Take up the Holy Trio

“At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place.” Luke 2:42

The smell of smoke lingers in the chilly early morning air. Leaving the warm confines of community and moving with steadiness past the snug little hovels, goes one man. A dog wags his tail and sweeps the step at his master’s door. A few tethered animals raise their droopy heads and acknowledge Him as he passes silently pressing toward his destination: a rocky high place up and away from any possible distractions. Up there, in the silence, he can be with his Father; as was his custom, Jesus rises early to pray.

As disciples of Christ we are called to imitate His life of prayer which appears like a rather extreme form of devotion. What we must realize, however, is that we are in a spiritual combat zone and the evil darkness is thick and narcotic and seeks to tranquilize us. Scripture can help us as it sheds light on the three pronged strategy waging war against us: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

In this season of preparation for Easter we are challenged to make a major effort to turn from the wiles of the devil. We are reminded of the weaponry that our Lord has provided to ward off the attacks of the evil one. These are what St Augustine termed the “holy trio”. To combat the lust of the flesh we are exhorted to fast, to combat the pride of life we are exhorted to pray, and to combat the lust of the eyes we are exhorted to give alms or random acts of mercy. Basically, sensual gluttony is tamed with fasting; unrealistic confidence about our own abilities is offset by humble dependence on God in prayer, and covertness and greed by generosity. If we are not practicing these in unison or if we are only emphasizing one there will be an imbalance and a possible breach of the defenses. Each member of the “trio” is strengthened further by its partner such that our prayers are catapulted into God’s presence when we couple them with the practice of fasting and almsgiving.

In Lent we are called to empty ourselves in order to be more filled with the life and power of Christ. Extreme devotion is only possible with the extreme presence of our Lord. Is He merely present or pre-eminent in your life?

Hub Centered

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure . . . think about such things.” Phil 4:8

G’day! Australia is a huge and enthralling sunburnt continent that hosts some fascinating critters. The landscape upon which the unique flora and fauna are displayed is unlike any other part of the world. Take for instance the famous “island mountain” out in the desert center of the landmass. Ayers Rock, or Uluru as it has become known in recent times, looks as if a meteorite just thudded into the otherwise barren sandy landscape. The scale of this monolith is impressive – 1,142 feet high (10 Kearney water towers) and 5.8 miles wide (the distance north from I-80 to the turn-off to Riverdale or Hwy 40). That is a monster chunk of rock in anyone’s book! As Aussie people of faith have reflected on the symbolism of this centerpiece they have connected the Bible referring to God as “the Rock” and have prayed that God would truly be the rock at the center of Australian life. A powerful image!

Moving to Kearney some years ago I have encountered another reference to “centering”. It was a geographic one that our local newspaper recognized when naming its publication the Kearney Hub in 1888. They wanted to tout the fact that our town was the “hub” or center of the continent as it was situated 1,733 miles from both Boston and San Francisco. The question has not been answered however as to what strategic message our town would want to broadcast to our great nation from this hub. What is of core worth that is imperative to reinforce in the lives of our people?

I hope that Kearney will stand for all that is praiseworthy about the American dream. Most of all I pray that Kearney will promote a love and respect for all human life no matter what age or stage. In a global climate that is morphing to value only the “quality of life”, may we esteem the “sanctity of life”. May we be a blessing to our State and this nation as a “hub of holiness”. By holiness I do not mean self-righteousness but pure love for all of God’s creation. In this season of Lent, that begins today, will you pray with me that God will search and purify our hearts and further develop a hunger for holiness.

Formation Prayer: Winter Growth

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2

The Ice Man cometh! In the last week or so we have been plunged back into snow and cold. The deathly stillness has returned and winter’s white landscape dominates our countryside. Deciduous trees now stand like naked wretches, waiting to be clothed by the warm hospitality of spring. With winter the cloak of green has been removed, fallen away to expose the tree’s gnarly limbs and lumpy trunk. All the irregularities and defects are exposed. It is the same tree but the showy foliage has been removed.

Life can turn for the believer and bring about similar “winter” consequences for us. One minute all is beautiful then a stripping or hardship enters and it appears that life disappears. As with the tree, this experience reveals who we really are. Life can become so busy and fast paced, or so regular and predictable, that regular sifting and sorting of our soul is ignored. Then a winter storm hits! In this frozen numbness the ability to follow the Lord becomes harder and we have less to show for it, in a tangible sense. But God is forcing the life deeper and deeper. Like the tree, the only growth may be in the root system during this time – the hidden life. Yet winter root growth establishes a stronger base for spring development.

The source of all outward displays of our Christianity depends on the inner life with Christ – the roots of faith. Just as with the tree in winter conditions, our faith may deepen and grow without spectacular outward operations during a time of trail. What is happening, however, is God’s pure love is at work in our soul. He is driving us inside to strengthen our inner life with Him. Our response should be abandonment and removal of any sin obstructions. Winter preserves the tree, winter preserves the soul.

Formation Prayer: 20/40/60 Principle

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live.” Gal 2:20a

I heard someone say that at age 20 a person will worry about what everyone is thinking about them. At 40 they stop caring about what everyone is thinking. At 60 they realize that no one had been thinking about them in the first place! I guess the moral of this joke is that we often suffer from an over-inflated ego. In the quest for “Formation Prayer” we are benefited by standing back and reflecting on our mortality.

With the advent of Facebook, Blogging and Twitter our natural tendency to a narcissistic self interest can be pampered and preened very nicely. But the reality is that if no-one reads these entries life still goes on and things still get done. Many thoughts are sent out through the internet but their relevance may be questionable. Rather than a morbid thing, contemplating our significance acts as a check against an over inflated ego and promotes a healthy prioritizing of things.

Today, let’s recall the short span of our life and the heavenly courts that soon await Christ’s brethren. The accolades we tend to seek will one day be satisfied and fully resolved in our entry to our eternal destination where all praise will go to God for what He has done. In prayer, marvel at God’s mighty plan and ask that in each moment we will die to live, or live to die. For it is in dying to our selfishness that we find the true principle of abundant life.

Formation Prayer: Burnout

“He (Jesus) withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” Matt 14:13

Moving to Nebraska seven years ago I was struck by the BIG horizons and by the stunning sunrises and sunsets. God seems to open His red/yellow/blue paint-box at the beginning and end of every day and project a new work of art for us to enjoy out here. Some may collect cars and others antiques but in Nebraska, I collect sunrise/sunset images.

The vast expansive Nebraskan landscapes can also speak of a bleak solitude. How much have you purposely embraced solitude in order to develop your spiritual life? Experiencing solitude is an ancient-future discipline for spiritual growth but, in the light of a culture that is increasingly filled with distracting noise, it is not too popular. One must plan and escape into solitude just as Jesus did. Our lives are busy and solitude and silence are not popular.

The benefits of solitude for our prayer life are well documented. Like fasting, it frees us from compulsions that may be undetected and slavish. Let’s face it, to not carry a cell phone or I-Pod and to be quiet is now a challenge in our culture. So to practice solitude is more than likely to be misunderstood by our peers. There is a real liberty to just being alone for the purpose of hearing from God. In solitude, we die to others and ourselves so as to live for God. In solitude our busy lives are unmasked and the value we attached to these activities reassessed. Solitude does not gain us new strength to save us from burnout but wisdom to avoid it.