Recently, I have had occasion to listen to/read several messages, from various sources, which lead me to believe perhaps a critical mass is nearing which will bring tremendous change in our society. I do not say that to incite fear; I say it to encourage hope. It is time for significant change; we are not going down a road which is sustainable.
I heard the phrase yesterday "normal bias." In short, it means it is human nature to think life is going to continue along on the same track indefinitely, that things are going to remain the same, even in light of significant evidence to the contrary. An example was given regarding the Jews in Germany prior to WWII. They could not believe Hitler was really gaining power and would do the things he said he would do. Even when their friends and family were being hauled off to concentration camps, and they would have still had an opportunity to escape, many of them did not, because they were in disbelief of what was happening around them.
We must strike a balance in preparing for different days ahead, without living in fear. There is much to inspire us in this regard, including a lovely book I read this morning, loaned to me by a friend, titled, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. It was written in 1989 by Henri J.M. Nouwen, who provides a simple message which is incredibly timely and strikingly beautiful.
Quoting from the book: "The Christian Leader of the future is the one who truly knows the heart of God as it has become flesh, 'a heart of flesh,' in Jesus. Knowing God's heart means consistently, radically, and very concretely to announce and reveal that God is love and only love, and that every time fear, isolation, or despair begins to invade the human soul, this is not something that comes from God. This sounds very simple and maybe even trite, but very few people know that they are loved without any conditions or limits." (Emphasis added.)
God loves each of us, and he has a good plan for our future. Let us not be alarmed by change. Simpler times are ahead, and that is not a bad thing. We must not worry incessantly and be afraid; those emotions are not from God. We must be hopeful and encouraged, loving and forgiving. Let us be at peace and trust in better days ahead.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Notes on the First Day of Spring
Dear Winter,
I know many of my friends don't understand how I feel about you. I think most of them don't even like you, because some of them have said fairly mean things about you. (And I think more of them are whispering about us behind my back.) But I don't hold that against them. They have a special relationship with Summer, which I also don't understand. How could they prefer sweaty, sweltering heat and ticks and mosquitoes and dusty wind blowing hot and burning their eyes? But I digress. This is my love letter to you.
As I went for my walk this morning, I was glad there was a bit of your chill left in the air. I picked a handful of daffodils, leaping up from bulbs which my mother had planted many years ago, and I was reminded that springtime is when she died, while working in her yard, no less. I don't hold that against Spring, because it does have some nice qualities, but the thought of my mom's passing did make me sad. (And secretly, I do think Spring had something to do with it.)
I notice that I didn't get the leaves raked in the yard at Mom and Dad's house after Autumn dumped them there last year. Autumn, I know there are those who adore you, and your weather can be delightful, especially when you remind that Winter is on the way, but you're so messy. I wish you could pick up after yourself instead of making me feel obligated to do it. My Dad's words echoing in my ears, "You have to keep the leaves raked from around your house, because if there's ever a fire, your house will burn down." Autumn, this leaf situation is your fault.
But I am not trying to assess blame here. I am merely telling you, Winter, how much you mean to me. I may be blinded by your beauty, but you make me feel so comfortable and creative and peaceful. I also realize not everyone thinks you're beautiful, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
So, I will close for now, with the acknowledgment that every season is different, and we all have our own reasons for picking a favorite. We're all different, and that's okay, or it should be, anyway. I will be content with Spring, Summer and Fall, but please know, Winter, I am waiting eagerly for you to return. I miss you already.
Love,
Terry
I know many of my friends don't understand how I feel about you. I think most of them don't even like you, because some of them have said fairly mean things about you. (And I think more of them are whispering about us behind my back.) But I don't hold that against them. They have a special relationship with Summer, which I also don't understand. How could they prefer sweaty, sweltering heat and ticks and mosquitoes and dusty wind blowing hot and burning their eyes? But I digress. This is my love letter to you.
As I went for my walk this morning, I was glad there was a bit of your chill left in the air. I picked a handful of daffodils, leaping up from bulbs which my mother had planted many years ago, and I was reminded that springtime is when she died, while working in her yard, no less. I don't hold that against Spring, because it does have some nice qualities, but the thought of my mom's passing did make me sad. (And secretly, I do think Spring had something to do with it.)
I notice that I didn't get the leaves raked in the yard at Mom and Dad's house after Autumn dumped them there last year. Autumn, I know there are those who adore you, and your weather can be delightful, especially when you remind that Winter is on the way, but you're so messy. I wish you could pick up after yourself instead of making me feel obligated to do it. My Dad's words echoing in my ears, "You have to keep the leaves raked from around your house, because if there's ever a fire, your house will burn down." Autumn, this leaf situation is your fault.
But I am not trying to assess blame here. I am merely telling you, Winter, how much you mean to me. I may be blinded by your beauty, but you make me feel so comfortable and creative and peaceful. I also realize not everyone thinks you're beautiful, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
So, I will close for now, with the acknowledgment that every season is different, and we all have our own reasons for picking a favorite. We're all different, and that's okay, or it should be, anyway. I will be content with Spring, Summer and Fall, but please know, Winter, I am waiting eagerly for you to return. I miss you already.
Love,
Terry
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Balance
The last few days have been filled with extremes. Certainly in my own life, but in the world as well, as we all know. On Wednesday, I found myself advising a new acquaintance of mine regarding the importance of trying to find balance in life, and I woke up this morning hoping I have found it in my own.
Some of you know I'm the Executive Director at the Avenue Theatre in my hometown of West Plains, Missouri. In the past ten days there were seven different things going on at our little community theater -- seven! That's a record number. With those events, I interacted with hundreds of people, and a full range of emotions came into play at the way various situations were handled (by myself and others), including (on the perhaps not-so-pleasant end of the scale) frustration, confusion, anger, sadness, disappointment. When creative personalities are involved in projects....well, look out; the drama is not always contained on the stage.
The thing about those kinds of emotions, which on the surface seem only to be destructive, is they tend to stick in our memories because they are mentally draining and often consume large chunks of time as we try to "fix" the problems they create. But in spite of chaos, and often because of it, creativity arises. It rises up, and I believe it triumphs.
I've been witness to an incredible amount of creative energy and original thought in the last few days. And yesterday, it registered with me how many young people I came into contact with who have such astounding vision and strength. With a few exceptions, they are from West Plains, most of them still living here, a few living elsewhere but with strong ties to home.
There's the group of elementary school kids who had been working on a play for months, and they performed it for the community last week. They had basically been bribed into it by a teacher and were not originally enthused about performing it, but they had so much fun, that now they want to come back to the Theatre and present it to their classmates.
Then there's our amazing group of Fine Arts Academy students, ranging in age from seven to seventeen from a wide variety of backgrounds, but with big hopes and dreams. There were the dancers and singers in the shows and concerts, brimming with talent and enthusiasm, culminating last night with the young men from "Ha Ha Tonka" who are kicking off a nationwide tour to promote their new album. Of the four band members, three were born and raised in West Plains.
A short film was shot at the Theatre this week, and I was overwhelmed at the level of professionalism and dedication to detail displayed by the young people involved, proudly we can claim most of them as from our small town here in the Ozarks. The creative process, as it unfolded, was inspirational. I was also in contact with young visual artists, dreaming of making a difference, of turning the world upside down.
It seems as though it should have been an exhausting week, and in many ways it has been. But this morning, I am energized. I am filled with joy and hope for the future. I don't claim to know when and how the world will end or even what that might mean, exactly. (Many of the Jews in the time of Jesus missed his message because they interpreted prophecies incorrectly, and I think there may be some of that going on now....just my theory. The return of Jesus might mean something different, might look different, than what Christians have been taught in church over the years.)
What I do know is this: All of us have a limited amount of days on this earth, and to let our minds dwell only on what seems wrong, to focus on the sadness and despair without balancing those feelings with confidence that God can cause beauty to rise out of ashes, is a waste of precious time.
Let's say a prayer for those who are hurting around the world, and celebrate love. Tell a child today how important he or she is and let them know you are hopeful for the future because of him or her. Let us find ways to give consideration for possible changes down the road, while at the same time being careful not to stifle the enthusiasm and innocence of youth by bringing worries about tomorrow into today. Balance, my friends. We're miserable without it.
Some of you know I'm the Executive Director at the Avenue Theatre in my hometown of West Plains, Missouri. In the past ten days there were seven different things going on at our little community theater -- seven! That's a record number. With those events, I interacted with hundreds of people, and a full range of emotions came into play at the way various situations were handled (by myself and others), including (on the perhaps not-so-pleasant end of the scale) frustration, confusion, anger, sadness, disappointment. When creative personalities are involved in projects....well, look out; the drama is not always contained on the stage.
The thing about those kinds of emotions, which on the surface seem only to be destructive, is they tend to stick in our memories because they are mentally draining and often consume large chunks of time as we try to "fix" the problems they create. But in spite of chaos, and often because of it, creativity arises. It rises up, and I believe it triumphs.
I've been witness to an incredible amount of creative energy and original thought in the last few days. And yesterday, it registered with me how many young people I came into contact with who have such astounding vision and strength. With a few exceptions, they are from West Plains, most of them still living here, a few living elsewhere but with strong ties to home.
There's the group of elementary school kids who had been working on a play for months, and they performed it for the community last week. They had basically been bribed into it by a teacher and were not originally enthused about performing it, but they had so much fun, that now they want to come back to the Theatre and present it to their classmates.
Then there's our amazing group of Fine Arts Academy students, ranging in age from seven to seventeen from a wide variety of backgrounds, but with big hopes and dreams. There were the dancers and singers in the shows and concerts, brimming with talent and enthusiasm, culminating last night with the young men from "Ha Ha Tonka" who are kicking off a nationwide tour to promote their new album. Of the four band members, three were born and raised in West Plains.
A short film was shot at the Theatre this week, and I was overwhelmed at the level of professionalism and dedication to detail displayed by the young people involved, proudly we can claim most of them as from our small town here in the Ozarks. The creative process, as it unfolded, was inspirational. I was also in contact with young visual artists, dreaming of making a difference, of turning the world upside down.
It seems as though it should have been an exhausting week, and in many ways it has been. But this morning, I am energized. I am filled with joy and hope for the future. I don't claim to know when and how the world will end or even what that might mean, exactly. (Many of the Jews in the time of Jesus missed his message because they interpreted prophecies incorrectly, and I think there may be some of that going on now....just my theory. The return of Jesus might mean something different, might look different, than what Christians have been taught in church over the years.)
What I do know is this: All of us have a limited amount of days on this earth, and to let our minds dwell only on what seems wrong, to focus on the sadness and despair without balancing those feelings with confidence that God can cause beauty to rise out of ashes, is a waste of precious time.
Let's say a prayer for those who are hurting around the world, and celebrate love. Tell a child today how important he or she is and let them know you are hopeful for the future because of him or her. Let us find ways to give consideration for possible changes down the road, while at the same time being careful not to stifle the enthusiasm and innocence of youth by bringing worries about tomorrow into today. Balance, my friends. We're miserable without it.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Grace
I read a beautiful piece this week, written by Shauna Neiquist for EmergentVillage.com. She wrote, "If arithmetic is numbers, and if algebra is numbers and letters, then grace is numbers, letters, sounds, and tears, feelings and dreams. Grace is smashing the calculator, and using all the broken buttons and pieces to make a mosaic. Grace isn't about having a second chance; grace is having so many chances that you could use them through all eternity and never come up empty. It's when you finally realize that the other shoe isn't going to drop, ever. It's the moment you feel as precious and handmade as every star, when you feel, finally at home for the very first time." (You can find the link for her full comments on my Facebook wall.)
Those of us who recognize the grace which God has extended to us know he is the God of infinite chances; he never writes off anyone as being beyond redemption and hope. When we rest in the knowledge of God's unconditional love toward us and his boundless grace, we have courage, strength and peace, and it should also prompt us to pass along compassion and grace to every one we meet.
People everywhere, all around us, are hurting. Some pain is emotional, some is physical, and much of it is spiritual. Many feel as though they have no purpose, no hope, no reason to go on, and those who feel that way are often not pleasant to be around. They can be crude, argumentative and difficult to love, and sadly, some of them will never change. But believers are called to extend grace toward all, whether we feel like it or not. Often, we are the only light in someone's dark world. We don't have to be everyone's best friend, but at the very least we should not return an insult with another insult. Surely, we should be able to manage a smile, maybe even a kind word.
Grace is what everyone longs for, even when they don't know it's what they need. And since grace has been extended to us, no matter how badly we have behaved, we need to look beyond the bad behavior of others and see their pain. Those of us who realize how precious we are in God's eyes, must do what we can to make others feel precious and valuable, too. Honestly, most days I'm not that good at it, but I want to learn to lay aside criticism and live a grace-filled life.
Those of us who recognize the grace which God has extended to us know he is the God of infinite chances; he never writes off anyone as being beyond redemption and hope. When we rest in the knowledge of God's unconditional love toward us and his boundless grace, we have courage, strength and peace, and it should also prompt us to pass along compassion and grace to every one we meet.
People everywhere, all around us, are hurting. Some pain is emotional, some is physical, and much of it is spiritual. Many feel as though they have no purpose, no hope, no reason to go on, and those who feel that way are often not pleasant to be around. They can be crude, argumentative and difficult to love, and sadly, some of them will never change. But believers are called to extend grace toward all, whether we feel like it or not. Often, we are the only light in someone's dark world. We don't have to be everyone's best friend, but at the very least we should not return an insult with another insult. Surely, we should be able to manage a smile, maybe even a kind word.
Grace is what everyone longs for, even when they don't know it's what they need. And since grace has been extended to us, no matter how badly we have behaved, we need to look beyond the bad behavior of others and see their pain. Those of us who realize how precious we are in God's eyes, must do what we can to make others feel precious and valuable, too. Honestly, most days I'm not that good at it, but I want to learn to lay aside criticism and live a grace-filled life.
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