We do not have time to rush

There is a difference between being rushed and being urgent. but we sometimes think they are the same thing.

The word, “rush” comes from a Old French word ruser

meaning “to dodge”. When we are in a rush we bounce all over the place. We move from 

breakfast to class to home in order to grab that thing you left behind to work to meetings to volunteering to practice to dropping off the kids to the gas station to make that phone call to picking up the kids to medical exams to back to dinner to bed to sleep. And in all our bouncing we are dodging all the places where Christ calls us to be.

The thing about the act of dodging is that to dodge means you are reacting. Like in the game dodgeball. You do not dodge until someone has thrown the ball. Dodgeball is a game of dodging and reacting.

How many of us live our lives dodging and reacting?

The word urgency comes from Latin and it means to press or push forward. Notice that to press forward means you are not jumping all over the place. To move forward means you are moving in a specific direction with the intent to press on in that direction. To move forward means that you can handle things that come up but they do not deter you from your mission. When Jesus stopped to heal the bleeding woman (Mark 5), the little girl died, but Jesus continued to press forward and healed the little girl.

You can tell when you read the gospel Jesus is moving with urgency. Jesus is clear that he is going to Jerusalem. Jesus is clear that he will be killed, which is why he is able to predict his death three different times. Jesus knows the direction he is moving and he moves with a sense of urgency.

Jesus does not dodge a question. He does not dodge authorities. He does not dodge an opportunity to help those in need. He does not dodge Pilate. He does not dodge the mob sent to get him. He does not dodge his betrayer. He does not dodge the cross. He does not dodge death. No!

This is a very large reason I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Christ brings clear direction in a world that is bouncing all around. Jesus teaches a way of life that is filled with purpose. Christ allows us to say no to certain things without guilt because together we are moving in a specific direction. Jesus empowers us to no longer dodge the difficulties of life but to confront them. Being a follower of Christ is to live so urgently that there is no time to rush.

Paradox of the call

A story was shared at Annual Conference last night about a farmer who felt a call from God to be ordained in the UMC. It was reported that this farmer turned minister felt a that a burden had been lifted from his shoulders upon ordination.  

I heard that story and began to get chills.  Not because of the ordained part, but because I can connect (and I am sure you can as well) to the idea than when we are able to "do" that which gives us purpose we become liberated.  When we are able to live out our call, whatever it may be, we become free from the anxiety of "what do I want to be when I grow up" and the pressure to "live a meaningful life".  When we are able to do what we are called to do, we have a burden lifted from us.  If you find you are chronically unhappy with your work, I wonder if your work is what your call is?  

I have the privilege of being one of the people in the world who gets to do what I feel I am called to do.  I get to do work that gives meaning a purpose to my life and I get to help those around me do the same.  Upon ordination, I anticipation a burden to be lifted from my shoulders as I am liberated to do work that connects me to a greater whole.  

At the same time...

Ordination is a very humbling and heavy mantel.  

By being ordained I am joining in a long tradition of which I get the honor of carrying for a period of time.  I am given the permission by the laity to help lead a congregation of which people before me helped create and nurture.  I feel I am being handed the keys to a beloved Gran Torino and asked to be careful with it.  

I feel a heavy burden of being an ordained elder in the UMC being placed upon me today.  

This is the paradox of the call on our lives.  We are liberated and set free to do and be that which we are called to be, yet at the same time we become keenly aware of the responsibilities that come with the privilege of being able to be one who is able to do work that feeds the deepest part of oneself and helps neighbors.  

If you love what you do and do what you love, count your lucky stars you are able to do it.  Few have that chance to live our the call on their lives.  You are able to live into a call on your life that gives you meaning and purpose and direction.  At the same time may you come to know the great responsibility that comes with this gift of living our our call.  

So today, the paradox of the call begins for me.

Acedia - My greatest personal concern

There are a number of things that I am weary of.  For instance, I am deeply concerned that the energy that I have for ministry will pass away as I get older.  I am concerned that any hint of creativity will pass away as I move into my 60's and beyond.  I am concerned that there will be a time for which I will not have the courage I need to do what I am called to do.  


Of all those many concerns, the concept of acedia is by far my most pressing and thought saturating.


I ran across this little bit from Spirituality for Ministry by Urban T. Holmes III.  Most of this is a direct quote, but there are some changes - I use the word minister while Holmes uses pastor/priest.   


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The besetting sin of the desert fathers was acedia, or accidie, tellingly described as “the devil of the noonday sun.”  Acedia is spiritual boredom, an indifference to matter of religion, or simple laziness.  The ancient sin of acedia lies at the root of the minister’s refusal to heed the calling to be the instrument of spiritual growth. 

American religion is obsessed with the “warm sins” such as illicit sex and gluttony.  Because many of us are Donatists – believing that the validity of the sacrament depends upon the moral character of its minister, which was condemned as heresy long ago – we become inordinately concerned when the warm sins are committed by the ordained.  The sins that should concern us far more deeply are those that prevent the ordained from ever exercising their spiritual vocation.  These “cold sins” truly violate the mission of the minister to be a symbol, symbol-bearer, and hermeneut.  They rise not from an excess of passion, but from a fear of passion.  They are the product of a calculated apathy, sustained only by the embers of a dying soul.  

Acedia is the root sin of the clergy as spiritual guides.  Like cancer that eats away at our abandonment to the love for God and God’s creation.  It takes a number of forms, which have much in common with those of the centuries but also have their own peculiar twist in our times.

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How does one keep from falling out of love with growing and maturing?  Acedia seems to transcend religion or tribe connection.  I have seen if have an impact with the Christian and the Agnostic and the Atheist.  I have seen acedia control the lives of the old (many of whom are just waiting to retire or die) as well as the lives of the young (many of whom spend hours playing video games or watching MTV trash).  

Life seems far too short, far too fragile and far to beautiful to be caught up in the trappings of acedia, and yet many of us (I count myself first and foremost) suffer under the oppression of acedia.  

‘I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. - Revelation 3

One man's mission to stop Christians from committing random acts of kindness

If you are Christian, I want you to stop doing random acts of kindness.

Chew on that a minute.  Stop doing random acts of kindness.

I recall that statement entering my cultural world when I was in high school, probably around 1998-1999.  There were stickers and signs in many of my favorite teachers rooms that proudly displayed the trendy saying.  It was kinda cool.  It was simple.  It was concrete.  It was actionable.  It seemed like the perfect way to help society move toward a more loving and compassionate culture.

Then I began to read the Bible more closely than I had read it before and began to see that as a follower of Christ, I do not believe Christians should commit random acts of kindness because Jesus never did.

Jesus lived his life with great purpose and direction.  Jesus' actions may look random to those who are unclear with his vision and purpose (see the disciple's response to his questions and statements), but when we embody the vision and purpose of Jesus, it is clear that Jesus was not a 'random act of kindness' sort of guy.

Every healing, feeding, teaching and question was rooted in helping to usher in the Kingdom of God - to make it known and seen.  He did things to glorify God or to reveal himself to others.  He did things so we could see or understand.  He lived his life with a clear intention and purpose - even to his death.

As disciples of the one we call Jesus Christ, Christians are taking on the vision and purpose of Christ.  With that purpose and vision already laid out for us we can focus more on how to live our lives with great intention.

When we participate in random acts of kindness, others look at our actions and may think, "oh, that was a nice person."  And that is all well and good, but anyone can be nice.  Christians are called to be something other than nice, we are called to be holy.  Holiness is rooted in intention and purpose.

Let me be clear, please continue to do acts of kindness, but do not do them 'randomly'.  Do them in such a way that revels and articulates God's purpose, mission and vision.  Tell people why you are acting the way you act (evangelism).  As Christians, it is clear that we are kind and love because God first loved us.  We are grace filled because God is Grace filled.  We do what we do to move toward holiness and help usher in the Kingdom of God.

We are not random.  We are intentional.