common ground

As we go into a sermon series about our common ground (by Gregg!  Hooray!), common ground with each other as believers and with God as humans, these words below speak deeply to me.  I was an English major at Mary Washington (I specialized in poetry) and I find that the Spirit often reveals things about his character to me through poems, and even more often, through poems about the natural world.  Here is one of my favorite poems, from a sonnet cycle by Seamus Heaney, entitled “Glanmore Sonnets.” This is sonnet one:

I.

Vowels ploughed into other: opened ground.
The mildest February for twenty years
Is mist bands over furrows, a deep no sound
Vulnerable to distant gargling tractors.
Our road is steaming, the turned-up acres breathe.
Now the good life could be to cross a field
And art a paradigm of earth new from the lathe
Of ploughs.  My lea is deeply tilled.
Old ploughsocks gorge the subsoil of each sense
And I am quickened with a redolence
Of farmland as a dark unblown rose.
Wait then…Breasting the mist, in sowers’ aprons,
My ghosts come striding into their spring stations.
The dream grain whirls like freakish Easter snows.

I think that in order for God to work in our lives, he often has to plow our hearts and the hard earth of our lives before anything can grow. On line eight, Heaney writes “My lea is deeply tilled,” and I think what makes that amazing is in the definition of a “lea:” it’s a field where either hay or nothing has grown for a few years, which is then plowed so that it can be used for planting.

We can often take our cues from the natural world, I think; God gives us parallels for our own lives if we examine creation. John 15 talks about how God “prunes” us; when we are “in the dust of death” (Ps 22) he breaks up our soil, and our “roots grow down into him” so that our faith grows and we overflow, unable to contain our thanks (Col 2).

I know it’s still winter (and we will be lucky if we have “the mildest February for twenty years”), but I remember this every spring: however we have let our hearts grow cold or harden, God breaks up our winter shell deliberately so that we can be not “a dark unblown rose,” but flowers in full bloom.

Julia

Ever have one of those weeks?  I did.

Much of my week was pretty surreal, and it’s worth sharing, not as a point of venting, but what it caused me to think about spiritually.

About a year ago, I started working Eastern Europe and Eurasia foreign policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  My first countries were the Baltics (remember them from your Monopoly board?) and over time, my portfolio has expanded to the point that about three weeks ago, I became the lead for Russia.

And, if you’ve been watching the news, you know that they’ve been… shall we say ‘adventurous’ over the past couple of weeks.

It’s the first time in my career that I’ve really been part of the behind the scenes action for something that makes front page news… 

So what’s this have to do with spirituality/Christian stuff?

Well, I’ve been reading a lot of books, blogs, etc. about what the Kingdom of God really means, and how active Christians should be in working to establish it in the here and now.  Much of the dialogue focuses on moving beyond personal salvation to real movement on social issues.

And so I’ve got all those conversations rumbling in the back of my mind as I’m working policy issues, trying to best understand how each side (Russia, Georgia, the US) sees the conflict, how to work to resolve the issue in a way that reflects US security interests… etc… etc…

And as I think about everything during my drives to/from work, I become convinced more and more about the truth and applicability of the Gospel message… because it’s really the only way that societies can keep from killing one another, from oppressing ethnic groups, from economic and energy blackmail.

I also begin to think about how difficult it is to apply Christian concepts in a world where the carnal desire for real power is what drives so many decisions.  I mean, is it really appropriate to tell the country of Georgia to turn the other cheek?  Is it really appropriate to tell Russia that they shouldn’t have invaded Georgia when our country invaded Iraq several years ago (I know there are key differences, but there are also key parallels).  Is there a plank in the eye of our nation, and do other nations see it clearly (Matthew 7v4)?  How does Jesus fit in all this?

I can keep going and going, but I think you get my part… it’s hard… it’s just hard… and it makes my head hurt.

But this is what I walk away thinking… Jesus’ calling is revolutionary… there’s no getting around it.  And I think there’s a reason he didn’t really work to bring his message to the government of the day (and remember, 1st century Jews thought the Messiah was going to politically/tangibly restore the nation of Israel).  I think it’s because to inject it at that level wouldn’t have worked as well as injecting it down to the individual.

What I think Jesus wants is for a life to be changed.

And that life changes in concert with other lives… which become a community.

And that community, which we’ll call the church, does things differently.

It forgives when the world tells us to condemn… it conserves when the world consumes… It seeks to serve instead of seeking gain… it reaches down to help those less fortunate instead of reaching up for more… it seeks to fill its hunger through a relationship with God instead of through a brand or lifestyle…

And that community, when genuine and contagious, begins to replicate and begins to expand… and when people look to speak against it… they have to lie to be effective…

That type of community can change the world in a way that is more grounded, more grass-roots, and more effective than any type of morality or spirituality mandated by our government.  When I pray for CG, I pray we would become that type of community…

Love God, Love Others, Turn the World Upside Down

So, I’m sitting here, watching the olympics and loving every minute of it.  The first time I remember watching the olympics was when I was six years old… and for those who remember (or for those who watch Keeping up with the Kardashians)… I watched Bruce Jenner come around for the 1600m as part of his winning the gold medal in the 1976 decathlon (o.k. I’m dating myself).  Afterwards, my parents bought me a biography of Bruce Jenner, and I must have read the thing a hundred times.  

The reason was because something about the story resonated with me… struck a chord in my soul if you will.  But the thing is, it didn’t stop there… the same chord gets struck to this day.

I wish I could say that it was a teamwork chord, that it was great to see folks expending so much effort to help the United States win the medal count.  But it’s not.

What resonates the most with me is getting the chance to share, if only for a moment, in the culmination of years of hard work paying off… 

God gives us all certain talents in certain things… and I learned early on that following in Bruce Jenner’s footsteps wasn’t why God made me… my talents definitely lie elsewhere.

For many of the athletes, they’re doing just what God designed their bodies to do.  But the thing is, without years of dedicated hard work, they’d just be folks who were uniquely freaky at pick-up games of (fill-in-the-blank).  They wouldn’t be given the chance to compete with the best in the world to become the best in the world.

A couple of weeks ago, Kevin talked about greatness, and I fully believe everything that he said in citing Christ’s words regarding greatness… that whoever wants to be first, must be very last, and the servant of all.  But watching the olympics reminded me of the difference between this attitude that enables greatness and the focused-effort that enables greatness.

Because I think that God-inspired greatness occurs when…

1) We take a hard look at our gifts and talents (and allow others to do so as well… lest we become like ‘that person’ on American Idol who thinks they can sing, and has been told (i.e. lied-to) their whole lives that they can sing… but doesn’t learn they can’t sing until Simon makes it perfect clear… )

2) We pray fervently that God would use our gifts to advance his kingdom (through excellence in family, ministry, occupation, sport, hobby, etc…)

3) We work fervently to maximize our God-given talent in the right direction(s).

** I say direction(s) because I don’t think that God wants us to be great athletes who are poor parents, or superb at our area of service/ministry, but mediocre at our jobs…  I think God wants some level of balance in the application of our talents that reflects his kingdom.

Here it comes… the Blog you’ve been waiting for… well.. maybe not…

A couple of weeks ago, we used this space to ask hard questions about life, and whether or not the things we were doing helped bring all of creation closer to the Father.  Whether our lives were part of the solution to the world or part of the problems of the world.

Because as I look back to what Jesus did, at what Jesus said, he really wanted his disciples to be wholly different than what existed around them, to stand-out in a way that made it obvious that they cared about folks at a deeper level, and God at a deeper level.

Think about the number of times that Jesus raised the bar… He moved the bar from killing one’s brother to just having hate for him in your heart.  he moved the bar from having sex outside of marriage to just looking at someone lustfully.

But what I’m getting at, what I’m trying to draw on is what raising the bar means in areas not so clearly articulated in scripture.

I’m going to try to build a little bit from this week to next, so you don’t think I’ve absolutely lost my mind.  I’ll tackle something that each one of us deals with every day… something that we can’t get away from no matter how hard we try (well, there is one way, but if you go there, you’re a little unlikely to be coming to CG).  I’ll end the suspense by tackling….

Clothing

Search the Bible for verses about Clothing and you really won’t find much beyond Matthew 6:25: “”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” 

So, in some ways that makes things pretty clear… if you find yourself worrying too much about what you’re going to wear… what you’re going to wear, or who you’re going to meet when you wear it has become a little idol… a little thing in your life that you’re putting above God.

But again, what does this look like when taken to the next level?

Because, for most folks, especially most folks with a family, clothing takes up a fair amount of your budget.  You just can’t get away from it.  With time, either you or the kids need new clothes.

I think that to raise the bar with regards to clothing, one needs to take a look at how and of what the clothes were made.

I just don’t think that Jesus would want us giving away our resources (money) to wear something made at a sweat shop… I don’t think that reflects the Kingdom of God.

I also think, that when possible, Jesus would want us to wear something that had minimal negative effect on His creation… something that was sustainable.

This idea immediately creates several problems:

1) It causes us to think/investigate before we buy something… and who has time for that?

2) It will probably cost more to buy those types of items, and most of us don’t have a ton of disposable income lying around.

On point number one, I think that Jesus was all about thinking before doing… so I see that as a good thing.

On point number two, I fully recognize the tension this would create, the tension between owning fewer things made in a way that more directly reflects the Kingdom of God, and owning more things that reflect getting the bottom dollar for whatever you need to buy. 

I fully recognize the tension between where you might feel called, and the real demands of your time, family, and resources.

And, you know what?  I think God likes that tension… 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to create a legalistic, rule-based way of buying clothes. 

Nor am I trying to say that people should walk around tense/anxious all the time about what type of socks they should buy.

What I’m hoping to get across is that in nearly every situation, there is always the better choice.

And, as followers of Christ we should always strive to make the choice that best reflects God and His Kingdom.

Sometimes that means not swearing at the person who just cut us off in traffic.

Sometimes that means taking a hard look at what we buy, and if we have the opportunity to make the best choice in what clothes we buy, we should strive to do so.

End Note: If you’re interested in investigating this type of issue further, I’d invite you to join our Social Justice small group.  More info at www.cgrocks.org… look for the last Friday of the month on the events page.

End Note Part Deux:  Wow… in rereading that, it was probably far too long… my apologies and hope I didn’t waste your time…

)

So, I had to go into work on Sunday due the the events unfolding between Russia and Georgia…

My back kind-of went out again…

But, the good news is that I’m on vacation in Houston (at my Dad’s house)…

We’re very close to having a web presence for our F.A.S.T. walk done (within hours… I hope)… check out www.fastwalk.org.

And I should have the Blog for Sunday tweaked (and posted soon)…

Thanks for exhibiting the virtue of patience… )

Mahalo,

Brett

Last week, I threw out a little challenge, to list the top problems in the world, then list how your life either adds to the problems, or helps shift the problems to something better.  And, I promised to share this week some of the things from my list (if I had the courage).

First though… why am I doing this?  Well, it’s because I think that far too often, we think that Christianity is just about us and God… just about personal salvation… Deep down, I think that we just want to feel better about ourselves, and if possible, feel better about ourselves by thinking we’re better than someone else.

It’s the same drive that permeates most of culture… and it makes this kind of Capitalist, survival-of-the-fittest culture both within the church, and in how the church deals with those on the outside.

I mean, why else do many outside of the faith see Christians as self-righteous/holier-than-thou or hypocritical?

It’s not because we’re all living others-focused, humble, devoted lives that reflect the Father.

It’s because we take what God provides… his ability to lift us up out of the miry pit, and we pocket it.  It becomes a ‘look at ME, I’m a Christian!” instead of a “Thanks God… now what do you want me to DO with this?”

(Seems that every week, I have to add a ‘don’t get me wrong’ part… which would be appropriate about now…)

So don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to diminish the power, practicality, and place of coming into a saving relationship with the Father, through Jesus Christ.

But what I want to challenge is what happens the day after… or the days after.  I would argue that God wants a balance of focus between three things.  First, a focus on Him that enables us to know and experience him better.  Next, a focus on ourselves that acknowledges the distance between where we are and where we were (thanks to Jesus), but looks forward to the distance between where we are and where God wants us to be.  Last, a focus on others where the same love and redemption that Christ showed us.

Too often (and I’ve been soooo guilty of this), we can go on about what God’s doing for us… but can’t go on about what we’re doing for God.  It gets a little lopsided.

So, at the end of the day, I have to wonder what am I doing for God?  How much of my action is driven by self love, as opposed to love of God… or of others?

Which brings me back to my original question… how are my actions making the world better, or worse?

More on that next week.