Alan Fadling's Blog, page 59

Podcast 147: Longing for Revival (Alan with James Choung)

In the book Longing For Revival, authors James Choung and Ryan Pfeiffer remind us of a simple and encouraging reality: Revival begins with God. It happens in our lives and we cooperate with what God is doing, but God is the reviver of our souls, our communities, our world. In this season that feels so straining and wearying, God wants to refresh, renew and revitalize our lives so we can join God in the good work of the kingdom. 

Gem and I have been grateful to have been given moments of encounter with God along the way that have revitalized our souls and transformed our work. We’ve come to believe that these were moments or even season of God-given revival. We often remember these moments when we hit hard places in the journey. 

I’m so glad that James Choung and Ryan Pfeiffer have written a book to help us understand, enter into and even lead others into the reality of revival. James and I had a conversation recently about Longing For Revival, which I’m pleased to be able to share with you today. 

Rev. Dr. James Choung serves as Vice President of Strategy & Innovation — overseeing evangelism, discipleship, planting, growth, missions, multiethnic initiatives, and the Creative Labs — at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA. He is also ordained with the Vineyard USA, and has written both True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In and its follow-up, Real Life: A Christianity Worth Living Out. He speaks frequently at campuses, churches, seminaries, and conferences, and teaches seminary classes on culture, leadership development and evangelism. James, his wife and two sons live in Los Angeles, CA. 

Check out James' book HERE with the first chapter free from InterVarsity Press.

Connect with James on social:
Facebook @jameschoung
Instagram @jameschoung
Twitter @jameschoung

Under Construction: Every Stage Matters

A few years ago, Alan and I visited the Chicago area. We had the privilege of being with our publisher, InterVarsity Press. They had just come off a very busy and challenging 18-month project to overhaul their IT systems. We were able to be with them on a day set aside for refreshment, training and celebration.

 

To say they were tired is an understatement. Taking something old and replacing it with something new can be a herculean task. The end product will serve the organization much better, well into the future, but it did come at a price–long hours, job responsibilities shifted for a time, and learning a new process and system.

 

Sometimes we have to say goodbye to an old way of doing things and completely overhaul it, in order to make our way forward. 

 

The day after we were with IVP, we enjoyed the city of Chicago, something neither I nor Alan had done before. We chose to begin at Millennium Park. I had to see “The Bean.” I found out later that day that it is actually called “The Cloud Gate.” Who knew?

 

As we were looking at a map of the park, I noticed a structure with large columns, akin to a colosseum. It was clearly under construction, with barriers set up all around. I took a quick glance and wrote it off as “unvisitable.”

 

After enjoying the Cloud Gate, we were on our way to see the fountain. As we strolled the sidewalks, we came upon a large, empty rectangle, with two large posts in the center. The fountain was dry. It was also under construction and surrounded by barriers.

 

Even though there was nothing to look at, we stood and stared at the non-functioning fountain for more than a few minutes. I began to see the “under construction” barriers as symbols of times when my soul had undergone some rehab.

 

Trials, pruning, whatever you want to call it, it is not a pretty sight. Things don’t work the way they used to. And in the middle of new construction, you aren’t quite sure if the end result is worth it, or if it is even if there actually is a finish line.

 

I wish I had taken a photo of the fountain. I would share it with you here. But I didn’t deem it worthy since it was in the process of renovation.

 

But what if we could appreciate all aspects of an overhaul or renovation? The exciting start, the mid-way slump and the long-awaited completion. Each stage is a necessary part of the process.

 

If you are in the middle of a season of change, you likely feel out of place, neither here nor there. You need some fresh air, some energy to keep going.

 

If you are at the end of a season of change, you may be tired. You desire to celebrate, but you can’t keep your eyes open. Plus, the next project is looming before you and you don’t know if you have time to celebrate.

 

Here is a passage on which you can hang your hat no matter what stage of your process you are in.

 

The path of right-living people is level.
    The Leveler evens the road for the right-living.
We’re in no hurry, God. We’re content to linger
    in the path sign-posted with your decisions.
Who you are and what you’ve done
    are all we’ll ever want.
Through the night my soul longs for you.
    Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you.
When your decisions are on public display,
    everyone learns how to live right. (Isaiah 26:7-9, The Message)

 

So, if you are standing in front of your own metaphorical “under construction” fountain and deeming it “unvisitable,” take heart. This part of the process matters too.

 

May Isaiah 26 be a source of encouragement to you as you ponder your current season in God’s presence.

 

Reflection 

Where are you feeling under construction these days?
How are you tempted to deem that area of your life “unvisitable?”
Isaiah says, “Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you.” How does you spirit desire to reach out right now?

 

 

Adapted from a blog dated April 12, 2017

 

Photo by Scott Blake on Unsplash

Podcast 146: Open or Closed: Welcoming an Expansive View of God (A Spiritual Practice with Gem)

2020 has been a rough year. And that is an understatement. It may seem counterintuitive to at least some of us, but one thing that can help us is to see this year up against the expansive backdrop of God’s eternal presence. Christ crucified is a witness to everything we are seeing. Christ crucified is present in our pain, our outrage, our anxiety, our fears. Let’s dig into a practice that can help us envision God’s presence and expanse now. 

Before we dive in here, I want to be sure you know that I’m not trying to paint a rosy picture or act like nothing is wrong. I am living in this culture and watching the news, just like you. I see what is going on and I feel it. The anger, the injustice, the contempt. It’s all right there for us to see. 

The word “but” is not coming next. Instead of the word “but” I want to use the word “and.” AND, in the midst of the difficulty and overwhelm, we can stand firmly on the realities of the kingdom of God. It is not impossible. I know this because God’s people did it all throughout scripture and Jesus consistently modeled this for us. 

There is a phrase of scripture in the Old Testament that says, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?” This was in the context of God making a way for his people yet again. And now is just as good a time as any to bring that phrase to the front of our minds: Is the Lord’s arm too short?

 

Grace in the Midst of a Pandemic

I’m getting a bit tired of talking about the pandemic. At first, many of us imagined it was going to be a brief pause button in our lives that we’d soon unpause and be back to normal. Nope! This has changed our lives in a lasting way already.

 

Gem and I have experienced a great deal of change in what we do in our work and how we do it. I wonder if you’ve experienced the same. We’ve found these to be among the most wearying months of ministry we’ve ever experienced. Change is tiring. We’re finding we need to rest with more intention.

 

But I’ve also found myself wondering how God might bring about good in the midst of something so trying and hard. The limitations of this season may not just be an infringement on our freedoms. It could be a discipline that produces more freedom within us.

 

We could learn to live gently, graciously and kindly in the face of what we do not like. This would be more in the spirit of Jesus than some of the complaining about loss of freedom I’ve been hearing from some.

 

Sometimes “can’ts” are a gift in disguise. There are things we used to do a lot of that we can’t do at all now. Perhaps this season will give us a chance to assess just how critical everything we were doing actually was. Maybe we were doing too much.

 

We might want to reconsider whether the normal that lies ahead of us should be an attempt to return to our old normal. Perhaps we can remember that our lives never actually consisted primarily in our activities, but in our communion with the Living God.

 

It’s my prayer that you will discover the ways in which the Spirit of God has been at work in your life in these challenging months, doing his gracious work in and through you. That’s a piece of work worth cooperating with!

 

For Reflection

In what ways have you felt limited in this pandemic quarantining season?
How might these limitations be something God uses to do good work in you? (If you’re not sure, ask God to help you see it).

 

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Podcast 145: The Possibility of Prayer (Alan with John Starke)

There are so many reasons we might feel that cultivating a deep life of prayer is just impossible. We feel too busy. We feel we don’t deserve such a life. We imagine that kind of prayer is for someone more spiritual than me. But today, John Starke, author of The Possibility of Prayer, will remind us that prayer is always possible because prayer is a gift we receive more than a life we achieve. 

A mentor of mine, Chuck Miller, often reminded us that prayer isn’t so much something I do as it is Someone I’m with. Prayer is more about a Person than it is about a practice. We listen. We pour out whatever it is that fills our hearts and minds. And God listens. We are cultivating a conversational relationship with God. But it’s a gift and not an achievement. These are just a few of the themes John and I touched in our conversation about his book The Possibility of Prayer. 

Let me take a moment to tell you a little more about John Starke. 

He grew up in the Midwest but has lived in Arizona, South Carolina, Kentucky, and now lives in New York City with his wife Jena and their four children. He pastors Apostles Church Uptown in Manhattan. In addition to The Possibility of Prayer, John has written for for Christianity Today, Books & Culture, Comment Magazine, and others. 

Download the first chapter to John's book, The Possibility of Prayer HERE.

Connect with John on social media:
Facebook @jbstarke
Instagram @john_starke
Twitter @john_starke

Community - Perspective, Peace, Influence

Watch this brief video of Gem talking about internal expectations and the pressure they put on us. She's got an idea for releasing some of that pressure.

 

Averting Anxiety: Thinking in an Apple Tree

Growing up on a small farm in rural Washington, we had many varieties of trees–pine, cherry, weeping willow. But the tree I spent the most time with was the lone apple tree in our front pasture. I’m not sure why there was only one tree out there. Why didn’t they plant more? Why didn’t they cut it down? Certainly, there was no need for this single fruit-bearing tree in a huge field.

 

Whatever the reason for its existence, that lonely apple tree became my thinking place. I would run out through the mown lawn of our front yard, contort my way through our barbed wire fence, and follow the path to my tree.

 

There was a crook at just the right height so that I could do a little jump, get my arms into the space, and then lift my elementary-aged body onto the trunk. Off to my right was a perfect branch for sitting. As my feet dangled and the wind created its song in the leaves, my mind would wander.

 

Such leisure. No agendas. No plans. Just time. Time for thinking, for daydreaming, for watching leaves dance in the wind. Was I solving any world issues? Hardly. But that kind of small town, small farm living is still inside me. It longs to come out and play like the younger version of myself making her way to the apple tree.

 

Years ago I was teaching a group of pastors in a retreat setting in the mountains. My subject was Presence. I began my session with a pair of verses that I use to calm myself down. You see, for me, speaking in front of people is not the same as sitting carefree on the branch of an apple tree.

 

I found these verses a while back as I was seeking to calm myself down before speaking to another group. (Do you notice a pattern here)?

 

So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t. (Romans 12:5, MSG)

 

Love one another from the center of who you are … (Romans 12:9, MSG)

 

I now use these verses often as I prepare I speak to a group. I remind myself to be who I am, without qualification. I get to be exactly who I was made to be. And I remember that I get to love those in front of me from the center of who I am. What a treat. What a privilege!

 

This is an Unhurried Living way of serving. I serve from my authentic self and I love from the center of that place. So much freer than trying to pretend I am something I am not and trying to impress those I am teaching.

 

I prefer authenticity and love over pretending and impressing.

 

If you are suffering from any kind of situational anxiety today, remind yourself that you are loved, that you get to be exactly who you are, and that you can love from the center of your deepest place. You, too, do not have to pretend or impress. You can give your best and leave the outcomes to God.

 

Just for today, let your inner self be shaded by the lush branches of an apple tree, with your feet dangling and the leaves singing. Borrow the simplicity of a child enjoying all the time in the world. Your Eternal Father has such time and that means you do too.

 

Reflection

Do you have a “thinking place?” How often would you like to enjoy that creative space?
Take a few moments and get in touch with “being what you were made to be.” How do you experience that authentic place within yourself?
Think of one person that you can love from the center of yourself. Who is it? How can you love them today?

 

 

Adapted from a blog post April 26, 2017

Photo by PhotoMIX Company from Pexels

Podcast 144: Try Softer (Gem with Aundi Kolber)

The subtitle of Aundi Kolber’s book, Try Softer, is “a fresh approach to move us out of anxiety, stress, and survival mode—and into a life of connection and joy.” Now, who doesn’t need that?! Aundi is a trauma informed therapist and she is going to help us learn what “try softer” really means, today, on the Unhurried Living Podcast.

 

Aundi Kolber believes that we don’t have to white-knuckle our way through life. In her debut book, Try Softer, she’ll show us how God specifically designed our bodies and minds to work together to process our stories and work through obstacles. Through the latest psychology, practical clinical exercises, and her own personal story, Aundi equips and empowers us to connect us to our truest self and truly live. This is the “try softer” life. 

 

Aundi Kolber is a Licensed Professional Counselor, writer, and speaker in Castle Rock, Colorado. She specializes in trauma- and body-centered therapies and is passionate about the integration of faith and psychology. She has written for Relevant, CT Women, and (in) courage. As a survivor of trauma, Aundi brings hard won knowledge around the work of change, the power of redemption, and the beauty of experiencing God with us in our pain.

You can download an excerpt from her book HERE.

Connect with Aundi on social media at:
Facebook @aundikolberwrites
Instagram @aundikolber 
Twitter @aundikolber

An Occupational Hazard for Ministry Leaders

I’m not the first to say it, but Jesus is an absolute genius. I remembered this yet again in a recent conversation with a Christian leader with whom I meet regularly. We were talking about how one of the challenges for Christian leaders is ending up with a utilitarian orientation to spiritual practices.

 

Engaging in spiritual practices may help the soul of a leader be healthier, but that is a secondary reason for engaging them. The primary reason for any of us to engage in spiritual practices is to make open space and unhurried time to acknowledge and enjoy the presence of God with us, to listen to God’s voice and to watch for God’s grace at work.

 

But there can be an instinct to remain faithful to spiritual practices as a Christian leader because it’s good for my reputation. We might want to be thought of as spiritually mature. Becoming mature in soul is a wonderful thing. Worrying about whether others think of us that way is another thing altogether.

 

So back to Jesus as genius. The very best remedy for this other-referencing tendency we sometimes find in Christian leadership is his counsel about spiritual practices in Matthew 6. In the practice of prayer, fasting and generosity to the poor, Jesus recommends the practice of secrecy. Here’s how he says it related to praying:

 

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6:5-6

 

There is a way of praying that really addresses the people around us more than the God to whom we are intending to speak. We may use certain language that we hope will make us appear a better Christian somehow. This isn’t the way Jesus encourages us to pray.

 

Instead, we can go somewhere that no one will ever hear a word we pray. We can simply talk to the Father in secret. We can use language that we’d use talking with a friend. We can allow for moments of silent listening.

 

Pray to your Father in the hearing of the Father. This will be truly fruitful. As Christian leaders, we don’t announce our spiritual practices, but engage in them for their own sake. Secrecy is a practice that can help us recover the relational focus of our practices from the tendency to use practices to acquire spiritual resources or spiritual stature.

 

Reflection

What has been your experience of practicing secrecy in the ways that Jesus suggests?
How has it helped? How might it help you now and in what way?

 

Photo by Mbalimbali on Unsplash

Podcast 143: What is the Church? (Alan with Tim Soerens)

What is the purpose of the church? Why does it exist and what is on God’s heart as far as its aims? As of the airing of this episode, I have not been part of an in-person gathering of church for more than six months. And then many of the portrayals of church in contemporary media are less than encouraging. The emerging generation has been opting out of the church in large numbers as it is.

My guest today, Tim Soerens, has written a book called Everywhere You Look to highlight the gracious opportunity that the times we find ourselves in presents us. 

In my conversation with Tim today, he shares that the church is on the edge of a new possibility at the very moment so much of it feels like it's falling apart. In his extensive travels in all kinds of neighborhoods, Soerens has seen the beginnings of this movement firsthand. In Everywhere You Look, he lays out practical, actionable steps for building collaborative communities in any neighborhood.

He is a pastor, social entrepreneur, and co-founding director of the Parish Collective. In addition to Everywhere You Look, he is also the coauthor of "The New Parish".

 

You can download, HERE, Chapter 1 of Tim's book, Everywhere You Look for more insights from Tim. 

Connect with Tim on social at:
Tim Soerens website
Instagram @timsoerens
Twitter @timsoerens
Facebook @tim.soerens