The Balance between Community and Solitude

I'm currently reading a fabulous biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  This book, written by Eric Metaxas and simply titled Bonhoeffer, is quickly catapulting him to the top of my list of personal heroes.  If you haven't read it, you need to put it on your bucket list--I promise you won't regret it.

Bonhoeffer was a fabulous theologian who was ultimately martyred for his stand against Hitler.  Before his death he wrote a number of books.  In one of his books, entitled Life Together, he wrote a chapter on "The Day Together" followed by another called "The Day Alone."  The idea was that both are absolutely essential to meaningful spirituality.

Bonhoeffer writes, "Let him who cannot be alone beware of community.... Let him who is not in community beware of being alone... Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils.  One who wants fellowship without solitude  plunges into the void of word and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair."

More insightful words on the tension between community and solitude may never be written.  For the sake of God's kingdom coming within us and through us, we must pursue both. 

Steps to Silence

So what are some steps we can take to enter into the soothing celebration of silence?  I've listed a few below.  Only a couple of these steps are original with me (see #3); the rest are a conglomeration of steps from different authors.  Here's the list.  Embrace, employ, and enjoy!

First, identify a time and physical space in which you can be alone on a regular basis. The ideal time would be when you are at your best with the least amount of worries, for me this is early in the day, before I have looked at my calendar.  The reason is because God desires and deserves your best.  The place?  Don’t be afraid to experiment, if one place proves too vulnerable to serve as a fortress of solitude, move on to the next spot.

Second, begin with a modest goal, especially if silence is a new practice for you. At the beginning of my journey, and even now in certain seasons, 10 minutes can be very challenging. But remember you're in training.  The more you train yourself in the exercise of silence, the further you will be able to go.
 
Third, pass through a metal detector on your way in.  (I know what you're thinking, of course this sophomoric rule is mine--but hear me out!)  If it dings, rings, beeps or buzzes, it’s not allowed. The devices that keep us connected to the world, keep us disconnected from God.  Silence demands solitude.  Besides, the world can run without you for a little bit--I promise. 

Fourth, settle into a comfortable and yet alert position.  Don't go to sleep!

Fifth, ask a simple prayer to express your willingness to meet God in the silence. Pray James 4:8, "Lord draw near to me as I draw near to you."  Or maybe Psalm 46:10, “Lord help me be still and quiet before you that I may know you are God.”  Remember when we pray God's word in humility, we pray God's will.

Sixth, don't be discouraged by distractions; they are inevitable. When distractions come, simply let them go by, like clouds floating across the sky. When they pass, reorient yourself to your purpose by repeating the prayer that you have chosen.

Seventh, let God lead.  In my opinion every experience of silence and solitude should include a Word from God as found in scripture, and a prayer with God, speaking and listening.  Beyond that, let God lead.  Listen, laugh, weep, count your blessings.  Whatever God leads you to do, do it expecting that God is going to use this time to reveal himself to you and transform your life. 

Eighth, don't give up!  Don't ever give up!  I know it's cliche, but the benefits of silence before God far outweigh the costs.  For the sake of growing in Christ, and maximizing your potential for the Kingdom of God prioritize silence. 

Meet our friend Silence

^{David wrote in Psalm 62:1, "I wait quietly before God for my victory comes from Him."}  

^{The journey of faith is essentially a journey of increasing reliance upon God--cultivated in silence.  Silence places us in the sometimes awkward, sometimes maddening position of being dependent upon something other than ourselves. Waiting quietly before God is a definitive admission that "I can't do it all."  While this may be difficult to accept, it's true.  Living in that reality provides sanity for the soul.} 

^{So how do we do silence before God? Tomorrow I'll list the steps that we discussed Sunday (with some free bonus material), but today I want you to understand one thing:  YOU CAN'T MESS THIS UP!} 

^{As long as you prioritize God above all else in these quiet times, you're hitting the mark.  Pray and ask God to draw near to you and lead you through those quiet moments.  The possibilities are endless:}

• ^{Meditate on a passage of scripture.  For starters try Psalm 1, John 15, or Matthew 5:1-12.}
• ^{Enter into a season of true prayer where you talk and listen.}
• ^{Review your notes from a sermon that challenged you and ask God to lead you to live it.}
• ^{Contemplate an attribute of God: faithfulness, justice, or holiness.}  
• ^{Review the words of a song that inspires you to hope and faithfulness, like Amazing Grace.}
• ^{Ask God to help you count your blessings.}  

^{The only way you can really mess silence up is if you avoid it.  Now let's get quiet!}

Do Something

The sordid tales of the Kings of Israel are heartbreaking.  Evil kings precede evil kings who are succeeded by evil kings and queens.  Wave after wave of malfeasance would erode the commitment of the people to God.  Eventually God would find someone willing to do something on his behalf, a leader who was committed to His cause for His people. In 2 Chronicles 23 the Lord finds one such man.

The darkness was settling in through the leadership of Queen Athaliah.  She was the mother of Ahaziah a young man who became King in Judah at the age of 22. Under his mother's dark tutelage, Ahaziah led Judah as the evil Ahab led Israel.  Not surprisingly, he was rewarded for feats of extreme cowardice by being killed.  Fearing the loss of her power, his mother proceeded to kill off all the royal family to secure her place as queen.  For six years Athaliah terrorized the people of Judah until God found someone who would do something. 

"In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest decided to act. He summoned his courage and made a pact...."  2 Chronicles 23:1 (NLT)

Jehoiada the priest believed enough was enough.  Someone had to DO SOMETHING!  So he decided to act.  Digging down deep to summon all the courage he could muster, he and made a pact with a few friends to set things straight.  The result?  A new king was crowned and a spiritual revolution unleashed.

^"Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the Lord’s people. And all the people went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars."  2 Chronicles 23:16-17 (NLT)

Something needed to be done and Jehoiada "decided to act."  What needs to be done around you? Don't be one of those people who just sounds the alarm. Step up and DO SOMETHING! God honors those who decide to act!

Finding God in Tragedy

Have you seen the video footage of the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair?

Here is the link: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/08/14/hall.in.state.fair.stage.collapse.cnn?hpt=hp_c1

Unbelievable tragedy!

The question that arises in the wake of such devastation is: "Where is God?!" If you watch the video closely after the collapse I think you can see Him. He's in the people that are running toward the stage not away from it. It's those heroes, created in the image of God, who are manifesting the passion of God for people.

In the second video the Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels says, "Individual Hoosiers ran to the trouble not from the trouble." Understandably he goes on to say it's the kind of character that is associated with the state of Indiana. While that may or may not be true, what we know for certain is that it's the kind of character that we associate with God.

Human beings are created in the image of God to be like Him in character. Demonstrating His character means that when trouble comes for those around us, for our neighbors, we run into the trouble not away from it. When we run in, in the name of Jesus, God is found in the midst of tragedy.

Clampetts or Cleavers?

When people visit the church, which family do they find? I’ve come to the conclusion that there are basically only two types of families the world sees – the Clampetts or the Cleavers.

You know the story of the Clampetts, don't you? A poor man named Jed, barely kept his family fed. One day he was shooting at some food and up through the ground come some bubblin’ crude. Oil it was, black gold, Texas tea! The first thing you know old Jed’s a millionaire and all of his kin folk said he ort to move away from there. They advised him that California was the place he ought to be, so they loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly. Ring a bell? I think there was a documentary on TV.

Every episode featured someone else checking out the Clampetts because of what they had to offer -- money and lots of it. The show always featured someone trying to get close to them. But the closer they got the further they ran. At the end it was the same cast of characters: Jed, Granny, Jethro, Ellie Mae, their gold digging banker Mr. Drysdale and his trusty assistant Miss Hathaway. Everyone else fled back to normalcy having found that the money wasn't worth the dysfunction they would have to endure to get it. Until the advent of reality television, the Clampetts were without a doubt the most dysfunctional family television ever produced.

Then on the other end of the spectrum, there are the Cleavers; you know Ward, June, Wally, and the Beav. They're not the perfect family in the sense that nothing bad ever happens to them. But by the end of every episode what you find is a family that has worked through a perceived crisis and grown closer as a result. Whether it was a C grade on a math test or a birthday party that the Beav forgot to attend, whatever the calamity the Cleavers have grown through the process.

Here's the question: when you are looking for answers, would you rather be a Cleaver or a Clampett? With the exception of the dress code, it would have to be the Cleavers, right? They may not be the most edgy or compelling group in cinematic history from an entertainment perspective, but they really loved each other. They worked through their problems and ultimately avoided the dysfunction and chaos that epitomized the Clampetts.

The scripture teaches us that the church is a family that people watch to determine if they want to be a part. One of the criterion they evaluate is the way we interact with each other. Two questions to consider:

1. Is your church a Cleaver Church or a Clampett Church?


2. In your church, do you behave more like a Cleaver or a Clampett?

"Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too." Philippians 2:1-4 NLT

Prayer for State and Local Government

I had the privilege of leading in prayer for State and Local Government at the National Day of prayer at Bright House Field this past Thursday night. God instructs believers to pray for "kings and all who are in authority..." In obedience to God's call today, take some time to pray for our leaders. Perhaps this prayer can serve as a guide.

Gracious God in heaven, we give you praise tonight because you have seen fit to grace us with independence. Our prayer Father is for those at the state and local level who have been entrusted with the administration of the freedoms we enjoy. May they understand that their office is not merely a public trust, but a sacred trust that demands the humility of Moses, the stewardship of Joseph, and the servanthood of Jesus.

We ask that you give our leaders…

• Direction to navigate the turbulent waters of our times

• Fortitude to resist the urge to expedience

• Discernment to withstand the deceptive voice of our enemy

• Wisdom to identify the greater good

• Strength to resist the pull of public opinion

• Resolve to stand on the life giving principles of justice

We pray that they be men and women who do not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers. But Lord, we ask that they would delight in your truth that preserves justice for the oppressed, dignity for the shamed, and hope for the hurting.

For our leaders we ask that…

· Righteousness would be their path

· Justice their pursuit

· And liberty would be their pleasure

In the end Lord help us to remember that a house, community, a state or nation divided against itself will not stand. So we ask that by your Spirit our state and local leaders would make every effort toward unity and peace. May their labor produce the unified fruit of one county, one state, one nation, under God, exercising liberty and justice for all!

In unifying name of our Lord Jesus Christ that we pray, Amen.

May God add his blessings to the prayers of His people!