The Divine Moment: Epicenter of God’s Activity

L. Dwight Turner

For those of us who dare to call ourselves Christian and really mean it, it is imperative that we understand that this particular path of spiritual endeavor is a risky business. You see, God is full of surprises and the radical Master that we profess to serve is highly unpredictable. If you treasure you comfort zones, it is much better to become a Buddhist. It’s a good deal safer to sit behind cloistered borders and chant a melodic sutra than it is to ask, “Lord, what would you have me do?”

 The Master Jesus is not a friend of the lukewarm. Just ask the rich young ruler or the scores who turned on their heels and headed on down the spiritual pike when they heard Jesus’ more difficult teachings. I know that I, for one, have major trouble making important decisions, especially spiritual ones. And when I do make a significant decision among the choices available, I am quite prone to partake of that ruminating affliction we so casually call the “second guess.”

 The Lord let it be known that he was not especially enamored of this tendency toward Monday morning quarterbacking, saying something about putting your hand to the plow, then looking back. He said those who played this game were not fit for the kingdom. Hard teachings, indeed.

 Erwin Raphael McManus, Christian author and Senior Pastor of Mosaic, an innovative urban congregation in Los Angeles, expresses directly the beneficial consequences making positive decisions for God:

 In your moment of truth what will you choose? Will you choose the wilderness or the adventure? Have you confused the blessing of God with wealth, comfort, and security? Have you considered that God’s greatest gift to you is that He calls you to be a pioneer, explorer, and even a creator? There are things God does for you and things that God waits for you to do. The journey begins when you choose. Stop wasting daylight. Choose a life of meaningful adventure. When you do, you will live in the epicenter of God’s activity.

 What a powerful statement! I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind living at the epicenter of God’s activity. We spend so much time and energy seeking that elusive yet indispensable commodity we call “God’s will.” We search here and there, up and down, and round and round and, more often than not, end up more disoriented than when we began. We attend all the right workshops, listen to all the right audio seminars, read all the latest Christian best-sellers, all in an attempt to find God’s will and purpose for our lives. Yet if we lived at the epicenter of God’s activity, our problem would be solved.

 The location of the epicenter of God’s activity is the subject of much debate and this is to be expected. Keep in mind that we are not dealing with a being strapped with human limitation here. We’re dealing with the fundamental, indescribable power that put this incredible, awe-inspiring Creation together. And he did it out of nothing. The point here is that God can do whatever he wants, which seems to be a point lost on some believers these days. Further, he can do what he wants where he wants. In practical terms, this means he can have his activity’s epicenter in more than one place at a time.

 The result is that well-meaning but highly myopic people tend to locate the center of where God is moving in places familiar and closely related to their own pet projects. The reality is, however, God may be off doing something else totally unexpected and scratching his head with wonder as he thinks, “Can’t you see that I am doing something new?” [Psalm 43:19]

 McManus makes the cogent point that the reality of God’s will can only be found in the present moment; “divine moments” he calls them. I could not agree more with what he says and experience, both my own and those of countless clients over the years, bears this out time and time again. The past is already a done deal and the future, at the very best, is but a fleeing fantasy. Reality is happening right now, under our noses, and it is happening nowhere else. Once you get that, and I mean really get it, you are well on your way to a most rewarding life, regardless of external circumstance.

 As a brief sidebar, I also want to mention that a big part of finding our place in God’s scheme of things involves becoming the optimal version of ourselves and the context in which we accomplish that is also in the divine moment. McManus also speaks to this issue:

 Earth’s unlimited resource is the gifts, talent, passions, imagination, and ingenuity of its citizens. You would think that we know this by now, but we often seem to miss the gift right in front of us. The world needs you to find the hero within you. The real battle is not between good and evil but between less and more. Most of us don’t choose the worst life; we just don’t choose the best. We can’t afford for you to sleep through your dreams…..The world needs you at your best. This planet is made better or worse by the people we choose to become. If you live a diminished life, its not only you who loses, but the world loses, and humanity loses. There is a story to be written by your life, and thought it may never inspire a graphic novel, it is a heroic tale nonetheless. Though you may not recognize it, there is a greatness within you.

 I love these words by McManus. They reverberate through the inner fiber of my being, ringing loudly with both truth and relevance. I know that many times I forget that there is a God-planted greatness within me and within others. Fortunately, God has found ways to keep me focused enough to have at least  one eye on the potential he placed within me.

 Developing the ability to discern where and how God is moving requires more than merely taking time out for rest and relaxation. It takes a more radical and comprehensive reorientation of our approach to life in general and focus in particular. If you are to become more sensitive to what God is doing and where he is doing it, you need to become intimately acquainted with a practice that we in this fast-paced, multi-tasking world are not good at. In order to discover the movements of God in the context of the “divine moment,” you have to become more mindful.

 Mindfulness is not stressed so much in our culture and it is stressed even less in our churches. This is unfortunate because no matter how much the post-modern world sings the virtues of multi-tasking this and multi-tasking that, the ability to fully focus on one thing at one time, to the exclusion of any distraction, is a highly useful skill. Our corporate world, in spite of its alleged genius, has yet to discover that mindful people are far more productive than multi-taskers. Their efficiency alone makes them more of an asset.

 Even more relevant from a spiritual perspective, if we are going to find God’s will we are going to have to seek the epicenter of his activity. As we have seen, that sublime activity is going to be found in its purest, most pristine and discernable form in the present moment – the divine moment. It will be found here and nowhere else. As we have also seen, in order to discover this epicenter and God’s will, we may, indeed, have to reorient our perspective on several key issues. With certainty, we have to become more mindful.

 More later…..

  © L. D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

Wise Words for Today

 

Only Jesus would be crazy enough to suggest that if you want to become the greatest, you should become the least. Only Jesus would declare God’s blessing on the poor rather than the rich and would insist that it’s not enough to just love your friends. I began to wonder if anybody still believed Jesus meant those things he said. I thought if we just stopped and asked, What if he really meant it? It could turn the world upside down.

Shane Claiborne

(from The Irresistable Revolution)

Radicals, Renegades, and Revolutionaries: Part Two

L. Dwight Turner

* We left off in Part One with the idea that these radical new Christian believers sought to emulate the Master Jesus, who serves as Savior and as the prime role model of how, as his followers, we are to give flesh to grace. In Part Two, we begin with a look at “Jesus Undomesticated.”

One of the primary missions of the contemporary church is to reintroduce Jesus to the world. I say “reintroduce” because, over the course of time, the vision of Jesus painted in the pages of the gospels has been eroded. Most of us are familiar with the descriptions of the Lord as the good shepherd and “Jesus, meek and mild” that have been so much a part of portrait created by the church over the centuries. Granted, the Christ was all these things, but he was so much more.

 

He was, in a word, a rebel.

 

 An honest appraisal of the character and mission of  Jesus presented by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John bears witness to a more raw and earthy being, one who stood in open opposition to the established order and challenged religious authority whenever he thought it necessary.

 

He was, in a word, a revolutionary.

 

The teachings presented by Jesus not only ran counter to those of established Jewish tradition, but also were in stark contrast to the wisdom of the world. I find the following comments by Houston Smith, well known scholar of comparative religion, to be so accurate and succinct, I include them in their entirety:

 

…we have heard Jesus’ teachings so often that their edges have been worn smooth, dulling their glaring subversiveness. If we could recover their original impact, we too would be startled. Their beauty would not paper over the fact that they are “hard sayings,” presenting a scheme of values so counter to the usual as to shake us like the seismic collision of tectonic plates…We are told that we are not to resist evil but to turn the other cheek. The world assumes that evil must be resisted by every means available. We are told to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. The world assumes that friends are to be loved and enemies hated. We are told that the sun rises on the just and the unjust alike. The world considers this to be indiscriminating; it would like to see dark clouds withholding sunshine from evil people. We are told that outcasts and harlots enter the kingdom of God before many who are perfunctorily righteous. Unfair, we protest; respectable people should head the procession. We are told that the gate to salvation is narrow. The world would prefer it to be wide. We are told to be as carefree as birds and flowers. The world counsels prudence. We are told that it is more difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom than for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye. The world honors wealth. We are told that the happy people are those who are meek, who weep, who are merciful and pure in heart. The world assumes that it is the rich, the powerful, and the wellborn who should be happy. In all, a wind of freedom blows through these teachings that frightens the world and makes us want to deflect their effect by postponement – not yet, not yet! H.G. Wells was evidently right: either there was something mad about this man, or our hearts are still too small for his message.

 

Yes, I suspect that our hearts, like those Jewish leaders who first encountered this radical personality, were too small to contain the immensity of his message. Further, the threat posed by someone who carried such a message as this was enormous. Small wonder Pilate avoided dealing with him; small wonder the religious leaders took drastic action. Jesus was many things, but one thing he was not was a person to be ignored. Dorothy Sayers, that great lady of the faith, made the same point regarding the domestication of our Lord:

 

The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused Him of being a bore; on the contrary, they thought Him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium.

 

As the Body of Christ we are now in a similar cultural milieu as existed at the time Jesus walked the earth. Granted, times are different, but the themes are much the same. Like it or not, the Church now lives in a post-Christian culture. America is Christian in name only, certainly not in practice. Over the past 50 years the dominant worldview and subsequent value system has undergone marked change. Post-modernism and situational ethics now hold sway. It is within this mix that the Church must now carry out the essentials of its mission. The question at hand is: How will we reintroduce Jesus to the world, given the realities of the culture we now live in?

 

Answering this overriding question is a complicated affair, certainly beyond the scope of this short article. Additionally, we, as the Body of Christ, need to reflect deeply on how we may best go about meeting this aspect of our calling. Much prayer is called for. One thing is certain, however. We must present a more realistic portrait of who this man Jesus was, and still is. When he enters a person’s life, things are not always meek and mild. In fact, taking on Christ often results in an inner revolution. The Revolutionaries fully understand this and also understand that Jesus calls for a radical change that fuses the personal with the social and the spiritual with the political.

 

As we take Jesus on board we must recognize we are giving accommodation to what can be a dangerous entity; one capable of challenging our own conventions, our own preferences, our own habits, and ultimately, our own character. Jesus does not come into a person in order to affirm the status quo. Quite the opposite, this dangerous being takes up residence within your inner kingdom with the stated aim of revolution. Yet for most of us this inner revolt is sorely needed. It can, in fact, change us from wandering, confused, and empty vessels into vibrant, vital, world changers. David Foster gives us a glimpse of just what Jesus is up to:

 

Jesus is like air to the lungs and water to a desert dweller. He is not a religious artifact. He’s not dead. He is alive. He is engaged and engaging. He is here now, changing lives all over this world this very moment. When He walked on earth He changed everything for everyday, for all time. What started then continues today. It can’t be stopped though many have tried. Jesus is the rock of redemption and His church will prevail. He is here in this moment with you, doing what He always does, calling you to a higher place, calling you to break free from convention and stop going to church and start being the church everywhere you go. Let’s be “Jesus people” again. Let’s be men and women whose hearts are captured, redeemed, renewed, enlivened, ignited, set fee! Let’s return to the revolution to be the change we want to see in the world!

 

If you decide that you are fully ready to commit to this deep calling deep brand of Christian spirituality, recognize that you may very well experience responses that are less than positive. These negative reactions to your commitment to Christ may come from people important to you, like your friends, your family, and especially from other believers. It is for this reason that each of us must individually and prayerfully follow the advice of the Master who told us to simply “count the costs.”

During the course of this article I have referred on several occasions to the research and writing of George Barna, especially in regards to the movement of committed Christ followers that he calls “Revolutionaries.” Barna speaks particularly well to the issue of sacrifice that is so often part of the life of the “Deep Calling Deep Christian.” If you are seriously considering this path of consecrated endeavor, then pay attention to Barna’s words:

Know this: just as the prophets of old were unwelcome in their own hometown, so are Revolutionaries looked at askance by even their closest friends and family members. The skepticism of those who lead conventional spiritual lives is a palpable reminder that growth always comes with a price tag.

Be forewarned: just as Jesus Christ, the ultimate lover of humanity, was scorned, misunderstood, persecuted, and eventually murdered for His extreme love, goodness, compassion, humility, wisdom, and grace, so are Revolutionaries abused by a culture in crisis. The mere presence of Revolutionaries makes the typical American citizen – yes, even the typical churchgoer – uncomfortable. It is not uncommon for Revolutionaries to meet with rejection – verbal, intellectual, relational, or experiential – simply because of their determination to honor the God they love…..Like their role model, Jesus Christ, they ignite fierce resistance merely by being present and holy. It is perhaps that holy presence that will get Revolutionaries in the deepest trouble they will face – and that will bring lasting healing to a culture that has rebelled for too long against its loving Creator. These Christian zealots are radically reshaping both American society and the Christian Church. Their legacy is likely to be a spiritual reformation of unprecedented proportions in the United States and perhaps the world.

These ideas that Barna discusses and more cogently, that are lived out in the daily lives of countless “Revolutionaries,” bring to mind the spiritual philosophy and practical tactics used by Doctor Martin Luther King in the Civil Rights Movement. Basing his own methods on those of Gandhi, Dr. King used radical non-violence to expose the injustice, brutality, and prejudice of the existing social order. The more the powers that be reacted to those involved in the movement, the deeper the darkness of their hearts appeared to all whom witnessed what was happening. Perhaps in a similar way, the commitment, sincerity, and Christian love exhibited by these Revolutionaries may well shed light on how far many in the status quo church are from the true example set by the Master.

Describing David, an example of this new breed of Revolutionary Christian, Barna writes:

His life reflects the very ideals and principles that characterized the life and purpose of Jesus Christ and that advance the Kingdom of God – despite the fact that David rarely attends church services. He is typical of a new breed of disciples of Jesus Christ. They are not willing to play religious games and aren’t interested in being a part of a religious community that is not intentionally and aggressively advancing God’s Kingdom. They are people who want more of God – much more – in their lives. And they are doing whatever it takes to get it.

Two questions are immediately relevant, my friend. Do you want more – much more – of God in your life? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get it?

Listen closely. In your inner sanctuary, your heart of hearts, can you hear him calling you? Will you go with him, even if it means breaking free of convention? Will you follow him, even if it means you stop going to church and start being the church? Are you ready to be counted among the Jesus people? Are you ready to join the revolution?

 

If so, welcome aboard!

(c) L. Dwight Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

Radicals, Renegades, and Revolutionaries (Part One)

L. Dwight Turner

A sustained look at the spiritual landscape that constitutes Christianity at the close of the first decade of the 21^st Century reveals a broad spectrum of trends. However, one that jumps out in an unexpected way is the interesting coalition of forces that are coming together with a common agenda and purpose. Although these forces are divergent in terms of size, theology, and background, they share a common objective: to serve the world in ways great and small in the compassion that Jesus did.

Noted social researcher George Barna has called these passionate and socially engaged believers “Revolutionaries” and goes on to say that this divergent network of Christians, which includes liberals, conservatives, and everything in between, has the potential to transform the very fabric of Christianity as we know it.

Although the mainstream media only paid passing lip service to these new trends, we began to see evidence of this new force in the faith community during the run up to the 2008 Presidential Election. The fact that Pastor Rick Warren and Saddleback Church played host to a special forum featuring both Barack Obama and John McCain was a major clue to what is beginning to be a groundswell of social and political involvement of a whole new breed of Christian. Post-election statistics reveal that it was these Renegades for God that helped elect Barack Obama. Although a divergence away from the traditional Evangelical support of the Republican Party, it should also be noted that this was not an indicator of a new allegiance toward the Democrats. In fact, research shows that these Revolutionaries are mostly independent and highly progressive in their political leanings.

Barna continues:

The United States is home to an increasing number of Revolutionaries. These people are devout followers of Jesus Christ who are serious about their faith, who are constantly worshipping and interacting with God, and whose lives are centered on their belief in Christ. Some of them are aligned with a congregational church, but many of them are not. The key to understanding Revolutionaries is not what church they attend, or even if they attend. Instead, it’s their complete dedication to being thoroughly Christian by viewing every moment of life through a spiritual lens and making every decision in light of biblical principles. These are individuals who are determined to glorify God every day through every thought, word, and deed in their lives.

A most promising yet challenging aspect of these new Christian communities is that former barriers of ideology, theology, and partisanship are being transcended. Admittedly, differences do exist within these blossoming coalitions, but these dissimilarities are seen as minor when compared to the passion these believers have for the causes they espouse. Long-time Christian activist Jim Wallis observes:

Christians of color, younger white Christians, “new evangelical” pastors and leaders, and progressive Catholics and Protestants from many denominations are reaching across barriers to change the face of Christianity – and also to engage with allies in other faith communities. They have learned many lessons from the mistakes of the Religious Right and they aren’t about to repeat them. And they are not about to become a new “Religious Left.” When asked if they are liberal or conservative, many will answer “yes,” depending on the issue. And because they don’t easily fit the political categories of the left and right, they could become bridge-builders, bringing a divided nation together on the politically transcendent issues of poverty, human rights, climate change, energy transformation, and the urgency of peace.

These highly committed believers are what Barna calls Revolutionaries and David Foster calls “Renegades for God” or simply, “R4G.” It is a deep, incomprehensible but accessible God that issues an irresistible calling to these special believers, who to a man and to a woman have a deep, abiding hunger for the Divine, not just as a nice, cozy, image of a father in the sky, but instead, for a living, breathing, divine entity that lays claim to their lives and gives them a purpose and a calling far beyond the parameters of their egos and petty concerns.

Such a God is a dangerous God. He is dangerous precisely because he is unpredictable, counter-intuitive, and mostly because he cannot be mocked. Such a God can surely give us comfort; he is, in fact, called by scripture the “God of all comfort.” Jesus tells us his yoke and burden isn’t heavy or overwhelming and if we come to him he will give us rest.

Yet at the same time he will give us a calling, a mission, and a destiny. Yet at the same time he tells us that following him involves sacrifice, rejection, and something called “cross-bearing. Concomitantly, he supplies us a plan, a purpose, and a promise – “And be sure of this, I am with you, even until the end of the age.”

All three are needed, because the genuine path of Christ is a difficult undertaking. His yoke may indeed be easy, but his consistent demand upon us is the most arduous and threatening requirement that could ever be made of a mortal. In essence, Christ bids us to come and die. The promise of our own resurrection is there, but the prospect of facing spiritual death is a fearful commodity. What makes this whole process of dying and rising in a spiritual sense all the more ironic is the fact that we are already spiritually dead, we just don’t know it. In return for our commitment, Jesus offers more than we could possible imagine or comprehend, but above all, he offers us life. Indeed, we are resurrected from our spiritual death and brought into the light of his steadfast love. He loves us and expects that we share that same love with others. We can either accept the offer or reject it, but either way, we have to deal with it.

 

Remember the encounter between Master Jesus and the rich young man who was reluctant to follow Jesus’ demand that he sell his belongings and give the proceeds to the poor? The rich young ruler had no misunderstanding of what this demand would mean. He would have to give up his riches and give to the poor and that, of course, hit him where he lived – his wallet. But I think this young aristocrat understood something else after listening to Jesus, most likely on more than one occasion. He discerned the deeper message of sacrifice, suffering, and personal pain involved in following this radical teacher. No doubt he saw that look in the Lord’s eye when he spoke. He understood what Jesus was saying – that the entire order was corrupt and rotten and that something totally new, vastly sweeping, and thoroughly uncompromising was being put forth as salvation for his ailing world – something called the Kingdom of God – something requiring a price most costly for entry.

 

These contemporary revolutionaries we are speaking of fully understand exactly what Jesus meant in his confrontation with the wealthy young man. Whether or not these revolutionaries are rich is not the point; the point is they are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to get more of God – not more from God like the Prosperity Gospel advocates suggest – but more of God, as that gnawing spiritual hunger in their bellies demands.

 

These revolutionaries, these “Renegades for God,” have counted the costs and are ready to pay. These sold out believers fully understand what is going on at this critical juncture and they are willing to step up to the plate and take their swings. Watching from the bench (or the pew, for that matter) is no longer an option. These renegades have taken up their crosses….

Barna estimates there are already over 20 million Revolutionaries in the United States and these sincere Christ-followers have “gratefully and humbly accepted the opportunity to do what is right, simply because it is right, even if it is not original or culturally hip.”

What makes Revolutionaries so startling is that they are confidently returning to a first-century lifestyle based on faith, goodness, love, generosity, kindness, simplicity, and other values deemed “quaint” by today’s frenetic and morally untethered standards. This is not the defeatist retreat of an underachieving, low-capacity mass of people. It is an intelligent and intentional embrace of a way of life that is the only viable antidote to the untenable moral standards, dysfunctional relationships, material excess, abusive power, and unfortunate misapplication of talent and knowledge that pass for life in America these days.

The new influx of Revolutionary Christ-followers seems to have surprised many people, in the church, the media, and the culture at large. In spite of the fact that the institutional church’s social importance has been on the wane for several decades, the advent of the Renegades for God should not come as such an unexpected development, especially when one considers the Master these revolutionaries claim to follow.

to be continued….

(c) L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

Words for Meditation

Twenty-five years into the AIDS pandemic, being HIV-positive still carries stigma and shame. But God cares for the sick and so must we…..it is not a sin to be sick. The Bible tells us Jesus was repeatedly “filled with compassion” as he encountered broken bodies and broken minds. While polite society vigorously avoided contact with those they considered diseased outcasts, Jesus responded in a radical way: He cared, he touched, he healed…..We live in a broken, sinful world. We all make mistakes, but at the same time God cares passionately about everyone he has made. You never find Jesus asking people how they go sick, not once does he ask that. When sick people came to him he simply said, “How can I help you?” And that’s where we’re trying to go. That needs to be the first question out of our mouths.

Kay Warren

(quoted in The Great Awakening, by Jim Wallis)

Sacred Sanctuaries: Finding God in the Woods and Sky (Part Two)

L. Dwight Turner

A southern, rural man to the core, my grandfather was devoutly attuned to the rhythms of the natural world. As a child I often marveled at his knowledge, wisdom, and uncanny ability to see things that others couldn’t see. A Quaker and a mystic by birth, from the time he was a teenager my grandfather was a consternation to his parents because of his stubborn resistance to going to First Day Meeting as the Society of Friends called it. “Church” is basically what it was to others. This resistance did not go away once my grandfather reached his adult years and now, rather than to my great-grandparents, his absence became a consternation to his wife, my grandmother.

 

The reason I mention all of this is that it was often through my grandfather that I learned that God did indeed speak through venues other than the church, the preacher, the Bible, and, in his day, radio-evangelists. I carry to this day one distinct memory of my grandfather’s approach to religion that was for me an epiphany of sorts. I was 12-years-old and our family was visiting my grandparents during the Easter season. Little did I know at the time that this would be a Palm Sunday I would never forget.

 

As usual, my grandfather had resisted the family’s repeated entreaties that he join them for the Sunday morning meeting at the “Meeting House.” Even more to my surprise, he asked me if I wanted to stay home with him and “help him take care of a few things.” You can’t imagine my delight at this turn of events. I responded that I would love to stay home and help him and that pretty much settled the matter.

 

After putting out some extra feed for his two mules, my grandfather took me for a walk in the woods adjacent to his farm. Eventually we came to a clearing, a meadow actually, that was dotted with patches of wild flowers. From our vantage point, the meadow seemed to extend forever and the patches of flowers were like explosions of color in a sea of green. As was often the case, we walked and talked about all kinds of things. I had something I wanted to ask him about and finally got around to it, although I was somewhat apprehensive about asking him.

 

“PaPa,” I began. “Why is it you never go to church with the family? I have only seen you go a couple of times. Do you hate church?”

 

“No, son….I don’t hate church. In fact, I like it,” he replied, chuckling under his breath. “I just like to spend my Sabbath day being with God.”

 

I recall being mystified by his answer and, after scratching my head for a minute or two, go around to asking the logical question a 12-year-old boy might ask.

 

“But church is where God is,” I said. “If you want to be with God, why don’t you go to church? It doesn’t make sense, PaPa.”

 

“God isn’t in church much these days, son. At least I haven’t seen him there in awhile,” responded PaPa. “At church preachers preach (they were Evangelical Quakers), singers sing, prayers pray, and gossipers gossip. That doesn’t leave much time for God to say anything.”

 

I remember he paused for quite awhile to let his words sink into my still young mind.

 

“I figure if I need to be with God, to talk to him and listen to him, I need to come out here where it is quiet,” he continued. “God didn’t build that church, but he sure as hell made these woods and this meadow. I figure if I want to talk to God I need to go where he lives.”

 

“I think I understand, PaPa,” I recall saying. “But isn’t religion important? My Mom says my religion is the most important part of life and that when I grow up, I can’t live without it.”

 

After a long silence, my grandfather looked me squarely in the eyes and told me in no uncertain terms what he thought about my question.

 

“Just keep in mind a few things and it will make your spiritual life easier and less troublesome,” he said. “First, understand that religion doesn’t have anything to do with God, and vice versa.” My grandfather had to explain what vice versa meant. I was only 12.

 

“Religion is an invention, just like the wheel and the telephone,” PaPa continued. “Spirituality is sometimes a part of religion but most of the time it isn’t. Unlike religion, spirituality is not an invention. It is something as much a part of being human as breathing, sleeping, and sex. All of those things are built into us from the start. So is spirituality. Our job is so make our lives spiritual every day. Religion is supposed to help with that, but most of the time it prevents spirituality, it doesn’t create it.”

 

I guess my grandfather was one of the early people to be dealing with the religion vs. spirituality conflict. These days the familiar adage about being spiritual but not religious is so commonplace it has lost much of its real impact. I should not be surprised, however, at my grandfather’s words. As I mentioned, he was a Quaker and a mystic throughout his life. In fact, he knew the Quaker mystic Rufus Jones quite well and often told stories about Jones. I never had the opportunity to meet Rufus Jones, although I would have loved to. Jones died in 1948 I think, which was a year before my birth.

 

As for me, I was thoroughly confused by this time. I struggled to understand what my PaPa had said, especially the business about spirituality and religion. I asked grandfather if he could tell me again about the difference between the two. Here is where the epiphany came in and also where Rufus Jones fits into this story.

 

“Come over here,” said PaPa as he got up and walked toward one of the flower explosions in the meadow. “Now, pay close attention and I think you will get the picture.”

 

Grandfather kneeled down and picked an absolutely beautiful bright purple flower. As I knelt beside him, he said, “I want to teach you something Rufus Jones taught me many years ago. This is probably the most beautiful flower in this whole meadow. Imagine this is the church. Sometimes churches can be really beautiful places, inside and out. And the folks inside can be beautiful, too.”

 

I listened carefully and appreciated the flower, but wasn’t sure what he was getting at.

 

“Now, hold the flower to your nose and take a good whiff. Smell it deeply.”

 

Taking a deep breath I held the flower to my nose and smelled of it. Oddly, there was no fragrance, either good or bad.

 

“There is no smell, PaPa,” I reported.

 

“Isn’t it strange that a flower so attractive can have no fragrance?” said PaPa. “Churches can be like that as well. Our family goes to a church a lot like that.”

 

He then picked another flower, not unattractive by any means, but far less striking than the first. He held it to my nose.

 

“It is wonderful, PaPa,” I said after drinking deeply of the fragrance of this rather ordinary looking flower. “What is it, PaPa?”

 

“Spirituality,” he said in a serene voice filled with certainty.

( to be continued)

(c) L. Dwight Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved

Sacred Sanctuaries:Finding God in the Woods and Sky (Part One)

L. Dwight Turner

A vital aspect of connecting with the Divine Source is to recognize that God reveals himself through the created world and does so with great power and clarity. I tend to view the natural order as Sacred Scripture, for that is exactly what it is. In our technologically advanced society we have become quite removed from the intricate choreography that is evident in the dance of creation. Whenever we allow ourselves to get away from our usual fast-paced, stress-driven lifestyles and force ourselves to slow the pace down to a reasonable level, the Spirit can and does speak to us through things like trees, rivers, flowers, boulders, and even bugs. We, however, have to have eyes to see and ears to hear if we want to establish, maintain, and especially deepen our contact with God through nature. Mark Scandrette, in his great book entitled, Soul Graffiti, tells us:

 

In the hurried and technological society in which we live, we may have to be more intentional about practices that help us recognize the goodness of God revealed in creation. Many of us live and work in contexts that are divorced from the rhythms of the natural world. We have lost our connection to the soil, our food sources, and the skill of making things with our hands. We rarely notice the rising or the setting of the sun. We gulp food without tasting. We rarely pause to look at the flowers or into the eyes of a child. Our pace of life affects our capacity to appreciate the goodness of the bounty that surrounds us. The demands of a hurried life and the dominance of technology cloud our awareness. Slowing down and learning to pay attention to the moment may be a path to affirming God’s essential goodness and presence.

 

I believe attentiveness is truly a spiritual discipline, just like meditation, solitude, prayer, fasting, celebration, and all the others. Mindfulness, so much a central part of Buddhism, is basically unheard of in Christian circles. St. Francis and Brother Lawrence seem to come closer than most, but both of these saints have long since passed on. As followers of Christ, we should be ever grateful to God for revealing himself to us through the scriptures of nature and further, we should express thankfulness for those contemporary voices that are now speaking of the significance of these matters. Keep this pair of words before you my friends:

 

Mindfulness and the Discipline of Noticing

 

The more mindful we are of what is happening around us, the more sensitive we will become to what Erwin Raphael McManus calls “divine moments.” The more we practice “noticing,” the more we will know about the God we worship and follow.

 

As mentioned earlier, our contemporary environment, especially in the cities and suburbs, removes us from the natural rhythms of life and the natural world. As a result, we often miss divine messages that come our way. Rarely do we take the time to “consider the birds of the air or the lilies of the field.” It is our loss but it is something that can be regained. Further, God is able to speak to us through the created world in spite of our hectic schedules and artificial lifestyles. Wayne Teasdale, a contemporary Catholic mystic, speaks of these divine moments and their importance to our spiritual formation.

 

Most of us can probably point to such moments in the inner geography of our development, moments in which the universe, the earth, or the natural world have communicated to us something of their numinous quality. Such experiences are common; everyone has them sooner or later whether we realize it or not.

 

Although we are conceptually unaware of it at the time, natural mysticism is often our first true and valid experience of the divine side of things. I personally believe we have this capacity as a necessary part of our natural endowment at birth. As children, we are able to “see” things more directly and more clearly, rather than filtering our raw experience through a maze of conceptual explanations. In a very real sense, we can see the world through “eyes of radical wonder.” Unfortunately, our culture soon educates this blessed talent out of us before we are ten years of age. As a result, our world becomes less magical and equally less real. We end up inhabiting a world consisting of the interpretations of experience rather than the experience itself. All of this happens in the name of something called “our own good.”

 

Fortunately, this trend has been changing over the past two decades as people become more aware of the sacred nature of creation and the fact that humankind is an integral part of created order. This new, healthier view of things is increasingly based on the realization that all of the natural world is like on giant hologram in which all the parts are interconnected and contain a perfect image of the whole. Along with advances in ecological studies, biology, and quantum physics, this paradigm shift is seen as part of the emerging Interspiritual Age. Teasdale continues:

 

The Interspiritual Age is witnessing a new flowering of natural mysticism and natural contemplation. It welcomes natural mysticism’s role in a universal understanding of mysticism itself. It realizes that natural mysticism is an important part of spirituality, and that spirituality – indeed, interspirituality – would be incomplete without the inclusion of mystical wisdom that comes to us through the natural world and the cosmos.

(to be continued)

(c) L. Dwight Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved

Post-Religious Culture: Paradox and Promise

L. Dwight Turner

These days it is common parlance to state that American culture is now both Post-Modern and Post-Christian. In most ways I suspect this is an accurate statement. Our culture increasingly holds post-modern beliefs as sacred and Christianity, long the bedrock of America’s spiritual life, has receded in terms of status and influence. I would add to these realities a third idea: American culture is increasingly “Post-Religious.”

 

By using the term post-religious I do not imply that religions no longer exist. Obviously they do. What I imply when using this term to describe American culture centers on the fact that Americans increasingly are pursuing spirituality outside the parameters of institutional religion. The New Age Movement is an example of this phenomenon, but it appears to go much farther than that. It seems the idea that the best way for individuals to advance spiritually is in the context of small groups of like-minded seekers has come of age.

 

Even adherents of established religious traditions have realized that small group settings are more conducive of authentic spirituality. Many churches break down their membership into such enclaves; small groups of Buddhist pilgrims, loosely affiliate with a major teaching center in another locale, are springing up all across the country; and an increasing number of Yoga groups are forming to deepen members’ awareness of the philosophy behind the postures and practices they regularly perform.

 

If we indeed are moving toward a post-religious culture, and I believe that we are, there is an interesting paradox in all of this. The fact is that Americans are becoming far more spiritual while at the same time becoming far less religious. I am aware that the phrase “I’m spiritual but not religious” has been uttered so often it has become trite. Still, hidden behind these frequently repeated words there is a distinct reality: While we are becoming less dependent upon organized religion as a culture, we are becoming an increasingly spiritual nation.

 

Just this week CNN reported that a recent survey of the religious beliefs of Americans revealed a few surprises. Well over 80 percent said that believed in God or a Divine Force; more surprising, a distinct majority stated that they believed that religions other than their own were also paths to salvation.

 

One can argue that this is a part of the standard post-modern mind set and it is certainly that. However, it also reflects that the formal beliefs of Christian tradition are no longer a strong influence even among its adherents. I am sure fundamentalists, conservatives, and others of an Evangelical ilk will rail against this trend, but I, for one, find it positive. It is my belief that in order to understand current events as well as discern the direction and purpose of the Creator at a specific age in history, we need to look at the world with a wide-angle lens. Only then can we accurately gain a grasp on what is going on around us.

 

 

The age in which we live has its own unique purpose. I believe that we are living in a time of increased spiritual energy and how we handle this more intense Divine Light will determine to a large extent how the future unfolds. We have to keep in mind, for example, that the greater the light, the deeper the shadows. That’s why there is so much chaos at the same time there is such great progress.

 

I am of the belief that Christianity as it has been known and practiced over the last two to three centuries is waning rapidly. New, vital, and dynamic embodiments of the path of Christ are emerging and this trend will continue. I think one important characteristic of the new wineskins that we see taking shape is the emphasis placed on the Divine Laws of the universe and what these laws mean to our walk of faith. Although it may not be totally accurate, it may be possible to say that we are in the early stages of a new Reformation.

 

The explosive growth of the Christian faith in the southern hemisphere, in China, and in the former Soviet Union is an example that something new is being birthed by God. Further, the rapid growth of the Word of Faith Movement is also an indicator that Christians and non-believers are both seeking a more experiential and practical faith. Granted, the Faith Movement has its problems. However, if one cuts through much of the hoopla and the bells and whistles used by its leaders, the Faith Movement is based on factual divine laws and these laws, when properly applied, do work. I think these trends point to the fact that whatever form the new spirituality takes, it will have a decidedly metaphysical core. In spite of the fears and objections of traditionalists, conservatives, fundamentalists, and most Evangelicals, I am of the firm conviction that this return to the true metaphysics of the gospel is both empowering and overdue.

 

There are many divergent perspectives on what the major aspects of the universal purpose of this age. These diverse views have components that are in agreement with one another and, at the same time, also have aspects that are in sharp contrast. No matter what view one holds, several things are certain:

 

• Change is happening on a global scale and it is occurring at a rapidity never seen before.
• This age in which we live presents humankind with tremendous challenges as well as opportunities.
• Boundaries between people, nations, religions, and races are falling.
• Culture is becoming increasingly global in nature.
• The interdependence of all Creation is becoming more apparent.
• Humans are increasingly becoming less religious and more spiritual.

 

These are but a small sampling of the themes and issues that are taking place around the globe as the first decade of the new century winds to a close. Of particular interest is the last item mentioned: that humans tend to focus less on religion and more on spirituality. The phrase, “I’m spiritual but not religious” has been uttered so frequently that it has now become trite. Still, these words reflect a growing reality in our world. People everywhere are experiencing a deep spiritual hunger and almost universally find that institutional religion will not satisfy that sublime longing.

 

Religions, by their very nature, will not get the job done. All religions began as an attempt on the part of humans to formalize and standardize the process of raising consciousness to a level adequate to make experiential contact with the Divine Source, no matter how it is defined. All religions began well but have ended poorly. In this age, humankind will of necessity learn to operate in a post-religious context. Formal religions will continue to exist and serve positive purposes, but will not function as a source of spiritual development beyond a certain point. Over the next ten years or so, we will witness the emergence of numerous new wineskins in which the impartation of spiritual teachings will take place. Some of these new wineskins will be highly positive and will serve the unfolding of God’s divine plan. Others will be less than what they should be and, in fact, may do more harm than good. For the individual seeker, discernment is critical.

 

Far from exhaustive, the following list details a few of the primary issues for this age:

 

1.                  Developing and implementing a deeper understanding of how the mind works, especially as in the role of a co-creator. We are to grow more conscious of the power of our thoughts, imaginations, and our spoken words. We are to use these potent tools to further the divine plan – not just to benefit ourselves.

 

2.                  This is an age of synergy, where previously separated and diverse phenomena are coming together to create new things that are similar to the past, but much different as well. Key words for this age are synergy, cooperation, community, cohesiveness.

 

 

3.                  In relation to the No. 1 issue regarding the mind, this is an age when humanity is increasingly coming to awareness and application to the primary mental laws. These laws have been around for ages, but now their popularity will grow and expand.

 

4.                  In this present age, the body will also take on a greater importance from a spiritual perspective. Areas of study and application will be things like holistic medicine, health and wellness, and specific techniques like yoga, qigong, etc.

 

If we take an objective look around it is evident that these transformations are already underway. Although progress is uneven, we can see that these changes are happening and it is safe to say that they will continue. One of the primary catalysts for these dramatic transitions into a new level of being is an increased understanding of the mind, what it is, and how it works. A remarkable aspect of this deepening comprehension of our mental functioning is the fact that it is coming from a variety of disciplines including psychology, metaphysics, biology, and physics. The details being revealed are fascinating and somewhat complex. However, we can view the overall parameters of these new insights into our cognitive functioning and how they relate to the emerging post-religious spirituality in a fairly simplistic manner.

 

We all have within us two seemingly opposing entities. We have our “Small Mind” and our “Sacred Mind.” The small mind is essentially the ego and all its instruments. It is not evil in and of itself, but it can become so self absorbed that its actions can result in evil. The Sacred Mind is that part of us that is intimate with and identical with the incarnated aspect of the Divine Source. Among other things, the Sacred Mind is other-directed, sees the big picture, and is oriented toward love and service.

 

As humankind develops the capacity to live more consistently from the Sacred Mind, many problems that have haunted the world since earliest times will gradually wane. Does this mean we will live in some sort of spiritual utopia where problems do not exist? No. I suspect we will always have enough problems and difficulties to go around. What I am suggesting is that living from the Sacred Mind will decrease the amount of energy we have to exert to deal with difficulties in life because there will be, overall, a lessening of problems both in scope and magnitude.

 

So, what other characteristics might we expect from the spiritual unfolding of post-religious culture? What are some of the general trends? I offer the following far from exhaustive list:

 

Characteristics of Post-Religious Spirituality

 

 

It is post-religious in the sense that there is a recognition that genuine spirituality in this era will most likely evolve outside the parameters of traditional systems of faith.

 

Focused on increased understanding and application of universal spiritual/mental laws.

 

Seeks to facilitate a decreased dominance of the Small Mind.

 

Brings about an increased capacity to operate out of Sacred Mind.

 

Promotes discovery of our true spiritual identity.

 

Is far more experiential in pursuits and content; less emphasis on conceptual knowledge and doctrine.

 

As a result of the preceding point, it is oriented toward disciplined spiritual practice.

 

Pays honor to the reality and the sanctity of “Sacred Silence” and, as a result, is contemplative.

 

Focused on spiritual growth and the development of Sacred Character.

 

It is purpose driven (universal and personal).

 

Exhibits an engaged spirituality that seeks the betterment of life for all beings. In the fullest sense, the post-religious spirituality is “Socio-Spiritual.”

 

It promotes a deep ecological consciousness, flowing from reverence for and compassion for the planet.

 

Fosters the spiritual practices of a “Mysticism of Nature.”

 

Views the body as the Temple of the Spirit and seeks to promote positive health based on holistic practices.

 

It is at vanguard of the study and application of Energy Healing and working with the Divine Light.

 

Although community based, it maintains a global focus based on the interconnectivity of all things.

 

 

I am well aware that such a dramatic transition will not happen overnight. Further, it can be anticipated that there will be major resistance from the more conservative, fundamentalist fringes of all faith systems. As mentioned earlier, the more Divine Light that is poured into a situation, the deeper and more pronounced the shadows become. Despite this resistance and inertia I anticipate most of the changes discussed here will come about, at least to some degree. And, I am certain there may be other changes on the horizon that we could have never predicted. I know, for example, in my own lifetime these unexpected kinds of changes have occurred. I am now in my late 50’s and as recently as my late 30’s I doubt I could have ever anticipated the manifestation of the Internet and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

 

Friends, we live in exciting and challenging times. It is my sincere, heart-felt hope and prayer that we do all that we can to help usher in these positive transitions. No doubt, the post-religious world, although it will be far from perfect, will be a major improvement over the “Age of Religion.”

 

© L.D. Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved

Interspirituality: Conversation and Cooperation

L.D. Turner

In 1893, the city of Chicago played host to an event which, at the time, did not seem overwhelmingly significant. Slated as a relatively minor event associated with the World’s Fair, the “World’s Parliament of Religions” was of far greater importance than recognized at the time. The Parliament was the first time representatives of various religious traditions from around the globe convened in a common setting with a common purpose. Moreover, the interfaith gathering foreshadowed the increasing contact between various religious traditions that so characterized the 20^th Century.

 

Originally organized to foster dialog and understanding between the world’s various faith traditions, the Parliament spawned a groundswell of interest among those in attendance as well as those who read about the informative proceedings. Especially in America the Parliament’s impact was both immediate and wide-spread. For example, prior to the gathering in Chicago, both Judaism and Catholicism were largely marginalized in American culture. Despite the fact that both of these groups were numerically strong in the United States since colonial times, a general lack of information on the part of the Protestant Christian majority created an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust. One of the most significant and enduring legacies of the Parliament has been the mainstreaming of both Catholics and Jews.

 

A second but no less momentous contribution of the Chicago meetings was the West’s exposure to vital Asian spiritual traditions, most notably Zen, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. As the 20^th Century progressed, contact and positive exchange between American seekers and Asian religions grew rapidly. During the final quarter of the century this inter-spiritual contact and exploration was commonplace.

 

 In 1993, honoring the 100^th Anniversary of the parliament, Chicago again played host to a gathering of representatives from a wide range of spiritual traditions. Over 9,000 participants attended the conference and registration had to be stopped three weeks prior to the event, simply due to lack of space. Attendance could have been much higher. Incredibly, over 75,000 people showed up for the closing ceremony, held in Grant Park. From beginning to end, the hallmark of the conference was mutual respect and a sincere desire for cooperation and unity among the participants. The only incident of discord occurred when a group of fundamentalist Christians, who were non-participants, staged a protest in opposition to the event.

 

As the 21^st Century advances, we can only expect this stream of inter-spiritual contact to widen and grow deeper as the contact between faith traditions grows increasingly consistent. As this process unfolds, it is hoped that among the positive results of inter-spiritual dialog and cooperation are such things as: deeper insight into points of commonality among the various religious traditions; joint proactive efforts by the various traditions to address and rectify existing global and social concerns; and a more peaceful, harmonious world, from nations to neighborhoods. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, an example of a person with a heart for Interspirituality, speaks of the possible benefits of interspiritual cooperation:

 

“Because all the world’s religious traditions share the same essential purpose, we must maintain harmony and respect among them. This not only benefits the followers of each religion but makes our neighborhoods and countries more peaceful. To do this we need to understand something about the world’s different religions. There are many ways to go about this, but I believe the most effective is face-to-face dialog. Let religious and spiritual leaders meet together to discuss and share their experience and practice; let ordinary members of religious communities spend time with each other.”

 

The final point made by the Dalai Lama is of particular note. While the meetings and dialogs between leaders from the world’s spiritual traditions is of great benefit, it is when the average, rank-and-file members of these traditions become more familiar with one another that real transformation can take place. Positive sharing between the laity of all religions holds perhaps the most promise of all. Any future plans for interspiritual programs and gatherings should take this reality into account. To have only religious leaders meet together is a positive step, but falls short of what is needed.

 

To be sure, there will always be those who are opposed to interspiritual dialog and cooperation. Typically this flavor of opposition comes from the fundamentalist camps, especially within Islam and Christianity. I do not mean to equate these two forces as the former is typically more radical and violent that the latter. Still, both of these religious elements are consistently abhorrent of any attempt toward religious unity. In spite of their opposition, however, the participation of both Islamic and Christian fundamentalists would be welcome. Anything else would be antithetical to the principles of interspiritual unity.

 

Still, there are some Christians who feel that any other spiritual tradition other than Christianity is at best worthless or at worst an evil entity, spawned from the loins of hell. I will state categorically and without reservation that I do not share this mindset and, in fact, consider such a worldview closer to pure evil than a more open-minded approach. I am a Christian but that does not mean I cannot learn from other traditions. In fact, I feel compelled to remind readers that Christianity, along with every other religion, is a product of human effort, not of God. It is an unfortunate truth, but a reality nonetheless, that oftentimes religion is one of the chief impediments to true spirituality, especially as exemplified by Christ.

 

I am reminded of the encounter between Jesus and the woman at the well in Samaria. Most often sermons or Bible lessons on this fascinating encounter focus on the sins of the woman’s past and present life and on Jesus’ teachings about the “living water.” Yet this passage also is highly illuminating in terms of Jesus’ view of religion. He does not condemn this Samaritan woman’s religion. Instead, he goes on to share that “a time is coming and already has come” where both the Samaritan religion and the Jewish religion have become obsolete. The Lord clearly tells the woman that God is spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and truth. God must be worshiped beyond the confines of a limited religious point of view.

 

Does exploring the teachings of other faith traditions in any lessen Christianity? No. In reality, such exploration enriches our faith and helps us to see the teachings of Christ and the early church in fresh and often more accurate ways. Personally, I have such endeavors highly beneficial and, equally significant, these studies have given me insight into how adherents of other faith systems view life. This has been of great benefit in discussing my Christian perspective with followers of other religious traditions.

 

The reality that we now exist in a global society is undeniable. Further, there is a growing recognition that the entire world is interdependent. When one part of the globe is affected, all areas are impacted in some way. Interdependence is increasingly seen in trade, science, medicine, cultural exchange, and even education. It is only natural that humanity’s spiritual traditions are involved as well. Perhaps our greatest hope lies in the fact that as a growing knowledge of the essential unity within the diversity of religious expression takes place, we, as a species, will be less inclined to hostile behavior.

 

© L.D. Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved

Words for Meditation

…we have heard Jesus’ teachings so often that their edges have been worn smooth, dulling their glaring subversiveness. If we could recover their original impact, we too would be startled. Their beauty would not paper over the fact that they are “hard sayings,” presenting a scheme of values so counter to the usual as to shake us like the seismic collision of tectonic plates…We are told that we are not to resist evil but to turn the other cheek. The world assumes that evil must be resisted by every means available. We are told to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. The world assumes that friends are to be loved and enemies hated. We are told that the sun rises on the just and the unjust alike. The world considers this to be indiscriminating; it would like to see dark clouds withholding sunshine from evil people. We are told that outcasts and harlots enter the kingdom of God before many who are perfunctorily righteous. Unfair, we protest; respectable people should head the procession. We are told that the gate to salvation is narrow. The world would prefer it to be wide. We are told to be as carefree as birds and flowers. The world counsels prudence. We are told that it is more difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom than for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye. The world honors wealth. We are told that the happy people are those who are meek, who weep, who are merciful and pure in heart. The world assumes that it is the rich, the powerful, and the wellborn who should be happy. In all, a wind of freedom blows through these teachings that frightens the world and makes us want to deflect their effect by postponement – not yet, not yet! H.G. Wells was evidently right: either there was something mad about this man, or our hearts are still too small for his message.

Houston Smith

(from The Soul of Christianity)