Blog Archives
Proper Practical Pastoral Care… and a Pimple…
Devotional Blog of the Day:
1 Peter 5:1-3 (MSG) 1 I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it’s like to be a leader, in on Christ’s sufferings as well as the coming glory. 2 Here’s my concern: that you care for God’s flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.[ 3 Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way.
“It wasn’t that he had a fabulous memory, so that on seeing you he was reminded of the problem of that friend of yours, or your mother’s illness. It wasn’t that at all. Your friend’s problem and your mother’s illness really concerned him: he carried them in his heart, because he had a big heart. “One fine day I got up with a pimple on the tip of my nose. During the morning I met at least eighteen people who told me one after the other, without fail, that I had a pimple on my nose! At some point the Father passed by the place where I was working, but he said nothing, and shortly afterward someone brought me a tube of ointment ‘from the Father, for the pimple.’ “ (1)
I sit here this morning, looking out on a still pond, the colors of fall incredible in the glory they proclaim, the hand of the Creator, who put them here for me. The stillness is a good time to think, to reflect on where I am at in life.
Yesterday on the plane, I read the above passage about Josemaria Escriva, a Roman Catholic priest, whose writings stimulate my desire to serve God. Quoted him a bunch on this blog. The above quote is in a chapter about his pastoral nature, and of the stories – this is a favorite. It is to me eminently pastoral.
Because he doesn’t just identify the problem in the person’s life, he deals with it, and helps clear it up! (pun intended!)
That’s what a pastor, a priest, a minister is called to do, and indeed, lead the rest of the church to do. Not just to highlight sin or the problems in people’s lives…but to do something to clear them up – to apply the grace and care of God to their situation. To care for people that simply, that whether the situation is physical, or mental, or spiritual (and I believe they are all related) that we are called to do something, to help the man on the side of the road, to come alongside those who situations are without peace, to mourn with those who mourn and laugh with those whose life is filled with joy. It even means that if they are caught in sin… we care enough to be there…. To rescue them.
Being a follower of Christ, which is the example we are to set, is to love people, for in them, we love the God who brought them into our lives. That love means we often have to sacrifice our time and ourselves. It means we must be aware of them, more than we are aware of us.
Sounds a bit impossible? There are role models…. Many many of them…
More importantly, there is a God with us… who loves us enough….
Help me Lord, help all of us who serve the people God created… with that which needs to
(1) Urbano, Pilar (2011-05-10). The Man of Villa Tevere (Kindle Locations 3525-3532). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Related articles
- The Blessing of Being Served… It Changes Things!! (justifiedandsinner.com)
- Encountering others on Holy Ground. (justifiedandsinner.com)
- For the joy awaiting… take up and endure your cross. (justifiedandsinner.com)
How Do You Read the Scripture? As the Authority, or as a Pilgrim?
Bible (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)
Devotional Thought of the Day:
105 Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.Psalm 119:105 (TEV)
“You are badly disposed if you listen to the word of God with a critical spirit.” ( #943 -The Way, St. Josemaria Escriva)
The juxtapostion of the course I am taking andmy denomination’s convention(held every three years) is causing me much thought about how we view scripture and indeed what we believe and how we communicate it.
In both cases, what is being heard and read seems to indicate we think interpretation of scripture and communicating it gives us some authority over it. In the case of the textbooks, there is a not so subtle projection of doubt, and a definite attitude that we are the authority, not the text. I have experienced a similar thing as we begin this convention, where people speaking have locked in their mind what they think the scriptures mean – (as well as the Lutheran Confessions) And if you challenge their assumptions, well let’s just say there is a lot of loyalty to the assumptions.
Again, we find ourselves as the judge – and our interpretation ( or that handed to us) as being the final statement, the final judgment.
I would suggest instead, that we return to the point where God’s word is that which we use as the norm and standard.That we know it so well, and hold it in such esteem, that we do love this communique from our God – and we allow the Spirit to use it to stir up faith within us. For it is His revelation of His love, of His plan, of Himself to us, to bond us to Him.
May we read it, may we hear it and consume it, knowing that God has given the word to usas a precious gift.
For it shares with us the answer to our plea: Lord Have Mercy!
and His answer is…. I AM.
Related articles
- Meditating on God’s Love (justifiedandsinner.com)
- What Do We Choose to Invite into our Lives? (justifiedandsinner.com)
- The Problem with Leadership… (justifiedandsinner.com)
What Do We Choose to Invite into our Lives?
Jesus Christ Crucifix (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Discussion/Devotion in Life
4 May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice! 5 Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. 7 And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. 8 In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. 9 Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9 (TEV)
I’m going to tell you which are man’s treasures on earth so you won’t slight them: hunger, thirst, heat, cold, pain, dishonor, poverty, loneliness, betrayal, slander, prison … (1)
As I write this blog about trauma, I am not writing about the things in the quote from St. Josemaria Escriva above, for as he says, they are treasures, and therefore, not necessarily trauma. Even as I wrote on Monday – there is trauma that so engages us in serving God, in seeing His love, that it rarely seems traumatic, or sacrificial.
There are different types of trauma can different, Some thrusts itself in, and those things – including the list above are traumatic – but can be blessings because in overwhelming us, they drive us into our Father in Heaven’s presence….. we have no choice, we simply must turn to God to be able to cope, to be able to breath… the be able to survive.
But invited trauma is when we ignore the Bible passage’s admonition and encouragement. When we look for division, when we spend less time looking to God and choose to embrace things that make us anxious, worrying about things far out of our control. When we look away from peace,. When we don’t fill our mind with those things that are good and deserve praise, but focus on that which are evil and need to be avoided. This the type of trauma we willingly give a place in our lives.
I see to much of this, these days…..
I see it way to much among those who follow Christ.
We invite trauma in when worry too much about how the world is changing – to the extent that we spend so much time fighting it, or worrying about how to fight it, that we forget we’ve been sent here so the world can know Jesus love, to know Him, to know the power of His resurrection… to know His peace. We spend more time learning strategies to convince them about Christ that we pray for them, or love them. We forget it is the gates of hell than cannot restrain God’s invasion, cannot withstand His church, and the Rock on which it stands.
We invite trauma in when get to aggressive towards other believers, debating with them, rather than loving and serving them, and praying for them. As if somehow we aren’t the family of God, working in His harvest, working together, working as one.
We invite in trauma when we lack of looking to God, trusting Him, relating to Him, when we walk away from Him….to fight that which He has defeated, walking away from the peace He gives…
In choosing these things that are not Godly, we invite that trauma into our lives. We choose the discord, we choose the power plays, we choose the war…. we choose the stress…. and we don’t choose Him….
We don’t have to invite that trauma… we can look to Christ, we can see His love poured out on us, His grace, His mercy… and we can love and serve as He did….learning how much He is with us…
Lord, please have mercy on us, and draw our attention to You!
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 567-568). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Related articles
- Do we have to have Mondays??? (justifiedandsinner.com)
- We must bear our cross….an powerful observation…. (justifiedandsinner.com)
- VIP Concert Passes, Surgical Nurses and Divine Appointments.. (justifiedandsinner.com)
Can a life be lived for God
Devotional/Discussion thought of the Day
1 So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. 2 Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (TEV)
This has been a favorite verse of mine since Bible College. A call to live a life that is dedicated to God, and to His work.
Most people who study to serve as pastors, missionaries, Christian teachers and a great deal many find this verse resounds with them. O to live in such a way! O to give up everything. We think we might, just might be the next Bonhoeffer, or the next Mother Theresa, or maybe the next Luther – calling people to fix what is wrong with the church! Or the next St Francis, who ushers in a time of peace and contemplation.
Then we begin to serve… and the realization hits us. Sacrifice isn’t glamorous – it is often downright boring. The crowds don’t come in masses (or come to mass/worship often) and it seems like forever between points where we can rejoice and be in awe of God’s work in and around us.
We also struggle with temptation and sin, and often joke that the problem with being a living sacrifice is that we can get off the altar. Some of us become cynical or sarcastic ( or at least let that part of the “old Adam” come back alive) I find that especially hard – as I think about the way I see the church here on the field, and the politics of the church at home causing them not to have the emotional, spiritual they need, or hearing how they have to go back to do fundraising, interrupting their work here.
I would long for our service, our sacrifice, to be as easy as Josemaria Escriva wrote:
“Each and every creature, each and every event of this life, without exception, must be steps which take you to God, which move you to know him and love him, to give him thanks, and to strive to make everyone else know and love him.” (1)
This is what – in our nobler moments we long for – to make every moment part of our journey toward, and with God. Lord would You be so merciful as to let our nobler instincts come into existence! Yet we find ourselves, falling so short!
That is where the second verse in Romans comes into play – we do not transform ourselves – God changes us, almost imperceptibly, primarily because He does use each and every creature, each and every event, to draw us closer to Him. Paul describes this to the church in Corinth with words that are also so dear to my heart.
18 All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (TEV)
Josemaria’s “must be steps” is true, but it is not our strength or wisdom, or even our desire that makes it so. It is His work, the Spirit’s dynamic transformation that comes to us, even as we are helpless babes being baptized, or even the octogenarian, know realizing how much God has been calling them, courting them.
Spiritual Disciplines then, aren’t so much about our molding our hearts and minds and actions into an awesome tool for God. It is far more simply looking to Jesus, dwelling in His love, realizing more than ever, how much He is present, that the incredible words that we say, over and over each Sunday – still ring true…. and because of that your life is not just lived for God, it is lived with Him.
The Lord is with you!
(1)Escrivaa, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2507-2509). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
The Shared Life of Community
Devotional Thought as I prepare to leave Jiangmen
25 And so there is no division in the body, but all its different parts have the same concern for one another. 26 If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness. 27 All of you are Christ’s body, and each one is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:25-27 (TEV)
14 Ask God to bless those who persecute you—yes, ask him to bless, not to curse. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. 16 Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties. Romans 12:14-16 (TEV)
“ Why don’t you try converting your whole life into the service of God—your work and your rest, your tears and your smiles? You can… and you must!” (1)
As I prepare to leave this city of Jiangmen, and head off to Macau, I am again consumed by a sense of homesickness, of missing my wife and son, and the people I fellowship. Yet in just a few days, I have come to like this city, its people, the road that runs beside the river with its trees, the noise and neon lights, the contrast of high-rises next to 100 year old brick and stone buildings. The people greeting me with a very enthusiastic “Jo-san” (not sure if spelling is correct)
The people aren’t different. All have their hopes, their fears, the things they would hide, the laughter that reveals both mirth, and yet…. pain. It is the same in America, or here in China, and in Italy, and in all the world. Indeed, some of us, are so used to the tears and pain, I am not sure we know how to deal with estatic joy.
The challenge is to realize that God didn’t mean for us to bear our burdens alone. They are meant to be shared. Some couples can do this – yet – many cannot. Never mind sharing both our joys and sorrows with our church families. Or our fears and anxieties. The very thought causes more fear and anxiety.
We so need to realize the dynamic that happens when we are joined with Christ. In each book that Paul writes, there is a need to address our community of faith – not just the local church but the church in its entirety. We are joined together, and completely and intimately as we are joined with God – because we are joined in God.
That is how both our joys and pains can both serve God, not because we force them to by an act of will, but because they do as we are united in Christ. It’s the outcome of who we are. For if indeed our bodies are living sacrifices, then everything we do and think and experience and feel – yes our emotions, becomes part of God’s tapestry – and can be used to glorify Him….
I think that is what has made this trip so memorable – seeing God bring home to me the unity of those He has made one in the faith. Whether it be the pastors showing me their churches, the young Americans here to teach, the people I’ve been able to meet with and pray with…. God is there… having created a dynamic relationship – in Him
As we work together, one body, united in Christ. No walls dividing us, not age or ethnicity, not gender or intellect, not even sin….
That is what it means to be one holy, catholic and apostolic people who God has called together… in Him.
Go and embrace the work God does in your life today…knowing He is with you.
Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2505-2507). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
How to find strength in the face of adversity and trauma?
Discussion/Devotional thought of the day:
There are days when it seems the trials and traumas never end. For a pastor, perhaps we see this more often than others, but I don’t think so. There are so many things out there to cause anxiety, from health issues to financial struggles, to friends and family in trauma, to marriages and relationships that struggle and need supernatural help to survive and heal.
As I related yesterday, I’ve had a few myself – from dieing to surgeries, and to being there for people in the midst of so many issues. I have found that in the midst of adversity, in the midst of trauma, there is both a sense of peace, and strength that is there that isn’t mine, but it is available to me. It is one of the reasons I am writing a book about churches in trauma – to remind them of what is already there… for them..
In this mornings devotion, I came across two notes that reveal it a little, once you think them through:
475 You realize you are weak. And so, indeed, you are. In spite of all that—rather, because of it—God has sought you. He always uses inadequate instruments so that the work may be seen to be his. From you he asks only docility.
476 When you really give yourself to God, no difficulty will be able to shake your optimism. (Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 1165-1168). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.)
I’ve been accused of being too optimistic once or twice, and while I would adjust St Josemaria’s statement a little – I agree with it. My adjustment would be to say “When you abandon yourself to God” rather than give. Give makes it sound like you can, like a child “take back” that which you have given. (and so often we do!) But to come to the realization that there is no other option, no other hope, then you do let God be God, the Master who promises to and designs your life as a piece of artwork. (see Eph. 2:10 – the word for workmanship there is the word we get poetry from!)
I am not talking about conversion here – at least not in the evangelical sense. For there, conversion has little to do with us, God simply reveals Himself and His love, through those who come to us with His word. Wesley may have called this a “second infilling of grace”, Robert Schuller calls this positive thinking (knowing that we are God’s brings about incredible strength in times of need – that’s the hallmark of most of his writing) , the prophet/leader Joshua would ask it this way “choose you this day whom you serve”. The apostle Paul talks about being confident that “all things work for good for those that love God.” Luther would talk about such as a First Commandment issue – don’t have other God’s – but call upon Him in prayer and praise. When you abandon yourself into God’s hands, and are confident that is the thing to do- you simply know and trust in Him.
What is mistaken for optimism – is simply a matter of confidence in God. Trusting Him, having faith in Him, knowing Him.
That is where the other point of St. Josemaria comes into play. When we realize we are weak – when we realize we have no real option but to abandon ourselves to God, then we begin to realize that God has plans, He has designs on our life, and those designs bring us to places we would have never imagined, to work with people we would never anticipate, and see them respond to the work of God in our lives. Not because we can do great things – but in the midst of the storms, in the midst of what should promote incredible anxiety, in the middle of it all… we know God is with us.
Having mercy, pouring out His love and comfort, assuring us of our place with Him……there is our strength, and knowing that, we can be incredibly bold – in being His people.
So know He is God, and you are His chosen people. And let Him do His thing… being God – He’s significantly better at being God than you are!
