500 kiloton impact for good

image from the New Yorker magazine

mall things can make a big impact. True story. Just ask the residents of Chelyabinsk, Russia, who witnessed the most incredible explosion in response to a meteor around 55 ft. in diameter. According to NASA, the explosion released nearly 500 kilotons of energy, more than 30 times the blast of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.

Likewise, decisions we make and things that we do can have repercussions beyond the limits of our imagination. Sometimes the fallout is good; sometimes not so much.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS: I was thinking about all this while writing my newest contribution to the AllProDad.com website. All-Pro-Dad is an web-based initiative designed to provide fathers with the resources and the encouragement necessary to help them be the best and most passionate-for-the-family dads possible. All-Pro-Dad is a program of Family First, and is closely aligned with SuperBowl winning coach Tony Dungy’s ongoing mission to be an advocate for fatherhood.

You won’t find my name anywhere on the site, but I write a huge amount of content for All-Pro-Dad. Today, for example, I’m working on the 154th in a series of articles built around “Top-Ten” and “Top-Five” lists.

Interestingly, if you scanned those lists, pretty-much every single point that I make is small. However, absolutely anything we chose to do in terms of deliberate and good-hearted change, has the potential to make a 500 kiloton impact for good.

Let me repeat that:

absolutely anything we chose to do in terms of deliberate and good-hearted change, has the potential to make a 500 kiloton impact for good.

What this world needs is not so much perfect solutions, but people who continually and resolutely do small things for good with big hearts. I think we waste too much time and effort looking for the 90-yard play, the bases-loaded walk-off home run, the three-pointer at the buzzer… when what we really need is a long series of three-yard efforts, 9-innings of walks and base-hits, and consistent scoring as an alternative to turning the ball over.

HUGE IMPACT FOR GOOD! While some people are waiting around for the spectacular, the rest of us could be making a much bigger impact on our families, our communities and our world via day after day of simple, small, 500-kiloton decisions. Acts of kindness, encouragement, grace, mercy, love, goodness, and faith.

You want to change the world? Be an encourager. You want to change your family? Be kind. You want to change your community? Serve others. You want to change your church? Follow Jesus.

He has told you, human one, what is good, and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 – CEV)

Nothing spectacular. Nothing to draw attention to ourselves. Nothing big enough to be tracked by NASA’s Near Earth Object program. Just 500 kilotons of love - DEREK

the Lord's Prayer for Lent

• Video-post: Here’s the Wednesday video-blog – Derek Maul Feb 20 The Lord’s Prayer video-blog #4 – always designed to go hand-in-hand with today’s post. Enjoy, and please share (87 seconds).

http://www.allposters.com

STUDY ON PRAYER: Every year, during the season of Lent, our church offers an additional study series as a supplement to the regular small groups and classes that meet weekly. This year it’s a six-week conversation about prayer, anchored by what we know as “The Lord’s Prayer.”

All three pastors are involved. Rebekah kicked things off yesterday evening with an overview and some great stories, then several people shared where they are, currently, in their prayer life, as well as where they’d like to be by the time Lent is over.

GROWTH CURVE: This idea of “where I’d like to be” in terms of relationship with God is – for me – a very helpful lens through which to look at what becomes possible when we engage the “sacred rhythm” of the Christian year as a purposeful journey.

Realistically, my relationship with God – and probably yours too – doesn’t transcribe an ever-increasing upward curve of positive progress. I’m alternately “hot” and “cold,” enthusiastic and lethargic, motivated and stuck, full with vibrant life and then struggling to believe.

This is where a time such as the 40 days of Lent (plus six Sundays) can become such a God-send of intentional and cultivated spiritual progress. Rebekah has just finished a sermon series around the idea of “Growing up in Christ,” in which she talked about being mature disciples; what better time to put some of those principles and intentions into practice than the season of Lent?

JUST FOR FUN: So we were reading The Lord’s Prayer together, and I suddenly remember the version I wrote – years ago – for some young dads in Pensacola. Here it is:

We’re the Fathers who aren’t from Heaven, “Harassed” is our name. We have no kingdom and our will’s never done; not on earth, not at home, not at the grocery store, not in the car… Most of us need to cut back on our daily bread, and we’re up to our eyeballs in debts. Lead us not into beer with stuffed-crust pizza, and deliver us from kids who have tantrums in public places. For we have no kingdom, no power, and no glory, not ever – at least until the kids leave home for college. Amen.

• Video-post: Here’s the Wednesday video-blog - Derek Maul Feb 20 The Lord’s Prayer video-blog #4 - always designed to go hand-in-hand with today’s post. Enjoy, and please share (87 seconds).

world citizenship, and God's heart for peace

worship at Brandon 2012

Do your emotions ever take you by surprise? You know, that moment when things are humming along nicely and suddenly, wham-o, you feel the tears welling up and you’re like, “Crikey, where did that come from?”

It happened (again) Sunday morning, and I honestly didn’t see it coming. It turns out that I was deeply moved by the words of a hymn. Sure, it was one of those venerable old tunes – Finlandia – but it’s usually set to another set of verses. It must have been the words, and it’s taken me a couple of days to figure out why.

When I did figure it out, I realized that the way the hymn made me feel turns out to be the best explanation of my “more on this another time” comment back in Friday’s 28th American Birthday post:

That’s the short story, and only – it turns out – part one of the narrative. Because now, 28 years down the road, there’s an interesting tweak that I’ll probably share sometime in the next few days.

And so, Here’s “Part Two.”

(from freeextras.com)

CITIZENSHIP: ACT I – Here’s the short story: When I became a US citizen, I tried to confirm my new identity by eschewing anything that smacked of the ex-patriot approach to living abroad. I didn’t want to be tagged as English or to be thought of in any way as having a foot in both camps. I was an American, 100% – end of discussion.

ACT II – Then, many years down the road, I became comfortable enough in my American skin to celebrate my heritage. So it was OK to talk about the Queen, share my deep love for that lovely, inimitable island off the coast of Europe, watch soccer or explain the intricacies of cricket.

But then, more recently, ACT III has put a new spin on my idea of citizenship, and it goes like this:

ACT III –  I am, first, a Child of God. And I am – and this is vitally important – a citizen of Earth. Consequently, it doesn’t matter if someone is from the USA, Egypt, Australia, Sweden, China, Iran, Chile or South Africa; they/you are my brother, you/they are my sister.

This is not a political alignment (although there should be political implications) so much as it is a spiritual truth.

THE TRIGGER: However, and before I write anymore, here are the three verses of the hymn that caught me off guard in church this past weekend:

1. This is my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for lands afar and mine; this is my home, the country where my heart is; here are my hopes, my dreams my holy shrine.
2. My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean, and sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine; but other lands have sunlight too, and clover, and skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
3. This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth’s kingdoms, thy kingdom come, on earth thy will be done; let Christ be lifted up till all shall serve him, and hearts united learn to live as one. (This is My Song: Lloyd Stone, Georgia Harkness – Westminster John Knox Press)

A simple sentiment, not stated radically. But the power resident in the idea that “other lands have sunlight too, and clover, and skies are everywhere as blue as mine…” The suggestion that it’s not all about us… that it’s not all about America… but that what it is all about is peace.

photographic world map – from thewallpapers.org

PLANET EARTH: I wonder how the “America is God’s new chosen nation” crowd would feel about singing a hymn like “This is My Song” in worship?

I love this country, its people and its (mostly) wide-open heart; and I’m so thankful to be a citizen of the USA. But I really don’t believe there’s any place for nationalism in the context of the community of faith. This is God’s Earth, and I’m convinced that God’s heart for peace is all about breaking down absolutely every barrier that has the potential to come between us - DEREK

the writing life: tapping the rivers of living water

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.” – Jesus

esterday evening a friend asked me the following “writing process” question. “You post something new every morning; where does it all come from?”

It’s a good question. Especially when – and I’m not surprised this happened today – it appears that I’m sitting here in front of the computer with absolutely nothing to say.

My advice to my friend was to write anyway. “If you don’t have a story, then write the first paragraph. If you don’t have a paragraph then just put down a sentence or two. If you don’t have a coherent sentence, then at least write your thoughts. If you don’t have any thoughts that you can latch on to then just write, ‘I’m sitting here at my computer and I don’t have a clue, or a direction, or an idea….” Then see what happens.

And so, taking my own advice, I’m now beginning the fourth paragraph.

LIVING WATER: But now I remember something that did resonate with me, earlier today. It was my reading from the “Upper Room Magazine” daily devotional message. Here’s the scripture:

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38)

The passage turns out to be a huge tie-in with pretty much everything we covered in church yesterday:

• My Sunday morning class talked about the book of Romans.
• Pastor Tim preached about what it means to move forward into a mature relationship with God.
• Then my Sunday evening group went through an outline of 2 Corinthians.

The Sunday evening study evolved into a conversation about how new life, or how being “a new creation” makes itself evident in the everyday.

It’s no surprise, then, that this morning’s passage spoke to me in the same way. If I want “rivers of living water” to flow out of my heart, then – first – it’s imperative that I go to Jesus and drink.

MUSE: It also happens to be a part of the explanation of my morning muse. “Where does it all come from?” It comes, first, from going to Jesus for a drink. God fills me, continually, and in consequence I have something that’s going to flow out. Something to share.

Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water - DEREK

confirmation a road less traveled

Presbyterian 8th-grade youth and their mentors gather for prayer

Wednesday evening at First Presbyterian Church of Brandon turned out to be the perfect entry point into our observance of Lent.

I stood in the front of the church, playing prelude music on my acoustic guitar, and watched as so many faithful people made their way into the sanctuary; worshippers taking a deviation from their Wednesday routines to spend intentional time in the presence of God and to make the commitment to walk the dusty road to Jerusalem with Jesus.

On one side of the church a crowd of teens gathered to show their solidarity with the 8th grade youth who have signed up for confirmation classes. Rebekah gave each of them a Bible and read the scripture she had picked out as their companion for the journey. Ten young people, ten unique passages.

Sharing scripture

STANDING IN LOVE WITH JESUS: Confirmation is often put down by those who value other valid traditions, such as “The Decision,” or a stylized emotional “moment” followed by baptism by immersion.

But such judgment is simply ignorance and narrow-mindedness talking. Fact is, the confirmation experience our young people are engaging isn’t a series of irrelevant, stuffy lectures – rather it’s a week-by-week faith journey between Ash Wednesday and Pentecost, full with instruction and prayer and discussion and projects and study and meetings with their mentors.

Confirmation is a road-less-travelled, much like the observance of Lent, and it concludes with the invitation to follow Jesus and make a public declaration of faith. Not every young person will be ready to say “Yes” to Jesus and join the church when the classes are completed; there is a decision to be made and it’s a decision that’s every bit as significant as an invitation to “Raise your hand, come to the front, and pray the sinner’s prayer.”

I HAVE DECIDED: In fact, thinking about this journey of faith I’m inviting my readers to take through these six-weeks of Lent, there’s a decision waiting for all of us and it comes on a day-to-day schedule.

One day, responding to the “anti-confirmation” skepticism of a man who questioned, derisively, “You probably couldn’t tell me the exact time and place you made the decision to follow Jesus..,” Rebekah famously replied, “I asked Jesus into my life at around 7:00 this morning, just about the time Derek brought me my first cup of coffee. I’ve been asking Jesus into my life every day for decades, and I plan on making the decision to follow Jesus, daily, every new morning I’m blessed to draw breath.”

So what’s your decision? - DEREK