I read the below paragraph a week or so ago and loved it! It also got me thinking about holiness, something i used to do, probably too much and something i now do, probably not enough. I think it’s an important topic and one we would all do well to think about and live out a bit more. I’ll share what i read below and then i share some more thoughts on holiness in the next few days.

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HOLINESS IS at play when people draw attention to the truth of God simply by being …

Saint Francis of Assisi took a novice out for a day of preaching the gospel. As they left Assisi, they helped a farmer move his cart; down the road they talked with a merchant and listened to his problems; around noon they shared their meal with a hungry beggar; soon after luHoliness as being… HOLINESS IS at play when people draw attention to the truth of God simply by being … Saint Francis of Assisi took a novice out for a day of preaching the gospel. As they left Assisi, they helped a farmer move his cart; down the road they talked with a merchant and listened to his problems; around noon they shared their meal with a hungry beggar; soon after lunch they prayed with a sick woman; on their way back, they helped a woman carry her heavy load. When they returned to the monastery at dark, the novice commented that the day was gone and they hadn’t preached to anyone. “My son,” Francis responded, “we’ve been sharing the gospel all day long.” Derek Maul
10 Life-Charged Words nch they prayed with a sick woman; on their way back, they helped a woman carry her heavy load. When they returned to the monastery at dark, the novice commented that the day was gone and they hadn’t preached to anyone. “My son,” Francis responded, “we’ve been sharing the gospel all day long.”

Derek Maul, 
10 Life-Charged Words
( I ran across this story in one of the Upper Room devotional email, worth a look.)  

I’ve been listening to this song on repeat today,
a suburban prayer of sorts by Ben Rector…

“I want to live until i die
don’t let the devil bury me alive
when my heart stops let me go home
don’t let the suburbs kill my heart and soul.”

Along with thinking about Peter Rollings talking about how we all make “ironic gestures.”

So listening to this song while i sit at St. Starbuck with the queen of the suburbs, a very ironic gesture if you ask me. Thinking, praying and wondering  how i live a less ironic kind of life.

To begin with celebration and adoration of Jesus, the “Hosanna in the highest!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” And then to swiftly move toward denial and distain, shouts of “crucify him.”

This is Palm Sunday. And this is Holy Week.
This is also our story. At least if your honest it is.

I once heard Peter Rollins, an author and theologian tell a story about being asked if he affirmed or denied in the resurrection of Jesus. His response was powerful. I actually found it on youtube, check it out…

It’s true right, we all deny the resurrection and we all, WAY to often yell with our lives “crucify him.” Often right after we have publicly ushered him in as savior, yelling “Hosanna.”

God forgive me and fill me with your grace and spirit so that i might die with you and to my selfish denial of you. By your grace enable me to not just affirm or believe in your resurrection but participate in it.

This is the journey of Holy Week. 
May we follow Jesus to the cross, so that we my participate in his resurrection.

The church values beauty and creativity because God values these things, right? Maybe it’s because God IS beauty and creativity so when we live fully as we were created to live, made in his image and filled with this spirit, when we embrace beauty and creativity we are participating in the life of God. Maybe it’s something like that.

I think in our worship we often forget this kind of stuff these days.

Our buildings are big square office boxes next to other office boxes. Even when we spend LOTS of money on a building it probably just looks like the school down the street. Our art… wait, we don’t really do art anymore. Our music is often times mimics of a pop culture with very little redemptive imagination.

Mostly we come to worship / sing a few songs about Jesus and listen to a message about Jesus, we don’t value much else. And it better not last much longer than an hour… after all, we have things to do.

Well on a night like tonight i remember the value of sacred music and sacred spaces. I think of the good, the true and the beautiful and how the church has always valued these things.

Don’t get me wrong, i struggle with the amount of money that is spent on some church buildings and chapels, i personally don’t put a high value on appearances (in some ways), on pomp and circumstance, and on flashy kinds of things. I live in a tension when it comes to these things. I see value in space and beauty and creativity… but i also like low key, come as you are environments offered by many churches these days.

I’m not sure i like one over the other, i probably prefer beauty to bland but a mix of the 2… i guess.

I do know when i come to a night of worship at a church like the one i am privileged to work and worship at i remember that historically the Church has valued beauty and creativity and has lead the way in sharing it, often through architecture and art. I definitely think the church, in some ways, needs to regain that place in the world.

What do you think?
How do we reclaim space? Especially when it comes to worship and buildings / architecture… or does it matter?

Do we care about beauty or art or creativity? What does this look like as communities of faith if we say we do value these things?

Is it possible to value mission and beauty at the same time? (i’m thinking of the argument, “we could have spent that money on the mission field instead of a building.”

Alright, enough rambling.

My wife and i had an awesome night of enjoying Christmas music in a beautiful building created for worshiping God. It was great and these are some of my rambling thoughts at 1 in the morning.

Enjoy?

peace

erik

Speaking of rhythm, i get these daily devotional thoughts and the last two have been about developing a rule of life. Another way of talking about this concept of a “rule of life” might be having spiritual rhythm.

When i was growing up anything that had the word rule in it i ran from. Anything that was discipline wasn’t for me. Even when i became a Christian the concepts of spiritual discipline wasn’t very appealing to me. I thought that if you really loved God you did things “from the heart.” That’s kinda true but i think i’ve learned that doesn’t exclude having spiritual discipline. It might even be the more necessary for those who love God to be discipled in their spiritual life.

The idea of a rule of life comes largely from Saint Benedict, a monk from the 7th century. Honestly i don’t know a ton about St B. but he believed work and prayer were the most important things and i think he wrote a lot about living by a certain rule. I probably need to do more research on him, he’s seems like a cool fellow.

This idea of a “rule of life” is something to think about for sure. Something i want to develop more and more as i mature in my faith and relationship with Jesus. Mainly because i think i need it more and more.

Here are the reflections i’ve read the last couple days that have been an encouragement to me, enjoy.

“I INVITE YOU to consider developing and claiming your own patterns and disciplines for spiritual growth. In Christian tradition this is known as developing a rule of life. A rule is a pattern of spiritual disciplines and attitudes that provides structure and direction for growth in holiness. … Growth in faith requires commitment, structure, and yes, discipline. Developing a rule of life moves you beyond good intentions into the arena of daily walking with God.

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YOU CAN START developing a rule of life by choosing … some practices and disciplines to incorporate into your daily life. The behaviors, attitudes, disciplines, and practices you choose will soon become routine … in your life of growing intimacy with God.

Some people carry negative images of rules and discipline. You must remember that rules and discipline exist for guiding and training. Building a rule of life guides and supports your spiritual growth.

Your rule can be simple. Dorothy Day … committed to daily practice the presence of God by reading the Bible, keeping a journal, receiving the Eucharist, and looking for the face of Christ in the poor and hungry she served every day.

Both quotes are from Larry James Peacock book Openings
And share via Upper Room daily devotional

My life these days is all about rhythm.

When you’ve lived in a place for awhile you just have it, or at least hopefully you have it. And when you have rhythm you don’t really think about it. How often do you think about your heart beating or your wrist watch ticking. Your heart just beats and after a while your watch ticks and you never even notice it.

Well i just moved to Texas! The Dallas area, Plano to be precise. And everything is new! My work rhythm, my family rhythm, my community rhythm, my coffee shop rhythm, all of it. So i’m thinking a lot about rhythm.

God created us to have rhythm. Sabbath, festivals / parties, worship, spiritual disciplines, family, community… all kinda of different rhythms. I really think when we are in tune to these spiritual rhythms we live at our best.

I went to my new small group last night. It’s hard because i had such a great communal rhythm in Nashville; great friends, great church, great community. Sitting with a bunch of new people reminds me of what i had, it’s hard and not horribly comfortable. It’s like i can hear my watching ticking really loudly but i need to remember that once i’ve worn it, am familiar with it, and when it feels like it’s apart of me (like any good watch winds up doing) i’ll enjoy it just as much as the old one. It just takes time (no pun intended).

I’ve also been having a lot of Anglican conversations lately. More and more i’m realizing probably my favorite things about the Anglican way is the rhythm it invites you into. The calendar and season, the liturgy, the community, the sacraments… all these things offer a rhythm that helps one to rest and live in tune with the life God created us for.

Today i’m feeling a little out rhythm; new job, new geography, new church, new community. But we’re getting ready for a new year, church year that is. Advent is right around the corner and i’m anticipating this next year to be amazing! Full of rhythm and wonder.

PS :: I’m also trying to get into a blogging rhythm. At least once a week is the goal. It’s Friday! Just made it!

I’ve had a couple opportunities to hang out with Shane and am always impressed with humility and normalcy (if that’s the right word). I mean seriously, he’s a dude who makes his own clothes and then recycles his bath water to wash the clothes that he makes… i’m not sure that’s normal but with that said he’s actually a pretty down to earth, normal guy just trying to help be actually be like and follow Jesus. I like that.

Here is a video i ran across today that i thought was some good food for thought…
Enjoy – and then share your thoughts.

Well, I finally finished N.T. Wright’s book After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters. It took me WAY longer than most books take but it was well worth it.

I’ll first say that this isn’t the first NT Wright book I would suggest. It was slower and harder to get through than most of his books. At the same time it was some of my favorite content by Wright because of its timely nature—at least for the conversations I’m observing and even some of the conversations I’m having. Let me explain a little.

Pop theology and Christian culture is hearing A LOT from the neo-reformed and Calvinist crew these days. The Gospel Coalition and leaders who run in those circles (Mark Driscoll, John Piper, Tim Keller, Matt Chandler, etc.) seem to be gaining a lot of traction in the circles I run in, especially in conversations related to young adults, youth, and church planting. Some of my best friends and conversation partners are firmly rooted in this reformed camp (Gospel Coalition or not) but, in my opinion, way too many conversations wind up having to do with grace vs. works and similar topics. I think a lot of this is because of a fear that if we do anything good we might be trying to earn our salvation or something along those lines. And I’ve heard enough low blows about Methodists and their theology to last me a few years at least, and I’m not even Methodist … although I do like Wesley an awful lot!

In comes N.T. Wright.

Wright gives an alternative to the rhetoric of the Gospel Coalition, he draws a picture of a life lived in the sweet spot of grace and action. He paints a picture of true christian character and a life of authentic virtue.

I think one of the reasons this book was “slow” as I described it was because the topics of virtue and character are foreign relics in the landscape of our current Christian conversations. Wright has to re-introduce these themes; he had to almost start from scratch because we don’t talk about virtue and character much these days. When it was all said and done, Wright’s last chapter entitled “The Virtuous Circle” was worth the price of the whole book as he clearly articulates what we are called to after we believe. He simply brings it all together and explains how to engage in the virtues of faith, hope, and love. And as he’s done throughout the book, he challenges the reader to take action, to exercise these gifts so that we can become the people God has created us to be.

The bottom line is that we don’t become on accident or by osmosis, but we become the people God created us to be—we become fully human—by hard work and exercise, exercise of the gifts of faith, hope, and love that God gave freely when we said yes to His Spirit that was drawing us to Himself. Our effort and exercise is enabled by the life of Christ and the Spirit He fills us with, but our effort, by His grace, is the path to becoming like Christ and to developing a second nature. I like to think about it in terms of participation. We don’t pull ourselves up and become good Christians by hard work; instead, we participate with God’s creative Spirit to recapture the life we were always meant to live.

Another thing that really popped out to me in this book was the idea of a second nature. When we use the phrase “second nature” it’s typically referring to something we do automatically. It’s like we didn’t think about it but it was just second nature, almost like it was a reflex. But Wright points out that it’s small choices over a long period of time that develop that second nature in us. And living out the virtues of faith, hope, and love is exactly that type of thing. Small decisions over a long period of time help faith, hope, and love to be our natural reaction to life’s situations. But it takes time to develop that, maybe a lifetime.

There are a few other bits that are great in this book, some great stories and examples, but I won’t continue to ramble. I’ll let you go get the book. It’s worth it.

Here is a little video of N.T. Wright talking about hell. This is pretty much exactly what Rob Bell is going  to say… i think. And if you want more detail read Surprised by Hope  BY N.T. Wright. Really great book!
(and if your following along with this blog’s Lenten readings… sorry i’m got a late start today. Todays reading will be posted soon! Enjoy!)

So, i’ve never really gotten into Tim Keller much. I blame it on John Piper (long story). Keller seems to lean a bit to reformed for my liking but a lot of people who i really respect are big Keller fans, maybe i need to give him a shot.

ALSO, i’ve preached over the last year quite a bit on being Salt & Light…
The message has been entitled ::
Preserving & Illuminating a Masterpiece; A Meditation on Being Salt & Light.
(the file is unedited / rough but listen if you dare. When you click on the link a down will ensue, it’s an MP3 file.)

So today…
I ran across this little video of Tim Keller talking about being salt & light, talking about the christians call to interact with culture and as he says, “being salt because we are lifting up the right way of being human opposed to the wrong way.”

I really like what he says. And i lean pretty heavily toward the “Hauerwasian” view of things and the idea of counter culture but i agree with him, i’m not sure why both views can’t be embrace by a community and probably even by the individual.

Just listen for yourself… and enjoy!