Go Deep

2010-03-12T04:27:00.000-08:00

"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

What a dangerous statement. If we are to truly ask ourselves the question this statement implies....very dangerous. What does it mean to have Jesus as the tresure of our heart? And, can we truly be honest eough with ourselves to say "yes" or "no?" Today, I find myself asking the question.

I wonder how an awreness of the answer to that quesiton migh change the way we live? Are we willing to fully and truly trust God to the point we move from anxiety to peace? Maybe that is part fo the journey of Lent. Moving from anxiety to peace by claiming Jesus as the treasure of our hearts.

Like this?

2010-03-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

Give us each day.....
as we forgive others....

Is this really how we are to pray? Are we really to understand that our walk with Christ is a daily witness to the power of grace and the faithfulness of God? That we are to trust that each day we will be given enough for that day, and to ask for more than a single day of sustenance is a measure of a lack of trust? Really? What would it mean to live each day trusting that God will give enough....that day for that day....not to store up and worry about next week, year? What kind of anxiety would that produce? What kind of freedom would that give? What type of transformation would be possible through this?

Is this really how we are to pray? Is forgiving my neighbor so important that Jesus insist it be linked to our own forgiveness? So important that we be reminded of it each time we pray the model prayer Jesus gave us? So central to our connection with Christ that he was this specific?
How does praying this prayer change our hearts? Our lives? Our families? our community? our world? What happens to bitterness? What happens to grudges? What happens to reconciliation? What happens to hope?

Is this really how we are to pray?

2010-03-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

How many times? The parable of the sower is such a great example of Jesus' teaching. He takes a familiar medium and shares an important message. He talks about farming in a place where everyone would have been familiar with soil, seed, rocks, and sun. I have read and heard this story many, many times. So, how do we continue to have ears to hear? Is this a story that only has meaning for us the first time? Is it only about the one time casting of seed and then whatever happens, happens? I know a few farmers and not one of the them only plant one time. They all plant year after year. They do all they can to improve the yield, but they keep planting.

Maybe the new "ears" part of this passage is to remember that we continue to sow the seed. We do all we can between plantings to prepare the soil...and then we plant. Year after year. Time after time. Invitation after invitation. Prayer after prayer.

2010-02-25T12:22:00.001-08:00

Just a note. The times that are listed on this blog are not right. I had someone ask me, "When do you sleep?" I'm certain the incorrect times have something to do with my lack of tech prowess.

2010-02-25T03:06:00.000-08:00

The Apostle Peter's call includes a strange request. After fishing all night with no result, Jesus then tells him to put out in deep water. It was in the deep water that Peter and his partners experienced a "once in a lifetime" catch. Through this experience Peter came to know who Jesus is. I wonder what it means to "go deep?" What does it mean for us to open ourselves to the possibilities of experiencing God?

What happens when we place ourselves fully into the hands of God? That when God says go deep, we do....and what happens? Have you gone deep? What happened?

Smooth

2010-02-22T03:43:00.000-08:00

In the third chapter of Luke, JOhn the Baptist comes on the scene and his ministry is introduced by quoting a passage from Isaiah in which it speaks of roads being smooth and straight. As we see his ministry unfold it would seem that "smooth" is the last word we would choose. However, we know that part of the process of smoothing oftentimes includes dealing with "rough" things.

I wonder how each of us have experienced this? Perhaps, even, we are in the midst of a time when the challenges of life are "smoothing" places in our lives? How is God bringing comfort in the struggle?

Soul-singing

2010-02-19T07:13:00.000-08:00

What makes my soul sing? Mary's soul was glorified and was singing clearly in the "Magnificat." But what about mine, yours? Is it worship? Is it study? Is it prayer? Books are written on such things, but the reality is that Mary found what makes our soul sing. It is being wholly and deeply connected to God. What do you need to do to feel that type of connection?

Day two

2010-02-18T03:18:00.000-08:00

I go back and forth. Sometimes I feel like I see miracles nearly everyday and other days I feel like I wouldn't know a miracle if it stood in front of me. The gospel of Luke begins with two miraculous pronouncements, both involving birth. The births of John the Baptist and Jesus each are miracles.

Two questions: Why do you think Luke included two miracles in the first part of his Gospel? And, are miracles part of your life and faith?

One Thing

2010-02-17T04:46:00.000-08:00

The story from Mark 10 about the "Rich Young Man" is one that challenges many of us. One of the challenging parts is when we see just how well Jesus knows us. We find great comfort and hope in the fact that Jesus knows our challenges and our joys. But when we realize Jesus also knows the things we hold back from Him, well, that is another matter. It means I can no longer assume I am hiding anything from Jesus.

I wonder, how does it make you feel that Jesus knew exactly what the Rich Young Man lacked and what does that mean for each of us?

I look forward to your responses.

Shalom,
russ

Beginning

2010-02-11T04:07:00.001-08:00

Welcome to "Go Deep." What are you looking forward to as we read through the Gospel of Luke?