Burning Bushes

In reading "Strengthening the Soul of your Leadership" by Ruth Barton, Exodus 3:2-4 has really jumped out at me. "There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight." When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush."

God spoke to Moses only after Moses took time to 'turn aside and look' at the burning bush. The lesson for each of us is this: are we taking time to turn aside from the regular, incessant rhythm of our day and look at a burning bush in our own life? As stated by Barton, a burning bush is a most ordinary object that becomes extraordinary because it is on fire with divine activity.

The difficulty for many of us is that we are so busy dealing with life's urgent needs or with future thinking that we miss the ordinary elements of our life in which God is presently at work. If we do not take time to turn aside and look, we may be missing God's voice calling to us.

How does one turn aside and look? It probably looks a bit different for each of us. But I wonder if it always includes time of quieting one's soul. To quiet your soul you could begin by taking prayerful time to look at your life this past week. Name the ways God has been present in your life. If you're not remembering or seeing them ... ask God to remind you - they are there, we simply need to quiet ourselves to see them.

As we begin to see the burning bushes that existed in our life this past week - bushes that we didn't take time to turn aside and watch and wonder at - we can ask God what He intended us to hear/know/learn from Him. As we hear the Holy Spirit's counsel, wisdom, and guidance, our soul will respond. We become quieted and will more likely see other burning bushes in our lives...and thus maybe, just maybe, we'll hear God calling to us.

I encourage you... even challenge you to:

• begin paying attention to the burning bushes in your life. Where and what is God doing presently - right now - with the ordinary things of your life?
• How can you quiet your soul - how can you make time to turn aside and look, not only around you, but within you?
• What is it God wants to speak to you.... about what is God calling out to you?
  

CHANGES

So...when is the last time you've had to re-normalize part of your life reality? Some circumstances have changed that have forever altered what is now your 'norm'. We all know this is a natural part of life...a healthy aspect of character building and spiritual growth.

.....But it sure can be tough.

I tend to go into some moments (well days) of denial....then frustration or anger at the truth....and finally - ever so slowly - I begin to accept my new norm.

My biggest question has to be....God, who do you want me to be through this?

My statement to Him, " Lord, let it be to me as you say".

The Bible makes it pretty clear what He says.....it's all about becoming more like Christ, doing life the Jesus way, hearing and obeying the Holy Spirit's promptings.

During these changing times how are you becoming more like Christ?
What are you learning as you do life the Jesus way?
How willingly are you following the Holy Spirit's counsel?

Busy-ness & Discipleship

I just read a friend's post on the funeral of another friend. I shed tears of sorrow - not for the death of this beloved person. This time my tears were more about the busy-ness of life. You see, this deceased friend ALWAYS had time for people, because he always had time with & for God. He lived a life of discipleship. He was always growing as a disciple of Christ; he was always discipling others as he lived a very full life.

Makes me confront what I already know. I'm too full of busy-ness. It's not my heart's desire. It seems like the only way to 'do' (i.e. accomplish/fulfill) what is 'expected' of me ....but certainly not by our Lord.

Strange thing is: others think I am discipling or speaking into their lives. That is my intent and my attempts. So how do I mesh these dichotomous realities? ....I don't. I simply accept that God works in me and sometimes through me to impact others for His glory. I accept that He wants to use me even more. However, I must manage my busy-ness so as to leave room for His work in me.

How busy are you? How is your intimacy factor with our Lord? How are you making yourself available to impact others for God?

Pure Spiritual Milk

This verse follows up with the message from Sunday May 17.

1 Peter 2:2
"Like newborn babies, CRAVE PURE SPIRITUAL MILK, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation...."

Notice that the bolded words are in the imperative mood - which expresses a command, prohibition, entreaty, or strong advice. Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, is placing a strong entreaty - almost command - before us. He's telling us where we should be in the working out of our salvation. This is not meant to be an admonition, but a call to alertness.

Are you satisfied with how well you are loving God, others, and self?

Are you CRAVING PURE SPIRITUAL MILK?

If you want to talk about where you are and/or where you want to go....I'd enjoy talking with you via email, the phone or in person.

a Franciscan Benediction

"May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart (deep in God's truths).

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and help turn their pain into joy.

And may God Bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done."

I've appreciated this benediction for several years. I appreciate it even more when accompanied with the realization that the Holy Spirit's work in me allows for the living, working, comforting and doing needed to live in such a manner.

"The Spirit of Truth...will guide you into all truth....he will speak only what he hears,... He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you." John 16:12-15

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness. ....the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Romans 8:26

Back to my questions from 2 postings ago:

• Are you hearing the voice of God?
  
• Are you responding to that voice?
  
• If not, why not?

Evil all around

Einstein is reputed to have said something like this. "Evil does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold; these are words man has created to describe the absence of light and heat. Evil is the word man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

So, what part of your life is dark? cold? evil?

What part of your life is lacking the presence of God?

Could it be that God has turned His face from some part of your soul? In His turning you are living in darkness, coldness, and some form of evil. It may appear that this darkness, coldness, loneliness, sadness, wrongness is the result of some other person's wrong behavior toward you. The question may need to be addressed - how are you responding to the issue/relationship that is causing the pain?

Answers to these questions - processes that result as we attempt to live in LIGHT, HEAT, LOVE - are the same processes that we call discipleship, spiritual formation, and the salvation of our soul.

Is there some part of your life in which you're ready to more deeply pursue God and His ways? I pray an eagerness, a burning passion for you in this pursuit.

WHO CARES??

Do you know we ALL have the talent to hear and respond to God b/c we're created with eternity in our hearts and in God's image?

The question is - Who Cares?

Really.....do we CARE that we have this ability? Do we cultivate it?

Why don't we walk in this talent? Why is it so hard to hear and respond to God?

This time after Easter, Pentecost, - the 50 days from Easter to the remembrance of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles & followers of Jesus - is a great time to think about and reflect upon our readiness and willingness to hear and respond to God.

Are you 'tuned in' to hear God's voice?

....here's how you can tell: are you walking in known sin? Are you harboring negative feelings that are clogging your ears & heart?

...really, do you CARE that you have the ability to hear & respond to God? Are you willing to sacrifice some of 'self' so you can better 'tune-in' to God?

Ask God to tell you what needs to be given up, given over, stopped or started in your life for you to hear Him better. I'm 'bettin' that some 'answers' will come into your head. If these thoughts require changes in you and they glorify God, it just might be that you're hearing God.

Now, what are you going to do with what you hear?