Worldly Holiness

Bench in Snow, originally uploaded by papalars.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30

Last week I was at the Midwinter conference for Covenant ministers and I was drawn to this text in one of the workshops. I breathed deeply and found myself enveloped in a deep, abiding peace that I have not felt for some time. I felt these beautiful words from The Message were for me but I simultaneously felt they were for the people I am seeking to reach with the Gospel. Why? Let me explain.

God so deeply wants focus people to know the unforced rhythms of grace. He does for all of us but it seems that focus people have so little chance of hearing this good news for 2 main reasons. First, there are so few who have sought to tell them. It is amazing to contemplate but the people I am speaking about have a measly 6% of the all the resources the church brings to bear in sharing the good news of Jesus. Six percent for a rather large swath of humanity.

Second, the worldview and faith system of these people is empty of grace. So much of their system is based on works and performance. I keep finding expression of this reality when I spend time with my new friends. But God so wants all people to know his love and grace. He is unwilling that any would remain in the dark.

Here is another interesting factoid. Researchers have discovered that “dreams and visions” factor in the story of a full 2/3′s of focus people in becoming followers of Christ. A flesh and blood ambassador like you and me are few and far between. That reminds me of the passage where the story of the Pharisees are asking Jesus to silence his disciples when entering Jerusalem in his last days. His followers are cheering and Jesus says, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:39-40).

I wonder what kind of movement to Christ among focus people we would find if more of the so called Christ followers, people like you and me, bore witness to the “unforced rhythms of grace” in their midst?

Warm Inside, originally uploaded by papalars.

Our winter in the Seattle area has already broken records for snow and rain and we are only in the early part of January. Makes me wonder what is yet in store. Maybe since the Northern Hemisphere is beginning to tilt back toward the sun things will start to calm down. Who knows. The weather forecasters do not seem to know.

Well, with this post I’m back in the saddle on my blog. You notice the new look? I have plans to continue to develop and add components as this year unfolds, mostly more features for both my photography and writing. I want to make pictures available for my readers to use in their PowerPoints, for sermons, worship backdrops, whatever else you can imagine. I’m also seeking to submit a book proposal to a clearing house for publishers and want to get some feedback from readers. New things with my ministry are also developing and I want to keep you informed. So, hold my feet to the fire. If it gets too hot, I will just cool them in the snow outside my front door, as you see in this photo.

I took this shot using HDR a little over a week ago. Which by the way, I think I need to write a tutorial for my readers someday. I’m getting more questions about how to do this. It really is fairly simple and does not require a lot of photographic sophistication. The biggest trick is to use a tripod. Keep posted. I will write something up about this sometime soon.

Right now I have some weightier things and projects to think about and finish. I’m currently gripped, as are many of you, by the situation in Gaza and am praying for my new Palestinian friends that I made this year in the West Bank. I’ve received some first hand reports already and am burdened for those on both sides of the conflict. This all adds another layer to a very difficult life for my friends and all living in the region–Muslim, Christian, Jew and secular alike. I need to tell a bit of the story from my friends’ perspective. For now, please pray with me these days for peace in the region and progress toward a long-term solution.

Here is a story just posted on the Covenant website from a person at the Leadership conference I was at last September: Palestinian Professor Sees Role for Believers in Crisis

Have a good weekend.

The Bean in HDR, originally uploaded by papalars.

“If Focus People are to be enabled to see the Christ of the Gospels, they must first see the likeness of Christ in his followers.”

Whether we like it or not, we reflect something to our world, to those we meet and those we seek. In my work with focus people, I am aware that many times I reflect a stereotypical American whom they perceive as hating their religion and people around the world. This is not my idea, but what my culture and passport say to focus people before a conversation even begins. I would maintain that this is a distortion of what I feel in my heart toward them. But how will they know what is in my heart unless I engage them in an honest, open friendship? By the way, this sounds a little bit like Romans 10:14-15. Why don’t you pause and think of this passage as you pray for me, for those I meet and those I seek. Would love it if you did that.

I find a big part of my work is to clear up distortions—in two ways. In the church I speak of focus friends that I know, clearing up stereotypes of the bearded militant who wants to kill Americans. With focus people I am developing friendships that show love, sincerity, a posture of humility, learning and hopefully, the love of Christ extended to them. This is different than what they expect.

So with this edition of my prayer requests please focus on praying for a clear understanding on both sides of the conversation that takes up most of my life.

Specifically pray for:

1. My conversation with the Department of World Mission this weekend as I present a modified proposal of my role with the Mosaics project that has me based stateside. I hope to be involved more with mobilizing, training, and developing local church ministries to focus people. I can send you the proposal upon request. Just email me at: prayformosaics@yahoo.com.

2. New focus friends in the Seattle area. Some wonderful doors are opening up into the Focus community at both a lay and leadership level. Pray that distortions be minimized, that the light of Christ be seen, understood and embraced. Pray especially for 3 new contacts that I am developing.

3. Family as we continue to launch our children and careers. Pray for our relationships with each other, for good mental and physical health and for clarity and passion for our future[s].

4. Pray for the development of my “Glocal” strategy. At home that means clear direction in the who, what and where of the Mosaics project. I also want to develop a local team who would join the ministry. The other part is far reaching as I develop our approach to mobilizing, empowering local churches and individuals.

If you look closely at this picture of the Bean in Chicago, you can see me with my tripod, snapping happily away. I love to take pictures of the Bean. The distortions are fascinating. As you look at the photo, why don't you pause to ask yourself, "What do others see when they look at me?"

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”
2 Corinthians 2:14

Seattle Pan HDR, originally uploaded by papalars.

Wow! It's Friday again. Seems to come upon me sometimes a little too quickly. For most of those who will read/see this your Friday may be already slipping into the weekend. Life seems to happen after everybody else here on the West Coast sometimes. My old friends in Spain are fast asleep, or at least they should be. Saturday soon greets them.

I took this photo last night after my class in West Seattle on the Qur'an. Let me tell you a little about that before I post this photo.

In my efforts to build relationships of trust with my focus friends, and to understand their faith, I have taken upon myself to read their holy book. To help me in that task I am taking a class in West Seattle on the Qur'an. We are getting deep into our subject, reading whole sections, chapters [Suras], and verses. In our study we are also drawing comparisons to the Hebrew scriptures and New Testament. Very fascinating, needless to say.

One of the criticisms raised by Christian theologians and pastors with regard to a study of our scripture is the danger of reading single verses from the Bible out of context. Many hair brained doctrines or beliefs spring from this inappropriate use of the text. It is funny how the Bible is often used to buttress ideas that in fact are contrary to the clear teaching of scripture when read and understood in context.

It turns out that the Bible is not the only holy book that is used and read in this way. A commentator on the Qur'an that we are reading in our class in fact says this: "Since the Qur'an is….., all its component parts–phrases, sentences, verses and surahs–form one integral, coordinated whole. Hence, if one is really intent on understanding the Qur'anic message, one must beware of a 'hasty approach'–that is to say, of drawing hasty conclusions from isolated verses or sentences taken out of their context…"So I am trying to understand the Qur'an, and its message in its whole. You'd be surprised what I am discovering. The Qur'an, apparently, has been twisted and used to support all kinds of agendas, much like the Bible. Muslim believers are not happy about this at all.

Two weeks ago I went to a lecture given by a leading Imam who was visiting the Seattle area giving a series of lectures on "purification of the heart." I liked the topic and found much that I could agree with. Not all, mind you, but much. A theme is beginning to emerge in conversations for me with the Muslim faithful–the issue of materialism and its negative effect on the spiritual life. That is a bridge I can walk across in my sharing. Afterward I met some of the area leaders, exchanged names, phone numbers and emails. Curiously, I thought to ask one of the Imams if I could insert my notes which I had scribbled out on a piece of paper from the lecture into my Qur'an. He smiled at me and said, if the text was in Arabic, I should only put the notes in the front part of the holy book, not in the middle, like a book marker, half way through the text. Wow, what an interesting insight. The Arabic text printed in the Qur'an is literally the word of God and should not be broken apart with another piece of paper. That act would be interrupting God, so to speak.

I am learning much. I have much yet to learn. Pray for me. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15

Framing Rainier w Sail Boat, originally uploaded by papalars.

I have been exploring a little more with my bike recently in the Seattle area. What a wild [meaning GREAT] place when it is nice out. I should mention that the days like the one above depicted in this photo are few when looking at the span of the entire year, but when it is nice I can't think of another place on earth as golden and enchanted as this. Might be exaggerating a little bit. Maybe not though.

This photo is from two weekends ago and it was probably 10 miles or so from home along the path I took. Great conditioning for Rainier this summer. Great refreshment for the soul as well.

Did I mention we climbed to Camp Muir earlier in May? Don't think I did. Now that was truly wild [meaning CRAZY]. For starters, Camp Muir is just above 10,000 feet on Mt. Rainier and is the base camp for most who make the summit attempt on Washington's greatest mountain. We are training with a group of folks who have the goal of climbing Rainier this August [including the 3 Larsen boys]. Our fearless leader has us all on a training routine that is pushing us to be in condition and mentally ready for a climb. Our trip to Muir was a test.

We hit a day that was "inclement" to say the least with white-out conditions for a good part of the assent. Even lost our trail for about an hour. We also had strong winds and precipitation. I guess the wind chill was below freezing and the winds, which blew horizontal for most of the climb, were hitting over 30 mph.

Rainier beckons to many people in the Puget Sound region. Growing up in its shadow as a kid, I always heard tales of intrepid climbers who climbed this peak and others who trained on this mountain in preparation for climbing Everest. Some of this was legend, but then every once in a while you would read a story of someone who slipped to their death or was caught in white out conditions and lost orientation. One sad story from a few years ago was about an uncle/nephew team who were found frozen to death about 50 feet apart. They had all the correct gear in their packs but somehow lost orientation and hope, failing to rely on their equipment and each other.

In the journey of life, sometimes discouragement hits us, like the 30 mph horizontal winds that intimidated us on the mountain. The storms of life and "white-out" conditions make us lose the trail. The temptation is to just sit down, failing to utilize the resources at hand or find help from others. Don't do that. Let the words of the Psalmist direct how we navigate these hard times: "From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings." Psalm 61:2-4. Let this be your heart's yearning and may God direct your steps to the right resources. May his comfort sustain and strengthen you. Have a great weekend.