A thought for Holy Week, and something I have been thinking about through Lent.
We tend to take for granted that we will be spiritually nourished by reading the Bible and going to church. Our experience often does not match up, however; we find our Bible readings to be dry and church services to be merely going through the motions. There are many reasons for that; sometimes we even need to go through such periods in order to grow. Nonetheless, shoudln't we pray for spiritual nourishment? Shouldn't we pray desperately for it?
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread -
Both physical and spiritual...
Monday, April 10, 2006
Monday, April 03, 2006
The Pursuit
The Pursuit
Your life is not random. You do not believe that it is (though it seems that way at times). You certainly do not act that way (when was the last time you checked to see if the sky was raining hair-gel?). Somewhere in that muddled up brain of yours (and mine), you have at least a fuzzy idea of a goal or dream or hope. Never mind that you may not be able to articulate it. Never mind that it may not seem logical or rational to anyone, yourself included. Never mind that the goal may be as near-sighted as finding your next chocolate fix. You have at least a vague idea of how life works (or ought to), and your choices, actions, and habits are steering you more or less to what you hope is your destination.
The problem is, even when you are certain what place you want to go, you really are not sure just exactly how life works or exactly where your destination lies. Some “experienced” travelers hand out road maps, but they don’t match up. Also, you dig into your backpack to find 360 different compasses with 360 different directions for north.
How are you supposed to get anywhere?
What if your destination was of the utmost importance?
“Those who have heard the distant call deep within and who desire to explore the world of Spiritual Disciplines are immediately faced with two difficulties…The second difficulty is a practical one. We simply do not now how to go about exploring the inward life.”
When we turn to the pursuit of spiritual growth, we are faced with conflicting advice. We have heard everything from “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” to “Be still and know that I am God”. Both ideas make sense and seem to be biblically true, but we cannot figure out how to put them together. The first is frustrating because the task is so immense we do not know where to start. Our best efforts often leave us wandering in circles or making progress in one area of our lives only to be tripped up by yet another. Trying the second option, we find ourselves tired of waiting when there seems to be no change and turn back to the first option or we become so comfortable waiting that we give up any active efforts to grow.
Who is ultimately responsible for our spiritual growth: us or God?
“Picture a long, narrow ridge with a sheer drop-off on either side. The chasm to the right is the way of moral bankruptcy through human strivings for righteousness…The chasm to the left is the moral bankruptcy through the absence of human strivings. On the ridge there is a path, the Disciplines of the spiritual life. This path leads to the inner transformation and healing for which we seek…As we travel on this path, the blessing of God will come upon us and reconstruct us into the image of Jesus Christ. We must always remember that the path does not produce the change; it only places us where the change can occur.”
Perhaps we cannot make sense of our destination. However, we can cry out for the guide. If we are prepared to let go of control without letting go of striving, obediently stay on the path he shows us, realize that our effort only leads us to a place where we are ready for God to change us, and are prepared to submit to his timetable for our spiritual growth, he will make sure we stay on the right path in the pursuit of our destination.
Your life is not random. You do not believe that it is (though it seems that way at times). You certainly do not act that way (when was the last time you checked to see if the sky was raining hair-gel?). Somewhere in that muddled up brain of yours (and mine), you have at least a fuzzy idea of a goal or dream or hope. Never mind that you may not be able to articulate it. Never mind that it may not seem logical or rational to anyone, yourself included. Never mind that the goal may be as near-sighted as finding your next chocolate fix. You have at least a vague idea of how life works (or ought to), and your choices, actions, and habits are steering you more or less to what you hope is your destination.
The problem is, even when you are certain what place you want to go, you really are not sure just exactly how life works or exactly where your destination lies. Some “experienced” travelers hand out road maps, but they don’t match up. Also, you dig into your backpack to find 360 different compasses with 360 different directions for north.
How are you supposed to get anywhere?
What if your destination was of the utmost importance?
“Those who have heard the distant call deep within and who desire to explore the world of Spiritual Disciplines are immediately faced with two difficulties…The second difficulty is a practical one. We simply do not now how to go about exploring the inward life.”
When we turn to the pursuit of spiritual growth, we are faced with conflicting advice. We have heard everything from “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” to “Be still and know that I am God”. Both ideas make sense and seem to be biblically true, but we cannot figure out how to put them together. The first is frustrating because the task is so immense we do not know where to start. Our best efforts often leave us wandering in circles or making progress in one area of our lives only to be tripped up by yet another. Trying the second option, we find ourselves tired of waiting when there seems to be no change and turn back to the first option or we become so comfortable waiting that we give up any active efforts to grow.
Who is ultimately responsible for our spiritual growth: us or God?
“Picture a long, narrow ridge with a sheer drop-off on either side. The chasm to the right is the way of moral bankruptcy through human strivings for righteousness…The chasm to the left is the moral bankruptcy through the absence of human strivings. On the ridge there is a path, the Disciplines of the spiritual life. This path leads to the inner transformation and healing for which we seek…As we travel on this path, the blessing of God will come upon us and reconstruct us into the image of Jesus Christ. We must always remember that the path does not produce the change; it only places us where the change can occur.”
Perhaps we cannot make sense of our destination. However, we can cry out for the guide. If we are prepared to let go of control without letting go of striving, obediently stay on the path he shows us, realize that our effort only leads us to a place where we are ready for God to change us, and are prepared to submit to his timetable for our spiritual growth, he will make sure we stay on the right path in the pursuit of our destination.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)