Day 14
It's Day 14 of 40. I spent the last several days up at our Inward Bound Retreat at Rocky Gap without Internet access so this is a compilation of several days worth of reflection and revelation.
Radical Minimum Standard
I think one of the things I'm discovering is that a "lukewarm" relationship with Christ is miserable. I like thinking of "lukewarm" as "room temperature." You just fluctuate based on your surroundings. You have one foot in and one foot out. The end result is a loss true joy and true freedom and true power.
Peter Marshall said, "We are too Christian really to enjoy sinning and too fond of sinning really to enjoy Christianity." That is where so many people live--no man's land between holiness and sinfulness. They are miserable because they are “too Christian” to enjoy sinning and “too fond of sinning” to enjoy Christianity.
In his book Unstoppable Force, Erwin McManus says we need to emply a "radical minimum standard." He says, "When we are afraid that the minimum is an unreasonable maximum, we limit the Spirit of Christ from working in the hearts of those who genuinely desire to be used by Him." Bingo.
Closer
During our tiki torch worship on the beach on Saturday night, Steph felt impressed that the Lord wanted to know what we wanted from him. It reminded me of Solomon's dream in II Chronicles where the Lord asked Solomon, "What do you want? Ask and I will give it to you." Solomon answered wisely. He wanted wisdom. And because he wanted what God wanted he got so much more!
There seems to be a theme in what the Lord is speaking to me and NCC. At our staff "pray and play" retreat in May I felt like the Lord asked a question and it dictated the agenda of the entire retreat. I felt like the Lord was asking each of us, "What do you desire of me?"
Well during our worship session I felt like my answer was pretty simple: I want to be closer to God. I want to be so close to God that when others are around me they feel close to God.
I think there are a few keys that really come out of Inward Bound. The first is purity. The Talmud says that sin pushes against the feet of the shekinah (glory of God). So when we sin we're pushing God away. C.S. Lewis has a powerful description of Hell in The Great Divorce. He basically pictures Hell as a place where people shrink smaller and smaller into their selfishness and move farther and farther away from each other until they live in utter loneliness. That's where pride eventually takes us!
I think humility is the other key. Psalm 138:6 says that God "keeps his distance from the proud." I remember going through a season a few years ago where my "prayer mantra" was "I humble myself before you." I would pray it over and over and over again. I feel like I'm back to that place.
Silence
One of the highlights of Inward Bound for me was "a vow of silence." We did a prayer walk around Lake Habeeb. I enjoyed the sounds of nature--owls hooting and crickets cherping (or whatever they do). It just so happened that I was reading in the minor prophets that morning. Habakkuk 2:20 says, "The Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him." Zephaniah 1:7 says, "Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign Lord." I think silence can be the highest form of worship--words escape us. I think that's what is happening in Revelation 8:1 during the half hour of silence--a cosmic collecting of breath.
Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." One of the highest places a relationship can reach is being comfortable enough in each other's presence that you can be quiet--not because you don't have anything to say but because you just love being with that person.
Blaise Pascal said, "All of man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone." I felt my spirit recalibrate as I sat by the lake and just listened to the Creator and His creation. I got rid of all the "white noise."
Radical Minimum Standard
I think one of the things I'm discovering is that a "lukewarm" relationship with Christ is miserable. I like thinking of "lukewarm" as "room temperature." You just fluctuate based on your surroundings. You have one foot in and one foot out. The end result is a loss true joy and true freedom and true power.
Peter Marshall said, "We are too Christian really to enjoy sinning and too fond of sinning really to enjoy Christianity." That is where so many people live--no man's land between holiness and sinfulness. They are miserable because they are “too Christian” to enjoy sinning and “too fond of sinning” to enjoy Christianity.
In his book Unstoppable Force, Erwin McManus says we need to emply a "radical minimum standard." He says, "When we are afraid that the minimum is an unreasonable maximum, we limit the Spirit of Christ from working in the hearts of those who genuinely desire to be used by Him." Bingo.
Closer
During our tiki torch worship on the beach on Saturday night, Steph felt impressed that the Lord wanted to know what we wanted from him. It reminded me of Solomon's dream in II Chronicles where the Lord asked Solomon, "What do you want? Ask and I will give it to you." Solomon answered wisely. He wanted wisdom. And because he wanted what God wanted he got so much more!
There seems to be a theme in what the Lord is speaking to me and NCC. At our staff "pray and play" retreat in May I felt like the Lord asked a question and it dictated the agenda of the entire retreat. I felt like the Lord was asking each of us, "What do you desire of me?"
Well during our worship session I felt like my answer was pretty simple: I want to be closer to God. I want to be so close to God that when others are around me they feel close to God.
I think there are a few keys that really come out of Inward Bound. The first is purity. The Talmud says that sin pushes against the feet of the shekinah (glory of God). So when we sin we're pushing God away. C.S. Lewis has a powerful description of Hell in The Great Divorce. He basically pictures Hell as a place where people shrink smaller and smaller into their selfishness and move farther and farther away from each other until they live in utter loneliness. That's where pride eventually takes us!
I think humility is the other key. Psalm 138:6 says that God "keeps his distance from the proud." I remember going through a season a few years ago where my "prayer mantra" was "I humble myself before you." I would pray it over and over and over again. I feel like I'm back to that place.
Silence
One of the highlights of Inward Bound for me was "a vow of silence." We did a prayer walk around Lake Habeeb. I enjoyed the sounds of nature--owls hooting and crickets cherping (or whatever they do). It just so happened that I was reading in the minor prophets that morning. Habakkuk 2:20 says, "The Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him." Zephaniah 1:7 says, "Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign Lord." I think silence can be the highest form of worship--words escape us. I think that's what is happening in Revelation 8:1 during the half hour of silence--a cosmic collecting of breath.
Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." One of the highest places a relationship can reach is being comfortable enough in each other's presence that you can be quiet--not because you don't have anything to say but because you just love being with that person.
Blaise Pascal said, "All of man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone." I felt my spirit recalibrate as I sat by the lake and just listened to the Creator and His creation. I got rid of all the "white noise."
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