Sort of like 'jumbo shrimp'.............

Do you know what an oxymoron is?  It is a phrase that is inherently contradictory....like 'jumbo shrimp' or 'make haste slowly' or 'a cruel kindness.'

Serving others leads to just this kind of oxymoron for it is in 'giving that we receive', it is 'in serving that we are served'.

This applies to any and all serving, not just that done in Jesus' name.  Funny things happen when you open yourself to 'the other,' or provide for a stranger, for when you respond to a human need you begin to stand with this one who is in need.  You begin to erase the distance between yourself and him.  You begin to see yourself as a part of a much larger human race.


Of course, we have to fight through our own self-satisfaction and pride to reap these benefits and not everyone works hard at cracking their own shell of self protection.  For many of us, our first real experience of serving results in us feeling a whole lot better about ourselves.  It takes a while for us to get to the place where serving humbles us and opens our compassion for others.

Jesus is a model for this kind of serving.  He told his disciples, "I came not to be served but to serve."  God's love for us in Jesus began when Jesus stepped into this messy world, eliminating the distance between the divine and the mortal and standing shoulder to shoulder with us.  This God who knows us at our worst and loves us into new life has come to us to serve....and in so doing, reveals the path to truly loving others.  We need to eliminate the distance between us and them, getting close enough to see our similarities and the opportunities for bringing light into their lives.

I would think by now it is fairly easy to see how serving others helps to bring folks to faith in this one who loves and who gives.  When we give, we model Jesus' powerful giving to us.  Whenever our faith begins to falter, serving others brings it all back into focus again and we are strengthened for tomorrow.

Aren't sure about 'believing'?  Come and help out at Samaritan Center.  Come and work at 10 Tons of Love.  Come and lead worship at a nursing home.  You will find Jesus waiting for you....and you will find yourself as well.

Spirituality and Exercise....no, really

OK I expect your doctor is a bit like my doctor.  She never ceases to remind me that exercise (in any form) is good for my health.  Walking, dancing, yoga, zumba even mowing your lawn will benefit you .....in the long run.  Of course all that moving around benefits you today - but the benefits are subtle and easily missed.

But over time, you will have strengthened your heart, your lungs, maintained muscle tone and helped to sustain a positive mood.  When you are 60  (well, now she has to say something like 75) you will be stronger, able to enjoy a more active lifestyle, and more able to heal from inevitable ills.

She's right.  All the medical research supports her position.  I am even willing to acknowledge she is right.
It rarely makes me get off the couch on a lazy Sunday afternoon when my body just wants to nap and not think about anything. But I have tried, off and on, to be more intentional about it all.

Our spiritual life is much the same.  We could list all the things which would probably be good for our spiritual health:  a little more time getting to know the scriptures, some time spent in prayer, an occasional reaching out through a service project, even some charity towards our neighbors, known and unknown.  Knowing about God and the beloved son Jesus is vastly different from knowing the Triune God from regular contact and conversation. .

What kinds of things do you talk to God about?  What is God saying in return?  Where is God leading you?  How is God encouraging you to grow ever more Christ-like?  A frightened prayer sent heavenward while skidding on an icy road is most certainly a valid prayer - but it doesn't constitute a relationship.  It's no more than a 911 call to a local tow truck - once you've been pulled out of the ditch you have nothing more to say to one another.

The hard times are coming for each of us because life is like that.  We prepare to face these times as a person of faith by exercising our faith during all those 'good' times.  Sure Sunday morning looks like a grand time to sleep in and read the Sunday paper (do people still do that?).  Of course a round of golf looks a bit more enticing than serving dinner at the Samaritan center.  Praying for others, giving generously to the needy, all these things ask you to devote time and resources to God's work - with little immediate reward.  But by developing a lifestyle of spirituality you also strengthen the faith that will sustain you in the dark times ahead.

'Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen' according to Hebrews 11.  The more we practice the habits of the faithful, the stronger our connection to the Divine.  It will serve us well.  Once you've really gotten to know Jesus you are more confident of trusting him even when life is muddled.

I'm heading to the gym (tomorrow morning) to work on the exercise bit.  What shall we do today to strengthen our spiritual life?