Fatigue

Nancy and I just got back from not only taking our grandchildren to school but also had our first session with a personal trainer. Needless to say as I am typing this my arms feel like jello. It has been some time that I have worked out with weights with the intensity that we did today. What was the insight for me was the fact that I could start off with enthusiasm with heavier weights but after the second rep I could barely lift the weights at all. Muscle fatigue had set in and I could feel the exhaustion building in my arms. I had to go to lesser weights to compensate. Being the first time our trainer stated rather than quit go to the lesser weights but finish the reps.

I got thinking about this and how it applies in other areas of our lives. I have been reading John Wesley's journals and marveled at the fact that even when he had doubts about himself especially when people criticized his sermons, his efforts to reach out to those who were marginalized, and his uncompromising positions to not cater to those who wanted to control, he kept up and finished. Even though he may not have completed every thing that he envisioned.

In our lives we often start projects such as bible studies, prayer, worship attendance, etc. with great enthusiasm. But at some point fatigue sets in. What determines what character we are depends on how we respond to that fatigue. Do we give in to it? Do we use it for an excuse as to why we can't change? Do we say we are failures so why try? What character do you and I want to be known by. Maybe we need to lessen our weights but continue to move forward despite the uncomfortableness and fatigue.

What pressure are you under?

This came in my inbox and I wanted to share with you.




Serving Strong
A minute for you
because you serve others.


Serving Strong Issue No. 153
Artesian Strength

Artesian Well"Artesian" (pronounced, "arr-TEE-zhun") is an adjective to describe water which spurts out of the earth under natural pressure. Hmmm... two phrases jump out at me when I read this definition: "spurts out" and "natural pressure." Let's look briefly at each.

"Spurts Out"

When the pressure is on, what comes out of you? Are you a jovial dispenser of joyfultude? Or are you a boiling cauldron of barbs? It's true what they say in the computer world, "Garbage In, Garbage Out." When the heat is on, what's inside boils out. What are you feeding your spirit and mind? What is your current book? What is your next book? What do you watch on TV? What do you listen to on the radio?

"Natural Pressure"

Opposite of natural is Un-natural. Un-natural pressure is the pressure that arises out of a false pretense (for example, those with a martyr complex take on others' problems as though they were their own.) We subject ourselves to this pressure. It requires extra energy to maintain - energy we cannot afford to waste. What pressure are you assuming that isn't yours to assume? What attitudes or self-talk are you operating under to make you act this way?

BE ARTESIAN

* Fill your mind with nourishment. Get into God's Word. Listen to uplifting talk. For every negative input (which is a part of your vocation, let's be honest), counter it with the Truth that God will always come through.
* Assume just the amount of pressure God designed for you to handle. Stop telling yourself you are the answer to EVERYONE'S needs. Do just what He tells you to do. Where He calls He supplies.

Resolve to be an artesian well spurting out water of hope under natural pressure.

I'll "see" you right here next week.

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Amazing Grace

I have just played Mario Super Party with my grand children and needless to say they won hands down. It is so nice to be able to take time and be a child once again. Nancy and I spent time with the oldest by herself and tonight have all three girls. While shopping with the oldest at the bookstore, wouldn't you know it I came across a reflection (actually two reflections) by Henri Nowen on the Prodigal Son. I read some of it and wished that I had read it earlier as there are some ideas that he expressed that would have helped share the sermon I am doing tomorrow.

The one insight that I wanted to share was the idea that we are to not just identify with the two sons but also with the father. That is not only for us to be forgiven but also to forgive. To not only be welcomed home but be the one welcoming home. He stated that the church tends to want to remain the dependent child on the distant heavenly father and not try to emulate the father's love and grace. Somehow that may still make it in my sermon. I may hold onto it for another time as I read the books completely.

Cross roads

Have you ever been at a point where you felt like you were at a cross roads in life. I know that I have and I have to say it is a difficult place to be. Uncertain as to which path one wants to go and which path God wants you to go. I have found that in those times God has placed people in my life or situations in my life that have helped me discern His will. I just need to remember to take time and remember to look for those times in my life and to listen and be observant to what is around me. I need to let go of the things that tend to drag me down seeing them not as negative but opportunities. One of the lectionary texts for next Sunday is Psalm 124 which starts "If it had not been for the Lord who was on our side" and how true that is. The psalm ends with "Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth."
If you are at a cross roads or know someone who is, take time to remember that God is at our side and is our help no matter where we are. As Paul says, "If God is for us who can stand against us."

Reflection for Wednesday

I was working on my reflection for tonight's communion service. Tonight also begins our confirmation class for 2009-2010. Also I had reflected on Proverbs 8 the last time that we met. With all that has gone on in my life, with the idea of priorities of faith, I was struck with what was the lectionary selection for last Sunday. It came from James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a. There were three questions that were proposed. The first was who is wise and understanding among you? The second is from what do conflicts and disputes arise? The last was what does God want?

I was struck by all that has been happening and the confluence of the above and here is God once again talking to me about what is important. Wise people are those who are gentle, humble, peaceable, willing to yield, full of mercy, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. They are not people who insist always on having their own way at the expense of others or ego-driven. Disputes seem to arise most from coveting something that someone else has (prestige, status, power, wealth, popularity, etc.). We become enamored by brand-name clothes, latest tech toys, greatest house, car being the best provider, show spouse. We use these to determine our self-worth and it is empty. So what does God want? I am quoting from a section of "Feasting on the Word" the pastoral perspective pg 88 by Kathy Dawson. She points out that a church that lives by God's wisdom might have the following:
"Church officers are chosen on the criteria of godly wisdom, rather than how much money or status they have in the community
Worship leadership is not just handled by the paid staff, but is shared among the church membership of all ages and stations
Disputes are handled with mercy and love, seeking peace above selfish ambition
Stewardship becomes not just a season of pledge collection, but a yearlong spiritual disciple taught and lived by the community
Prayer is not selfish, asking for what will feed individual desires, but seeks the good fruits that will meet the needs of all
Peacemaking and social-justice ministries become ways of addressing earthly wisdom that surrounds us
Our primary identity is measured by our closeness to God rather than the possessions we accumulate.
The way that this last expression of Christian identity is enacted at the church I attend comes in the words used at every baptism. As the minister performs the baptism, he or she tells the congregation that the world will give us many messages about who we are to be, but our primary calling is as children of God, and we are to remind each other of this wisdom (90)."

I would totally agree with her statements. Too often we spend more time pleasing the world rather than pleasing God.

serving strong

Thought I would share my Tuesday newsletter Serving E Strong.

Lemon Fresh Self Care

Lemon tree
One of my clients lives in Florida. He told me of a lemon tree his neighbor used to maintain. The branches extended over the property lines. The neighbor shared the fruit, allowing my client permission to pick lemons right off the tree and make some wonderful lemonade (you can't get much fresher than lemons right from the source!)
That's the good news. The bad news: lemons unpicked fall to the ground and rot. The rotted fruit attracted rats. Rats, as you would expect, create quite a problem for the inhabitants around the tree (which was ultimately cut down.)

PICK YOUR SELF-CARE

Lemons are like opportunities for self care. If ignored the opportunities expire and fall away to rot. Rotted, unused self care attracts despair, depression and disillusionment. We must take advantage of the opportunities God places in our path to rest, recreate and renew. This doesn't happen automatically. We must be intentional about our self care. Don't have time to enjoy some "lemonade"? Think again. This kind of fruit is essential to remaining and finishing strong.

* What opportunities has God given to "sharpen your saw"?
* Where do you go to rest, recreate, renew?
* Who has God placed in your journey to help you rest?
* What do you read to take care of yourself?
* What are your hobbies?

Some think that any talk of self care is a hedonistic avoidance of staying on task to work done. True, if taken too far, self care CAN become selfish. Just remember - everything in moderation. Also remember - we don't rest from our work. We work from our rest.

Priority of Love

Last Sunday I began to do a sermon series on Priorities and what Jesus would see what priorities we should be concerned about. I will be using some of the parables that Jesus used to teach those around him about what is important. Some of the ideas come from a book entitled, Jesus' Parables about Priorities by James W Moore. Where the book contains some of the seeds of the ideas, most of what I reflect on came from several experiences in the past few months. I had completed a sermon series on families and the issues that they face and out of that came the concern about setting goals, vision and priorities and standing by them. Recently I finished a series on the Bread of Life based on John chapter 6.

With those experiences and some good and bad experiences in my life, I realized how important it is to remain focused on what is important. I see that in those who weather difficult times they have a foundation that they turn to and depend on to see them through. It does not mean they never get discouraged, but somehow when they have their priorities straight they are more able to see the difficult times through. I know that is the case with myself. When I am distracted, stressed, not doing my spiritual disciplines, I find myself having difficulties dealing with the negative times.

The first priority is that of Love. The parable that James Moore used was the Prodigal Son Luke 15:11-32. Actually it is a story of 2 sons and a father which talks about three different types of love. The younger son originally is into the love of experience and immediacy. Everything revolves around his needs and wants. He does not concern himself with others. In psychological jargon, he is narcissistic. The older son is legalistic and has no room to forgive those who do not think or act like he does. His love is based on doing for others with the expectation that others will reward him. The father demonstrates a love that transcends selfish needs and does not demand that others be like him. His love is unconditional. We are called to model this third type of love.

musings

I am sitting at my desk after attending a Board of Ordained Ministry meeting at one of our camps. For a formal meeting we were able to accomplish alot. I was in charge of the closing communion and I shared my epiphany that I had while on vacation. I thought that I would share it with those who have not heard it.

I was able to spend a week at Ocean Isle Beach one of the barrier islands in North Carolina. My wife and my daughter's family were there. To say that it was a restful and wonderful time is an understatement. I thoroughly enjoyed the time and put some of the pictures on my facebook page.
One day in the late afternoon when the high tide was coming in, we were all on the beach. I had walked off shore and looked back at the others gathering their sea shells. The waves were coming in fairly strong for that beach. As I watched the waves break upon the shore and begin to spread out all along the beach I had my epiphany. I thought isn't that what the church should be doing. The relentless and ongoing waves breaking upon the shore of the world spreading the good news. Reaching out to the entire beach leaving no area left alone.
A further epiphany was that the wave was not done but after spreading out quickly and with some urgency returned to its source. So too the church needs to return to its source so that the next wave can come forward and spread out on the shores.
When I first told this, someone mentioned it is not only the wave that returns to the source but also the grains of sand that the wave touched that also returns. As the people who hear the good news turn to God. What also happens is that those grains of sand also come back to share with the rest of the beach.
This is the cycle of God. To go forth to make disciples and to return to our creator to be renewed to once again go forth and to be with others who also go forth.
We need to do both go forth and return.

wednesday

Thought I would share this.

Serving Strong eNews
A Tuesday morning minute just for you because you care for others.
A Wimpy Wiper
Wimpy Wiper
It happened again. It was raining. I was driving. I looked in my rearview mirror to my back window and there it was...again. That wimpy windshield wiper. It only wipes half of what it's supposed to. I can't see as well this way. When it's not raining, I don't think about it. Never crosses my mind. But when it rains and I look back and remember. "Oh yeah. I need to change that wiper."

When it's not raining, I don't think about it.

When it rains, I think about it.

I suppose this is a metaphor for how I am in life. When everything seems to be going good, I don't feel the pressure to stay balanced and healthy. I just drift. I take it easy. I let life just happen. But when I start to get tired, irritable, or overwhelmed then I start thinking about self care.

How many of you have ever gotten pneumonia and began wondering how you could have ever gotten sick in the first place, wondering, "have I been working too hard?"or "have I been eating right?" The sickness serves as a wake up call to the lack of habitual balance.

SMALL WEAVES
It's a challenge to remember to take care of the vessel when life is clicking along. Perhaps there are small threads we can weave into these times to ensure we are serving strong all the time. Here are a couple ideas to get your thinking started:

- Eat 1 piece of fruit each day.
- Stretch first thing in the morning.
- Take 5 minutes of rest for every 60 minutes of work.
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day.
- .....

Taking care of ourselves is best when we weave it into the fabric of our journey. Well, the sun is shining now. I think I'll go to AutoZone and pick up a new windshield wiper before the next rain.

I'll "see" you right here next week.