a l i v e & a w a k e - cultivate

The Great I AM

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Sat, 8 Mar 2008 07:55:00 -0500

There is no time like ‘now’. Now you can change, now is the only time to make a difference. Now is the most you can see God/Christ. Bek and I have been doing read out loud’s lately of a book called ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle. His concept is that God said He will make a new heaven and a new earth—we should live like the people of the new earth. People of the new earth are very present at all times.

I am recalling the moment that God introduces Himself to Moses; “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” Notice that God didn’t say, I was, I am and I will be. The very term ‘I AM’ is a very present ‘here and now’ term. Jesus also gets Himself into big trouble when He threw around the same term with the Jews. Jesus modeled the best ‘I Am-ness’ (being present) when He did things in response to the working of the Father and joining Him (John 5:17, 19,20). That was being in the moment and that lifestyle is what we are to live as well --our ‘I Am-ness’

So today I am trying to figure what being ‘present’ means. It does mean to stop and contemplate. It means listening and highlighting who Jesus is in this moment, in my typing of this, my children running around right now, and even how I am breathing. All are ways of capturing the living truth and life (good, worthy of praise, excellent, etc-Phil 4:8).

Life abundant is not just ‘someday’ because it is mostly in this moment now.

Lessons of the desert from a blind man

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:25:00 -0500

I have always loved going out into nature and being alone with God. Especially in times when my life seems to be bland, falling apart, and numb. I remember a time when I had just suffered a burnout period in my work and I needed time away from everyone. I took a solid week to hike every day on a lookout in Bancroft called the Eagle’s Nest. There are many trails and reflection point to sit, think, smoke a pipe and journal. It was in the fall and so I was visually inundated with the exploding colours across the horizon.

I had only one question that I went into that time with for myself and God, “What I am I to do?" Taking my first day I hike, I sat and I pleaded in a mantra type fashion “God, What do you want me to do?”, over and over again.

I felt no answer.

My legs were sore, my mind was blank, I was no better off and I got worried because I at least expected a conversation to start in that time. The next morning I went to the same place and chanted over and over my same mantra and than I heard a small voice. It was not the answer to my question but it was a short statement that threw me, “You’re asking the wrong question.”

I spent the rest of the day figuring out what is the ‘right’ question. Nothing came.

I went home feeling happy that a discussion was starting but more depressed because I was way behind in my search and the week would be over before I knew it.

Day 3- it dawned on me that my initial search had to do with external change and tasks. I really like tasks and there is something inside me that feels good when I can process the day with a check list and say I accomplished ‘all’ this today. What I do doesn’t hit the real heart issues though. It may be more important to know who I am and let that inform what I do. So I began that day with hope asking God “Who am I?”. This mantra by the end of the day left me with thoughts but nothing that was resonating with me. I felt really depressed as I walked home because I had come up with my best question and it still left me lacking. I was preparing myself for the rest of the week to have this despondent feeling and head back to work with no new revelation. The next day I woke up to ready to fight God.

I wanted to plead, beg, yell do what ever but not continue with this hollow feeling. I knew a bit more of who I was but I still lacked. Than He hit me, “Joe you are asking the wrong question?” By now my frustration moved to brokenness and I was ready for anything. What possible could God be wanting me to ask?

Maybe it was like the small voice on a breeze the same as Elijah on the mountain (kind of the surroundings I was in), but I heard very clearly, “Joe you should be asking ‘God, Who are you?’” At first I stumbled on that because I was raised in a church that made me memorize a bunch of verses and the attributes and names of God. I thought, “I know you God. Why do I need to know you more?”

I realized that I didn’t know God because if I did know God, I wouldn’t be asking or struggling at this point. The connection hit me, I know a lot about God but I don’t know God very well.
A story from the New Testament has really resonated with me as of late when I reflect on this time in my life.

Lessons from the Blind man in John 9

Jesus encounters a blind man that His disciples have pointed out to Him. They want to talk about the origin of the blind man’s sin but Jesus wants to do something else. So He says

5 But while I am still here in the world, I am the light of the world."
6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and smoothed the mud over the blind man's eyes.
7 He told him, "Go and wash in the pool of Siloam" (Siloam means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came back seeing!
John 9:5-7 (NLT)

Lesson

Walking away from Christ is what brought revelation-sight. Walking in obedience in a desert situation brought healing. How much time elapsed in this event?

Where was the pool of Siloam in relation to where this happened?

The Desert of the Blind man

Desert defined as the place or state that offers you nothing but your true authentic self and your God.

The Desert Fathers would go, learn and be in the desert –physically so that spiritually they would realize who they were and more importantly who God is.

I see the desert moments for the blind man being;

-Begging and calling out in a public setting

This desert seems to be much of his life. His place in life is to beg. He probably knows he doesn’t fit into the norm of society and that he is pitied and talked about. He is blind, but he could hear and perceive. The disciples don’t help the situation when they show up and make him a topical game show of ‘who sinned.’

His desert is the disconnect from the rest of the world. Nothing, if little is offered to him for some circumstances that were out of his control.

-Spit and mud –humility, vulnerability, and authenticity

Jesus, the one who can help has come. He is the one the blind man has heard of who can heal. He’s healed lame people, demon possessed people were relieved and there was some interesting water/wine tricks. This is the man and possibly the moment.

What do you think it was like for him to have Jesus so close to him he could here his words, maybe even His breathing. Internally he may have thought,

“What do you think He will say? Will it be a booming voice yelling in deep manly tones “BE HEALED!” Will it be a hand touching his forehead and a radiant pulsating warm will intensely heal the old eyes? “No wait, He’s doing something! I can hear something. This is it! He is…, He is… spitting?”

“He’s not just spitting a little but a lot. Does He have a cold? Is He a smoker? What is going on? Sounds like some rubbing in the dirt and ……What!!!. I think he just wiped some of that spit mixed with mud on my face!”

Than Jesus tells him to get up and wash this off his face in a pool some distance away. There was no help as far as we can see from the text to get to the pool of Siloam (sent). Can you imagine your self in the place of that man in this instance? He is now seemingly worse off now that he has been all his life. He’s stumbled before and fallen in a crowd where people laughed, but this….mud on his face. What comments do you think people may have been whispering as he bumped and scraped through town? “Did some pigeons fly over and nail this guy?”

This is the second desert moment. Walking further and further away from the guy who everyone has said can heal him and now probably he is so far away that he could scream out his name “JESUS!” and would not be heard. Yet the journey continues.

Now it is because this blind man took this journey away from Jesus, into His desert, true sight came to him. Is it possible that sometimes we need to walk away from the very obvious presence of Jesus to dark, uncertain places that offer us nothing but ourselves, broken and blind? It is in these places revelation can come –revelation that can come no other way but by being sent (Siloam).

What do we do when these moments come to us from circumstance or conviction (desert)? What do we do when we are vulnerable and our true authentic selves are revealed to us in hard, dry and barren places?

I sometimes, cover up my raw emotions. I try to ‘Tylenol’ the situation like a headache. I hide, I become numb or get real busy so I am unaware. I will even find a comfortable(negative sense, true definition of comfort is French for “to strengthen much”), place to reside. Sometimes I crap on myself for being so weak and useless and just tell myself to give up. But that is not what the desert is about.

-Journey to Siloam-discipline to contemplate, obey in each blind step

Being sent is key in our growth to places that may take time or be hard to go. In this moment, like the blind man, we need to be aware of our surroundings as we feel your way through this. Our feelings are heightened which allow our other senses to be very active and alive. In the humiliation I’m sure that walk for him became a little more alive as he walked a walk that could possible change his life. There may have been a par of him that thought, “What if this works?” We may feel this seems worse off but spiritually we are walking into a new aspect of Jesus’ person, character and healing. It wasn’t until the washing happened and the journey and assignment was fulfilled that he saw. That may be the truth for us.

We may not see the revelation of God for our lives until we walk a ‘desert’ walk of sorts. It needs to be done in obedience and not just finding a desert experience for the sake of finding deserts. Only then can we have the new revelation of who Jesus is. That is the point of the blind man was to know Jesus, and physically seeing was the bonus.

-joe

Miracles of a Different Kind

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Sat, 5 Jan 2008 18:45:00 -0500

I am recounting all the amazing things God has included me in with 2007 moving on and feeling pretty privileged and mostly humbled. I realize I don’t have the ‘right answers all the time, I can’t communicate a vision and a strategy as well as I thought (let alone a blog), and there are less people following me than I would like to hope and not many people have been healed of a sickness, converted or the dead hasn’t been raised. It doesn’t change my downright feeling ‘favored by God’ moment for all He has done for me. That’s really it, -what He has done and continues to do. I get to be the celebrator, observer, facilitator and cultivator of Him which really is His preferred way of partnering with me. All that said, I have some inventory –God moments, that I want to celebrate more but lack of time can be the killer of celebration.
If you’re like me you can be too busy to do this and miss out on the pattern that God is consistently unfolding towards life decisions in the near and long term future. The God moments are everywhere and sometimes we can come face to face with Christ and still be doubtful –like John the Baptist.
John the Baptist had some time on his hands once he was thrown in jail by Herod. During that time I’m sure he was evaluating the work he has done, the lives he encountered and the future he may have. During that time his thoughts came to Jesus. Who was this man? Was He the one? So much was his thoughts that he sends out his followers to ask “Are you the one or should we expect another?” Matt 11:1-6.
My feelings are that John knew that the ‘one’ was more than just a man showing up on earth, but it was God Himself personified and implementing a whole new way for the Kingdom to be experienced and seen. The ‘Christ’ was not Jesus’ last name but an identity that reveals God’s intention to partner with humanity, to bring about peace (shalom), to bring about an anointing of miracles, wonders and people seeing with a heart of flesh into the divine. My feelings are that John knew the Christ would be a movement of many empowered not just the actions of one that did something for everyone. I think that is why Jesus answered John’s disciples the way He did.
“Tell John the blind see, the sick are healed and the lame walk, the poor are seeing the gospel, etc.” That answer was not yes, but it was more than yes. It was more of revealing the activity of God’s heart and character on the world. It was the beginning of more humans who would personify and take on the very same work. That work is the best way to qualify ‘life to the fullest’ (John 10:10).
We are not told if John hears that answer and says “great, we are now beginning a movement of anointing that will dynamically change the way God works and communicates and transforms this world”—but I think he did. I know the fullness of what that anointed movement looked like back then must not have been grasped , but then again do we today with so much history get it?
Why is it that I have such a hard time understanding my role on a daily basis as a Christ follower? Why is it that I sometimes don’t see the living reality of this movement around me in such tangible way? My biggest problem is my lens is still a little foggy and I can let feelings change my perspective on reality from one moment to the next. I need to realize the chemicals in my body a less real than the work of Christ around me. I have also to change my view on the very miracles that happen so frequently without someone to really highlight and celebrate them. Miracles that aren’t as ‘radical’ huge and attention getting as physical healings (seem to be less and less amazing in western society today anyways).
There are miracles of goodness, truth, love, compassion, community, assistance, a little more patience, a smile or an encouraging word that are too numerous to count, usually are put into categories of ‘common sense’ or ‘normal behavior’ . Are they still not the attributes and characteristics and evidence of the movement of God? Do they deserve less praise because they are more familiar?
The opposite could be true as far as a value system goes that God doesn’t regard little familiar sins any different from the big dramatic ones, so why do we think that is different for the life characteristics of God? Can’t a moment of acknowledging ‘life’ (I am breathing and my heart is beating) be a miracle captured? It takes too much time to capture them all.
For me lately I would see the greater areas of my life and the culture I am surrounded by, needs to highlight more the many miracles that are directly against the biggest enemies of the ‘Christ’ movement like : consumerism, capitalism, apathy, separation, busyness, indifference (western society).
We may be like John the Baptist who is asking “Is this it? Is this the Christ movement being actualized today? Or do we need to wait for someone or something else?” and Jesus needs to answer us through many ways:
“The consumer gives, the capitalist partners, the apathetic are awakened, the separate find community, the indifferent are compassionate, the aimless have purpose and mission, busy people slow down and prioritize and reflect, the angry disjointed and anxious are agents of peace, the cold person smiles,,,
…the next breath you are taking is making you very aware of Me because you know you don’t get it any other way except that I, the Christ, exists. Now what will you do with all these numerous miracles?”

At the heart of every evangelist, disciple, pastor, giver and follower of Christ, we have to know it is crucial to practice listening and highlighting (seek, see, celebrate) the face of Christ in every day. Otherwise we miss Him.

Cultivate the Positive

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Tue, 1 Jan 2008 16:35:00 -0500

Whatsoever things are pure, excellent, worthy of praise, true, noble, ….Meditate, dwell, focus and cultivate those things—Phil 4:8

So it is the new year and I use this time to reflect. I really don’t make ‘resolutions’ usually because I hope I am able to make a change in my life as needed as opposed to ‘someday’ to make a change. So I am sitting inside on a snowy day (New Years Day) and taking time to celebrate all that this last year has been for me. I try to take inventory on a regular basis of all the good decisions and encounters of miracles God has provided this last year.

I usually am faulted for being such an ‘eternal optimist’ to the point that people think I am ‘unaware’, ‘on another planet’, unrealistic’, ‘too ideal’, etc (you get the picture). I wasn’t always that way. I use to focus on al that was negative, wrong and celebrate all the failings of others—especially the failing in myself. To the point I felt suicide wasn’t that bad of an idea (another story someday). What happened in my life back then was I catered so much to the ‘problems’ of life that I habitually sought out and looked for wrong. I was not equipped for life. I have heard though we have been hard wired to function best when we seek the positive

The make up of our brain (scientifically) is built for change. In fact the more we change it the better it grows. So when we build a certain pattern of negative thoughts (creating a familiar channel in our brain tissue for information to travel on) we will be less prone to grow our brains and be less adaptable to life. Seeking out new solutions in a positive way, creates a new channel for our brain –in essence we grow. Einstien said something to the effect of “the problems we face today cannot be solved by the same type of thinking that formed them’. This gets me to my thought for the new year.

I need to not only be one who can positively seek an opportunity in a difficult situation, but I need to be positively seeking out new solutions (good for my brain and my situation). Plus I need to be engaging in a more celebratory position every day, moment by moment.

In Short - 1 When faced with a problem, embrace it as opportunity. 2 Seek positive solutions 3 Live a life that captures celebration moments

It becomes a practical way to live Phil 4:8. Note this process, if done right is uncomfortable, takes lots of energy and can leave you at first uncertain, confused and fearful. But take heart you get past that.

To close –do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your MIND.

Seek, See, Celebrate

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 09:40:00 -0400

Just was hit with news today about a guy -Jermaine Malcolm who was stabbed to death at my old work area in Meadowvale. I had built a relationship with Jermaine in the drop-in days and the last I saw him, he was aspiring to make a difference in the music world by being a positive role model.

I was reflecting and this post from a while ago hit me again of how we are to be agents and cultivators of our communities and guys like Jermaine.

Seek – To pursue, eagerly watch for in a progressive and intentional way

Seeking and dissatisfaction have a lot in common in my mind. Before the fall I believe Adam sought after deeper knowledge of God. Since the fall the ability to seek has not decreased or increased but has sought out other things than God. Again this is my belief but it makes sense.

It makes sense because how else can we explain the growth, development, and evolution of humanity. Some call this ‘seeking’, dissatisfaction. If that title sticks better with you, than I think it is one of the greatest gifts God ever gave us than. If we weren’t dissatisfied/seeking than there would be no way we would ever have a relationship with God. The ability to seek is God given. In fact it is the work of the Holy Spirit for us to seek. Even if people are seeking out the things that are not of God, they are better off than those who wouldn’t even seek (apathetic).

When someone is seeking after the riches of this world, substances, fame, relationships or whatever they may be drawn to, they may not appear to be seeking God but they really are, they just have been distracted in their search for the seemingly more fulfilling answer. That search will exhaust and another will replace it until it comes solely back to Jesus. Those who aren’t even seeking have no chance to encounter God (or maybe they don’t show evidence of His work drawing depending on your bent of predestination).

Do a study sometime on the word ‘seek’ in the Bible. There are numerous references. It is littered with the concept that one of the most significant aspects to spiritual growth in humanity is seeking. The next time you find yourself desiring or dissatisfied or seeking, thank God for His work in you. Ask what you should be seeking for in Him.

See- to visually absorb and discern, to gaze upon something unveiled, to observe, witness or understand and acknowledge.

For those who can we take for granted our ability to see. Seeing spiritually is no different. When we see an act of God; a moment of truth, someone assisting someone else, an encouraging spoken word, etc we minimize that goodness to common sense or normal. By doing that we blind ourselves to seeing that those moments are nothing short of a miracle from God who is revealing Himself or character. The ability to see is similar to seeking –it is from God and God only.

It is possible to seek and seek and never clearly see. Sight was not given to every blind man Jesus encountered although it would be safe to say all blind wanted and sought after sight. We may seek and we may even see, but pass over the moment like we deserved it or say it’s normal. We miss out because we don’t really see- not only have our eyes receive input but for our consciousness to acknowledge the moment of God’s character.

The truth is God is working everywhere from strip houses to picturesque nature scenes, God is present and waiting to be seen. We have lost the art of seeing and being in places or consciousness to see Him. This is a constant feeding to our souls present in every waking moment of our lives. Just waiting for us to say “Ah, I see you God!, or Thank you God for revealing yourself to me!”

That is the role of Christ followers is to be the ones who cultivate the presence of God in any given moment- to celebrate.

Celebrate –with reverence, with mouth, with a responding life. To respond with enthusiasm, reverence and acknowledgement to the act or circumstance given. To honor and bring glory to someone or something with body, mind, and soul.

Let’s face it, we are built to celebrate. Most people think of times of celebration reserved for an event that involves, planning, a guest list, the right party gear and/ or an occasion that has significance of anniversaries, birthdays or achievement markers. I would say those types of celebration are a small part of the celebration we are built for. I would say we are to have a lifestyle of celebration. Everyday and every moment contains a celebration potential. Whether we see it or not does not change that potential. It’s a perspective of anticipation, understanding the ever presence of God and the enjoyment of life for all it’s good and bad. This is what I think it means when Jesus says He came to give ‘life to the fullest’ –John 10:10. We do not have the discipline or the clear spiritual receptor to understand this ongoing miracle all the time. We only catch glimpses of the moment.

So what does that look like? Praise and celebration is done with your mouth, your heart and your actions. Each scenario is different. It could be saying ‘thank you’ or responding through giving something (offering) or serving because you become actively involved in the thing that your worship.

Let me try to bring all three into practical situations;

You are sitting in a service on Sunday desiring and praying to hear from God in a current issue that you need answers to (Seek). The pastor says a verse from the Bible that applies to you and you see that was the act of God hearing your prayer (See). You bow your head saying a prayer of thanks and say ‘Amen’ to the pastor (Celebrate).

You have committed your day to look for the character of God in your day (Seek). A man opens a door for you as you are carrying something while he was busy doing something else and you recognize that gesture is very much like the character of God (See). You say “Thank you for watching out for me and making my day easier” (Celebrate).

I have asked God to show me His face in a bar that my friends have asked me to go for a drink (Seek). In the crowded bar as I was waiting a guy who is semi drunk approaches me and says things like “Hey, can I buy you a beer?”, “I’m a regular here and I see this is new to you, what would you like to know?” and “What do your friends look like so I can help you find them?” I saw that he was displaying the character of God that was saying to me “Joe, I love you and I just want to welcome you into this place. You have asked to see me and I will show you my work and presence is already here and I’m glad you are here to celebrate me working, -not many do.” (See). So I than thanked the guy and praised him for bringing such hospitality to me that I rarely experience (like the church especially). I also encourage that skill of welcoming and serving in him so that he will become the most of what God has already gifted him in (Celebrate).

The last scenario maybe the hardest, but I will guarantee it will be the most rewarding and the places that have been not inhabited and frequented by Christ followers need to have the seekers, seers and celebrators of His work and Character.

To begin a lifestyle of seek, see, celebrate here are some things that keep me on mission.

-Be in the community close to people in your normal sphere of living.

-spend time knowing and seeking who Jesus is

-begin a habit of writing down the ways you see the work of Jesus

Once I consistently work this muscle of seeking and seeing, I find the response (celebration) becomes natural, right and life giving to myself and others. Reason being is that Jesus’ mission is to give life to the fullest when we are in Him.

Missional Life -(listen)

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:09:03 -0400

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YaXbkD1sgs

Listen to this

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:46:04 -0400

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVjlZfPsD2k

The Human Crisis

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:50:00 -0400

The world around us is suffering and dying. As we look at the various causes, we find that there is a new common link connecting the deadliest diseases infecting our world. It could arguably be called the biggest ‘pandemic’ the world currently faces. Billions are suffering from it. It leaves the victim numb, hollow and severely disabled from the normal everyday functions of life. Truth be known, most of us have symptoms of this disease. It destroys us from the inside out and is the leading cause of AIDS, malaria, cancer, war, poverty, consumerism, separation, injustice and waste. It IS preventable but too many are letting it go undiagnosed for too long. “What is it” you ask? It is apathy - the indifference to life.

While some may argue that death is the biggest enemy of humanity, I can think of two reasons why this may not be the case. First of all, we know from nature (especially in the plant world) that death often marks the beginning of new life, making death not an end but a new beginning. It is a necessary part of the life cycle. Secondly, the work of Christ on the cross was done to take the finality out of death. Death has lost its power to destroy us. Though we still die physically, there is something more insidious than this … the ongoing day to day squandering of our most precious gift – the gift of life. If we live life to the fullest, we reproduce, we build, we help, we commune, we cultivate ourselves and others, and we leave a legacy. We are being true to our nature when we live this kind of life. If we miss these opportunities to live, we violate our very nature as people made in God’s image. When that happens our selfishness can kill, harm, ruin and devastate people we don’t even know and all of this can be done in complete ignorance.

The devastation we see daily from wars, diseases, starvation and injustice is due to our inaction rather than just the action of an oppressor. There is no one government, dictator or terrorist to blame. You don’t need to look any further than yourself. You may have heard that the opposite of love is hate, but the complete opposite of love is indifference and numbness to your fellow being.

This crisis or pandemic we are currently experiencing needs to be identified in ourselves, our churches, our cities, our nations and our world. We need to paint this picture for one another over and over again in many creative ways until we can wake up in the morning and know that we are no longer carriers of the disease (especially in North America). We need to paint this picture for our family, our community and our world, because the most harmful component of this disease is that is makes us sleepy, unaware and numb. The tension (as put by Alan Hirsch in his book “The Forgotten Ways” ) needs to be presented over and over until the ‘guerilla warfare leaders’ present themselves. These will be the people who say “That’s enough! We can no longer live this way. We need to take action right now!” They will be the ones who lead us to Life abundant – the life for which we were created. They will keep us uncomfortable and yet moving in a positive direction. They will have discipline to see their cause as the number one cause of Christ (John 10:10). Who are these people? Who will lead us?

You may disagree with me at first, but I don’t believe they will be the popular leaders of our day - the wealthy, the politically astute, or the influential. They will be … the poors.

The poors will be the ‘guerilla leaders’ and the restorers of justice, leading us to the way of true worship and compassion. ‘Poors’ include the weak, the disenfranchised, the oppressed, the abused, the imprisoned, (the true Hebrew biblical definition of the word). Isaiah 61 is evidence of this plan (in case you think my ideas are WAY out there). In Luke chapter four Jesus is given one chance to bring a message to the Jews of His day and the one He brings and says he has fulfilled is the amazing truth of Isaiah 61. In Himself he reveals God’s heart and mission to the world. He gives an anointing to the cause of bringing justice, freedom, good news and life to the poors. They in turn will be “oaks of righteousness” and restorers of the ‘devastation’. In the same way a healthy garden brings forth food that nourishes all, these leaders will bring righteousness and celebration to creation and restore it to health. As we see the work and intent of God in this, we must also see the leaders He is calling to this cause. Seeing this compels me to submit a strategy of creating healthy environments

I think the analogy of a garden fits this discussion well. A healthy garden is a rich environment requiring good soil, care, sun, and smart planning in order to bring out the best of what you have planted. It’s all about cultivation. When it comes to growing people, cultivating the right environment supersedes raising up good programs, services, leaders and buildings. The proper environment will produce and reproduce all of these things. The strategy of creating a healthy environment – one that cultivates lives – must be our highest priority. How do we cultivate environments that will cultivate lives? We do this by seeking the face of Christ, seeing the face of Christ and celebrating His face (by celebrate I mean to speak of, treasure and live in response to).

May I suggest 3-4 principles that can be helpful when we talk of “seek, see, and celebrate”: Build Relationships that are on mission for encouragement and feedback Listen and Highlight the Work of Christ at every moment in your day

Pay close attention to How people think rather than What people think

Respond by offering your compassionate presence and look for ways to cultivate others.

The Poors

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:40:00 -0400

Just had a meeting with a core group of our community last night with a gentleman named Joseph D’sousa. God has raised him up to be the one who seeks the welfare of city in India-specifically a group called the Dalit’s. In India, the caste system is very alive and well and the Dalit’s are the lowest in that, in fact they are not even included in the caste system. Dalit means broken, cripple, untouchable. So 250 000 000 people are in this category and no one has been fighting for their freedom until lately. We need to watch for what will come about in this great work of God’s compassion for the people.

I always enjoy hearing about God’s work in these situations, but there was something more in this talk for me and I believe for our group. Joseph uses as his main passage Luke 4:18 to highlight the work of God in India, which says ;

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors,
19 and that the time of the Lord's favor has come."
20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue stared at him intently.
21 Then he said, "This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!"
Luke 4:18-21 (NLT)

This is the passage that I believe was carefully chosen by Jesus to read that day at the Synagogue. I believe it was the last time he was able to speak in that context and He got Himself in pretty big trouble by reading it. I happen to believe He was not only trying to proclaim His work to the people, but God’s work to this world. He is citing Is 61, to this group which all the listeners would know not just the passage that Jesus read, but the whole chapter. This is the rest of that chapter;

2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities long ago destroyed. They will revive them, though they have been empty for many generations.
5 Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards.
6 You will be called priests of the LORD, ministers of our God. You will be fed with the treasures of the nations and will boast in their riches.
7 Instead of shame and dishonor, you will inherit a double portion of prosperity and everlasting joy.
8 "For I, the LORD, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the LORD has blessed."
10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.
11 The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, filled with young plants springing up everywhere.
Isaiah 61:2-11 (NLT)

The reason I have the whole chapter highlighted here, is because I believe it is the core of God’s mission to the world, personified in Christ (which is why He read it), and now embodied in His people (known as the church). For the last few years I have come back to this passage almost on a daily basis. God continues to speak to me through this passage in a fresh living way. This chapter for me sums up in one neat sentence which Jesus says in John 10:10—‘I have come to bring life and life to the fullest’ ( I believe the main mission statement of Christ). It is our role as well.

I may write more on this (because it is a whole chapter) but my first initial thought was the emphasis of the poor.
“The Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the ‘poor’, bind up the broken hearted, liberty to the captives, and freedom to the bound”
The word ‘poor’ in the Old Testament is more accurately translated as ‘poors’ which includes; oppressed, bound, hurt, sorrowful, crippled, without, imprisoned. The fact that it is plural really informs us to where we can find the living Christ today who comes ‘not for the healthy, but the sick’(poors).

It doesn’t just stopped at changing their condition but goes on to say ‘they’ will:
-Raise up the former devastations
-repair the ancient ruins
-pastor your flocks
-tend to your vineyards
-be oaks of righteousness

I always notice that it is not an investment into myself so that I will do all this work, it is someone else---the poors.
So how do we start bringing this gospel to the world?
Joseph did a great job of saying
-we need to ‘be’ in the community where we are at
-we need to find the ‘fault lines’ (example the area that is volatile and showing instability) and begin to meet that need
-we need to be interactive with that need and not approach it from a distance (community)
-bring the message of freedom that empowers them to live differently as they rely on God.

I am profoundly challenged and excited about the poors around me changing this world with Christ and the poors in myself being empower to change as well.

An Atmosphere of Failure

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alive and Awake) — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 09:15:00 -0400

The more and more I am in a role of responsibility and overseeing the development of community, the more and more I believe we need to have a greater allowance of failure. This is not just a message for me because I may screw up and make the wrong choice, but because I need to allow others the same with patience.

Usually failure is a term we use to describe an attempt or effort to try something and there is not the desired end result (I believe there is another type of failure that is describing someone who doesn’t even try—but I’m not including this definition). As humans, we see the end goal, completion of a task, or a perfect execution as the most important thing. The problem is we are human. It is rare to see an atmosphere of change, and pioneering paired with no failure. Failure is an indication of effort and new things. If we don’t see failure, chances are we aren’t growing.

When I was young my uncle George would take me skiing in the states (Stowe Vermont ). There would be a bunch of families that went together and we took over a hotel and skied the week away. It was beautiful scenery and lots of fun to be with my friends. I also do remember ‘failing’ at skiing a lot. I would sit at night with bruises and stiffness and think to myself “I suck at skiing”. Someone told me on the hill in the middle of the week that old familiar saying “No pain, No gain”. Which they explained as “if you aren't trying new things, you won’t fall, but if you ‘play it safe’ than will not have pain or be humiliated---but you won’t learn anything either”. They also said this right after they laughed at me for having a ‘wipe out’. What I remembered though was it was ok to fail.

This isn’t a consolation prize for those who mess up a lot, it is a comfort (in my case a great comfort) for those who are attempting to do new things and view life as a chance to grow. There are many reasons why we look down on people who fail; judgment, prejudice, jealousy/envy, insecurity, consumer mentality, etc. These reasons are mostly against pioneering and change for the better. So my question is; How do we set up atmospheres that allow and embrace this type of failure?

If failure, is a result of someone taking a risk, than we can immediately celebrate and affirm the innovation and desire to grow and improve. If people are built like me, they know when they fail and find themselves feeling not too pleased with the result. I usually find my greatest temptation to wallow in my screw up for a time. If someone comes along to emphasize this, it has potential to paralyze me from trying again.

If we celebrate the effort, we can move people on to another attempt or onto the successful result. If failure happens we can also be the first to offer to help. We may not be able to do it for someone (in fact we may harm more by taking over) but we can partner with. In partnership we position our self as cultivators of the person and the idea.

Over time if we continue to celebrate pioneers and find ways to partner, we will benefit from the initiatives that others will lead us in and we set an atmosphere that will be equally supportive of us if we fail. Biblically we see this practice in verses like ‘forgive one another’ –Eph 4:32, bear one another’s burdens-Gal 6:2.

These relational practices of forgiveness and partnering will at first feel awkward. It takes courage to partner with those who are experiencing failure. It is in essence partnering with people who look like ‘aliens’ to others. It’s partnering with those who ‘fall off the wagon’ or are bankrupt, or who are on ‘leave’, or in jail, or the biggest headliners in the news. There is a unique opportunity in the midst of failure. It is to partner with brokenness, new things, deeper relationships, growth. Our society seems to highlight the failures of others in such a way that communicates “Don’t you be like this person who failed!” and “Let’s all join together to point and judge those who are screw ups”.

I’m convinced the generation that will make significant changes and join God in what He is doing and may look by human standards as ‘failures’ but they will be like people who we admire ---Nelson Mandella, Bono, The apostles Peter and Paul, etc. and those types of people like inventors, developers---cultivators. All have failed and will continue to fail. It is a cheap gift to see what is wrong, but the highly trained skill of pioneering (apostolic) takes patience, a focus on what will be, and they are more concerned with relationships than achievements.

-joe