Deep Breathing for the Soul

If you have a blog, I’d love to come “visit” it next week during our blog tour for Simple Compassion. To participate, just leave a comment here or get in touch via my website. Let me know that you’d like to review Simple Compassion, or post an “interview” with me. You can send your own questions or use ones I’ve written. You can post a review or open it up to reader questions, whatever you like. But you have to hurry as the tour starts next week. And we’re making this a highly participatory tour, asking readers to post videos or comments about how they are putting this book into action. I’m excited about the possibilites!

Blog tour participants get a free copy of the book to review! Just send me your name, e-mail, mailing address and blog URL and you can be a part of the tour.

I was driving home from the grocery store this morning and listening to K-LOVE, the Christian radio station. Singer/songwriter Chris Tomlin was on, talking about the inspiration for a song he’d written. He mentioned that the gap between Old Testament prophets and the New Testament, though it’s only one page in our Bibles, was a silence of 400 years. And that God then broke that silence with the cry of a baby.

God’s people were looking and waiting, praying and hoping, for 400 years. That would be like the last prophet speaking around the time of the Pilgrims in America, and then simply shutting up and not saying anything for 400 years. In the first decade or so of early 1600s, Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, the King James Bible was published, King Henry the IV was executed, and the Jamestown Colony was founded in America. For as long as it’s been since those historic events until today, there was silence from heaven. No prophets, no word from God. No visits from angels.

I pondered Chris Tomlin’s insights, and they got me thinking. Yes, God was silent. But God’s silence does not disprove his existence, or even his presence.

Because somehow, some of God’s people kept the faith. Hope stayed alive. In fact, the first people to hear from God, accorrding to Luke’s gospel, were an older couple who were faithful, righteous people, despite the fact that their nation had not heard from God, and they themselves had been denied the blessing of having a child. They remind us, of course, of Abraham and Sarah, another older, barren couple who are promised a son.

Luke 1 says: “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both well advanced in years. ” (Read the rest of Luke 1 here).

So before that baby cried and broke God’s silence, an angel spoke to a couple of senior citizens who had kept the faith of their ancestors. Despite his faith, Zechariah questioned the angel’s message, and was struck dumb until the child, John, was born. The text also says, “After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.”

After 400 years of silence, Zechariah and Elizabeth had even more silence, and solitude. But this was a different silence. It was the silence not of wondering, but of poignant expectation. They had nine months to wordessly ponder the miracle that was taking place.

This advent, I want to be like Elizabeth. Calmly accepting the miracles God sends my way. Taking time for solitude and silence so that I might hear the voice of God.

Does it seem to you that God is silent right now? Does it feel like centuries since he’s spoken to your heart? Are your cries unanswered, your hope failing?

Perhaps God is not silent, but just speaking quietly, and the noise of our lives has drowned out that still, small cry. Perhaps God is calling to you, not with lightening bolts or easy fixes to your complicated problems, but in a quiet voice–in your heart, or in the cry of someeone in need.  Will we let the cry of the Christ child break the silence in our hearts this season?

Tonight is the first of a dozen or so “Christmas Eve” services at Willow Creek, our home church for the last two decades. I’ve seen every kind of service imaginable on Christmas at Willow, including one that looked like Cirque de Solei a few years back. I’m hoping the recession will protect us from something like that again. I prefer something simpler.

We’re taking the family next door, and another couple, to church with us, then inviting them back for coffee and dessert at our house.

One of the ways we as a family show God’s love to others is through our hospitality. I’m not talking Martha Stewart-type entrtaining. I’m talking about welcoming people to our modest, cozy home, and making them feel welcome. Putting out a few cookies, putting on a pot of coffee and just enjoying some conversation. this morning as I head off to work for a few hours, then come home to tidy up the house, I’ll be praying for those conversations.

To us, hospitality is a spiritual practice. In a way, it’s an offering we bring to God, with hopes it will be blessed, and its effects multiplied. We are not the kind of family that sits down for long family devotions, but hospitality is a spiritual practice we engage in as a group. It draws us together, while drawing us toward God. It reminds us of how God has welcomed us, and makes us grateful.

What are you doing this Christmas to connect with your family, and with God? What offering of your time and effort do you bring? What practices make you more grateful?

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Giving, if you let it, will transform your soul. As a spiritual practice, giving breaks the strongholds of fear and worry. When we are generous, we wade into the abundant flow of God’s grace. When we give without thought of what we’ll receive in return, we reflect, with astonishing accuracy, divine generosity. We declare that our fear of scarcity will not rule our lives. We gain insight into how God feels giving to us. Is it possible that he delights in bestowing good gifts on his children?

Our culture, unfortunately, misunderstands giving. We think of it, honestly, as trading. I get you something, you get me something—hopefully we spend about the same amount of money so no one feels awkward. We all know that panicked feeling when a friend shows up at our door in December with a wrapped package in her hand, and we realize we didn’t get anything for them. We now feel we “owe” them a gift. I’ve read helpful holiday tips in women’s magazines that suggest keeping a wrapped stash of generic gifts in your front closet for just such occasions. Kind of takes the meaning out of it, doesn’t it?

Today, read Matthew 2:1-12. Imagine if the wise men had thought this way. Did they ask each other, “I wonder what Mary and Joseph will give us? Do you think they’ll know we got this frankincense on clearance at T.J. Maxx?” Of course not. And did Mary, seeing these strange gifts, think “Okay, gold, that works for me. But spices you normally use for burial? What kind of baby gift is that? And what am I going to get them in return? I know, maybe a gift card!”

Scholars believe the Magi showed up as much as two years after Jesus was born. Though Jesus was born into a very poor family, their gifts were given as worship, for they knew he was a king. Jesus and his family simply received their gifts, without any concern for what they would give back. The Magi, likewise, were unconcerned with reciprocity—it was enough to find and worship a king they’d seen declared in the night sky years before.

In the same way, we can never give something equal in value to God’s Christmas gift—Jesus. He is a gift we must humbly receive. When we realize we cannot pay God back for his gift, we are inspired to be generous to those who cannot repay us.

What if you decided this Christmas to reduce your spending on “stuff trading” so that you could really give? When you give to those who cannot repay or reciprocate, you get to experience a joy that no stuff trading can ever bring.

Here’s some ways to practice real giving this Christmas season:

Buy coats or gifts for under-resourced families. (connect with them through
ministries like www.breakthrough.org, www.samaritanspurse.org)

Open your home to a soldier, refugee or shut-in for a meal, or invite them to a
holiday gathering.

Donate to the Advent conspiracy (see flashback column below) to help build fresh
water wells.

Purchase gifts from organizations that employ the poor like www.globalexchange.org, www.tradeasone.com, or www.fivetalents.org

Make a meal for a family going though illness.

Buy groceries for your local food pantry. Or anonymously leave a bag of groceries
on someone’s doorstep.

Buy a goat, chickens or cow for a poor family in the name of someone on your gift
list through www.worldvision.org or www.heifer.org

It’s 2 degrees here, with howling winds that drive the windchill well below zero.

I am inconvenienced by such weather–car doors freeze shut, roads are a bit slick. But I slept in a warm bed. I had hot tea and breakfast this morning. I can shower with hot water in my own home, or at the health club after my workout. I can look out at the snow and see its beauty from a warm chair by the window.

I am deeply aware this winter, however, of the plight of those for whom this weather is much more than an inconvenience. But what can I do? How can I help the homeless, or kids who are living in poor neighborhoods within a few minutes drive of my house? I’m not trying to make anyone feel guilty–including myself! I just am wondering.

The truth is, you can’t solve all the world’s problems. But you can change the world for one person. And because every person matters to God, that’s a worthwhile goal. And when you reach out in compassion, you grow spiritually. God becomes more real and more present in your life when you align yourself with his purposes.

If you are wondering how to do that, or at least begin to think about that, I’d like to invite you to a seminar for women that I will lead next month, in cooperation with Breakthrough Urban Ministries. The seminar will be held at Breakthrough’s Ministry Center in Chicago on Saturday Feb. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you’re wondering what you can do to help those less fortunate than yourself, this is a very practical first step.

I’ve been a donor and volunteer with Breakthrough for several years. This ministry, which serves the homeless and the community of East Garfield Park in Chicago, really wants to help people like me to grow in compassion.

Do you feel God stirring in your soul, asking you to start really connecting your faith with your action? Do you wonder how your life can reflect God’s heart of justice and mercy, his concern for the poor?

This one-day seminar will jump start your justice journey. We will look very practically at how we can become women who make a difference: women who act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. It will provide a safe, guilt-free environment for discussing, asking questions, reflecting and strategizing.

I’ll do four teaching sessions based on my newest book, Simple Compassion. But even better, you’ll have some time to process and pray. We’ll also have group discussion, individual reflection time, and plenty of practical, hands-on learning. Every registrant will receive a free copy of the book for further study.

The four main sessions are:

1.       Compassion Begins with You. every woman matters to God, whether she’s in Sierra Leone or San Diego, in a slum or a suburb. We’ll look at some biblical women who stepped up to be difference makers, and how we can follow their lead. God has a unique calling for each of us—how do we discern that? It starts by letting go of our “little old me” syndrome and believing that God actually is calling us to be his hands and feet in the world. Even small acts of justice and compassion matter, because even if you only help one person, that person matters!

2.       Compassion Grows in Community. The Christian life was never meant to be lived on our own. We were made for community—and sometimes, the people in our closest circles are the ones who are challenging to love.  How can we extend compassion to the people closest to us—whether they are family, church members or next-door neighbors? This session focuses on making a difference right where you are, and why you need others to come on the journey with you.

3.       Compassion Extends Beyond Our Comfort Zones.  Although we can make a difference no matter where we are, God calls us to truly see injustice around us, and not insulate ourselves from it. There are people who need God’s love and tangible help—things like food, clothing and shelter—within an hour of your door. This session will look at women who are making a difference in the Chicago area, and offer some next steps for getting involved with ministries here in the area.

4.       Compassion Offers God’s Love to the World. It is impossible to talk about God’s heart for the poor without looking at the situation in the developing world. We will look at some big issues like human trafficking, poverty, lack of clean water and others. The goal is to see these issues and see how we can take very small steps to make a difference by both what we do, and what we decide to stop doing. We’ll look at some women who have focused their energy on one global issue and are making a difference in that area.

Synergy, a Christian women’s leadership conference held each March in Orlando, is coming to Chicago next month. Registration is now open. Click here to learn more about the conference and to register.

The theme for this one-day conference is “Finding Your Place in the Story.” I’m planning to attend this excellent event, and if you live in the chicago area, it’s a great way to hear speaker and author Carolyn Custis James (author of Lost Women of the Bible.)

The vision of the Synergy Women’s network is “To see women wholeheartedly following Christ and partnering with their Christian brothers and each other to build His Kingdom.” Their mission is “To connect, equip, and encourage women in vocational ministry to be effective leaders and laborers for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

That’s a vision I can wholeheartedly support. If you’re looking for encouragement in your role as a leader in the workplace, church or home, consider attending this excellent conference. See you there!

I usually don’t share recipes on this blog, but since some of you have asked for the Mocha Bar recipe…One of the ways I show love to family and friends is by cooking. I don’t think that book on “love languages” included cooking, but that is definitely one of mine.

I used to overdo the baking around the holiday time. It’s fairly normal for me to make several kinds of quick breads (pumpkin bread, banana bread, etc.) and a bunch of different cookies. It was a tad obsessive, truth be told. And my husband would munch the cookies, but then complain that I had made him gain weight over the holidays. So I’ve cut back on my baking, and I try to give away the baked goods. I’ve already got a lot of loaves of bread in the freezer, ready to send to people on my list who seriously do not need another sweater! I mean, what do you get your 92 year old grandmother? Cookies and pumpkin bread.

One cookie that I have to bake enough of to both give away and keep are Mocha Cinnamon Bars. They are a tradition, with lots of memories, at our house. They’re very easy to make. I mentioned them on Facebook the other day and someone asked for the recipe. They freeze well, so you can make them now and freeze until Christmas.

Mocha Cinnamon Bars

Stir together 2 t. instant coffee crystals, 1/2 t. each of water, vanilla extract in small bowl. Set aside.

Stir together 2 c. flour and 1 t. cinnamon in another bowl. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together 1 cup butter or margarine (I use one stick of each), 1/2 c. each of brown sugar and granulated sugar on high until fluffy. Add one egg yolk, beat well. Then beat in coffee mixture, then flour mixture. Beat until combined.

Press the dough into a 9 by 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 to 18 minutes. When it’s brown and not gooey in the middle, take it out, and sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips. I use dark chocolate but you can use whichever kind you like. Optional: sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans. I skip those and sprinkle it with Christmas sprinkles. Cut while warm. They are very rich so I cut them in small squares.