Bent

I make a living running a non-profit organization, a church. I also pastor a tremendous group of people. Consequently, I spend a great deal of time trying to match the gifts of people with various ministries. It is an art more than a science. I ask for volunteers a lot. I love when I get a match that allows a person work within her “sweet spot,” ministering using her God-given bent.

God says,

Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (Amplified Bible)

You may remember it this way.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

The passage means that we are to learn our children’s (and our own) bent (gifts, talents, inclinations, interests) and leverage it as much as possible, respecting the God-infused identity of each unique person.

How many times to we say, “That’s not my gift,” when turning down a ministry opportunity but really cannot answer what our gift (bent) is? How many of us mold our children to follow in our footsteps (interests) rather than their bent? Will they be as confused as we are?

May you be free to experiments to find your bent and may our children be given the same freedom. This is messy but necessary, holy, work.

Draw Near

They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” John 12:21 (NIV)

and since we have a great priest (Jesus Christ) over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:21-23 (NIV)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-34 (NIV)

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

Hardly a day goes by where I would not like Jesus sitting across the table. Over coffee, he would love me, challenge me, hold me, explain things to me and rebuke me (get me off my butt) – generally make life better.

If you would like to see Jesus today – suffer. Jesus’ love was in the shape of a Cross. Sacrificially serve someone in need without any expectation or possibility of repayment. If life has dealt you a blow, ask Christ to enter into it. He always does. And wait. He is there. Honest.

From the Book of Common Prayer – Good Friday

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look
favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred
mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry
out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world
see and know that things which were cast down are being
raised up, and things which had grown old are being made
new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection
by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

She

I cannot get her face out of my mind. I have never met her. I haven’t even seen her. Her mother died in the fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh along with 800 others. Her mother died making cheap clothes for me. She is devastated.

Yes, I know that their government needs to have better laws. Yes, I know corporations have a responsibility. Yes, I know this may be the only work available. I also know the power of a mother to find any way whatsoever to make a better life for her children. A parent’s love makes life risky.

And I also know that I demand cheap clothes and lots of them. I drive the train that leads to the destruction of another child of God. I am sorry. I repent.

God made this mother’s life. God knew that the world needed her and her unique mix of gifts and love and quirkiness (which we all share.) God gave a lot of thought and love into creating her. I should match God’s thought and love. No human is here to be a prop of the life of another. Including mine.

At baptism, I promise to respect the dignity of every human being and to seek and serve Christ in all persons. I failed miserably.

My spiritual discipline today is to learn more about the other 5 billion people on this planet (who are my sisters and brothers) and to seek to purchase items that honor the lives of those in the line of my purchases.

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40b (NIV)

Clean Clothes Campaign

Corporate Responsibility Initiative

There’s More. Lot’s More

Hardly a day goes by where I don’t see a record of something great that was done by a friend or family member. Praise is trumpeted. “Way to go!” “You are terrific!” “She won!” “He was the best one!” All campus. All district. Saleswoman of the year.  “Under 4 hours.” “Perfect score.”

We celebrate. We are proud of what you did.

I often wonder about those who aren’t very good at anything. Maybe, just average. I further wonder, what will it be like for the perfect victor when the applause dies down (it always does.)

We need to celebrate life’s victories, whatever they may be.

We also need to remind each other that our true worth does not come from our achievements (or possessions.) I get sad when people age and we communicate to them that they have diminished worth. I even had a woman once who quit coming to church because (she told me) that she could no longer help out and she felt bad.

Make sure you let those in your orbit know that they have inherent worth. That is the way God made it and the way God sees it. The clumsy, the untalented, the feeble, the not-so-smart, the average are all precious because, well, because they ARE.

Make it a point to remind people of their infinite worth, especially when they fail or simply do nothing spectacular. While you are at it, tell yourself. Our value comes from God.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.
    What you have done is wonderful.
    I know this very well. Psalm 139:14 (NCV)

So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:27, 31 (NIV)

Open Your Gift

What would you do if money were no object? Not, what would you buy? What would you do?

How would you employ your hours? Would you change careers? Where do hours seem light as a feather and do not move with the grace and speed of an anvil?

Just who’s inside there, who yearns to get out?

Are you involved in a cause bigger than yourself and immediate clan?

Maybe you are already doing. Maybe, you have never thought about it.

If you are doing it, you are traveling close to God. If not, God calls you closer.

We, in the church, talk a lot about spiritual gifts – those gifts given by God to build up the church. We speak too little of the holy gifts given by God by virtue of God loving us into existence. These latter gifts are just as important, just as holy.

I pray you are operating in your “sweet spot,” that place where spiritual gifts and gifts of creation meet in a vocation of joy.  A vocation where sacrifice is an honor and not a chore.  A vocation where contentment is built in and not an constantly pursued “add-on? “

If you want to know the will of God for you, don’t stray far from these questions.

“Before I shaped you in the womb,
    I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
    I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
    that’s what I had in mind for you.” Jeremiah 1:5 (The Message)

Guide to Church Planning

(Percentage of Church that will show up)

New Carpet Color Mtg            95%
Second Coming                       90% (9% will cite "out of town."
                                                       1% will go to a Baptist church "just in case")
Easter/Christmas                     70%
Food Served                            60%
Special Event                           50%
Something Cute w/Children   40%
Sunday Worship                       30%
Sermon on Tithing                  15% (Don't announce it and you can double attendance)
Church Work Day                     10%
Bring a Friend Sunday             5% (All of whom thought food was involved)

Sharing the Load

I have supported KUHF, the local public radio station, since 1986. This is part of Christine and my regular giving. The station us currently going through an 8 day (twice a year) solicitation campaign to raise new pledges/donors. I was surprised to hear that only 8% of the listeners give all of the support. In other words, 92% get the perks but not the drawbacks. I am sure a few do not have the resources, but I suspect most do.

This got me to thinking.

If those who let others carry the freight would pony up support, we could have 14 or so of our days of broadcasting back without the beg-a-thon (necessary, but not very lovable.) 

What would the world be like if we had a tenfold increase in our investment and presence in marriage or church or PTO or the poor? I suspect it would be more like what God had envisioned.

Where are you the 8% in your life – supporting others, and maybe, a bit resentful? Where are you the 92% - being carried by others, and maybe, burning them out as a result? What do you think God thinks about that? What will you do? Ask God to heal you.

What more would God do through us? Might we not be living in something much more like Paradise?

Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: "Those unwilling to work will not get to eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NLT)

Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NLT)

The most powerful person is he who is able to do least himself and burden others most with the things for which he lends his name and pockets the credit.
Theodor Adorno

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.
Charles Dickens

Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible.
Thomas a Kempis