The Thursday After

Sunday at WMB (Waterloo, Online, Notes) we kicked of a new series on the “life changing habits of Jesus”.

Matthew 11 is pretty cool – worth the read. Jesus has been castigating the cities who ignored him, and then focuses on the people around him:

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

Matthew 11:27 (MSG)

(for some context, see this overview video). Then Jesus continues with this crazy invitation:

“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.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

Look at the action words: “come to me”, “get away with me”, “walk with me”, “work with me”, “watch how I do it”, “learn the unforced rhythms of grace”, “keep company with me”. These are a lot of experience and intentional words. These aren’t busy actions, they are intentional doing words.

[The Message is often such a delight. Its totally appropriate that the usual the usual acronym for The Message is “MSG” — it just seems to pack such flavor.]

Jeff spoke this morning about moving from “changing behavior” to “being changed on the inside”, moving from “religion” to being “an apprentice of Jesus”, moving from does and don’t to rhythms of grace. There was lots there to set the context for what’s to come in the next several week: how to invest in the rhythms and experience the living lightly and freely. I’m looking forward to the summer series.

In the meantime, here’s a few suggestions to get started:

• Read the gospels and observe what Jesus did and how the did it. Did he ever run? Was he ever in a hurry? Did he pack his day’s full? Did he seem worried? Did he have time for people? From how he spent his time, what seemed important to him?
• Do read a gospel or all 4 gospels yourself. Its not a huge lift. Or for something different, watch Max McLean’s great reading of Mark. Either way, do it yourself — its much better than having someone else read it and tell you the summary — even if that someone is a preacher (more on that later).
• If this “learning to live freely and lightly” sounds great, check out The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. Its a profound book which shows the human and spiritual damage of hurry. Most of it, unsurprisingly, explains that the antidote is looking at Jesus’ habits and incorporating them into your own life. Kind of like the journey we are going on.
• So many people have recommended reading Richard Foster‘s Celebration of Discipline (Jeff mentioned it this morning as well) that I probably should. Given our series, I think now is the time. I also hear Dallas Willard‘s name come up a lot, so maybe that’s an opportunity.

Here’s some reasons why you should dig in yourself.

• The bible is meditation literature. You can’t outsource meditating. The summer is a great time to meditate on the gospels. If you are not quite sure what it means to meditate on the gospels, think cows ruminating. They eat, and then regurgitate (ignore that part) and chew it over again. Pray to have the spirit highlight something for you. Read slowly. Notice words or phrases, especially ones that say or infer how Jesus was doing his thing.
• Several years ago I read Charles Duhigg’s Smarter Faster Better (great book, don’t read chapter 3 on a plane). Chapter 8 talks about making uses of Data. The Cincinnati school system was drowning in data on how students were performing, but the data didn’t improve things. An experimental program set up a dedicated “data room” where teachers would work first hand with the data. They started reluctantly, but then began having understanding what the data was saying and applying the isights to their own classrooms. Then student lives changed. The lesson: don’t outsource understanding. Re-read this paragraph but substitute the gospels for Cincinnati student data. Does it feel like same story, different context? Today, I would describe this process as meditating on the data.
• Jesus’ invitation is for us to trust him and be changed. This is part of a prayer Lectio365 used in the past few weeks “challenge me and change me, cleanse and rearrange me”. Are you willing to pray that prayer? Its full of trust and an apprentice’s desire to learn. Outsourcing trust doesn’t even make sense.
• So you want to be an apprentice of Jesus? I don’t see much choice but to dig in and learn his ways. I’ve watched new grads join workplaces I have been part of. One particular PhD grad thought that the degree meant he knew everything and no longer needed to learn. It didn’t go well and the relationship was short. The best new grads are curious, great listeners and humble. They are willing to change and so they grow fast and become great. You can’t outsource being an apprentice.

In summer we break from usual rhythms, and regenerate. Binging on TikTok, YouTube or social media (pick your poison) gives quick endorphin hits, but not regeneration. Maybe digging into Jesus’ rhythms will give ideas on how best to regenerate. He ought to know a thing or two about what’s best for us. After all, he did make us.

Looking forward to travelling the summer with you.