Christian Mindfulness

Posted on by January 5, 2015
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2 Corinthians 10:3-6 — For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Have you heard of “mindfulness”? It’s a “new” technique being touted as a way of helping with psychological disorders, and even workplace and combat stress.
Mindfulness might almost be described as “self monitoring”, focusing on being aware, constantly, on our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment — without being judgmental. The idea is to maintain awareness without judging, without regarding thoughts or feelings as “right” or “wrong”.
Mindfulness, in modern secular process, has its origin in Buddhism. One of the Buddhist texts describes it as follows:

And what, monks, is right mindfulness?
There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in and of itself—ardent, aware, and mindful—putting away greed and distress with reference to the world.
He remains focused on feelings in and of themselves—ardent, aware, and mindful—putting away greed and distress with reference to the world.
(iii) He remains focused on the mind in and of itself—ardent, aware, and mindful—putting away greed and distress with reference to the world.
(iv) He remains focused on mental qualities in and of themselves—ardent, aware, and mindful—putting away greed and distress with reference to the world.
This, monks, is called right mindfulness.

You might wonder why I’m interested in this — or maybe the connection to the scripture is obvious. It seems to me that there is a “Christian Mindfulness”.
There is a critical difference between Christian mindfulness and Buddhist / secular mindfulness. Christian mindfulness has a point of view. Albert Barnes describes it as he comments on the passage from 2 Corinthians:

Every power of thought in the heathen world; all the systems of philosophy and all forms of opinion among men; all the purposes of the soul; all the powers of reason, memory, judgment, fancy in an individual, were all to come under the laws of Christ, All doctrines were to be in accordance with his will; philosophy should no longer control them, but they should be subject to the will of Christ.

I heard an interesting example of “mindfulness in action” today. I heard someone talk about their “gratitude bell” … an alarm that rings three times in the afternoon to remind them to focus for ten seconds on something they were truly grateful for. I like that idea. It reminds me of the watches that some people have, that have crosses on, and remind them to pray on the hour.
You know I’m not encouraging you to turn Buddhist. But a little Christian mindfulness, a little focused meditation and gratitude — it might be a great New Year’s stress buster!

The Circle Of Worship

Posted on by January 4, 2015
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Psalm 22:3 — But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Let me be clear. I know that not everyone agrees with how the King James Bible translates this verse. The Jewish Study Bible, for instance, has “But You are the Holy One enthroned, the Praise of Israel”. I’m not sure, though, that I care very much about the debate — the idea of God inhabiting the praise of His people is beautiful and compelling. I heard an echo of it this morning.
I was blessed by our Pastor’s teaching this morning. It contained a sparkling gem of truth that prompted this devotion. I was, to be honest, less blessed by another message I heard, and I think it contained something that sparkled but was really fool’s gold.
The gem was not part of Pastor’s main message, but as he led us in prayer he said to God “This is your worship”. Yes! Worship flows down from the Father, flows through His people, and flows right back to Him. That is God inhabiting the praises of His people.
As to the fool’s gold …
Let me say first that I know that if I don’t find myself blessed by the teaching I’m listening to, the fault is usually in myself. I also know that if something sounds wrong that might be because I’m not hearing it right. With that said, here’s what I heard. The teacher said “If somebody goes away without hearing something they need to do, I haven’t done my job. Well, that might sound good but I have to disagree. Assuming that what is being taught is in line with God’s word, the teacher has done the job. The rest is a transaction between God and the hearer. It’s that same connection … the flow from God, to the believer, and back again. The interaction of instruction and obedience is another way in which God surely inhabits the praise of His people.
These ideas about the interplay between God and His people lead me back to one of the scripture passages I love the most:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:20-23)

Jesus is praying, I believe, for the time when God and His people will be so united that the circle of worship, the circle of instruction and obedience, is so perfect that it will never be interrupted. We get moments now … But there is an eternity to come!

The Garden

Posted on by January 3, 2015
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Genesis 2:8-10 — And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

Myra and I talked a little about the Garden of Eden today. It made me think about how little we really know about it. I’m not talking about all the pointless speculation about where it was. After the flood who knows how the earth’s geography might have shifted? No, I’m talking about what it was like. I’d like to know what it was like, this place that God designed for Adam and Eve to live in.
Most of what follows is the exercise of, hopefully, spiritual imagination …
The Bible doesn’t tell us a whole lot about the Garden. I know I said wasn’t going to talk about where it was, but at least we can say that it was located in the East of a region called Eden. “Located” isn’t really the word though, is it? Let’s remember … It was planted by the Lord God.
When I was growing up, I had a very English idea of what a garden was. A garden was one of three things. It was a beautiful lawn (or collection of lawns) with pretty flower borders, or it was a collection of formally laid out beds, or it was a formally landscaped estate. My views of gardens were conditioned by what I saw around me. I wonder if that was what it was like for Moses? What was he saying when he said “the Lord God planted a garden“?
I don’t think I can begin to imagine what the lush, wild wonderland — full of “every tree that is pleasant to see and good for food” was like. There were so many trees …taller than the tallest redwoods, more graceful than the mountain ash, sweeter smelling than the cedars of Lebanon. And oh yes, that smell. Myra says it was like the smell of hot earth revived by a summer shower … rich, steamy, full of life. There was, of course, room for crops … Abel grew crops we know.
There were flowers, all the flowers we have, and all the flowers we have lost … but in all the perfection of their original creation.
Eden was filled with the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air, living in a wonderful harmony. They each made the music appropriate to their kind and together they made a wonderful worship to a kindly creator.
Everything in the garden was calculated to provide the perfect environment for Adam and Eve and their children … and that perfect attention to our needs is what we can look forward to. Are you excited?

Commitments

Posted on by January 2, 2015
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Mark 2:15 — And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many, and they followed him.

What are you committed to?
I am committed to being of slightly more use to the kingdom this year than last year. It’s not a great commitment, but I’ve discovered that I’m not that great at great commitments, but that I can usually handle the small ones.
The Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations contains the following:

Away among the Alleghenies there is a spring, so small that a single ox could drain it dry on a summer day. It steals its unobtrusive way among the hills, till it spreads out into the beautiful Ohio: thence it stretches away a thousand miles, leaving on its banks more than a hundred villages and cities, and many thousand cultivated farms, and bearing on its bosom more than half a thousand steamboats. Then joining the Mississippi, it stretches away some twelve hundred miles or more, until it falls into the great ocean.

You might wonder what connection I’m making. It’s pretty simple. If everyone reading this makes the same small commitment that I’m making we’ll have a trickle of commitments that has turned into, at least, a small river. If our commitments touch other people, and they touch others … maybe we’ll have a mighty ocean!
So what does this have to do with Jesus’s habit of dining with disreputable companions? That’s about the “how” of being just “slightly more use”. Most of my kingdom-related activities have been directed towards helping other believers. Jesus was much more interested, it seems to me, on those who were not (yet) saved. When the scribes and Pharisees complained about the publicans and sinners He said “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17)
I’m going to try to touch a few people that I wouldn’t usually touch. Would you like to know how I’m going to do that? So would I! Just now, I have no idea!
It’s not always clear how God will honor our commitments — but it is sure that He will. Whatever is needed, God will provide. Whether it’s a physical need — as when He provides the ram for Abraham, or wisdom — according to His many promises in the Book of Proverbs, or spiritual guidance — according to Jesus’s promise in John 14:16, God will provide.
So how about it — what are you committed to. Want to join me in the river?

Beginnings

Posted on by January 1, 2015
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Isaiah 43:18-21 — Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honor me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.

Today is the first day of 2015. Another time to look back and forward, another time to consider beginnings and endings. If you haven’t got actual beginnings and endings, perhaps it’s another time — at least — to consider hitting the refresh button on a few things.
These thoughts, of course, follow yesterday’s. Yesterday, though, my mind ran on continuations. Today they are more about refreshing, reviving and renewing.
God’s all about renewal. I love this passage from Isaiah where God tells His people what His approach is.
First, you can forget about everything that happened before. When God decides to do a new thing, He can do things that are so wonderful that anything that went before pales in comparison. God’s new things can start small … but then they spring up like beautiful flowers from tiny seeds.
The next thing is that when God does a new thing for His people, He does it in a way that shows His loving care; every detail is taken care of. If it’s needed, He’ll flatten mountains and water the desert.
Even the wild animals will worship God for His new things and there is no possible response for His people is praise.
The note sounded by Isaiah finds echoes in many places in the Bible. Some of my favorites are Isaiah 40:30-31, Isaiah 65:17-19, Psalm 23:3, Joel 2:18-31 (especially Verse 25) and 2 Corinthians 5:17.
There are different kinds of renewal, of course. God has promised to redeem His people, He has promised to restore all of His creation and — of course He renews us. That’s the one Paul was talking about — “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
It’s a wonderful New Year idea, this idea of old things passing away and all things becoming new. Biblical renewal is preceded by repentance and the surrender of “old things”. That makes this a good time to take stock, decide what renewal to seek and what old things to allow to pass away …

Endings

Posted on by December 31, 2014
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Matthew 28:20 — … teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Mark 16:20 — And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Luke 24:53 — … and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
John 21:25 — And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Today is the last day of 2014. A time to look back and forward, a time — maybe — to consider beginnings and endings. If you haven’t got actual beginnings and endings, perhaps it’s a time — at least — to consider hitting the rest button on a few things.
These thoughts came into my mind when we came to the end of the Gospel of John and was struck by the thought that it didn’t quite seem like an “ending”. That provoked the question “are the last verses of the four gospels ‘endings’ at all, or are they something else?”
I’m not sure the ends of the Gospels are endings at all. They are the four evangelists perspective on “what happened next”. The four Gospels, woven together, make a beautiful tapestry. They shine different lights on the glorious jewel that is the life of Jesus. When I take that view I see the last four verses quite differently. I see them telling a beautiful little story of what happened next …
Jesus told His disciples to go out and teach other people about Him so that they could be disciples too (Matthew), and that’s what they did, and as they did it the Lord helped them, and sometimes sent special signs so that everyone would know it was for real (Mark). When they weren’t teaching and preaching, they were in the temple worshiping — because they were really having a good time (Luke). There’s a lot more to this story, but I’ve told as much of the story as I’m supposed to tell just now — but there’s a lot more! (John)
So now, I know my tapestry weaving isn’t “Biblical”. I hope you’re not offended. But it made me think about the things we think are “endings”. Maybe most of the time they’re not endings at all … They’re beginnings, or continuations. So have a great New Year … Happy continuations!

They Were Glad!

Posted on by December 30, 2014
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John 20:20 — And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

As the year draws to its close, so does our read through the Bible for the year. One of the end points this year is the Gospel of John, and as we read, the end of one verse leapt out at me. “Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.” The King James translation might not give full weight to the Greek, which carries a suggestion of joyful fulfillment — but I don’t know if any translation could do justice to what happened in that room.
To get the full picture of how the disciples reacted, we need to put two passages together, Luke 24:36-41 and John 20:19-20. Reading the two passages reveals that when Jesus appeared the disciples first reaction was fear, that when He showed His wounds they believed, and when the truth sunk in they were joyful. It took them a while to grasp the reality, and I’m not surprised!
It wasn’t not just the event itself that drove the disciples reaction. It was the context too. The disciples had been on a three year wild ride following Jesus. Much of the time they had just been completely confused.
When the disciples were in that room, behind closed doors for fear the Jewish authorities, they were looking back on a crazy, emotional, two weeks. There was the celebratory ceremonial entry into Jerusalem, the wonderful — but mysterious and confusing — Passover supper, and then the horrors of the betrayal and crucifixion. They were as low as they could get. They were lost, confused and — for the moment at least — directionless. And then He came …
When Myra and I talked about this moment we couldn’t imagine what is was like, as the light dawned on the disciples that The Light was with them. It seemed go us that the closest we could come to imagining the way that the disciples felt would be to imagine what the moment will be like when we find ourselves in the presence of Jesus. We can’t really imagine — but we expect to be overwhelmed, emotional, incoherent, slightly terrified — and joyful!
Sometimes it might seem, as they wrote about signs and wonders, that the Gospel writers were exaggerating. They were not. This little half verse, “Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.” proves it. The disciples were glad indeed!

Time For A Deep Breath

Posted on by December 29, 2014
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Matthew 11:28-30 — Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I am truly privileged. I have a job that allows me to take vacations. Most years, including this one, it even allows me to take time at Christmas, if I haven’t already used all my days.
This year, for the first time really, I have appreciated that this is a great opportunity to deal with burdens. It’s been a stressful year and it hasn’t been easy, sometimes, to forget about work and to focus sufficiently on faith and family.
Think about this over the last few days I’ve realized that from time to time I’ve taken my eyes of Jesus. Today He reminded me that there’s no need — ever — for me to feel stressed. The thing is, there’s no need to wait for a vacation to pass the weight over.
Don’t let me mislead you, as others might have done, over this passage. It’s not really about the “labor” of day-to-day life. Let me quote William Barclay: “Jesus spoke to people desperately trying to find God and desperately trying to be good, who were finding the tasks impossible and who were driven to weariness and to despair.” Does that describe you? It describes me some of the time. But letting Jesus take that part of the load makes all the day-to-day stuff so much easier!
Vacations provide terrific opportunities take a deep breath and rebalance work, family, and faith. What I need to remember is that those opportunities don’t just come at vacations. Bill Bright, the founder of CRU (the ministry formerly known as Campus Crusade), talked about a spiritual discipline called “spiritual breathing”. In “spiritual breathing”, you “exhale” by confessing sin, and “inhale” the Holy Spirit’s control by exercising faith. It’s that day-to-day process of repenting and re-surrendering the direction of life to the Holy Spirit that keeps the burdens manageable.
I am so grateful to God that there is no aspect of my life that He has not planned and provided for. He has even planned a way for me to deal with the times when things get to be to much for me to deal with. I need to get better at remembering that if I will cast my burdens on Him, He will sustain me!

Giving Back?

Posted on by December 28, 2014
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John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

“Spoiler alert”: Maybe this “devotion” isn’t very devotional — it’s just me sharing something that’s on my mind.

Regular readers will know that Myra and I like to review our giving pattern at around this time of year. The underpinning scripture is 2 Corinthians 9:6-7:

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Verse 6 makes it plain that we will do well to give generously. From verse 7, “God loveth a cheerful giver” is often quoted and of course we should give joyfully, but it’s the start of the verse that is the focus. We are to give purposefully. We need to review, and make decisions. We are to give according to the intentions of our hearts — not as we are persuaded by others, nor according to some “rules”.
As we thought about our giving this year, one change was on both our minds (and we tend to believe the Holy Spirit is prompting us in these things when we are so synchronized). We are not minded to reduce our commitment to any of our current causes — education, family, missions and poverty. But a “new” group is demanding our attention.
Why are veterans a relatively underserved group? Today’s veterans, thanks be to God, are not treated in the same way that Vietnam veterans faced when they came home … but it seems veterans have never been well treated. Whenever I think of this topic my mind turns to Englishman Rudyard Kipling’s poem about the lot of a foot soldier in Queen Victoria’s army. I’m sure I’ve quoted it before. The last verse goes:

You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires, an’ all: We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face, the Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!” But it’s “Savior of ‘is country” when the guns begin to shoot;
An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please; an’ Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool — you bet that Tommy sees!

Maybe it’s because most wars happen far away, and we’re not personally involved in the causes. Maybe most of us don’t have friends and family who look like veterans in need. Whatever the cause may be, the treatment of those who were willing to lay down their lives is a disgrace.
So what are we going to do? We don’t know yet. We’re going to look for a way — preferably faith-based — to support homeless or hurting veterans. Feel free to suggest one!

Family!

Posted on by December 27, 2014
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1 Timothy 5:8 — But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

One of the commonest of distresses for Christians — one that I share — is the uncertainty about the eternal future of some family members. There are, I suppose, three or four groups whose heavenly security is in doubt. I can count family in each group.
One group is formed by those who are untouched by any consideration of faith. Jesus says “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44). It is sadly true that there are those who do not have “ears to hear”, and on whom any efforts to evangelize are wasted.
A second group is filled with those who have heard the call of God, who may even have come close to accepting Jesus as Lord, but have finally rejected Him. Hebrews 10:26-31 speaks of this group. It begins “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26-27).
The last group is saddest, perhaps. These are they who are convinced that they are perfectly good Christians yet reject the basic tenets of the faith:
— The Godhood of Christ, (which involves The Trinity)
— His resurrection
— Salvation by grace (and grace alone).
In our extended family, Myra and I have those that are convinced that the good things that they have done and are doing far outweigh the wrong things that they have done, and that a “fair” God will surely pass them into heaven. Somehow, they overlook the force of “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“How is it,”, you might ask, “that anyone can overlook or misunderstand God’s Word completely?” I am reminded of what Jesus said to the Sadducees who tried to trap Him into denying the resurrection: “And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?” (Mark 12:24). So it is, I think, with those whose fate we are concerned about — either they don’t know what the Bible says, or they underestimate God.
The next thing I can imagine you saying is “Yes, well it’s very sad, but how is it your problem?”. That’s where the passage from Timothy comes in.
When Paul wrote of “his own, and specially for those of his own house” he was speaking of a man’s nearest relations, and of more distant relatives who might expect material support. In our time we might reasonably consider that to include any of the extended family with whom we are in regular contact. When he spoke of “providing” he spoke primarily of physical needs — but it might also be understood as meaning any reasonably anticipated need … and there can be no greater need than the need for the gospel.
I am sure that most of you, like us, have been impelled to share the gospel with family members and have been rejected. One of my new year intentions is to keep trying, and one of my prayers for you is that you will too!