T. David Beck: The Simple Way of Jesus

How do you encounter God and listen to him speak in your life? I think a lot of Christians expect to see God "show up" when they enjoy blessing or closure in a certain area of life. We equate God with victory over our problems. What if victory isn't the most reliable place to find God? Here's what John Chryssavgis writes about what he has learned from the desert fathers and mothers (of the 4th century) about finding God: Each of us must look for the places where we are tempted, where we are lonely, thirsty for meaning and hungry for depth. Each of us will discover the areas that need to be purified, where we can encounter God and where God speaks to us. The implication is that we should look for God in the "desert" places in our lives -- our places of need. If I could interject a theological principle here, it would be: "God draws near to the brokenhearted" (Psalm 34:18). God is drawn into our weakness. When we search for God and listen for wh...

Following Jesus introduces tension into our lives. We live in a world that is at odds with God, and we are well trained to live exactly as our world dictates. The call to be a Christian is a call to come out from our culture and live a different way. It is a call to a high-contrast relationship with our culture. When we do that, tension arises. But not all tension is bad. The monks of the ancient desert understood well that they were entering into a high-contrast existence filled with good tension.  John Chryssavgis tells us the monks were willing to do anything it took to re-establish a lost order. What was that lost order? The existence of Adam before he fell into sin. That means complete wholeness, and utter harmony with God, people, and creation. There are stories of the monks learning to live very contentedly in the harsh desert. It is said of St. Antony that over time, he persuaded the animals in his region to live at peace with him and no longer disturb him. The monks we...

At Sanctuary, I talk a lot about what's "normal." Normal in the world is to be a person who tries to be good and has a general faith in God. Normal in God's kingdom is not goodness but greatness. It is living like no one else lives and loving like no one else loves. It is having faith that enables me to surrender every part of my life to God so he can introduce me to the enthralling ideas he has for my life. God has high expectations for us, and we have to be willing to look crazy to everyone else. With this in mind, these words from personal finance guru Dave Ramsey caught my eye this morning: "Normal" in North America is broke. "Normal" is using credit cards, taking on a lifetime of car payments, and spending more than you make. "Normal" is living on a razor's edge, where any unexpected emergency can send you into panic mode. I finally figured out I don't want to be "normal." I want to be weird! I'm not livin...

The discussion about the Newtown shootings on December 14 has raised important questions about God. Where was he? Why didn't he prevent the shootings? As my cousin put it,  After the shooting in CT today, I feel I have fallen further away as a Christian. I can't wrap my mind around a father who doesn't protect the innocent. I hate feeling this way, but nothing lately makes sense. Anyway, just hoping for a little guidance. I addressed the issue in church on December 16, and I'll include the gist of my thoughts below. Here's the position I have heard some Christians take. I find it unhelpful and wouldn't consider it real guidance. In his sovereignty, God controls everything that happens in our world, and only he can understand why he ordained the Newtown shootings to take place. There are atheists who have commented that if this is the Christian answer to Newtown, then they have even more reason not to be Christians. I believe God rules over all things, but ...

I woke up too early this morning. But it's Christmas Eve! I didn't want to miss anything that would happen today, so I got out of bed. I was the first one up, and I had the chance to be with God in the spirit of this day. I turned on the Christmas tree lights and spent some time quietly strumming carols on my guitar. Then I made hot tea and settled down to read the Scriptures. Here's what stood out to me in Luke 2:1-20, the story of Jesus' birth. I stopped at the word "peace." It washed over me like a wave of warm contentment. It is cozy. It is relieving. It is freeing. Peace. Is there any greater word that can be spoken? The angel choir sang to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). The pronouncement of shalom comes to us across the centuries. I receive it today just as fresh as it was that clear and quiet night. I welcome peace. I drink it in like a man parched with thirst. And yet th...

If you have children, you want things to be a certain way for them. You have hopes and dreams. You want them to be safe from harm, grow up well, and thrive. To a certain degree, all us parents want to control our kids and what happens to them. However, God wants us to release our kids to him. And sooner or later we hit crossroads where our willingness to let God have our kids becomes tested. That’s the focus of the story in today’s Christmas season Scripture reading, the naming of John the Baptist in Luke 1:57-80. This is the event that kicks off the larger Christmas story. It goes roughly like this: announcement of John (the Messiah’s forerunner), announcement of Jesus (the Messiah), birth of John, birth of Jesus. John was a miracle baby. His parents had been married for decades, but they had been unable to conceive a child. They knew the heartache of watching friends and relatives raise housefuls of children while their house remained quiet. However, one day the angel of Gabriel...

Let's say you live in the fourth century in one of the desert monastic communities. What would your Christmas shopping look like? And what might the desert monks have to say about our gift buying today? Whose side would Jesus be on? First off, let's get hold of the desert monk's attitude toward creature comforts. They lived in small one-room quarters that were often carved out of rock. They wore skins and simple clothing. They ate little and fasted often. What would they ask for at Christmastime? Probably a book, since books cost a fortune and many monastic communities shared just a handful of them. Other than that, the desert monk's attitude at Christmas would be starkly different from ours. It all depends on one's perspective and priorities. Historian John Chryssavgis notes that the whole point of life in the desert was for people to free themselves of the trappings of the world so they could pursue God wholeheartedly. To go from our lifestyle to theirs wo...