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Part 2: Contemplation and Application Parts 1 and 2 cover Contemplation, Isolation, Limitation, and Application. To listen to Part 1, which concerns isolation and limitation click here. Part 2 focuses on contemplation and application. Contemplation Some have called this time “the great pause.” It is not a pause for everyone (for example, nurses, first responders, parents of school-age children). Whether you have a pause or not, contemplation can help you maintain health. Contemplation Practices Practice Presence – focus on what is happening right now; not the past or the future. Check this Bible verse. Practice Intention – fill the space with healthy ideas, people, and things. If you rely on the world to fill the space, it will fill your space with ideas, people, and things that serve its purposes. These may not be healthy for you. Be intentional! Fill the space with positivity. You may remember (past) the positive. You may plan for the future. You may NOT dwell on these. You should be predominately in the present. Practice Self-Awareness – quiet the yammering from the world and from your self so you can hear God. Practice Other-Awareness – when we quiet ourselves and our environment, this opens us up to hear others. Practice God-Awareness – finally, all these practices together add up to God-awareness. Application Contemplation, Isolation, Limitation, and Application are the four parts of the 40 Days podcast series. Application focuses on new habits emerging from the experience of quarantine or lockdown. Application During the Crisis If you are an essential worker…I want you to know that you are loved, respected, and prayer for. If you are a non-essential worker, you can still help! Spiritually Prayer Positivity – do not participate in the negativity and bickering Materially Express your love, respect, and prayers for essential workers Offer your skills and talents virtually or a safe distance. Do as much as you can at low cost to others. You need to support yourself, but if you can contribute freely, do so. Follow the advice of the scientists. Application After the Crisis Continue the good habits you started during the crisis. Take a more active role in your personal development. Rely less on the media and more on your own reason, research, and creativity. Be grateful for those who serve and what you have Find ways to be interdependent Develop sound finances. This should be a key goal for us all. More about this in episodes to come. Build a better, fairer, more equitable, more sustainable, more just society and world. Our system in the US (as it exists) is broken. It will not fix itself. Live locally and with peers. BECOME A MORE LOVING PERSON!

Lessons of isolation and limitation explores what isolation and limitation can teach us. This is the first in a series on living in the era of social distancing. I have just completed 40 days and nights in quarantine or social distancing. In the Bible, Noah was in the ark with his family and a zoo (uh…you thought you had it rough?). Click here to read Noah’s story (it’s lengthy). Jesus spent forty days and nights in the desert. Click here to read about Jesus in the wilderness (it’s much shorter than Noah). So, life just got Biblical. Common Characteristics of 40 Days and Nights Isolation Limitation Contemplation Application This episode deals with isolation and limitation. The next will deal with contemplation and application. Before beginning the podcast notes proper, let me offer a word of thanks for those who working, those who are not quarantined, those who are keeping our society running. And especially, a word of thanks to our front line people–doctors, nurses, police, fire, and many others. Thank you. You remain in our prayers. We will do our best to make your work easier. We will do everything in our power to slow the spread so you can return home. Please, be as safe as your work permits. We pray for you. Learning from Isolation Though isolation is a challenge for most of us, it can also be a profound learning experience. Through isolation, we have learned the following: Distance aids clarity Solitude trains self-reliance Solitude train god-reliance Learning from Limitation Through limitation, we have learned the following. Limitation… Causes evaluation. When we can’t get what we want, it leads us to ask why we wanted it in the first place. It also compels us to distinguish between wants and needs. Spurs creativity. Necessity is the mother of invention (old saying!) Fosters interdependence. We have discovered our interconnections during this quarantine. 40 Days: Pt. 1 – lessons of isolation and limitation begins the series. The next episode explores Contemplation and Application.

You Can’t Miss Church Because You Are Church! You can’t miss. The church is not a building or a place. The church is a group of people. You are part of the church. You are the church. The Church Is Not A Building (ESV) — 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 The idea that a church is a building can come from a misunderstanding of the Bible passage above. Jesus used the term church rarely! When he did use it, he was always talking about people. In this one case, it’s a little unclear. The rock is not a building or a place; it is Peter’s confession of faith. Jesus is using a play on words here: Peter’s name in Greek sounds a lot like the Greek word for rock. So, Jesus is not talking about building buildings. He is talking about building up people. Ten Actions A Building Can’t Do But People Can: Listening: Matthew 18:17 (ESV) — 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. Sending: Acts 11:22 (ESV) — 22 [The church in Jerusalem] sent Barnabas to Antioch. Gathering: Acts 14:27 (ESV) — 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together. Having peace: Acts 9:31 (ESV) — 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace. Teaching: Acts 11:26 (ESV) — 26 For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. Praying: Acts 12:5 (ESV) — 5 …Earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Welcoming: Acts 15:4 (ESV) — 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church. Collecting: 1 Corinthians 16:1 (ESV) — 1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. Reading: Colossians 4:16 (ESV) — 16 …When this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church. Hearing the Spirit: Revelation 3:22 (ESV) — 22 …Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ” You Only Miss Church IF YOU AREN’T CHURCH. God loves you. Being church means loving God, loving others, and loving yourself. You only miss church when you do not love GOD, your neighbor, or yourself. AND…even then, you can always return! So… LOVE LOVE LOVE! Here is a great link to a song about being the church.

Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) Faith and Covid-19: we can respond to this crisis with both faith and reason. Martin Luther lived in the sixteenth century (500 years ago give or take) during an outbreak of the Black Plague (bubonic plague). Thanks to Tom Pfotenhauer for posting this elsewhere. You can also read the entirety of Luther’s letter here. Demonstrating more wisdom than many in the twenty-first century, Luther wrote… “I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me however I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.” Luther’s Works Volume 43. “Whether one may flee from a Deadly Plague” written to Rev. Dr. John Hess. Four Points about Faith and Covid-19: Pray to God for protection for all. Do what the smart people from the CDC and WHO tell us to do. God endows people with two great abilities: the ability to believe and to reason. Use both these faculties! Don’t get caught up in the hype and the spin. Listen to the scientists, doctors, and medical professionals. See you in two weeks!

Success is living in God’s love. Today we measure success in lots of different ways. I try to measure it through love. This podcast came to be because I wanted to share messages about love. You can read about the podcast by clicking here. You can also here my story as a podcast by clicking here. Jesus tells a story about four kinds of soil: the hard path, the rocky ground, the weedy field, and the good soil. Each of these is like life at different times. To read the story (parable) of the sowing from the Bible, click here. The path is hard. The first kind of soil is the path. The path is hard. Some people become hard because life can be hard. The message of love doesn’t seem to get through. But, it does over time. Think of hard people as being like concrete. Over time, cracks emerge. Plants begin to grow. Life takes root. Even tiny plants can break up concrete. A little bit of love and life can change a hard person. The sower of seeds (God and loving people) continue to share love until the path softens and breaks up. When hardness breaks up, it becomes like the rocky soil. So, Jesus is telling a story about a process. The rocky ground is shallow. The second kind of soil is rocky. This rocky soil is people who get excited about the message of God but when trouble comes they give up. Sometimes, it hard to stick with the message of love. What do we do when we have a difficult task? A task that requires endurance like staying on a diet or exercise? We get a partner or partners to support us. This is people who like rocky soil need. They need others to encourage them when they think about giving up. If this is you, if you are excited about these messages, seek out others who will support you. Once the message is established (like a habit), then the rocky soil becomes the third kind of soil: the thorns or weeds. The weeds distract. The third kind of soil is the thorns or weeds. This kind of soil has a lot of growth. The message of God’s love has taken root and is growing. However, there are distractions, too. Jesus calls these thorns or weeds. The distractions are the things of this world, riches, or anything we desire that isn’t good for us. Whenever I am distracted by the things of this world, I reframe my distraction. I ask myself if the thing I desire will last. Most of what I desire will not be important to me even a year later. There is only one thing that will last my whole life and in eternity: love. Love is more valuable than all the things in this world. Living in God’s love. The fourth kind of soil is good soil. Notice what is absent in the good soil. Good soil has no enemy to take away the seeds. The growth is so strong, there is no room for an enemy. Good soil is deep. The growth is nourished even when the sun is hot, even when life is tough. Good soil has no weeds. All the energy is invested in bearing fruit. Remember, success is living in God’s love. For the good soil, living in God’s love means doing what it was created to do: bear fruit. Bearing fruit means doing what God has put you here to do. When you are living consistent with your beliefs, you are successful. You are bearing fruit. Live in God’s Love!

Christmas is all about God with us. To subscribe to the podcast, click here. What’s Great About Modern Christmas Celebrations: A Lot! Gifts Movies/TV (a link to my new favorite: The Man Who Invented Christmas) Books (a link to my old favorite: A Christmas Carol) Free and Public Domain! Gatherings Goodness (charity: a link to one of my favorites, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund) What’s Missing in Modern Christmas Celebrations: God with Us or Incarnation Christmas: God with Us is Incarnation means God becomes one particular human being: Jesus Jesus lives a human life. Experiencing life is different than knowing about human life. Jesus is tempted as all humans are. He does not sin. This does not make him less human. Quite the reverse, sinning makes us less human. Sin is not part of our original nature. Jesus is humankind as God intended. He shows us the way to be what we were meant to be. He is also the power to achieve it. In Jesus, we see God with us throughout the entire human life cycle–from womb to tomb and beyond! Conception (Luke 1) Birth (Luke 2, Matthew 1) Maturing (Luke 2) Adulthood (recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) Dying (recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) Rising (recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) My favorite modern song about incarnation on YouTube: One of Us (Joan Osborne). I think this song captures the humanity of God become a person. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Let’s hope together that 2020 is a great year! If you are interested in learning more about I missed church, check out this link.

The Story of Mary and Joseph The story of Mary and Joseph is different than our modern celebrations of Christmas. I love Christmas. Santa, Christmas music, movies, and presents, are all great. However, our modern celebrations of Christmas do not always connect with the Bible. The next few podcasts will all be connected to Christmas in the Bible. You can read the entire story of Christmas in the Bible by clicking on the links that follow: Click here to read Luke 1 – 2 Click here to Matthew 1:18 – 2:23 (skip the first seventeen verses which record Jesus’s family history) Key Points in the Story 1.  In the story of Mary and Joseph, they both face intense social pressure. Mary is stigmatized because she is pregnant and unmarried. Joseph is stigmatized because he supports Mary. This pressure creates conflict between them. Joseph seriously considers abandoning Mary, but with God’s help, he stays with her. And she stays with him. 2.   Mary and Joseph overcome their struggles, travel a hundred plus miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and are the first humans to see Jesus. Their faithfulness to each other and to God is rewarded. A Great Song About Mary and Joseph Click here to listen to The Cry of a Tiny Babe by Bruck Cockburn [pronounced Co-burn] on YouTube. What The Story of Mary and Joseph Means to Us Real Communication and Relationship: Mary tells Joseph the truth even though it is hard to hear (and to believe). Joseph is also honest with Mary. He expresses his doubts and hurts. They are real with each other. Your Relationships Your Way. Don’t let the community set expectations. Their own understanding of their relationship is more important than their community’s understanding of it. The community wanted to split them up, shame Mary, and pity Joseph. You celebrate Christmas thew ay that is right for you. Your relationship with Christmas is yours. Do it your way and don’t judge how others do it. Everyone hears from God. God is always speaking. Our job is not to get God to speak. God is always speaking. Our job is to listen to God. We need to listen to what God says to us and what he says to others.

Thanksgiving: A God Word Plus A Good Word Jesus gave thanks whenever he ate. Examples: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:32-42, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-15) The Feeding of the Four Thousand (Matthew 15:32–38, Mark 8:1-10) As Jesus prepared the meal, he… Five loaves Showed Sympathy. The crowd was hungry. They had stuck with him through hard times. He cared for them. They were like his family. Had Struggles. “How are we going to feed all these people?” and “How much is it going to cost?” These sure sound familiar! Taught Simplicity. Jesus used what was on hand. Simplest is best. Slowed everyone down. Everyone sat down. Even the cook. Everyone made sure this was possible. According to Jesus, thanksgiving is a GOD WORD plus a GOOD WORD. He looks up to heaven (that is the God word). He acknowledges God. God exists. God is real. We have a creator who loves us. He blesses the food (that is the good word). The word “bless” just means “good word.” Jesus encourages us to speak good words. Thanksgiving is the time for positive speech. Talk about what is good: the food, the togetherness, and the time. If you have a family prayer that is a God word and a good word, use it (no need to replace it). Don’t fix it if it’s not broken. If you don’t have a prayer, here is a simple one: “God, thank for our food. Thank you for our time together. Thank you for all good things. Amen.” Amen just means “yes.” After giving thanks… Jesus shared his food and instructed everyone to do the same. Jesus shared with his twelve friends. The twelve friends shared with the crowd. The crowd shared with each other. They were civil and mannered. Everyone was satisfied. The food was simple. The quantity was enough. The thankfulness made the difference.. Everyone practiced good stewardship (they cared for the leftovers). The leftovers are important. They signify abundance and the chance to do even more good by sharing. Two fish…ok, a few more than two.

Losing and regaining everything is the Story of the Bible. Adam and Eve lose everything: God saves them. Losing and regaining everything is the Story of the Bible. Adam and Eve lost everything when they disobeyed (Genesis 3). However, God promised to save them and all of us by sending a descendant (a messiah or savior) who would defeat evil. God gives more details to Abraham a long time later. The descendent-savior will also have a land, a nation, and a blessing. The story shifts to Egypt when the descendants of Abraham have grown into a great nation. The first part of the promise is kept. However, the descendants of Abraham lose everything when they become slaves in Egypt. Israel loses everything twice! God saves them. God sends Moses to lead them out of slavery to a new land (Israel). The second part of the promise is kept. Over time, the nation Israel takes their blessings for granted. They lose everything and are carried away into exile. God never gives up on them! Eventually, they return and the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) concludes with them waiting for the coming of the messiah (the descendant who will save them). The third part of God’s promise to Abraham (the blessing) comes in Jesus. The first part of the promise, the blessing, is fulfilled in Jesus. An overview of the story of Jesus will start soon! However, God promised Abraham that through his heir, his descendant, all nations would be blessed. And so, Jesus came for all people. All nations are blessed through Him. He is not just for the Christians…or the Jews…or any one nation. He is for all people. Losing and Regaining Everything We often lose everything by presumption, by forgetting, and by refusing to learn. How many times have we taken for granted the things we love most? We are presumptuous! After all is lost, we must grieve, assess, and change. We must not deny our feelings. We must experience them. And after we have felt them fully, consider what we need to learn from them. Then and only then are we ready to change. After all is regained, we must rejoice, memorialize, and help. Memorials are important. We need physical object to remind us of our past.

Knowing and doing the truth are very different problems. 1 Kings 18:20-29 (click here to read it) is the basis for today’s podcast. 1. Overview of the Story of the Bible through 1 Kings. Mount Carmel in Israel The first portion of the podcast reviews the Story of the Bible The remainder concerns the encounter on Mount Carmel between a prophet, Elijah, and a particularly bad king, Ahab. During this time, the people did not know what to believe. Elijah does something very interesting. He performs a test: a spiritual experiment. 2. Knowing the Truth Feelings are not a reliable way to know the truth. Our consciences are not perfect guides. Experiment (Elijah conducts an experiment in today’s reading) works better. Elijah’s experiment clearly demonstrates the truth. 3. Bridging the Gap Between Knowing and Doing the Truth Sacrifice and Second Chance. The fire destroys the sacrifice. The people gain a second chance. There are many examples of sacrifices and second chances in our lives. Some are simple; some are profound. Jesus is the ultimate example. Jesus dies as a sacrifice to give us second, third, fourth, etc. chances. 4. Living in the Gap Knowing the truth and living the truth are two very different things. In today’s story, the truth became very clear very fast. The LORD was God. Elijah’s test proved this INCONTROVERTIBLY—beyond the shadow of a doubt. It was the perfect experiment. Its results were irrefutable. So, therefore, from this moment on, everything went perfectly right? Of course NOT. The loser (King Ahab) almost immediately persecutes Elijah (the winner). The in-the-wrong majority persecutes the in-the-right minority! Even Elijah fails! He will soon begin a hunger strike where he asks God to let him die. Clearly, KNOWING THE TRUTH AND LIVING THE TRUE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS. We strive to live consistently with the truth. Our lives are a cycle of trying, failing, sacrifice, and second chance. Therefore, we should live humbly with others.

Sometimes, the best option is leaving.

Four Life Lessons From Genesis

The Conclusion of the Book of Genesis

How it all went wrong!

From missing to mission

The start of it all!