Good morning, Ladies. This morning I am celebrating "normal." With that big ol' honkin' novel for adults finally sent in, my life is finally starting to look like what passes for normal around here.
I have clean clothes that I don't have to climb into the dryer to find.
The dirty dishes are in the kitchen rather than covering every horizontal plane in my office.
I'm not still in my pajamas at 4 in the afternoon.
I' ve stopped thinking in dialogue. Things like, "Honey?" he asked. "What were thinking about for dinner?"
Those of you who are thinking of making your living as writers, just be careful what you wish for!
Speaking of young writers, I think by now most of you have checked out the new website and discovered the writing tips. I hadn't officially announced the new site because two more things are going to be added to it -- the Writing Showcase, where you can display some of your work, and the Teen of the Month. Still, you now have a page and that's a start. There is so very much I want to do to help you in your journey, and at times I find myself looking more at where I'm falling short in that, rather than at the things I AM able to provide for you.
Thank you all SO much for your understanding about last weekend's live blog retreat. That decision and your support for it means a far better event the first weekend in March. Any time we're all together godly things happen (what's that verse about two or three being gathered together?) but why not provide even more fertile ground for that to happen?
Listen to me, all talking about soil and planting, when flowers die within the hour of coming into my home! But we really are preparing the soil for our retreat with these challenges, so let's move on to the fourth one, yes?
We've established our theme as sharing the Bread of Life without using words. As shown in the latest picture of Baby Maeryn above, we are given that bread -- in her case symbolized by this very cool container that she can get the Cheerios out of, but she can't dump them on the floor (which is her M.O.) She could enjoy them alone and we would all think it was adorable (but, then, we think everything she does is adorable). But she sees that there is someone else who could benefit from the Bread . . . .
So far you've worked on three ways to share:
(1) What you need to leave behind in order to offer the bread
(2) How you can be a light in your own home without quoting Scripture or dropping to your knees in prayer in the middle of the family room. (Nothing wrong with either of those, but they aren't always the most effective means of opening the door)
(3) What you need to reconcile with someone so that Jesus is apparent without his name even being mentioned
I have loved your responses and I think we would all love to continue hearing about the above. And again, let's take a look at a fourth challenge.
"You have heard that it was said . . . 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' But I say to you, 'Do not swear at all.'" (Matthew 5:33-34)
Now there's an easy one, right? Bear witness by not swearing. Done. Maybe the occasional expletive crosses your mind or slips out of your mouth when your computer swallows the term paper you've been working on for a week. But as for taking the Lord's name in vain? You're golden, right?
Maybe not cussing sets you apart from the mass of teens who use profanity as everything but a co-ordinating conjunction, and it definitely keeps your thoughts more pure. But (a) omitting cuss words doesn't say , "I have some good news that I want to share with you," and (b) that isn't even what this passage (or the commandment) is about.
Just to be clear, I'm all for not talking trash. It's one of the many ways we honor God with our speech. Refraining from spewing out epithets when just about everybody else is bluing the air with it is a valuable spiritual discipline. So what I'm about to say is not an attempt to make cussing biblically okay!
The point of "do not swear at all," is that you don't have to "swear by" anything. You may not have heard this expression because it's an old one (Melody just told me yesterday that nobody says "flake" anymore and I'm kind of sad about that . . ) but people used to say, "He swears by Chevrolet. He'd never buy another make of car." Or "She swears by everything he (boyfriend, doctor, mayor, etc. )says. Knowing that, you can see where Jesus is going when he says don't swear by anything because the truth of God is yours. Here's what that looks like:
* Don't say anything you don't mean. For example, as Eugene Peterson says in The Message, don't say, "I'll pray for you" and never do it. Sounding "pious" doesn't do anything to share the Bread.
* Don't get caught up in "hero worship." That contemporary Christian artist may have recorded songs that really speak to you. That author might have written a book that makes things so clear. It might feel like that youth pastor is your spiritual guru. Those are all good things that can help you on your journey, but the path belongs to God and you.
* Look to the true foundation of the Christian faith, rather than to what's trendy. For instance, a successful evangelist with a charismatic personality may say that you deserve all the material wealth the world has to offer because you're faithful to God, but Jesus never said that (in fact, he said quite the opposite). Remember those WWJD bracelets everybody used to wear (okay, maybe you dont) or the crosses made from nails? Those kinds of things can work well as reminders, but they should only point to the real thing, not replace it.
* Making your speech sound more religious doesn't make it more true. In fact sometimes it waters it down, even turns people off. Have you ever heard someone ask another person, "HaveyouacceptedJesusChristasyourLordandsavior?" Do Christians you know toss around phrases among nonChristians like, "God just put it on my heart," and "You need to ask Jesus into your heart," and "You just need to give that to God"? People with no God-experience don't know what the Sam Hill you're talking about. Half the time, I don't think the Christians who just automatically use the jargon do either. Again, those phrases do have meaning, but not when they become rote responses, and especially when our hearts aren't really in it.
* To quote Peterson again: "When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong." We can all make ourselves sound better than we are. When I talk about my Academy for Spiritual Formation experience, it's really tempting to say, "I just immerse myself in God fro the five days I'm there," when in reality I sometimes find my mind wandering in chapel, or sneak in an email check during quiet time or mentally critique the presenter's outfit.
Can we share the Bread of Life by what we DON'T do? In part, yes. I'm going to ask you to fill in the part we NEED to do when it comes to our speech and our promises and our swearing-by. What does this nudge in you? Baby Mae was obviously nudged to take action and share -- without saying a word. (never mind that she can't talk yet!)
Let us hear from you. I always learn so much from your comments.
Blessings,
Nancy Rue
