To Sophia--Angel of mercy

Sophia, at A T & T technical support, you were a Godsend yesterday . . . I hope you could tell. The internet problem at my church had been a thorn in the side of my sabbatical. Previous calls to tech support had not helped resolve the problem . . . until you. You were able to diagnose the problem and help me through the solution. It only took one try! You showed great patience and good humor (I've never had a tech support person laugh before). Sophia, judging from your accent, you live far, far away. You blessed me and aided the growth of God's kingdom. You were an instrument of God's mercy. Grace and peace to you. Namaste.

Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda

At last, a movie hero I can identify with! Po, the kung fu panda protagonist is made to fight for his dumplings by his Kung Fu master. That's a training technique that could get me motivated!

True to its martial arts roots, Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks Animation, 92 minutes) is all about action. Whether training or in actual conflict with the evil Tia Lung, Po and the other Kung Fu masters are constantly fighting. Po, THE big fat panda is an unlikely and reluctant hero, having accidentally (and literally) dropped in on a kung fu contest to choose the next dragon warrior. But in the spiritual realm of kung fu, there are not accidents. Po's unlikely selection sets him on a journey to realize a dream he's held for a long time. It's also a journey into maturity and greater discipline. He realizes all of these, though that isn't brought out very clearly in the end.

Spiritual themes are lightly touched on in several places: the nature of one's calling in life, staying in the moment, perseverence, and believing in oneself. But this movie is definitely not trying to make any big statements. It's a fun romp with lot's of action and good humor. The animation is beautiful always and spectacular at times.

Some of the cartoon violence is over the top and I heard a few preschool children express some anxiety. My two kids (12 and 14-years old) had no such anxiety and seemed to enjoy the movie thoroughly . . . as did I.

Four out of six candles for Kung Fu Panda.

A lesson from my journal

Something struck me while journaling today . . . but the lesson came in an unexpected way. I take my journal with me almost everywhere . . . whether I am actively using it or not. I keep it open to the page holding my latest entry. My last choice for a journal was a wirebound spiral notebook. When I am not consistently practicing my quiet times the pages in my journal get worn, tattered and stained. Some pages actually get torn out because they have received so much stress. On the other hand, when I am actively reading scripture, praying, reflecting, and journaling the journal pages stay decently in shape.

My journal pages reflect my soul "state." When I'm not attending to my spiritual practices, my soul is worn, tattered and stained. I don't experience the peace and sense of wholeness that comes with regular communion with the Lord. When I notice the pages in my journal getting worn and stained it should be a sign to me to get back to the spiritual disciplines that keep me in touch with the soul-invigorating presence of God.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:10-12

Congested churches

I am doing a lot of reading during my sabbatical. One book that is stimulating a lot of thought and reflection is Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger. What's got my mind occupied right now is their statement:

Congested churches and stagnant believers are the antithesis of God's plan. (p.138)

Getting churches uncongested and helping believers stay vigorous have been significant challenges in my ministry. The authors advocate a clear, simple process for making and maturing disciples. They identify particular elements critical to a clear, simple disciplemaking process.

I've seen the kind of congestion and stagnation the authors describe in every congregation I've served. In every place it has been very hard to initiate change. Traditional programs and "ways of being" have a terrific inertia behind them. On top of that, I've never really had a frame of reference to effectively address the situations. More than anything else, I want to be a pastor who leads people consistent with God's plan. To think its possible I'm an overseer of believers whose ministry is the antithesis of God's plan is very convicting.

With that sense of conviction, I have a certain sense of grace in hearing that this is a common experience of pastors. And I have some sense of empowerment in that I am developing a frame of reference that explains what I have seen and some good ideas on how to proceed.

Now for the courage . . .

Taking the high route

Being on sabbatical gives me more opportunity to sit in the back yard and ponder basic truths. The opening prayer from my devotional book today was:

Loving God, clothe me in yourself and enable me to live and serve after the pattern of Jesus. Amen

--A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants.

As I pondered the pattern of living and serving Jesus lived out, I noticed the behavior of our backyard squirrels. Wherever the go they almost always choose to travel above ground, even when walking on the ground would get them there quicker and easier. There are two trees in our backyard that are far enough apart that the branches don't intermingle. Rather than walk from one tree trunk to the other, the squirrel chose a longer route along the top of our chainlink fence to get from one tree to the other. It seems to be deep in their character to choose the high route, even when a little longer and more involved.

There is a spiritual metaphor in this for me. That choosing the high route . . . Jesus' pattern of living and serving . . . become deep in my character. I pray I get to the place where the high route becomes my default choice . . . and that it happens so naturally I don't even notice it any more . . . I just do it.

I can't get to that place, none of us can, without God enabling us. I don't make high route choices on my own that often. The key, for me, is to stay consistently alert to God's voice and the Spirit's leading. Perhaps that is my greatest challenge on the spiritual journey.