Direction First...Speed Later

When running a race, speed is only important if I follow the right route.  The fastest runner stands no chance if she leaves the proper path!

Driving like a madman, obliterating the speed limit, makes no sense if I have no idea where I’m going.  I simply get lost more quickly.

Direction first…speed later.

Ruben Duran, the Director for New Congregations in the ELCA, made this clear at a conference I recently attended.  It’s something he heard from his father years ago.  Direction first…speed later.

I am a person that relies on speed.  Fall is right around the corner, and that means new programs, new activities, new leaders, and new excitement.  The calendar year may begin in January, but church calendars tend to revolve around the school year.  For the past few weeks I’ve been a part of many meetings, planning many activities.  It’s easy to work long hours to get everything ready.  My role as Mission Director for the synod continues to expand in new and exciting ways, adding to the workload.  I come into the office every morning and hit the ground running.  I have the need…for speed!

Ruben’s words struck a nerve with me.  Have I been racing along so fast that I’ve forgotten to make sure that I have the direction right?  Do I need to pause before ‘hitting the gas’ to make sure I’m on the right road?

This week I’ve gotten back into a routine that had slipped away from me.  I no longer come to the office and immediately plow into work.  I now take time to read something to deepen my faith (Philip Yancey is one of my favorite authors for that!).  I then pause for prayer, with significant time spent with the question, “God, what do you want me to do today?”  I think through my day with God…and sense where God calls me.  Direction first…speed later.

When things get busy this time for prayer and reflection can easily be sacrificed to allow more time to ‘accomplish things.’  But what is the point of running quickly if I don’t know where I’m going?  Prayer is a time to ground myself in the God who leads me.  It’s not an extra thing to do if I have time…it’s essential to all that I do.  It provides direction to the speed.

Direction first…speed later.  Thank you Ruben (and Ruben’s dad) for these Godly words!

What kind of friend do we have in Jesus?

A couple weeks ago someone asked me to identify my very best friend.  It took a bit of thinking.

In two weeks I get to spend some time with Eric, a good buddy of mine from Illinois.  We’ll spend time fishing…talking baseball...laughing…heckling each other… enjoying cool beverages.  Eric and I always have a wonderful time when we get together, though we don’t get to see a lot of each other.  Illinois is just a bit too far away!  From time to time we’ll get on the phone and chat, but those calls are few and far between.  Hey, we’re busy guys!  While for much of the year we’re not in close contact, I know that as soon as we get together we’ll pick up where we left off.  Shannon keeps in pretty close contact with Eric’s wife Erin, so whenever I want to know what Eric is up to I just ask her. 

I’d call Eric one of my best friends.

But when it comes to my very best friend, I think I’d have to say that it’s my wife Shannon.  She’s there in my life every day.  She laughs at (many of) my jokes…she supports me when I feel down…she puts up with my quirks…she’s a lot of fun to talk to…she enjoys many of the things I enjoy.  I’m free to be my weird self around Shannon and she puts up with it.  We share everything in life.  While there are times when we get away just the two of us to focus on the relationship, we have each other every day.  That’s friendship!

These are two very different kinds of relationships.  One is awesome when I’m focusing on it….the other impacts every day!

My relationship with God vacillates between these two kinds of friendships!  There are times when I treat God a bit like Eric.  When I spend time with God it’s awesome, but those experiences come and go.  I spend more time talking ABOUT God than talking TO God.  When I worship I focus more on the service itself and what it’s saying to others and forget that God also speaks to ME!  My daily conversations with God in prayer slide to the wayside.  I allow the busyness of the world to get in the way of my relationship with my savior. 

At other times my relationship with God is a lot more like my relationship with my wife.  I spend focused time with God every day.  I share my daily joys and anxieties.  I recognize that my savior is with me every day, providing for me, caring for me, and loving me.  While there are more intense times of focusing on God’s work in my life, I sense God’s presence every day.

Do I want to treat God as an ‘every once in a while’ savior…or the one who walks with me every day?  For me, the choice is clear!  It’s time to quit talking ABOUT God…and get back to talking TO God!

Many styles...many theologies...one Jesus!

There are a lot of paths in this world that lead the same direction.

As a pastor I have 47 Sundays a year where I have the honor of leading Peace Lutheran Church in worship.  We have a very unique style which I appreciate.  We have an understanding of God which is very helpful.  We’re on the path that God called us to.

For the other five Sundays a year I have the opportunity to join other congregations on other paths.  While at our cabin for the last couple weeks I got to worship in two very different churches. 

New Life Christian Church is a classic non-denominational/Baptist community of faith.  Worship involves a lot of singing…and long preaching (maybe I should take note!).  At New Life they have a very conservative understanding of Scripture and faith.   Other than a few women who lead singing, it’s men who lead the service (from the preaching down to ushering).   They have communion every week, but simply see the bread and juice as ‘emblems,’ reminding people of Jesus’ death on a cross (with no sense of Jesus’ specific presence in the break and juice).   I got to hear a passionate (and mostly Biblical) argument for adult baptisms by immersion.  Several times I caught myself thinking, “Wow, that’s not how I see that at all!”  On the other hand, the style of worship was quite casual and enjoyable, making me feel right at home.  For that one Sunday morning I joined the people of New Life in worshipping the God who came for all of us.  God’s presence filled the service whether I agreed with everything or not.  New Life Christian Church is on the path that God called them to.

The next Sunday we went to a very traditional ELCA congregation.  They definitely shared my understanding of God’s grace.  I got to go to the communion rail and hear, “This is the body of Christ, given for you!”  The service was ‘by the book,’  with all the standing & sitting, reading & responding, robes & formality that one would expect from an ELCA community.  I don’t find this type of service to be very helpful to those who did not grow up with it.  New Christians can find it pretty weird.  For that one Sunday I joined the people at First Lutheran Church in worshipping the God who came for all of us.  God’s presence filled the service whether I agreed with everything or not.  First Lutheran Church is on the path that God called them to.

All too often Christians try to draw lines in the sand, determining who the ‘true believers’ are.  Perhaps we need to learn to agree to disagree on some things…and keep the focus on the God who came for us.  We may be on different paths…but those paths lead to the same savior.  It's about Jesus...not us!