Nick’s Walk

On the first night of a Kairos, it’s kind of just a question of putting one foot in front of the other. It reminds me of my old days in the military. Everything was “hurry up and wait.” Everyone is eager to get started but not much really happens on the first night. It really is just getting things set up, introductions, and a couple of meditations and night prayer. It’s loading up cookies and food. Checking into the hotel. Lot’s of sitting around and waiting. Drudgery. But God takes even these basic things, these necessary non-dramatic steps. Even when we think nothing is happening yet. It is. “When the Lord does a thing through us, He always transfigures it.” Although last night we had really not done anything. There was an incredible sense of anticipation and excitement in the room. There was a oft repeated theme of “I’m here to see what God is going to do.” And a strong sense of certainty that He is going to do something good.  He already has. We have so many cookies that we are plotting to pass out cookies to the entire camp, not just the participants. There is tragedy […]

I was concerned that because of today’s topic, I would be suffering despair today for the first time in my life. After all my life seems to be a continuous example of whatever Oswald talks about on any given day.  However, after reading OC’s definition of “despair” I really should not have been concerned. For OC despair comes when we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity to do. Been there done that. I have had much opportunity to despair in my life. My missed opportunities are too numerous to mention. As an example, OC uses the disciples’ failure to stay awake and pray while Jesus was asking His Father to let the cup pass from Him. Certainly that was an opportunity for despair.  But I guess what has kept me from despair is the Lord’s wonderful response to Peter’s three fold denial of Him. He three times asked Peter if He loved and Him and instructed Him to feed His sheep. As many times as we miss opportunities, it seems God always provides new opportunities to proclaim and act out our love for Him. Depression may haunt me; but His endless love […]

Last night I was depressed. I know it’s not cool to admit that one gets depressed; but I do and not infrequently. Finally I gave into the “spiritual” urging to quit obsessing and to go take a bath.  It is my habit to read OC’s devotional for the next day before going to bed and so after the bath I did that. The title jumped off the page at me, “The Initiative against Depression.” Since I began doing the Nick’s Walk at the beginning of the year, it has been amazing how often the OC devotional has a direct relationship to my life. As is often the case OC had some helpful thoughts. “A human  being is capable of depression, otherwise there would be no capacity for exaltation.” There is consolation in knowing that depression is normal for a human. I have always been suspicious of those who deny depression. Now I know that such persons are either liars or they are incapable of exaltation. I’m not sure which would be worse. It is also comforting to know that my urging to take a bath was probably a word from God. As OC points out the angel told a […]

Do you ever listen to yourself? I was at the One Nation Under God meeting last night. The crowd was slim and we were commenting that there was lots of competition. Monday night is prayer night at Amana so some folks were there. It was also the night of the Mardi Gras Queen’s parade and maybe some folks were there. I commented, and this is what I am referring to which I ask if you ever listen to yourself, “I hide for Mardi Gras and Halloween.” I got some knowing nods. Today OC talks about spiritual initiative and “rising from the dead.” I don’t participate in Mardi Gras and Halloween because something in my spirit restrains me. But I haven’t really said anything to others. They seem to be so into it. It seems so important to them, such a large part of their lives, especially this year when the Mardi Gras celebration is an extension of the post Super Bowl party. They’re having so much fun. So I am silent and I hide. I feel an urging to “arise from the dead” on this issue so I listen to OC: “All initiative is not inspired. A man may […]

There is no question that we have some responsibility for others. In fact we often don’t comprehend the breath of our responsibility. We are clearly called to be witnesses. But we are not merely witnesses on those all too rare occasions when we discuss our walk with others. Every moment of our lives we are witnessing. Any slip on our part, every trip on our walk impacts others. OC describes this as a willingness to “spend every ounce of nervous energy, of mental, moral and spiritual energy we have for Jesus Christ? That is the meaning of a witness in God’s sense of the word. It takes time, be patient with yourself. God has left us on the earth – what for? To be saved and sanctified? No, to be at it for Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for Him?”  Knowing what a mess we were when He saved us, it is not surprising that we would obsess on “being better.” That is not the call. In fact, it is through our imperfect that He is seen. Through our brokenness that He shines through. Our song should not be, “Look at how […]

OC’s word for today is pretty straight forward. When we find ourselves in the dark, we need to listen. Our hearing is so much keener in the dark. Our imagination is heightened. Remember as a kid the imaginings that led to visions of monsters under the bed or spiders crawling about in the dark. Perhaps God places us in spiritual darkness because of a similar increased awareness that makes it easier for us to hear Him. Sadly when things seem dark, we often don’t believe He’s around so we aren’t listening. Another reason for listening in the dark is that talking in the dark is such a bad idea. We are not in a comfortable and secure place in the dark and our words are often unwise and hurtful when spoken from the dark. When we feel we are in a spiritually dark place and don’t feel God around our words are not likely to give comfort; they are more likely to spread doom and fear. Finally, a dark place is not always a bad place to be. When we find ourselves in the dark, it’s likely that God has something important to say to us. When in the […]

I like to listen to the broadcast of basketball games while at the games. I like to listen to audiobooks practically all the time. When I’m not listening to audiobooks, I’m listening to music. Unless, of course, I’m listening to a phone call. One of my favorite accessories on my new truck is the plug that let’s me connect my iphone with the speaker system in the truck. I am listening obsessed. I went to buy new ear pods (that’s what they call them now) at Walmart this week and was greeted by a sea of choices in all colors. Seems I’m not the only one obsessed with listening. Next time you’re out and about check out how many folks are walking or driving around with something stuck in their ear.Why this obsession? I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with wanting to control what comes into our minds. There is so much noise out there. We want what we want. My iphone has a “genius” feature. It learns what kind of music I like and it plays what it thinks I want to hear. It is scary accurate. With God, we feel we are truly spiritual […]

Yesterday we discussed our general failure to listen. If we don’t listen, we don’t really know others and without knowledge of who people really are, we don’t really love them. We also don’t listen to God. The issues are a bit more complicated and the impact is more eternal.  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” We don’t follow God’s rules; because we don’t listen to Him. It’s not that we don’t hear His commandments. We are very familiar with the rules. Because we don’t listen to the Rulemaker, we don’t know Him.  We don’t, therefore, love Him. Therefore,  we don’t obey Him.  It’s kind of like your Momma. You hate to hear her lecture you because you know and love her. You know she has your interests at heart. You know she wants the best for you. You know she’s right. You know she won’t take “no” for an answer. Because God is a spirit; it is easier to do with Him what we do with other men. We don’t listen to them; we listen to others talk about them. So it is with God, rather than listening to Him, if we listen at all, we […]