Month: February 2019

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…..”

Bodies and minds. That’s what is on my mind as I sit in a Thai coffee shop today. An thin European lady, wrinkled, shoulder-length white hair pulled back in a pony tail, dressed in a simple cotton dress with butterflies printed all over it, sits outside smoking. Her husband (I presume) orders their coffees and walks around the art cafe taking photographs of all the decorations. I’m more taken with the beautiful plants scattered about the cafe than with the artwork.

“Smoking is not good for you,” I think, though don’t say to the lady. But I can’t talk, as I blob here, casually caffeinating my body. 

Bodies and minds – that is the topic of this blog post. 

In a class on spiritual formation which I took a few years ago, the lecturer kept saying, “It’s what is below the waterline that counts.” He was talking about boats, of course, and the importance of keeping them clean of barnacles and rust. He likened that to our spiritual lives. Today, though, as I sit in this inland city looking out through the roots of plants which are growing in water, it seems to me that the same truth applies. 

It’s all about what is below the waterline, or, usually, for plants, what is below the soil. It’s about our roots. Specifically, it is about how we are rooted in Christ. But I get ahead of myself……

Bodies – our responsibility

In Romans 12:1, Paul writes, ‘Therefore … in view of God’s mercy … offer your bodies as a living sacrifice … to God….”   

It is tempting to write a paragraph on the ‘therefore’. A teacher long ago taught me, “Whenever you see a therefore, look to see what it is there for.”  However, to do so would make this post too long. Suffice to say that Paul has just finished writing a brilliant doxology about God’s mercy before he begins this paragraph. 

Offering my body as a living sacrifice assumes all sorts of visible things. Living a healthy lifestyle is obvious. You won’t see me sitting outside a cafe puffing on a cigarette … but I admit that you may see me inside putting too much sugar and fat into my body. Offering my body as a living sacrifice involves watching my words, sometimes saying what needs to be said even though the topic is something I would rather avoid. It also includes how I use the resources I have been given of health, time, money, education, abilities, networks and more.

The way I act, the words I say, the choices I make – these are all things which are ‘above the waterline’. They are like the stems and leaves of the delightful plants in this cafe. They are visible to anyone who looks. But there is a lot happening below the waterline too. 

Minds – God’s responsibility 

In Romans 12:2, Paul writes, “… be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” He uses the passive tense – transformation is done to us. He does not write, “transform yourself” although we are instructed to “… not conform to the pattern of this world…”. 

It’s like what is happening beneath the waterline for the plants. The roots of the plants – the stuff of the mind – are parts we don’t usually see. But there is a lot happening there. 

The Greek word for what has been translated as ‘transformed’ is ‘metamorphoo’, ‘meta’ meaning ‘change’ and ‘morphoo’ meaning ‘form’. It is the same word from which we get the English word ‘metamorphosis’.  My mind boggles when I think of the way that grubby caterpillars spin cocoons and morph into beautiful butterflies. In the same mind-boggling way, the spirit of God renews our minds, causing us to morph into transformed beings.

The pressure is off … and on

I’m not responsible for transforming my mind. The pressure is off.

I am responsible for offering my body as a living sacrifice to God. The pressure is on.

Of course, thinking and actions are closely related just like the parts of the plant below the waterline (or the soil) can’t be separated from the parts which are above. The roots take up moisture and nutrients to feed the leaves, while photosynthesis occurring in the leaves feed the roots.

As I leave the cafe, I smile at the older lady clothed in a dress covered with a butterfly print. She smiles back. She will never know how her dress sparked my thoughts today, because my mind is part of ‘what is below the waterline’. My smile is all she sees. For a brief moment, our lives connect – two strangers in a city far from home.

Bodies and minds … my responsibility and God’s … what is above and what is below the waterline … these are the matters before me today. In a sense, it is liberating – I don’t have to be responsible for renewing my mind. There is plenty that I am responsible for, though, including writing up this meandering meditation on Paul’s words to the Romans. I wonder if they grew plants in glass jars of water as objects of art back then?  

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…..”

When I was young, I hoped to change the world. 

Then reality hit. 

Don’t stop reading. This isn’t a depressing blog post. 

Creation care

I spent time in Genesis 2 today. Verse 15 stood out to me – God’s commission to Adam, the first man, to care for creation. I wonder what filled his days back then? That was before weeds and bushfires and floods and disease. Did he have to dig the soil, plant, feed, prune, then harvest? Did he have to take flocks and herds from one pasture to another? I wonder how long he had to wait before God gave him a life partner. 

Adam’s days would have been rather repetitive, I imagine. How much more exciting it would have been to build things, to have something more concrete (quite literally) to show for his efforts. Babel was just such a project, undertaken by his descendants … though that venture didn’t quite work out as planned.

The daily grind

This blog post comes from a hotel room. It’s stimulating to be back in Asia, although also a tad bitter-sweet. I am a visitor here now and no longer a resident. And I never did change the world.

A significant part of my work these days involves contributing to the systems that support others to do what I once did. Training – mentoring – information management – resource organisation – clarifying goals and strategies – co-ordinating communication – meetings galore – it’s not the stuff of Facebook updates. 

Do you ever wonder what you do all day? And what you have to show for your hard work? I’m well aware that I’m not alone in this respect. In my case right now, living out of a suitcase gets a bit old too. I’m really looking forward to unpacking in ten days time. (Who is counting?!)

Don’t think that I don’t appreciate my current situation. Most of the time, I do. I get to spend time with special people, travel to interesting places and can even use ‘work time’ to focus on spirituality and writing. It’s a privileged life and I’m grateful to family and friends who make it possible. There have been many highlights over the years. Although I haven’t changed the world, I have had the honour of playing a part in what God is doing.

Non-headline work is valuable

The point of today’s blog post is to encourage myself  (and anybody else who may read along) that non-headline work is valuable. We’re not all like Moses or Paul in terms of our callings.  Many of us have roles more akin to Adam’s. Of course, it is important that we regularly assess what we’re doing and remain accountable to others so that we don’t spin off into blind busyness or mindless meetings. But we need not take on our shoulders the responsibility of changing the world. 

Creation is God’s. Maintaining it is his business. God gave Adam and his descendants, including us, responsibility to care for creation. My particular responsibility just now includes one cat, a few plants and a whole lot of special people with whom I interact with in various ways.

History-shattering it is not, but it is enough.

On this first day of the Chinese Year of the Pig, I have another chance at starting my New Year’s Resolutions.  (I’m only half-joking.). I have also just finished a lovely ‘retreat day’ here in a small but bustling Asian city. It’s a wonderful way to start the Chinese New Year. 

Feeling somewhat inspired to capture the essence of what God is inviting me to me these days, I attempted another haiku:

Rhythms of life

Striving less and Spirit led

Like nature’s rhythms

Rhythms … that shall be my word for the year.  In a sense, it is also my New Year’s Resolution, though that remains officially related to health and fitness. I hope that I can ‘strive less’ and ‘be Spirit led’ even as I establish some healthier habits in that area too.

Rhythms and lights

Here in Chiang Mai, I am enjoying magnificent sunsets most days, though the reason the colours are so spectacular is the little bit of pollution in the air. One scene I snapped shows, in the foreground, traffic lights regulating the flow of what sometimes seems chaotic – cars, songthaews, motorbikes, tuk-tuks and pedestrians intersecting. Behind that, the sun sets, regulating the lives of birds (which flock to sit on particular power lines at sunset), water lilies which open and close with the sunlight, and much much more. 

Yet in contrast to the rhythms of nature and even of traffic, we strive on. Too often we ignore the rhythms of day and night, of six days for work then one of rest, of feasting and fasting and more. We push hard to complete apparently very important tasks, day after day, night after night, tapping away on our computers, rushing from one strategic meeting to the next. 

Who do we think we are? 

Just for the record, I have long been adamant that we need to take a weekly rest day, both out of obedience to God and for our own well-being. Yet I confess that I often strive to do what I think is a good idea or what I sense others expect of me, sometimes taking on too much work because if I don’t say ‘yes’, the whole world will come crashing down … obviously. Crazy.

Striving less and Spirit led

Today was a case in point even as I strived to retreat. Like I said earlier,  I had planned start the Chinese New Year with a retreat day. I have a new book – ‘Pursuing God’s Will Together’ by Ruth Haley-Barton— and I was planning to incorporate some walking with journalling and reading in coffee shops. The day started out fine, with everything going according to plan … my plan, that is.

At midday, I enjoyed a scrumptious lunch, which I interpret as a kind gift from a generous father. I had heard of this place but didn’t know where it was and literally walked right past it today. Then I went to an air-conditioned shopping centre where I knew I could get a fragrant cup of coffee served with a glass of green tea on the side. I settled in for an afternoon of peace and quiet. That was my plan, anyhow.

First it was the Chinese New Year clamour.  Four young men dressed as two lions roamed the centre, while another drummed and one more banged cymbals. They went back and forth throughout the whole centre for a good hour or more. It was entertaining even though I felt the stress levels rising because MY plans to be renewed and revisioned were going haywire. 

Finally, they stopped their noise and the poor hot boys threw off their lion outfits right outside the cafe in which I sat, the drummers coming in for take-away iced coffee. Literally, right at that moment, a lonely American tourist approached my table and struck up a conversation. I considered packing up and moving elsewhere at that point, but a little voice inside me reminded me that I had just this morning repented of striving for what I thought was important rather than looking for the Spirit’s leading. The tourist stayed for almost two hours, talking of family and hopes and disappointments and more. I had no chance to share my faith or say anything I considered of eternal value. Yet I sat there, being friendly. I hope … and sense … that is what God wanted of me. 

Rhythms and leading

Finally, I left the shopping centre and walked down the street. The sun was setting. The birds flocked to their allotted power lines and started up their deafening chatter. (You can tell that they always go there by the white … er … ‘paint’ … on the pavement below. I took care to walk well away from it.) And was reminded again of the rhythms of nature. 

I did not finish the book I intended to study today even as I looked for God’s renewal. I’m only a quarter of the way through it. But do you know what? It doesn’t matter. The sun will still rise in the morning. The birds will go off to do whatever birds do during the day. The water lilies will open their petals. Just as nature’s rhythms continue under the hand of Almighty God, so I too need to cease striving and simply seek to follow his lead. 

I started this piece with a haiku. I would like to finish with some well crafted Ines from one of my favourite hymns – ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’ by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-92). May this be my prayer and perhaps yours too, whatever our days may bring, even and especially when the pace of life picks up and we lose focus and start striving again.

“Drop thy still dews of quietness

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of thy peace.”