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Food and rest for body, mind, and spirit are out of reach.
Are you fresh out of all you need to keep going?
You have come to the place where all you have is God.
Is this where we become profane, earthy, and vulgar in our primal hunger?
Is this where we sudden discover religion? Do we bow before the sacred and gasp in awe.
You and I stand before the altar of shewbread in the place of sacred worship, but we are dirty, tired, and famished travelers.
We are too weary to worship.
We are just common folk devoid of lofty ideals or deep thoughts.
It is a good place to be, not a comfortable place, yet, a comforting place.
It is a hard place, this school of reliance and trust where we discover that there is an essence to what is spiritual and an immediacy to eternity.
There is a finite and imminent intersection with transcendent infinity.
You have arrived at more of an altar than it seems.
This school of Theology and Life has drawn you to its campus.
You have traveled a rocky path with curves and tunnels, uncertain trails, and slippery slopes to matriculate, but it is a prestigious school.
You cannot afford the tuition and you bring nothing of value to the bargaining table. Your enemy is too strong for you. He robs you of all you have left.
You are drained dry.
Your bones ache and you cannot move another inch.
Then ... you start singing with the ancient singer,
" All my bones shall say, “O LORD, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?”"
Psalm 35:10 (ESV)
At the altar, you find there is nothing before you but holy and dedicated bread. Your first instinct is to eat, but you remember that this bread was not laid on the altar for you, but for God. It is holy bread. It is sacred.
In 1 Samuel 21, David is hungry, as are his warriors.
David understood the need for respite. He understood need, depletion, and the body's yearning for refreshment, but he was also constrained by the law of God. Yet, he moved with the awareness of great need and a surge of faith that told him that God also knew his need and was making provision from His own storehouse.
He eats holy bread and shares it with his hungry soldiers..
It is a clear violation of law and tradition, but he does it anyway and convinces the priests to help him do it.
He makes a good case, but the essence of the argument is need.
Need. Such a crude concept for such a holy place and time!
God cares about our needs.
Later, Jesus cites David as an example when the nit-pickers are nit-picking his disciples' lax attitude toward picking food to eat on the Sabbath.
It is not that Jesus is disrespecting law and tradition; nor was David.
Neither held reverence in contempt. Both were as aware, and more aware than most or any, of the vastness of the space between common man and uncommon God.
Jesus was going for essence. Essence unveils the face and intention of God in love and holiness.
To what does law and tradition point?
Indeed, what is the point?
Is it not the glory of God?
Here is God's glory manifest also God's goodness, grace, love, and attention to humanity.
God is exalted in the ways in which He reveals His love and care for humanity.
God is exalted in encounter where earthbound humans, scarred by sin and flawed by the injuries incurred in the rough business of living, are drawn near.
Sometimes, God defies the traditions that God has established in order to meet such men and women.
It is that place where sacred and profane meet and God declares it all holy.
He took his best buddies to a high mountain and called them out to something great and adventurous, dangerous, and intimate. He called them to be his closest followers and friends. He called a band of buddies.
Later, we would call them "sent ones."
Apostle means, "one who is sent."
Here, they are "the called who came."
He called them to him to send them out.
And then, they would come back.
And then, be sent out again.
He gave some of them new names --- two of them, teasing names ... "Sons of Thunder!"
I wonder what those guys were like.
They were each unique.
They had different backgrounds.
They has a lot of resemblance to us, who would later be called as friends, disciples, and apostles.
One ... was even a betrayer.
There is at least one in every crowd ... even in a band of buddies.
"And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."
"Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil." - Psalm 37:8
This portion of the psalm suggests to us three positive choices that negate three negative choices that lead to evil.
The negatives are unbridled anger, wrath, and worry.
We can make choices in each of these areas:
1. When anger arises, we can refrain from it. Namely, we can deal it out of the predominant place in our decision-making. That does not mean we are never angry and do not express and process out anger. It means that we do not let it run our lives or dominate our thinking.
2. When wrath seems attractive, we can forsake it. Leave it behind. Give it no voice at the table. Wrath does not have a vote. The wrath of God which is a component of God's love is an entirely different thing than man's animal instinct to lash out and inflict pain on an enemy. Human wrath is something to consciously dis-empower.
3. When we are drawn toward fretting and stewing, we can decide to stop feeding it; it has no valuable outcome for us or for anyone else. Name what frets you. Apply logic and trust in key places. Stop letting it lease space in your mind. It brings not value to your life or decision making.
Manage these three negatives with positive choices and you will avoid a lot of trouble.
Silliness makes me laugh, mostly, my own silliness.
Absurdity tickles my funny bone.
Tragedy triggers my latent gallows humor.
Comedies of errors have that effect.
Stupidity can often evoke a chuckle.
Poetic justice can bring me tears and laughter at the same time.
God laughs. In fact, I presume that humor flows from the very nature of God.
I suspect that the connection between tragedy and comedy in Greek drama was more God's idea than the Greeks'.
Now, God is not cruel in laughter as one who delights in anyone's destruction.
At the same time, God sees the humor in man's pride and sense of indestructibility.
God is our model for a healthy sense of humor when we are surrounded by the bellowing voices of confident evil.
God is laughing and inviting us to hold up a mirror on our lives and laugh with all of Heaven at the absurdity of our ways. It is a tool for our life-change. It is a prompting to turn around.
Don't lose your sense of humor at the absurd. God hasn't.
He is the original author of slapstick. It comes with a broken heart and tears for those who wander, but He does see the humor in it all as well.
... still reaching out to redeem and reconcile.
" The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming."
- Psalm 37:12-13 (ESV)
One word of advice: Recognize it, appreciate it, and participate in it, but don't over-analyze it.
I am struggling with an emotion that is rare for me when applied to people and their frailties: disappointment.
It is rare because I am both realistic and naive.
My realism is powered by a healthy understanding of sin and it widens my embrace, acceptance, and understanding of human frailties and flaws. Mostly, it causes me to welcome, into the arms of friendship, people like me who struggle with broken places in their lives.
My naivete stems from a less Calvinistic attitude, that there is a pervasive stream of well-meaning compassion in most people, especially Christians.
It is an assumption that when push comes to shove, people who love Jesus, love their fellow human beings from up close and from afar.
It has made it hard for me to accept that more than a few Christians can be cruel, cold, harsh, and judgmental when confronted with human suffering.
It has led me to believe that when confronted with the Bible on one and hand and facts on the other, truth will be embraced and attitudes such as racism, superiority, and indifference will start to disappear. They will stop using their warped theology and crippled hermeneutical tools to justify supremacy, suspicion, or superiority over people who ancestry, heritage, beliefs, cultures, histories, countries of origin, languages, or skin color is different from their.
They would acknowledge our heritage of injustice against the children of enslaved peoples from Africa, original citizens of our continent, Asian workers who built our railroads, Japanese detainees during WWII, immigrants, refugees, people of Latin descent, and on and on and on.
It seems that I may have been wrong and it is disappointing.
I am still trying the figure out the dissonance.
I will zero in on racism because I was raised in an time and environment where its stench was strong and putrid while its basic premises were being challenged. I had hoped it would have dissipated into a fog of forgetfulness by now, but with explicit, implicit, and complicit consent, it is showing itself and revealing that it never went away.
I have observed this: It takes a large minority and sometimes a majority to perpetuate racism. That will always include some people who ought to know better and do better.
The three ways it happens are telling and to of them leave people wiggle room to plausible deniability, distance, and self-justification.
Explicit participation in racism is where we initiate the words, deeds, or attitudes plainly and without ambiguity. This is where many people stop in defining what is racist.
Implicit participation in racism is more subtle. It is sometime ambiguous. We imply and support attitudes, deeds, and words that have racist effect and undertones, but we assign them different motives. We support the darkest expressions of racism by defending indirectly.
Complicit participation in racism can involve a range of words, attitudes, and actions. It can be giving material support to racist causes or simply and blindly benefiting from those systems without questioning them. It can also be silence. We support through silence and out of some misguided attitude of neutrality.
The first step toward overcoming this will be a desire to do so and a recognition of the sin of racism. The next step will be honesty and inclusion of oneself in whatever category of participation fits. The next will be confession to whomever confession is due. The final step will be a process of ongoing repentance and accountability.
In the meantime, we must all be vigilant to ruthlessly expose it as the insidious evil it is and name it as it raises its ugly head.
I never said it would be easy, but don't disappoint me.
CHOICE: Calling - We did not come to this be accident. Hope - We are not riding on speculative wishful thinking nor defeatism, Obedience - We are a people under orders, not personal preference. Insight - We know some things in our cause that others cannot see. Commitment - We are driven by a passion and dedication that is beyond ourselves. Energy- We give it all we have and are re-energized in the expenditure of energy.
It takes all of that and more.
Our choice is to not lose heart, to maintain commitment to center, commitment to God, commitment to mission.
Losing heart is not an emotional "emptying;" but a void of choice, determination, and commitment.
Commitment drives when all else come loose.
Losing heart is no option. Losing heart is placing our choices in the hands of chance.
Heart is what controls us.
Heart is our center, our core, and our choice.
To lose heart is to lose center and create vacuum which shall suck up something to fill itself.
We may not want that calling the shots.
Five words from II Corinthians 4:16: "... we do not lose heart ..."
It is one of the most glossed over and trivialized parable of Jesus.
It is one of his most powerful as well, disclosing an essential teaching of the Kingdom of God by allowing the inquisitor to draw his own conclusion from the story.
It all starts with a question, but there is a question behind the question. Then, there is a question behind the question which is behind the question.
Not the least of the lessons here is the introduction of a religious concept that may not have been foremost on the mind and heart of the man who approached Jesus in his quest for eternal significance. That concept is mercy and deeper than mercy, compassion.
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
- Luke 10:25-37
It was a lawyer who came and asked. He seemed to be an honest inquirer, but he was, like many people of law, interested in self-justification and vindication. He was fixated on the details and loopholes. He was reluctant to upset his well-ordered theology and manner of living.
The questions are telling, those spoken and those implied.
Who is my neighbor?
To whom must I show compassion?
How do I get in on this eternal life you are talking about?
Is there anyway I can justify myself to get by with less?
He leads with eternal life. Does he know that eternal life is more about the nature of it than the duration of it? Does he understand that it is all wrapped up in the rule of God and the community of radical disciples?
Does he understand the true nature of love for God and people?
Who is my neighbor?
Jesus answers with a story followed by a question.
The road from Jericho to Jerusalem was treacherous and familiar. It was known as an avenue of blood. Robbers were opportunistically common threats and one man, presumably a Jew, fell under their malicious treatment as was left for dead.
Did the priest and Levite assume he was dead?
If so, to touch him would defile them and prevent them from performing their "religious" duties?
Just what are our religious duties?
It has already been established between Jesus and the lawyer that they are to love God and to love neighbor.
The priest and Levite were concerned with what would become of them. Not so the Samaritan.
Jews has destroyed his people's temple in Gerazim. They hated Jews. Samaritans had desecrated the Jewish temple with bones. Jews hated Samaritans. Their history of hatred, explicit and implicit bias, conflict, and separation went back centuries.
Jesus' ministry launched in the context of Judaism. Everything needs a context.
Yet, it was the Samaritan who acted like a neighbor.
The lawyer must not have wanted to hear that. He wanted to limit his responsibility for love. He wanted a tight circle of neighbors, exceptional people, his people, privileged people that he could focus his compassion on.
Jesus asked, "Which one acted like a neighbor?"
Any good lawyer knows when he is cornered and cannot lie, but neither does he want to say the word, "Samaritan."
He says, "The one who showed mercy."
Truth. Go do the same.
What did he do?
We don't know. Luke did not tell the story so we would know. He repeated it so that we would know what we are to do and to call for our decision.
To whom must I show compassion? That is the question behind the question.
We have covered this.
Always look for the question behind the question in your own heart. Are you like the lawyer looking for wiggle room when confronted with the radical claims and call of Jesus to discipleship?
Are you trying to keep an "us vs. them" distance between yourself and your people on one side and the marginalized or even the oppressors on the other?
There are no exceptions to the call to love with mercy and compassion.
But there is a question behind the question that is behind the question: How do I get in on eternal life?
He could hear and hear about Jesus' teachings on a Kingdom that was ruled by God. He was hearing rumors of the new day dawning, the age or repentance, forgiveness, and justice. The confusing teachings of abundant living, the laughter of Jesus' company, the miracles and deliverance that seemed to happen everywhere, the other-worldly hope that was a recurring theme. - these all pricked his heart and stimulated his longing?
How do I get in? I want to participate?
Jesus had to break the hold of his implicit bias to justify himself.
Jesus' motive was to re-anchor this man's thinking in a Kingdom mindset and to introduce him to a brand new idea - compassion for those who are unlike us and outside of our circles.
It is an argument that carries much weight today.
As Dr. King said in Memphis when he traveled there to stand with the sanitation workers:
“On the parable of the Good Samaritan: "I imagine that the first question the priest and Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But by the very nature of his concern, the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
Who is your neighbor? Open your eyes and it is the first person you see. Look around and it is the next. Look deeper and behind closed doors. That is also your neighbor. Love your neighbor as yourself.
We need extraordinary strength for the struggle. We need encouragement. We need positive hope. We need to know that God has our backs.
These are difficult days and we cannot always count on our own strength.
Sometimes, those we count on for support may fail us or even actively oppose us.
Struggle accompanies victory and victory is seldom celebrated outside the context of conflict. The psalmist leads with joy and praise, but as we read further, we see that his gladness is in God's help, vindication, and power in the presence of enemies without and within.
It is God's strength that brings victory and God's strength is sufficient to do so.
Awareness of the conflicts we face, lament, and despair must not displace hope and resolve. There are some struggles now and there are some struggles ahead. Hear the prayerful reflection of the psalmist as he considers God's help.
Psalm 21:1 – O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give!
The truest and noblest kind of joy is always rooted in who God is and what God does. Human victories are inconsequential. Heavenly victories are sources of great rejoicing because they are divine in origin, eternal in duration, and complete in their perfection. Jesus told the disciples to rejoice, not because the demons were subject to them, but because their names were written in the book of life. Rejoice today in the victories that God is working and, by faith, embrace them.
Psalm 21:2 - You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
God answers prayer. The words have been spoken so often that they constitute and cliché. However, they remain true in every sense. In the case of this king, the desires of his heart have come to fulfillment and the requests of his lips have been granted. To what extent is your heart moved by God that He can trust you with the desires that originate there? How God-directed are the prayers of your lips that each may be granted with confidence by God? As God to change your desires that you may be more effective at prayer.
Psalm 21:3 - You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
God’s welcome is a magnificent gift. The king so often received official guests – many begging favors. But when he approached the throne of God, it was as a mere mortal. His testimony is as surprising as our own when we meet the generosity and goodness of God. He is amazed. God, the King of the universe, crowned him! God, the Supreme Master, blessed him! Never stop being astounded by the goodness of God and always give thanks..
Psalm 21:4 – He asked you for life, and you gave it to him-- length of days, for ever and ever.
Life is that gift which God most freely gives. He has given it to every man and woman. Eternal life is a treasure that He offers in the same and greater abundance. And it is always just for the asking. Have you received life from God? If not, you are not yet truly alive. If so, you must live it out. It is too precious to take for granted.
Psalm 21:6 - Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
How about you? Have you taken stock of the enormous storehouse of eternal blessings you have received from the hand of God? Have you responded with joyful thanksgiving? As we approach month’s end, take time to be specifically thankful and lift up your joyful voice to God the Giver in whose presence you stand.
Psalm 21:7 - For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.
Trust God. It is the source of life and joy. God’s unfailing love is our stability and confidence. Let not your heart be shaken whatever the circumstances of life. You are encompassed by the goodness and love of God.
Psalm 21:8 - Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.
Trust God to handle His enemies. Let Him fight His own battles and vindicate His own Name. Then let Him have yours as well. He is perfectly capable of handling His business and yours and emerging victorious from any battle. Trust Him!
Psalm 21:9 - At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.
God’s anger consumes all that wars against His ways and His people. That anger is, essentially love and love is against all that is against love. Truth always swallows up lies. Truth makes untruth irrelevant and exalts only the God of truth. To be an enemy of God, one must embrace a lie so tightly and with such adhesion that one is swept away with it. God’s judgment is the process by which He sets all things aright and makes plain what has been distorted. His wrath is not an emotional outburst of a spoiled child, but the energy with which He speaks and restores His reign. We would be wise to pray for God’s judgment within us that we might be liberated
Psalm 21:10 - You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind.
Lies perpetuate themselves. If we are looking at enemies as spiritual forces working inside and all around us, then we recognize that God’s enemies are our enemies – even if they are so intertwined with our personalities and character that we have come to identify them with who we are. Allow the Word of Truth to pry your soul away from the sin distortion that has erroneously redefined your humanity. Then, cheer as those falsehoods are destroyed and their power to reproduce is obliterated from the face of the earth. Pray to that end today – ruthlessly. This is about being made free!
Psalm 21:11 – Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;
If it were not so dead serious, the comedy of God’s enemies plotting and devising wicked schemes against Him would be overwhelming. We smugly decry the audacity and, without making the connection to ourselves, try to “pull the wool over” God’s eyes in our own secret sins. We cannot succeed. God knows all, sees all, anticipates all, and always has the last word. He is not shocked by our addictive and destructive behaviors, but He calls us to truth and reason. He enables us to see failure as the inevitable outcome of sin and His way as the only hope for real success. Get real!
Psalm 21:12 -… for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.
Sin cannot face truth. Test it. Darkness will turn away from the light. It always retreats. Liars are not prone to confront the evidence that discredits them. They run away. It does not require argument or eloquence to expose falsehood or to disarm God’s enemies and those enemies of our souls that are devouring us from within. It only requires truth. It is your best medicine in the war for healing from negative “self-image,” destructive thoughts, and corrosive behaviors. Take a dose of truth daily. Chase it with Living Water and be refreshed. Watch sin turn away in fear and defeat.
Psalm 21:13 - Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.
If you can pray for the exaltation of God, then you are, at the very core of your being, a friend of God. The enemies within you do not constitute the real you. The sin residing in your soul is not your true nature. You desire the things of God at the very depths of who you are. Build upon that desire with the practice of praise. Do not allow Satan to torment you with insidious notions like, “You hypocrite! You don’t mean it – I saw you …bla, bla, bla...”
Resist those thoughts and praise God with all your might.
The Holy Spirit will activate your spirit and God will fight the enemies within you.
"Woe to you, [** religious leaders ** ] hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." - Matthew 23:27-28:
** I omitted the specific addresses, "scribes and Pharisees,," but add them here.
Too often we see these words and envision "them" as if "they" were some abstract, far-off class of villains we can keep at arm's length and deride from afar.
We say, "That's not us; that is them."
But don't forget, those were Jesus' people - the folks with whom He was most likely to identify. Jesus was speaking directly to them, "Woe to you ..."
He was more of a Pharisee by tradition than any other religious type ... yet, what He criticized was a universal tendency of religious power-brokers to obscure the core teachings of the faith for personal gain, power, and self-aggrandizement.
For that reason, I made the quote more generic and substituted "religious leaders" for Pharisees. We do not have Pharisees abusing power today. We do have religious leaders who do so.
Apply it to any who, for the sake of their own, authority, security, prejudice, self-gratification, greed, pride, lust, anger, or ambition, or any other motivation, judge, abuse, coerce, intimidate, or marginalize people
There is mo intrinsic evil in religious leadership; There is much good and far more potential for you. However, the danger of abuse of that leadership is ever-present and the "woes" are formidable.
Those of us in spiritual leadership are stewards of dreams, visions, and grand ideas. We are also stewards of core truths. Not the least, we are stewards of influence and the souls of those whom we influence.
God help us to take that responsibility with reverence and awe, not because of the threat of woe, but because of the love we have for God and people and the joy of the call.
The secret sauce ingredient for this is very simple: an attitude of service. When we understand that, as leaders, we are servants, we begin to follow Jesus the way he led and others will follow and lead that way as well
Dangling over the edge of disaster, we can neither define the crisis nor perceive of the solution. We are paralyzed by fear and traumatized by impending doom.
"Let us not be frightened by the problems that confront us, but rather give thee thanks that thou hast matched us with this hour. May we resolve, God helping us, to be part of the answer, and not part of the problem" - Peter Marshall
We panic and do so quite easily and readily.
There are situations where we might say, "Anyone in their right mind would be out of their mind."
But these are our times. This is our assignment. We are in the moment for which we have been uniquely fashioned and to which we have been called.
" As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness." -Psalm 17:15 (ESV)
We can fix our horrified stares upon the bewildering developments around us. We can gaze long and hard upon the hostility we perceive.
That is an option.
We can take flight. We can fight it out. We can freeze in flight.
Another option is to find a flow, a river that moves in a purposeful direction. It is to behold the face of God in righteousness, as if all is accomplished. It is to rest in the satisfaction of what is already and yet, not yet, the accomplished completion and fulfillment of God's redemptive work in the world.'
That work embraces our own witness and work in the world.
But, what shall we do the fix what needs fixing?
What shall we do to insure a better outcome?
How do we manage things so God can do His work?
We could start by stopping ourselves from asking the wrong questions and trust God's management and direction. We could decide, resolutely, to operate with greater simplicity and clarity as people committed to the just, compassionate, and righteous path even when it makes no sense ... even when it is strategically counter-intuitive and socially counter-cultural.
" You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." -Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
Joy and pleasure are certainly a better deal than panic and anxiety.
They are not a lazy person's path. They are active and energizing, demanding and engagement. Yet, rather than depleting us, walking the path of life refreshes and replenishes our resources.
Purposeful living enables us to see the world, broken as it is, and engage with world with a spirit of love and grace as people called and guided by a benevolent king with the heart of a father.
We follow Jesus into this tangled web of confusion and despair and we mix, mingle, and minister as servant messengers.
We represent an entirely different set of possibilities than any have ever considered.
" ...the true social activist is the person who lives as an apprentice of Jesus in his or her ordinary relationships...it is not that we do a good deed here and there, but that our very lives are good deeds. The character of Christ that is infused in us will be apart of every encounter..." Dallas Willard
Pray out of the distress you feel.
From Psalm 81:7a:
"In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud;" (NIV)
I like the NKJV on this as well:
"You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder;"
The secret place of thunder ....
The Message puts it this way:
" I answered you from where the thunder hides ..."
No matter how I read it, it grabs me.
I have stood under thunder clouds in wonder. I have shuddered at them in the distance. I have also heard the Voice in times of distress. I have been startled and staggered by them
And comforted .... comforted ... comforted.
And in that comfort ... called, empowered, and equipped to make a difference.
We can be part of the answer rather than the problem.
From whence comes the sense that we have a mandate to be harsh with fainting souls?
The bright beams of our Father's mercy contrast with the dark frowns our our judgmental stares.
The smile of God is more often a proactive greeting of grace than a reactive indicator of our laudable actions.
God is irrationally and passionately on your side and calling you into full participation in His own mission and joy.
While the world drags you down, God lifts you up.
It is the call of pure love. It does not negate judgment; it explains it as an act of love, God being against all that is against His love for us.
It does not negate discipline, for any parent disciplines his or her children out of love.
It does not negate the sorrow or anger of God for honesty in emotion is essential to intimacy in a love relationship.
It negates nothing of truth but frames it in the context of a smile of love that always emerges,
It is the smile of love, the loving embrace, the welcoming look that draws us closer.
It is God's face shining upon us!
Psalm 80
Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forthbefore Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us.
Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful. You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us.
Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.
Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? Boars from the forest ravage it, and insects from the fields feed on it. Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself.
Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.
Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
I read news and posts and I find such clever, biting, and witty things to say. At lat, they seem that way to me as I congrtulate myself.
They are argument breakers!
Mic drop moments!
We imagine the dumbfounded opposition retreating into the silence, unconvinced, yet muted.
It is then that it hits me that maybe, sometimes, it takes more courage to remain silent than to speak.
Not only that, but it is often wiser.
Not only that, but it may be a more effective path toward understanding, agreement, and problem solving.
Most important, I am reminded that the law of love is the highest law and that I am a steward of my words, that they are to be used to build up rather than to tear down.
Sometimes my tongue gets sore from biting it and a lot of really cute words end up on my clipboard and, eventually, in the recycle bin, but probably not enough.
God, remind me of why you gave me words in the first place.
We live in a day of convenience. Our commerce, our gadgets, our daily lives are punctuate by brief episodes of clicking buttons or speaking commands which set tasks in motion that we once did for ourselves.
Necessary things are automated, We have forgotten how to do some of them ourselves. Necessity and convenience drive us.
Necessity may indeed be the mother of invention, but it has, at times, been the mother of injustice.
William Pitt observed, "Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
Pitt spoke as the ally of Wilberforce in their quest to end slavery in England. Against their efforts were all sorts of arguments including those of necessity.
"We have no other choice."
"We must."
"We have to protect ourselves."
"We know it is wrong, but now is not the right time to correct things."
"If we do this now, everything will collapse."
There has never been a convenient time in history for doing the right thing.
It has always been against the tide to stand for the rights of others. Liberty has never been practical. Freedom has never been feasible. Truth has seldom seemed profitable. Justice has never been easy.
Light has never been appealing to those whose eyes have grown accustomed to the dark.
Our shortcuts can always be justified by expediency.
In business, public affairs, and personal relationships, we can make our case for walking over other people and nations if we can establish that it is in pour best interest do do so.
When we do, we ultimately lose.
It is as if we have created a Greek god, named him "Necessarius," with his goddess-wife "Conveniencia," and bowed to them without knowing that they are no gods. at all . They promise much, but will keep none of their far reaching promises.
Only what is right and true and just and compassionate will last beyond the moment.
All else is as fleeting as our notions of necessity.
Jesus saw people with their potential and their pain.
He saw through their masks.
He looked beyond their labels and arbitrary categories.
His eyes were keen in meeting their eyes, for the there is no ethnicity nor affiliation in the eye. He loved them as individuals and not as representatives of any tribe or religion.
He assumed that his good news of kingdom repentance was for them at face value.
He called, touched, healed, and delivered with profound compassion knowing that each of us needed dismantling of our systems of believing and reconstruction of our lives by his message of grace through the Spirit. We share the commonality of our uniqueness and the uniqueness of our commonality.
This was driven home to me in the streets of old Jerusalem where he met and continues to meet so many kinds of people and looks them in the eye.
Can I do less?
I am at war with no one, but I am in constant battle with those spiritual forces that dehumanize, deflate, and devalue those into whose eyes Jesus gazes ... those created in God's image with purpose. It is sin that besets me and from sin he sets me free.
Give me the eyes of Jesus, Lord, as I walk the streets of my city.
We either treat our leaders with blind trust and awe or with disrespect, contempt, and disgust.
It is hard to find the middle ground where we honor them, recognize their limitations and humanity, and see them as temporary occupiers of a role that they will one day surrender to another.
FDR did not finish the New Deal; LBJ did not complete the architecture of a Great Society; Nixon did not give us a Just and Lasting Peace; they all left office, dead or alive, with unfinished plans.
So will we.
So will every leader.
Our plans perish when they depend upon us.
On the other hand,to the extent that these and others offered plans that were part of a larger plan of God and invested in other people who caught a vision and took them to the next level with God's help and guidance, they survived.
It was not about faith in humans, but it God who guides, leads, and brings to pass.
Even, and especially, Jesus, understood and modeled this. He spent most of His ministry teaching His plan to the "next generation" of leaders and then, completed His work by dying and rising. He returned from death, gave His final lessons, and commissioned the church to take His plan and vision to all future generations.
He commissioned only a church, not a government, prince, or corporation, to execute, propagate, and lead His not-of-this-world kingdom of grace.
That is how plans survive.
"Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish."
-Psalm 146:3-4 (ESV)
In contrast to trust, dependence, reliance and subjugation to human leadership that always dies, even our own leadership with its termination date in the future, God models leadership that lasts.
Do you want to leave a legacy? Check out the priorities of God from Psalm 146.
To the extent that our leadership, and any sphere of influence, reflect and honor these, something lasts when we are dead.
These are the things God does:
+God made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them. (We cannot add to that, but we can respect it and respect His creation>
+God keeps faith forever. (We can be leaders of integrity.)
+God executes justice for the oppressed. (He is always for the "underdog.")
+The LORD sets the prisoners free (America leads the world in mass incarceration.).
+The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
+The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down.
+The LORD loves the righteous.
+The LORD watches over the sojourners.
+God upholds the widow and the fatherless.
+God brings the way of the wicked to ruin.
Here is a model for people/leaders who want something to survive after their plans perish with them.
Happy birthday, U.S.A., a grand experiment in opportunity, welcoming, growing, and working out lots of kinks that create dissonance between what we aspire to be and what we are.
The key is in the becoming.
We have not yet become.
We are not static.
We have had wars outside and inside our borders and even among our countrymen ... some declared, some not even acknowledged..
Our wars have not defined us, but have, at times,shaped and refined us.
We have had disagreements, inconsistencies, atrocities, hypocrisies, and contradictions, but we have an essentially righteous philosophy that has been articulated and is waiting to be fully applied.
The core structure is laid so that we can work these things out.
We are a community of communities.
We are not perfect, but we are capable of fixing our imperfections.
We are diverse. That is a strength.
We are changing.
We are free.
We thank our thinkers and our protectors, our builders and our critics today.
We join hands and sing of our common love and aspiration.
Let us, the many, the multi-cultured, multilingual, diverse, unique threads in the tapestry which is our essential flag, be one people.
I love what America could be, should be, and in the hearts of many, aspires to be.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. – Galatians 5:1
On this July fourth, as I often do, I am thanking God for the freedom of religion that is guaranteed by our Bill of Rights.
It is an ideal. It is not fully realized for all, but among our freedoms, it is about the best protected in our system. It does not guarantee favoritism or preferred status in our beliefs. That would be contrary to its purpose and deprive others of the same freedom.
It guarantees us free exercise and assembly.
There are many places in the world where this is still a big struggle.
It is always fragile and requires a tight-rope balance between extremes.
I am grateful for the Baptists of Virginia and Connecticut who lobbied for this freedom along with others, who became unlikely allies with the philosophers of the Enlightenment and free thinkers like Thomas Jefferson.
I am grateful for all who crafted the statement that they could not fully understand and who championed its cause.
Mostly, I am grateful to God for having the idea in the first place.
It is true that many of the ideals that have defined what we strive for were not fully understood and have not been fully. Over the centuries, many have remained disenfranchised and disinherited. But it is in the magnificent mix of the freedoms of religion, speech, and press that people of conscience can advocate for the continuing evolution of what all humanity longs for - freedom, dignity, liberty, opportunity, justice, and equity.
It is God's big idea.
God created us in His own image with the freedom to choose Him or reject Him.
Otherwise, we could not have come by faith, in love, and through conversion. God’s design presupposes freedom. Salvation requires the work of the Holy Spirit regenerating the human heart that receives Him willingly.
Coercive conversions are no conversions at all. State sponsored religion creates an unregenerate and unconvinced church membership.
God has given men and women a deep desire for freedom. True freedom is only realized fully in Christ. It is at the heart of the gospel.
If the gospel is to be proclaimed freely, it must not be supervised by human agencies. Nor can man dictate the way that God will work with a human heart.
Jesus said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” – John 3:8
That is the essence of soul freedom and the best guarantee that government can give for such freedom is to stay out of the way. And that is what our Constitution does for us and for that I am grateful.
We must work to the goal of the liberation of all people and we must guard our freedom by never submitting to a yolk of slavery or oppression, peacefully resisting all threats to liberty and conscience with a willingness to face the consequences of our convictions.
Let us honor those foresighted fathers of our country who respected the inherent dignity of each person before God and fashioned our national liberties on that basis. As we ring the bells of patriotism this Independence Day, let us sing with renewed zeal, deeper knowledge, and stronger conviction:
America, America, God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.
Like Simon the Sorcerer, we can become addicted to power and wealth and see the realm of the genuine Spirit of God and grace as either threat or opportunity to gain more power and wealth of ourselves. Peter names the addiction as "the gall of bitterness and the bond in the bond of iniquity."
Ponder that.
It is a bond that binds and a poison that "toxifies" the soul.
Yet, the possibility of repentance and forgiveness is held out, even for such a malignant evil.
Imagine how deeply Simon had to humble his heart to ask someone else to pray for him.
But, he did.
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”" -Acts 8:14-24 (ESV)
"... He said 'No more of this..." and he touched his ear and healed him."
No more of this ...
No more violence. No more retaliation. No more waiting for the moment of our calling. No more delay for redemption with all its cost. No more games. No more betrayal. No more sell-preservation at all costs. No more deciding who our enemies are and striking at them.
No more of this ...
He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not come into the time of trial."
Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done."
Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.
When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial."
While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, "Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?"
When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?" Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him. - Luke 22:39-51
I notice that the "Corpus Christi - Gay Jesus" hoax letter is circulating again - as if it has ever stopped for long.
I have received several "forwards" recently in private messages and e-mail.
This note is actually about 34 years old and first circulated by paper and then on the internet. I have received it more times than I can count.
Forgive me if I do not circulate it.
It really is a hoax with a life of its own. It's like scattering confetti in the wind. You could not call back all the pieces if you wanted to.
And also, Madeline Murray O'Hair is neither alive nor trying to get religious programming off the air.
This same thing happens with some prayer requests that were written when they were urgent (assuming they were real).
That includes many sick kids and a number of Christians and missionaries about to be executed.
Since there are many people sick and being persecuted, those notes do remind me to pray for the ones who really are in need. But I know that misinformation does discourage many who would join the team,
It also includes a number of soldiers that we are not hearing about because we heard about them 5-10 years ago when they actually were killed (rather than "last week) and forgot the story.
We need to confirm things with several sources - primary and news. Contrary to what is said by politicians, most news outlets do not make it a practice to make up stories.
There are credible people fact-checking them. When they find a glaring error of facts, they generally call it back.
Of course, we cannot call back a lot of this - like the confetti.
Immediately, they answered the question. "What do you want!?
Immediately they received their sight.
Immediately they followed.
Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight
Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying,
Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!
So Jesus stood still and called them, and said,
What do you want Me to do for you?
They said to Him,
Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. - Matthew 20:29-34, (NKJV)
The church is part of a brand new order in God's Kingdom where human authority is not required to legitimize its message and deeds.
It is neither required nor desired, recognized nor sought.
It is a strange and wonderful movement where everything is turned upside down in order to land right side up. It scandalizes our notions of worthiness when the prostitutes and tax collectors enter before the religious folks who ask for authority and legitimacy from the world and honor from the religious institutions that title them.
God, let us be the sons that do what you tell us to do and don't just talk about it and posture ourselves for position.
"And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?”
And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.""
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him." - Matthew 21:23-32 (ESV)
It is not about the answers being new or old; we are asking the wrong questions.
Where are we?
We are here and this is where God wants to build something new.
We are right where we started.
We live in a world of ambiguity and confusion, a world of tension and hostility, and a world of lust and desire.
We share a common humanity with every broken soul on this planet. We are bearers of good news, prophets of repentance, messengers of grace, candles of light, purveyors of hope, and children of God.
We are sent into the world to be different. Our spiritual forefathers took on the burden of strange and complex restrictions in order to be different, holy, and unique.
Some wore identifying clothing.
Many took marks upon the most personal anatomical features in order to be set apart.
The church, likewise, spiritually marked, is set apart. We do not fit in, but there is a place for all enter in and find a fit.
The covenant of walking with God in the community of His church is a hard and demanding one. It does not always fit the culture or make rational sense. The Head of the church invites you to come and learn of Him and to take His yoke upon you. He does not rush you or coerce you. He does not demean you malign you. But He will remake you and ...
If you choose to follow and continue to follow, He will ask of you some things that make you ask, "Why Lord?"
Where are we? Not where we used to be and exactly where we've always been - different, set apart, and called to holiness.
We are constantly being called back to the basic essence of scripture to seek God and His ways. We are constantly challenged to rethink our assumptions and reaffirm our core commitments. We are constantly provoked to peel away the layers of commentary and application of our religious culture and traditions and fin God's instructions and revelations in a new world that is becoming newer and older every day.
Is this this or is it that?
We will always ask about this or that, but we must be grounded in something that is neither this nor that, but OTHER, Wholly Other!
We are always going back in order to start over.
Don't worry about it. It is the same God in a different setting.
I sure hope you do not agree with everything I say. Think for yourself. God gave me my brain and God gave you one that works equally well ... Maybe better,. But I know one thing, if one of our brains was enough, one of us would not need to be here. And we both are.' So there!
Just because I centered that and put it in a quote box, does not make it a poem,
Only a few things are true today that were not true yesterday. Some are getting more attention. Nothing was true yesterday that is not still true today. That's true - now about TRUTH: IT has always been the same
I like to do coaching - even when there is pathology involved. We all have pathos eating at us. But also, even the most contorted soul has real strengths. And when our own strengths are inadequate - and they are ... There is God's strength from which all strength comes.
Assume less than you suspect. Inspect even what you expect. Squint the eye examining minutia. Ask more questions than you answer. Preface your declarations with wiggle room for change of mind and heart. And yet, somehow, live with confidence. Learn trust. Relax and believe hope.
It is out of balance, disproportionate, beyond our capacity, humanly unjust, and controversial ... and very, very real, liberating, and healing. It is always premature and it is always timely.
God forgives you. He does not excuse you or your deeds. He forgives you. He does not force you to accept forgiveness, but He does not cease to offer it.
Society may not forgive. Rational people may not. History may not. The justice system may not. But God does and God's people do as they open the channel of giving and receiving it in their own hearts.
The magnitude of the offense is not nor ever is the issue. Your remorse is not the issue. Deterrence is not the issue. There is no issue. This is beyond issues.
The only issue is the issue of blood from the hands, feet, and side of Jesus.
"Father, forgive THEM..."
It cost God to forgive. It costs God to forgive. To maintain truth and justice while extending mercy can tear at the heart of humans and of God. To be angry and to sin not is tough. But bitterness and hatred are tougher and more toxic.
God invites and equips us to do the same as He does. We cannot demand it of others or of God for ourselves or anyone. But when He enables us to give it, we receive more than we give.
It also costs us to receive forgiveness because it implies that we know we need to receive it and makes us vulnerable at levels that evoke it from us. It strips us bare and hangs our lives on crosses.
Sometimes it may be too early to talk about it because one must process what it is that is being forgiven. Yet, here is the scandal. It was brought to bear upon us by the victims of a terrible atrocity recently and no one has the right to criticize them for it. What they did was because their primary identity was not their skin color that made them a target or their ideology or their victimology.
They identified with the Forgiver.
A racist was confronted with a God who is no respecter of the arbitrary labels we assign to human being.
Those forgivers are first and foremost, children of God and, in forgiving, they declare that nothing can take that away from them. That is their dignity not their weakness.
I hear people marginalizing them, dismissing them, considering them weak, naive, or unsophisticated in understanding their own emotions. How condescending!
Argue the societal implications of forgiveness all you like. Discuss who is authorized to offer forgiveness. Theorize its repercussions. It does not matter.
The voices of those who cry out, however prematurely you think it is, speak of their character before God and much more, the GRACE and power of God in their lives. His love in them is stronger than hate and it is love that shall prevail.
Nothing in forgiveness negates justice. Nothing minimizes indignation. In fact it fires up indignation at anything and everything less than God's love at work in the world and His justice lifting up every man, woman, boy, and girl.
I can only forgive the Boston Bomber or the Butcher of Charleston, or ISIS for the minimal effects of their crimes on me. Those who have suffered most and more have more to forgive and so many have.their witness inspires me to forgive the petty little offenses I have suffered with such boisterous protest.
If God forgives those who create the most horrific, massive, and public crimes,m how about you and me?
Why would we leave such a gift on the table?
Stephen, in Acts, led his accusers through long bible study and recounting of the grace of God at work in history and the response of the crowd was ...
... to pick up rocks and throw them at him until he died.
His response ... "God, don't put this on their account ..."
Forgiveness.
God forgives you and it is irrationally scandalous.
Another thought on personal forgiveness is that it allows us to move beyond localizing evil in one or two people so that we can fight the insidious systemic evil that gives birth to the individuals who carry it out. It is a form of corporate repentance , confession , and seeking for God. It also puts the one forgiven on notice that they have done wrong and the only way to wholeness and redemption is presented in the message of mercy, grace, and repentance.
Here is an example of, not only forgiveness, but restoration and renewed trust.
Are you perplexed with this progression?
It is perplexing and here it is:
Satan made demands.
Jesus prayed.
He prayed that Simon's faith would not fail, but he knew that Simon himself would fail.
So he prayed that when Simon turned again, not if but when, he would strengthen his brothers.
Simon protested he would not fail.
Jesus said he would. It did not altar the hope, the expectation, or the reality of Jesus' prayer. He would also turn. His faith would not fail.
His faith did not fail.
You have had, are having, and will have failures ... but it does not mean that your faith has failed.
It is your faith ... and the accompanying prayers of Jesus that are seeing you through, bringing you back, and ...
... preparing you to strengthen your brothers and sisters.
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” - Luke 22:31-34 (ESV)
Peter, who had ample reason for self-loathing after Jesus had died and risen, was willing to walk back the process and receive mercy and a renewed commission to lead.
Peter knew he came empty hand to Jesus, but he realized that by trusting him, Jesus knew that he would be able to face what would lie ahead.
That would be me ... so often a fool because of my sinful ways, loathing that which was best for me ... so often redeemed ... so consistently loved.
" Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!"
News feeds come and go. Hot stories, hashtags, and outrages well up, and swell up. Themes recur. The same sins take different forms and expressions. First, I must look in me. "See if there be any wicked way in me ..." And I must pause only briefly before breathing, "Lead me in the way everlasting."
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If you shy away from paradox, You'll be left with only one doc. Sometimes, a second opinion is in order. Sometimes you can get both perspectives from the same Source. God sometimes scrambles our understanding to lead us to His simplicity and clarity.
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I lead nowhere unless I follow someone or something. Who and what I follow determines where and how I lead. Where I lead matters. How I lead matters. The choice to follow Jesus is hard. It's not for those who wish to unburden their lives. It's a light and easy yoke. Real rest-not ease.
Scanning the TV, book, and movie listings, I wondered about the heroes of our generation and what they say about who we are.
The culture, as many cultures through history, is attracted to real or fictional characters in film, novel, reality TV, and life who are cleverly diabolical and formidably adversarial.
Just a little word study from a biblical perspective for bible lovers and kingdom folk who might be attracted to that sort of thing:
Adversarial - Related to adversary. Σατανᾶς - That's Greek. Transliterated - Satan. Do I really wish to make it my legacy that I am a formidable adversary? "Ἰησοῦς Ὕπαγε Σατανᾶ γέγραπται γάρ"
"Get thee hence, Satan." - Mark 4:10
Easton's Bible Dictionary: (Hebrews satan), an opponent or foe (1 Kings 5:4; 11:14, 23, 25; Luke 13:17); one that speaks against another, a complainant (Matthew 5:25; Luke 12:58); an enemy (Luke 18:3), and specially the devil (1 Peter 5:8).
"But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." - Matthew 16:23
In TEV: Jesus turned around and said to Peter, "Get away from me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don't come from God, but from human nature."
What do I savor? What flavor of life makes my mouth water? What do I admire in myself or others? My combative nature? My capacity to win? My lust to trample my opponents? My witty ability to put down?
Or something more from the heart of God?
Or, perhaps, we'd rather be clever and diabolical:
diabolos: slanderous, accusing falsely Original Word: διάβολος Translated as a noun: Devil
There is much power in the tongue for good or for evil.
What I cheer in popular culture, I may find myself cheering in real life and nurturing in my own nature.
I must stand guard over my own manner and motives lest I get swept away by the ways of the world.
The worst that might happen could be that I would win.
We are civil with each other in dialogue and in our differences because we do not know everything. And the things we do know are often nuanced and shaded by our experiences, language, and presuppositions.
If Solomon could declare that everything he thought and lived amounted to vanity along the way of his pilgrimage toward ultimate truth, surely I can admit a little vanity and striving after wind in my own life.
Humility before God and mankind is part of the soil of wisdom.
Humility and honesty are mutually dependent and benefit from their synergy.
Honesty is the antidote to all hypocrisy:
Honesty with ourselves.
Honesty with God.
Honesty with those closest to us.
Honesty with the world.
Honesty with our doubts and uncertainties.
Honesty that reserves possibility that we could be wrong ...
... that we might learn something.
In a general way, I will say that there is plenty of hypocrisy in the world and it is a sin ... maybe one of the biggest sins ... because it is rooted in the lies we tell ourselves about ourselves ... especially when we tell ourselves that we have no hypocrisy in us.
I really do not have time, energy, nor inclination to be a full-time hypocrisy cop.
But, if I were a cop, I might continue writing very objective tickets, one at a time, for running red lights.
I'd write the ticket and not make a speech about it.
Tell it to the judge
When one is convinced that one is speaking truth because one has sought earnestly to process truth, one does not need to join the hypocrisy police force.
Hypocrisy usually reveals itself without any outside assistance. If something is true in one context, it is true in the next.
Then, one asks, "Am I thinking and speaking generally or specifically?"
Specific situations may prompt me to think generally.
Generalized thinking prompted by specific stimuli is still general.
When I comment generally, the application is left to the reader.
My intent is irrelevant because I am trying to think more deeply than the moment or context.
In all of this, our humility and honesty prompt us to be civil because we are spinning in a loop of tentative certainty about our own opinions and perspectives on truth.
Jesus is truth and we understand objective truth more fully as we are drawn toward Jesus and love those whom Jesus loves.
Civility is important to me because of who I am-not just because of who anyone else is.
I am a child of God and a follower of Jesus who has called me to love my neighbor as myself.
I can't force civility on anyone.
No can I respond to their incivility with incivility.
It doesn't mean I don't tell the truth or believe lies.
It doesn't mean I approve or pretend to approve.
It doesn't mean I stop resisting wrong.
It's my choice.
What must I do then?
I'll continue to try and be civil because my basic conviction about the dignity of every human cannot change just because I find it hard to respect their choices or views. That is a predetermined conviction and if it does not work out, oh well.
There will always be a way for me to express my feelings of repulsion or resistance to a tide of culture that offends my sensibilities.
But I choose to treat people as kindly as I can without criticizing those who find that difficult or impossible.
And ... I will choose my indignation toward what might be uncivil very carefully, in context, and with a sense of balance... respectfully.
I really do want to be fair, so I am going to examine one or two of my assumptions - yet again. I do that every time I am challenged ...
... well, most every time.
We are not primarily critics of culture as citizens of God's Kingdom - but we are not outside of culture. We are participants and decision makers.
We are the kings. We are in authority over this dominion. That brings a heavy responsibility upon us to listen, think, and speak.
I do think it is fair to let public people speak for themselves. We can read what they say in context or listen to their speeches in context. We can try to include context in our quotes and quote accurately. We should try to do that. We may come to some of the same conclusions, but at least we will do so with understanding and sometimes, we will correct ourselves.
Ultimately, it is about the idea.
For the Christian, it is about the intersection, contrast, complement, or enlightenment that is present in the space between idea and gospel. The gospel is the bigger idea for us and it includes some presumptions about a Great Commission and a Great Commandment as well as a fundamental ethic that is not shared by all in society - the ethic of the Kingdom of God.
I have no basis for arguing Kingdom ethics with those who do not share that presumption. I do not require or expect people to buy into my assumptions without that presumption in place.
I am not a big fan of exploiting momentary Fruedian slips or fleeting hashtags as the sole basis for criticism of public policy, but sometimes people really do say what they mean in a few sentences - maybe within 280 characters ... at least what they mean in the moment.
How does that translate into policy and what is my responsibility as a citizen two kingdoms?
I think we might also want to pay attention to the relationship between words and actions. In the final analysis, most ideas and prevailing narratives are much bigger than a few individuals, no matter how high profile they may be.
So, I find that going from specific to general and then, back to specific is often necessary to insure that the magnetic north pole is tuning my compass.
I will be working this out for quite some time.
When I stop, please do not send flowers to my grave, but make a memorial gift to some worthy cause.
"Gentlemen, and if the Cap fits any Body let 'em wear it." - Daniel Dafoe
"If the shoe fits, wear it."
"If It Doesn't Fit, You Must Acquit." - Johnny Cochran
Part of me wants to say "Do not let anyone label you as this or that."
But realistically, you cannot stop them.
You cannot tell people what to think or say.
When the early believers were called derogatory names like, "Christian" by their persecutors, they decided to accept the name and transform its meaning.
Cops were called "pig" by some in the 60s, so they organized football games and called them, Pig Bowls."
People who take charge of whatever is thrown at them and stay positive always have the upper hand.
People who whine and complain about it will always be trailing.
Other names don't lend themselves as well to sticking on one's chest as a badge of honor.
However, you cannot regulate what others call you or how they think about you.
But you do not have to wear a label like a permanent assessment of your character. You do not have to accept it as a prediction of your success.
If it doesn't fit, then quit letting it stick.
"If it don't fit, you must acquit."
It is your life. It is your call.
In all of that, remember this:
"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. "
- Matthew 5:11-12
There is one and only one emotional response to insults and persecutions that Jesus commands for His followers and it goes with a volitional response.
Illustration from the first engraved Christian Bible in Russian (1696), depicting God reposing on Sabbath.
“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. “ -Genesis 2:2
It takes seven God days to get a time of rest. When we work six, we need to pause. Day seven is a blessing.
All seven are blessings.
It's good to work. There is no rest without work. But work cannot continue without rest.
Is fulfillment. It is pause. It is the time for evaluation, assessment, renewal, re-commitment, and refreshment.
It is the blessing of a job well done. It is a cause for celebration.
It is a time of laughter, extra naps, enjoyable activity, and for being around people we love. It is also a time for worship, seeking God, praying, and being fed on the Word of God.
It is our day of reflection and an opportunity to receive God's reflection on what we have offered to him in the week past. We, who are made in that reflection of God, follow the pattern God established. When God rested. God has blessed us with the mandate and the gift of rest.
To say that we need we need no rest is to place ourselves above God. How audacious of us to think that we are better than the one who made us and who rested from His labors.
Let us take our rest and the celebrate rest for rest is good and work is good and God is good.
Let also remember that every Sabbath moment we have on earth points to an eternal Sabbath day of ultimate rest and fulfillment in Christ.
"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." - Hebrews 4:9-11
“Let the field be joyful, and all therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice.” – Psalm 96:12
Sometimes, I walk or sit in a field and allow my mind to wander and my heart to wonder. What might Eden have been like for our ancient father and mother who opened their eyes there?
The word, “Eden” comes from and ancient root meaning “fruitful, well-watered,” and, in the old Akkadian and Sumerian languages, “plain.” However, in Hebrew, the meaning is even richer and is sometimes translated “pleasure” or “delight.”
So, then, in those glimpses of what is past with their hints of what is to come, we pause in awe among the joyful fields of grass, clover, and wildflowers to drink in the pleasures of God’s creation. We take delight in all that He has preserved of what has been lost, and we breath in the expectation of a day when all of creation is redeemed.
“Let the field be joyful” is no empty prayer or mere poetic sentimentality.
“Let … all therein” embraces the whole of what God has made and declared to be good.
The trees of the wood truly do rejoice in their own ways, with the swaying of their trunks and branches and with their arms reaching toward the sun. Every leaf, bud, and flower is a song of praise.
It is not just for the Francis of Assisi characters, the “Johnny Appleseed” Chapmans types, or the John Muir figures to be great admirers of God’s handiwork. It is also for us.
If the trees and fields can praise God, how much more so can we who are fearfully and wonderfully made? How much more might we who are made in the image of God with the capacity to see His hand at work? How much more should we who are uniquely invited to know Him and enjoy His redemptive grace sing His praise
Let us sing alone and let us sing in the company of others.
Let us join with the chorus of the joyful fields and our lives to be fruitful and responsive to His wonders.
Not all mentally ill people are out of control and unable to be responsible saints and sinners.
The most disorganized thinker can make some choices and choose to follow a path of sin or righteousness. I have known some very spiritually healthy people who cannot figure out how to cross the street.
I have known some emotionally sound souls who cannot seem to make right moral choices and whose hearts are spiritually polluted.
Some of the healthiest spirituality I have seen, I have encountered among patients in mental hospitals.
Is sin a form of insanity?
Yes and no.
It is spiritual insanity and it is not normal.
Is racism a form of insanity? Individually? Corporately?
Yes and no.
Yes because it is not normal; it is irrational; it is ungodly at its core.To hate a soul God made is a form of hatred of God no matter how tightly it is wrapped in religious language and formality. It is deranged and irrational. It leads to an out-of-balance insanity.
But, once named, acknowledged, and dealt with, it is curable by God's grace.
It may take a while. It may involve uncovering layer upon layer that we did not know existed. It may still bite us from time to time, but it involves choice.
If we grow up, we can outgrow it as long as we know it, name it, and reject it.
But we are still responsible for it.
It is in-congruent with the gospel and it is a world-wide phenomenon. In this country, it looks one way. In other places, it takes on different forms.
Everywhere it shows up, it is evil and it is stupid.
Evil - It is sin, individual and corporate.
"All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God."
That is not an excuse; it is a call to repentance.
I say "stupid" because some people who don't mind being evil would cringe to think that they might also be stupid.
Throw in spiritual insanity and they might just take a closer look at their assumptions.
Racism has no place in an intelligent and civilized society. It has even less place among people of faith.
Ultimately, it will not be the politicians, lawyers, psychologists, or any other discipline that defines moral terminology and what they say really matters only for a few hours of press time.
What really matters is truth and truth is obvious.
We are all precious to God and ought to be precious to each other.
When one hurts, we all ought to hurt.
When one falls, we all ought to examine ourselves lest we fall or cause another to fall.
Sometimes we meed to persist, agitate, aggravate, and infuriate. It is our job.
So many things require answers we do not have or that someone has and is unwilling to share.
All acts of violence have stories.
Every bullet has a source and motive.
Every excuse has more than one possibility.
Every fear has multiple possible outcomes and conceivable choices.
Every point of view has flaws.
Every death must be taken very seriously.
Every life must be valued in its own context and with a name.
Every tragedy needs to be dissected inside and out.
Every consequence that stems from exercise of power must be examined and questioned.
In the end, some questions will remain unanswered, but the accountability will cause us all to be more accountable.
In our system, the people are the highest authority and have the most profound responsibility to ask even the unanswerable questions and to press for what answers there may be.
It tires the soul and frustrates the serenity, but it is the job.
“And the LORD planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.“ – Genesis 2:8
God planted a garden.
God is the planter who put the seeds in the ground and God is the gardener who continues to tend the crops He has planted.
As a gardener who has come late to the activity, I feel His presence as I walk among my flowers and vegetables. I tenderly clear the ground around an infant growth of young greens and I baby a fresh sprout, carefully checking my tomatoes for any care, extra food, protection, or water they may need.
I know I can only encourage and help create conditions for growth. I cannot make anything grow at all.
I can cultivate soil, dig rows, plant seeds, weed, water, and talk to my plants. After I have done all, they may respond in appreciation or they may not.
In those moments, I think of God tending His world, tending my life, watching over my family.
Sometimes I respond with fruit. Sometimes, I rebel.
I think of Jesus’ precious care for the church and His call to me to assist Him in that work of caring. The whole activity challenges and inspires me to want to garden more and to minister more to people.
God is a gardener and we are gardeners. There is much to be done and much to pray.
Oh Garden of God, On the soil Our feet have trod, We shall toil.
Row by row, God of the garden, Sow Thy truth in me. And, lest my heart harden, Open my eyes to see.
B - We recognize the BEST of manhood in a good father. It is the best of manhood because it is an expression of the image of God in Him where he exercises the gifts that flow from the Fatherhood of God through his life and into the lives of his children. When a man is connected to the best God has to offer, he can give his best to others. Men were built for fatherhood and challenged in that role.
I - We celebrate INTEGRITY. My father taught it to me and I have tried to teach it to my children. I try to pass it on to my grandsons and the young men and women I mentor. Integrity is who you are when there is no payoff for doing the right thing, when no one is looking, keeping score, or rewarding your efforts. Integrity is being fully integrated in what we profess, possess, and practice.
G - The big deal about fatherhood is that it is a GOOD thing because it is a GOD thing. It is such a GIANT task that we need God's guidance, strength, and love to fulfill the role. It is such a GRAND thing that when your children have children, you become a GRAND-father. Our model for fatherhood is a Heavenly Father who loves us sacrificially and unconditionally and who holds us to a higher standard than we even imagine for ourselves, shaping us, encouraging us, and training us for GREATNESS.
Some days I weary of having a point of view. All truth, even undeniable, indisputable, universal truth is filtered through our perspectives, shaped by experience, knowledge, language, and understanding over a lifetime.
I can change my vantage and expand my view, but I haven't figured out how to -unknow what I know, -unsee what I see, -unhear what I hear,
... or unshackle myself from the compulsion to cry out and invite others to know, see, hear, think.
So I comment, cry out, question probe, agitate, irritate, and think out loud for myself, for others, for what I sense is the call of God, and for truth to broaden my own understanding and those of others for the core principles I embrace and the sometimes subtle truths that refine them.
Yet - there are times I long for a vacation from thinking and knowing. Times, I say, some, I say. Not all, not often, not for long. I do not enjoy having points of view - not always. I just do and everyone is entitled to my opinion ...
But I will tell you this: If we ever stop laughing at ourselves, we are in deep, deep trouble.
So, pause, breathe, laugh, and then, resume the struggle.
Why am I so preoccupied with the injustices I see?
Blame it on the stories I've deeply heard.
First, the big story/stories in the Bible.
Then the stories you have told me & I have heard, received, and lived with you in the telling.
God and you and God in you passed on the pain.
Once we have heard, seen, or felt something through the eyes, ears, perspective, and pain of another, we cannot return to our own, old biased perspective. We cannot unknow what we have come to know.
Not withstanding the positive theme of the great spiritual classic, in the real world, there are things we cannot "unknow" that thrust upon us a higher level of responsibility and calling.
The gift of empathy is something of a curse, but the curse is a great gift.
I would rather live under the burden of the curse than reject the gift and the promise ...
A better day is coming
I love scripture. I love rubbing alcohol. Both give off an aroma. Both can sting when applied. Both can purify and heal.
And if we apply scripture in the right or wrong places, like rubbing alcohol, it might not hurt at all or it might hurt too much. Like anything, it must be applied with wisdom, truth, understanding, and compassion -- the way God does.
All of these loose reflections coming together, remind me to keep one eye on the Bible, one on the world, and that inner eye of the soul, focused on Jesus.
It is then, that pain and pleasure come together in a purposeful joy of living and a pliable point of view emerges to embrace truth whatever it might be --- and to act upon it, however we are called.
Is it conceivable that God would be angry at our prayers?
Irritated?
Perturbed?
Cynical?
The psalmist thought so and prayed, "O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?" (Psalm 80:4 ESV)
Context, please and a reminder that this one was not rejected. In fact, it was accepted into the canon.
Were they disingenuous? Were they rote? Were they self-righteous, self-absorbed, or self-centered? Were they religious mumbo-jumbo with no life engagement?
But this one, Psalm 80, is gut-level, gut-wrenching, gut-spilling honesty. God likes that.
Three times, he cries (actually sings),
" Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!" (Psalm 80:19 ESV)
He also says, "Hey, we are your people, your prize, your statement to the world. This is all about you!" (Very loose paraphrase)
God does not turn away from real prayer, though His silence and delays may be disturbing. He longs for our honest engagement and for us to pour out our hearts that He might fill them.
Every forlorn and desperate psalm is an invitation for us to come to God in very honest prayer.
Indeed, we must dream - we must do so wide awake, alert, eyes focused, never wavering, always pursuing, moving, stepping up and stepping forward, joyously embracing each tomorrow and those with whom we share those tomorrows. We must dream.
What is your big dream today?
Is it bigger than you?
Is it bigger than your self-interests?
Is it enough to keep you awake?
Is it from outside yourself, a divine gift from the Maker of dreams?
What steps will you take today in the direction of your dream?
I need to be the person I was made to be. I need to find and live out the larger purpose. I need to fully embrace the love, grace, and joy God gives. I need mercy. i need the peace of God. I need God.
I need to be the person I was made to be. I need to find and live out the larger purpose. I need to fully embrace the love, grace, and joy God gives. I need mercy. i need the peace of God. I need God.
Last year, someone started a trending hashtag o Twitter, challenging everyone to sum up an important truth about life in three words. I saved the one I contributed and here they are.
"… I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – II Corinthians 12:9
Whatever the thorn in Paul’s flesh was, we have all gained from it. That is because, whether we admit it or not, we are all rather thorny people. We could spend our days and nights picking at the thorns and begging for their removal, or we could move forward in grace.
We harbor delusions of self-sufficiency and adequacy because we simply do not understand the real source of real strength. Pride, ego, and self-centeredness blind us to our needy state. We deny the thorns if they don’t go away on their own and cover them with layers of hypocrisy.
Get real!
Worship is not an illusion. Nor is a time of glorified denial as we display the selves we wish to project to our brothers and sisters. We don’t come to church to parade our perfection. Worship is about getting real with God and one another so that God can become real to us.
In worship, we acknowledge real strength – that it is God’s and not ours. We are commanded to be strong in the Lord – not in the flesh, not in our strength, not in our own will power.
As we come, we bow before the Lord – and that is with humility and recognition of our own weakness.
It is Christ’s power and not our own, we need to overcome that over which we are powerless. When we are weak, then we are strong because we rely upon the God of strength.
When we come to that realization, we can truly worship.
Curly was asked, in "City Slickers," about the meaning of life.
"One thing," he replied.
"What is it?"
"You have to figure that out yourself," he retorted.
It seemed pretty unsatisfactory at the moment, until that moment of discovery when the inquirer truly knew what it was for him.
The psalmist knew.
To ask, to seek, to dwell, to gaze, to inquire. I suppose you could mix them up, stir them around, or take them in reverse. You could do them all at once. You could take them in order. It is a simple "ask" that ushers in a progression beyond asking. That which is sought is He who is sought. It is not a package of gifts, but a giver of gifts. One thing. One thing. I ask and seek to dwell ... that I may gaze and inquire ... ... and from there?
Limitless possibilities.
" One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple."
The praise goes where the praise belongs. It begins with God. It ends with God. God inhabits it all and is the source, the force, the course, and the prime subject matter of love, justice, truth, and praise.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.
Blessing and delight drench the soul of all who get it, who enter in to the joy of His commands, who find freedom from all other fears in the reverent fear, wonder and awe of God Himself.
Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Our lives, lived openly, authentically, genuinely, and generously before our children impact them and others. There are generational implications of upright living.
Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
As truth measures riches, riches about. As eternity measures time, righteousness endures. As life fades, the legacies of life perpetuate.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Who are these for whom light dawns? They are those who stand up straight in a twisted world. They are those who walk steady and strong in the midst of rigid indifference to the needs of people. They are gracious. They are compassionate. They are rightly aligned with God and mankind.
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
God rewards the generous soul. It is not a formula. It is not an enticement to deeper greed. The generous person may come to the end of her road like John Wesley who made sure that his last dime was distributed to the poor so that he would die penniless, but rich and declare in his dying breath, "The best of all is that God is with us."
God loves justice because God is love and justice is what love looks like in our treatment of other people.
Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.
To be upright and unshaken is to be strong at the roots, bendable at the trunk and branches. and always growing. It is to leave an impact that will not be forgotten even if our name fades or the details of our lives are obscured by time and tide.
They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
We can get so preoccupied with the news that we are constantly in an inner uproar. But it need not be so. We need not and must not be fearful of the happenings around us. As we remain steadfast in faith, integrity, hope, love, and truth, trusting God, we will be steadied and sustained. We press on.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
It is an inside job, an inner working. Our hearts are secure. That is the secret of fearlessness. We know who God is and in God, we know who we are. Purpose drives us from within. We believe in the ultimate outcome of triumph.
They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor.
If we love what God loves and do the work of God among the poor, the broken, the wounded, the lonely, and the oppressed, God will bless that righteousness. God will cause that work to live beyond us and be life giving in the world. Count on it.
The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.
You do not have to worry about the wicked. You do not have to actively pursue them or vindicate yourself. Truth and consistency will do that for you.
Perhaps through the vexing curse of their own wickedness and the frustration of their inability to find what they are looking for, they may be convicted of the futility of their ways and come to faith.
Many have.
Our job is to keep on in the light that is dawning for us in the darkness - no matter how dark it gets.
The pot is being stirred and there is a lot of spillage. The church is struggling with its identity in a rapidly changing world. Everyone, inside and outside, has an opinion - maybe more than one. Sometimes we are fighting the world. Sometimes we are fighting each other. Sometimes we put our collective feet in our mouths.
Sometimes I get sick of Christians.
Sometimes I get sick of myself.
Many recent conversations have not brought out the best in me.
It is hard to hang out with people who have more answers than questions. This has been building up. Others are making definitions of who is what and codifying them with really long and specific lists.
Sometimes I find it easier to relate to non-Christians who don't claim to have all the answers than to my brothers who are sure that they do.
"Are you biblical, traditional, emergent, liberal, conservative, seeker-sensitive, or what? Careful. Consult the list of criteria before answering."
"Pick a category. Hurry!"
I take Jesus' words, "Seek and ye shall find" to point toward an ongoing process of seeking and finding and seeking some more and finding some more and never being settled and done.
So I come to most conversations with a mixture of dogmatism and ambiguity, a tentative confidence grounded in solid faith, but flexible from the ground up.
I get frustrated with friends who want to finish every conversation with a hard and fast pronouncement. I want to say, "That tree is still alive and subject to quite a bit of movement as it grows upward."
What I know is that as it grows upward, its roots sink deeper - and that is what accounts for my peace and confidence.
If we put most of our focus on the roots without ignoring what is seen, we can do whatever it is we do with trees with the rest of our time and energy.
But it is the root of things that matters most and I see a lot of attention being given to leaves and bark.
What occurs to me is that Jesus said He was the vine; we were the branches; God handled the pruning; and our task was to abide.
I suppose I need to let Him handle the outgrowths that keep annoying and embarrassing me with their references to prayers against anyone with whom they disagree or that they see as a threat to God - who has a pretty good track record of being able to take care of Himself.
And thank God He ignores ridiculous prayers where we presume to know who should live or die.
Maybe He chuckles at our assumptions that we must desperately rescue civilization so that his Kingdom will not die from our neglect. It is not that we are not called to engage, transform, influence, and preserve culture. It is a matter of balance and of seeing the larger Kingdom picture which includes thousands of years of chaotic world history and a big world that stretches far beyond our Western orientation.
It is not just the really obnoxious and grotesque examples of mean-spirited distortions of Christianity, but the more subtle things that are bothering me.
Everyone seems to know where things need to be pruned and I see a potentially lopsided bush forming. Many Christians are just so sure of themselves and what they have "found" in their brief forays into seeking territory.
"We ought to do this and not that. We should be doing such an so. Everyone should stand up for this and against that and we all need to pull together and stand against sin and this is the sin we should be focusing on and isn't it awful that some people don't see it quite the way we do and don't you know that it is us against them and what we need is courage and courage is doing what I say you ought to be doing and please don't question it. And we have to get back to the Bible and these are the verses on which we should focus and this is how it should be done and don't forget to use the right words and slogans and we are right and everyone else is wrong and on and on and on."
So thank God that as much as it seems one party or another is setting God's agenda, He has not relinquished that prerogative to us. It really does not matter what we decide in our back and forth and circular conversations. God will do what God pleases and will continue to make all the definitions.
And God will prune and feed the vine and lead His servants and correct them when necessary and even use us in the process whenever He can trust us to love the sinner like He does.
Yes. I get sick of Christians sometimes - just people with the same personality quirks they would have if they were not Christians - people just as ornery as I am ( or less so because I have a big dose of it).
We get ticked off and opinionated and harsh and then we crash from time to time and ask a lot of questions and then we come back to center - but all the while, our roots are planted in the strong bedrock of God's grace and truth.
I get ticked off and harsh when I perceive people are ticked off and harsh and I judge judgmental people and I am just as human as the rest.
Jesus said He would not feel like spitting us out unless we went lukewarm. He can steer us when we are moving. He can guide us when we are seeking. He can change us when we stay open to change. He can bend us and mold us, and break the resistance of our hearts and He does.
Does Jesus get sick of Christians? When we just don't get it? When we act the same as the folks He was calling to repentance but with Bible verses to justify our rigidity and graceless living?
Maybe, but He doesn't give up. Surprisingly, He loves us passionately and is infinitely patient with us. He uses our crude attempts at service. He includes us in His purpose whether or not we get it.
I have not given up on the church because Jesus has not given up on the church or on me.
The Vine-dresser has not retired.
The church has no corner on the market for dogmatism, rigidity, or critical judgments. Humanity is a common "disease" and a common blessing as well.
If I am ever sick of Christians, it is because they are my family and families get on each others nerves from time to time. I really love Christians and other people as well, but Christians are, with all their peccadilloes, my people and God's people. We are called to be peculiar and even odd. We are thrown together with our personality issues and commanded to "work it out" with God's help and guidance. We have to struggle and grow in our capacity for relationship.
We march to a different drum and, in doing so, we don't flaunt it or push our weight around. That is the plan anyway.
Kick fear in the fanny! Kick discouragement in the fanny! Kick injustice in the fanny! Kick the devil in the fanny! Kick racism, bigotry, and loveless lack of compassion in the fanny! Kick yourself in the fanny if need be, but be careful ...
Not to throw your hip out of joint ... Same danger with the shoulder ... Patting oneself on the back.
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