Saturday, July 31, 2010
Monkey Thief!
My 2-week meditation retreat started with a gift and the theft of the same gift! After arriving to my room, consisting of a small bed of cushions, private toilet, and cold-water shower, a neighborly nun brought me a small box of apple juice. I've developed quite an addiction to apple juice since being in Nepal so I felt pretty thankful to sit on the steps outside my room and sip this fine beverage. While taking in the monastery view of Pharping, enjoying the silence and the cool breeze, a monkey strolled by. He looked at me and then at my apple juice. I knew what he wanted. After recovering from the shock of making eye contact with this monkey, I quietly stood up and backed into my new room. I set my juice down on the floor and proceeded to stare at the creature before me. To my disbelief, this little guy walked up my steps into my room and snatched my juice before I could close the door! Ridiculous! I pierced the silence with violent name calling: THIEF! The dirty thief sat right in front of me tearing into my apple juice and licking it from the ground. The monks in retreat above my room heard my cry, probably giggled, and threw candy and other food goods toward the monkey. It wasn't quite the response I was looking for. I'd say the monkey won that day. He and I had 2 other bouts, but never again did he steal from me!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Inquire of the Lord
Joshua 9:14 ". . .but did not inquire of the Lord" (NIV) or "did not ask for the counsel of the Lord" (NASB).
I read the 9th chapter of Joshua this morning and found myself returning over and over again to verse 14. There is a certain weight of responsibility associated with this verse that implicitly demands we inquire of the Lord, that is, seek His counsel.
How can I seek daily communion with the Lord when I refuse to inquire of Him for all things? Time after time, I have declared my desire for the One Who knows all things. Yet, how many rash decisions I have made thinking they do not concern the God Who is wisdom! This is an independent spirit, not one that professes dependence on the only One worthy of dependence.
Psalm 27:4 is a declaration of David. It is one that I claimed early in my spiritual journey. I dare to say that rarely a week goes by that I do not recite this humble voice of David:
One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
I confess this sudden realization of how far I fall short. I consistently stop at the threshold of God's sanctuary only to peek inside in hope for a glimpse of God's beauty. What would happen if I consistently stepped through the doorway? What if I did more than reverence God from the outside looking in? What if I truly inquired of the Lord by sitting in communion with Him at the banquet table? What if I never left that glorious communion with the Eternal One?
Words fail to capture the ineffable magnificence of the Author of life and eternity, for that matter. To think! He created each of us for fellowship with Him, before any other. This enhances the blow of my denial to walk into God and allow Him to consume me. I can barely fathom, let alone explain, His desire to engage in my company. Who am I to deny Him? As John says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1, NIV). And where do children dine? At the table prepared by their Father. Psalm 23:5 declares just that and in the presence of enemies no less! At the Father's table we are washed clean of impurities, made whole, and are recipients of wise counsel. My heart cries, "teach me your way, O Lord. . ."
Let it not be said that I did not inquire of the Lord. The responsibility is great. Lord, help me to walk into You and there remain.
I read the 9th chapter of Joshua this morning and found myself returning over and over again to verse 14. There is a certain weight of responsibility associated with this verse that implicitly demands we inquire of the Lord, that is, seek His counsel.
How can I seek daily communion with the Lord when I refuse to inquire of Him for all things? Time after time, I have declared my desire for the One Who knows all things. Yet, how many rash decisions I have made thinking they do not concern the God Who is wisdom! This is an independent spirit, not one that professes dependence on the only One worthy of dependence.
Psalm 27:4 is a declaration of David. It is one that I claimed early in my spiritual journey. I dare to say that rarely a week goes by that I do not recite this humble voice of David:
One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
I confess this sudden realization of how far I fall short. I consistently stop at the threshold of God's sanctuary only to peek inside in hope for a glimpse of God's beauty. What would happen if I consistently stepped through the doorway? What if I did more than reverence God from the outside looking in? What if I truly inquired of the Lord by sitting in communion with Him at the banquet table? What if I never left that glorious communion with the Eternal One?
Words fail to capture the ineffable magnificence of the Author of life and eternity, for that matter. To think! He created each of us for fellowship with Him, before any other. This enhances the blow of my denial to walk into God and allow Him to consume me. I can barely fathom, let alone explain, His desire to engage in my company. Who am I to deny Him? As John says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1, NIV). And where do children dine? At the table prepared by their Father. Psalm 23:5 declares just that and in the presence of enemies no less! At the Father's table we are washed clean of impurities, made whole, and are recipients of wise counsel. My heart cries, "teach me your way, O Lord. . ."
Let it not be said that I did not inquire of the Lord. The responsibility is great. Lord, help me to walk into You and there remain.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Photo Journey to Chobhar
I walked up 470+ steps to the village of Chobhar and then another 100 or so exploring the village. It was quite a journey! Below are some of the sights and critters I encountered along the way.
Did I mention almost 600 steps!
Tree with 2 Shiva shrines. Trees are often homes to deities and are treated as shrines to which offerings are made.
Shiva Shrine at base of tree.
Cluck, cluck!
I thought these goats were there to greet me as I neared the top. I found out later that I was wrong.
Then, I thought this cute little boy was going to congratulate me for making it to the top. Again, I was wrong.
Lamps lined the upper stairs. I imagine during festivals and holy times these are lit. I also imagine they're quite beautiful against a mountainous night sky.
Yes - it's a goat protecting the laundry! Not really, I think he just found some good green stuff there.
View from the top? Nope!
Photo op! Still no congratulations. . .
Oh - I get it. I haven't made it to the top yet. What?! I just climbed 360 steps. I'm dripping with sweat and there are 110 or so more to go! Notice the sculptures in the lower left. Nepal has some of the most beautiful and historic sculptures. They're everywhere. There is a rich artisan's heritage in the this little country.
Lotus flower carved into stone steps. There are several of these as well as other images along the way.
Shrine with flower petal offerings.
Notice that the shrine is at the entrance to a home. It must be a house or protective deity.
Shiva Shrine next to the Buddha below. Nepal is unique for its religious pluralism. The Buddha is worshiped next to Shiva and
vice versa.
Look closely! You can see Swayambhunat in the distance. This picture doesn't do it justice. It's not hard to see/understand why the Swayambhunath stupa is steeped in legend.
Lady doing laundry. . .
Still not to the top, but I have a feeling I'm getting closer.
For those of you that like dogs. . .they're not dead. They're just sleeping.
Another lotus flower.
I made it to the village but now where do I go?? All the signs are in Nepali!
YES! Made it to my destination. . .a place to relax! Boy, was I ready to relax and cool off!
It's a quaint little resort with happy hosts!
At the cafe, I enjoyed a bottle of water, a cup of coffee, and yes, a grilled cheese (I've just been craving them lately). What a pleasant afternoon! Then, after a satisfied belly and cool brow (the breeze was pleasant) I did the only thing I could do. I walked back down!
Tree with 2 Shiva shrines. Trees are often homes to deities and are treated as shrines to which offerings are made.
Lamps lined the upper stairs. I imagine during festivals and holy times these are lit. I also imagine they're quite beautiful against a mountainous night sky.
Yes - it's a goat protecting the laundry! Not really, I think he just found some good green stuff there. 
Shrine with flower petal offerings.
Notice that the shrine is at the entrance to a home. It must be a house or protective deity.
Shiva Shrine next to the Buddha below. Nepal is unique for its religious pluralism. The Buddha is worshiped next to Shiva and
vice versa.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Meditation
There is something to be said for setting aside a portion of the day to devote intentionally to God. When we draw near to Him, He truly draws near to us (James 4:8). I find myself drawing nearer to God through the practice of being still in mind and body. It's got to be one the most common biblical cliches: be still and know that I am God! Yet, it's one that has taken new meaning and one I'm certainly clinging to throughout my Buddhist studies course. Again, I discovered the Lord's voice in class today, specifically in my meditation class.
We normally sit in silence and stillness anywhere from 15-20 minutes for two to three sessions. I fill this time with prayer and scripture that I recite silently. Lately, however, our lama (teacher) has been leading us in what's called "guided meditation" that lasts for about 30-40 minutes. In other words, he's speaking the whole time! This doesn't really jive with my definition of meditation. It seems more like hypnosis to me! LOL! I find it quite distracting, but I'm learning to tune out the external noise and focus solely on the Lord. I wasn't able to pray with the distraction of the lama's words, but I found that I could successfully counter his words with Scripture. As I was quoting scripture (Isaiah 43:1-3, Psalm 46, Psalm 27:4, and the Lord's Prayer) I entered into a deep communion with God. All else faded away. He seemed to say "Come, listen to Me. Focus fully on Me. Look up to Me." He was asking for distraction-free attention. Nothing was to come between us. I can't begin to describe or explain how protected and loved I feel in the presence of God. Thank you again for your prayer support. As God was speaking, streams of tears began to well in my eyes as I remembered His promise. He promises that we will hear His voice, the voice of our Shepherd. He will know us and we will follow Him (John 10:26-28). I dwelled on God's love, the love of a Father. I could see the image of Father and daughter: Father kneeling in embrace with His daughter, cupping her little face and gently reminding her "Come, listen to Me. Focus fully on Me. Look up to Me. I am the One. You need no other." What a protector! What strength! What power! What love! "Cling to Me." A playful daughter, full of smiles and giggles, wraps herself around her Father's leg sitting on His foot. Kids like to do that, don't they? She's clinging to Him as He walks. Both are laughing and playing. I could see that no matter where God walks, as long as she is clinging to Him, she is safe and stable. She never touches the ground. He carries her through all manner of weather and obstacles, through the good and the bad. This is assurance. This is God - the One who hears from heaven. All of my hope is in Him who is my trust and my peace.
Side note: Thankfully, my tears were concealable! I was sitting behind someone so I'm confident the lama didn't notice one of his students was teary eyed!
We normally sit in silence and stillness anywhere from 15-20 minutes for two to three sessions. I fill this time with prayer and scripture that I recite silently. Lately, however, our lama (teacher) has been leading us in what's called "guided meditation" that lasts for about 30-40 minutes. In other words, he's speaking the whole time! This doesn't really jive with my definition of meditation. It seems more like hypnosis to me! LOL! I find it quite distracting, but I'm learning to tune out the external noise and focus solely on the Lord. I wasn't able to pray with the distraction of the lama's words, but I found that I could successfully counter his words with Scripture. As I was quoting scripture (Isaiah 43:1-3, Psalm 46, Psalm 27:4, and the Lord's Prayer) I entered into a deep communion with God. All else faded away. He seemed to say "Come, listen to Me. Focus fully on Me. Look up to Me." He was asking for distraction-free attention. Nothing was to come between us. I can't begin to describe or explain how protected and loved I feel in the presence of God. Thank you again for your prayer support. As God was speaking, streams of tears began to well in my eyes as I remembered His promise. He promises that we will hear His voice, the voice of our Shepherd. He will know us and we will follow Him (John 10:26-28). I dwelled on God's love, the love of a Father. I could see the image of Father and daughter: Father kneeling in embrace with His daughter, cupping her little face and gently reminding her "Come, listen to Me. Focus fully on Me. Look up to Me. I am the One. You need no other." What a protector! What strength! What power! What love! "Cling to Me." A playful daughter, full of smiles and giggles, wraps herself around her Father's leg sitting on His foot. Kids like to do that, don't they? She's clinging to Him as He walks. Both are laughing and playing. I could see that no matter where God walks, as long as she is clinging to Him, she is safe and stable. She never touches the ground. He carries her through all manner of weather and obstacles, through the good and the bad. This is assurance. This is God - the One who hears from heaven. All of my hope is in Him who is my trust and my peace.
Side note: Thankfully, my tears were concealable! I was sitting behind someone so I'm confident the lama didn't notice one of his students was teary eyed!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
A Response to Clinging: God's Rebuttal
Let me share with you a remarkable experience! Please keep in mind that I'm actively engaged in a Buddhist studies program taught by a Lobpon (reference blog from 30 June) and also a western philosophy professor. More than a dozen times, I've heard the teaching that "clinging" and/or desire are the cause of all suffering and perpetuate karmic existence. For those of you new to Buddhism this may seem a foreign and difficult concept. My purpose in this blog, however, is not to debate with one of Buddhism's most prominent doctrines. The purpose of this blog is much deeper - it is to the glory of our God.
God has blessed my co-worker and I numerous times with revelation and wisdom over the past three weeks. We have easily identified the fallacies of this doctrine and its shortcomings to Truth. We can also turn to scripture and find assurance in God's Word as Truth. Today, however, I felt an elevation in God's communication. God wasn't just speaking to me. He was responding to the Lobpon in rebuttal. Recall yesterday's blog. God inspired the value and necessity of clinging to Him and the promise that accompanies it. In my own finite and inferior wisdom, I didn't make a correlation between His Word to me yesterday and the teachings of Buddhism. Yet, in class this morning, as the Lobpon began speaking of the suffering caused by clinging, my back straightened, my spiritual ears perked, and my spirit filled with joy. Keep in mind that I've heard this teaching a dozen times or more. This time, I had the sense that God was saying "no, cling to Me" as the Lobpon was speaking. The revelation wasn't new, for God has already spoken all things, but the manner of communication was profound. God was speaking Truth over me, in me, and through me as a protective measure in the midst of class. He responded in rebuttal. God was countering false truth before my very eyes and ears. Oh, if only the whole class could have heard the voice of God! It is true what God says in Isaiah 43:1-3. He says: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched. Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." God will not let the waters of false teaching overflow me because I belong to Him. The flames of deception will not burn me.
I attribute this morning's experience to two factors. First, His rebuttal to false teaching is a demonstration of His love. Second, this is evidence of the power of prayer. I know (and am most thankful) that many of you are covering my co-worker and I in prayer for safety and the guarding of our hearts and minds. Is there more sincere evidence of such prayer than God countering the Lobpon in the midst of his teaching? If there is, it can only be the revelation of Christ to the Lobpon himself. This is something to pray for!
God has blessed my co-worker and I numerous times with revelation and wisdom over the past three weeks. We have easily identified the fallacies of this doctrine and its shortcomings to Truth. We can also turn to scripture and find assurance in God's Word as Truth. Today, however, I felt an elevation in God's communication. God wasn't just speaking to me. He was responding to the Lobpon in rebuttal. Recall yesterday's blog. God inspired the value and necessity of clinging to Him and the promise that accompanies it. In my own finite and inferior wisdom, I didn't make a correlation between His Word to me yesterday and the teachings of Buddhism. Yet, in class this morning, as the Lobpon began speaking of the suffering caused by clinging, my back straightened, my spiritual ears perked, and my spirit filled with joy. Keep in mind that I've heard this teaching a dozen times or more. This time, I had the sense that God was saying "no, cling to Me" as the Lobpon was speaking. The revelation wasn't new, for God has already spoken all things, but the manner of communication was profound. God was speaking Truth over me, in me, and through me as a protective measure in the midst of class. He responded in rebuttal. God was countering false truth before my very eyes and ears. Oh, if only the whole class could have heard the voice of God! It is true what God says in Isaiah 43:1-3. He says: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched. Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." God will not let the waters of false teaching overflow me because I belong to Him. The flames of deception will not burn me.
I attribute this morning's experience to two factors. First, His rebuttal to false teaching is a demonstration of His love. Second, this is evidence of the power of prayer. I know (and am most thankful) that many of you are covering my co-worker and I in prayer for safety and the guarding of our hearts and minds. Is there more sincere evidence of such prayer than God countering the Lobpon in the midst of his teaching? If there is, it can only be the revelation of Christ to the Lobpon himself. This is something to pray for!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Cling to the Lord
I've been reading 2 Kings this week. This morning, I was struck by a profound description of King Hezekiah. Ever notice that the most profound statements are the most simple? They have to be, at least, I prefer them to be. I'm also reading a book by Thomas Merton. Every word that Merton lays to paper is profound. His writing style is both elegant and complex. I know that what I'm reading is profound and beautiful, but due to its complexity and depth of spiritual insight, I must read and re-read his lengthy sentences before I can even begin to appreciate the profundity of his point. Thankfully, the Old Testament writers took a more simple approach!!
"For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him. . ." (2 Kings 18:6, NASB).
Perhaps you are more familiar with the NIV which states that Hezekiah "held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow Him. . ." Sure, it's important to hold fast to God. But what a different notion it is to cling to God! This is what attracted me to this description of Hezekiah. He trusted the Lord, as verse 5 states. But more than that, he clung to the Lord and did not depart from following Him. This is my prayer: that I would cling to God, hold tightly to Him, be difficult to remove from Him, and be stubbornly faithfully to Him. That I would follow Him and not depart from Him. I believe God reveals a promise in verse 7. Because Hezekiah clung to God and did not depart from Him, "the Lord was with Him. . ." We see this promise echoed in James 4:8: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
This is a promise of action! The implication from both the author of 2 Kings and James is that obedience is the action that draws us near to God. We must follow Him. We must obey. In response, we are assured His presence in the deepest recesses of our spirit. I don't want to even breathe without knowing God is with me. It is His breath that inflates this mortal coil and brings life, after all. Therefore, let every breath be in honor of Him. Let every thought, every step, every moment be for the glory of God.
I can never bow low enough in His presence. I pray my feeble attempts are enough. In those times when the world seems too much and I forget to cling to God, may His Spirit remind me of His promise.
"For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him. . ." (2 Kings 18:6, NASB).
Perhaps you are more familiar with the NIV which states that Hezekiah "held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow Him. . ." Sure, it's important to hold fast to God. But what a different notion it is to cling to God! This is what attracted me to this description of Hezekiah. He trusted the Lord, as verse 5 states. But more than that, he clung to the Lord and did not depart from following Him. This is my prayer: that I would cling to God, hold tightly to Him, be difficult to remove from Him, and be stubbornly faithfully to Him. That I would follow Him and not depart from Him. I believe God reveals a promise in verse 7. Because Hezekiah clung to God and did not depart from Him, "the Lord was with Him. . ." We see this promise echoed in James 4:8: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
This is a promise of action! The implication from both the author of 2 Kings and James is that obedience is the action that draws us near to God. We must follow Him. We must obey. In response, we are assured His presence in the deepest recesses of our spirit. I don't want to even breathe without knowing God is with me. It is His breath that inflates this mortal coil and brings life, after all. Therefore, let every breath be in honor of Him. Let every thought, every step, every moment be for the glory of God.
I can never bow low enough in His presence. I pray my feeble attempts are enough. In those times when the world seems too much and I forget to cling to God, may His Spirit remind me of His promise.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)