The Way of Jesus

A Warrior’s Prayer

Seeker — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 05:07:34 +0000

O’ Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka
Whose voice I hear in the winds;
and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me!
I am small and weak,
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let Me Walk in Beauty, and make my eyes ever
behold the red and purple sunset.
Make My Hands respect the things you have made
and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make Me Wise so that I may understand
the things you have taught my people.
Let Me Learn the lessons you have hidden
in every leaf and rock.
I Seek Strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy-myself.
Make Me Always Ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes,
So When Life Fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame.
– Chief Redcloud, Lakota Warrior-Statesman (1822-1909)

Rhythm of Grace

Seeker — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 07:26:09 +0000

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. — Jesus (Matthew 11:29-30, The Message)

Listening to our Longings

Seeker — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 03:27:17 +0000

We facilitated our first book reading tonight at Eagle Harbor Books, our favorite local bookstore. After reading a few excerpts from our book, some diverse views and great questions emerged from the group…

I’m seeking to learn about Jesus. The Bible seems so complicated. How do I learn about the true Jesus? Where do I look?

I was raised to follow what I believed to be right and not just what someone says. Do you need to read a book to follow the Way of Jesus? Shouldn’t it be simple?

What are your thoughts on other spiritualities… such as Hinduism and Buddhism? Why is Jesus so special?

Is the Way of Jesus walked individually or in community?

How do you stay centered? Can you center individually or do you need community?

Some of my family are pressuring me back to the tradition I was raised in… How have friends and family responded to you and your journey?

I identify with Jesus more than with any particular religion. But when people ask me what I believe I say I’m a Christian but I don’t know why I say this. What do you think?

You say you follow Jesus…would you die on the cross like he did?

Our questions reveal our longings and our longings reflect both the desires and the wounds of the heart…

Seeds of Movement

Seeker — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 22:09:48 +0000

The gospel is like a seed, and you have to sow it. …Now, when missionaries came to our lands they brought not only the seed of the gospel, but their own plant of Christianity, flower pot included!

So, what we have to do is to break the flowerpot, take out the seed of the Gospel, sow it in our own cultural soil, and let our own version of Christianity grow.
— D.T. Niles of Sri Lanka (1908-1970)

To Know

Seeker — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 06:12:31 +0000

Our best thought can carry us down
to the shoreline of our little island
But only desire can carry us into
the ocean of Holy Love.

This, then, is why the sea is a mist
to the smart and the self-impressed
But shines in the light for children
who delight to swim in the living waters.

Questor for truth, the real question is:
What do you truly want?
What do you truly want?
Consider this well for
Those on the shore will never see more—
But children will play—in the Waves.

–Kent Smith of Abilene, TX

(My family and I really identify with this poem… In a way it reflects our book and our spiritual journey over the past 15 years or so…)

Reflections and Hope

Seeker — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 16:39:00 +0000

Our book comes out today. A friend asked us if we felt a bit vulnerable with making our journey public. We never thought about it in those terms until books where being shipped from Amazon!

This venture of writing was not initiated on our own. As we journeyed we met many who encouraged us to share our stories and insights along the way. There were many times when the stories of others deeply encouraged us.

But the process of writing was such an unusual time in our lives. Grueling really and at times a painful process. We offer our book in humility knowing that all glory goes to God for any good this may offer readers.

We wrote the book as a sort of navigational guide to help you chart a course for experiencing a deep and fulfilling spirituality in the life and Way of Jesus. We hope you will be encouraged on your spiritual pilgrimage to:

Experience the love and reality of Jesus

Gain courage to journey and not to settle for anything less than fullness in Jesus

Be on guard against pitfalls that will hinder your freedom in Jesus

Experience the love, power, and truth of Jesus in community

Join with others to experience and embody the Way of Jesus in and across cultures

The Scribe

Seeker — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 08:00:01 +0000

My hand is weary from writing,
my sharp quill is not steady,
as its tender tip spits its dark, blue stream,
the words which are formed on the page are jagged and uncertain.

O Lord, may it be your wisdom, not my folly,
which passes through my arm and hand,
may your words take shape upon the page.
For when I am truly faithful to your dictation,
my hand is firm and strong.

Let me never write words that are callous or profane,
let your priceless jewels shine upon these pages.

– An Ancient Celtic Prayer (Source: Celtic Fire by Van de Weyer)

Why we wrote the book

Seeker — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 06:37:05 +0000

This is not the book we began to write.

It all began with asking questions about religion and seeing the widening gap between the life of Jesus and today’s church. There had to be more. We became tired of doing religion while talking about spirituality. Like the apostle Paul simply said, ‘The Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.’

We’ve been amazed at the number of those we have met around the world who are breaking out of the complexities of religion to get back to the powerful simplicity of life in Jesus. They likewise have seen the widening gap between talking about Jesus and walking with Jesus. It’s not that they are against church; they are just making more room in their lives to experience the living reality of Jesus in community with their family and friends.

Several years ago we left the comforts of the organized church to rediscover what it means to follow Jesus. It has been a process of putting off and putting on–making room for God to birth a new thing in our lives. What looked like a pile of rubble at times was actually just the beginning of something ultimately constructive.

So the book has become a travelogue of what we have discovered living outside the “system” of organized religion. We wanted to offer hope for those who where searching for a deep and meaningful spirituality; who had become disenfranchised with what religion offered them but couldn’t and didn’t want to quiet the voice within them that longed for a deeper relationship with God.