Presby-Musings

To all the faithful readers of the Daily Devo, this will be my last Devo for a while as I take my customary Summer Break.  I'll be travelling for the rest of June and the first week of July, and will return to the Devo on July 7th.  If you have made the Devo a part of your daily routine, you can still keep reading through my collections of Daily Devos that can be found on my author's page on Amazon (along with my other works).  The link to that page is below.   Over the last decade or so, I've discovered I'm more of a mountain person than a beach person.  It's not that I don't enjoy visits to the beach, and admittedly, Key West is one of my favorite places in the world. However, being in the mountains makes my heart sing more than standing near the ocean.  Standing beneath the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, for example, gives me a sense of wonder that permeates my soul.  It's a feeling of being awestruck by their majesty, yet also feeling small and ...

We've all got that person in our lives. You know, the glass-half-empty person, the one who is most likely to slide into negativity at a moment's notice.   It's like they expect the world to be a terrible place where awful things happen.  They spend far too much time looking for things to be upset about.  Or, worse, to rage about.   The hardest thing for some of us to admit is that the person I just described might be us.   I get it.  There's a lot to be upset about lately.  But if we want to see real peace within us and without us, we've got to learn to change our perspectve.  The way we see the world is often influenced by our expectations of how it should be, which in turn are shaped by the ways we perceive it.  Having a clear inner vision is essential in our spiritual journey toward peace and wholeness. Our perspective shapes our experience of the world and influences our ability to see the good that God continually reveals ...

Twenty years ago, I taught my first class as a newly ordained minister in the small church I was serving.  It was a class based on a book entitled Encountering God , which was a popular course in churches at that time.   As I look back now, it seems interesting to me that the course essentially broke down the process of encountering God into steps that participants needed to undertake for it to happen.  This is not to say that there weren't terrific insights in the class, but with hindsight, I can clearly see the holes in the theology that it was based on then.  The class outlined how, if we do the right things, we put ourselves in a position to experience God.   As it turns out, God doesn't operate that way.  Whenever we try to put God in a box, God always manages to break those boxes apart.  Experiencing God isn't about doing the right things; it's about finally waking up to the truth about who we are and who God is for us.   The ...

I came across a short video clip from the television series The Chosen, a dramatic retelling of Jesus' life and ministry, and it resonated with me deeply.  The scene is drawn from the Gospel of John, chapter 6, immediately after Jesus teaches in the synagogue that his followers must take the same path as him, even though it will be difficult.  The Scripture indicates that many of his followers left after this, and Jesus turns to the rest and asks them, "Will you also go, too?"  To which Peter replies, "Lord, where else would we go?  You alone have the words of life." In the dramatic TV version, the actor playing Jesus shows his emotions by getting choked up and fighting back tears as he smiles at Peter.  I loved that.   Following Jesus isn't easy, by any means.  It wasn't easy for those early disciples, and it isn't easy for any of us who want to claim the identity of Jesus-followers.   In today’s world, the landscape of faith is filled ...

I've been living with the uncertainty of the current housing market for some time as I've been waiting for my house to sell.   There are times when I have been close to despair, when I start to consider this an obstacle to my true happiness.   In those low moments, I think to myself, "If only this house would sell, all my problems would be over."  It's then that I can begin to feel overwhelmed, and eager to just find an easy way out that I could rush to in my anxiety.   It's also tempting to think that our happiness is contingent upon overcoming the obstacles that lie before us.  Oh, that it were that easy, am I right? In life, each of us encounters obstacles that test our faith, patience, and serenity.  These challenges often feel overwhelming, as if we are hitting a wall that halts our progress. Yet, there is profound wisdom in learning to pause, to gather strength, and to trust in God's perfect timing.  As Thomas F. Cleary beautifully...

Last year, I had the opportunity to see Ringo Starr and his All-Starr band in concert in Austin.   At one point in the show, Ringo led the entire band in a rousing rendition of the Beatles classic "All You Need Is Love," while the enthusiastic crowd sang along.   As I watched (and sang), Ringo walked back and forth at the front of the stage, flashing the peace sign to the crowd, most of whom responded by flashing it back to him.  It was a sweet moment, one that I will remember forever - my first and perhaps only chance to see one of the Beatles perform live.   But I couldn't help but think that even the sweetness of that moment and the beautiful expression of that classic song seemed a bit antiquated and idealistic, considering the state of things in our country and around the world.   In a world fraught with division, misunderstanding, and often outright hostility, it can feel overwhelming to imagine a path toward unity and healing.  Ye...

One of the most common themes in Jesus' teaching and ministry (particularly in John's Gospel) was that he was intent on bringing light into a dark world.   In his first sermon, as recorded in Luke chapter 4, he declares that, among other things, he also intended to bring "sight to the blind."   These two things go hand in hand throughout his ministry, both in a literal and figurative sense.  Not only did Jesus heal the blind, but he also sought to cure spiritual blindness to the reality of God's light in the world.  When he declared to his followers that they carried the light of the world within them, it was an indication of how he wanted them to live their lives and continue his mission.   As followers of Christ, we are called to carry out His mission of bringing light into a world often shadowed by the darkness of sin, death, and evil.  But true Christian purpose goes beyond simply proclaiming that the light exists; it involves awakening t...

It’s the Birthday of the Church!  Happy Birthday, Church.   You look fantastic for being two millennia and change years old.  This is Pentecost Sunday, and the beginning of the Season of Pentecost, which will take us all the way through the summer.   The  Season of Pentecost is when we learn what it means to be the Church in the world.  For the next several weeks, we will be engaging in a sermon series entitled A Church On Fire, which references the Spanish anarchist Buenaventura Durutti, who said: "The only church that illuminates is a burning church."  He was right, though not in the anti-clerical sense his remark was intended to have. Pentecost is a time for the Church to reflect on what it will be in whatever age it finds itself.  Drawing on the image of fire from Pentecost, we will explore what it means for us to be a part of a church burning for the zeal of the Gospel.   Today, we will kick off this series with a study of...

I'm not a good golfer.  I might have been decent once, if I'd been willing to spend the hours that it takes to become better, but I'm never truly good at it.   This realization doesn't deter me from occasionally playing golf, and I enjoy the experience unless it's unbearably hot outside or raining.  But there's one thing that keeps me coming back to it more than any other: I tend to hit at least one really good shot every round.   That one shot, which usually comes as a surprise, makes me believe that I may be able to make another. When I have the opportunity, I head back to the links and try again. The reason the golf analogy came to mind today is because I  was thinking about the longing I have to experience the presence of God in miraculous ways — ways that astound me and fill my heart until it feels as though it may burst.   Because I have felt that presence before, I know what it means to feel it.  The moments when I've felt it acut...

Some years ago, I became very interested in the basics of Quantum Physics, despite my aversion to both mathematics and physics, which seem to be prerequisites for being a quantum physicist, which I am not.   The theories of Quantum Physics tell stories, which is more my thing, and these stories captured my imagination as I sought to make the connections between those theories and theology.   I recently read some passages from Kenneth Schmitt, author of  Quantum Energetics and Spirituality,  that really got me thinking.  This one in particular made my head spin a bit:  “The birth of quantum physics brought science and spirituality into alignment. It was the realization by physicists that photons have consciousness, and not just limited consciousness, but awareness of the entire cosmos.” In the vast and intricate universe, everything is in perpetual exchange—sub-atomic particles vibrate and interact, creating a symphony of energy that underpins all ...

In the fundamentalist churches that I used to attend when I was younger, there was a great deal of suspicion about what we called "New Age" beliefs.  We were taught that Christians ought not to practice yoga, meditate, or recite prayers like a mantra because it could very well open our vulnerable souls to the work of the Devil.  We were also told that these things were "escapes" from reality and also distractions from our true purpose as Christians, which was to tell people they were going to Hell if they weren't one of us.   I had all but forgotten those things until y ears later, I worked in a Presbyterian church where yoga classes were proposed, and roundly shot down by the church leadership because they were too "Eastern."  By that, they meant that they believed that they were too Buddhist or Hindu, and had no place in a Christian church.   I've often wondered why these things were so threatening to many Christians, especially as I began to rea...

I've been doing my best to practice gratitude in my daily life as a way of working toward peace and surrender.  It's not as easy as it sounds.  Come to think of it, nothing that is worthwhile is ever as easy as it sounds, no matter how much I wish it to be different.  However, I will say that the more I'm intentional about practicing gratitude (even when I'm having a hard time feeling it), the easier it becomes to let it be my default way of seeing the world.  Like most things, practicing gratitude is an exercise in letting go of whatever might be keeping us from being our best selves.   In our busy and oft-challenging lives, it’s easy to become caught up in the pursuit of control, striving to shape our days, outcomes, and futures into the molds we envision.  Yet, true peace and deeper understanding come when we embrace gratitude, recognizing that every moment is a gift from God. Living gratefully helps us surrender our need to dictate every outcome an...

I've been struggling a lot lately to let go of my desire for certainty and my frustrations with God regarding the path I've been on for a while, which has led me into the unknown.   I've done my best to be patient and discern what there is to be learned on the journey, but there are some days when I feel like I'm tired of learning and wish that I could finally see an end to the current season of unknowing I'm experiencing.  In my worst moments, I wonder all kinds of things about how God works, and whether I might need to atone for my sins or something before I finally see my circumstances resolved.   But there are days when things seem a bit clearer, even though the end is not in sight.  There are days when I find hope that doesn't make sense, and peace that is beyond my understanding.   The difference between good and not-so-good days comes down to my willingness to stop trying to figure out God and to surrender to whatever purposes God has in st...

It’s Still Easter!  He is risen! The Season of Easter offers us a chance to experience the implications of the Resurrection and to trust Jesus as we follow him.   Today, we will conclude our series with a reading from Jesus' final discourse with his followers: a prayer that is difficult to understand, but one that gives us a glimpse into what it means to choose uniformity of belief over love.   Guess how many Christian denominations there are in the world?   The number exceeds 47,000, which is a substantial amount.  You might be shocked by this number, I know that I was.  I would have guessed much lower.  The fact that it is so high speaks to the capacity of human beings to be complete jerks.  What causes these divisions?  Why are there so many?  It ultimately comes down to a few key factors, but in the end, it's largely about how people choose to interpret the Bible.   The fundamentalist movement in the early 19...