My daughter is in the process of applying to art school (SCAD, University of the Arts, VCU, etc.). She has to write essays for these places on why she wants to study art. Here's mom's mix:
I have often said that my daughter was put on this earth to create beauty. She is at heart an artist -- whether she's performing music, drawing comics, taking pictures, writing stories or poems. Even my daughter's style of dress is more of an art form.
I wonder if I've been correct about saying that her calling is to create beauty, however. It would probably be more correct to say that she was put here to reveal or uncover the beauty that already exists. Further, it may be even more correct to say that an artist is simply one who helps others to see. After all, some things are decidedly not beautiful, but we need to see them nevertheless.
Before the modern era it was generally accepted that art should imitate life. In the main I'd have to say that I agree with this statement. An artist's depiction of what IS can highlight some important quality that should be celebrated or (in the case of injustice, pain, etc.) what needs to be addressed by society. From this perspective, artists perform an invaluable service to mankind.
Art speaks to the human heart at a deeper, more basic level than mere rhetoric. Politicians and pundits can argue endlessly and never change a single opinion. But a painting, photograph, story or song can penetrate defenses and help people to see things from a different perspective. This power can be used for good or evil to be sure. Propaganda is a perfect example of art being used to manipulate. But the classics of literature and the art world prove that the highest use of art is to affirm life and humanity.
Hopefully as my daughter pursues her passions (writing and photography) she'll use her powers for good. The opportunity to see things through the eyes of her sensitive soul should make the world a better place.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Highly Favored of God
I've been pondering Mary's call this afternoon. During the sermon this morning, our pastor mentioned in passing the fact that Mary and Joseph found no room in the inn when they arrived in Bethlehem.
In the past, I've thought some about the magnitude of what God asked Mary to do when He offered her the chance to be the mother of Jesus. It was a big risk being found pregnant with no husband. There have always been religious folks who like to enforce the rules - and according to the rules, Mary should be stoned to death... Joseph, however, made a respectable woman of Mary, after being assured by an angel that the baby was in fact, God's.
Then, when it was time to deliver the baby, Mary and Joseph find that there's no room in the inn. Instead they are consigned to a stable where Mary suffers the pain of childbirth with no mother around to support her and no comforts.
She must have been an extraordinary woman. If it was me I'd be saying, "Isn't it enough O Lord that I took the risk of having this child? Couldn't you have at least found us a decent room? If we're doing your will, why don't you make it just a little easier on us? "
I think we often make the mistake of thinking that the Lord's favor means an easy road. But if God did not offer the mother of his child an easy burden, I think it's fair to say that we shouldn't expect to be on easy street just because we're following His plans.
Being favored by God means that He offers us the incredible opportunity to participate with Him in what He's doing. We are offered an adventure not a couch. So... if you're feeling a bit put out with all that's on your plate, think of Mary and Joseph. They were given perhaps the greatest honor that God ever bestowed - fostering his Son. They found themselves facing the misunderstanding of the good people in Nazareth, an uncomfortable journey to Bethlehem, followed by painful labor in a stable, and finally fleeing to Egypt with a baby in tow. Though this doesn't sound much like a Currier and Ives scene, it is the biblical one.
In the past, I've thought some about the magnitude of what God asked Mary to do when He offered her the chance to be the mother of Jesus. It was a big risk being found pregnant with no husband. There have always been religious folks who like to enforce the rules - and according to the rules, Mary should be stoned to death... Joseph, however, made a respectable woman of Mary, after being assured by an angel that the baby was in fact, God's.
Then, when it was time to deliver the baby, Mary and Joseph find that there's no room in the inn. Instead they are consigned to a stable where Mary suffers the pain of childbirth with no mother around to support her and no comforts.
She must have been an extraordinary woman. If it was me I'd be saying, "Isn't it enough O Lord that I took the risk of having this child? Couldn't you have at least found us a decent room? If we're doing your will, why don't you make it just a little easier on us? "
I think we often make the mistake of thinking that the Lord's favor means an easy road. But if God did not offer the mother of his child an easy burden, I think it's fair to say that we shouldn't expect to be on easy street just because we're following His plans.
Being favored by God means that He offers us the incredible opportunity to participate with Him in what He's doing. We are offered an adventure not a couch. So... if you're feeling a bit put out with all that's on your plate, think of Mary and Joseph. They were given perhaps the greatest honor that God ever bestowed - fostering his Son. They found themselves facing the misunderstanding of the good people in Nazareth, an uncomfortable journey to Bethlehem, followed by painful labor in a stable, and finally fleeing to Egypt with a baby in tow. Though this doesn't sound much like a Currier and Ives scene, it is the biblical one.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
"Crowning" the Year
Today is Christ the King Sunday. It's the final week in the church year. Next week Advent begins - a time to look forward to the coming of Christ as an infant as well as a time to anticipate Christ's second coming (a part of Advent we often overlook).
In the Christian calendar the year is "crowned" (pun definitely intended;)) celebrating Christ as King. In the Lectionary readings for this Sunday a passage from Jeremiah 23 is included where God gives an indictment against the shepherds of His people who scatter the flock, drive them away, and do not tend to them. God promises a different King who will deal wisely and execute justice and righteousness in the land. Under his reign, the people will live in safety.
We're clearly not there yet, but sometimes I get a glimpse of the coming Kingdom and my heart is encouraged. Yesterday God granted me a peek. Our church provides lunch every Saturday as it's the only day that the Salvation Army does not provide a meal. We served a Thanksgiving style meal yesterday. Different folks made hams or turkeys and the rest of the meal (except for desert) was prepared in the church kitchen yesterday morning.
Typically the meal is prepared and handed over a counter on disposable plates and plastic utensils. The tables are bare - except for disposable salt & pepper shakers. The rules are pretty rigid about when desert is served and when seconds are served because without those rules there'd be chaos.
Yesterday the tables had tablecloths and fall centerpieces. The salt and pepper shakers were glass, as were the plates. The tables were set with the flatware we use for our congregational dinners. Rather than line up and receive plates over the serving counter, members of the congregation served as the wait staff.
I'm in charge on the third Saturday of each month, and I must admit that I was nervous. I was afraid the congregation members would not show up. On normal Saturdays we man the kitchen with around five people who cook the meal and clean up. We'd need a few more to serve the tables. Well... there were 25+ people who showed up with their homemade deserts and served those less fortunate than they. The vibe in our fellowship hall was really good. It was a beautiful picture of what it looks like in the Kingdom.
There isn't a single significant person (leader, parent, child, spouse, teacher, etc.) who won't let us down occasionally. Some of those people are like the shepherds indicted by God in Jeremiah - so bad that they scatter the flock. Christ, however, will never let us down. We may not understand everything that happens, but we can take His trustworthiness to the bank. His ways are just and right, merciful and gracious. In fact, Christ's throne is often called a throne of grace.
I think it's important to remember that Christ is indeed King; that He reigns even now; and that at some time in the future everything will be set right.
In the Christian calendar the year is "crowned" (pun definitely intended;)) celebrating Christ as King. In the Lectionary readings for this Sunday a passage from Jeremiah 23 is included where God gives an indictment against the shepherds of His people who scatter the flock, drive them away, and do not tend to them. God promises a different King who will deal wisely and execute justice and righteousness in the land. Under his reign, the people will live in safety.
We're clearly not there yet, but sometimes I get a glimpse of the coming Kingdom and my heart is encouraged. Yesterday God granted me a peek. Our church provides lunch every Saturday as it's the only day that the Salvation Army does not provide a meal. We served a Thanksgiving style meal yesterday. Different folks made hams or turkeys and the rest of the meal (except for desert) was prepared in the church kitchen yesterday morning.
Typically the meal is prepared and handed over a counter on disposable plates and plastic utensils. The tables are bare - except for disposable salt & pepper shakers. The rules are pretty rigid about when desert is served and when seconds are served because without those rules there'd be chaos.
Yesterday the tables had tablecloths and fall centerpieces. The salt and pepper shakers were glass, as were the plates. The tables were set with the flatware we use for our congregational dinners. Rather than line up and receive plates over the serving counter, members of the congregation served as the wait staff.
I'm in charge on the third Saturday of each month, and I must admit that I was nervous. I was afraid the congregation members would not show up. On normal Saturdays we man the kitchen with around five people who cook the meal and clean up. We'd need a few more to serve the tables. Well... there were 25+ people who showed up with their homemade deserts and served those less fortunate than they. The vibe in our fellowship hall was really good. It was a beautiful picture of what it looks like in the Kingdom.
There isn't a single significant person (leader, parent, child, spouse, teacher, etc.) who won't let us down occasionally. Some of those people are like the shepherds indicted by God in Jeremiah - so bad that they scatter the flock. Christ, however, will never let us down. We may not understand everything that happens, but we can take His trustworthiness to the bank. His ways are just and right, merciful and gracious. In fact, Christ's throne is often called a throne of grace.
I think it's important to remember that Christ is indeed King; that He reigns even now; and that at some time in the future everything will be set right.
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Worst of Times or The Best of Times?
Today I picked up a kitten at the animal shelter for my niece. She saw him over the weekend and decided that he was THE ONE. He's a cute little fellow of about seven or eight weeks. The volunteer at the shelter on Saturday was a young lady who told us that "Smokey" had a cold. When I returned to adopt him, however, the adult running the shelter said that "Smokey" has a respiratory infection - hopefully not feline leukemia.
I adopted him any way. That was the errand I was sent to do after all... When I got Smokey in the car, he immediately began meowing. I reassured him that the ride wouldn't last too long, and that this was, in fact, his lucky day. He was going to live in a very nice family, with a very nice home, and all of the resources to pamper him beyond his wildest kitty dreams.
I decided to run him by the vet before dropping him off at my sister's house. If he indeed had a respiratory infection, I reasoned, better to take care of it immediately and not saddle my sister with the job of taking him to the vet.
When we got to the vet, we (of course) had to wait. Smokey had to endure the scrutiny of several dogs while we sat in the waiting room. The dogs were not as much of an ordeal as his examination, however. We decided that he'd better be tested for feline leukemia (negative), so they took some blood. They checked him for worms (he had them); Cleaned out his ears (ear mites too - I didn't tell my sister about those!). Since he was running a fever, they gave him some fluids to cool him off and hydrate him, put ointment in his running right eye, and gave him his first dose of antibiotics for his respiratory infection.
By the time it was over, I could tell that Smokey was thinking that this must be the worst day of his life. He was shaking like a leaf. But Smokey didn't know what was happening next. He didn't know that he was on his way to the life of Riley at my sister's house. All Smokey has known is the Caswell County Animal Shelter. His life was about to get much better!
Smokey's morning has given me some cud to chew throughout the day. Sometimes we think that things are bad - the worst of days. We can't imagine why God is allowing all of this "suffering" and pain. All along, however, God knows His plans for us and the bright future ahead. Whatever we're suffering through in the present is only to make us better - fitter and healthier- to enjoy life in His Kingdom. If you're having a tough day or season, hang in there. Trust the good intentions of the One who wants us to share His home.
I adopted him any way. That was the errand I was sent to do after all... When I got Smokey in the car, he immediately began meowing. I reassured him that the ride wouldn't last too long, and that this was, in fact, his lucky day. He was going to live in a very nice family, with a very nice home, and all of the resources to pamper him beyond his wildest kitty dreams.
I decided to run him by the vet before dropping him off at my sister's house. If he indeed had a respiratory infection, I reasoned, better to take care of it immediately and not saddle my sister with the job of taking him to the vet.
When we got to the vet, we (of course) had to wait. Smokey had to endure the scrutiny of several dogs while we sat in the waiting room. The dogs were not as much of an ordeal as his examination, however. We decided that he'd better be tested for feline leukemia (negative), so they took some blood. They checked him for worms (he had them); Cleaned out his ears (ear mites too - I didn't tell my sister about those!). Since he was running a fever, they gave him some fluids to cool him off and hydrate him, put ointment in his running right eye, and gave him his first dose of antibiotics for his respiratory infection.
By the time it was over, I could tell that Smokey was thinking that this must be the worst day of his life. He was shaking like a leaf. But Smokey didn't know what was happening next. He didn't know that he was on his way to the life of Riley at my sister's house. All Smokey has known is the Caswell County Animal Shelter. His life was about to get much better!
Smokey's morning has given me some cud to chew throughout the day. Sometimes we think that things are bad - the worst of days. We can't imagine why God is allowing all of this "suffering" and pain. All along, however, God knows His plans for us and the bright future ahead. Whatever we're suffering through in the present is only to make us better - fitter and healthier- to enjoy life in His Kingdom. If you're having a tough day or season, hang in there. Trust the good intentions of the One who wants us to share His home.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Kick Ass
Last night my daughter and I watched the movie Kick Ass. On one level it's a story of a young man who wonders why no one in real life ever tries to be a super hero - right wrongs and fight the injustice and exploitation he sees in his neighborhood daily. This boy decides to don a costume and do something about the bad guys.
On another level the story is about what happens when the desire for revenge consumes one's life. This thread follows a more serious "super hero" who calls himself (I think) "Big Daddy" and his daughter "Hit Girl". Big Daddy was a police officer framed on a drug charge and jailed for five years. During that time his pregnant wife committed suicide. Their surviving daughter "Hit Girl" was raised by Big Daddy's partner until he was released from jail. Big Daddy decides to go after the organized crime family responsible for his pain.
While Kick Ass uses a couple of things that look like billy clubs to fight the forces of evil, Big Daddy and Hit Girl fight crime with guns, knives, spears, anything lethal that will get the job done. They're really killing bad guys.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I found it very diverting. I like seeing bad guys get their asses kicked. I found myself cheering as Hit Girl shot, stabbed, and beat up scary gangsters. There is something very right and very wrong about it, though. It's right that evil is defeated - to see those who've set a snare for someone else fall into it themselves. It's wrong, however for a ten year old girl to kill - and to kill with such obvious relish. It's especially wrong that a father's hatred and bitterness be channelled through his child.
I won't tell you more than that things do not end well for Big Daddy; and maybe that's a good thing... Fighting crime and injustice is good. There is something in all of us that wants to see evil defeated and the right asses kicked. A consuming desire for revenge, however, makes it impossible for real justice to be done. The good is tainted by a hatred that comes from (if possible) an even darker place than the heart of gangsters.
The daily Lectionary is moving through Revelation right now. For several days I've been reading about the wrath that is being stored up by God for the "gangsters" of history. Unlike our own anger, God's wrath is rightly directed and administered. It is held off until the last possible moment, because unlike us, God would prefer to administer mercy and grace - even to gangsters. Some things are better left in His capable hands.
On another level the story is about what happens when the desire for revenge consumes one's life. This thread follows a more serious "super hero" who calls himself (I think) "Big Daddy" and his daughter "Hit Girl". Big Daddy was a police officer framed on a drug charge and jailed for five years. During that time his pregnant wife committed suicide. Their surviving daughter "Hit Girl" was raised by Big Daddy's partner until he was released from jail. Big Daddy decides to go after the organized crime family responsible for his pain.
While Kick Ass uses a couple of things that look like billy clubs to fight the forces of evil, Big Daddy and Hit Girl fight crime with guns, knives, spears, anything lethal that will get the job done. They're really killing bad guys.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I found it very diverting. I like seeing bad guys get their asses kicked. I found myself cheering as Hit Girl shot, stabbed, and beat up scary gangsters. There is something very right and very wrong about it, though. It's right that evil is defeated - to see those who've set a snare for someone else fall into it themselves. It's wrong, however for a ten year old girl to kill - and to kill with such obvious relish. It's especially wrong that a father's hatred and bitterness be channelled through his child.
I won't tell you more than that things do not end well for Big Daddy; and maybe that's a good thing... Fighting crime and injustice is good. There is something in all of us that wants to see evil defeated and the right asses kicked. A consuming desire for revenge, however, makes it impossible for real justice to be done. The good is tainted by a hatred that comes from (if possible) an even darker place than the heart of gangsters.
The daily Lectionary is moving through Revelation right now. For several days I've been reading about the wrath that is being stored up by God for the "gangsters" of history. Unlike our own anger, God's wrath is rightly directed and administered. It is held off until the last possible moment, because unlike us, God would prefer to administer mercy and grace - even to gangsters. Some things are better left in His capable hands.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Costly
Anything of value will cost something. The better that something is, the more (obviously) it will cost. Though something of value may be costly, not acquiring that something may be just as costly - if not more so...
Home improvements are a good example of this concept. You may not want to spend the money to repair something in your home, but if you don't, in the end you'll pay more. Maintaining health is another example. Staying healthy may or may not cost money (it is possible to work out without a gym membership) but it will cost the effort of exercise and the pain of denying yourself pleasures you may prefer to enjoy -- larger portions, desert, alcohol, etc. If you don't stay healthy, however, medical bills as well as potential disability could result; not to mention the fact that someone whose cholesterol is sky high or whose kidneys don't work must change his diet simply to survive.
Lately I've been pondering the cost of what I'll call "inner health". By "inner health" I mean psychological, emotional, and spiritual health. This kind of health leaves you free to make loving choices about how you relate to yourself and others and God. Being healthy in this way is perhaps the most costly because it involves laying down and leaving behind many things we'd prefer to hold onto or not to think about.
Last night during a committee meeting at church we were discussing a couple of services our interim minister was calling "healing" services. One was for our choir and the other for the congregation in general. In both cases "healing" is what's needed. We find ourselves playing out the same tragedy every few years, with the characters and lines changed only sightly. Clearly there is dysfunction at work. Right now we're in a good place, but beneath the surface, there are still unhealthy patterns ready to emerge given the right circumstances or triggers.
What's interesting is that there was great resistance to calling the services "healing" services. "The word 'healing' implies that there's something wrong." Exactly! There is something wrong. In the end we decided to call the services "A New Day" or "Fresh Start" or something like that. The truth is, it doesn't matter what we call the services. What matters is that we recognize that there's something wrong and decide we'll do whatever it takes to make it better.
I've been a Christian now for 31 years. I am still in need of healing - and lots of it. Don't get me wrong... I'm a relatively high functioning adult with mostly healthy relationships. But my relationships are not 100% healthy. By that I mean that love is not my motivation 100% of the time. Until it is I'm in need of healing.
Jesus is the perfect picture of one who lived in freedom and love. He responded to others with a heart perfectly in tune with the Father's. As Christ is formed in us, our lives will more closely resemble his. But we must understand that love and freedom come at a price. It's a price that must be paid daily: laying down fear, unforgiveness, selfish desires, lust -- anything that gets in the way -- and replacing them with the fruit of the Spirit.
Love is always stretching - calling us outside of our comfort zones. It's costly. But it's more costly to continue to live otherwise. It's more painful to live out the same tragedies again and again.
The writer of Hebrews was on to something when he said,
"... let us rid ourselves of every burden of sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us, while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, heedless of its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God." -- Hebrews 12: 1b - 2
Home improvements are a good example of this concept. You may not want to spend the money to repair something in your home, but if you don't, in the end you'll pay more. Maintaining health is another example. Staying healthy may or may not cost money (it is possible to work out without a gym membership) but it will cost the effort of exercise and the pain of denying yourself pleasures you may prefer to enjoy -- larger portions, desert, alcohol, etc. If you don't stay healthy, however, medical bills as well as potential disability could result; not to mention the fact that someone whose cholesterol is sky high or whose kidneys don't work must change his diet simply to survive.
Lately I've been pondering the cost of what I'll call "inner health". By "inner health" I mean psychological, emotional, and spiritual health. This kind of health leaves you free to make loving choices about how you relate to yourself and others and God. Being healthy in this way is perhaps the most costly because it involves laying down and leaving behind many things we'd prefer to hold onto or not to think about.
Last night during a committee meeting at church we were discussing a couple of services our interim minister was calling "healing" services. One was for our choir and the other for the congregation in general. In both cases "healing" is what's needed. We find ourselves playing out the same tragedy every few years, with the characters and lines changed only sightly. Clearly there is dysfunction at work. Right now we're in a good place, but beneath the surface, there are still unhealthy patterns ready to emerge given the right circumstances or triggers.
What's interesting is that there was great resistance to calling the services "healing" services. "The word 'healing' implies that there's something wrong." Exactly! There is something wrong. In the end we decided to call the services "A New Day" or "Fresh Start" or something like that. The truth is, it doesn't matter what we call the services. What matters is that we recognize that there's something wrong and decide we'll do whatever it takes to make it better.
I've been a Christian now for 31 years. I am still in need of healing - and lots of it. Don't get me wrong... I'm a relatively high functioning adult with mostly healthy relationships. But my relationships are not 100% healthy. By that I mean that love is not my motivation 100% of the time. Until it is I'm in need of healing.
Jesus is the perfect picture of one who lived in freedom and love. He responded to others with a heart perfectly in tune with the Father's. As Christ is formed in us, our lives will more closely resemble his. But we must understand that love and freedom come at a price. It's a price that must be paid daily: laying down fear, unforgiveness, selfish desires, lust -- anything that gets in the way -- and replacing them with the fruit of the Spirit.
Love is always stretching - calling us outside of our comfort zones. It's costly. But it's more costly to continue to live otherwise. It's more painful to live out the same tragedies again and again.
The writer of Hebrews was on to something when he said,
"... let us rid ourselves of every burden of sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us, while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, heedless of its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God." -- Hebrews 12: 1b - 2
Monday, October 18, 2010
Persistent - A Sermon for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Scriptures: Jeremiah 31: 27-34, 2 Timothy 3: 14- 4:5, Luke 18: 1-8
Have you ever played Free Cell solitaire? When I first encountered the game (years ago) I remember being told that it's possible to win every game. Frankly I found that hard to believe. So I tried it. I played some games. I won some and lost many more. Over time, however, I came to believe not only that it's possible to win every game, but (with the help of the trusty "undo" function) that I could win every time I played -- as long as I persisted in trying.
Big deal, right? It's just a game. That's very true. It is just a game. But when I think about the instant society we live in today, Free Cell teaches an important lesson: persistence is critical to success. Thomas Edison is the modern poster child for the kind of persistence that matters. He failed more than 10,000 times in his attempts to invent a successful electric lamp. He knew, however, that with each failed attempt he was one step closer to success. there was no doubt in Edison's mind that he would invent the light bulb, and eventually he did.
If you're like me, you'd be sorely tempted to give up long before the 10,000th try. We're conditioned to believe that success should come quickly. An entire meal can easily be micro-waved in 4 or 5 minutes. Complex problems are solved in 60 minutes on our favorite dramas - and if you're into comedy, it only takes 30 minutes to resolve issues... When we're on the Internet we feel dissatisfied if we have to wait for a web page to load. Faster and faster speeds over time have conditioned a certain amount of impatience in us.
If you want to live a successful Christian life persistence is essential. The Christian life is not a 60 minute drama or a 30 minute sitcom. In the Medieval world view, the Christian life was depicted as a journey - a pilgrimage from Babylon to Jerusalem - from captivity to freedom -from slavery to son-ship. I think that's a good and accurate way to look at it. Life is a pilgrimage of transformation; and because the changes God intends are profound, they take time.
Persistence is an underlying theme in today's Lectionary readings. Through this morning's readings God is calling us to persist in three areas. We are called to persist in hope, in the Word, and in prayer. These three disciplines promise to assist us as we journey toward transformation and life together with God who is persistent in His pursuit of our hearts and lives.
Hope:
The words in the passage from Jeremiah are addressed to an audience that has lost hope. Do you remember last week's Old Testament Lectionary reading from Jeremiah? In that reading, the Israelites are told to settle into their captivity: to build houses, plant gardens, marry, and seek the welfare of the city where they'd been sent into exile. They weren't to expect to come home any time soon.
For the Israelites, the Babylonian captivity had drained the present of all meaning and hope, for their identity and destiny was from God and, in their minds, integrally tied to the Promised Land and the temple. Was it over for them? Did they miss out on their chance to participate in God's plans as His chosen people? The exile was a result of their unfaithfulness to the covenant and to God Himself. They had no one to blame but themselves for their predicament.
But through Jeremiah God speaks a word of hope. The days are surely coming when the exiles will be restored to the land, but more importantly they'll be restored in covenant - a new covenant. This time God will put his law within them - written on their hearts. Under the new covenant each one will be in dynamic relationship with God - knowing Him. Four times in the text Jeremiah emphasizes that the future will come because of God's action. It is God's loving, persistent pursuit of the people that will bring a bright future.
The good news for us is that God's plans for us will ultimately succeed. We can be confident that no matter where we are on our pilgrimage, that God has His hands upon us. One of my favorite verses is Philippians 1:6 where Paul says that, "He who began the good work in you will carry it through to completion, right up to the day of Christ Jesus." Our future is secure because God is in control of it. His loving purposes will be accomplished. Our job is to put our hope in Him, love Him, and obey what we know to be His will.
The Word:
The Scriptures from 2 Timothy urge us to be persistent in the Word. Paul tells Timothy to do two things: first to continue to live in what he has learned and believed, and second to proclaim the Word- the Gospel. In verse 16 Paul says that all scripture is inspired by God, literally "God breathed". It is not only inspired, but inspiring, and it can breathe new life into us. Regardless of the time or season of our life, the scriptures will always speak into our hearts and souls. As we read the scriptures they read us - exposing our desires, motivations, and actions for what they really are; the result is a transformation of heart, mind, and life as the Holy Spirit shows us a better way, revealing the heart of God to us in His word.
Unfortunately, many Christians don't know much more about the Bible than what they learned in Sunday school as children. They know some Bible stories and some of the common verses, but do not spend time reading daily - and being read - by the scriptures. Have you ever known someone who was looking for direction and guidance about a situation he was facing or a decision he needed to make and suddenly he's interested in what the Bible has to say? It's almost like he wants to use the Bible as a horoscope that day - close his eyes, open the book, and place his finger in a random spot hoping that God will guide his finger to the answer.
That's not the way to get good, sound answers and direction. When we spend time reading the Bible daily, God begins to speak into our lives and subtly direct us over time. Then when faced with a situation or decision, we find that God has been slowly shaping our hearts so that when the time comes to decide or act, we're ready to make a God centered choice.
How about proclaiming the Word? Pastor Joe has reminded us more than once that the people we encounter from day to day can read our lives, even if they never read the Bible. The truth is that this kind of "reading" happens all the time. I have acquaintances who are hostile toward Christianity because of the hypocrisy and lack of love they "read" in the lives of Christians. Our friends don't need us to preach them a sermon, but they do need us to live out the Gospel - to live in the love and grace, and truth we have received from God. As the Word of God speaks into our lives - reads us as we read it - our lives are gradually transformed (maybe conformed is a better word) - and we are made able to be flesh and blood pictures of the Gospel.
Prayer:
Our Gospel lesson this morning has intrigued me for years. Jesus tells a very interesting story about a widow and an unjust judge. We're told up front that the parable is about the need to pray always and not lose heart. Then we hear about a poor and powerless widow who through her continual coming wins justice from an unjust judge - one who cares neither for God nor man. The passage emphasizes the widow's persistence three times with words like: she "kept coming", "keeps bothering me", and "continually coming". Then Jesus shifts the focus from the judge to God and says, "And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
Here Jesus seems to be promising that those who persist in prayer will receive a speedy answer from God. This parable gets my attention! How many of us hammer away at God's door to no apparent avail? My guess would be that there are many here this morning who are weary - worn out - from praying. There are many who are exhausted, who wait un-expectantly for answers. There are others who say that God already knows what they need, so there's not need to ask for it. There are some - even some Christians - who don't really believe that God answers prayer. They haven't apprehended God's answers in the lives of others, so they don't feel moved to pray themselves.
Well, the answer for folks who don't believe in prayer because they can't see the answers in the lives of others is fairly simple: God's not interested in you learning about prayer second hand. Come to Him yourself. Commune with Him. Give prayer a try. See if God won't help you as you bring your concerns to Him.
How about those who say that God is good and already knows all that we need far better than we do ourselves? Why should we "bother" God by bringing our concerns to Him and asking Him to meet needs He already knows we have? Well... what if God knows that prayer is the thing we need first and most? What if God's object in prayer is to supply the thing we need the most - Himself? George MacDonald had a great illustration of this concept. He said that hunger may drive a run away child home, and that the child may or may not be fed immediately, but he needs his mother more than he needs his dinner. Communion with God is the one need of the heart beyond all other needs. The Giver is always in the gift. The truth is that sometimes the things that God would gladly give us, things that we need, must wait until we ask for them so that we can understand where they came from.
Then there are those who have been waiting in prayer for a long time. What about Jesus' promise of a speedy answer from the Father? It may be that the better the gift we pray for, the more time necessary for its arrival. There are some things -- especially the deep things in our lives - that take time. In some things, God must begin far back in our spirit, in regions we don't even know about, and do work that we can only be aware of in the final results. As we pray God works deep in our hearts - behind our consciousness - with His own presence. Through persistent prayer, God changes our hearts. He comes at us from behind, and so long before we're aware of it, He's answering our request - has answered it, and is visiting us in a profound way.
I began this morning by mentioning the game Free Cell. It is possible to win every game - as long as you approach it with patience and persistence. Occasionally I'll still lose a game, but only when I decide to give up. The reason it's relevant to all of us is that whatever our situation, in Christ it's possible to win. Winning in the Christian life means that Christ is formed in us, that the Kingdom of God is advanced, that love prevails. The only factor that prevents our winning is giving up. The God who is All Powerful and All Knowing is in full control. He calls us (as Winston Churchill - another very persistent person - once said) to never, never, never give us. Instead we are to persist: in hope, in the Word, and in prayer. And the God whose steadfast love persistently pursues us will be glorified in our lives and in the church.
Have you ever played Free Cell solitaire? When I first encountered the game (years ago) I remember being told that it's possible to win every game. Frankly I found that hard to believe. So I tried it. I played some games. I won some and lost many more. Over time, however, I came to believe not only that it's possible to win every game, but (with the help of the trusty "undo" function) that I could win every time I played -- as long as I persisted in trying.
Big deal, right? It's just a game. That's very true. It is just a game. But when I think about the instant society we live in today, Free Cell teaches an important lesson: persistence is critical to success. Thomas Edison is the modern poster child for the kind of persistence that matters. He failed more than 10,000 times in his attempts to invent a successful electric lamp. He knew, however, that with each failed attempt he was one step closer to success. there was no doubt in Edison's mind that he would invent the light bulb, and eventually he did.
If you're like me, you'd be sorely tempted to give up long before the 10,000th try. We're conditioned to believe that success should come quickly. An entire meal can easily be micro-waved in 4 or 5 minutes. Complex problems are solved in 60 minutes on our favorite dramas - and if you're into comedy, it only takes 30 minutes to resolve issues... When we're on the Internet we feel dissatisfied if we have to wait for a web page to load. Faster and faster speeds over time have conditioned a certain amount of impatience in us.
If you want to live a successful Christian life persistence is essential. The Christian life is not a 60 minute drama or a 30 minute sitcom. In the Medieval world view, the Christian life was depicted as a journey - a pilgrimage from Babylon to Jerusalem - from captivity to freedom -from slavery to son-ship. I think that's a good and accurate way to look at it. Life is a pilgrimage of transformation; and because the changes God intends are profound, they take time.
Persistence is an underlying theme in today's Lectionary readings. Through this morning's readings God is calling us to persist in three areas. We are called to persist in hope, in the Word, and in prayer. These three disciplines promise to assist us as we journey toward transformation and life together with God who is persistent in His pursuit of our hearts and lives.
Hope:
The words in the passage from Jeremiah are addressed to an audience that has lost hope. Do you remember last week's Old Testament Lectionary reading from Jeremiah? In that reading, the Israelites are told to settle into their captivity: to build houses, plant gardens, marry, and seek the welfare of the city where they'd been sent into exile. They weren't to expect to come home any time soon.
For the Israelites, the Babylonian captivity had drained the present of all meaning and hope, for their identity and destiny was from God and, in their minds, integrally tied to the Promised Land and the temple. Was it over for them? Did they miss out on their chance to participate in God's plans as His chosen people? The exile was a result of their unfaithfulness to the covenant and to God Himself. They had no one to blame but themselves for their predicament.
But through Jeremiah God speaks a word of hope. The days are surely coming when the exiles will be restored to the land, but more importantly they'll be restored in covenant - a new covenant. This time God will put his law within them - written on their hearts. Under the new covenant each one will be in dynamic relationship with God - knowing Him. Four times in the text Jeremiah emphasizes that the future will come because of God's action. It is God's loving, persistent pursuit of the people that will bring a bright future.
The good news for us is that God's plans for us will ultimately succeed. We can be confident that no matter where we are on our pilgrimage, that God has His hands upon us. One of my favorite verses is Philippians 1:6 where Paul says that, "He who began the good work in you will carry it through to completion, right up to the day of Christ Jesus." Our future is secure because God is in control of it. His loving purposes will be accomplished. Our job is to put our hope in Him, love Him, and obey what we know to be His will.
The Word:
The Scriptures from 2 Timothy urge us to be persistent in the Word. Paul tells Timothy to do two things: first to continue to live in what he has learned and believed, and second to proclaim the Word- the Gospel. In verse 16 Paul says that all scripture is inspired by God, literally "God breathed". It is not only inspired, but inspiring, and it can breathe new life into us. Regardless of the time or season of our life, the scriptures will always speak into our hearts and souls. As we read the scriptures they read us - exposing our desires, motivations, and actions for what they really are; the result is a transformation of heart, mind, and life as the Holy Spirit shows us a better way, revealing the heart of God to us in His word.
Unfortunately, many Christians don't know much more about the Bible than what they learned in Sunday school as children. They know some Bible stories and some of the common verses, but do not spend time reading daily - and being read - by the scriptures. Have you ever known someone who was looking for direction and guidance about a situation he was facing or a decision he needed to make and suddenly he's interested in what the Bible has to say? It's almost like he wants to use the Bible as a horoscope that day - close his eyes, open the book, and place his finger in a random spot hoping that God will guide his finger to the answer.
That's not the way to get good, sound answers and direction. When we spend time reading the Bible daily, God begins to speak into our lives and subtly direct us over time. Then when faced with a situation or decision, we find that God has been slowly shaping our hearts so that when the time comes to decide or act, we're ready to make a God centered choice.
How about proclaiming the Word? Pastor Joe has reminded us more than once that the people we encounter from day to day can read our lives, even if they never read the Bible. The truth is that this kind of "reading" happens all the time. I have acquaintances who are hostile toward Christianity because of the hypocrisy and lack of love they "read" in the lives of Christians. Our friends don't need us to preach them a sermon, but they do need us to live out the Gospel - to live in the love and grace, and truth we have received from God. As the Word of God speaks into our lives - reads us as we read it - our lives are gradually transformed (maybe conformed is a better word) - and we are made able to be flesh and blood pictures of the Gospel.
Prayer:
Our Gospel lesson this morning has intrigued me for years. Jesus tells a very interesting story about a widow and an unjust judge. We're told up front that the parable is about the need to pray always and not lose heart. Then we hear about a poor and powerless widow who through her continual coming wins justice from an unjust judge - one who cares neither for God nor man. The passage emphasizes the widow's persistence three times with words like: she "kept coming", "keeps bothering me", and "continually coming". Then Jesus shifts the focus from the judge to God and says, "And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
Here Jesus seems to be promising that those who persist in prayer will receive a speedy answer from God. This parable gets my attention! How many of us hammer away at God's door to no apparent avail? My guess would be that there are many here this morning who are weary - worn out - from praying. There are many who are exhausted, who wait un-expectantly for answers. There are others who say that God already knows what they need, so there's not need to ask for it. There are some - even some Christians - who don't really believe that God answers prayer. They haven't apprehended God's answers in the lives of others, so they don't feel moved to pray themselves.
Well, the answer for folks who don't believe in prayer because they can't see the answers in the lives of others is fairly simple: God's not interested in you learning about prayer second hand. Come to Him yourself. Commune with Him. Give prayer a try. See if God won't help you as you bring your concerns to Him.
How about those who say that God is good and already knows all that we need far better than we do ourselves? Why should we "bother" God by bringing our concerns to Him and asking Him to meet needs He already knows we have? Well... what if God knows that prayer is the thing we need first and most? What if God's object in prayer is to supply the thing we need the most - Himself? George MacDonald had a great illustration of this concept. He said that hunger may drive a run away child home, and that the child may or may not be fed immediately, but he needs his mother more than he needs his dinner. Communion with God is the one need of the heart beyond all other needs. The Giver is always in the gift. The truth is that sometimes the things that God would gladly give us, things that we need, must wait until we ask for them so that we can understand where they came from.
Then there are those who have been waiting in prayer for a long time. What about Jesus' promise of a speedy answer from the Father? It may be that the better the gift we pray for, the more time necessary for its arrival. There are some things -- especially the deep things in our lives - that take time. In some things, God must begin far back in our spirit, in regions we don't even know about, and do work that we can only be aware of in the final results. As we pray God works deep in our hearts - behind our consciousness - with His own presence. Through persistent prayer, God changes our hearts. He comes at us from behind, and so long before we're aware of it, He's answering our request - has answered it, and is visiting us in a profound way.
I began this morning by mentioning the game Free Cell. It is possible to win every game - as long as you approach it with patience and persistence. Occasionally I'll still lose a game, but only when I decide to give up. The reason it's relevant to all of us is that whatever our situation, in Christ it's possible to win. Winning in the Christian life means that Christ is formed in us, that the Kingdom of God is advanced, that love prevails. The only factor that prevents our winning is giving up. The God who is All Powerful and All Knowing is in full control. He calls us (as Winston Churchill - another very persistent person - once said) to never, never, never give us. Instead we are to persist: in hope, in the Word, and in prayer. And the God whose steadfast love persistently pursues us will be glorified in our lives and in the church.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Religion vesus Spirituality - Mom's Mix
My daughter wrote an essay last night on religion versus spirituality. I decided to do one too. Here's Mom's mix:
Religion is a system of beliefs, usually adopted by a group. Involved in religion are notions of right and wrong and demands for observance. Spirituality is an individual's relatedness to God. Often in our culture of extremes, religion and spirituality are kept apart. But when they are wed, the result is a beautiful transformation of life and society.
Because religion is belief based it's exclusive. In fact, attempts to remove exclusivity from religion usually amount to a "system" devoid of intellectual and religious integrity. It is not the belief aspect that bothers most in the West, however, it's the group aspect. Many of the rugged individualists in the contemporary West chafe under the restraints of the expectations of the group.
Let's face it, groups are difficult. It's not good when one person makes a mistake, but when a group is in error, the results are often devastating. People are hurt and terrible injustices perpetrated. With that in mind it's interesting that, for Christians, being a part of the group (the church) is clearly God's will.
Spirituality is different. Spirituality is the unique relationship that the individual has with God. Here the focus is not on rules of observance, but rather the I and Thou of relationship; hence the appeal for so many today. Divorced from religion, spirituality frees the individual from anything but the romantic (or should I say romanticized) aspects of a relationship with God. Spirituality is as prone to error as religion. When this happens, the damage to the individual is perhaps greater than in a group dynamic. Could we, in fact, benefit when someone who loves us exposes our error?
The truth is that religion and spirituality were never intended to be kept apart. Jesus is the perfect picture of an integrated life. It's interesting that the religious establishment was so often enraged by him. For Christians involved in the life of the church, it's helpful to keep in mind that the status quo is continually challenged by the presence of Jesus. His involvement, through the spirituality of individuals (the work of the Holy Spirit), serves as a continual correction to the life of the group. Presbyterians would say, "reformed and always reforming."
Humans are prone to error. It's the human condition; the church calls it "sin". Humans together tend to sin bigger, but the converse is also true: humans together can do much greater good than the individual alone is capable of.
Religion is a system of beliefs, usually adopted by a group. Involved in religion are notions of right and wrong and demands for observance. Spirituality is an individual's relatedness to God. Often in our culture of extremes, religion and spirituality are kept apart. But when they are wed, the result is a beautiful transformation of life and society.
Because religion is belief based it's exclusive. In fact, attempts to remove exclusivity from religion usually amount to a "system" devoid of intellectual and religious integrity. It is not the belief aspect that bothers most in the West, however, it's the group aspect. Many of the rugged individualists in the contemporary West chafe under the restraints of the expectations of the group.
Let's face it, groups are difficult. It's not good when one person makes a mistake, but when a group is in error, the results are often devastating. People are hurt and terrible injustices perpetrated. With that in mind it's interesting that, for Christians, being a part of the group (the church) is clearly God's will.
Spirituality is different. Spirituality is the unique relationship that the individual has with God. Here the focus is not on rules of observance, but rather the I and Thou of relationship; hence the appeal for so many today. Divorced from religion, spirituality frees the individual from anything but the romantic (or should I say romanticized) aspects of a relationship with God. Spirituality is as prone to error as religion. When this happens, the damage to the individual is perhaps greater than in a group dynamic. Could we, in fact, benefit when someone who loves us exposes our error?
The truth is that religion and spirituality were never intended to be kept apart. Jesus is the perfect picture of an integrated life. It's interesting that the religious establishment was so often enraged by him. For Christians involved in the life of the church, it's helpful to keep in mind that the status quo is continually challenged by the presence of Jesus. His involvement, through the spirituality of individuals (the work of the Holy Spirit), serves as a continual correction to the life of the group. Presbyterians would say, "reformed and always reforming."
Humans are prone to error. It's the human condition; the church calls it "sin". Humans together tend to sin bigger, but the converse is also true: humans together can do much greater good than the individual alone is capable of.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Only YOUR Assignment
I was reading the Lectionary today and came across some interesting verses- Acts 16: 6-9
"They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help up.'"
Paul and Silas were on a missionary journey. Their goal was to proclaim the gospel everywhere and to everyone. In the passage above, however, God's idea was for them to proclaim the gospel in certain places to certain people. After obeying the Holy Spirit, Paul receives a vision directing him to Macedonia. It is there God calls Paul.
What about Asia and Bithynia? The Great Commission calls for the preaching of the gospel to the entire world. From a strategic perspective Asia would seem a better move than Macedonia.
Though logic may argue that we should spend our energies expediently (the most bang for the buck - Asia vs. a tiny part of modern day Turkey), clearly God's plan is specific in terms of timing and who He chooses to send for a job.
It's with the best intentions that many of us want to barge ahead and do some good. We see a need and our desire is to rush in and work to move good things forward - or perhaps stop some evil. If we are aware of something that needs to be done, we reason, then it must be our job to do it. Well... maybe it is and maybe it isn't.
So... if you're facing a decision about where to go and what to do, it's probably a good idea to pause and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. If you're hearing a "no" that doesn't make sense to you (given the need), alter your course. God's strategy is sometimes counter intuitive, but His plans are perfect and His timing impeccable.
"They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help up.'"
Paul and Silas were on a missionary journey. Their goal was to proclaim the gospel everywhere and to everyone. In the passage above, however, God's idea was for them to proclaim the gospel in certain places to certain people. After obeying the Holy Spirit, Paul receives a vision directing him to Macedonia. It is there God calls Paul.
What about Asia and Bithynia? The Great Commission calls for the preaching of the gospel to the entire world. From a strategic perspective Asia would seem a better move than Macedonia.
Though logic may argue that we should spend our energies expediently (the most bang for the buck - Asia vs. a tiny part of modern day Turkey), clearly God's plan is specific in terms of timing and who He chooses to send for a job.
It's with the best intentions that many of us want to barge ahead and do some good. We see a need and our desire is to rush in and work to move good things forward - or perhaps stop some evil. If we are aware of something that needs to be done, we reason, then it must be our job to do it. Well... maybe it is and maybe it isn't.
So... if you're facing a decision about where to go and what to do, it's probably a good idea to pause and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. If you're hearing a "no" that doesn't make sense to you (given the need), alter your course. God's strategy is sometimes counter intuitive, but His plans are perfect and His timing impeccable.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
In His Right Mind
Have you ever wondered what happened to some of the folks that Jesus encountered in his ministry? In His Right Mind, by Craig McDonald explores the life of the Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5) in the years after his deliverance from a legion of demons. Remember, this man (Simon of the Tombs in the novel) begged Jesus to allow him to join with the disciples, but was refused. Jesus told him, instead, to go and tell of God's compassion.
That is precisely what Simon does. He travels throughout the Decapolis (ten cities) and obeys Jesus' instructions with childlike simplicity. Simon's life is full of gratitude and simple faith, and he shares his story with everyone he meets. The connections he makes have a ripple effect - immediately touching many, and eventually influencing thousands.
I won't tell you any more, I'll simply urge you to read the book. The story is good - and good for you! In His Right Mind explores what happens when we respond with faith to whatever revelation we're given. There is also a very insightful and interesting look at the mixed motives at work in the lives of every person - even the faithful. It is available through Amazon - either on Kindle or in trade paperback.
Our lives count for the Kingdom, and no matter how simple our gifts, God can use them to accomplish His purposes. I don't know about you, but I find that a great comfort and encouragement.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Restored - A Sermon for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Scriptures:
Jeremiah 1: 4-10
Luke 13: 10-17
I watched the movie The 3:10 To Yuma the other day. What struck me about the movie is that it’s so hard to tell who the good guy is. Every adult character is either just plain bad, or has been so weighed down by wounds and sorrows from the past that the fabric of their lives is run through with strands of bitterness that colors their actions and motivations. As dark as things in the movie were, however, there was also a strand of redemption and restoration. A father and son’s sacrificial love for one another begin to change things even in the darkest heart.
As I pondered the movie when it was over, I thought that though extreme in their violence, the people portrayed were pretty realistic. There is a lot of suffering and sin in the world and everybody’s touched by it. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who the good guy is. But just as the love of a father and son changed things in The 3:10 To Yuma, the love of our Heavenly Father and His Son bring redemption and restoration to our dark hearts.
We have an interim pastor right now at First Presbyterian, and he’s been giving us three words every week to spark our memory as we meditate on his sermon during the week. It works pretty well for me, so I’d like to give you three words this morning that you can use this week to remember the scriptures we read and think about what God may up to in your life. The first word is brokenness, the second is healing, and the third is restoration.
Brokenness: The woman in the synagogue in Luke 13 was certainly living with brokenness. She’d been “crippled” by a spirit that kept her bent over for eighteen years. She walks around every day facing the ground. Getting a view of anything but people’s feet required a great effort on her part – a craning of her neck. And there she is in the synagogue with Jesus, so used to her condition that she doesn’t think to seek him out and asked to be healed.
Many of us are “bent over” and crippled just like the woman in the synagogue. Weighed down by sins and wounds that we’ve carried for years we must strain to see ahead of us – never mind enjoy the view from above! And sadly, like her, we are so used to our condition that it never occurs to us that we could be free from our brokenness. No one is exempt from this. No matter how together or perfect someone appears, if you look below the surface of anyone’s life, you’ll find some degree of brokenness. And because families, churches, and organizations are made up of broken people, all of those relationships and systems are broken too.
While there’s no direct mention of sin causing the woman’s condition, it’s important to point out that there is a rich interrelationship between sin and brokenness in the Bible. If we do not recognize the ways that we walk away from God and others – sin -- then we cannot truly search for wholeness. All of us are sinners and victims of sin. Only by dealing with our own sin can we be open to God’s grace to make us whole.
Healing: Though the woman does not seek out Jesus for healing, he sees her and calls her over. First he tells her that she is “set free” from her ailment. Then he reaches out and touches her. Jesus could have healed her with merely a word as he did for the man with the withered hand in another Sabbath healing story. But in this case, Jesus reaches out and touches the woman, and then she stands up straight and praises God. The woman’s infirmity – her uncleanness - had isolated her from the community. Jesus, however, calls her a daughter of Abraham, and touches her showing that she is not marginalized but accepted.
You know, it seems to me that brokenness has a way of marginalizing us every bit as much as it did people in the first century. Maybe we’re not shunned by the community, but the effects of our brokenness keep us on the sidelines. Now when you hear the word “brokenness” you may be thinking about the big things like addictions or diseases or mental illness. But the truth is that many of the things that leave us broken are small, unacknowledged things: bitterness, resentment, destructive patterns in our relationships, or negative things we believe about ourselves that are simply untrue. Brokenness is anything that keeps us from living a full, free, and unfettered life in community and before God.
Whether we admit it or not, those burdens that keep us bent over are often a source of shame in our minds. We’d rather folks not know about our fears and insecurities or dysfunction. It’s much better to have it together. But Jesus knows who we are and what we fear even when we appear to have it all together. And he reaches out to touch us too, offering healing. He says that we are sons and daughters of Abraham, fully accepted and loved members of the community, and that he wants to heal us – to make us whole.
Restoration: Jesus restores the woman. He brings her back into her rightful place in the community. Healing miracles in the Bible are signs of the reign of God. Where Jesus is, the Kingdom is. His ministry provides a foretaste of the coming Kingdom where the world and His people will be restored. All of the wrongs will be made right: people made whole, relationships restored, justice and righteousness established forever.
God’s has always blessed His people so that they would be a blessing to others. He redeems and heals us so that we are able to freely partner with Him as He brings restoration to the world. Our lives have a purpose, a calling to partner with God in His work of restoration.
In our Old Testament Lectionary reading from this morning, we read of Jeremiah’s call. God tells Jeremiah that He knows him and formed him. God designed Jeremiah for a purpose. God tells Jeremiah that he has appointed him to “pluck up and pull down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Some of that doesn’t sound so good – destroying and overthrowing, plucking up and pulling down… But let’s admit it, there are things that need to be destroyed and pulled down: oppression, racism, abuse, and the machinery that makes poverty a way of life for so many. And there is much that should be built up and planted: love, reconciliation, justice, and peace. There is a lot of Kingdom building to be done, and as disciples of Jesus Christ we are to be about doing it.
In this morning’s passage, Jeremiah demurs when he hears God’s call. He’s not up to it. He’s too young. He doesn’t know how to speak. Jeremiah’s fears of inadequacy mirror our own. We never run out of excuses: “I’m too young; I’m too busy with work; with raising a family; I’m too old…” At every stage of our lives we have an excuse. Our sense of brokenness plays into our excuses too: “ I’m afraid; I’m sure I don’t have what it takes; the work will overwhelm me…”
God, however insists that He has a mission for Jeremiah. He will be Jeremiah’s companion on the journey; He’ll put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth; He will deliver Jeremiah. God promises the same for us too. If you’re a Christian and you’re alive, then you have a call on your life to be about the business of restoration. As we reach out and touch those whom God sends to us, we participate with Him in healing, restoring, and Kingdom building. As grateful recipients of God’s love, grace and healing, we become generous dispensers of that which we have received. May God grant us a vision of His work in our lives, the lives of others, and in the world.
Jeremiah 1: 4-10
Luke 13: 10-17
I watched the movie The 3:10 To Yuma the other day. What struck me about the movie is that it’s so hard to tell who the good guy is. Every adult character is either just plain bad, or has been so weighed down by wounds and sorrows from the past that the fabric of their lives is run through with strands of bitterness that colors their actions and motivations. As dark as things in the movie were, however, there was also a strand of redemption and restoration. A father and son’s sacrificial love for one another begin to change things even in the darkest heart.
As I pondered the movie when it was over, I thought that though extreme in their violence, the people portrayed were pretty realistic. There is a lot of suffering and sin in the world and everybody’s touched by it. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who the good guy is. But just as the love of a father and son changed things in The 3:10 To Yuma, the love of our Heavenly Father and His Son bring redemption and restoration to our dark hearts.
We have an interim pastor right now at First Presbyterian, and he’s been giving us three words every week to spark our memory as we meditate on his sermon during the week. It works pretty well for me, so I’d like to give you three words this morning that you can use this week to remember the scriptures we read and think about what God may up to in your life. The first word is brokenness, the second is healing, and the third is restoration.
Brokenness: The woman in the synagogue in Luke 13 was certainly living with brokenness. She’d been “crippled” by a spirit that kept her bent over for eighteen years. She walks around every day facing the ground. Getting a view of anything but people’s feet required a great effort on her part – a craning of her neck. And there she is in the synagogue with Jesus, so used to her condition that she doesn’t think to seek him out and asked to be healed.
Many of us are “bent over” and crippled just like the woman in the synagogue. Weighed down by sins and wounds that we’ve carried for years we must strain to see ahead of us – never mind enjoy the view from above! And sadly, like her, we are so used to our condition that it never occurs to us that we could be free from our brokenness. No one is exempt from this. No matter how together or perfect someone appears, if you look below the surface of anyone’s life, you’ll find some degree of brokenness. And because families, churches, and organizations are made up of broken people, all of those relationships and systems are broken too.
While there’s no direct mention of sin causing the woman’s condition, it’s important to point out that there is a rich interrelationship between sin and brokenness in the Bible. If we do not recognize the ways that we walk away from God and others – sin -- then we cannot truly search for wholeness. All of us are sinners and victims of sin. Only by dealing with our own sin can we be open to God’s grace to make us whole.
Healing: Though the woman does not seek out Jesus for healing, he sees her and calls her over. First he tells her that she is “set free” from her ailment. Then he reaches out and touches her. Jesus could have healed her with merely a word as he did for the man with the withered hand in another Sabbath healing story. But in this case, Jesus reaches out and touches the woman, and then she stands up straight and praises God. The woman’s infirmity – her uncleanness - had isolated her from the community. Jesus, however, calls her a daughter of Abraham, and touches her showing that she is not marginalized but accepted.
You know, it seems to me that brokenness has a way of marginalizing us every bit as much as it did people in the first century. Maybe we’re not shunned by the community, but the effects of our brokenness keep us on the sidelines. Now when you hear the word “brokenness” you may be thinking about the big things like addictions or diseases or mental illness. But the truth is that many of the things that leave us broken are small, unacknowledged things: bitterness, resentment, destructive patterns in our relationships, or negative things we believe about ourselves that are simply untrue. Brokenness is anything that keeps us from living a full, free, and unfettered life in community and before God.
Whether we admit it or not, those burdens that keep us bent over are often a source of shame in our minds. We’d rather folks not know about our fears and insecurities or dysfunction. It’s much better to have it together. But Jesus knows who we are and what we fear even when we appear to have it all together. And he reaches out to touch us too, offering healing. He says that we are sons and daughters of Abraham, fully accepted and loved members of the community, and that he wants to heal us – to make us whole.
Restoration: Jesus restores the woman. He brings her back into her rightful place in the community. Healing miracles in the Bible are signs of the reign of God. Where Jesus is, the Kingdom is. His ministry provides a foretaste of the coming Kingdom where the world and His people will be restored. All of the wrongs will be made right: people made whole, relationships restored, justice and righteousness established forever.
God’s has always blessed His people so that they would be a blessing to others. He redeems and heals us so that we are able to freely partner with Him as He brings restoration to the world. Our lives have a purpose, a calling to partner with God in His work of restoration.
In our Old Testament Lectionary reading from this morning, we read of Jeremiah’s call. God tells Jeremiah that He knows him and formed him. God designed Jeremiah for a purpose. God tells Jeremiah that he has appointed him to “pluck up and pull down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Some of that doesn’t sound so good – destroying and overthrowing, plucking up and pulling down… But let’s admit it, there are things that need to be destroyed and pulled down: oppression, racism, abuse, and the machinery that makes poverty a way of life for so many. And there is much that should be built up and planted: love, reconciliation, justice, and peace. There is a lot of Kingdom building to be done, and as disciples of Jesus Christ we are to be about doing it.
In this morning’s passage, Jeremiah demurs when he hears God’s call. He’s not up to it. He’s too young. He doesn’t know how to speak. Jeremiah’s fears of inadequacy mirror our own. We never run out of excuses: “I’m too young; I’m too busy with work; with raising a family; I’m too old…” At every stage of our lives we have an excuse. Our sense of brokenness plays into our excuses too: “ I’m afraid; I’m sure I don’t have what it takes; the work will overwhelm me…”
God, however insists that He has a mission for Jeremiah. He will be Jeremiah’s companion on the journey; He’ll put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth; He will deliver Jeremiah. God promises the same for us too. If you’re a Christian and you’re alive, then you have a call on your life to be about the business of restoration. As we reach out and touch those whom God sends to us, we participate with Him in healing, restoring, and Kingdom building. As grateful recipients of God’s love, grace and healing, we become generous dispensers of that which we have received. May God grant us a vision of His work in our lives, the lives of others, and in the world.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
All The King's Horses & All The King's Men
You don't have to look far to observe a lot of brokenness. In fact, it's all around us: in the world, our local communities, our families, and (perhaps most significantly) in ourselves. Psychologists talk about much brokenness coming from one's family of origin and the Bible agrees: "punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments" (Ex 20: 5-6).
That sounds pretty harsh, but I think it's just common sense. There are definite patterns of behavior that are passed on from generation to generation whether you're talking addictions or dysfunction of other sorts. Children see or hear their grandparents or parents behaving in certain ways and those behaviors seem normal. In some cases (like addictions) genetic predispositions come into play as well.
The result is that brokenness is unavoidable. All of us are victims and perpetrators. Victims because... well because we're humans born into families. Perpetrators because to greater or lesser degrees - as we choose - we live into brokenness rather than wholeness. Remember that God not only promised that children would be punished for the sins of their fathers for three or four generations, but also blessed down to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Leaving brokenness behind and moving toward wholeness is a choice - a decision. Many prefer brokenness. It provides an excuse to fail, to mistreat one's self or others, and does not require the hard work of moving toward freedom.
We're all Humpty Dumpty. And although all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put us back together again, the King both can and will. We simply have to ask Him to - and then do whatever is necessary to leave behind our fears, compulsions, sins, etc. It's a long and arduous journey, but one that leads to wholeness, peace, restoration, and glory - yes glory - as we become the people we were always intended to be.
That sounds pretty harsh, but I think it's just common sense. There are definite patterns of behavior that are passed on from generation to generation whether you're talking addictions or dysfunction of other sorts. Children see or hear their grandparents or parents behaving in certain ways and those behaviors seem normal. In some cases (like addictions) genetic predispositions come into play as well.
The result is that brokenness is unavoidable. All of us are victims and perpetrators. Victims because... well because we're humans born into families. Perpetrators because to greater or lesser degrees - as we choose - we live into brokenness rather than wholeness. Remember that God not only promised that children would be punished for the sins of their fathers for three or four generations, but also blessed down to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Leaving brokenness behind and moving toward wholeness is a choice - a decision. Many prefer brokenness. It provides an excuse to fail, to mistreat one's self or others, and does not require the hard work of moving toward freedom.
We're all Humpty Dumpty. And although all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put us back together again, the King both can and will. We simply have to ask Him to - and then do whatever is necessary to leave behind our fears, compulsions, sins, etc. It's a long and arduous journey, but one that leads to wholeness, peace, restoration, and glory - yes glory - as we become the people we were always intended to be.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Not In the Strength of The Horse Nor The Speed of The Runner
Last week I was driving to work feeling like a big zero. My primary vocation is "mother" and I was not feeling terribly successful. In fact I was feeling like I was failing. Parenting teenagers is not for the faint of heart...
On Saturday I went to a presbytery meeting and there were several people "examined" before being approved as ministers of Word and sacrament. One of the questions asked one of the candidates was concerning infant baptism. I thought of my answer (which btw was Martin Luther's originally). When Luther baptised infants, he stood before the congregation with the baby in his arms and quoted the scripture that says, "See what love the Father has for us that we would be called children of God. And so we are."
What Luther was saying is that when you look at a baby it's clear that he or she brings nothing to God. Not their faith, not their works. Nothing. The truth of the matter is that no matter what age you are, you bring nothing to God. Even faith is a gift granted by the grace of God. If you have it, it's only because God has given it to you. Even all of the potential for good embodied in the life of an infant is there as a gift from God (no one can take credit for their intelligence, beauty, etc.).
So riding down the road last week I was brought back to the reality that I may fail in my primary vocation (I hope not), but even if I do, I'm not a big zero. God is not so interested in what I bring to the table in terms of what I can do for Him. Instead, He's seeking one thing: love. Mine and yours. Like the baby being baptized, he loves us because he does. And that's what He hopes to receive back from us. It's really the only thing we have to offer Him.
Psalm 147: 10-11
"His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love."
On Saturday I went to a presbytery meeting and there were several people "examined" before being approved as ministers of Word and sacrament. One of the questions asked one of the candidates was concerning infant baptism. I thought of my answer (which btw was Martin Luther's originally). When Luther baptised infants, he stood before the congregation with the baby in his arms and quoted the scripture that says, "See what love the Father has for us that we would be called children of God. And so we are."
What Luther was saying is that when you look at a baby it's clear that he or she brings nothing to God. Not their faith, not their works. Nothing. The truth of the matter is that no matter what age you are, you bring nothing to God. Even faith is a gift granted by the grace of God. If you have it, it's only because God has given it to you. Even all of the potential for good embodied in the life of an infant is there as a gift from God (no one can take credit for their intelligence, beauty, etc.).
So riding down the road last week I was brought back to the reality that I may fail in my primary vocation (I hope not), but even if I do, I'm not a big zero. God is not so interested in what I bring to the table in terms of what I can do for Him. Instead, He's seeking one thing: love. Mine and yours. Like the baby being baptized, he loves us because he does. And that's what He hopes to receive back from us. It's really the only thing we have to offer Him.
Psalm 147: 10-11
"His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love."
Monday, July 26, 2010
Resting
How rested are you? If you're like me maybe you can sing along with James Taylor, "I've been spreading myself thin these days, don't you know." There seems to be no end to demands on our time and attention. It's probably fair to say that most of us are tired. Weary might be a better word...
But it's not simply that we're physically tired is it? We're living in troubled times. The economy provides plenty of fodder for worry. So do the wars abroad and fears of terror at home. Our society's not in the greatest shape either. Hopes that our economic woes would refocus us as a nation (much the way the Great Depression did) have not come to fruition. I've received plenty of emails stirring up a sense of worry about all of these things. For folks my age, there are added family worries: teenagers and aging parents!
In spite of all there is to worry about, Christians are called to rest. In Matthew 11: 28-29 Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. The writer of Hebrews talks about entering God's rest in chapters 3 and 4. Some, the writer says, never enter God's rest? Why? Because of their unbelief.
Was the problem that they didn't believe in God? No. Instead those who never entered God's rest did not believe that God would take care of them. They refused to go into the Promised Land because they didn't believe that the God who plagued the Egyptians, parted the Red Sea, and miraculously provided for their nourishment in the desert could grant them victory in this new venture.
God was calling them to a sort of active passivity. They were to go up into the land BUT trust that God would be the one to do the actual work of bringing victory. The Israelites simply had to do whatever He told them to do.
Usually when I find myself stressed out about something it's because I've forgotten that I'm called to the same kind of active passivity. God calls me to listen for His voice and do my best to be sure, but He also calls me to trust all of the important stuff (outcomes) to him. He's got it. He can handle it. And He's reliable. If we truly take His yoke upon us we will find rest for our souls.
But it's not simply that we're physically tired is it? We're living in troubled times. The economy provides plenty of fodder for worry. So do the wars abroad and fears of terror at home. Our society's not in the greatest shape either. Hopes that our economic woes would refocus us as a nation (much the way the Great Depression did) have not come to fruition. I've received plenty of emails stirring up a sense of worry about all of these things. For folks my age, there are added family worries: teenagers and aging parents!
In spite of all there is to worry about, Christians are called to rest. In Matthew 11: 28-29 Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. The writer of Hebrews talks about entering God's rest in chapters 3 and 4. Some, the writer says, never enter God's rest? Why? Because of their unbelief.
Was the problem that they didn't believe in God? No. Instead those who never entered God's rest did not believe that God would take care of them. They refused to go into the Promised Land because they didn't believe that the God who plagued the Egyptians, parted the Red Sea, and miraculously provided for their nourishment in the desert could grant them victory in this new venture.
God was calling them to a sort of active passivity. They were to go up into the land BUT trust that God would be the one to do the actual work of bringing victory. The Israelites simply had to do whatever He told them to do.
Usually when I find myself stressed out about something it's because I've forgotten that I'm called to the same kind of active passivity. God calls me to listen for His voice and do my best to be sure, but He also calls me to trust all of the important stuff (outcomes) to him. He's got it. He can handle it. And He's reliable. If we truly take His yoke upon us we will find rest for our souls.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Where'd All The Good People Go?
I've been seeing lots of commercials for "reality" TV shows lately. The most recent one is called "The Colony". Viewers are promised lots of drama - the breakdown of the society created by the producers. I was pondering why America seems to be so fascinated with these shows on my way to work when Jack Johnson's "Where'd All The Good People Go?" coincidentally played.
I don't watch "reality" TV for two reasons:
1. I'm raising a couple of teenagers by myself. I have all the reality (drama) I can handle. Give me fantasy, adventure or even romance - but spare me the "reality"!
2. I have a friend who has a friend who auditioned for "The Apprentice". The woman was successful and competitive. Sounds like just what the producers are looking for. She had one fatal flaw, however: she was too well adjusted. The producers didn't think she'd make for good TV.
I didn't watch "The Apprentice" (or any other reality show -for reason #1) before I found out that little bit of information, but now I know that it's only a certain kind of "reality" that seems to have entertainment value. So "reality" TV is not really "real". If you're normal, you're not a good candidate to appear on one of those shows.
That's good news! The "good people" are still out there. They're just not on TV.
I don't watch "reality" TV for two reasons:
1. I'm raising a couple of teenagers by myself. I have all the reality (drama) I can handle. Give me fantasy, adventure or even romance - but spare me the "reality"!
2. I have a friend who has a friend who auditioned for "The Apprentice". The woman was successful and competitive. Sounds like just what the producers are looking for. She had one fatal flaw, however: she was too well adjusted. The producers didn't think she'd make for good TV.
I didn't watch "The Apprentice" (or any other reality show -for reason #1) before I found out that little bit of information, but now I know that it's only a certain kind of "reality" that seems to have entertainment value. So "reality" TV is not really "real". If you're normal, you're not a good candidate to appear on one of those shows.
That's good news! The "good people" are still out there. They're just not on TV.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
What Difference Does It Make?
I gave a "Minute For Worship" this morning. I introduced "Friends Sunday" that we will celebrate in mid September at my church. The idea is that you prayerfully consider whom within your circle of influence you'd like to share faith with, and invite them to church.
I live around 60 miles from Lynchburg, Virginia. Thomas Road Baptist Church (Jerry Falwell) studied the small city where I live and determined that 70% of the residents are unchurched. Their solution was to start a new church (there are already about 140+ churches in this town already).
I'm not certain that what we need is another church. Don't get me wrong. I believe that participation in a communion with fellow followers of Jesus Christ is essential for Christians. The Bible is clear that community is God's will.
It's interesting how loaded a word like "church" is for so many people. It's one thing to be wounded by someone, but when those wounds occur in the context of the church, the hurt seems to be magnified. I mentioned the 140+ churches in the town where I live... Why do you think there are so many of them? Are they filled up and we have to plant new ones just to have room in the pews for all of the worshippers? No... members get mad at each other and instead of working out their differences, they take their marbles and play somewhere else. I love First Presbyterian Church (where I worship), but I am painfully aware of many former members who left because of some hurt they suffered at the hands of someone at church.
I think that most folks who are hostile toward "Christianity" are actually hostile toward Christians. What's not to love about Jesus? You'd have to be crazy to not want to be Jesus' friend. The problem with Jesus in the eyes of many are his friends: us. It's not Jesus that they don't want to hang out with, it's us. The irony is that in 2 Corinthians Paul says that we are ambassadors for Christ. What kind of ambassador are you? What can people tell about the Kingdom you represent from your life and relationships? What difference does Jesus make in your life?
May God grant us the grace to grow in grace and love so that we represent Him well.
I live around 60 miles from Lynchburg, Virginia. Thomas Road Baptist Church (Jerry Falwell) studied the small city where I live and determined that 70% of the residents are unchurched. Their solution was to start a new church (there are already about 140+ churches in this town already).
I'm not certain that what we need is another church. Don't get me wrong. I believe that participation in a communion with fellow followers of Jesus Christ is essential for Christians. The Bible is clear that community is God's will.
It's interesting how loaded a word like "church" is for so many people. It's one thing to be wounded by someone, but when those wounds occur in the context of the church, the hurt seems to be magnified. I mentioned the 140+ churches in the town where I live... Why do you think there are so many of them? Are they filled up and we have to plant new ones just to have room in the pews for all of the worshippers? No... members get mad at each other and instead of working out their differences, they take their marbles and play somewhere else. I love First Presbyterian Church (where I worship), but I am painfully aware of many former members who left because of some hurt they suffered at the hands of someone at church.
I think that most folks who are hostile toward "Christianity" are actually hostile toward Christians. What's not to love about Jesus? You'd have to be crazy to not want to be Jesus' friend. The problem with Jesus in the eyes of many are his friends: us. It's not Jesus that they don't want to hang out with, it's us. The irony is that in 2 Corinthians Paul says that we are ambassadors for Christ. What kind of ambassador are you? What can people tell about the Kingdom you represent from your life and relationships? What difference does Jesus make in your life?
May God grant us the grace to grow in grace and love so that we represent Him well.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Reaping & Sowing
One of this morning's Lectionary readings is from Galatians:
Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Years ago I heard Charles Stanley preach a sermon where he said: You reap what you sow, more than what you sow, later than what you sow. It's a principle that holds true in the garden as well as in our lives. If you sow tomatoes, you're not going to get watermelon. If you sow squash, you won't get cucumbers. You reap what you sow.
One tomato plant will yield lots of tomatoes. The same with beans, cucumbers, squash, etc. It's not unusual at this time of the year to be offered the produce from the gardens of your friends and neighbors. They have vegetables a -go-go and have to share just to keep ahead of their garden's production. I think that from year to year gardeners must forget how large the yield from the year before was. Then they're a little surprised when they're swimming in produce. You reap more than what you sow.
Fresh fruit and vegetables is one of the best things about summer. Once the weather gets warm and gardens are planted, I find myself watching - even in restaurants - for things like ripe tomatoes to show up in salads and on hamburgers. We had fresh green beans from my uncle's garden last night for dinner. They were to die for - very tender. Fresh just tastes better. But those beans didn't show up the day after my uncle planted them. Reaping takes time, care, cultivation, sun, and rain. You reap later than what you sow.
According the the Bible, our lives are not unlike a garden.
You reap what you sow. If you sow discord, you're not going to reap peace. That's just good common sense. In the passage above, Paul says that if you sow to please your sinful nature, you'll reap destruction while the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Earlier in Galatians Paul talks about the "works of the flesh" (or sinful nature): immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of rage, selfishness, dissensions, and factions. These are contrasted with the "fruit" of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Which do you want in your life? Seems like a silly question, but if you want the good stuff, you've got to plant the good stuff.
You reap more than what you sow. It's amazing how this works and how surprised we are at the magnitude of the good or bad that comes our way as a consequence of our decisions and/or actions. Those who have sown good seeds are amazed and humbled when their lives are blessed or they are honored. They feel unworthy of the good things that come their way or the words of praise others have for them. They feel that it's disproportionate to anything they've done. Those who've sown bad seeds are also shocked at what they get. They weren't that bad. The consequences seem way more than what they think they've got coming. Life's unfair.
You reap later than what you sow. This statement is either encouraging or cautionary depending on what road you're on. In the passage above, Paul says not to become weary in doing good. You will reap a harvest at the proper time if you don't give up. It's an encouragement to keep on doing what you know you should be doing - even if the seeds haven't sprouted or the fruit is not evident. It's also a warning. If you're doing wrong, don't think that just because you don't see any consequences yet that there are none forthcoming.
The fruit of our lives will ripen and become manifest - whether we are seen to be fruitful and beautiful gardens, or a wasteland of thorns and weeds. By God's grace, let's sow to please the Spirit and reap the harvest of eternal life.
Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Years ago I heard Charles Stanley preach a sermon where he said: You reap what you sow, more than what you sow, later than what you sow. It's a principle that holds true in the garden as well as in our lives. If you sow tomatoes, you're not going to get watermelon. If you sow squash, you won't get cucumbers. You reap what you sow.
One tomato plant will yield lots of tomatoes. The same with beans, cucumbers, squash, etc. It's not unusual at this time of the year to be offered the produce from the gardens of your friends and neighbors. They have vegetables a -go-go and have to share just to keep ahead of their garden's production. I think that from year to year gardeners must forget how large the yield from the year before was. Then they're a little surprised when they're swimming in produce. You reap more than what you sow.
Fresh fruit and vegetables is one of the best things about summer. Once the weather gets warm and gardens are planted, I find myself watching - even in restaurants - for things like ripe tomatoes to show up in salads and on hamburgers. We had fresh green beans from my uncle's garden last night for dinner. They were to die for - very tender. Fresh just tastes better. But those beans didn't show up the day after my uncle planted them. Reaping takes time, care, cultivation, sun, and rain. You reap later than what you sow.
According the the Bible, our lives are not unlike a garden.
You reap what you sow. If you sow discord, you're not going to reap peace. That's just good common sense. In the passage above, Paul says that if you sow to please your sinful nature, you'll reap destruction while the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Earlier in Galatians Paul talks about the "works of the flesh" (or sinful nature): immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of rage, selfishness, dissensions, and factions. These are contrasted with the "fruit" of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Which do you want in your life? Seems like a silly question, but if you want the good stuff, you've got to plant the good stuff.
You reap more than what you sow. It's amazing how this works and how surprised we are at the magnitude of the good or bad that comes our way as a consequence of our decisions and/or actions. Those who have sown good seeds are amazed and humbled when their lives are blessed or they are honored. They feel unworthy of the good things that come their way or the words of praise others have for them. They feel that it's disproportionate to anything they've done. Those who've sown bad seeds are also shocked at what they get. They weren't that bad. The consequences seem way more than what they think they've got coming. Life's unfair.
You reap later than what you sow. This statement is either encouraging or cautionary depending on what road you're on. In the passage above, Paul says not to become weary in doing good. You will reap a harvest at the proper time if you don't give up. It's an encouragement to keep on doing what you know you should be doing - even if the seeds haven't sprouted or the fruit is not evident. It's also a warning. If you're doing wrong, don't think that just because you don't see any consequences yet that there are none forthcoming.
The fruit of our lives will ripen and become manifest - whether we are seen to be fruitful and beautiful gardens, or a wasteland of thorns and weeds. By God's grace, let's sow to please the Spirit and reap the harvest of eternal life.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Knowledge Is Power?
Here's some information that should blow your mind:
From the dawn of time until 2003, approximately 5 exabytes of information were created. An exabyte is 1 billion gigabytes or 1 million terabytes. That's a lot of information, right? Well...
Today we generate that amount of information every two days!
The explosion of Google and other search engines reflects this incredible fact. Do you want to know something? Google it. Information is available at our finger tips in an unprecedented way. It's also easier than ever before to disseminate information. Hence this historic tipping point.
They say that knowledge is power. If so, we are more powerful than ever before in history. Maybe we are.
But in spite of all of this information - this power - we still cannot master ourselves. We are more aware of the obscure details of the universe, and the minute (and dare I say irrelevant) details of people's lives (thanks to Twitter), but we are less self aware than ever. And why not? With all of these distractions, who has time to listen to his heart?
Information does not have the power to change lives. Only God can do that. We are not more compassionate, loving, joyous, generous, wise, or good. We are (if Twitter is any indication) more narcissistic than ever. While all of the small narratives clamor for attention, the Meta Narrative moves inexorably forward.
God seems to prefer mystery. He is not terribly concerned with providing an information dump. I've noticed that He seems to tell me things on a need to know basis - and there is much that I clearly do not need to know.
So... while from a technological perspective we're living in an exciting - and unprecedented time, nothing much has changed if you're concerned about what really matters. The changes that happen in our hearts still take a long time. The transformation of our lives, a lifetime.
From the dawn of time until 2003, approximately 5 exabytes of information were created. An exabyte is 1 billion gigabytes or 1 million terabytes. That's a lot of information, right? Well...
Today we generate that amount of information every two days!
The explosion of Google and other search engines reflects this incredible fact. Do you want to know something? Google it. Information is available at our finger tips in an unprecedented way. It's also easier than ever before to disseminate information. Hence this historic tipping point.
They say that knowledge is power. If so, we are more powerful than ever before in history. Maybe we are.
But in spite of all of this information - this power - we still cannot master ourselves. We are more aware of the obscure details of the universe, and the minute (and dare I say irrelevant) details of people's lives (thanks to Twitter), but we are less self aware than ever. And why not? With all of these distractions, who has time to listen to his heart?
Information does not have the power to change lives. Only God can do that. We are not more compassionate, loving, joyous, generous, wise, or good. We are (if Twitter is any indication) more narcissistic than ever. While all of the small narratives clamor for attention, the Meta Narrative moves inexorably forward.
God seems to prefer mystery. He is not terribly concerned with providing an information dump. I've noticed that He seems to tell me things on a need to know basis - and there is much that I clearly do not need to know.
So... while from a technological perspective we're living in an exciting - and unprecedented time, nothing much has changed if you're concerned about what really matters. The changes that happen in our hearts still take a long time. The transformation of our lives, a lifetime.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
What Do You Expect?
One of my favorite songs from Christine Dente's new album is "I Expect Great Things." It's of God that the great things are expected.
Expectations are very powerful things. I've noticed that people usually get what they expect - whether it's great things of God or mistreatment at the hands of others, "bad breaks", etc.
If you're a Christian, you can be assured of two things:
1. That Love wins in the end. God is now and will be victorious in this epic romance.
2. No matter what happens, God will be victorious in your life. In other words, " In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose"(Rom 8:28). Period.
You can safely expect great things of God.
So what can you expect from the people in your life? I think it's safe to say that you can expect them to be human - just like you. Sometimes they'll far exceed what you ever hoped and sometimes disappoint. Just like you do. Even (maybe especially) in our relationships we seem to get what we're looking for. I hate to refer to two songs in one post, but it fits so well that I'm compelled. In Sara Grove's song "Loving a Person" (just the way they are) she observes, "If we go looking for offense, we're going to find it. If we go looking for real love, we're going to find it."
Mercy and grace and redemption are all around us - in our circumstances, in our relationships, everywhere - if we only have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to embrace.
So, what do YOU expect?
Expectations are very powerful things. I've noticed that people usually get what they expect - whether it's great things of God or mistreatment at the hands of others, "bad breaks", etc.
If you're a Christian, you can be assured of two things:
1. That Love wins in the end. God is now and will be victorious in this epic romance.
2. No matter what happens, God will be victorious in your life. In other words, " In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose"(Rom 8:28). Period.
You can safely expect great things of God.
So what can you expect from the people in your life? I think it's safe to say that you can expect them to be human - just like you. Sometimes they'll far exceed what you ever hoped and sometimes disappoint. Just like you do. Even (maybe especially) in our relationships we seem to get what we're looking for. I hate to refer to two songs in one post, but it fits so well that I'm compelled. In Sara Grove's song "Loving a Person" (just the way they are) she observes, "If we go looking for offense, we're going to find it. If we go looking for real love, we're going to find it."
Mercy and grace and redemption are all around us - in our circumstances, in our relationships, everywhere - if we only have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to embrace.
So, what do YOU expect?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Focus & Intensity Versus Passion & Joy
Yesterday I answered phones for a contest we are running at work: Smartphone Fridays. I have to admit that what I do for a living feels like play most of the time anyway, but yesterday I had even more fun than usual. We had a bank of phones set up in a large training room, and when the phone rang, I snatched it up and enthusiastically welcomed the caller to the Prize Line. Giving away prizes in incredibly rewarding!
Our prize line opened at 9 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m.. One of my teammates commented that one of our other co-workers and I were just as excited at 7 p.m. (in spite of our fatigue) as we were when we began the day. And we were. Why? We were having fun. We were filled with joy.
I've already admitted that my work feels more like play. I would say that passion and joy characterize my attitude toward what I do every day. Interestingly, in the company I work for, the words "focus" and "intensity" are often used to describe the qualities desired. There may be times when you're doing something difficult or unpleasant when focus and intensity are the only things that will carry you through. There's a little something negative when you combine those two words in the context of work over the long haul, however. What I picture (and often see in various work groups) are grim faced people striving every day just to get through the day.
Passion and joy take you further - help you to not only do a task or job with excellence, but ensure that at the end of the day you're just as excited as you were at the beginning of it. I don't know about you, but that's how I want to live and work and love.
Our prize line opened at 9 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m.. One of my teammates commented that one of our other co-workers and I were just as excited at 7 p.m. (in spite of our fatigue) as we were when we began the day. And we were. Why? We were having fun. We were filled with joy.
I've already admitted that my work feels more like play. I would say that passion and joy characterize my attitude toward what I do every day. Interestingly, in the company I work for, the words "focus" and "intensity" are often used to describe the qualities desired. There may be times when you're doing something difficult or unpleasant when focus and intensity are the only things that will carry you through. There's a little something negative when you combine those two words in the context of work over the long haul, however. What I picture (and often see in various work groups) are grim faced people striving every day just to get through the day.
Passion and joy take you further - help you to not only do a task or job with excellence, but ensure that at the end of the day you're just as excited as you were at the beginning of it. I don't know about you, but that's how I want to live and work and love.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Plain Speaking
Communication is an interesting thing. I feel certain that it's always been challenging, but today maybe more so than in the past. The company I work for has a pretty good credo. Part of it says this, "We respect and trust one another, communicating openly, candidly, and directly since any other way is unfair and a waste of time." I think those are words to live by.
It seems to me that much of what passes for communication falls very short of that mark. I have two teenagers at home. A great deal of their communication is via text messaging. In the business world, we say that text messaging is a great way to communicate quickly and discreetly (i.e., if you're in a meeting). That's the good that texting brings. It's also a way to communicate in a passive / aggressive way. Texting, because it's not face to face, emboldens us to say what we would never say if we were standing before someone or speaking with them on the phone.
Facebook, My Space, and Blogs work the same way. Very often over the past few years, my daughter and son have taken shots at unnamed people (who've offended them) via their Facebook status. Maybe it's not that bad. They get to vent and say what's on their mind. But does it really solve anything? How often does what they say hit home to whomever it's directed to? Should it? If it's not something they'd feel comfortable saying to that person's face, probably not. It sure gets their friends talking, though - speculating about who it is and what they did... It stirs the pot of general adolescent poo.
Bad communication goes far beyond the electronic world, however. I was having a conversation with a man in my church last week. He wanted to say something about a situation, but he didn't want to be direct. He was using a code he understood, but I did not. He told me that if I thought about it, that I'd see what he meant. The fact is, that I've thought a lot about the situation in question already, but did not understand what he was trying to say. I finally asked him to spell it out for me (I'm not a mind reader). Beating around the bush or speaking in euphemisms is, I believe, a waste of time - at least if you want to be understood.
Why do we want to say bold things electronically and beat around the bush when we're face to face? What's so hard about speaking plainly and from the heart? I think that we fear vulnerability. If we say what we really think or how we really feel, we have to own those thoughts and feelings and open ourselves to disagreement, conflict, or rejection.
The Bible urges us to speak the truth in love. Sometimes the truth is that we've been hurt or offended. But other times the truth is that we love someone and need to express it. Either way, plain speaking is the best option. It's only communication if the message is sent and received.
It seems to me that much of what passes for communication falls very short of that mark. I have two teenagers at home. A great deal of their communication is via text messaging. In the business world, we say that text messaging is a great way to communicate quickly and discreetly (i.e., if you're in a meeting). That's the good that texting brings. It's also a way to communicate in a passive / aggressive way. Texting, because it's not face to face, emboldens us to say what we would never say if we were standing before someone or speaking with them on the phone.
Facebook, My Space, and Blogs work the same way. Very often over the past few years, my daughter and son have taken shots at unnamed people (who've offended them) via their Facebook status. Maybe it's not that bad. They get to vent and say what's on their mind. But does it really solve anything? How often does what they say hit home to whomever it's directed to? Should it? If it's not something they'd feel comfortable saying to that person's face, probably not. It sure gets their friends talking, though - speculating about who it is and what they did... It stirs the pot of general adolescent poo.
Bad communication goes far beyond the electronic world, however. I was having a conversation with a man in my church last week. He wanted to say something about a situation, but he didn't want to be direct. He was using a code he understood, but I did not. He told me that if I thought about it, that I'd see what he meant. The fact is, that I've thought a lot about the situation in question already, but did not understand what he was trying to say. I finally asked him to spell it out for me (I'm not a mind reader). Beating around the bush or speaking in euphemisms is, I believe, a waste of time - at least if you want to be understood.
Why do we want to say bold things electronically and beat around the bush when we're face to face? What's so hard about speaking plainly and from the heart? I think that we fear vulnerability. If we say what we really think or how we really feel, we have to own those thoughts and feelings and open ourselves to disagreement, conflict, or rejection.
The Bible urges us to speak the truth in love. Sometimes the truth is that we've been hurt or offended. But other times the truth is that we love someone and need to express it. Either way, plain speaking is the best option. It's only communication if the message is sent and received.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Shameless Love - Part II, Fire Insurance
Sometimes in Christian meetings an interesting question is asked toward the end (before the altar call): "If you were to die tonight, do you know where you'd spend eternity?"
It's interesting because if you think about the redemption meta narrative - and God's yearning, seeking, searching, redeeming love, it's more than a little insulting. Get saved so that you can avoid the flames of hell. Grab a little fire insurance.
From the beginning of the story, God's desire has been to enjoy an intimate relationship with his creatures. This is an incredible honor - an epic condescending! God wants to enjoy us and to be enjoyed by us. It's the desire of a lover for the beloved.
To think that we could respond to this beautiful longing for intimacy with the self serving notion of fire insurance is base and frankly horrible.
Interestingly, God's love is so shameless, that He honors that low impulse, and is willing to embark on a faith journey with those who are "using" Him to avoid hell. His ways are indeed unsearchable and His grace amazing!
It's interesting because if you think about the redemption meta narrative - and God's yearning, seeking, searching, redeeming love, it's more than a little insulting. Get saved so that you can avoid the flames of hell. Grab a little fire insurance.
From the beginning of the story, God's desire has been to enjoy an intimate relationship with his creatures. This is an incredible honor - an epic condescending! God wants to enjoy us and to be enjoyed by us. It's the desire of a lover for the beloved.
To think that we could respond to this beautiful longing for intimacy with the self serving notion of fire insurance is base and frankly horrible.
Interestingly, God's love is so shameless, that He honors that low impulse, and is willing to embark on a faith journey with those who are "using" Him to avoid hell. His ways are indeed unsearchable and His grace amazing!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Shameless Love - Part I
It's been a while since I've had anything in particular to say, but this evening, my head and heart feel an impending explosion if I don't take a few minutes to write things down, so here goes...
This Sunday past I heard a sermon on Luke 15: 11-31, commonly referred to the "Parable of the Prodigal (or lost) Son." It would be more correct to call it the "Parable of the Father's Love" or something like that, because the focus of the story is the Father and his astounding - even shameless- love. Interestingly, the father in the story is dreadfully insulted by both sons - not only the one that went away and wasted his inheritance (For a full treatment of the parable see Kenneth Bailey's work).
Shamelessness is a predominant characteristic of God's love throughout the biblical narrative. He is continually forgiving, accepting, offering mercy and grace. Think of the story of Hosea who's told to marry a prostitute. Why? Hosea's life is an analog of God's love and forgiveness for the people of Israel, who continually run after others, rather than remain faithful to God, the rightful husband.
There is a part of each of us (I think) that longs for reconciliation like this - reconciliation with God - and reconciliation with one another. Have you received this kind of shameless love? Have you given it?
I'm NOT referring to neurotic or co-dependant love - the kind that reaches out to the other out of sense of personal neediness. Instead, this is a love for the person alone - not for anything the person brings to the table. I'm afraid that many folks today have no experience of receiving love like this. Not only do others expect us to bring something to a relationship - we expect it of ourselves (I know that I like to think that I bring value into my relationships). How about loving someone just for themselves? How about being loved just because you're you?
When Martin Luther baptized babies, he would hold the infant up in front of the congregation and say, "See what love the Father has for us, that we should be called His children, but so we are." It's perfectly clear the a baby isn't bringing anything to God - not even his or her faith, but God loves and receives the child anyway. He loves and receives you that way too. He's not interested in you because you're beautiful, intelligent, witty, fashionable, rich, or whatever. He doesn't need anything from you (or me). His shameless, searching, redeeming love reaches out to us because for some reason, he loves us - just for us. What incredibly good news!
This Sunday past I heard a sermon on Luke 15: 11-31, commonly referred to the "Parable of the Prodigal (or lost) Son." It would be more correct to call it the "Parable of the Father's Love" or something like that, because the focus of the story is the Father and his astounding - even shameless- love. Interestingly, the father in the story is dreadfully insulted by both sons - not only the one that went away and wasted his inheritance (For a full treatment of the parable see Kenneth Bailey's work).
Shamelessness is a predominant characteristic of God's love throughout the biblical narrative. He is continually forgiving, accepting, offering mercy and grace. Think of the story of Hosea who's told to marry a prostitute. Why? Hosea's life is an analog of God's love and forgiveness for the people of Israel, who continually run after others, rather than remain faithful to God, the rightful husband.
There is a part of each of us (I think) that longs for reconciliation like this - reconciliation with God - and reconciliation with one another. Have you received this kind of shameless love? Have you given it?
I'm NOT referring to neurotic or co-dependant love - the kind that reaches out to the other out of sense of personal neediness. Instead, this is a love for the person alone - not for anything the person brings to the table. I'm afraid that many folks today have no experience of receiving love like this. Not only do others expect us to bring something to a relationship - we expect it of ourselves (I know that I like to think that I bring value into my relationships). How about loving someone just for themselves? How about being loved just because you're you?
When Martin Luther baptized babies, he would hold the infant up in front of the congregation and say, "See what love the Father has for us, that we should be called His children, but so we are." It's perfectly clear the a baby isn't bringing anything to God - not even his or her faith, but God loves and receives the child anyway. He loves and receives you that way too. He's not interested in you because you're beautiful, intelligent, witty, fashionable, rich, or whatever. He doesn't need anything from you (or me). His shameless, searching, redeeming love reaches out to us because for some reason, he loves us - just for us. What incredibly good news!
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