God longs for you, you long for God

God longs for you, you long for God!

As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. Psalm 42:1-2a NLT (Emphasis added)

You might think that your woundedness or your sinfulness is the truest thing about you. You might think that your giftedness or your personality type or your job title or your identity as husband or wife, mother or father, somehow defines you. But in reality, it is your desire for God and your capacity to reach for God that is the deepest essence of who you are. Sacred Rhythms, Participants Guide by Ruth Haley Barton

The reason we do not see God is the faintness of our desire - Meister Eckhart

A number of years ago I wrote my first longings statement. It has provided clear direction for my life and ministry both in how I take care of my own soul and how I help others pay attention to their relationship with God.

On the weekend of February 1-2, 2013 I was blessed to lead a retreat/workshop for pastors, elders and spouses at Amigo Centre. The focus was the Longings of Our Hearts. We used the personal post-it-note timeline to help us see how God has shaped our longings for Him.

The group came to this event tired and rather weary from all that they have been going through recently. One of their elders died suddenly and unexpectedly over Christmas break. This tragic loss along with other challenges had taken a big toll on them individually and as a group.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 offered a helpful reminder about pain. We noticed that, “heat and drought” come to those who trust in the Lord. This means that suffering is normal for the Christian. 1 Peter 1:7 teaches us that suffering is for our good. God uses suffering to purify our faith just like gold is purified in the fire. God is more concerned about our faith than He is about our comfort. Our desire for comfort can keep us from seeking after our deepest longings for God.

During the time we took for solitude and silence the Spirit brought renewal and refreshment to their souls. They each wrote Longing Statements that helped them to refocus their lives on their desire to grow in their love for God.

Coaching Empowers!

Transforming Church
by Stanley Troyer, ACC

Many mainline churches in North America are experiencing decline. I used to think clarity of purpose, values and vision along with strategic plan for mission would bring churches out of decline and set them on a path to renewal and growth. While these changes are important and usually generate excitement and new energy in a group, they lead to what I now call "outer" change, that is change in ministry activities and programs.

Recently as a result of my ministry experience, I have come to believe deeper change is needed, a change of the heart and soul of the church. This deeper transformation is led by leaders who are engaged in the process of personal transformation. Unless leaders are experiencing the transforming presence of Christ in their lives, any attempts at leading change will result in some new "window dressings" but stop short of deep tranformation. While these changes are helpful, the church needs to become a transforming community where people are experiencing deep spiritual transformation of heart and soul.

Spiritual Transformation is allowing the presence of Christ to be formed in us for the glory of God, for the abundance of our own lives and for the sake of others. (Romans 12:1-2) This deep transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit in us as we share our lives in meaningful community with fellow persons who are on a journey of growing love with the Father through Christ.

However more than personal transformation of leaders and individual members is needed to become a transforming church, a spiritual community. Attention must also be given to the church as a organism, the living body of Christ. The soul and heart of the congregation needs attention. The congregation as a system must be transformed and renewed.

I am currently working with a church that has experienced significant decline in the recent past. I am attempting to pay attention to both peronsal and corporate transformation. It has been both invigorating and challenging at the same time. I have seen some good progress at the level of lay leadership in the church but realize there is much more needed. I would love to learn from your experience.

What have you learned about renewing the church? How do you worked to create a transforming church? Please leave a response.

Spiritual Discernment

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 TNIV.

Greetings of peace and joy for the Christmas Season and throughout the New Year! May we like Mary seek to live in God’s will for us from a posture of humility. This simple prayer of Mary is a prayer of full surrender to the will of God. Jesus prayed similarly in the Garden when he said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 TNIV. Some refer to these as the prayer of indifference meaning I am indifferent to anything other than the will of God. In other words the only thing that really matters to me is discerning and following the will of God.

Sometimes before I can pray this prayer of indifference I must pray for the gift of indifference. So I pray, “Lord make me willing to be indifferent” or “Give me the gift of indifference”.

Often following the will of God goes against our human nature. That is my ego, sin nature or false self (mean the same) has desires and longings that incline me to go against the will of God. I am inclined to gratify my false self. Therefore God’s will feels undesirable because it goes against my sinful nature. When I listen to my soul or my true self, I long for God, his love and will for me. Deep inside me God’s will gives peace and seems right. Choosing to listen to my soul is essential in discerning the will of God.

My prayer for each of us is that we will create quiet space for God to enter into our being more and more so that “. . . you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 TNIV. May God give you hope and courage through the miracle of Christmas for the New Year and may you be confident that Jesus who came to live among us will give us “hope and a future”. Jeremiah 29:11 TNIV

Copyright © 2011 Stanley J Troyer & CRM

Shake The Dust Off

I live with seasonal allergies. These allergies are irritated by dust especially from the earth. Even mowing the lawn triggers an allergic reaction of a "runny" nose and itching eyes.

How does dust affect you? Jesus told his disciples to get rid of dust.

Jesus Teaching

8"These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff-no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." Mark 6:8-11 TNIV Emphasis added.

What is this dust Jesus is speaking of? What does it mean to shake the dust off?

Jesus teaching about dust is given to his disciples as he sends them out to do ministry. Shaking the dust off is to be done in response to "any place that will not welcome or listen to you".

Relational Dust

It seems that these instructions are to be applied when the disciples experience the hurt of rejection and nonacceptance from those they are ministering to. Jesus knew that rejection and relational pain would collect like dust in their soul unless rooted out by forgiveness. This dust would keep them tied to their past relational failures and choke out their ability to rest in God, to live and minister fully surrendered to God's will in the situation.

Shake Off

How do I shake off this dust? Confession, forgiveness and surrender are the remedies. Letting go and letting God is a familiar phrase. For me this is much easier said than practiced.

How do I move forward without carrying hurts from my past? Do I allow this dust to insulate me from intimate relationships now and in the future? Shaking off the dust means forgiving and confidently trusting the past and the future to God. Someone told me recently that it is important to prepare for the future but let go of anticipating the future.

Recently I was reminded of a broken relationship in my past. I continue to pray for healing of this relationship. Is there more I can do to restore this relationship? Probably, yet at the same time I need to release, let go, shake the dust off and move on.

Consider

Reread the scripture again and ask yourself:

1. What dust am I carrying from the past that God would like me to shake off?
2. What is the role of forgiveness and surrender in shaking off this dust?
3. Listen and write down anything you need to remember.

Remember

I believe "shaking off the dust" is how we keep bitterness from taking root in our hearts. See to...that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15 TNIV

Bitterness causes us to live in the past and the future but robs us of the joy of living in the moment-basking in God's love and forgiveness.

Copyright © 2011 Stanley J Troyer & CRM

Count The Cost

Some of the best things in life come with a price we must pay. Usually short-term benefits must be sacrificed to realize the long-term goal. In the summer of 1966 Marilyn and I began a term of service in Nigeria with the Teachers Abroad Program (TAP). Still in our first year of marriage, fresh out of college and full of idealism fueled by the Vietnam War, we chose to go to Nigeria leaving everything behind except what we could carry in our luggage and a fifty-five gallon drum. It was a life-changing experience and well worth every price we paid to serve in this way.

Past Issues "But don't begin until you count the cost."Jesus Luke 14:28 NLT

Jesus Teaching Jesus talked about counting the cost in Luke 14. He used the examples of someone planning to build a house and a king preparing to go to war against another king with an army twice the size of his own. Jesus said that if we do not count the cost or consider the price we will need to pay, we may give up when the short-term cost begins to confront us. Athletes Athletes in training know well the pain and suffering their bodies must go through to compete at their best. As their success increases, the level of sacrifice placed on their body increases as well. Consider When you want to realize a long term goal, carefully consider the cost required. Otherwise short-term prices may sabotage your long-term achievements. What long-term goals do you have that will be difficult to achieve? What are the prices you will need to pay? Who else in your circle of relationships will need to pay a price? Remember Count the cost before you 'start to build' or 'go to war'. Otherwise you may only 'lay the foundation' before you run out of money, or you may 'go to war' and throw up the flag of surrender before victory is achieved. May power of the Holy Spirit enable you to achieve amazing goals for the glory of God. Copyright © 2010 Stanley J Troyer & CRM Find more troyercoaching eNews articles here.

Rewire Your Brain

I am reprinting the following article about change by Dr. Keith E. Webb for this issue of my eNews. I hope you are challenged and blessed.

Your response is welcomed below!

Winston Churchill said, "To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." I believe this is true.

Coaches help people change. Yet change is difficult. Our brains are wired to do what we've always done. We need to rewire them. That's the subject of this month's article.

Rewire Your Brain for Change

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks." We all know how difficult it is to change. We get set in our ways.

Neuroscientists used to explain our difficulty in learning "new tricks" by saying the brain didn't change during adulthood. Our brains, they thought, are wired to do what we've always done.

New research shows our brains can change. We can rewire them.
Your brain is like a circuit board with impulses shooting from neuron to neuron along pathways called synapses.

Let's try it. If I say "chocolate," what came to mind? "Yumm!" "Let's eat." "Where can I get some?" The thought of chocolate started in one neuron and shot across a synapse to your response neuron. Synapses are like muscles, the more you use them and the bigger they grow.

The trouble is our thinking forms ruts, like deep ruts in a road. When the synaptic pathway is well-formed it's difficult to respond is a different way. Like trying to steer a car out of ruts.

The solution, neuroscientists says, is to form new pathways and strengthen and enlarge those preferred thoughts. In other words, change your mind and literally grow your brain.

The Bible told us as much. The Greek word for repent means "to change one's mind." "Do not conform to any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2a).

"Stop It" Doesn't Work
When you focus on stopping doing something, you are still sending impulses along the old pathway, strengthening it further. The more you focus on that pathway, even negative attention, the stronger it grows. Thus, making change all the more difficult.

From... To...
Again, the Bible helps, look at the pattern of turning from something to something better: "You were taught,... to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22

The pattern is significant. Move from what you want to change, to how you want to be. The key is to focus on the new thought or behavior to strengthen that new neural pathway. Or as the Bible says, renew your mind.

3 Steps to Change and Grow Your Brain

1. Recognize: What thought or behavior would you like to change? What do you want to move from? What reasons do you have to change at all? Why change now?
2. Refocus: What would you like to change it to? Be specific. What would it look like? How will you know when you have achieved it?
3. Revalue: What benefits will you receive from the new? What will change? How will you feel? What will make this change worth it?

Change means renewing your mind: starting with making a decision to move from something, then focusing attention to a new way of being until that new way forms a strong pathway.

Copyright © 2010 Keith E. Webb & CRM

Dr. Keith E. Webb is a trainer and cross-cultural leadership coach helping non-profit organizations, teams, and individuals multiply their cross-cultural impact. Find more free articles at http://www.CreativeResultsManagement.com.

Copyright © 2010 Stanley J Troyer & CRM