Mike Murphy – episode 302

Hi, friends, and welcome to a new year of Faith Conversations! My husband, Mike Murphy, joins me on this first podcast of 2022 as we talk about some traditions that help usher us into a new season and pose some reflection questions for anyone wanting to reflect at the beginning of a new year, or new day, or new season of life.

Here are the questions:

What happened in 2021 that helped you to realize that God still sees you?

In one or two words describe the state of your soul as the new year begins? For instance: at peace, weary, waiting, overjoyed, excited, cautious, worried, etc.

When your soul grows tired, how do you breathe life into it? 

Is there anything you’re resisting/running from?

The Lord asked Bartimeus: “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimeus needed his sight restored. What do you want the Lord to do for you?

Is there anything you’re longing for but are afraid to admit? 

Are there any unresolved issues in your relationship with God that you are carrying over to this next year?

Are there any unaddressed conflicts in other relationships that are weighing on your mind?

Is there any sin that keeps derailing you?

Is there any other suitor vying for your heart? Sports, hobbies, politics, religion, etc.. 

Who are you failing to love well? Are you putting up roadblocks keeping others from loving you well?

What do you need to do in order to either remain in or achieve emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical and relational health?

Do you have a history of derailing your success? 

How do you celebrate success?

What’s God been saying to you in and through your life of prayer? 

Is your rule of life working for you? 

What are you reading that’s challenging the way you think and live?

Is there anything in scripture that is calling your name?

If a child came to you and said “tell me about God” – what would you say?

Who do you need to forgive? Who needs your forgiveness?

What’s God been saying to you in and through your life of prayer?

Do you need to add/subtract any spiritual practices?

Is there a dream inside of you aching to become a reality?

Do you find yourself struggling with the mysteries of faith?

What’s giving you hope as you walk into 2022?

Mike’s New Year Rumbling:

A Rumbling. 12.31.21
Anita and I have three holiday traditions.
-We attend a Christmas Eve Eve service at Siesta Key Beach. Sorry Northerners, it’s just something you’ll have to deal with. 😎
-We watch The Sound of Music. We love the drop dead musical score of Rodgers and Hammerstein. I’m convinced that if heaven has angels that sing like Julie Andrews, eternity will even be better than I thought.
-Then we hunker down to watch the extended version of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (approx. 17 hrs. 😀). The journey of the ring bearer and his friends, attempting to do what seems impossible, never grows old.
As we watched The Sound of Music this year, the historical backdrop for the musical hit us harder than usual. It was the late 1930’s and Hitler’s Third Reich was casting its shadow throughout Europe. Austria was on Hitler’s ‘gotta have’ list and when he finally grabbed for it, the national government quickly caved in. Throughout the film we caught glimpses of the spreading darkness of the Nazi regime. We sensed the evil inherent in it. It’s disturbing. It’s hard not to make connections to our current world scene. Early in the movie, Rolf, a telegram messenger, has become a Nazi sympathizer. I said out loud to Anita “He’s a Proud Boy.” The Proud Boys, of course, are rooted deeply in the soil of White Supremacy and were major players during the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
In the film, the von Trapp family flees Austria, escaping into Switzerland. The thought crossed our mind that even though they escaped, others didn’t. Not the nuns. Not the attendees or performers at the Salzburg Musical Festival. In real time, in real history, they were trapped by the darkness. The Nazis put a deadly squeeze on an entire nation, for that matter an entire continent.
In The Lord of the Rings, a small fellowship of two Men, a Wizard, four Hobbits, a Dwarf, and an Elf set off to thwart the ambitions of the Dark Lord Sauron, who is intent on violently seizing all of Middle Earth. Frodo Baggins and Company are on a perilous trek to hurl the ‘one ring that binds them all’ into the fires of Mordor. Only with that accomplished, will Sauron be defeated and Middle Earth saved. Tolkien fought in WWI and wrote much of his trilogy during Hitler’s reign of terror so it’s easy to see those influences in his work as well as the echoes of his faith. The result is a rousingly wonderful, highly imaginative tale about good folks standing for what’s true and noble and filled with reminders of what would have happened if they did nothing.
As we leave 2021 and get ready for 2022 we have our own version of a creeping darkness at our doorstep. Malevolent forces are at work. Too many authoritarian wannabees in our country and across the world are parading around, pretending to be “very fine people.” There’s a determined effort by some to redefine the meaning and practice of democracy. An entire news network focuses their programming around rumors, innuendos, lies and, wackadoodle conspiracy theories. Prominent pastors have sold their souls for a White House meet and greet or a shoutout at a rally. We can’t even agree about the efficacy of vaccines, dismissing the efforts and knowledge of public health professionals. Good people are afraid to speak up. Others are fatigued.
None of this is good news is it?
The pick me up I needed was found at that beachy Christmas Eve Eve Service. The story of Christ’s birth still speaks in powerful, personal ways. An angel tells humble shepherds:
“A Savior is born in Bethlehem. He is Christ the Lord.”
The gospel writer exclaims:
“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”
That move changed everything. Heaven had shifted gears. God stooped low and raised us high. He reminded us of His love for us and the divine call on our own lives. That’s nothing new, of course, but I needed to hear it again. I needed the miracle of Christmas to speak to my heart because there have been times recently when it feels like it’s been broken one too many times.
The Gospel story, Tolkien’s trilogy, and the Sound of Music all came together this year in very helpful ways. Their combined message reminded me that it’s OK and quite necessary to stand against the Proud Boys of this world. It assured me that challenging the thinking of others, urging them to not embrace the darkness is also quite OK. Most importantly, it reminded me that joining together with others for the purpose of advancing the real Kingdom of God is a righteous act, a divine assignment. In the real Kingdom of God we’re told in no uncertain terms that our task is to love extravagantly, to embrace beauty, to seek peace, to infuse others with hope, to bring joy to people simply by being joyous ourselves, and to stare down the hatred that wants to stop us in our tracks.
The journey ahead of us in 2022 and beyond must be approached with a degree of gravitas. Agreed? We didn’t get into the mess we’re in overnight. It took awhile. Why would we think cleaning up that mess can be done quickly? In order to even begin the cleanup we need to be motivated by noble ideals and the comfort that comes from the knowledge that God is with us. We will need the music of the angels, the courage of a hobbit, and both the harsh and uplifting reminders of history. And we will need companions for the journey —- vision-casters, encouragers, bridge builders, crap detectors, pray-ers, activists, contemplatives, those with the gift of humor and others with the gift of tears. And we will need courage, lots of it.
Onward into 2022 we go. Pick your spot. Dig in. Make some noise. Be brave. Trust God.
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