[/caption] All through scripture GOD is calling to us to wake up. In our self-centered sleepwalk we dream our own dreams- be they American or otherwise. We dream of pleasure, fame, respect, love, acceptance, knowledge, safety, revenge. And though all deeply legitimate desires none can satisfy when we pursue them with our spiritual eyes closed. It’s like trying to sit down to a feast in our night-time dreams and waking up saying: ‘Why don’t I feel satisfied?’ Accept often we don’t wake up and don’t discern that we are caught up in our own dreams. For a long time the LORD troubled me with the story of Peter betraying Jesus. The one where in boldness Peter declares his undying allegiance to Jesus and then at the rooster’s crow later Peter in fear for his life denies any devotion or association to the condemned Messiah. For awhile I think it was a guilt issue for me- have I betrayed Jesus!? But it was an abstract sense of perceived rejection by GOD. It was a fruitless sense of guilt. Even as a Christian growing up in the church I slept in rejection, religiosity, hypocrisy, fear…none of them leading me to what I really longed for. But then I began to see what He was calling me to- a brilliant, living friendship with Him, my Creator. I admit I’m not fully awake, but this project, Sustainable Traditions, is a little invitation to all us sleepy-heads out there: wake up to the love of GOD, wake up to the consequences of our selfish living, wake up to loving your neighbors…and your enemies, wake up to caring for GOD’s creation, wake up to giving yourself to the poor and marginalized, wake up to the shackles of convenience, wake up to community, wake up to repenting (and it being life-giving instead of being full of guilt), wake up to our love of money and then wake up to a new, radical generosity, wake up to spiritual disciplines that are born of passionate love for GOD and not fear of The Fire, wake up to the crisis, wake up to GOD’s answers, wake up to the questions, wake up to a re-integrated, de-compartmentalized life, wake up to simplicity, wake up to joy, wake up to an embodied, incarnational whole-life Christian faith, wake up to the journey, wake up to the not-so-gentle foot of Jesus kicking us out of the bed of our fear and comfort and calling us to follow Him. I should stop here. This whole website is after all here to be a soapbox as we journey towards waking. This is a conversation that many of you are already living. I’ll end with this:
“..everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is…” -Ephesians 5: 13-17
I think we all need kicks in the behind our whole lives through. I know people who have wholly woken up in one area and remain utterly asleep in another. It often makes me wonder where I'm still snoring along myself. But then again, I think God is often gentle with us and wakes us up first by pulling up the window blinds, then calling to us softly, then tugging on our covers. Every once in awhile we get the cold bucket of water in the face, but thankfully God seems to reserve that for only when we're utterly stubborn and stupid.
I'm curious to know if there were people or books or whatever else that helped wake you up along with the way. What got you thinking about consequences? What were some of the little this's and that's that helped you start to shift in your thinking?
Meg: I agree- waking is gradual although the prods from GOD to awaken can be abrupt- which I guess is how I mark the journey like I said.
Some ways I've woken up (and still wake up) over the years was through worship times in the Holy Spirit, through peoples' prayers over me, close friendships with more mature Christians, regular times alone with GOD, times of reaching out in GOD's love to others, books such as:
-Mustard Seed vs. McWorld
-Blue Like Jazz
-SoulTsunami
-Passion For Jesus
-The Wounded Healer
-The Ragamuffin Gospel
-Grace Works
-One Church Many Tribes
-Crunchy Cons
-The Unsettling of America
-The Open Church
-Fast Food Nation
but each one came at a time when I needed it. When the time is right anything in the hands of the Spirit of GOD can breathe new life into us.
-shalom!
hmm, i've only read one of those books. (we should have a book review section of the site. do you already have that? i'd love to hear what others are reading and what they thought of it.)
i'm kinda poking you on this because i often wonder what it would take to move people in our church from that safe suburbanite space that you mentioned you were in to where whatever you'd call the space you're in now is. i think sometimes i'm so far removed from people in terms of where i'm coming from that i have a hard time making connections.
case in point, i'm a vegetarian and that immediately puts everyone around me on guard whenever i say anything about food. and it doesn't matter what i say, honestly. the fact that i'm such an oddball that i won't eat meat makes my thoughts on food practically foreign to them.
so i'm always looking for ideas on how to approach them. directly doesn't work. tried that. freaked people out. i'm living my life out before them (and have been for 8 years) and we've made progress (they accept me, though they still hold my ideas at bay — “what? watering the church grass less than 7 days a week? you've got to be kidding!”) but i'd kind of like to move them beyond accepting me to discussing things with me. just don't know how to get that to happen without scaring the living daylights out of them. *sigh*
… i'm always open to ideas. 😉
Meg: we do have a book review section under > Books > Book Reviews – but we just haven't added alot to that section yet. I'm reading 10 books at once I think – almost ready to review the first one finished.
Truly lasting change starts in prayer -submitting ourselves to GOD -in which He changes us- we can never effect godly change on others by force or coercion. Embedded cultural values die hard. Love always wins.
Hey Meg:
Don't let being a vegetarian bother you. My wife Cherie is a vegetarian, and I try not to eat any meat from animals I didn't personally raise. That lifestyle is not for everyone, but it certainly doesn't disqualify you from speaking out on issues of food. If folks took the time to understand where their food comes from, and what goes into producing it, I think we'd have a lot more vegetarians.
peace
Bill
Amen to that Jason.
I learned that last part from you Bill 🙂
Jason, you are not alone in your thoughts. I have had similar yearnings for the last several years and am now just beginning to step out in faith to the things God is calling me to.
Jason, you are not alone in your thoughts. I have had similar yearnings for the last several years and am now just beginning to step out in faith to the things God is calling me to.