No Solo

Another tweet from Bob Goff that grabbed me: "God brings us together to be a symphony, not just soloists. Independently capable; collectively unbelievable."

Do we allow a concert of community into our lives?

• Do we go it alone?
• Do we embrace transparency?
• Do we seek out others' strengths?
• Do we find joy in our shortcomings?
• Do we keep our ears open?
• Do we make time for others?

And do we really ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?" and mean it? And if we figure out the answer, do we act on it? And by we, I mean me.

On Earth

"Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

A tall order. On EARTH as it is in heaven.

I frequently take a couple of different approaches to this concept of "thy will be done on earth". Either a "My will be done or earth", or a hands-off, "Hey, thy will be done on earth, Lord".

Clearly doing my will on earth is off target. But all to often the case. I will try to own a lot of things here on earth. Be it professionally, personally or even things surrounding my activity with God. We can try to craft things. Well intentioned, but not exactly Thy will being done. Sometimes we are too smart for our own good. Too planning. Too driving.

Conversely, the hands-off approach—while altogether a pretty good thing—can often times turn into passivity. Now there is a good bit to consider here. I don't believe God wants us to simply be inactive and more or less simply just let His will be done. And I don't believe God wants us to force His issues. But I do believe sometimes we can be, more or less, along for the ride.

We sometimes consider this life our "Christian walk" (when I hear this I think of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks skit). And we can concentrate too much on specific guidelines or ways of living that will therefore equivocate with being a Christian. But a walk is an active thing. There is movement. And WE are the one's doing the walking. Doing the work. Not a stroll—but making strides.

I wonder. Am I setting my own course? Simply strolling along? Or actively engaged in movement?

Everymoment. Everyday.

Grace Space

Have you ever been at a social gathering and met anyone for the first time, and felt that guarded space between you and the person? How much do I share/not share. Us guys typically fall back onto the "what do you do" or weather conversation. I suppose there are some social etiquettes which have us keep this buffer. I am not a very good buffer keeper. I tend to want to dig right in, and sometimes will showcase some of my more personal goings on that may breach the social acceptance—perhaps sharing something about how my boys clogged the toilet bowl and held of reporting to Dad for a plunge for two days (TWO DAYS—needless to say it was pretty bad. I mean how could the continue to go about there business without making mention of this—but I digress). So maybe I am a social space cadet.

But what about the space of grace? The space that says its okay to be open. Its okay to share. Come into my space and life. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. 

What about the "churched", the "believer", the "christian", the "saved". Is our space littered with closed ears, impatience, piety, over-education, judgment, political or personal opinion?

Or do we provide "grace space". A space that is less a buffer and more a a sponge—where story, issue, problem, strength, need, gift, can be held between two (or many). And the sponge can be absorbed in honesty—and be wrung out in encouragement, supply, forgiveness, support, strength, shelter. A space that speaks— "When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged...", Acts 11:23.

Oftentimes I don't think the Church behaves this way—even with our own. We keep our private things private. We don't share. I know folks who live in two worlds. All the while grace provides the space to erase the need to keep our world's separate.

Full disclosure is risky. You've got to have trust, hope, faith, vulnerability. You've got to receive grace. And give it.

Too much risk management going on—and not enough unmanaged grace.

Thinking and Knowing

I have a friend who's dad was once in a conversation with a friend, lets call her Glenda. And Glenda was going on and on about "Well, I think such and such" and "I think that fill in the blank" and "I think we need to blah, blah, blah." To which my friends dad interjected "Glenda, what do you KNOW." "Tell us what you KNOW."

There's nothing wrong with thinking. I think a lot. I also know some. I wish I knew more. It is our heart in our thinking, and the source of our knowledge, which impacts the effectiveness and truth of our thoughts and knowledge.

When thinking, where is your heart? When knowing, what is your source?

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23

Something for all of us to think about...