GCI Women’s Ministry

As the new year begins, you may be thinking about injecting more life into your quiet times with God. The busyness of the Christmas season can leave you feeling tired and stressed. Wouldn’t it be great to get away and spend a little time with the Lord – time of refreshing and rest?

At a retreat some years ago I met a marvelous group of women. Sheila Graham and I have shared stories from the retreats they sponsor, and both of us have been encouraged and spiritually nourished through them.

My association with NEWIM started back in 1998. A woman from a Southern California congregation gave them my name as a possible contact. It took some research to figure out how they got my name and address, but it was one of those God things that has blessed me ever since.

The Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry (NEWIM) exists to minister to women who minister to women. As a group, they have the most serving hearts of anyone I’ve ever met. From the beginning, it was a dream of mine to join them and become like them.

My dream was realized the past few years, as I first became a chapter president, then took on the role of newsletter editor (big surprise there). I later resigned as chapter president to be their website liaison, a challenging and big-learning-curve job for me. I’m still working on the part of becoming like them. I’m sharing this with you because I’d like you to get to know them and be blessed too.

Over the years, a team from NEWIM has put on a one-day retreat called The Oasis. Many of us from the former Pasadena congregation participated in an Oasis retreat on the headquarters campus.

It was a wonderful day, filled with Bible study, fellowship and most important of all – lunch with Jesus. We took a box lunch, found a quiet spot and spent time with the Lord, right in the middle of the retreat.

The Oasis team, in an effort to make the retreat available to a wider audience, now offers the retreat on DVD. It includes five sessions: “A Quick Look at Your Life” (clearing away distractions), 33 minutes; “Moments With a Friend” (all about quiet times), 16 minutes; “Journal Keeping” (writing for spiritual growth), 23 minutes; “Hidden Treasure” (walking with the Lord through Scripture), 47 minutes and “Lunch With Jesus” (enjoying extended time with the Lord), 2-1/2 hours.

I don’t normally advertise anything, and I wouldn’t be telling you about this if I didn’t believe it is a great resource, both for individuals and for groups. It’s a low-cost way to have a one-day retreat in your own church, and also great to do on your own.

You can find out more at the NEWIM website, www.newim.com. You can watch a video clip, meet the speakers and order the DVD, as well as learn more about NEWIM and their nonprofit, all-volunteer ministry.

The Oasis retreat is a drink of cool water in the spiritual desert of life. I encourage you to learn more and let NEWIM bless you as they’ve blessed me.

You and I have one and it started taking shape as soon as we realized we were separate from our mothers. It was formed by our families, teachers, friends, pastors and the media. Every experience modified it a little and it is still changing. It’s not a disease but it can be contagious. It’s called a worldview and even if you’ve not given it a thought, it’s a part of who you are and needs to be considered.

A worldview can be compared to wearing a pair of tinted glasses that color everything we see, including government, law, science, history and especially religion. These can also be the glasses. How we see the world determines how we act in the world and toward its inhabitants.

Before the birth of Christ, the predominant worldview was polytheistic and naturalistic. It was full of superstition, and was narrow and self-centered. To most, the world seemed small and not understandable.

The birth of Jesus changed everything. It was the starting point for a new worldview. Instead of looking through a lens that showed many gods and sometimes many demons, people could now see the one true God as revealed by his Son. Instead of a small world where the earth, sky and a few square miles defined everything that existed, the world became filled with the presence of God, bigger than the imagination could hold and full of new possibilities.

But old worldviews were still in play and others came on the scene, sometimes getting tangled up together, as they emerged and re-emerged through the centuries. It’s still this way today. “Christian Theism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Eastern Pantheism, and New Age or New Consciousness have been the most influential of past and present worldviews” (James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door). Christian theism, while always strong, has suffered from these influences, becoming watered down and mangled, especially by naturalism, which began in the 17^th century.

It’s important for Christians to have a solid, biblically based worldview and understand those of others so we can be real lights in this world. We live in an increasingly diverse culture and an ever shrinking world because of the Internet and the interconnected world economy. A strong Christian worldview is a tool to help us understand our neighbors, help them in their need and lead them to Christ. Without it we might not be able to live up to the admonition to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Some helpful articles may be found at the Probe Ministries website, www.probe.org. Under the title Worldviews by Jerry Solomon, you’ll find six questions that help explain the components of a worldview. I found all three articles dealing with this subject helpful. (Search the Probe homepage with the keyword worldviews to find these articles.)

One of the most revealing statements in Solomon’s article, “Some of us may need to purge those things from our lives that are contrary to the worldview of Christian Theism.” If this is true, it might be a good idea to take the old worldview in for a tune up and as Solomon says, “Let God’s ideas guide our thoughts more completely… And let God’s guidelines guide our actions more fully.”

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” We all learned this as children, but also quickly learned it wasn’t true. Names do hurt and the hurt can stay with you for a long time. How many of you can remember the childhood taunts you endured? Probably every single one of us has clear memories of pain caused by name callers. They felt like rocks of rejection.

Rocks of rejection come in many forms and sizes. The boulders take the form of being turned down for a job, a marriage proposal, a promotion or any time one’s hopes are dashed.

The Bible is full of stories of rejection. The first one, even though instigated by Satan through deception, was when Eve rejected God’s warning and ate from the tree.

All through the Old Testament we read of rejection after rejection: humanity rejecting God, and God reaching out, seemingly to no avail. God gave Israel the Old Covenant, but they had to obey the laws to be accepted by him. They continually disobeyed and were punished but still God offered his love and acceptance if they would only meet his conditions, which they never did.

We see stories of rejection in the New Testament as well, from the Samaritan woman who was rejected by a whole town, to Mary Magdalene, who couldn’t mingle with polite society, to the woman asking for crumbs at Jesus’ table.

Jesus faced the ultimate rejection when he was unfairly tried and sentenced to death.
Through God’s kindness and love in giving us his Son, we have a place to go for rock removal. Through grace we’re forever accepted through faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 1:3-6 assures us of this acceptance: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (NKJV, emphasis mine).

This gem of grace has made a big difference in my life. Before, I was not sure of my salvation. I worried I wasn’t obeying well enough or overcoming enough. I was insecure and wanted attention and acceptance but sometimes went about getting it in the wrong way. I was sometimes needy and high maintenance. Acceptance by Jesus has taken care of my uncertainties and insecurities (not entirely, I must admit, because I’m still learning) and I’m now able to focus more on others.

I don’t carry that bag of rocks around anymore. Instead I have a velvet bag with shiny, beautiful gems, lightweight, easy to carry and so much more valuable than diamonds. Are you still carrying around rocks of rejection? If so, give them to Jesus at the throne of grace and pick up some gems of grace in return.

September 2008

On a shelf in my office stands a first place trophy for bowling. Draped over it is a last place crying towel. I keep them together to remind me of life’s ups and downs. One day you’re on top and the next you may be at the bottom.

Paul understood this well. In Philippians 4:11-12 (NIV) he said: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” As you can read in his letters, he experienced many ups and downs, more than most of us ever have or will.

When Paul said he knew what it meant to be in need, he wasn’t kidding. While I’m sure he didn’t enjoy the times of need, he learned from them and kept going. He learned, and so can we, to be thankful for the times we’re flying high (in all things give thanks) but not surprised when things turn sour (think it not strange when fiery trials come). And like Paul, we can learn to be content in every situation.

That is so easy to say, yet so hard to do. But if Paul could do it, can’t we? We have the same Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us through the deep valleys. We have the joy of the Lord as our strength. We have the hope of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life. And we have Jesus, who understands everything we’re going through.

Jesus experienced his share of life’s ups and downs too. As we read in John 1:1, he enjoyed the glory of the Godhead from eternity. But Philippians 2 explains he didn’t hold on to it, but humbled himself to come to us as a baby, born in a stable. He learned to walk and to talk and to work, building with his dad. He then became a rabbi, a big accomplishment in his society. He was chased by crowds and sought after by the sick and hurting. For a normal human, these would be cause for celebration. I’m sure Jesus took them in stride. One of his high points must have been the incredible intimacy he enjoyed with his Father.

Then he had more lows: betrayal, trial, crucifixion and death. A big high followed – the resurrection.

I used to think Jesus understands us simply because he was human. But I think there’s more to it. We often don’t understand everything behind a trial or even a mountaintop experience. Sometimes that’s a good thing. But Jesus understood–from his point of view as the Creator, the Triune master of the universe and as Infinite Wisdom–all the ramifications of sin and suffering. We can rest assured that even though he wasn’t a woman, didn’t have to go through old age or debilitating disease, or any of the other experiences we sometimes wonder if he can relate to, he understands.

We will have our ups and downs. We’ll have trials and we’ll have high moments. We’ll continue to earn first place trophies and crying towels. Neither should surprise or devastate us. Remember Paul, content in every situation. Remember Jesus, who understands more than we can comprehend. Enjoy the highs and don’t worry about the lows. Make the best of them, as one team on my bowling league jokes, and make a quilt out of all those crying towels!

August 2008

I like to go to home improvement stores and look at gardening tools. I love a well-shaped pair of pruning shears or sharp grass clippers. My favorite tool is the electric loppers my husband got me as a gift. That baby makes short work of pruning trees!

Not long ago I had to repair some of our lawn sprinklers but couldn’t loosen one of the pipes. So I went rummaging in the garage and found the most amazing tool. It’s called Robo-Grip and it worked like a charm. I even love the name. Doing repairs is so much easier with the right tools. They make any job more enjoyable.

Some liken Christians to tools God can use. As I used my Robo-Grip, I thought about that concept. Am I a tool in God’s hands? Does he think of me as I think of my pruners, loppers or Robo-Grip?

What about an instrument? Am I an instrument in God’s hands? I tried playing a clarinet when I was younger and regret not keeping it up. I remember how good it felt to make the clarinet produce the right notes to make a melody. It inspired me and made me feel creative.

I doubt God looks at me in this way. In fact, I’m sure he doesn’t. We use a tool to do a job and we use an instrument to make music. I am more than that to God. We have a relationship. He calls me his friend. Through his Son, he invites all of us to participate in the life he lives as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We get to share what he has.

Baxter Kruger likens what goes on in the realm of the Trinity to a great dance. His book by that title is an interesting read and even a must read if you want to open your mind to new possibilities about how God is a triune being.

But can a tool dance? Can an instrument get up and twirl around a room? Only a human being can participate in this dance of life. God said in Deuteronomy to choose life. Choose to dance, rather than sit on the sidelines as a wallflower. Choose to dance, rather than think of yourself as merely a tool or an instrument. Kick up your heels and fly across the floor to the incredible music of God’s world.

Thinking of ourselves as tools seems to me a limiting mindset. God gives us the freedom to choose, to think and to be creative in how we relate to him and to others. A tool has no freedom and does only what the user wants. Rather we can think of ourselves as participants and partners with God, working together in collaboration and cooperation.

I love my tools, but only as they are useful to me. If they break, I throw them out. Thank God he loves us all the time, even when we break, which we often do. We don’t become useless to him though. He heals us and helps us keep going, because that’s what friends do.

July 2008

Sometimes I skim over verses in the Bible that don’t mean anything to me personally, without taking time to delve into them. I’d read the Psalms several times and always flew through Psalm 131 without really getting what it meant. I don’t remember being weaned and I doubt any of you do either. It usually happens by the time a child is 2, and earlier in most cases. So what exactly does a weaned child do? Or feel? Or think?

At my first silent retreat, I spent a whole day praying, reading the Bible, writing in my journal and reflecting on my relationship with God. Toward late afternoon, I curled up in a chair by the window in my room. The warm sun and the hum of the wind and distant traffic lulled me to sleep. When I awoke, I felt incredibly refreshed and content. Psalm 131:2 popped into my mind. It was an aha moment. I knew what the psalmist meant when he said: “I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me” (NIV).

I had no needs, no worries and no thoughts. A contented sigh was all that came out of me. I felt so full of God I could agree with Horatio Spafford that all was indeed well with my soul.

If you are having trouble relating, perhaps you are too busy. Life is full of stress and it’s not often we can say with David our souls are still and quiet. It’s usually the opposite, isn’t it? Our souls are troubled and anxious and our problems do seem like the sea billowing over us, with no life raft in sight. I don’t believe life is meant to be lived this way. Our bodies aren’t made to be in a constant state of anxiety, with adrenalin rushes one after the other.

Archibald Hart, professor of psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, likens our nerves to a giant rubber band. When we live under constant stress, our rubber-band nerves get stretched over and over and finally give out.

Is your rubber band near the breaking point? Have your nerves had it? You might not have time for a three-day silent retreat, but you can still lessen the stress in your daily routine. You’ve heard this before, but maybe this time you should do something about it.

Make sure you get enough sleep. Many people don’t. Lack of sleep makes any situation worse. Eat breakfast. Your brain and your body both need something to run on. Learn to be more grateful. Instead of complaining, thank God for every little blessing and grace. You’ll stay calmer if your focus is on gratitude rather than difficulties.

Finally, take time to talk with God. Make him part of your waking thoughts, your waiting thoughts (make standing in line a time of prayer), your whispering thoughts (turn self talk into a time of prayer) and your waning thoughts (you could call this pillow talk with God).

Clichéd and worn out advice? Maybe. But the basics always work, and they just may help your worn out, over-stretched nerves get back in shape. You may also find yourself quoting Psalm 131:2 and humming, “It is well with my soul.”

June 2008

I’ve always been a list maker. I came across a long to-do list I made while in college. I marveled at how much I managed to do in just one week. My life isn’t much different now. I still make lists and rely on them to keep me going. I like to think of them as my brain on paper. Of course, I use my computer now, and share the fear with many that if it were lost or stolen I’d be in big trouble. Sometimes it seems as if my brain is on my hard drive! I wish it were as easy to back up my brain as it is to back up my computer.

Inspired by a time travel movie, I’ve started making notes to what I like to refer to as my future self. The computer is great for that too, as I can access the calendar feature months and years in advance. If only my future self could give me some advice.
Our brains are wonderful – quick, powerful and with a lot of available memory. The only problem is retrieving things. I watch the game show Jeopardy! and get frustrated when I can’t recall an answer. I’m sure it’s in there, but I just can’t find it.

Sometimes when I can’t find something or can’t remember something, I think, God knows, but he’s not talking! Wouldn’t it be great to have his recall ability? He never forgets unless he wants to. I forget when I don’t want to! But we never have to worry that he will forget about us. He remembers even when we don’t. His faithfulness is constant. In Isaiah 49:15 he asks, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (NIV).

As we grow in our relationship with God, it’s important to remember he is not like us. He doesn’t think or act like us. We tend to humanize him, ascribing foibles and weaknesses to him as we see them in ourselves or in others. One of my favorite passages in the Bible reminds us to be careful not to do this. “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:7-9, NIV).

This is a positive thing as it helps us keep our lives in perspective. Even the best virtues and noblest acts of humanity pale in comparison to the greatness of God. There really is no one like him.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:33-36, NIV).

How wonderful I can rely on his memory even when mine fails. I guess you could say he’s my backup.

May 2008

Getting used to new cultures is something most of us have to do at least once or twice in our lifetimes. It may be through international travel or it can involve marriage to someone from a different country or even moving to a new country. Adjusting to living in a different culture can be difficult.

Christians have to adjust to a new culture too. Before knowing God, we live in a culture based on performance. But when we accept Christ as Savior, we move from legalism to grace. We learn of undeserved pardon, a concept foreign to this world. Because legalism is so pervasive, those who practice grace almost seem to be from a different planet, which can make the transition difficult.

Where legalism wants retribution, grace forgives. Where legalism wants everyone to look and think alike, grace gives freedom to be ourselves in Christ. The old culture puts conditions on everything; grace says Jesus met all conditions on the cross. Legalism tries to keep people out; grace finds a place for everyone.

Christ-plus exists in many forms. It’s hard for us to let everything go and see grace for what it really is: a no-strings-attached deal where all that’s required is belief, pure and simple. And even the act of belief comes from the will of God. He is the initiator. He loved us first and he is the one who wants us to come to him. Paul said the carnal mind is enmity against God, so we can’t even believe without him. Out of his unlimited grace, he gives us what we don’t deserve—inclusion in his life.Grace involves death too. When we die physically, we’ll receive the reality of God’s grace in all its fullness. We’ll have new bodies and won’t sin anymore. We’ll have no more fears and no more tears.

But while we’re still alive, we’ll be able to receive and give more grace the more we learn to die to self. Instead of holding on to pride, we can die to it by laying ourselves down for others. Without our awful pride, we can humbly accept God’s underserved forgiveness and also give it to others. Just as we know we don’t deserve grace, so we know others don’t deserve it either. But we all want it.In 1 Corinthians 15:31 (NIV), Paul said: “I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.” To me, dying daily means giving up myself—my wants, my needs, my pride and my opinions—for the good of someone else. It also means surrendering all of me to God because he is the Lord of the universe and I’m blessed to know him.

Unlearning the culture of legalism and learning the culture of grace is the most important cultural adjustment we’ll ever make. May we all continue to grow in God’s grace.

April 2008

Spring flowers are a wonderful reminder of new life. Especially for those in areas where winter is cold, snowy and seemingly endless, spring feels like rebirth. It also reminds me of the opposite, perhaps because when I think of the bulbs I planted I marvel that such beautiful flowers can come out of brown, ugly, dead-looking little things. The contrast is striking to me and is no doubt a divine reminder of what God has in mind for us through Christ.

In the death and resurrection of Jesus we see the same amazing contrast. He died as a criminal, tortured and beaten, almost unrecognizable and repulsive to human sensibility. His body lay in a tomb for three days, probably decomposing, as dead bodies do. But then from death and decay, by the power of our omnipotent God, he rose to glorious new life. This was a marvelous event, the cornerstone of our Christian faith.

But wait, there’s more. Paul said we died with him, and were buried with him in baptism. We have also risen with him to new life, life in the Spirit, and we’re being transformed into new creatures.

But how are we transformed? Paul tells us it’s by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). Then in Colossians he tells us to put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature and to “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:10, NIV). Putting to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature can only be accomplished by dying to self, and that only through the Spirit (Romans 8:13).

This is a difficult concept, as death is the natural enemy of mankind. I instinctively recoil from all thoughts of dying in any form. But as C.S. Lewis said in The Weight of Glory, “A rejection, or in Scripture’s strong language, a crucifixion of the natural self is the passport to everlasting life. Nothing that has not died will be resurrected….” We can only rise with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-6) if we have died first (Colossians 3:3) and been buried with him in baptism. We are to be living sacrifices, but as Jill Briscoe has said, the trouble with living sacrifices is they keep climbing down from the altar! Dying to self is a daily occurrence for us, as our natural, earthly selves will not truly die until we die physically.

Jesus voluntarily laid down his life for us. We die to self by laying down our lives for others, voluntarily setting aside our own wants and even needs to help or give to another. To die daily is to crucify our pride and selfishness, both of which can cause us to elevate ourselves over others.

Jesus said those who try to save their lives will lose them, but if we give up our lives in this way, we’ll save them.We won’t learn to do it all at once and we can’t do it on our own, but only with the grace and strength of Jesus. So happy spring and may we all continue to celebrate the resurrection by continually dying to the old self and rising to the new.