An ordinary day may be more than "ordinary."  In fact, much may be at stake.

I was thinking about this yesterday in light of the day, which seemed pretty ordinary.  It was an ordinary Wednesday in many ways.  Much time was spent in preparation for the message this Sunday and for a class that I teach on Wednesday evenings.  Somewhere in the middle of the day were telephone calls (one from my younger daughter, Jamie), lunch with an area minister, a few e-mails sent, a chapter from a book read, and a couple of errands that I had to run.  Late afternoon, I worked out at the gym and then went to a meeting of our leadership group at church.

In many ways, this felt very ordinary.  Yet, in using the word "ordinary" to describe such a day, I don’t want to leave the impression that it was just another "ho-hum" day.  After all, there is much at stake in an ordinary day.

Think for a moment about what is at stake today:

Yes, I know that more could be said about the day.  I could talk about the need to depend upon God during the day and to trust that God’s Spirit is at work in me throughout the day.  I could talk about the importance of God’s grace both for forgiveness as well as for the power to be what I’ve been called to be today.

Just for today, however, I want to focus on what is at stake.  I have listed a few key words that are reminders of what is at stake on an ordinary day.  What would you add to this list?

In the New York Times Sunday Book Review (October 3, 2008), Garrison Keillor wrote a review of the book Nothing to Be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes.  The review begins with the following paragraph:

There is something about that first line that captivates me.  Perhaps it is because this man, who is a self-proclaimed agnostic, seems to want to believe but just doesn’t.  Some of us could say that we do believe in God but at the same time we miss him.  In other words, some of us claim to believe in God, yet we behave as if he is absent and nowhere to be found.

Perhaps this is most evident in our prayers.  Some of us pray almost anemic prayers.  We pray but only ask God to do what seems reasonable or normal.  We don’t pray for anything large or incredible because it just seems impossible.  Consequently, our prayers are not God-sized.  In fact, we may find ourselves praying for something that really doesn’t seem to require God’s divine intervention.  In the words of one person, "I’m sure everything is going to work out nicely, but it can’t hurt to pray."

Do you relate to this?  Do you find yourself praying for only what seems reasonable or normal?

A number of years ago, I was in a gathering of about ten Christians from around the country.  All of us were being transported to Pepperdine University.  In one of the seats near the front was best-selling author Max Lucado.  Near Lucado was an Old Testament professor from a seminary in the mid-South.  The two men introduced themselves to one another.  I overheard the OT prof ask Lucado, "Now what do you do?"  Lucado responded by saying, "I’m a writer."  The OT prof then asked, "Really?  What have you written?"

At that point the entire van became very, very quiet.  "What have you written?"  All of us, I think, felt a little awkward at that point.  Max Lucado is, after all, one of the best-selling Christian authors in the nation.  We were also wondering how he would respond.  His response?  Max quietly gave the man a few titles.  He went on to say that his books were not academic works but written more on a popular level.

I remember getting off that van a few minutes later and being quite impressed.  I was primarily impressed with Max Lucado’s graciousness.

Here are five suggestions for gracious living:

1.  Do whatever you can to help people relax when they are in your presence.  The other day, I heard a person compliment an individual who is very high profile in some circles.  This man said, "He’s just a regular guy."  I understand his statement.  This person goes out of his way to help others relax when they are in his presence.

2.  Never seek to embarrass someone because they are not aware of something.  Don’t ever say, "I can’t believe you don’t know who _____ is?"  or "I can’t believe you’ve never been to______!"  

3.  Take the initiative to speak to people who seemingly have little or nothing to offer you.  Many people would like to meet the famous, the celebrities, the well-known, etc.  Many of us love to have "important" people in our lives.  Yet, gracious people see people like Jesus did, as men and women who are very valuable, regardless of what they do in life.

4.  Pay attention and show interest in people.  Do you know that taking five minutes to pay attention to someone during a conversation can be very, very meaningful?  In fact, it is much more meaningful than taking fifteen minutes to talk with someone while your mind is elsewhere.

Last Sunday, I was walking through our auditorium just before our morning worship service began.  I saw an older couple who are going through some heartache with one of their grandchildren.  I sat next to them and paid attention to them for about three or four minutes.  I tried to really listen to their words and to their emotions.   I think the time was meaningful.

5.  Pay attention to what Jesus might be doing in various conversations.  Think about Jesus living and reigning today and working through you.  If he were to encounter this particular person, what would he say?  Would he just say "hello" and then move on to his friends or on to someone more important?  Or, would he engage this person in conversation?  What does he wish to do through you as you talk with this particular person?    

I just returned from the Zoe Leadership Conference in Nashville.  This was a wonderful conference offering a number of very fine classes.  One class that I especially enjoyed dealt with "Spiritual Direction" and was led by Gary Hollaway of David Lipscomb University and Jackie Halstead of Abilene Christian University.  

The featured speaker this year was Scot McKnight.  It was great to hear some very fine presentations by Scot (Fearless Faith Looks; Fearless Faith Receives; Fearless Faith Loves; Fearless Faith Works).  These messages came out of the book of James.  These are available on CD and may be purchased through the Knight Media Group.  Their e-mail address is: myrna.knight@comcast.net

I also enjoyed spending some time with Scot and Kris McKnight this weekend.  This was the first time I visited with Kris, and I enjoyed hearing about her work.  What a fine couple!  I continue to appreciate Scot for his writing, through both his books and his blog, Jesus Creed.  I also appreciate him for the combination of his scholarship with his ability to be down to earth.  More than once at this conference, I heard people comment on his ability to connect with people.   

I have been spending much time in the Gospels the last few months.  I continue to hear Jesus say a number of things that are either being overlooked or neglected.  In some instances, I think we have overlooked some things for so long that we no longer even see them.

For example, this week I have been reading Luke 6.  I came across these words, which I have read many times:

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you …"

Now these words are not new to me.  Again, I’ve read them many, many times.  I may need to ask, however, "Am I serious about living out these words?"

I’m curious.  As you read the words of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, what does Jesus say that far too many churches and individual Christians ignore or neglect?