Shannon S. McKee

musings and moments

The Smell of Forgiveness

April 19, 2022 by Shannon 4 Comments

I see you there, Peter. Mulling over the last few weeks. Looking at each memory like small stones in your hand. Turning them over and trying to make sense of them. Nothing was quite like you expected, was it? He didn’t kick Rome out and take His rightful place as ruler. Instead, He turned all the religious systems on their head. He reinterpreted the most sacred of your celebrations. He talked about laying down His life. The Rabbi washed YOUR feet. He went willingly when they came for Him in the darkness. He wouldn’t even let you fight for Him. How do you make sense of all these moments? I see you trying to recall everything and put the pieces together into some sort of mosaic for your memories.

But, that’s not all is it? There’s also the shame you’re feeling. You’re beating yourself up, aren’t you? You’re wishing you would have stayed awake in the garden when He asked you to keep watch. Maybe you would have seen Judas coming. And then there’s the charcoal fire… every time you get a whiff of it, it reminds you of that moment when you insisted you didn’t know Him… for the third time that night. And He locked eyes with you as the rooster crowed. Oh the bitter weeping that followed that fateful moment. The regret and the sorrow. The hiding. You feel foolish now – all your promises of sticking by Him no matter what seem rather childish.

To make matters even more confusing, He’s not in the grave anymore. He’s risen! What to make of that? You’ve seen Him briefly a time or two. But, it’s not the same as before. It’s not even the same as when He raised Lazarus. His body is different now. And He’s not living among you, walking the dusty streets and talking to the people.

The truth is, you’re just not sure what to do. If He did walk the streets, would He even still want you? How could He? You said you didn’t even know Him. And ran away. You had to hear about His final moments from the women. They stayed until the bitter end and helped prepare His body for the borrowed tomb. They were faithful… now you’re asking yourself why you weren’t there with them? So much regret.

What to do with all these memories? All these questions? All these emotions and the “coulda, woulda, shouldas” that are plaguing your heart? It’s too much. So you’re doing the thing you know best… back on the water for some fishing. I see you there in the boat, trying to occupy your mind with something else. Trying to busy your hands so don’t have to deal with the shame and confusion. I see you, because I’ve done it myself. A thousand times. Cleaning the house with extra vigor so I don’t have to deal with my sin and the ensuing shame. Turning to something you can DO because if feels like you have no control at all over the gaping hole in your soul.

What you don’t know, Peter, is that He’s about to reinterpret that charcoal fire and associate it with a new memory. He’s on the shore waiting for you. He’s going to fill your nets to overflowing just like the good old days. And, He’s going to invite you… “Come have breakfast.” And packed behind that simple phrase is the balm that will heal your soul. He still wants you, Peter. He didn’t make a mistake when He renamed you. And He really is going to build His church on your testimony. But, for now, He just wants to sit with you and have breakfast. To reassure you that your story isn’t finished yet. To ask you three times around the charcoal fire – “Peter, do you love me? Of course you know I do, Lord”. This specific exchange three times around a charcoal fire is no accident. ‘Tis mercy all. And as you bask in His agape love and forgiveness, you’ll be reminded that you really do love Him. That it wasn’t all some big mistake. You’ll be known there around that charcoal fire and you’ll let Him take all that shame and regret. And you’ll never be the same after that.

In fact, one day you’ll pen these words for those of us who will come behind you:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

And we’ll take great comfort from them – in part because we know you know all about His great mercy and being called into a living hope.

I see you there, Peter. And I’m so glad God saw fit to tell us your story because our own stories need it. We need your story to inform our own shame and regret. To show us what forgiveness and transformation can look like.

Look up, Peter. He’s there waiting to have breakfast with you. Oh, and you, too, Shan.

Getting Practical: 2 Tips For a Better Quiet Time

June 11, 2021 by Shannon 2 Comments

As I come out of the last 15 months of pandemic living, I’m doing a lot of reflecting and reevaluating. You’d think that with all the extra time we had (because so many things were cancelled), that our inner lives would be stellar now. But, I’m not so sure they really area. Therapists tell us that people simply are not OK. This pandemic has been hard on us. And like any traumatic experience, it’s going to take some intentional thought and reflection to get back to healthy rhythms.

One of those important rhythms is spending regular time meditating on God’s words to us in the Bible and then talking to Him about those words through journaling or praying. At some point in history, people started calling that time a “quiet time” or a QT. I suppose that is as good a name as any. But it’s also OK if your quiet time is actually loud. The point is not so much what you call it but that you are building this important rhythm into your life. As with any relationship it’s important to spend time with God – listening to Him through His Word and sharing your own heart with Him through prayer and/or journaling.

Since our women just started a new Bible study for the summer at my church, I thought I’d take a couple of posts to talk about quiet times and how to make them happen.

For today, I’ve got two very practical, logistical suggestions.

  1. Pick a time that works for your schedule.

An important step in making quiet time a daily habit is that you pick a time that works with your schedule. That might be at 6:30 am, before the kids wake up, or it might be at mid-day over lunch, or it might be before bed. Too often, we try to imitate what works for someone else and then we end up discouraged because we don’t stick with it. Don’t pick 5:30 a.m. because your friend picked 5:30 a.m. Pick a time that works with your season of life and your preferences. Are you a morning person or do you come alive at night? Are you an extrovert who is going to struggle to have quiet time if others are around to talk to? Do you have young kids who nap? Do you have a roommate you have to schedule around?

If you are not sure where daily regular time could fit into your schedule, here are some ideas that you might like to try out:

  • in the morning before the kids wake up
  • before going to bed at night
  • over breakfast (if you’re with tiny humans, give them something to work on)
  • for half-an-hour after supper
  • during lunch, or for 15 minutes after lunch
  • while your little people are napping/playing games/doing homework/watching TV/having quiet time
  • at the park
  • while the kids are playing in the backyard
  • on a break at work
  • in the car while waiting in a carpool line
  • on the sidelines while a kiddo is at practice

There are so many little chunks of time that you can reclaim and use to get intentional time with God! I have found that some of these chunks of time get stolen by scrolling on my phone UNLESS I am intentional to do otherwise.

  1. Have a plan.

But how do you make the most of that time in a structured, easy-to-follow, and sustainable way? Right now, the women at our church are studying the book of Jude for the summer so I’ll write as if I’m giving advice to one of them. Translate it into your own world.

Here is a super simple way to structure your time with God:

  1. Have all your stuff in one place: your Jude workbook, your Bible or Bible app, your dictionary, a journal (if you use one), and a favorite pen or pencil. Collect all of it and keep it all together in one place – maybe even put it in a basket or tote bag – so that it’s easy to grab. Never let yourself grab THAT pen or let one of the other people in your home borrow from that basket. If you set aside 15 minutes to meet with God, you don’t want to spend 5 of those minutes hunting down your stuff. One other random thing that I would include in this basket is a notepad for jotting down all the random things that come to your mind that would distract you from staying engaged. Just jot things there and move right back to reading your Bible or journaling.
  2. If it’s helpful for you, find a cozy spot. I’m all about the cozy so I like to have my tea, light a candle, and settle into a good chair. That might not matter as much to you. Or, you might be squeezing your quiet time in while tiny humans run around you or while you’re on your lunch break at work. So, take it with a grain of salt and work it in if you want. We’re all different and that’s OK too! You don’t HAVE to do what I do. But, if it helps you to engage, by all means, make your space cozy!
  3. Take a few moments at the beginning to quiet your mind. Put down your phone. Turn off any distractions. Take 3 deep breaths.
  4. Pray. It’s always good to start here and acknowledge your dependence on Him. Remember WHO you’re reading about and talking to. Thank Him for being a God who speaks and for inviting us into relationship with Him. Ask Him for insight. Ask Him to help you connect with Him and not just go through the motions.
  5. Try reading the scripture for the day out loud. It’s a super helpful practice. And, in this particular study of Jude, it’s usually only a verse or two.
  6. Follow the directions and trust the workbook’s author to lead you through a format for the day. Even if her question seems silly or obvious (or a waste of time) to you, give it a shot. You might learn a new skill or be surprised what you see by just doing it.
  7. Pray and/or journal. Reflect back on what you learned. Talk to God about it again. Doing both would be great if you have the time!
  8. If you’re a verbal processor, follow-up by talking about it with your spouse or a friend. This doesn’t have to be a long convo. Maybe just a few moments of sharing. It doesn’t even have to be profound or new. Maybe it’s just reaffirming something you already knew about God. The point is that you get your thoughts and reflections about God out of your brain and into your world.

In the coming days, I’d like to share some of my favorite tools and approaches for Bible study, journaling, and praying. Hopefully it will help you to establish (or REestablish) this important rhythm in your own life. Meeting with God is so foundational as it affects all the other things we do and how we think. But it also, often, is an area of shame and defeat for Christians. I’d love to be a voice that still calls you to invest in this most-important relationship without attaching shame and failure to the struggle that is sometimes there. Being with your God is good for you: body, mind, heart, and soul. He created you as an integrated whole such that your times with Him will impact each of those areas of life. Sometimes, the thing holding you back is bigger than a few practical tips. But, let’s try to tackle the easy stuff first and see if regrouping or trying a new approach doesn’t help you move into this important rhythm.

In addition to some of my tips here, there is a really great resource that our pastors put together on our church web site  The link for that is here: https://redemptionchapel.com/meet/. 

 

When Duty Becomes Delight: Lessons from Dessert

June 23, 2020 by Shannon Leave a Comment

I want you to take a sec and think about your most favorite dessert. I’m not talking about prepackaged cookies from the Keebler elves. I’m talking about real dessert. Maybe more like something from the Mockingbird Bakery in Kent.

You know how it is when you’re having a really good dessert, right?

You savor every bite. Let it dissolve on your tongue as you enjoy every bit of flavor. And, then when you’re on the last bite, you feel a mixture of sadness and delight. Sadness because the whole experience is about to be over. Delight because it was rich and delicious and everything you had hoped it would be. The indulgence makes your heart happy.

That’s how I feel about Tiramasu. And Baklava. And quality dark chocolate… with fresh strawberries. And Graeter’s Rasberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

And the Bible.

Whaaaaat?

You see, too often we think about the Bible like we think about brussel sprouts (you may insert some other hated vegetable if you’re a lover of these tiny cabbage-like greens; I don’t mean to offend). We know it’s good for us and that we should probably have our daily dose. The Bible IS that. It’s sustenance. But, it’s also delight. Sadly, the truth is that we don’t really savor it that way. We don’t anticipate it. Rather, like a picky child at the dinner table, we pinch our noses and choke it down until the next day when we’ll have to do it all again. Usually accompanied by a heavy side of guilt.

I want you to know that it doesn’t have to be this way. It wasn’t for King David. For this warrior-poet, God’s Word was more like eating dessert. Here’s what he said about it in Psalm 19:

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

After reading David’s praise of God’s words, do you get the sense that he was choking them down out of duty? No way! For David, it was his delight to take them in and let them transform his life!

Why? Because they restore the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, and enlighten the eyes.

Sweet friends, stop making your Bible a symbol of guilt and obligation! It’s not. It was never meant to be. Is it good for us? Yes. Should we read it regularly and apply ourselves to studying it? Yes. Do we have to read it? Yes. Another place in scripture calls it our daily bread – so, yes, there is certainly a sense in which HAVE to have it. But, only if we want to LIVE!

What a shame that we have made it so much more like eating brussel sprouts and less like feasting on something rich and decadent.

Why do we DO that? Is it that we’ve allowed ourselves to become satisfied with a steady diet of prepackaged Keebler crap so we feel full? Is it that our tastebuds have become dull and we just don’t know good food anymore? Maybe we just don’t remember how great a good piece of Baklava can taste? Is it that we’ve busied ourselves with so much other stuff that we’re really not “alive.” Oh, we look like we’re alive. But we’re really parched and dry and malnourished because we’re wasting away inside. Is it because we don’t think the dessert will be yummy? Maybe we’ve been duped into thinking it will be gross and cardboardy.

Probably a little bit of all of the above.

Could we try feasting? Because I don’t want to have dull tastebuds or eat prepackaged cookies or settle for wasting away. Or miss the good stuff because I thought it was cardboard. None of those sound appealing. Maybe lets try David’s approach.

David says that God’s Word is sweeter than honey.

We don’t really appreciate this illustration because we have sugar. But only recently in man’s history (mid-19th century) did sugar become affordable to the average Westerner. Prior to then, it was a very expensive luxury. I know that’s hard to believe because now it’s in EVERYTHING we eat. But it was once highly valued. And honey even more so because it’s twice as sweet as sugar and has healing properties. It was often used as a form of currency or as a tribute or offering. It was something to be prized and savored.

For just a moment, I want you to imagine honey just dripping off the honeycomb. Fresh, pure honey. Imagine a kid, sitting in a meadow with it – taking a big, sloppy lick right off the honeycomb.

Now, I want you to go pick up your Bible. And ask God to help you feel the same way about it. Rehearse David’s Words. Shout them back to God with reckless abandon.

Oh God, YOUR law is perfect, converting my soul: YOUR testimony is sure, making wise the simple. YOUR statutes are right, rejoicing my heart: YOUR commandment is pure, enlightening my eyes. YOUR fear is clean, enduring for ever: YOUR judgments are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. If I keep them there is great reward.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve needed this reminder lately. COVID-19 really threw me off – I haven’t been very consistent in getting time with God in His Word. Every time I think about this, I feel guilty. Like I’m failing at my duties. I’m asking God to transform my perspective and draw me to His Words with joy. After all, His Words are a reflection of His heart and what is more beautiful and worthy than that?

Sweet Nothings… from God

September 19, 2016 by Shannon Leave a Comment

Bible study as delight not dutyBecause of Rick’s sermon yesterday, I thought I’d post this reprint of my original post on why I love God’s Word so much. When I originally wrote this, our little church was still little (ish) and we were meeting in The Block, not at our current address. I cant remember for sure but our women were probably studying Esther or the names of God that semester. How I love what God continues to do in our midst…

This week I’ve been pondering on reasons why I love the Bible so much. Here is today’s revelation: IT’S GOD. TALKING. TO US.

God. Bending down from His throne exalted above the heavens where He is worshipped in a never-ending chorus of praise and worship by magnificent creatures in a place that has no gross blemish or corrupt stain.

Why?

Because He wants to talk with us. God does. You know, the One who spoke the galaxies into existence? Yes, Him.

He wants to talk to us. Wants to whisper sweet nothings in our ears and remind us that we are more deeply loved than we could ever imagine – despite our many flaws. Longs to tell us the most ancient stories and unfold some of the great mysteries for us.

To recount the time He told the proud waves to stop and scrunched the land up into little piles that we call mountains. Or the time He became as small as a spec and lived in a womb for nine months. Or how He was thinking about me…and you…and the joy set before Him. Back when the weight of the world bore down on His shoulders in the darkest-of-dark moments 2,000 years ago.

Or how He’s going to give me a new name one day. On that one day when He comes on the clouds to catch me up and take me home where I belong. To that one place that doesn’t even need a sun because He’s there.

Yes, He’d like to chat with me about those things.

And, I’d rather read the comics or watch Gilmore Girls or check Facebook? Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

Do I really need to say more?

Bible Time

I’m So Glad You’re Here!

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet! If you’re reading this, please know that I’d rather be sitting in my living room having cream tea with you and hearing YOUR story. But, for now, I hope mine will encourage you and spur you on in some small way. For more about me…

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