Steve Macchia

The Greatest of these…

…is love! On this Valentine’s Day, when greeting cards, roses, chocolates and diamonds are being bought up everywhere, it’s important to realize afresh that the focus of today is not to be on cupids and gifts, but on the joyful privilege of sharing love with one another. It’s been that way since the 3rd Century when this holiday first began as a celebration of romance, courtship and marriage.

Of course I’m not opposed to gift giving, especially for our wives or girl friends (husbands or boy friends as the case may be!), but when they are given in lieu of what means the most to our loved ones, we miss out on a grand opportunity to express the gift of love in heartfelt words and deeds.

What is the language of love which makes the biggest difference for your loved one today? Is it a word of affirmation, a gentle touch, time together, an act of service, or a simple gift? Speaking the love language of our spouse or loved one is by far the best gift to share today and every day for that matter.

Will you choose to be a bearer of gifts for your sweetheart? Then remember that the greatest gift of all may not look like a chocolate or a diamond (as wonderful as they are!), but instead may look more like pure love. That’s the greatest gift of all.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13: 4-8a).

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When I, Me and My Matter Most

How ironic that today I’m facilitating a leadership development session with a church leadership team on the subject of Conflict Resolution…and the psalm of the week in our prayer guide is Psalm 51: “Have mercy on me…blot out my transgression…wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…against you, you only, have I sinned…wash me and I will be whiter than snow…let me hear joy and gladness. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
When the words I, me, and my matter most is when I am willing to be broken before God and others I have hurt, disappointed, or am in conflict with. In this psalm it’s King David who finally comes clean of his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the resulting sins of deception, murder and injustice. It took Nathan the prophet to expose his true heart, but thankfully David responds with a contrite spirit and seeks forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation with God.
When we are finally willing to own up to our sinfulness, brokenness and desperate need for forgiveness, we can’t help but use the words I, me and my…no more finger pointing allowed.
Want to love God with heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor (spouse, child, sibling, parent, friend, colleague) as yourself?
There’s redemptive power in the phrases “I’m sorry” “I was wrong” “Please forgive me” and “I love you.”
Use the proper pronouns and you’ll be well on the way toward meaningful conflict resolution…and ever enriching relationships with God and those you love the most.

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Burned Out on the Disciplines

“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, The Message)

I burned out on the spiritual disciplines. At one point in my spiritual development I had sought to live out about multiple spiritual disciplines simultaneously. My list of spiritual “to do’s” was all consuming, guilt-producing, and definitely life-destroying. And all along I kept asking myself: Am I doing enough? Is there more to consider?

How can this be, you might be thinking.

Well, try reading the Bible through in a year, and add to that memorizing verses along the way, praying over the daily newspaper one major article at a time, memorizing the countries and capitals of the world to better inform your prayers, listening to radio and TV preachers (and of course purchasing their follow up materials), facilitating small groups, attending conferences, praying for and supporting missionaries, journaling, retreating, fasting or feasting (depending on the season of the Christian year), reading every possible recommended Christian book… just to name a few! If you seek such a lofty endeavor, your soul will be unnecessarily and undoubtedly become burdened and consumed with anxiety.

As a result, I hit my wall spiritually. I had to step off the treadmill of spiritual disciplines that felt more like bondage, and instead I embraced practices that brought freedom, life and joy. What ended up as priorities were simply the regularity of time in God’s Word (with the view of less is more), prayer (with a desire to listen more than talk), and reflection (with a longing to remember and give thanks). I realized that trying to consume too much of a good thing can actually cause spiritual indigestion. I’ve discovered that these three rhythms (Scripture, prayer and reflection) are really good for the soul and lead me back into other disciplines as I’m led by the Lord.

This is your brother speaking: don’t burn out on the spiritual practices that are designed to lead you into the abundant life. Instead, learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

This entry also appears on the Conversations Journal Blog.

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Thank You, MLK!

Today we pause and commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For those of us who grew up when Dr. King was alive, we remember well his non-violent stance toward injustice. He heard a clarion call inviting him to fulfill a compelling mission. Today the world is a much different place due to the tireless commitment and eventual martyrdom of Dr. King. He sacrificed his life for the freedom of the oppressed and his legacy lives on, not only among black people but others who suffer from injustices in our nation and world.
How do you handle the attacks of the enemy on your soul, your relationships, your very life itself? Are the injustices inflicted upon you, your family or your ministry as blatant as racism? Most of us can’t relate to such intolerance, but we can all relate to the challenges that come when we sense the attack of the opposition to all that befits a child of God.  Regardless of what you are facing today, the message is clear…violence begets violence. Therefore, always choose justice, mercy, humility, and peace.
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God,” Micah 6:8.

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New Year Resolution #1: More Holy Leisure

January 1, 2011 was an unusually mild day in New England. At midday, several of our extended family members went for a leisurely walk in my favorite wildlife refuge near our home. It was a spectacular site, filled with incredible beauty despite the overcast mid-winter sky and the barrenness of the meadow. After our walk, we sat on benches and enjoyed the peaceful serenity of our surroundings. It was delightful.

My brother in-law asked me about my new year resolutions. At that point I hadn’t crafted my list. Within moments of the question, however, I had part of my answer. One resolution is for certain: add more holy leisure to my life. What I was feeling at that particular moment was a snapshot of the longing of my soul…unhurried times set apart to enjoy God’s creation, prayerfully attend to the voice of my Maker, and biblically ponder the path of life I’m invited to discover and fulfill each new day.

It was at that time of holy leisure that I came in touch with my deepest desire. Everything in my life – marriage, family, ministry, friendships – bursts forth from that place of holy listening. Without that wide open space for my soul, I will be crowded out by the noise, activity, relationships, and demands of my world. Today is the first Monday of January and I’m already feeling the upswing in activity, expectation, and the stress that accompanies a full family, personal and ministry life.

I want to remember throughout 2011 what I know to be true…God’s delight over us as we delight in His presence. Holy leisure – in both solitude and in community – will take me to that spacious place where my soul comes alive in pondering and receiving the many gifts for life that come from the generous hand of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Is your soul craving more holy leisure? If so, be sure to follow through with holy resolve this coming year!

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Meaningless Action

“Action without reflection is meaningless action.” I wish I knew the source of this quote, shared with me years ago as “from the mystics of old” – because the truths encapsulated within these profound words are worth both our pondering and our application. Flip this statement upside down and the underside is also true: “Reflection without action is meaningless reflection.”

Reflection at its finest should manifest itself in action. Otherwise, it’s navel gazing and insular and left to linger unattended. Attending to the soul by way of contemplation is what leads thoughtful believers into intentional service to others. The Great Commandment—loving God with heart, soul, mind and strength—plus the Second Great Commandment—loving our neighbor as ourselves—is what leads us outward into the Great Commission—as we go, making disciples of all nations.

The Christian community at its healthiest incorporates a balanced approach to our spirituality. Love for God, love for others in the family of God, and love for our unreached neighbors. When we ponder the reality of each aspect of our faith, we are led into further reflection and ultimately into more meaningful action.

Where will your head and your heart lead your hands in service to another? Offer someone a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name today, it’s good for your soul.

This entry also appears on the Conversations Journal Blog.

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Tis the Season to Receive

When is it the season to receive? Correct answer: Advent, Christmas – and every other day of the year!

In the gospel of John, the mystery of the incarnation is spelled out with clarity. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:1-14).

The coming of Christ into the world was so that a people living in darkness could receive the gift of light and life and love found only in Jesus. To all who receive him, these gifts are generously given by God Himself so that we in turn can become his beloved children. Receiving the gift of Jesus is where it all begins.

One of my favorite Christmas carols was written by Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The third verse speaks of the need for receptivity within the soul, “How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.”

In this season of gift giving, I’d like to remind you to remain open to humbly receive the most wondrous gift of all – Jesus, and all the light, life and love he delights to share with you as his child.

A blessed and joy-filled Christmas to all!

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A Peace-filled Silent Night?

By the time we sing Silent Night via candlelight on Christmas Eve, chances are we’ll be doing so after having run as fast as we can to get there! If your life is anything like ours, the list of things yet to do before Christmas (on top of an already full-to-overflowing life) feels overwhelming: create decorations, bake cookies, finish shopping, mail packages, send cards, attend events, prepare meals…just to name a few!

While we’re in the final countdown to Christmas, it might be good to add one more item to the list that’s good for your soul: seek peace. Yes, the peace that’s found in quiet places of rest and refreshment. It’s the only peace for your weary soul, discovered in the true hallmark of Christmas: Jesus himself.

Can you find one solid hour for yourself in the coming week to ponder the meaning of Advent and Christmas? A few ideas to consider: use the hour to be alone and reflect in your journal on the gifts of the season and the joy of knowing Jesus; put headphones on and listen to Handel’s Messiah or other classical music of the Advent and Christmas season and let your heart soar with praise; sit by a fire in a darkened room, pray quietly and enjoy the warmth that radiates; put your feet up in your most comfortable chair and savor the sights and smells of your decorated home thanking Jesus for being a part of his family; take a walk in the woods or by the ocean (or another body of water) and consider the vastness of God’s creation that Jesus entered on that first Christmas morning; stop in the middle of a crowded street and look prayerfully around you at the myriad of souls crying out for a Savior.

There are many options to consider as you await the singing of Silent Night by candlelight on Christmas Eve. Will you rush your way to the manger once more? Choose now to enter the joy of Christmas with the true peace of Jesus reigning in your heart and soul.

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Christmas Letter No-no’s

What information will you keep out of the annual family Christmas letter?

As I was working over the weekend on writing this year’s family Christmas letter I had a silly thought…

What if this year’s letter were more about the disappointments of the past year rather than the highlights? I don’t think I’ve ever read a Christmas letter like that!

Most of our annual letters include updates like the incredible GPA’s of our children and their ivy league college placement, new job opportunities that show we’re climbing the corporate ladder, athletic prowess that has lead us into Olympic-like shape, exotic vacation locations, new (second) homes, etc. Yes, most of our letters are about strutting our braggage rather than embracing our baggage.

Not that this would be our list (!!), but I thought of a few items that most likely never get included in annual Christmas letters but are pound for pound far more profound than the highlights we dig up from our memory banks to boast to one another. For example, what about our incredible sadness over unresolved conflict with extended family members, or lost jobs due to a down economy and the depression that accompanied the layoff, or the infidelity of a brother or son and the impact that is having on a devastated wife and young children, or the news that indeed the tumor is inoperable and months instead of years are left to live, or learning that the addiction has overtaken a loved one to the point of daily misery. These are just a few options; the pain in our world is far larger, deeper and more significant.

I’m trying to weave into our annual family letter a bit of the realism of our past year, but I must admit, I’m hard pressed to do so. What if the truth about our disappointments are misunderstood and then gets maligned when we get talked about around “that friend or family member’s” holiday table? Is it worth the risk to speak about pain, heartache and disappointment or will I stick instead with the safe, pretty, and brag-worthy stuff?

I’m not done with my final draft. Not sure where it will end up. But challenged all the more about the importance of truth-telling and the freedom that comes when the raw material of our lives is shared authentically and within the safety of loving relationships. My baggage may not be shared with all; but it certainly is known by the few who matter most. And it’s the ones who know me best and love me most that know how to read between the lines even if our annual Christmas letter is only filled with highlights, blessings and joys.

What about you – who knows the truth about your life and the year you’re about to wrap up in just a few weeks?

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Mindfulness

Luke 1:48, “for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”
When the angel approached Mary, the words of greeting startled the young woman. “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1: 28,29). The angel knew that this instilled fear in her heart and announced to her that the Lord had found favor in her and as a result she was to bear a child who would be named Jesus.
So when Mary sings her magnificent song of praise (Luke 1: 46-55) she begins it by glorifying and praising God for his mindfulness – of her humble state of soul. Her song of delight focused on her surprising place in the Kingdom…based solely in a humble openness to the miraculous work of God being released and fulfilled in her.
In what ways have you sensed the mindfulness of God in your behalf lately? He has and is and always will be mindful of the state of your soul and the needs of your heart. God doesn’t know any other way to be God in your life than to be fully mindful of each and every inch of your life. He is mindful of your coming and going, your highs and your lows, your desires and your fears, your gifts and your shame. He knows you and loves you and is mindful of you…receive that incredible gift today.
Throughout Advent 2010 it will be vitally important that we as servants of Christ remember God’s mindfulness. There is nothing that exceeds his grasp or surpasses his initiative. Trust in the One who’s love is fully attentive to your every prayer and believe today that his work in and through you will be for the glory of God and the purposes of his Kingdom.
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

This entry also appears on the Conversations Journal Blog.

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