Lent: A Forty-Day Retreat

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. For most of the past 2000 years, Christians have set aside the 40 days leading up to Easter as a special time for reorienting our lives to the Lord. Sundays are not part of the 40 days, since these days celebrate the Resurrection on that first Easter morning. The remaining 40 days between now and Easter, however, are special days for us to consecrate our lives to the Lord. Many do a fast of one kind or another as a discipline that helps to break us free from anything we might be clinging to rather than the Lord.

Recently we received a newsletter from a local Christian retreat center that referred to Lent as a “Forty-day retreat.” What a wonderful image of Lent! That little phrase has helped to give me fresh focus as I enter the season of Lent this year.

Retreats are so necessary to maintain our priorities in the Christian life. In the midst of all our busyness, we need to pull back periodically for rest and regrouping our lives to what is truly important. On a retreat we intentionally reflect, repent, reorient and rekindle our love for the Lord.

Reflect
When we take time to fast from a meal—during Lent or any other time—we set aside that time for Scripture, prayer, worship and reflection. Here are some significant questions to explore:
-How are you connecting with the Lord these days?
-What is God trying to teach you right now in life?
-Where do you sense the Lord’s presence in your week?
-Where is life being drained from you?

Repent
Repentance and conversion are ongoing processes in our lives. They are not something about which we can ever say, “been there, done that.” No, they are ongoing realities for the genuine believer—turning away from what is wrong and turning to the Lord. What must change:
-in your walk with the Lord?
-in your inner thought life?
-in your relationships around you?
-in your actions?

Reorient
Lent is a time to regroup. We reset our priorities and our focus. We get back on track, reorienting ourselves to the One who created us and loves us.
-What must you do to walk out the repentance God is calling you to?
-What ways can you set aside the 40 days leading up to Easter in order to focus your life afresh on the Lord?
-What spiritual rhythms do you need to reestablish in your life right now?

Rekindle
Above all, Lent is a time to rekindle our love for the Lord. Take some extra time during this season leading up to Easter to enjoy God’s presence, to sit in silence and listen to his voice, to worship him in a different way than you normally do on Sunday mornings. Be creative. Perhaps you want to set aside a “date night” to be alone with the Lord during these coming weeks. Perhaps you will go away to a retreat center. Perhaps it will be fasting once a week where you pull apart during that time for solitude with the One you love.

May this Lent indeed be a forty-day retreat in my life and yours! May we embrace this season as an opportunity to reflect, repent, regroup and rekindle our love for the Lord!

© 2012 Glenn E. Myers

Attentive to the Present Moment: Surprised by Beauty

“O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.”
-Psalm 8:1

When I slow down my racing mind in order to become present to the moment, I discover all kinds of gifts surrounding me that I was looking right past. I find that I am enfolded by God’s grace. I become attentive.

When I am fully present to the moment, I become aware on a whole new level. I begin to notice small things around me that just awhile ago I had overlooked in my hurry and self-preoccupation.

In particular, I am surprised by beauty. The sun sparkles on the water. The breeze plays in the autumn leaves. A lone flower graces the bare rocks in unpretentious glory. None of these draws attention to itself. Without bringing myself to the moment, it would go unnoticed. However, if I take the time to be attentive, I find each is an encouragement and a reminder of God’s streaming presence that surrounds my each and every movement.

Speaking of which—after writing the last sentence I looked up to relish the brief sight of a young bald eagle wing past the shoreline on Lake Superior where my wife and I have been retreating this October day. My life is graced with one gift after another, if I but open my eyes—and especially my heart—to embrace them.

Alive to Life
Creation is filled with brightly colored flowers, brilliant rays of light, gentle clouds and beautiful sunsets. When I am obsessed with thoughts of my past or concerned about my to-do list in the future, however, I walk right past these. I miss the very gifts God has place on my path. When I slow down my racing mind, however, I begin to notice one blessing after another (John 1: 16) all around me. I see beauty again. I enjoy being alive.

I become alert to God’s love and presence by first by attending to the moment—with all the gifts that enfold me. Simply by slowing down, I begin to see—truly see—the beauty of nature. I take time to smell the flowers and gasp at the sunrise.

These are all little gems that our gracious heavenly Father has given me today, placing them in my path to sustain me on my journey. If I am self-absorbed, I miss them. If, however, I am attentive to the moment, I am able to enjoy a multitude of such gifts.

© 2011 Glenn E. Myers

Present to God's Presence

When we become present to the moment, we find ourselves becoming present to God’s presence.

So often we hope for God to “show up” in our devotional time or “be present” in our worship. Yet, the reality is that God is already present. He is available. More than that, he wants us to encounter him! God desires us to experience his presence, his protection, his power, his provision and his peace.

Like the father of the prodigal son, he is there simply waiting for us to show up. It is we who must become aware of him. We must become present to the presence of God.

I Am: God of the Now
At any time we can become present to God’s presence precisely because he is the eternal “I am.” In Exodus 3:14, the Lord reveals himself to Moses as “I am who I am.”

God lives in the Eternal Now. For him, time and eternity are one. God is being itself. He holds time in his hand: he is the past, present and future. God simply is. And he is there for us.

Distracted Existence
Most of us understand the theory of God’s omnipresence. We know the Lord is—and that he is there for us. Yet, how easy it is for us to be un-attentive to God’s presence!

The Lord welcomes us to his presence: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). We certainly fit the criteria—we are tired and weighed down! But, so often we overlook Jesus’ invitation. Not sure that his rest is really available for us today, we remain un-attentive to his offer.

Sometimes we are distracted from God’s presence by our preoccupation with things in the world. Jesus described the cares of the world as thorns that choke his word in us. Other times we become engrossed in our own thoughts—responsibilities, worries, irritations and preoccupations. Just as we can walk right past a lilac bush in bloom on a spring day, failing to notice its beauty or smell its scent because we are un-attentive, so we regularly miss the fragrance of God’s presence in our self-preoccupation.

Attending to God’s Presence
If we choose, however, we can attend to God’s presence and enter into his peace. He is nearer to us than our very breath, says Augustine of Hippo. But we must open our spiritual eyes. We must be attentive with all of our spiritual senses.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

We are invited to attend the Lord’s presence with our whole being. Interestingly, we are told little about “how” to do this. It is a spiritual reality—like being born again. These are difficult to describe to someone. In Scripture we are simply invited into them.

Likewise, the Lord makes constant invitations to us to experience his presence. That invitation is backed with a promise. In Jeremiah 29:13 God assures us, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Let us do just that. Let us engage our whole heart to seek him. Let us passionately taste and see his goodness. Let us actively attend to his presence. Let us live in the presence of the eternal “I Am.”

© 2012 Glenn E. Myers

Epiphany: God Reveals Himself in Light

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and think darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
Isaiah 60:1-3



“Epiphany” means “a showing” or “a revealing.” For nearly 2000 years Christians have observed Epiphany as the celebration of God’s showing himself—revealing his salvation—to the nations. Jesus’ coming to earth is a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that God would reveal his glory, not only to Israel, but to all the nations. People from all the earth would stream to the brightness of his light.

In particular Epiphany is the commemoration of Jesus’ being revealed to the Magi from East. They were not part of Israel but rather were astrologers, probably from Persia. Yet, in his great love, God took initiative to show his salvation to them by revealing himself in the night sky. As they followed the star, they came to the place where Jesus was, having the honor of being some of the first to worship the Christ.

Recently I heard a sermon on Epiphany that asked two very good questions:

How Has God Revealed Himself to You this Past Year?
In what ways did the Lord reveal himself to you over the past year? Perhaps he miraculously provided for your needs. Maybe he showed you his mercy and forgiveness in a very tangible way. Perhaps he revealed his love through the helping hands of someone who reached out to you. Or, possibly he gave you a sober warning or needed direction for your life.

Take some time to look over this past year to recognize the fingerprints of God, as it were, in your life. The Lord often works in subtle ways that we do not fully recognize until we take the time to look back. You may want to briefly journal what you notice, to remind yourself of God’s love during difficult days ahead. Be sure to express thanks to the Lord for his initiative in your life.

How Can You Be Attentive to God Revealing Himself This Year?
The Lord will be revealing himself to us in big and small ways in the weeks and months ahead. He does so in many ways. He speaks to us as we meditate on Scripture. He shows his glory and power in nature. God often directs us as we listen to him in stillness.

But God reveals himself in other unexpected ways. Just as he revealed himself to the Magi through signs in the heavens—and to Moses in the burning bush—he shows himself to us when and how we least expect it. His epiphany might come via the encouragement of a friend. It could surprise us—albeit painfully—through a not-so-nice word of correction. It could be wrapped in the lyrics of a song. The Lord might display his glory in a winter sunrise.

However God chooses to reveal himself in our lives this year, how can we remain open? How can we remain attentive, so we don’t miss it? How can we stay receptive, in order not to overlook it when it comes in an unexpected way?

God’s light comes—it breaks in to our lives in many unanticipated ways! That is Epiphany! That is what we as believers celebrate at the end of the Christmas season. Let us be ready, open and attentive as we walk into all that the Lord has in store for us this New Year.

© 2012 Glenn E. Myers

Epiphany: Fully Present in the Now for the New Year

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:13)

Light
Epiphany is about light—God shining into the world in Christ Jesus. We celebrate it immediately after Christmas, and this is very appropriate for the beginning of the New Year.

Holding on to light is so important. Although the winter nights are dark, cold and long, each day adds a minute or so of sunlight to each morning and each evening. Although the change is slow, we begin to notice in January how much more light we have. It gives us hope. As the light shines longer, the sun’s rays become ever stronger, until the snow gives way and spring finally arrives.

In our spiritual lives, progress is also generally slow. While we occasionally get a growth spurt—especially as young believers—most of the Christian life is steady faithful progress. We need to hold on to light and hope during the slow process. We need to walk in the light and see it take over our lives a few minutes more each day.

Present in the Now
Walking in the light this New Year for me entails living fully present in the now. So often I am not present in the now. Physically here, my mind is a million miles away, which keeps me from enjoying the moment and all the goodness that God has for me today.

If I am not here mentally, then where am I? Most often I am off in the future—planning projects in my mind. Sometimes I am worrying about responsibilities, events or people. To enter the here and now, I must set aside my “strategic planning” side. There is, of course, a time and place for organizing my schedule and taking care of responsibilities. But I do not want the “planning table” to be the only place I live my life.

On other occasions, instead of being in the present, I’m focused on the past. I am arguing mentally with someone who I would like to set straight. Or, I am regretting something that I did or failed to do. Most often, if I am stuck in the past, I am missing a wonderful time I had somewhere or time I spent with someone close to me.

Ironically, those wonderful times that I miss are the times when I was fully present to the moment. Being in the now is largely what made them so memorable!

Right Here, Right Now
Instead of daydreaming about the past and wishing I could be back there, why not become fully present to the here and now? This moment—this place—has all the potential to be another wonderful time.

The present is available to be lived to the fullest. It has the potential to be one of those completely alive moments when I am fully connected with the Lord, with others, with myself and with all that surrounds me. Right where I am, I can tap into that same wonderfulness by becoming fully present to the moment. I can bring my full attention, my whole consciousness, to what God has for me in the moment.

Each day this year I want to walk in the light. Rather than reminiscing about the past or planning out the future, I want to live fully in the moment. In the present moment, I can bask in God’s light for me right now!

© 2012 Glenn E. Myers

Advent Stillness: Listening to God's Still, Small Voice

When we slow down enough to become present to the moment, we make ourselves available to God. We become attentive to his voice. God is speaking to us—in our Scripture reading for the day, in a sermon we hear, in a friend’s word of correction. During times of solitude and silence, these words come back to our minds. God’s voice bubbles to the surface of our consciousness when we allow ourselves to become fully present.

Elijah’s Example
After Elijah’s intense ministry on Mount Carmel and dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal, he was physically and emotionally exhausted. It took him some time to rest, re-nourish and refocus before he could hear the voice of God. (See I Kings 17-19.)

Then Elijah traveled to the mountain of the Lord. There, sheltered in a cave, he went through a tempest on Mountain Horeb. The powerful wind shattered the rocks, the earth quaked, and the fire fell from heaven. But God was not in the storm—Elijah did not hear the Lord’s voice during all the dramatic events.

Finally, Elijah did hear God speak like a gentle wind, a gentle whisper. He went to the edge of the cave and heard the voice of the Lord in the still, small voice.

Noisy Storms
When our lives are filled with clanging and banging of activity and unresolved inner thoughts, we also cannot hear God’s voice. We are like Elijah in the midst of the earthquake, wind and fire—all we hear is the tempest.

“A gentle person hears God’s voice which a turbulent, angry person cannot hear,” states Johannes Tauler, “for when the wind rages and the windows and doors clatter, one cannot hear well. Do you desire to receive the Father’s hidden, heavenly word in you, which will be spoken in holy whispers to the innermost place in your soul? Then all turbulence in and around you must be eradicated, and you must become a gentle lamb—calm and serene. You must abandon all the storms in your life in order to listen for this beloved voice in gentle stillness.” [1]

Advent Stillness
Advent is a time of preparation as we move toward the celebration of Jesus’ birth. We make our hearts ready to accept more of what the Lord has for us. In reality, we make ourselves ready to receive more of the Lord himself.

In order to do so, we must make some space for quiet. We must cultivate stillness in our lives. When we do so—when we come into the “now” and become stilled inside—we make ourselves present to God. There, like Elijah, we can hear his voice in a brand new way.

[1] Johannes Tauler Predigten: Vollständige Ausgabe, edited by Georg Hofmann (Freiburg: Herder, 1961), p. 93.

© 2011 Glenn E. Myers

Be Still and Know

"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever- present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea;
though its water roar and foam,
and the mountains quake with their surging. . . .
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:1-3, 10)

Stillness in the Midst of Crisis
Sometimes it looks like the whole world is falling apart. The mountains are crashing into the sea, and the floodwaters are roaring and raging all around us.

At those times the natural tendency is to go into a panic. Our survival instinct kicks in—we are ready for “fight or flight.” We experience anything but inner focus and peace.

Yet, it is precisely in those times that we need to enter God’s “peace that passes all understanding”—in other words, a peace that blows our mind!

Stillness versus Activism
One day when I was reflecting on Psalm 46, I found myself reacting to the words, “be still,” in verse 10: How can I be still? There is so much ministry to do—there are so many people to be reached; there is so much to do for the Kingdom!

Then I read the second half of the verse. God declares: “I will be exalted among the nations!” That means I don’t have to take that responsibility on my shoulder! The Lord proclaims: “I will we exalted on the earth.”

More than ever before, I realized that day that God’s exaltation does not depend on me! He is God, and he truly will be glorified in the whole earth. No opposition from people or Satan can stop the progress of his glory! Although I may be able to participate in some small way to see him exalted, God is the one who will accomplish it!

A. W. Tozer puts it beautifully in a prayer: “Teach us, O God, that nothing is necessary to Thee. Were anything necessary to Thee that thing would be the measure of Thine imperfection: and how could we worship one who is imperfect? If nothing is necessary to Thee, then no one is necessary, and if no one, then not we. Thou dost seek us though Thou does not need us. We seek Thee because we need Thee, for in Thee we live and move and have our being. Amen.” [1]

Therefore I can be at peace. That thought brings such peach to my heart.
I can be at rest. As the NASB puts it for Ps 46:10, I can cease striving, I can let go!

Even when the mountains are crashing, God is in control. He will be exalted in all the earth. I can be still. I can simply be!

[1] A. W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy (San Francisco: Harper, 1961), 32.

© 2011 Glenn E. Myers