The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. -Proverbs 4:7

My wife and I are on a long-planned journey to Italy (an adventure I am certain will be part of future posts!). Given the lack of time at my desk over the next few weeks, I thought I’d share a few quotes that have sourced much wisdom in my walk with Jesus over these many decades. The first one clears up a very common source of confusion among Jesus-followers. The second has been strangely and wonderfully encouraging to me as a convinced Christian in a skeptical world. The third one inspires me to continue my daily adventure of reading the Bible.

I hope you find each of them as fruitful as I have as you read them over the next few weeks.

Enjoy!

-Randy

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Quote One:

I love the wisecrack of the pompous pastor proudly proclaiming the polar opposite of what he wanted to promote when he preached, “I am the most humble person that I know.”

Yet this joke rests on the idea that humility is thinking less of yourself. This assumption makes humility an impossible goal. You can’t intentionally pursue it. The only way to become humble, it seems, is to have life sneak up and hit you from behind. This is the basis for another joke I’ve heard, which warns against praying for humility. The punchline? God might answer.

George MacDonald, a preacher, a writer, and a mentor to the likes of Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis, offered a much more practical approach to humility; a way whose measure is less centered on our opinion of ourselves. The humble person, he says,

“…has no thought of making himself less than his neighbor, his thought is to make his neighbor greater than himself.”1

Isn’t that wonderful! It untied the knot in my thinking and made it clear how I could pursue humility every day. The key question is this:

Who can you make greater than yourself today?

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

-Psalm 1:1-2

I am always searching for mentors, for people who are far ahead of me in a certain skill. If that were the only criterion, they would be easy to find. But I have two criteria. That makes the task much more difficult, especially when it comes to artists.

I remember finding a Dali painting that was perfect for the sermon I was preaching. I put the bulletin proof for that Sunday in my office administrator’s inbox and continued working on the sermon. About half an hour later, I heard a light knock at my office door. It was Patti, my office administrator, pointing out, as delicately as possible, that the elephant in the painting had no decorum when it came to his male biology. Maybe that wasn’t a perfect painting for the bulletin after all.

I had a similar letdown when it came to the poet Charles Baudelaire. I kept reading about the power of his poetry. I hesitated to buy a collection of his poems entitled “The Flowers of Evil,” but when I found a 1st edition autographed by … as a gift for… I jumped. His ability to draw out personal experiences with just a few well chosen words was, indeed, amazing.

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For example, I have a fondness for the ocean since it was a constant in so many of the countries I have called home. In primary school, I was in Sydney, off the Tasman Sea, which connects to the Pacific Ocean. In Houston, I was near the Gulf, which connects with the Atlantic Ocean. In Honduras, I lived on an island in the Caribbean Sea which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. In Los Angeles, I am next to the Pacific Ocean. In Mozambique, I lived within view of the Indian Ocean. In each location, when I sat on the local beach and looked out on the water, I imagined travelling across the ocean to one of the other places I had lived. The ocean kept me whole, though my memories were scattered across many lands. All of this meaning came rushing from memory into my consciousness when I read Baudelaire’s phrase:

“The ocean, strewn with sliding images of the sky…”

Wow! In nine words, he changed my thoughts and emotions.

The experience of reading his poem entitled “My Former Life” caused me to doubt the folk wisdom that teaches us that a picture is worth a thousand words. I had just learned that a few well-chosen, melodic, and inspiring words are worth much more than the 2 million pixels needed for a photograph.

His poem, “My Former Life” begins this way:

I can remember a country of long, high colonnades

Which mirrored in their pale marble the prismatic light

Cast from the bright sea billows in a thousand shades,

And which resembled a cave of fluted basalt1 by night.

After these few lines, I knew I was reading a master poet. My first criterion for a mentor was met. I want to learn to unleash the power and beauty of words and I can clearly learn from Baudelaire.

The ocean, strewn with sliding images of the sky,

Would mingle in a mysterious and solemn way,

Under the wild brief sunset, its tremendous cry

With the reflected colours of ruined day.

But then there is that pesky second criterion. I want my mentors to not only be masters of their craft, but to live a life worth emulating as well.

I suppose this criterion was set for me in a reformed theology class in seminary. My professor was clearly a master of his area of specialty. He was well spoken, organized, and I learned many things I had not understood before. Criterion number one was complete. He knew his subject. But he also knew how good he was at his subject. As he taught us about Christ, he conveyed his own pride. I decided I would rather learn from the uneducated Honduran refugee pastors I had worked with on the island of Amapala years before. Their knowledge was real to me because you could see it transforming their lives.

Baudelaire’s poem had impressed me thus far. The sunset as “reflected colours of ruined day,” had worried me a bit. Where was this poem going? Then I read the next section:

There did I dwell in quiet luxury apart,

Amid the slowly changing hues of clouds and waves;

And there I was attended by two naked slaves…

Okay. Now I was really worried. So, I decided to test my second criterion with a dive into Baudelaire’s biography. His life made sense of his poem. But he failed my second criterion for a mentor. His life was a disaster.

• Baudelaire’s promise emerged as a student when he wrote his earliest poems.

• He regularly sank into deep melancholy. This certainly doesn’t exclude a potential mentor. The key question is what he does with it.

• He tried to break through his melancholy with, shall we say, “undisciplined acts.” This dark and dreary path gave him first contact with the literary world. It also resulted in the disease that would eventually kill him.

• He came into a large inheritance. (Could this be the “dwelling in quiet luxury” he is writing about?) but wasted his money on expensive clothing, books and paintings, lavish food and wine, as well as hashish and opium. He then struggled with finances for the rest of his life. (Maybe this is why the poem is entitled, “My Former Life.”

When I read Baudelaire, his words, both beautiful and gross, have their effect on me. But reading him felt much more like enchantment, like temptation, than enjoyment. He could never be my mentor because I am afraid of where his words will take my mind.

So, my search continues for a poet of the last few centuries who knew how to use the power of words and lived a life worthy of emulation. My search took me to one of the great hymn writers in the last few centuries, Isaac Watts.

Let’s look at how he uses the power of words, in his poetry and in his life, in our next post.

Uttering a word is like striking a note on the keyboard of the imagination.

-Ludwig Wittgenstein1

Writing my second book is a challenge. My first book, available on Amazon, is an historical look at some lesser-known stories of Los Angeles. That book required a lot of research, but I could rely on skills developed while preparing hundreds of sermons as a pastor. This second book, however, is a work of historical fiction.

Like the first book, my experience in the Echo Park and Silverlake neighborhoods of L.A. provides material for the book. But this second book gives me a new freedom, the freedom to let my imagination fly. But, as the saying goes, with freedom comes responsibility. If this subsequent book is going to be anything more than a soliloquy, I have to learn new skills. Preaching experience is not enough.

For example, the first sentence of this post, “Writing my second book is a challenge,” passes on something I feel when, pen in hand, I look at the blank page before me. But for you, my reader, it is rather mundane, certainly unimaginative, even boring. Words have the power, not just to pass on information, but to fire our imagination. I need to learn, in my newfound freedom, ways to release that power.

Metaphor is one of the proven ways to do this. It would be far more interesting for you if I wrote something like:

• Writing a book seems like a river too high to cross.

• Writing a book seems like a fence too tall to climb.

• Writing a book seems like a mountain too high to scale.

Each metaphor sparks a different image in our minds. But, it is important for me, as a writer, to choose a metaphor that sparks a memory in line with what I am going to say. Given the passage I am going to share with you below, the third metaphor is the best. So, let me begin again by writing, “Writing a book seems like a mountain to high to scale.”

But metaphor isn’t enough to illustrate the freed imagination unleashing the power of words. So, I am going to guide you through one of the most powerful examples of imaginative writing that I know.

The Princess and Curdie begins this way:

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“A mountain is a strange and awful thing. In old times, without knowing so much of their strangeness and awfulness as we do, people were more afraid of the mountains. But then somehow they had not come to see how beautiful they are as well as awful, and they hated them - and what people hate they must fear. Now that we have learned to look at them with admiration, perhaps we do not feel quite awe enough of them. To me, they are beautiful terrors.”

This was written by George MacDonald, a 19th-century pastor, author, and poet credited with helping start the entire genre of fantasy. In this passage, he took on the challenge of sharing what he sees when he looks at a mountain with his imagination:

“I will try to tell you what they are. They are portions of the heart of the earth that have escaped from the dungeon down below, and rushed up and out. “

He has our attention, doesn’t he? We want to know more. We want to read further. He obliges us by continuing with the heart metaphor:

“For the heart of the earth is a great wallowing mass, not of blood, as in the hearts of men and animals, but of glowing hot, melted metals and stones. And as our heart keeps us alive, so that great lump of heat keeps the earth alive…”

Then he continues to guide the reader on a tour of the beautiful terror of a mountain by shifting to the metaphor of a boiling pot.

“…it is a huge power of buried sunlight - that is what it is. Now think: out of that cauldron, where all the bubbles would be as big as the Alps if it could get room for its boiling, certain bubbles have bubbled out and escaped - up and away, and there they stand in the cool, cold sky - mountains. Think of the change, and you will no more wonder that there should be something awful about the very look of the mountain…”

Now he is ready to pull together his descriptions together in a way that leads us into awe, wonder, and even praise:

“…from the darkness - for where the light has nothing to shine upon, it is much the same as darkness - from the heat, from the endless turmoil of boiling unrest - up, with a sudden heavenward shoot, into the wind, and the cold, and the starshine, and a cloak of ermine above the blue green mail of the glaciers (as a knight in shining armor); and the great sun, their grandfather, up there in the sky; and their little old cold aunt, the moon, that comes wandering about the house that night; and everlasting stillness, except for the wind that turns the rocks and caverns into a roaring organ for the young archangels that are studying how to let out the pent-up praises of their hearts, and the molten music of the stream, rushing ever from the bosom of the glaciers firstborn.

Wow! Yet MacDonald isn’t done yet. He continues our exploration of the mountain by digging inside and describing what we might see.

But inside, who shall tell what lies there? Caverns of awfullest solitude, their walls miles thick, sparkling with ores of gold or silver, copper or iron, tine or mercury, studded perhaps with precious stones - perhaps and brook, with eyeless fish in it, running, running ceaselessly, cold and babbling, through banks crusted with carbuncles, and golden topazes, or over gravel of which some of the stones are rubies and sapphires - who can tell? - and whoever can’t tell is free to think…

I am in awe of his imagination, of his ability with words, of the way he uses both word and imagination to resurface the imagination that adulthood buried beneath the challenges of everyday life. To write like this may be a mountain too high for me to scale, but I am going to try.

There are additional skills that need to be developed to provide readers with a joyful experience; things like I call “overhearing interesting conversation” and “doing handstands with common ideas.”

Let’s explore these together in posts to follow.

-Randy

…free yourself a while for God and rest a while in him. -Anselm of Canterbury

Almost a thousand years ago, an Italian child was born with the same malady we moderns have. As he grew in stature and faith, he found it difficult to slow his thoughts and spend time with God. However, Anselm of Canterbury developed a prayer to help him slow his mind and focus his thoughts on seeking God. I share this prayer as a resource that helps me begin my prayers, whether daily prayer using my prayerbook or a half-day of prayer each quarter. I am confident you will find it as helpful as I have.

Anselm’s Proslogion (with steps for use)

1. Begin seated in a quiet place with an inspiring view. Repeat the following words until they begin to sink in:

Come now, little man,

turn aside from your daily employment,

escape for a moment from the tumult of your thoughts.

2. Then, with your hands in your lap, inhale deeply and exhale slowly three times. Continue with the next section of the prayer, saying it silently or out loud.

Put aside your weighty cares,

let your burdensome distractions wait,

free yourself a while for God and

rest a while in him.

3. Clench your hands on your lap, bring a concern to mind and then use the thumb of one hand to push that concern into your fist. Repeat with another worry, using your alternate hand. Continue with another concern, then another, pushing them into one hand and then another and imagining each fist becoming more and more full. Once you have put all of your conscious concerns in your clenched hands, turn your palms up and release your fists, holding your palms open, imagining the worries and concerns floating away from you and up to God. Feel your palm becoming cool, the peace of letting those things go, and sit silently for a moment in the calm.

3. Continue with the prayer.

Enter the inner chamber of your soul,

shut out everything except God and

that which can help you in seeking him.

4. Imagine your heart opening and freely sharing the peace and the calm. Breathe in nature, allow the birdsong or the silence to flow through you without analyzing or trying to take hold of it. Then, when you are ready, conclude Anselm’s prayer by saying to yourself:

Now, my whole heart, say to God,

“I seek your face, Lord it is your face I seek.”

Now begin your Scripture reading, review the inspirational quotes that draw you to God, or begin working through your prayers.

Enjoy! -Randy

Our culture seems fond of labeling our enemies with names from World War II. The details of that time in history have been mostly forgotten, but derogatory terms like Nazi1, Fascist2, and even jackbooted thug3 have been preserved for our enemies. It seems appropriate, then, to consider an alternative script for Christianity in our day by reflecting on the document written by German Christians in opposition to Nazi ideology.

In the German city of Barmen, Reformed theologian Karl Barth and Lutheran theologian Hans Asmussen drafted a declaration which expressly repudiated the common ideology of their day, reasserting the gospel of Jesus as the heart of the faith:

The Christian Church is the congregation of the brethren in which Jesus Christ acts presently as the Lord in Word and Sacrament through the Holy Spirit. As the Church of pardoned sinners, it has to testify in the midst of a sinful world, with its faith as with its obedience, with its message as with its order, that it is solely his property, and that it lives and wants to live solely from his comfort and from his direction in the expectation of his appearance.4

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Our culture seeks to prove its virtue by committing to and even marching for the ideologically left or right. We are taught to rebuild the dividing walls of hostility broken down by the death of Jesus5 to define good and bad, righteousness and unrighteousness, justice and injustice, according to the latest cultural flashpoint. The grace of God is limited to those who choose the right team.

The Barmen Declaration reminds us that we are all sinners in a sinful world and that our only virtue is in confessing our sins, accepting the forgiveness of Christ, and sharing with others the good news that this same forgiveness is available for them too. This proclamation is the reason the Christian church exists.

Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death.

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God’s revelation.6

Our cultural conversation has a very different script. Our greatest agitation is about issues that we cannot control. The only way we can make a difference is to give our time to social media pundits, journalists, and intellectuals. The only way change will happen is if we vote for the correct politicians. We are powerless to live virtuously without them.

Meanwhile, we leave personal issues that could have a direct impact unresolved. Our emotions are deeply stoked by the DHS activities in Minneapolis, even if we live hundreds or thousands of miles away and have no problems with the ICE in our community. Given our anger and upset about foreign wars, we have no time for struggling family members, for the homeless people down the road, to clean up the graffiti and trash in our neighborhood. Our life, our relationships, and our community can be a complete mess, but as long as we choose the right political point of view, this strange script validates us as good, insightful, and caring human beings. Whereas in earlier days, we set our hearts at rest by confessing our sins and receiving forgiveness during weekly worship, we now feel like “good people” if we hold the political views of our peer group.

The Barmen Declaration critiques this approach:

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church were permitted to abandon the form of its message and order to its own pleasure or to changes in prevailing ideological and political convictions.7

Jesus gives us an alternative. After confession and forgiveness, we are freed to live in a way so beautifully expressed in the Peace Prayer, which features in a previous post:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

We have a choice. Choose the script that declares Christ as the one we hear, trust, and obey in life. This script frees us to share in the grace of God with others, regardless of their political point of view. It will heal our whiplash and lead us on a path that brings true validation, true freedom, and a life that will makegoodhappen. There is a better way to live.

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ -Joshua 5:13

I don’t envy pastors of diverse congregations. It’s much simpler to lead a lop-sided faith community that represents one side of the latest cultural quarrel. All you have to do is keep your flock happy with sermons reinforcing their prejudice on the left or on the right, close ranks with them when they gripe about the nasty people on the “other side,” and express heartfelt agreement when they tell morality tales illustrating the mean-spiritedness and judgmentalism of people who would never feel welcome in your congregation anyway. It is much more challenging when your congregation represents the country as a whole. Each side of the political aisle pushes the church to divest itself of the good news of Christianity and embody a self-adulatory, self-righteous, and self-satisfied harmony instead. Few pastors can resist such pressure and keep their jobs.

Nevertheless, the Christian church doesn’t exist to underwrite the latest conservative or liberal script foisted upon our shoulders by our society. Christianity has a very different script of its own.

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” -Jesus

Christianity subverts the agenda on the right and the left, not because it offers a third option, but because it is rooted in a very different way of life. It feels more natural to lead people through a “virtuous” power play. Nevertheless, our faith calls us to guide people in a radical new script. Unfortunately, it often takes a crisis to remind us of how different we are meant to be.

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In 1933, the Nazis seized power in Germany. German Protestants were pressured to “Aryanize” by expelling Jewish Christians from ordained ministry and by reorganizing their churches with the “Führer Principle.” A pro-Nazi “German Christian” movement became a force within the church, pushing for the absolute authority and unquestioning obedience to Adolf Hitler as a “German Prophet.” Many churches gave up the gospel and conformed to the majority ideology of their culture. But in the industrial city of Barmen, the “Confessing Church Movement” rejected this nationalistic ideology and re-stated their commitment to the good news of Christianity. For example, the Barmen Declaration declares:

The church’s commission, upon which its freedom is founded, consists in delivering the message of the free grace of God to all people in Christ’s stead, and therefore in the ministry of his own Word and work through sermon and Sacrament.

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church in human arrogance could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of any arbitrarily chosen desires, purposes, and plans.1

We are living in a time between dominant disintegrating ideologies. We struggle with a kind of cultural whiplash, trying to adapt to rapidly changing apocalyptic scenarios used by those who want to rule over us. The Barment Declaration reminds us of something essential to Biblical faith. The man with a sword responded to Joshua’s question as to whether the man was for the Israelites of for their enemies saying,

‘Neither,’…’but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ 2

As the story continues, we get to the question appropriate for the follower of Jesus:

Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’3

Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, (they are) driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. -From Isaiah 17:13

I dreamt I was walking past cobwebs, down basement stairs, and into the darkness of forgotten days. When I reached the landing, I turned on my cell phone flashlight to survey what the church basement stored.

The light revealed banners and signs that congregations had proudly proclaimed over the past decades. I laughed when I saw an apocalyptic Y2K banner in the corner of the room, remembering so much hype about nothing. But then it dawned on me that the church messages that surrounded me reflected the same revolving headlines as my conversations in the waking world.

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There were dusty banners proclaiming the end of the world if we did not immediately divest ourselves of nuclear power. Next to them were Cold War signs from a church on the other side of the political divide, proclaiming the safety of “mutually assured destruction” with the word MAD in bright red letters. More recent additions to the collection included “Occupy Wall Street” placards, messaging the support for the 99% against the 1%, pro-choice signs sitting uncomfortably next to pro-life posters. Each banner, in its day, divided the church over issues deemed essential to our civilization; each was overtaken by a new fear before the issue could be resolved; each is now forgotten in this dark basement.

I woke up, looked at the time on my phone, and was greeted with the latest military action. Out of habit, I eagerly turn to the headlines on what we colloquially call the news: BBC, Fox, CNN, and GB News. In reality, I was reading people’s reactions to the military action, one step removed from what actually happened. I further indulged my appetite by seeking and finding my favorite talking heads on YouTube, people who make money by riffing on the headlines. The more outrageous their outrage over the opinions of others, the more likely they are to have pride of place in my YouTube algorithm. As I watch them they guide me two more steps from reality. They urge me to share, as my opinion, their opinion on the opinions of the news.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and saw a young boy captivated by geeks1 at an American carnival in days gone by. When I had scrolled through the content on my phone, I was as captivated by what I saw as 1900’s carnival goers were when they saw the wild men bite the heads off chickens and snakes. They formed a gaggle outside of the geek tent to discuss what they had seen. I had joined a group on social media voicing anger, in hushed and hurried tones, at those whose opinions differ from their own.

It is sad to think that this is the closest our cultural conversations come to a sense of community. We put so much energy into validating our view as virtuous and the other as a threat while both are far removed from what is actually happening.

My dreams are closer to reality than my waking hours.

Is this really the way I want to live?

Is this the Script I want to live by?

Is there another one I can choose?

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:1-4

I love libraries. But while studying in seminary, after about 5 hours straight, I went stir crazy. I found a nearby park, Lacy Park, that was just the right size, with just the right tables, at just the right temperature in L.A., to spend hours studying, reading…and praying. I soon figured out that Lacy Park was the perfect place to take a morning in prayer. All I needed was a process to guide me. In this post I want to share my process as well as a few things you need for your own “Lacy Park morning of prayer.”

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I. Things you need:

• A morning without interruption

• A Bible

• Pens/Paper

• A beautiful location

• A process to work through (see below)

• Sandwich/Water

• A change of clothing for weather changes that are possible in your context.

II. The Process (with Suggestions/Examples)

I have developed a ten-step process. Each step can take about 20 minutes. At the outset, let me say that I rarely make it through all ten. More often, I find that certain steps are more important than others given what is going on in my life.

Step One: Rejoice in the Lord.

I begin by reciting some scriptures to focus my mind on God. For example:

“And (the Lord) passed in front of Moses, proclaming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” -Exodus 34:6-7a

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

-Philippians 4:4-7

“…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Ephesians 5: 18b-20

Then, once I am ready, I begin to worship with a song or a hymn, something like:

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendour and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.

Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns.’ The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;

he will judge the peoples with equity.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. -Psalm 96

(Also: Psalm 9, while struggling with others, Psalm 33 and old hymns like “O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing” and “Be Thou My Vision.”)

Step Two: Confess Our Sins

This is a rarer and thus more necessary part of our lives. Our culture is hypersensitive to the sins of others. But Christians, who begin by proclaiming the beauty, justice, and perfection of God, move naturally to confess the contrast in our own lives.

There are examples of this practice in the Bible, for example:

‘Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. -Daniel 9:4-6

There are also confessions we can practice from Christians who have gone before us:

You who are faithful throughout all generations, righteous in your judgments, marvelous in strength and excellence. …

You who are good, and faithful toward those who trust in you. …

You who show pity and compassion. …

Forgive us our sins, our unrighteousness, our transgressions, and our shortcomings. Do not hold us to account for every sin, but cleanse us with the cleansing of your truth. Guide our steps to walk in holiness, righteousness, and singleness of heart. Help us to do those things that are good and pleasing in your sight. Amen.1

(Also: Psalm 51)

Step Three: Receive Forgiveness.

This is also quite different from our present societal approach. First, Christian forgiveness is available to everyone who asks, regardless of their political or ideological viewpoint. In the Apostolic Constitutions (a collection of prayers and liturgical instructions dating to about the year 375), we find this vivid prayer of confession and repentance:

Almighty, eternal God, look down upon us as we bow the neck of our souls and our bodies to you. You do not want us to die as sinners. You desire repentance, instead. You want us to turn from our wicked ways, and live.

You want all people to be saved, and acknowledge the truth. You once accepted the repentance of the people of Nineveh. And as in the parable of the prodigal son, where the father accepted back the son who repented after he had squandered his inheritance in sinful living—now would you accept our repentance as we come before you?

For we all sin. But “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness” -Psalm 130:3–4.

Restore us to your fellowship, in your Church. Restore us to dignity and honor, through Christ our Lord and Savior, amen.

Second, our forgiveness is sourced, not from our activism, but from the finished work of God in Christ. As the Bible says:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. -Isaiah 53:5

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. -I John 1:9

Finally, our forgiveness is closely tied to our forgiving others. As the Lord’s Prayer says,

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. -Matthew 6:12

After confessing your sins and receiving God’s forgiveness, reflect on any contentious or broken relationships that you have. Then pray for grace to forgive them and let your hurt and anger go.

Step Four: Acknowledge those who have contributed to your life.

Taking time to reflect on the people who have contributed to your life as well as praying a prayer of thanks for God’s placing them in your life helps with a deeper sense of contentment and joy. Again, there are passages of the Bible to inspire you:

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. -Ephesians 1:15-16

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now… -Philippians 1:3-5

…brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. -Philippians 4:8-9:

Step Five: Lunch/Snack Break

At about an hour and a half in, I take a break for a snack or for lunch. Only a couple of “have tos” here:

1. Enjoy the beauty!

2. No cell phones!

If my mind wanders I sometimes reflect on Psalm 131:

My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have calmed and quietened myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and for evermore.

Step Six: How am I learning and growing?

Now that I am resting in God, I begin to reflect on my life, beginning with what God is teaching me. I surface this by reflecting on:

1. What passages of scripture have stood out to me in my Bible reading?

2. What prayers have been answered since my last 1/2 day of prayer?

3. What recent experiences seem like “teaching moments”?

I write down whatever comes up in my journal.

Step Seven: What do I truly believe?

Take time to reflect on the beliefs, interpretations, and ideas that have guided your actions of late. Write them down and consider their validity. What is their source? What ideas support your assertions? What are the beliefs of those who oppose your position? Is there anything in their views that could shape or strengthen yours?

Then, once you are confident in your beliefs, recommit yourself to them in a prayer to God.

For example:

Lord, you have called me, at the beginning of this third chapter of life, to write quality historical fiction about your work in the world. I commit the best of my energy and time to completing this calling. Bless my writing that others will be encourage to translate their faith into their every day lives. Amen.

Step Eight: Key books

Once we have committed ourselves to our beliefs, we can align our reading with our actions.

For example:

I want to write the best book I possibly can, with wit, humor, and horror. Therefore, I will read the following:

Humor/Wit:

• Anything written by G.K. Chesterton

Horror:

• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Suicide Club by Robert Louis Stevenson:

• The Beetle by Richard Marsh

• Dracula by Bram Stoker

High-Quality Writing:

• The First Circle by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

• Inferno, Pergatorio, and Paradiso by Dante Alighieri

• Dombey and Sons by Charles Dickens

Step Nine: My community

Who am I going to walk closely with in this time of life?

In chapter three my core community is my wife, my parents, my sons and my daughter and law.

I will also deepen a few select relationships with other Christians.

Step Ten: Allocating my resources

I will continue to reduce my time watching news, social media and streaming movies to focus instead on high priority tasks in alignment with my goals and prayers such as:

• key reading,

• administering the family business,

• stewarding our resources,

• writing my book,

• travel with my wife,

• publishing on Substack.

I usually conclude with another 15-20 minutes of enjoying the park before heading back to the car and driving home with renewed strength and a confident sense of direction…until the next time of prayer!

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. - Prov. 16:9

Youth, employment, retirement…and then you die. It always seemed a rather dreary way to think about life, especially when my own retirement appeared like a dark and ominous cloud on the horizon. Thankfully, I picked up Arthur C. Brooks’ “From Strength to Strength” and found a new way of thinking about my life. The clouds gave way to a brighter view.

The first twenty-five years are about preparation for life: growth, learning, and education. The second phase of life is about building a family, a profession, and a life of their own. The fourth chapter of life is the final twenty to twenty-five years. That put me squarely in the third chapter of life, which is a bit of a bummer. But I still have two more chapters of life, which was encouraging. It was also challenging. How could I implement this approach?

Last week’s post focused on setting goals according to our chapter of life. As a follower of Jesus, that is an important step. But there is another. How do I hold these goals loosely so God has the ultimate say in my life? Though I am by no means passive in my life decisions, I want God to write chapters three and four as he has chapters one and two.

I have found that regularly praying for my goals embodies the wise words at the beginning of this post. The rest of this post will describe, specifically, a tool I have found very helpful in supporting this habit: a prayer book.

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This post is a self-guided “workshop.” I am going to share the details of my own prayer book so that you can read with pen and paper in hand and adapt what follows for the goals you have developed in your chapter of life.

First, list your goals. Here are mine from the last post:

• Positive experiences with parents.

• Help our parents to develop a rhythm of life that strengthens their self-esteem.

• Strengthen my relationship with my sister Jeannie, with whom I work, to provide care for our Mom.

• Be present for Lucas and Karren as they move through chapter two to overcome life’s landmines and challenges, and to support them as responsibilities grow.

• Support Sam in chapter one.

• With my wife, Cheryl, to be safe people who provide a safe place for Sam, Lucas, and Karren to share, enjoy, and express their feelings.

• Use whatever wisdom I have to provide financial support for my family.

• Steward our resources so we can live for others.

Next, determine the major headings for your prayer book. Here are mine:

1. Inspiring quotes

2. Prayers Answered

3. Open Prayer Requests

More specifically:

Section 1, Quotes:

An ever-growing collection of quotes that inspires me to spend time in prayer. Here are a few examples:

An inspiring definition of prayer: “…the personality of the believing man laying old as with arms and hands upon the reality, and grace, and power, and attention, of the personally known and personally loved God.” -H.C.G. Moule, Secret Prayer, p. 55.

The goal of prayer:

• "…a heart that is nourished neither by the world nor by fantasy, but by him alone.” -Jean Pierre De Caussade, The Sacrament of the Present Moment, p. 2.

• “…the recapture…of the revival fire of the love of God which led the Apostle Paul both to withstand the Apostle Peter, when necessary, to his face, and also to impart his very life to those whom God has sent him.” -BFC Atkinson, Valiant in Fight, p. vii

And a quote that serves as a practical preparation for my times of prayer: “Come now; little man, turn aside from your daily employment, escape for a moment from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside your weighty cares, let your burdensome distractions wait, free yourself a while in him. Enter the inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything except God and that which can help you in seeking him. Now, my whole heart, say to God, “I seek your face, Lord, it is your face I seek.” -Anselm, Proslogion1

Section 2, Prayers Answered:

I keep a growing list of prayers God has answered, including the date I began praying and the date they were answered. This reminds me of the importance and efficacy of my time spend praying. For example:

On 3/11/18 I began to pray for a good result of a legal action related to a family business. That prayer was fulfilled in a positive judgment three years later.

On 8/17/18 I began to pray for the funds to pay off our mortgage. That was fulfilled when the above prayer was answered.

Other prayers answered:

10/11/17 and 11/1/2018: For my sons to make the Christian faith we raised them with their own, and for them to take steps to go deeper in their relationship with God in college and beyond. To date, both sons are actively involved in their local churches. My wife and I are so thankful that our sons are experiencing the relationship that has been of the highest importance to us both.

On 10/13/18, I began to pray for a fully funded retirement for my wife and me. In 2024, I crunched the numbers with our financial advisor and realized we were well on the way to achieving our goal.

On 5/5/19 I began to pray that Lucas, my oldest son, would meet the perfect woman for a lifelong partnership and build a family that will glorify God. On 12/2/23 Lucas and Karren were married!

Section 3, Open Prayer Requests:

This is where I arrange my goals for this chapter of life. Beyond simply listing out the goals as prayer requests (above), I like to add Scripture passages, when appropriate, that I can pray along with the requests. For example:

• 2/16/2026: Request: Positive experiences with parents. Specifically, (1) wisdom and good relationship with my parents so they develop a rhythm of life that strengthens their self-esteem. (2)Strengthen my relationship with my sister, Jeannie, as we provide care for our parents”

  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honour your father and mother’– which is the first commandment with a promise – ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’ -Ephesians 6:1-3

• 2/16/2026: Request: That Cheryl and I can provide the support our youngest son, Sam, needs in chapter one of his life.

  “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” -Ephesians 6:4

• 2/16/2026: Request: That we steward our resources in a way that allows us to live in a way that benefits others.

  “ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

-Romans 25:35-36

Once you have begun developing your prayer book, set regular times to pray. You may want to begin with one day a week and build up from there. However frequently you pray, start with something manageable and grow from there.

Finally, remember Jesus’ promise:

I say to you: ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. -Luke 9:11

For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. -The Peace Prayer.

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