Does it matter

Yesterday we had the privilege of "Doing Good" along side a local non-profit that we have chosen to partner with.  The group is called "Free Food For All" and literally, their name says it all.  I will tell you considerably more about them along the course of our journey, but for now I will leave you with the simple truth that they are one of the most unassuming, unseen, and yet remarkable groups that I have encountered in over 20 years of pastoral artistry ... and they are right here, in our neighborhood.  Unseen yet literally immeasurable in their care of innumerable people (especially school children) in need in the city of Seattle.
As we prepared lunches for city school children and other food for a neighborhood food bank, I was struck by the enormity of their influence and the passion.  They do so much with so little while operating far out of the mainstream and spotlight.  They struggle, as do so many other groups, connecting people to the idea of "doing good".  In 20 years of leading established churches, and for these past 8 months leading a new church, I know the struggle too well.  In fact, if I could offer a moment of honesty and vulnerability, I would say that there is nothing as crushing to me as apathy to the cause of "doing good" especially when it comes to doing it in the name of Jesus.  If anything would cause me to quit this life and go do something else, it would be an inability to inspire, lead, and help engage people in caring enough about the living out of their own faith proclamation that the natural outflow would be to give a rip about the world that they've been called to live into.  
Last week we began a discussion about spiritual disciplines ... beginning with solitude.  We will continue to learn about and live into these.  They may be tough to master, but oh so worth it.  This week I was reminded that there is a discipline to "doing good".   There is an illusion about the "social consciousness" of Seattle... that we are all out for a cause ... that volunteering is our second language.  Sadly, and it may not be a popular opinion, but I fear it is just that ... its a language.  It's a great deal more talking than walking.  The bright side of this, for the church, especially a new one, is that we could, with discipline, rise far above the crowd and demonstrate once and for all the truth of Jesus 2nd response to the question of "the greatest commandment" ... loving your neighbor as yourself.  It's our message to own and live ... but it is going to take discipline.  It is going to have to be a priority. 
Last night, I looked long and hard at the reality of a relatively small, in numbers, presence.  I witnessed the passion of a group flying somewhat under the radar.  I considered that great cause that we were partnered in, and I asked myself "does it matter"?  Then I watched as a 3 1/2 year old enthusiastically packed lunches for over and hour to be given to hungry children while she repeatedly exclaimed how much they would "just love the yummy fruit".... and I knew that yes, it does in fact matter a great deal.

The good news of discipline

In recent years I seem to have found myself surrounded by people who feel compelled to run.  Nearly every week, if one wanted to, one could sign up to run in a 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathons, Iron Man, Iron Women, Iron Infant, or (insert your group here) type of run.  Occasionally I will secretly want to just sign up and run.  A certain breeze, the temperature, even the feel of my faux running shoes being laced up can burst upon my senses and all of a sudden my legs feel like they were 18 again. I would just know that I was missing out on something wonderful.   Then my brain kicks in and kicks my senses around a bit and asks "what's the matter with you?".  "There's been no training, no build up, no discipline to your body that would even get you through the first city block, what's the matter with you?".
  I used to view various spiritual "disciplines" as those practices mastered by a select few saints throughout the ages who happened to hold abnormally close relationships to God.  I told myself this as an excuse to avoid the futility of pursuing these at all costs.  To be perfectly honest, my evangelical influences didn't do a great deal to discourage this thought process.  Faith, after all, was to be excercised, which, in the Western world, means go, go, go.  As I got older, like so many others of my kind, I began to feel like I was missing out.  There must be something more to this life.  And I would look longingly at these giants of the faith and want to just jump in and "be spiritual"...you know, all Nike "just do it" like.  Soon after, within a spiritual "city block" I'd give up, frustrated and convinced even more that these relationships were not for mere mortals like me.  In all of this I felt deep in my heart that I was missing something ... and I am beginning to understand that I was right.  But it wasn't what I thought.  It was hidden right in front of me.  It's actually contained in the phrase "Spiritual Disciplines".  Did you catch it?  Discipline.  It implies there will be work involved ... training, practice, growth, strengthening, stamina building work.
In our current call to build community and relationships in a city that lives and breathe the go, go, going of "successful and fulfilled" lives, I can't believe that good news for them is the additional go, go, going that we frequently connect to a church community.  That only leads to exhaustion of the worst kind...exhaustion of the soul.  This week our group begins the journey of exploring various spiritual practices and the discipline to develop them and move towards a refreshing, life giving, and life giving away faith in Christ that truly is good news to people on the treadmill.  Let me repeat that it's a journey ... It's not a class, a workshop, a sermon ... It's a journey.  This week we begin by exploring the practice and discipline of solitude.  Watch this page for exercises, reminders and best practices as we journey together.