Silent Conversation

Posted on March 2, 2012 by David Nuottila

People who know me well may think the following is a miracle of sorts.  It is nearly noon and I just realized that I have not spoken one word.  Not one single syllable, none.  Several thoughts raced through my mind when I first realized this, least of which is the fact that I don’t necessarily feel like I have anyone to talk to.  Normally by now I would have made several phone calls, been to the office to pick up something I had forgotten, or gone out for a morning walk and coffee somewhere,  but not today.

Friday is my day off, my Sabbath as it were.  It is the day I set aside for rest, study, and simply enjoying a bit of peace.  What is different about today is that it is the first full Friday I have spent in Salisbury since accepting my new call and moving.  My wife and kids are still in South Carolina, and each weekend they have either come up here or I have traveled there.  In either case, I have not had a Friday all to myself such as this in a very long time.  And it is quiet and surprisingly pleasant.

This morning, I have enjoyed a bit of spiritual reading, mostly on other Lutheran blogs and church websites.  I have also done a bit of sermon writing, and reading for our Lenten Bible study on Mondays.  Lastly, I have worked a little bit on the book I have been writing for what seems like ages.  In fact, the morning is about over, only a few more minutes, and I have had no human contact except for the local news on TV and a few moments of ESPN.  However, strange as it may sound, these are not the only voices heard in my home this morning.

Alone in my thoughts, I have had a wonderful conversation with God.  Through my reading and writing, God has spoken throughout the morning.  He has guided my study for Sunday’s sermon when I had questions,and he even asked questions of his own as I prepared for Bible study.  While reading blogs and visiting church websites, God has told me at least a dozen times that he loves me, and he has also shared with me the fact that so many others also love me and support me in ways too numerous to count.  It really has been incredible, this morning of silence.

Sadly, the time to venture out into town is fast approaching.  In a few moments I will find myself leaving the sanctuary of my living room and taking my place in line, at the stop light, or filling a cart with groceries and other needed items.  The prospect of all this brings about several other questions. (Hey, I’m a pastor, I’m supposed to think like this.)  Who will be the first person I speak to today?  Will I speak them in love?  What words will be the first uttered in conversation?  So much to consider when wondering how I will break today’s silence.

It is now past noon and time to get on with the business of the day.  As I said earlier, I find it strangely refreshing that I have not uttered one word until now.  A morning such as this is a blessing, it allows me to  consider the ways I communicate with others, and how I choose the words I say.  Even as I write these final words of this post, God is speaking.  He too is asking, “What are your first words for today?”  He also has provided me the answer.  As you come to the conclusion of today’s post, consider speaking the words God has placed on my lips that shall be my first of the day:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory; forever and ever.

Amen!

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Finding Stillness

Posted on February 29, 2012 by David Nuottila

Psalm 46 tells us to be still and know that God is God, but when you are swamped with work, how can one find stillness? Lately, things just seem to be go, go, go.  There hasn’t been much time to be still. Even when there seems to be stillness, my mind has been racing at 200mph.

Most of us, if not all have gone through weeks such as this, so it isn’t news and it surly isn’t an experience all to myself. I read blogs where people write about how their weeks are jammed with so many activities of the church, that it is hard to come up for air or make room for family. I know several ministers who read this blog and all have full lives in which there is little time to settle down and just be still. It is a struggle for someone working in ministry to slow down when people are suddenly in need, when they mourn, or want to share their joys as well.  Let the record show, by the way, we ministers would not have it any other way.

Others whom I know that are frequent readers of these pages have admitted to me that they often catch up with me late at night or on the weekends.  Their days are jam packed with activity and responsibility.  Finding time to read blogs and such is low on the priority list.  Still, if one cannot find time to be still, even if only for a moment or two, how can he or she be able to listen for God’s voice and direction in their life?

During lunch yesterday, I noticed the sun was bright in the sky and the temperature was unseasonably warm.  I don’t know where the notion first came from, but I took my salad outside along with a book and simply enjoyed a time of quiet…a time of stillness.  Watching the cars go by, birds fly overhead and even the occasional walker following the path encircling our church cemetery gave me respite from an otherwise busy schedule.

I was reading from Henri J.M. Nouwen’s Home Tonight: Further Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  What I found during this time was a stillness that I hadn’t felt for a while; a calm in the midst of the whirlwind if you will.  I recognized this as holy time, time alone with my Father in heaven.  Little did I know before hand, it was just what I needed.

It is difficult to find stillness. It is difficult to find a peaceful place to be alone for a while with God and allow the loving Father to care for and reassure the busy child in all of us. But it is important to find stillness. It is important, if even for only a few minutes that we take time to slow down and simply rest in Christ.  Spiritual practices such as devotional reading, meditative prayer, or listening to sacred music are all ways one can escape from busy schedules and make time to be still with God.  Such a healthy habit…such a wonderful experience to know that God is always with us, no matter how fast the current of the river of life seems to sweep us along.

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It Takes Discipline

Posted on February 28, 2012 by David Nuottila

Discipline.  Just the word itself seems intimidating enough without us having to talk about it.  But spiritual discipline is what the season of Lent calls for, and it is what Christians the world over hope to achieve.  Through the disciplines of prayer, reading Holy Scripture, repentance, worship, fasting, works of love and giving alms, we hope to draw closer to God and strengthen our relationship with Christ Jesus.  Through such practices as these, we hope to enhance our faith and grow as disciples of our Lord, following his example of servant leadership for the sake of others.

During this season of Lent, I find myself serving a new congregation in a new place.  One year ago I couldn’t have imagined being where I am today.  Yet, even as the scenery has changed and there are new names and faces to learn, the focus of Lent remains the same; understanding my need for God’s forgiveness and mercy, and leading my flock to grow in their understanding of the same so that we can be a powerful witness of God’s love through Christ Jesus to the world around us.  How do I, and how do we do this?  Discipline.

Becoming a disciple of Christ Jesus isn’t easy.  Accepting Christ’s call to follow him and become fishers of people means Christians must become living reminders of God’s love for his people.  In order to become such followers of Jesus, Christians must draw closer to God, strengthening their faith and relationship with Christ Jesus on a daily basis.  The disciplines of Lent are the tools for building such faith.

The late Henri J.M. Nouwen puts it this way:

“Discipline is the other side of discipleship. Discipleship without discipline is like waiting to run in the marathon without ever practicing. Discipline without discipleship is like always practicing for the marathon but never participating. It is important, however, to realize that discipline in the spiritual life is not the same as discipline in sports. Discipline in sports is the concentrated effort to master the body so that it can obey the mind better. Discipline in the spiritual life is the concentrated effort to create the space and time where God can become our master and where we can respond freely to God’s guidance.”  (Bread for the Journey)

The disciplines of Lent focus us on God’s saving act through Christ Jesus.  Daily prayer, Scripture reading, fasting and worship help us set boundaries where we can spend time with God so that we are able to heed Jesus’s invitation to follow and become disciples.

Sure, this year I am serving in a new place, but I still serve a congregation of God’s people who strive to be disciples of Jesus and witnesses to the power of God’s love.  Collectively, our congregation has embarked on a journey of Lenten discipline focusing on three of the spiritual practices listed above.  Prayer, daily reading of Holy Scripture and worship are the foundation of our pilgrimage to the cross of Good Friday.  Through these three disciplines, we look to experience the complete joy of the empty tomb of Easter.  I also urge all of our brothers and sisters in Christ to focus on the other four disciplines listed here.  As pastor, I invite our members and friends to experience the spiritual benefits of repentance and fasting, along with the joy of doing works of love and giving alms.

The goal of Christian life is to love God with all your heart, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as Christ loves you.  Striving toward this goal requires a faith made strong through spiritual discipline.  Becoming a fisher of people means one must first become a disciple of our Lord Jesus.  Again, as Nouwen says, “Discipline is the other side of discipleship.”  You can’t have one without the other.

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Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer

Posted on February 25, 2012 by David Nuottila

Every now and then I mention that I love reading books by Henri J.M. Nouwen.  Nouwen, a spiritual leader of the church, was someone who embodied the loving spirit of Christ in all of his actions and deeds.  One of my favorite devotional books written by Nouwen is his yearlong journal he kept entitled Bread for the Journey.  In this book are the reflections that Henri jotted down each day for an entire year, and then published them as a guide to help those who desire to live a spiritual life.  The following is an excerpt from the book.

 

Empowered to Pray

Prayer is the gift of the Spirit. Often we wonder how to pray, when to pray, and what to pray. We can become very concerned about methods and techniques of prayer. But finally it is not we who pray but the Spirit who prays in us.

Paul says: “The Spirit … comes to help us in our weakness, for, when we do not know how to pray properly, then the Spirit personally makes our petitions for us in groans that cannot be put into words; and he who can see into all hearts knows what the Spirit means because the prayers that the Spirit makes for God’s holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God” (Romans 8:26-27). These words explain why the Spirit is called “the Consoler.”

Sometimes, being alone in prayer it can be difficult to articulate one’s feelings in the form of a well composed prayer.  All too often, we try to put thoughts together in a logical order so as to pray a meaningful prayer.  The result is time spent concentrating on the words of the prayer instead of simply following the Holy Spirit’s lead and enjoying my quiet time with God.  Martin Luther teaches us that it is best to use simple language that captures the essence of our need and with his explanation of the third article of the Apostles Creed, Luther reminds us of the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

What does this mean?  I believe that I cannot come to my Lord Jesus Christ by my own intelligence or power. But the Holy Spirit called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as The Holy Spirit calls, gathers together, enlightens and makes holy the whole Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus in the one, true faith. In this Church, The Holy Spirit generously forgives each day every sin committed by me and by every believer. On the last day, he will raise me and all the dead from the grave. God will give eternal life to me and to all who believe in Christ. Yes, this is most certainly true!

 

When we come before God in prayer, we come as needy people; people who cannot approach God without the help of the Holy Spirit.  It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we enabled to meet God on such an intimate level.  We must understand that it’s not the words of our prayer that God receives with joy; rather, he knows our hearts and receives our prayers as faithful response to the gifts of the Spirit. In prayer, God receives us, the totality of our very being.  Through prayer we enjoy communion with the God who first created us, no matter how unworthy our words seem to be.

 

This Lenten season, one of the spiritual disciplines our congregation is dedicated to is living a life of prayer.  Learning to pray aright, understanding that in difficult times, the words do  not matter, for the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with sighs to deep for words (Romans 8:26-28).  What matters is that we follow the example of Jesus, spend time alone with God in prayer, and lift up before him the things that weigh on our hearts and minds.

 

Living a life of prayer also means offering our thanks and praise to God at all times and in all situations.  Our heavenly Father is generous beyond human measure, and even in difficult times his mercy and grace endure.  For the love we receive, for the support of family and friends, for the air that we breathe and the food we eat, we give thanks for the many and wonderful blessings of our Father who meets our every need.

 

Loving Father, we give you thanks for the gifts of your Holy Spirit that we may come to you in prayer.  Continue to bless us with these gifts, and help us to be such blessing to others that they too may realize the power of Christ, through these same spiritual gifts.  We humbly pray for this and all that you see as good for us, through the precious name of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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pray to your father in secret…

Posted on February 23, 2012 by David Nuottila

Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21

[Jesus said] “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.  But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

  And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.  But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

 

Following our evening service during which we imposed ashes on the foreheads of our parishioners, I finally made it home for a time of peace before a late night of sermon writing and Facebook checking.  When I booted up the computer and pulled up my Facebook page, I was struck by the number of people who posted pictures of themselves wearing the ashes of repentance.  It was almost comical.  The words of Jesus, “don’t practice your piety in such a way…” slapped me in the face.

Now please, please, please don’t get the impression I am passing judgement.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The folks who posted pics with ashes are all faithful Christian people connecting with the community of Christ and sharing their common beliefs and reliance on God’s mercy.  I sincerely feel the ashes displayed were a method by which those separated by distance and time were able to gather as children of the Heavenly Father.  But still, the words of Christ were right there in front of all of our faces.

So how often do we Christians practice our piety in such a way as to call attention to our perceived level of faithfulness?  Though not intentional, do we lift up our particular brand of faith as a superior model for others?  Do we want people to see us and know we are Christians?  It’s something to think about as we enter this Lenten season.

I invite others to reflect on these texts as we consider how we practice our piety.  Leave your comments and let’s see where the discussion goes.

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