Saturday, April 26, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Don't Suck Life Away from those around you - Be life giving!
As a general rule people do not like change. We resist the trauma which accompanies a shift in thinking, behavior and geographic location. We like things the way that they are and we fight to keep them that way. Sometimes that trait is helpful - it exists like an anchor to keep us from drifting with the culture into ideas that are harmful and destructive. At other times however our reluctance to change causes us to become stagnant and stale. In fact, if we insist on resisting changes designed by God to bring fulfillment and life we will undoubtedly invite depression into our lives and become a burden to those we were intended to bless.
As we moved to North Carolina from PA last summer we faced a myriad of changes - a new home, a new climate, a new culture, a region where there were no Buckwalters, Hostetters, Martins - in fact we met no Mennonites at all. There were no longer an endless stream of friends and family we could call on to watch our children, invite over for a cookout or meet at the movies. Those new families we found ourselves in contact with, while only 8 hours from Lancaster, did not seem to speak the same language or have the same vocabulary, particularly when it came to talking about God. I found myself resisting change.
When we resist change designed by God to produce life in us we invite depression, frustration and a complaining spirit to invade our homes, and for part of our first six months here my mind was wrapped in this place. I was enjoying parts of the new culture and watching Naomi and the children thrive in this new environment, but deep down I knew there was something off, a deep dissatisfaction with the way things were. I thought about all sorts of solutions, quit my job, move back to PA, fast, pray, read-my-bible-more, none of those "easy solutions" or "old spiritual stand byes" seemed to bear any fruit and my frustration remained. Then in November God used a few simply things to challenge me. Naomi and I travelled to Columbia, South Carolina to hear Arthur Burk speak about the issues facing the church, one of the primary points which landed with me was how we are gripped with what amounts to a parasite approach to life. His indictment was this that we look for a church or community which can give us what we want instead of using the gifts, talents and abilities God has given us to solve the problems facing us and in doing so find life on our own and be life giving to those around us.
Naomi and I talked much about that reality as we considered both our own journey and the journey of the community we were a part of in Lancaster and the one which was emerging in North Carolina. As we talked we were convicted and convinced by the truth. We were designed by God to move toward the transitions we were facing in a way which would bring life to those around us. Seeking to escape the problems which had accompanied the change would only lead to depression and frustration - bulls eye!
As we returned home to North Carolina from that weekend away I was reminded of this truth by something I could see in our yard each day. The trees which line the banks of the Neuse River not far from our home are beautiful - some are tall, slender Carolina pines which seem to reach for the heavens, others are pin oaks, poplars and fruit trees - while each is unique, the trees in our yard have one thing in common - their lowest branches are draped in Spanish moss.
I had noticed the moss on the trees of our property when we had first arrived last summer. However I paid it little attention to it until my parents arrived for a visit during the Labor Day weekend. One morning I walked into the yard to find my mother on a step ladder armed with a garbage bag and a pair of scissors clipping away at the Spanish moss. She coveted the massive amounts of moss which hung from our trees because it could be used in the flower arrangements that she uses in the crafts that she creates. As my father and I watched her collect the clippings he talked about the plant. My father has an amazing knowledge of plants, soil and insects which I have often considered excessive. However I am learning to treasure the revelation that God has wrapped in the midst of all that he has created, so I was listening to him. He shared with me that the Spanish moss basically acts like a parasite gaining life from the trees which it lives on. I thought about it, made a few responses and tucked it away in the "Jeopardy" category of my brain.
Upon our return from South Carolina with the challenge to become life giving in the face of transition, I looked at the Spanish moss with a fresh appreciation for the simplicity with which God speaks. I did some further research on Spanish moss and discovered that it is an epiphyte which often becomes harmful to the host tree because it becomes so thick that it blocks out the sun and while it rarely causes a tree to die, it can greatly limit the growth of the tree. The spiritual applications are simple - we have been trained in our culture, and our church culture to be mostly life-taking. To go somewhere to get a solution to our problems rather then to solve them with the inspiration and creativity available to us. We have become largely a complaining culture which focuses more on what is wrong then on our ability to solve the problems we are facing. If we are truly going to be part of a revolutionary change in the Body of Christ this must change!
Friends I charge you this day to move beyond your own discomfort with the transition you find yourself in and the problems you are facing choosing instead to focus on the wisdom of the one who has brought you to this place to help you see what is really inside of you. You are not as weak or ill-prepared as you believe - you have been made for the problems you face. We must move from a wrong dependency upon others to solve these problems for us and instead encourage one another to face-up to the problems, embrace the creative solutions that God wants to give us and in doing so we will be life giving to a world looking desperately for those who have the keys to life.
This is why you are where you are - to be like the one who created you!
What are you learning in the midst of your own transitions?
As we moved to North Carolina from PA last summer we faced a myriad of changes - a new home, a new climate, a new culture, a region where there were no Buckwalters, Hostetters, Martins - in fact we met no Mennonites at all. There were no longer an endless stream of friends and family we could call on to watch our children, invite over for a cookout or meet at the movies. Those new families we found ourselves in contact with, while only 8 hours from Lancaster, did not seem to speak the same language or have the same vocabulary, particularly when it came to talking about God. I found myself resisting change.
When we resist change designed by God to produce life in us we invite depression, frustration and a complaining spirit to invade our homes, and for part of our first six months here my mind was wrapped in this place. I was enjoying parts of the new culture and watching Naomi and the children thrive in this new environment, but deep down I knew there was something off, a deep dissatisfaction with the way things were. I thought about all sorts of solutions, quit my job, move back to PA, fast, pray, read-my-bible-more, none of those "easy solutions" or "old spiritual stand byes" seemed to bear any fruit and my frustration remained. Then in November God used a few simply things to challenge me. Naomi and I travelled to Columbia, South Carolina to hear Arthur Burk speak about the issues facing the church, one of the primary points which landed with me was how we are gripped with what amounts to a parasite approach to life. His indictment was this that we look for a church or community which can give us what we want instead of using the gifts, talents and abilities God has given us to solve the problems facing us and in doing so find life on our own and be life giving to those around us.
Naomi and I talked much about that reality as we considered both our own journey and the journey of the community we were a part of in Lancaster and the one which was emerging in North Carolina. As we talked we were convicted and convinced by the truth. We were designed by God to move toward the transitions we were facing in a way which would bring life to those around us. Seeking to escape the problems which had accompanied the change would only lead to depression and frustration - bulls eye!
As we returned home to North Carolina from that weekend away I was reminded of this truth by something I could see in our yard each day. The trees which line the banks of the Neuse River not far from our home are beautiful - some are tall, slender Carolina pines which seem to reach for the heavens, others are pin oaks, poplars and fruit trees - while each is unique, the trees in our yard have one thing in common - their lowest branches are draped in Spanish moss.
I had noticed the moss on the trees of our property when we had first arrived last summer. However I paid it little attention to it until my parents arrived for a visit during the Labor Day weekend. One morning I walked into the yard to find my mother on a step ladder armed with a garbage bag and a pair of scissors clipping away at the Spanish moss. She coveted the massive amounts of moss which hung from our trees because it could be used in the flower arrangements that she uses in the crafts that she creates. As my father and I watched her collect the clippings he talked about the plant. My father has an amazing knowledge of plants, soil and insects which I have often considered excessive. However I am learning to treasure the revelation that God has wrapped in the midst of all that he has created, so I was listening to him. He shared with me that the Spanish moss basically acts like a parasite gaining life from the trees which it lives on. I thought about it, made a few responses and tucked it away in the "Jeopardy" category of my brain.
Upon our return from South Carolina with the challenge to become life giving in the face of transition, I looked at the Spanish moss with a fresh appreciation for the simplicity with which God speaks. I did some further research on Spanish moss and discovered that it is an epiphyte which often becomes harmful to the host tree because it becomes so thick that it blocks out the sun and while it rarely causes a tree to die, it can greatly limit the growth of the tree. The spiritual applications are simple - we have been trained in our culture, and our church culture to be mostly life-taking. To go somewhere to get a solution to our problems rather then to solve them with the inspiration and creativity available to us. We have become largely a complaining culture which focuses more on what is wrong then on our ability to solve the problems we are facing. If we are truly going to be part of a revolutionary change in the Body of Christ this must change!
Friends I charge you this day to move beyond your own discomfort with the transition you find yourself in and the problems you are facing choosing instead to focus on the wisdom of the one who has brought you to this place to help you see what is really inside of you. You are not as weak or ill-prepared as you believe - you have been made for the problems you face. We must move from a wrong dependency upon others to solve these problems for us and instead encourage one another to face-up to the problems, embrace the creative solutions that God wants to give us and in doing so we will be life giving to a world looking desperately for those who have the keys to life.
This is why you are where you are - to be like the one who created you!
What are you learning in the midst of your own transitions?
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On...
Recently as I drove through rural Eastern North Carolina I found myself scanning the radio listening for something. The first lyrics which caught my attention were, "C'mon over baby whole lotta shakin' going on..." I listened to the song for a few seconds and then hit the seek button again in search of something different. After a brief pause on the next station I hit seek once more and again heard the phrase, "C'mon over baby whole lotta shakin' goin on." Intrigued, I listened for a few more minutes to the lyrics before turning down the radio to think more about the words I had just heard twice. As I quietly drove through the east Carolina night I smiled at the simple ways that God often speaks to us that which is profound.
There is a whole lotta shakin' goin' on right now. So much so that at times during the last few years I've wanted to opt out and find something a bit more normal, something safer and more predictible. Yet on the other hand I have known that to do so would violate something deep inside of me, something in my DNA, that identifies me as being created to thrive in the midst of significant change during a key hour of human history. So I've been at war with myself - searching for a way forward. Through this war I'm learning a lot about myself and about God's commitment to reparent me so that I don't just survive this period of transition, but that I learn how to thrive and be life giving in the midst of it.
I know that some of you are wrestling with the same battles and I have decided to write in hopes that my journey will inspire you to keep going - to seek and find that place where your spirit comes alive and you know fulfillment in your innermost places. That is my desire!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Moles and Problem Solving
About a week ago I was in a hardware store near my home. As I walked through the store gathering the supplies I needed a man entered and asked the store manager what to do about moles. Apparently the small rodents were making a mess of his yard and he wanted to eliminate them as soon as possible. I listened as a series of possible solutions were discussed. I learned that it is illegal to kill moles with poison as they are protected by state law. I learned that it can be difficult to use mole traps to capture the creatures and I learned that a 85 cent pack of Starburst candy will attract the mole and then effectively clog his digestive system eventually causing death. Later as I spoke with a neighbor about the mole phenomena he provided an alternative solution. He offered that most people believe that capturing the mole is the problem, he suggested that if you eliminate the moles food supply, often grubs and other small insects which live in the yard, then the moles will disappear. A I listened I knew there was wisdom to be gleaned from this scenario.
In our journey to fulfill our calling we often react to problems we face without considering the reality that God desires to use that situation to help us develop our problem solving ability. Like the man who went into the hardware store we want a quick solution that will make our lives easier. One of the main areas of illegitimacy that God is dealing with in our generation is our ability to solve problems. We live in a culture of quick fixes fascinated with disposable products which are often discarded after a few uses. Consequently we have become a people who move away from problems rather then toward them. In fact in many cases we have slowly, subtly yet surely developed a theology that suggests we are “off track” when we encounter difficulties which seem to be beyond our realm of ability. Presently God is dealing with this issue in many of our lives.
I want to encourage you today to seek God for creativity and wisdom as you move toward the problems you are facing. Perhaps you are dealing with a troubling relationship at work or in your family. Maybe you are struggling to know how to parent one of your children. It may even be that God has provided a problem in your home like a faulty downspout, an electrical problem or a leaky faucet to teach you about His creativity and the reality that you have been created to be a problem-solver. While this may seem simple I believe it is actually the wisdom of God to use such basic situations as He seeks to move the Church from being a group of people focused primarily on discussing problems to becoming a group of people who are solution oriented, who learn to anticipate the process of solving the problems they face knowing that God is developing something profound within them through the process. Those who learn to approach life in this way will be a source of light and life to those around them and they will equip others to do the same.
So regardless of the size or nature of the problem you are facing today – embrace it – ask God for wisdom – and dig down deep to find the resolve you didn’t believe you had – it is in there – you can do it! Simultaneously recognize that God is Fathering you – He is in the process of helping you to identify gifts and abilities within you that you didn’t know that you had. Smile and enjoy the process and the goodness of God!
In our journey to fulfill our calling we often react to problems we face without considering the reality that God desires to use that situation to help us develop our problem solving ability. Like the man who went into the hardware store we want a quick solution that will make our lives easier. One of the main areas of illegitimacy that God is dealing with in our generation is our ability to solve problems. We live in a culture of quick fixes fascinated with disposable products which are often discarded after a few uses. Consequently we have become a people who move away from problems rather then toward them. In fact in many cases we have slowly, subtly yet surely developed a theology that suggests we are “off track” when we encounter difficulties which seem to be beyond our realm of ability. Presently God is dealing with this issue in many of our lives.
I want to encourage you today to seek God for creativity and wisdom as you move toward the problems you are facing. Perhaps you are dealing with a troubling relationship at work or in your family. Maybe you are struggling to know how to parent one of your children. It may even be that God has provided a problem in your home like a faulty downspout, an electrical problem or a leaky faucet to teach you about His creativity and the reality that you have been created to be a problem-solver. While this may seem simple I believe it is actually the wisdom of God to use such basic situations as He seeks to move the Church from being a group of people focused primarily on discussing problems to becoming a group of people who are solution oriented, who learn to anticipate the process of solving the problems they face knowing that God is developing something profound within them through the process. Those who learn to approach life in this way will be a source of light and life to those around them and they will equip others to do the same.
So regardless of the size or nature of the problem you are facing today – embrace it – ask God for wisdom – and dig down deep to find the resolve you didn’t believe you had – it is in there – you can do it! Simultaneously recognize that God is Fathering you – He is in the process of helping you to identify gifts and abilities within you that you didn’t know that you had. Smile and enjoy the process and the goodness of God!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
The Birth of Something New
I remember well the evening of March 26th, 1997. At about 10 o'clock that night our first child, Judah, was born. As I held him and looked at him I cried, overwhelmed by the goodness of God. Naomi and I were so excited, joy washed over us as we called family and friends to tell them the news. A flood of visitors joined in the celebration of his birth over the next few days as they came to our room at the hospital. It was an amazing time.
When I remember that spring I often think of those first few moments of Judah's life. However I also remember the day that we took him home for the first time. In preparation to be first time parents Naomi and I had taken child-birth classes, painted and designed an inviting nursery and she had read "What to Expect When You're Expecting." We had talked to other parents and yet just a few moments after bringing Judah home we both broke down. We had no idea how to care for him. We both wondered how they could've let us bring him home without further training. We were facing a dilemma - we had to do something that we had never done before. And while we had been prepared in some ways for the task at hand we were both very aware that this was going to demand more of each of us then we had ever anticipated - and that scared us.
As a community this is where we are! We have experienced the birth of something new. We have rejoiced at its arrival. Now it is time to embrace the responsibility of this new season. Just as Naomi and I felt overwhelmed and unqualified for the task at hand many of us now feel the same way. Those feelings of inadequacy seem to be justified, we don't seem to have access to the same resources that other history makers may have had. But just as David had all he needed in a sling and a few small stones, you now have all you need to conquer the giants in your life. Do not worry, do not be afraid, embrace this opportunity. Realize that Father is watching over you, He has invested a tremendous amount to bring you to this point and He will never leave you or forsake you!
So dig in, say goodbye to yesterday and move toward tomorrow with a commitment to find Father's creative plan for today. Don't be afraid of not having the right resources - You have all you need!
I wonder what you will become...
Embracing my own challenges, moving beyond my own fears and my own sense of inadequacy on the way,
Matt
When I remember that spring I often think of those first few moments of Judah's life. However I also remember the day that we took him home for the first time. In preparation to be first time parents Naomi and I had taken child-birth classes, painted and designed an inviting nursery and she had read "What to Expect When You're Expecting." We had talked to other parents and yet just a few moments after bringing Judah home we both broke down. We had no idea how to care for him. We both wondered how they could've let us bring him home without further training. We were facing a dilemma - we had to do something that we had never done before. And while we had been prepared in some ways for the task at hand we were both very aware that this was going to demand more of each of us then we had ever anticipated - and that scared us.
As a community this is where we are! We have experienced the birth of something new. We have rejoiced at its arrival. Now it is time to embrace the responsibility of this new season. Just as Naomi and I felt overwhelmed and unqualified for the task at hand many of us now feel the same way. Those feelings of inadequacy seem to be justified, we don't seem to have access to the same resources that other history makers may have had. But just as David had all he needed in a sling and a few small stones, you now have all you need to conquer the giants in your life. Do not worry, do not be afraid, embrace this opportunity. Realize that Father is watching over you, He has invested a tremendous amount to bring you to this point and He will never leave you or forsake you!
So dig in, say goodbye to yesterday and move toward tomorrow with a commitment to find Father's creative plan for today. Don't be afraid of not having the right resources - You have all you need!
I wonder what you will become...
Embracing my own challenges, moving beyond my own fears and my own sense of inadequacy on the way,
Matt
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