1. What would John Wesley say to our heavily divided church today? Yes of course it's presumptuous to try to answer such a question, but I have a thought -- and a quote from the man himself --
about this. Our current political discourse serves as a reminder of how hard it is for people to disagree without insulting and demonizing the other side. This is true about politics; and sadly, it's also increasingly true in our churches. We do not know how to disagree in a way that is constructive and God-honoring. Listen to this wise plea from a man who dealt with plenty of struggle and criticism himself:
“Though we cannot
think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without a doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences.”
― John Wesley
2. Spiritual communities should be helping people deal with stress and overwhelm ... but often they just make things
worse:
People come to churches today hoping they will find a place of refuge from the epidemic of stress and overwhelm. Instead of helping with this problem, people often find their churches are adding to it. All too often, church leaders are not asking: "How can our church help make your life better?" Instead they're asking: "How can your life (ie. your time, money, etc.) help make our church better?" Those are two very
different questions. One leads to a ministry that lifts people's burdens, the other adds to them.
People come to churches today hoping they will find leaders who can give them tools to live with serenity and joy in the midst of our over-loaded world. Instead, they often find leaders who themselves are stressed out and overwhelmed. They find leaders who can offer no genuine wisdom for how to live differently, because they are as harassed and rushed and anxious as
their parishioners -- and in many cases more so. So people are really lost … they are like sheep without a shepherd.
If we fail to subdue the three-headed monster of busyness, anxiety, and stress in our own lives, we have no credibility in trying to help others deal with this issue.
And make no mistake, this is one of the essential issues of our time. Failing here, we fail everywhere.
3. Raymond Carver on how addiction takes over life: One of the tragedies of addiction
is how it wastes people's lives. Addictive substances or behaviors gradually take over more time and energy, pushing relationships into the background, and keeping us from investing our lives in meaningful service. In this poem called Luck, Raymond Carver is talking about alcohol in particular, but the reality is universal:
I had a straight
shot
from the bottle, then
a drink of warm collins mix,
then another whisky,
And though I went
from room
to room, no one was home.
What luck, I thought.
Years later,
I still wanted to give up
friends, love, starry skies,
for a house where no one
was home, no one coming
back,
and all I could drink.
4. Last shot at getting in on the Renew Retreat before I offer the program to some leadership groups I'm speaking to: The Renew Retreat is five days in glorious Sedona, AZ, from
January
15-20 . We will talk about how to experience ongoing renewal in our lives, so we can make a difference in the world without making a mess of our personal lives. Can't say for sure, but it might sell out. I think I've got five or six slots left.
Get more information
here.
5. Quote of the week:
“It is difficult to get enough of something that does not quite work.” - Vincent Felitti
