The balance between what is and what might be

I don't know about you, but I sometimes struggle regarding how to live in the balance between what is and what is possible. Yesterday I wrote about radical potentiality. Today I'm thinking along the lines of abundant present.

By abundant present I mean living in the truth of what is and remembering to enjoy it... while at the same time engaging the amazing sense of potential that is loaded into both today and tomorrow.

It's an important balance, because thinking this way keeps me grounded. The reality of what is can be as exciting as the possibility of what might be. In fact, I believe that the potential for the future is largely influenced if not determined by how much we make (or are willing to make) of the present.

You see, there's a difference between merely saying, "Things are going to get better" - or "I believe that I'll find satisfaction (fulfillment, answers or my potential) on down the road"... and understanding the following truth: "Because the future is so inviting I'm going to bring some of that belief and intention into today, and live like I mean it right now!"

Living like we mean it, right now, is a declaration of faith that not only is there a tomorrow to move into, but that redemption is very much a reality today. The two work together. Now is the beginning of my future, and today is the only door I can walk through into tomorrow.

Thanking out loud - always - DEREK

An Invitation to Radical Potentiality

I've always liked gates... doors... roads that wind... pathways that meander... windows big enough to climb through. I have photographed "openings" - almost unconsciously - for years, never really thinking about why.

I was reminded of this the other day, going through some photographs with Rebekah's sister, Rachel. Last year our "Italy Adventure" had overlapped with Rachel and Tom's trip for a few hours and we'd enjoyed lunch together in Pisa. Rachel was looking at the powerpoint presentation I'd shared with some friends at church.

Two photographs grabbed my attention. The first is pasted above, at the opening to this post. The medieval town of Monteriggioni sits on a Tuscan hillside a few miles north of Sienna. Looking up, from the road, the traveler can see one of the arched entrances to the town - a pinhole view into the city.

Later, exploring the walled settlement, I took this view, looking out and across the Tuscan vista. It's the same aperture, but a radically different view.

Then, and this is my divergency for you, my inability - or maybe unwillingness - to think exclusively according to a linear model, one of my favorite scriptures about what it means to be "saved" jumped into my mind. Here it is, then I'll try to discuss why I think it's profound!

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:9-10 - read the whole chapter, it's awesome!)

I love the image of Jesus as a transitional platform: "I am the gate." Jesus moves, so comfortably, beyond the role of simply drawn person and into the more abstract function of catalyst. Jesus is describing himself as a kind of portal through which people can pass - and it seems as though they can come and go at will.

I believe this is an important concept when we think about what Jesus is really getting at when he uses the word "saved." The biblical uses of the word are much deeper, richer and more multi-layered than the one-dimensional, flat invitation... threat... ticket-to-heaven... say-the-magic-words mantras chanted by so many modern-day practitioners of my-way-or-the-highway religion.

The invitation of Jesus is to step into a new world. Faith in those terms is like moving from the walled-city and into the amazing landscape of unlimited possibility - of abundance; or, as in one of my favorite translations, "The life that is really life." and "More and better life than they ever dreamed of" (The Message).

Maybe that's where this fascination for windows and doors and gates and winding paths comes from. I believe God is speaking to me, constantly reminding me that being a disciple - a pilgrim - is more than a window of possibility; that - through Jesus - faith is an invitation to radical potentiality.

It's Friday. And, as always, this is a great day to be alive!

- DEREK

Faithfulness to the gifts we're been given "in trust"

I can't help but share this picture from yesterday morning, taken just as Craig and Naomi were heading back to the airport and their life together in Connecticut. It was a treat to see them. Naomi's exuberance and love for Craig; Craig's steadiness and how much he so obviously adores Naomi. If there's one thing a man wants to see in a son-in-law, it's unconditional love for his daughter. I've felt confident in Craig pretty-much from day one. They are, already, a beautiful family.

Today started early with a trip to outpatient surgery for some preventative maintenance. But, no worries, it turns out I'm pristine - and in so many ways!

The checklist questionnaire I had to fill out in the waiting room was very instructive. I think there were close to 100 responses to various questions... and I checked "no" somewhere around 97 times. My only "yes" responses were the broken bone in the early sixties, the family history that set me up for the morning's explorative activities, and the fact that I pop an antacid on a regular basis.

That's not bad. Then my blood pressure was 118/56, my resting pulse was 55 and my blood oxygen level at 98%.

All told, they told me - in exchange for donating a considerable amount of money to my doctor's new, beach-front, vacation home - I'm practically perfect in every way.

Did they take my cholesterol? No! But I'm convinced that our new super-cool diet is going to bring me back toward a good number by the next time I check in again with my primary care doctor.

But routine maintenance is a critical part of a life that seeks to maximize the opportunity we have to live out our allotted time in productive and fulfilling ways.

• Did God give me a brain? Well, am I using it to it's potential?
• Do I have a "middle-aged" body? So what am I doing to make sure that I can stay "in the game" longer and serve God to the best of my ability?
• Have I been given the gift of faith? If so, then how am I engaging the world vis-a-vis my responsibility to be an active, full-time follower of Jesus...?

The list could go on. But I think you get the gist of the idea.

"Take a good look at yourself, Derek," I hear God saying. "You have so much! I've given you these awesome tools with which to engage this world. So what are you doing to make sure you honor the fact that I believe in you?"

So today's word is about faithfulness. Faithfulness to the good gifts we have been given.

"One in spirit and purpose" - Words for an octogenarian..

OKay, you're wondering... so why did Derek fail to post on his blog yesterday...? The answer is that even the most disciplined blogger can be unwilling to get up an extra hour early on a busy day to post.

I was up dog-walking by 6:15 as per usual, then I was off to the golf course with my favorite son-in-law to cash in my "closest -to-the-pin" pair of free rounds, then off to Orlando (Apopka) for an 80th b/day party. All this - while enjoying the company of house-guests - threw me off rhythm just enough to shut down the writing.

The reason for extra house-guests was the Apopka party. Myrt Hubbard Alexander turned 80 and she was doing it in grand style (Myrt -a life-long English teacher and the unofficial queen of Apopka) was married to Rebekah's dad, Bob Alexander, the last few years of his life). It's really quite a testimony to her life that so many people came from as far away as Connecticut, New York and California simply to be there, and to honor her by eating good food and enjoying one-another's company.

As I often do, I had a few words stuck in my back-pocket "just in case". I planned on keeping them there, just handing the page to Myrt later, but - apart from excellent toasts by her two sons and a state-of-the-art blessing/invocation by Rebekah- no-one was forthcoming.

So I stepped up, tapped my fork on a glass - I LOVE tapping glasses and hearing 50 people instantly put on their listening ears - and offered my two-cents worth.

Here's what I said:

Today we are here to celebrate – not so much an 80^th birthday as the wonderful person who happens to be entering into the blessed state of octogenarian-ism.

We love Myrt for many reasons

• We loved her first because she made granddaddy Bob happy
• We loved her because she then chose to love the balance of the Alexander family
• We love her because she has loved us all so eloquently, so graciously, and so generously
• We love her because she is such an outstanding Presbyterian!
• We love her for her courageous efforts to keep a significant section of Central Florida grammatically correct
• We love her because she forgives us our own grammatical ineptitude
• We love her because she has such a hospitable spirit and such an open heart for people…

When Myrt first came into our family we wondered what it would be like to have a new stepmother and step-grandmother… It’s a path we really hadn’t considered before…

But it didn’t take long to realize that Myrt wasn’t a step-anything at all – she was – and is - a family member in her own right.

Which is why it hasn’t been at all difficult to maintain our family ties since Bob passed away in June of 2007. Myrt simply belongs at Maul Hall on Thanksgiving with the hoards and masses – and in Orlando July 4^th and New Years Eve, to watch uncle Joe attempt to blow up the neighborhood, and the nieces and nephews.

And we belong here, to help celebrate 80 years (and counting) of faithfulness and commitment. Myrt is living her faith out loud. There’s a phrase I like to use that sums up how I feel about this gift of life. “We all should live like we mean it – because God most certainly does.” Well… it’s obvious that Myrt certainly does too, and she does it with elegance, she does it with élan, she does it with flair, she does it with style, and she does it with class.

There’s a scripture from Philippians chapter 2 that comes to mind when I think, “Myrt got us together for this party – so where should we go from here?”

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

Thinking out loud about an epistle...

Yesterday my Sunday morning class started a short five-week look at the book of Philippians. I used the word "look" rather than "study" because there's no way we'll have time to get in very deep. But this way, reading and discussing one chapter per week, is going to be a refreshing exercise, getting Paul's encouraging ideas in big chunks rather than isolating a verse at a time.

I got to wondering what kind of a letter someone like Paul might write to the church I attend. But then I realized we get a pretty good look at that from the pastors' letters, twice a month in the church newsletter. Both Tim and Rebekah do a great job of engaging members and friends alike, keeping the conversation about faith and church life active and personal.

So I'm thinking instead about how I might write specifically to my constituency - the people who I have a stake in as regards an ongoing spiritual life. This daily blog is more free-form; it's "A Life Examined" and tends to play out somewhat introspectively. I'm supposed to be taking a look at my life, writing about what emerges. Then those of you who read simply look over my shoulder as it were, watching my personal devotions play out in cyber-space.

But what if I were writing in a different way? My newspaper Op-Ed column was more like that - but unfortunately the Tribune dropped that part of my work 18 months ago...

Now it's essentially the same idea when I write for FOCUS Magazine, and the Presbyterian Outlook. But those are different audiences. FOCUS is local, and not limited to Christians. Then the Outlook is national; read mostly by church leaders.

If I were to write any kind of regular "epistle" then, it would have to target three particular constituencies.

• The first would be the small-groups I lead at church; that's my Men's Room, my Sunday Morning class, and POGs (the Sunday-evening small group with young-adult children). All told around 50 people.
• Then the second constituency would have to be people who read my books and people who have listened to me speak. This is difficult to pin down. Best guess (as of this summer) is around 20,000 copies sold - but no telling how many have been passed on and re-read by others? I know I've spoken, all told, to several thousand people in ten states... but did any of them listen? And have more than a handful read any of my books?
• The third designation is more slippery still! I'm talking about The Internet. I know tens of thousands of subscribers read my contributions to AllProDad's "Play of the Day." I have work that pops up once in a while on the "Guideposts" website. Who knows how many people log on to my Chicken-Soup for the Soul contributions? Do only Methodists read my columns on e-review?

Bottom line here is that I'm feeling the call to write a regular letter "to" all these people. But I'm not sure about the venue. I don't want to disrupt what I have going on here (it's too useful for me, if nothing else...) but I could possibly park such a project on another blog...?

So what I'm considering is this - a once a week (or so) letter on the "Part-Time-Christian" blog, the blog that was built to support "The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian".

Anyway, just thinking out loud. Sorry if I bored anyone!

He who began a good work in you...

Sometimes you take a photograph that's obviously going to be better than the story the picture is supposed to go with. Today was one of those times. I'm sure I'll write a great story about this family, but the picture says everything I plan on saying (especially with the help of the littlest child) and with such conviction!

I drove up to Seffner to interview the pastor of the Israel Bethel Primitive Baptist Church. Pastor Pat has been on board for a little over a year, and the ministry is still taking shape. What seems to be in perfect shape, however, is his beautiful family.

The Woodforks moved here from the small Arkansas community that's been home since the day pastor Pat was born. But Pat - along with is wife, Lakisha - is 100% confident that this is exactly where God wants them to be.

So I'm going to write my story with confidence too, because I simply can't look at this photograph without thinking about the following words from my favorite book, the Letter to the Philippians. I can't help but just flat-out like some of the folk I have the honor of talking with when I write my stories for the Tampa Tribune.

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Grace Upon Grace

Today I'll be thinking about Christmas - I already am. My task - and I really need to complete the project this weekend - is to write a study-guide for my 2008 book "In My Heart I Carry A Star: stories for Advent."

The book is designed to be read, one day at a time, over the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The read works well as an individual devotional journey. However, and this is an exciting development, last year a number of churches adopted "In My Heart..." as a congregation-wide study and a lot of small-groups and Sunday-school classes studied the text together, as a group.

So, with people already beginning to make advance curriculum and purchasing decisions, my publisher has asked me to write a study guide that will be made available (free of charge) on the bookstore website.

I think it's a great idea. Christmas, for me, is all about the breaking in of light into a dark world. It's about hope, peace, love and joy. And Advent is simply the careful, prayerful, purposeful spiritual journey to Bethlehem.

So today I'm thinking, prayerfully and meditatively, about light breaking in to Friday, August 6, and about a weekend full with grace.

"For of his fullness have we all received, and grace upon grace" (John 1:16)