Choose a Positive Outlook

Proverbs 21:5 -- How to Look at Life’s Letdowns

Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.

I observed a conversation between two students in my class this week. Both students were high achievers, ranking within the top 20% of their graduating class. Both were seniors in high school. This week was the moment when many colleges reveal their acceptance or rejection of applicants, so the one student, we’ll call him James, was clearly upset. James told John (another fictitious name) that he’d been rejected by his number one and two choice schools, Brown University and Dartmouth University, both member schools of the ivy league -- both schools that accept only 5-6% of their many thousands of applicants. James went on to say that when those decisions were released online, the trajectory of the rest of his life was determined. He was not going to an ivy league school, and, according to James, he would not “be set” with an ivy league degree. James shook his head in frustration, and his voice reflected a dejected, somber tone.

John, however, chimed in as a voice of reason. He said, “Those schools’ decisions are not what determines the rest of your life.” And he went on to explain how it is James’ choices that determine his life -- his hard work, determination, goal setting, and positive outlook. John, moreover, shed light on the false logic and defeatism of James. John emphasized, “You determine your future!”

I pray that we all look at the bright side of each fork in the road, detour, bypass, and closed door so that we can see that God always has a plan that includes our cooperation, positive planning, and proactive stance.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

Three Ways to Cultivate Your Christian Faith

Repent, Reconcile, Renew
[Jesus said,] “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!" (Luke 13:5)

“[The gardener] said to [the orchard owner] in reply, ‘Sir, leave [the barren fig tree] for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:8-9)

Jesus reminds us that we are all sinners who are called to repent. No one suffers more because of any greater sin; it is not a competition. All of us are called to repent no matter our sins. For those of us who resist, however, and fail to repent, God does not force himself into our lives. We have to choose his love. When we don’t, the result is emptiness. And we don’t have to look far to see the many empty lives around us, lives exchanging the love of God for the mad grab of material items, selfish behavior, and avarice.

The fig tree of Luke 13 is a metaphor illustrating Christian discipleship. God the Father is the orchard owner, and Jesus Christ is the gardener. All of us, like the barren fig tree, are given a second chance to repent and bear good fruit in our lives, the fruit of love and forgiveness. But we must first choose Jesus, his love, way, truth, and life. It is through this choice, and the grace God gives us to make it, that we, too, are given a second chance. Jesus gives us his Spirit, and the Spirit works in us to cultivate our soil, fertilizing it to bear the fruit of his love.

This weekend, I had the renewing experience of the sacrament of Reconciliation. In my faith tradition, I can make a choice to prayerfully examine my conscience, after which I go to a priest to confess any shortcomings, bad choices, and sticking points in my life that get in the way of my relationship with Jesus. For the non-Catholic, this probably sounds excruciating and unnecessary. But I have found this sacrament to be a rich, renewing experience. Reconciliation is a time of cultivation; it is a time when the Spirit works in us to show us the path of Christian love. It is humbling, gives a sense of peace, and guides the penitent to a physical point of repentance. Many Protestants experience this feeling, too. At traditional services, the minister leads the congregation in a prayer of repentance and forgiveness at the start of the worship. When we reflect, ask for forgiveness, and are absolved, we experience a beautiful moment of spiritual cultivation. It is a moment when we can push “reset” in our lives and invite God’s grace to transform us into agents of self-giving love.

Jesus extends us an invitation to eternal life of love with him. All we have to do is choose -- choose to reflect, repent, ask for forgiveness, and follow the Spirit of God’s love. I pray that we all make that choice. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

Spiritual Maturity?

Philippians 3:12-17: Adopt A Humble Outlook

It is not that I [Paul] have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect [spiritual] maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ [Jesus]. My friends, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. Let us, then, who [think we are are] “perfectly mature” adopt [a humble] attitude. And if you have a different attitude, this too God will reveal to you. Only, with regard to what we have attained, continue on the same course.

Join with others in being imitators of [my humility], my friends, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us.

It is clear throughout Paul’s writing that the right Christian attitude is essential. Even Paul -- the super apostle, the former Pharisee, the Gentile advocate, the one who challenges Peter’s discriminating behavior -- admits that he is a spiritual work in progress. During Paul’s time, apparently, there were many in the church who had a “holier-than-thou” attitude. Paul’s letter reminds them (us) to, instead, adopt a humble approach. For no one has perfect spiritual maturity, no one has “arrived.” Sometimes our spiritual journeys take a detour, but we must always put our hope in Jesus and his promise, no matter our situation, and “continue [our] pursuit toward the goal.”

I don’t know about you, but my Christian journey is full of detours. And as soon as I think I have it figured out, as soon as I feel I have the answer to the mystery of discipleship, the spiritual rug is pulled out from beneath me. I fall, sin, and come up short. But God’s loving hand picks me back up as I am given the grace to express (and feel) sorrow. Sometimes, failure is the necessary step to humility. For as soon as we shirk humility in our lives, we disengage from God. Failure, then, keeps us in spiritual check.

Therefore, if you are like me and find yourself doubting, failing, falling, and struggling, fear not. Paul’s advice is to adopt a humble outlook. From the moment of our baptism until we take our last breath, we are on a journey with God. And our inspiration is often found in the common lives of those around us who model self-giving, relentless love. Maybe we, too, can be models of that love for others.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

Why I Don't Like Lent

Romans 10:9-11 (ESV): My Beef With Lent

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Confession and belief in Christ are gifts of grace, as is our entire life of faith. It is during this time of year, the season of Lent, that I am reminded of this. With all of the preparation to “give something up for Lent,” I scrutinize and question what it all means. Fasting, sacrifice, prayer, and almsgiving seem, at times, like one big church commercial for the faithful to realize and express guilt for not being “good enough” Christians.

Lenten practices are traditional. They are not, however, a requisite for salvation. When the institutional church calls people to fast, give up meat, almsgive, and perform acts of penance, it sends a mixed message, a message that conveys a do-it-yourself guide to holiness and salvation. This type of Lenten thinking is counter intuitive to the story of Christian salvation. And as Paul reminds us, we are saved by grace and our expressed faith in Jesus Christ. Even the confession of our lips and the movement of our hearts are gifts of grace. This cannot be manufactured, reproduced, or forced. No penitential act or season can make it happen. For they are God’s free gifts.

I am not a proponent of traditional Lenten practices. The fasting, ashes, collections, abstinence, and devotionals serve to remind me of what I should be doing every day. Lent is meant to turn us around, to remind us of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, to bring us spiritually to, so to speak. Instead, it fosters a 40-day feeling of dread and guilt in many. And the institution takes advantage of this. When are the calls for financial support and charitable giving most prominent? During Lent.

What would happen if we took Jesus and Paul at their word? What if we simply opened our hearts every day to the free gift of God’s grace, knowing that he is always with us, even when we fail? And I often fail. What if we treat every day, every moment, and every person we encounter with the love and peace that God gives? The world we be rich with beauty, kindness, and compassion.

It is not about the 40 days; it’s about every day.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

Calling Ourselves Out

Luke 6:42: Calling Ourselves Out

How can you say to your brother, ‘Please, brother, let me take that speck out of your eye,’ yet cannot even see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

In Luke 6:39-45, Jesus tells a parable to his disciples. And in his parable, there is a clear and present theme: Judging others is wrong, especially when we are unwilling to judge ourselves. How common it is in the universal Christian church to condemn and judge others when the sins of those who condemn are just as bad or worse. It is what makes Christianity look bad. It is what causes students like the one in my English class last week to say that religion is a waste of time and full of haters.

One of the things I like to do is study the dogmas of different Christian denominations. I know; it’s weird. But I enjoy seeing the big Venn diagram of similarities and differences throughout the universal church. And although my studies are primarily in my own denomination, Roman Catholicism, they branch out into Protestant denominations as well. One of the heart-breaking realities I encounter is the struggle for one denomination to declare its truth above others. This debate is easy to find, for all we need to do is go over to Catholic Answers, a conservative Roman Catholic apologetics resource, or Christian Apologetics Resource Ministries (CARM), a conservative Protestant apologetics resource. There, we find haters on both sides. And the log-eyed hypocrites are thick as thieves, pointing at the proverbial specks in each others’ eyes.

Many Christians insist they possess the truth, and that their truth is more genuine than others’. The Pharisees, scribes, and Sanhedrin, for example, were known to stick to this point. Jesus -- his inclusivity, love, forgiveness, and rebuke of man-made religiosity -- was a target of constant ridicule, so much so that the religious establishment conspired to crucify him. Today, the Christian church is no different. Go to any church’s website and you will see belief statements that vary. Common are belief statements that condemn the LGBTQ+ community. It’s heartbreaking, especially since my son, my friends, and some students I serve are gay. They are just as much loved, welcomed, and blessed as any of the most self-righteous people in church circles. People seem to forget that we are all sinners. And no one’s sins are greater or less than others. No one, therefore, has the right to judge and exclude others. Not only is it clear throughout Jesus’ ministry, but if we search our hearts for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we understand God’s immeasurable love and that Jesus died for all.

So why, then, do I (and many reading this) stay in a flawed church full of self-righteous prigs who finger-point and condemn? And look at my denomination, Roman Catholicism; its history shows the worse abuse of all -- decades of child rape, clericalism, obfuscation of abusers, and refusal to take any real action to punish the guilty. It is enough to make me want to throw up my hands and say, “I give up.” The church, however, is full of love, too.

The church, no matter the denomination, is full of people who are kind, accepting, forgiving, loving, and self-giving. These same loving people pray for us, run our church ministries, support our communities in need, and welcome us with loving arms no matter our flaws. They, moreover, provide the effective counterbalance to the cancerous culture of condemnation. The humble, which is what I aspire to be, are the inspirational church. And the inspirational exist in every denomination. The humble are not perfect, though; they are just as riddled by sin as anyone else. But it is they who own up to the sight-stealing log, knowing that their lives are no better than anyone else’s. It is the humble who allow me to see Jesus active, alive, and well in and among the universal church. It is the humble, moreover, who hold me up, showing me the true meaning of God’s love for all.

Loving God, we pray to be among your humble, devoted church. And we pray for the wisdom to see and correct our own flaws and to not condemn others for theirs. In Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan