The Week Starts on Sunday…

Have you noticed how a lot of business calendars these days have the first day of the week as Monday? Actually, calendars have been sliding that way for a while, but I’m beginning to notice it more and more these days. It’s like the entire world is shifting to the idea that the most important thing in life is getting up Monday morning and heading off to work.

But, this simply is not the case.

Job burnout and overall distaste for where one works at is at an all time high. Many people simply are not happy with their lives. Could it be a result of the fact that many are geared to think Monday is the first day of the week? If your mindset is one of work, work, work, then you may quickly discover the old cliche – “All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy.”

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He Leaned On His Staff

Through the years the way we record our family history has changed. In the Old Testament the patriarch of the family always carried a staff. Of course the staff itself had many uses. It was a shepherd staff to keep the sheep in line. It was also a walking stick helping the young shepherd make his way through the rocky hillside. As the years moved along, the staff even took on more of a cane use instead of just a simple walking stick. Whatever the case may be, one thing was sure, the staff stayed with the patriarch throughout his life. 

But, the staff was far more than just a simple walking stick or cane. The staff also contained the geneology and history of that particular family. Etched along the patriarch’s staff were important events that took place in his life. Births, deaths, movements through time. All tracking and keeping a chronological order of the patriarch’s life.

The staff was how the Sojourner kept track of his journey as he made his way through life here on earth.

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Where Does Your Compass Point?

I’m not a big Pirates of the Caribbean movie fan. I liked the first one, hated the second one, and tolerated the third. Now with rumors of Johnny Depp signing up for a reprisal of his Captain Jack Sparrow character, I’m dreading the fourth installment of a Pirates movie. However, even though I don’t really like the movies, I’ve always been fascinated with Captain Jack’s compass.

Throughout the first movie Captain Jack is chastised because his compass doesn’t work. It never points North. Instead it spins around and goes in different directions. But never North. However, even though the compass never points North, Captain Jack always ends up where he wants to go. By the second movie we discover the secret of the malfunctioning compass. The compass may never point North, but it does point to something more important.

Captain Jack’s compass points “toward what the heart wants.”

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Tuesday, November 4 Is Election Day!

When it comes to elections, people can get really crazy. It seems this election cycle is no different. If anything, in this never-ending-presidential-election cycle we find ourselves in, the lines have been drawn even deeper in the sand. Never before have I seen two candidates further divide a nation, or result in a nation of undecideds, as we have before us today. Tomorrow thousands of people will head to the polls to cast their vote not only for State leaders, but also for Congressional leaders, Senate leaders, and yes, the next President of the United States.

I’ve been fascinated with the rhetoric on both sides of the aisle. Not only in the political realm, but also in the church realm. It’s really hard to find balance anywhere, and I must admit, that’s sad, especially when thinking of the church side.

I’m amazed at the number of emails I’ve received from church groups telling me ‘how’ to pray.

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Throughout this journey I’ve spent approximately 15 years in mainstream broadcasting, and 15 years in pulpit ministry. Before heading into full-time time ministry finding quiet time for God was always a hard thing to do. I found myself challenged by Pastors who would say things like “It’s easy to find time for God. Just set the time aside in your day. If you have to, put it in your Daytimer.” The words sound easy, but follow through is often difficult.

When I went into full time ministry, finding time was of course somewhat easier. After all, now I was a paid professional to spend time with God. Suddenly it was much easier to linger a while longer at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, my Bible and a devotional book. From time to time I even found myself proclaiming what were always well-intentioned words of encouragement about “fitting time for God into the Daytimer.” But, once again, that’s always easier said than done.

A few years ago I found God re-adjusting my journey some as He put me back into the wonderful world of broadcasting. Once again, I was suddenly faced with the issue of finding time for God. Just how in the world could I fit Him into my Daytimer with everything else that was now pulling on my time. Of course these days I find myself not quite as rigid in the process of finding time for God. Brother Lawrence practiced the presence of God at all times. But even while saying that, sometimes it seems like a cop-out and an excuse for not finding some time to read a devotional book.

Through the years as I’ve found myself back in the workforce and trying to find God at work, I’ve tried a number of things. But you know what I’ve discovered, it doesn’t have to be brain surgery. There are a number of devotional books with short daily readings available these days. Some of those books I’ve actually collected along the way. For many years some have even sat and simply collected dust on my bookshelves. At least they look good I would often say to myself. But now it’s time to take them off the shelf, dust them off, and actually use them.

As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I’m reading a collection of Thomas Merton devotionals at home. Well, sitting on my desk at work I have another collection of devotionals, this one is by W.E. Sangster. He was an old Methodist preacher from England, filled with incredible insight. The daily readings are short, and suddenly it’s a little easier to pause, at least for a couple minutes, at some point during the busy day, to think on God, at least for a few moments.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

I once gave an assignment to a congregation – Go home and try to get quiet before God for 10 minutes. Find Him in the silence. Stop the noise of your mind working on the shopping list. Stop the thoughts of what’s for dinner. Stop the noise of the radio in the background. And, if you have to, turn off the computer and stop the hum that drones on and on. Have you ever tried to do that? Just get quiet before God? While it sounds like an easy assignment, when you actually try to do it, you discover just how hard it is to get quiet.

We live in a noise filled world. Whether it’s the hum of appliances, the sound of a TV, music from a sound system, or just random traffic noise, it’s hard to get totally quiet before God. Toss on top of the noise just listed, there’s the noise of competing opinions, the noise of politics, the noise of sports, and even the noise of life. But, to truly discover who we are, we must dare to get quiet so we can hear who we’re not.

We find ourselves at the beginning of another Lenten season. This is a season to reflect on the sacrifice of the Cross. In less than 40 days now it will be Easter time. Easter comes early this year, and I do believe many will forget about it, simply because the noise of the world will take our minds off the fact that Easter is in March.

How are you spending your time in preparation for reflection on the ultimate sacrifice known to humans. The sacrifice of another, giving up His life, so that we might have life.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

In my early days of ministry I worked closely with a funeral home in the little town where we were appointed as Pastors. Those early days of ministry taught me much about life, and death, and what really matters most when the chips are down. It’s amazing how we can find ourselves caught up in the midst of our very hectic lives, until something happens, and then we find ourselves utterly speechless. We’re speechless either because of tragedy, or even sudden joy and shock of any given situation. But, whatever the case may be, we find silence. While working with people at the funeral home I was often reminded of the words of Henri Nouwen, especially when I found myself wondering what I could do for those who were grieving. Nouwen said it’s at those moments in time we discover what he calls the ministry of presence. It’s not about talking, it’s not about busyness. It’s simply about being there, in the presence of others, who find themselves in the midst of silence.

I’ve been pondering silence lately as we find ourselves in a place where our kids are growing up. Many evenings I find myself sitting in my easy chair reading a book or watching some TV with my puppy dog Samson by my side. The silence at times can be deafening, but it’s also reminding me of the importance of silence. It’s like the old song says, “Silence is Golden.”

I believe it’s in the silence we find ourselves most vulnerable, and dare I say it, most moldable as well. Left alone with our thoughts, we find ourselves wondering about the events of the past, and pondering the events of the future. But then, somewhere in that silence, we suddenly find a sense of peace as well.

Some people are afraid of the silence. But I’m wondering if it’s in the times of silence, when we truly begin to hear that still small voice of God, and then we find ourselves in a better position to learn at the Master’s feet. Stepping aside from the chaos of the day, to sit at the Master’s feet.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

While in seminary I came across a book by Brother Lawrence entitled Practicing The Presence of God. It’s a small book, but an amazing book. Brother Lawrence was a monk who said he got to the point in his life when he found the set times of prayer in the monastery interrupted his time with God.

Wow! What an amazing thought. Think about that for a moment and let it really sink in. Is it true we can get close enough to God that set times of prayer interrupt our time with Him? I remember pondering that thought often throughout seminary and even during times of ministry. How can one arrive at the place where set times of prayer interrupt regular time with God. That means we’re truly conscious of the presence of God at all times in our lives.

Many times we find ourselves tossed to a fro by the demands of the world. It doesn’t matter if one is in ministry, or if one is working in the marketplace, the demands of the world, and those around us, can seem overwhelming at times. How are we to survive and maintain a relationship with God in the midst of all the demands on our life? I believe that’s what Brother Lawrence was getting at when he addressed the idea of practicing the presence of God, at all times.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

I have a number of letters I can put both behind my name and in front of my name. I guess that comes with continuing education. While I would not trade my education for anything, I must admit there are times when I’ve wondered if all the educated people we have around us trying to tell us about life, simply complicate life instead of making it easier.

I had a professor who told me once that when you get a Bachelor’s degree, you keep all of your brain in tact. When you go on for a Masters, you check half of your brain. Then if you get a Doctorate in something, you check the rest of your brain. Sad, but sometimes true. Many do become closed minded instead of open minded with more education.

This afternoon and into tonight a recurring phrase keeps coming to mind and it’s what I used for the subject of tonights entry — Sitting With The Master — I remember the story of a busy-body who spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing food when the Master arrived at her house one day. Her sister, on the other hand, decided to sit at the feet of the Master. Did He teach the whole time there? We don’t know. But we do know that when the busy-body sister complained the Master told her to calm down and realize her sister had chosen the better portion for the day. Sitting at the feet of the Master.

My dog Samson likes to hang out with me. When I come home from work, he greats me at the door. When I take my afternoon nap, he curls up by my feet. When I sit in my chair, he’s right there beside me. When I’m working in my home office, he’s curled up in his little Samson sized bed napping. He’s content to be with his master.

I believe there’s a lesson here for all us. Many times we approach the Master who’s also the Author and Perfector of our lives and we think we need to be busy the whole time. But, reality is, we find true contentment when we simply sit and rest in the presence of the Master.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

It seems this afternoon was filled with tech support conversations. It all started with a problem of not connecting to the Internet at all. That was followed by the discovery that my godlaughs.net domain does not seem to be working.

The good news is, my Internet connection problems were solved. The somewhat bad news is, my godlaughs.net site still seems to be down. First I spoke with one tech support person, then I sent an email to another tech support person. They keep telling my someone is pointing to the wrong IP address. I have a hard enough time remembering how to spell some domain names, let alone figuring out what to do with all those really strange IP numbers. But alas, hopefully it will all be sorted out soon.

All this IP talk of pointing the domain to the right place reminded me of how many people think they need to connect with God. It can all seem very confusing to someone not up on all the Christian hype, lingo and clichés. Why is it humankind likes to complicate so many simple things. The “keep it simple” rule really does work.

When wanting to connect with God, all we need to do is talk. While it’s true sometimes we wonder if Anyone is listening, we can rest assured He is. In the end, as we journey through this life, we do indeed discover He is easier to connect with than we think, and we don’t need an IP address to figure it all out.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus