Simplicity of Faith

I am beginning to appreciate mass transit. I still find it somewhat inconvenient, but letting someone else do the driving allows me time to do other things. Sometimes, it's getting my day organized. Other times, it's catching up on my reading. And other times, it's spending time reflecting.

Today was a reflection day. I spent a few minutes reading Acts 2. I was especially struck by verse 46, and especially the statement, "and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart..." Two comments struck my by this verse. First is "simplicity of heart," and second is "breaking bread."

I will address the second comment first. The new church met daily, and it revolved around a meal. They ate a meal, in common, EVERY DAY. This served two functions. First, the young believers came together to learn from each other in a casual, friendly setting. Second, they learned to serve one another, going from home to home, sharing a meal. Instead of meeting once a week, maybe twice, they met every day. Instead of meeting for an hour, they reclined at each other's tables for prayer, praise, teaching and encouragement. This is a much different model from today.

My second observation was around the comment, "simplicity of heart." The young Christians had one main love, and that was a love and respect for their God. It played out in their simple faith. My struggle is keeping my faith pure and simple. It's so easy to complicate it with logic and reason, or with blind mysticism. The young believers knew what they believed, mostly based on what they witnessed, and that was enough. I am not discounting, science, logic and reason, as they are necessary for many aspects of life, but I can't let it cloud my simple faith. Instead, science and reason should enhance and magnify my simplicity of heart.

To live in such a place is an amazing place. To have a simple faith; that at the same time allows for amazing discovery through science, logic and reason; is an amazing place. Also, to have strong fellowship with others, to the point that meals are shared on a regular basis, is an incredible way to live.

Spring in Minnesota!

Spring has arrived. In Minnesota, spring is not a season, it's an event. I am amazed, year after year, how Minnesota will go from a blizzard to consistent 60 degree days, all in three days.

With the beautiful weather comes the outdoor chores. But in spring, these tasks don't feel laborious. There is a never-ending list of tasks, and every spring the outdoor tasks seem to take precedence over the indoor tasks (or indoor tasks move out-of-doors when possible): cleaning the flower beds, seeding the yard, cleaning out the garage, cleaning the windows, catching up on that novel, playing baseball, riding bikes.

Along with the household cleaning, spring seems to prompt "mind cleaning." Many times, in spring, my mind seems to be cleared of various "cobwebs." My thoughts are clearer, my creativity sharper, my ambition elevated.

Spring. This is why we live here.

Go Twins!

I love baseball. I grew up watching the Twins, going to games with the neighbors across the street. There is something very American about baseball. I suppose that it has something to do with the way that it brings many people groups together under one umbrella, or stadium light, or dome.

In many ways, baseball reminds me of America. America, when I was growing up, was known as a Melting Pot, much like the professional baseball teams of today (Central and South Americans, Koreans, Japanese, players born in the US, players from Canada, etc.). People gathered in America under one banner, much like the way we rally around our favorite teams. Her citizens tried to stick to the traditions and rules (or at least that's what is portrayed). People tried to get along, and even though there was the occasional bench-clearing brawl, people did their best to come back together as one team.

Today, we would do well to remember the lessons of baseball. The players work hard, are selected for the big leagues by proving themselves (not trying to force their way into the pros). They abide by the rules, and if they take issue with the rules, they work to change the rules through appropriate channels, not disregard them. The players work to function as a cohesive team, and don't demand special treatment because of who they are (the Red Sox and Yankees notwithstanding). The players respect the history and traditions of the game, and yet they are challenged to make it better.

And with that, PLAY BALL.