Alan Fadling's Blog, page 33

UL Podcast #233: How to Inhabit Time (James K.A. Smith)

 

Today, I’m sharing a recent conversation with James K. A. Smith about his latest book, How to Inhabit Time. The moment I saw this title, I knew there would be some wonderful intersections with our core idea here of learning to live and lead in the unhurried way of Jesus. I wasn’t wrong about that. There is a depth of thinking and a beauty of language in this book. It really was a pleasure to read. 

There is an invitation to live well in the present moment. The language of “inhabiting” takes me to the invitation of Jesus to “abide in him” like a branch remains connected to a vine to be lush and fruitful. Each “now” is the place where we can do that. But we are so often rushing past the present moment (or trying to) and missing the grace that is available to us right here. I know you’re going to enjoy our conversation about these things today.

Being God's Children

Blog by Alan Fadling

In John 8, we have an extended conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees in which Jesus speaks of his intimate communion with his Father in heaven (John 8:38), but the Jewish leaders reject this. Those who served as religious leaders at that time were constantly in conflict with Jesus. It’s ironic that he finds himself most at odds with those claiming to be God’s favorite people. 

 

“Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

John 8:39-41

 

Here Jesus says that everything these leaders are doing to oppose and attack him is inspired by their father. They probably don’t even realize that Jesus is calling them children of the evil one.

 

These poor Jewish leaders simply can’t think any deeper than DNA. First, they want to claim Abraham as their father—their spiritual heritage—because he is in their genealogy. They believe that because Abraham was chosen by God, and because they are his great-, great-, great-beyond-numbering grandchildren, they are somehow privileged.

 

Jesus says the problem is that they aren’t behaving like Abraham’s children. They are not following Abraham’s faith. Abraham would not have tried to kill Jesus the way they were plotting to do. Jesus says that if they are seeking to be killers, then they are children of a killer and destroyer and not children of Abraham.

 

The Jewish leaders then bring up the rumor that Jesus was born illegitimately. They don’t know the real story here either. They up the ante on their claim by saying that, unlike Jesus, they are the true children of God. But they are even less children of God the Father than they are children of Abraham.

 

There are many today who confidently claim to be God’s people. What would Jesus say? What questions would Jesus ask? What signs would Jesus welcome as evidence for the truth of these claims?

 

The formational question is this: Am I living in the family resemblance of my Father in heaven? Am I living as a part of the faith family of which Abraham is a forefather?

I am if I live in the way Abraham lived, if I seek first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness. I want to live in the family resemblance of my heavenly Father and the rest of his children. I am not his child because of a prayer I’ve prayed, or a church to which I belong, or any other skin-deep dynamic. The evidence of my childhood is expressed in the way I follow the ways of my Father.

 

Reflection Questions

How is your Father in heaven coming to guide your own way of life these days?
How have you been taking on the gentle, humble, kind, patient way of God in all that you do?

 

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

UL Podcast #232: How to Cultivate a Robust Faith (Ben Sternke & Matt Tebbe)

 

Today, I’m sharing a recent conversation with Matt Tebbe and Ben Sternke about their book Having the Mind of Christ. In it, they talk about what they call eight axioms for cultivating a robust faith. In a day when so many are disappointed with the faith they were given by the church of their early formation, we need a more vital vision of the life to which Jesus is actually inviting us. 

Too often, our assumptions, our expectations, even our values are shaped more by popular cultural voices than they are by the beautiful ways of God’s kingdom. This is a big part of the reason that Unhurried Living exists. We really believe the pace of the kingdom of Jesus is very different than the cultural one that surrounds us. 

Our guests, Matt Tebbe and Ben Sternke, are the cofounders of Gravity Leadership, an organization focused on transformational leadership and discipleship. They provide coaching, consulting, and workshops for pastors and ministry leaders. They are also copastors of a church in Indianapolis called The Table and cohosts of the Gravity Leadership podcast. 

5 Ways to Engage Growth

Blog by Gem Fadling

There is no such thing as a Christian life hack. That idea is an oxymoron. I’m stating that clearly up front because I’m about to list five ways to engage growth. But you know me and Alan well enough to know that we do not hand out easy or pat answers. Transformation takes time, and engaging these ideas will be no different.

 

Now, bear with me. I know I use a corny rhyming pattern in what follows, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m hoping it helps you retain what I’m sharing.

 

It’s time to FEEL. Feel your feelings. Don’t push down or deny what’s occurring inside of you. Feelings simply call to be seen and acknowledged and felt. Then they can pass on through. We’ve all experienced the process of a good cry. Don’t stifle your need to express your feelings. If you suppress them, they can grow larger and more unwieldy and may erupt when you least desire them to. To help with this you may want to spend some time journaling or to process with a safe and trusted friend.

 

It’s time to be REAL. And I mean real with a capital R. What are you calling “reality”? Is what you see on the news or on your social media feed reality? In the sense that it exists, yes. But in the sense that it holds sway over your well-being, no. Our reality lies within us, not outside of us. You are a beloved child of God. This is the ultimate reality and it does not change. Let Reality with a capital R shape your vision of your life.

 

It’s time to KNEEL. This is a call to prayer—and not the kind where you perform a monologue at a distant God who doesn’t see what’s going on. No, not that kind of prayer. God is as close as the air on your face. Ann Lamott crafted a book around three great short prayers: Help, Thanks, Wow. Allow these words to emerge from your lips over the course of the day. You can kneel in your heart at any time. Remember, your body is a portable prayer room.

 

It’s time to HEAL. To heal your heart, mind, and body. Yes, all three work together. What might it take for you to move toward greater health in any or all of these areas? Keeping it simple, is there one that floats to the surface for you—heart, mind, or body? What is one step you can take in that area? You might begin by seeking some help. A coach, spiritual director, or therapist might be a great next step. You don’t have to go it alone.

 

It’s time to make a DEAL. A deal with yourself. You get to decide what you will think about and what you will do. You get to set healthy boundaries in your relationships. You get to acknowledge and feel your feelings. You get to find the help you need to take your next steps. You get to pray throughout the day with a God who loves you and is surrounding you. Make a deal with yourself and take discerned action.

 

It’s time to… 

Feel
Get real
Kneel
Heal
Make a deal

 

I told you it was a corny rhyme. But there is nothing corny about taking care of yourself—body, mind, and soul. Give yourself the gift of taking one small step today.

 

Reflection 

Which of these five dynamics is calling out to you today?
How might you lean in and take a next step?
Allow a heartfelt prayer to emerge from within. What do you want Jesus to do for you?

 

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

UL Podcast #231: A Practice in Working With God

 

Today, rather than sharing an author interview or a leadership conversation, I’m going to share a daily practice that has been an important element of my unhurried life and work rhythms for a while now. It’s rooted in some of the insights I wrote about in the last chapter of An Unhurried Leader, which is titled “Working with God.” 

By the way, episode 205 of this podcast, “Working for God or Working with God,” based on that chapter, is one of our top five most downloaded episodes. If you haven’t already listened to that one, I encourage you to go back to it. This has been a big idea that’s been transforming how I think about and engage my work. 

The daily practice I’m going to share with you in this episode is one I’ve come to call, “Praying my Work.” Perhaps like you, I keep track of my work in terms of projects and tasks that I’m engaging in a personal task manager that syncs between my computer and my smartphone. There are plenty of tools like this, and you probably use a tool like this to manage your own work. 

The daily practice of “Praying my work” begins at the end of each day as part of my night prayer. I enjoy starting and ending my day with the daily office of The Book of Common Prayer. This rhythm of praying historic prayers and key passages of scripture has been one important way of praying for me for years now.

ICDT #56: Choose Your Narrative

 

A few years ago I was reading a book by Mary Pipher, entitled, Women Rowing North. In it, a notable epiphany is had by a woman named Sylvia, whose life took some unexpected turns. Pipher writes, “Sylvia in Austin has learned that she is in control not of life, but of the story about her life.“ 

The same time I was reading this book, I ran into some very unexpected and unwelcome travel issues. And I had to chance to try on this new insight. I have my own story to tell today, one about crafting renewed narratives.

How God Lifts Us Up

Blog by Alan Fadling

The Pharisees always seemed to be in conflict with Jesus. They did not know how to label him. He often did things they interpreted as being out of bounds for a good Jew. When it came to the traditions of Judaism, they believed Jesus had cross the line. John talks about it this way in his Gospel:

 

They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in him. (John 8:27-30)

 

That these Jewish leaders “did not understand” was nothing new. But when they do finally grasp that Jesus is talking about God as his own Father, they understand it as blasphemy and react accordingly.

 

Jesus talks about himself as being “lifted up.” While that phrase can mean “exalted,” here it points to Jesus’s coming death by crucifixion at the hands of the Pharisees and their kind. These Jewish leaders would, through Roman authority, lift him up to die in the sight of everyone. Some people would be pleased. Others would grieve. But no one would realize that this lifting up, which was intended as shame, would be the path by which Jesus would be ultimately lifted up in glory. The Pharisees in John 8 weren’t anticipating crucifixion, so they couldn’t have imagined resurrection.

 

I love when Jesus says, “I always do what pleases [my Father].” This is his greatest glory. Jesus never did anything self-serving or from selfish initiative. I wish I could say that about myself, but I can’t. Jesus spoke in complete unison with his Father. He said in body what God said in spirit. The good news is that I’m invited to believe in him just like those early followers did in John 8.

 

When I read this passage as a message for me, I hear Jesus inviting me to imitate him, to trust him, to follow him and his way. I find deep trust rising within me. Jesus really is trustworthy and faithful. Jesus says exactly what is on God’s heart and in God’s mind. And he says it to us. Believing him might be the means by which my own life is lifted up.

 

For Reflection:

In what way have you experienced sorrow and loss in following Jesus? How might Jesus be using this as an invitation for you to follow him in his way of the cross that leads to resurrection?

 

(Purchases made via the links may provide an Amazon Affiliate commission fee to Unhurried Living. This adds nothing to the cost of your purchase).

 

 

Photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash

UL Podcast #230: Ancient Sources for Spiritual Renewal (Andrew Arndt)

 

Today, I’m sharing a recent conversation with Andrew Arndt about his book Streams in the Wasteland. In it, he shares the ancient wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers who journeyed to the wilderness to seek a closer journey with Christ. Andrew shares some of the parallels between their experience with Rome then and our experience today. 

I was first introduced to the desert fathers and mothers in the late 1980s when I read Henri Nouwen’s The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary. It was his sharing of the wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers, especially about solitude, silence, and prayer, that launched me on a very different spiritual trajectory than the frantically busy one I’d been on up until then.

 

Andrew Arndt is the lead pastor of New Life East, one of seven congregations of New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Prior to joining New Life's team, he served as the lead pastor of Bloom Church, a network of house churches in Denver. He is the host of the Essential Church podcast, a weekly conversation designed to strengthen the thinking of church and ministry leaders. Andrew received his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently working on his DMin with Western Theological Seminary. He has written for Missio Alliance, Patheos, The Other Journal, and Mere Orthodoxy. He is the author of Streams in the Wasteland and All Flame. Andrew lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Mandi, and their four kids.

 

ICDT #55: Taming the Voice of the Inner Critic

 

The voice of the inner critic is another voice from my new book Hold That Thought. The inner critic has an opinion about everything and she will be sure to tell you. The inner chatter produced by this voice leads to thoughts that can feel judgmental and can even lead to resentment. Here are a few of her choice thoughts: Why can’t you get this right? Couldn’t you have done better than that? Why do you always keep me waiting? Things could be so much better than this. You don’t look-sound-smell right. Fix it! Do better. Be more. And it had better be perfect! 

Today, I’m talking with my friend, Marla Christian. She has a long history with the voice of the inner critic and I’m so glad she’s here to share with us today. We can glean a lot from her story.

The Humanity and Divinity of Jesus

Blog by Gem Fadling

Lately I've been reading the First Nations version of the New Testament. I enjoy its unique and refreshed language. In particular, I’d like to share a couple phrases from John 18 that I think profoundly depict both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus.

 

The first phrase is from John 18:1: “When he finished sending up his prayers, he and the ones who walked the road with him walked across the Valley of Darkness (Kidron) and entered a garden with many olive trees.”

 

Jesus and his disciples have left the upper room and are now entering the Garden of Gethsemane. However, I want to focus on this phrase: “the ones who walked the road with him.” This is, of course, describing the disciples of Jesus. But when I first read this phrase I was struck by Jesus’s humanity. I felt the relational connection he and his disciples must have had as they traveled everywhere together at walking pace. 

 

Even though Alan and I have gotten behind in watching new episodes of The Chosen, we have really been enjoying this TV series. The show does a great job showing us the in-between aspects of the Gospel stories. When we read the Gospels events are compressed and follow in rapid succession in brief paragraphs.

 

But what about the backstory of all the people? The day-to-day aspect of their suffering. The desperation that built up over years. It has been wonderful to see a dramatization of what might have occurred between Jesus’s miracles. And that has put me in touch with the humanity of Jesus.

 

The second phrase is from John 18:5-6: “The betrayer, Speaks Well Of (Judas), was standing there with the lodge soldiers when Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered, ‘I am he!’ At the sound of his voice they all moved back and fell to the ground.”

 

This, of course, depicts the garden scene where Judas identifies Jesus for the soldiers. Jesus spoke three words and the force of his voice caused a physical reaction: they fell to the ground. I wonder what was happening in that moment? Was Jesus’s voice augmented in some way? Were the soldiers simply blown away by his presence? What must that have sounded like? How would that have felt?

 

This is Jesus’s divinity on display. His power and authority are unmatched. His declaration “I am he!” is so potent it causes strong, grown men to collapse. 

 

There is a stark contrast in the way these two groups encountered Jesus. The disciples had the pleasure of his company as they journeyed together. The soldiers were blown back by his power.

 

But here and now, in the present, we have the amazing gift of being able to experience both aspects of Jesus at once in their fullness. His gracious, loving, healing presence AND his powerful, mighty presence. We live in the reality of this verse:

 

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. (Romans 8:11 NLT)

 

The gracious, loving, healing, powerful, mighty presence of Jesus accompanies you today. I pray you experience the fullness of this in your particular circumstances.

 

Reflection

Which aspect of Jesus seems most present to you today? Gracious, loving, and healing OR powerful and mighty?
What prayer emerges from your heart as you consider his presence with you?
Let this energize your day.