Let Us Linger

Last weekend I was blessed to be able to attend the Linger Conference in Dallas, TX.  Linger is a conference devoted to reigniting a desire for and developing a sensitivity to God's presence, and to learning the discipline of lingering in that Presence.  In the Western Church, we're big on church attendance and service, reading our Bibles (not to mention hundreds of other books), talking the talk, and gathering in "community."  But we're not quite as good at or intentional about being still and knowing that God is God.  We're pretty good at being "Martha" and getting things done for Jesus.  We're not as good at being "Mary" and doing what is truly needful: sitting and lingering at the feet of Christ (Luke 10:38-42).  The irony here is that Jesus, Himself, has told us that it is knowing Him and being known by Him that is most vital, above and beyond merely doing things in His name (Matthew 7:22-23).  The Linger Conference is designed to reignite a passion to linger, and provide some tools and Scriptural context to help us do just that, as well as helping Christ Followers acknowledge and address areas in their lives and walks that hinder our ability to linger in -- or even enter into -- the presence of God.

We're pretty good at being "Martha" and getting things done for Jesus.  We're not as good at being "Mary" and doing what is truly needful: sitting and lingering at the feet of Christ (Luke 10:38-42). 

The heart child of Shane Bernard and Shane Everett (Shane& Shane), worship leaders/songwriter's extraordinaire, Linger is two full days of worship, teaching, and lingering in God's presence.  Assisting the Shanes in this are some of the greatest teachers and worship leaders ministering today, including Christy Nockels, Phil Wickham, Tod Wagner, Matt Chandler, Dr. Eric Mason, and others.

One of the ways the conference format helps provide and facilitate times of lingering is via the "Linger Room."  This year (the third annual) the conference was held at BentTree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, TX.  BTBF is an amazing facility with a wide variety of multi-purpose spaces.  One of these spaces called the "Family Theater" (bigger than most churches' main sanctuary/worship center) was designated the "Linger Room."  In this room, there was live acoustic worship being led non-stop throughout the conference, interspersed with Scripture readings, provided by the folks at People & Songs.

The music was soft, slow, and gentle.  The lights were dim, just enough to read by, but no brighter.  Scattered about the room were a few regular chairs, but mostly pillows, comfy couches, beanbags, and Xorbees (huge, overstuffed beanbags that can hold multiple people).  In a corner by the platform on which the musicians played and sang was amazing "live artist" Robin Oas, painting beautiful pictures in real-time as she was inspired by the songs being sung and the Scriptures being read.  Just watching the strokes of her brushes on the canvas was calming and meditative.   Scattered unobtrusively around the room were volunteers (who themselves were worshiping) that could pray with and for anyone who needed such ministration during their times in the Linger Room.   I cannot imagine an environment more conducive to attuning your heart and mind to the presence of God and then lingering in that presence.

During the conference, attendees were encouraged to respond to the Holy Spirit's leading and spend as much time in the Linger Room as was wanted or needed.  There were special times set aside for this before and after the main conference hours and during breaks, but the room was open and available even during main teaching and worship sessions.  Everyone knew it was okay to skip a session and "linger."

I was worshiping in the Linger Room after lunch on the first day of the conference, soaking in the presence of God in a way I had not done in years.  Tears flowed unchecked, and instead of singing I grew silent, letting The Spirit sing to me -- and for me -- for a change.  It was a sweet, sweet time.  But in the back of my mind was an ember of anticipation that was threatening to flare into anxiety.

Tears flowed unchecked, and instead of singing I grew silent, letting The Spirit sing to me -- and for me -- for a change. 

Ever since I was first introduced to Shane & Shane some 15 years ago, the duo have been a fixture in my ministry and my personal walk with Christ.  More than merely my favorite worship leaders and Christian songwriters, the Shanes have been used by God to deepen my own worship, give me fresh insight into God's Word, and reveal new intimacies of our relationship with Christ as His bride.  What's more, their music has empowered my own ministries of worship and discipleship.  I have friends that joke about how I can apply a Shane & Shane lyric to virtually any and every Bible study or devotional.

In the Linger Room, I pulled my focus away from God to my watch.  Shane & Shane would be taking the stage in about 45 minutes!  I would have to leave soon to go to the main worship center.  I wanted to be close to the doors at least 30 minutes before they opened so I could get a good seat.  I wanted to get close to the stage, close to the Shanes.  I wanted to have a good view, get some good pictures and video.

I was about to gather up my things when God whispered, gently: "Lee, you have not come here to meet with Shane & Shane.  Or Christy Nockels.  Or Phil Wickham.  You have come here to linger in My presence, to meet with Me, your God.  I am just as present in the back corner as I am on the center of the front row.  My Holy Spirit through My Word can bring Me into sharper focus -- closer proximity -- than the most powerful zoom lens.  So don't leave My presence now to go and get closer to your idols.  (ouch!)  Linger with Me a while longer.  And when the time comes for you to go the worship center, I promise that I will meet you there, no matter what seat you get.  You will hear Me, no matter who is singing or speaking."

So I lingered...  

I confessed and repented of my idolatry and my anxious thoughts, and I lingered in God's presence, letting Him minister to me, realign my thought processes and priorities (transform?).  I invited Him to "create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).

...it's easy to linger in the Linger Room.  Lingering in the living room or the conference room or the waiting room or the hospital room is something else entirely.

As with any mountaintop experience, the challenge once Linger is over is to take the disciplines learned and the truths revealed with us back to the valley, where people dwell and God works.  No one lives on the mountain, after all.  Let's face it, it's easy to linger in the Linger Room.  Lingering in the living room or the conference room or the waiting room or the hospital room is something else entirely.  But God is God is all of these rooms, and He meets us there.

So my prayer for myself and for you every day is this:

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

And sustain me with a willing spirit.

 -- Psalm 51:10-13

#LetUsLinger

Solidarity in Celebration

This weekend we'll be celebrating my daughter's eleventh birthday by having a house full of giggly, squealing, fifth-grade girls.  All night!  There will be cake.  There will be soda.  There will be karaoke.  There will be dancing and trampolining.  There will be movies and chatter until the wee hours.  Please pray for my wife and I. :)

But seriously, I'm okay with this.  Is this my preferred way to spend my Friday night?  Well, no, not really.  But here's the deal: I love my daughter.  And while I celebrate her in little ways every day, this day -- her birthday -- is particularly special and is set apart to celebrate her in big ways.

When you love someone and want to celebrate that person, you are willing to be in the company of others who love the same person so that you can celebrate him or her together, even if those other  people might not be who you would choose to spend your free time with in other contexts.  It's all about the one you love.  It's about choosing to love others because the one you love loves them.  It's about the one being celebrated and not the celebrants.

As Christ-followers, imagine if we approached our Church gatherings with this same mindset.

A Force Worth Awakening

As I reflect upon the few hours our family spent this weekend helping those impacted by the tornadoes that hit our hometown the day after Christmas, I struggle to decide which was more overwhelming: (1) the scope of the destruction, and the sadness and immense need left in its wake, or (2) the immediate  and enormous outpouring of generosity, love, and support from not only our community, but neighboring communities and even total strangers from around the country.

I met a family whose home was destroyed while their children, ages 14 and 9, were home alone.  The look in the little girl’s eyes reminded me of a startled animal.  She had lost all of her toys, but didn’t feel comfortable taking from the donated toys, not quite understanding that this was exactly what they were for.  My heart broke for this little girl who is far too young to have the illusion of safety in her own home permanently shattered.

 Another family was living out of a hotel, compliments of their insurance company, after the top half of their home was ripped away.  They were well insured, but didn’t have a lot of extra cash for unexpected needs.  You could tell they were not used to taking “handouts,” and it took some encouragement before they felt free to partake of the generosity of their neighbors.

Another family lived in a local apartment that was completely destroyed.  They lost everything.  They had no insurance, and no family in town.  The cots in the church gym would be their home for the foreseeable future.

These are just a few of the thousands of stories, many of which are far more tragic.

However, for every impacted person I met, I met 5 more who were giving of their time, energy, and resources to help.  I saw rooms filled from floor to ceiling with supplies, food, clothes, toys, and furniture donated practically overnight.  I saw scores of people volunteering their time to help with the logistics of such a relief effort.  Sure, some of these folks were friends, family, and neighbors of those directly impacted.  But many just heard that help was needed and came.

I met folks from other North Texas towns that had gone through something similar in years past and just wanted to help.  I met a team from Nechama, a Jewish disaster response team, that had flown in to help.  These were folks from New York, Iowa, and Minnesota – all young people with jobs of their own – who were called upon to go and help strangers in need, hundreds of miles away.  They gladly accepted the cot space that was offered just as gladly by a Christian church serving as a relief center.

I spoke with a youth minister who was exhausted from pulling overnight security duty at the church which stayed open 24/7 to help those in need.  He had a chance to chat with a young couple who said they had given up on “church and church folk” up until this disaster.  They went on to share how they have felt more loved in the past few days than they ever have in their life, and it made them want to give church – and God – another shot.

Another church worker shared stories of his childhood in war-torn Lebanon, and how amazed he was at the immediate response of the people, communities, and humanitarian organizations in the U.S. to these sorts of disasters.  He said that this simply was not the case where he came from.  It was every man or immediate family for themselves, and that you could be dying and your next door neighbors would not try to help you.

As I helped tear down and replace a damaged fence on the property line of a rural home that was completely destroyed, a man named Steve came up beside me and started to help.  He and I removed a good 150 yards of fence together.  I asked how he knew the homeowners, and he said he didn’t.  His wife had heard there was a need in the community (she didn’t know the homeowners either) and had suggested he help.  So he did.

When disasters like this strike, many will bow their heads in bewildered grief or lift their faces in accusation and ask the same question: why do bad things happen to good people?  There’s no easy answer to such a question.  But this weekend I began to catch a glimpse of what could be part of the answer, or at the very least, a silver lining.  Perhaps sometimes bad things happen to good people in order to awaken the good that might otherwise lay dormant within so many more.    Now that's a force that is absolutely worth awakening!

For so many of us, what we need most in life is to love others sacrificially.  But it takes a disaster -- a blatant undeniable need for such love and sacrifice -- to shock us out of our self-centered fog.  The very act of helping others to heal begins to heal what's broken inside of us.

 Perhaps sometimes bad things happen to good people in order to awaken the good that might otherwise lay dormant within so many more.

I drive around my hometown and see more destruction than I’ve ever seen before this close to home.  I also see more good being done by more people in my hometown that I have ever seen before.  Love and hope are palpable -- in the very air, it seems -- in ways I've never felt before.
 

May God comfort, restore, and bless all those impacted by these terrible storms, and all those who are giving of themselves to help.  And may the destructive force of a tornado awaken an even greater force of good people committed to serving others, here in my home town and beyond.