“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” – James 1:19

Have you ever been in the midst of a conversation only to find yourself waiting for the other person to stop talking, in order to say what you are thinking? Have you realized that you don’t remember what the other person said because you were already processing your response? If so, don’t feel bad. You are not alone. Far too many of us get so caught up in our thoughts, and easily become sure that we have the most important point to make, that we fail to really hear what someone else is saying.

Just because we are not alone in this struggle does not mean that we should simply accept that things must remain this way. We have authority over our thoughts and actions. We may unconsciously choose to put our thoughts, ideas, and words first, but, if we become aware of that process, we can change it. It will not be easy, but it may be one of the more important things we do.

James reminds us we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. More than a reminder, it is a call to look at what is most important in our hearts and minds. If we are willing to embrace a new level of self-awareness, there are many blessings awaiting us on the other side of our decision. Being present in the moment, and truly listening to others, develops our character as we, “humbly consider others better than ourselves.” (Philippians 2:3), and enables us to learn something meaningful in the lives of those we converse with. Blocking that awareness, hinders our growth and our relationships.

While in college, a friend invited me to his church to hear a special speaker. We went for the evening meeting and the church was packed. I did not know of the speaker, but others clearly did. Everyone was excited he was willing to speak at their church, and I was expecting something amazing.

Early in the message, the speaker said, “Everywhere in the Bible, the image of the lion is used as a symbol of the enemy of our spiritual life.” Around me, people were nodding in affirmation and support. I, however, was tripping over his comment. My first thought was, “What about the, ‘Lion of the tribe of Judah,’” a reference to Jesus himself. I spent the remainder of the message stewing over that thought. I could not wait to get out of the service so that I could confront my friend with the foolishness of the speaker’s comment. Headstrong, and full of pride, I sat smugly through the rest of the service, impressed by myself and my insight.

Once we were in the car, I immediately pointed out the foolishness of the comment the speaker made. My friend sat silent. I had not considered the impact of my words in that moment, only my chance to be right. My dear friend looked at me and said, “Clearly, he made a mistake. Did you hear anything else he said?” The truth was… not a word. I judged him quickly, and became enmeshed in my own thoughts, missing everything else. I was busy preparing my words to say, missing the rest of what the speaker had to say, and, in the process, missing anything that God desired to say to me as well.

It was shortly after this experience that one of the people I deeply respect asked if I ever heard of the speaker. Before I could respond, he went on to tell me how powerfully his books impacted his life and ministry, and encouraged me to read them. When I finally got over myself, I purchased a book and began to read. The insights were deep and meaningful. I read more, and still have some of those books on my shelves. My “slow to listen, quick to speak” heart robbed me of something precious in that little church, and that attitude can steal from us all.

People matter. Whether they are well-known speakers, or the server at our table, they matter. Their thoughts, ideas, and dreams matter. Their insights and visions matter. Above all, as those created in the image of God, loved by God, and sought by God, they matter to God. When we are busy thinking about ourselves, what we know and what we can say, we are missing the opportunity to really hear, and see, someone else for who they are. We are missing the chance to give our attention to one of God’s beloved, and we are diminishing the opportunity to see God at work in them.

All of us have something to add to the larger conversation, but so do those around us. Real dialog requires we listen, digest, learn, and then speak. As James said, we need to be quick to listen, while holding our tongues. Our ideas and words can wait, because, if we are honest, we will not be fully heard, until we are willing to truly hear, and it may be that God’s word will be in someone else’s voice.

Today, maybe it is time to decide to humble ourselves, and listen… just listen. Just imagine what we could be missing when we are busy talking, or thinking about talking.

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I love the smell of rain, especially when mixed with the ionized air of a thunderstorm. I enjoy the sound of the falling sheets of water, and the raindrops on the roof. Watching them dance on the road, or falling on the leaves, pausing only a moment before continuing their descent to the ground inspires awe at the vast simplicity of nature’s beauty, and God’s creativity, and it is a beautiful creativity with a purpose.

The sights, sounds, and smells that I enjoy in these moments are signs of the heavens refreshing the earth. Each raindrop brings life to grass and trees, to wildflowers and potted plants. Animals will cool off in the showers and refresh themselves with these waters. All living things will be nourished through the life-giving rain. Even I will find future blessings as well water is replenished, and the natural beauty I love is sustained. Far beyond Doppler images and weather forecasts, such storms are the fingerprint of God upon all life.

Simultaneously, these rainstorms are a force of great power. As I watched the rain falling Friday night, in sheets off the roof of our front porch, not far away, people were being evacuated from campsites for safety, and streams and rivers were rising to dangerous levels. In some places these waters were causing significant damage. Basements flooded, and cars, homes, and businesses were destroyed. This is powerful beauty.

I’ve heard a number of praise songs and prayers that invite the Holy Spirit to rain down upon us. It is a fitting image of the beauty of God’s refreshing grace. It is also an invitation to be filled with God’s awesome power. These images overflow with meaning, but when we speak them, do we really consider what we are asking for? We desire refreshing, and strength to walk victoriously through our lives, but are we ready for all the Spirit will unleash?

A woman in a church I served once said to me, “Pastor, I feel like the Holy Spirit is in our church, but I also feel like we keep him under glass. We want his presence, but we are cautious about letting him move.” I shared this reflection with our leaders and from our conversation came an initiative we titled, “Take the Lid Off.” It was a bold decision, and a bolder request. What would happen if we let the Spirit do whatever he wanted?

A few weeks after we began sharing our vision with the whole congregation, a man came to see me. He was worried. “If we do this thing… if we take the lid off of the Holy Spirit, things could get out of hand,” he said. He was more insightful than he knew. I wanted to comfort him, assure him that everything would stay in order, but I knew better. We were asking God to release the power of the Spirit. In some places, that would be a gentle, refreshing rain. In others, it would be a flood that would destroy the things that held us back from God’s best for us. Unlike the recent, powerful thunderstorms, the results would all be beneficial, yet similarly, the experience would be anything but easy, in some places.

Clearly, God is not the source of calamity in our lives. Jesus demonstrated God’s heart was one of compassion. Repeatedly, in the Gospels, it says, “he had compassion on them…” Still, the Holy Spirit is not to be played with, as if the Spirit were merely an agent of God to make us happy and give us what we want. The Holy Spirit is God. He works in us to produce God’s will for our lives and for the world. The Spirit is the powerful beauty of God intimately at work in human lives.

Inviting the Holy Spirit to rain down is an excellent, and worthy prayer. Such a prayer is much more than seeking spiritual goosebumps or expecting some cosmic good vibes. Asking for the rain of the Spirit, is asking for the manifest reign of God. It is trusting God for what is best, and yielding every part of our lives to God’s desire and and design. God loves to manifest the Spirit in our lives, but never does so on our terms. God does not perform for us, rather, God produces spiritual fruit in us. This may come in the form of refreshing rains upon the soil of our heart, or it may result in the stripping away of what is lifeless so that new life can spring forth. Typically, like awe-inspiring thunderstorms, it is both. When the powerful beauty of God is released in our midst, that creative force will remake us. As Jesus said in Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new.”

This may sound frightening, but God is not the source of fear. God is, however, worthy of our respect and awe. It is no small thing to invite God into our lives, but when we do, we will see the true goodness of God’s powerful beauty at work. We will become reflections of God, powerful in the Spirit, and beautiful in Christ.

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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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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.

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It might seem that, if traditions are flexible in some way, that focusing on tradition would not be a solid source for discerning God’s will. This is quite true if by “tradition” we mean the practices we accept as normal, and meaningful, but when we talk about Tradition in discernment, we are speaking of something much more stable and powerful. Tradition, in our quest, is much more than just, “the way we’ve always done it.” Instead, we are looking at how the Christian Church across history has understood and applied biblical truth to the issues we face.

For our purposes, we are asking how the early church understood the teaching of Jesus and the rest of Scripture, along with how the church maintained its theology and mission across many centuries. In this case, tradition does not refer to personal, familial, or regional practices. Instead, the goal is to connect with the larger Christian Tradition that forms the foundation upon which we build our theology and practice.

Why is Tradition important in discernment? Consider these points:

Closer to the Original is Better

Maybe you played the Telephone Game at some time. The game involves putting people in a circle. The first person says something quietly into the ear of the person next to them, then that person does the same until the comment makes its way around the circle. Typically, the final words are quite different than the words originally spoken.

In a similar way, the closer we can get to the time when Scripture was written and theology formed, the more accurate our understanding of what the original words and ideas meant in the their context. We can have a much greater confidence in the interpretation of the Bible and church theology as we listen to the voices closest to the original.

In order to discern God’s direction, we must consult the voices of the early Christian mothers and fathers, for in them we find a clearer, more accurate understanding.

Consistency is Valuable

While the value of the early voices of the Christian community cannot be stated strongly enough, there is also is also great significance in the way the Church consistently expressed, and practiced, its theology. After we examine the teaching of Scripture and consider the interpretation of the early community of faith, we should also look at how that interpretation was maintained across 2000 of Christian history. When we see biblical teaching reinforced by the early faith community, and consistently maintained in the centuries to follow, we can more clearly discern God’s direction, and have more confidence in the direction we take. As Gordon Fee said, in his book How to Read the Bible for All its Worth, “Unique interpretations are usually wrong.”

Many Issues were Already Addressed

When we investigate the teaching of our Tradition, we often discover that many of the issues we wrestle with were already deeply considered and addressed. Too frequently, modern Christians struggle with discernment on issues that have already been answered. Just as education does not require us to relearn, or prove again, what we already know to be true, so our life of faith does not require us to readdress the foundations of our faith and theology

Can you imagine the frustration you would experience if you had to prove your math tables every time you wanted to pay for something, or make change? It would be exhausting, and unnecessary! We accept that these foundations have already been addressed and have no need to be challenged again and again.

In the same way, the Church has already addressed many aspects of our faith and theology, and we can safely accept that foundation in our spiritual discernment. A good, modern example is how we understand what Christians often refer to as the Old Testament. Frequently, I hear people say that the Hebrew Bible no longer has an influence over our Christian life, or that the God of the Old Testament is not the same as the God of the New Testament. These are bold assumptions and thankfully, they were already addressed.

In the year 144, Marcion of Sinope put forth his theology stating that he believed in Jesus Christ was sent by God as the Messiah, but he rejected the Hebrew Bible, and believed that the God of the Old Testament was a lesser god, and not the God of the New Testament. After much consideration and debate, the sound minds of the early church denounced Marcion’s position as heresy, restating the deep connections between the Christian witness and that of the Hebrew Bible, and reaffirming that the God of the Hebrew Bible was indeed, the same God found in Jesus and in the teaching of the early biblical writers.

When such claims are put forth in our modern day, we can say with confidence, that these issues have already been addressed and there is no need to reinvent the wheel by defending the faith against them once again.

Tradition is not infallible, but when layered upon the truth of Scripture, we have an even stronger foundation from which to discern God’s will. Tomorrow, we will turn our attention to the third layer of this process: our experience. Until then, may the cloud of witnesses that went before us, and surrounds us, help shine light upon your path.

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The past year was such a season in our lives. Unexpected challenges arose in a steady stream, sometimes coming in multiples. As each one neared its end, I found myself believing, hoping, that the season was over, yet there was still more to come. Many important things, including my writing and this blog, were shelved as my energy and attention were focused on what was happening in our lives.

There were difficulties, but there were also numerous blessings. We were reminded again and again that God had his hand upon us, and that we would make it though. I needed several reminders from my wife along the way that our track record of coming through our difficulties with God’s help was one hundred percent. Even so, keeping close to God was challenging at times, and my own relationship with God suffered at some points. I knew that God was the Strong Tower I was meant to run to and be saved, but exhaustion from what felt like perpetually treading water, and my fears about the future, often weakened my spiritual resolve, and my spiritual disciplines occasionally suffered.

Recently, God reminded me of his faithfulness in the past, and I drew strength and resolve from those victories. I realized that my focus was off and I needed to make an adjustment. Just as my annual eye exam often yields a new set of glasses so I can see clearly, I needed the Holy Spirit to assess and adjust my spiritual lens to sharpen that focus as well. I could not sacrifice what was most meaningful and necessary because I was busy, fearful, and tired. In fact, those very realities mean that I needed even greater focus on what mattered most.

Jesus never sugarcoated our reality. In John 16:33, he says it succinctly and clearly, “In this life you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” These were words I needed to hear and apply to my life. Troubles would be a part of life, but my focus was never meant to be on the difficulties, but on the One who overcame the world, so that I could overcome by obstacles. My focus was meant to be on Christ, and Christ alone.

All this, brings me to today. There are still battles to be fought, fears to subdue, and victories to be won. A season of rest may be on the horizon, or the stream of challenges may still continue. Either way, my focus is on the One who will lead me through. It is time to write and blog again. It is time to laugh and savor life. It is time I am given to be with God, and to become who God is making me to be.

Thank you for your patience as I wandered through my desert. I look forward to our continued conversation here at the cafe. I pray that, if you are going through your own challenging seasons, you will focus on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Don’t let another day go by, trading your joy for worry, or exchanging your peace for confusion. Give your attention to the One who overcame for your sake, and who makes you to be an overcomer in every circumstance!

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