What is your diet like?

This week, I've started to count calories. Not that I'm watching my weight or anything, I'm just curious. To my amazement, I am taking in almost 5,000 calories a day! For some reason I thought I was closer to 2 or 3 thousand. I'm not gaining any weight so I suppose I need not be too concerned. However, it has pointed my attention to what kind of foods I am eating that are so high in calories. Most of my diet is made up of carbs and sugars. I suppose I should start being more concerned- I'm not getting any younger. Sooner or later my weight will start to catch up with my metabolism. It would be a wise idea to start making the change to more healthier food now.

This got me thinking about my spiritual diet as well. What sort of things am I putting into my mind and soul as it pertains to spiritual food? I thank God that He has taught me to love the Bible, and to be reading it on a daily basis. It is my main source of "spiritual food." But what other things am I feeding on?

In the reflections on pride from St. Augustine's BOOK OF PRAYER, he says that DISOBEDIENCE is, "Refusal to learn God’s nature or will as revealed in Scripture, expounded in instructions or expert advice, or discernible through prayer, meditation or the reading of religious books. Absorption in our own affairs, leaving little time, energy or interest for the things of God."

I can't say I have ever considered my not reading christian books or seeking instruction or "expert advice" as disobedience, but to think of it as, "refusal to learn of God's nature..." Then yeah, I can see that as disobedience. We are to be the people of God, who know God, and learn of His unfathomable ways! If we put it off, delay, or out right refuse, we are in disobedience.

This thought has made me increase my spiritual diet, and include more instruction, and ways to discern the nature of God. Now if I can start eating more vegetables I might soon be considered more healthy all around.

Bono speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast in D.C.

The lead singer of one of my favorite bands, "U2" spoke at the 54th Annual National Prayer Breakfast on the 2nd of February. Bono's words were humorous, insightful, and nothing less then powerfully convicting. He challenges the US nation, along with the world to not just live up to human law, but to step up to, "a higher law."

One of Bono's sobering comments points to where God is and challenges us to position ourselves there as well. He says,

"I mean, God may well be with us in our mansions on the hill- I hope so. He may well be with us as in all manner of controversial stuff-maybe, maybe not- But the one thing we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor."
"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house- God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives- God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war- God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."

Here is a man who is chasing after God, and knows where to find Him- "God is with the vulnerable and poor." And he challenges us to go there and do something about it. Bono has no seminary degree, does not choose to be titled a Christian, yet believes in the One Almighty God, and his life shows it more then most. Dare this entice me to get out those old albums and put away the Christian "self-help" books? After reading so many, there are times I'm tempted to say,
"I still haven't found what I'm looking for."

You can listen to Bono's address at the Prayer Breakfast and then leave a comment below to carry on the discussion.

(thnx. art for pointing me to this!)
j.

Belonging

Just how many people do you think want to belong? I often wonder if one of the greatest needs most people experience is a longing to belong. Something I learned at a relatively early age is that people desire three things: they desire to be loved, they desire to be known, and they desire to be loved even though they are known! In fact most people will only allow you to get to know them up to a point out of fear that you will no longer like, yet alone, love them. When someone feels that they belong to a group, a family, a church ect. they are more likely to be known and receive love. But just how many people belong to such a group? If families are broken or scattered miles away what other groups of people are available for belonging? And do these groups allow one to be welcomed into freely? Do they offer love and a willingness to get to know new people? I believe it is the duty of us Christians to welcome these people into our communities. We can offer the love that God has given us, and we can get to know people and allow for a sense of belonging. It is one thing to be nice to a person we will never see again, or offer a few lose coins to a beggar on the street as we pass by, but what if we Christians invite lonely people who desire to be loved and known into communities of faith where Gods love can be shown them and our friendship can be given? I say if we do this, we will be the Church Christ prayed we would be. We would be united as bodies of believers offering community, belonging, love and friendship. Perhaps, if we did this more, there would not be so many people longing to belong. More then that there would be more people belonging to the Kingdom as well!

Just Give Me Space!

On the flight home from Prague, I was reading a French Magazine called, Aeroports*. (I don't have to translate it do I?) In the magazine was an article that talked about the growing fad of themed cafes. It seems that in Europe more and more coffee shops are opening up that provide more then just coffee, they provide space to both hear and share ideas. Some cafes are philosophy cafes, some literary, others poetry, and some are even a cafe and Shiatsu massage! The thing they share in common is that they each provide a space where people gather who share similar interests. It is like putting faces, and personal contact together with themed chat rooms. As Megan and I were taking the taxi to our flat in Scotland, I was thinking if this sort of thing would catch on in the UK. It has only been in the last 5 years that coffee houses really started booming here. But would coffee houses with themes catch on? My first thought was of our staff meeting over the past 2 years at a coffee house to do our Bible read through. In that time, not only have we read through the Bible twice over, but every person working in this particular coffee house knows what it is that we are doing there and even a local customer has recently joined in! We are not the only mission team doing this. Another team holds a theology discussion every Thursdays in a Pub that used to be a church. With the rich theological history of Scotland, I would not be surprised if more people would care to join them. Could this be a way for us missionaries to prepare in advance for a swell of cultural interest? Or would we just catch a wave that is destined to crash on the shore of empty words and no action? For there are those who ignore sound teaching and just want to hear themselves talk. In any case, there remains a need to create a space where spiritual conversations can be had. If people are not going to churches anymore to have such conversations- we need to go where they are, or at least provide a place where they will come!

*PARIS Aeroports Magazine July 2005 p28 Article by Jacques Diament.