Taking Risks...

Our recent Sunday School lesson was about taking risks, taking big risks for God, for kingdom work.  We are studying the Max Lucado book I mentioned a few blogs back: Cure for the Common Life:  Living in Your Sweet Spot.   Chapter 6 of the book is titled "Take Big Risks For God".

What does it mean to "take big risks for God"?  How does one live this out?  As I look at the two questions I just wrote, I am wondering 'Which of those two questions makes me more uncomfortable?'  You know, I might could sit for hours reading and/or talking about what taking big risks for God means-- and feel good about it!  But, to actually take a big risk or several big risks....uh, well, I don't want to throw my camel friend under the bus, but hey-- isn't SHE the one that God has called to live a life of big risks?!?!?!  The answer is YES.  God has called and equipped her.  The answer is also NO.  God has called and equipped each of us.... you and me included. 

Okay, so is this new to me?  Not really.  Have I taken risks before?  Hmm.... I think it would be more interesting for my "mirrors" in my life to answer that one.  But, yes, I do think I have taken risks.  Not just personal risks, but risks for God.

So, why does this bother me now?  Most likely because God doesn't allow us to rest on our laurels, so to speak.  God doesn't allow us to become comfortable where we are.  God continues to draw us deeper and deeper into an intimate relationship.  And that relationship requires risk.

Lucado uses the Message version of 2 Timothy 1:7 to open this chapter: "God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible."  Hmm.... we are to be bold and loving and sensible with the gifts God has given us.

These words in the chapter spoke to me: "For fear of making the wrong kingdom decision, you'll make no kingdom decision.  For fear of messing up, you'll miss out." (60) 

Has fear ever kept you from making a decision?  It has me.  Many a time.  At least for a while.  Until I've recognized it (or someone has pointed it out) and I've been able to get over it or through it or by it.  Is fear keeping you from making a kingdom decision now?

Later, Lucado encourages the reader: "Go out on a limb, he won't let you fall.  Take a big risk, he won't let you fail.  He invites you to dream of the day you feel his hand on your shoulder and his eyes on your face. "Well done," he will say, "good and faithful servant."" (60)

What does "taking a big risk" mean for you today?  What does it mean for me?

I'll share one thing it means to me.  It means re-applying for seminary as a M.Div. student at Asbury Theological Seminary.   I took the risk of applying.  Now to find two references and pay the application fee.  I feel as though I have taken a step off of Lookout Mountain.  Have I missed the hiking trail?  I don't think so.  I'm either "on belay" and rappelling down, Australian style (face first instead of feet first)! or I'm safely harnessed in with a licensed instructor in a hang glider.  We'll see what happens.  I'll let you know.

How about you? 

~Debra

PS-- I have rappelled, though it has been years.  I would love to do it again.  I have wanted to hang glide since my 35th birthday, but haven't gotten around to it.  A friend once gave me a "round tuit".  Maybe I'll be able to take that and apply it to an adventure in the air!

The Ripple Effect...

Ripples in the water...  Did you ever throw rocks in the water to watch the ripples?  Or even skip rocks to see how far they would go and watch the ripples from each place they touched down?   The ripples in the picture below didn't come from a rock being thrown in, but rather from within the water.  I'm guessing from a fish or some other form of aquatic life.  The initial source isn't the focus, however, but rather the ripples.

Garner Creek, Dickson, TN

One little movement in the water can produce a powerful ripple effect.  It has potential to keep on going, until it encounters an obstacle.  Even then, the ripple can make its way around or over the obstacle.

What about in life?  What are ripple effects outside of water?  What are the things that produce ripple effects? 

Ripple effects..... the consequences, intended or unintended, of an action.  They can be the outcomes of taking risks, of saying "yes" or saying "no", etc.  Our actions don't simply stay with us, they have a ripple effect.  So, the question becomes, 'Are my actions producing positive or negative ripple effects?'  And, since my desire is to be an effective Kingdom dweller, the question becomes, 'Are my actions producing positive or negative ripple effects in the Kingdom?'

We don't always see or know the consequences.  However, if we make our decisions with discernment and take our steps of action with wisdom and prayer, then more than likely we are causing positive ripple effects.

We all have those days, however.  You know, the days that reveal less of the Christ in us than we would desire.  For those days, for those ripple effects, remember there is forgiveness.   When we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us our sins.  (Don't believe me, check it out for yourself-- 1 John 1:9.) 

So, next time you're by some water, throw in a rock and watch the ripples or stand long enough to watch the aquatic life create their own ripples.  Ask God to show you what risks you might take in the Kingdom in order to create some ripples.  Or, ask God in what areas you might need to say "yes" to or "no" to in order to create some ripples. 

Creating ripples is fun.   It is part of the adventure.  Part of the journey.

May the ripples you and I create strengthen and bring life into the Kingdom!

~Debra

Forgiveness...

During the recent 5 Day Academy that I attended, one of Marjorie Thompson's sessions focused on "Forgiveness" as a pathway to spiritual formation. 

You may ask, 'what does forgiveness have to do with spiritual growth and journey?'  From my own personal experience, I can say EVERYTHING!  Forgiveness granted to me and/or forgiveness flowing from me has opened up the clogged plumbing pipelines, so to speak.  The forgiveness cleared out all the gunk and gook and allowed the cleansing of the Holy Spirit to flow freely.

If you will, think of those cleansing bubbles for a moment as agents of forgiveness scrubbing all the resentment, hurt, and bitterness away.  What's left is a sparkling clean shine.

Granted, it isn't all that simple, but maybe the analogy helps a little.  There is freedom that flows from forgiveness!

How do I know that?  How can I make such a statement?  'There is freedom that flows from forgiveness!'  You may be asking, 'Really?'  Yes, really! 

God has been teaching me more and more about forgiveness.  Along with the lessons on forgiveness have been lessons on grace and mercy for truly I have received more love than due me and spared/saved from destruction many a time.

I have had opportunities to forgive others in my life.  Things that have happened, often without the other person knowing they had transgressed me in any way.  By forgiving, I set both myself and them free. 

I know I have done wrong to others, whether by omission or commission.  And, I'm sure there have been some that have forgiven me.  And, there are some who may not have yet forgiven me.  It is my heart's desire to make things right as much as possible with all people.

Next to God's forgiveness in my life, the biggest example I have of forgiveness is someone to whom I am eternally grateful.  She extended the branch of forgiveness to me when she could have taken the opportunity to hold a grudge or much, much more.  This act of forgiveness gave freedom and healing to us both.  It has been a blessing beyond words and has allowed a relationship to grow.  In truth, I believe that it not only has allowed my relationship with her to grow, but it has allowed me to grow spiritually. 

Choosing to forgive is just that, it is a choice.  A choice that frees us from the bitterness, pain, hurt, and resentment while freeing the other person from condemnation.

Marjorie Thompson put it this way: "To forgive is to participate in the mystery of God's love."  (during the presentation at the 5 day academy, 10/20/10)

There is so much more to say about forgiveness.  About how forgiveness is NOT forgetting, how forgiveness is a process of healing, about accepting forgiveness and forgiving ourselves so that we can forgive others.

I encourage you to search out God's Word on forgiveness.  Here are three Scriptures that mention the topic.  See what else you find.  Look it up in other versions.  Check out an online source such as http://www.biblegateway.com/  or http://www.textweek.com/ or http://www.blueletterbible.org/.  You can read the verses in different versions and/or search for the term "forgiveness", depending on the site.  There are also other resources at each location.

Matthew 6:14-16 (NIV)
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
We also forgive so that our prayers will not be hindered:

Mark 11:25 (NIV)
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
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I encourage you to check out the additional resources that Marjorie Thompson shared with us.  I've listed them at the bottom of the blog for this entry.

I encourage you to reflect on the topic of forgiveness and how it strikes you today.  What are your experiences with forgiveness or unforgiveness?  What action steps do you need to take toward having a healthier relationship with God, yourself, and others through the spiritual pathway of forgiveness?

Just like those scrubbing bubbles, it does take work.  The scrubbing bubbles work very hard to clean out the gunk, grime, and gook.  They have cleansing power.   How's your forgiveness muscle?  Does it need some work?

As you go through the journey of forgiveness, I promise you this:  Shedding resentment births freedom!  May you live into the freedom!

~Debra

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Some additional resources on "forgiveness" from Marjorie Thompson:
Why Forgive? Johann Christoph
Forgiveness: The Passionate Journey, Flora Wuellner
Weavings Journal "Forgiveness"
Forgiving Your Family: A Journey to Healing, Kathleen Fisher
Forgiven and Forgiving, William Countryman

I am an alien...

I haven't spoken about it since my very first post when I defined "alien".   But I've been thinking about how to get back to the topic, how to talk about it, what to say about it.

At Camp Garner Creek, I found portions of my deeper self.  Now, truly, that has left me with more questions than answers.  Actually, throughout my journey and even through the journey of blogging I have found portions of my deeper self.  Yet, at Camp Garner Creek I found something that validated my alien feeling. 

One afternoon while walking among the rocks of the creek bed during a silence time, I saw it.  A white rock turned up on its side, slightly embedded in the other rocks, poking upward and outward.  Its shape reminded me of a spaceship!   So, I sat down and picked up the rock and looked it over.  It's smooth shape on the top and roundedness reminded me of the fossils we studied in paleontology class prior to our fossil dig at an old quarry.  [Yes, I studied geology, sedimentology, and paleontology in undergraduate school.  It was my minor until that paleo class.  I didn't do so well with fossils and switched my minor to International Studies.]  Anyway, I spent some time thinking back to the college days of paleo class and trying to remember what I had learned.  But what really struck me most about this rock was that it truly did make me think of a space ship.

              

You may or may not see it.  Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of it as it caught my eye, stuck in the rubble of the rocks with its end sticking up.  But, maybe you will see it.  If not, see it for what it is, a rock, a fossil.

Why the term "alien"?  Because I do feel different.  I have always felt different.  Now, that shouldn't be surprising.  We are all different.  We are unique.  There is no other me, no other you.  We have each been created with our own personalities, gifts, talents, etc.  We may favor folks in our families, but we ourselves are an individual package.  There is no one else like us. 

Sometimes we lose who we are in the world and need help refinding the real us.  There are many resources available to help one do that.  I've mentioned using folks on the journey with us to help us reflect and mirror.  That is one way.   

A couple of books that have helped me are:  Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer and Cure for the Common Life: Living in Your Sweet Spot by Max Lucado. 

                                                    

Another book I started over 4 years ago and haven't finished is Live Your Calling by Kevin and Kay Brennfleck.  [It's an ongoing process for me.]  There are still many more resources that have helped me-- books on leadership, creating a ministry and life timeline, etc.

Knowing who I am and knowing what I am created to be, however, has not taken away the "alien" feeling.  It is still here.  In fact, there are days and times that the "alienness" is stronger.   I admit that I don't fully understand it.  I am attempting to learn who I am and to live faithfully into that.  Part of what I know is that I am child-like, simple.  That's how I see it.  My "mirrors" can reflect back to me.  Now, before I get hit too hard, I know that I can also be "child-ISH".  Can't we all?!?!  But, I'm trying to outgrow my childish ways as I mature.  Child-likeness is different.  We are all called to be child-like.  Kingdom dwellers will be childlike.   We are children of God! 

So, what's a child-like, language speaking, retired educator, certificate-trained seminarian, geared toward leadership, slightly (okay, not so slightly) out-of-the-box person to be, to do?   Maybe this is where I still feel "alien".... I am not finding where I "fit".  I have a sneaky suspicion that even when I find my spot, the alien feeling won't go away.  And that's okay.  There's a good thing about some discomfort in our lives.  It works in us, it teaches us, it helps change us.

Journeying onward,

~Debra

Reflections.....

Well, we were planning to spend some time hiking today.  My husband is off today and we were going to hit the woods.  However, we woke up this morning to the tune of thunder and raindrops.  Even though I'm disappointed to not be able to hit the trails today, we need the rain.  The ground has been parched.  The air has held the dust and pollen and now can be washed clean.  Needed rain is now soaking the earth. 

So, instead of doing my de-briefing on the hiking trail, I guess I'll do some writing today.  Reflection. 

Last week at Camp Garner Creek I received lots to think about through great teachings, great conversations, silence time, etc.  As I was instructed, I took "copious" notes.   Now, to start thinking through all of that and to see what I can learn from the experience.

The weather was perfect there!  Camp Garner Creek is about 45 minutes outside of Nashville, TN in Dickson, TN.  They were affected by "the flood".  The waters came into several of their buildings and they had to evacuate the camp.  There was a women's group there that day that was forced to leave early.  They have done a good job in restoring the bridge, fixing up the chapel and the dining hall.

I learned that community pulled together to make it happen.  Community. 

Community is what we are called to be as followers of Christ.  We come together to worship, to study, to help one another in times of need, to fellowship with one another, to carry one another's burdens, to share one another's joys.  We were created to function best in community.   I've written about intentional communities previously.  Communities that gather with the intentionality to learn, grow, serve, and be.  Wherever you are, are you in a community like that? 

As I'm listening to the falling rain, I am thinking about the less than flowing creek at Camp Garner Creek.  Even though the creek wasn't filled with water, there was some water.  And, that allowed me to take pictures of water, to sit by the water, to experience a tiny frog hop back into the water as I walked along the rocky creek shore.  Water is an important part of my connection with nature, God's creation.  I was glad there was a source of water.

 

 

What does your life reflect?  Who does your life reflect? 

If I'm going to ask a question, in all fairness, I could answer the question.   It's a great question.  It's one that I'm not always able to answer by myself.  Sometimes it helps me to have others answer that question for me.  Why?  Because sometimes what I think my life is reflecting is not the same as what is actually being reflected.  That's where the "mirrors" of the community come in for me.  Folks that can reflect for me what I cannot see clearly.  

So, what do I think my life reflects?  I believe it reflects someone who is and who has been on an intentional pathway of seeking, learning, growing, and changing.   Ultimately, I hope my life reflects Christ.  I recognize that there are many hindrances and blockages to Christ being the sole reflection in my life, but that is my ultimate goal, to be so transformed into the image of Christ that folks see Christ more than they see me.  

I've got a long way to go....  but the point is, I'm on the journey.  And, there are others with me on this journey.  Folks that can help me see when I'm off-track.  Folks that can encourage me along the way, speak truth into my life, pray with me and for me, walk along side me, etc. 

Dare I be bold enough to ask for reflections?  [big gulp]  I've written that others are an important source of reflection.  Hmmm..... I'll take the extra step, this one a risky one.  What and/or who do you see my life reflect?

Or, maybe you've been reflecting and you'd like to share your reflections on your own life.  Share them. 

May there be joy in your journey!

~Debra



What IS the word for today? Living into the calling.....

Well, I haven't been able to write in a few days.  I'm at a place that has limited wifi access and I have limited time to write.  Well, that's not 100% true.  I've been writing so much that the radiculopathy in my left shoulder and arm has returned some.  But that's due to taking so many notes!  (I was told to take "copious notes".  I would have done so anyway.) :)

Where am I?  I'm at a 5 Day Academy, sponsored by the Upper Room at Camp Garner Creek in Dickson, TN.  The creek is not much more than rocks and a few pockets of water here and there because of the drought.  Even so, this is a beautiful place.

The theme for this Academy is Journey into Joy: the Pathway and the Pilgrimage.  Journey, Pathway, Pilgrimage, Joy.  Those are words that resonate within me.  The title hooked me the first time I saw it.  One of the speakers, Marjorie Thompson, wrote the book SoulFeast that I've referred to previously in a couple of my blogs.

I'm trying to figure out what to write about tonight.  There are so many thoughts running through my mind, so many teachings I could share.    Quotes, Scriptures, prayers, conversations....  I'm not sure where to begin. 

God has affirmed to me that this is where I'm supposed to be.  God has also done some other things to me and for me (and it is only Tuesday and I arrived on Sunday).  I see the connections to SoulFeast, the SEJ Lay Speaking Conference I attended, the blogs, conversations I've had.....  It is difficult to put into words some of what I'm experiencing.

What am I hearing and learning?  To trust, to let go, to give up control.  To risk, to yield, to submit, to accept, to receive.  To continue to dive deeper, to rest well, to listen, to be intentional.  

I guess I could talk about "living into the calling".  I was once asked by a pastor when I would accept my "calling".  I think he meant into the ministry, as in preaching.  As I saw it, I was in ministry and had been for many years.  My "pulpit" was a college lectern.  I did ministry in other ways too.  But since 1988 when I preached my first sermon, I've not been able to get away from thinking about a possible call.

Now, I can speak (or preach) as a Certified Lay Speaker in my tradition/denomination and I do.  So, that's not really an issue.  As the years went by, the see-saw between laity and clergy went back and forth.  I went through the Ministry Inquiry book, starting in the fall of 2006.    I have maintained that I am a good bridge between laity and clergy and can be a "pastor" to the pastors.  Having served on committees and as chair of a certain one, I've thought twice about wanting to be in a pastoral position.

Yet, a call persists.  What is that call?  It is a call to the sacraments.  Serving communion.  Baptizing.   Oddly, stoles and communion sets grab my attention wherever I am.  I thought it was just an oddity, a fanciful liking to objects that wouldn't go away. 

My two years at Asbury Theological Seminary helped me refine calling to discipleship, spiritual formation, and leadership.  But I remained on the bridge, staying closer to the laity side.    I've had conversations with folks who've said they could see me as a teaching elder, for me to consider local pastor, deacon with sacramental orders.

Today, God basically told me to quit messing around, to do what I'm supposed to do.  OUCH.   I probably have more questions now than I have answers.  But since I've been learning to live into the questions, that's okay.  It's not up to me to figure out what it's going to look like or how it's going to happen.  I'm just supposed to respond.  And, today, I'm responding with YES!  I accept and receive the sacramental call and will live into what God has called me to be.  I will trust God to guide me.  I will lean on God. 

I think back to the Bread of Life Sunday School class many years ago.  One Sunday a guy came into class saying he had had a weird dream and I was in it.  I was dressed up like a pilgrim with the collar and everything.  He tried to interpret it and couldn't.  I wonder if he was fore-telling that I would be a pilgrim on a pilgrimage to grow closer in my relationship with God?  Who knows.  :)

Here is a prayer that I heard Sunday night.  It is adapted by Irenaeus (2nd century) and is found in the Upper Room Worship Book, #348.

It is not you who shape God,
  it is God who shapes you.
If, then, you are the work of God,
  await the hand of the artist who does all things in due season.
Offer the Potter your heart,
  soft and tractable,
  and keep the form in which the Artist has fashioned you.
Let your clay be moist,
  lest you grow hard and lose the imprint of the Potter's fingers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What in your life are you willing to yield to God, to let go, to risk?  Are you offering the Potter your heart? 

Here is the Scripture verse for the Academy-- Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV): "This is what the LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

I am spending time looking, asking, and listening this week.  I am seeing God bring some things together that humans could not bring together for months.  I am amazed at God's sense of timing and humor. 

I am humbled and blessed that God would affirm to me something I thought was just a child's fancy for certain objects.  It doesn't change my call to be a guide to folks through the wilderness or to pursue spiritual direction as a director.  It will probably enhance it.  Who knows?!  The One who is doing the calling.  The One who will have to open doors to make it happen. 

Meanwhile, I will continue to listen, to rest, to study, to engage in the spiritual practices set before me. 

What a journey!!  Who would have known?!?!  And it feels like I'm just getting starting. :)

If you too are standing at the crossroads, or wherever you may be, may your clay be moist as you offer your heart to God and ask where the good way is.

~Debra

An adventure with horses...

We had finally all left the church building from our Bible Study and had headed to our cars in the parking lot.  There were two trucks parked in the street next to the parking lot and the drivers were talking to each other about horses on the church lawn. 

I don't know about the others, but it took me a few minutes for it to sink in that they meant the church lawn for the church where we were.  I had never seen horses in that area before.  There are woods behind the church.  And, apparently, some pasture land with fence. 

The horses had gotten out.  We all walked around the drive and sure enough, there were four horses in the front church lawn eating voraciously.  A lady who was a friend to the owner of the horses had come to make sure they didn't get in the road. So we stayed to help her keep them on the church lawn.  We became a human corral.

They ate and ate.  They weren't very skiddish.  Oh, for the younger days when I could actually mount up and ride bare back. :)  But with frozen shoulders and herniated discs in my neck, I decided it would be best to keep my feet on terra firma.  I admired the horses. 

There was a tall chestnut brown one, a white one with a black face and blue eyes, a smaller brown one, and a black one.  A fifth horse had stayed closer to home, but was also out.

                  

They waited patiently for their owner.  The lady said he was coming shortly and left after about thirty minutes.  The horses decided they had eaten enough and started across the parking lot. 

One made a deposit almost as soon as it hit the pavement.  The others made it to the grassy area near the woods. 

They seemed to be headed home, but then shot off across the street into a neighbor's yard.  I guess they weren't quite ready to settle down and go home.

Then a policewoman came.  I directed her into the parking lot as to miss the fresh road apples and then updated her on the horses' whereabouts. 

After a while, the horses emerged from the neighbors' yards and slowly ambled toward their home, but stayed beyond the gate.

I didn't go down to watch them get in.  Several of our group went down and met the llamas on the property.  I missed that action. 

Since they were close enough to home and out of danger of being hit on the roads next to the church property, we took off.

It was an unexpected adventure!

We had some fun with it too.  :)  We were joking around with the pastor about having four new members at the church.  One person took a picture of a horse heading towards the church steps.  

I don't know if the horses really needed our protection or not.  Maybe they would have been smart enough to stay off the road.  But folks do drive rapidly down that portion and it could have been ugly. 

Have you ever left home like those horses?  Maybe the gate was left open slightly unintentionally and you went for it?  Or maybe you jumped the fence?  Maybe you didn't go far, you just wanted to eat different grass, so you did.  You didn't know that there was danger involved.  In fact, you were oblivious to it.  But, there were folks around who became your "human corral", who helped hem you in and keep you safe.  They gave you room to roam and room to leave, but they made sure your life wasn't taken.

I know I've wandered off.  And there have been folks in my life who have walked by me during those times of wandering.  They kept me safe from total destruction.  They helped me find my way back home.  They gave me freedom to explore, yet made sure I was close to home. 

And when I did find my way back home.... I found there was love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.  

Though I'm thinking of one instance in particular, there have been many more times when I've left "home".  Maybe not physically, but emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.  I have learned through life that any time I try to do things my way that I am saying that I don't trust my Father to guide me, protect me, provide for me.  

I'm learning to trust, even when I don't have the answers.  I'm learning to live into the freedom.

How horses on the church lawn can be part of the journey, I'm not quite sure... but it was quite an adventure!!

May your day be infused with an unexpected joyous adventure along your journey!

~Debra