I’m starting an experimental project.

I’d like to ask you to join me. I’m not sure what it’ll look like, how long the experiment will last, nor how it’ll all end up, but this is something that had brewing for a little while as a confluence of ideas and observations kept banging around in my mind and spirit.

Too often do I go through my days thinking about me and filtering all the stuff that revolves around me through the lens of me.  You know how it is, right?  I’m sure you’ve had thoughts about yourself and of others very similar to these:  How do I look?  Wish I were thinner.  I wonder what that person thinks about me… I hope she likes me. I gotta figure out a way to get me an iPad. I know we don’t have the money, but I’ve gotta have it.  I need to pick up the kids and then I have to mow the lawn. If I do this, then my wife will certainly notice and appreciate me. Can’t I please have some “me” time? I’m a church leader and I am glad that I’m privy to certain church information before everyone else. I want to be a rockstar. Ew, what rock did that person crawl out from under? No one will notice if I download that.  I’ll call in sick today so I can do what I want to do instead of work. I should be doing that, but I’m gonna do this instead. I can’t stand to be around him so I’ll pretend I didn’t see him. What an @$$… he should have his driver’s license revoked. I haven’t seen my kids much this week, but work has got to be done. Stop bothering me, can’t you see I’m wiped out from a long day at work? Can’t you see I’ve got stuff to do? I don’t have time for you. I should work out.

To get right down to it, a lot of what motivates me is wrapped up in selfishness, pride, ego, laziness, and shallowness. When the world is filtered through the Pete-lens, I can twist anything and everything to suit me. My thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions are framed to benefit me — make me look good and make me feel good at the expense of others.  If it’s “in Pete I trust” then my ambitions and relationships and emotions and actions will, in all likelihood, be short-lived and ineffective. The fruit of my labor may look good at the start, but ultimately, it will rot. On the surface, I look good… but because I’m so focused on looking good and protecting my image, I lose out on being authentic and the freedom I thought I had to do whatever I wanted is really only handcuffing me to cater to me.

But, when I am able to replace the Pete-lens with a God-lens I begin to see things a bit differently. My perspectives and priorities are correctly adjusted and I can be assured that my endeavors and relationships will be authentic, lasting, and I gain the freedom to be who God has created me to be without the handcuffs to superficiality.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from Psalm 1 [+/-]Psalm 1 [1:1]Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; [2]but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. [3]He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. [4]The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. [5]Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; [6]for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
. My Mom made me memorize this passage when I was child, and I find myself recalling it from time to time as I walk through life:

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Enter project:1WORD.

I was inspired to try this when I learned that a friend of mine, Jan (think Dutch… “yahn”), has a bowl of little cards each with a unique word on it. He pulls a new card out each day and meditates on that word throughout the day.

I want to do the same — take 1WORD a day (Monday thru Friday) and chew on, meditate, cogitate, consider, ponder, think about for an entire day.

The goal of this exercise is to consider the 1WORD through the God-lens and learn what I can learn about God, myself, and the world. For example, if the word of the day is “acceptance” then I’ll take the day to mull over what “acceptance” means, what it looks like in practice, who or what I may not be accepting, what God’s acceptance of me means, research some Bible references about “acceptance,” what the world’s unacceptance of God’s grace means, observe things that pertain to “acceptance” throughout the day, etc.

It will be a variety of words that either addresses Christian/spiritual concepts, speaks to religiosity, some provocative notions, or may even be plain random.  Some words on the list include: peace, connection, humor, sex, reputation, death, history, perfection, worry, and fate.

I’m gonna try to have a notepad with me at all times to jot things down as I think, learn observe of things that pertain to the 1WORD and also share some of my pondering here on this blog.

Stay tuned. I’m gonna start this up soon. Will you join me and interact with me and others by posting your thoughts as we work through this experiment?