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Wayfarer's Journal

2011 Christmas in Denver with the Halls

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Apologies to those who’ve wondered where my chapter-a-day posts were since late last week. I took a few days off to celebrate Christmas with Wendy and her family in Denver. Wendy’s sister, Becky, was kind enough to host us all for the second straight year. We even got to meet Court, the new man in her life. His folks even joined us for brunch on Sunday morning.

Madison’s boyfriend, Kevin, drove up from Mt. Pleasant on Thursday and spent the night here in Pella so we could leave early on Friday. We stopped in Des Moines to pick-up Taylor. It was a long drive, but we enjoyed some great conversation and made it to Denver in the early evening.

Saturday morning was spent shopping with Kevin and the girls. Taylor helped me pick out a few birthday gifts for Wendy, utilizing those skills she’s been honing at her job at J. Crew. Madison and Kevin worked on some gifts for Kevin’s niece and nephew while Madison shopped for some work clothes.

Wendy’s sister, Becky, was a wonderful hostess and we enjoyed hanging out all afternoon and evening. We ate a lot and laughed a lot. Food and conversation were the order of the weekend. I enjoyed coffee and conversation with Wendy’s dad both Saturday and Sunday morning. Taylor got up to join the two of us “morning people” on Sunday morning which was wonderful.

The family gathered around my iPad on Sunday to Skype with Wendy’s brother, Josh who is serving as a dentist in the Army in Germany. It was fun to watch everyone gathered around to visit with Josh who was half a world away. As a Christmas gift to the family, Josh talked his girlfriend into stepping into the camera so everyone could see her.

Taylor brought a party game called Quelf along for the weekend. On Saturday night the five of us played in the hotel room. On Sunday, we made Wendy’s siblings play with us. It’s sort of a zany mash up of trivial pursuit, charades, and truth or dare. We had a lot of fun playing together.

I drove Madison back to Colorado Spings on Monday morning. It was fun to see where she goes to school, to see the house where she lives and to meet her landlord. After a business lunch in Englewood, I headed back to the hotel to pick up Wendy, Taylor and Kevin to begin the trek home. Wendy had been watching the radar and told me that we could expect to drive through snow, ice and rain all the way home as a huge storm front moved north into Nebraska and Iowa. We were extremely thankful as the front seemed to miraculously stay just south of the interstate. At one point the radar showed that it was snowing right where we were, but we didn’t experience one snow flake or rain drop the entire way home. We arrived home in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

We had a ball and enjoyed the time with family.

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Mark 1

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Lakhovsky: The Convesation; oil on panel (Бесе...
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Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Mark 1:35 (NLT)

Over the past few weeks I’ve had a handful of encounters with people in which I’ve mainly listened as the person on the other side of the conversation talked, and talked, and talked. Don’t get me wrong; It wasn’t a big deal. In each case, I understood that the person needed to get something out, and I was generally happy to listen. It was not, however, a conversation. It was a running monologue.

Healthy relationships required a steady stream of two-party communication. Both sides of the relationship must actively listen and actively speak. When the dialogue is skewed towards either person, the relationship begins to strain.

It is no different in our relationship with God. It requires an on-going conversation. Reading God’s Message to us is actively listening to what God has to say to us. Prayer is how we actively communicate to God. When either is lacking, our spiritual health strains.

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Chapter-a-Day Ezra 5

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 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter. Ezra 5:17 (MSG)

When I was a young man, I pastored a church that had some old ratty and torn pew Bibles that were in the old King James Version. The decision to use some available resources to purchase new pew Bibles in a more accessible translation seemed a no brainer. So, I authorized the purchase and replaced the tattered and torn pew Bibles when the new ones arrived.

I was unprepared for the strong an deeply emotional protest that followed the discovery of the new replacements. A meeting was held and I was informed of the history of the old pew Bibles which had been given in honor of a dear old saint of the church, and of the attachment some members felt to the old Bibles which they had used on Sundays for countless years.

Along the journey, I’ve often been guilty of making decisions and changes without consideration to those I’m leading. I made an executive decision about the pew Bibles without any consideration to how they got there or what they meant to the people in the pews. As a leader, I am often unaware of decisions, conversations, and the situations which led to the circumstances I inherited in leadership. While I believe that some sacred cows need to be quickly slaughtered, more often than not I’ve found a need to be more sensitive to those I’m leading. I need conversation and understanding regarding how we got to the present circumstances and honor those who were part of the process and history which got us here.

Ezra and the crew in today’s chapter were victims of a change in leadership. The new royal administration was not aware of their work to rebuild the temple nor of the royal decree that put them there.  The question is, will the new King be like I have too often demonstrated and make a rash decision to stop the reconstruction?  Or, will he consider their appeal to search the archives and understand why they are there?

I guess we’ll find out tomorrow. (How’s that for a teaser?)

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Wayfarer's Journal

Tom’s 30 Day Blogging Challenge Day 2

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Mr. Shimoni's table
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If you could have an elegant dinner along with anyone presently alive, whether you know them or not, who would you want it to be?

Of course, Wendy is on the top of my list for elegant dinners along with my close circle of family and friends, but what interests me about this question is the thought of those I don’t know with whom I would like to dine. The question also says “anyone” so I’m going to take liberty to name a few people with whom I would love to share an elegant dinner:

Queen Elizabeth – I think she’d be a fascinating conversation, and she’s the Queen
Pope Benedict – Would love the conversations of faith and life, seems a fascinating man
Sir Anthony Hopkins – great actor, would love the stories he could tell
Dame Judi Dench – ditto
Bono – love his rock star/world citizen/believer mystique
Leonardo diCaprio – great actor and I imagine an interesting person with heart
Tom Hanks – ditto
Simon Schama – Love his take on art and history, would love to pick his brain
Craig Ferguson – Would like to meet the man behind the curtain of jokes
Bill Hybels – Would love to ask him about his journey
Paul Johnson – My favorite historian, breadth of conversation would be amazing

Okay, so it’s a long list. But, there are a lot of people I would love to know and to learn from and to share a long, elegant dinner conversation.

How about you? Who is on your list? Feel free to share it in a comment to this post!

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A Lot of Words Left

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This is what it looks like at night when it’s the end of the day and Wendy has a lot words left. In this case, our friend Dave was listening to the words – so I got to take the picture.

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Chapter-a-Day Leviticus 24

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 It makes no difference whether he is a foreigner or a native, if he blasphemes the Name, he will be put to death. Leviticus 24:16 (MSG)

blas·pheme

/blæsˈfim, ˈblæsfim/[blas-feem, blas-feem] verb, -phemed, -phem·ing.
–verb (used with object)
1. to speak impiously or irreverently of (God or sacred things).
2. to speak evil of; slander; abuse.

Those who faithfully read these chapter-a-day posts are likely sick of hearing me say that God is a God of metaphor. And yet, in our journey through God’s Message I am continually amazed at how deeply this truth is woven into the very fabric of life. Words themselves are metaphors. A word, whether spoken or written, is something which stands for something else without using “like” or “as.” God’s Message refers to Jesus as the “Word.”

Consider that each morning we wake up with a blank verbal canvas, and the words that we choose to utter become brush strokes which paint a metaphorical self-portrait; they paint a metaphorical expression out of our deepest thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.

Think about all that you did yesterday. Recall, as best you can, all of the words that came out of your mouth: the conversations, the exclamations, the idle gossip, the song lyrics you sang along with in the car, the curses under your breath, the complaints, the arguments, the demands, the insults, the compliments, the private moments, and the deragatory remarks.

What kind of self-portrait do those words paint? Would others look at a summary of the words that came from your mouth and say that it is a portrait of love? Anger? Contentment? Hatred? Dissatisfaction? Gentleness? Pride? Greed? Compassion? Lonliness? Humility? Fear? Patience? Anxiety?

God takes the word we use very seriously. In fact, I believe God takes them far more seriously than we care to think about.

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” – Luke 6:44-46

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” – Matthew 12:36

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry….” James 1:19

I read today’s chapter and scratch my head at the extreme reaction God had towards one man’s curse. My first reaction is to think “how can God be so upset about words?” The longer I meditate on it, the more I hear God’s return question: “How can you so easily profane the power and meaning of words themselves?”

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Chapter-a-Day Matthew 12

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“Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.” Matthew 12:36-37 (MSG)

As I’ve said many times before, God is an artist and therefore He is a God of metaphor (something which represents something else without using “like” or “as”). Because we are created in His image, we are creatures of metaphor without ever thinking about it.

Take words, for example. A word is a metaphor. The word “cat” isn’t really a furry animal that purrs, but when we say the word “cat” it represents the furry animal that purrs in our language. When we use words in our conversation or in our writing, we are using metaphors. In a very basic way, we are being artistic, creating word pictures.

Jesus said that words are powerful, and they are. The old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me” is a bunch of b.s. Most of us can still remember, vividly, a hurtful things someone said to us many years ago.

When you speak, you are painting a picture that reveals your own soul. What do others see when you speak? Anger? Criticism? Prejudice? Hatred? Fear? Anxiety? Kindness? Hope? Faith? Love?

Today, I’m going to listen to myself. I’m going to examine my words and look at the picture they paint of who I am.

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Chapter-a-Day Matthew 6

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“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!” Matthew 6:22-23 (MSG)

One of the things that I love about my wife is the way we both enjoy seeing, experiencing and living with wide eyed wonder. The other week we went to the opera. It was not something I foresee us doing on a regular basis, but we were both awed by the experience which was unique for both of us. We sat in wide-eyed wonder at the entire experience, and then enjoyed sharing our wonder and the lessons learned.

Over this past weekend we watched two fascinating movies. One produced a wonderful conversation about reality and dreams. The other prompted an interesting conversation about, and appreciation for, community.

I don’t understand squinty-eyed living. God is so vast. His works are so infinite. Each day’s journey can be a glorious, wide-eyed exploration of Life that produces light, knowledge, wisdom, understanding and love in increasing measure.

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Jeremiah 6

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It’s hopeless. Their ears are stuffed with wax — deaf as a post, blind as a bat. It’s hopeless! They’ve tuned out God. Jeremiah 6:10b-11a (MSG)

I have hearing problems. It is not a fun thing to have your hearing diminished. It aggravates life in a myriad of ways. It’s amazing how much you miss, and in converstions you frequently find yourself having to decide if you are going to admit you didn’t hear and inquire about what was just said or of you just let it go. Wendy’s gotten sharp at knowing the blank expression of my face as I try to process what she just said. I feel awful asking people to repeat themselves all the time. Not only is it humbling but it’s an annoyance for all parties involved.

It’s no wonder that these lines from today’s chapter jumped off the page at me. I may struggle with hearing, but I never want to be deaf to God. Like any other conversation in any other relationship, I’ve found that you have to consciously listen for what God is saying. You have to tune your spiritual ears. You have to concentrate and pay attention. Prayer is not just about talking to God, it’s also about listening to God. It’s not a monologue, it’s a dialogue.

Today, I’m trying to remember to do a better job of listening.

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Chapter-a-Day 2 Chronicles 31

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Everything he took up, whether it had to do with worship in God’s Temple or the carrying out of God’s Law and Commandments, he did well in a spirit of prayerful worship. He was a great success. 2 Chronicles 31:11 (MSG)

I was at men’s group last night and around my table we were discussing our need to pray continually. In the midst of the discussion, I had a word picture come to mind. It fits perfectly with today’s chapter.

As a husband and a dad, it’s easy to be distracted. There are so many things running through your mind and the t0-do list is never ending. As a boy, I remember running errands on Saturday mornings with my dad. I sat next to him in the car but there were times his mind seemed a million miles away. It was as if I wasn’t even there. When my daughters were young, I know they could relate the same experience when they tagged along with me. I was preoccupied with the task in which I was engaged and ignored the relationship that was right there in the car seat next to me.

Hezekiah was focused on the task, but did it in “a spirit of prayerful worship.” He was aware of God’s presence wherever he went and whatever he did. He was in active relationship and conversation with God, even in the midst of the work at hand.

Today, I’m going to keep my conversation with God going through tasks, meetings, drive time, family time, and rehearsal.

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