Ken L Hagler

3 Proven Ways to Overcome Adversity in Life

2022-11-30T12:55:00.002-05:00

My best position in basketball was the 7th or 8th man. In other words, I wasn’t the best, but when the coach needed defense, I was in the game. When it came to covering the guard or rebounding in the clutch, that was when I moved up on the depth chart. Hey, I was the short kid and not all that good at shooting. In today’s world, that is often a “failure” kind of approach. It's an all-or-nothing mentality.

But I got in the game. Here is a simple reminder: “Falling down doesn’t make you a failure, but staying down does.”

Over and over again, life knocks us down. Just cause I didn’t make the team later in my youth doesn’t mean I couldn’t ever play basketball! If there was a hoop and a ball, I could still play, it just meant I wasn’t cut out for the NBA, and so what? It was still fun to play. The choice had to be made that I wasn’t going to sit down.

One of the writers of ancient wisdom noted: “A just person falls seven times, and then rises up again.” (Proverbs 24:16a) Let's break this down a bit:

Be a Just Person: Being a just person; a person of CHARACTER not simply being "good". This is THE foundation. Being someone of integrity is vital. My dad taught me that. Be the same person when no one is looking. This is the foundation of everything that comes next. Let me ask you: is being a person of character important to you?

Get After It: Are you in the game? The assumption is that life is going to hit you - 7 or more times! My book, Life Sucks Seek God names it from the get go. You have be in the game to get knocked down and you will! I got knocked down early and then went a ways in life before cancer, vision loss, death of my wife, and many other things started hitting me. I fell hard. What next?

GET UP: Had I not focused on the character issues - the inner person/defeating the false self - the rising up part could have been next to impossible and/or had me looking to “cut corners” on my character. And how would that have turned out? I might have “won” but I would have lost my soul.

Surrounding yourself with good people, and people of integrity is important. It always makes a huge difference if you put good stuff in your head and heart. What do you watch? What do you read? What do you listen to each day? Do you take time for self-reflection? All of these make a difference in the issue of character.

Maybe most important though: who are your heroes? Who do you look to as a role model in your life? Are they consistent in public and private? Many have fallen off my list because there wasn’t consistency and it is worth asking - who do you want to be like in the end?

Start today. Enhance your life by building your character. The best list I have ever found is this one: Ask yourself, am I…

Trustworthy

Loyal

Helpful

Friendly

Courteous

Kind

Obedient

Cheerful

Thrifty

Brave

Clean

Reverent

I may not have won a world championship, but its character that counts when it matters most.

How to Get Over Your Bad Attitude in 3 Steps

2022-11-21T12:54:00.004-05:00

Are you ready?

1. What is one thing you are thankful for today?

2. What is another thing you are thankful for today?

3. What is a third thing to be thankful for today?

See?!?! That wasn't so hard was it?

"Gratitude is a powerful human emotion. By conveying and receiving simple ‘thank you’ messages, we can truly derive the pleasure that we seek everywhere else. Gratitude, derived from the Latin word ‘gratia,’ means gratefulness or thankfulness." (From The Neuroscience of Gratitude and Effects on the Brain)

Reading and listening to podcasts exposes one to a lot of great ideas. Some of those ideas are unique and some, well, they get repeated and shared a lot and for MOST PEOPLE - that is because there is a truth to them! At some point, it isn't about the science, it is about the practice and by working on a practice of being thankful, we rewire our brains.

Like so much, when we seek to enhance life; enhance soul, we aren't dealing with modern discoveries but ancient wisdom. The Apostle Paul wrote 2,000 years ago to followers of Jesus, "Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Of course, Thanksgiving is a great time to start this, just like New Year's can be a great time to start new habits, but the wisdom and thought behind why isn't new...its old, ancient even, and worth your time to start.

Let's face it, we have lived through a TON of upheaval and much of our world is in disarray and people are finding more to be against than being for something. You can't change the WORLD but you can change YOU. And, as I have discovered, when you change YOU, then you begin to change the WORLD around you.

Give thanks and start to enhance life, enhance soul, and enhance home.

This is the way.

Enhance Life. Enhance Soul. Enhance Home. A New Journey.

2022-11-09T13:04:00.002-05:00

Writing has taken a back seat in my life since I wrote “Prayer Simply Breathe.” Turning 50 hit different and I had some real questions that I began to ask myself. I began reflecting on my life and really pushing myself to think and ask - what do I want in the second novel of my life? With the guidance of a coach, I narrowed it down to being a kick-a$$ husband (and dad/son), I want to stay in love with Jesus, and I want to help people enhance life, enhance soul, and enhance home.

These are not minor shifts and the road isn’t clear but I wrote in “Life Sucks Seek God,” the challenge: “Don't be a politician. Be a human who can admit he changed his mind." I think I should expand on that - “Be a human being who can change.” This is why I have always appreciated my faith heritage and the message of grace that John Wesley was so passionate about - people can change. As a pastor, I have walked with many people through times of change and isn't that part of the Gospel message of Jesus? We can become the people God created us to be?

I bet you are a bit like me, and you want to be able to make some changes? I have been Jedi Pastor Ken for a long time but that isn’t all of me and in this next novel of life, this won’t go away but I need space to be Ken and to run to these three areas: Life - Soul - Home.

Enhance Life.

There is much in self-help that points us to health above other things. I love life and as one who has faced death and walked the abyss and slogged through the valley of suck as a caregiver and only parent after my wife’s death, I still believe life is worth living. I am still an optimist (though more realist). Helping people see the better way and offering guidance is something I am passionate about. People connecting to people and finding ways to know joy is what enhancing life is all about.

Enhance Soul.

I’ve been in full-time ministry for almost 30 years and a follower of Jesus even longer. Diplomas are on my wall and I have become a spiritual director as well. I have written books and preached sermons and led studies on the spiritual journey. Part of my vacation time often includes time to care for my soul. Enhancing soul is at the root of my life. I can’t make anyone seek God but I can certainly share the journey and help others longing to renew and enhance soul.

Enhance Home.
One thing I have loved is building. From Legos to shelves to homes, it is something in my DNA. My grandfather was incredibly innovative in building and repairing; my dad as well. In my house, is a dresser hand-made by my great-grandfather as well. As we have renovated and planned for our life in Alaska, our home is central to for us. I have a conviction that Maslow was right and that having a safe place to call home is a true need and I want to not only help people find or create that home but I want to help people enhance the home for family.

The good news is you too, can make a change. If I can make a change if I can redirect if I can grow, will you? Pick one area - change something you have been wanting to change. Don’t do a lot - just one thing.

“Do or do not, there is no try,” is what Master Yoda said to Luke. I hate that quote some days but it hits well - trying is a lukewarm thing - it is a “sample” or “fun size” but do is to go all in.

Go all in. This is the way I have learned to best enhance life, enhance soul, and enhance home.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-man-with-novel-in-green-sunlit-park-4218707/

Anyone Can Be the GOAT - Character Matters

2022-11-01T12:24:00.002-04:00

A goat strayed away from the flock. A patch of clover was looking far more tempting than what they had been eating. The shepherd tried to call the goat back, but in vain. The goat just ignored him. Finally, the shepherd picked up a stone and threw it at the goat. It went off course ever so slightly and broke the goat’s horn.

The shepherd was scared. “Don’t tell the owner,” he begged the goat. “No,” said the goat, “that broken horn speaks for itself.”

The writer, Maya Angelou reminded us that “when people show you who they really are, believe them the first time.” Integrity and trustworthiness are traits not only we ought to aspire to, but they are matters of character much needed in our day.

Wicked and evil deeds will not stay hidden and the lessons they reveal ought to be noted. Noted psychologist and thinker, Jordan Peterson, notes, “If you can’t figure out what someone is doing, look at the outcome and infer the motivation.”

Often people are quick to say they are “sorry” when caught in a lie or acts of wickedness but what are they sorry for - that they did the act or that they were caught? What ought to be noted is whether someone repents and asks for forgiveness. This indicates that they recognize what was done AND the harm that it caused. Then, as Peterson implies - make note of what someone is doing…do they continue the original pattern or change.

People can grow and change but actions reveal the heart.

Jesus said it this way: “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.” (Luke 8:17-18).

Character matters and it is a matter of the soul. It sets you apart in life: at home and at work. Be the person you want others to be and you’ll be the person others need.

3 Lessons for Living and Leading from a Rejected Clergy

2022-10-25T13:39:00.005-04:00

No, I am not talking about me. It was 1739 and John Wesley was struggling. It was a theme for a large part of his early career as a pastor. But now, there were few places he could preach. He was at odds with the Church of England and he was even being banned from preaching in churches. The specifics had to do with his conversion and convictions about the Christian message.

Then, around March 15, John Wesley received letters from his friend, George Whitefield to come preach in the fields near Bristol. There were many working poor and families, who had not place of worship or pastor. He hated the idea outdoor preaching but wrote in his journal in the days that followed…

—--

Thursday, 29.—I left London and in the evening expounded to a small company at Basingstoke, Saturday, 31. In the evening I reached Bristol and met Mr. Whitefield there. I could scarcely reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which he set me an example on Sunday; I had been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin if it had not been done in a church.

Then on, April 1.—In the evening Rev. Wesley wrote: (Mr. Whitefield being gone) I began expounding our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (one pretty remarkable precedent of field-preaching)

Monday, 2.—At four in the afternoon, I submitted to be more vile and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation, , speaking to about three thousand people.

—--

You can read more about the Methodist revival online and in many books (here is an interesting lecture from Gordon Conwell on Youtube), but I am struck by a few things, not merely because I have been a Methodist clergy for almost 30 years but because of Wesley’s lessons that enhance life and enhance soul.

1. Wesley’s Journal. He didn’t write everyday but he sure came close. I write about the power and impact of journaling in “Life Sucks Seek God.” John Wesley’s journal give snapshot of a man, a revival, a period of time in history, and how God transforms not one soul, but many. The Methodist revival is seen as one of the contributing factors in the preventing a second revolutionary war in England itself. Did the journal change Wesley? Yes, it helped him to be able to critically review his life, his thoughts and his teachings. He became a better person and leader. Where are you recoding life?

2. Wesley’s Conviction. It is common for the world to evolve and devolve. John began his life’s work as a failed missionary and wasn’t much better as a local pastor in the Church of England. But Wesley still sought after God. Thanks to a few good friends and his soul habits and morning ritual, Wesley put himself in places where God might speak to him. When God did, Wesley was ready: to act but also to grow. He valued learning and was considered one of the most well read persons of his day. Can you say the same?

3. Wesley’s Humility. It may not come out often as Wesley’s convictions seem to overshadow his humility but it remains: Wesley was humble. He listened to his mother’s counsel as well as his younger brother, Charles, and his good friend, Peter Bohler. Here, we see he listened to George Whitfield, and went completely against his conviction that preaching only belonged in church. He changed his approach to having lay people of the congregation preach, going against his conviction that only clergy could do this. Wesley would also commission Thomas Coke and through him, Francis Asbury, as the first bishops in the 13 colonies to care for the Methodist Church. On matters of heart, is your’s too hard or are you willing to listen to others who are wise?

John Wesley is one in a long line of leaders who have kept the world from devolving and moving forward - evolving toward a world of mercy and justice. How might you use Wesley’s pattern of learning through journaling, living out convictions, and acting with humility, to enhance your life and change yourself and thus, change your world?

My 5 Morning Rituals

2022-10-17T16:59:00.007-04:00

I wrote about the benefits of a morning ritual and even have a give away that goes in depth called The 5 Benefits of Morning Rituals (Really creative, I know). But what do I do? Sure the benefits are proven but what can you actually do that changes things?

I’ll start with what I work hard to avoid: Email and Social Media. I have made it a real conscious effort for my RITUAL to REPLACE these things. They really jump ahead of improving you and that is NOT what you need so here is what I have been doing for about a month now….

1. Get up with my alarm and listen to the Our Daily Bread app. I get up when my alarm says to and the first thing I do is open this app and hit play for the daily devotion. Sometimes I even play it twice because the first time, I’m not quite awake but I start with putting God first. (And so you know, I usually shoot for getting up at 5:30am)

2. Drink a glass of water. I’ve read a lot of articles about the importance of water and my health plan has a reminder to start with a glass of water. Water is like oil, it kind of greases the wheels and as we get older, I know it helps even more so I do it.

3. Look at the day. I am not so great with this BUT before looking at Social Media and Email, I open up my day planner and write down my goal to walk 7000 steps and read 1 Chapter in a book (or listen).

4. 7 Good Minutes. I used to listen to news radio but started tuning into Clyde Lee Dennis’ “7 Good Minutes” podcast. This is my must go to - listen as I get the day going.

5. Walk. Not that I always do this but I sure feel better when I take a 20 minute walk to start the day. It gets me moving and mentally, it makes me believe I’m going to get my steps in before the day is done.

I also recommend Hal Elrod's book "Miracle Morning" for some great inspiration. While my rituals have changed throught the years, they have ALWAYS kept me on track. These have truly helped me enhance my life. Now go and enhance YOUR LIFE with good rituals!

May I Ask? What is your ritual? What would help you? What is keeping you from getting started? How can I help?

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto: https://www.pexels.com/

Three Benefits of a Great Start!

2022-10-04T12:02:00.018-04:00

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I know, I know, you don’t have time! You got to go, you’ve got to get to work, take the kids to school, feed the dog, start chores, and on and on. But we make time, almost always for what we want and even what isn’t productive (think Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, Facebook, Amazon shopping, and on and on). So the question is what do you REALLY want? A great start is what you need! A morning habit/ritual will help with that and most especially, it is one that helps enhance soul and enhance life!

In my book, “Life Sucks, Seek God,” I talk about in chapter 7, “Take Five,” literally, a plan to take 5 minutes to dedicate to a spiritual practice or ritual. I know it makes a difference from experience but books like The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod and Mini Habits by Stephen Guise, back me up on this. If we are honest with ourselves, of all the parts of us we neglect most, it is our soul - the inner core of our being.

More Productive

Taking a few moments at the beginning of the day to organize your thoughts and plan your day can go a long way when it comes to productivity. Going into work groggy, grumpy, and unprepared can leave you feeling unfulfilled and unaccomplished. Having a productive day is not just about making a to-do list either. Having a morning ritual that makes you feel good about yourself and start the day off in a relaxed mood will also help you be more productive. Instead of rushing into all of the tasks you have to complete with a scrambled mind.

Less Stress

Stress is a normal human reaction to having too much to do in too little time. There are a lot of physical and mental ways that stress can affect you over time. This includes increased anxiety, developing depression, fatigue, headaches, and even body pains from tension. One of the ways that having a morning ritual benefits you is that you know what to expect every morning and so your brain has less to worry about. Self-care rituals like exercise, journaling, or meditation can reduce your stress levels throughout the day because you can approach challenges from a calmer, relaxed point of view.

Renewed Mind

Having a morning ritual to focus our heart and soul on the Divine, on our souls, taps a deeper part of who we are. We find our passion, our mission, our mantra, when we are still and silent and reflect on our purpose and what matters most. The ancient writer of Lamentations, a book from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament states: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (3:22-23). The ancient spiritual writers knew long before social sciences figured it out that starting the day in the presence of the Divine, renews us and changes the course of our life and each day.

One of the helps I have been using is “Our Daily Bread” app available for Android and Apple devices. It is a 5 minute reflection that can be read or listened to each morning.

May I Ask? What about you? What can you do to make a great start - taking 5 minutes?

Download the FREE Ebook: 5 Benefits of Morning Rituals Here

Be Hope!

2022-10-03T12:39:00.007-04:00

"Grant me hope, God, that I may spread hope."

It is one thing to pray for oneself, but in God's view, we are meant for more. We are meant to make a difference in the world! Hope is something that keeps people going, keeps them looking forward, and striving for a better day.   Don't just believe in God but believe the best in others! God has always believed in YOU so be that beacon of hope to the people in your world!

Walk It Off | The Newest Chapter in the Second Edition of Life Sucks Seek God

2022-05-17T15:30:00.003-04:00

Walk It Off

Jesus walked almost everywhere. It is kind of hard to miss this when you read the words of the Gospels.

Walking is a form of exercise that nearly anyone can do and the average speed at which we walk is roughly, three miles per hour. One writer took this idea and theorized that since God walks (see Genesis 3 and the Gospels) then God must speak at three miles per hour. That's a comforting thought. We need to start walking; start moving. Rather than wait, we need some action! Author and speaker, Mark Manson suggests that rather than look for inspiration and motivation we ought to start with action because action leads to inspiration then it leads to motivation.

When life sucks (which it does many days) I need to start moving. I don’t think we give movement the credit it deserves as a spiritual practice. Think about it. Consider the stories and tales of the trails that people have been hiking and walking throughout the centuries, That's an important thing for us to remember: hope can be found on the journey.

For me, in the midst of my grief, it was tough to get moving many days. I reflected and thought about what things brought me joy. After Heather’s death, for a time, I got moving and redecorated the front deck. I made it into a space, outside, where I felt joy. I also knew I needed to do more. I needed to start moving. The easiest thing I have found through the years is to start walking. However, I really had not considered walking as a spiritual practice. But I got up and started walking. Over time, things began to shift. As I began to move, my body started to change, as did my mind and with the movement came inspiration and motivation.

Prior to the death of Heather, I walked a lot as part of my exercise routine. It was part of my health and wellness plan too. When my doctor said I needed to lose some weight, walking, bike riding, and swimming were part of my plan. My daughter and I hiked the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. It was a journey I took with prayer beads and prayed the Jesus prayer but I had not considered it among my spiritual practices.

There is a book entitled, “The Way of the Pilgrim” and it is based in Russia and part of the Orthodox tradition of the Christian faith. In that book, it talks about how walking and praying the Jesus prayer, the pilgrim draws closer to God. There's a simplicity to walking. It doesn't require equipment. If walking isn’t possible, other movements can take the place. It is about movement. We take the ability we've been given and you just move! I think we've lost that simplicity.

Have you tried being NEAT? No, not cleaning up your room or garage (though that can be exercise too). NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. This is a big scientific phrase for all the calories you burn but that don’t count as exercise. It is the small things all day - pointing with your finger or grasping a drill, doing needle-point or tapping your toe. Kids - get the wiggles out! But grown-ups can do it too! Add to those. Right now, tilt your head from side to side. If you can, stretch your hands to the sky and wiggle your fingers…wiggle your toes. MOVE!!! And do it every day. That is what NEAT is about - movement.

For me, it began with a step. I found that having a coach through my health plan was a help too but so was finding a trainer on YouTube who gave input on exercises that were “outside of the box” and fun. I also found apps for my phone like CashWalk, WinWalk, and even Walgreens Pharmacy, that offer incentives for taking steps and other health practices like sleeping enough and checking blood pressure.

The valley of suck bogs a person down. When I talk with people dealing with grief and suffering, I see the effects on their bodies without hearing a word. There is no escaping the “stuckness” in our words and life when life sucks. I know the frustration in my own life and the impact on my health and wholeness.

Taking a “step” is not going to make the grief go away. Yet, there is something about moving and maybe there is something more to Jesus walking everywhere than we will really ever know. Could it be that God does “move” and speak at three miles per hour? In the beginning, God walked the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). In my experience, God still does.

I have found it all the more vital to walk when life sucks the worst. Sometimes, it is the only thing I can do. God has always been willing to join me on the walk too.

I do get inspiration as I walk. I think things through more clearly as the adrenaline and the endorphins begin to kick in I realize how much more I want to eat better and I want to be more active and how I want to enjoy life because life is meant to be lived. God intends us to find hope in living and we are meant to live until our very last breath! Each step we take we move closer to wholeness and hopefully, toward holiness.

Ok, ready for another step? I have got one more thing to touch on that you do not want to miss. You’ve made it to the last chapter and after that? Well, I’ve thrown in a special gift! Turn the page, and take your next step.

To get the whole book, click on the link to the right and Life Sucks Seek God for yourself!---->

Are We Not People of Second Chances?

2022-03-31T14:59:00.003-04:00

In 2007, President George W. Bush gave a speech advocating for the Second Chance Act. He was optimistic that the bill would transform incarceration through reentry programs. Bush believed the USA “country was built on the belief that each human being has limitless potential and worth. It passed and became law. In March of 2021, President Joe Biden followed this up by proclaiming April as Second Chance Month and said, “By focusing on prevention, reentry, and social support, rather than incarceration, we can ensure that America is a land of second chances and opportunity for all people.”

Two presidents. One a Republican and one a Democrat. One a United Methodist Christian and one a Roman Catholic Christian. No president is perfect and there are many decisions that must be made as the leader of a nation that may challenge the faith someone might have. But here, in these two presidents, we see the convictions of their faith lived out.

There is so much that we can look and see what divides us as individuals, in our marriages and families, within our nation and within our church. Our United Methodist Church has been in conflict for some time now and is heading for a parting of ways between the Global Methodist Church and the UMC. For me, it truly puts friends and colleagues of mine of many years on “the other side.”

But this does not make us enemies. We are a people of second chances…and third and fourth and fifth chances.

Our presidents must have thought of Good Friday and the criminals on the cross:

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving [c]what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-42

Jesus was never inconsistent or contradictory with his words. Before the cross, one of his disciples asked Jesus point-blank, how many times to forgive:

21 Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22

Now, you may not LIKE what Jesus advocated for in his words or his actions but they have been and remain foundational to the Christian faith experience and part of our teachings for centuries. Jesus also intended us to use our reasoning and we have no reason to remain in the presence of someone who hurts us. If they demand your coat, give them your shirt also and let them be on their way (those in the UMC and GMC might consider this (Luke 6:29)). Jesus never said you are obligated to hate or hold animosity toward another.

We are a people of second chances and our faith is a faith of second chances and our Savior, this Easter, is a God of second chances, and third, and even seventy-seven chances (and even more)! There is no limit to God’s forgiveness and let us live the same way! If Bush and Biden could find common ground from their faith, then we can too. How will you give second chances? Who will you give second chances?

Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God...this is The Way…the way of the Christ, the way of Jesus.

Star Wars? Jedi Pastor Ken? Blasphemous!!!

2022-03-08T15:56:00.006-05:00

I hate that there are denominations among Christian churches…and I love that there are denominations among Christian churches.

Look, this could become a huge - massive - expansive type of blog post. Come on, there are whole classes in seminary on the subjects of denominations and then if we dig deeper, there are whole graduate schools devoted to one denomination’s train of thought and justification for existing. Multiply that out by just a few different denominations and well, there are a lot of differences.

The reason for most of the New Testament letters and books is because…Christians were not getting along. Just by my saying that, some will yell…”NUH UH!!!” and that is part of my point…we don’t all agree but just hear me out, the writers of the New Testament are trying to educate and encourage and help each church or person, get along better with others. Why do we need this? Will, it goes to my second act of simple spirituality: “we are sinners.” We want things our own way and want everyone else to see the world our way.

Case in point, a recent comment on my YouTube channel was that Star Wars doesn’t talk about God the Father and therefore, science fiction wants to do away with God and my little joke and tag of being “jedipastorken” is…wait for it…BLASPHEMOUS!!! Only, that isn’t how logic and reason work. My cookbooks don’t talk about God the Father either and I have a hashtag of #castironkitchen so does that mean all my Lodge cookware is blasphemous too? Of course, that doesn't even mention there is also the problem of C.S. Lewis, the great Christian writer and theologian, who wrote a science fiction trilogy too. Not to mention the fantasy books, Chronicles of Narnia. You see where this is going, right?

I don’t want to be blasphemous, God knows better than anyone where my heart is. There really are things that are blasphemous. I surely don't feel the need to defend Star Wars but dare we miss that at its base is a belief in a higher power and that the good side of this power is greatest. I have found there is much more in Star Wars that points to God than does the Avengers, or the Lone Ranger or Lassie for that matter. Dare we then throw out every analogy or symbol throughout the centuries believers have used to talk about God or "translate" God to our pop culture? Should I mention that George Lucas attended church as a kid? Nah. Never mind.

I sure wish there was only one Church in our human world, but there isn’t but there is one Church in the Kingdom of God, even though we all don’t see everything the same. It is for this reason, I believe the Creeds of the Church are so very important. These are the core elements of faith and the core elements by which we can determine what is part of our faith and what is…(gulp)...blasphemous

With minor tweaks in translation from the Latin, the beliefs found in the Apostle’s Creed, based on Matthew 28:19 and first being put out for the Church in around the 2nd century are found here:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

I know, I know, somehow I’m sure I got this wrong in someone’s eyes but what I am TRYING to get at is what brings us together for now is NOT the time for us to be so mired in petty opinions that hold no basis in fact, thought or reality of faith. It is okay we don't see the same on everything so long as Christians, we hold to the core. I’m trying, ever so much, live as John Wesley preached in his sermon on Catholic Spirit (catholic meaning its more ancient term: universal)

“But although a difference in opinions or modes of worship may prevent an entire external union, yet need it prevent our union in affection? Though we can’t think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences. These remaining as they are, they may forward one another in love and in good works.”

Wesley goes on to ask a few questions but one drills it down for me:

“Dost thou believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘God over all, blessed for ever’? Is he ‘revealed in’ thy soul? Is he ‘formed in thy heart by faith?’”

I can even hear Yoda asking the question.

The Next Sunday and the Next...What On Earth Are Clergy Good For Anymore???

2022-03-07T15:25:00.004-05:00

Each and every week, I spend the time that most pastors spend preparing for the next Sunday, and the next Sunday and the next Sunday. Along the way, I call, visit, right notest to people. There are meetings, some in person and some on Zoom. I am creeping closer to having been in ministry full time for 30 years (just breaking 25 years). That is kind of crazy to think about!

Like most pastors…I think…I have read many books. Some good, some not so good. I have attended conferences and seminars to learn more, to be better at what I do. And along the way, I have learned that the quality of the work I do is far more subjective than I think anyone ever gives consideration. Oh, sure, there are objective numbers like church attendance and financial statements that are measured but does that REALLY what this is about?

There is one phrase, in one book, that I go back to again and again. When I read it years ago it stuck and kept working its way deeper and deeper into my psyche and my soul. It is this:

“People speak in various ways of wanting their pastor to be spiritually deep. The ordained person is expected to be a person of prayer that the person in the street cannot be.”

Urban T Holmes. “The Spiritualiy for Ministry.” 34.

When I wrote, “Life Sucks Seek God,” I didn’t realize I was drilling down to the core of this very idea I had read years ago but that is the reality of things - and it is past time for us to name and work from reality and NOT superficiality.

We need…I NEED…clergy willing and able to name the truth of this too. We clergy are not the Messiah after all - we are just like everyone else in truth - human beings who are trying to be that person of prayer - devoted wholly to God but who are insufferably flawed and weak and selfish…the Bible has one word to describe us but we don’t like it - WE ARE SINNERS!

There I said it. Life Sucks and we are sinners. And we can’t deal with that and we clergy don’t want to offend anyone so we just put aside that word but that word works and it gets to heart and soul of it.

Life sucks and we are sinners so…Seek God.

And I feel better saying it too. I need to get it out. Just like so much that I have kept bottled up for too long. We need a good dose of this reality. I don’t know why we keep hiding what the Good News is with some kind lame, generic label packaging. It isn’t just some “sweet, by and by, God of the New Testament thing,” either. We get the promise right in the prophets - those old, dead guys spouting doom and gloom:

Seek the Lord while he may be found,

call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake their way,

and the unrighteous their thoughts;

let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7 (NRSV))

We don’t like them most of the time BUT again, lets be real - THEY GOT IT!!! They understood the times they were living in and they called it like they saw it!

Life Sucks.

We’re sinners.

Seek God.

Maybe Lent has already dug into me. Maybe it is that we live in times these prophets would surely recognize. Maybe it is that this pandemic has worn away my veneer…again. Maybe I’m getting old.

Maybe.

I know clergy are retiring as soon as they can.

I know clergy are leaving ministry as fast or faster than ever.
I know, God keeps calling me to stay…to be that person in prayer.

Life still sucks.

We’re still sinners.

I will still seek God.

What will you do?

Facing the Tyranny of Time on the Spiritual Life

2022-02-18T12:36:00.004-05:00

Photo by Monstera from Pexels

I can’t seem to get by without it and yet, I really don’t want to have to face it. Over and over again, it comes up as something of great importance even for things, I feel at times, are very unimportant. We can’t ever get it back but we human beings sure can “waste” it.

Time, in my opinion, has become a tyrant. And those who have control of other people’s time, have found it a willing tool to manipulate others' emotions, behaviors, and even their souls.

Author, Joe Zadeha observed back in 2021, “During an era in which social constructs like race, gender and sexuality are being challenged and dismantled, the true nature of clock time has somehow escaped the attention of wider society. Much like has happened with money, the clock has come to be seen as the thing it was only supposed to represent: The clock has become time itself.” (The Tyranny of Time, https://www.noemamag.com/the-tyranny-of-time/ June 3. 2021)

The old saying goes that “time marches on.” Days come to pass and then years and before we know it, we look back on our lives and feel the weight of how we have spent our time. Of course, no one looks back on their deathbed and says, “I wish I spent more time at the office,” and yet, we are prone to do just that or we find we have wasted it on fleeting things that leave us wondering what happened to our time?

I don’t apologize for using my Franklin Planner to schedule my day, or allowing Google Calendar to remind me of things coming up in my schedule…but how did we get to a point that we have made, allowed this thing called time to be a thing of shame? Why do people who have personal assistants and virtual assistants get to tell everyone else how to live? That is “rich” indeed! I can’t tell you how many courses I have been through that have told me how often I should post on my blog and how often I need to produce YouTube videos to be “effective” and grow my audience in this virtual world.

During the pandemic, there have been voices trying to get our attention - to use these days to reset how we approach life - to rethink. But many more voices have been speaking even louder, demanding we get our world “back to normal” or “back on track.”

But was any of what we were doing normal? Was our world ever on track? Back on track has us on the brink of war in Europe and in Asia. Back on track has created even greater polarization within our society and back on track and back to normal has us right back into comparing the haves and have-nots and the powerful grabbing even more power and free nations giving rise to new tyrannies.

Into all of this, we adopted a new kitten. Luna has no interest or cares for time other than the time spent playing with strings and with her big sister cat, Zoe. She is fascinated by our bird and loves her big brother, our great Pyrenees, Dibs. She doesn’t have any thought of being afraid. She is learning to live life to fullness. Time? Pffffftt!

And she is reminding me that our souls do not operate on a clock and returning to normal or getting on track - is NOT the goal of the spiritual life and journey. I hear the voices calling for “deconstruction” of religions and especially, Christianity. This is wagging the dog though. We were hearing a call before Covid to deconstruct “Christendom” - this “Christianity” has been at play since Constantine decriminalized Christianity in 313 CE with the Edict of Milan. This isn’t the faith at all but an imitation, a “copycat” that is a poor representation IF it can even be called a representation of the Christian faith.

Love - Joy - Peace - Patience - Goodness - Kindness - Gentleness - Self-control

There is no law written that out laws these character traits wrote Paul to the Galatian church, and to us today. It matters not who sits on thrones of power and who claims influence online or in society.

In “The Sayings of the Desert Fathers,” there is a story of Abba Anthony, living, likely in the deserts of Egypt in north Africa, who was praying in his cell when he heard a voice which said to him, ‘Anthony, you have not yet arrived as the state of excellence of a certain man who is a tailor and who dwells in Alexandria.’Then Anthony rose up in the morning, and took a palm stick and departed to him, and when the man saw him, he was disturbed; and Anthony said to him, ‘Tell me what you do, and how you live,’ and the tailor said to him, ‘I do not know that I do any good. I know only that when I rise up in the morning, before I sit down to the work of my hands, I give thanks to God and praise God, and that I set my evil deeds before my eyes saying, “AH the people who are in this city will go into the kingdom of God, because of their financial giving and good deeds, except myself, and I will inherit punishment for my sin’’ and again in the evening, before I sleep, I do the same things.’ Now when Abba Anthony heard these things, he said, ‘Verily, as the man who works in gold, and who does beautiful work, cleanly, and in peace, even so are you; through your beautiful thoughts you will inherit the kingdom of God, while I, who have passed the whole of my life in the desert, separated from people, have never overtaken you.’ (Kindle. Location 2570 of 5823).

Take what you will from the story, but do not miss there is no tyranny of time dictating the tailor's spiritual worth. His heart and his heart's work is only to be humble in heart and mind that his life might be pleasing to God.

When we miss this, we miss it all. Stop looking at the clock or listening to others who miss seeing the way for being in such a hurry.

Love - Joy - Peace - Patience - Goodness - Kindness - Gentleness - Self-control

Do no harm, do good, stay in love with God. This is The Way.
Jedi Pastor Ken

Enough is Enough - Life Still Sucks and I Am Still Seeking God

2021-09-28T17:23:00.008-04:00

Whatever.

Really. What is the deal?

How much more fighting is necessary? How much more tearing at each other is needed? How much more will we tear down other people until we learn what bullies taught us long ago, namely that tearing down other people does not make us look better?

I suppose it doesn't matter much anymore. We prefer whatever glitters, like a squirrel or a raven, over what matters most. No, we won't keep the main thing the main thing because our thing means more to us.

And no, we, the human race will not seek first the Kingdom of God because the kingdom of me is what the universe revolves around.

I guess at 50, I am getting mouthy. Maybe prophetic. Maybe Ecclesiastes-ical?

Lets read the words again shall we?

"The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,*
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What do people gain from all the toil
at which they toil under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains for ever.
The sun rises and the sun goes down,
and hurries to the place where it rises.
The wind blows to the south,
and goes round to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they continue to flow.
All things* are wearisome;
more than one can express;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
or the ear filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
‘See, this is new’?
It has already been,
in the ages before us.
The people of long ago are not remembered,
nor will there be any remembrance
of people yet to come
by those who come after them." Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, NRSV

Life still sucks and I am still seeking God.

I am not going to give in to those who refuse to admit the state of things nor will I go along with those who cannot wait to tear it all down. I love the book of James, probably my favorite book in the Bible but close behind it has become Ecclesiastes because it resonates with those who have suffered and struggled.

Part of the wonder and beauty of God's Word given to us in the Bible, is we are blessed with a diversity of theological thought. One need not look for the books not in the Bible to read words hard to understand. The words hardest to understand are already right there! I have had numerous people turn from Christianity, not because of the books not included but the words of the book right there!

If we'll pay attention, nothing happening in our world is new. That is the truth of these words of Ecclesiastes. Are they new to us? Of course! But to those who remember? No..."the people of long ago are not remembered." The moral majority of the 90's put faith not in God but politicians and did so again. The progressive Christians of this new century put faith in the progressive politicians in like fashion and crafted a new "golden calf." They look the same and nothing is new.

The Church is not perfect. She has always been an imperfect bride, it is the story of Hosea and his wife, Gomer. The Church is MEANT FOR PERFECTION but it is God who pays the price for that perfection.

God always has and it is because of that radical, crazy love of God for all of us schmucks that I will still seek God...even when life still sucks.

Do no harm, do good, and keep to the guidelines of God!

Jedi Pastor Ken

Stay In Love with God - Journal and Pray with this Free download

2021-09-20T16:23:00.003-04:00

I turned 50 this month.

50.

It seems insane to be that old and yet even when I say it, I have people tell me I'm still a "youngster."

If only.

That little dash between the day I was born and the day I will die is getting shorter. My late wife was two years older than me so I have now outlived her. The valley of suck still resonates in cruel ways for sure. But as I reflect on the turning of the page, I realize there are things I've learned and things that used to impact me, don't have the importance.

One of the big things is that I am an optimist. No, I haven't joined the organization (though maybe I should) but my whole life, I have been fighting for the most positive view of things. Even when bad things happen, when people are critical, and when relationships and situations sour, I want to look for the lessons and the good to come around the corner.

I want that for others too.

This has had me really thinking about what I can do and what I offer. I've written a couple of blog posts about some of that this year already. You see, it really bugs me when people start treating pastors like we should be carbon copies of other pastors - how does that work in any other profession after all? It doesn't. How can any of us be someone else after all anyway? Isn't that part of the beauty of the world and people - we aren't all alike and we don't all see things the same?

And this was always part of my issue with prayer and how it gets taught and written about - that there is only one way to do it! Prayer Simply Breathe, is a book, in part, about this very struggle I had and it seems, many others have had as well. And whether you pray breath prayers or any prayer, the bigger issue is, are you talking with God?

Well...are you?

And that is where I am and what is on my heart and what I am working on in me in my ministry - how can I help people grow in their faith for everyday? How can what I do and teach, help you and your neighbor and your friend and a stranger grow in faith?

Prayer is taking a time-out from playing God and letting God be God. I wish God would put me in time-out more often but that isn't God's way. You have to do it and I have to do it - that is, make time-out.

So, I want to help you make time-out with God, even if just 5 minutes. I have been using the PARTs of prayer for many years and created this sheet years ago to help me make time-out with God. PARTs stand so for:

Praise - Admit - Request - Thanks

It is a simple outline of the content of the Lord's Prayer and help - not a hard and fast rule.

Click here to view and print:

PARTS of Prayer Journal Page (Seriously, this is FREE, use a three-hole punch and notebook)

I'd like to think, my little additions have improved it but ultimately, this is JUST a GUIDE!! No rules here - Just me trying to share from my journey of faith what has helped. I have some more journals coming up I'm working on to help too.

So what will you do this week to stay in love with God?

Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God! This is the Way.

Jedi Pastor Kent

Prayer Journal for Women with the Writings of Heather Nall Hagler

2021-09-15T18:45:00.003-04:00

Prayer Journal for Women with Writings of Heather N Hagler

I have had the iron in the fire with Prayer Simply Breathe but with the heaviness of these days, I have been at work on some other projects. One that is bittersweet is this offering. It is a prayer journal that comes from my late wife's writing and spiritual journey. Going through her notes in her Bible and some of her journals, I am reminded of how much she could run rings around most pastors and professors.

But more than that, she just loved Jesus. She would be up nearly every morning with hot tea, her Bible and our cat, Tigger. She would spend time with God and praying for everyone she loved. She memorized scriptures and hymns not because she had to but because she wanted to. She wanted to know God more. It is my hope and heart this journal will help you on your journey inspired by her words and faith each week. So, in honor and memory of Heather Nall Hagler, I offer her words and faith to the world as best I can.

---- Prayer Journal for Women: A Five-Week Scripture Inspired Journey of Prayer for Christian Women is a guide to prayer inspired by the life and faith of Heather Hagler. She was a devout  Christian, teacher, pastor's wife, and loving mother who died of colon cancer. In these journal pages, you will be encouraged to live out your faith for every day. On these pages are some of Heather's words and devotional thoughts from her Bible and journaling. It includes some of Heather’s favorite Bible verses for reflection and guidance, combined with prompts and guides for strengthening your faith. These journal pages will provide you with encouragement and hope!
The journal Includes - Five full weeks of pages for a total of 35 days to build a habit of prayer and journaling. -Two pages for each day with plenty of room to record your journey. -Each week features one of Heather's reflections and favorite verses. -Prompts that are creative and flexible for you to use as you follow after Jesus Christ.  Click Here:

Available to order now in Paperback and Hardback through Amazon Publishing.

When We Are All In The Valley of Suck Pray Together

2021-09-14T16:55:00.004-04:00

I have written and spoken throughout the start of Covid. We moved as a family. I have prayed. I wrote about prayer. I have struggled to be positive and optimistic.

But this sucks.

When I wrote Life Sucks Seek God, it was about getting through difficult times and for me, that was the loss of my wife. The valley of suck sucked all the joy, hopes and dreams out of our family. We were ruined. I was in ruins.

Today, as we creep closer to the two year mark of dealing with Covid, as a pastor, I am worn out. It has been a long journey to get to where we are and today we are looking at infection rates in Anchorage that are nearly at the same point as the height of the pandemic.

Oh, I am not about to give up - not by a LONG SHOT! As I reflected on turning 50 this year, a lot of things become more clear to me. One thing is, I am an optimist. Period. I hate getting negative or being negative. I am wired that way but following Jesus, well, that kicked things up a notch. I keep hearing the Apostle Paul's words that three things remain: faith, hope, and love and the greatest is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). That sounds like an optimist to me!

So, the valley of suck is still here, unfortunately. For those who are shut-in, this makes it all worse. For folks trying to get out of tough financial situations, it really sucks. I surely don't have the answers to many of these things. What myself, and clergy can offer is faith, hope and love. We've GOT to hold onto the promises of the gracious and loving God we worship. I know and have read some who already thrown in the towel.

I am trying to get more creative - provide what I can provide. I am going to keep Prayer Simply Breathe at the lowest prices I can. I am going to provide free downloadable pages for you to print from the journals I have been working on so you can use them or get the books.

And I am going to pray. More. More creatively. More consistently. More compassionately.

We are in this together - this journey of life and we still are. So let us pray together this amazing prayer for Covid:

We Asked

Loving Creator,

We asked for strength, and you gave us difficulties to make us strong.

We asked for wisdom, and you gave us problems to solve.

We asked for prosperity, and you gave us purpose and brains to use.

We asked for courage, and you gave us fears to overcome.

We asked for patience, and you gave us situations where we were forced to wait.

We asked for love, and you gave us troubled people to help.

We asked for justice, and you called us to be just and lead with integrity.

Lord, we have received nothing that we asked for or wanted.

And yet, we receive everything that we needed.

For this we give thanks.

- By Colleen Hanycz, PhD incoming President at Xavier University

Prayer Simply Breathe Christian Yearly Planner 2022 Monthly with Breath Prayers, Scripture and Inspirational Prompts

2021-09-13T14:44:00.006-04:00

When I posted about journaling the other week, I meant it. When I wrote about it in Life Sucks Seek God, it was because it really helped me and has on my journey with God.

And that is what I am EXCITED to let you know about! There are three 2022 Calendar Journals available now in paperback for 2022 based on Prayer Simply Breathe!

I've been working on a number of journals to be a help on your spiritual journey to grow in your faith for every day. There are currently three covers available you can order on Amazon.

Here is a sample of the interior. Each month has a breath prayer and scripture reflection. With each month is a place for notes and a monthly task list as well.

2022 Breath Prayer Calendar Planner (Black cover)

2022 Breath Prayer Calendar Planner (White cover)

2022 Breath Prayer Calendar Planner (Football)

I have been working to get other journals completed as well. One is from my late wife, Heather's, journaling and Bible notes for women and I'll be promoting it soon enough so stay tuned (It is a 5-week journal for women).

As the calendars and journals come out, I hope you'll find something that you can connect with on your spiritual journey that will encourage you to live your FAITH FOR EVERYDAY!

Do no harm, do good, and follow the guidelines of God!
Jedi Pastor Ken

Is Your Life Worth Examining?

2021-08-30T16:54:00.003-04:00

It was Socrates who is credited with stating “the unexamined life is not worth living.” While I think it is a bit of an overstatement (and a few other philosophers appear to agree such as Epicurius), it is, at least, true to an extent. There is not doubt that in looking back in history, we benefit from the knowledge and experiences of many who journaled and reflected on their lives.

For me, Benjamin Franklin and the Rev. John Wesley come readily to mind. One, a giant of the American Revolution, and the other, a giant of Christian revival. Their journals reflect individuals of deep thought who understood, at least for themselves, the need to reflect and consider their actions and events of their day and time.

What does this mean for us? There is no Biblical command for people to journal. That we are aware, Jesus did not maintain a journal. Much of what makes up the stories of the Bible are passed down from oral tradition of the Ancient Near East. What is written, could hardly be classified as a journal.

So why journal?

More than a mere diary, journaling is a time of reflection and examination if you will. It is not a practice that everyone finds beneficial. For me, I have journaled off and on throughout my life. I have kept most of my journaling through the years and from time to time, I go back and reflect upon what has happened in my life. My journal offers a snapshot of how I have grown in my faith as well as how I have grown as a person. I still have my first journals that even date the Upper Room Devotional books I used.

As a spiritual practice, it is hard to miss the value and how journaling has shaped so many. As we turn the page of August to September, I challenge you to consider trying out journaling as a spiritual practice. It could be a notebook or in your day planner. Take note of where you think you see God as you read and reflect on the course of events in your day.

You can use John Wesley's Three Rules as a guide even:

When did I do harm?

When did I do good?

Have I stayed in love with God?

Then use who/what/when/where/how/why as a guide to expand upon each one as appropriate.

It may not change THE world but it just might change YOUR world.

-Jedi Pastor Ken

Chapter One: It's You and God

2021-08-24T00:20:00.002-04:00

In just a few weeks, Prayer: Simply Breathe goes to print in paperback and on Kindle. This has been a book I have been passionate about and scared about at the same time. It is a book I have REALLY wanted to write and one I have felt called deeply to write. I want to share with you chapter one and it is my hope and prayer, you will join me in supporting the launch.

Chapter 1: It’s You and God

You are unique. You are “it.” You have “it.” You are the only one who has your “it.” There is not another person in the world like you, and there never has been and never will be another. It seems to me this makes you pretty dad-gum special as we say down south.

If you and I are so special, then God is pretty, dad-gum creative! I mean, if God isn’t making clones of us all, then God is spending a whole lot of effort and energy to make each of us special. And if we think on that a bit more, it must mean God is interested in the uniqueness of each one of us and what we might make of our lives and the world we live in.

I am also under the conviction God is interested in each and every one of us. There is something one of my spiritual teachers, Roberta Bondi, once said that has stuck with me a long time. She said one day, “God doesn’t just love us; God likes us! God really, really likes us!” Her point was the God of all creation wants to hang out with us and enjoy our presence. God wants us to laugh and play, and God enjoys it when we are enjoying God and the world made. God doesn’t just tolerate us or put up with us and love us despite our failures. God likes us!

God likes you.

Now, let that sink in.

And I cannot help but think that if God is so interested in us all being unique and likes us, God must be interested in what is going on in us too. We live in this world through our mental, emotional, and physical selves, but there are many who believe there is a spiritual part of us too. There is a longing deep inside of us. The multitude of religions gives testimony to the search many human beings have been on, trying to understand this longing for God.

Prayer represents one of the primary things we do when it comes to seeking God. Praying is what we call talking to God.

I can remember praying back in 5th grade over a lost magic snake toy. It was a desperation prayer. I had taken it to school against the rules my parents had established. It was a time in my life that I had grown rebellious in a lot of ways. And maybe it was grace or God’s way of sparking hope into my life, but the day after I prayed, the toy was found and returned to me. Kind of a silly story, right? But things that happen when we are young can make life-long impressions, and for me, it was the beginning of a journey with God that is continuing to this day.

While I might wish I could give you a list of prayers God has answered in miraculous ways, I can’t. On one side, I can look at this prayer of a fifth grader that God seemed to answer, and on the other side, I can look back on the prayers for healing for my late wife that God seemed to not answer.

Prayer is the act of turning our mind, our emotions, our body, and our spirit to God. The practice of prayer is a practice of laying aside our worldly worries and cares and turning our whole attention to the presence and heart of God. It doesn’t mean we forget our concerns—for God does care about those—but we release them into the presence of God and trust God with them. In prayer, we encounter and converse with God.

Let’s look a little more intently at the prayers Jesus gave. Jesus’ disciples once noted that John the Baptist had taught his disciples how to pray so they asked Jesus to teach them. In response, Jesus gave them the prayer that today is called “The Lord’s Prayer” or “The Our Father”

“Pray, then, in this way:
Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9–13)

But this was not the only thing Jesus had to say about prayer nor was it the only prayer Jesus gave to His disciples that is honored by Christian churches even to this day. Luke records a parable regarding a Pharisee and tax collector that gives us another prayer to consider.

He told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

This prayer became what we know as the Jesus Prayer in the Orthodox tradition of the Christian faith. Jesus would go on to teach many things about prayer as did Paul and other writers of the New Testament. Through the centuries, the desert fathers and mothers, saints, pastors, monks, priests, professors, and popes have all expounded on prayer.

One of those, Bernard of Clarivaux, cut to the core of what prayer really is, what it means and what it does in us. Bernard writes this:

“By prayer we focus the soul in God. And when we focus only on Him, we cut out the distractions of the world and see Him lifted up before the eyes of the soul. And in this state, the Spirit speaks in us so that we discern God’s will - and by this, what is important to God becomes important to us.”

-----

Thanks so much for taking time to read this chapter! If you'd like to learn more and get a FREE PDF copy, just sign up for my email list (Look over to the right of the page). There is a new BONUS gift available now that will be shared in my latest email. MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER 7!!!

Grow Up Church! My Lesson of Covid - I Am A Pastor NOT Paul!

2021-06-03T16:12:00.001-04:00

I don’t know what you’ve learned during the past year or so of this pandemic but one thing I know is that I cannot do it all. I know, I know what Paul writes to the church at Corinth that everyone brings up: “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some (9:22b)” and you know something? I am not Paul either!

I learned in my first pulpit how easily folks can take words out of context and how we, as clergy, get lifted to places where we really don’t belong. I have sought more than anything to encourage people on their faith journey rather than become wrapped up in apologetics and the debating of so many. At times I have been critical, mainly about Pop-Christianity that would rather align itself with worldliness whether that is progressive-liberals or conservative-evangelicals.

All the while, I have been more critical of myself. That is a little secret you may not know, we clergy are harder on ourselves than anyone else can be. So when throwing out critiques about how clergy don’t preach good enough, don’t visit enough, don’t call enough, aren’t good enough leaders, don’t lead all the Bible studies and take care of the nursery or, ‘gasp’... take time off, etc…you are joining a party we are already hours into.

Covid didn’t make it any easier. For many clergy, it made things harder because now they were trying to be YouTube stars and figure out all this technology and video editing.

In the end, clergy are not being allowed to be the one God truly called them to be: themselves. And when this happens, the church is missing out.

The Church needs elders and deacons, the clergy, to be who God is shaping them to be. In these days and times of change, the Church needs to grow up. That is something else Paul wrote to the Corinthian church:

“I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, (3:2).”

You can run Chromecast better than your pastor. You all can run a cell phone camera better than your pastor. You can also read your Bible and lead a study probably as well as your pastor. You can get on the phone and call and talk to a shut-in, likely better than some pastors. Some can preach better than your pastor. I guarantee some of ya’ll sing better than THIS pastor!

To do this, you need to change your habit and approach to being the Church and if there was a time, it is right now!

Claudia Velandia shares these four steps to change a habit:

First step: Awareness. Recognize when you are acting or about to act according to your old habit, and stop yourself immediately.

Second step: Ask why. Bring into your awareness the reasons it is essential for you to stop this old habit and create a new one.

Third step: Conscious direction. In your awareness, use your choice and willpower to direct the creation of a new habit.

Fourth step: Determination. This is key because your brain will oppose you. Don’t give up—continue working on and repeating the new habit until it becomes ingrained.

Now, let's put aside what Paul said for a moment, and remember what Jesus said:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Grow up and change your habits!

A Return to the Valley of Suck and Four Lessons of Faith

2021-05-18T19:19:00.004-04:00

Today I participated in my first interview as an author. It was a return to my book, "Life Sucks Seek God." I had no idea what it might mean or how I would feel. It is hard to believe the book was published four years ago now! Today, I am looking at life with a new vision of ministry and with a renewed hope for living thanks, in no small part to the new family I am part of with my new wife, Lauren, and how our children are moving forward with their lives.

As Valeria, host of the Fit for Joy podcast, asked questions, I found myself remembering and reliving moments from the days when my late wife, Heather, was living and fighting cancer. I got to talk about where the Valley of Suck originated and how important my Facebook support group was during those times. As I reflect on the interview, four lessons of faith came out of the discussion:

1. You are not alone. We make the choice to be alone but not only can we find support in person, it can come through online groups. As I talked about it though, we cannot lose sight, that in the valley of the shadow of death and the valley of suck that caregivers walk, God is there, our shepherd (Psalm 23).

2. The Sacred Space. Valeria's questions brought me to talk about "thin spaces" and the "time between time," that happens when people are dying. Being with Heather was sacred as she crossed from this physical world and into the spiritual world. Teilhard de Chardin said, "We are not physical beings on a spiritual journey but spiritual beings on a physical journey." So true.

3. Faith can be fun. That one sounds kind of odd, I know! How did this come out of the interview? As I live and wrestle still with the Valley of Suck, it taught me the value of faith and how it gives rise to hope and joy. Rabbi David Horowitz helped me understand the theology of wine to the Jewish people and how we Protestants have lost it - for it is a sign of God's blessings and God's love for us! There should be times of joy on the journey! Party! Celebrate ALL THE GOOD!

4. The Journey Continues. I have been going through a class and course that has had me asking and discerning my call, my passion and my gifts. As I have gotten feedback, I had no idea how important this part of my faith journey has been and what you, my friends and readers, have been looking to me for in your journey. I have to ask for forgiveness for not continuing to address this. So my journey continues and I plan to be more attentive and real and be here for you!

The Valley of Suck is still real to me. In moments when I don't expect it, it grabs my ankles and pulls me down. Even after all this time. You don't ever get over the grief. You walk through it and you do it every...single...day. The Valley doesn't have to win though. I wrote the book from the Valley of Suck and it proves again and again to be a tested way through.

Keep going.

Do No Harm. Do Good. Stay in Love with God. Even when life sucks! ;)
Jedi Pastor Ken

I Could Use Your Help...

2021-05-06T20:41:00.001-04:00

Friends, I need your input and help.

I am getting into some deep work that God has been working on in me for some time now. It is in regards to my calling and how I am called to live out as a pastor the unique way God has called me to do ministry.
A big part of it is in my writing and publishing. I am so excited to get my book on Breath Prayer done for you all! Your support of my Breath Prayers has been amazing!

It is also in my presence on-line and how I can be an encourager for everyone on their journey of faith. So, as I am working on my writing, I am also working on how I handle video production. You all have really been supportive in what I've been trying to do and especially in my 60 Second Sermons! Thank you! Those won't go away!

But there is more work I am trying to do on YouTube. I want to be addressing the things on your heart - where you are looking for God's guidance. But don't worry, what happens there, resonates here in my writing! THIS is my home page! Many of my blogs, are going to be part of what happens next on YouTube.

If you are looking to me for some of that guidance, then what is it? If you go looking for my input - what subject are you looking for me to tackle? What are you dealing with that it seems no pastor is talking about? When it comes to your spiritual journey, what could I help you with best?

Here is my BIG ASK? Would you go over to my YouTube channel and subscribe and find a video you like and comment? And if that spurs something more - then let me know that too!

I want to be the BEST JEDI PASTOR I can be - There is no time for trying - it is time to do!
Here is the link to my YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVmuUqgV9rAc_n4mia7zoOw

Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God....THIS is the WAY!

Stop Hiding Behind Your Bible Study - Go Do What Jesus Said

2021-05-04T19:08:00.004-04:00

Photo from Pexels

I am so glad I am out of the classroom. My learning style didn’t fit well there but you know, I made it all the way to graduate school and beyond. And yet...I wonder how things might be different if I had gone a different route?

Mike Rowe, of Dirty Jobs fame, is a big supporter of trades education. There is such a great need for many of those jobs now because of the focus on college degrees and white collar careers. But these aren’t always the best careers for everyone! I can’t help but think this has been one of the most damaging things to the Church and spiritual growth in people’s lives too - that somehow - only the rightly educated can be clergy and pastor and care for people.

I cry “bull.”

“Knowing Is Not Enough; We Must Apply. Wishing Is Not Enough; We Must Do,” wrote author Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (It sounds a bit like Yoda, I think).

Knowing isn’t enough for the spiritual journey if application isn’t part of that journey. Wishing you were like Francis Chan or Timothy Keller isn’t going to cut it - we must do. I grew up with an old southern phrase: “God ain’t go grandchildren.” Your faith - my faith - must be our personal faith, though it isn’t private. What we have got to do is live it out.
Jesus doesn’t need a whole bunch more Bible studies - Jesus needs more folks inclined to do what is simply put forth in the Scriptures we have. It is well and good for clergy to know the original languages and the nuances of exegesis BUT what is really needed is for each and every one of us to spend some time talking to God. God isn’t looking for us to vote for the right candidates but to give voice to Kingdom of God and the Good News of the Gospel, namely there is a place for ALL people at the Table.

Jesus was interested in people becoming more than experts in the Bible, his interest was in you and me following what He said...

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NRSV, emphasis added).

You may need lessons in Hebrew and Greek to study the Bible in the original languages but you don’t need a graduate degree to talk with God or buy a value meal and give it to a hungry person.

Now go do good, do no harm and stay in love with God.

How to Practice Stillness and Centering Prayer | Methods of Methodism

2021-04-28T14:30:00.000-04:00

Methods of Methodism is a four-week series starting with How to Practice Stillness and Centering Prayer. Pastor Ken Hagler joins up with Pastor Lisa Talbott to talk about the history, meaning and practices of Stillness and Centering Prayer. We'll unpack some of the mystery and misunderstanding, but more than that, Ken and Lisa will talk about the Scriptural basis and history and how these spiritual practices fit into our lives.

When we start talking about spiritual practices and disciplines, I have found there is sooooo much misunderstanding or misinformation. As we tackle the subjects of Stillness and Centering Prayer, Lisa and I tackle some of these points. Christianity is an ancient faith (not sure how much more I can emphasize this) and our Scriptures and traditions go back centuries! Pop-Christianity has a tendency to only look at the current century or maybe go back two or three centuries. We aren't talking of the heresy of Quietism or Eastern meditations - Stillness is a call to be in the presence of God - to be at peace, as the Psalmist writes to us:

He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[a] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:9-10

Take to watch or listen and stay tunes for the our next episode!

Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God!

Jedi Pastor Ken