Archive for category: Chaplain’s Corner

“Not Forgotten”

It’s a dreadful thing to be forgotten. For some people, the very fear of that thing is a real thing. It’s called athazagoraphobia-the fear that no one will remember who I am or what I have done, or that I ever had a place in this world.

Solomon understood. At the very end of a list of laments about the meaninglessness of life “under the sun”—that is, in this world and this world alone—he makes this observation: “No one remembers the former generations, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.” (Ecclesiastes 1:11)

We admit that athazagoraphobia isn’t entirely irrational. Many fears are focused on things that realistically aren’t going to do us in. That would include ranidaphobia (fear of frogs), and hexakosiohekontahexaphobia (a paralyzing fear of the number 666).

But in point of fact, you really are going to be forgotten. Within five or six generations, it’s almost certain that no one in your family tree will have a sense of the “real you”—what made you tick, what made you laugh, what made you get up in the morning. It doesn’t take nearly as long to be forgotten in the workplace. “Institutional amnesia” will set in within a few weeks of your departure from the office. Won’t anyone remember that you were once Employee of the Month, and that you had such great ideas at team meetings, and that you saved the company from that third quarter financial disaster? Probably not.

In this world, you really are going to be forgotten. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Well that’s not entirely true.

You can attempt to be famous. Try to set a world record that will be hard to break. Or produce a work of art that will be appreciated for centuries. Or write some amazing words that a handful of admirers will read over and over again. Or you can try to be infamous. Do something outrageous, illegal or tragically unforgettable.

Athazagoraphobia leads some people to forfeit their character and even their lives if only they will be remembered.

The English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1882) is best remembered, ironically, for his sonnet about a once-great world leader who is now no longer remembered, even though he did everything in his power to preserve his legacy. The poem is called “Ozymandias”.

It’s no wonder Solomon opens his book with the words, “Meaningless! Meaningless!
Everything is utter meaningless”. But here, for the first time we take issue with Solomon. That’s because if you have come to know Jesus, then you know more than the wisest king in the Old Testament.

We may ultimately be forgotten “under the sun” here in this world. But followers of Jesus have good reason to believe that life isn’t over when it’s over. And where there is life there is memory. Our Heavenly Father declares through Isaiah: “Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!” (Isaiah49:15) And the Apostle Paul, writing to the young believers in Corinth, says, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, then (that is in the next world we shall see face to face, Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known”. (I Corinthians 13:12)

To be in God’s presence is to be known. And to be “remembered” in the sense that God fully pays attention to all our moments- in this world and the next.

You know that fear that may strike you from time to time- the lurking suspicion that no one really knows who you are, and that no one will ever remember you were even here?

By God’s grace you can forget about it.

Faithfully,
Ron Naylor, Chaplain

 

“Here Comes the Judge”

Author and business executive Stephen Covey recounted a Sunday morning subway ride he took years ago in New York City. “People were sitting quietly-some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, some resting with their eyes closed. It was a calm, peaceful scene.” Then a man stepped into the subway with young children. The kids seemed unhinged. They were loud. They were throwing things. They grabbed people’s newspapers.

Covey was amazed. The father just sat there a few feet away, oblivious. He did nothing. “It was difficult not to feel irritated,” Covey remembered. Why wouldn’t this man assume responsibility for what was happening. Summoning what he felt was an unusual degree of patience and restraint, Covey finally turned to the man and said, “Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn’t control them a little more?”

With that the man seemed to emerge from a fog. “Oh, you’re right,” he said. “I guess I should do something about it.” Then he added: “We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don’t know what to think and I guess I don’t know how to handle it either.”

In an instant everything changed.

The man Covey had judged to be a slacker father was in truth a suffering father experiencing one of the worst days of his life. Covey brimming with compassion, could only respond, “How can I help?”

There is good reason why Jesus warns us not to judge other people (Matthew 7:12): We never know the whole story. On this side of Heaven, we never can know the whole story. Here we need to pause and affirm that normal life requires a seemingly unending series of judgements concerning other people. Who’s the best mechanic to fix your car’s water pump? Who do you want babysitting your kids this weekend? Who will be elected mayor in your hometown this November? Which spiritual teacher is giving you the best counsel concerning your soul?

Such questions demand wise responses. We will definitely have to make some judgments. So what are we supposed to do with Jesus’ teaching? The best answer is to differentiate between discernment and hypocritical judgement. The Bible commands the former. Wise discernment should be a lifelong pursuit for everyone.

But if, with a critical spirit, we judge the habits, character, and motivations of other people-operating on the assumption that we know the whole story, and have a firm grasp on what is “appropriate” for every situation, and have no glaring defects in our own habits, character, or motivations, we will find ourselves sinking fast into spiritual quicksand.

There is of course, someone who knows the whole story of every person you will meet today. And Your whole story too. That someone is God. And God makes it pretty easy for us to know what to do when we find ourselves in the presence of other people who seem truly messed up.

Just love them.

Faithfully,
Ron Naylor, Chaplain

“What’s Your Problem?”

People are defined by their problems. Here’s a more accurate way to put it: You are defined by whatever you consider your most important problem.

A heartbreakingly large number of people in the world have to address the same vexing problems day after day: What are we going to eat today? How can I keep my children safe? Where can I find adequate healthcare? Who will take care of me when I can no longer take care of myself? People who experience greater prosperity begin to trade up for what we might call better and more interesting problems.

The problem with your problems, however, is that they might not be big enough. Sometimes we obsess over problems that are far too small: How can I get the recognition I deserve? How can I get rid of this sag around my middle? Who should the Colts start at quarterback next fall? What’s the simplest and easiest way to get rich?

You might protest that figuring out how to become rich is hardly a small problem, or everyone would have solved it. But it’s wiser to say that accumulating wealth is not a noble problem. It’s not a problem worth living and dying for. People with larger visions and what we might call “large souls” surrender their lives to extraordinary problems: How can we end human trafficking? How can a free society be both secure and welcoming to outsiders? How can we safeguard the earth’s fragile ecosystems? How can we eradicate poverty?

Sometimes the good life is pictured as a condition of having to face fewer and fewer problems. Sometimes even spirituality is marketed as the surest route to a problem free existence. But as corporate transformation guru Ichak Adizes points out, the only condition that absolutely guarantees the cessation of problems is death. “Having fewer problems is not living. It’s dying. Addressing and being able to solve bigger and bigger problems means that our strengths and capacities are improving”. In other words growing up and being successful doesn’t mean avoiding problems. It means having the courage to trade up to far more worthy problems.

As Jesus wrapped up his earthly ministry, having defeated humanity’s previously undefeated enemy (death) by rising from the dead, it appeared the disciple’s problems were over. But that was the very moment Jesus gave them the ultimate challenge. It’s called the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them everything I have commanded you, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19). All of a sudden they have this multi-generational job assignment that will require everything they can possibly give.

That might turn out to be a problem.

But the next verse changes everything. Jesus says, “And remember this: I am with you always, all the way to the finish line.” We may have been given the world’s most difficult and worthy challenge, but we’re also blessed to be in partnership with the greatest Problem-Solver the world will ever know.

So what’s your problem? We all need a problem so big and so important that it cannot be solved unless God shows up. Which interestingly enough, turns out to be the best definition of what it means to be rich.

Faithfully,
Ron Naylor, Chaplain

 

“Pray Continually”

Have you ever wanted to memorize a Bible verse? Looking for one that’s short and easy to remember? Try I Thessalonians 5:17. It’s just two words: Pray Continually. That’s it. Now if it only seemed possible to live out such a verse.

The average American watches more than four hours of television every day but spends no more than 10 minutes in focused prayer. That’s a long way from praying continually. Most of us are intimidated by so-called prayer warriors. Martin Luther for example, set aside his “three best hours” every day for prayer, the three hours during which he could direct his greatest energy and focus to talking with God.

John Wesley was relentless in his spiritual pursuits. He preached more than 40,000 sermons over the course of his 18th century ministry, traveled almost a quarter of a million miles on foot and on horseback, and was still preaching twice a day in his late 80’s. He wrote in his spiritual journal at age 86: “Laziness is slowly creeping in. There is an increasing tendency to stay in bed after five-thirty in the morning.”

What are we to make of the Bible’s command to keep our eyes fixed on God and pray in every possible circumstance? How can we ever live such a life? The answer is actually rather straightforward. We take the life we already have and infuse it with a continual dialogue with God. We keep company with God no matter where we go, no matter what we do. Our goal becomes to live all our moments in the joyful awareness of God’s presence. We not only live our life but we choose to pray our life one moment at a time.

From the start, it’s helpful to set aside the notion that “real prayers” require formal openings and closings. In his book Prayer, Richard Foster writes, “Countless people have such a stained glass image of prayer that they fail to recognize what they are experiencing as prayer and so condemn themselves for not praying.” In other words, “praying continually” means transforming the running dialogue of our thoughts (which we are always experiencing no matter what) into a dialogue that we choose to share with God.

So what might that look like? First you might offer a silent expression of thanks as you experience the warmth of summer: Lord thanks that someone whose name I’ll never know invented air conditioning! As you greet a friend you can be praying: Send your Spirit to join us during this conversation. If you encounter someone here at Westminster wearing a worried look, pray secretly: God encourage her or him today. When that exceedingly difficult person comes to mind-the one who stabbed you in the heart a month ago or 20 years ago- be honest, God I can’t stand him or her. I know you know that. Keep softening my feelings and somehow use those terrible memories for your glory. If you find yourself wondering why God allows such difficult people to come into your life, you might hear him saying: And exactly what other kind of people are there? He may even add, Don’t worry, you can bet you are somebody else’s “difficult person.”

All day long, no matter what is happening or not happening you can offer this prayer under your breath at any time: “Father, I’m so glad you’re in charge of everything, so I don’t have to be.” We don’t have to trade up for a different life to have regular conversation with God.

By God’s grace, the life we already have can become the foundation for a conversation that never really ends.

Faithfully,
Ron Naylor, Chaplain

 

“FACES”

Windsor Elliot was blessed with one of the world’s most beautiful faces. During the meteoric rise as a fashion model in the 1960’s, she appeared on the cover of Vogue four times. Diana Vreeland, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, coached her models with a six word maxim: “Fake it, Fake it, Fake it”. At the height of her career, Windsor began to grasp just how fake her life really was.

She never planned on becoming a model. Her childhood had not been easy. After her parents divorced, she became a ward of the State of California. For a while she lived in a juvenile center full of hopelessness, chaos and mindless authority. She grew up without a single memory of anyone telling her that trusting God might be a viable option for facing life. That was fine. She would carve her own path. That path took an unexpected turn at a party in Paris hosted by Salvador Dali, the world’s most famous surrealist painter. All the beautiful people were there. She was one of them but there was something about the whole experience that seemed fake. She asked herself “is there any authentic mystery and meaning to life-something that wasn’t fake?

Sometimes while walking down New York’s Fifth Avenue she cried out, “God, I can’t find you. If you are there would you please find me?”

Writing today under her married name of Jenny Guinness, she shares the story of how she became a follower of Jesus. Her memoir is called “Faces.” Jenny points out that everybody has three faces. First, there’s the face we’re born with. Second, there are the various faces we “put on” throughout our lives-the cosmetic, emotional and social masks we wear in order to appear happier or wiser or more alluring than we really are. Finally, there’s the face we are becoming-the visage that reflects the person who is gradually emerging over the course of a lifetime. Our culture is overwhelmingly preoccupied with the transition from Face 1 to Face 2. It’s the journey from Face 2 to Face 3 of course that actually matters.

Many of us struggle with what psychologists call the crisis of the False Self. There is a distance between who I really am and the person I think I should be. We put on a face that smiles, even though we are sad. A face that exhibits confidence even though we feel inept. The wider the gap, the more weariness we feel.

The most important call in your life is not what you do. It’s who you become. How does such a thing happen? It happens slowly. But as we offer ourselves day by day to God’s Spirit, it happens surely.

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:8, “And we all, who with unveiled face contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being His into His image with ever-increasing joy-increasingly glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” This is an astonishing promise. Our “face,” our real self is being transformed into Christ’s image-His very self.

That process begins in this world and isn’t completed until we receive the gift of wholeness and holiness in the next. In the meantime, we don’t have to fake it, fake it, fake it to make it through life.

By God’s Grace we can develop more and more of the beautiful “face” that reflects the identity of our Lord.

Faithfully,
Ron Naylor, Chaplain