Soulgardeners

Who’ll re-envisage the world?

2010-02-09T13:39:41+02:00

A dear friend led me to David Ford’s book “The shape of living”. It is an excellent explorations of how our lives are shaped. It is a book on the, extremely popular, topic of spiritual formation. Ford’s UK voice brings a freshness to the conversation and I’m learning a lot.

In one of the chapters entitled, “Faces and Voices – shaping a heart” Ford describes the people who comprise “the community of the heart”, those people who are allowed into the deepest parts of the heart. He comments that our “Our heart forms habits of welcoming and rejecting”.

In a poignant passage, which I’m quoting in full he talks about “The intrusion of the faceless”. He writes,

“We constantly meet with faces and voices which appeal to us to help, to have compassion, or to take some special responsibility that goes beyond what our commitments or obligations oblige us to do. These appeals cut across our friendships, marriages and in-groups. They pose one of the biggest questions to us and to our groups: how do we cope with the suffering poor, the hungry, the impaired, the marginalized, the victim? These may be the test of the right shaping of our hearts even more than friends, spouses or fellow group members. O’Siadhail’s poem ‘Intrusion’ graphically describes how the relationship of mutual love can be broken open by ‘the stricken’.

The gaze of loved and lover,

our amorous self-containment,

concentric and utterly present

to the other. Sweetest hour.

But what if between our gazes

shadows of the stricken fall,

the stares we seem to veil

keep on commanding us?

Our two-ness is never alone.

Whose is that intrusive face

that looms unseen between us

condemning all we haven’t done?

The eclipsed. The destitute.

O sly worm of dominance

Coiling its own discountenance,

our masks and blottings out.

Is love a threadbare blindfold?

‘Yes,’ say our shadows, ‘unless

you turn to face the faceless.’

Who’ll re-envisage the world?

As I read this passage and the poem it ripped me to pieces and reminded me deeply of our current South African context. Just think about how easily our lives revolve around people-like-us wherein we build relationships that become a cul-de-sac, blessing the already blessed. In the poem the line about the “Sweetest hour” reminds me of the high regard people place on gathering for a Sunday service so that they can consume a religious product after which they evaluate it with a “that was good” or a “that wasn’t so hot today”.

Then comes an interruption, the “shadows of the stricken”.

I think of the beggars at the robots, the squatter camps around our cities and the occasional person who gathers all their courage to actually walk up to us and make a claim with their presence. Also the lonely, the depressed, the successful without community and the poor without hope – shadows of the stricken.

The poem then challenges to face the faceless and asks the inviting question,

“Who’ll re-envisage the world?”

… Jesus still calls people into communities that face the faceless and re-envisage the world in the announcement of a kingdom that has come and will come – on earth as it is in heaven.

Walking with different gaits

2010-02-03T01:03:00+02:00

Every year I lead a bunch of people into the wilderness areas of our country. At some points the paths disappear and we walk in single file. In previous years we have spent up to ten hours on our feet walking through some of the most amazing terrain.

As we walk in single file, it is easy to look at the different styles people use to hike. The rhythmic sloughing usually reveals that when people are walking they find themselves in a rut. By changing the smallest of details in a specific gait, one can make a huge difference.

The same is true when we are on a journey with God. Every person has a specific walking style, that could either be life giving or energy sapping. Most Christians I know have been taught the walking style of “the quiet time”. It is the default style and there is nothing wrong with this walking style, it is just that there are so many variations on this style. The classic quiet time consists of Bible reading and prayer.

Those two styles are excellent for walking, but there are other gaits that could be incorporated in a journey with God. Gary Thomas in his excellent book, “Sacred Pathways” comments that,

“All too often, Christians who desire to be fed spiritually are given the same, generic, hopefully all-inclusive methods – usually some variation on a standarized quiet time. Why? Because it’s simple, it’s generic, and it is easy to keep people accountable to. But, for many Christians, it’s just not enough.” p.14

When we walk with God, it is good to change the way we walk. The companion stays the same, the style used for keeping up changes.

Was the 2nd of February 1990 a victory for the gospel?

2010-02-02T19:28:54+02:00

Today, twenty years ago FW de Klerk unbanned the ANC in a well-documented speech. I can’t remember it that well. I was too young and as a fifteen year old was just interested in one thing, rugby. What I do remember was that I was quite excited that the sport sanctions could finally be lifted and that “our” rugby and cricket teams could compete internationally.

I also remember the total fear amongst white people after the unbanning. I distinctly remember how white people became prophets of doom. People were saying that de Klerk gave our country away – that he was a traitor.

Earlier this morning I opened the leading Afrikaans newspaper’s website and saw a poll question. The question stated,

“Was FW de Klerk right in making his historic announcement on the 2^nd of February 1990?”

The results (which is definitely not a scientific poll) showed the polarization amongst the readers of the newspaper. 9400 People took part in the poll. A whopping 4999 (53%) voted NO. 3321 (35%) voted YES and 1080 (11%) were unsure.

I voted YES, and not just for rugby reasons. Since my life in High School I have come to appreciate the heart of God for those who are oppressed, what is called “God’s preferential option for the poor”.

As a follower of Jesus these statistics point me to the immense challenges facing Afrikaans churches in helping people to cross boundaries and immigrate into the New South Africa (I suspect a large proportion of the people who voted would describe themselves as Christians).

Today, another South African website published two letters to FW de Klerk; the first from Nelson Mandela and the second from Desmond Tutu. In Desmond Tutu’s letter (the second one) he describes the 2^nd of February 1990 as a day that he would call “Ubuntu Day”. He also says that the speech symbolized “an African dawn for the Afrikaner”.

In South Africa there are different versions of Afrikaners. To the far left are those who celebrate Ubuntu and would like to become Africans as Afrikaners. On the far right are those who recently voiced that they would like to start a separate Afrikaner state within South Africa. In between are different shapes, sizes and hues.

I am interested in how the good news of Jesus would interact with the 2^nd of February 1990. I propose that it was a very positive step in the direction of a grace-filled gospel movement for our nation.

Now, more than ever the church has a responsibility to help South Africans become human again. Thank you FW de Klerk for taking a bold step and freeing us all from, what Desmond Tutu described as, “a cruel and inhumane system”. Now it is our turn to be bold as followers of Jesus!

Getting a new rhythm with God

2010-02-02T12:41:11+02:00

God loves us. God loves you. When we engage with God, through Jesus, we respond to the God who is already in love with us. God can be described in different ways. In a recent book God has been described as “The good and beautiful God”.

When we journey with God then it is wise to consider our travel companion. AW Tozer once said that, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us”.[1] I am discovering that for many Christians, the picture of their travelling companion is not that positive.

How would you describe your travelling companion?

Consider with me the invitation of Jesus in Matthew 11,

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

[1] The knowledge of the holy, p.1

Thesis moving to the next phase - do you want to help?

2010-01-28T11:44:02+02:00

I am done with the literature study for the thesis. In the literature part I examined the current discources on the teachings concerning wealth and faith of Clement of Alexandria, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Augustine. These fathers had specific instructions for the wealthy of their congregations and this moved them into a life of sharing with the poor.

In the second phase of the study I will be conducting interviews with four churches in the Johannesburg area. Today I am working on some of the questions I will be asking. The answers to these questions will be compared with the teachings of the fathers surveyed in the literature study.

The last part of the study will propose some ways to bring our churches in dialogue with the early church's teachings. It is my hope that this could contribute to creative interactions between the rich and the poor in South Africa. So here is the list of proposed interview questions (I will explore them in detail on the blog over the next few weeks):

How do you interpret the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10?
Do you have a friendship with a poor person? Describe the relationship.
What are the reasons why we don’t share more with the poor?
Do you think receiving an inheritance is just or unjust and what should a Christian do with an inheritance?
How often are the poor mentioned in your church’s liturgy?
Are Christians called to give charity or administer justice, what do you think is the difference between the two?
How do you determine between needs and wants?
How much should a follower of Jesus give and what percentage of your income do you give now?

In addition to these questions the following questions will be asked of the leaders of the congregations:

How often do you preach about the rich’s responsibility towards the poor?
What percentage of the church’s budget goes towards the poor?
How do you see your role as a leader in engaging with the poor?

How do these questions strike you? What would you add? Which ones are the hardest to answer?

Luxuries and necessities ... exploring the tension

2010-01-22T07:15:41+02:00

Today a good friend asked in a Tweet what luxury is he asks, “define luxury?$2 a day? $4?” He responded to a Clement of Alexandra quote I posted, “It is monstrous for one to live in luxury, while many are in want”.

This is obviously an immensely complicated question and I believe the reason why it is so difficult is because there are so many factors that determine a truthful answer. So without trying to be prescriptive, let me describe some of the elements I feel are needed to answer that question.

1. If we want to define luxury it is really helpful to explore that question with other people. I (and I think you) have an amazing ability to rationalize our luxuries into necessities. In the last few years I’ve kept an informal “rationalization journal” in which I write my rationalizations down. To give you an example, I am about to upgrade my phone and I’m seriously considering an Iphone. My reasons are …. So I write those reasons down and discuss it with people who know me. Having other people speak into our lives help a lot.
2. BUT. When you have people of more-or-less the same socio-economic level in a church/group you will find that the rationalizations are the same. Our creative ways of moving luxuries into necessities are not that many. So I recommend having the luxury chat with people who are not in your socio-economic subculture. This is tough, I know. Sometimes by just having people who are poor(er) in your house, the rationalizations get challenged. So in order to truthfully answer the luxury question become friends with poor people.
3. Have a yearly chat as a family about a standard of living that you feel comfortable about. Pray over it and study the Bible with your budget in mind. Become so comfortable about this ‘holy cow’ that you won’t mind sharing the details of your budget with trusted friends.
4. Go through your house and look at items that are taking up closet space. Those luxury items that have become such a luxurious item that you never use it (like that beautiful china set or the golf clubs signed by). Give it away or sell it and then give the money away. By walking through our house and noting the excess, we engage with the luxuries of your life.
5. Another way to determine if something is a real necessity is by abstaining from it and seeing if you can still function.

Defining luxuries in our lives are definitely not clear-cut or easy … but well worth to explore. The idea is to take the extra resources spent on luxuries …. and give it away.

A life of earning or yearning?

2010-01-21T17:05:57+02:00

God loves you. Really, He does. Faith is a response to God’s love. When our response attempts to earn or achieve God’s love it stand at risk to become distorted. As Claypot reconsiders membership for 2010 we are starting the year by memorizing 1 John 4.19,

We love (God), because He first loved us.

We are asking whether our disciplines are done in order to earn God’s love or to put ourselves in a place to receive God’s love. So, when I read Bible, pray, fast, do solitude is it a way of earning or yearning?

Breathing as a metaphor for life

2010-01-20T09:54:05+02:00

Imagine with me two scenarios.

In the first one, you are inhaling oxygen the whole time, your lunges fill up to the maximum and instead of exhaling the only movement allowed is taking ... another breath. Try it. See how many inhaling actions you can perform without exhaling.

Now for the second.

Predictably, this one has to do with exhaling. Release as much oxygen as you can, empty your lunges and instead of inhaling release additional oxygen. Try it. See how many exhaling actions you can perform without inhaling.

I have asthma and the exercise I describe above is one that I have to undergo at least once a year when I see the specialist. The test consists of these two binaries. Total exhaling and then inhaling. More than once this specific exercise has almost led to my fainting.

In order for us to experience life, we need these two binaries to work in rhythm. We need a healthy rhythm between inhaling and exhaling. We breathe in order to live. Every breath we take and release enables us to take part in the drama of life. Yet, some of us breathe and do not have life at all. It might be because breathing is not just a physical exercise but also a holistic exercise.

Early in the Biblical narrative we find this powerful scene.

“…then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.”

So here is the thing, we need to breathe physically in order to live, that is for sure. But we also need to breathe with our whole life. The same rhythm that dominates our physical breathing also pulses through the other dimensions of our lives. It happens in all areas. Our thoughts, emotions, relationships, souls, spirits and every other categorization that we’ve dissected lives according to a specific cadence - it breathes.

Christian spiritual formation happens when we allow Jesus to determine the rhythms and cadences of the totality of our lives. Breath in the Biblical language is purposefully multipurpose. It describes breath as in inhaling/exhaling, it also describes Spirit as in God’s spirit or Holy Spirit. The Biblical imagination in terms of breath, air, spirit, wind is mysterious and definitely not trapped in the Platonic dualism of flesh and spirit.

What I’m proposing is that the question, “how is your breathing?” can become a question that links us with the completeness of our life. And that the rhythms of our breathing determine the kind of life we will live. So breathe in … and out.

Are you breathing in more than you are exhaling or are you exhaling more than inhaling?

A gentle tension

2010-01-12T16:57:54+02:00

Confession time. It is hard to be involved in the so-called ‘social justice’ issues and not become bitter and angry. It is easy to become full of pride and smug. Activism drifting into emptiness is a reality that is as real as the World Cup Soccer being hosted in South Africa in 2010.

That is why it is so important to make sure that God fuels our activism.

For the last few days I’ve read through David Bosch’s “A spirituality for the road”. In it he explores a spirituality that could sustain a life of mission. (Bosch 2000:23) talks about two dangers that beset people on a mission.

“The first danger we face, then, is the loss of self-discipline and slipping into a comfortable and well-oiled rut”.

“The second danger is equally serious. It is the danger of over activity and over involvement.

Then in typical “third way” thinking he suggests that the way of mission takes place within a “gentle tension between giving ourselves in full surrender to our fellowman, yet at the same time enjoying the peace of the Lord.” (Bosch 2000:24)

My prayer for this year is to live in that “gentle tension”.

Bosch, D., 2000. A spirituality of the road, Eugene OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers.

A new "new years resolution" dieting towards someone's education

2010-01-01T22:01:53+02:00

Worldwide people are making resolutions for the next year. The fact that those resolutions will be broken is now a cliché. One of the most obvious and popular resolutions revolves around dieting. So I have an idea that I want to run past you. I propose that people diet with someone else’s education in mind.

Let me explain.

Imagine that you decide to cut out that costly fast-food and restaurant meals for the next year. Instead of just doing this for your own health (which is a good reason) you also connect your health-drive with someone else. Every time you “diet” and make healthy choices, you donate the money you would have spent on unhealthy food towards someone’s education. Therefore, when you say “no” you also say “yes”.

I know a friend who dearly wants to have an education, but cannot afford it. If I could get a few friends to donate money to this new “education-diet”, then we can help him. I am aiming to raise R6000 (+/- $800). If you would like to join, email me or just leave a comment.

I think this could place dieting into a social responsible realm …