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I Am Not Alone…

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Loneliness is crippling. 

Loneliness can descend on us even in the midst of a room full of people…it has a sense of being unknown, unwanted, rejected or misunderstood. Mother Theresa noted that -Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.

Loneliness also doesn't simply appear quickly, it is a slow process which numbs our God-awareness and disconnects us from relationships. When life doesn't flow in the way that we desire, or in a way that we understand, it is easy to become discouraged…when discouragement visits, he brings along some other friends that really wreck havoc in our souls.

BUT…in those times, even in the moments that we feel God is distant, unaware, or unconcerned…the reality is that He is there, and He is always up to something.

Join me at the Journey Experience @SVA this weekend to see what God might be up to, and where He is working when we get discouraged, depleted and disengaged from life…the truth of God's involvement will bring hope and faith.

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Dei Gratia,

Monty

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2011 Challenge

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Alignment and Illumination…being and doing…both are necessary, but there is a vast difference in the outcomes depending on which flows from which…

When doing comes first, ego is inflated and legalism is born. Your God experience is based on "shoulds" and the net result is a religous organizational experience that is lacking spiritual power.

When our doing flows from our purposeful decision to "be" with God, the result is a faith-empowered God-infused organic journey with Trinity that is fresh, alive, and allows the light or presence of God within us to illuminate out of us…Christ is still incarnating in His people as we spend time with Him.

So, we align our hearts, minds and bodies with God through His Word, and through time with Him…this is the being side of things…Now, we have so much more to offer than merely ourselves or our good intentions, we have Christ infused into all that we are and all that we do…this turns every moment into a sacred moment and illumination for ourselves and those around us happens…this is the doing side of things.

There are two parts to the 2011 challenge, a being part and a doing part.

Being:

Spend 20 minutes of "God-talk" time every day at 11:00. It can be 11:00 a.m, or p.m, whatever works for you. When 11:00 rolls around, stop what you are doing, and spend some time just "being" with God…talk to Him, pray for others, ask Him to reveal more and more of who He is to you…allow Him to refresh and renew your tired soul…or simply slow down, center your thoughts on God and practice being with Him…with no agenda, no asks…Just breathe His presence into your present moment and know that He is God. Before long, 20 minutes will be gone, but the peace of His presence will linger in your soul drawing you back for more.

Doing:

Do 20 positive acts on the 11th day of each month. It can be positive words to a friend or family member…a random act of kindness towards a stranger…an encouraging Facebook post or note…or an action that has positive consequences for our world or community like picking up trash without being asked, doing something to lower your carbon footprint or even volunteering for a shift at our clothing bank the Gift of Apparel! You will find that it will get easier and easier to do 20 positive acts, and before long that will begin to morph into other days as your whole disposition begins to transform into a channel of God's positive grace!

I will post some ideas here on the blog and or on my Facebook page! If you have some ideas of positive acts PLEASE add them in the comments areas for others to see and try!

So here's to a 2011 that balances our being and doing so that God has the opportunity to flow through us all like grace filled rain!

Dei Gratia,

Monty

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One Crazy Decade

It has been a crazy way to kick into the new century! Join me this Sunday for VISION 2011 at SVA…9 & 11 http://www.svaonline.org

Monty

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Incongruence

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Incongruence, Isaiah 11:6-11

 

"Life wasn't meant to be like this." I don't know how many times those words have been birthed in pain as they left my mouth. Conversations where that phrase is necessary generally have a dialog attached concerning why God allows such painful realties into our lives.

Sometimes, even though we have done all the right "Christian" things, the bottom of life still falls out, leaving us bewildered, angry and confused.

"Did I do something wrong?" "Is there some sin in my life?" The questions bounce through our minds like a pachinko ball. The reason that we are so desperate for the answer may not be because we want finality, but because we have been divinely wired by God to know that this is wrong and that we were meant to experience something different, something beautiful, something holy.

Isaiah received a glimpse of what was supposed to be, as well as what will be. Through the Messiah, the cosmos would take on a whole different orientation. Instead of a world that is me-centric, and living on the brink of destruction, the plan is for a world immersed in beauty, love and trust of a kind that seems unorthodox to our current reality, but perfectly plausible in God's economy.

In and through the Messiah, natural-born enemies become friends and fellow travelers. Those most innocent and naïve will not have to worry about deceptiveness, as deception has vanished. Here, even a child can lead in safety and trust.

Danger and evil are birthed from sin. Sin obscured the beauty that God intended. It builds walls between people. It produces labels that further separate us from each other, but life wasn't meant to be like this. Deep down we know this, so we long for God's design; yet in Christ, we have already received it.

The Incarnation unmasks the incongruence of life on earth. God shouts through the angelic host and illuminates through the One in Mary's arms that He has not forgotten us. He works among us; His kingdom is working through the cosmos, healing the distortion that sin has caused.

God's kingdom of shalom (peace) is not something we create or manage. The kingdom of shalom that Jesus invites us into exists now and will be fulfilled when He returns. It is infused within the life of Christ-followers, finding its way out to others. We become portals of God's grace by loving people when they least expect it, and least deserve it.

At the end of all conversations then, the hope that is welling up inside of us finds its fulfillment in one Word: Jesus. In Christ alone all the paradoxes of life are held together. In Him the common language of grace reminds us to be incarnational people, as Jesus continues to make his appeal through us.

Gracious God, when our world fails to make sense, we thank you for Your Son, Jesus-who is restoring and redeeming all the broken pieces of life. We come to you in his name. Amen.

Dei Gratia,

MC