There are some who grow up knowing. They know with certainty that they want to get married, and they do. They know with passion that they want to be a parent, and they become one. They know their career path, and they jog it.

And then there are others, like myself, who seem too in awe with life to settle on anything definitive. Instead, we want to visit many of life's rooms, touch and feel the different fabric, sit down at a table for long conversations and a meal with a stranger. Uncertain about the big life list. No five year plan. Taking it one season or year at a time. 

Believe it or not, for the last few years this "uncertainty" has almost had me pulling out my hair in frustration! Aren't we suppose to know, once we are adults, what we want in life? Doesn't certainty hit you when you hit 40, if not before? And shouldn't "the plan" be a proven, well trotted path?

I'm thankful I've done some of the "you're supposed to…" stuff. I've gotten an advance college degree, I worked a corporate job in an office that had a window, I've lived in a fast and metropolitan city. But none of that has led me to any answers. Just more questions! Ultimately, all of this pointed me into a different direction of fulfillment.

Still, I can't help but to ask, what's next? Is this where I'm supposed to be? That's when, the other day as I was driving, it dawned on me -- maybe I am just supposed to live the questions. 

The great poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, in his book, "Letters to a Young Poet" writes: 

      Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the 
      questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now 
      written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which 
      cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And 
      the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you 
      will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into 
      the answer.

The Habitual Rush to Know
We are in an era of instant information. Go to a dinner with friends and let a conversation involve a question that no one is sure how to answer and what will happen? At least one person will pull out their "smart" phone to google the answer. We can't wait until after dinner to know for sure the population of the city. We must google it while having our sushi and sake. 

There is this habitual rush to know. But what if we don't know? What if our research on Google and in scripture doesn't lead us to the answer? What if what we thought was right for us isn't? What do we do when we just don't know? How do we respond? With newfound hope or lack of faith?

I wonder, for the ones of us who are constantly asking questions, what if we decided to live the questions instead of obsessing over finding the answers? What if we eased into the journey of embracing the question -- without holding our breath for the answer?

Could it be that God wants us, at least some of us, to just explore the questions without the rush or even pursuit of the answer? What if the answer is actually in living the question? What if there is no answer other than that?!

OK, too many questions!

True Living
What I'm getting to is that many of us waste our life's energy on our desire "to know," to "get it right." We squander our time and creativity looking for the cookie cutter answer instead of just walking (and trusting) the path God has laid for us. We overlook the beauty of life rushing to figure it out. 

I'm not suggesting that we walk around aimless without goals or that we not pray for discernment and revelation. There is value in planning and seeking; scripture speaks to that. But, when we become consumed by the desire to know to the point that we overlook the beauty and wonder of the question, then it becomes less about our desire to be with God and more about desire to please our false self, which ultimately leads to nowhere good. 

What I have discovered and continue to, thankfully, is that when I think of God as not only in the answer but also the question, I become more opened to what God has for me -- which is often more surprising and pleasing than any answer I could imagine.

O.K., maybe for some, joy is overrated. I literally know people who do not believe in happiness or joy as a condition (but they perpetually believe in fear and anxiety). It is amazing to me that these people also consider themselves Christians -- those who belong to a faith that speaks to the fulfillment of joy.

Now, I don’t believe that because we have a savior that we will be rescued or saved from life’s challenges and pains. But, as Christians, I don’t think we have to experience those heartaches without hope and faith. 

I’m learning like most of us – by trial and error – and I’m thankful that each day I have something new to discover about myself, this world and a God who I know loves me to pieces. I didn’t always know this. I used to think no one loved me. I was a slow-to-learn student, I was a skinny kid with darker completion than my friends, I was quiet and a pushover. I experienced love from my family and church members (partly because I was the "preacher's kid") but I didn’t love myself and I didn’t know how to conceptualize or actualize the love of God.

It took me, as a young adult, “doing the work” to open my heart, I mean really open my heart, to God. After my Dad (who was also my best friend) died suddenly, I lost hope and faith. “God, can’t possibly love me and allow THIS to happen. No way. No how.” Yep, that’s what I believed. That was also my grief talking. 

I was angry, hurt, confused. I felt lied to and betrayed. I stopped loving God, life and myself. That’s hell. 

I had to re-establish a relationship with God.

Thankfully, God did not stop loving me or protecting me during my "rebellion" period. His unconditional love saw and pulled me through the dark part of my life. He gave me poetry to help me share and observe my grief process. He gave me family and friends to lean on. He gave me a road map and a flash light. 

It took years and a lot of hard work to believe again. It took me having a personal relationship with God, instead of going by what I read in the Bible and heard others testify, for me to fall in love with God, for me to open my heart, for me to completely trust and surrender to this Force that I cannot see or touch.

So, today, when I don’t have the answers, when I can’t come up with all the details of the plan, when I am literally and figuratively in darkness, pain and confusion, I know that there is a Master Plan and Creator who will not leave me. When my back in against the wall, I know God’s back is too. Not in the sense that God feels cornered or powerless (like I do sometimes) but in the sense that God feels and knows exactly what I’ve experiencing in the moment, and is right there with me.

I’ve been thinking about super heroes lately. I think it’s because one morning recently, as I was leaving Panera Bread, I heard a mother say to her young son, who I imagine was three years old, “I need you to stop being a super hero, okay?” But, we are all super heroes, in our own way, no matter our age. Each one of us. We were created to be. 

We, in our own way, have the “power” to save the world.  Not by converting others to Christianity but in sharing Truth and love with others. What the world needs is healing and we were created and brought here in this time and space spiritually and physically to be a part of that transformation, but we have to have our own first. The wounded can help heal the wounded but the wounded must be healed first. This is our ultimate calling and purpose.

And healing means accepting the love of God, Universe, Creator – whatever name you give it doesn’t really matter (before there were words and labels “God” already existed). It means being intentional and I mean down right intentional about excepting and experiencing God’s love.

“But how? I mean, I know in my mind that God loves me. What more is there?” I’m glad you asked :-). Knowing in your mind should not be underrated. So much of what we experience has to do with what we know or think we know. But knowing one day doesn’t mean you’re going to know it the next day. And there is another level of knowing beyond the mind. There’s the heart level.

So, here are what I refer to as prescriptions. Just like we take our vitamins or blood pressure pills or iron daily, there are prescriptions for our heart, mind and spirit. 

1. Daily, take a deep breath, feel the "inspiration" (God's breath) flowing through you.
2. Daily, lift your chest to the sky, giving your heart back to God.
3. Daily, give thanks for all you have, all you have experienced, all you have learned.
4. Daily, tell yourself that YOU love you, forgive yourself, be gentle with yourself, protect yourself.
5. Daily, pause and observe your surroundings, the noise, nature's bending, the beauty that pops up before you, and allow yourself to be delighted by it all (some rainbows are just for you).
   
6. Daily, smile at a stranger, extend love to your neighbor remembering ultimately, we are all one.
   
7. Daily, surrender your dreams, desires, pains, hopes knowing that there is "something" greater than your thoughts and emotions that has your best interest in mind.
   

Jesus said that he had come that we might have life more abundantly. It is God's desire that we live outside of bondage. What are you bound to? Know that there is a way out and daily we can experience the resurrection -- a new beginning. Joy belongs to those who believe. Claim it, work at it, release the thoughts of anything other. Be it. 

Knowing it is so and so it is…

Recently a friend at lunch told me about a ritual used by an American Indian tribe. When a person offends someone in the community, they gather and put the person in the middle of the circle. Then for three days, if necessary, they take turns telling this person all of the ways she contributes to the life of the community. The tribe simply reminds the offending person of her highest or truest self.

Usually, when someone upsets us, we do just the opposite of this ritual. We shun or perhaps confront the person with all their erroneous ways. We separate ourselves from them.

This ritual illustrates the power of coming together to co-create a new future.  We can gather as this tribe did for an individual’s benefit or we can come together as a group to co-create something new needed for the world. When we are present to God’s Presence within us and between us and open ourselves to what goodness wants to be born, miracles occur.

What might happen if, instead of our usual punishing methods (which only further upsets us) we communicated all that we appreciate about how this person or this work contributes to life? This kind of co-creation energy for one another helps us all grow into the kind of person and the kind of initiative that makes all things new.

We are having a Co-Creation 2014 conference in Greensboro, NC

Here are some questions we have gotten about this event—and now some answers:

Who is hosting Co-Creation? The church (Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church) and The Servant Leadership School of Greensboro hold that we are all called to be God’s healing Presence in our world—we are all called to be servant leaders or co-creators of a new loving future where all are welcomed and all respected.

Why are the speakers who are coming invited? All three speakers (Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault, Dr. Phyllis Tickle, Rev. Jon Wormann) are brilliant and at the “cutting edge” of contemporary spirituality. They bring together the wisdom of our Christian faith tradition and also contemporary and very old spiritual practices that help us usher in the Kingdom of God.

What is the hope and goal of Co-Creation? We hope to provide a sacred space for meaningful conversations about how, as people of faith, we can co-create the world with God, and one another seeking both soul justice and social justice.

Why should people come? We think people will be inspired by not only the speakers but by others who tell their stories of co-creation and where God is active in this world. We will have a 24-7 Prayer Space; a Story Lounge; a celebration of World Labyrinth Day with live music and lots of good food.

What's different about this "conference"? Co-Creation provides sacred space which invites challenging ideas and deep reflection with places for inner work and other spaces for outer expression (open mic!).

Why is attending important to one's spiritual development? Folks who are open to new ideas and new ways of being with God and one another will appreciate this time together.

What can people expect? Serious fun and deep connections and love—yes, love will be present at Co-Creation 2014.

For information and videos on Co-Creation 2014 -- a gathering in Greensboro, NC, May 1-3 --  and to register, please visit www.servleader.org. The Early Bird Special for the conference ends April 1!

Life is experienced in cycles. Seasons. Some have us going through a draught while others have us overwhelmed by rain and waterfalls. Nothing remains the same in this temporal world. We are constantly bombarded by shouts to our ego of nothing being enough, of needing more, of giving less.

A few days ago, I reread the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), which got me thinking of the gift of being present. In all that is going on around us, I think we are called -- now, as then -- to be in relationship, not just with God but with one another. 

We each choose what we do just as we can choose to be present in that moment. For Mary, the choice was to be with Jesus. For Martha, it was to host. Yet, Martha was discontent. There was no right or wrong in what was chosen but the mindfulness or presence with it made the difference. Perhaps you can relate: when we're doing a task but thinking solely about wanting to be doing something else, then we're missing the blessing in that moment. 

God wants us to be present. Yes, with God but also with our divine nature and others. We are surrounded by God's love and grace but we often miss it because we're too consumed and distracted by thinking of what's next or what's wrong with our current picture. We can be conduits of that love and grace when we surrender to the moment.

I read somewhere that God is present in "the moment." I believe that God is in the past, present and future all at once but I also like to think of God being in the moment because it is in the moment we are able to experience God. It's the difference between kairos and chronos. Why would we say no to having a kairos or "supreme moment" experience to chase after a chronos one?

As I reflected on a recent work experience – being with various groups of people, helping to facilitate discussions – I remembered that the most important thing we can do is be present with one another -- open the space to the moment.

Sounds simple and beautiful but it can be oh so difficult to accomplish, particularly with any amount of consistency. But yet, it's something we are called to do as we commune with God and others. I’m not where I want to be in the field of being present but here are some practices that I have picked up on that have helped me. 

1.  Disconnect. I like to “shut down” around 10:00 PM, and turn off the phone and computer at that time on weeknights. What time works for you to truly and consistently disconnect?

2.  Protect morning time. Not turning my phone or computer back on until after my morning devotional time helps me to stay committed to my QT with God, and ease into the day.

3.  Keep eye contact. I also, more recently, keep my cell phone to my back or in my purse when out with a friend so my eyes won't go to it instead of who I’m with.

4.  Send light and love. When I feel myself getting distracted when I’m talking to someone, I gently remind myself to be present by sending that person (and myself) light and love. Remember that the person before you, no matter who it is, is a precious child of God.

5.  Surrender the moment. Releasing expectations of the moment and opening your heart to it opens yourself to miracles. Sweet.

6.  Keep a journal. My journaling isn’t so much about all the "bad" stuff, but as a way to slow down and reflect. To capture the moment and make room for more by daily self-emptying.  

7.  Keep breathing. Taking time to focus on my breathing has done wonders. Our breath a beautiful, calming, moving piece of art.

8.  Take a nap. I don't know what I would do without taking naps. I don't get one daily but at least once a week I find relaxing in the middle of the day with God to be refreshing which allows me to be much more patient (and present) with myself and others. 

9.  Value, yet give time. Remember, we will not get the time we spend here back. That doesn't mean we become selfish with it but rather value it. If you feel that you have truly wasted your time, then commit to not doing that action again under the same circumstance. Forgive it, and move on. Now, to me, that's freedom!

What are some daily practices that help you remain present?

In closing, here's a poem, I want to leave with you, that always reminds me of the beauty and gift of presence.

WHEN SOMEONE DEEPLY LISTENS TO YOU 
by John Fox

When someone deeply listens to you
it is like holding out a dented cup
you've had since childhood
and watching it fill up with
cold, fresh water.

When it balances on top of the brim,
you are understood.
When it overflows and touches your skin,
you are loved.

When someone deeply listens to you
the room where you stay
starts a new life
and the place where you wrote
your first poem
begins to glow in your mind's eye.
It is as if gold has been discovered!

When someone deeply listens to you
your bare feet are on the earth
and a beloved land that seemed distant
is now at home within you.

I tend to shy away from media and Hollywood trends. What everyone is talking about is likely something I haven't seen. I don't watch the popular TV show, Scandal (I hear it's great); and many of the movies that have won an Oscar Award I haven't seen. But within the week of the movie Son of God coming out, I went to see it. 

The last "Jesus movie" I saw was one that came out in the 1970s. I missed The Passion simply because too many people where talking about it. But, perhaps it's where I am on my spiritual path, I knew I had to see Son of God. 

I thought about doing a review of the movie. Perhaps even interviewing several theologians to gather their thoughts on the movie. But there are real reporters who are doing that, I'm sure. Instead, I want to explore with you what was one of the strongest points of the movie to me.

Don't worry. If you haven't seen the movie, I'm not going to spoil it for you. After all, nothing in the movie is a surprise if you know the "highlights" of the Bible and Jesus' life as recorded therein. So, you can keep reading :-).

At the end of the movie and as recorded in Matthew 28:19, after Jesus had been resurrected, he says to the disciples (who included Mary), "Go and teach…" And, without question or complaint or long sorrowful goodbyes, they walk away.

Fast forward two thousand or so years and here we are studying, confessing, sharing, worshipping, singing, praying, communing, remembering, debating, writing, researching, dissecting, proclaiming, healing, preaching, teaching about the life and love of God through Jesus. A revolution began. Lives were literally sacrificed for this the good news of Jesus. 

So, how can we sit comfortably in our pews, concerned with our finances and church membership numbers when there were eleven (or some small number) who took the word and examples of Jesus into the world (with much less material means than us)? How can such a small group, started with/by the Son of God, be a catalyst to transformation, and, today, our church (forget thinking of church collectively) be stifled and limited?

Here are, what I believe, unique characteristics to the disciples from which we can learn:
1. They had a personal relationship with Christ. Each disciple spent quality time with Jesus. They asked questions. They communed with him. They broke bread together. They saw Jesus' heart. Yes, Jesus isn't here physically but can't we still have a personal relationship with him? Don't we have evidence of what he's done and is doing in our own life that we can use as examples that he's real? It takes commitment and discipline to have a relationship with Jesus now and it did then.
2. They risked everything to follow him. Are we willing to leave the comforts of our home or church to follow the true, living God or are we comfortable getting by keeping the status quo? Are we willing to sell our goods and spread the gospel? I'm not saying everyone has to do that to be a true disciple, but I think we have to ask ourselves the question, "Am I holding on to something that I need to let go of that's keeping me from fully following Jesus?" And risk what we think we need in order to grow in our faith in God.
3. They were followers, in faith. The disciples followed, i.e. obeyed Jesus. They let him lead which means they had to have faith. Sure, they doubted at times. After all, there is "doubting Thomas," who is more like us than many are willing to admit. But the ones who followed Jesus to the end knew, beyond just a mental understanding, that Jesus was the Son of God. Often, when we are doubtful we stop following Jesus and follow our fears instead. When we do, we stumble as Peter taking his eyes off Jesus when walking on the water. Thank God, we have an advocate and can return, humbly, to the path of Jesus.

That scene of the movie of the disciples walking off the mountain, after hearing Jesus, has stayed with me. The disciples had renewed faith having spent those 40 days after the resurrection with him. They were empowered and gifted the Holy Spirit. They did not hesitate or ask questions when Jesus spoke what was next. They got up, knowing in their heart what they were called to do. With faith, they were committed to begin the ministry of Christianity. 

Today, we, as Christians, must do the same: get up and spread the radical love and forgiveness of God. It doesn't matter the number of those who walk with us or who sit in the pews of the church next to us. What matters is the heart of people who believe. The faith. The vision. The desire. When we ask, "What are we to do next", I think we already know. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I commanded you." And then there is this, "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age." 

Are you ready? I will meet you on the path!

How does it feel to have entered the religious season of Lent? Honestly? Are you dying to share what you're experiencing during this 40-day journey beginning at Ash Wednesday going to Easter? 

If you're on social media, you've seen, I'm sure, posts about what others are doing during the Lenten season. Some are giving up Krispy Kreme donuts, some are exercising more, some -- like myself -- have decided (and shared on Facebook) to add "de-cluttering" to my cleansing process of Lent. 

But, just the other day, as I was reading and reflecting on Matthew 6:1-6 (“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."), I began to have a greater understanding of what this season is for a believer. Though the scripture is talking about giving to the needy and our prayer life, it also touches on how our actions hopefully are about making space and drawing closer to God -- not for show-- and the great call to do it privately.

In this age where "authenticity" is code for "cool" and "hip", I wonder if we are telling some things -- even about our spiritual life -- that should be kept private. Have we taken "open and honest" to a level where we inadvertently neglect a truthful and deep look at our own soul? Are we trying so hard to seem to be transparent that we risk being silent and still before God, allowing Him to speak to the depth of our hidden heart?

Spiritual life can be complicated. Not because spirituality is but because we try often to understand it from a limited bases. So, like me, writing and sharing are helpful ways to seek and see God. There is a "3rd space" for us, in community, to ask questions, be in dialogue and prayer, to worship and grieve. Church, for too long, has been too secretive. People afraid to share their heartache of our fear of being judged. We need truth and authenticity and support. 

But there is also a time we need to go into our secret prayer closet. There is a time we need to worship alone in the kitchen or bathroom. There is the time when God speaks directly to us when we are alone, open and available. And these times we are to hold close how God is moving, not boast about them. If we are able to put into words God's move in our life, do we have to update our Facebook status or tweet these sacred moments? I believe not. 

Don't get me wrong. We need to spread the Good News and what better way than by our own testimony? Yet, the Lenten season calls us away from distractions of the world (and ego) to reflect on the life of Jesus and the crucifixion, that we may prepare ourselves to sacrifice our flesh that we grow in the Spirit. This takes discipline and the desire to go within, to surrender, to receive from God. Can we truly do this if we are equally concerned about the outside world?

This season provides the opportunity for a deeper level of intimacy with God but if we are tempted to say to others at every turn, "Look at how I'm walking this Lenten path," we miss the point! We are called to be light. How God prunes us to get there doesn't have to be validated by an outside audience (which, often, is our motivation to share, if we're not aware). We don't need anyone to say, "Wow, yes, because of that (whatever "that" is) I believe God has called you..." That's something we must know for ourselves (plus, who would you really want or need to hear that from)? The light that radiates from us is our evidence of God's good work in us.

As with everything, finding balance is what's important -- the balance between sharing what God is doing in our lives and having our relationship with God be personal and private. When it's easy to get caught up in what seems to be the "in" thing, I am reminded to take time to be secretive, especially during Lenten season. There is a hidden place in my heart, as in yours, where a garden blooms making space for me and the Holy Spirit to meet. This is where we grow; and our light and love from this secret side of Lent will be our testimony. More so than words and social media updates.  

A few months ago I stumbled upon a picture of a white male teen standing next to a school project that he titled “Will there be Minorities in
Heaven?” (See Here)  Initially I assumed that the picture and project was some sort of joke, but upon further investigation my assumptions were proven wrong. All the “google evidence” pointed to the fact that this was indeed an actual project, done by an actual 21st century student, in an actual Christian school, graded by actual teachers. (I’m curious what grade he received.) Although I couldn’t access the full details of the project my hunch is that this young man defines “minorities” as people of color. Perhaps, he like most American Christians, is oblivious to the fact that demographically speaking, the average Christian on the global
landscape is an African or Latino woman. 

This knowledge would actually necessitate that he see himself as the current “minority.” Many American Christians are oblivious to the fact that demographically speaking, the average Christian on the global landscape is an African or Latino woman. Just 100 years ago, the two headquarter addresses of Christianity were Europe and North America. 

In 1950 the average Christian was a white, middle-aged, upper middle class male, but since that time we have experienced an ethnic, gender, and cultural exodus in world Christianity. An address change has occurred and the mail must now be forwarded to Latin America, Africa, and Asia. 

Yet, so many leaders are stacking up piles of returned mail marked “invalid address” because they refuse to update their address books and acknowledge the shift. The transcendent Gospel of Jesus is being truncated and unconsciously tinted by a white, western, Eurocentric, male lens in many evangelical churches, denominations, conferences, and universities.

It’s Not Your Grandma’s America OR Church Anymore
Nationally, it’s not uncommon to hear the cry of lament coming from evangelical pulpits about the death of “American Christianity.” While some leaders are prophesying impending doom and counseling God’s people to retreat to the safety of their Christian ghettos, others are calling for a bold and “triumphal return” to our country’s GREAT “Christian” past. When I hear this I think to myself, “What exact year do they want to return to?” 1950? I hope not…that wasn’t the greatest of times for folks with my pigmentation. 

1850 maybe? Again, this doesn’t sound very attractive to the descendants of enslaved Africans and displaced indigenous people. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to take a jab at my precious brothers and sisters in Christ who have this sentiment. I simply want Christians to come to grips with the fact that this country has ALWAYS been plagued by “selective moralism.”

America has always cherry picked from the Bible and it seems that those who are convinced that the church is numerically dying are doing a bit of statistical cherry picking. There are scholars like Dr. Soong Chan Rah and sociologist Steven Warner who argue that “we are NOT seeing the de-Christianization of America, but the de-Europeanization of American Christianity.”  

In other words, WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) churches are rapidly declining and dying while Asian and Latino churches are growing as a result of immigration. African-American churches are maintaining steady numbers, neither declining or growing. All of this is happening to the backdrop of a nation that is on pace to be majority “people of color” by 2040. Currently, more than half of all births in America are of a person of color, while last year for the first time in our nation’s history more whites died than were born.

Churches are still extremely segregated. Only 5% of protestant denominations are ethnically diverse while 27% of non-Christian religious congregations are ethnically diverse. To be qualified as a “diverse” church you only need to obtain an 80/20 ratio. Sadly, the research shows that the average congregation is only 1/10 as “racially” diverse as the neighborhood in which it is situated. So much for churches being a redeemed representation of the community they live in. 

Though these statistics are a grim picture of separation, I am also encouraged that more and more people seem to be getting a heart for reconciliation, solidarity, and diversity in churches. In a recent poll, 70 percent of church leaders voiced a strong desire for their congregation to be more ethnically and culturally diverse. However, I’m convinced that “voicing” this desire is not enough. We must vigorously pray, preach, and prime our churches to actually achieve this Godly aim. If churches want to become a “3rd Space” of ethnic diversity and solidarity much work must be done. Spirit-empowered, historically informed, culturally intelligent, love-fueled intentionality is required if we are to see this horrible history of division end amongst those who claim to worship the same Jesus.

A Snapshot of the Eternal “3rd Space”
As a result of being a leader at a diverse church, I’m often asked by other leaders for the ingredients to the “magic formula.”  For some, the idea of worshiping and doing life with people of different colors, cultures, and classes is like going to mars. They’ve never been there and have no “earthly idea” what that’s supposed to look, sound, and feel like. 

That’s actually a good thing. We don’t need an “earth grown” idea or church growth scheme for diversity. We need a Jesus-centered, heavenly revelation. In Revelation, Chapter 7 we find an “eternal snapshot” of God’s multi-ethnic, multi-cultural church. There we find “The Eternal 3rd Space!” It is a place where individuals from every tribe and tongue are free to breathe in divine love and exhale out authentic worship to the One who knows them by name. The earthly implications of this “heavenly picture” are so vast!

It’s by looking ahead to the restoration of all things that we get our fuel and blueprint for restoration and reconciliation in the now. C.S. Lewis once said: “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”

It seems counter-intuitive, but the scripture communicates this reality over and over. If your spiritual eyes are given the gift to look into the glories of the next life where the fullness of the kingdom will be a reality, it creates a longing for those blessings in the here and now. This is why Jesus commands us to pray that the “Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.”

A glimpse at heaven should inspire a holy imagination for what the church could look like on earth. IF in heaven there is unity among every nation, tribe, people group, and language should not the church strive for that unity in the now.  If there is no segregation at the throne of the Lamb, shouldn’t we strive to end the most segregated hour in America-Sunday morning. If there is no marginalization at the throne of heaven shouldn’t we seek to be used of God to de-marginalize the marginalized within our congregations.  

If while looking ahead to eternity, Paul could say, “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”, couldn’t we strive towards knowing, loving, and honoring individuals and people groups outside of the caricatures or stereotype that we’ve learned in a society plagued by racial exploitation. If there is no culture idolatry, snobbery, elitism, and ignorance in heaven shouldn’t we be praying hard, loving hard, and fighting against these things in our own hearts now.

If truth reigns in heaven, shouldn’t we expose the lie and myth of race as we have known it historically in America. Biologically and biblically there is only ONE race -- the human race. In spite of differences in physical appearances, humans are very similar genetically. In fact, there is more genetic diversity within so called “racial groups” than outside of those groups. Penguins, who to the naked eye look identical, are on average twice as genetically different than the average humans are from each other. 

Fruit flies are actually 10 times genetically different from each other than fellow humans are from each other. When comparing humans to humans, its not like comparing BMWs to Pintos. It is comparing priceless image of God-bearers to fellow priceless image of God-bearers. There is no superior race and neither are their inferior races. There is only ONE race made in God’s image! If racism will be non-existent in eternity and “GRACISM” will rule to the glory of Jesus, shouldn’t this grace be experienced in ever increasing measures now?

Diversity in churches can be a potent witness to a watching world if leveraged properly. But this is an uphill climb with many challenges. Many sacrifices must be made by ALL involved to see true harmony and unity. It’s not enough to have people of European, Latin American, African, and Asian descent in the same room. Diversity by itself is disastrous. The same issues of misunderstanding and marginalization we see at work in larger society can actually be magnified and more painful within “the four walls.” This has been well documented in books like Divided By Faith, Aliens in the Promised Land, and Reconcilation Blues. Minorities on staff and in the pews in mostly white churches have a much shorter “shelf life” and often leave disillusioned about the whole idea of integration.

Diversity MINUS inclusion and solidarity equals implosion.  Diversity PLUS inclusion and solidarity equals an explosion of God’s glory and influence.
Diversity is coming to a neighborhood near you whether you like it or not. As Latino/Hispanics move into historically African American neighborhoods what will be the black church’s response?  As African American’s make there way into previously all white churches, how will leadership and laity respond? Are we praying and planning to engage and welcome them or selfishly scheming on how to keep “those people” out? Are we asking ourselves the hard questions that will help us become 3rd Spaces of cross-cultural hospitality? 

I’m very concerned that we are spreading the disease of cultural hegemony and cultural captivity to our next generation of leaders and setting them up for failure in the most diverse U.S. ever. “Culture captivity” is the false assumption that diversity, inclusivity, and cross-cultural learning is futile because our personal preferences, cultural values, and ways of life are spiritually and morally superior to others. This captivity impedes our ability to recognize, honor, and empower diverse groups of people. It leads to the suppression of God’s voice being heard through those who don’t fit our preferred “mold.” 

The cure for cultural captivity is to be captivated by Christ’s passion to see cultures redeemed and renewed to uniquely reflect His glory. Once His passion becomes our passion we are in a position to steward the Divine wisdom necessary to make it a reality. We must see diversity as a “GIFT” to be nurtured and leveraged for the glory of God and the good of all people. 

Jesus didn’t allow our differences (His holiness and our unholiness) to stop Him from the painfully uncomfortable work of reconciliation on the cross. If we’ve experienced this vertical reconciliation it should push us towards the hard work of horizontal reconciliation AND solidarity across color, culture, class, generational, and gender lines. Individually and corporately, may we strive towards becoming “3rd Spaces” of inclusivity, hope, and healing in a sick world marred by racial exclusivity.     

I remember a couple of years ago visiting a church where the Call to Worship was a video plastered on two large screens of a young woman reciting a spoken word piece about coming to Christ. I was moved to tears by the words, the energy, and the incorporation of this art into worship. "Thank you, God, for seeing me," I remember whispering.

Art speaks to and from the heart and spirit. It's not just for the artist but those who come in contact with the art. It can be a vessel for and of God's message. Something awakens when we hear or see art. 

And when I hear or see authentic art in a sanctuary or a Narthex, when it comes alive, then I begin to feel more at home, knowing God is there too. I don't believe I'm alone in this. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of artists who love Christ who are wanting to "come home" but haven't found the space in the worship service to spread their multi-colored wings. 

That's why I was excited to attend a one-day conference yesterday, "The Breath and the Clay: a gathering on faith, art and culture." Here we would be, those who hunger after God -- who are artists on some level -- learning, sharing, discussing and creating in community. 

But as I left the conference after a day of speakers and a couple of workshops, I felt uneasy. Somewhat restless and agitated. "Lord, what is it?" I finally asked as I was driving home (the feeling has been there for months, usually arriving on Saturday). "What are you saying?"

"What is it you want?" I heard in my heart. I began to meditate on that as I continued to drive and tears welled in my eyes. I knew then, as I have for awhile, that God has me on a path where I'm desiring more than a worship service to attend, which, on some level, is all I have known. 

Worship is something in which I want to participate. But not as a member of the choir, or on the usher board, or taking up offering. Those services are wonderful for the persons who are called to them. There are others who experience a different calling to worship, which is what I'm experiencing. It's a desire to worship God with what He has given us. It's an offering of the artistry that we want to lay before Him.

You might be thinking, "Great! Bring your painting to church when you come, then." But what about artists incorporating their artistry with Sunday's worship service?

Of course, worshipping God with art isn't necessarily a church thing. But we shouldn't exclude art from Sunday's service. When we separate who we are from our worship in community we deny ourselves and others the gift of worshipping God in spirit and in truth. "Do it on the weekends or in your free time" can no longer be acceptable to the Christian is who seeking to live his/her life in full communion. Yes, there is a time and a place for everything, but if God is the Master Creator, how can we then place creativity outside of worship? 

As we grow in our awareness of the awesomeness of God, I don't think we can continue to limit our methods of worship, but rather pray for guidance and discernment on how to be who God has called us to be, not just outside of the church but inside as well. 

I remember as a child, there being some Sundays when we didn't follow the "order of worship" because the spirit was so high. When I would ask my father about this on the way home, he would explain to me how sometimes the singing and testifying are the sermon. I wonder if most Christian leaders today see church as something "to order" and do instead of allowing space for the Holy Spirit to show up.

For the artist (not all but those in this category), our desire is to give God what we have been given. Perhaps there isn't a church that will allow me -- a nonprofessional painter -- to come with my paints, brushes, canvas and easel, and paint while the choir is singing or the liturgical dancers are dancing or while the others are worshipping in the way they feel led. Perhaps the pastor or leaders will feel it is distracting or self-serving or unnecessary. But for the artist who is looking for church, coming together to find ways of incorporating art into the worship experience isn't a luxury or an afterthought, it is a necessity. A calling from God.

For over a year, I've been struggling to identify my frustration with church. Yesterday, after a full day, I accepted that I and many others are looking for a church that has room for who we are as artists. A church that looks into our eyes and see our heart, who understand that to worship the splendid and fullness of God takes all of us with our different talents and gifts. We are looking for a space to learn and grown and be supportive of who God has created us. Art should not be something left to do outside of church. Our art is the Holy Spirit's gift. That is what we want and are required to bring and share in worship. 

This need and desire to have a full worship experience are bubbling up for many. It's a movement towards wholeness. I'm thankful to be on the journey, to have moments of clarity, to see God's hand in it all, waiting patiently for believers to rise up, to take up our mats, and walk...

I'm off now to worship… to paint what the Holy Spirit inspires.

Other articles on visual arts in worship:
Theological Artist Adds Visual Texture to Worship
Visual Arts in Church Making the Invisible World Visible
Are you interested in how visual artists can serve the church?

Valentine's Day can either be considered a blessing or a burden. One day which Western culture deems necessary for us to pour our love onto someone else by way of flowers, chocolate, candlelight dinner and love poems. The pressure to "get it right" if you're in a relationship (and especially a man) and the pressure to "pretend you don't care" if you're single (and especially a woman) can be all too much. 

That's why, on Friday (Valentine's Day), as a single woman, I spent more time than usual talking to God about my "love life" and talking with friends who check the same marital status box as I do on questionnaires. Of course, all single women who love Jesus don't think the same but I was amazed that some of my friends and acquaintances and I had some of the same "secret concerns." What it in darkness must come into the light...

Here are some of our secret questions and concerns about being single. I'm not sharing to "break code" but as a way to liberate myself and others from the lies we hold on to. I hope you will add your own confession that we might learn and grow from one another, and release the chain of deceit that keeps us from being fully loving and fully loved. On top of that, it's actually kind of humorous, when we enter the safe space of community, to think of the myths you've been carrying as truth! Silly us. :-)

Here's what I consider the top 5 "secret concerns" single Christian women have:

1. What if God has bad taste?! If you're single and search your heart, you may find this paralyzing thought floating there: What if God wants me to be with someone to whom I am not attracted? I know, I've wondered and feared the same thing. But, would God really want you to be with someone with whom there is no attraction?! Doesn't God want us to be with someone we feel a connection to and chemistry with? God knows what we're attracted to better than we do. I think we can stop being fearful that the one we aren't attracted to is the one God has His eye on for us! Yes, God may "test" us when it comes to judging others but connection and chemistry naturally happen. It's a part of how God has wired us. We must honor that, in a healthy way. God will give us our heart's desire. Our job is to make sure that desire is in line with God's will.  
2. What if I end up an Old Maid?! This one may not be a "secret" like we may wish. Some of us feel that we're always going to be single. We've been single for so long that we believe this is just the way it's going to be, and we settle. But seasons change. They always do! Just because you've been single for how ever many years doesn't mean that God doesn't have someone for you. We're in this season for a reason and it doesn't mean that reason is negative or some punishment. God doesn't always wait because we're not ready and we need to get our act together. Sometimes God chooses to wait because He knows we're enjoying ourselves fully in this moment. Sometimes God is saying, "Go ahead, add another stamp to your passport." Or, "Sure, Sweetheart, sleep in today and do the chores later." Things God might not say as often when we're married and a parent. Whatever it is -- be it we need to work on our finances or to give us more time to enjoy our freedom -- God gives us time because He knows best. It's time we enjoy and embrace our season of singleness knowing eventually we will be in a different one. Being present, after all, is the true gift of life whether single or in a relationship.
3. What if there are no single men who love God like I do?! Well, every relationship is different and no two people love the same way. Our looking for someone who loves God the way we do may be unrealistic. I think what's important is to be in relationship with someone who is passionate about his relationship with God. Someone who desires and makes steps to grow closer to God. One of the strongest ways I communicate with God is through poetry. Am I expecting "the one" to be able to do the same? That's unfair and limiting. But, I can hope and expect that God will send me someone who loves and desires to walk closer with Him. Someone who will bless me and whom I will bless by our relationship with God. Can we believe that God will send us someone who doesn't know Him already? I guess that's for each of us to discern. For me, I've come to realize that while walking this spiritual path, I want someone who can (and wants to) walk beside me. 
4. What if I become a Jesus Freak?! OK, let's be honest... one of the fears, especially for the Christian who is a "none," is that loving Jesus first and wholeheartedly will make you a "Jesus freak." So many hold back their love of God 1) to keep room for "the one" and 2) to not appear odd and too religious. But here's the deal, it's okay for God to be our first love. It's more than okay. It's natural and desired by both our spirit and God. Not only that, loving God first and with our whole heart is the gateway to what we are looking for in a relationship in the first place! That security, sense of being, intimacy, ecstasy is all right there in our relationship with God. And the bonus? There is no rejection! No, "I'm sorry I can't make it…" No, "Well, you're really not what I want…" God wants to be with us more than we can imagine! It's a whole kind of love. The kind that, honestly, a man -- no matter how much he loves us -- can't completely give (and ladies, we need to stop expecting him to). So, go ahead, love God with all of your heart and mind and spirit. Dive right in like you would the person you've been waiting for. And trust that when the person God has for you shows up, you will be able to love him more because you learned to love God first. Now, there's nothing freakish about that.
5. God can't possibly care as much about my love life as I do, right?! Interesting how we can trust God with our jobs, health, finances, spiritual gifts but when it comes to when, how and who to date, we think God has no idea of how to get that right. We go to self-help books, dating sites and friends. None of that is wrong but when it's our first and only option we have to wonder why we aren't where we want to be in our relationships. God cares about our love life just as much as He cares about our ministry and gifts. God wants us to be happy and full of love. God wants us to experience the depths of love which romantic relationships offer. That's why I have come to understand that our love life is too important to not have God orchestrate. Romantic, enchanted love is a sanctuary all unto itself. We desire that sense of connection with another and it's available and real. It is also necessary, not only for the couple, but for the world to know God up close.

Single or not, our lives including our relationships are vessels for God's love. Once we call out the myths on which our fears have been feasting and let God in our hearts a little deeper, then I believe miracles will happen. That miracle might not show up as the man of our dreams, but true miracles are about a change in perspective. God's timing (and choice of mate for us) is perfect. It's not always easy to wait, especially around Valentine's Day, but I believe what God has for His daughters is worth it. In the meantime, let's put more emphasis on and joy into what God has called us to do and experience in our single season -- no matter our age -- buy our own chocolate if we want to, and be conduits of His love. After all, it is Love that will save this world. Love already has. 

On Friday, I had the opportunity to sit in on the closing session of the two day A.M.E. Zion Board of Bishops Preaching Institute, held at Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. If you've been reading this blog you know I'm not a preacher or Biblical 
scholar. Yet, my profound interest in the future of the Church automatically draws me to places where others are diving into the conversation. 

So, after attending a Go Red for Women breakfast at 7:30 a.m., I drove to Salisbury. And though I arrived late to the auditorium full of African American preachers, I found a perfect seat on the third row. My red dress in a sea of dark suits. 

I caught the end of Dr. Richard Chapple, Jr.'s lecture on styles of preaching and could not help but to smile when he talked about the "third space" (not his words) of scripture. How we can discern what is left unsaid when we pause between the words and lines of sacred text. It is not just in the words but in the silence where God speaks. What does God say in the pause? That can be a blog post in itself, but what was most profound to me, as I recognize and try to provide space for others to look at the changing church, was what Dr. William Curtis shared in his closing session, "Church of 2050." 

So much of what we talk about with the emergent church has been about what's happening now or how the church will need to change in the next 3-5 years, as if we're working on a short-term strategic plan. Or, some who envision the church in 15-20 years. But what about society in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Artificial Superintelligence? And how will the church address the needs of that time? Needs we haven't seen or imagined before?

Of course I find it interesting that on Wednesday I had the opportunity to play with the Da Vinci Robotic and hear a lecture on the improvements coming to medical science and machinery. And on Thursday I attended a reception honoring innovation and the recipient of the award has come up with a new drug not yet approved…

What I'm getting to is that today AI is alive and well right (no pun intended), so why aren't more of us thinking and talking about the ethical and social issues and implications that will come with that? How does the church and God deal with this change most of us in the church haven't even begun to think about!? How do we, as Christians, stay true to the call of our spirit in a time where we will (and may be now) working with machines that look like us, that can't get sick, that do not want for anything than a mechanical upgrade, that will not need God in the way we know it? 

There was a heavy cloud filled with fascination, complexity and uncertainty that landed on the crowd listening intensely to Dr. Curtis. Many pastors are having challenges bridging the gap between Gen Z / Millennials and the Silent Generation / Baby Boomers, how can they begin to think about what's happening 40+ years from now? And, will this even be a concern in the African American and browning communities where the digital and economic divide continues to widen?

Naturally, as I drove back to the city where I live, I thought about Dr. Curtis' lecture. I pondered the questions he posed and had questions myself. Once I arrived home I researched what others are saying about AI and found Dr. Curtis commentary to be accurate, all of which led me to what I believe to be three great truths that we are called to embrace now more than ever:

1. God Call into Prayer -- I believe that the power of prayer is and will continue to be the greatest power we can harness. As long as we have breath (which is the breath of the Spirit), we have the ability and need to commune with God in prayer. It is this power that will prepare the world for what God has in store. Just as our grandparents prayed for us even before our arrival, God is calling us to be in prayer for the future of this world! There are silos that are needed for this purpose only and I am hopeful that they exist. 
2. God is Love -- I was disturbed when the movie "Her" came out. It saddened me to believe millions of dollars could be spent and made by developing a story of someone falling in love and developing a relationship with a machine. We long for connection and as we are in the age where we are connected to more information quicker than ever before there is no replacement for human/soul connection and the love of God. The more we advance and think that we are getting a better deal in life with more stuff, the more we risk closing God out and the essence of what is essential. And as long as there are 100% human beings on this earth God will be the fulfillment of that Love and God will never leave or forsake us. 
   
3. God is Wisdom -- We have a habit of limiting God. We believe that God is just one step ahead of us. Sure, God knows our future but just by a day or two because we might decide to switch something up and catch him off guard, we feel. We begin to become fearful and feel inadequate as we think of the Church of 2050 because we cannot fully grasp what will be required of us (do we really believe?). How can we be true Christians in a digital age where "others" have no "real" connection with God? We begin to believe that if we can't imagine it than maybe God isn't ready for it. As if God is following our creative path. Makes you laugh, right? If we believe in God than we know that God is not only ready but is aware even before anything has come to us. So it is our faith that will allow us to face the needs of the changing congregation and the changing church. We cannot begin to see what is coming but we have got to believe in a greater wisdom than our own, than AI, than GRIN (genetics, robotics, internet and nanotechnology).

I am profoundly thankful to have heard Dr. Curtis and to share with friends and colleagues in that learning and transformational moment. It is now time that we put on greater thoughts, that we stretch, that we pray even more diligently and sincerely, not out of fear but out of a desire to fulfill God's purpose in our lifetime, and to be guided and used as vessels for what's to come. 

No matter what changes we go through on this earth, God does not and will not change. It is our thoughts about God that will widen to encompass all that God is. What we know today is that God is Truth and Love and Wisdom. Will you believe that in 2050? We know that God will protect and provide and make a perfect way. 

We will have moments of confusion followed by moments of clarity, moments of chaos followed by moments of creativity. This is the life we behold. This is the life we are called to honor.

What a mighty and creative God we serve! "And it does not yet appear…" (I John 3:2)