When I Slowed Down...

On Monday of this week I stopped everything and ate. It was good. To be clear, "it" was not the food. Oh I am sure the food was good, and if I thought hard enough I could likely recall what leftover food from home I ate. Yet what I mean by "it was good," is the experience I had. So...what happened?

Simply stated; I ate, observed my surroundings, contemplated things, and struggled to stay "slowed down."

If you think about it, having an abundance of food is a recent luxury. Granted, throughout history the wealthy could enjoy an abundance of food. Yet the majority of the world was not wealthy, and often food was scarce. A reality is, for much of the world today, food is still a precious commodity. Indeed, it is for those of us who are not "food poor" as well. Yet in a busy pace it is easy for food to become an assumed and simple given.

As I observed my surroundings I noticed the leaves rustling with the wind. When I take the time to notice this, it is rare if my thoughts do not turn to the Spirit of God. The Spirit is always at work, desiring to bring about transformation. The question is, for followers of Jesus at least, "Are we willing counterparts to what He desires?"

I also observed the busyness all around me. I-35 was to my left (south) and Old Highway 50 was to my right (north). There was not a moment when my eyes lacked a vehicle to observe. I find this amazing given how I could only see about 200 yards of either roadway from where I sat. We live in a fast paced world. Unfortunately, it is often this fast pace that blinds us to the continual working of the Spirit. God can, and does, work quickly at times. Yet His greater work is most often a process which takes great lengths of time...sometimes an entire lifetime.

As I observed the busyness around me, I wondered about the people driving by. Were some people on vacation? Were some commuting to work? Were some working and transporting goods? I also wondered how many of those people know God's Story. I do not mean have they heard about God...but rather, do they know His Story?

As I ate, reflected, and observed what was around me...I also had to struggle to keep focused on being slowed down. More than once my mind  drifted to what I could be doing. It did not take long to think, "Hey, I could blog about this...it has been a long time since I have written a blog."

I am convinced that living in the present is something many struggle to do. For some their present is too painful, so they think of better days gone by or blame others for their pain. For some their present is too boring, so the next new adventures fill their mind or they despair over their "pitiful" life. For some their present is filled with doubt, anxiety, worry, fear, and a host of other things - so precious time is filled with everything from workaholicism to escapism.

Yet for the follower of Jesus, the present ought to be the most joy filled place one could ever be. A Christian can face the uncertainties of the present based on the reality of an amazing future (Jesus' return which will usher in the Kingdom of God in fullness), which is assured by the past (The Christ Event - which includes Jesus' Resurrection - as Satan and all the forces of this world have been defeated). Granted, this does not make the present "easy" - but that is OK. Yet it does make the present worthwhile and manageable, and that is a huge and healthy shift for many.

Ultimately what happened when I slowed down was I opened myself up a bit more to a healthy rhythm of life. It has been said that idleness is the devil's tool in the hands of many. While there is truth to that, I think idleness (perhaps some would prefer to call it stillness...or slowing down...or downtime...) is a tool of the Holy Spirit that God's people need to allow Him to wield.

I Slowed Down The Other Day...

It was a Monday, two days ago, and things were going well - extremely well. I was back from some time away; both time off (vacation days spent mostly around home/Emporia), and time away to work on things for New Life (at an Abbey in Athchison), and I was being productive. While being productive is not a huge accomplishment, after all, it goes with having a job. Yet being as productive as I was on my first day back from time off is a big accomplishment - at least for me.

And in the midst of all of this productivity I did something extremely out of character for me. I stopped. In the past I would have kept going, kept being productive. Yet when I got hungry for my mid-day meal I not only ate...but I stopped everything and ate.

If I am not eating with my biological family, I work through my meals. I realize I am a guy, but I can multi-task if one of the things involves eating. So I spend my meal breaks reading, doing email, or something productive. Yet Monday, for the first time in a long time, I stopped. I sat outside, in the shade, and ate. It was good. I cannot remember what I ate...but I hope I will never forget what happened.

I must be honest, I did not conclude I needed to do this (stop everything and eat) on my own. Two weeks before, during mid-day prayer while at the Abbey, one of the monks thanked God for this break from the labor of the day to enjoy a meal...this time to rest. It resonated, deeply, with me.

Meals are an increasingly big thing for me - but most of that is tied in with the Eucharist (Lord's Supper or Communion if you prefer) - and I am not going into that here. Yet at the Abbey I was struck with how I often rifle through a meal, working...and not resting and taking a break from my toil.

What happened as I ate? I will go into that next time. Yet in the meantime I encourage you to slow down, stop everything, and eat.

I Am Convinced...

I am sure you noticed the title for this post did not end with a period (.), but rather with an ellipsis (…). This is because I have been pondering a thought for quite some time now, and I believe it is now time to hesitantly share it…while leaving some room for modification (hence the ellipsis). Here is the statement; it is harder to live for Jesus here in our culture than it is in other cultures. Of this reality I am convinced… 

Another reason I use an ellipsis instead of a period, is because my experience is in this culture. I have only read about following Jesus in other cultures; I have not experienced it. So allow me to cut to the chase again, phrased a bit differently, following Jesus is harder in our culture than in other cultures…

I have pondered this statement for a while for a variety of reasons. One reason is that it is one thing to ponder something, but it is another to put it out there for consumption. Quite often in my mind I think if my life does not reflect what I put out there, then what is my basis for making the statement? In other words; “practice what you preach”.

Granted, I am all for practicing what I preach. Yet we need to understand something; if someone highlights an issue or a problem, and for some reason their life does not match up to “the solution,” this does not mean the issue or problem is false or irrelevant. E.g., around 26,000 children will die today (and tomorrow, and the next day) from a lack of food or some other poverty-related issue. However, just because I am going to likely eat more than the bare minimum needed for survival on most days, and drive a car rather than walk to work, does not negate the reality that 26,000 children are going to die of preventable causes. In other words, just because I have not reduced the “stuff” in my life to what seems to be drastic measures (by our standards), this does not negate the truth of poverty devouring life on this earth. Truthfully, I think far too many Christians play the “Well yeah, but what are you doing about it?” card in order to somehow justify their lack of doing anything. Let us call that for what it is – sin.

OK, now back to why I am convinced it is harder to follow Jesus here than in other cultures. Simply stated, it is easy to know following Jesus is costly if a gun is pointed to your head for your professed belief (or a machete is being repeatedly lowered on your leg, or your house is being bombed, or your children are being targeted for death because the persecutors know they can no longer keep you silent by threatening merely your life), as you are given an option to repent. On the other hand, it is not so easy to tell following Jesus is costly when we are faced with upgrading to a nicer automobile (or home, or cable package, or brand of clothes) when what we have is honestly, and quite often, more than enough. 

On one hand, the above examples of “it is easy to tell” and “it is not so easy to tell” can easily be expounded. Yet on the other hand, we must not be fooled into thinking this applies only in the realm of materialism. However we cannot deny Jesus bluntly states “the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Mk4:19). No wonder Jesus told a guy to sell all he had and give it to the poor (Mk10:21). 

If you are still reading, let me briefly expand this difficulty in following Jesus in our culture beyond the realm of materialism. For example, in a culture where your very life depends on unity and harmony in the body it is likely “easier” to reconcile and forgive an offense. Yet in our culture, where one can just leave one church and go to the next, or choose not to talk and reconcile with someone because the stakes for unity and harmony do not seem so obvious, well then forgiveness and reconciliation are easily viewed as an option. Similarly, it is perhaps “easier” to be blinded to the reality of how our actions impact others here as well. Yet I recall Paul saying something about protecting the Unity the Spirit has gifted to The Church (Eph4:3), and Jesus saying the world will know we are His disciples by how we love one another (Jn13:34-35; cf. Jn17:20-23). Those do not sound like optional aspects of following Jesus. Indeed, they are not; we are only deceived into thinking they are. Let us again call that for what it is – sin.

We live in a culture that teaches us to be self-centered, not self-denying. We live in a culture that teaches us to be independent, not dependent on God for everything. We live in a culture that teaches us things are disposable, not a resource to be leveraged for the Kingdom. We live in a culture that tells us relationships are replaceable, not valuable and worth fighting to preserve. We live in a culture that tells us unity is important so long as it does not cost us anything, not to go to extreme measures to protect it. We live in a culture that teaches us to consume will bring ultimate happiness and fulfillment, not that it leads to addiction and emptiness. We live in a culture that teaches us so many things contrary to God’s desires are acceptable, the norm, or just the way our culture is so we may as well accept it.

I think many people seeking to follow Jesus struggle with things in this post…yet sadly I think many have been placated into at least a partial resignation to the way things are. Yeah, it is harder to follow Jesus here than in other cultures, of this I am more convinced… 

 

So, I turn to God in prayer; thankful for His grace...yet expressing my desire to respond to It more fully. I realize this is a battle I cannot win on my own; of that I am convinced.

 

Shoveling Snow & Lent [2]

As we concluded our time together pondering shoveling snow and Lent last time, I stated, “the reality of sin in our lives can and does lead to jarring impacts…So what is one to do?”. Well, we will consider what to do in a moment. Yet before we do that let me start with an analogy, which I hope will prove to be helpful. 

If 20” or so of snow falls in a 24 hour period, it will eventually have to be removed. If it is not, getting in and out of one’s driveway will prove to be hazardous, if not impossible. Indeed, the snow will need to be removed from the driveway, sidewalk, etc. Well, there is the option of letting nature take its course and allowing the snow to melt. Yet aside for the soon to be seen irony with that choice, let us simply acknowledge that will make getting around your place extremely difficult and treacherous for quite some time. In fact, many people could even get hurt in the process.

Since the snow needs removed, one has a few options, of which we will look at two. One option is to wait until it is all done snowing, at least as best as one can tell, and then remove all 20” of snow at once. Another option is to go out a few times during the snowstorm and remove smaller amounts; obviously this will include scooping snow more than once to finish the job.

Option one, shoveling 20” of snow at one time, is no small feat. Even for someone in good physical condition, it will take a lot of time and effort. In fact, one may need to stop a time or two while doing a driveway, sidewalk, and/or deck. Indeed, doing this much snow at once would likely seem to be a daunting and impossible task. One might even get frustrated and discouraged while doing it – especially if one were doing it alone.

In option two, lesser amounts of snow could be done at breaks in the day – especially if it were a true “snow day” (i.e., a day without normal work). One could scoop a few inches shortly after waking up, scoop some more upon returning from work late in the morning (or else risk getting stranded away from home), then go back out in the afternoon, and perhaps in the evening as well. To be certain, this will still take time and effort, but the overall time and effort will be less. Well, the time might be a bit more, but I doubt it. Yet for certain the strain on one’s back is much less in dealing with 3-6” of snow multiple times as opposed to 20” at once. In fact, you cannot manually scoop 20” of snow at once. Indeed, one would be forced to scoop their way down to the bottom; either straight down or by taking a layer, then doing another layer, and likely another layer (not to mention those difficult icy footprints and tire tracks on the bottom layer).

Now what does this have to do with sin? Actually, I would not be surprised if many of you already know where I am going with this. When it comes to sin in our lives we have two basic choices: a) let it pile up until something has to be done with it – usually because of some sort of consequence or difficulty one now faces, or b) deal with it as it occurs in one’s life. 

Simply stated, dealing with sin is difficult; there is always fallout – somewhere. What do I mean by fallout? I mean your sin never impacts only you…it impacts others around you as well. We can pretend it does not, but it always does (e.g., read the Bible).

I would like to expound on the above analogies and draw comparisons, but I think you all can do that. So, instead of that, I will give an example of “a” and “b” with a common sin that is often overlooked – anger.

Actually, I will not. Not this time at least. I will simply end by stating the fact; sin has to be dealt with – sooner or later.

It can “accumulate” in one’s life until it is “too big” and “too daunting” and therefore people feel defeated before they ever start to address it. This is option “a” above. Or, one can live a repentant life and deal with sin as they are convicted by the Holy Spirit (option “b”). To be certain, this still takes effort and is daunting at times…but it is much more manageable – not to mention godly.

Oh yes, there is also a “c” option, you know, the “irony” from the second paragraph of this post. This option is to do nothing and let nature run its course. Well, in the course of sin – it is death. Granted, for those “in Christ” things are different…but it certainly leads to a lot of frustration, a lack of fruit, in short – bondage to the forces of darkness. This should never be the option of a follower of Jesus. Yet sadly, and ironically, it is often chosen; sometimes by default, other times as a preference.

We will continue again – likely by showing options “a” and “b” in relation to anger. Who knows, maybe option “c” will be included, I do not know. Yet this I do know, Jesus came to ‘destroy' the works of the devil (1Jn3:8). Yes, take heart, Jesus has overcome the world! (cf. the Bible).   

Shoveling Snow & Lent [1]

Shoveling snow and Lent huh? What do they have to do with one another? Well, I like snow. I do not like sin. I am growing in my appreciation of Lent. Yet on top of that; this is the season of Lent, we got a lot of snow yesterday where I live (KS), and sin – well, sin is pretty much everywhere.

Yet there is more to the connection of snow, sin, and Lent than their current presence all around me at the moment. However, their current presence was certainly the inspiration for this and some following posts.

Many in the Christian faith are familiar with the concept of their sins being washed “whiter than snow”. One’s knowledge of this could be via a text in Isaiah 1:18; “Come now, let us reason together, says YHWH, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (ESV). One’s knowledge of this concept may have come through a song, of that title, by James L. Nicholson. 

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;

I want Thee forever to live in my soul.

Break down every idol, cast out every foe;

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow.

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

To be certain, it is assuring to know that even though sin has left its ugly mark on every single one of us, thanks to Jesus, we can indeed be “whiter than snow”. I can hardly think of that concept without having Romans chapter five come to mind – how God acted on my (our) behalf while I was still a sinner. Yes, because of Jesus I can be justified; I can be “whiter than snow”. 

I imagine the concept of being “whiter than snow” likely comes to one’s mind more readily when looking at fresh snow. After all, it is a peaceful picture, and taking that concept into our lives and how we are that way with God can be a comforting reality. Yet there is a hidden reality, if you will, under the pristine and unblemished fresh snow.

An elderly couple lives across the street from us; whenever it snows I clear their driveway as well. I will never forget the first time I cleared it. Why? Well, I did our driveway first and then headed over to theirs. In doing ours I had become accustomed to giving hard shoves and pushes to move the snow across the even driveway. Yet as I attempted this on their driveway I came to more than one shoulder-jarring (and back-jarring and wrist-jarring) halt. Why? Their driveway has a variety of cracks in it. Yet on top of that, grass and weeds had grown up in those cracks, and while they were now either dead or dormant, the left behind foliage added to the difficulty of snow shoveling. In other words, not only did I have to shovel the snow, I also had to feel my way for cracks, and then chop through the foliage in order to clear their driveway.

So, again you may be wondering – snow? sin? Lent? – I am not getting it. The issue is this. Despite the “whiter than snow” gift those “in Christ” have…a reality still exists. This reality is sin. Even the most beautiful snowfall only obscures what is really beneath the surface. In the case of our neighbor’s driveway it was a lot of cracks that made shoveling snow more challenging (and time-consuming). This is where Lent comes in. An aspect of Lent is preparing oneself for Resurrection Sunday (Easter) by taking a more serious look at sin in our own lives. Sin is present in your life; sometimes in obvious ways, but at other times sin is lurking beneath an otherwise pristine surface. What will you do about it?  

Just to be clear, I am not downplaying the truth of “whiter than snow” – yet I am calling us to not downplay the reality of sin in our lives either. While we may be “pure” in God’s sight…the reality of sin in our lives can and does lead to jarring impacts. These impacts affect not only our lives, but the lives of those around us as well. So what is one to do? We will look at that next time. 

Honesty With God

Every now and then I make some rather audacious statements concerning Christianity. I suppose making these types of statements, for me, is a natural out flowing of seeking to be faithful to God.

I made one such audacious statement in a sermon the last Sunday of 2012. I sought to brace the people of New Life so it would not catch them completely off guard. I warned them that some would not like what I was about to say…but I was OK with that. However, I did relay my hope that they would ponder and pray about the statement and hopefully come to a point of agreeing with it in the near future. I went on to say that God knows what He is doing.

I kept going for a bit, but it seemed my point was missed, so I let them know I had made my audacious statement – God knows what He is doing. This promptly drew a few chuckles and not a few puzzled looks. So I added that we ought to give the Creator of everything the benefit of the doubt – He knows what He is doing.

I was serious when I said it then, and am serious while writing about it now. We, the finite creation, need to give the Infinite Creator of EVERYTHING the benefit of the doubt and trust He knows what He is doing. 

Well, this may sound nice, but what difference does it actually make? Is there any impact for my life you may ask. Yes, there is. The benefits that come from being honest with God are immense.

Think back to when you were a kid. Did you ever get in trouble? If you did not please feel free to stop reading right now. Better yet, call your parents and ask them (if you still have contact with them that is).

Anyway, did you ever try and deny what you did, while not knowing your parents knew what you did, and therefore receive a more harsh punishment? Conversely, did you ever confess what you did and get a bit lighter punishment?  Some may be able to relate to this analogy, others may not. Regardless, it is a way to understand something about God. Namely, honesty with God is a good thing. When we are honest with Him there is forgiveness and empowerment. Yet when we are dishonest with Him there is bondage and misery. 

A lot of God’s people need to be honest with Him and confess a variety of things. Think of all the problems in The Church right now. A lack of forgiveness leads to people leaving churches, and worse yet, splitting churches. Materialism is out of control, which leads to next-to-nothing giving (on the overall scale) and needs being unnecessarily unmet all around us – and the world.  A lack of prayer leads to people not seeking God’s guidance and will for their lives; simultaneously they go about living their lives as if they have no need for God. This is further shown by a lack of reading in God’s Word while making time for newspapers, magazines, TV shows, recreation, etc.

I realize all of those can have their justifications. For lack of time I will not mention any, only to provide what I hope to be a future link. Yet justifications are not confession…and they will keep people in bondage to the habits, and whatever else, is influencing them. 

So, what is one to do? Well, in light the audacious thought of “God knows what He is doing,” how about doing the following. Find Scripture that addresses a certain issue with which you struggle, read it, be honest with God, and ask for help. It would look something like this…

If you struggle with forgiveness read Matthew 5:43-48 (where Jesus tell us to love our enemies), you might also read Matthew 18:21-35 (a parable about unforgiveness). Then say something like, “God, I am not there right now…I can’t forgive this person…what is more, I don’t really even want to forgive this person…yet I know Your word tells me I must forgive them…God, please help me…please give me a desire to forgive because right now I do not even have it…and honestly, I don’t even want that desire…BUT I trust You more than I trust me.”

That may sound foolish, but I assure you, it is not. It is not because of a few things: 1) you are in God’s word, 2) you are praying to (communicating with) God, 3) you are being honest with God, and 4) it opens the door for God to do what only He can do. Seriously, do you think He is unaware of your lack of a desire to forgive someone? Do you really want to continue to feel bad for not reading or praying? Do you really want to live in disobedience while being deceived by the evil one?

I did not think so.

I challenge you to try this method with whatever issue you are facing in your life. For some, it may need to start by reading 2 Corinthians 4:4 (Satan blinding eyes), 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (taking thoughts captive), and Matthew 4:9 (showing Satan’s ownership of this world). Satan (though defeated and bound) is alive and well enough to cause havoc in the lives of anyone – including those seeking to follow God. Maybe we all need to beg God to be merciful and reveal where we are being deceived by the evil one.

None of us are above that…and after all, honesty with God is a good thing. 

Is Your Gospel Too Small?

Disclaimer 1) this is a post rife with difficulties.

Disclaimer 2) this is a post with much left unwritten.

Disclaimer 3) this is a post with which some in The Church may struggle.

Disclaimer 4) this is a post with which some in the world may struggle.

Disclaimer 5) the struggles of #3 and #4 are not the same struggles.

Disclaimer 6) this is a post I am humbly undertaking...I am open to dialog.

Disclaimer 7) the implications of this post, and all the above disclaimers, point to the beauty of God’s Story (albeit incompletely).

There is, perhaps, nothing more central to the Christian message than the gospel. I suppose an accurate equation could be “Gospel = Christian Message.” And here is where our list of disclaimers becomes a factor.

The above disclaimers now engage us because I am using human language in an attempt to describe that which is, ultimately, indescribable – God and the things of God. Now this is not to say our human language is useless in talking about God. Yet it is to say human language continually falls short when talking about God. There is too much left unsaid, unknown, incomplete, and quite honestly open to wrong interpretation.

For example; to talk of God as Father is a Biblical truth (e.g., Deut1:30-31; Ps68:4-6; Mt5:45; 6:9; Rom1:7; Rev1:6, and Mk14:36; Rom8:15; Gal4:6). Yet for many, to think of God as “Father,” is quite unpleasant (even repulsive) because their earthly father was abusive, distant, sexually exploitative, or perhaps even unknown. This illustrates a struggle/tension concerning cataphatic and apophatic statements about God. What those strange terms mean is this: cataphatic statements are positive statements about God and apophatic statements are negative statements about God. So in relation to “God is Father” we need to understand He is indeed “Father” (apophatic), but He is unlike any earthly father you have ever known (apophatic). Unfortunately, all of our earthly fathers fell short of giving us, their children, God’s best. Equally unfortunately, as a father now, I know I fall short of giving my children God’s best. There is a real (and often ignored) danger which must be worked through by everyone seeking to follow Jesus. The danger is that of seeing God – the Heavenly Father – through the lens of their earthly father. God is indeed “Father,” but not like any father you have known.

Wow, I think I now need to add Disclaimer 8) “at some point I am bound to ramble and get a bit off topic,” and Disclaimer 9) “by God’s grace He will bring me back around to making something resembling coherent sense – and the ramble will be helpful in some way...I hope,” and for good measure, Disclaimer 10) “thank you for continuing to read this post.” OK, that is not really a disclaimer; I just wanted another to end on one of the numbers used for completion in the Bible (Bible study insider joke).

All of that said, what is the gospel? A rather standard answer in Christian circles is Paul’s description in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (or so) - "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me."

We will talk about this very important text in due time. Yet for now I simply want to make two observations about the word “gospel.”

Observation 1) the Greek word underlying gospel [εὐαγγέλιον] means “good news.” This can be seen with the prefix “eu” – good; cf. eulogy – a “good word” about someone in a funeral service, and the word root “angelos” – messenger; cf. “angel” – a messenger, who may in fact be preternatural. So at its core the gospel is “good news.” However, this leads us to…

Observation 2) the word “gospel” is a completely relative term. In other words, what is “good news” for one may well be “bad news” for someone else. In fact, this is how the nouns and verbs related to “gospel” are used in the Old Testament.

For example, the death of King Saul was spread as “good news” (verb form) for the Philistines (1Sam31:9). Yet while lamenting this news David does not want it “published” (verb form) lest more Philistines rejoice (2Sam1:20). In other words, the “good news” of Saul’s death was not so good for the people of Israel – even if some thought it could be leveraged to their advantage (cf. 2Sam4:10 – both noun and verb forms).

So where does all of this leave us? It leaves us with a few more disclaimers: Disclaimer 11) “this will not be the only post on this topic,” and Disclaimer 12) “I pray these words and thoughts will continue to shape me and all who read them.” 

It also leaves us, I hope, with the door at least open to the possibility that “the gospel” is larger – and I will add more beautiful – than we ever realized. Perhaps even more beautiful than we ever dared to dream or imagine. But yet…isn't that so like God?