Falling in Love All Over Again

I think we've got it all wrong. 

We hear the word "prayer" and we feel intimidated.  We feel guilty, inadequate, caught in the crosshairs.  We've got the sneaking suspicion there's something more we should be doing or feeling. We think of prayer as lofty and holy--and always feel like we're somehow falling short.

But the call of Jesus--"Come away with me" (Mark 6:31)--is not an invitation to guilt; it's an invitation to delight.  To enjoy his company.  To spend time with the One who loves us.  When Jesus invites us to "come away" with him, it's not so that he can give us a lecture or a stern talking-to.  It's so that we might be refreshed and renewed, and be reminded of the thrill of loving HIm.  

"Secret Millionaire" - Cue the Tears!

I'm crying and I don't care.


It's not like I don't know I'm being manipulated.  The savvy production people at ABC have performed their TV magic precisely so that I'd weep on cue.  But somehow, I really don't resent the tears spilling down my cheeks.  Despite the TV people's opportunism and my own cynicism, I know there's something very deep and real underneath the showbiz machinery of the television show, "Secret Millionaire."

Jesus in Disguise

"Truly I tell you, 
 whatever you did 
  for one of the least 
    of these… 
you did for me."
              (Matthew 25:40)

What was it that fueled Mother Teresa as she gave herself away to the poor with the intensity of an Olympic athlete?  A good part of her momentum came from the conviction she expressed in the words, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise"...

This Time It’s Personal!

In yesterday’s post I asked:  How is the desert discipline of almsgiving different from the other sorts of giving that we Christians normally do?  I suggested that the giving of Lent emphasizes mercy.  If that’s true, there’s another piece that follows:  


The almsgiving of lent is a kind of giving that’s especially personal…

How to Find Buried Treasure - and Give it Away!

"Freely 
  you have 
    received, 

      freely give."  

      (Matthew 10:8b)

There's one thing that just about everybody knows:  giving is good.  And Christians especially, knowing that God has given us so much, are all about giving to others.  Most of us start with the Old Testament standard of tithing (charitably giving away ten percent of what comes our way) and then seek, by God's spirit, to go even further.  Giving is simply what Christians do.

So what is "almsgiving," this special desert discipline we're called to consider during our journey through Lent?...


   (TO READ FURTHER, CLICK ON "READ MORE" BELOW)

The Big Turnoff

   "Do not conform
         to the pattern of this world,
       but be transformed
         by the renewing
            of your mind.

                         (Romans 12:2)

It's not easy to get a moment of quiet clarity.  Want to hear the voice of God?  There's so much buzzing and humming all around us (and inside of us) that it's often extraordinarily difficult to recognize that still, small voice that our souls are so hungry to hear...
   (TO READ FURTHER, CLICK ON "READ MORE" BELOW)

Open Question: What's YOUR take?

OK.  So far, I've been doing all the talking.  What about you?  What are your thoughts or experiences with the desert discipline of fasting?  Any insights or puzzlements you'd be willing to share with the rest of us?  We fellow desert travelers are all ears!