Category Archives: Missional Living

August 5, 2015 · 9:55 am

The Art of Keeping your Mouth Shout

A devout man happened to be insulted by someone, and he said to him, ‘I could say much to you, but the commandment of God keeps my mouth shut.”’ Again she said this, “A Christian discussing the body with a Manichean expressed himself in these words, “Give the body discipline and you will see that the body is for him who made it.”’

— Amma Theodora

I think we all believe in sacred silence, but the desert advice is a bit different. This sort of silence is as important to our Christian witness as prayer. In this silence we embody the “turning of the other check, going the second mile, doing unto others as you would have them do unto as you.” Those sayings and many other red letter words of Jesus are practiced by simply keeping our mouth shut.

We underestimate the importance of training our bodies so that we mayMark Twain 1 naturally function as God intended. We are made in the “image” of God and as we surrender our whole being to Him, He gives us the ability to do great things. Mark Twain said, ”The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the fellow who can’t read a line.” In that same vain, a person who does not control his body may as well be an animal who acts through raw instinct. The God stamp that dwells within us is our ability to think and reason and strive to change.

The wisdom of the desert tells us to practice the silence of the closed mouth and to discipline our bodies in a way to bring us to spiritual wholeness.

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September 21, 2014 · 6:28 am

A Monk’s Story

One day a man from a nearby village called out at the monastery gates, and  handed the old monk who opened it a magnificent bunch of grapes, saying, “Dear Father, I have brought as a gift the finest grapes my vineyard has produced.”

PorterThe monk smiled, “Thank you, I will take them to the Abbot immediately; he’ll be delighted with this offering.” But the villager said, “No, no I brought them for you.”

The old monk didn’t think he deserved such a fine gift. “Oh yes!” insisted the man. “For whenever I come by, you open the gates and welcome me. When I needed help because the crop was destroyed, you shared your meal with me every day. I hope this bunch of grapes will remind you of the sun’s love, the rain’s beauty and the miracle of God, for it is He who made them grow so fine.”

The monk held the bunch grapes. It looked full and luscious. He decided to present it to the Abbot, who had always encouraged him with words of wisdom.

The Abbot was very pleased with the grapes, but as he accepted them, he thought of one of the brothers who had been very unwell. “I’ll give him these grapes; they may bring some joy to his life.”

But the grapes didn’t stay in the sick monk’s room for long. He reflected, “Brother Cook has been feeding me such nourishing meals to help me recover. I’m sure he will enjoy these.” As the cook brought him his meal, he presented him with the grapes. “They’re for you,” said the sick monk. “You work so hard; take a moment to sit and enjoy these.”

Brother Cook was amazed at the beauty of the grapes, then he thought of the newest entrant to the monastery. He decided to gift them to the youngster as he felt he might be a bit lonely without his family, and also so that he might understand that the work of God is in the smallest details of creation.

When the novice received them, his heart was filled with the Glory of the Lord, for he had never seen such beautiful grapes. Just then, he recalled the first time he came to the monastery, and of the simple old monk who had opened the gates and warmly welcomed him; it was that gesture which allowed him to feel at home in this community of people who knew how to value the wonders of life.

And so, he walked to the monk at the gates. “Eat and enjoy them,” he said. “For you spend most of your time alone here, and these grapes will make you very happy.”

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July 9, 2014 · 10:21 am

The Gift of True Giving

Jesus renewed people with the power of his compassion. I like the ancient legend about the Monk who found a precious stone, a precious jewel. A short time later, the Monk met a traveler, who said he was hungry and asked the Monk if he would share some of his provisions. When the Monk opened his bag, the traveler saw the precious stone and, on an impulse, asked the Monk if he could have it. Amazingly, the Monk gave the traveler the stone.charity-hand-up

The traveler departed quickly, overjoyed with his new possession. However, a few days later, he came back, searching for the Monk. He returned the stone to the Monk and made a request: “Please give me something more valuable, more precious than this stone. Please give me that which enabled you to give me this precious stone!”

Prayer

Lord give me this gift of giving that I may be able to give something of great value without reservation. Teach me that all that I have is yours. Amen

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July 7, 2014 · 9:37 am

Living on Mission

hands imageThere are various definitions of what it means to live a missional life. The past several years I have given much thought to missional living, and I offer these daily questions to you as a tool.  You might want to make these questions a part of your evening prayer.

  • What have I done to help the poor today?

  • What have I done to move towards holiness today?

  • Have I prayed for my enemies today?

  • Have I shared a kind word with someone today?

  • Have I given anything away today?

  • Have I been honest today?

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

—— Jesus of Nazareth

Lord give me the courage to seek opportunities of ministry today. Make my life one of prayer and giving, and let my presence be a blessing to all I encounter. Amen

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July 2, 2014 · 6:18 am

What Can I Do?

Christ Suffering

Christ Suffering

Originally published January 10, 2010

We ask ourselves that question every time there is a great tragedy in the world. The tragic event that took place in Haiti on January 11th (an earthquake that still causes suffering in that country)will cause long-lasting suffering. Our first reaction is to want to do something. When great tragedies strike we can give money, we can pray and we can even weep with those who are weeping. There are many of us want to put our hands on something that makes us part of the solution but that is not possible for the great majority of us.

Missional people are committed to applying the teachings of Christ to all situations, no matter how tragic. I watch the news each day and am saddened more by the seemingly hopeless plight of so many of the injured. I watch and gather hope from the courage of the rescue crews that have come from all over the world. They risk their lives to help others. They are truly Missional people. As Missional people we are a people of prayer.

I offer this prayer:

Lord you created the earth with all it dynamics. We sometimes question the reasons for suffering and pain. We even blame you and call you a harsh and vengeful God but when we see your power manifested in natural disasters we are reminded of your greatness. Lord allow us to learn to treasure our days as we watch the unfolding of this horror. Let us learn from the spirit of the first responders who risk their lives to save others. In all this help us to count our days and offer them to the service of the world.

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July 1, 2014 · 11:09 am

Creating a Treasure–A Missional Thought

This post was originally published on January 10, 2009. Access to this spot has since been closed for safety reasons, but we minister to people when we created treasured moments for them. Emma is now nine years old and going into fourth grade but still remembers going to the “beach.”

Most of us who grew up in New Orleans can remember Pontchartrain Beach. It was a place of fun and wonder for kids and adults alike. The Zephyr, Wild Mouse and, of course, the Beach are gone. The “Beach” bit the dust more than two decades ago. There is, however, a small remnant of the fun that still exists, and that’s where the treasure is found.

It is located across Lakeshore Drive from UNO. The small strip of sand and crumbling relic of what’s left of the “Ragin Cajun” still remain. A few days ago my grandaughter, Emma, wanted to go to the beach and collect some treasures- just little pieces of sea shells and even rocks that she considers pretty. It seemsEmma at the beach that long ago I stopped collecting treasures, but it is amazing what a three year old will motivate you to do. Our adventure called for the finest of supplies, a shovel, bucket, beach towel and some water so we wouldn’t die of thirst. We searched for an hour and excavated many unknown areas and found a jar full of treasures.

Now what does this have to do with being missional ? It’s real simple.There are people everywhere who need a treasure in their lives . Treasure is time you spend with them,kind words you say to them and small things you do for them. The real key is not what we do, but why we do it ? Jesus said, ”I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” The missional suggestion is to create a treasure for someone.

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June 11, 2014 · 8:50 am

Feeling Like It

I rather like the story Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick once related from his own childhood days. His father had said to his mother, upon leaving the house one Saturday in the morning hours: “Tell Harry that he can cut the grass today, if he feels like it.”

Then, halfway down the walk, his father turned once more to add: “And tell Harry that he had better feel like it.”

Well, in its own rather humorous way, there is something essential about life wrapped up in that. For there is a difference between knowing we are supposed to do something, and ‘feeling like” doing it. There is a difference between a sense of obligation and a sense of generosity. There is a difference between obedience and desire. And the one of those weighs us down, while the other lifts us up.

Christianity says to us, you do not know God, if you know Him only as a sense of authority over your life. Furthermore, you do not know God, if you merely believe intellectually that God is a God who cares and loves.

You do not know God somehow at all, unless the same spirit of His authority and His love captivates you from within, so that you live knowing the spirit of it for yourself. You do not know God, unless all this that we have been saying about Him becomes for you your own way of life and not an obligation imposed on you by the Church, or by the fear of death, or by anything else.

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June 9, 2014 · 9:26 am

Who Could be the Messiah?

 I heard a story recently about a Russian Monastery that was dying and declining. The brothers were growing old, many had died. The villagers had stopped coming to visit the monastery. Young men were no longer interested in dedicated themselves to the Monastic order. This decline led to worry and the loss of hope led to bitterness. In desperation the abbot went to visit an old hermit we had heard about. He hoped that the old man might have some wisdom. The abbot arrived after a long journey and explained their problem to the hermit. The hermit prayed for the abbot but said nothing more. The two men sat in silence for a very long time and the abbot patiently waited to hear some word of hope – a blessing, a prophecy, just something simple to try. Finally the abbot could abide the silence no longer and he begged the hermit for an answer. The hermit replied, “I’m sorry, but there really isn’t anything I have to tell you. I don’t know what the future holds for the monastery. I am sorry – oh, but there is this – I believe that the Messiah is in your midst.” The Messiah?, thought the abbot. Among us at the monastery. He rushed back and reported the unexpected news and the brothers began to question, “Who is it?” “Who among us is the Messiah?” Surely not Bro. Nicolaus, he gripes too much. Surely not Bro. Stavros, he is so whiney. But what if …? And on it went.

And in time as the brothers began to suppose that any one of them could be the Messiah, they began to treat each other with respect and kindness and love. That spirit extended into the village and rumors of the Messiah’s presence continued so that everyone began to wonder if their neighbor might be the Messiah. And though no one was ever identified as the Messiah, the monastery was thriving and the village was blessed and young men devoted themselves to the faith.

Since Jesus is with us always, then discipleship is on-going and it is everyday. It is not something for a special day or a special evening or a special program. It is the pulse of every moment lived in the kingdom of God.

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May 6, 2014 · 7:37 am

Basin Theology 1

One day a young, newly ordained priest, was having a conversation with a member of his congregation when the parishioner said, “You priests and preachers talk a lot about ‘do unto others,’ but when you get right down to it, it comes down to basin theology.”

The young priest, now very curious, asked, “Basin theology? What’s that?”

The insightful parishioner said, “Remember what Pilate did when he had the chance to acquit Jesus? He called for a basin and washed his hands of the whole thing. But Jesus, the night before his death, called for a basin and proceeded to wash the feet of the disciples. It all comes down to basin theology.”  From Wisdom Stories Blog

Basin theology, what an intriguing though! Life has two choices, one of giving your all to a situation. The other, is avoiding all responsibility. The basins mentioned in the story oJesus and the Basinf Holy Week are diametrically opposed. Jesus took the basin in order to humble Himself and serve others. Pilate used the basin to shirk responsibility.

Our challenge is how do we use our basins? Do we try to cleanse ourselves of responsibility or do we, like Jesus, use them to be servants to others. Take upon yourself the humble servant mentality of Jesus and follow His example as your journey through life.

PRAYER — Lord help me to see the importance of taking up the basin and experiencing the true spirit of Jesus.

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January 28, 2014 · 6:58 pm

A New Look

Missional_life_960221731I am the kind of person who likes to have things figured out ahead of time. That’s my style and  I can be a little stubborn about it. I wonder if that a good thing for a Missional Christian? Let look to see how God handled people like me in the Bible. let’s pick three, Moses, Jonah and Peter.

Moses-Long before God had tapped Moses for his mission to lead His people out Egypt Moses had begun his own freedom movement. After seeing one of his fellow Jews being mistreated by an Egyptian he killed the Egyptian. The result. Moses had to live in hiding and exile for 40 years. Moses did it his way. When he submitted himself to God at the burning bush he became the leader of the nation.

Jonah-As soon as he received God’s call to preach to the people of Nineveh, Jonah ran away because he knew that “those people” were not worth his effort. After spending three days in the belly of the fish Jonah led one of the most dramatic revivals in history.

Peter- He was just a simple fisherman who just didn’t seem to know when to keep his mouth shut. In his time he had a tendency to talk BIG but on the night that Jesus was condemned he didn’t talk so big. Jesus later confronted him and he expressed sorrow for his denial. After that experience with Jesus he seemed to know when to talk big and when to be silent.

The point is simple. When we encounter God -things are different. It doesn’t matter that we have everything figured out. When we allow God to speak, and we really listen, things are just different. As Missional Christians we have to be forever aware of the still small voice of God prodding and poking us every moment of the day. He has a message for you. Please listen and things can be so different.

 

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