Religion still important in America

Interesting link over at worldmag.com to a Gallup Poll on the importance of religion in each state. Mississippi heads it up at 85%, Texas is at #11 with 74%, Nevada and Connecticut finish out the list at 55% and 54% respectively.   Amazingly, 65% of Americans polled answered yes to the question, “Is religion an important part of your daily life?”  I wonder how they would answer if the question involved “evangelical Christianity” or “spirituality”?

How to improve your memory (in your mid-life years)

Finally, a study that may cause me to reduce my calorie intake!  Ed Yong at Not Exactly Rocket Science made a recent post about the results of an experiment in which a 30% calorie reduction, for people aged 52-68, over a three month period; significantly improved the memory of the group.  And I read this just after eating a bowl of ice cream!  Thanks to yipeng at Marked by Faith for the link idea.

Problematic future for the church?

Spent some time reading other blogs this morning, something I have not been doing for a month or more.  Internetmonk has posted the first two parts of a series on The Coming Evangelical Collapse.  Here is part one–why is this going to happen and part two is  about what will be left. It is loooong but I think worth your time to read.  I must admit I scanned over both of his posts and I don’t quite know what to think.  As I sit here, I am asking myself, what does this mean for me? As a missionary, I suppose I could feel particularly vulnerable to hear a discussion  about the demise of the evangelical church since that represents our support base.  Yet I am not sure that this is a necessarily bad thing. I am sure Michael Spencer will write more about that in his third post on whether the collapse will be good or bad.

As I think van Kaam would say, at the heart of the problem for many churches is a pursuit of transcendent functionalism.   In other words, there is an attempt to harness the transcendent in order to make our churches and ministries more functional, almost a choice to do whatever it takes to grow.  To say it another way, perhaps for many of us, we have forgotten that it is not about us, but about God.  I know this has been the lesson that God has been trying to teach me and I wonder if I am making much progress.  I guess being aware is movement and when God shows me that I have made it (life, ministry etc) about me, that is a gift from Him for which I am thankful. Perhaps, it will take a “collapse” for the church to repent of the direction we have been heading.

As my wife said to me last night (on a slighly different topic), we must continue modeling what God has shown to us with great humility and under the fear of God.  I love my home churches and thoughts of their declines deeply saddens me.  I know there are people who ask every week, “Now, why am I here?” I don’t think that should be the case.  I do not offer solutions–maybe the internet monk and others will do so!  I think what God longs from me is that I continue with a passionate pursuit of God, growing in daily intimacy with Him.  As His love touches my heart, I will become a better lover, leader, missionary, father, husband, evangelist and it will be Him impacting my world around me. Sometimes, it may even be through me and that will be my pleasure and for His glory.   May God be pleased to bring others along with me (and I along with others) on this journey to be conformed into the image of Christ–isn’t that what the church is all about?

Guilty of a wasted life

Saw this on Marked by Faith this morning.  Powerful clip.

Joy

Joy is one of those emotions that I find to be quite elusive.  Being someone who is a bit emotionally challenged, there have been times, when I have had to stand back and say to myself, “I think the emotion I am now feeling is joy.”

Along with staying in Psalm 62, I am reading Psalm 9 this week.  One verse that popped up to me was verse 2, “I will be filled with joy because of you.”   What is that?  You mean joy does not come from esteem of colleagues, my position, accomplishments, books read, pounds lost, games won, money saved, disciples, mentorees, food I eat, physical pleasures–sex, sleep, exercise etc.

As I remember Ecclesiastes, joy or satisfaction is a gift from God; He give us the ability to enjoy life after we are in (and continue in) proper relationship to Him.  All other seeking of joyis empty and futile, a chasing after the wind.  Power, control, financial gain, knowledge, pleasure are a  few empty pursuits that come to mind.

I will be filled with joy because of You.   Because of You, I receive joy from the singing of the birds, the barking of the dogs (???), the coolness of the morning, a kiss from my wife, stretching out of my body.  Even in pain, I can experience joy.  Joy is not tied to my circumstances.

My other reading from yesterday was in John 15:1-11.  Well, verse 11 says, “I have told you this so that you will be filled with joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow.

Hold out for joy, refuse to take shortcuts to pleasure for they will never bring joy.  You will be filled with my joy.  Is Joy an emotion or a state that is organically connected to the Lord Jesus Christ?  Related to delight, contentment, peace

Some confession needed

Needed to spend another week in Psalm 62.  I wait quietly before God says New Living.   I don’t know too many of us who like waiting, much less quietly.  Yet, to do this before God, is to make a statement that He alone is our fortress, where I will not be shaken.   As you might imagine, there have been some testings to bring each challenge of my days and wait quietly before God with them.

Yesterday, by the end of the day, I was all twisted up inside by what was happening around me.  Self-doubts and recriminations, even some self-loathing.  Not a pretty sight!  But, God is faithful and a friend gave a devotional out of 1 Peter, suggesting that we spend some time in quiet confession, to purify ourselves, confession of Malice, Envy, Deceit, Hypocrisy, and Slander.  That is what the doctor ordered–was not a lengthy time and probably I need to go back and see if God wants to show me anything else.  But, last night, whatever power had me bound, that power was broken through confession.  I have so much to learn.

How can I love?

One line from Merton on Jan 13 from A Year with Merton.

How can I give love unless I have much more than I have ever had?

Is it true that if I am not receiving love from God and from others (or another way to put it, “allowing God and others to love me”) and receiving more than  I am giving; what can I hope to give?  What am I giving?  Some poor, limited, imitation of burning Divine love that is intimate, intense and has life transforming power?

How tired are men

While visiting in Houston, a friend of mine commented that he was a people watcher and he had observed how tired most men look.  Why is that?

Reassurance from Merton

Is this God reassuring me?  As the dissertation continues, I need some reassurance and a proper focus. More from Merton, Jan 10.

God’s love takes care of everything I do.  He guides me in all my work and in my reading, at least until I get greedy and start rushing from page to page.

I am confident about the following Merton quote regarding where I am in ministry and studies right now.  I wish I could say the same about my dissertation topic!

He has put me in this place because He wants me in this place, and if He ever wants to put me anywhere else, He will do so in a way that will leave no doubt as to who is doing it.

Waiting in quietness before God

I am grateful for the way the Lord opened up Psalm 62 to me this week.  Perhaps it was helped by a Merton quote

I need very much this silence and this snow.  Here alone can I find my way because here alone the way is right in front of my face and it is God’s way for me–there really is no other.

Here is what I come away with from Psalm 62–reading from New Living.

I wait quietly before God for my salvation comes from him.

I wait quietly before God for my hope is in him

I wait quietly before God for my honor comes from him

I wait quietly before God for my refuge is in him

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my refuge where I will not be shaken.

Oh, God you are might, you are loving.

When do I do this? When

• I am tempted
• I am afraid
• I am lonely
• I am discouraged
• I feel far away from God
• I am criticized
• I am disappointed
• I am angry
• I am lost
• I am deceived
• I am slandered
• I am ambitious
• I am proud
• I need to know
• I want to manipulate others
• I feel the need to be in control
• I am tempted to trust in anything/anyone other than God.

The sin of wanting to be heard

That is the title of the reading on Jan 7 in A Year with Merton.  When i read this, I realized how true it is that I want to be heard.  A sin?  Here is what Merton wrote,

The sin of wanting to be a pontiff, of wanting to be heard, of wanting converts, discioples. . . I thought I did not want this.  Of course I did, and everyone knows it. (Italkics original)

I guess I realized that there is in me a longing, maybe even a craving to influence others, to have my disciples or my mentorees.  This may start out with the right motivation but it quickly becomes about me and becomes a thing of pride.  I have been in some situations where this is encouraged, in fact where statistics are kept on this.  In looking back over the past year, one of my frustrations has been that I think that I have not been heard.  How easily that can become the focus and lead to manipulation and choices that will allow me to be heard–prideful longings that must be renounced as Merton says.

I have got to face the fact that there is in me a desire for survival as pontiff, prophet and writer, and this has to be renounced before I can be myself at last.

So, to be my true self and not live according to some false self that wants and/or needs to be heard, I need to renounce this desire.  I am not sure how to renounce something.

Burdened with great responsibility

Now that I am back home, I picked up A Year With Thomas Merton and began reading through the selections from Jan 1.  It was almost too much!  Here is a quote from Jan 1.

I have been absurdly burdened since the beginning of the year with the illusions of “great responsibility” and of a task to be done.  Actually, whatever work is to be done is God’s work and not mine, and I wil not help matters, only hinder them, by too much care.

I think I saw this last year because I had underlined it from previous reading.  Maybe this has been my problem of late as I think about the “importance” of my ministry here and notice myself groaning under the dissertation burden.  Indeed, God has given these responsibilities to me and I need to take them seriously but I also need to remember that this is His work, not mine.  Some doubt here as I write??

Keep talking about Jesus

Talking about God is safe but talk about Jesus and watch the sparks fly.  Another excellent post from Michael Spencer over at Jesus Shaped Spirituality.

If you are going to think about God, go to Jesus and start there, stay there and end there.

This simple rule is too simple for the religious, the worldly wise, the power seeking and the proud.

It is infuriating to those who want to manipulate for money or distract for some personal agenda.

Jesus will break our idols, complicate our assumptions, overturn our tables and put himself squarely in the center of every question. He is the way, the truth, the life. He is the answer. He is the one way we think about, know, love, worship and relate to God.

When you think about God, go to Jesus.

Better to pray for our new President

During the Clinton presidency, we were overseas and I remember being shocked at the expressed hatred towards him byevangelical  Christians when I would return for visits. Fortunately, I have not heard such words expressed to me personally.  But, I am sure they are out there.  So, these words from Michael Spencer at internetmonk are worth reading. Would be good if you clicked over and read his entire article.

If you are an evangelical Christian adult, please hear me out:

You are sinning- badly and boldly- when you publicly denigrate and lie about the President. You have no basis to do this. Surely you know that this is wrong.

You can state your opposition to the President as you choose, but it is wrong to say that a Christian should not watch the Inauguration, pray with Rick Warren and pray for President Obama when he puts his hand on the Lincoln Bible.

You can oppose him in every way, but to speak threatening, hateful, hostile or untrue words is wrong, and it makes Christians appear, once again, to be hateful, hostile, unconcerned with truth and selfish to a fault.

Hamster wheel or potters wheel?

Finding a few minutes here and there to read in the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Conversations–the issue is on “Discernment.”

Read a helpful article in which Gary Moon interviews Kim Engelmann about her new book Running in Circles.

The discussion is about the difference between redemptive suffering and destructive suffering.   She calls redemptive suffering “Potter’s-wheel suffering” and destructive suffering “Hamster-wheel suffering.”  Apparently her book is about how to discern which wheel  a person in in.

She says hamster-wheel suffering is

1. Solitary
2. Depleting
3. Goes nowhere.

In contrast, in potter’s-wheel suffering,

1. God’s hand is involved.
2. The Potter, not the clay is in charge of moving the wheel.
3. We get off a different shape than when we got on.

It’s a book that I think I need to pick up.

Day 4 and 5 of dissertation writing class

It is now Saturday morning and I am grateful that our week is over but of course the research phase has only begun!  The Lord gave much grace this week.  Lots of ups and downs.  Was quite discouraged on Thursday after realizing during a mini-conference with a prof that I had a flawed purpose statement and research question #3.  Then, we played a game where we had to repeat our purpose statement and research questions to eight other people in thirty seconds.  Each time, I said it, it felt more wrong than before!

Well, I jumped in front of the line when we had our longer (20 min) conference with our major prof and she gently worked me through my concern.  After more work on revising, I think I have something that is workable–that fits in my area of interest, passion and will advance the research around member care.  So, here is the latest revision of my purpose statement.  Even now, as I look at it, I can see it needs some work but I need to put this aside for a few days.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a six week web-based spiritual mentoring program to impact the spiritual wellness and overall wellness of a group of twelve missionaries.

As I look at the temp this morning, it is 15 F or -9 C and got down as cold as -2.9 F or -19.4 C in the last twenty-four hours.  That is unreasonably cold for this Filipino kid.  Take me back to the tropics.  Maybe I need to give up my ambition of going to Mongolia!!   Time to pack up and hit the library for another 3 or 4 hours before traveling back to Houston.  Thank you Lord.

What the brokers aren’t saying

Amusing video from dailymotion.  Sure feels like this is happening.

Day 3 of dissertation writing class

A long day, slogging (?)  away yesterday.  Some positive encouragements about my refined purpose statement and I was able to keep working into the early morning to complete draft 1.1 of chaper one.  Expect that there will still be many changes to come.  More peer reviews today and a meeting this afternoon with prof to discuss project.  Thank you Lord.  A positive contact from the author of a wellness model that I want to use and meeting with an author of a journal article on member care this morning.  Have sent out draft 1.1 to a few people to get comments.  Lord, give me courage to face the loving critiques!

Some comments from class

• You need research to support your problem so your problem is a problem and not just your problem!
• Without a strong purpose, you will get discouraged and be tempted to stop
• Clearly stated research questions mark the boundaries of your research
• Use the sandwich approach in peer reviewing–st they have done well, st they need to work on, st they have done well
• check out survey monkey
• a journal prompt may be the better way to measure attitude and belief changes
• It is more important to be clear than to align yourself with a design
• Rigorous does not mean it is hard but others are able to use what they learn from you
• If others need to tell you what to do, then you are not ready to do the research–ouch!

The challenges of English

Not sure where this came from but it is worth posting here.

Maybe English is not so easy

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present
8 A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row …
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18 Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Message of hope

Happened last month but still a powerful message about the oddest game of football played in Texas by Rick Reilly.  Heading is

There are some games in which cheering for the other side feels better than winning.