“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15

Choices matter, and they are ours to make.

Today’s post is a little later than usual, and that is a choice. It is not a decision based upon deep research regarding the best time to blog on Thursdays, nor is it founded upon the statistics and insights of the Cafe’s usage. It’s the result of a conscious decision to do something else. Before you find that thoughtless and selfish, please hear me out, and trust me, it is about something much more important than me.

Currently, my wife and I are on vacation. We are enjoying some time away together in the Adirondack Mountains. My normal routine is disrupted for a good reason, and some of my inspiration is emerging while I am here. Normally, my post would be mapped out in advance, and most of my writing done long before the post is due, and yes, I did have something in mind for this morning, but you will get to see that later.

Last night, I was able to spend some quality time playing cards with my wife, and this morning, our coffee conversation was filled with laughter and visioning for our future. Of course, I could have cut those moments short to sit at my laptop, but I chose my relationship over my blog. So now, as my wife prepares for another day of adventure, I have a moment to share with you.

We all make choices, lots of them, everyday. We make decisions about how to use our resources of time, treasure, and talent. Every choice is an investment in something and comes at the cost of something else. Too often, we feel as if we must surrender those choices to someone, or something, else, when the choice is actually ours and ours alone. We can blame family, work, even pressing blog posts, for forcing us to sacrifice important things, but the power of choice belongs to us. Even God does not take that away from us.

Of course, there are consequences to our choices, but that is exactly why we must weigh them out as we make our decisions. Things are expected of us, and many things are necessary, but the final decision rests with us. Will we trade our time for a stronger faith, a healthier family, deeper friendships, and a better world, or will we exchange what we have for a little more wealth, power, and position? Will we choose to serve God and others in Jesus name, or will we serve ourselves and the expectations of the world around us? These are the questions we need to ask, because the impact of our decisions will matter whether we are aware of our motivations or not.

Joshua called upon the nation of Israel to renew their covenant with God. It was an invitation to a choice: choose God, or something else. He did not make the decision for them, he couldn’t. It was their choice to make. What they could not do was avoid the choice. Even choosing not to decide was a choice to avoid choosing God. Joshua spoke the truth to the people, and then he led by example, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Today, we all have choices to make. Among them, is one of the most important decisions we make. Will we choose to serve the Lord? Will we put God first, above everything else? Will we accept the freedom and power God gives us to choose God?

The decision between strengthening the bond with my wife, or posting my blog before 9:00am was easy. The choice to deny myself and put God first in every aspect of my life is much more challenging, but the consequences of that decision are eternal.

So, as you live this day, the only August 16, 2018, you will ever experience, what, and who, will you choose? The choice is yours. No one else can make it for you. What is your choice?

The post Choice appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth. – Psalm 86:11a ESV

Recently, we experienced a major storm, one filled with lightning and thunder, and significant rainfall. The storm started while my wife and I were at a church meeting and continued for several hours. As we opened the doors to leave, we knew we would get very wet on our short walk home.

My wife was aware of some obstacles she noticed on the way to the meeting and reminded me to be careful. The problem… in addition to the heavy rain it was extremely dark. As we made the brisk walk to our porch, we both thought we knew the safest way home, but it was not the same way. This made for some humorous moments as we walked hand-in-hand trying to take each other in different directions. Soaking wet, and laughing, we made it back realizing neither of us knew for sure what we were doing.

While that night will remain a happy memory, it is true that not every path is so safe, nor is every journey lighthearted. There are places we must go and choices we must make that are far more significant where, if we are honest, we still feel like we are walking in darkness. We think we know where we are going, but it may be more accurate to say we hope we know.

In John 14, Jesus tells his disciples, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” The disciples, in a moment of honesty reply, “How can we know the way?” Jesus, recognizing their human confusion offers the greatest solace, “I am the way.”

The psalmist understood the disciples dilemma. Walking the right path, the way of God’s truth is not always easy, but we are not alone in our journey. There is help from the One who knows, and is, the way. When we remain in Christ, and allow him to teach us his way, our path is secure. There is no darkness too deep, nor storm too strong, to cause us to lose our way. The journey may not be easy, but following Jesus, we will not be lost.

We can try to find our own way, and we can let others pull us in different directions they believe are correct, but we may end up more lost than we were when we began, getting soaked by the powerful rains of the storm. We may end up running into unexpected obstacles, injuring ourselves or others. Yet, when we humble ourselves enough to admit that we do not know the way, we are then in a position to seek God’s direction; to pray, “Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth.”

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I love to fish. It started early with trips to the lake with my father, using my youth-sized pole. I caught a lot of bluegill, and I still remember my first bass. When, I was twelve, my father became interested in fly fishing. I joined him, and I was hooked (pun intended). I quickly learned, trout are smart. I caught bluegill on lures, worms, cheese, and even once on an empty hook. Trout are not so easily fooled. Choosing the right fly and placing correctly on the stream are a necessity.

I wish I could say that I was more trout-like than I am. Though I am far more discerning than I was, I can still be drawn in by some pretty “cheesy” bait. Something will come come along that catches my attention and without enough thoughtful reflection, I am on the line. Just like fish drawn to artificial lures, I think I know what I will find, only to be disappointed in the end.

Jesus was a master of avoiding the lures of his time. In fact, he saw all bait exactly for what it was… bait. When he was challenged with questions and comments that invited a defensive response, luring him into unhealthy debate, he recognized it, responded accordingly, and stepped away. Sometimes he ignored it or diffused it, but he certainly exposed it.

What an example, and what a lesson! We don’t have to be drawn in to useless debates. We don’t have to react. We don’t have to bite. Our culture keeps tempting us to strike, only leading us to wrestle with each other on the ends of the line. What if, instead of taking the bait, we let the Holy Spirit make us savvy enough to see the difference? What if we used the spiritual gift of discernment to see things for what they are, and avoided the pointless arguments and divisions of our day?

There is great joy found in a peaceful spirit, and great blessing in unity. The world around us will continue to shout for our attention, but when we still our minds and spirits, we will hear the tender voice of God guiding us to reframe the discussion to God’s perspective. Just as it was for Jesus, choosing a godly response will quiet the contentious, and illuminate the path of God’s peace.

The post Don’t Take the Bait appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

A solid faith is a thinking faith. God blessed us with the gift of reason, and it is a gift that must not remain unused. Reason helps us to apply what we learn, think deeply about our beliefs and experiences, and share the truth with others. As we wrestle through experiences, questions, and doubts, we strengthen our faith, and refine its impact upon our lives.

John Wesley believed that Scripture was sufficient unto itself, and the foundation of true religion. Yet, he understood the value of reason. He said, “Now, of what excellent use is reason, if we would either understand ourselves, or explain to others, those living oracles.” Rather than merely memorizing truths and doctrine, he encouraged people of faith to reflect deeply and grow in their understanding.

Over the course of my ministry, numerous people have inquired about the best way to get around doing the study and thinking for themselves. One person was even quite straightforward in their request, “I really don’t want to think about all this, ” they said, “Can’t you just tell me what to believe and do?” I don’t think they liked my answer, but loving leadership does not just tell people all the answers. We need to engage our faith in thoughtful ways in order to truly understand it, and live it.

Yesterday, I was blessed to have lunch with a friend and colleague. He and I hold many things in common, but we also see some things quite differently. During our conversation, we engaged some significant issues. Rather than argue our positions in an attempt to convince the other, we shared our thoughts and positions in order for both of us to grow in our understanding. I am still unpacking some of the powerful things he said, and will be for some time. His words drove me back to Scripture, Tradition, and my experience, causing me to reason through some things I strongly believe. I may discover that I need to adjust my position, or I may better understand, and express, what I already believe. Either way, reasoning together, and on my own, will be worth the effort.

This leads to an important point. Incorporating reason in our spiritual discernment involves more than just our own thoughts. We need to listen to, and engage, the reasoning of others. While our faith is deeply personal, it is never private. We are a community of faith, and each person has something of great value to bring to the discussion. We need to value others, even those who radically disagree with us, so that together, we can discern the will of God.

A final thought worth consideration is that our reasoning is not just about our human abilities. Christian reason is always assisted by the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” (14:26) Truth faith is not of our own making, it is grounded in the revelation of God. To rightly reason regarding God’s involves a harmony of my thoughts, the thoughts of the community of faith, and the instruction of the Holy Spirit.

A Bonus Note

While the heart of the discernment process involves these four steps, Wesley did include a final step in his practice as a litmus test of our insight. Knowing that we can travel down wrong paths, even with the best of intentions, he encouraged taking our discoveries and testing their agreement with Scripture. Since the Bible is the foundation for true religion, any revelation we receive must remain consistent with the teaching of Scripture. Just as we must check our math after solving a problem, so we must check our theological discovery against the word before we accept it. We may find that we reasoned well, or we may need to revisit the process to discover where we went off track. Either way, we will continue to grow though our reflection, our conversations, and our listening to the Holy Spirit.

May your weekend be blessed, and your days ahead, as you grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.

The post Discern God’s Will – Reason appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

Within the Wesleyan tradition, we are blessed by a methodology handed down to us by John Wesley, but actually rooted in the entire course of Christian history and theology. While it is called the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral.” the steps are quite easy to grasp. They include Scripture, Tradition, Experience, and Reason. When faithfully applied, these steps build upon a strong foundation and yield something beautiful in the end. Like layers of a cake, each rests upon the strength of the former, producing a solid structure in all. The process begins with Scripture.

Our first question in the discernment process is, “What does the Bible say?” Unfortunately, many people wrongfully buy into the idea that we cannot know what Scripture says, or that what we find is relative, merely our own interpretation of what it means, therefore, it is impossible to discover God’s will in the pages of our holy book. Others argue the teachings found there are outdated; out of touch with our modern world. Beyond these concerns, some suggest that we simply pick and choose which scriptures we like, and twist them to suit our needs. Each of these, and other, concerns are rooted in observed misuses of Scripture, but because such abuses are engaged in by some, does not negate the value, nor the effectiveness, of the Bible to guide our lives. We need only abide by good practices as we engage the word of God to discover the heart of God, and the direction of God.

Healthy Practices for Biblical Discernment

Discover what the Bible actually says. It is easy to decide what we want the Scripture to say and then find verses to support our preconceived ideas. The real work of discernment, however, requires us to set those preconceptions aside and actually let the text speak for itself. Biblical discernment is not about forcing our ideas into the pages of the Bible, it is about allowing the biblical word to find its way into us. We are to come to the Scripture teachable; open to what the Holy Spirit will reveal to us  We must always be willing to admit we were wrong, or only partially correct, and let the Bible speak for itself.

Discover the full teaching of the Scripture. It is not enough to look at a verse here, or a verse there, nor can we separate the verses from their context. Simply looking up a word in the Bible may give us a good start, but that cannot be the end. There are other related words and themes to examine, and it is necessary to examine how the whole word speaks to the issue, specifically and generally.

A good example here is the recent emphasis on Jesus’ commands to love. Loving God, one another, and our neighbor are significant commands of our Savior and we must address them with the utmost sincerity. In many places, the modern Church fails to represent and extend the love of God. Embracing Jesus’ call to love in his name is of great importance, but what does loving like Jesus look like?

We might be tempted to believe that Jesus teaches us to love how we want to love, or how we want to be loved. We might interpret his words to look like a form of the sentimentality we see expressed in movies and represented in our culture, but to understand what love meant to Jesus, we must look at the whole of his life to see the way in which divine love is expressed through him. This will include the great sacrificial love expressed in his death and resurrection. It will also include his compassion for those who reached out to him, and his willingness to care for those often rejected by society. However, we will also need to include his willingness to turn over the tables of the money changers, his aggressive comments toward the Pharisees, and his call to a deeper life of holiness in the Sermon on the Mount. Defining love in Jesus’ terms involves examining the full teaching of his life and witness, and so it is with any aspect of our Christian journey.

Discover the difficult passages. It is easy to fixate on one part of Scripture, usually the part we like, and ignore challenging sections and passages. While the Bible is a collection of many writings, they are all equally important to our quest. We may be tempted to dismiss what we call the Old Testament because of its age, or because we believe it is no longer relevant in light of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ, yet this was the very Scripture Jesus used, quoted, and lived by. We may want to focus solely on the Gospels, but the other New Testament writings expand our understanding of Jesus’ teaching. We may even want to focus only on our favorite Gospel, but the four work to give us a more holistic view of Jesus, his ministry, and his teaching. We must not discount any portion of Scripture, but rather, let it all inform our understanding.

When we apply these principles, we will uncover a greater revelation of God’s direction, and we will lay a solid foundation for the rest of our discernment. Tomorrow, our attention will turn to the importance and power of Tradition to refine our biblical discoveries, and to give us clearer spiritual eyes to assess our experiences and discern God’s will. Until then, let the Word of God speak.

The post Discern God’s Will – Scripture appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

The Apostle Paul, writing to his protegee Timothy, encouraged him to hold fast to the truth of faith, for his sake, and for the sake of those he cared for. He wrote, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5 NRSV)

It is so easy to fall victim to our itching ears, to surround ourselves with people who will always tell us we are right, leaving our thoughts and actions unchallenged. The comfort such a position brings is unmatched, but it also leaves us open to great deception. Navigating our path through life requires more than cheerleaders, it depends upon truth that allows us to see clearly.

A friend, who was a serious smoker, began to see the negative effects on her health. Her doctor began to point out the damage she was doing to her body, and continued to encourage her to take steps to break her harmful habit. Her response to the doctor’s concerns was a search for a new physician. After several attempts, she found one who was also a smoker and unwilling to confront the habit that continued to ravage her health.

That response is far from uncommon. It is all too easy to surround ourselves with people who think like we do, and distance ourselves from those who do not. Today, many join online groups, attend events, and surround themselves with voices that support their position, while unfriending and avoiding anyone who says what they do not want to hear. It seems that we would often rather think that we are right than to be right.

Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32 NRSV) Real freedom does not come from believing what we want to believe, but from aligning our lives with the truth. Unfortunately, real truth will challenge our beliefs and behaviors. It will make us uncomfortable and direct us to change. It will not be easy on us, and may likely cause us to address places in our lives that are much deeper, and more substantial, than a bad habit. The truth will hurt, but it will also set us free.

As I recently told my congregation, if you are reading the Scripture, listening to sermons, and reading inspirational material, and you are never offended or uncomfortable, you are doing it wrongly. God loves us enough to tell us the truth, even when it hurts; maybe especially when it hurts. God does not take pleasure in our pain, but loves us so much that he is willing to lead us through that pain to the liberty that awaits on the other side of it.

Our itching ears may long to hear what we want to hear, but the real cure is the truth, and that truth will do more than heal the itch, it will set us free from what actually restrains us from living fully.

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As laughable as it was, it is also quite the reality for just about everyone I know. It seems many people around us are convinced that they know what we should do, how we should feel, and what our priorities should be. Unfortunately, these people rarely agree, making their combined list of expectations even greater. They also rarely spend time listening to our situation and our heart, choosing instead to impose their own thoughts and feelings on us.

What is most unfortunate is that their comments are not rooted in revelation from God. Instead of prayerfully considering what God might be asking of us, they bypass that reflective process to speak out of their own agendas and desires, certain that they know what is best for us. The question for us is, “how are we going to respond?”

In our modern day of politically correct, sensitive responses, many of us feel the need to fit in to the expectations of those around us. We don’t want to respond to these inappropriate intrusions in a way that seems mean, so we often allow guilt to pile up as we add more things to our “To do” list. As kind and loving as that response may seem, it is actually a form of codependency that encourages unhealthy behavior. It may be that our best response is a different response.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now does that sound as if I were trying to win human approval? No! I want God’s approval! Or that I’m trying to cater to people? If I were still doing that, I would not be a servant of the Messiah.” (Galatians 1:10) He could not be clearer. His goal is not human approval, but God’s approval. He addresses those who would seek to direct his life without prayerful reflection and guidance by saying, “So what? Think what you like. Say what you like. I am seeking God’s approval.”

You and I must seek God with the questions, “Did I do what you wanted? Am I doing the right thing? Are you pleased with me and my direction?” We can allow the comments of others to lead us to seek God’s opinion, and we can maintain a teachable spirit, but our goal is not to please people, but God.

This is significant as we embrace God’s vision for our life. God may ask things of us that are not what others want us to do, and we will undoubtedly need to say, “No,” to many things people ask of us. This is not because we are mean, but because we are wise. What value is there is trying to live up to the expectations of people who will never be satisfied, especially when that means we might neglect the greater things God is asking us to do. Certainly, chasing down what it takes to please the people around us will drain our energy for the things we should be doing, and may cause us to lose focus on our calling.

Saturday night, as I watched my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers lose a playoff game to our rivals, I had a lot so say as an armchair quarterback and coach. Comfortably sitting on my sofa, I was certain I knew what needed to be done to win the game. The truth is, I was not there. I did not have all the information the coaches had. I am not trained to coach a professional sports team, and it is not my job. All of this is exactly why there is not a single player on the team that is remotely concerned about my assessment of their game plan or performance. I can have an opinion, but the reality is, my opinion does not matter.

The greatest goal of our lives is not the approval of others, it is the approval of God. When our lives on earth are complete and we stand before our God, whose eyes blaze like fire, we want to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” This will be the affirmation from the One who truly matters, not from the onlookers who had opinions.

The post The Opinion that Truly Matters appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

My wife and I just returned from a trip to our hometown. It was good to see family, visit some familiar places, and eat some favorite foods. We even brought some of those foods home with us. For me, it was also a kind of reset on my life. Something about being back in that environment reminds you of the steel-like strength that runs though you. It was a very visceral experience that helped me reconnect with who I am and where I am from.

Hopefully, each of us has a place like that, somewhere we can go to recapture our identity. It is a valuable gift to make a pilgrimage to places where we can look back and look forward at the same time; where we can allow the things that shaped us to give us fresh vision for our future. It was a special blessing for us to be there at the beginning of the New Year.

Spiritually, we need those reset moments as we make our way along our journey. In a way, this was the theme of many recent blog posts as we journeyed through Christmas and into New Year’s Day. This season is especially good at helping us reconnect with our identity in Christ, our place in the Christian story, and our relationship with others. However, holidays are not the only times we can connect with the roots of our faith. Every day offers us opportunities to engage God, and “reset” our faith.

Along with the regional foods we brought home, I also made sure to bring back some items with the Pittsburgh Steeler logo. Yes, there is a crucial game tonight, but I will not be there, and will likely be wearing these treasures in the privacy of my own home. Yet, they will remind me each time I wear them, or see them, of my roots. They will call me back to who I am, and to what I learned about myself on this trip.

Likewise, my Bible, my spiritual and prayer journal, my appointments with God, and every other spiritual reminder in my life, calls me back to my rooted place in God. Each of us can take advantage of these parts of our daily lives to allow the Holy Spirit to gently correct and inspire us. We can allow these points of connection to reveal God’s heart toward us and vision for our lives. Our prayer time can reorient our lives, our time in the word can strengthen and transform us, and our worship can reset our priorities.

There may be times where we need extend time with God to allow ourselves to become centered on the path once again, but the moment-by-moment course corrections are just as valuable. Each becomes a tool God uses to shape and direct our lives.

As we approach the end of the Christmas season, and embrace what awaits us in 2015, we can let God work in all our circumstances to connect us to him, to one another, and in ministry to the world. Just imagine what God is about to do, and who we are about to become in Christ!

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Do you ever feel like you are facing  obstacles with walls so tall and strong you cannot get past them? In spite of the oft-quoted promise that, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” the truth is that we frequently face things that are greater than we can handle on our own, but not bigger than the God who loves us, and wants to lead us to victory.

Many of us grew up believing that we were supposed to be self-made, and that life was about giving it our all. If things got really bad, we asked God for help, but then went on to do our best to overcome our circumstances. Apparently, God’s help was to make us better at what we were already trying to do.

What if God’s plan in those difficult moments was not to make us a little better or stronger than we were before? What if the bigger agenda was to invite us deeper in our relationship with him and to lean into God more? What if God’s goal was to move us away from our efforts to be independent and instead, allow us to be more dependent on him?

Yesterday’s sermon was based on the story of Joshua, and the victory at Jericho, found in Joshua 6 (listen to the message here http://cortlandumc.net/January_12-_2014.mp3). As I worked through the preparation for the message, I couldn’t help but think of how difficult it must have been to accept God’s plan for victory. Marching around the city with priests and trumpets is not much of a military strategy. Faced with an imposing obstacle, God did not ask Joshua to try harder, nor was the answer in better military planning. God’s divine solution was to march around the city in worship for a week, and then shout for victory on the last day. Unexpected, but as it turns out, quite effective.

In the book of Isaiah, God tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.” (55:8) God’s perspective is not our perspective. There is no trembling in heaven as God confers with the angelic host to come up with a response to the problem we are facing. There is no question in the heavenly throne room of who is, and will remain, victorious. God does not lose, and never plays to tie. God is the victor, and shares that victory with us.

Rather than trying harder, or focusing on our weaknesses, we are encouraged to press into the love of God and to trust him for the plans for victory. Instead of focusing on the walls before us, we worship the One who can break down the walls in a moment, and send us on to victory. The triumph at Jericho did not come from weapons, it came from worship. The answer can be found there in our circumstances as well.

This is not a passive response, where we sit back and wait for God to do something. Instead, we actively worship God and we activate our faith. We seek God for wisdom and insight, stretching our faith to meet that divine direction. Then, when it is time, we put feet to our faith, doing what God asks us to do, even if it means seven days of walking around a city.

As we trust in the Lord, leaning not on our own understanding, and as we put our faith into action, we discover that, by the grace of God, we are more than conquerors.

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