Alan Fadling's Blog, page 80

Podcast: Enjoying the Grace of Belonging

With God we can enjoy the grace of belong. One of the great hungers of the human heart is belonging. We want to be part of something. We want to be wanted by someone.

“Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

The context of the passage is that Jesus is speaking to a crowd gathered in a

house somewhere in the neighborhood of Galilee. The passage just before it is

one in which the crowds who gathered were so large that often Jesus and his

followers didn’t have even a moment to get a bite to eat.

Listen now to Mark 3:31-35:

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in

to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother

and brothers are outside looking for you.”

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my

mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and

mother.”

We unpack that amazing last sentence: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” With this knowledge and understanding we know we belong.

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher

Join us on Patreon!

Become a Patron

Those of you who listen to our podcast know that we are creating a worldwide conversation at the intersection of deeper spiritual life and broader personal influence. That’s what we mean by Unhurried Living.

In an age where hurry, distraction and busyness are rampant, we share a different message: Rest Deeper. Live Fuller. Lead Better.

We need your help to keep this work going–and to make it better. So we invite you to join us as a partner on Patreon.com.

Our podcast will always be free to all listeners, but by subscribing to Patreon you can help–your monthly subscription helps us grow our team, pay for the hard costs of producing our work, and makes it possible for us to spread our message globally. You can partner with us for as little as $1 a month.

The post Podcast: Enjoying the Grace of Belonging appeared first on Unhurried Living.

What Would Your “Ruins” Say About You?

Recently, I went to an estate sale with one of my friends. We were excited about the deals we would find there, having checked out the contents online. We were in line with almost 100 people, all waiting to go on a treasure hunt. In fact, we were numbers 83 and 84 on the list.

After waiting for about a half hour, it was our turn to enter. I entered and headed toward the kitchen, where I milled with other interested parties. I made my way back toward the living room and down the hallway toward the bedrooms when, all of a sudden, I was struck with a sinking feeling: someone had recently died.

As I walked down the hallway, I began to feel a little creeped out. I thought to myself, “This is all that is left? You are here and then you are gone and all that is left are your belongings?”

I didn’t know the woman who lived there. (I only saw female clothing and belongings). But I imagine she had a web of relationships. She must have had an impact on those around her. Those people carry her true essence in their hearts. She likely left a meaningful legacy. But I was one of dozens of people who had come to purchase her leftover belongings at a discount.

As I type this, I’m realizing that this is a downer of a blog post so far. Sorry about that. However, I wanted to help us get in touch with the nature of our presence in this world, our impact and what we might leave behind.

It got me thinking about our trip a few years ago to Israel. We joined in on a tour and had an amazing time. But, if I stop and think about it, we were mostly perusing ruins, places where people had lived and died. And there are always archeological digs going on over there with experts learning new things about the people in history.

On one of those tour days we visited yet another site filled with monotone, clay-colored dirt and rocks. We rode a high-wire tram to get there; to see remnants of another moment in history. But it was much more than a pile of rocks and stone structures. It was Masada.

If you don’t know the story, click this Masada link and read a bit. Spoiler alert. It ends with hundreds of people committing mass suicide. It is a powerful story about the struggle between oppression and freedom. It is an astounding tale.

Above is one of the images of the monotone, clay-colored pile of rocks. This is actually Masada’s armory. The reason the archaeologists know that this was the armory is because they found thousands of arrowheads in this area.

At every location on our tour we were told about the people based on the structures and artifacts that were left behind.

As our tour guide was telling us this portion of the story, my mind wandered a bit and I wondered…If someone came to my house 1,000 years from now and, for some reason, there were still discernible artifacts among the rubble, what would people find? And maybe more important, what would they think of me because of what they found? What would they deduce based on my belongings?

Now I don’t have a bunch of amazing things in my home, but it really is the more day-to-day “stuff” that tells people how I live.  If this stuff were miraculously preserved—the type of books, the style of music, my family photos, computers (and their contents), my closet, kitchen tools—what would it all say about me?  What would they think was important to me?

It’s a question worth pondering for a moment. What would people from the future know about you from a review of your belongings?

Now, let’s turn it inward for a moment. What if the artifacts of your soul could be preserved? What if, 1,000 years from now, people could find remnants of your feelings, your thoughts, your beliefs, and the behaviors that sprang from those inner places? What would people learn about you from the history of your actual life? What would they determine was important to you?

I hope you are actually inspired by these questions. You might want to take some time to journal and reflect on them.

I may not know what kind of legacy the woman from the estate sale left, but I do have a say in what I will leave behind. And so do you.

 

 

The post What Would Your “Ruins” Say About You? appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Shaping Our Worries into Prayers

I’ve said it before, but anxiety is one of my bad habits. I keep on learning to work with it and bring my worries into God’s presence. I’ve joked that “Maybe Jesus is right about anxiety.” Of course he is, but saying it that way helps me back into that truth in a way that gets past my defenses.

Recently, I happened to read one of my “go to” passages about worry in The Message version. I love it:

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG)

I’ve learned that when I feel worry, I can still choose peace. I realize that there are thoughts underneath these feelings. Often, it’s a sentence that starts with “What if?”

What if I don’t have what it takes to pull this off (whatever this is)?

What if I don’t have enough [fill in the blank]?

What if, what if, what if.

Going back to where I began, “What if Jesus really is right about anxiety and worry?” I can engage God in prayerful listening and conversation. I can talk about what concerns me. I can ask for what I feel I need. I can express praise and gratitude for God who is not erratic like me. I can pray my concerns instead of worrying them.

One of the challenges for me is learning how not to worry about my worries. I find myself feeling anxious, and then I add thoughts about my worries to my worries. I worry about my worries, and then I worry that I’m worrying about my worries. I need lots of help, right?

But, if I stay at this, I discover that there really is a peace and well-being that reflects the reality of God’s wholeness and his reliable presence with me, settling and quieting my heart and mind. I am not alone, and the One who is with me is good, caring and capable.

It really is wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of my life. If you’ve been feeling anxious lately, what might be some of the thoughts underneath? What are some of the “What ifs” that rise to the surface?

For Reflection

What is tempting you to worry these days?

What might it look like to pray those worries instead of fretting about them?

Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash

The post Shaping Our Worries into Prayers appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Podcast: Paving the Way for Ministry Expansion – Leading Like Jesus (Part 3)

In today’s episode, which continues where Alan left off the past two weeks, talking about how Jesus trained his inner circle, and how they came to know him better through time alone with him. He also talks a bit about the strategic importance of Jesus being alone with his Father daily in the week leading to his crucifixion.

Be sure you listen to parts 1 and 2 (episodes #52 and #53) for the full experience of this content as this is the third episode in a three-part series on Paving the Way for Ministry Expansion in which Alan has unpacked Seven Key Moments in the Life of Jesus.

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher

Join us on Patreon!

Become a Patron

Those of you who listen to our podcast know that we are creating a worldwide conversation at the intersection of deeper spiritual life and broader personal influence. That’s what we mean by Unhurried Living.

In an age where hurry, distraction and busyness are rampant, we share a different message: Rest Deeper. Live Fuller. Lead Better.

We need your help to keep this work going–and to make it better. So we invite you to join us as a partner on Patreon.com.

Our podcast will always be free to all listeners, but by subscribing to Patreon you can help–your monthly subscription helps us grow our team, pay for the hard costs of producing our work, and makes it possible for us to spread our message globally. You can partner with us for as little as $1 a month.

The post Podcast: Paving the Way for Ministry Expansion – Leading Like Jesus (Part 3) appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Finding Meaning in the Abstract

Many years ago I was reading the CD cover of one of my favorite musical artists. I always loved to read the words and enjoyed the design of the insert. In this case, the pages were full of abstract art.

At that point in my life, I had only recently come to appreciate the abstract. I used to see abstract art as just a bunch of meaningless shapes and colors. I couldn’t understand how it was even called art. I preferred art that spelled it out for me…understandable landscapes and realistic portraits.

However, at that point in my journey, the abstract began to make more sense to me and I reveled in finding meaning hidden within shape, light, color, symbolism and mystery.

Pat answers and everything laid out all nice and neatly seemed lifeless and unhelpful. There is, of course, a kind of order to the universe, but there is also random beauty all around us. Think about the beauty of a jagged edge of a mountain peak, the white ruffled curve of a wave breaking onto shore, the random way that branches and leaves grow on a tree?

We may be tempted to look to God only for explanations and answers. We might want everything to be cut and dried, understandable and clear-defined. I can’t say that I have always enjoyed mystery. Waiting and feeling out of control are uncomfortable. But I am growing more comfortable with not knowing, with “letting” God be who he is, with non-answers. I’m learning to enjoy the abstract-art-nature of things.

The abstract offers me the chance to meet with God at new levels. The journey can grow even more personal. It’s like when two people look at the same piece of abstract art and see two different meanings. There is a personalization of my experience of God, which draws me even closer to him.

God interacts with each of us uniquely and personally. Jesus interacts in a unique way with so many people in the gospels—the blind beggar, the bleeding woman, the rich young ruler, the woman at the well, the paralyzed man. He treated each one with respect. Jesus met them exactly where they were and gave them so much more than they were asking for.

It can be difficult to open ourselves to the mystery of God’s complete and utter holiness. God’s vastness precludes wrapping my mind around all of who he is. This might frustrate some, but I find a kind of comfort in embracing God’s immensity—his mystery. I can just let myself get lost in God’s vast expanse. I can find peace in being small in his presence.

Reflection

How do you experience abstract art? What draws you in? What do you resist?

How do you feel about the vastness of God?

What is one way you might become a little more open to mystery today?

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

The post Finding Meaning in the Abstract appeared first on Unhurried Living.

The Surprising Gift of Obedience

Obedience doesn’t sound like very good news to the average American ear. It seems like giving someone else control over my life, infringing on my freedom. It sounds like a loss of authority or self-determination (which no one seems to be excited about).

But Jesus is extending us an invitation to obey the Father’s commands.

Jn 15:9-12, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Jesus tells us that we will remain in his love if we keep the commands the Father has given him and to us through him. In the afterword of Mary Margaret Funk’s Discernment Matters, I recently read this line: “To obey is not doing someone else’s will; it is to have the same will.”

Obedience is the choice to agree with another and go along with them in their way. My obedience to the Father is rooted in confidence in God’s wisdom, God’s care and God’s goodness. God has the best information for me on how to really live well.

Of course this requires trust. I may not see right away how a particular directive from God will lead me into places of greater and truer life. There are times when doing what God says seems to limit my freedom or derail my joy.

There may be part of me that disagrees with his counsel. Obviously, there is a part of me that still believes that the comfort, or joy, or satisfaction I long for is out there somewhere beyond the neighborhood of obeying God’s way. So I grab for more experiences or seek more recognition out there thinking this is what I want or need. What I need is not mostly out there but mostly in here with God.

Going back to the language of Jesus in John 15, agreeing with the intentions of the Father bring me into alignment with His love. Jesus knows that such a place will bring more real joy than any path I’d choose on my own.

And the main command of God is fairly simple: Love God. Love your neighbor. It may not always be easy to move in this direction, but it is always good and life-giving.

It would help us to examine places of disobedience that have arisen in our lives over time. What mistaken ideas about joy, life or love lie at the heart of these decisions? How might a change in thinking be a move in the direction of my truest hopes, dreams or desires?

For Unhurried Reflection

Why not talk with God a bit about obedience and disobedience in your life. Talk about what you’ve done that you are sad to have done. Talk about what you haven’t done that wish you had. Let yourself be surprised by God’s kind, patience, gracious, merciful response.

Remember that condemnation is not God’s way with us. We are fully loved and accepted in Christ exactly where we find ourselves in the present moment.

Photo by Gianna Trewavas on Unsplash

The post The Surprising Gift of Obedience appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Podcast: Paving the Way for Ministry Expansion – Leading Like Jesus (Part 2)

In today’s episode, which continues where Alan left off last week, he begins to unpack a pattern in the gospel of Luke that a friend of his first pointed out to him. Every moment of ministry development or expansion in the life of Jesus is preceded by and grows out of a significant moment of His stepping back to be alone with His Father.

This is the second episode in a three-part series on Paving the Way for Ministry Expansion in which Alan unpacks Seven Key Moments in the Life of Jesus. If you missed Part 1, be sure to go back and listen to get up to speed. Today he’ll talk about the first three of seven incidents of Jesus’ pattern of stepping back to be with the Father then stepping out into more fruitful ministry.

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher

Join us on Patreon!

Become a Patron

Those of you who listen to our podcast know that we are creating a worldwide conversation at the intersection of deeper spiritual life and broader personal influence. That’s what we mean by Unhurried Living.

In an age where hurry, distraction and busyness are rampant, we share a different message: Rest Deeper. Live Fuller. Lead Better.

We need your help to keep this work going–and to make it better. So we invite you to join us as a partner on Patreon.com.

Our podcast will always be free to all listeners, but by subscribing to Patreon you can help–your monthly subscription helps us grow our team, pay for the hard costs of producing our work, and makes it possible for us to spread our message globally. You can partner with us for as little as $1 a month.

The post Podcast: Paving the Way for Ministry Expansion – Leading Like Jesus (Part 2) appeared first on Unhurried Living.

15 Seconds: An Eternity

A few weeks on our podcast, Alan interviewed our friend and recording artist, Tim Timmons, on the theme of 10,000 minutes. That’s how many minutes we have outside of church each week. Tim’s point is that it can be easy to connect with God in those 80 minutes gathered on the weekend, but what about the 10,000 minutes we are not?

Many years ago, I overheard a very interesting conversation while returning a DVD at Blockbuster (remember when we used to rent movies from a store?). Behind the desk, there were two clerks bantering about the computer system. Evidently, every time they used the computer, some promotional pictures came up and they had to wait for them in order to get the customer information they were accessing.

One of the young guys said, “Yeah, it takes like 15 seconds to get to the screen you want.  It sucks.” I chuckled to myself.  The clerk said that sentence in earnest. 15 secondswas an imposition.

Last Sunday, Alan and I were at IKEA. The clerk was helping us order some items on their computer. As she began the process, she apologized for how long it was taking for the screen to load. Can you guess how long it actually took to load? About 15 seconds. Okay, maybe 20. But do you see how we have been trained by technology? 15-20 seconds seems like an eternity when you expect something in 2-3 seconds.

These are two prime examples of our cultural issues with hurry and speed. It seems to be getting worse. With our computers, phones and tablets we expect things to happen lightning fast. I still sometimes find myself saying things like, “What is taking this page so long to load?” and “Can’t this file download any faster?”

What kind of a life is it if I can’t wait 15 seconds for something to happen? I fight that inner hurry almost every day in my own life. I don’t enjoy that feeling. I also don’t really consider myself to be a Type A person, and yet I struggle with that need to “move forward to that next thing.”

It’s one thing to have this expectation with technology. It’s another if we expect things to happen snap-snap in our soul. It can take a great deal of effort to not let the culture and the information age determine how things work.

We talk here often about the pace of grace. We move at the pace of grace and we change at the pace of transformation. What is that pace? How long does it take to grow an oak tree? If you want to grow a squash, that’s one thing, but a sequoia—that’s another.

In Alan’s book, An Unhurried Life, the last chapter is entitled, “An Eternal Life.” In it, Alan says, “If we have eternal life in Christ, then we have unlimited time…. I’m talking about the “eternal life” perspective that exposes the lie that “I just don’t have time for this, that or the other.” How many times do we say no to good things because of this mistaken belief that we don’t have time? Every time I say the words “I don’t have time,” I am strengthening the hold that hurry has on me. The reality is that all of us on this planet have the same amount of time day by day, and, in Christ, we have all of eternity. Put differently, in Christ, I have all the time I need for whatever God is giving me to do or inviting me into. And that is an eternal-life—an unhurried-life—perspective.

What I really want is to enjoy every moment…to truly be with the person I am with…to listen well…to be content…to not feel stressed inside. And I want to be a sequoia, not a squash. How about you?

Today, why not let this be your prayer:

“In Christ, I have all the time I need for whatever God is giving me to do or inviting me into.”

That would be 15 seconds well spent.

 

Photo by Kevin on Unsplash

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Dealing with Distraction: Prayer as Conversation

Last month, I shared the fruit of a little exercise I sometimes engage in prayer in a post: “Prayer as Conversation.” Here is another journal excerpt from a morning a while back when I was in the middle of writing An Unhurried Leader and wanted to interact with Jesus in this kind of prayerful conversation. I was dealing with my ongoing issues with distraction.

Me: I’m feeling familiar inner distraction, Lord, and I’m not doing very well at overcoming it. It feels like a thick barrier to fruitful work again. Help!?

Jesus: What would you like me to do for you?

Me: I’d like a mind that does not automatically gravitate towards distraction and a will that does choose to distract itself with distractions. I want to learn how to choose focus over distraction. Now that I write it, it sounds a little silly.

Jesus: Do you believe you are powerless when you feel distracted?

Me: I guess I sometimes do.

Jesus: Why do you believe that when you know it isn’t true? Perhaps you could choose to believe something truer.

Me: I could, but why don’t I? 

Jesus: Indeed. Why don’t you?

Me: (I’m sorry, but I just felt so anxious about this conversation that I let myself be distracted by something I felt I hadto do on the Web. I’m complaining about my tendency to distract myself and then I’m actually doing it when I intend to pray. I reallyneed help, Lord.

Jesus: You are writing a book about being An Unhurried Leader. The most important step for you is to become and be an unhurried, undistracted leader. Take the time to do that work day-by-day. Resist every self-distracting impulse. My Spirit is present to empower you in this work—this training. Let Me train you in this.

Me: Thank you. It is moments like these that I might do well to put my iPhone on airplane mode and turn wifi off for a bit. Some part of me (and it’s probably a very immature part) gets anxious about being disconnected like this, but the mature part of me knows that it is a good decision akin to the practice of silence or solitude.

Jesus: That’s right. It’s a good start. And it’s a way to follow Me.

Me: O.K. So I just shut off wifi and put my iPhone on airplane mode. Obviously, I am not magically feeling quiet inside as a result.

Jesus: What do you want to do now? What will you choose?

Me: I think it just might help me if I spent fifteen minutes quiet in Your presence. It think that might help focus my heart and mind, and ready me for the writing I intend to do today. 

Jesus: That sounds like a good idea.

Me: I’m grateful for your presence, Lord. I’m so glad to be learning from You.

Jesus: I always enjoy when we are in conversational friendship with you, Alan. It’s something I deeply desire and why I made you.

Me: I love this, too, Lord.

For Unhurried Reflection

So what does inner distraction look like in your life?

What are some situations in which you are most tempted to distract yourself rather than engage in the opportunity before you?

What invitation might Jesus be extending to you in a place just like this?

The post Dealing with Distraction: Prayer as Conversation appeared first on Unhurried Living.

Podcast: Paving the Way for Ministry Expansion – Leading Like Jesus (Part 1)

Recently, Gem and I led a training for a group of leaders. On the final morning, I talked Paving the Way for Ministry Expansion: Seven Key Moments in the Life of Jesus. Today I’m teaching on how prayer and leadership relate to each other and what this looks like in the life of Jesus.

We’ve often said that one of our favorite parts of the work of Unhurried Living is consulting, training, or leading retreats for Christian leaders. And in those trainings, we always seek to include some unhurried time for each one to simply be alone in the presence of the Father. We see this as a way of following a strategic pattern in the life and leadership of Jesus.

In today’s episode, I introduce a pattern in the gospel of Luke that a friend of mine, Shin Asami, first pointed out to me. Every moment of ministry expansion or development in the life of Jesus is preceded by and grows out of a significant moment of His stepping back to be alone with His Father.

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher

Join us on Patreon!

Become a Patron

Those of you who listen to our podcast know that we are creating a worldwide conversation at the intersection of deeper spiritual life and broader personal influence. That’s what we mean by Unhurried Living.

In an age where hurry, distraction and busyness are rampant, we share a different message: Rest Deeper. Live Fuller. Lead Better.

We need your help to keep this work going–and to make it better. So we invite you to join us as a partner on Patreon.com.

Our podcast will always be free to all listeners, but by subscribing to Patreon you can help–your monthly subscription helps us grow our team, pay for the hard costs of producing our work, and makes it possible for us to spread our message globally. You can partner with us for as little as $1 a month.

The post Podcast: Paving the Way for Ministry Expansion – Leading Like Jesus (Part 1) appeared first on Unhurried Living.