Spiritual Spokes

Not the Numbers

spiritualspokes — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 04:15:43 +0000

            Today I was thrilled, after 2 worship services, to step back and do a simple act of service, that almost everyone is capable of—I gave blood today after church. I am so glad that we have several Sundays designated to give blood, and while I likely won’t do it every time, it’s really an awesome thing to do, especially with a friend! Why? Because you can have fun!
            As I was getting prepped and checked out, I was asked the question that I needed to hear- “Do you run a lot, or are you super athletic or something?” That’s what she asked! I couldn’t believe it! “Why?” I asked. “Because your vitals are great!” she volunteered.
            Really? 104/68 BP, Pulse 52, is that good?? I admitted, “I’m a bike rider” which made my heart flutter just a bit! Now I want to know what my cholesterol is! We’ll see! Why are the numbers cool? Mostly because they spawned a conversation and a bit of laughter the entire time, but also because they remind me of the purpose of the whole bike anyway- TO PUT ME IN MOTION!
          What’s putting you in motion these days? What’s moving your body? Heart? Or Soul? That may be why it is the most amazing machine ever invented! I rode simple yesterday, but, I rode, and today it reminded me of why I ride. Not the numbers, not the feel- but the mystery the motion provides for the soul!

Beyond the Memories

spiritualspokes — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:32:04 +0000

         Our lives are spent balancing the tension of who we were, who we are right now and who we are becoming. Last night we scrolled through our newest video addition, the 2009 Tour de France. With slow-mo we scanned the crowd seeking to spot ourselves along the route.  I remembered every exhilaration of anticipation and release as the riders of the Tour swept towards us and beyond.  To the riders, I am certain, we were simply one more voice to the thousands, but to us it represented a dream come true.
          Memories are powerful reminders of who we were in a moment. But those moments are past, and we reside on that quest to create new ones. We are never the same as we were before, and yet, we yearn for that same-ness. We long for the feelings, the faces, the smells, the accomplishments. The real problem this presents though, is that we tend to measure ourselves by our yesterdays, and not our tomorrows. I haven’t ridden enough. I’m too fat. My hair’s too grey. My children don’t visit like they used to. Our vacations just aren’t the same anymore. These are the things we tell ourselves, and others. The unfortunate thing is that those kinds of statements only remind us of what is behind, and rarely make room for joyful memories in our future.  In the same way, when you are riding a bike, it is wise not to spend too much time facing backwards!
          The truth is that we are the same us we were before. I am the same person I was before. Life is different, but I am still me, we are still we in the present, creating, planning and imagining a new future to come.

Points of Resistance

spiritualspokes — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:36:56 +0000

          “Moses offers 5 points of resistance concerning his awesome new vocation.” So starts that section from one of my commentaries on Exodus. I love it precisely because it’s so real and so human! We resist. We fight to be younger and thinner as we age and expand. We don’t want to put away the holiday decor because we don’t want the season to end.  Even our furniture arrangements at home can stay the same for years at a time because we are comfortable with the way they are! I’ve even noticed that my wife and I squabble about our future renovations, I think just to resist the inevitable effort of actually renovating! Moses offered 5 points of resistance.
          Weather, stress, time, scheduling and inspiration – these are the 5 points of resistance I have offered myself lately. I have not ridden in a week and a half. I have not worked out in a couple of weeks. Winter is no excuse- I live in Texas! However, I stand before the contemporary burning bush, in the form of a bathroom mirror, listening to the commanding voice within, wondering when I will get my act together, hoping that today will be the day.
          I wonder what the real resistance is?  Today one of my children was asking about why we moved to Texas, (which I fully expect for another 6 months) and I voiced that this is where God has called us. She responded- ”I don’t think I was ready for God to call me to Texas.” I giggled inside. She went on to articulate that is just doesn’t feel the same. Of course it doesn’t feel the same- the relationships take a while.  Even when Moses went back to the Pharoah and the Israelites he had a completely different relationship.  I have been so grateful for her honesty because it consistently opens up within me the true fragility with which we all live.  We only control the choices we make, not the entire breadth of God’s movement in our lives.  It is hard work to embrace the mystery of a new future, when so much of the past has been so fulfilling! We resist, often because we don’t know what the future holds. We can control the imagination of our past, but tomorrow is unknown. Children, elders and even Biblical saints alike agree on that!
          What are you resisting today? And whose hand will you hold, as you walk into the brave new future?

Stories

spiritualspokes — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 03:10:33 +0000

          As my girls settle in for a bit of their new “Beauty and the Beast” DVD, I am reminded again of the importance of story. A French girl in a provincial town, not fitting in, finds opportunity to redefine her world and her future in an enchanted castle. In today’s message I shared the story about how a young lady from Indiana has found her home all over the world reshaping people’s lives in her work for peace. Several church folk commented at what a great example that story was for helping us to see how we too can imagine and emerge!
          We value stories, I think, because they invite us to do just that- imagine and emerge. Saturday I spent a couple of hours riding with a new friend on new roads, and of course, we were swapping stories the whole way. It was so refreshing because, while it was a new friend and new roads, the stories were old and familiar. We shared common tails of trips to France, crazy climbs and how much cycling has meant in our lives. The human trait of storytelling is powerful. It weaves us together, and reminds us that we too have a story worth sharing. We too have a message, an experience, even an insight that speaks to someone. We just need the opportunity to share it!
          Parker Palmer says that “storytelling has always been at the heart of being human, because it serves some of our most basic needs,” such things as “engendering hope.” (A Hidden Wholeness) Storytelling brings the opportunity to define ourselves beyond the framework of name, rank or serial number and creates a common space between us, inviting others to join us in that space, to share the meaning of our lives together.
          Who do you share your story with?
          How does your story engender hope in others?
          If you’re riding to hard and fast in life to stop and share your story, then you’re riding without purpose. Stop, catch your breath and find someone to share the journey, strengthen your sense of connectedness and reach out to engender hope. Your story will do that.

A New Thing

spiritualspokes — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 21:29:15 +0000

Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

          This is the only scripture I would recommend reading today, and I would say this is the only thing we should dwell on today as well. It is the call from God reminding us of the promise of faithfulness. The heading in my study Bible calls it “A New Exodus from Babylon.” It goes beyond the promises of a New Year’s Day to bring us a New Year’s Life! Every day is a new day, every moment is an opportunity to receive the gift of grace from our loving God as we seek to stand up and turn away from darkness and despair.
          I’m certain that I am susceptible to a little nostalgic reflection today because this is my first New Year’s Day living in Texas. It has been a big change, it is a very different world. Yet, in so many ways it is exactly the same as my old world. The wind seems like it’s always in my face, the warmth of the sun on my sleeves overwhelms the chill in the breeze, and the chocolate milk after a long and glorious ride is just as amazingly refreshing. It is different, but, it is the same.
          Each of us, as we begin this new year will tend to proclaim that we too are doing a new thing, and truly, I hope that you are. Whether or not you are a pledge or resolution type person, we each have so much that we can do to make our lives better, and indeed the world better for those who have so little in their lives. We have abundance, and we know what we are called to do. I look forward to a new year, full of ups and downs…hoping not to get too winded. I look forward to riding, reading, learning and growing. I’ll be looking for the way God promises in Isaiah’s words, and thirsting for the river. Friends, I hope you will be too!
All the best for your new year!!

I will be returning to regular weekly updates of my blog, now that I have settled in…
Keep on rolling…

Living at the Apex

spiritualspokes — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:10:11 +0000

          Pro cyclists work hard at perfecting their circular motion, applying that constant pressure on their pedals…round and round. But because of the nature of the machine, there is always that one briefest of moments when there is no push and no pull, where the crank lies straight up, at the very top of its stroke- the Apex, if you will. This one brief moment, where one foot seems to be riding the tide of the other foot’s down-stroke, is just a split second. But have you ever considered the vastness of rest that moment provides? It’s not exactly coasting, but it is the release of pressure before the next moment of momentum arrives.
          Now, imagine that pause in your life, magnified. That moment between events or errands or even mountain top experiences, where everything comes to a pause and the only thing that you experience is the sound of your own breath, in…..out……in……out….. Ahhhh, how perfect are those moments? When so much has been achieved and accomplished and so much is yet anticipated to come. These are truly moments of grace.
          I find myself dwelling in the midst of the apex, where one world is pausing and the next is about to open up with all kinds of new possibilities and challenges. Southport Christian has shared such a wonderfully fond farewell, and First Christian, Lufkin is just beginning to say such a welcoming hello! It is a privilege to sit at the top of this very moment, soaking in the contentment of two such amazing communities of faith! It feels like a momentary pause as we ride the genuine tide of love that was shared yesterday, resting briefly, before preparing to move forward into the fresh motion of a new tomorrow. It is grace that can only be measured as the very presence of God.
          Before you pedal off to do another thing, I invite you to consider where you find this apex moment in your life, that moment where momentum is your friend and you can pause in its midst, between highs, to gather God’s grace.

Pressure

spiritualspokes — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 14:58:15 +0000

          We took a casual neighborhood ride yesterday after church. Before we left I did my usual check of the air pressure in my tires. Habit, I guess since my road bike can lose up to 10 lbs. of pressure in 3 days naturally. Having not ridden the mountain bike in a couple of weeks I found it to be significantly low. It depends on the terrain one traverses, but the higher air pressure makes for a much smoother ride on the streets of the neighborhood. Surprising, I guess, isn’t it- the higher the pressure, the smoother the ride.
          Not at all like life! People typically perceive higher pressure to mean a more difficult ride on the roads of life. No one likes stress, but we all feel it! Pressure and its synonyms – strain, anxiety, apprehension, concern, load and burden are sometimes recognized as the warning signs of impending doom. My life feels full of pressure right now- dealing with a move to Texas, a new church that I want to make a good first impression on, saying a healthy farewell to our current congregation, getting Jennifer ready to travel to India and us to endure her being away, and feeling like we desperately need to sell our current house! Yep- stress!
          Consider the bicycle wheel.           It is a particularly apt metaphor for stressful times when much needs to be done. You see the bicycle wheel is an amazing contraption. It really is the only thing between your head and the pavement if you think about it. The hub carries the spokes which reach out to control the rim nestling your tube full of air and the tire. The wheel is the part that seems to hold the vast majority of pressure and weight.
          But here’s the best part for those of us who sometimes feel overwhelmed by the pressures of our lives- as you ride along there is only one spot, one moment, one present which you can choose to control, and that is the place where your wheels actually touch the ground. Sure you can look up the road and prepare for what it coming your way, or you can even look behind and fret about what you’ve passed. But you can only control the ride at this one very moment where you are right now.
          The more I ride, the more aware I am of how the pressures of life revolve around the universe like air in my tires. But we cannot be anxious about what is to come, for God will grace us with that soon enough. Nor can we look back and trouble over what is past, for the promise of what is past is forgiveness. We must be open to the truth that we can only make a difference one moment, one decision, one choice, one present after another. Now, is now. We must be in the present! If we’re not present to where our wheels are right now, we will surely fall victim to gravity- and that will bring us tumbling down.
          Ride on friends, keep your head up, and the wheels down!

Feelings are Contagious!

spiritualspokes — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:08:02 +0000

             This past Saturday our group rode up Observatory Hill for what will likely be my last time. We rarely ride it anyway because it has a ridiculously sharp grade (12-15% grade), but once again it was fantastic! Whoops and hollers resounded as we ground up the slope. Shouts of encouragement and grunts of unnatural efforts resounded in the woods around us. As it leveled off at the top, that crazed energy was quickly replaced by heaves and gasps of recovery. It was tough and fantastic! The kind of tough that makes you question your sanity on a little country road in the woods- and the kind of fantastic that reaffirms every pedal stroke you’ve ever taken along the way to the base of that hill!
            These days I am convinced that more often than not it’s the communal nature of the whoops and hollers around you that move you to the top! They motive, excite and remind you that you are not alone in the journey (or perhaps the suffering!). More and more on our way in from these longer rides when we hit the last two hills we get to chatting each other right up those hills. “That a boy!” “Good job!” “Keep it up!” “You go girl!” The excitement and energy created through our words seems to literally fuel the fibers of our muscles. No wonder those professionals can sprint upwards of 35-40 miles an hour in the final run up to a big finish!
            How well do you manage your feelings? They are contagious whether we are aware of them or not. Did you know that if you put two pendulum clocks in the room together they move toward synchronizing naturally? It’s called entrainment. It’s a physics principle that moves two bodies toward resonance so that they are “in phase” together like a marching band. When you are in the room with someone else your presence affects them, and they, you. So all the hoots and hollers in the woods help each one of us to get up those climbs because we are all in sync.
            Feelings really are contagious, up or down! Church is the same. What if you were really alive all of a sudden in a room full of people who seemed pretty drab and bored? What if you were really truthful with someone who needed to hear that truth? What do you think would happen? What could you imagine coming to be, right there…..and how about fifteen minutes down the road……and even tomorrow? “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you have been doing.” “Speak the truth in love.” The great apostles in their ancient writings to the churches encouraged them, and indeed encourage us- to speak words of hope and words of truth. They knew that the good news of Jesus emanated in each of us. So, emanate and others will rise with you!

Assessing Our Values

spiritualspokes — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:58:02 +0000

Reflection questions from a book I’m reading…
            Do you recall a particular moment in your life when things were perfect? What was going on? Who was with you? Where were you, and what values were being honored in that moment?
            This past spring I was riding in the Habitat Cover Indiana Bicycle Tour. It was a 6 day tour, riding city to city around the state raising funds and awareness of Habitat for Humanity and its mission for fair and just housing for all. A few of us riders liked to go hard and go long. One day we rode near the well-known Bean Blossom Hill nestled in the beauty of the Morgan-Monroe State Forest so another rider and I decided to add a couple of miles to the day’s route just to get it in. It was a spectacular spring day, cool, crisp and clear as can be. The trees were rustling gently as we approached her and it was a long slow pedal, especially that 3^rd and final kick up, but we made it with an extra “Whaahoo!” at the top. Things were perfect!
            Things were perfect because just two of us were “crazy” enough to do it. Things were perfect because all we had to do was get from point A to point B. Things were perfect because it was a tough climb. Things were perfect because climbing is always better with a friend. Things were perfect because I had never done that climb that early in the season. Things were perfect because I knew that people who need fair and just housing so often have a harder climb than I.
            When things feel perfect we are likely experiencing a resonance with our values. When our values are honored we feel alive and fulfilled.   Think about those moments for you. What was the quality that stood out to you? Were you valuing stability…change…strength…joy…empathy…hospitality…compassion? There are a number of reasons your moment was perfect, but there is indeed a special connection between your experience of that moment and the specifics that you value. That moment stood out to you because it resonated with what you hold most dear.
            I’m hopeful that FCC Lufkin has had a productive interim period because they need to know and show what they value most when I arrive to join them in their work! I hope that First Christian can trust God with those perfect moments in their past and allow God to work in their present, and on their future! Together we will explore how those values have shaped their church and feed into their future.
            I’m also hopeful that SCC will spend the next several months identifying its values in such a way as to define its future anew as well.
            We know that in order to really make progress and change happen in our lives we must do the hard work of defining and redefining what is essential among our values! It takes healthy reflection to know who we’ve been, so that we might be able to imagine who God is inviting us to become!
            What values do you see yourself honoring most? And what values do you see God inviting you to honor anew?
            I can’t wait to ride that hill again in 3 weeks!

The Next Beer Summit?

spiritualspokes — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:01:06 +0000

          “How can he possibly say that God told him to burn the Qur’ an?” That’s the question that was asked this week in conversation with some church folk. True enough, I thought, but then how’s come I’m going around saying God called me and my family to move from Indianapolis to east Texas to minister with a new church there? What’s the difference?
          Community!
          Now, I don’t know much about this preacher or his church in Florida which somehow feels like God is asking them to burn someone else’s sacred book. But I do know he is not a Disciples of Christ minister and his is not a Disciples congregation! Nor does he connect with any other denominational affiliation. Clearly they are an isolated entity and he is an isolated theologian. But you can’t do theology alone!
          I don’t know a single theologian that would condone his act or claim about God’s call. I don’t. I don’t know anyone who would support such an act that seems to so violate Jesus’ central ethic of love. I would love to know who he discussed this “call” with. I would love to have been in the room when the idea was suggested. I would love to examine the inner workings of the church and see how authority played out in their conversation and deliberation. However, not having that privilege, I believe that most ministers outside that circle would agree that this event is clearly the result of a pastor who is isolated.  I cannot imagine a communal conversation with compassionate and spiritual people that would come to the conclusions they have!!
          Community and connection is the key to understanding God’s call on our lives and for our institutions! We have all kinds of choices these days. We live in a complex and highly connected world. It is vitally important that we stay in relationship with all the many conversations around us.   The act of burning someone else’s sacred object only ends that conversation.  Remember when they used to burn crosses?
          Thank goodness the discernment of God’s call in my life was a shared process. My family, several search teams and church leader conversations, much prayer and even a few trusted friends clearly affirmed for me the direction God had for my life and the lives of my family. But it’s not just the affirmation that I was seeking- it was the questions! If all we are getting is pats on the back, then all we will do is continue that behavior. If no one is questioning or doubting or wondering, then who’s to say you can’t go off the deep end while people are cheering you on!??! It is the questions that you are able to ponder for a time, and the challenge they offer that spur on the conversation. I am convinced that the conversation, as long as it is honest and mutual, is what genuinely leads to clarity of God’s call!

I sincerely hope that this issue is resolved in a positive and spiritual manner. But I’m really curious about what kind of “Beer Summit” they’ll have at the White House with the preacher and the Imam when I doubt either one of them really drinks!