An Unbinding Coincidence

(Editor’s note: English Lutheran Church is in the second week of our small group experience of “Unbinding Your Heart.” Groups meet weekly and members are encouraged to meet with a prayer partner from that group.)

I met with my prayer partner for the first time last night. Part of me was excited. Most of me was nervous and scared. I’ve known “of” my prayer partner and have had a few interactions throughout the years. Most of them surface conversations where we’ve attended the same event, seen each other on Sundays or had other church business to conduct. I knew for sure, being a second-time participant, that I would connect with my prayer partner… but never in a million years did I know that it would happen in the blink of an eye.

The second chapter of Unbinding Your Heart mentions “coincidence.” In the second story, there is a pastor and his wife that attend a week-long training event. He went to the leadership events; his wife signed up for prayer workshops. She helped change their whole congregation. People were praying more – they even had “Prayer Walkers” that would roam during events like Vacation Bible School and a Halloween party. When the author of the book asked this particular pastor how prayer had changed his church, he said “The spirit of the church is different. There are ‘coincidences’ that I know are answered prayer.”

Coincidence, huh? Our group drew names to pair up with our prayer partners. On the surface, it looks like pure happenstance. Luck of the draw. But was it really? After meeting with my partner for the first time, I am seriously having a hard time believing that. Maybe all of these things that we think are “chance” is really God trying to speak to us, to help us open our hearts to a bigger picture.

My prayer partner and I shared stories last night that are so similar, it’s almost scary. We both had past relationships that were not healthy – with issues like depression and substance abuse. We both stuck out the relationships with the hope that something better would come out of it. We both ended those relationships with a God moment – but while mine was a true, startling “What are you doing? End this!” voice from God, hers was more quiet and in the rough. Coincidence? Probably not. We both realized that God was truly with us as those relationships ended. And we both looked at each other, sort of shaking our heads. I don’t think it was a fluke. I can’t speak for her, but I think she’d agree: God placed us together for a reason. We shared our stories. We shared what touched us from the book. We shared which prayer journal exercises were meaningful to us. We talked about knowing the light in the darkness and how He was there through our darkest moments, whether we liked it or not (Psalm 139). We prayed. Out loud. For each other. And promised to keep each other lifted throughout the next week. It's an amazing feeling to draw someone into your personal faith life with you.

Sharing is caring, in the words of my elementary-aged son. Sharing is also downright terrifying. You’re thrown into these groups. You might not know a single soul there. You might at least be able to place a name with a face. Maybe your best friend is in your group. My two experiences in this whole Unbinding event were that you were allowed to participate however you felt comfortable. It becomes an intimate group right from the start. There is a certain amount of trust and courage that comes with Unbinding Your Heart, both figuratively and literally speaking. Your heart WILL unbind… you’ll find yourself praying more, not only for yourself, but for those around you, the whole church, the whole WORLD. That is not a coincidence; that is God lovingly inviting you to a more personal relationship with Him. And that relationship is what will shine through you, to bring others to a life in Christ.

My prayer for this week is simple: Lord, I ask that you gather us all into your loving arms. Help us to unbind our hearts, to share and pray with and for each other. Keep us aware that all coincidences have your hand in them, no matter how small. Thank you for walking with us, through each day and night, keeping us embraced in your Spirit. Amen.

~Jen

What Will You Claim This Lent Season?

God's Love For You

When I began this blog earlier this week, my intent was to write about prayer. Within the content of my writing, it didn’t seem I was sharing anything new beyond the reflections of our recent blogs…..so I decided to begin again. In stepping back for a few days to reflect on our church’s and my own Lenten journey, the following question came to mind, ‘What will You and I claim this Lent Season?.

I realize this is not the usual question many of us think of during Lent.  It’s more often something like. “What will you or I give up? Sweets?  TV?  An hour or day of this or that?. Maybe our morning cup of Starbucks? 

In the midst of our busy, sometimes overcrowded days and weeks, what would you or I choose to claim during these 40 days….and perhaps even beyond? I hope you'll stay with me in this. 

What if during this 40 day Lenten journey (fewer than 40 by now), each of us intently 'claim our faith'.

What if we focused in on what we truly believe, wherever we are in our faith journeys, and stated it out loud. Maybe first to ourselves, and then to another. My guess is right now you are thinking one of several things.  

1) My faith is a private affair.  

2) I’m not completely sure what I believe.  

3) I don’t know how to talk about my faith and I don’t want to sound stupid. 

4) I’ve been going church all my life, why do I need to talk about my faith to myself or anyone else?  

5) I don’t want to sound like I’m boasting or judgmental.  

6) What if I offend someone….especially someone I care about.  

7) I am a Christian so people should already know what I believe.  
8) I need to think about this.  

Or, maybe you are at a place in your life where you are comfortable talking about your faith. 

There is no measuring yardstick here. Unless we have reached the state of perfection (NOT), we are all on a journey of deepening and growing in our faith.

And yes, there may be risk involved, both for ourselves and our relationships, Because stating out loud what we truly believe might cause us to look at how we live in community somewhat differently. Sharing our faith journeys with others could lead to further exploring our thoughts, our questions, our doubts, our hopes, our insights and perspectives. It could even lead to deepening and broadening our faith community!

Claiming our faith, in whatever state our own journey is, would mean we are willing to venture out in the midst of our fears, shyness, awkwardness, and privacy; and begin sharing what each of us believes. Even if this means beginning by stating our faith to just one person we fully trust.

To do this we first need to be able to clearly tell ourselves what we believe, and where we stand in our faith. I realize there can be one or two stumbling blocks to clearly naming and claiming our faith.

    We are creatures of habit, and taking the time to personally reflect on and define one’s faith may not be  something we have consciously focused on.

    We may have questions and doubts, so how can/does one claim their faith, when they don’t have all the answers.

    We want to be tolerant and not think we know the ‘only way’ to a relationship with God.

    We have not felt safe in personally thinking about our faith.

    We don’t have a faith statement or don't know where to start.

Have I touched on the main blocks? If I omitted yours, please just add it on.

Claiming one’s faith is not about having all the answers. Nor is it about writing or speaking your perfect faith statement. Each of us is on a journey during this lifetime, and as we live, our lens and/or understanding may change, broaden, deepen, become clearer…..any or all of these. 

Having and Claiming Your Faith is about knowing where you stand spiritually, where your roots are planted, and what gives you hope. Some thoughts for your consideration.....

When you come to Worship, take notes mentally or in writing on what touches you and/or what leaves you with questions. Find a way to reflect on, share or research your thoughts.

Pray….There’s that word again.  Don’t know where to start. No perfect place, time or words needed. Just start talking with God….anywhere. In time you will develop your own rituals and habits for prayer. Talking and listening to God is a good thing. You may be surprised where your conversations go.  Still not sure how to begin?  Here are some suggestions: 

*  “Lord have mercy on me” Try repeating this and see what happens”.

*  Find a place where you are not easily distracted: a quiet corner or walk outdoors.

*  Get together with a friend and share your concerns.

*  Let go of expectations and the need to pray perfectly.

*  Start a prayer journal where you write down your thoughts, questions, experiences, and your hopes. This is your 'treasure faith chest/quest'. The only editor is you.

*  Read and explore the Scriptures. Check the library, community resources, your friends for reading recommendations. There is a world of rich resources to glean. Spend time each day reading, reflecting, listening to music, centered in that which helps ground your faith.

Why not join or start a Small Group, where you can gather with others to study, explore, reflect, question, challenge and delve into the tenants of your faith. You will gain far more than what you anticipate risking.

When Jesus went into the desert for 40 days, he was Claiming His Faith. He was clearing the cobwebs of everyday life from his mind, turning away from outward distractions, and spending time in conversation with God. Why? To deepen and strengthen the focus of his relationship with God.

Many of us tend to reflect on our faith when we experience crisis, tragedy or joy. It’s so very easy to lose track of where our faith is grounded and how our faith is growing or not during the 'ordinary days' of our lives. Yet our Faith is the Compass for our Lives.

During this Lenten time, I invite you to reflect on where your faith is centered, so that you can say out loud even to yourself what you believe and why you believe what you do. This is how you begin to claim your Faith. When you are ready, I invite you to share this with at least one other person.

You may be pleasantly surprised by the conversations which open up. And if your faith statement has questions, this is okay, as long as you are open to exploring these questions. Exploring, learning, discussing and praying can liven your faith quest.

At the beginning of each new year, how often do we hear about or make new year resolutions which tend to have short life spans? Claiming, nurturing and deepening your faith can be a lifelong resolution which strengthens every area of your life. It is a resolution to grow on and in.

The God who formed you will help you in your journey of claiming your faith.

Shalom,
Susan

           

Unbinding Prayer

Throughout the Unbinding the Gospel process, I began to re-frame or look with new eyes on a number of things - prayer being one, sacrifice being another. 

Sacrifice is a dirty word.  It has been bandied about in the political arena so often as to lose its original meaning. To sacrifice is to give something for the sake of a better cause. It has been twisted to mean that you are forced to relinquish something that is yours. This misunderstanding is timeless however – even Socrates tried to frame sacrifice as a system of bartering between man and the gods.

Sacrifice is a gift. As parents, we sacrifice time, money, and our own desires often for the sake of our children. We give (and we give gladly!) because we believe in the value of our children and are willing to give of what we possess.  Sacrifice is about relationship and what we believe as having value.

Prayer too is about relationship and what we believe as having value.  At its most basic, prayer is a sacrifice of time out of your day to maintain a relationship with God.[“I don’t have time, and besides I don’t think prayer ‘works’”] Prayer is often portrayed merely as a way to influence “outcomes” – and, not surprisingly, they are usually outcomes that are in our personal favor. [“ O Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz” or “Lord, help me lose 20 pounds”] If we re-frame the idea of prayer as a way of remaining or even growing in a relationship, prayer changes. It becomes about sharing what concerns us, what weighs on our hearts and minds (just as you might do with a close friend or relative) and then listening. [“Oh, maybe I should start an exercise plan and then ask God to give me the strength to stick to it?”]  In the listening is often found a sacrifice. [Oh, if I give up my 2-Starbucks-a-day habit, I could actually afford____?] 

In the Old Testament, the making of a sacrifice - usually an animal or other symbol of one’s wealth, often preceded the act of prayer. The implication was that you were serious enough in your supplication to first make a sacrifice of something. Note that the sacrifice came first.

So what am I willing to sacrifice?

If I pray for improved financial situation, have I first done what I can and have I sought out professional advice to make the best decisions with what I have?

If I pray for an improved relationship with someone, have I first acknowledged my part in how the relationship went awry?

If I pray for more civility in society, have I first stopped posting uncivil comments and pictures on my Facebook page? ;)

But prayer is more than just time spent reflecting on our personal choices. Prayer can be the way that we make sense of the split/tension between our daily life and our faith life. If we want to be God’s hands at work in the world, we need to ask God what he wants us to do it - there’s prayer.  And how we do it - there’s sacrifice. Because it’s not about us then, it’s about God. We sacrifice our ego, our desires, our whims for God’s purpose. This doesn’t mean that we all chuck everything to become missionaries in some far-off place. It does mean that we set aside the behaviors that separate us from others, that we prayerfully consider the priorities of how we “spend” the gifts of time, talents and treasure we have been given, and that we speak of God’s grace and mercy and how they play out in our lives. As David Lose said in a recent blog, “ prayer is also a way of attuning ourselves to God and our shared life”.

God, tune us to be instruments of your grace in our world. Amen

Paul S.