Whoah, has a month gone by already? It seems like just last week I was celebrating my 31st birthday with some friends. Sometimes it feels like life is moving way too fast these days. Working two jobs can be really tiring at times, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Especially with the jobs I have. It can be truly draining to work with people in such intense situations day in and day out. Don’t get me wrong, I love both my jobs and all the people I work with, but sometimes the sheer volume of people I meet with every week gets a tad overwhelming.
At times like this, I take hope in the knowledge that this is only a temporary situation. By spring of 2007 at the latest, I am planning on being ordained with the Baptist General Conference through Calvary Church. With that added qualification, I should be that much more able to secure a full-time chaplaincy position. In the meantime, I know that God is with me throughout this and I find peace and hope in knowing that I am right where He needs me to be at this moment. I am not yet who He created me to be, but what I am going through now is necessary to be who He is developing me into.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Chaplaincy at St. John’s
The Job
My official title at St. John's is Weekend Chaplain, so I am there mostly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. I also come in on Thursdays to meet and interact with the rest of the Spiritual Care staff who are there during the rest of the week. On Fridays I come in early with pray with those patients going in for surgery. Then on Saturdays and Sundays I come in for four hours each day to tour the floors for patients who need to see a chaplain and visit with those who will not be there on Monday. Most of my visits consist of listening to the patient's concerns and carrying those with them to the Lord in prayer. That, in brief, is my job description as a chaplain.
The Philosophy
Sounds pretty simple, right? Sometimes it is, sometimes it's quite challenging to be there with patients. A lot of this depends on how the individual patient is working through their own concerns. There is also a deeper over-arching motivation for me. Some of you have read or heard my Ephesians 2:10 sermon in which I share about how we are each God's unique children, created to know Him and be know in and through Him, and how through that knowing we will become who He created us to be. For those of you who are not familiar with that sermon, I'd be happy to send you a copy. Anyway, in part of the sermon I share about how we all have a habit of hiding our true selves from each other and even from ourselves. We each don masks everyday to be the people we feel and have been taught that we are supposed to be. Yet in a moment of crisis, I find that all the masks come off and the true person developing underneath it all comes to the surface. Sometimes we like who we are in those cases, sometimes we don't. Many of the people I encounter at the hospital are like this. Life seems to have pulled the rug out from under them and they are unsure how to react. As a chaplain, it is my desire to create a safe place where people can explore this. To be comfortable being who they are amongst all this mess of life and know that they are accepted, loved and cherished. In my reading of the Gospels, that was how Jesus interacted with those around Him and as His disciple, I wish to do likewise.
My official title at St. John's is Weekend Chaplain, so I am there mostly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. I also come in on Thursdays to meet and interact with the rest of the Spiritual Care staff who are there during the rest of the week. On Fridays I come in early with pray with those patients going in for surgery. Then on Saturdays and Sundays I come in for four hours each day to tour the floors for patients who need to see a chaplain and visit with those who will not be there on Monday. Most of my visits consist of listening to the patient's concerns and carrying those with them to the Lord in prayer. That, in brief, is my job description as a chaplain.
The Philosophy
Sounds pretty simple, right? Sometimes it is, sometimes it's quite challenging to be there with patients. A lot of this depends on how the individual patient is working through their own concerns. There is also a deeper over-arching motivation for me. Some of you have read or heard my Ephesians 2:10 sermon in which I share about how we are each God's unique children, created to know Him and be know in and through Him, and how through that knowing we will become who He created us to be. For those of you who are not familiar with that sermon, I'd be happy to send you a copy. Anyway, in part of the sermon I share about how we all have a habit of hiding our true selves from each other and even from ourselves. We each don masks everyday to be the people we feel and have been taught that we are supposed to be. Yet in a moment of crisis, I find that all the masks come off and the true person developing underneath it all comes to the surface. Sometimes we like who we are in those cases, sometimes we don't. Many of the people I encounter at the hospital are like this. Life seems to have pulled the rug out from under them and they are unsure how to react. As a chaplain, it is my desire to create a safe place where people can explore this. To be comfortable being who they are amongst all this mess of life and know that they are accepted, loved and cherished. In my reading of the Gospels, that was how Jesus interacted with those around Him and as His disciple, I wish to do likewise.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Defining my Jobs
Okay, I think I've been at both of my new jobs just long enough to be able to let you in on what I'm actually doing for a living. At the same time, I know some of you are more interested in the why rather than the what. However, in both of my jobs, the why motivates the what, so it's sometimes hard to distinguish between the two.
Let me try my hand first at working as a Personal Care Attendant (PCA). The "what" of this job differs with each client. I happen to be working with Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI), a company that builds apartments for the handicapped and offers PCA services to those that qualify. In my building there are 5 such clients and I usually share them with one or two other PCA's. With each client, the PCA works to help them do things that they can no longer do because of their particular handicap. Sometimes this means preparing meals for them and helping them eat. Other times, it means cleaning up after them and helping them change cloths. It truly is humbling work.
Which brings me to the why. Some of you who have been with me for a few years, may remember the last time I worked as a PCA. Most of what I said then, still applies here:
In my ministry to the handicapped through my work at Our House, I am doing an incarnational work. You see, when Christ came down to be with us He retained all of His divine qualities, but He also knew that if He tapped into His full potential even once, His whole mission on earth would be canceled. He could have called down legions of angels in the Garden of Gethsemane , yet He knew He needed to go to the Cross (Matt. 26:53-54). There were many times throughout His time on earth when using His divine powers seemingly would have been to His advantage. Yet He resisted this temptation because He had a higher purpose in mind: The fulfillment of His mission, that of saving His People and fulfilling the scriptures. In the same way, I too have a mission in my work with the handicapped that restricts some of my capabilities. For example, part of my work there is to help the residents go through certain programs designed to help them become more independent. Now, it is fully within my power to do these tasks for them or even physically lead them through each time, and believe me there have been many times I have been tempted to do this. However, I know that if I do, my whole purpose of promoting that residentÂ?s independence would be thwarted. If anything, I would be increasing their dependence on me as a care attendant, and while that may feed my ego and make me feel all good inside, it does little to forward the action on their independence.
What's different this time is that most of my clients here are already as "independent" as they can be within the limits of their handicaps. My job is to help those limits not be as confining.
Let me try my hand first at working as a Personal Care Attendant (PCA). The "what" of this job differs with each client. I happen to be working with Accessible Space, Inc. (ASI), a company that builds apartments for the handicapped and offers PCA services to those that qualify. In my building there are 5 such clients and I usually share them with one or two other PCA's. With each client, the PCA works to help them do things that they can no longer do because of their particular handicap. Sometimes this means preparing meals for them and helping them eat. Other times, it means cleaning up after them and helping them change cloths. It truly is humbling work.
Which brings me to the why. Some of you who have been with me for a few years, may remember the last time I worked as a PCA. Most of what I said then, still applies here:
In my ministry to the handicapped through my work at Our House, I am doing an incarnational work. You see, when Christ came down to be with us He retained all of His divine qualities, but He also knew that if He tapped into His full potential even once, His whole mission on earth would be canceled. He could have called down legions of angels in the Garden of Gethsemane , yet He knew He needed to go to the Cross (Matt. 26:53-54). There were many times throughout His time on earth when using His divine powers seemingly would have been to His advantage. Yet He resisted this temptation because He had a higher purpose in mind: The fulfillment of His mission, that of saving His People and fulfilling the scriptures. In the same way, I too have a mission in my work with the handicapped that restricts some of my capabilities. For example, part of my work there is to help the residents go through certain programs designed to help them become more independent. Now, it is fully within my power to do these tasks for them or even physically lead them through each time, and believe me there have been many times I have been tempted to do this. However, I know that if I do, my whole purpose of promoting that residentÂ?s independence would be thwarted. If anything, I would be increasing their dependence on me as a care attendant, and while that may feed my ego and make me feel all good inside, it does little to forward the action on their independence.
What's different this time is that most of my clients here are already as "independent" as they can be within the limits of their handicaps. My job is to help those limits not be as confining.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Life Lessons from FireFly
I found this on a freind's MySpace profile and felt compelled to include it here. This is for all you out fellow FireFly fans out there who also happen to be my friends ;-)
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Sharing My Life: Detecting Filters
One of the things I continually become more aware of every time I get into a position that involves direct interaction with people is how my assumptions I have affect their reality and how theirs affect mine. Now I know some of you might tell me I need to just get rid of all my assumptions, but I don’t really think that’s totally advisable or even really possible in many cases. I mean, an assumption is basically something that is accepted as true based on previous experience. For example, in order to type these words, I am assuming the keys I am hitting will translate to letters on this page. I am assuming this chair I am sitting in will hold me. Those and others are just the assumptions I’m aware of. There are even more under the surface that are just automatic for me. Our conscious awareness can only handle so much information, so our brain is constantly filtering what information we consciously perceive and what information just “goes in one ear and out the other.” Sometimes we are even conscious of this selection process. However, there is a lot about it we are not conscious of.
One assumption that I constantly interact with as a chaplain is that I, as a chaplain, will be like all the other chaplains or ministers in this patient’s life. Based on all their previous experiences with ministers they have built up a set of expectations. They have a mental picture of what a chaplain is supposed to be like. In many cases, this is good, because it saves me the time it would normally take to explain my role, but other times the patient has had negative experiences of pastors and that make them much less receptive to my care. Other times they have had positive experiences, yet may still have assumptions about how I should be with them that I need to be aware of in my interactions with them.
So, being a chaplain continues to be a challenging and formative experience for me. I don’t think there will ever be a time when I will “arrive” as a chaplain and know “all that I need to know.” We rarely, if ever, reach that point in any area of our lives and chaplaincy is no different.
One assumption that I constantly interact with as a chaplain is that I, as a chaplain, will be like all the other chaplains or ministers in this patient’s life. Based on all their previous experiences with ministers they have built up a set of expectations. They have a mental picture of what a chaplain is supposed to be like. In many cases, this is good, because it saves me the time it would normally take to explain my role, but other times the patient has had negative experiences of pastors and that make them much less receptive to my care. Other times they have had positive experiences, yet may still have assumptions about how I should be with them that I need to be aware of in my interactions with them.
So, being a chaplain continues to be a challenging and formative experience for me. I don’t think there will ever be a time when I will “arrive” as a chaplain and know “all that I need to know.” We rarely, if ever, reach that point in any area of our lives and chaplaincy is no different.
Life Update: Another Step Closer
The biggest news update in my life happened just last week. This past Friday, I met with an Associate Pastor at Calvary Community Church in Roseville, MN. In that meeting, I found that he and his church would be happy to start working with me towards ordination. According to him, the process with his church and our denomination should take about 6 months. That should give me time to become a member and find my ministry niche there. Things are going well at both St. John's and Accessible Space, Inc. More and more I am growing into my role at each place and beginning to feel at home in them.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Letting Go and Taking Hold
This month as I was thinking back over some of what I've been writing here the past few months, I noticed a bit of a paradox. There are times when God teaches me to let go of certain things in my life and times when I sense He wants me to be more aware and take hold of certain things. Interestingly enough, sometimes it seems like it's the same things. Though I am usually able to come back to the issue with new eyes. I know some of you would say God is teaching me to let go of the "things of man" that I may take hold of the "things of God", and I would agree. I also think there's more to it than that.
As I was pondering these things, God brought to mind the passage where Jesus invites us to rest in Him. In Matthew 11, starting in verse 28, He says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." If I were more of a cynic I might read this with raised eyebrows. Here I come wearied from carrying all my worldly burdens. I lay them at the feet of this Jesus fellow and He gives me His burdens and ties me into His yoke. The nerve of the guy! Yet Jesus also points out that his burden is easy and light. And if by carrying it, He has become gentle and humble, that maybe I can learn to be that as well.
To be sure, learning to walk as Christ did is not always easy at first, nor do the burdens of this life of faith always feel light, yet I think, here again, this is a process. Few of the best things in life are easy at first, like being an artist or athlete. It takes practice, but the more you do it, the more natural it becomes. In addition, as God's beloved children, we have the promise that He is watching over us and taking us by the hand. Our burdens are His and His burdens are ours.
As I was pondering these things, God brought to mind the passage where Jesus invites us to rest in Him. In Matthew 11, starting in verse 28, He says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." If I were more of a cynic I might read this with raised eyebrows. Here I come wearied from carrying all my worldly burdens. I lay them at the feet of this Jesus fellow and He gives me His burdens and ties me into His yoke. The nerve of the guy! Yet Jesus also points out that his burden is easy and light. And if by carrying it, He has become gentle and humble, that maybe I can learn to be that as well.
To be sure, learning to walk as Christ did is not always easy at first, nor do the burdens of this life of faith always feel light, yet I think, here again, this is a process. Few of the best things in life are easy at first, like being an artist or athlete. It takes practice, but the more you do it, the more natural it becomes. In addition, as God's beloved children, we have the promise that He is watching over us and taking us by the hand. Our burdens are His and His burdens are ours.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Life Update (6/28/06)
Getting settled back down in the Cities is still going a bit slow. I am now working "regular" hours with both jobs and find it's keeping me pretty busy. My Chaplain's job with St. John's takes up all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoon. Accessible Space Inc. employs me as a personal Care Attendant Sunday, Monday and Wednesday evenings. In addition, starting next month, I'll be working Fridays as the On-Call Chaplain for all of HealthEast. That's the health network St. John's is part of. That leaves me with Tuesday as the only day I don't have to work either job. As you might imagine, it keeps me pretty busy.
I'm also still working out where I will be attending church on a regular basis. My hours with St. John's on Sunday begin at noon, so that sort of minimizes my ability to attend certain worship services. To further complicate matters, because of my chaplaincy requirements I find myself kind of having to be a "church-shopper with an edge." I'm not just looking for a church where I can attend on a regular basis, I want one where I can become actively involved and even hopefully work towards ordination. Even if it takes a few years, I'm willing to invest that into a church, if they are able to invest back into me. I do hope to find such a church soon.
By the way, as you may have noticed this month I thought I'd try posting my monthly updates in smaller pieces to make it more accessible on my blog site. Let me know what you think.
I'm also still working out where I will be attending church on a regular basis. My hours with St. John's on Sunday begin at noon, so that sort of minimizes my ability to attend certain worship services. To further complicate matters, because of my chaplaincy requirements I find myself kind of having to be a "church-shopper with an edge." I'm not just looking for a church where I can attend on a regular basis, I want one where I can become actively involved and even hopefully work towards ordination. Even if it takes a few years, I'm willing to invest that into a church, if they are able to invest back into me. I do hope to find such a church soon.
By the way, as you may have noticed this month I thought I'd try posting my monthly updates in smaller pieces to make it more accessible on my blog site. Let me know what you think.
Friday, June 23, 2006
"Click", a few thoughts . . .
This afternoon I decided to go see Adam Sandler's latest movie Click. I'm not normally a fan of his comedy, but the concept behind this movie intrigued me. What would I do if I had a "remote control that remote controlled my universe"? What would you do? As I watched the movie, a thought donned on me. We do have a remote control for our universe! It's called our heart. There's a certain cycle of life I've been noticing over the years: our choices shape our hearts and in turn, our hearts shape our choices. It's a bit of a scary thought, I know, but I think it's true. We didn't get where we are today by accident, the choices we made along the way lead us to this point. Every time we make a decision, we are opening up a whole new array of choices. At the same time, we are also closing out a whole other set of choices. Each turn we make is a "point of no return."
As Christians, this shouldn't come as a surprise to us. After all, don't Solomon's Proverbs advise us to "guard our hearts, for it is the wellspring of life" (Prov. 4:23)? Interestingly enough, the prophet Jeremiah also calls the heart "deceitful above all things and beyond cure" (Jer. 17:9). So, one might ask, how can it be both? Well, as Adam Sandler's character find out, it all depends on who's holding the remote. Now some might say the answer here is to simply give one's heart to God. Yet as John White once wrote, "the trouble with living sacrifices is they keep crawling off the altar." Yes, it's true and I'll be the first to admit it, even we who have given our lives over to Christ still make bad choices. Even awful messy ones. The key is still to come to terms with the choices we've made and learn to live our lives differently. That's where it really helps to have an example of One Who got it all right! That one being Jesus Christ.
One more thing I should point out. Changing one's heart is not a one time thing. It's not like "Boom!" the moment you were saved you became a perfect Christian destined to walk in Christ's footsteps. No, it's still a gradual process and you will make mistakes along the way. Hey, it took you your whole life up to this point to become who you are, so it's going to take a little time to become someone different. The good news is, God understands that. That's why He sent His Son to show us the way and pay the price to enable us to walk in it. Let us each accept Jesus' invitation to "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).
As Christians, this shouldn't come as a surprise to us. After all, don't Solomon's Proverbs advise us to "guard our hearts, for it is the wellspring of life" (Prov. 4:23)? Interestingly enough, the prophet Jeremiah also calls the heart "deceitful above all things and beyond cure" (Jer. 17:9). So, one might ask, how can it be both? Well, as Adam Sandler's character find out, it all depends on who's holding the remote. Now some might say the answer here is to simply give one's heart to God. Yet as John White once wrote, "the trouble with living sacrifices is they keep crawling off the altar." Yes, it's true and I'll be the first to admit it, even we who have given our lives over to Christ still make bad choices. Even awful messy ones. The key is still to come to terms with the choices we've made and learn to live our lives differently. That's where it really helps to have an example of One Who got it all right! That one being Jesus Christ.
One more thing I should point out. Changing one's heart is not a one time thing. It's not like "Boom!" the moment you were saved you became a perfect Christian destined to walk in Christ's footsteps. No, it's still a gradual process and you will make mistakes along the way. Hey, it took you your whole life up to this point to become who you are, so it's going to take a little time to become someone different. The good news is, God understands that. That's why He sent His Son to show us the way and pay the price to enable us to walk in it. Let us each accept Jesus' invitation to "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Mike's New Place
• Mike’s Musings (06/01/2006) •
Dear family & friends,
• Life Update: Mike’s New Home
Well, all the furniture is in place and most of the bags and boxes are unpacked. My new apartment is a bit smaller than my old one, but still, it is beginning to feel like home. For those who might have missed it in my last newsletter, my new address is 26 10th Street West, Apartment #1104, Saint Paul, MN 55102 with (651) 290-2839 as my new home phone number. Both my cell phone number and email address remain the same: (651) 303-9675 and mwillard77@yahoo.com. My new jobs don’t start till next week, so I have spent a lot of time this week exploring my new neighborhood. From my balcony I can see both the Saint Paul Capital Building and the Saint Paul Cathedral. Within easy walking distance from my new place are the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, as well as a number of other significant points of interest. So, anytime you guys come down to visit those places, you can pay me a visit as well or even invite me to come along! By the way, I will soon be taking pictures of my new place, as well as the view from my balcony. Anyone interested in receiving them via email, just let me know and I’ll send them along.
• Sharing My Journey: Developing Christ’s Character
It has been an interesting past few weeks as I have made the move and transition from Saint Cloud down to Saint Paul. I have had a lot time to think over the steps that brought me to where I am and what the next steps will be. These days, I find God is teaching me a lot about the short term and long term effects of certain choices I am making. It's not that my life is in an awful mess, but there are some areas where I am realizing I need to be more careful and prayerful about my actions. Sometimes it feels so "good" and easy to make a bad choice. Often times the choices aren't even obviously "bad" at the outset.
For instance, I own a lot of books, and with most of them, I bought them thinking, "God can use this to teach me a lot about myself, Him and others." Yet the truth is, those books cost me money. Money that may have been better spent elsewhere like going into a Savings account or going to my church. In addition, I also have a number of books I own that I have not even read yet. I buy the book with every intention of reading it and then life just goes by too quickly and there is sits still on my shelf. When you think about it, life is full of choices. In fact, we kind of make our lives what they are based on the choices we make. Sure, there are a number of things that happen that are out of our control, yet even those can be traced back to someone 's choice. In addition, while we may not be in control of everything that happens to us, we do have a choice as to what we do with "the time that is ours" to quote Lord of the Rings.
These days I am realizing that many of the best things in the Christian life require long-term investment. I am not talking about money, though I suppose it could work with that as well. No, What I am getting at here is the development of our character in Christ. To follow His way and become like Him is not a one-time choice. It is "a long obedience in the same direction" as Eugene Peterson writes. Paul describes it in Romans 5 saying: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:3-5) For better or worse, we are characterized by the choices we make. These days, I often find myself trying to make up for some of my bad choices and hoping the good ones I making will be enough. Thankfully, I know I am not alone. God is here with me. He is my strength even when I feel weak. He will help me stand, though, at times, I feel like I'm falling. He is my hope and my shield, the Rock upon which I stand.
For poems this month, I find myself reminded of two I have presented here before:
The Inner War
I woke up this morning and there you were in my face
The mirror your eyes, my soul your home
My worst enemy, my best friend
Everything I used to be, everything I might be again
Come back into the dark you whisper
But I’m yearning and fighting for the light
It’s so much easier and more comfortable there
Yet I know here is where I must remain
Hide yourself, it’s so much safer
No, I must be true to the world
I cannot don the mask of security
Cannot fake the act of sincerity
When everything I do and say is just a lie
Truth is more powerful than lie
And more powerful still when backed up by life
I know the life I should live
And I pray one day
It will be the life I do live
Born Cracked
Born into the world a cracked vessel needing to be filled
The world she offers many things to fill it
Yet I always come back wanting more
Each thing feels right at first
But in time they all turn up lacking
Back in the garden we knew what it was to be filled
Back in the garden we knew what it was to be loved
Back in the garden we knew what it was to be accepted
Dear God why did we ever turn away from You the True Source
Cursed to walk this world abandoned, though we are never alone
You pursue us day and night yet still we run
Unable to turn, unable to be filled
Until by grace You extend the hand
And turn us around in Your Embrace
The cross makes this possible
The blood of Jesus fills our cracked vessel
His Blood seals the crack
In Him we are filled
In Him we are loved
In Him we are accepted
Though I know of His Love for me
Though I have soaked in the blood
Still my vessel leaks
Many are the times I know not filling
Many are the times I know not love
Many are the times I know not acceptance
Why is this the case?
Dear God, extend Your Hand
Dear God, send down Your Grace
Turn me around full in Your Embrace.
I woke up this morning and there you were in my face
The mirror your eyes, my soul your home
My worst enemy, my best friend
Everything I used to be, everything I might be again
Come back into the dark you whisper
But I’m yearning and fighting for the light
It’s so much easier and more comfortable there
Yet I know here is where I must remain
Hide yourself, it’s so much safer
No, I must be true to the world
I cannot don the mask of security
Cannot fake the act of sincerity
When everything I do and say is just a lie
Truth is more powerful than lie
And more powerful still when backed up by life
I know the life I should live
And I pray one day
It will be the life I do live
Born Cracked
Born into the world a cracked vessel needing to be filled
The world she offers many things to fill it
Yet I always come back wanting more
Each thing feels right at first
But in time they all turn up lacking
Back in the garden we knew what it was to be filled
Back in the garden we knew what it was to be loved
Back in the garden we knew what it was to be accepted
Dear God why did we ever turn away from You the True Source
Cursed to walk this world abandoned, though we are never alone
You pursue us day and night yet still we run
Unable to turn, unable to be filled
Until by grace You extend the hand
And turn us around in Your Embrace
The cross makes this possible
The blood of Jesus fills our cracked vessel
His Blood seals the crack
In Him we are filled
In Him we are loved
In Him we are accepted
Though I know of His Love for me
Though I have soaked in the blood
Still my vessel leaks
Many are the times I know not filling
Many are the times I know not love
Many are the times I know not acceptance
Why is this the case?
Dear God, extend Your Hand
Dear God, send down Your Grace
Turn me around full in Your Embrace.
We are God’s creation, each and every one of us, yet we are as yet unfinished projects. With every choice we make we take a step. Whether forward or back, His hand holds ours still and leads us along His way. He is our faithful Father and we are the sheep of His hand. With that I close for this month. May God’s Peace dwell richly in each of your hearts.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Mike according to Seseme Street ;-)
| You Are Big Bird |
 Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around. You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy. You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you. How you life your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper." |
Monday, May 08, 2006
Releasing Control
• Mike’s Musings (05/08/2006) •
Dear family & friends,
• Life Update: Mike’s on the Move
Yes, it’s true. As I mentioned in my “Good News” email I got the job as the Condo Chaplain at St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, MN. The job will start in June and I’ll be moving in a few weeks. A Going-Away party will also be held this Saturday. I’m sending a separate email with moving and party details. Let me know if you do not receive this email and would like too. Since my new job is only for 20 hours a week, I’ve also secured a Personal Care Attendant position with Accessible Space, Inc. in Roseville, MN to help fill in with additional income coverage. It’s a company that houses and provides assistance for mentally and physically challenged individuals.
• Sharing My Journey: Releasing Control
During the last few months and weeks as the time of this move came closer and plans began to become clearer, I have really been wrestling a lot with my desire to control things. Most of my friends have often commented appreciatively about my laid back and flexible way of handling things, yet these days I find myself more and more concerned about wanting things to turn out “just right.” In some ways, I never knew myself to be such a “control-freak” until certain things in my life started to become “unruly.” I didn’t realize the comfort having a steady income could bring, until I didn’t have one. I didn’t realize how much I had come to depend on my church and my friends there until they started having trouble and their trouble in turn affected me. This whole experience has definitely increased my awareness of how much others affect me and I them.
As I have sought God out in prayer through this, I have continually felt His invitation to let go and release more and more things and aspects of my life into His control. Really, if you think about it, He’s in control of it all anyway, so all I’m doing is acknowledging His faithfulness in my life and stepping out of the way. The more I embrace this truth, the more I am coming to realize what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 6, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (Matt. 6:25), as well as Paul in Philippians 4, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Phil. 4:12)
For this month’s music and poetry section I went with two songs and a poem:
My Savior My God
From the album Anything Worth SayingI am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior
I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior
That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior
Chorus (2x’s)
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior’s always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be
Yes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring;
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior
That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior
Chorus (2x’s)
(Instrumental)
Chorus: (2x’s)
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
- Aaron Shust
Let Go
drink up, baby down
mmm, are you in or are you out
leave your things behind
'cause it's all going off without you
excuse me, too busy you’re writing your tragedy
these mishaps
you bubble wrap
when you've no idea what you're like
so (let go)let go, jump in
oh well, whatcha waiting for
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown
so (let go)yeah, let go, just get in
oh, it's so amazing here
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown
it gains the more it gives
and it rises with the fall
so hand me that remote
can't you see that all that stuff's a sideshow
such boundless pleasure
we've no time for later now
you can't await your own arrival
you've 20 seconds to comply
so (let go)let go, jump in
oh well, whatcha waiting for
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown
so (let go)yeah, let go, just get in
oh, it's so amazing here
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown
hey-ya hey-ya hey I..
hey-ya hey-ya hey.. mm heyehey
hey-ya hey-ya hey I..
hey-ya hey-ya hey.. mm heyehey
so let go, jump in
oh well, whatcha waiting for
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown
so (let go)let go, just get in
oh, it's so amazing here
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown
mm the breakdown
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown
so amazing here
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown...
- Frou Frou
I end, You begin
God, I’m tired, I’m through, I can’t do anymore
Since when did this life become such a chore?
My body is weary, my spirits are low
Why does it seem what I reap is far from what I sow?
Everything in me says go on and die
Yet deep inside me, there You still lie.
You say, it’s good I’m tired, it’s good I’m through, It’s good I can’t do anymore.
Now the real work begins, now I can really soar.
If I am at my end, that means I must turn to You again
Let Your Spirit refresh me, and Your blood wash me clean
For when I end, then You truly do begin
-Michel Jon Willard
Well, that’s all folks for this month. Thanks again for letting me share my life and ministry with you in this fashion. I pray that I will continue to open your eyes to the blessings His work in you is already bringing into your life and the lives of all those around you. When it all comes down to it, all we really need to know of God is that He loves each of us and is faithful to work out all things for His glory and our good. May His peace dwell every more richly in your hearts and minds.
In His Grip,
Michel Jon Willard
Michel Jon Willard
Friday, April 21, 2006
A "Serenity" Prayer
I was watching Serenity again today and was struck by a prayer Shepard Book shared:
"Lord, I'm walking Your way. Let me in for my feet are sore and my cloths are ragged. Look in my eyes, Lord, and my sins will play out on them as on a screen. Read them all, forgive what You can and put me on my path. There I'll walk on until You bid me rest. "
If you're curious to hear it yourself, you'll find it among the deleted scenes. What strikes me is the humble plainness. No eloquent language or phrasing, just an host plea for mercy. Reminds me a lot of Jesus' parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee in Luke 18. The world may look to the words, but God sees right through to the heart.
Some of you may note that it lacks the "customary" "in Jesus Name." It doesn't even end with "amen." Yet remember, prayer is not so much about requesting things as it is about building a relationship between you and God by sharing your heart with Him and letting Him share His with you. Where did we get the idea that we needed to end our prayers in that fashion anyway? Are we trying to remind God of His promise in John 14? Are our prayers really made more powerful or meaningful based on how they are worded? Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with praying in that way. It's just sometimes I think we place more emphasis on the exterior and not so much on the interior. When you think about it, who we are inside is really the true us and that is who God is concerned with. He isn't fooled by our play-acting. And I say thank goodness for that. "Just be who you are.", He says, "That's really all I see anyway."
"Lord, I'm walking Your way. Let me in for my feet are sore and my cloths are ragged. Look in my eyes, Lord, and my sins will play out on them as on a screen. Read them all, forgive what You can and put me on my path. There I'll walk on until You bid me rest. "
If you're curious to hear it yourself, you'll find it among the deleted scenes. What strikes me is the humble plainness. No eloquent language or phrasing, just an host plea for mercy. Reminds me a lot of Jesus' parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee in Luke 18. The world may look to the words, but God sees right through to the heart.
Some of you may note that it lacks the "customary" "in Jesus Name." It doesn't even end with "amen." Yet remember, prayer is not so much about requesting things as it is about building a relationship between you and God by sharing your heart with Him and letting Him share His with you. Where did we get the idea that we needed to end our prayers in that fashion anyway? Are we trying to remind God of His promise in John 14? Are our prayers really made more powerful or meaningful based on how they are worded? Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with praying in that way. It's just sometimes I think we place more emphasis on the exterior and not so much on the interior. When you think about it, who we are inside is really the true us and that is who God is concerned with. He isn't fooled by our play-acting. And I say thank goodness for that. "Just be who you are.", He says, "That's really all I see anyway."
Friday, April 14, 2006
Good News!
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to drop you all a quick note to let you know that I got the Condo Chaplain job at St. John's down in Saint Paul! The position will start the first week of June which gives me the rest of April and May to work out the logistics and get moved in. I'm still putting together all the necessary pieces to make the most of my time there, but now at least this foundation piece is firmly in place. In May's newsletter I'll hopefully be able to fill you in on the details of when the move will be taking place and how those of you who are willing and able can help. I'd also love to have a farewell commissioning party of some sort. Let me know if any of you have any ideas or would want to help with that as well. Thanks! Hope all is well with each of you. God bless!
I just wanted to drop you all a quick note to let you know that I got the Condo Chaplain job at St. John's down in Saint Paul! The position will start the first week of June which gives me the rest of April and May to work out the logistics and get moved in. I'm still putting together all the necessary pieces to make the most of my time there, but now at least this foundation piece is firmly in place. In May's newsletter I'll hopefully be able to fill you in on the details of when the move will be taking place and how those of you who are willing and able can help. I'd also love to have a farewell commissioning party of some sort. Let me know if any of you have any ideas or would want to help with that as well. Thanks! Hope all is well with each of you. God bless!
In His Grip,
Mike Willard
Mike Willard
Monday, April 10, 2006
Letting Go Again
• Mike’s Musings (04/10/2006) •
Dear family & friends,
• Life Update: Still in Transition, Part 2
This Thursday (04/13/2006) I am scheduled for a second interview for the Condo Chaplain position at St. John’s in Maplewood, MN at 10:30 am. Your prayers would be appreciated. Pray for wisdom and discernment for both the Spiritual Care staff at St. John’s and myself. This job is not a full-time chaplain position, but getting it would take me one more step in that direction. In addition, I have contacted a local Baptist General Conference official who is willing to help me find a church in the area with whom to pursue ordination and we both know a common acquaintance in the area who manages a local Caribou store there in the Cities. Maybe he could give me more hours.
I have also applied at a number of other different job places around here, just in case I don’t get that job. My hope is that I’ll have a workable job situation by the end of April. If it does end up that I’m still here in St. Cloud, I can probably hook up with a near by church to pursue ordination with. I’m learning to take my time with this and let God show me how He desires me to walk through this.
• Sharing My Journey: Letting Go Again
It seems fitting to me that it is Easter season and here I am, once again, learning to “let go and let God.” Back in Jesus’ day, this was a time for the disciples to set aside their expectations of Who Jesus was and what it meant that He had come to save them. If you look through the Gospel accounts of Holy Week, you can see the disciples are still wresting with the idea of Jesus coming to die. They still had allusions of Him gaining political power and overthrowing Rome. James and John even ask to sit on Jesus’ right and left hand “in glory” (Mark 10:37) much to the incredulity of His other disciples (Mark 10:41). Yet the time was drawing near when what they thought would happen and what would actually happen would finally collide. In the aftermath of that collision, the disciples would be left with a choice. Would they cling to their old ideas and assumptions or embrace reality? They could no longer hold on to both at the same time. They had to totally let go of one to fully take hold of the other.
I too must let go of some old ideas, in order to fully take hold of the new. I have to let go of the idea of getting a job that will have everything I want now. If I don’t, how will I see the gradual steps God is laying out before me? I still want it all now, yet God says again, “Good things take time” and “As you grow stronger in Me, so things will become clearer.” God prepares His people for the tasks He appoints to them and does not give us more than they are ready for. Every step we take is preparation for the next one.
As I think through these things, I am reminded of a poem that I wrote last year and the song that went with it. The poem and song were called “Let Go." Both are available in the two posts previous to this one. I am also reminded of song by the group Pray for Rain appropriately called “I Don’t Understand.”:
I retreat
By myself at the back of my brain
I cannot see
What You're showing me through this pain
I have found
That I have found
Nothing for so long
Chorus
I don't understand
I don't need to
I know You've a plan
You will see through
It is in Your hands
I believe You
I say goodbye
I leave my loved ones far behind
I'm asking
Why is this is the story of my life
I have found
That I have found
Nothing for so long
Chorus
I was only wondering
I've been trying to understand
I know there is more
So much more than I can see
Chorus 2x
By myself at the back of my brain
I cannot see
What You're showing me through this pain
I have found
That I have found
Nothing for so long
Chorus
I don't understand
I don't need to
I know You've a plan
You will see through
It is in Your hands
I believe You
I say goodbye
I leave my loved ones far behind
I'm asking
Why is this is the story of my life
I have found
That I have found
Nothing for so long
Chorus
I was only wondering
I've been trying to understand
I know there is more
So much more than I can see
Chorus 2x
Well, that’s it for this month from this neck of God’s Kingdom. Thank you again to each of you for joining me as I share my life with you in this fashion. I pray God will continue to draw you closer to Him and make you more like Himself during this Holy Week. May He continue to open your eyes to His overflowing blessings already in your life.
In His Grip,
Michel Jon Willard
Michel Jon Willard
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
"Let Go" lyrics
Here are the lyrics for my song available in the previous post below:
Let Go
The Father:
I invite you, My child, to let go.
Let go of your need to worry for it really does you no good.
Let go of your need to control for you really have none.
Let go of your need for a plan for I am all you really ever need!
I invite you, My child, to let Me in.
Let Me into your concerns for I can bear your load.
Let Me into your life for I do know what I am doing.
Let Me into your heart for I am the One you were created for.
I invite you, My child, to know the truth.
Know that I care for you and I will see to your needs.
Know that I am taking care of them even now.
Know that I am Your Faithful Father.
His child:
Lord, help me to trust when I don’t want to trust
Lord, help me to love when I don’t want to love
Lord, help to give, when I don’t want to give
To give my life to You.
For You, O Lord, are the Lover of my soul
And You, O Lord, are faithful
Yes, You O Lord, will watch over me
And care for me better than I ever could.
The Father:
I invite you, My child, to let go.
Let go of your need to worry for it really does you no good.
Let go of your need to control for you really have none.
Let go of your need for a plan for I am all you really ever need!
I invite you, My child, to let Me in.
Let Me into your concerns for I can bear your load.
Let Me into your life for I do know what I am doing.
Let Me into your heart for I am the One you were created for.
I invite you, My child, to know the truth.
Know that I care for you and I will see to your needs.
Know that I am taking care of them even now.
Know that I am Your Faithful Father.
His child:
Lord, help me to trust when I don’t want to trust
Lord, help me to love when I don’t want to love
Lord, help to give, when I don’t want to give
To give my life to You.
For You, O Lord, are the Lover of my soul
And You, O Lord, are faithful
Yes, You O Lord, will watch over me
And care for me better than I ever could.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Is God Confusing?
"God is not a god of confusion" or so I have often heard friends say or pray in reference to me or others who are going through a hard time. Well, while this may be the case with God, Himself, I have often found it is far from true with His followers. So, I decided to track down the actual scriptural reference used here. The verse, as found in the fourteenth chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthian Church, verse 33, reads as follows: "for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." It is part of a larger discussion of church conduct and is speaking specifically about sharing prophesies. It seems that in the Corinthian church, the common practice had been for everyone to share what God had revealed to them all at once and leave the sorting to the individual listeners. Paul, however, advises them to prophesy one person at a time and with an interpreter present, if necessary. Sounds like good advice to me.
However, while I have heard this verse used in the context of church conduct, I have also heard it used in the context of people's lives, my own included. It seems, at least according to using it in this context, that those who are confused in their lives are not in sync with God. For if they were, then their lives would make sense, both to themselves and to those looking in. However, there are plenty of people in the Bible whose lives did not make sense those around them, nor did it at times make sense to them. Do you think Abraham totally understood what was going on when God said Sarah would have a child? Come on, man, the guy was one hundred years old and Sarah was in her nineties. If that happened today, we would all blame it on fertility drugs and wonder about the suitability of the parents. Or how about Peter, leaving his thriving fishing business to go and follow Jesus. Did that make sense?
When did following God and making sense become inseparable? When did logic and order become tools required for discerning God's will? Maybe I'm going a bit too far, but sometimes I wonder. In trying to make such sense of God and His Will for our lives, are we not merely just trying to put God within the box of our own understanding? Are we replacing the God of mystery with the God we can understand? If so, are we not committing idolatry of a sort? Okay, I think that's enough for now. Maybe I better think more about this and come back. Feel free to comment in the mean time.
However, while I have heard this verse used in the context of church conduct, I have also heard it used in the context of people's lives, my own included. It seems, at least according to using it in this context, that those who are confused in their lives are not in sync with God. For if they were, then their lives would make sense, both to themselves and to those looking in. However, there are plenty of people in the Bible whose lives did not make sense those around them, nor did it at times make sense to them. Do you think Abraham totally understood what was going on when God said Sarah would have a child? Come on, man, the guy was one hundred years old and Sarah was in her nineties. If that happened today, we would all blame it on fertility drugs and wonder about the suitability of the parents. Or how about Peter, leaving his thriving fishing business to go and follow Jesus. Did that make sense?
When did following God and making sense become inseparable? When did logic and order become tools required for discerning God's will? Maybe I'm going a bit too far, but sometimes I wonder. In trying to make such sense of God and His Will for our lives, are we not merely just trying to put God within the box of our own understanding? Are we replacing the God of mystery with the God we can understand? If so, are we not committing idolatry of a sort? Okay, I think that's enough for now. Maybe I better think more about this and come back. Feel free to comment in the mean time.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Waiting with God Again
• Mike’s Musings (03/13/2006) •
Dear family & friends,
• Life Update: Still in Transition
Sorry for the delay in writing. I was waiting for a decision from a chaplaincy of sorts that I have been pursuing in Saint Paul. St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, MN has an opening for a casual Chaplain position. The really nice thing about it is that it includes an apartment rent and utility free! I interviewed for the position two weeks ago and was supposed to get an answer this past Friday. What I got was a “Wait and see . . .” I’m still thier #1 candidate, but they are now in the process of having to re-structure that position. They said they would hopefully be able to let me know mid-April. I do have a few other prospects as well, but this one is really the most promising to date.
Things at Caribou are going all right. They are a very performance driven company and I, unfortunately, made a few too many mistakes during my first shifts with them and am now being really short shifted as a result. I am lucky to be scheduled for four hours a week. Fortunately, I have been able to compensate some by subbing for other employees and my folks are helping me out some financially. I do try and have fun while working there the few hours I do, yet sometimes it’s hard to “put on a happy face” when much of my life still feels up in the air.
• Sharing My Journey: Waiting with God Again
As I look back over this past month in prayer, I hear echoes from the biblical stories of Joseph and Jeremiah. Like Joseph, God gave has given me a vision of the work He wants for me to do, yet not the practical path of how to get there. God took Joseph on a odd journey to get him to the place where his vision finally came into being and at times it feels like mine is an odd journey as well. I try to find hope in this similarity, yet there are times too where I find myself feeling like Jeremiah, “O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived.” (Jeremiah 20:7a) I know it is not in God’s nature to deceive, but unfortunately I have found it is often in my nature to misunderstand. There are many times when I long for the certainty of God’s work in my life that I had in months and years past. Yet I do know God’s work in me now is necessary for the work He will do through in the future.
Another interesting thing I have found over this past month is that people have a hard time with people like me. Most times when people ask me how I am, I say, “Things are going all right.” Every once in a while someone will seek to know more, and most times try to quickly fix my problems. Sometimes this is comforting, other times, the last thing I want or need is another “fixer” in my life. At times it feels more like “Your problems make me uncomfortable, so I want to fix them for you so we can both be more comfortable.” As if God’s main aim in our lives was to make us “comfortable.” The longer I struggle through this stage in my life, the more I become convinced God all that interested in our comfort as much as He is interesting in our conforming. God’s main desire for each of us is to be conformed into the image of His Son Jesus Christ and at times this process is far from comfortable. It’s like the question Lucy asks the Beavers in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, “Is Aslan safe?” “No”, Mrs. Beaver replied, “but He is good.”
That has become one of the main things that gets me through my day during this time. I know God is at work in me, I know He is good and I know He is faithful. The harder things get, the more I find myself trusting more and more in that one fact. Maybe that is God’s purpose in all this. We shall see. We shall see.
Though I know this letter is already a bit long, I hope you will endure me for just a bit longer. This month I found myself reminded of a hymn I first came across when I moved here to Minnesota. I sang it a number of times while working as a chaplain and now find myself singing it again. It’s Be Still, My Soul by Katharina A. von Schlegel:
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, be leaving, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.
Thank you for joining me again as I share my life with you in this fashion. May God continue to open the eyes of your heart to the ways He is at work in your life. May His peace and joy dwell richly with you.
In God’s Grip,
Michel Jon Willard
Michel Jon Willard
Monday, February 06, 2006
A Pattern for Spiritual Growth
Some of you know that I have been walking with, and counseling as needed and desired, a friend of mine who has been struggling some with his former church. It seems they were a church that like many today focused a lot on outward appearances. To hear him tell it, you might think the church had become a tad too legalistic in its approach to church discipline and holiness. Now, I'm not saying my friend is right and the church is wrong. I don't have enough facts to make such an accusation, nor am I even in a position to do so. However, his situation does bring to light a pattern that I have seen in a lot of today's churches. That is, how we go about cultivating spiritual growth in each others lives.
There are a number of biblical passages that speak about how to cultivate spiritual growth in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. To cover the full gamut would take a sermon series and many notable authors have written books on the subject. Some might even suspect I'm related to one of those authors. Let me set the story straight right now for the both of us, Dallas Willard and I are not related in any way. Though, when he visited Bethel and I asked him to sign my book, he did sign it, "To cousin Mike . . ." ;-) But I digress. The main passage I find myself drawn to this afternoon is Colossians 3: 1-17
Here is one of the many times we find Paul setting up a pattern for spiritual growth. Notice that there are three areas of our lives affected here: our hearts, our minds and our actions. First, Paul says: "Set your hearts on the things above," (3:1) then he says, "Set your minds on the things above,"(3:2) and finally, the next paragraph speaks of our actions (3: 5-10). The three seem to work together in this passage, as they do in a number of the other passages that speak of this kind of Christian growth. The process starts in the heart of each individual believer, then proceeds to the mind and is completed when shown forth in our actions.
Each part is needed. If our heart is not in it, than we are just going through the motions. At best, we are luke-warm Christians and at worst, we are white-washed sepulchers, modern-day pharisees of the worst kind. If our hearts are in it, but our minds don't follow suit, then it will be a short-lived obedience at best. And lastly, if our hearts and minds are in it, yet our actions have not yet fallen in line, than we need to start following through or else our testimony to the world will be at risk. Yes, God looks beyond the externals to see our heart, but the world stops right at the externals. We need to live in a manner that is pleasing to God and testimonial to the world. It is a tough balancing act, but then no one ever said the Christian life would be easy. Thankfully though, God does say, He will give us the strength needed to do whatever He calls us to (Philippians 4:3).
The problem is many of today's churches seem to choose one of these and favor it high above to other three. There are those who favor the heart and center greatly on God's mercy and grace. There are those who favor the mind and focus mainly on God's truth and righteousness. There are those who favor actions and emphasize God's law and holiness. Yet it sounds like Paul here is saying all three are important. Almost like, you can't have one without the other two. They all work together in the young Christian Spiritual life.
It all starts with the heart, then comes the mind and finally, in time, come the actions. Yet, we all want results. We all want the finished product now. We want to all be instantly sin-free Christians. Thankfully, God has a lot more patience with us than we do with ourselves. Well, I could go on, yet I feel I have probably said more than enough already. So let me close with one of Jesus, parables, that I believe also speaks to this theme:
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Phariseee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
There are a number of biblical passages that speak about how to cultivate spiritual growth in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. To cover the full gamut would take a sermon series and many notable authors have written books on the subject. Some might even suspect I'm related to one of those authors. Let me set the story straight right now for the both of us, Dallas Willard and I are not related in any way. Though, when he visited Bethel and I asked him to sign my book, he did sign it, "To cousin Mike . . ." ;-) But I digress. The main passage I find myself drawn to this afternoon is Colossians 3: 1-17
Here is one of the many times we find Paul setting up a pattern for spiritual growth. Notice that there are three areas of our lives affected here: our hearts, our minds and our actions. First, Paul says: "Set your hearts on the things above," (3:1) then he says, "Set your minds on the things above,"(3:2) and finally, the next paragraph speaks of our actions (3: 5-10). The three seem to work together in this passage, as they do in a number of the other passages that speak of this kind of Christian growth. The process starts in the heart of each individual believer, then proceeds to the mind and is completed when shown forth in our actions.
Each part is needed. If our heart is not in it, than we are just going through the motions. At best, we are luke-warm Christians and at worst, we are white-washed sepulchers, modern-day pharisees of the worst kind. If our hearts are in it, but our minds don't follow suit, then it will be a short-lived obedience at best. And lastly, if our hearts and minds are in it, yet our actions have not yet fallen in line, than we need to start following through or else our testimony to the world will be at risk. Yes, God looks beyond the externals to see our heart, but the world stops right at the externals. We need to live in a manner that is pleasing to God and testimonial to the world. It is a tough balancing act, but then no one ever said the Christian life would be easy. Thankfully though, God does say, He will give us the strength needed to do whatever He calls us to (Philippians 4:3).
The problem is many of today's churches seem to choose one of these and favor it high above to other three. There are those who favor the heart and center greatly on God's mercy and grace. There are those who favor the mind and focus mainly on God's truth and righteousness. There are those who favor actions and emphasize God's law and holiness. Yet it sounds like Paul here is saying all three are important. Almost like, you can't have one without the other two. They all work together in the young Christian Spiritual life.
It all starts with the heart, then comes the mind and finally, in time, come the actions. Yet, we all want results. We all want the finished product now. We want to all be instantly sin-free Christians. Thankfully, God has a lot more patience with us than we do with ourselves. Well, I could go on, yet I feel I have probably said more than enough already. So let me close with one of Jesus, parables, that I believe also speaks to this theme:
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Phariseee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
- Luke18:10-14 (NIV) -
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