Happy New Year!

from Life Discovery Ministries

Dear Friends,   For many of us it seems like the New Year is a time of reflection. We go back over our past year to re-live the highlights...and often the low points, too. Either way, we strive to make sense of the events of our lives and put them in the proper perspective. I have found that an "attitude of gratitude" helps in times like these. I recently read an article about Rabbi Henry Glazer. Rabbi Glazer always knew something was missing in his relationship with God. One day, while lifting his prayer shawl over his head, he just began sobbing. He says he felt the overwhelming need to say to God, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I wanted to say 'thank you' for just being alive." It was a turning point in his life. Shortly after that experience Rabbi Glazer launched an online blog about gratefulness and wrote a book titled I Thank, Therefore I Am: Gateways to Gratefulness. He says his journey toward developing a grateful heart has given him a greater calm and a sense of security, optimism and hopefulness. "Gratitude," he writes, "allows you to say, 'Life is a gift.'" Research backs that up. Experts say that gratitude is a powerful emotion that makes us feel more connected to the people we love. It helps us maintain a positive outlook; it can transform our lives because it causes us to takes the focus off ourselves. The good news is that to be grateful is a choice we get to make every day, and it is not based on what is going on around us. The apostle Paul says to the Thessalonians, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thes. 5:16 No, gratitude has little to do with our circumstances; it is a mindset - a way of viewing the world. Gratitude is a prerequisite for joy. It creates a heart that is open, generous, and free to love. And it is the will of our Father that we are grateful. Why not make a conscious decision this year to practice gratitude? (Now that is a good New Years Resolution.) My friend, Paul, told me today that he encourages people to put gratefulness into action so it doesn't just stay inside us. He thinks we should write a note or card to express gratitude to those who have touched our lives. It makes the gratitude "live." I think that's cool. So I say to you, Thank You for being a part of this Life Discovery community! Your love, participation, support and prayers mean so much. You are my community, and I am enriched through having the chance to serve you and to work alongside you as we serve others.

With gratitude & thanks,

Greg

Life Discovery

Generosity of Heart

"Thanks be to God for his Indescribable Gift!"   ~Paul~ II Corinthians 9:15

We talk a lot about gifts this time of year. We all know people who love to give. If we're lucky we are on their Christmas list! (Just kidding.) It's more than the gifts they give. I think people who love to give have a generosity of heart and spirit that we can see and feel. There's something joyous about them, whether their gifts are big or small. There's a feeling of openness and freedom, like they're not holding on so tightly. A generous heart is not just for some, however; it is what God longs to create in each of us. We're all supposed to be givers. Yes, I'm talking about money; I'm also talking about our spiritual gifts, our time, our talents. And there's more. "Give, and it will be given to you..." (Luke 6:38) is not a dangling carrot or a coercion on God's part as some would have us believe. It is a powerful statement of what happens inside of us when we give generously without regret or expectation. It is meant to open up our hearts. It puts us on a path to live larger with our arms open wider. It is a work of God in us, and it is good. The apostle Paul said, "God loves a cheerful giver." (II Cor. 9:7) But which comes first, the giving or the cheerfulness? And how can we be expected to have a giving heart when finances are tight and we're barely holding on as it is? One way to start is by practicing gratitude. You see, a generous heart is a grateful heart. They go hand in hand. We'll talk about that next time. God - at work in us,  Greg

Rekindling the Light

Sympathy sees and says, "I'm sorry." Compassion sees and says, "I'll help." ~unknown~

This week we had our annual "thank you" Christmas luncheon for our spiritual care volunteers at the hospital. The room was packed as I watched an elderly gentleman head for the buffet. He was bent over and could barely stay standing as he made his way through the crowd. And he was one of the dedicated volunteers! I found myself overwhelmed by this huge roomful of generous, compassionate people - all of whom have their own inner and outer handicaps -  who have chosen to give of themselves so that a stay in the hospital can be a little more comfortable for others. Surely they have other concerns: other things to do and other places to go. But they come, week after week, bringing small acts of service with a big heart, shining their light into dark places, and that is creating something extraordinary. We, in this small ministry called Life Discovery, have hearts that desire to serve. We cannot do everything; but we can all do something. We can all be a light for someone when we choose to hear and obey that still, small whisper from God that says, "Call. Go. Reach out." The famous Albert Schweitzer once said, "Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light." This holiday season, why not thank someone whose kindness has rekindled your light and hope? It may be the very best Christmas gift you could ever give. Peace & Light, Greg

Experiencing Transformation

"And the LIGHT shines on in the darkness, And the darkness has NEVER overcome it."  John 1:5

Friends, With the holidays fast approaching it seems like we all have too much to do! But no matter how busy Jesus was, he always took time to leave the crowds and be with his father. Wouldn't it be good for us to do the same? I want to take a minute to mention a couple of things we talked about Monday night about studying scripture. As I said, the purpose of studying the Bible is not to amass information, but to experience inner transformation. There are four steps involved when studying scripture: Repetition - bringing our attention repeatedly to the subject matter Concentration - centering and focusing our minds to learn Comprehension - understanding what we are studying Reflection - making what we learned an inner reality None of these elements are enough when operating alone. Repetition changes our habits; concentration centers our attention; comprehension leads to insight and discernment; reflection defines the significance of what we are learning as it is applies to us. When we commit ourselves to studying the Bible we see things in a new way. Jesus spoke about "he who has eyes to see." When we  pray that God will open our eyes a strange thing happens: instead of centering on our own opinions we begin to see things from God's perspective. And that, good people, is transforming! Greg

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Friends,

I would like to offer this simple prayer for your Thanksgiving dinner. It comes from the recent movie Seven Days in Utopia. It was meaningful to me; may it be a blessing to you.

For food, where many walk in hunger;

For faith, where many walk in fear;

For friends, where many walk alone;

We give you thanks, O Lord.

                                                      

 May your Thanksgiving be fun and full of gratitude!

Greg & Jeane

Spiritual Formation: It's All About Freedom

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."  Michelangelo

I have always loved this quote by Michelangelo when he was asked how he could make a beautiful angel sculpture from a shapeless stone. He added, "In every block of marble, I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it."  

Wow. Beautiful. That's the sort of thing God does for us, isn't it?  

God sees things in us that we do not see. He sees beauty where we only see scars; he sees our place in this world where we only see our loneliness; he sees us as perfect in attitude and action where we only see our rebellion and mistakes. 

He sees a tender heart of flesh where we only see.......well, a big block of stone. 

I have said many times that instead of living in our failures and shortcomings it is our joy to live out of who God says we are in Jesus Christ. Instead of striving to make ourselves righteous, we live by grace out of the proclamation of what God has already done for us in Jesus Christ. That, friends, is our legacy from our Heavenly Father. That's freedom. Wrap your arms around it. Rejoice! 

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Cor. 5:21   

You see, the purpose of spiritual formation is not to bind us or stifle us or even cramp our style; instead it is to set us free to be exactly who God made us to be, always under the wing of the One who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. 

  

Through the quiet of spiritual disciplines we allow space and a place for God to do the chipping and carving. He always, always sees the inner beauty that so often eludes us, and it is his great joy to set us free.   

Now give him a chisel and let him go to work! 

Greg  

P.S. The angel at the top is Michelangelo's Statue of an Angel for the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, Italy (1495). 

Spiritual Formation: the way of disciplined grace

our Weekly Upd

We are in the midst of learning about spiritual disciplines on Monday nights -- things like meditation, prayer, fasting, Bible study.

"Why so important?" you ask.

The disciplines that we are talking about are those actions that allow the spirit of God to do a work in us. By themselves, they can do nothing; they can only help to put us in a place where God can do something, and that something is to still us, transform us and renew us.

Richard Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline, speaks of it as "the way of disciplined grace. It is grace because it is free; it is disciplined because there is something for us to do."
So last week we discussed meditation and got a chance to practice it a little. How did it go this week? Did you find a place where you can be quiet? Did you find a posture that is comfortable for you as you center the attention of your body, emotions, mind and spirit on the One who is your creator? Did you silence yourself long enough to commune with God?

It's hard, isn't it? We are just so busy. Our enemies are "muchness" and "manyness," and if they succeed we will never know the joy of silence with our maker.

Author Henri Nouwen says it like this:

 It is hard to leave our people, our job,
 and the hectic places where we are needed
in order to be with the One
from whom all good things come.


But when we do we can unmask the illusion
of busyness, usefulness, and indispensability.
It is a way of being empty
and useless in the presence of God
and of proclaiming our basic belief that all is grace
and nothing is simply the result of hard work.

Henri Nouwen, The Living Reminder

"For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and in trust shall be your strength."  Isaiah 30:15

I want to experience more of what that really means in the days to come. Are you with me?

Greg

Spiritual Formation: It's Still About Grace

Your Weekly Upda

Whoa. What got into Greg?

I've heard that once or twice this week. What happened? What's up? Did our grace-preaching, all-about-love, feel-good pastor suddenly turn on us and is now teaching about.......gulp, discipline? 

Don't worry. It's still me. And it's still about grace. 

Grace is not the opposite of discipline. It is not the opposite of trying; it is the opposite of earning. We know that we are saved not by our works or efforts, but by God's grace alone. Transformation of the heart is also a work only God can accomplish. Spiritual discipline is simply the art of putting ourselves in God's presence so his work can be done in us.

Let me be clear about this: it is not our salvation that is at stake; it is the formation, maturing and deepening of our walk as a disciple of Christ. It is going beyond to the next step of what God has for us here on earth.  

So what's all the fuss about spiritual formation? Dallas Willard writes that "it is a process that happens to everyone. Terrorists as well as saints are the outcome of spiritual formation. Their spirits or hearts have been formed."

Maybe it's time to take a look at what and who has formed our own spirits and hearts throughout our lifetime. More importantly, what can we do to make a turn-around so that our insides are being formed by the One who calls our name. Isaiah 43:1 reads,

But now, this is what the LORD says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine."

This is really, really important, guys. Let's not settle for less.

Greg 

Spiritual Formation: Becoming a Christ-Follower

Your Weekl

Have you ever watched a crew of cement workers pouring a concrete sidewalk? It's quite a process. 

Seeing them mix the concrete to just the right consistency is an art all by itself. But before they can pour the concrete, they must first build the form. They use two-by-fours, nailing them together in the shape they want the finished concrete to take. Only after the form is built can they pour the concrete inside.  

Then, as the concrete is hardening, they work with it - back and forth - so it fills up every area of the mold; then they trowel it so the surface is just the right texture. And they wait and watch as the concrete firms up, keeping an eye on the weather (and any wandering cats and dogs in the area!). When the concrete is hardened the form is taken away, leaving the new sidewalk. 

That is a metaphor for Spiritual Formation.   

Spiritual Formation is the discipline of "building the form" that helps to keep us in God's presence where he can "pour out" his Spirit to teach us, to deepen our faith and transform us into true disciples. It is intentional; it is focused; it is disciplined. It involves the growth of the whole person: the body, mind, heart and will.

Come this Monday night where we will start to build YOUR form as you allow God to change your heart and transform your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul looks forward to a time when we "...are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."  

The Weapons of War

Your Weekly Upd

In the book of Judges there is a fascinating account about a man named Gideon. Let me set the stage: 

The people of Israel are now established in the promised land. After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years you'd think they would gratefully honor God and live in their new land according to his words and promises. Instead they once again waver in their obedience to the Father and begin worshiping false gods, continuing the miserable cycle of disobedience/forgiveness, oppression/deliverance.  

As Dr. Phil would say, "What were they thinking?"

At this point they are suffering under the hands of the Midianites, a powerful people who had invaded Israel and destroyed their cattle and crops "all the way to Gaza." (Judges 6:4) The Israelites had to camp out in the mountains and caves for survival. 

Into this setting an angel appears to a young man named Gideon and tells him that he is the one who will lead his people in victory over the Midianites. Gideon, however, is not exactly enthusiastic about that idea. He unsuccessfully argues with God that he is not the man for the job. He has every excuse in the book. He wants proof! This is where we get the phrase, "Gideon's fleece." Read this entertaining story in Chapter 6.  

Have you ever argued with God that you are not the man for the job?  

Finally, convinced that he must be the one to lead the fight, Gideon gathers together a rag-tag army of Israelites, about 32,000 men. But God speaks to him again and tells him there are too many soldiers. What?  How can you possibly have too many soldiers? God actually tells Gideon the reason for this. He says in Judges 7:2, "In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her."  

God gives Gideon a "weeding out" plan that, interestingly, includes getting rid of any man who is afraid. In the end Gideon is left with 300 men to go up against a huge Midianite army that was "thick as locusts." (Judges 7:12)  He must have been sweating bullets by this time, don't you think?

So into battle they go -- but with some very strange weapons. The Bible tells us they are given a horn to hold in one hand and an empty clay jar in the other hand, with a torch inside it.  

The paltry 300-man army surrounds the Midianite camp in the night. At the designated moment, the soldiers blow their horns and break their clay jars so the torches flare; then they all roar, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" Their confused and terrified enemies turn on each other with their own swords and flee; 120,000 enemy swordsmen are killed that day. (Judges 8:10) Israel wins the battle against their oppressors. 

But wait! Did we say the Israeli army held horns in one hand and torches in the other? What did they fight with? Neither hand was free to hold a sword.  

Why? Because the sword was in God's hand. There can be no doubt whatsoever who is the victor in this battle. The Israelites aren't even holding weapons. The victory is the Lords.

Friends, the symbolism here is amazing. When we have a battle too big to fight on our own, just remember that God holds the sword. When we are broken, as were the jars of clay, the fire is released. And combined with the sound of praise from the horns and the shout of victory from our mouths, our enemy is defeated.  

A mere 300 men cannot conquer so huge an army. God obviously wanted it to be crystal clear: the victory had everything to do with God's power to defeat the enemy. And that is the same power that is at work today conquering enemies too big and too powerful for us to fight alone.

Whether your battles today are emotional, physical or spiritual, please remember this:  

The Weapons of War in the kingdom are not always the sword; they are the broken vessels of clay and the offering of praise to the One who fights our battles with us and for us.

Hallelujah! 

  

Greg