “good and acceptable and perfect” will for your life. Also ask that your heart be changed toward others, so that you may “[l]ove one another with brotherly affection” and “[o]utdo one another in showing honor.”

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Lay Down and Listen (Retreat Session 2)

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Carl Simmons

Even if you’re with a group, this session is about you and God spending time together. Just you and God. This might seem scary, or lead to unrealistic expectations, if you’re not used to “wasting time with God.” Don’t let it be. I’ve had profound, life-changing revelations from God during these some of these retreat times. Other times, I didn’t sense God’s presence at all, even when I really desired to hear His answers. Yet other times, it was something in between—I felt God’s presence, if only briefly, but didn’t come back with “the answer from the mountaintop.” But my time with God has always been a time to be refreshed and to regain some perspective. If you go in with any expectations at all, let it be that.

Take at least 90 minutes for your “alone time with God.” Find a secluded (or at least private) area; bring your book, your journal, and something to write with. Once you’ve found your spot, spend some time in prayer, asking God to prepare your heart to listen to Him. If there are things that Session 1 has bubbled to the surface, spend time talking to God about those as well before moving on.

Also, don’t be surprised if distracting thoughts pop up during your prayer time or “alone time.” If it’s something that has some legitimacy—for example, something you need to remember to do when you get back home—just jot it down in your journal, then forget about it and move on.

Read 1 Kings 18:17–19:18, slowly. Then read through it again, before proceeding.

Note that God not only provides sustenance, but also provides fellowship and support. In the midst of Elijah’s turmoil and depression, God points him toward Elisha, who would become Elijah’s successor. In our next session, we’ll focus more on the power of prayer and on those God provides to support us. (If you’re with a group, some of those people might even be waiting for you when you get back.)

But for now, think about this:

  • When have you had an Elijah-type experience—where you’ve had a huge success, followed by an emotional/spiritual collapse? When have you wanted to (or did) say, “God, just kill me now?” How did God meet you during that time—or do you still wonder where He was or why He allowed it to happen?

Be brutally honest with this question. It’s not as if God doesn’t know the answers already. But maybe you need to acknowledge the pain you still feel—or properly express the joy of having experienced God’s provision and deliverance. Or both. Talk to God about that time right now before moving on. Spend more time in repentance, if you need to. Cry, scream, or be quiet and calm—respond to God as you need right now. Again, take as much time as you need to “clear the decks” with God. But also, even now, begin giving God the opportunity to answer.

When you’re done, take at least 15 minutes to be totally silent before God. You may or may not hear God’s “still small voice” during that time, but give Him the chance to speak to your heart, and your mind. If God does bring something to mind, and/or you realize there’s more you want to speak to Him about, write it down. But don’t interrupt your time of silence; save your words for later.

Afterward, reflect on these questions. Again, write out your answers, and include details—try to think through the “why behind the why”:

  • When have you found yourself expecting to hear God in the big circumstances—in the windstorms and earthquakes and fires—rather than in the calm that followed? When have you tried to “force” God to speak by creating a windstorm of your own?
  • When have you felt alone and abandoned, as Elijah did? Or that everything you’d truly felt you’d done for God was worth nothing? How did that affect other parts of your life?
  • What might you have been expecting of God during those times that was more about what you wanted than what God wanted?

Again, when you’re done, take a couple more minutes to be silent before God. Then again, deal with your feelings, and contrast them with God’s truth. Spend some more time talking things through with God before moving on to our last section.

When you’re ready, read John 15—the entire chapter—at least once through. Then, reflect on these questions, and respond to their corresponding prompts for prayer:

  • At what point do you usually realize you’ve stopped “remaining”? Why then? Why is staying connected, rather than being connected in stops and starts, so critical to bearing fruit?

Ask forgiveness for those times you’ve turned away from Jesus—again, be specific if there are instances you haven’t already prayed about during your retreat time—and for the strength to “stay remained” in Him.

  • How have you felt God pruning you over the last few months? What’s been the fruit of that process so far?

Thank God for the growth He’s produced in your life—and even for the pain that might have occurred in order for that growth to happen.

  • Conversely, how have you felt more connected to Jesus, or to other Christians, over the past few months? How can you strengthen those connections further?

Ask God for wisdom and insight on how to proceed.

  • What’s one way you need to remain in Jesus, in a way you really haven’t until now? More specifically: What has God impressed you with during this alone time, and what do you think He wants you to do about it?

Close your alone time in prayer, thanking God for your time together, and asking for His strength and wisdom to live out those things He’s impressed upon you during your time together.

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Lay Down… No, Seriously, LAY DOWN. (Retreat Session 1)

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Carl Simmons

The next four entries are for a self-directed retreat/interlude I’m creating for the midway point of Lay It Down, the Book. I’m trying to build it for both individuals and small groups; this is the individual version. Enjoy. (P.S. I’m also going to post the general notes and introduction in the comments, if y’r interested in actually doing this.)

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In our next session, we’re going to focus specifically on listening to God and what He has to say to us right now. But it’s hard to listen when your mind, heart, and spirit, and so cluttered with everything but Jesus. This session, therefore, is about starting to clear the decks and begin preparing your heart so you can hear.

Be patient with yourself during this process, but be willing to deal honestly and thoroughly with the things that have come between you and Christ—even if you haven’t realized them just yet.

Read Luke 10:38-42. Then read it again. Once more. Write down your immediate impressions in your journal.

Then, think about and write down your answers to the following questions, spending at least five minutes on each bullet-point group of questions:

• If you’re a Martha: If you had (or have) a Mary in your life, what would your complaint(s) about her be? What do your complaints reveal about your own priorities? How do those priorities line up with Jesus’ priorities, especially in light of what you’ve studied these past several weeks?

• If you’re a Mary: How do you react to the Marthas in your life? How guilty or anxious do you feel about all the things that aren’t done—or at least about how it’s making the Marthas in your life feel? What legitimate points do your Marthas have? How does all this distract you from sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening?

• Why is it so hard to stop and listen to Jesus? What do you think you’re giving up by doing so?

Now, read Revelation 2:1-7. Again, read it a few times and write down your impressions before moving on.

Reflect on and write down your answers to the following questions, again spending at least five minutes on each bullet point:

• What do you think—or at least hope—Jesus will commend you for? Be honest—this is an opportunity to invite Jesus into your struggles, and the things you take even legitimate pride in are part of that struggle.

• Recall when you first came to know Jesus. (You hopefully did this in “Lay Down Your Relationships”—but we can never remember enough.) What’s different now? How have you forgotten, or at least neglected, your first love?

• What attitudes or activities have quenched your first love—complacency, opposition, inattention, busyness, something else? Name each of them now. Be specific; add some detail.

• How do you get back to where you once were “and do the things you did at first”? (Note: If your answer is “I don’t know,” don’t panic. You’re just starting this retreat. Just begin trying to process. Give Jesus time to respond to, and shape, the desires of your heart.)

Part of the answer to your last question can be found in your answers to the previous question, and in verse 5. We’ve considered how far we’ve fallen, and acknowledged our need “do the things [we] did at first.” There’s one word between those two phrases, though, that we’re going to deal with now: Repent.

Review your list of attitudes or activities that have quenched your first love. You’ve named them; now spend time in prayer lifting each of these things up to God and repenting of them. To repent means to turn around, and by turning around we begin heading in the direction Jesus first pointed us in—and toward the destinations, both on this earth and beyond, He’s intended for us.

When you’re done, spend some more time remembering your first love in Jesus. Remember the joy you experienced in “do[ing] the things you did at first.” Then close your first session in prayer and thanksgiving—both for what Jesus has already done in your life and what He’s going to do as you lay down your life to Him.

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Going to God Like a Cigarette

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Carl Simmons

Our rather provocative titular reference above is nonetheless a good place for us to start, because this is a book about pursuing God with a single-minded passion. And you’ll have to discover the story that goes with it for yourself.

In a way, it’s unfair to review this until I’ve done the work it recommends. And in fact, there’s a very good chance I’ll come back to this review and update it three months later, once I’ve done the work. But marketing considerations are marketing considerations, so for now let me just say that Keith Meyer’s latest is a very intentional next step in that “curriculum for Christlikeness” direction his first full book Whole Life Transformation vigorously pointed toward. And, it proposes a way to do that journey together. Again, this isn’t so much a book that’s meant to be read as a book that’s meant to be done, and done together.

Keith Meyer. Spiritual Rhythms in Community: Being Together in the Presence of God. 160p., $15.00, IVP Books.

The 12 sessions are divided evenly between “rhythms of disengagement” designed to develop a sense of quietness and centeredness in God, and “rhythms of engagement” where we practice outward disciplines such as forgiveness, service, and living in community.

The Psalms are the vehicle for this journey into spiritual formation that Keith takes us on. Readers/group members are encouraged to work through a psalm each week, letting it sink in and (eventually) addressing applicational questions connected with it. For example, Psalm 131 becomes a self-meditational exercise about learning to slow down in every aspect of life (or “soul-shushing”).

Following that is a chapter-length devotional expanding on the idea developed in the psalm (in the above case, it’s “Wasting Time Just Being”). Then comes the (mostly) group part, where a discipline or activity is undertaken or discussed among the group. Activities range from day-long retreats to watching a movie together to taking a field trip to a criminal court. It’s safe to say a group that undertakes all these activities together will never be the same.

I think that gives you a good idea of what you (and your group) will be getting into. The approach here is very creative and yet doable, for a a group that’s willing to make a decent time commitment. Keith does give different approaches at the end; I’m thinking the 6-month approach (1 week discussion/1 week activity) could be handled easily by most groups. But the proof is in the pudding. And again, I expect to report back in a few months with how my pudding tasted. 🙂

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OK, so I changed my strategy. I’m thinking it’d be a good exercise to add my thoughts as I’m working through this. As such, they’ll be a little fragmented and raw, but they’ll also reflect what I’m actually thinking and feeling in the moment….

Week 1: The reading of Luke in one sitting not only helps immerse our heads in Kingdom mode, but very deliberately helps us to observe rhythms of disengagement and (re-)engagement that Jesus himself employed in His own life—and which we should observe in ours.

Week 2: A reminder that I need to slow down. Doesn’t hurt that I’m writing my own retreat material while working through this. 🙂 I remember the sacred space of Huntersfield Christian Retreat Center in Prattsville, NY, and still long for a similar spot in Colorado (although Colorado in general can inspire one). Quote worth remembering: “We grow as we mature in the use of the disciplines, realizing that they are not the best measure of how we are growing.”

Week 3: Instead of watching the movie Into the Wild (not that you shouldn’t—it’s a good movie), I instead chose to take a 7-mile hike through the high-desert “wilderness” of Colorado’s steppes & foothills, about 10 minutes up the road from here. Basically:

  • 1 mile of prairie;
  • another mile climbing 500 feet to the top of one ridge;
  • another mile descending and walking through the valley between ridges (not the valley of the shadow of death — in fact, there was no shadow at all for 99% of the hike — but it did feel very psalmlike nonetheless, especially on the way back);
  • a mile loop around the next ridge and back to the valley;
  • then back again.

Did feel like I was beginning to hear God more on the way back, especially as I prepared to go back up the first ridge. (Note to self: Let’s see who I’m working for/with come September.) Got back to the ridge and stopped under the only bit of shade available the whole way. Looked up, and on the other side of the trail, in the only other shaded spot, was a herd of mule deer — maybe four or five at first, then joined by another handful as I sat there. We spent a good five minutes just looking at each other. I then gave them a mini-sermon, a la St. Francis (I’d just finished the Little Flowers a week ago).

Finally, someone else came up the trail. I put a finger to my lips, then pointed over to the herd; he was about to miss them as well. We both just enjoyed that “sacred space” for another couple minutes, then we both moved on, him thanking me as we headed in opposite directions. I think I made the right choice. 🙂

Week 4: This week’s assignment was tough — basically, a modified version of a daily examen, but specifically geared to reflecting and showing gratitude toward God. To be honest, I’m not built that way. But it’s always healthy when I do it. And it was good preparation for the following week (i.e., after 15 months, I finally have a job again! Thank you, Lord!)

Week 9 (yeah, I know, I haven’t been good about writing stuff down here lately): Really appreciated the “Wednesday” review questions that went with Psalm 130, regarding the depth of sin in my life and how it affects both me and others, as well as the willingness to be examined and questioned by others. Lots to consider.

Week 11: Found the “Virtue walk” very helpful. Focused on patience—which, interstingly, is the same word translated “endurance” here. Wonder why I can’t seem to be more godly? Bam.

Week 12: Psalm 121 was the right place to end this, as well as just what I needed to hear. God’s got us. And thus, our pursuit continues…

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