Moving Day

Today is "moving day" in our subculture of itinerant United Methodist Pastors in Louisiana. That means that a certain number of my colleagues pack their belongings and head to a new place of ministry. For some the change will be most welcome but for others it will be somewhat sad. As for me I will remain in New Orleans to continue my search for the Missional ministry God has for me.

Once again, we face a sad and tragic situation in Coastal Louisiana and New Orleans. We've had hurricanes, a crime "wave" and now an oil spill of unbelievable proportions descending upon our coast. At times like these I can't help but ask the question-Why? I know inside of me that that is a useless question. Certainly not one to spend much time thinking about. The only problem with that position is that thousands of people are hurting and asking that very question. I am not moving and I thankful to God for that. It is time to be more than thankful. The time has come to be present in places and times that make others uncomfortable. The pelican in the picture above has become a sort of "poster boy" of the sad plight of Coastal Louisiana. As strange as it may seem one of the highlights of my day when I moved to post Katrina New Orleans was that I could see pelicans as I rode my bicycle along the lakefront or through City Park. (I saw no pelicans when I rode yesterday.)The bird in the picture represents the sadness I feel when I think about what is happening . Why is this happening? I don't know.

The real question is --What? That has become somewhat simple for me. As a Missional Christian I do not ask why but what must I do to serve God's mission. I gladly begin my new year and commit myself to give my all to this city and its people. I look forward to participating in times of prayer, counseling and maybe cleanup if it comes to that for me. On this moving day I'm glad I'm not moving. My heart is in New Orleans more that ever-- for in being here I fine a strange sense of purpose.Yes, I want to build a great church but more than that I want to be a part of a servant ministry that will bring comfort and hope to the people that I might touch.

My Spring Retreat

The routine of my retreat began with a worship followed by breakfast. After breakfast I would retire to my room for a time of solitude and study until about noon. I would then had lunch with the workers of the community and after lunch I would retire, once again, to my room for a time of solitude, prayer and additional study until 4:30pm. My evenings were spent with times of recreation and discussion with Fr.David and friends of the monastery. The topic of study was the Desert Fathers of Egypt. I believe that we Christians can learn much from these Desert Fathers. Their dedication to the purity of Christianity and determination to find God in the dry parched lands of the Egyptian desert is an inspiration to me. They had to get away to find the true wisdom of God. For us they have left behind a wealth of wisdom that can be a real blessing to our rushed and worried world.

What Did I study?
My study book for the retreat is Desert Mystics by Linus Mundy. I am using selected readings from The Sayings of the Desert Fathers by Benedicta Ward SLG.

What Do I Take Home?
A retreat is an intensely personal experience. It is very difficult to really express in just a few words the content that I take home with me. This I can say -- that my study of the Desert Fathers led me to re-examine the way I live my life day-to-day. In our world we assume so many things. The world of the Desert Fathers is so different than anything we can imagine. It was a world that required an intense closeness to God. No one could live in the desert without being committed and dedicated to survival each day. That survival was directly link to their relationship with God.

I take home the notion that a relationship with God requires constant attention. We must be willing to allow ourselves to be emptied of all that we are in order that we might be filled with all that He has to offer. It is in discovering the parched condition of our very souls that we find the refreshing nature of God's Spirit. We begin to get our nourishment from our daily walks and talks with God. Desert spirituality helps us to discover the importance of making the simplest of tasks a spiritual offering to God. The chores we do around the house, the cutting of the grass, the washing of the car and all these other simple tasks are part of our pilgrimage which God.

  

What Actions Am I Led to Take?
Just a few Thoughts:

• Pray the Psalms every day
• Observe at least 30 minutes of silence a day
• Choose a work that is dedicated to God (something outside of my profession)
• Work with the poor whenever possible

My retreat took place May 10-14. I write this as an attempt to get back into the discipline of blogging. In the coming weeks and months I will attempt to share some thing thst strike me as I study and read the writings of the Desert Fathers.