Sunrise on Jekyll Island, GA–As Far As the Eye Can See
In the parable of the Ten Pounds, Jesus tells the story of the nobleman who went away for a long journey. Before leaving he called ten of his servants, gave them ten pounds each, and told them to “do business until I return.” When he returned, one servant had doubled his ten pounds, one had a return of 50%, another 10%, but one was afraid and hid his in the ground.
Last week our pastor asked the congregation, “What would you say to your 22-year old self today?” I thought about that for awhile, since my 22-year old self was several decades ago, and I realized I would say invest, invest, invest–invest in yourself, invest in others, and invest financially.
Investing in something or someone on any particular day can sometimes be daunting. It may feel trivial or not even seem like an investment. It can actually be so discouraging that I do nothing at all. I remember times of having those feelings. Sometimes they stopped me in my tracks. I am grateful now for the times when I invested anyway.
Investment carries the connotation of vision–that what I do today will ultimately make a difference, regardless of the current discouragement or even setbacks. Who or what do you need to invest in today? What is holding you back, or what might you be resisting? What steps by God’s grace do you need to take today to invest in God’s vision?
Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to refresh my spiritual direction ministry by attending the second residency of the current class with the Shalem Spiritual Guidance Program.
I was planning to camp on my way home and had a campground in mind. I arrived in plenty of time to setup before dark. I drove around the entire campground scouting for a site. Then I drove around a second time and really didn’t find anything to my liking. I noticed none of the sites were prepared with tent pads, so tents had to be pitched on the grass (deer tick potential). There was no view even though the campground was located on a mountain top, and insects were eating me up.
On the third time around, I realized I did not want to spend three days in that campground. There was nothing but a sense of desolation about the place. Then I remembered a refrain I heard often at the residency, “Discern, discern, discern! However, it was the weekend before the 4th of July, and there may not be any vacancies if I go elsewhere.
I decided to go on down the road even if I had to sleep in the car that night. (Wouldn’t be the first time.) I entered the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) and asked the Ranger for the nearest campground. He directed me off the BRP to a campground in the George Washington National Forest. There were vacancies, even with electricity so I could use my laptop to reflect on the seminars from the residency.
The camp sites were prepared with landscape timbers, and the camp host had raked a pattern in the sand–very inviting. There were virtually no insects. I woke up the next morning to a mountain stream, looking at tall forest trees dappled with sunlight. It was everything I was hoping for in a campground.
I was really glad I had the presence of mind to pay attention to the desolation I was feeling at the first campground, and to keep going for what God had prepared for me for three beautiful days.
It really makes a difference to notice what the Spirit of God is doing in our souls. That is discernment, and it is a dimension of God’s guidance.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them, bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).
When referring to “Our Soul as a Tool for Ministry,” I have several dimensions in mind.
One dimension is that we are agents, channels, instruments, means, vessels through which God works. We are created in the image of God, and our souls are therefore designed in such a way that we are suited for the work of ministry to others and for communion with the Triune God. Our soul in intimate communion with Christ is God’s instrument of choice for God’s work.
I also mean that our own souls, as the seat of our experiential being, is caught up with love and worship for God to the extent that our relational ministry to other peoples’ souls is an overflow from our own experience of God.
Yet another dimension is that our soul functions like an antennae in that we experience others as we minister to them. In other words, as others relate their situation to us, our soul registers a whole gamut of impressions, intuitions, thoughts, images, ideas, and emotions. These are clues to us as to what may be going on with them as well as with ourselves.
There are certain precautions we should observe at this point. We should never assume that we know or understand their situation because of these clues, but we can use the clues to respectfully ask reflective questions in order to explore and check out with others what may be happening with them.
We also should not get so caught in up what we are going to say that we fail to listen. As we continue to listen, listen, listen, we will get more clues. We may also use these clues to express compassion to them.
Only they know the entire spectrum of their experience. It is not our job to fix them. Our place is to be a compassionate presence to them. The clues that register in our soul serve as a guide as we connect with others.
The metaphor of the Vine and the Branches also conveys that Christ is the life-giving source to the branches and flows through them to bear fruit–spiritual, transformational, life-changing fruit. I wonder what that would do for us in the stress and demands of ministry? I believe for one thing that it would liberate us from the pressure to produce and perform which our culture always pushes onto us. I wonder if that is what Jesus means when he says, My yoke is easy, and my burden is light?
It seems to make sense that paying attention to our soul in union with Christ would make the transforming difference for us and our ministry. How do you pay attention to your soul as you minister to others? What do you need to do to nurture your soul?
I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts (John 15:9, The Passion Translation).
