I have a chair in my living room which we call, The God Chair. This is my perspective when I’m sitting in it. I’m staring at Rembrand’s “The Return of the Prodigal” which you can only see the bottom of in this photo. To my right, which you also cannot see is a full, front view of Pike’s Peak. I am watching, this morning, the golden sunrise reflected against this majestic mountain this morning. As the sun comes up, it’s like an artist’s palate has gone wild with colors on the mountain. Glory!

I’m sitting here this morning, relaxed. But I’m fully aware that the past months have been anything but relaxed. Last night, before Gwen and I went to sleep, we laid in bed talking about how full our plates have been; how much I need to be done with some projects-like my book, and the renovation of the barn. To be truthful, I’m not sure how God has sustained us to move through all that has happened. It’s been alot and has required focus and attention—much like the focus and attention of my mornings in the God chair.

We call it a God chair because when you sit here, you’re drawn by the painting inside and the mountain outside to consider a majesty that cannot be manufactured. You sit in quiet and somehow one becomes aware of God. That’s one of the reasons I am being drawn to enjoy Juliet Benner’s book which I’m using and encouraging others to get and use. I cannot remember a book that I have enjoyed—enjoyed- reading and using. It’s inspiring me to catch my breath; let my soul catch up with my body and stop all of this hurry sickness that I get caught up in from time to time.

This is my Lenten Journey! How is hurry sickness affecting you in Lent? Do you have a God chair? Do you know what I am talking about here?

Lenten Blessings,

Stephen W. Smith
Potter’s Inn

This is Johanne Vermeer’s painting of Jesus in the house of Mary and Martha. It’s one of the “visio divina” (sacred visual “seeing” God) art pieces that Juliet Benner devotes an entire chapter to in her wonderful and highly recommended book, “Contemplative Vision.” I’m using this book for my own Lenten journey this year on my 40 day walk until Easter. It’s an amazing experience for me to use Benner’s book this Lent and I encourage you to get it and order it and follow it with me this Lent. We’ll learn a lot together, no doubt!

The art depicts the scene where Jesus is being waited on by both Mary and Martha-but in different ways. One is busy. One is waiting and listening. Both count and matter but one matters more to Jesus. That’s the first level of “seeing” this painting.

Vermeer’s painting is fascinating on many levels but none compare with this insight that Benner offered me this morning. Take a look at the clothes that Mary and Martha are wearing. They are dressed like Flemish women living in Vermeer’s day and age. The house looks Dutch. The table cloth is typical Dutch. But contrast that to what Jesus is wearing. He’s dressed like a 1st century Rabbi.

Why is that so compelling for me? Because this Lenten season, I’m writing a book which is really my life’s work so far. It’s entitled The Jesus Life and will be published in January 2012. In the book, I’m taking the reader on a journey to explore why the Abundant Life that Jesus promised us is so elusive today. Why are there so many followers of Jesus who are now the “tired, worn out and burned out” ones that Jesus addresses and says that we can “recover the life” that we have lost.

Vermeer’s painting depicts what needs to happen to 21st century believers. We need the real, the old, the time-tested Jesus to show up in our lives today. We need the Jesus truth to help us find the Jesus Way so that we can live the Jesus life. I need Jesus now-March 9th, 2011 and I will need Jesus to show up as he really is-every day of my journey into Lent. I don’t need a contemporary Jesus dressed in fashionable clothing with gelled hair and a suave cadence. I need the Jewish Rabbi who will show me the ancient truths and real way that has been clouded by our fetishes to be relevant, timely and “different.” I have grown weary of such attempts in my 56 year journey to live my life.

I love Vermeer’s way of reminding me that I just need Jesus, the Jew to show up to me as an American and tell me how to live my one and only life.

This is my Lenten Journey. How do you need Jesus to show up for you and should he choose to do so, would he be dressed like Vermeer has him or in a way that you are imagining right now?

Stephen W. Smith
Potter’s Inn
www.pottersinn.com

This is Rembrandt’s painting of the Apostle Paul. It’s the first piece of art that I purchased 30 years ago. I liked this image so much as it seemed to captivate my thoughts on how Paul was inspired to write his letters to the eager churches that needed guidance, direction and counsel. Notice Paul’s posture. He seems a bit lost, as if he’s really ‘lost in space’ or drawn in his mind to contemplate the things of God for the people of God.

He’s not writing. He’s pensive. Thinking and in his thoughts as if trying to capture the right word, the right phrase that would communicate the right thing. For Paul, there’s no hurry here. We don’t know how long he’s already been seated at the desk nor do we know how long he will be there. Perhaps, he, himself does not even care. All that matters is saying the right thing in the right way.

In this season of Lent, we all need to find the right thoughts and attempt to express them as the truth of our own lives. Perhaps you are new to Lent, like I am. It was not a part of my spiritual shaping but now in my life, my margins have widened to explore truth outside the lines of my childhood and very Baptist faith. Lent helps me to focus my attention like Paul on the things that really matter.

This year, I am using Christian Art painted by the Masters to help me “see” beyond words what I might have missed in my decades of life. I will be using Juliet Benner’s new book, “Contemplative Prayer” as my guide. I invite you to join me in this Lenten season. I’ll be sharing some insights here on my blog. Please feel free to comment here; share and let’s experience together a deeper journey to the cross in 40 days ahead.

Let’s become like Paul ridding ourselves of this ‘hurry-sickness’ that seems to plague our lives and choose to be purpose-filled in listening to God’s voice. See Paul’s right hand, I do note that he was right handed-unlike me. He’s ready to write what God says. Are you? Am I?

Lenten Blessings!
Stephen W. Smith
www.pottersinn.com

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,000 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 34 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 52 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 35mb. That’s about 4 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was February 4th with 65 views. The most popular post that day was The Take-Away from Donald Miller’s New Book.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, pottersinn.com, twitter.com, blogger.com, and mail.yahoo.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for stephen w. smith, farming oilpainting, gary and jan wingo, steve smith aspen inn, and potters inn.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

The Take-Away from Donald Miller’s New Book February 2010
1 comment

About January 2010

Being Mad as Hell About the Value of My Life May 2010
5 comments

I’m Going To Look for Jesus… in the wilderness September 2010
1 comment and 1 Like on WordPress.com,

The Jesus Life Is Not the Church Life April 2010
3 comments

We are officially in advent-that season of waiting and preparing our hearts to enter into the time of Christmas celebration. The entire church year begins with this season of waiting. Every 11 months, we get one month of waiting. It’s an interesting rhythm which should affect our cadence of busyness and distraction.

A word that has captured my attention for a while is the word “vigil.” It’s a focused time of being awake and alert. In times gone by, people would keep vigil for ill friends by staying up with the family; keep vigil with a pregnant friend who was waiting to deliver her child; keep vigil in the hospital as you waited on further word from the doctor about a loved one who was ill.

We don’t like waiting. We don’t like vigils. We are consumed in a cult of speed and a flurry of activity.

Currently, I have two very sick friends. Both have cancer. For both the prospect and prognosis is not good for healing. I find myself keeping a private vigil for them in my heart. They are most always on my minds as are there wives and children. I’m concerned. The vigil I keep for them morphs into prayer and releasing them to the hands of God. Keeping vigil is something I’m learning about and having two sons in Iraq has helped me enter a vigil time of life where everything it seems was put on hold.

One of the gifts of Advent is the simple gift of getting a candle and practicing lighting it and sitting in the illuminating glow of beauty and a bit of warmth. That single act alone will help you enter the vigil a bit more. The simple act of even looking for the right candle to do it, can help you focus on the advent of waiting; of preparing your heart; of responding to an inner tug that something is amiss in your world and you want and need to stop; reflect on what is bothering you and then simply move out in the light of the candle.

OK. For some of us, it will be simply putting the computer aside and lighting the candle of advent and turning down the music or turning off the TV and sitting for a moment in vigil…. sitting with our self and sitting with our God and allowing the quiet of the moment to assuage our fears of all the things we have not yet gotten done.

When we light the Advent candle, we really are doing a very basic thing. We are practicing the sovereignty of God. By that I mean, we are simply keeping vigil… waiting and realizing that the world is not on our shoulders; we realize a very important fact…. Life is not up to me. It never was and never should be.

Ready to light the Advent candle now? I think so.

It’s our way of saying THANK YOU to all the Friends and Donors of Potter’s Inn Ministry.
It all starts NOW!

OK. I admit it. I watched, Oprah’s TV show titled, “My Favorite Things.” It’s the one where everyone in the audience receives all of the favorite things that Oprah thinks are fabulous. If you were in her audience yesterday, you would have gotten a MAC IPad and a brand new 2012 VW Beetle- your choice of colors! She also added a few other gifts of several thousands of dollars.

Women in the audience were weeping. Men were fainting. The Paramedics were called into grab the faint of heart as they were lavished with gifts.

To be honest, Oprah looked authentic in here giving spirit. And the audience seemed to be grateful because of all the lip reading I could do on several dozen lips was, “O, My God!”

For reasons that still baffle me I will not be able to do anything like Oprah. I’m not sure I would do it the way she did it if I had the money to buy the gifts. But what I’d want most for my friends and family, I could also put under the category of “My Favorite Things.” Here are a few of them that I’d wish for those I love:
1. A Shalom Heart-by that a heart full of contentment not lust; peace not searching for more; satisfaction not always seeking the next big thing and serenity not a shelf full of accomplishments.

2. A Soul Content-by that I mean, like a baby satisfied at its mother’s breast after a very good feeding… I would hope that we could grow in our understanding of what we really need in this life to be content.

3. An Undivided heart-by that I mean a person who is not conflicted inside about what role to fulfill in life-they will simply seek to become themselves and then offer themselves to a needy world. A life that is congruent…. not one where you’re always doubting what you’ve done; or what you still need to do. A heart that is at one with self, God and others. Yes, that’s what I want for us.

4. A Posture of Gratitude—not taking anyone or anything for granted in life; but a lifestyle that is shaped by gratitude and graciousness.

5. A cadence of reflection-by this I mean, not hurrying through life so quickly that we actually miss the moments that are sacred; that are a gift to us; a life that is awake, aware and a bit bewildered by the mystery of it all.

6. A few friends who get it and get me-by this I mean walking this journey with just a few other souls who actually understand life, faith and the journey.
I wish this for us all.

My favorite things, you see are not really tangible or material when it comes down to it. They are holy and should be treated as holy.

Blessings!

Stephen W. Smith