Tag: Christianity

Posted in Different Scriptures, Different Thoughts

a flex-ible lent.

Posted on by Wick

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of another season of preparation for Resurrection Sunday. 40 days from here until Easter morning (Sundays aren’t counted, as they’re “mini celebrations of Easter”). Tonight, we will gather with all ages, toward the end of our Wednesday night programming. We will have a short service where we acknowledge none of us is God (unless the resurrected Jesus shows up). We will remember the times throughout scripture where God prepares His people for something new.

In the story of Noah’s ark, the rain fell for 40 days (Genesis 7:12). They were being prepared for a reality “washed clean” of a disobedient past, and offered a fresh start for a humanity wounded by separation from God. As God’s people were set free from living as slaves in Egypt, they wandered in the desert for 40 years while God prepared them to recognize their new identity as belonging to Him. The Kings of Israel – Saul, David, & Solomon – each reigned for 40 years, as God prepared His people for each new season. Before He began His earthly ministry, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert for 40 days to wrestle with temptation in the same ways we wrestle still today in preparation to become our Living Hope and Salvation (healing).

So each year, the Christian calendar purposefully invites us to set aside these 40 days of preparation for what God may have in store. It doesn’t require a long look at the world around us to recognize we need a fresh celebration of Resurrection Life in Jesus this year. Let me clarify for a moment also: The world doesn’t need a fresh or catchy or choreographed or laser-lit celebration of Easter. The world needs the Body of Christ (The Church global) to experience a refreshed heart for living in ways that proclaim, affirm, testify, experiment with, and catch the beauty of Resurrection Life. It’s a life that sees Jesus (God who is Love made flesh) enthroned over all things in all dimensions, and dwelling in us now by His Holy Spirit. A resurrection that declares there is nothing, not even death itself, that can prevent or separate us from such Love.

When we are secure in such Love, we are free to forgive as we’ve been forgiven. We’re able to stop climbing for or clinging to power. We’re able to say, “I don’t know, but let me discover together with you.” We’re able to release those we feel are indebted to us. We’re able to give to a need without considering what we get in return. We’re able to pursue shalom (fruitful living in peace) even with those we disagree with. We are able to offer a harborous disposition, even to strangers. We’re able to pursue face to face community where individuals can be fully known and fully loved, even when weaknesses are confessed. We’re able to be honest about where we fall short, in order for the Light of God’s Love to shine bright enough to remove all shadows of shame as we grow and are strengthened.

Today is a day we declare – to live in these ways (as our “knee-jerk” first response, stronger than willful deciding) will require some preparation. These ways are not the ways of the world around us. These are not our reflexes…yet.

So during this season, we deny ourselves some things or take on holy habits in order to reshape our hearts. Our goal is to invite & depend upon the Holy Spirit, but to also cooperate with the Spirit in ways we know would be helpful to transforming our minds and hearts. To position ourselves to receive the grace of God in powerful ways that often echo the ways we’ve seen God pour out such grace before.

Toward this goal, I’m trading my smartphone for a dumb phone for the next 40 days. The phone salesman was confused when I began asking about a “downgrade” from my iPhone 12 Mini to a Cricket Flex flipphone. I haven’t been on social media for a couple of years now, and yet my mind is still “wired” in ways that developed over years of unhealthy habits. In moments of boredom or reflexive moments of “needing to know” something, it’s often a habit to hop onto my device for a moment. One moment of Wordle or looking up a hockey score easily becomes checking my e-mail, which becomes feeling the need to respond to something or feeling the insecurities of not being able to respond in the way someone desires (hospital visits, longer Biblical questions, prayer needs, etc.).

It’s not going to be easy, but that’s kinda the point. I started earlier this week in order to have time for working out any potential kinks. Group messages are a mess, and some messages I just don’t receive at all. But anyone who needs me urgently can still e-mail me (and I’ll get it when I’m sitting at my desk eventually) or get a hold of me as needed. But already I’ve found myself not reaching for my phone (hello, silence) in times of waiting. I am looking forward to how these changes encourage habits of being fully present, focused in times of necessary device usage, and rewiring those dopamine receptors to find healthier sources.

May God use these moments in each of our lives to prepare us for New Creation living by His Resurrection Life, available in the Holy Spirit even now…

Posted in Different Moments, Different Scriptures, Different Thoughts, Uncategorized

memories.

Posted on by Wick

There’s one from the Mercantile in Oklahoma. We went there as a family in the middle of winter, on our way to speak at a church in Kansas. We were raising funds and prayers as we became missionaries to Hungary. The church didn’t offer any financial support, but they did take us out for Mexican food. We were thankful we worked in a fun family side trip to see “The Pioneer Woman”, because otherwise that trip would have felt a bit disappointing. We trusted God and traveled anywhere someone would invite us to speak. He provided, and we were thankful to go and minister in Hungary as long as He had us there.

There’s another from “Wheel of Fortune”, as I was a contestant on the show in 2007. You should definitely go if you ever get the chance; it’s worth it. When I graduated from college, I hadn’t only learned Greek. I’d also learned how to use a credit card. The habit cost us deeply in our first years of marriage, and 5 years later, in 2007, we were spinning our wheels in mud trying to pay it off. I went on the show and won just enough to pay off the credit cards (and buy a dishwasher). We were thankful that I also won a trip to Vegas and a trip to Hawaii. We will always be thankful for how God used this show. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to afford adopting our daughter or living as missionaries for a season. Don’t go into debt on purpose, but always know God’s resources are way beyond what we may ever expect.

There’s a purple ornament from Olivet Nazarene University. I remember going to ONU when I was a high schooler to compete in “talent competitions” called “Celebrate Life”. I didn’t appreciate it much at the time, beyond a great social event, but God was offering me a vision of the extended family a connectional church provides beyond the borders of cities, states, or even countries. Olivet ended up being where Sarah and I dated and began living as a married couple, and where our oldest daughter attends even now. It became my first “home away from home”, a respite from rough seasons of life, and a source of family in so many healing ways. I know no institution run by human beings is going to be without faults, but we really are thankful for ONU and the ways it continues to bear fruit.

There’s a picture ornament with photos of our family in Paris. More than just a “fun vacation” we took on Sarah’s birthday, we had no idea the precipice the world was on during those days. We were based in Hungary as Free Methodist missionaries, but flew (European flights between countries are very cheap sometimes!) from nearby Vienna to Paris for a few days. While we were in Paris, the world closed its borders in response to the growing pandemic. We made it back to Vienna, but were pretty much “smuggled” back into Hungary past army tents where foreigners were being detained. I’ll never forget our driver pulling over to call his wife and tell her what he was about to try and do…not knowing what would happen to any of us. We were so thankful to finally get “home”. Thus began a season of ministry overseas that would continue to both test and shape our family’s trust in the God we’d felt called by and sent to serve.

There are many more ornaments, from each of our lives as individuals, as well as family moments we remember together. As we decorate the tree each year, we don’t stop to tell all the stories, as that would take forever. But we’re blessed to pause here and there, as someone in the family says, “Hey, remember this?”

God has been good. God is good. The promise of this season of Advent is that God will be good also. We can trust in Him, not only because we have no other option. We are blessed to be able to place our trust in our God, who has revealed Himself as a loving Father. He invites us today, no matter what our experiences have been in the past, into a renewed experience of walking in loving attachment and being attuned to His face, which lights up with joy as we turn toward Him.

I look forward to all the ways we will remember these current moments in our walk…as we hang ornaments commemorating what God will do this next year.

Posted in Different Scriptures, Uncategorized

reformation not reset.

Posted on by Wick

Reformation Day is October 31st. On it, we remember Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the castle church door. It was not done in anger or division. It was done in Love, inviting others to come and have dialogue about these particular topics. The goal was to hold all other things loosely, as we held onto Jesus firmly. To seek a living and faithful vision of being the body of Christ.

I still remember the words of an older woman at a previous church. We were having a discussion about the grace of God, and being thankful. I believe her intention was to illustrate just how gracious she believed our God was. But the statement she made caught me off guard: “I believe there will even be Catholics in heaven.” I stumbled through a knee-jerk response about yes of course, because Jesus and all that.

Discussions about Heaven vs. New Creation aside for now, I remember trying to control the contortions of my eyes in that moment. I wanted to affirm the graciousness of God, and also knew this was not the place to point out the oddness of her statement. But it has stuck with me. In over 2 decades of ministry now, I can verify – she’s not alone in her view, unfortunately. She’s probably not even to blame for some of the residual anti-Catholicism (Catholiphobia?) woven into the fabric of her faith. I’ve read at least one account of Christian missionaries from the late 1800’s heading overseas to minister in areas overrun with “Muslims and Catholics”. We have had some unfortunate missed opportunities to work together for the Loving purposes of Jesus. But we’re all responsible for what we’re actively weaving today, and so it seems worth this reminder.

A reminder that seems obvious: What we now call “The Catholic Church” was the primary/largest body of Christ-followers for at least the first 1,500 years. (There have continued to be great contributions to our shared inheritance in Christ after that as well – but that’s for another blog post.) That means there are treasure troves of writing, worship, art, theology, and testimonies from faithful women and men who were pursuing life by the Holy Spirit of God sent by the resurrected Jesus Christ. To assume the Protestant Reformation started the “one true Church”, is to turn our backs on incredibly rich history, gifts of wisdom, and beautiful words of devotion by those who wrestled with and enjoyed their faith in Jesus. The historic Church gave us gifts like The Didache, The Patristic texts/Desert Fathers, Apostle’s Creed & Nicene Creed. We have artistic expressions like ancient Icons, Beowulf, the Book of Kells, and illustrated manuscripts. We have practices like Breath Prayers, Fasting, the Eucharist, Confession (to one another), Lectio Divina, Annoining with Oil, Prayer Labyrinths, Visio Divina, Ora et Labora, and plenty of others to draw from – like different shaped buckets all uniquely great at dipping into the refreshing (& transformational) Living Well our Father has revealed in Jesus and made available by His Holy Spirit.

This week invites us to step, even if cautiously and experimentally, into those deep waters as we recognize “All Saints’ Day” (November 1st). While all around us we have silly costumes, candy, and celebrations of harvesttime – we followers of Jesus have a unique ability to embrace these moments for something greater. How often can you so easily approach any of your neighbors to say hello, learn more about each other, and express gratitude for their presence? If you’ve already spent time building relationships, what a great opportunity for us to be purposeful in mentioning, “My faith tradition has a celebration this week of the ‘saints’ – people who lived in ways that exemplified the Love revealed in Jesus. Who is someone you’re thankful for – as a person who revealed Love to you?” Take a moment to listen to their heart. Share your own memories of someone who shared the Love of Jesus in your own life. Talk about how such Love brings healing, and offer to pray for any areas of their life in need of healing.

In Mark 9, John approaches Jesus and says, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.” (Mark 9:38-41)

There are so many more words we could say. There is much wisdom in we Protestant brothers and sisters re-cognizing (to “know again”) the importance of “Confession” in our spiritual practices. The amount of healing God has wired such moments for in our brains, especially as these things occur in the power of His presence….Lord, help us to remember. If you want to rediscover “Confession” without going to a “Confessional”, check out www.discipleshipbands.com. It’s an incredibly valuable practice for our spiritual, emotional, mental, and relational health.

All of this to say – let’s share more fully in the rich inheritance of Jesus, all of His followers, and His Kingdom together.

We fam. 🙂