Encounter God's Word for yourself!

For me - no devotional exercise isn't complete until I encounter God's word for myself. That's where my daily posting - @ A Life Examined - comes in. Writing forces me to invite God into my own experience, rather than limiting the discipline to reading about someone else's faith.

Don't misunderstand, reading about other people's journey is an inspiration and an encouragement - but at some point in the day I simply have to stop, meditate, read, pray, and invite the Holy Spirit to be my personal guide.

It's a journey that we're all more than capable of taking, one small step at a time.

- DEREK

Mission Statement from Paul

This is my writing mission statement:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

(Philippians 4:4-9)

Spreading the word

Well, after a quiet start at the end of last year, several efforts are now under way to get the word out regarding "The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian."

First was a very good article in "The United Methodist Reporter", presented as a Q&A with yours truly. I kind of rambled in the interview, but the reporter - Mary Jacobs - was able to pull things around nicely when she wrote up the story.

Her article was titled "Embracing Full Time Faith". You can read it by clicking here.

Then - this week - there is an excellent banner ad for the book on the front page of the Religion News Service website - religionnews.com - we're hoping that stirs up a little interest.

But the most ambitious project is a series of short (one-minute videos) featuring key points from the book. I'm certainly not a great actor... but some of the bits manage to capture a little of what we're trying to communicate. I'm not sure yet exactly how they're going to be distributed, but the plan is to get them "out there" via U-tube, vimeo and press releases.

Here's one - still in its rough form - but it gives the general idea - VIDEO

Lots to be excited about - much still to pray about. As always I appreciate your support and covet your prayers. DEREK

Let's talk about this!

I talked to a man the other day about checking in with this web-page. He's an enthusiastic Christian, a huge fan of "The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian", and also very savvy about technology.

• "So have you ever followed the invitation (it's ALL OVER the book!) and checked in at the blog to share some of your thoughts?" I asked.
• "Never in a million years!" he replied.

Which begs the question, "Why". or, "Why not?"

It's an interesting phenomenon, but he told me he felt intimidated by the idea of sharing anything about his own spiritual journey on an open forum. I countered that it's not much of an open forum if only a handful of people ever come to visit! But his point was well taken. Fact is, this hesitant, challenging, often hit or miss path to spiritual maturity is deeply personal. It's one thing to spill your guts to a friend, or at a small-group meeting in the context of church... but this is the www.

So I'll continue to post occasional updates on this space (around once a week or so), but I won't hold my breath for more than a smattering of comments.

Instead, why don't you visit DerekMaul.com, and find out how you can arrange for me to visit your church or conference so we can talk together in person, as part of a retreat, or from the safety of your pew!

This remains an important conversation. God be with you as you journey on this spiritual way.
- DEREK

Living Like We Mean It

Yesterday was the most fun playing golf I've had in a long time. Which was curious, considering how hot it was out there. But I was relaxed, I struck the ball well, the guys I played with were good company, and I finished with an awesome par save from deep trouble well off the fairway.

My putting was several shades of awful! But I made up for it by scrambling. I also put a ball in the lake on two holes on the back nine, resulting in a couple of sevens.

But my best moment was on the #1 handicap hole, where I left my drive in the rough adjacent to a sand trap. I had to stand, too close to the ball, perched on the edge and with my heels hanging over the bunker. Somehow I managed to launch a six-iron around 170 yards; it landed close to the pin and my birdie putt stopped about three-inches short.

I believe the way I play golf is a decent metaphor for my life. My "success" is best measured in terms of the integrity of the process, my "might as well enjoy this" attitude, the fact that I'm genuinely thankful for all the opportunities I have, and a growing commitment to apply the principles of faith to absolutely everything I do.

It doesn't really matter if a shoot under 80... or if I leave 50% of my putts well short... or if I hit a boat-load of awesome drives. And - likewise - it doesn't matter if my books sell thousands of copies... or I ever win another AMY... or if I'm invited to speak at choice events.

I like the admonition in First Thessalonians:"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."

Being sanctified is living like we mean it - because God does; it's taking each day and embracing whatever we're up to as another opportunity to live as if we really are redeemed people; it's being thankful and forgiven and blessed, and it's engaging life in the fact of those dramatic truths.

My 87 was pretty darned good for an infrequent golfer. But I wouldn't have had a better day - couldn't have - even if I'd shot 70. The way I play is the way I live - it's process-oriented, not results-oriented. I am faithful because God is faithful, and I'm enjoying the journey.

I really am a pilgrim on this amazing road. And I really am making progress.

Grace and Peace - DEREK

Hustle - the can't miss ingredient for full-time faith

It occurred to me recently that I almost never write about sports. Which is curious considering my virtual obsession with all things games when I was a child. I played everything I could and every game I could get in on. If a ball was involved, I was there.

Fortunately for me, it turned out that I had decent hand-eye coordination and a lot of speed. By the time I was a teenager I was a shoe-in for "first team" in every game my school sponsored. Soccer in the fall (that was "autumn" in England), field-hockey in the spring, cricket in the summer. I was also the "star" of high school track and field. I set scoring records in cricket and speed standards in track that held up for years.

Maybe that's why I've held off on sports metaphors for the most part since I've been a writer. I've always found the "Guys need sports stories or they won't listen in church" idea insulting to the intelligence and spiritual aptitude of men. A lot of the "locker room for Jesus" back-slapping, towel-snapping, football-as-religion talk tends to be chauvinistic, and feeds seamlessly into our cultural predilection toward sexist male-dominant religion.

But the other day - reading about yet another Tampa Bay baseball win - I read a comment by Rays manager Joe Maddon that fits beautifully with my thinking about "Living as if we mean it."

The game was another 1-run victory, squeezed out of a contest that could have gone either way. The result was achieved by pure grit. One of the Rays had put the team in position to win by hustling an in-field single, picking up an extra base on a hit-and-run, and then sliding face-first into home on a sacrifice bunt.

"It takes no talent whatsoever to hustle," Maddon said. "There's no kind of ability involved in hustling."

So here's my VERY RARE sports illustration. Most of the time our commitment to a full, rich, complete life - living like we mean it - is 90% hustle. It doesn't take any talent to live that way. It's not as if God has gifted some of us with a natural proclivity to enjoy life and "too bad about the rest of you."

No - if I'm living like I mean it today, it's because I got up this morning hustling. It doesn't take talent - it takes faithfulness and commitment. We can all be there.

Let's do it!

- DEREK

An answer to the fragmented life

I listened in on some helpful conversation this Sunday, teaching a three week class on "The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian."

We explored the essential concept of the book, which is "Live as if we mean it, because God most certainly does." The conversation moved around the feeling that our life here in North America is very much fragmented - chopped up into bits that often don't even overlap. We wear so many hats and then become confused as to who we're even supposed to be much of the time. The result is tension, inconsistency, and a severe lack of effectiveness in terms of living any kind of a convincing Christian witness.

What God wants for us is unity. God wants us to be and act as God's children 100% of the time. There's never any doubt as to who we are or how we're supposed to be because everything funnels through the filter of Jesus.

I like the way Paul writes about life in 1 Timothy. Here's a key verse.

[You] are to do good, be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for [your]selves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that [you] may take hold of the life that really is life. (1 Timothy 6:19)

Or, as I wrote in my daily blog this morning: "THE LIFE THAT REALLY IS LIFE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF".

Click on "comment" below, and let me know what you're thinking.

- Peace and blessings - DEREK