Dec 8, 08
I have experimented with two types of spiritual retreat. One is very much agenda driven with specific goals and timelines, the other is completely unstructured fellowship with Jesus and seeking to listen to him. Last summer I spent three days camping at Long-Point with my dog, “Max” and a bunch of books and a journal and God.

After adjusting to the loneliness and recognizing my relational “thirst” I directed it towards God and spent the mornings in devotional reading and writing and prayer.

The area of my life that the finger of mercy and grace pointed to specifically was anger.

Jas 1:20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

My expression of anger has, by default, been patterned after my dad’s. And although he has been with the lord for 14 years now, I don’t think I have ever buried him as my prime discipliner/example in this regard.

Biblically, that function belongs to an earthly father “for a little while” Heb 12:10 and intentionality is required, I discovered, to divert ones gaze in this respect.

I think this is what Jesus was doing in that strange little story, the only story from his childhood, after which Joseph seems to disappear from the pages of scripture.

Lu 2:42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom.

And as the story goes, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem until his parents returned and found him, days later, an eternity in the hearts of parents. Jesus response was this,

Lu 2:49 "Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?"

It is as though Jesus made the leap from the jurisdiction of one discipliner/example to another, something perhaps we must all do intentionally.

Eph 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Heb 12:6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Whether we have had good fathers or not, they are never perfect. As a child reaches the age of idealism (12 or so) he or she will be able to see those imperfections quite clearly.

Perhaps this is our cue as parents to begin pointing our children more intentionally towards the example we are imperfectly following ourselves, as we replace what our parents modeled to us with what God displays to us everyday.

Ro 5:8 But God demonstrates (present tense) his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

La 3:22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

On Nov 13 08 I came across a note in my day-timer referring to this new discipline I had sought to put in place on that trip. The note read, “Am I more patient, loving?” Months after putting this new thought in place, I was able to register some internal victory.

I need to make more progress here, but there are measurable results and a sense of encouragement that still flows from this unstructured time away. God is my example and provides discipline in a way that I want to model to my kids. He reminds me how I should respond when anger tempts me to simply fall in to old patterns. He points out where I need to apologize at home.

Next up: Let’s experiment with Christmas a little.