“Give me an undivided heart that I might praise your name!”—Psalm 86:11 It was the cry of David to live with an undivided heart. I understand his plea and lately his petition has become my petition. I find myself wanting more and more to live a more simple, integrated and meaningful life. Let me explain.By simple I mean less complex. I mean smaller than larger. I mean slower than faster. I mean guileless—how’s that for resurrecting a very old fashioned word? The more meetings; the complex demands; the pressure to be successful have taken their toil and I feel threadbare. It all makes me feel divided and to throw in a few more feelings—I feel guilty when I let myself down and others--whose opinions really matter-- express disappointment in me, in life and in faith.By integrated, I mean this. I’d like to find a small band of pilgrims who could unite to have a regular time of fellowship where the conversation was honest, the prayers were heartfelt and the thirst was deep. I would like for these same friends to be a part of my church where I could see them on Sundays and hug them and be loved back by them. I want to be the church, more than I want to go to it. There, I’d like to think of serving my true neighbor and living out the matters of faith that are genuinely important and vital. I tire of the buffeteria approach to life which says, “Take what you want—as much as you want and then move on.” Sometimes, I feel like I am living my life on a merry-go-round passing by people, places and events without ever really being able to get off the damn ride and sit a spell with someone you basically just like and enjoy and have an ice cream cone with—a sort of communion between soul mates.By guileless—I mean to be real, transparent and for this to be lived out in a reciprocal way. I mean to be the same on the inside as I attempt to live my life on the outside. I mean to be anchored to truth and integrity and decency. That kind of thing.This is a deep stirring in me. All the travel—all the speaking—all the ministry events—all the mega-ness of so many places and people. It simply wears me thin. Do you know what I mean by thin? I mean it’s where you live your life in such a way that there’s no sustainability—no vitality—no real life—only the motions of life.I want the things that Benedict wanted in the 5th century. He said that living in a sustainable rhythm of life and faith is the ONLY way to really live. I so want the rhythm he described and lived. It's good to engage but we must also dis-engage. It's wonderful to have meaningful work, but then there simply must be rest. There is a season for everything. I want to live in seasons not demand that everything must happen now.I'd like to plant a garden this year because there are so many lessons in the soil. I”d like to grow a few tomatoes and then invite a few good friends to join me to feast on them one summer day not too far from now. They might bring the bread. One might bring the wine and there we’d sit in the shade of quaking Aspens saying quietly to ourselves, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”It is precisely the “this” that I find myself wanting right now.We stand four weeks away from my elaboration of this great them in the soon to be released, "The Jesus Life." I hope you'll join me soon in getting the book, reading it and joining me in the eight ways I explore to re-discover life--and how to really live!
Marshalling Your Energy Wisely--it's what God wants!
A group of young, German church planters have invited Gwen and I to come lead a retreat for them on how to care for their souls. Their young wives will join them. What a great audience to pour our hearts into!It's interesting that in German church history, the word, "pastor" is rooted in an expression meaning "soul physician". It's lost it's original meaning today and in our busy culture, a hurry sickness has infected the hearts of many.How we are so in need of a soul physician. In all reality, that is exactly our calling, our work and our mission.Actually, this dis-ease is systemic invading all parts of a leader's life--their marriage, their parenting--their desire to live The Jesus Life and more. So, it's with great joy that we pack our bags to lead them in a rather long retreat. For six days, we'll have this captive audience and we will attempt to pour wisdom, counsel, common sense and what Eugene Peterson says, of "self-control"--the 'ability to marshal your energies wisely.'Who would have ever thought that the Greek meaning for self-control--one of the fruit of the Spirit actually means...."The ability to marshal your energies wisely." It's listed right there in Galatians 5:22 as one of the fruit of God's work in us. It's what he wants in us---the ability to marshal your energy wisely.Just today in my office I sat with a female executive for a leading organization in Colorado Springs. She was breathless arriving late to our scheduled meeting. As she apologized, she listed a litany of reasons why our life was a bit "out of control." Her children...her busy husband's schedule. Her "mom" duties and her full time job as a leading exec in her company. We began to talk about learning to live in rhythm and to give up the lie of the balanced life. We spoke about learning to marshal your energies wisely. As she cried and wiped tears from her eyes. She said, " I didn't realize that God actually wanted me to learn how to marshal my energies. I've felt so totally out of control."We will travel tomorrow to Germany offering young pastors in a once of the most competitive, successful and leading countries in the world---where the church is in absolute total decline and disarray--the opportunity to care for their souls. Pray for us in our ministry. We need it. Pray for no travel glitches. That we can overcome jetlag. That we can be prepared to talk three times a day in this retreat and to love these dear ones well.It will be a great blessing for us to have a few days at the end of our trip with our son, Cameron who is stationed in Kaiserslaughtan. He's apartment is a proverbial one... right over a German butcher shop on a narrow pedestrian street. Sounds picturesque! We'll let you know when we return. All blessings,Steve and Gwen