Thinking About the Wilderness

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My Father-in-Law loaned me a book a week or so ago with an interesting title, The Book of Mysteries, by Jonathan Cahn.  Cahn writes the book based on Jewish wisdom literature and uses the motif of a student and teacher to convey his message.  I have seen a lot of these and generally don’t do much more than skim them and give them back.  Not this one (I ordered my own so I could give this one back).

 

Enough about the book.  Why did I tell you about it to begin with?  To tell you something about one of the “chapters” entitled ‘The Midbar’.  Midbar is the Hebrew word for wilderness.  Cahn like most of us when he thinks of wilderness sees only the barren, the austere, the severe and forbidding.  Let me borrow a few lines from “the teacher” when he speaks about this place:  “And when people go through hard times—times of loss, crisis, tragedy…separation, tears—they speak of going through the wilderness.  And yet the wilderness is  a holy place.  It was in the desert wilderness that God gave his Law, his Word and where he revealed his presence.  The wilderness is holy.”

 

Let me pause for a moment, when was the last time you thought of loss and separation as a holy moment?  You see in ministry we are often called to accompany people through these wilderness moments.  We can spend time grieving the loss, or become a guide to point out the places where God might be found.  On a more physical level when did you look out at the austere, and forbidding wilderness area and think of this a Holy place?  When was the last time you looked out in those uninhabited areas and knew that this was a holy place?  Yet when we decided to begin New Trails we chose a wilderness location for this very reason.  In the places where there is little to distract us that we are freed up to listen to that still small voice of God.

 

Let me go back to the book for a moment, for Cahn tells us that the word midbar (wilderness), comes from the Hebrew word davar.  Davar, means to speak.  When you combine the two concepts, the wilderness is the place where God speaks.  God led the newly released slaves from Egypt into the wilderness so he could speak to them.  Earlier he had taken Moses from the comforts of Egypt to the “backside” of the wilderness so he could speak to him.  Then where does Jesus go right after his baptism?  The wilderness of course to clarify his calling and purpose.

 

At this point, you might object, why can’t God speak to me from the comforts of a 4 Star motel room?  Why doesn’t God choose to speak to me on the deck of a cruise ship?  Now, don’t get me wrong, God is omnipotent and omnipresent and there is no reason why he cannot speak in those situations and I am sure that some of have heard his voice in those situations.  However, it remains a fact that over the course of God’s recorded interventions in the life of his people, he has most often chosen the wilderness.  There is no question when God wants to speak to his people he sends them out.  Elijah in his depression was sent to the wilderness.  David was shaped by the wilderness around Bethlehem to become the man God would use.  What makes us think we are any different?

I invite you to go to those wilderness areas. Or better yet come and visit us at New Trails.  On our own the wilderness is austere and forbidding place, but when you have a guide who knows what to look for, and how to navigate the wilderness suddenly things unfold in ways you never expected.   In this austere, I would say beautiful space, what you will notice immediately is what is not here.  There is very little noise, unless there is a storm coming.  There is no TV reception, sure we could get it, but it only becomes a distraction.  You will find limited cell service, and I can even arrange to take you to a place where there is no cell service.  If you are willing to risk a bit you can find an even more remote place to listen to God, it is called the Black Elk Wilderness and it is practically in our back yard.  If the Black Elk is not remote enough for you, we can head to Wyoming and the Cloud Peak Wilderness.

 

What I find is that in these areas, the normal distractions of day to day life are not existent.  We don’t have meetings to attend. Instead we pay attention to the clouds, or the rock formations, or the way a tree and rock form an unexpected cross. (We have the photo to prove that)  We are also empowered to listen to God.  It is in these places that God speaks.  When the normal distractions of life are reduced to how much water we have, to where is the next water source.   When the distractions of life are reduced to how far do we want to hike today, and where is a good place to set the tent.  When the only activity of the evening is to watch the sunset, and the wild life settle in around you, it is then you find time to listen to God in a way you cannot when there is a comfortable chair to relax in, or a TV set to distract you.  Or the next port of call, and  the all day buffet!

 

The wilderness, the place of His voice, is what we offer you at New Trails.  Sure you can find some of these things closer to home, and you should regularly get out and walk a nature trail or even a path through a local park.  Regardless of that you need an “immersion” in the wilderness on a regular basis. (Based on research that means at least 3 days) This winter, Deb and I, by necessity, are living closer to the “civilized” world, and in some ways we are mourning the loss of the wilderness.  But then again, as my Father-In-Law puts it, (his favorite verse from Esther), we are here “…for such a time as this…”  Now Esther was told that so she could save her people, for Deb and I, we are not entirely certain.   For now, Deb and I are embracing this time, as part of God’s plan.  We don’t know exactly what he has in store for us, only that he made this place available to us, he opened the doors, and so we are here listening for that still small voice.  For us, this is not a retreat from the wilderness, but like most travelers through the wilderness, this time is an opportunity to “resupply”, to restock and prepare for the next season of ministry.

 

However, the invitation remains.  if God’s voice has become faint, if the trail you are following has begun to fade and you wonder if you are still on the right path, it might be a good time to think about spending some time in the wilderness.   At New Trails we have varied levels of wilderness immersion for you to consider.   The invitation is the same.  We can help you go from stressed and depressed to a New Trail of vitality.  Your wilderness Rx filled here!

Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?

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Does anyone really know what time it is?  A philosophical question embedded in a rock song from my early adolescence.  However, that existential question remains vital even today if we as the church of Jesus Christ are to stay focused on that call to be the Body of Christ in a particular time and place.

One of the things that has been on my mind for the past several years is the challenges facing the church of Jesus Christ today.  Particularly in the North American context, probably because that is where I live, move and have my being (to borrow a phrase).  What constantly amazes me is that something that has so occupied my time and thinking, seems to rarely  reach the level of consciousness in most parish pastors I speak to.  In all fairness, this quest began a few years back when I was pursuing my Doctor of Ministry Degree, so I have spent a lot of time researching this, but my understanding of the problems facing the church today are so manifold that being ignorant of what is happening around the church and in the world today is hampering the efforts to reach our culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We operate today as if it is still the 1950s and the church has a privileged place in the culture.  Maybe we do that because that makes the job of the pastor easier.  Our congregations don’t like to think that change will be needed.  We love the status quo that surrounds the idea that the church still has a favored place in culture.  What we, as pastors, seem to know intuitively is summarized in this observation: “In a crisis we tend to look for the wrong kind of leadership.  We call for someone with answers, decision, strength and a map of the future, someone who knows where we ought to be going—in short someone who can make hard problems simple.” (Ronald Heifetz) So even if we know what is taking place around us we don’t want to raise the level of anxiety of our congregations so we keep quiet and pretend that nothing has changed!

 

While that might allow us to keep our jobs, and maintain stability in the life of the congregation, are we being faithful to our calling?  I can hear you respond, my calling is to “pastor” this particular church that has called me, and if they cannot bear to hear the message of change, then I cannot bring that message.  I wonder, would you take the same approach if the building were on fire?  I know what you would respond, “Of course not.”  However, if my analysis is correct, and that is backed up by multiple sources more learned than me, then the building “is on fire”.  If my understanding of the changes in culture is correct, the church of Jesus Christ in the North American context is facing unprecedented challenges and changes in the very near future that we cannot ignore!  Or we ignore them at our own peril.

 

What do we do about these challenges and changes?  First we can do what we have been doing, nothing, and hope that the changes pass us by and leave us alone.  I wonder if you have been watching the news lately?  A couple of hurricanes have recently pummeled the US coast lines. Some people took the approach that nothing bad will happen to them if they stay put.  However, for many of those folks, the outcome was not what they expected, and they lost not only property but their lives as well.  Again, if I am correct, and I may well be wrong, there is a hurricane or even a tsunami of change sweeping across our nation and no church will be left untouched by that change.

 

A second and I believe more prudent approach would be this, recognize that something is happening and start to engage your congregation around this issue.  We also need to heed these words about the volatility of change and the challenges of change. “Change is difficult.  It challenges adaptability, flexibility and resilience of congregations in a rapidly changing world.  On the verge of change, leaders cannot command members to go from.  They can invite members to come to and their best they can assist members in find inspiration needed to manage the pain of change.  Ideally, inspiration comes as members and leaders discern how God is calling and leading the congregation forward as they respond to change as a call to faithful following.” (McFayden, Kenneth J.; Strategic Leadership for a Change, Facing our Losses, Finding our Future; Alban Institute, Herndon, Virginia; 2009)  I like his comment, we cannot command our congregations to change.  What we can do is invite, inform and challenge our leadership to understand the changes that are taking place.  We can recommend books and webinars, or blog sites to help inform their opinions.  The key word here is invite, and inform, we cannot command our churches to change.

 

While I am no prophet, I would suggest that the first approach is going to end with either the closure of the local church, or being relegated to irrelevance by their local communities.  You see if we lose our connection to the people around  us, if the voice from our pulpits speaks peace when there is none, we are no better than the prophets of Jeremiah’s day, “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace.” ( Jeremiah 8:11).  Now I may be all wet, and this turmoil that is rocking our country is just a passing fad, and if the church maintains its current course then everything will be fine.  However, I think not.  The challenge for us as pastors is to lead the members of our churches to ask the questions.  To raise the anxiety a bit, and ask the questions.

 

I should also warn you that doing that could endanger your position.  Why did the prophets of Jeremiah’s day preach peace with an advancing army moving toward Israel?  Because they liked their job more than faithfulness to God who had called them.  If you  want to be palace prophet, don’t rock the boat.  Don’t make waves.  Preach peace and prosperity.  However, if you follow the end of the story of Jeremiah, that peace did not materialize, and I don’t see it showing up anytime soon in our nation either!

 

Now you have two choices.  You can decide that I am an addled, grumpy old man who is sour on church and has lost faith in the God who called me, or you might consider that what I say has merit.  It is entirely up to you.  There is something that amazes me as I approach my later years and it this.  When I was a young man I looked to Jeremiah for inspiration as he was a young prophet.  Now that I am a bit older I look to Jeremiah as a prophet who never quit speaking the word of God even when no one listened.  The choice is yours, but I would encourage you to take a look around, maybe even pick up a book or two on church leadership in this current age.  Who knows, I might be wrong…..

Finding Your Footing

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Before we left Yankton a friend loaned me a book entitled, Thank You for Being Late, I know I have referenced this book before, but it seems every few pages this author comes up with a tidbit that sends me on a tangent.  The tangent of the moment concerns stability, or what does it mean to find and maintain stability. Maybe it because Deb and I are in the midst of an ever changing place in our lives.  You see at the moment; we are “homeless”.  Unless you count a three season cabin and camper as having a home.  For most people part of their stability is having a place to call home. In interest of full disclosure, we do, have a place, it is found on Elliot Road in Custer, SD.  We have a physical address, but unless we want to camp here through the winter, we really don’t have a home. Some would say you are footloose and fancy free to borrow an old phrase, but for now it feels like we are living in an insecure place, our footing is less than solid.  But then again it forces me to wrestle with what exactly does it mean to find our footing at this time in our lives, or for any one of us for that matter?

 

For most of us having stable footing, means a place of stability.  When we wake in the morning the coffee pot is already brewed or brewing.  The morning paper is waiting by the door, and we know our routine for the day. We know what the day will bring.  There is work to attend to, or meetings to go to, there is meaning and “purpose” to what the day has for us. Life in that regard is stable and comfortable. We like stable, don’t we.  We like what we call routine, we know what to expect, and what will happen next.  What if stability is really a prelude to death?  What if standing still, doing the same things over and over again is not what stability is all about?  What if everything we have ever considered to be essential to our life is really counterproductive to our life and goals?  That is a disquieting thought, isn’t it?  Yet that is what is prompting this blog today.

 

By now you are wondering if I haven’t been either out in the sun too long, or that I have finally lost what few brain cells I had left.  Let me assure you I have done neither, so hear me out.  Again back to the book I am reading.  Friedman suggests that if we want to learn how to adapt in a world that is rapidly changing, we need to look a mentor who has been doing just that for a long time, and he suggests Mother Nature!  Let me borrow a few lines. One “of Mother Nature’s killer apps, [is that] she never confuses stability with stasis.  She understands that stability is produced by endless acts of dynamism.  She would tell you there is nothing static about stability…In nature a system that looks static and is static is about to die.” (Friedman, Thank You for Being Late, p.333) Let that soak in a minute before you rush on.  What if everything we treasure in life is really just about ready to die?  Take your body for instance, it is constantly changing and growing.  When cell division stops, we stop!  When we become static, we are not holding on, we are dying. Too much time on the couch is not conducive to physical health.  So why is it if in nature we value change, the seasons, the growth plants, a ripe tomato in the summer and pumpkins in the Fall, that we think our institutions can remain the same for a millennia?  The only way for our organizations to remain vital and living is to change, to grow, to adapt to the environment in which they find themselves.  Trying to keep things have always been is counter to stability, it is really a prelude to death.  Think about riding a bike. What happens when you stand still?  You fall over, of course.  On a bicycle, as in life the key to maintaining our balance is found in moving forward.  It is when we attempt to hold on to things that life unravels.  Take the Transfiguration, when Jesus meets with Elijah and Moses on that mountain top, what does Peter want to do but to hold on to the moment, to build a “church” on that spot so that things will never change. (Matthew 17:4) We have been doing the same thing ever sense!  What does Jesus do, he walks back down the mountain and heals a boy with a demon.  He does not stay on the mountain top, he does not try to maintain the moment, he knows that ministry, the life is ever changing and stability is found in dynamic acts.

 

The challenge is most of us are so wrapped up in the business of maintaining the system, or caring for the organization that we don’t see the calcification settling into the joints of our once nimble organization.  We become caught in the old proverb of trying to ride a dead horse, not knowing that the horse died a long time ago.  Because we are so invested in keeping the system going, we have confused being faithful with not changing.  What we have not understood is that unchanging nature we have cultivated could well be the prelude to our demise, not maintaining our faithful standing.

 

What do we do?  We can keep on propping up the dead horse and finding new and exciting ways to ride that animal, or we can take some time to pause and reflect.  What are we really trying to do?  I will tell you now, you cannot do it while sitting in your office.  There are way too many distractions.  The phone will ring, someone will stop by, you will notice the mail you haven’t opened, or you will look at your calendar and realize you have a sermon to write, a Bible Study to prepare for, a hospital/Nursing Home visit to make, or that magazine you haven’t read yet.  Pick your poison, our churches/offices/organizations are all designed to keep us in the same paths we have always followed, even if the horse that brought us died of old age years ago.  I invite you, of course, I would invite you, to come out to New Trails, but if you cannot, because of either time or distance, I invite you to get out and away.  Go spend time with Mother Nature and listen to what is going on around you.  After all, our Father created this world and while we credit Mother Nature, it is really God’s plan and static is dead, and dynamic is living.  Just take a look at the narratives in the Bible, God is constantly sending people hither and yon!  He sends Noah to build a boat, Abraham to take a long walk.  Paul is constantly on the move.  Jesus tells some would be followers that he has no place to call home.  Why would God change now, to tell us to preserve the past, when he challenges his followers to come and follow him!  Keep in mind I am not suggesting jettisoning the old, old story of God’s love and grace, just looking at what it is we are really trying to hold onto.

 

I would keep going this evening, but looking at the shadows on the walls I can tell it is time for the evening light show.  No not the TV (we don’t have TV reception here unless you want to pay someone to provide it).   What I am talking about is the sunset.  You see Deb and I spend an hour or more every evening, unless it is storming, sitting on the porch watching the sunset.  We see the sun settle behind the limestone ridge, then we watch for that first star, really it is a planet on the western horizon, and if we are in the mood we wait till we can really see the Big Dipper.  Then it is generally late enough and cool enough for us to think that maybe we should call it a day.  But what is interesting about a sunset, is that it never stops, there is nothing static about a sunset, or the Moon rise.  If God has made even simple things like that dynamic, why would he want us to build monuments to stasis?   While God never changes, his word remains the same forever, even God decided that one day a change in his method of communication was in order and he sent his Son!

 

Maybe, just maybe I have been out in the woods too long, but if God made the world to continue to grow and change, why should the institutions we develop remain forever caught in a time warp?  You see the Gospel never changes, it is still the message of salvation, but if God can move from the mode of sacrifices and temple worship, to the New Testament world we live in, what will he lead us to next?  For that, I am going to have to watch and wait, but I know that as winter is unlike summer, so the next season of church life will look nothing like what we have seen before.  What I do know is that we have to keep moving unless we want to die!

Life in the Not So Fast Lane

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I am sitting on the deck of my cabin as I work with the wonders of modern technology, a laptop computer.  However, today, like most days at the cabin, this one isn’t connected to the outside world, unless you consider it is truly outside in the world!  But life in this part of South Dakota is currently sans internet access, unless I want to run the risk of paying Verizon a huge bill for over using my data plan!   Not my idea of a good time.  So this blog will have to wait, like several other items of business, until we make our way into Custer, visit the County Library, with an incredibly helpful staff, and comfortable places to sit, and join you in the wonders of the World Wide Web!  For now, I am content to listen to the wind rustle in the trees, hearing the birds chirping and waiting for the sun to get low enough so we can sit on the West Deck to monitor the meadow for passing deer!

 

What do we do all day without the interruption of the telemarketers, or the instant temptation of the sound of emails coming in, or the latest and greatest installment of America’s Got Talent!  Well, we sit back, watch the sunset, wait for the stars to come out, and enjoy the evening.  Since we moved we have been busy, well moving in!  So yesterday, even though I had a list of things to do, Deb suggested a hike!  So we did.  Hiked about 4 miles, watched the deer, most of them saw us first, but a nice little 3 point buck didn’t have a clue we were spying on him.

 

So the days go!  What we are finding is a new way of life not so driven by clocks as by the time of the day.  I can’t remember the last time we ate our noon meal at 12.  Generally it gets to be about 1 or so and we go, hey, we haven’t eaten.  So we do.  The same with supper, it is going on 7:00 right now and the steaks are just on the grill, but then again, I don’t have a meeting to go to.  No television to tune in, sure there is a book or two that are calling, but they can wait.  We also have time to listen, to listen to the sound of the wind, to hear a mysterious night bird that we have yet to identify, so if you are good with bird calls, come on out.  This shy bird never sings before dusk, and generally almost total dark.  So in addition to only hearing him faintly (too faintly to record I might add) he is impossible to spot in the night sky!  So we have music and mystery!  What more could you want out of life.

 

What are the disadvantages of life in the not so fast lane you wonder?  Well Wal-Mart is 45 minutes away.  Mennards closer to 50 minutes.  But we have heard Wal-Mart will ship things, something we haven’t gotten around to yet (too many hikes and moving chores).  Internet?  Forget it!  TV? How much do you want to pay for satellite?  Traffic?  There is an occasional vehicle that goes by, but not too many, so traffic even on the worst days is a couple of 4-Wheelers or some Side-By-Sides.  I suppose, if you forgot something for the meal you are cooking, a quick run into the local grocery is kind of out of the question, even a quick run to town takes me almost 45 minutes.

 

What do we gain?  Peace and perspective.  The wilderness as I have said before has an effect and affect that you cannot find in the “civilized” part of the world.  Sure parks and open spaces help, but to fully experience this you need a wilderness “immersion”.  We have already noticed that something happens to people who come out here.  They slow down, they reflect more deeply, and find themselves closer to God than they have for some time.  They are also able to ask questions that have been pushed aside when living life day to day.  Out here there is an invitation to go deeper, to slow down and ask “God what are you inviting me to do?”  “Or better, God what are you inviting me to be?”  You see in the fast lane world most people inhabit, we are valued by what we do, or what we produce.  God has a different measure, who we are.  So out here in the land of the not so fast lane, there is time to consider what is it that God is calling me to be.

 

Maybe it has been a while since you pushed that pause button on life to ask some pertinent questions of God such as God who am I called to be?  God what is the plan for the next phase of my life?  You see, even though this ministry seems tailor made for Deb and I, God did not just lay it out to us 20 years ago in a road map.  No, his plan is a lot like the call of Abraham, follow me and I will show you where to go.  So over hill and dale, through detours that were painful and events that were pleasurable, God has led us here.  If you are wondering what it is that God might have in store for you, maybe you need to come spend a little time in the slow lane.  You see my promise to you as you plan to be with us, is at least 2 hours of my time every day.  In practice, let’s just say I am not keeping a clock!  If you chose to backpack with us, well, we have even more time to listen to God and his still small voice of wonder.

 

For now, I can see the shadows creeping across the meadow signaling that time is getting near to “monitor the meadow”.  To listen for my elusive friend who sings only when we cannot see, and to give thanks to the God who allows me to share in this part of his creation.

Lessons to be Learned in the Wilderness

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By now you know that I love the wilderness.  There is something about being in a place bigger than you are that challenges and enriches in a way that a trip to an urban location just cannot do.  I have written before about how God has used the wilderness in dealing with his people on more than one occasion and how it seems that the wilderness has a way of getting our attention.  However, I believe there is more to these wild places than just being remote from the normal pace of life.  There are some real and important lessons for us to learn here.

 

Let me see if I can relate some reasons why you choose to leave behind Wi-Fi, cell phones and cable TV, not to mention restaurants and a soft bed?  Let me see if I can make a case for seeking out things that the modern world cannot provide that you yearn for and need to find.  When it comes to renewing our relationship with God, that is something that Google cannot help you find.   There are at least three things you can find when step out of the world of modern convenience into the wilderness.

 

You can find a sustainable pace to your life. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a sustainable pace to your life?   Have you thought it would be great if you were not rushing from one appointment or deadline to another?  One man suggests that busyness has only deepened our starvation for experiences that cause true transformation.  Before you rush on, to your next appointment, let that statement sink in.  Has your busy schedule starved your experience of transformation?  Are you living on past encounters with God, hoping to make it to your next day or time of inspiration?  If you are, it is time follow the example of Jesus, who regularly withdrew either by himself or with his disciples to have some time to rest, renew his mind, pray and prepare for the work ahead.  It is time in the wilderness that helps us find more peace and productivity by following this model of ministry given to us by Jesus himself.   Time on the mountain, and in the mountains provides the rest and renewed perspective we all need to be more wholly devoted followers of Jesus Christ back home.

 

A second reason to seek out a wilderness experience is that it helps you let go of the burdens you carry.  Remember the words of Jesus: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30).  Burdens are part of life, it is how we carry them that matters.  As Jesus looked at the burdens of his day, he chose a surprising strategy to change the world.  He chose a small group of people and used the wilderness to take the time to talk to them about what burdened them.  In that setting of the distraction-free wilderness setting, he was able to settle them down, take their burdens from them, so that they could go out and run free as world changers in a culture that desperately needed their message of Good News.  What makes us believe we can manage our time with our smart phones, or that multi-tasking is now the God designed way to change the world.  If you are looking for a lighter burden, maybe it is time to follow Jesus out in the wilderness where he can settle you down, take your burden and send you back into the world to be world changers that are so desperately needed in our time.  You just might find that “multi-tasking” is just another excuse for not being in tune with God!

 

A third reason for seeking the wilderness is that the wilderness frees us from the traps of entitlement.

The Psalmist invites us to this journey when he writes: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”  (Psalm 139:23-24).  Once again I am borrowing from another, but this observation is important. If you rarely take time to retreat and ask the Lord to search your heart and show you your sin, then you are likely to be building on the sand of entitlement.  Once again don’t dismiss that thought quickly.  How many times don’t we justify our actions by saying “I deserve this.”  I have been so busy; I deserve….  (You fill in the blank).  Jesus knowing how enticing entitlements were used the wilderness with his disciples to sever those entanglements that choked their faith, or as the author of Hebrews states: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1).  However you will not recognize those weights unless you take the time to let God point them out and to do that you will need to slow down enough to let God speak to you and once again remember he does not book appointments with you, we need to seek him out and be still enough to listen.

 

That is our invitation and our mission at New Trails.  We invite you into the wilderness to find a sustainable pace to your life, work balanced by rest and nutrition.  To find a burden that is light, as well as to hear once again from the Lord who called you into this place of ministry and service.  Then to take the time to ask the question of the one who loves you with a never ending love to show us where the entitlements of life have taken root so that we can continue to serve as wholly devoted followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.  While I cannot say God does not work in the Holliday Inn, it seems that his major focus has been in the wilderness.

 

Christianity as Adventure.

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I don’t know if you remember the movie Top Gun with Tom Cruise, but I do. One of the songs that seemed to catalyze the movie was “Danger Zone” by Kenny Logins.  Being a fan of action adventure movies, just hearing that song reminds me of the scenes of jets screaming though the air, of men and machines pushing the limits.  Yet, I wonder how many times do we step away from the Danger Zone, back to the comfort zone?  I don’t think we need to join the Air Force and fly multimillion dollar planes, or engage in behaviors that unnecessarily put our lives at risk.  However, most of us live our lives in a comfortable zone of predictable situations with easily anticipated outcomes.  For most us there is very little risk in the life we are living for Christ.  I want to ask you when was the last time your life was dangerous enough to trust God to hold you in challenging and dangerous situations? When was the last time you stepped into a situation not knowing what God was going to do next?  You see I don’t believe Christ called us to be safe, he called us to live by faith and not by sight. (2 Cor. 5:7)  So we hear that, or we read it in our devotions, we respond with an AMEN, and then go back to what we have always done, depending on the tried and true patterns that we see.  What would happen if we began to live our life as followers of Jesus Christ began to flesh those words out in our lives each and every day.

 

While I am on a song theme, what about that Casting Crowns, song “Voice of Truth” where the lyrics ask “What would I have to do….To step out of my comfort zone, Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is…” That song is based on Jesus encounter with the disciples at night during a storm on the sea of Galilee, and Peter boldly states if it is you, Jesus, invite me to come to you.  Jesus does, and Peter steps out of the boat onto the waves to stand with Jesus.  That is entering the danger zone if I have ever heard of it.  When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone, into the realm of the unknown, into the danger zone where Jesus lives?  (If I may change the lyrics a bit.)

 

The reality is that the older we get the more risk aversive we become. We love our well appointed offices, our air conditioned cars and homes. We abhor risk so much that the very idea of hiking into a wilderness area just isn’t something we want to try.  So we cue up with lines of people driving through national parks to see the wilderness from the comfort of our cars.  What you have seen is a “park” not the wilderness.  The wilderness is over the ridge that you cannot see from your car.  The wilderness is beyond the curve in the trail.  For me the wilderness is a metaphor of trust and reliance.  In that environment we cannot depend on normal routines, and predictable patterns.  The wild places force us to adapt to them, to learn their signs and follow their lead.  We cannot manage wild things, we can only respect and appreciate them, and learn from them.  However, if we avoid risk, we also avoid learning.  “The concept of adventure is uniquely connected to Faith. The reason is that true faith requires risk.  And risk taking is by definition an Adventure.  Anytime I see a person move deeper into faith I can almost see on their face how risky it is for them.” (Dunning, God of Adventure, p. 77)

 

Once again, when was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone, following where Jesus lives? You see Jesus did not know the comfort zone did he.  One day a man came to Jesus and declared he wanted to follow him.  This is what Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20)  This is the same Jesus who invites Peter to step out of the boat, who sends his disciples out to preach and to teach, and at the end of his mission on earth sends them to make disciples of all nations, reminding them that he would be with them always.  I wonder does this sound like someone who was addicted to comfort zones?

 

As I read the Gospels I hear Jesus repeatedly asking his followers, you and I to step into that danger zone where he walks with us. When Jesus tells us that in losing our lives we will find them, he is reminding us that being risk aversive is contrary to the Gospel message.  Think about this a bit more, where did that word risk come from in the first place?  The word risk comes from the Spanish and Italian sailors who put themselves and their cargo at risk in hopes of gaining great reward.  They knew that a ship in a harbor is safe, but that isn’t what ships were made for, so they risked their ships, their cargo and their very lives to gain reward.  Unless we are willing to take a risk for the kingdom of God, we run the risk of facing our master not having fulfilled our calling and purpose.  As Christians we are not designed for safety, we are called to lose our life for the sake of the kingdom and in doing that we will find the life that is really worth living. (Pardon my lose paraphrasing) In order to achieve that purpose, we cannot focus on safety and security, we have to risk in order to find the life that is promised us in the kingdom of God

 

This theology of risk, as one person describes it, is what drives New Trails. Coming out to New Trails involves risk. I know I am asking you to something that you are not accustomed to. I am inviting you to take is to step out of your comfort zone, to try a new approach to listening to God.  I am inviting you to take a risk of hearing what God has to say to you.  Inviting you to even consider that God may have a new trail that you have not even considered before.  One of my favorite quotes about the Christian life comes from Dietrich Bonheoffer who wrote: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”  When Jesus called his disciples he put them at risk.  We also know that when Jesus bids us come and die, as we lose our lives for his sake we find them again.  Jesus reminds us that in dying we are born again!  On the other hand I am inviting you to an arena as old as the Christian life itself.  For Jesus began his ministry by retreating to the wilderness.  He often called his disciples to come away from the crowds so he could spend time alone with them.

 

My challenge to you is take a risk. The world around us demands that we take a risk.  The world around us will not be won by Christians who stay in their comfort zones.  Just as the early church had to leave the safety of Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to the world, today you and I been called to risk all for the cause of following Christ.   In one of those times of risk when my wife and I were backpacking the Big Horn mountains, we are on what I like to call a “scenic detour” (we missed a turn on the trail).  As we are finding our way back it struck me that this time in the wilderness was a parable of my life in Christ.  Following Christ did not come with a road map, or a paved highway.  At each turn of my life I found there was a small voice saying to me this is the way go in it. (Isaiah 30:21)   In the times we live if the church is not willing to risk all for the kingdom of God, I am afraid we will be left behind as a footnote of what might have been.

 

While I could go on about movies, songs and stepping out of the boat, let me wrap this up with a story that seems to encapsulate my life. Writer Oscar Schisgall tells the following story.  When I was a young writer with a very uncertain income, I went into a quiet park to contemplate a serious problem.  For four years I had been engaged but didn’t dare to marry.  There was no way of foreseeing how little I might earn in the next year; moreover, we had long cherished a plan of living and writing in Paris, Rome, Vienna, London — everywhere.  But how could we go 3000 miles away from everything that was familiar and secure, without the certainty of some money now and then? At that moment I looked up and saw a squirrel jump from one high tree to another.  He appeared to be aiming for a limb so far out of reach that the leap looked like suicide.  He missed — but landed, safe and unconcerned, on a branch several feet lower.  Then he climbed to his goal, and all was well.  An old man sitting on the bench said, “Funny, I’ve seen hundreds of ’em jump like that, especially when there are dogs around and they can’t come down to the ground.  A lot of ’em miss, but I’ve never seen any hurt in trying.”  Then he chuckled.  “I guess they’ve got to risk it if they don’t want to spend their lives in one tree.”  I thought, “A squirrel takes a chance — have I less nerve than a squirrel?”  We were married in two weeks, scraped up enough money for our passage and sailed across the Atlantic — jumping off into space, not sure what branch we’d land on.  I began to write twice as fast and twice as hard as ever before.  And to our amazement we promptly soared into the realm of Respectable Incomes.  Since then, whenever I have to choose between risking a new venture or hanging back, those five little words run through my thoughts:  “Once there was a squirrel . . .”  And sometimes I hear the old man on the park bench saying, “They got to risk it if the don’t want to spend their lives in one tree.”

What Sets New Trails Apart?

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What is it that sets New Trails apart from some other ministry support processes that are available to pastors today? I cannot tell you that our staff, me and my wife, are more highly trained or dedicated than anyone else.  Everyone I know of who is involved in caring for and supporting pastors and others in full time ministry is dedicated, trained and devoted to the calling to this ministry.  I also cannot claim to offer a unique counseling perspective.  You see I have studied a lot of them, and am certified in a few of them, but at the end of the day it is not a tool or a technique that is going to help you find your place and renew your passion for ministry or support you in the times of difficulty and challenge.  There are numerous ways and processes in place that have been used successfully, so we don’t have a much better tool.

If a tool were all that was needed, we could easily find a place in the Bible that would show us what to do in every situation. Take for instance the well known verse of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” (I chose that verse as we all learned that in Sunday School) and find the “tool” to master the challenges of life.  You know as well as I do there is no one verse to master all of life.  What is needed in our walk with the Master as well as to master change is a relationship.  At New Trails we don’t offer you tools or processes, we offer you an opportunity, a place and space to renew your walk with the Master.  We offer the supportive environment for you to do the work that God has for you.

If all it required was a tool or a technique to deal with the challenges of ministry and life, there would have been no need for God to record his dealing with humanity down through the ages beginning with Adam and Eve because all he would have had to do is write the biography of his work with say, Noah, or Abraham and we would know how to connect with God. But have you noticed that God records account after account of how he reaches out to people individually?  What about Gideon, a guy who is hiding out from the invading armies, when God calls him a “Mighty Hero” (look at Judges 6).  I could go on and on about God’s individual dealings with his people, but you cannot read long in the Bible until you know that God deals with us individually and uniquely and  not from a tool and technique approach.

At New Trails that is the difference that makes a difference? When you seek out a Wilderness Sabbatical at New Trails it can entail a three day back pack trek through the Black Hills of South Dakota, or a five, to ten day retreat based on our property near Custer enjoying the beauty of that area, with short “day hikes” to different places to listen and reconnect with the God who has called you.  If you like we can plan a 5 day trip out the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming where once we leave the trail head we don’t find “civilization” until we get off the trail.  But the constant in all these approaches is that we focus on listening to God and his word.  Each and every day, and throughout the day, we pause to ask “What is God saying to me?”  “What is God trying to help me understand about himself today?”  I know the challenges and distractions of ministry, there are times when we get so busy doing the work of God that we forget to spend time with God!  That is not meant as condemnation, it is merely a reflection of my life experience.  Then there are times when despite your best efforts it seems that nothing is good enough and you wonder if this is really what God has called you to do.

My role at New Trails is to walk alongside you through the process of hearing from the God who called you. You and your relationship with God is the primary focus of your time at New Trails.  You hold the key to unlocking the challenges of your past and the place God is calling you to go in the future.

At New Trails we have been called by God to provide the support you need to hear from God.  While we don’t have a rigorous agenda, I do ask that you consider what we ask you to do while with us, as we have learned a few things about the wilderness that can enhance your time with us.  While you are here, I ask that as you come to spend time in the wilderness, you consider what it is that is driving you.  I ask that you allow yourself the freedom to adjust to a more “natural” rhythm of life.  You see Thomas Edison didn’t do us any favors in giving us electric lights so we can ignore the natural rhythms of our bodies.  When you in the wilderness, life takes a new rhythm that allows us to reconnect in a more organic way to our bodies and the world that God has given to us.  The wilderness has a different rhythm than the city.  The wilderness has its own set of expectations and as you immerse yourself in that place, you find that not only does your body change, but so does your thinking.  While there is nothing magical about the wilderness, there does seem to be something beneficial about the outdoors for our mental and emotional health.

There is one last thing that I think sets New Trails apart and that is that we believe God has frequently called his people to the wilderness to rest, and rest is an integral part of what we offer. Our location is located in a remote stretch of the Black Hills surrounded by National Forest and blessed with some of the most beautiful sunsets.  For better or worse, there is limited technology here.  At the cabin, if you had  a TV the best you could hope for are two stations.  So bring a good book, a comfortable chair, a good pair of walking shoes, or hiking boots, your Bible and a desire to listen, and learn what God has to say to you.

What sets New Trails apart is at the end of the day, is we offer you an opportunity to explore where God is calling you. We have no set program (we tailor the program to your needs), no rigid expectations, we offer you our love, our support and care.  We offer a listening ear and a knowledge of the wilderness that allows us to enjoy that space in safety and security.  If you find the trail you are following has become faint, come and see what a Wilderness Sabbatical can do for you.  Maybe together we can help you find a new trail!

Why The Wilderness

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You may wonder why New Trails is located in a wilderness location. We are in a remote location first and foremost is because this is where I see God speaking to his people most often.  Take a look through the Bible, God often used the wilderness to speak to or shape his people for their mission and ministry.  Abraham was taken from the “civilized” world and called to live as an alien and stranger in the Promised Land, he camped for the remainder of his life.  Moses was taken from the court of Egypt and for 40 years he lived as a shepherd in the wilderness.  That is just a sample, and it was in the wilderness that Jesus clarified his call to be the savior.

 

When you step into the wilderness you make a conscious decision to step away from the world of modern conveniences. You deliberately choose to leave behind Wi-Fi, cell phones and cable TV, the distractions of modern life that tend to occupy our time.  I would suggest stepping into the wilderness  because there are things that the modern world cannot provide that you yearn for and need to find.  When it comes to renewing our relationship with God, that is something that Google cannot help you find.

 

Consider this an invitation to pause for a moment and consider what you might find by stepping into this wilderness environment, even for a few days.

 

You can find a sustainable pace to your life. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a sustainable pace to your life?   Have you thought it would be great if you were not rushing from one appointment or deadline to another?  One man suggests that busyness has only deepened our starvation for experiences that cause true transformation.  Before you rush on, let that statement sink in.  Has your busy schedule starved your experience of transformation?  Are you living on past encounters with God, hoping to make it to your next day or time of inspiration?  It is time follow the example of Jesus, who regularly withdrew either by himself or with his disciples to have some time to rest, renew his mind, pray and prepare for the work ahead.  It is time in the wilderness that helps us find more peace and productivity by following this model of ministry given to us by Jesus himself.   Time on the mountain, and in the mountains provides the rest and renewed perspective we all need to be more wholly devoted followers of Jesus Christ back home.

 

A second reason to seek out a wilderness experience is that it helps you let go of the burdens you carry. Remember the words of Jesus: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30) Burdens are part of life, it is how we carry them that matters.  As Jesus looked at the burdens of his day, he chose a surprising strategy to change the world.  He chose a small group of people and used the wilderness to take the time to talk to them about what burdened them.  In that setting of the distraction-free wilderness setting, he was able to settle them down, take their burdens from them, so that they could go out and run free as world changers in a culture that desperately needed their message of Good News.  What makes us believe we can manage our time with our smart phones, or that multi-tasking is now the God designed way to change the world.  If you are looking for a lighter burden, maybe it is time to follow Jesus out in the wilderness where he can settle you down, take your burden and send you back into the world to be world changers that are so desperately needed in our time.

 

A third reason for seeking the wilderness is that the wilderness frees us from the traps of entitlement.

The Psalmist invites us to this journey when he writes: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24)  Once again I am borrowing from another, but this observation is important. If you rarely take time to retreat and ask the Lord to search your heart and show you your sin, then you are likely to be building on the sand of entitlement.  Once again don’t dismiss that thought quickly.  How many times don’t we justify our actions by saying “I deserve this.”  I have been so busy, I deserve….  (You fill in the blank)  Jesus knowing how enticing entitlements were used the wilderness with his disciples to sever those entanglements that choked their faith, or as the author of Hebrews state: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)

 

That is our invitation and our mission at New Trails. We invite you into the wilderness to find a sustainable pace to your life, work balanced by rest and nutrition.  To find a burden that is light, as well as to hear once again from the Lord who called you into this place of ministry and service.  Then to take the time to ask the question of the one who loves you with a never ending love to show us where the entitlements of life have taken root so that we can continue to serve as wholly devoted followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.  While I cannot say God does not work in the Holliday Inn, it seems that his major focus has been in the wilderness.

Failure is Never Forever

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Over the years I have been privileged to lead chapel devotions for the Lewis and Clark Scout Camp. Looking over the assembled group of boys and leaders, I generally attempt to strike a note of support and encouragement, to remind them that as Scouts and even adult leaders, too often we find the life is discouraging.  That is where this blog idea originates.

A man complained to his rabbi of depression.  His life lately seemed like an  endless string of failures, disappointments, and missed opportunities.  Why, he  asked, had God condemned him to live such a frustrating existence?  The rabbi listened carefully and after some moments of contemplation, he asked  the man to reach behind him and remove a large volume from his bookshelf.  Assuming this was some tome of ancient spiritual wisdom, the man reached for the  volume.  He noticed that it was an almanac of sports statistics.  “Read page 543  aloud,” the rabbi instructed.  And the man began reading the lifetime batting  averages of baseball’s greatest hitters.  Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams.  Not  one of them more than 400 the rabbi observed.  That means more than six in ten  times, the greatest of the great struck out, popped up or flied out.  More than  six in ten times, they failed.  The rabbi asked, “Are you better than they were?  Why do you expect more of yourself than they did?”  If it doesn’t break us, failure can be life’s greatest teacher.  What can we  learn from failure?  That we can start again.  That we can ask for help.  That  we can be forgiven.  What does failure teach?  That we are limited, finite,  fallible, vulnerable, but still worthy of love.”

I like that story because all too often we imagine that the greatest among us, the Ty Cobbs, Babe Ruths and Ted Williams all lived a charmed life.  After all how else did they get to be the best?  What about some other famous “failures”.  Did you know that Einstein spent a lifetime looking for a theory that doesn’t exist.  Babe Ruth holds a record for the most strikeouts. Columbus never did make it to India.  And Moses never made it to the Promised Land.  Imagine that, the entire Torah ends in failure: Moses never got to see the fulfillment of his dream.  Yet what do you remember about those men is not the failure, but the successes.  The achievements of Einstein are still studied by students.  We don’t even remember that Columbus set out for India, and Babe Ruth is known for homeruns not strikeouts.  Moses, the leader of the Israelites out of Egypt, not the fact that he died on Mt. Nebo in modern Jordan.

What about you? Are you going to focus on the number of times you didn’t connect for a homerun?  Will you focus on the strikeouts, or are you looking to see where God can use you?  You see failure need not be your legacy.  Why did Babe Ruth strike out so often?  It was because he was swinging for the fences.  He was not content with a bunt or a base hit, he swung for the fences.  Why did Einstein persist in a theory that did not exist? Because he knew there was more to life than he could explain.  What about you?  What about the call of God in your life?

Let me wrap this up with one last parable. It’s a story about a peasant who lived in a village at the foot of mountain range. On the side of the mountain, in full view of the village, stood a monastery.  The village people very seldom ever saw one of the monks and they held them in high awe.  One day one of the monks descended from the mountain to the village below.  The peasant, running up to the monk, said: “Oh, Father, surely yours is the best of all lives, living so close to God up in the clouds on top of the mountain.  Please tell me, what do you do up there.”  After a thoughtful pause, the monk replied, “What do we do up there?  Well, I’ll tell you.  We fall down and we get up.  We fall down and we get up.  We fall down and we get up.”  That’s it!  That’s what the Christian life is all about.  We all belong to the “Society of the Skinned Knees!”  We all try to walk the walk but we fall down.  We fall down and we get up, again and again and again.  With God’s help we keep on walking.  With God’s help we can get up.  But it’s our choice.  We don’t have to get up.  We could just stay down for the count.  But if we turn to God in the midst of our suffering, then we will be enabled to get up.  You see failure is never forever, as long as you allow God to give you a hand up!

At New Trails Ministry we know a lot about falling down and getting back up again.  I invite you to take a look at your schedule and make time in your schedule to come out and join us.  We specialize in helping you get from being stressed and depressed to finding a new trail of vitality.  We just happen to believe God can work wonders through the wilderness, we can fill your Wilderness prescription here.

Why You need a Wilderness Sabbatical

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At New Trails our signature ministry is a wilderness sabbatical. I initially set it up this way, because I love to hike and backpack and I think nothing is more fulfilling than spending a day in God’s creation. Based on my own personal preference, and the fact that God allowed us to purchase a little piece of his creation surrounded by wilderness this is the direction we decided to pursue. However, now science is providing the “reason” why those pursuits have been so fulfilling to me. In her book, The Nature Fix, Florence Williams documents the research that supports this natural healing perspective. However, before I get into all that science and research information, let me borrow a line from Williams that supports my decision. Williams’ analysis of modern life is that: “We suffer from an ‘epidemic dislocation from the outdoors,’ … and it’s destructive to our mental and physical health. The therapy is straightforward. ‘The more nature, the better you feel.'” I couldn’t agree more. After a long winter, most often spent indoors (I live in South Dakota) I look forward to Spring when I can go back outside for walks, hikes and exercise.

What is fun for me is to have science finally support what I have known for years, but it is good to see that I had not just imagined that I felt better outdoors than indoors. What has this research uncovered? That in only as little as 15 minutes outdoors, in a wilderness, or even a park area a person’s cortisol (the stress hormone) levels begin to drop off. That means the less cortisol that is found in your system the less stress in your body. If 15 minutes is good, extend that to 45 minutes and the research shows that people do better on tests that measure cognitive performance. (As compared to those who sat in a room and read a book, or watched a video) In other words after less than an hour in an outdoor environment, your stress levels drop and you think more clearly. Now if an hour can help, imagine what 5 to 10 days in a wilderness environment can do for your blood pressure!

Now if you read William’s book you will learn a lot about the science behind all this and maybe more than you ever wanted to know about the benefits of being in the wilderness. Or you can try your own experiment. We have all been to those fine seminars held in motel conference rooms. We have all traveled across the country to find a seminar to help us grow our churches, or make us better preachers, or teach us this or that skill. These all have a place. What if you decided to experiment and try something completely different, a wilderness sabbatical? What if this year instead of spending serious money on a new idea, you decided to go to an old idea? You see the Desert Fathers when they wanted to get closer to God, retreated to the desert to be alone. Why are we any different?

I invite you to try a simple experiment. When you look beyond lower levels of cortisol, (which by the way also lowers your blood pressure) and improved problem solving is this simple fact, God has used the wilderness to shape and speak to his people. When God wanted to shape Moses, where did he send him? To the University of Egypt, where the accumulated knowledge of generations was stored, or to the backside of the wilderness? You know, it was in Midian that God shaped his man to be the one whom he could use to lead his people to freedom. Where did Elijah go before he challenged the prophets of Baal? The wilderness. Where did God speak to his prophet? You see where I am going? When Jesus is beginning his ministry, the Holy Spirit leads him into the wilderness. So why have we decided that ministry is to take place indoors? When did seminars with influential speakers become the way we believe God is shaping us today? When did we forget that God has often used the wilderness to shape and form his people?

At New Trails you will not find a new technique to grow your church. You will not find a new style for preaching. What you will find is a place where your life slows down enough to listen to the God who leads and guides you. You will find a place with sweeping views of creation and time to notice the small flowers and animals around us that we often miss. You will find the joy of a walk in the woods of simple meals in nature and the good night’s sleep that comes from getting enough exercise. You will find fresh air and refreshing sunsets.

Why a wilderness sabbatical? Take your pick. Maybe you need a stress relief? Maybe God has been nudging you to draw closer to him? Maybe you just need a break from the pace of life for a while. Remember this, God created the Garden of Eden, and placed Adam and Eve there. He did not place them in the shopping mall of Eden for a reason. Maybe it is time we rediscovered what God has planned for us all along. Maybe it is time for you to consider a wilderness Sabbatical.