Sometimes when we say this I think we are emphasizing the wrong part. I think we think, “become like Jesus; become like God.” This trips us up - and “becoming like God” was the temptation that led to the first sin in Genesis 3.

“Becoming like Jesus” is embracing Jesus as fully human - and becoming like him is embracing and striving to become “fully human.” This is our goal, and thus the goal of our spirituality, in my view.

Some inspiration:

“What, dear brothers, is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us? See how the Lord in his love shows us the way of life. Clothed then with faith and performance of good works, let us set out on this way with the Gospel for our guide that we may deserve to see him who has called us to his kingdom”
(St. Benedict - RB: Prologue: 19-21).

“Ministry is service in the name of the Lord. It is bringing the good news to the poor, proclaiming liberty to captives and new sight to the blind, setting the downtrodden free and announcing the Lord’s year of favor (Luke 4:18). Spirituality is paying attention to the life of the spirit in us; it is going out to the desert or up to the mountain to pray; it is standing before the Lord with open heart and open mind; it is crying out, ‘Abba, Father’; it is contemplating the unspeakable beauty of our loving God.”
(Henri J. M. Nouwen)

“The work of Jesus was not a new set of ideals or principles for reforming or even revolutionizing society, but the establishment of a new community, a people that embodied forgiveness, sharing and self-sacrificing love in its rituals and discipline. In that sense, the visible church is not to be the bearer of Christ’s message, but to be the message.”
(Stanley Hauerwas)

“I have come to believe that by and large the human family all has the same secrets, which are both very telling and very important to tell. They are telling in the sense that they tell what is perhaps the central paradox of our condition — that what we hunger for perhaps more than anything else is to be known in our full humanness, and yet that is often just what we also fear more than anything else.

It is important to tell at least from time to time the secret of who we truly and fully are even if we tell it only to ourselves — because otherwise we run the risk of losing track of who we truly and fully are and little by little come to accept instead the highly edited version which we put forth in hope that the world will find it more acceptable than the real things.”
(From Telling Secrets by Frederick Buechner. )

May we become fully human and thus become like Jesus.

“The Glory of God is man fully alive.”
(St. Irenaeus of Lyons)

In less than a weeks time we will be in the midst of the holiest week of the year. How have you personally prepared? How has your community of faith anticipated and focused for this important observance?

I find as I come into such “special and set-apart times” that if I “just let it happen” - often nothing does. It is when I allow myself to be transformed through personal preparation or my involvement with a communal commitment that the “special time” takes on a heightened significance and becomes transformative. One practice, apart from all the rest, that has become a way of preparation in my life is reciting a prayer for such an occasion. In this week proceeding Holy Week, I will be praying this prayer at least once a day.

O Lord my God, to you and to your service I devote myself, body, soul, and spirit.

(From the Book of Common Prayer)

“The fewer the words, the better the prayer.” — Martin Luther

“Some men’s prayers need to be cut short at both ends and set on fire in the middle.” — Dwight L. Moody

“In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” — John Bunyan

“Words are but the body, the garment, the outside of prayer; sighs are nearer the heart work.” — Samuel Rutherford

“The best prayers have often more groans than words.” — John Bunyan

“A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening.” — Soren Kierkegaard

“Christ In Gethsemane” by Fr. Michael Obrien

On Sunday without question one of the pioneers of Christian music (and most definitely the most influential for a more cutting edge approach to using the music of the streets to reach out to people) - Larry Norman died of heart failure. He had been battling heart problems for many years now (at least the last 15 years now) and from what I can tell died peacefully with his loved ones surrounding him at his home in Oregon.

Larry was a character! He was creative. He was passionate. He was ornery. He was opinionated. He was fascinating. He was accessible. He was frustrating. He was angry at the church. He loved the church. He was a prophet. He was a poet. He was a sinner and he was a saint.

He is no doubt at peace now, in another land.

You either loved or hated Larry’s music. I am in the former camp. It had a very human element to it. I felt like at times the music definitely related to me. There was a humanness and a earthiness to his tunes that definitely spoke of experience and wisdom that pierced to my soul. Larry also was influential in helping a good number of artists that share that same spirit of making Scripture and Godly truth accessible and pertinent in the best sense of the Word. An ability to bring human emotion, duality, struggle and everyday hassles into the mix with becoming more like Jesus. Thanks in part to Larry’s direct influence Randy Stonehill, Mark Heard, Steve Scott, Malcom and Alwyn, and Daniel Amos to name just a few continue Larry’s legacy - but it is not a stretch to say that much of the prophetic and good that is in Christian music (it’s dwindling I know) is also a direct influence of the likes of Larry Norman.

Now Larry truly knows (in a literal way), a “friend of mine, came and took me by the hand, and led me to a kingdom in another land. Well wowie, zowie the Cat’s got soul; He’s the rock that doesn’t roll!”

RIP Larry (April 8, 1947 - February 24, 2008)

I have been repeating that six word prayer - as I have, one of the layers that has become exposed is - the is-ness of God. I am sure the following quote has something to do with piquing my awareness.

“The contemplative dimension of the Gospel is Christ’s program for getting acquainted with the Ultimate Reality as it really is, which is “no thing.” “No thing” means no particular thing, whether concept, feeling or bodily experience. God just is — without any limitation. And the way to connect with this “is-ness” is to just be, too.” [Manifesting God by Fr. Thomas Keating p. 2]

By the way - I found a pdf of an article I wrote that appeared in the Sept/Oct ‘07 edition of the Journal of Student Ministries - you can check it out by hitting the downloads tab up above (the newer article is called, “The Disciple As Refuge”).

A good friend and I were discussing the need for good spiritual practices this past weekend (I was speaking and he was leading music for a winter retreat for teenagers). As we were talking around a nice fire on a cold afternoon he reminded me of this old prayer and the value of regularly repeating it from the heart - it could do a world of good.

Hopefully I will follow this sage advice!

A Collect for Purity

Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Today is “Shrove Tuesday” (or pancake day). The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the commencement of the Liturgical season of Lent was traditionally a day for eating pancakes, donuts or other pastries - eating a bit too much! This practice developed to dispose of “extravagant” foods like eggs, milk and sugar in preparation for entering into the liturgical 40 day fast of Lent. A great practice. It seems to me that such rituals and practices help to build active reminders and bodily reminders of our spirituality. It seems that our faith needs such reminders. It seems that following a God we cannot see and grasping onto written scriptures could easily be reduced to an intellectual exercise; and that rituals, practices, seasons and interruptions would serve to help us move ideas to practice and propositions to action and beliefs to behaviors.

You see where I am going?

So why do so many Evangelical expressions of Christianity avoid Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and the observance of Lent? (equally disturbing is the almost universal accommodation to and observance of Mothers Day, Fathers Day, July 4 and Superbowl Sunday) Why would we avoid physical observances that put our faith into action? Why would we dissect our faith of those rituals and practices that make our religion more sensory? It is confusing to me and I grieve over this lack of integrating our mind with our heart, hands and feet.

The real tragedy is that this seems in my mind to make our faith something we alone can accomplish. It makes our faith a faith of the mind and intellect. It becomes a belief system. It becomes something I can assent to and control and make sense of intellectually. A faith with few practices and interruptions and ceremonies becomes less of a faith I observe and more of a belief I hold. And when I am able to be in control of my “faith” it becomes a faith I follow. It is something I accomplish in the day to day (for the most part) in my power. Faith dissolves to a belief. Not an active reliance. Christianity with no need for Christ. A Christless Christianity is a faith without power.

Jesus chastised the Pharisees for this very error, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mark 12:24) We can fall into two kinds of error:

doctrinal error - based on ignorance or misunderstanding, and
experiential error - based on the denial of God’s powerful reality in our lives.

I think when we scrub our religion of it’s rituals, observances, interruptions, feasts, and festivals we push people to become obsessed with doctrine to the detriment of daily encountering God’s power in daily living. J. I. Packer wrote about this more than 30 years ago warning there is a great difference between knowing about God and knowing God.

Will we find ways to mark our lives by living out our faith together? Just as we don’t send a team out to compete on the field of play without time in the gym or road exercising - why do we assume that we would have a vital faith with fat heads and no exercising?

The Eastern Church calls us to embrace Christification. That we must help one another become “Christified.” To become like Christ. Not just know all about Him; or encourage one another with platitudes about Him; or be able to recite His teachings but to take on His life, priorities, attitude, character and actions.

May we restore the church to embrace ways to help one another exercise our faith that we might be Christified.

“He became what we are, that we might become what He is.” - Athanasius

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into God’s presence with singing!
Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

The Canticle of Brother Sun

Most high, omnipotent, good Lord,
Praise, glory and honor and benediction all are thine.
To thee alone do they belong, most High, and there is no man fit to mention thee.

Praise be to thee, my Lord, with all thy creatures,
Especially to my worshipful brother sun,
The which lights up the day, and through him dost thou brightness give;
And beautiful is he and radiant with splendor great;
Of thee, most High, signification gives.

Praised be my Lord, for sister moon and for the stars,
In heaven thou hast formed them clear and precious and fair.
Praised be my Lord for brother wind
And for the air and clouds and fair and every kind of weather,
By the which thou givest to thy creatures nourishment.

Praised be my Lord for sister water,
The which is greatly helpful and humble and precious and pure.

Praised be my Lord for brother fire,
By the which thou lightest up the dark.
And fair is he and gay and mighty and strong.

Praised be my Lord for our sister, mother earth,
The which sustains and keeps us
And brings forth diverse fruits with grass and flowers bright.

Praised be my Lord for those who for thy love forgive
And weakness bear and tribulation.
Blessed those who shall in peace endure,
For by thee, most High, shall they be crowned.

Praised be my Lord for our sister, the bodily death,
From the which no living man can flee.
Woe to them who die in mortal sin;
Blessed those who shall find themselves in thy most holy will,
For the second death shall do them no ill.

Praise ye and bless ye my Lord, and give him thanks,
And be subject unto him with great humility. (St. Francis of Assisi: The Canticle of Brother Sun)

Sometimes in life we need to hold onto a prayer. Sometimes it accompanies us for a season, sometimes for a lifetime (I think the Jesus Prayer will accompany me for a lifetime).

This past weekend at Rebound I was given a gift by Fritz Dale, Executive Director of National Ministries for the Evangelical Free Church of America. Really unexpected - and what a wonderful gift! He presented me with a book of Puritan prayers entitled, The Valley of Vision (how did he know I collect books of written prayers?!). Well the introductory prayer looks like it will be one of those accompany-ing prayers - it captures my current state, thinking, hopes, and fears beautifully. It really is a bouquet of all the stuff in my current state presented in a prayer to God.

Here is that introductory prayer written by the editor of the rest of the prayer manual, Arthur Bennett:

LORD, high and holy, meek and lowly,

AMEN.

From the first notes you know this is the david crowder* band. There is so much to enjoy and find and admire and yes emulate on this newest release, Remedy. It is probably a bit more accessible than A Collision. I can hear church’s, youth groups, and fellowships of all sizes putting there own spin on many of the tunes that Crowder and company have to offer this time round. (A Collision was a bit less accessible in my opinion - yet ground breaking in another sense - it clearly took “worship music” to a whole new level and experience.)

What I really find refreshing this time out with remedy…

This is corporate - you find very few references to “me” and “I” and tons of “we” and “us.”

This is a wonderful set of music that tackles both the transcendence and immanence of God. The music is filled with the reality and the implications of God’s presence. Wonderful stuff.

This is missional worship. Worship that helps us thank, exalt, lift up, praise and glory in our God who has come to save us. Worship that challenges and engages us in the part we have to play in the unfolding epic that God has come to save us.

There is hope filling and undergirding the message of Remedy. Check out these lyrics:
“…everything will change
Things will never be the same
We will never be same.” (from “The Glory of it All”)

“Oh surely we can change something;
Oh, the world’s about to change,
The whole world’s about to change.” (from “Surely We Can Change”)

I felt my whole being swell up with hope as Crowder sang “The whole world’s about to change” - the first time I heard it.

Yes there are plenty of anthems (youth rooms watch out- and they will have all kinds of new treats and feats of loudness in San Diego, St. Louis and Atlanta - YS!) There is also just quality stuff a great remake of one of Crowder’s first (and finest) tunes - Rain Down (from back in the UBC days); and a great song/psalm/prayer in the tradition of Francis Assisi’s Peace Prayer; and a beautiful re-working and amending to a “great Hymn of the church”.

[This release and it’s content also raises a question… so did I miss an announcement - is there going to be an “Everything Changes Tour” with Crowder and McLaren? This disc seems to drip with a message and a tone that is VERY consistent with McLaren’s new book (Everything Must Change).]

So what is the scoop? This is a great gift to the church - may we enjoy, use and celebrate with Crowder’s Remedy.

“Let us be the remedy
Let us bring the remedy.” from the song titled, “Remedy”