Celebrate!

Have you ever bounced around on a trampoline?

I remember those long-ago days in gym class, when everyone had to take their turn. Like me, you probably tested the springy surface rather gingerly at first. How high would it bounce you? How hard would you land? What if you got too near the edge? How easy was it to stop and get off?

But after some successful pogo-like hops, you gathered courage and force, and before your turn was ended, you had actually put some heart into it, gained some height, and enjoyed it at least a little.

I think spiritual celebration is a bit like the trampoline experience. We climb onto the challenging experiences of our lives with a lot of questions in our mind. What am I doing here? Why do I have to do this? What if I fall off the edge or lose control or my turn never ends and I’m on it forever? And do I have to actually jump around and celebrate this scary place… can’t I just sit down and play it safe? Am I really supposed to have joy here?

But after some exploratory jumps, some testing of the surface beneath, we relax a little. For “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27). We grow less nervous about falling off the edge into great harm, because “as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore” (Ps. 125:1 NIV). We realize there’s got to be some purpose here that will make it all worth while, because in all things God works for the good of His people (Rom. 8:28). And because He is “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” He won’t leave us here a nano-second longer than is best, and in the meantime we couldn’t have a more empathetic and encouraging Guardian alongside.

So no matter what the challenge we’ve been hoisted up onto, celebration is in order. Maybe not at first, and certainly not 24/7, but there’s just got to be some bounce in our walk. Some joy in our step. And the longer we’re there, the more confident we can become that He hasn’t left, He hasn’t once looked away, He’s monitoring every detail, calling out instructions, applauding, and cheering us on as we gain confidence and momentum.

So bounce a little higher this week. Grin a bit while you’re doing it. You couldn’t be safer, couldn’t be in better hands, couldn’t find another place in this world with more potential for joy, than right where the Father has put you.

Catch some air and shout “Alleluia!” and celebrate!

An Appetite for God

Life has its basic requirements: air, water, food, sunlight, shelter (and, some hold, chocolate).

Fasting is making God a basic necessity. It’s saying “I’m skipping the food. For this length of time, I put You ahead of what I need for survival. I count You more important than life itself is to me. I want You more than my daily bread. I make You my food. I make You my energy source. I make You my satisfaction. I feed on you in my heart by faith, and find spiritual nourishment for my soul.”

I may fast for devotional reasons – to get closer to God, to become re-aligned with Him. I may fast out of the anguish of my heart, bringing my personal concerns to Him. I may fast out of the need for His guidance, seeking wisdom for a decision or direction for action that must be taken. I may fast under a burden for a person or situation that needs divine intervention. I may do it simply because I want to lessen my hunger for things I can see and taste and smell and touch, and increase my appetite for God.

Whatever the reason, do you think God will ignore someone like that? Someone who wants to be with Him that much? Someone who values His instruction, who seeks His help, who is counting on His listening ear and helping hand? No, He won’t ignore anyone like that. He’s the one who promises the far-off follower, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8). He’s the one who promises the soul-starved, “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” He assures those who prefer Him, “You would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (that’s comfort food from Ps. 81!).

Fasting is making God, temporarily, a basic physical necessity. And it helps me realize that He is my one spiritual necessity – and He gives Himself to me gladly and freely and abundantly. That’s cause for celebration!

…but that’s next Sunday’s sermon : )

The Prayer Closet

A blog reader emailed me after Pastor Ben’s sermon on solitude and silence – and what she had to say was perfectly sandwiched between that topic, and this past Sunday’s sermon on prayer…

She used to have a prayer closet, she said. A literal one, with blankets , books, a Walkman with praise CD’s, and a fluffy pillow. She described it as a “spiritual bubble bath” and declared that once she’d shut off the phone, put on the headphones, and entered her prayer closet to “soak,” the house could have burned down and she’d never have known!

She recalled it all a little wistfully and added, “I sure could use one of those spiritual bubble baths.”

Her email delighted me because I have long toyed with the idea of a prayer room or “closet” in my house… someplace set apart, without a computer or a television or a desk or any reminder of other pursuits… and here was someone who had actually done it! She inspires me to hang onto the dream as I wait for space to clear in my house. Maybe she inspires you to consider something similar as well.

It’s well worth considering. Because what goes on in that prayer closet isn’t just about intercession and praying through prayer lists and fulfilling a promise to pray for a certain amount of time each day. It’s about enjoying God (don’t you think He cherishes that?) and Who He is and how near He is. It’s about building fresh trust as we consider His faithfulness in the past and His power for the present needs. It’s about laying down the heavy loads we’ve shouldered and realizing anew that “His yoke is easy and His burden is light.”

The same blog reader emailed me again… the idea of a spiritual bubble bath is sounding more and more inviting. She’s thinking about emptying out that space, resurrecting that prayer closet, soaking leisurely in His presence in a way she hasn’t for a long time.

Maybe some of the rest of us could follow her example.

A Little S & S

While listening to Pastor Ben’s sermon yesterday on silence and solitude, one question he asked stood out to me… “What is coming up in my life that if I don’t stop now and take an extended time to prepare myself, I could make a huge mistake?”

Stop? Why stop? Why can’t I catch His voice on the fly? Well, for one thing, because God isn’t a screamer. If my life is relentlessly loud, how will I hear the still small voice of His Spirit, my Teacher and Guide? And God is a leader. If I'm forging ahead, throttle wide open, how will I obey that most basic command of discipleship: “Follow Me”?

I think we all struggle with how to stop and build a listening stillness into our lives. Let me share one way: when you spend time in prayer, however much it is – 5 minutes, fifteen, whatever – try dividing it in half.

Half the time, talk to God. Praise Him. Tell Him how you feel about Him. Tell Him what is bothering you. Tell Him what you need. Do just what Phil. 4: 6 (LB) urges us: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers” (You can read another verse or two to find out the fantastic benefit of this simple kind of prayer).

The other half, listen. Tell the Lord, “Okay, Lord, I’ve laid it all out before you. For the next – minutes I’m just going to listen. Speak to me about these things, and about anything else you want to bring to my mind. I intend, by Your Spirit, to believe You and trust You and obey You.” And stick to your commitment to listen. If your mind wanders (and it will), recall your thoughts as soon as you recognize it.

You’ll find, I think, that silence and solitude is not a lonely vacuum. God draws very near, and speaks very clearly – not always, but often. Once we make that discovery, it’s easier to return to S & S again… and again. Not just when there’s a monumental decision to be made or a crisis that needs divine intervention or the possibility of making a huge mistake if we don’t, but also when life is dull and daily and we want to hear that Voice and sense that Presence and know that we are not alone, and we are on the right track.