GreatRidge Station

I’m at one of those turning points in my life, living between what I am doing, and what I’m doing next. I decided, with the encouragement of my Proverbs 31 wife, to put together a personal board. This is not a board of directors, but a board of intercessors. I contacted about 15 people–mostly men–and asked them to pray for me about 5 particular concerns related to my work.

So far, I’ve received good feedback and much-needed encouragement.

I’m amazed at the humility with which these people approach this process. One of the most delightful notes was from a dear friend who provided great wisdom and insight, and then concluded with the following:

How is that for a long winded, unsolicited evaluation? Anyway, so much for old geezer wisdom.

Truth is, it was solicited, and I certainly didn’t see his comments the way he does. In fact, he helped make a lot of things clear.

All of this reminds me of something that my first mentor, Bob Gallagher, taught me. The exact words are lost, but the idea is as clear as ever: Never hesitate to say thank you. Always let people know when they have done you good. You may feel shy, you may feel embarrassed, but it’s always okay to set that aside to say thanks. People need to know that.

So, for all the people who are on my board, thank you. I’ll keep you posted.

(Coming soon: The Why and How of a Personal Board)

Friday is the release date for the new film, Amazing Grace. I urge everyone to see it. The story of William Wilberforce has had a profound impact on my own life, and there are few causes that touch my heart so deeply as racial/ethnic reconciliation.

Above all, Wilberforce’s story demonstrates the power of God’s calling against insurmountable odds. Part of the work of redemption is standing against injustice, and reconciling the oppressed with the oppressor in a spirit of Christian Brotherhood.

The New Testament letter to Philemon tells the story of Paul’s reconciling work between a slave owner and a runaway slave. History tells us that the runaway slave eventually became the bishop over that region.

Go, see the film, and be encouraged, delighted, and perhaps a bit overwhelmed.

Lent was never a part of my Christian experience. I was brought up in a congregation that was firmly low-church evangelical, and words like lent, advent, or epiphany were a foreign language to me. While I am still in a similar church setting, I’ve begun to learn how and why these terms are significant.

I don’t know all the practices surrounding lent, but I do know that most of what I have heard over the past several years has seemed more like parody than devotion: “I’m giving up burning cinnamon-scented candles,” or “I’m giving up white chocolate.”

Lent, if it is practiced, ought to mean something to one’s faith. In a journal from Canada, one author suggested taking a technology sabbath–she is giving up all non-work-related use of the internet for the next 40 days. She has been surprised how quickly her life gains equilibrium when the intoxication of technology is taken out of the picture. This practice helps her return her focus to Jesus Christ, and that is the point of Lent. I’m not sure that a technology sabbath would work for me, at least not this year, but she brings up a good point, and a worthwhile challenge.
This year, my lenten goal is to ingest two New Testament books: The Epistle of James and the Gospel of Mark. The idea is to read through each book 20 times, in succession, and allow God to speak and transform me through his word. This is not an original idea: I got it here.

I admit, I’m a Lent rookie, but to me, this seems like a good practice for the next 40 days. If all goes well, my hope is that it becomes a life-long practice. Anyway, happy Lent (is that appropriate?).