Planned

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Turning to them, he said, “Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one’s own life—cannot be my disciple. Whoever doesn’t carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. “If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it? Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’ Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him? And if he didn’t think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off. In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple. (Luke 14:25-33, CEB)

I think this is interesting because in my years of following God I am sure there was a plan, but I always didn’t know it. And Jesus here is telling the crowds that they need to trust the plan. Because you wouldn’t go to war without figuring out if you can win, and you wouldn’t build a tower unless you knew you could complete it. And Yes I know I can do the things God calls me to even when I wonder how in the world I would ever complete them. But I honestly didn’t know the plan.

We need to let go of everything we know and allow Jesus to guide us as we go. This is unnerving for me and for probably most. Even those of us who do not plan everything like to know at least an outline. But we really don’t get that. That is trust. That is faith.

Step out every day in faith, knowing that Jesus is leading you where you need to go and be and will always be by your side.

Loving People. Loving God.

Peace

“Don’t think that I’ve come to bring peace to the earth. I haven’t come to bring peace but a sword. I’ve come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. People’s enemies are members of their own households. “Those who love father or mother more than me aren’t worthy of me. Those who love son or daughter more than me aren’t worthy of me. Those who don’t pick up their crosses and follow me aren’t worthy of me. Those who find their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives because of me will find them. “Those who receive you are also receiving me, and those who receive me are receiving the one who sent me. Those who receive a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Those who receive a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. I assure you that everybody who gives even a cup of cold water to these little ones because they are my disciples will certainly be rewarded.” (Matthew 10:34-42, CEB)

When we actually follow Jesus we will have peace, but that peace may be within conflict. Because actually following Jesus could lead to conflict in the family or with friends. We need to make sure our relationship with Jesus is the main relationship in our lives and not allow anything to get in the way of that. That means that conflict could come within groups we are in. We must be ready to state the truth and follow Jesus, even when it means we will cause stress and strife in our earthly relationships.

Know though that the reward we receive will be greater when we faithfully follow after Jesus and take up our cross daily.

Loving People. Loving God.

We are not alone…

Tychicus, our dearly loved brother, faithful minister, and fellow slave in the Lord, will inform you about everything that has happened to me. This is why I sent him to you, so that you’ll know all about us and so he can encourage your hearts. I sent him with Onesimus, our faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. They will let you know about everything here. Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, says hello to you. So does Mark, Barnabas’ cousin (you received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him). Jesus, called Justus, also says hello. These are my only fellow workers for God’s kingdom who are Jewish converts. They have been an encouragement to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, says hello. He’s a slave of Christ Jesus who always wrestles for you in prayers so that you will stand firm and be fully mature and complete in the entire will of God. I can vouch for him that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke, the dearly loved physician, and Demas say hello. Say hello to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, along with Nympha and the church that meets in her house. After this letter has been read to you publicly, make sure that the church in Laodicea reads it and that you read the one from Laodicea. And tell Archippus, “See to it that you complete the ministry that you received in the Lord.” (Colossians 4:7-17, CEB)

Have you ever felt like you were alone in the world? That you did the work you did all by yourself?

I would have to say honestly, I have been there. It is easy to get caught up in the world around you and lose sight of all of our partners in ministry.

This passage from the epistle to the Colossians reminds us we are not alone. this list of people, who are all working together in the mission of God shows us and reminds us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and we never are alone.

Know you are not alone.

Loving People. Loving God.

Care for others

I think it is also necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. He is my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier; and he is your representative who serves my needs. He misses you all, and he was upset because you heard he was sick. In fact, he was so sick that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him—and not just on him but also on me, because his death would have caused me great sorrow. Therefore, I am sending him immediately so that when you see him again you can be glad and I won’t worry. So welcome him in the Lord with great joy and show great respect for people like him. He risked his life and almost died for the work of Christ, and he did this to make up for the help you couldn’t give me. (Philippians 2:25-30, CEB)

The Philippians were worried about Epaphroditus because he was sick and he was one of them. He went to/with Paul to help Paul. Paul was worried about Epaphroditus and wants him to get to go home also.

There is a lot of care in this passage. Epaphroditus towards Paul and the Philippians, Paul to the Philippians and Epaphroditus and the Philippians to Paul and Epaphroditus. This is a way for us to see that care for others is a part of our work in serving God.

Care for others is a part of who we are as children of God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Excuses

When one of the dinner guests heard Jesus’ remarks, he said to Jesus, “Happy are those who will feast in God’s kingdom.” Jesus replied, “A certain man hosted a large dinner and invited many people. When it was time for the dinner to begin, he sent his servant to tell the invited guests, ‘Come! The dinner is now ready.’ One by one, they all began to make excuses. The first one told him, ‘I bought a farm and must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I bought five teams of oxen, and I’m going to check on them. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ When he returned, the servant reported these excuses to his master. The master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go quickly to the city’s streets, the busy ones and the side streets, and bring the poor, crippled, blind, and lame.’ The servant said, ‘Master, your instructions have been followed and there is still room.’ The master said to the servant, ‘Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’” (Luke 14:15-24, CEB)

Do you think our excuses are really good enough for God?

When we tell God we can’t make it because I bought a farm, got married, or is that good enough? Will God allow our place to be empty, and what will become of us?

Have you ever wondered what the man who hosted this dinner party do to those who gave an excuse for why they couldn’t come? He gave their space away, but was that all?

And is that why we are motivated, to have a space at the table?

We should want to be at the master’s table. To partake with all the children of God.

We should not serve and love creation to get a place, but because we were served and loved by the master.

Let us not let our lives get in the way of us being beacons of hope for God.

Loving People. Loving God.

What is your hope?

What is my hope for Contemporary Christian Spirituality as a class, my self personally or my ministry?

As I ponder this question, my first thought is why do these three things need to be different? My faith is intertwined in my life that it is hard to look at something I do that isn’t a part of who I am. Yes we need to keep things separated for good boundaries, but there are times when we should embrace the connectedness.

My hope is to get a better understanding of the spiritual side of our religion. Religion is a word that can be both good and bad. And according to Bradley P. Holt we have lost the spiritual in religion and have boiled religion down to the institution. Holt mentions “Baron von Hilgel, an early-twentieth-century scholar who wrote that religion has three dimensions: the intellectual, the institutional, and the mystical.” (Holt, Bradley P. Thirsty for God. p. 14) Holt says that today the mystical is called spiritual and we have lost this aspect of religion and focus only on the institutional. We need to reclaim the intellectual and spiritual aspects so we can have balance to religion.

My hope is I will, through this class, come to a deeper understanding of the spiritual aspects of all of life and dive deeper into the faith I have been gifted by God. This in turn will hopefully help me be a better campus pastor. Able to hear and be with students to help them connect in a deeper way to the spiritual aspects of their lives and thus helping them grow closer to God.

Because to be honest that is my hope every day. That the things I do help those around me know that they are loved by God and seen as they are. That my role as pastor is one of helping people see the love that God has for them and help them see how they are part of the kindom of God. Yes I know I used kindom, instead of kingdom. Kindom is a word floating around in Christian circles that is a substitute for kingdom that refers to the family of God. It is not about God reigning in power, even though God will, it is about us being a part of the family, adopted and loved as children. That is the hope. That we all realize, feel, and see that we belong here. Just as we are.

So I look forward to diving in deeper. To looking at different ways to connect to God and access the spiritual aspect of religion and not just have it be about doctrine and rules. Because religion can and should be so much more than rules we have to follow. It should be about love, because that is what God is. Love.

My hope is we will all learn to be in closer, deeper communion with God and that we will all love as God has and does love us.

That is my hope. For this class. For my ministry. For my life.

Loving People. Loving God.

The beginning of a Contemporary Christian Spirituality Journal

It is interesting to me that 20 years ago I started this blog for a class. It was an independent study that took me to a gathering of 3 different groups of church developers in Orlando. We had to blog about our experiences.

And now today I am starting a journal for one of the classes in my first semester of a Doctor of Ministry program and I thought why not just do this online, so those who read my blog and devotions can just follow along this journey with me.

So this journal is for a class called Contemporary Christian Spirituality and most weeks from now until December 12, 2022 we will have a prompt to write on. The blog posts will be roughly 500 words and may or may not actually include what the prompts are. So if you really want to follow along, I have listed the prompts below.

You can also find all of these posts at this link.

DateSpiritual Journal Assignment for the week (~300 words each assignment for First Professional Students; ~500 words for DMin students)
8/29What is at least one hope you have for this class, personally or for ministry?
9/5 NO CLASS- Labor DayNo spiritual journal assignment for this week  
9/12Discuss your experience today learning about and trying some spiritual practices. What practices made you comfortable or uncomfortable (learning about or practicing), and why? How can you incorporate some of these spiritual practices in your daily life?
9/19How has your understanding of spiritual gifts been expanded? What is one spiritual gift that God has given you to specifically use in your ministry (current or future), and how is it being used/could it be used?
9/26What are your impressions of contemplative practices, such as centering prayer? Would you consider using them regularly in your own spiritual life, or utilizing them in a ministry setting? Why or why not?
10/3Pick 1-2 aspects of simplicity or minimalism that surprised you or shocked you today. How could these aspects affect your relationship with God and your spiritual journey?
10/10 NO CLASS- ULS Reading WeekNo spiritual journal assignment this week
10/17Which Contemporary Christian Spirituality person and their spiritual emphases did you relate to most, and why?
10/24What does liberation look like in your relationship with God and your relationship with others?  
10/31What aspect of the charismatic tradition resonated with you, and how could it continue to be part of your spiritual journey?
11/7Describe an experience of nature in which you felt the presence of God.
11/14How can technology both help and hinder your spirituality?
11/21 NO CLASS- ULS Thanksgiving BreakNo spiritual journal assignment this week
11/28How can spiritual direction and spiritual friendship play a role in your own spiritual journey?
12/5What was one aspect of metta meditation that surprised you? How could you incorporate aspects of it into your own prayer life?
12/12Describe a time you discerned God’s direction for you. How did you know you were on the right track?

who

From Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I’m sent to bring about the faith of God’s chosen people and a knowledge of the truth that agrees with godliness. Their faith and this knowledge are based on the hope of eternal life that God, who doesn’t lie, promised before time began. God revealed his message at the appropriate time through preaching, and I was trusted with preaching this message by the command of God our savior. To Titus, my true child in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. The reason I left you behind in Crete was to organize whatever needs to be done and to appoint elders in each city, as I told you. Elders should be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, and have faithful children who can’t be accused of self-indulgence or rebelliousness. This is because supervisors should be without fault as God’s managers: they shouldn’t be stubborn, irritable, addicted to alcohol, a bully, or greedy. Instead, they should show hospitality, love what is good, and be reasonable, ethical, godly, and self-controlled. They must pay attention to the reliable message as it has been taught to them so that they can encourage people with healthy instruction and refute those who speak against it. (Titus 1:1-9, CEB)

Who would measure up to these standards?

Without fault.
Faithful to partner
Have Children that are not self-indulgent or rebellious
Not stubborn
Not irritable
not addicted to anything
Not a bully
Not greedy

Who among us meets this list? Faithful to our partner might be the only one any of us could actually say we do, unless we take Jesus’ expansion of the 10 commandments and say if you thought about someone other than your partner in an unfaithful way towards your partner now that one is shot too.

We all have faults, and our children are human so they will have faults too, and we can be stubborn, irritable, we are all addicted to something, and we can bully and have tendencies to be greedy.

If we strive to show hospitality, love what is good, be reasonable, ethical, godly, and self-controlled then we are doing what we can.

We all fall short but if we strive to live as God intended then we are showing the world a better way.

Loving People. Loving God.

Give around

Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Don’t be misled by the many strange teachings out there. It’s a good thing for the heart to be strengthened by grace rather than by food. Food doesn’t help those who live in this context. We have an altar, and those who serve as priests in the meeting tent don’t have the right to eat from it. The blood of the animals is carried into the holy of holies by the high priest as an offering for sin, and their bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy with his own blood. So now, let’s go to him outside the camp, bearing his shame. We don’t have a permanent city here, but rather we are looking for the city that is still to come. So let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess his name. Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices. Rely on your leaders and defer to them, because they watch over your whole being as people who are going to be held responsible for you. They need to be able to do this with pleasure and not with complaints about you, because that wouldn’t help you. Pray for us. We’re sure that we have a good conscience, and we want to do the right thing in every way. I’m particularly asking you to do this so that I can be returned to you quickly. May the God of peace, who brought back the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to do his will, by developing in us what pleases him through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory forever and always. Amen. (Hebrews 13:7-21, CEB)

Remember those around you and know it is better to be filled with grace than with food. We should look out for those around us and give when we see a need.

We do not have a permanent place here, but we await the place that is to come when the kingdom is fulfilled. So use what you have to help those around you and to make everyone see the love they are given.

Loving People. Loving God.

motivation

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to share a meal in the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely. When Jesus noticed how the guests sought out the best seats at the table, he told them a parable. “When someone invites you to a wedding celebration, don’t take your seat in the place of honor. Someone more highly regarded than you could have been invited by your host. The host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give your seat to this other person.’ Embarrassed, you will take your seat in the least important place. Instead, when you receive an invitation, go and sit in the least important place. When your host approaches you, he will say, ‘Friend, move up here to a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.” Then Jesus said to the person who had invited him, “When you host a lunch or dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers and sisters, your relatives, or rich neighbors. If you do, they will invite you in return and that will be your reward. Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. And you will be blessed because they can’t repay you. Instead, you will be repaid when the just are resurrected.” (Luke 14:1, 7-14, CEB)

As I read this I was thinking, “I know I should be at a place of higher honor, but I will sit in the worst seat, so the host will find me there and move me, so I will look good to all of those gathered here.” Now I know that isn’t what Jesus meant by saying this. Jesus is not telling us to manipulate the system. Jesus is telling us to check our motivation. Because doing what I said I thought and taking the seat of honor is what Jesus is telling us not to do. We are stuck on ourselves and do not care about anyone else.

We need to check our motivation and know that we are not the best thing and should look to lift others up.

What is your motivation? To be seen by people or to show love in all you do?

Loving People. Loving God.