Soul Shapes

Spiritual Milk, Part III

2010-04-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

The shortest and most powerful spoken prayers I've experienced is the Jesus prayer. You're late for your appointment, you've grabbed an energy bar on the way out the door, jumped in the car and zoomed off to pick up your kids, or to get to the office. You're tight as a bongo drum. You could rely on adrenaline, nerves, and the soy protein isolate and sugar in your bar (or the caffeine, cocoa and saccharine in the mocha latte you picked up at the drive-through).

What if you took 15 seconds to pray? Or, the 5 minutes waiting at the drive-through? While prayer isn't an energy bar or a caffeinated beverage, or even in the big picture of things about you, it is your direct-line to the leader of your life and the power-source of all you do. Here's how it goes:

Father, have mercy on me! Leader Jesus, have mercy on me! Holy Spirit, have mercy on me."

The tax collector in Jesus' parable of Luke 18 adds, "...have mercy on me a sinner!" The next time you're dashing out the door, what if you were to be praying the Jesus prayer and were to engage with the Master as He leads you on an unforgettable journey for the world?

Spiritual Milk, Part II

2010-02-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

I'm in the kitchen washing dishes. I hear one of our kids (4, 4, and 7) screaming at another, "Aacccchhhhh!!" I come rushing into the bedroom and see the early earmarks of a potential UFC fight breaking out, with tug-of war and wrestling, "That's mine!! Give that back to me!! Give that back to me right now!" Like a police officer arriving at the scene of a burglary in progress, but using a different imperative, I say, "(child's name), breath!" and then I demonstrate by deeply and slowly breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. It works. Okay, not always, but often. As a parent, I need and use the same calming routine to good effect, too!

When those moments come where life seems overwhelming or busy, and perhaps you feel guilty about not having spent more quiet time with God, or uncertain about how, what if you use the time you do have - right then - and connect with yourself and with God? What if you tried this twenty-second breath prayer that powerfully embodies you in your prayer and can be a simple yet profound way of experiencing God.

Here's how it works. Select a Bible phrase - let's use Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." Break the phrase into two parts. Let's select "Be still" as our first part and "and know that I am God" as our second part.

For the first part, breath in through your nose, hold your breath for about four seconds or so, and then for the second part, slowly and evenly exhale through your mouth. While doing the first part, silently speak the words, "Be still." While doing the second part, silently speak the words, "and know that I am God."

As they say on shampoo bottles, "Repeat" (as often as you want). You and I can do this while driving (eyes open, to be sure), doing laundry, just before engaging your loved one in what you know will be a heated argument, before reading the Bible. The possibilities are unlimited. God wants to meet with you as often as you'll allow time to meet.

Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! - Psalm 150:6 (AMP)

(Over the next few weeks, check in with Spiritual Milk, a series sharing and exploring habits for growing more mature - for knowing, experiencing, and participating with God; help get the word out and share this blog with friends).

Spiritual Milk, Part I

2010-02-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

I grew up drinking milk. Chocolate, strawberry, Carnation Instant Breakfast, but mostly just regular cow's milk. I used it in cereals and once or twice mixed with chocolate cake. These days, I favor Trader Joe's "original flavor" rice milk. Whether chocolate, strawberry, plain, almond, goat's, or rice, milk has a place in most cultures, for better or for worse, of being an essential nourishing drink that helps us grow.

My wife Heidi and three children left town to go stay overnight with "Papa" and "Nana". Everything went quiet. I could get some work done, go for a run, put any toys away, catch a few minutes of the game on tv while having lunch. All of a sudden, I also had lots of freedom to do my daily Bible reading and meditations. That was wonderful - but also begged the question, Isn't there a way to hang out with Jesus without having to send my family off out of town (or myself off on a retreat!)?!

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, - 1 Peter 2:2

(Over the next few weeks, check in with Spiritual Milk, a series sharing and exploring habits for growing more mature - for knowing, experiencing, and participating with God; help get the word out and share this blog with friends).

Getting Your Feet Wet

2009-05-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Listen to Sayer's message Getting Your Feet Wet, based on Matthew 14:22-33, the story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. This talk was given at Grace Church, Portland last Sunday, April 26th.

Taming the Temper Tantrums of Children: How can I raise my child into a leader?

2009-03-31T11:50:00.001-07:00

I was reading about Charlie Shedd, an author. He wrote:

Before we had kids, I used to travel across the country teaching a lecture I called, “The Ten Commandments for Raising Perfect Kids.” After Martha and I had our first child, I changed the title to, “Ten Hints for Parents.” After our second child, I renamed my title to, “A Few Tentative Suggestions for Fellow Strugglers.” After the arrival of our third child, I gave up speaking on the topic altogether!

It seems there are as many styles, methods, and ways of raising children as there are parents. Most all of them have pieces of wisdom and truth for us parents to apply. However, if you're going to raise a child to explore both following Jesus and becoming a leader as a follower, I suggest that whatever you do, find a way to involve your child in finding a solution to their trouble.

The key is in using parenting techniques that align with what Jesus is about. Parenting techniques and behaviors that impart shame, embarrassment, or guilt contribute to the very things Jesus came to overcome. We add baggage and hurdles that our child must overcome in arriving at a place of accepting the total love and acceptance Jesus offers them. We make smaller an already small child who by the gift of God embodies the very temple of the living God. And, we add to our feeling inadequate and frustrated as a parent.

Our three year old boys are fighting over who gets to sit in a pink recliner chair. I know what you're thinking, “Pink?” What boy would want to sit in a pink chair?! Yet, they're pushing, yelling, and tussling. I come on the scene.

Nathan, while continuing to push, says, “I want to sit here too!”

“Ian, do you want to share with Nathan right now?,” I ask.

Ian, pushes back and replies, “I want to sit here by myself!”

“Nathan, I have a problem. Ian was sitting in this chair first and doesn't want to share the chair with you right now. He wants to sit in the chair by himself. Do you have any ideas about how we can solve my problem?,” I ask.

He calms considerably, eases up and slides away from the chair and softly replies, “Yeah.” And moves on.

In times past, I would have used other ways that would have imposed a solution upon them, anything from imposing upon Nathan the choice between backing away or having a time out to settle down (some choice, huh!), to playfully cajoling Ian or insisting that he share. Or, I'd insist that Nathan step away and I'd impose a time out if he escalated his resistance to my imposed solution. Nathan would feel small, powerless, guilty, shameful, and embarrassed. He would get the message that in order to make it in this world he would have to become powerful, do the right things, and do them perfectly. Instead, gratefully, he gets the message that he has the power to make choices, including, ultimately, to become both a follower and a leader of Jesus.

Praying for Andrew--posted by Mom

2008-05-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

Early this week I began asking the children, as we begin our evening prayers, "Who do you think needs us to pray for them right now?" and have continued this as a nightly custom. Although our 5 -year-old daughter immediately knew what I meant and suggested the names of several people, our 2-year-old twins at first didn't know what I meant. But on the second or third evening, when I asked the prayer question, Nathan replied, "An-doo." I had no idea what he was talking about. I asked him several times before I realized he was saying, "Andrew."

On Sunday, as we drove to church, there was a man standing on the corner with the familiar cardboard sign asking for help. We routinely give money to people standing on street corners, holding up cardboard signs asking for money. I realize that many people do not give money, for many reasons. Some feel that the money will just be used for drugs or alcohol. Some feel that it doesn't provide any more than a band aid to a larger problem and that by giving to larger, homeless aid organizations, they are doing their part to alleviate the suffering of homelessness. I'm sure there are many other reasons. We have prayerfully decided to give small amounts of money to people standing on the street corner. We'll never know what it will be spent on, but hope it will be used for food or shelter. Perhaps not. Jesus fed the hungry. Since we don't carry food around with us, we will simply give the hungry the respect of giving them the ability to buy the kind of food that they need, knowing that they may choose badly.

I don't remember exactly what Sunday morning's sign said, except that it first asked for prayers and then asked for money. When we are with our children and see homeless people we talk to the children about our basic belief that everyone belongs to God and what this means to us. So this Sunday we pointed out to the children that the man was there, asking for help, and discussed what we could do to help him. It was only a couple of blocks from our church and there was no way for us to get to him from our car across the busy intersection. So we parked at church and Sayer ran back to talk with him. Sayer stayed only briefly because he knows that standing around and talking for too long is "bad for business"--he wouldn't be given any money by anyone else while Sayer was standing there talking with him.

They talked briefly. Sayer learned that his name is Andrew and more about his journey. He mentioned Jeremiah 29:11 and that God has plans for him that are giving him hope. Sayer gave him a few words of encouragement and then asked him what he wanted us to pray for on his behalf. He prayed with him, gave him a small amount of money, and joined us at church. That night we prayed for him, as we told him we would.

Several days later, when I had asked the children who needed our prayer, Nathan said, "An-doo," over and over again until I understood. I am humbled by Nathan's developing sense of compassion. I could have received no better Mother's Day gift.

- Heidi

Little Acts of Following

2008-03-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago our five year old came running and screaming down the hallway and leapt onto the recliner chair in the living room. I came out of the kitchen to see what was the matter. Chasing after her was one of our two year olds. He had his hands forward as though trying to grab her and then bite her. He appeared to be frustrated and angry and pursuing justice for whatever happened back the other way down the hallway.

Our five year old stood on the arm of the chair screaming, "He's going to bite me!". I came out to our five year old and had just finished asking, "Sweetie, what's the matter?" when I turned back to our two year old who had picked up a clean washcloth, had stuffed it in his mouth, and was madly chewing. By now, the commotion had also drawn Heidi my wife to the scene. I motioned my head to our two year old. As he chewed his anger appeared to be rapidly dissipating. Our jaws dropped to the floor.

Our two year old was chewing the wash cloth to manage his feeling of frustration and anger so that he wouldn't bite his sister. That was impressive! The day before we had shown him that he could go to the couch and grab anything from the laundry and bite on it when he feels frustrated or angry. Here he was taking proactive steps to manage his feeling of frustration and anger. Wow. At dinner Heidi made special mention and praise of our two year old's proactive behavior. Our family vision is "to follow Jesus" and our two year old's behavior was showing us the way! Jesus encouraged us to be creative with our circumstances ("...give him your shirt also...") and to be principled and proactive rather than reactive in our response.

Welcome!

2008-02-06T21:31:00.000-08:00

A friend recently explained, "Whenever someone asks me, 'How's your spiritual life?" I immediately run a mental search through all the "shoulds" ("should-y thinking!") that go with my laundry list of 'spiritual' tasks and I feel guilty and burdened with the shortcomings of my journey. But recently a friend asked, 'How's your soul?' and immediately I knew what he was asking and felt glad that he acknowledged and was sincerely interested in my deepest and inner 'me."

I have a passion for walking alongside others on their life's journey (wherever they're at and wherever they're going) nurturing what matters most--even if subconsciously--to them, that inner self some call "soul."

You will have opportunities to eavesdrop, hang out, provide insights, experience and wisdom and to be part of the creating of two new books currently in development via surveys, interviews, comments and feedback. You will, in this way, have an opportunity to impact many peoples lives where it most matters: their connecting with and following their creator who is on the move in the world.

I have a desire to walk alongside those who long for wholeness in a hurting world (walking this walk myself) . . . for those who long to directly encounter God, being healed and whole, fueled and empowered for living.

Is it possible? Let's explore together. I look forward to learning from you . . .