The Power of Focus

I have enjoyed watching the Olympics this week. Michael Phelps has been unbelievable. At this point he has earned six gold medals. I have noticed that lots of world records are being set, by Phelps and others. Even a 20-year-old record was broken. One track and field commentator said that the track was a very fast one. I thought that all tracks were about the same, except for altitude. I wonder what makes a track fast…

But the water must be fast, too, with all the world swimming records being set. I think that the records are being set partly because of a new tool athletes have to help them focus. Around the fields and pools I see lots of athletes sporting ear buds. Listening to favorite music has a way of getting someone in the zone.

For the first time today I listened to my mp3 player on my morning fitness walk,. I started with one album, but found that the music was too slow or mellow. I switched to a DC Talk record, and felt the adrenalin kick in. I may have covered my 2.5 miles in record time. I know that my dog found it hard to keep up.

I do believe that athletes can use music to get in the zone and perform at maximum capacity. Focus is essential for scaling new heights. The Spirit is the one who really helps us focus, and maybe good music can help too.

I expect to see lots of “world records” being broken in the spiritual realm. Jesus is on the move. He is transforming people. He is changing the world. I want to be part of that!

The Real Battle

In my personal devotions now I am reading through the Psalms, one of my favorite books of the Bible. It seems like there is a Psalm to match every emotion possible: joy, fear, anger, discouragement, contentment. I have noticed that I can’t really understand a Psalm thoroughly, unless I am in the mood of the psalmist. When I’m experiencing the same thing as the writer, I keep thinking YES, YES! It’s comforting to know that others have felt this same way.

One feeling I have a hard time relating to, however, is David’s desire for harm to his enemies. Maybe I’m not reading deeply enough, but it seems like David is sicking God on his own enemies. David takes it for granted that he is on God’s side.

Of course David was God’s anointed, and he was – during much of his life – on a mission from God. He enjoyed great intimacy with God and remained humble before him. There may have been no one in the world more intimate with God than David. Since he was a “man after God’s own heart,” he would know who God’s enemies were.

And God does punish the wicked. He hates sin. He is perfectly just. He brings destruction and judgment. But then Jesus tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. God does love the world. He loves even those who despise him.

Recently a Crossroads daily verse (sent by email every day), was Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

While David is calling for God to destroy his enemies, the real enemy is not the people but the underlying spiritual forces of evil. The battle is a spiritual one. The spiritual battle is often waged on the field of human personalities. Maybe David was really asking for God to defeat the spiritual forces.

That’s where we need to focus our prayers. The real battle is a spiritual one. That’s why prayer matters. When we face unreasonable or wicked people, we need to remember that the battle is against the spiritual forces of evil. We need to ask God to win the battle in us and in our tormentors.

Mission Trip Send-Off

Last year I went with the youth group on their mission trip. This year, it’s a little different for me, because I’m not going with them. Lisa and I planned not to go, so that our 14-year-old daughter could have the blessing of not having her parents along for the ride.

It is a different experience, staying home, wondering what they will be doing every day. Tonight the youth will have their lock-in, and they will leave tomorrow morning at 4 a.m., driving to Indianapolis.

I’m praying for God to protect them, to teach them and to challenge them. I’m asking God to draw our youth closer to himself and closer to each other. I’m asking him to build their community. I’m praying for the adults to be stretched and to learn more about the heart of God. Last year was a life-changing experience for everyone, and I’m expecting God to continue his good work.

I’m also praying for the people they will serve. God knows who these people are, and he may use our group to answer many prayers. I’m praying for the other youth groups who will be working along side our kids. Many friendships begin through these mission trips.

It may be hard to stay put while others are away serving. It’s just a different experience for me. Prayer is essential for undergirding God’s work. I expect to spend a lot of time on my knees. And I expect God to make difference for eternity through our youth group’s mission trip.

Taking it to God

Our challenge of finding a new meeting place has been an interesting ride. Meeting space has always been difficult to find in Stokesdale. There is just nothing available for assembly space. Because Stokesdale does not have a sewage system, occupancy of any structure is limited by the septic system serving the building. Normal retail space doesn’t require nearly the septic capacity that assembly space requires. So we can’t use normal retail buildings.

Those restrictions are part of the reason that Crossroads has always been a nomadic people in Stokesdale. We have been in the Long House for more than five years, longer than we have met in any of the other eight places where we have worshipped.

So, as we look to a new place to meet, we are bringing our hearts before the Lord in a Concert of Prayer this Sunday evening. Finding our future meeting space is a supernatural issue. That is, God will have to provide it.

But God’s agenda is not to give us a building. His agenda is to bring our hearts closer to him. He can reveal himself with or without buildings. He can use the process of finding meeting space to help us see his glory. This is a God-sized project. Because God has called us together as a church, we believe that he wants us to gather to worship. We need him to lead us to the right situation.

Looking beyond our own needs, we want to know what God is doing in Stokesdale, and we desperately want to be a part of that. If we merely throw together another building and say, “Y’all come!” then we are not doing much to advance the kingdom of God. But if we surrender ourselves to God and say, “Here we are. Use us!” then God can do some truly amazing work.

God is not wimpy. He’s not limited. He wants to show his glory. And so we are seeking his face this Sunday evening.

Lord, please show us your glory.

Staying Close

I’m thinking very carefully these days before jumping in the car. Our family is combining trips and maximizing every excursion, whether to Greensboro or just to downtown Stokesdale. It seems that everyone is making adjustments.

Some people are selling their gas guzzlers. Some are car pooling. I even talked to a guy who plans to fit his Suburban with a homemade device that will double his mileage. I can’t wait to see if it really works.

In some ways it seems like the world of transportation has taken a great leap back to an earlier era. Transportation has never been as easy as today. With it suddenly getting more expensive, we are recognizing travel as a bigger deal. That’s more in line with the historical perspective on getting about.

A hundred years ago, people who lived 20 miles outside of town might only go to town once a month. It was a big event to travel to the city. Extended families also tended to stay close to home, rather than moving across the country.

Back then it made sense to stay closer, because transportation was hard work. People walked a lot, even from one town to another. You would have to plan your week around ten-mile trip to another town. Then horses and buggies made travel a little better, but it was still time spent in the elements, and a rough ride, too. Trains allowed people to travel great distances, but a train ride required considerable planning and it was not cheap.

With all the hurdles to transportation, people traveled less.

Today, transportation is really cushy, with A/C, cup holders, cruise control, power windows, radios and CD players. It is not a rugged experience, unless you are flying half-way across the world. But suddenly travel is becoming much more expensive. With the added cost, we are now seeing transportation a little bit more like our ancestors did.

But there are plenty of benefits of staying closer to home. We get to know our neighbors. We find fun things to do around the neighborhood. We share rides with friends. We spend time with our families. We spend time outdoors with cookouts and horseshoes. We spend time visiting with people. We might also spend more time with God.

I think that less travel may well be a blessing to our relationships. If we are intentional about it, and if we seek God in it, the changes can really make life much better for us. Sounds good to me.

Happy Day

I just read on the Channel 8 Web site that someone has declared June 20 as the happiest day of the year. Sounds good to me.

A psychologist in England has calculated that people feel most happy on this day, based on his interesting formula: O + (N x S) + Cpm/T + He.

O = time spent outdoors
N = time spent in nature
S = socializing with friends
Cpm = childhood positive memories
T = temperature
He = holiday expected

Now, I don’t think he intends to divide our childhood positive memories by the temperature, as the formula indicates, but he does make a good point. There are plenty of good things working together to encourage us.

It makes sense to notice these positive things and even enhance them. We can’t control the outside temperature, but we can dwell on our good memories. We can make time to spend with friends. We can make plans for fun things. We can spend more time outside, enjoying nature.

Just like we can add to our own happiness, we can intentionally add to our own joy. I wonder what your formula for joy would look like? I want to figure out my own formula, and then maximize all the right variables. It won’t make every day a cake walk, but it will keep my heart more in tune with Jesus, and he’s the One who gives me joy.

Jury Duty

Today (Monday) I reported for jury duty, something I have never done, but always wanted to do. In the past when I have received a summons in the mail, I have not gotten to report to the courthouse. Today, I reported at 9:30 to Courtroom A in Wentworth. As I have breaks, I’ll add to my musings on jury service.

There are about 50 people in the group summoned today. I was called to be part of the first batch of jurors to be questioned by the prosecution and defense attorneys. Both sides are looking for jurors who will be fair and impartial.

The prosecuting attorney asked us all questions about our experiences with law enforcement and the judicial system. She also asked personal questions to learn about our jobs, spouses and families. The defense attorney made sure that we understood the presumption of innocence, and he asked each potential juror how long he or she has lived in Rockingham County. He also asked us personal questions.

I did not get struck from the jury, and am excited to participate fully as a juror. I value very much the American system of justice. I have heard people talk about bright, reasonable people who get out of jury duty, with flimsy excuses. We often hear about juries returning foolish verdicts. If reasonable citizens refuse to sit on juries, then the justice system is bound to deteriorate.

After we were seated in the jury box, we heard the opening statements of both the prosecution and the defense. Then we took a break for lunch.

The prosecution presented its case, calling only one witness. I must say that the prosecutor was very thorough in her presentation of the evidence. The defense presented no evidence, but only cross examined the prosecution’s witness.

The attitude of everyone around the court has been surprisingly encouraging. They have helped everyone feel at ease and have helped us understand the process. They are focusing on us, the jury, making sure that all the evidence is presented clearly for us. I was expecting a more cold, clinical environment among the professionals. The judge, Ms. Eagle, speaks with a drawl and seems very approachable. She urged the jurors to speak up if we could not hear or understand the evidence presented.

Now the case is over, so I can write about it. It was a DWI case. The jurors were unanimous on the verdict with very little discussion. They tapped me to be the jury foreman, which was an exceedingly easy job with such an agreeable bunch. The 12 people were interested in justice and seemed very competent. I actually liked working with them.

This whole day has helped me appreciate our judicial system. I guess we only hear about juries when they return idiotic verdicts. We don’t hear about the thousands of cases tried across the country every day with good, impartial, interested juries.

The verdict? Guilty.