Spiritual Rows to Hoe

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of references about gardening, soil, plants, and planting; as Christians, then, it’s only natural that we often use the planting metaphor to discuss new goals, initiatives, or endeavors, particularly when it involves the formation of new faith communities. As churches go through the stages of making and reaching yearly goals of any kind, however, the imagery is just as apt.

The Rearview Mirror

My twin daughters recently received their driving permits, so the correct way to operate a vehicle is common dialogue in my world right now. Driving requires focus, clear vision, and an awareness of what is going on around you. I’ve told my girls that they need to keep their eyes on what is directly in front of them and only to occasionally glance in the rear view and side mirrors.

Imagine someone on the highway trying to drive with their eyes focused only on what lies behind them.

As I’ve studied the life of Joseph in the Old Testament this past year, I’ve noticed that he did a good job of keeping his eyes on the path in front of him. His brothers betrayed him, yet somehow he was able to forgive and even reconcile with them. How did he do it? Forgiving sounds good . . . but actually releasing our pain to God and keeping our eyes on the road ahead (with only occasional glimpses to the wounds of past) proves harder in real life than it appears on paper.

Perhaps the hurtful words, actions, or inactions of others still sting in your life. People criticized your decisions. Others misunderstood your motives. Ministry leaders can become an easy target for those who are hurting. I remember being told that I would grow thicker skin as time went on, but some wounds penetrate even the thickest of layers.

If you are looking for a fresh start in 2016, find a way to keep your eyes focused on the road God has in front of you instead of your rear view mirror. Check out these examples from Joseph’s life that helped him on the journey to forgiveness:

Some New Year SPICE

When people hear the world Quaker, their brains tend to go directly to oats. That’s not surprising since it’s hard to go to through a grocery store and not see the smiling visage of the Quaker Oats^® man. But Quaker Oats has nothing to do with “real” Quakers. In fact, some of us don’t even like oats. We are into SPICE, though. Especially as the New Year begins.

As I admit in my book, Life Lessons from a Bad Quaker, I’m pretty bad at being good. And that includes making and keeping New Year’s resolutions. Yeah, right. Resolutions last— well, in my case at least—for about a week. Maybe you’re like me in that. So instead of making resolutions, how about inviting God to help you put some SPICE in your life in the coming year?

• Stillness
• Peace
• Integrity
• Community
• Equality

Quakers see these things as integral parts of living in the way of Jesus. They’re not just for Quakers. All of God’s children benefit from them.

You Might Be an Energy Waster

’Tis the season . . . for skyrocketing utility bills. Could your church use an energy tune-up? Whether it’s using new light bulbs, hanging sun-blocking blinds, using rain barrels, or installing solar panels, discussions about how to save energy and money is more than a lot of hot air.

Reignite Creativity in Your Congregation

Does your church’s energy and enthusiasm feel as frozen as the ground outside? Anyone can suffer from a winter of creative thinking. As a church leader and creative, I have a few strategies to help warm up my coworkers in the Kingdom to more creative thinking.

Battle the Winter Blues with these ABCs

Unless you live in a very moderate climate, you probably associate winter with the ‘blues.’ Scientists have even coined a term for this malady; it’s called SAD, short for seasonal affective disorder, and primarily due to shorter days giving us less light. It affects millions of people each year, especially women. Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include these.

• feeling sad most days.
• sleeping too much or too little.
• fatigue.
• losing interest in what usually interests you.
• negative thoughts about yourself.

If you are a church leader, how might SAD affect your leadership?

• You may more easily become discouraged in your ministry.
• Fatigue may dampen your creativity.
• Your motivation to serve and lead may decrease.
• You may more easily dwell on negative comments you hear from others in your church.

As leaders, should we fear winter? Are the effects of the winter blues inevitable? Should we expect our churches and our leadership to suffer come winter?

I don’t think so, if we stay proactive when winter arrives. I’ve suggested below what I call the ABCs of battling the winter blues.

Experiencing Advent

Advent truly is the most wonderful time of the year for me. It is a season of preparation, anticipation, waiting, longing, and celebration; you can smell the scent of hope and new beginnings in the air. Every year I crave its arrival more and more.

For the past few years, I’ve noticed that I have developed a routine for entering into the new Christian liturgical year. On the first Sunday of Advent, as soon as I wake up, I sit up in my bed and release a very long exhale. This moment represents my receiving the invitation Jesus extends when he says, “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 CEB). For me, the moment is more than the physical process of letting my diaphragm and the muscles between my ribs relax and reduce the space taken up by air in my chest cavity. It is spiritually breathing out all the pain, suffering, and hopelessness I have experienced within and without during the year past, preparing space so I can breathe in more of life with Christ in the days to come.

Want More God in Your Advent and Christmas?

You’re as tired of hearing about the war on Christmas as I am. I know.

So allow me to tell you a little story about some of my theological forbears, the Puritans. Once upon a time, they deposed a King of England and took over the government there. Among the changes they made was banning Christmas completely because to their minds, it had no biblical justification. And not just in England; at around the same time, the Puritans in what would become these United States did the same thing. For about twenty years, it was altogether illegal in the Puritan colonies to celebrate Christmas, and doing so would earn you a fine.

Now that, friends, is what a war on Christmas looks like. But you know what? Even when it was illegal to celebrate it, I am positive that at least some people found ways to do it anyway. Maybe they couldn’t hang holly or feast, but I am quite sure those who wanted to celebrate found ways to do it. Maybe they added a little extra maple syrup to their food, to celebrate the sweetness of life with God. Maybe they burned a few extra candles or built the fire up a little higher to honor the Light of the World. Maybe they broke off a bit of evergreen branch as they walked by, inhaled the fragrance, and reminded themselves that life would win. Maybe they held hands, pulled a blanket over their heads, and quietly sang “All I Want For Christmas Is You” to Baby Jesus. I don’t know. But I’m sure they did something.

Christmas in Ordinary Times: The Five Questions of Christmas

After we take the ornaments from the tree and carefully pack them away with the other decorations . . . after the joy of gift giving and receiving fades . . . after the glow of celebrating with family and friends . . . after the Christmas carols and holiday specials . . . after the brief interlude of “peace on earth and goodwill to men” . . . life’s great challenges and hard questions remain.

After Christmas, we live in ordinary time.