Faith Formation 24/7

In my last blog I wrote about singing and dancing as one of the ways research suggests we can be happy. Another way is “being very still.” I am writing this one for myself. I believe in it; I just don’t practice it very well at all.

The suggestion is to have a cup of tea or sit in silence for 15 minutes.That makes sense. When I have been intentionally still and quiet, I have been very glad I did. Last evening Vibrant Faith Ministries had a Facebook Party and the topic was the busy schedules of parents and kids and how congregations fit into those heavily scheduled lives. It was great conversation. As I think about it, the one thing I wish I had contributed was the importance of quiet time, scheduling a timeout for prayer and meditation. Wouldn’t that be a nice gift for congregations to offer parents and kids? Or would we just seem “out of touch” with busy, busy lives? I hope it would be the former and not the latter.

The meditation I enjoy the most is breathing in and out with the words “gift and grace” (inhale) and “freedom and release” (exhale). Then I move from that to “The Lord is my shepherd” (inhale) and “I shall not want” (exhale). It is amazing how quickly my body and mind respond to this gentle, quieting exercise that is also a form of prayer.

I would love to learn from you what you do to be very quiet and how you help yourself and others take the time to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). What do you do?

I recently read an article on seven ways to be happier and found it fascinating. One of the ways to joy is to sing or dance. I love that.

In 1975 I actually wrote a master’s thesis entitled “The Mental Health of Social Folk Dance” so I am a bit biased. The University of Manchester researchers discovered that part of the inner ear connects to the part of the brain that registers pleasure. My personal experience of Sunday and Wednesday evening folk dance rehearsals at college (yes, some of the dances included singing, too) would certainly confirm that data and was a primary reason why I wrote my thesis on that topic. 

The seven ways to be happier are all found in the church. They certainly fit the Christian faith. The Bible repeatedly exhorts us not to be anxious or fearful (a theme of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount). Yes, you can expect that I will blog on the other six in the future.

When I am invited to work with confirmation students and parents, I almost always begin with a Jewish circle dance. This is especially important when the parents and students are not accustomed to being together as a group. Then there is often great tension that is relieved when they laugh at me, then at each other, and finally at themselves. It works! They relax, have fun, and become a community that can listen and care for each other in ways not possible just moments before.

It is no small wonder that the church has been a singing community throughout history. And, when it has been less inhibited, it has also been a dancing community. I have dreamed about (and it will happen) gathering family and friends to dance folk dances in an outdoor area at my cabin. Part of the pleasure for me is that such experiences create community that combines peace, joy, laughter and physical release. The other joy for me that already happens is to gather around our family pump organ and sing hymns. It is my “heaven on earth.”

Where do you sing and dance the faith? Where do yo sing and dance for joy?

Kerry Eagan is a hospice chaplain in Massachusetts and author. She teaches about what people talk about when they are dying. She writes, “. . . people talk to the chaplain about their families because that is how we talk about God. That is how we talk about the meaning of our lives. That is how we talk about the big spiritual questions of human existence.” At seminary she had been challenged by a professor who thought talk about family instead of God was beneath the calling of a pastor. After years to reflect on his critique, she disagrees. She goes on to give example after example of tender acts of care from loved ones as another is dying and how that is all part of our search for meaning and expressions of a deeper spiritual life.

I like her comments a lot, but does it need to be an either/or discussion? Can’t we lift up a caring conversation about family life that aides our end-of-life journey by connecting our family (however “family” is defined) stories with the story of  God’s presence and grace? I want to hear that family life is deeply spiritual in ways God understands, blesses, judges, and redeems. I want to remember that my family experiences are understood in the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Elijah and Elisha, Ruth and Naomi, King David and his sons, Mary and Martha, the prodigal son, the good Samaritan, and much more. My point is not to legitimize our family experiences with religious rhetoric but to deepen them with a sense of the experience of the eternal as well as the experience of common humanity that runs with waters very, very deep.

If I have the opportunity to die with friends and family around (many of us do), I want to treasure the stories of my life and others as sacred because of  the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of a parent, child, and grandchild, who comes to reclaim my mess and my loves with eternal hope and joy. I want stories, laughter, tears, hymns, biblical texts, and other acts of care and mercy to be present to remind us all that our family stories have the trinitarian spirit of being created, redeemed, and sustained by the God whose brilliance and mercy are shown through a Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Aren’t those the conversations, relationships, and actions we want to sustain us on our journey everyday, not just when we die? And if I die suddenly without family or friends around me at that moment, may I be blessed to have had conversations, relationships, and actions to embrace from a lifetime of family and friendships bound together in God’s story of faith, hope, and love.

In John W. Matthews’ new book, Bonhoeffer: A brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Matthews points out that the central theme of Bonheoffer’s theology is that Christ is the hidden center of humanity, history, and nature. Such a realization has an immense impact on how we order our days and our deeds.

As I was reading this, I was also reflecting on the challenge for parents and other adults to “fit in” the Christian life in the midst of busy schedules. From Bonheffer’s perspective, perhaps the problem is trying to “fit in” Jesus Christ at all. Christ is not the appetizer or dessert. He is the essential sustenance that can’t simply be added when there are a few calories to sacrifice or a “free” moment to add.

Instead of a goal to fit in an occasional worship service or faith formation program to satisfy annual reports and membership obligations, what if we sought to operate on the grace-filled vision that orders our days on the basis of Christ’s hidden presence everywhere and all the time? What if that were the prevailing vision of our congregations and our homes? Could the focus be on having a congregational church that inspires and equips people to remember God’s reconciling presence and that influences our conversations, our hellos and good-byes, our struggles, our joys, our core values and schedule, our blessing of others with words and actions? Might this be the very thing people are looking for today, especially those who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”?

Is it time to concede that adding Jesus to busy lives feels more line the two-minute piece of straw that breaks the over scheduled back? Instead, could we pray, speak, act, think and dance as though Christ just might be as real, yet as hidden, as breathing, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and imagining everything?

If Christ is perceived as the center and not an occasional feel-good addition to a busy life, how could that shape the efforts and vision of congregational leaders?

If Christ is the center, what would that look like when people are at work, school, home, in the car, in the woods, at the beach, or caring for someone in need?

What would it look like of Christ were embedded in our lives instead of a purse or backpack to carry along for the ride?

In John W. Matthews’ new book, Bonhoeffer: A brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Matthews points out that the central theme of Bonheoffer’s theology is that Christ is the hidden center of humanity, history, and nature. Such a realization has an immense impact on how we order our days and our deeds.

As I was reading this, I was also reflecting on the challenge for parents and other adults to “fit in” the Christian life in the midst of busy schedules. From Bonheffer’s perspective, perhaps the problem is trying to “fit in” Jesus Christ at all. Christ is not the dessert or the appetizer. He is the essential sustenance that can’t simply be added when there are a few calories to sacrifice or a “free” moment to add.

Instead of a goal of fitting in an occasional worship service or faith formation program to satisfy annual reports and membership obligations, what if we sought to operate on the grace-filled vision that orders our days on the basis of Christ’s hidden presence everywhere and all the time? What if that were the prevailing vision of our congregations and our homes? Could the focus be on having a congregational church that inspires and equips people to recall God’s reconciling presence and that influences our conversations, our hellos and good-byes, our struggles, our joys, our core values and schedule, our blessing of others with words and actions? Might this be the very thing people are looking for today, especially those who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”?

Is ti time to concede that adding Jesus to busy lives feels more line the two-minute piece of straw that breaks the over scheduled back? Instead, could we pray, speak, act, think and dance as though Christ just might be as real (and as hidden) as breathing, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and imagining everything?

If Christ is perceived as the center and not an occasional feel-good addition to a busy life, how could that shape the efforts and vision of congregational leaders?

If Christ is the center, what would that look like when people are at work, school, home, in the car, in the woods, at the beach, or caring for someone in need?

What would it look like of Christ were embedded in our lives instead of a purse or backpack to carry along for the ride? 

In John W. Matthews’ new book, Bonhoeffer: A brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Matthews points out that the central theme of Bonheoffer’s theology is that Christ is the hidden center of humanity, history, and nature. Such a realization has an immense impact on how we order our days and our deeds.

As I was reading this, I was also reflecting on the challenge for parents and other adults to “fit in” the Christian life in the midst of busy schedules. From Bonheffer’s perspective, perhaps the problem is trying to “fit in” Jesus Christ at all. Christ is not the dessert or the appetizer. He is the essential sustenance that can’t simply be added when there are a few calories to sacrifice or a “free” moment to add.

Instead of a goal of fitting in an occasional worship service or faith formation program to satisfy annual reports and membership obligations, what if we sought to operate on the grace-filled vision that orders our days on the basis of Christ’s hidden presence everywhere and all the time? What if that was the prevailing vision of our congregations and our homes? Could the focus be on having a congregational church that inspired and equips people to recall God’s reconciling presence that influences our conversations, our hellos and good-byes, our struggles, our joys, our core values and schedule, our blessing of others with words and actions? Might this be the very thing people are looking for today, especially those who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”?

Is ti time to concede that adding Jesus to busy lives feels more line the two-minute piece of straw that breaks the over scheduled back? Instead, could we pray, speak, act, think and dance as though Christ just might be as real (and as hidden) as breathing, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and imagining everything?

If Christ is perceived as the center and not an occasional feel-good addition to a busy life, how could that shape the efforts and vision of congregational leaders?

If Christ is the center, what would that look like when people are at work, school, home, in the car, in the woods, at the beach, or caring for someone in need?

What would it look like of Christ were embedded in our lives instead of a purse or backpack to carry along for the ride? 

In John W. Matthews’ new book, Bonhoeffer: A brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Matthews points out that the central theme of Bonheoffer’s theology is that Christ is the hidden center of humanity, history, and nature. Such a realization has an immense impact on how we over our days and our deeds.

As I was reading this, I was also reflecting on the challenge for parents and other adults to “fit in” the Christian life in the midst of busy schedules. From Bonheffer’s perspective, perhaps the problem is trying to “fit in” Jesus Christ at all. Christ is not the dessert or the appetizer. He is the essential sustenance that can’t simply be added when there are a few calories to sacrifice or a “free” moment to add.

Instead of a goal of fitting in an occasional worship service or faith formation program to satisfy annual reports and membership obligations, what if we sought to operate on the grace-filled vision that orders our days on the basis of Christ’s hidden presence everywhere and all the time? What if that was the prevailing vision of our congregations and our homes? Could the focus be on having a congregational church that inspired and equips people to recall God’s reconciling presence that influences our conversations, our hellos and good-byes, our struggles, our joys, our core values and schedule, our blessing of others with words and actions? Might this be the very thing people are looking for today, especially those who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”?

Is ti time to concede that adding Jesus to busy lives feels more line the two-minute piece of straw that breaks the over scheduled back? Instead, could we pray, speak, act, think and dance as though Christ just might be as real (and as hidden) as breathing, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and imagining everything?

If Christ is perceived as the center and not an occasional feel-good addition to a busy life, how could that shape the efforts and vision of congregational leaders?

If Christ is the center, what would that look like when people are at work, school, home, in the car, in the woods, at the beach, or caring for someone in need?

What would it look like of Christ were embedded in our lives instead of a purse or backpack to carry along for the ride? 

In John W. Matthews’ new book, Bonhoeffer: A brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Matthews points out that the central theme of Bonheoffer’s theology is that Christ is the hidden center of humanity, history, and nature. Such a realization has an immense impact on how we over our days and our deeds.

As I was reading this, I was also reflecting on the challenge for parents and other adults to “fit in” the Christian life in the midst of busy schedules. From Bonheffer’s perspective, perhaps the problem is trying to “fit in” Jesus Christ at all. Christ is not the dessert or the appetizer. He is the essential sustenance that can’t simply be added when there are a few calories to sacrifice or a “free” moment to add.

Instead of a goal of fitting in an occasional worship service or faith formation program to satisfy annual reports and membership obligations, what if we sought to operate on the grace-filled vision that orders our days on the basis of Christ’s hidden presence everywhere and all the time? What if that was the prevailing vision of our congregations and our homes? Could the focus be on having a congregational church that inspired and equips people to recall God’s reconciling presence that influences our conversations, our hellos and good-byes, our struggles, our joys, our core values and schedule, our blessing of others with words and actions? Might this be the very thing people are looking for today, especially those who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”?

Is ti time to concede that adding Jesus to busy lives feels more line the two-minute piece of straw that breaks the over scheduled back? Instead, could we pray, speak, act, think and dance as though Christ just might be as real (and as hidden) as breathing, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and imagining everything?

If Christ is perceived as the center and not an occasional feel-good actiion to a busy life, how could that shape the efforts and vision of congregational leaders?

If Christ is the center, what would that look like when people are at work, school, home, in the car, in the woods, at the beach, or caring for someone in need?

What would it look like of Christ were embedded in our lives instead of a purse or backpack to carry along for the ride? 

In John W. Matthews’ new book, Bonhoeffer: A brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Matthews points out that the central theme of Bonheoffer’s theology is that Christ is the hidden center of humanity, history, and nature. Such a realization has an immense impact on how we over our days and our deeds.

As I was reading this, I was also reflecting on the challenge for parents and other adults to “fit in” the Christian life in the midst of busy schedules. From Bonheffer’s perspective, perhaps the problem is trying to “fit in” Jesus Christ at all. Christ is not the dessert or the appetizer. He is the essential sustenance that can’t simply be added when there are a few calories to sacrifice or a “free” moment to add.

Instead of a goal of fitting in an occasional worship service or faith formation program to satisfy annual reports and membership obligations, what if we sought to operate on the grace-filled vision that orders our days on the basis of Christ’s hidden presence everywhere and all the time? What if that was the prevailing vision of our congregations and our homes? Could the focus be on having a congregational church that inspired and equips people to recall God’s reconciling presence that influences our conversations, our hellos and good-byes, our struggles, our joys, our core values and schedule, our blessing of others with words and actions? Might this be the very thing people are looking for today, especially those who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”?

Is ti time to concede that adding Jesus to busy lives feels more line the two-minute piece of straw that breaks the over scheduled back? Instead, could we pray, speak, act, think and dance as though Christ just might be as real and as hidden as breathing, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and imagining everything?

If Christ is perceived as the center and not an occasional feel-good accition to a busy life, how could that shape the efforts and vision of congregational leaders?

If Christ is the center, what would that look like when people are at work, school, home, in the car, in the woods, at the beach, or caring for someone in need?

What would it look like of Christ were embedded in our lives instead of a purse or backpack to carry along for the ride? 

In John W. Matthews’ new book, Bonhoeffer: A brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Matthews points out that the central theme of Bonheoffer’s theology is that Christ is the hidden center of humanity, history, and nature. Such a realization has an immense impact on how we over our days and our deeds.

As I was reading this, I was also reflecting on the challenge for parents and other adults to “fit in” the Christian life in the midst of busy schedules. From Bonheffer’s perspective, perhaps the problem is trying to “fit in” Jesus Christ at all. Christ is not the dessert or the appetizer. He is the essential sustenance that can’t simply be added when there are a few calories to sacrifice or a “free” moment to add.

Instead of a goal of fitting in an occasional worship service or faith formation program to satisfy annual reports and membership obligations, what if we sought to operate on the grace-filled vision that orders our days on the basis of Christ’s hidden presence everywhere and all the time? What if that was the prevailing vision of our congregations and our homes? Could the focus be on having a congregational church that inspired and equips people to recall God’s reconciling presence that influences our conversations, our hellos and good-byes, our struggles, our joys, our core values and schedule, our blessing of others with words and actions?

Is ti time to concede that adding Jesus to busy lives feels more line the two-minute piece of straw that breaks the over scheduled back? Instea, could we pray, speak, act, think and dance as though Christ just might be as real and as hidden as breathing, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and imagining everything?

If Christ is perceived as the center and not an occasional feel-good accition to a busy life, how could that shape the efforts and vision of congregational leaders?

If Christ is the center, what would that look like when people are at work, school, home, in the car, in the woods, at the beach, or caring for someone in need?

What would it look like of Christ were embedded in our lives instead of a purse or backpack to carry along for the ride?