So last week Dave talked about being set free from sin. He read through Romans 6 and talked about our old nature, our sinful self being crucified and buried with Christ and how we are now new creations, resurrected with the living Christ, the old has gone and the new way has come.
And yet sometimes I dont feel so new. Sometimes I have to strain to see progress in my life and I'm left wondering, Is this it? Is this the abundant life I was promised? Where are the streams of living water? And then Jen shared about places in her own life where she had given herself up to a sinful life and how she had been set free from that. And it was amazing to see how that resonated in a lot of you guys hearts, how the spirit was moving to encourage you and me with the grace and peace and forgiveness of God. Some of us found forgiveness in the person of Christ for the first time that night and asked for God to start us down the journey through life with Him. Others of us had lost our way and found ourselves rededicating our lives, climbing back on to the trail. And others of us were allowed to drop our heavy load, our burdens that were robbing the joy out of our Christian life, which was quickly becoming back breaking and heart breaking work.
And so most of us who made decisions last week probably went home and back to school. And whatever promise, whatever commitments we made. We probably fell short of. I did there were things that I wanted to do and didnt, and there were things that I wanted to stay away from but didnt. I dont know if your felt the same. I mean for the first couple of days maybe we tried real hard. We knew what needed to do. I gotta change this relationship, or get into the bible more, or pray. I gotta not get angry or gossip or be prideful or lustful. And it took for a day or two. And then ever so slowly the old ways started creeping up and creeping in. Our momentary experience seems to have done no conversion of this soul.
I mean, Ive got a general idea what Im supposed to do. I take the Ten Commandments you know, dont kill people, dont take their stuff or their wives, dont make gods out of earthly things. Add to that the great commandment out of Mathew 19 you know love God and love people, and the great commission of Mathew 28 teach people to follow Jesus. Throw in a pinch of all sorts of other commands in the bible. Pray with out ceasing; give money joyfully to the church. Take care of widows and the poor. Fast to train your self and go witnessing and encourage people. And yet, sometimes that whole concoction is like eating a spoonful of flour, like the dry stale dust you find in the attic. I get to the end of my week tired, tired and worn out from all the struggle with sin and the stirring onward towards the good. I find myself shouting out to God in my exhaustion.
God I just cant take it any more. I just dont want to do it anymore. It all seems like a bunch of works and trying to be good.
And so this person (point to self) is the kind of person that I think Pauls has in mind in this next chapter of Romans, so if you have your bibles turn to chapter 7 of Romans. If you dont have your bible you can borrow one of ours, and if you dont even own a bible I would love to get one into you hands. Yes I really wrote this. Any ways. Lets read.
Now, dear brothers and sisters*-you who are familiar with the law-don't you know that the law applies only to a person who is still living? 2 Let me illustrate. When a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.
So this is the point:
I love when Paul does this, he spells it out cause I'm a dunderbrain sometimes.
So this is the point: The law no longer holds you in its power, because you died to its power when you died with Christ on the cross. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God.
Did you guys catch that little phrase- As a result?
You see the Christian life is not primarily about being good moral people and doing good things. Hear me on this. The Christian life is not primarily about being moral. All the great thinkers of the ages have said we ought to be moral people. Plato, Aristotle, Confucius. All of them have said the key to a good life is to choose to do the good moral things and not the bad things. It doesnt matter what it takes or what it costs you personally- choose to do the good.
You see, morality through the power of the self is exactly what the unbelieving world believes in. Our society as a whole leads us to believe that as long as you are pretty good and mostly moral then you will be okay. I cant tell you the number of people that I talk to who see themselves as a basically good person. They dont steal or sleep around or kill people so they must be okay. If a conversation with a stranger goes on long enough the subject of Christianity will come up. I cant help it its what I do. Its in my blood. Or I guess its in His blood. Whatever. And when it comes up they hold up their hands and with a little shake they say, Whoa there, I believe that theres a God but this religion stuff just seems all out of whack. I just try to be as good a person as I can be and I think God will sort it out in the end.
Realize this- this is precisely what we have been saved from.
We have been saved from bondage to sin- halleluiah this is what we talking about last week
But we have also been saved from bondage to the law. We just read in Romans the Christian life is primarily about being united with Christ, about the life that is connected to God, grafted into the vine.
Its out of that connection and condition that our good fruit will start to grow. And when trees produce fruit, its not because of straining or striving but because with all the right ingredients a tree produces fruit naturally.
Let me give you an example from my own life and walk with Christ. When I first became a Christian and unfortunately for some time afterward I struggled heavily with anger. I was angry at all sorts of things, but ultimately I think it was a selfish anger born out of any thing that didnt go precisely the way that I thought that it should. But I was told, Christians dont get angry. We dont get mad. Love your enemies Mind you there are times when a righteous anger is okay when it empowers you to take a stand and make a difference. This wasnt that. This was just me getting pissed at people. But knowing I wasnt supposed to be angry, I took those feelings and stuffed them back inside. I just kept tucking it all back into my heart to where there was this ball of angry that sat just below the surface; seething, churning, boiling until the dam would break and some unsuspecting person would become the object of my wrath.
Slhjdogaiphspguhapodkhgpaohsdghaowuhpahsoghaoprghaohgolsg!
And the other person would stand there with wide eyes going Oh crap I never dealt with this before I was a Christian. I would just get mad at somebody, make disparaging remarks about their matronaige, and then proceed to some fisticuffs action. And at the end of it we usually wouldnt be mad at each other. Yeah wed be bleeding and bruised but that would be the end of it. And I only got angry like that every so often, going days or weeks or even months (okay so rarely ever months, this is before I became a Christian.) I wouldnt hardly ever think about it once it happened. Ah but once I tried to control my anger, theres where the battle was. Because my struggle was one of days and hours and sometimes minutes then. I was constantly trying to keep shoving the monster back in the box, to keep it from leaking out. Knowledge of the law brought death to my heart.
Where is my peace oh God?
Where is my abundant life that You promised?
Where are the streams of living water?
And then a peculiar thing most peculiar thing happened. A man in a white pickup truck ran a red light, cut me off, leaned out his window, and flipped me off while shouting obsinities as if his running a red light were somehow my fault. And I thought to my self boy that was odd. How true those words were, but not about that mans driving ability, but rather about my response to them. A bland and simple that was odd. Its probably not the first person that I didnt respond to in anger that quite justifiably I could have. Its just the first that I remember. I know exactly where it was the time of day and even the date it stood out to me so much. You see in my connection with God, He had begun to heal the anger that was in my heart and I wasnt even aware of it. He was shaping me even then to love people, this community and ultimately to serve this community and to make my service a joy because of the love that He had given me. And it didnt come from my own efforts to push back anger, but rather from the prayer, Lord God, help!
And God met that need by filling my heart wit love through my connection to Him.
I remember coming across this verse in John 14 through all of this. I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing.
What!?!?! Are you joking me? Apart from you I do a whole bunch of things here. And by the way where are those streams of living water? And the easy yoke and the rest you promised.
My yoke is easy, my burden is light. He would say.
But i'm an expert at twisting peoples words around. If any of you have younger siblings you know what I mean.
Gimmie my dollar back
Thats right it my dollar
No its not your dollar
Thats right its not your dollar.
Well I do the same things sometimes with God. He says my yoke is easy and by burden is light. Then how come my burden isnt easy and my yoke isnt light.
You see how this goes.
And so. I get to Romans eight which says
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of the sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering And so we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies, for this hope we are saved, but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have we with for it patiently. In the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express/ And he who searches our heats knows the mind of the Spirit, because the spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with Gods will.
And so tonight I pray that we would begin to open our hearts to God, opening up all our struggles with sin and our strivings for good and asking the Lord simply to be God over all of it. God be my God. Jesus be my sin sacrifice and Lord. Spirit come and make your home inside me.
139:1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. [1]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain! [2]
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts! [3]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting! [4]
May 19, 2006
May 4, 2006
Under construction...sorry for the mess...
David understood the power of God to affect change in the lives of the people of Israel. He knew that he needed to have God on his side if he was going to hold off the enemies of Israel. Do we understand that power today? I mean God says that he wants to do great and mighty things in our lives, changing and shaping us till we are perfect and complete and lacking nothing (James 1:4), that we are the very craftsmanship of the hand of God (Eph 2:10). He said that through the work of the Spirit of God we would be perfect because of Him. (Math 5:48)
One of my favorite authors compared the growth in the Christian life to that of a house or building.
Okay, Imagine that I had a dripping faucet, or a squeaky floor or a leaky roof, and hired a guy to come out and fix it. The guy shows up at eight on the dot and I leave him at my house and go off to do errands or go to work or school or whatever. Imagine my surprise when I turn into my driveway, pull back up to my house a few hours later and find absolute pandemonium. The front lawn: covered with stacks 2x4s and plywood. Pallets of concrete bags are sitting in the drive way and where the roof used to be now stands the skeleton of framing that was once hidden. My Eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, I walk through the front door, which has been painted in a fresh coat of green rather than the blue that it had been a few hours ago, to the bustling of activity. One guy seems to be tearing out sheetrock with the back of a claw hammer while another is busily running electrical cabling through the hall and still another is moving all my furniture into the back yard where there is a backhoe digging a large hole in the ground. What the heck is going on?!?! I start frantically looking around for the guy that I had hired to do the work this morning. I bound up the staircase (wait a minute, I dont remember stairs here, I dont even have a second story!) that opens up onto the remnants of the roof where I find the original contractor, sledgehammer in hand, poised to swing. The slow motion kicked in as I ran in front of him and yelled NOOO!!!!! WAAIIITTT!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Startled he looks up and says what are you doing? W-What am I doing? The nerve of this guy. What am I doing? I only asked you here to fix the little things, the faucet and the squeaky floor that would have been good enough for me. But he said to me, I know but I am making it perfect.
And what if I told you that you and I are this house and the impertinent handyman was Jesus. Most of us invited Jesus in at some point to fix some leaky faucet of sin in our lives. Being angry, lust, disobeying parents, but we soon found that He wasnt satisfied in fixing only those things but moved on to fixing self-centeredness, vain thoughts, and hurtful ways. Jesus says, be perfect (math 5:48) this is my house an Im coming to live in it (1 Cor 3:16) that he is the foundation for the building of our lives on Himself (1 Cor 3:11) and that he is the only foundation that will stand the test of trials (Math 7:25)
Cs Lewis says this in Mere Christianity from the voice of Jesus
Make no mistake, if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in my hands that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose you can push me away. But if you do not push me away then understand that I will see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs me I will never rest nor let you rest until you are literally perfect- until my father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you as he said he was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less.
But we are still all works in progress. I dont know about you guys, but I need a sign that says Under construction, sorry for the mess I may not have flipped anybody off on the free way lately but it hasnt stopped me from wanting to. I dont struggle with looking at girls on the Internet but I still have struggles with seeing them as my sisters, daughters of the Living God. I cant remember the last person that I cussed at, though there was this door where my key wouldnt work. Still under construction, sorry about the mess. But still moving forward.
One of my favorite authors compared the growth in the Christian life to that of a house or building.
Okay, Imagine that I had a dripping faucet, or a squeaky floor or a leaky roof, and hired a guy to come out and fix it. The guy shows up at eight on the dot and I leave him at my house and go off to do errands or go to work or school or whatever. Imagine my surprise when I turn into my driveway, pull back up to my house a few hours later and find absolute pandemonium. The front lawn: covered with stacks 2x4s and plywood. Pallets of concrete bags are sitting in the drive way and where the roof used to be now stands the skeleton of framing that was once hidden. My Eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, I walk through the front door, which has been painted in a fresh coat of green rather than the blue that it had been a few hours ago, to the bustling of activity. One guy seems to be tearing out sheetrock with the back of a claw hammer while another is busily running electrical cabling through the hall and still another is moving all my furniture into the back yard where there is a backhoe digging a large hole in the ground. What the heck is going on?!?! I start frantically looking around for the guy that I had hired to do the work this morning. I bound up the staircase (wait a minute, I dont remember stairs here, I dont even have a second story!) that opens up onto the remnants of the roof where I find the original contractor, sledgehammer in hand, poised to swing. The slow motion kicked in as I ran in front of him and yelled NOOO!!!!! WAAIIITTT!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Startled he looks up and says what are you doing? W-What am I doing? The nerve of this guy. What am I doing? I only asked you here to fix the little things, the faucet and the squeaky floor that would have been good enough for me. But he said to me, I know but I am making it perfect.
And what if I told you that you and I are this house and the impertinent handyman was Jesus. Most of us invited Jesus in at some point to fix some leaky faucet of sin in our lives. Being angry, lust, disobeying parents, but we soon found that He wasnt satisfied in fixing only those things but moved on to fixing self-centeredness, vain thoughts, and hurtful ways. Jesus says, be perfect (math 5:48) this is my house an Im coming to live in it (1 Cor 3:16) that he is the foundation for the building of our lives on Himself (1 Cor 3:11) and that he is the only foundation that will stand the test of trials (Math 7:25)
Cs Lewis says this in Mere Christianity from the voice of Jesus
Make no mistake, if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in my hands that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose you can push me away. But if you do not push me away then understand that I will see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs me I will never rest nor let you rest until you are literally perfect- until my father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you as he said he was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less.
But we are still all works in progress. I dont know about you guys, but I need a sign that says Under construction, sorry for the mess I may not have flipped anybody off on the free way lately but it hasnt stopped me from wanting to. I dont struggle with looking at girls on the Internet but I still have struggles with seeing them as my sisters, daughters of the Living God. I cant remember the last person that I cussed at, though there was this door where my key wouldnt work. Still under construction, sorry about the mess. But still moving forward.
April 25, 2006
Finishing
May 6th is Graduation day.
I did not think that I would feel excitement. I'm glad its over and theres a sense of relief, but theres a happy feeling in my heart that I wasnt really expecting. While I was wondering what it was I realized that it was the sense of accomplishing something, the feeling of finishing a task which I started which lead me to think about other things I have started but not finished. Books that Ive started and left uncompleted. Articles and stories that need more sentances. Woodworking projects that are still in pieces. People whom I continually see and never become friends with. So I started making a list. And I was a little frustrated with its length. Mind you, this is not a list of things I want to do with my life, mearly a list of books, tasks and people with which I have never completed an already started task.
Finish what you start. Its the fourth rule of living put forth by a hero of mine when I was little named Captain Kangaroo (The other ones are 1-Say please and thank you, 2-Be On time, and 3- Do what you say) Im not entirely sure what it is, we tend to start things with gusto and then we peter out, we loose the momentum, and then stop with out completing our task. If starting something new is hard, then seeing it through to the end is even more difficult. There are consequences to seeing something through to the end. School is easy compaired with the task of graduating and then looking around and saying God now what?, of putting to good use the things which you have learned so that you can now do something a little more important that flipping burgers at MacDonalds.
When I go to die, I want to feel an even greater excitement. I'm not trying to be morbid, but I want to be excited because I finished something, because I got it done right. But to get to that point at the end, I've got to start on the right path now. Ive got to choose the right things to pursue, the passions and desires that God has given me, the person who He has created me to be.
Are you choosing the right things to start and pursuing them with all you have?
Just a thought
I did not think that I would feel excitement. I'm glad its over and theres a sense of relief, but theres a happy feeling in my heart that I wasnt really expecting. While I was wondering what it was I realized that it was the sense of accomplishing something, the feeling of finishing a task which I started which lead me to think about other things I have started but not finished. Books that Ive started and left uncompleted. Articles and stories that need more sentances. Woodworking projects that are still in pieces. People whom I continually see and never become friends with. So I started making a list. And I was a little frustrated with its length. Mind you, this is not a list of things I want to do with my life, mearly a list of books, tasks and people with which I have never completed an already started task.
Finish what you start. Its the fourth rule of living put forth by a hero of mine when I was little named Captain Kangaroo (The other ones are 1-Say please and thank you, 2-Be On time, and 3- Do what you say) Im not entirely sure what it is, we tend to start things with gusto and then we peter out, we loose the momentum, and then stop with out completing our task. If starting something new is hard, then seeing it through to the end is even more difficult. There are consequences to seeing something through to the end. School is easy compaired with the task of graduating and then looking around and saying God now what?, of putting to good use the things which you have learned so that you can now do something a little more important that flipping burgers at MacDonalds.
When I go to die, I want to feel an even greater excitement. I'm not trying to be morbid, but I want to be excited because I finished something, because I got it done right. But to get to that point at the end, I've got to start on the right path now. Ive got to choose the right things to pursue, the passions and desires that God has given me, the person who He has created me to be.
Are you choosing the right things to start and pursuing them with all you have?
Just a thought
April 18, 2006
Risking Selflessness
One of the things that I have been thinking about latley is the risk. When I read through the book of Acts or the Old Testament or the Gospels or just the whole bible, I get a great sense for how much the people of God were used by God to do amazing things. And I started wondering why. And I think that some of it was the fact that they were willing to risk all that they had to accomplish the work of the kingdom. They were willing to risk themselves. And because of that God was able to use them. I mean, start to thingk about some of the things that people were asked to do in the bible. Moses standing up to pharoh, jerimah preaching naked, hosea marrying a prostitute, peter preaching to all the religious leaders, and so on. They stopped thinking about what they wanted and started focusing on what God wanted for them.
Yet that is probably one of the biggest struggles that I face, letting go of my own desires and clinging to the desires of God. The Bible says that God wishes that none would perish, and that my mission is to go into the world making disciples, but when I go and talk to people, I mostly just want to be liked and accepted. God says that we should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those that weep, that we are a part of a living organism and when a part of the body hurts, we all should hurt and yet its so much simpler to stay on the surface with our relationships. The Bible says that when we gather, we ought to be supporting and encouraging each other with scripture and prayer and singing and yet its more fun to play games and goof off.
And a lot of the time, all those things that I thought Id rather do leave me feeling pretty empty afterwords. And I need some sort of fix to get me going again. Seven nights in a row hanging outwith people doesnt do anything to fix lonleyness. Its prayer and seeking God and reading the scriptures and fellowship that is about encouragement and admonishing. Letting the Holy Spirit examine us, taking that time to say okay God, what do you want to work on now is a good thing. But for some of us, including myself, we start to focus inward. We start to look at what we dont have, what we need, what we want for our own lives to go down the path that we have chosen. Some people call this introspection- looking inward. I have come to realize that its more than just looking inward, its focusing inward. Call it what you want, its self-focus, self-centered, and ultimatly selfish. The world is self-focused. Media and school and sports tell us its all about us but its not. We as Christians ought to be others-focused and ultimatly Christ-focused. Its interesting to me that at mental institutions the treatment most often utilized treatment involves getting the patient to serve others. It is in the service of others that they often loose that self-focus on their own problems, starting to see that the world is much bigger than them.
Jesus says if any one wants to follow Him, then they need to deny himself, take up his cross and start following. Everyone here, at some level, has the first part down, the desire to follow Jesus. But its just so hard for us to do the next step: deny yourself. Theres a couple of things that help me with this and if you are having trouble getting over yourself (which is the highest mountain youll ever climb) try these or seek out your own ways.
The first is Prayer. I keep a record of people that I pray for. Its a reminder to me that as a Christian, we are to pray for one another. So often I can get caught up in my own needs that I forget to pray for other people, I forget that the primary work of the ministry is prayer, that above every thing we need to be people of prayer and people of one book. So the first is commiting to pray, and then regularly praying for others.
The second is Fasting. Fasting helps us cut the fat in our lives. We give up things which we are so accustomed to, which have attached themselves to our lives, and fasting helps us dientangle ourselves. We tend to think of food only when we fast so maybe I should use a different word. Maybe we need to learn the art of Simplification. Of reducing all the distractions that point us back at ourselves. I love music and I got super connect to the White Menace that is the Ipod. No seriously, Id carry it every where and used it as a means to block people out. So when it broke it was a good thing, even though it eventually got fixed. When it got fixed, I gave it away cause I no longer wanted that attachment and I knew it would bless the person I gave it to. There was a list of things that Dave gave a few years back about how to simplify our lives. One of them said make a habit of giving things away. So I did. So fasting and simplifying our lives from all the things that we just cant live without.
The third is Service. Jesus did it. He said if anyone wants to be great in the kingdom of heaven then he must serve everyone. Theres a subtleness that goes on right there. Did you know that we are supposed to serve people. That ultimately our service is towards people. Even if we clean toliets, our service becomes a service to the next person who sits there. You want to get out of a self focused funk? Then go find somebody to serve. They are out there. In church, at the well, at school, your friends, your teachers, your parents, your family. It was Jesus vission that leaders would be the biggest servants. MacDonalds got it right with their question How can I serve you today?
Are we willing to change? To deny ourselves and follow Him? Then get ready to see him move in amazing a powerful ways in our lives and in the lives of our community.
Yet that is probably one of the biggest struggles that I face, letting go of my own desires and clinging to the desires of God. The Bible says that God wishes that none would perish, and that my mission is to go into the world making disciples, but when I go and talk to people, I mostly just want to be liked and accepted. God says that we should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those that weep, that we are a part of a living organism and when a part of the body hurts, we all should hurt and yet its so much simpler to stay on the surface with our relationships. The Bible says that when we gather, we ought to be supporting and encouraging each other with scripture and prayer and singing and yet its more fun to play games and goof off.
And a lot of the time, all those things that I thought Id rather do leave me feeling pretty empty afterwords. And I need some sort of fix to get me going again. Seven nights in a row hanging outwith people doesnt do anything to fix lonleyness. Its prayer and seeking God and reading the scriptures and fellowship that is about encouragement and admonishing. Letting the Holy Spirit examine us, taking that time to say okay God, what do you want to work on now is a good thing. But for some of us, including myself, we start to focus inward. We start to look at what we dont have, what we need, what we want for our own lives to go down the path that we have chosen. Some people call this introspection- looking inward. I have come to realize that its more than just looking inward, its focusing inward. Call it what you want, its self-focus, self-centered, and ultimatly selfish. The world is self-focused. Media and school and sports tell us its all about us but its not. We as Christians ought to be others-focused and ultimatly Christ-focused. Its interesting to me that at mental institutions the treatment most often utilized treatment involves getting the patient to serve others. It is in the service of others that they often loose that self-focus on their own problems, starting to see that the world is much bigger than them.
Jesus says if any one wants to follow Him, then they need to deny himself, take up his cross and start following. Everyone here, at some level, has the first part down, the desire to follow Jesus. But its just so hard for us to do the next step: deny yourself. Theres a couple of things that help me with this and if you are having trouble getting over yourself (which is the highest mountain youll ever climb) try these or seek out your own ways.
The first is Prayer. I keep a record of people that I pray for. Its a reminder to me that as a Christian, we are to pray for one another. So often I can get caught up in my own needs that I forget to pray for other people, I forget that the primary work of the ministry is prayer, that above every thing we need to be people of prayer and people of one book. So the first is commiting to pray, and then regularly praying for others.
The second is Fasting. Fasting helps us cut the fat in our lives. We give up things which we are so accustomed to, which have attached themselves to our lives, and fasting helps us dientangle ourselves. We tend to think of food only when we fast so maybe I should use a different word. Maybe we need to learn the art of Simplification. Of reducing all the distractions that point us back at ourselves. I love music and I got super connect to the White Menace that is the Ipod. No seriously, Id carry it every where and used it as a means to block people out. So when it broke it was a good thing, even though it eventually got fixed. When it got fixed, I gave it away cause I no longer wanted that attachment and I knew it would bless the person I gave it to. There was a list of things that Dave gave a few years back about how to simplify our lives. One of them said make a habit of giving things away. So I did. So fasting and simplifying our lives from all the things that we just cant live without.
The third is Service. Jesus did it. He said if anyone wants to be great in the kingdom of heaven then he must serve everyone. Theres a subtleness that goes on right there. Did you know that we are supposed to serve people. That ultimately our service is towards people. Even if we clean toliets, our service becomes a service to the next person who sits there. You want to get out of a self focused funk? Then go find somebody to serve. They are out there. In church, at the well, at school, your friends, your teachers, your parents, your family. It was Jesus vission that leaders would be the biggest servants. MacDonalds got it right with their question How can I serve you today?
Are we willing to change? To deny ourselves and follow Him? Then get ready to see him move in amazing a powerful ways in our lives and in the lives of our community.
April 3, 2006
A game of hide and seek death match with the ultimate champion
Last week we talked about meditation on the word of God even when life seems to be going every way but the right one. Willy shared about his week of having to struggle though his time in the word and the choice that he made to meditated upon it.
But why? Why bother with it? I go to read my bible and it seems there are suddenly a hundred other things to do, and sometimes even washing the dishes looks better than cracking open a bible. Every thing of this world pulls and tugs at my soul. Its a constant noise inside my head. Bigger, better, stronger, faster. This other thing is what will really make you happy. This other way will lead you to success and self-fulfillment.
You can call it slick advertisement, a good campaign, media marketing, or what ever, but I call them lies. Willy was right last week when he said that commercials have the ability to manipulate our thinking. I wasnt even thirsty but now after that commercial all I want to drink is a big, old refreshing coca-cola. After watching the commercial I was convinced of my need for something to satisfy a desire I didnt really even have.
And it rips us off. Because we have some real needs in our lives that the world would love to just ignore and push in the corner. Because the world cant package it, sell it, or market it in a way that makes them a buck.
But Christ came that we might have life and life to the fullest! This is not an empty promise. I have become such a skeptic some times because nothing ever seems to live up to its promises. The refreshing taste of coke that makes you go AHH! is actually the acid in the Coke burning away the lining of your esophagus. Its the same stuff you use to take chrome off of metal. And I'm afraid that Christs promises might not actually be TRUE. Draw near to me and I will draw near to you. He says to us. So because we have been burned by every thing false in this world, we fear to draw towards the one true thing, the one true reality in this world.
We are so messed up we are not even sure what truth really is. The word gets thrown around all these days. Wanna be rappers say true that, double true. People go in to court and promise to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth when in fact they are totally prepared to lie. Philosophers and poets say they are searching for the deeper truths while espousing nothing more than their own personal take on life. Even Pilate when he was questioning Jesus said, What is truth?
When I go to describe a particular aspect of an object, the chair is white, the wall is brown, 2 2=4, these are all statements that can be either proven or disproved. No the chair is actually yellow and the wall is green but 2 2=4. And then theres another sort of truth. The yellow chair is better that the white one. Well why? And then I list off a list of reasons why I think this to be true, and none of them really convince you and you say well its great that you think the yellow one is better but I think the white one is better. Are you right or am I right. We cant both be right, right? This is where we realize that we maybe using words like truth and right far too loosely. I would say that what we call truth actually falls into one of two categories. The first is a description of reality the other is an expression of opinion. Often times its easy to see which category something falls in. Two plus two = four. Thats a description of reality. Rocky road is the best flavor of ice cream. Thats an opinion; it would have to be, why else would they make other flavors then. Some times its not so easy. How about Texas is big Well it is right? Thats reality. Well big compared to what? Big compared to New Hampshire, absolutely. Big, compared to South America, probably not. Its actually a statement of opinion. Now the statement that Texas is 3 times the size of California is a description of reality
Now one of the reasons that it can be hard for us to distinguish between the two types is that a successful marketer is trying to get you to believe that their opinion is actually a description of reality. And then they take things that are reality and call them just an opinion
Because theres lots of opinions out there about Jesus. He was just a man. He was a good teacher, a prophet. He didnt really die and rise from the dead. Wasnt he married to Mary Magdalene, didnt he come to America and preach to the Indians. And then what about Muslims, and Buddhists and triibalists, what about their traditions and beliefs. Doesnt that make Christianity and Jesus just another opinion among many.
No. Jesus himself said, I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except though me. Thats pretty exclusive language. And what backs that up? What makes that not just Jesus opinion, but a description of reality? Wheres the proof.
I know lots of guys who could give you good reasons how I can know that God exists, that Jesus was God, and that the bible is true. They are good reasons, I know some of them and Id be happy to share some of them if you want to come talk to me about them or drop me a line over the Internet.
But reason I know that Jesus and the word are true is because of a changed lives. Because of my changed life. You see theres third category of truth. It describes reality, but not reality as we see it. Its the reality of God. When we went to Chicago one of the guys speaking hit on this. He said 2 2=4 but that doesnt change your life. It is the truth in Gods word to us that will make an impact on our lives. But is it up to us to sort through every thing thats thrown at us during the day? In a way yes. We are to take our thoughts captive, which means examining what we are thinking about and then realizing where that thought comes from and what to do with that thought.
But we have a helper in this. Thank God that we have a helper. When Jesus was hanging out with his disciples the day before his execution, he spoke in detail about the Holy Spirit who was to come, John 16:13 I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
Do you get that? God himself has promised to lead us into the truth, to teach us the truth and yet few of us take the time to listen an follow God who is waiting to tell you great and mighty things which we do not know (Jer 33:3) We just need be willing to listen. And that requires being in the word on a regular basis, of meditating on the word, and of struggling through the drawings of our own flesh.
But why? Why bother with it? I go to read my bible and it seems there are suddenly a hundred other things to do, and sometimes even washing the dishes looks better than cracking open a bible. Every thing of this world pulls and tugs at my soul. Its a constant noise inside my head. Bigger, better, stronger, faster. This other thing is what will really make you happy. This other way will lead you to success and self-fulfillment.
You can call it slick advertisement, a good campaign, media marketing, or what ever, but I call them lies. Willy was right last week when he said that commercials have the ability to manipulate our thinking. I wasnt even thirsty but now after that commercial all I want to drink is a big, old refreshing coca-cola. After watching the commercial I was convinced of my need for something to satisfy a desire I didnt really even have.
And it rips us off. Because we have some real needs in our lives that the world would love to just ignore and push in the corner. Because the world cant package it, sell it, or market it in a way that makes them a buck.
But Christ came that we might have life and life to the fullest! This is not an empty promise. I have become such a skeptic some times because nothing ever seems to live up to its promises. The refreshing taste of coke that makes you go AHH! is actually the acid in the Coke burning away the lining of your esophagus. Its the same stuff you use to take chrome off of metal. And I'm afraid that Christs promises might not actually be TRUE. Draw near to me and I will draw near to you. He says to us. So because we have been burned by every thing false in this world, we fear to draw towards the one true thing, the one true reality in this world.
We are so messed up we are not even sure what truth really is. The word gets thrown around all these days. Wanna be rappers say true that, double true. People go in to court and promise to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth when in fact they are totally prepared to lie. Philosophers and poets say they are searching for the deeper truths while espousing nothing more than their own personal take on life. Even Pilate when he was questioning Jesus said, What is truth?
When I go to describe a particular aspect of an object, the chair is white, the wall is brown, 2 2=4, these are all statements that can be either proven or disproved. No the chair is actually yellow and the wall is green but 2 2=4. And then theres another sort of truth. The yellow chair is better that the white one. Well why? And then I list off a list of reasons why I think this to be true, and none of them really convince you and you say well its great that you think the yellow one is better but I think the white one is better. Are you right or am I right. We cant both be right, right? This is where we realize that we maybe using words like truth and right far too loosely. I would say that what we call truth actually falls into one of two categories. The first is a description of reality the other is an expression of opinion. Often times its easy to see which category something falls in. Two plus two = four. Thats a description of reality. Rocky road is the best flavor of ice cream. Thats an opinion; it would have to be, why else would they make other flavors then. Some times its not so easy. How about Texas is big Well it is right? Thats reality. Well big compared to what? Big compared to New Hampshire, absolutely. Big, compared to South America, probably not. Its actually a statement of opinion. Now the statement that Texas is 3 times the size of California is a description of reality
Now one of the reasons that it can be hard for us to distinguish between the two types is that a successful marketer is trying to get you to believe that their opinion is actually a description of reality. And then they take things that are reality and call them just an opinion
Because theres lots of opinions out there about Jesus. He was just a man. He was a good teacher, a prophet. He didnt really die and rise from the dead. Wasnt he married to Mary Magdalene, didnt he come to America and preach to the Indians. And then what about Muslims, and Buddhists and triibalists, what about their traditions and beliefs. Doesnt that make Christianity and Jesus just another opinion among many.
No. Jesus himself said, I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except though me. Thats pretty exclusive language. And what backs that up? What makes that not just Jesus opinion, but a description of reality? Wheres the proof.
I know lots of guys who could give you good reasons how I can know that God exists, that Jesus was God, and that the bible is true. They are good reasons, I know some of them and Id be happy to share some of them if you want to come talk to me about them or drop me a line over the Internet.
But reason I know that Jesus and the word are true is because of a changed lives. Because of my changed life. You see theres third category of truth. It describes reality, but not reality as we see it. Its the reality of God. When we went to Chicago one of the guys speaking hit on this. He said 2 2=4 but that doesnt change your life. It is the truth in Gods word to us that will make an impact on our lives. But is it up to us to sort through every thing thats thrown at us during the day? In a way yes. We are to take our thoughts captive, which means examining what we are thinking about and then realizing where that thought comes from and what to do with that thought.
But we have a helper in this. Thank God that we have a helper. When Jesus was hanging out with his disciples the day before his execution, he spoke in detail about the Holy Spirit who was to come, John 16:13 I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
Do you get that? God himself has promised to lead us into the truth, to teach us the truth and yet few of us take the time to listen an follow God who is waiting to tell you great and mighty things which we do not know (Jer 33:3) We just need be willing to listen. And that requires being in the word on a regular basis, of meditating on the word, and of struggling through the drawings of our own flesh.
March 31, 2006
Hard things first
"Hard things first." I didnt come up with it, I stole it from a guy who did. It was the theame of a whole year of minisrty for Stundent Venture. Its the only one that I ever really understood very well. And I got to understand it. And Im still learning to understand it.
Not because Ive got it down, and Im always rushing to do the hard things. Actually it's quite the opposite. If i could choose, I would live an easy, soft life. This might sound funny, but hard is SOOO hard some times. And easy is SOOO easy. But everybody does easy.
Jesus says that the way to heaven is hard, and there arnt many people that come this way. Are you one of those people? Am I? I want to be, but as Im climbing the road sometimes seems clogged with those comming back down.
"Excuse me, pardon me!" I cry timidly, trying to make my way through the croud, as they push and jostle me. The number of people suddenly seems to multiply from tens to the tens of thousands, a whole army of people pushing towards the wide road.
What am I supposed to do about it ? God what can you do about it?
Im tired.
Some times I want to stop struggleing.
Some times I want to stop being so burdened for people to where I cry during prayers.
Some times I want to stop digging in, to stop trying, to give up and turn back.
I want to stop feeling like I am always failing You, like I havent and wont ever do all that is required of me. Im tired of feeling lonley, weak, and afraid.
And yet through all of this You whisper
Peace, Be Still, I Am God
but what about all this other stuff i need to do, and people to help, and and and and...
Peace, Be Still, I Am God
but what about every thing that Im not, im not an evagilist, im not a speaker, im not faithful. and what about everything that i am. liar. hateful. lustful. sinner.
Peace, Be Still, I Am God
I just want to do it right
Peace, Be Still, I Am God. Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. You have come to me thirsty, drink deep and long and have your fill. You have come hungry and I am the bread of life. You have come worn out and exausted, I will be your strength. You have come weary; I will be your rest and your comfort.
The hardest thing is knowing that God loves me, and delights in us.
Its so easy to get caught up in the locomotion of life, to do and do and do, trying to win the approval of those around us, or worse still the approval of God. We get chained down in our expectations of ourselves and forget that in our weakness, His strenght is made perfect. Its hard for us, for me, to remember precisely who God is, and what Has done for us. He says to us:
Peace, Be Still, I Am God. Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. You have come to me thirsty, drink deep and long and have your fill. You have come hungry; eat for I am the bread of life. You have come worn out and exausted, I will be your strength. You have come weary; I will be your rest and your comfort.
Not because Ive got it down, and Im always rushing to do the hard things. Actually it's quite the opposite. If i could choose, I would live an easy, soft life. This might sound funny, but hard is SOOO hard some times. And easy is SOOO easy. But everybody does easy.
Jesus says that the way to heaven is hard, and there arnt many people that come this way. Are you one of those people? Am I? I want to be, but as Im climbing the road sometimes seems clogged with those comming back down.
"Excuse me, pardon me!" I cry timidly, trying to make my way through the croud, as they push and jostle me. The number of people suddenly seems to multiply from tens to the tens of thousands, a whole army of people pushing towards the wide road.
What am I supposed to do about it ? God what can you do about it?
Im tired.
Some times I want to stop struggleing.
Some times I want to stop being so burdened for people to where I cry during prayers.
Some times I want to stop digging in, to stop trying, to give up and turn back.
I want to stop feeling like I am always failing You, like I havent and wont ever do all that is required of me. Im tired of feeling lonley, weak, and afraid.
And yet through all of this You whisper
Peace, Be Still, I Am God
but what about all this other stuff i need to do, and people to help, and and and and...
Peace, Be Still, I Am God
but what about every thing that Im not, im not an evagilist, im not a speaker, im not faithful. and what about everything that i am. liar. hateful. lustful. sinner.
Peace, Be Still, I Am God
I just want to do it right
Peace, Be Still, I Am God. Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. You have come to me thirsty, drink deep and long and have your fill. You have come hungry and I am the bread of life. You have come worn out and exausted, I will be your strength. You have come weary; I will be your rest and your comfort.
The hardest thing is knowing that God loves me, and delights in us.
Its so easy to get caught up in the locomotion of life, to do and do and do, trying to win the approval of those around us, or worse still the approval of God. We get chained down in our expectations of ourselves and forget that in our weakness, His strenght is made perfect. Its hard for us, for me, to remember precisely who God is, and what Has done for us. He says to us:
Peace, Be Still, I Am God. Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. You have come to me thirsty, drink deep and long and have your fill. You have come hungry; eat for I am the bread of life. You have come worn out and exausted, I will be your strength. You have come weary; I will be your rest and your comfort.
March 30, 2006
With Radical Enthusiasm
"Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey my commands and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the age."
We are all probably pretty familiar with this verse. Infact I wouldn't doubt if most of the people who have ever talked about or written about discipleship pull this verse out at some point. In fact people use this verse to talk about missions, small group bible studies, baptisms, the trintiy and a flurry of other things. They were the last words of Jesus that Mathew recorded. They are important. Its kinda like the Post Script on the letter of the life of Jesus. It's the important closing statement, the words that are left echoing on the ears of all those present. I wonder how long it took for them to begin speaking again. I wonder how long before they put those words into action into their own lives
And yet, so often when we read this verse or even recite it from memory, it gets the same un-impassioned reading that we often give to John 3:16. You know the one I'm talking about. Slightly monotone, slightly annoyed, with all the excitement and passion of a rock. Yuck. I once heard a guy say that familiarity breeds un-familiarity. What I mean is this: we are often so aware of the notion that we disciples of chirst and that one of our jobs on earth is to make disciples of other people, that we often don't even ask ourselves if we really know what discipleship is, and if we are really involed in discipleship.
"Follow me"
Just two simple words spoken as a command. Jesus would meet these cast out guys, fishermen, tax collectors, and the like, and then he would say "follow me" and they would go. Now Rob BellA has an amazing description of what it meant to be a disciple in the 1st century, but the jist of it is this: disciples were expected to be so close, and so involved in the life of the person they were following that they became like them, doing the same things that the rabbi did. Peter steps out of the boat not because he belives in Jesus, but because Jesus belived in Peter, that Peter could become like his Rabbi.
Our first and formost responsibilty is to answer the call of Jesus on our life. It is not enough to have mere intelectual assent to a set of doctrines or a standard of conduct. We must be actively pursuing and following in the steps of Jesus. This is a reminder and awake up call. If you picked this up to read it, I am assuming that you are a christian and probably some sort of leader as well. Something Ive learned as of late is what I call the "me first" rule. When God speaks, when something jumps of the page of His Word, or when I hear sermons and messages, its all for me first. Simply put, I am not a channel of information from God to the people around me, I am a follower of God. I noticed this first in my quiet times, where I would read and say things like so-and-so needs to hear this and this person would totally be blessed by this. I would listen to sermons and hope that certain people in the audience were listening up. But I was just pushing away the things that God wanted to pour into my own life so that I wasn't giving others something I had read, but rather some thing that was a part of my own life. Then comes the next part.
"Follow me like I follow Christ"
Pauls call is the model for our discipleship to day. What it looks like is this. I follow Jesus; he changes and shapes my life, teaches me things and grows me up. Then God brings along someone else who needs what we got, teaching, encouragement, admonishment. A warning and an ecouragement: our disciples will become like us, for good and for bad. I've seen amazing replication of amazing people in their diciples, who have a passion for the lost, a hunger for the word and a longing for God. I've also seen those same people pick up nervous habits of the one who disciples.
I could give you this perfect picture of what discipleship should look like. You spend 15 minutes discussing personal struggles and joy, then 25 minutes discussing the book or scripture that you read durring the week, and then 10 minutes praying for one another. But true discipleship is messy. Its getting involved in peoples lives to such an extent, that you can look across a crowded room and know what a person is stuggling with. I know. Ive been called out like that. Discipleship is loving a person so much that you cant bear to see them stay as they are. Its invasive and uncomfortable sometimes. Especially for us, because we see so many kids perishing that it can be overwhelming to have 50 kids that you are responsible for, right? But in our group down in Lake Elsinore I have seen one man's investment in a handfil of guys change our youth group. Because he replicated the heart and passion that he had for God and for students into these guys, and now they come and serve on Sunday nights and througout the week and they are now discipling others. But it wasn't a one month investment, or 6 months or a year. They are going on three years. And this guy has commited to them for life. Its true that these guys don't need as much guidence as they once did. They've learned to go to the sorce for guidence and for teaching and to hear from God. But he is still there to pray and support and encourage. He wants to see them grow up to be mighty men of God, who allow God and not the world to influence and change them.
This is where we should all want to be because lets get honest for a moment. Two hours on Sunday morning and two hours of youth group are not enough. Not enough to get inside the lives and heads and hearts of the kids that you are ministering to. Now Im not discounting the miraculus working of God in our youth groups, but there is only so much growth that can happen in four hours a week. It takes us getting involved in our kids lives. Its more that just meeting once a week. Its going to games, seeing shows, reading the bible with them, late night phone calls, seeing their rooms, and chating with them on myspace. Its picking them up in your car and running errends, and letting them see the way that you and your wife handle arguments, and opening the doors of your house to be a sanctuary from the world. Its all that and more because discipleship is not something we do. It's a way of living.
I want to live my life in such a way that my radical enthusiasm becomes their radical enthusiam.
We are all probably pretty familiar with this verse. Infact I wouldn't doubt if most of the people who have ever talked about or written about discipleship pull this verse out at some point. In fact people use this verse to talk about missions, small group bible studies, baptisms, the trintiy and a flurry of other things. They were the last words of Jesus that Mathew recorded. They are important. Its kinda like the Post Script on the letter of the life of Jesus. It's the important closing statement, the words that are left echoing on the ears of all those present. I wonder how long it took for them to begin speaking again. I wonder how long before they put those words into action into their own lives
And yet, so often when we read this verse or even recite it from memory, it gets the same un-impassioned reading that we often give to John 3:16. You know the one I'm talking about. Slightly monotone, slightly annoyed, with all the excitement and passion of a rock. Yuck. I once heard a guy say that familiarity breeds un-familiarity. What I mean is this: we are often so aware of the notion that we disciples of chirst and that one of our jobs on earth is to make disciples of other people, that we often don't even ask ourselves if we really know what discipleship is, and if we are really involed in discipleship.
"Follow me"
Just two simple words spoken as a command. Jesus would meet these cast out guys, fishermen, tax collectors, and the like, and then he would say "follow me" and they would go. Now Rob BellA has an amazing description of what it meant to be a disciple in the 1st century, but the jist of it is this: disciples were expected to be so close, and so involved in the life of the person they were following that they became like them, doing the same things that the rabbi did. Peter steps out of the boat not because he belives in Jesus, but because Jesus belived in Peter, that Peter could become like his Rabbi.
Our first and formost responsibilty is to answer the call of Jesus on our life. It is not enough to have mere intelectual assent to a set of doctrines or a standard of conduct. We must be actively pursuing and following in the steps of Jesus. This is a reminder and awake up call. If you picked this up to read it, I am assuming that you are a christian and probably some sort of leader as well. Something Ive learned as of late is what I call the "me first" rule. When God speaks, when something jumps of the page of His Word, or when I hear sermons and messages, its all for me first. Simply put, I am not a channel of information from God to the people around me, I am a follower of God. I noticed this first in my quiet times, where I would read and say things like so-and-so needs to hear this and this person would totally be blessed by this. I would listen to sermons and hope that certain people in the audience were listening up. But I was just pushing away the things that God wanted to pour into my own life so that I wasn't giving others something I had read, but rather some thing that was a part of my own life. Then comes the next part.
"Follow me like I follow Christ"
Pauls call is the model for our discipleship to day. What it looks like is this. I follow Jesus; he changes and shapes my life, teaches me things and grows me up. Then God brings along someone else who needs what we got, teaching, encouragement, admonishment. A warning and an ecouragement: our disciples will become like us, for good and for bad. I've seen amazing replication of amazing people in their diciples, who have a passion for the lost, a hunger for the word and a longing for God. I've also seen those same people pick up nervous habits of the one who disciples.
I could give you this perfect picture of what discipleship should look like. You spend 15 minutes discussing personal struggles and joy, then 25 minutes discussing the book or scripture that you read durring the week, and then 10 minutes praying for one another. But true discipleship is messy. Its getting involved in peoples lives to such an extent, that you can look across a crowded room and know what a person is stuggling with. I know. Ive been called out like that. Discipleship is loving a person so much that you cant bear to see them stay as they are. Its invasive and uncomfortable sometimes. Especially for us, because we see so many kids perishing that it can be overwhelming to have 50 kids that you are responsible for, right? But in our group down in Lake Elsinore I have seen one man's investment in a handfil of guys change our youth group. Because he replicated the heart and passion that he had for God and for students into these guys, and now they come and serve on Sunday nights and througout the week and they are now discipling others. But it wasn't a one month investment, or 6 months or a year. They are going on three years. And this guy has commited to them for life. Its true that these guys don't need as much guidence as they once did. They've learned to go to the sorce for guidence and for teaching and to hear from God. But he is still there to pray and support and encourage. He wants to see them grow up to be mighty men of God, who allow God and not the world to influence and change them.
This is where we should all want to be because lets get honest for a moment. Two hours on Sunday morning and two hours of youth group are not enough. Not enough to get inside the lives and heads and hearts of the kids that you are ministering to. Now Im not discounting the miraculus working of God in our youth groups, but there is only so much growth that can happen in four hours a week. It takes us getting involved in our kids lives. Its more that just meeting once a week. Its going to games, seeing shows, reading the bible with them, late night phone calls, seeing their rooms, and chating with them on myspace. Its picking them up in your car and running errends, and letting them see the way that you and your wife handle arguments, and opening the doors of your house to be a sanctuary from the world. Its all that and more because discipleship is not something we do. It's a way of living.
I want to live my life in such a way that my radical enthusiasm becomes their radical enthusiam.
March 27, 2006
Earnestly Risking Authenticity
Willy, Dave and I met this week and started talking about the word again only we were talking about what it means to meditate on the word. We read last week in small groups Psalm one which says "I will meditate on your word day and night." But I wonder what that really means.
Does meditating day and night, mean that I need to don an orange robe, go find a cave to live in up in the Ortegas, and sit cross-legged humming to my self for the rest of my life?
Hmmmmmmmm, hmmmmmmmmm, hmmmmmmmmm
I'm going to go with the answer of probably not. How would you ever get anything done? Monks don't write papers for English class or do algebra homework or take out the trash or put up with siblings. They have removed themselves from this life. So what would it practically look like to engage in meditation on the scriptures.
When I think of meditation, I think of bar-b-que. In Texas it doesn't matter what you are cooking, but if you cook it on the grill, its barbeque. Every thing from hot dogs, to T-bone stakes, to fish, to ears of corn: its all bar-b-que. And the best bar-b-qued meats are the ones that have been sitting in marinade all day long. The marinade soaks to the inside of the meat, changing the essential quality of the meat by breaking down some of the tough fibrous tissue so that come cooking time its tender and ready to eat. It also takes a rather boring and plain pieces of meat and adds to it the richness of flavors that things like garlic, soy sauce, and Ruby's Red Rub add to the mix. For it to work though, its an all day process. Its gotta soak.
And so when we read the word we gotta get marinated in it. Its not enough to slap a little A-1 bible sauce on our lives and call it a day. Aint no amount of special sauces going to cover up a tough piece of meat, it needs the marinade.
So I thought about what it looks like in my own life and just wrote down some of the things that I experienced through out my day on Wednesday, while I was meditating on the word.
So the first thing I would say is you gotta start early in the day to marinade something. How can you soak yourself in the word, if you haven't cracked a page in the morning?
Its 5:15. I fought getting up this morning. I snoozed the alarm but my neighbor who starts throwing tools in his truck at 5:10 has woken me any ways. I started reading 1 John 3, and its amazing how distracted that I was. Late night at school plus morning devotions equals a severe lack of focus. I was already being distracted by things I needed to get done like cleaning the dishes in the sink before people started showing up for the Ruthless Trust Breakfast Club at 6:30. I was thinking about work and ministry and church and my hopes for the future, and life in general, about everything except for 1 John. I kept having to wrestle in my thoughts like they were a pack of wild alligators. CS Lewis describes this in his book Mere Christianity.
"The real problem of the Christian life comes where we do not normally look for it . It comes the very moment that you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice and taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, life come flowing in. And so on, all day We can do it only for moments at first"
"We can do it only for moments at first" What an encouragement that is. That it's not a super perfection thing, where I've got to have it all right, but a moment by moment that is seasoned with God's grace. There's two verses that kinda stuck out to me.
1 John 3:1 How great is the love that the father has lavished upon us that we should be called children of God! And this is what we are!
1 John 3:18-19 Dear children let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth. This then is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence.
Okay so now its 6:15. People are early and I still haven't finished the dishes or made anything for people to eat. Looks like cereal and bagels this morning. We are reading this book called Ruthless Trust by a guy named Brenning Manning. Its always amazing to me that God wants to provide answers to the questions in my head. You see, when a scripture verse sticks out, its not because I think its poetic, or pretty, or that someone else needs to hear that. Its usually because I have some issue or question that is brought up by the passage itself. This morning it was the question "do I belong to the truth?" And the answer from Manning's book? Not really. I think most of the time, I probably want to belong to the truth, even though sometimes I don't. Maybe. Wishy washy bull honky. I've got an issue with being open, honest and real. And I don't know what to do about it.
Eight o'clock. I check my email before starting work. New MySpace messages. Oh goodie! There's times were I wonder if, like Dave says, we are too plugged in. I cover that thought with the reasoning that I don't have TV or Internet at home so I'm okay. I read start reading some thing that Ali wrote. Its amazing.
"I am so overcome by the gentle peace of Christ. Realizing that a life of meaning and joy takes discipline, it is necessary for me to awake each morning and choose to follow Christ. I must take each day one at a time. Living for Christ this way (daily) is so much simpler and refreshing. The future does not make me as anxious. I am content with what I have and where I am because I am with Christ. Difficulties keep finding me and taunting me, but I still find joy and peace in my Savior. I watch people in my life that I dearly love get thrashed by lies, poor decisions, and worries;; my heart breaks for them. True freedom is only ever found in Christ. So, I am choosing trust and hope in God today, because what if there is no tomorrow????"
What if there's no tomorrow to make things right? Do I find my hope and joy and peace in Jesus, or am I thrashed by lies, poor decisions and worries. My own lies and my own poor decisions, my own worries.
Ten thirty. I get in my car to drive up to Moreno valley for work. I have the "heartimus unimus" card in the dashboard of my car. I don't know if I've just never really read it before or what but it said, earnestly risking authenticity.
Earnestly- doing it with all your might.
Risking to the point were you are out of your comfort zone.
Authenticity- being real. Being who God made me.
So I threw up a quick prayer, God help me to be that man. Earnestly risking authenticity with my friends, with my family, with people I hardly know, and with complete strangers. I don't wanna hide who you've made me and what goes on in my head any more.
High noon- Its lunch time I take off to my parents house to sit and write on my lunch break but my friend Sarah comes on Aim and I talk to her instead. She's in St Petersburg Russia teaching English. She had canceled classes because one of the students, Demitri, had died the previous day from pneumonia. "They didn't teach me how to deal with this in any of my classes." She wrote. "What do I tell the other students. How do I explain that God is good and in control and will work this out, when I don't even feel that myself." My answer was you don't. You morn with the students, and when they ask you why you be as honest as you can. "I don't know why this happened, and I'm sad because of it" Earnestly risking authenticity.
One o'clock hits and a friend of mine calls for some encouragement. I've had people call for encouragement but never come right out and say it. I believe the exact words were "Adam, I need a pep-talk!"
1 John 3:18-19 Dear children let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth. This then is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence.
What happens when we belong to the truth our hearts set at rest in His presence. So I just spoke out some truth, nothing I hadn't said before, and nothing that I wasn't willing to say again, just the reality that God has created us each with gifts and talents and treasures, and that when we come to grips with that truth our hearts are set at rest in His presence.
Crash Boom Bang rolls around, this is when the other verse comes into play.
1 John 3:1 How great is the love that the father has lavished upon us that we should be called children of God! And this is what we are!
All day long verse one was still rattling around in my head. "And this is what we ARE!" And I'm sitting at Crash, Boom, Bang wondering how many of them realize that they are children of the living God. Then I smack my self on the head and wonder if I realize I'm a child of the living God. Because a lot of the problems I have with being authentic and real come from the fact that I have some sort of image to uphold. Not an image of coolness or a tough guy, but of the pastor dude. The sort of guy who shouldn't struggle with the basics, right? Its okay for me to say to people I struggle with the application of the soteriolgical axiom of the second ecumenical council. (Don't worry there's no test at the end of this) But its hard for me to say, wow, I struggle with reading the word on a daily basis, I struggle with having mental distractions while I am praying, and I struggle with loneliness and doubt. But as I start to share these things I don't find condemnation, but rather camaraderie. Willy and I have set ourselves to being in the word in the morning, and sometimes its hard and I have to look over at him for encouragement.
Its now a little after midnight, I'm writing this for Sunday thinking what's the conclusion; how do I wrap this up? Two things.
First, when you or I meditate on the word, there will come a place were the rubber meets the road, were we will either do what it says or we wont. And if we wont it will start to gnaw at us. Remember that this is only a day in my life, and that this issue that God is working with me on has really been a process of His word and His Spirit marinating my soul to tenderness and when that fails, He has been gnawing on the tough spots with all the gusto of a dog with a rawhide bone.
And secondly marinating starts in the word and depends on the Holy Spirit to bring verses back up, all day long. That living in the truth of Gods words will bring rest to our hearts in His presence.
Be you encouraged! For though we can do it only for moments at first, God is faithful to complete the work that He has promised to complete in us
Does meditating day and night, mean that I need to don an orange robe, go find a cave to live in up in the Ortegas, and sit cross-legged humming to my self for the rest of my life?
Hmmmmmmmm, hmmmmmmmmm, hmmmmmmmmm
I'm going to go with the answer of probably not. How would you ever get anything done? Monks don't write papers for English class or do algebra homework or take out the trash or put up with siblings. They have removed themselves from this life. So what would it practically look like to engage in meditation on the scriptures.
When I think of meditation, I think of bar-b-que. In Texas it doesn't matter what you are cooking, but if you cook it on the grill, its barbeque. Every thing from hot dogs, to T-bone stakes, to fish, to ears of corn: its all bar-b-que. And the best bar-b-qued meats are the ones that have been sitting in marinade all day long. The marinade soaks to the inside of the meat, changing the essential quality of the meat by breaking down some of the tough fibrous tissue so that come cooking time its tender and ready to eat. It also takes a rather boring and plain pieces of meat and adds to it the richness of flavors that things like garlic, soy sauce, and Ruby's Red Rub add to the mix. For it to work though, its an all day process. Its gotta soak.
And so when we read the word we gotta get marinated in it. Its not enough to slap a little A-1 bible sauce on our lives and call it a day. Aint no amount of special sauces going to cover up a tough piece of meat, it needs the marinade.
So I thought about what it looks like in my own life and just wrote down some of the things that I experienced through out my day on Wednesday, while I was meditating on the word.
So the first thing I would say is you gotta start early in the day to marinade something. How can you soak yourself in the word, if you haven't cracked a page in the morning?
Its 5:15. I fought getting up this morning. I snoozed the alarm but my neighbor who starts throwing tools in his truck at 5:10 has woken me any ways. I started reading 1 John 3, and its amazing how distracted that I was. Late night at school plus morning devotions equals a severe lack of focus. I was already being distracted by things I needed to get done like cleaning the dishes in the sink before people started showing up for the Ruthless Trust Breakfast Club at 6:30. I was thinking about work and ministry and church and my hopes for the future, and life in general, about everything except for 1 John. I kept having to wrestle in my thoughts like they were a pack of wild alligators. CS Lewis describes this in his book Mere Christianity.
"The real problem of the Christian life comes where we do not normally look for it . It comes the very moment that you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice and taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, life come flowing in. And so on, all day We can do it only for moments at first"
"We can do it only for moments at first" What an encouragement that is. That it's not a super perfection thing, where I've got to have it all right, but a moment by moment that is seasoned with God's grace. There's two verses that kinda stuck out to me.
1 John 3:1 How great is the love that the father has lavished upon us that we should be called children of God! And this is what we are!
1 John 3:18-19 Dear children let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth. This then is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence.
Okay so now its 6:15. People are early and I still haven't finished the dishes or made anything for people to eat. Looks like cereal and bagels this morning. We are reading this book called Ruthless Trust by a guy named Brenning Manning. Its always amazing to me that God wants to provide answers to the questions in my head. You see, when a scripture verse sticks out, its not because I think its poetic, or pretty, or that someone else needs to hear that. Its usually because I have some issue or question that is brought up by the passage itself. This morning it was the question "do I belong to the truth?" And the answer from Manning's book? Not really. I think most of the time, I probably want to belong to the truth, even though sometimes I don't. Maybe. Wishy washy bull honky. I've got an issue with being open, honest and real. And I don't know what to do about it.
Eight o'clock. I check my email before starting work. New MySpace messages. Oh goodie! There's times were I wonder if, like Dave says, we are too plugged in. I cover that thought with the reasoning that I don't have TV or Internet at home so I'm okay. I read start reading some thing that Ali wrote. Its amazing.
"I am so overcome by the gentle peace of Christ. Realizing that a life of meaning and joy takes discipline, it is necessary for me to awake each morning and choose to follow Christ. I must take each day one at a time. Living for Christ this way (daily) is so much simpler and refreshing. The future does not make me as anxious. I am content with what I have and where I am because I am with Christ. Difficulties keep finding me and taunting me, but I still find joy and peace in my Savior. I watch people in my life that I dearly love get thrashed by lies, poor decisions, and worries;; my heart breaks for them. True freedom is only ever found in Christ. So, I am choosing trust and hope in God today, because what if there is no tomorrow????"
What if there's no tomorrow to make things right? Do I find my hope and joy and peace in Jesus, or am I thrashed by lies, poor decisions and worries. My own lies and my own poor decisions, my own worries.
Ten thirty. I get in my car to drive up to Moreno valley for work. I have the "heartimus unimus" card in the dashboard of my car. I don't know if I've just never really read it before or what but it said, earnestly risking authenticity.
Earnestly- doing it with all your might.
Risking to the point were you are out of your comfort zone.
Authenticity- being real. Being who God made me.
So I threw up a quick prayer, God help me to be that man. Earnestly risking authenticity with my friends, with my family, with people I hardly know, and with complete strangers. I don't wanna hide who you've made me and what goes on in my head any more.
High noon- Its lunch time I take off to my parents house to sit and write on my lunch break but my friend Sarah comes on Aim and I talk to her instead. She's in St Petersburg Russia teaching English. She had canceled classes because one of the students, Demitri, had died the previous day from pneumonia. "They didn't teach me how to deal with this in any of my classes." She wrote. "What do I tell the other students. How do I explain that God is good and in control and will work this out, when I don't even feel that myself." My answer was you don't. You morn with the students, and when they ask you why you be as honest as you can. "I don't know why this happened, and I'm sad because of it" Earnestly risking authenticity.
One o'clock hits and a friend of mine calls for some encouragement. I've had people call for encouragement but never come right out and say it. I believe the exact words were "Adam, I need a pep-talk!"
1 John 3:18-19 Dear children let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth. This then is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence.
What happens when we belong to the truth our hearts set at rest in His presence. So I just spoke out some truth, nothing I hadn't said before, and nothing that I wasn't willing to say again, just the reality that God has created us each with gifts and talents and treasures, and that when we come to grips with that truth our hearts are set at rest in His presence.
Crash Boom Bang rolls around, this is when the other verse comes into play.
1 John 3:1 How great is the love that the father has lavished upon us that we should be called children of God! And this is what we are!
All day long verse one was still rattling around in my head. "And this is what we ARE!" And I'm sitting at Crash, Boom, Bang wondering how many of them realize that they are children of the living God. Then I smack my self on the head and wonder if I realize I'm a child of the living God. Because a lot of the problems I have with being authentic and real come from the fact that I have some sort of image to uphold. Not an image of coolness or a tough guy, but of the pastor dude. The sort of guy who shouldn't struggle with the basics, right? Its okay for me to say to people I struggle with the application of the soteriolgical axiom of the second ecumenical council. (Don't worry there's no test at the end of this) But its hard for me to say, wow, I struggle with reading the word on a daily basis, I struggle with having mental distractions while I am praying, and I struggle with loneliness and doubt. But as I start to share these things I don't find condemnation, but rather camaraderie. Willy and I have set ourselves to being in the word in the morning, and sometimes its hard and I have to look over at him for encouragement.
Its now a little after midnight, I'm writing this for Sunday thinking what's the conclusion; how do I wrap this up? Two things.
First, when you or I meditate on the word, there will come a place were the rubber meets the road, were we will either do what it says or we wont. And if we wont it will start to gnaw at us. Remember that this is only a day in my life, and that this issue that God is working with me on has really been a process of His word and His Spirit marinating my soul to tenderness and when that fails, He has been gnawing on the tough spots with all the gusto of a dog with a rawhide bone.
And secondly marinating starts in the word and depends on the Holy Spirit to bring verses back up, all day long. That living in the truth of Gods words will bring rest to our hearts in His presence.
Be you encouraged! For though we can do it only for moments at first, God is faithful to complete the work that He has promised to complete in us
March 7, 2006
Called
If you can do any thing else, then go do it.
But if you cant do anything but this, then you are called.
But if you cant do anything but this, then you are called.
March 1, 2006
Mysteries
1 Tim 2:8-9 "Deacons must... hold to the deep mysteries of the faith with a clear conscience"
So the verse means this for me (wow, i cant believe I just wrote that. My bible intrepretation teacher would have my head if he read that): I must hold to the deep mysteries of the faith with a clear conscience. But as I've reflected and meditated on the verse, I realized that I didnt really even have a clue on what the "deep mysteries" even were. I thought, okay, "The Trinity", God as one and as three. Right. Deep mystery number one solved. Okay "Calvinism vs Arminianism" Yes... No... Neither...Um Both. Right...Deep mystery number two solved. Okay "Escatology".......
So on and so on.
If is true that my brain "solves" these "deep mysteries" why would I still need hold them with a clear conscience. Wouldnt it be true that there would be no cognitive dissodance (a phrase I picked up in psycology) and I wouldnt have to hold them I just would have them. Now you can write this off to semantics and greek translations and what ever else, but I usually hold on to something, cause I love it (like a treasured memento or a loved one) or because it threatens to get away from me (like a climber on a rock or a wild horse) And somuch of what we loved in the begining, what made our eyes sparkle like newborn children, threatens to get away from us. The deep mystery which we once embraced has been replaced by something less real, something less than God. The deep myteries that I've been abble to come up with go something like this.
God is real.
God speaks.
God does stuff.
God loves us
God has changed my life
God changes other peoples lives.
God hears us.
So in my mind, these are the things that I ignore the most, believe the least, and are probably the most true thing I can experience. How does the Pretrib,posttrib,pantrib(thank you Monty) argument compare to the simple yet profound statement that God is real.
God is real. I start there. Because its true and I miss it. If you've been reading my blog, there was one about trusting God. And I realized that as a pastor I was missing it. I was missing the growth and power of God in my life to affect personal change. Oh my ministry was doing good. I adressed problems with the proper application of scripture, personal anctidotes, and quality goofing off time to where I saw growth in others, but never really inmyself. But to others, growth and expansion in ministry IS growth with God. Or at least looks like it. When asked about how my life was going, I always talked about ministry, never what GOd was teaching me. Dont get me wrong, I prayed, I read, I led worship. But somewhere in the nooks and crannies of my brain were the beginings of the hints of wispers of doubts. "Adam, you are wasting your life. What if its not true?" And to be honest those doubts still exist. Knowing that alot of what I do and who I am and the choices Ive made SEEM to be leading me away from the things I once had and what I desire most in life. Because God is real. Of all these things, if I dont hold to that, then my life is just a sham, my ministy a jobchoice and my relationship with God, just me talking to the celing. The funny thing is that its so obvious to us we ignore it. We almost laugh out loud when someone accepts the Gospel for truth and their eyes get bright with the reality that God exists. Deep mystery ..1
God speaks. When I speak of KN or MS, you've heard me say these words "I am no mystic." You may have even thought you knew what I was saying. In one sense it is true that "magical" thinking about God gets us into all sorts of trouble. On the other hand what I was really saying is that "God doesn't speak to me" with underlieing conclusion that "God doesn't speak to them either" and ultimatly the realization hits me now that "God doesnt speak at all because He's not real." (Are you a priest that I might make you my confessor? You didnt mean to be so candid in your email, and neither did I, yet I feel compeled to write.) But God does speak. He even speaks to me, and not in the "the bible is all of God's word we need" sort of way, though that seems to be the primary way. Its not audible. Its not a voice. I've seen a vision but only one. I have dreams but I never know what they mean. The best way I can describe it is as a thought that I have that injects itself into my "inner dialoge" which usually and almost always I reject with that same inner dialog. And its not little things. Its insight into peoples lives that when spoken allows people to releace things. Its insight into the hearts and minds of the church. And as weird as it sounds it's insight into my own heart and motives and feelings. And within the last couple of months or so, there have been four or five big ones and countless small ones, where some of them I was faithful to say, and some of them I wasnt, one of which the phrase in my head was "there's no way in hell" and the other voice said "that's right because you are not destined for that place" and then somebody else stood up in our church and said the exact thing that I had been told to say. Not just the jist of the comment, but word for word the sentance I was denying in my head. I'll pause at this point for you to reconnect your brain after the shock. Im not a skitso. I dont hear voices in my head. Like I said, its my own voice, only its not. The weight and the intrusiveness of the thought is diffrent than the normal free association that goes on in my mind. I wish I could explain it better so that, you myfriend, halfway accross the world, would be excited that God speaks. Reading this over, i kinda sound like a lunie. This is the first time I have ever tried to articulate the interaction. And to write it down, even here to a friend, makes me feel kinda vulnrable and I keep writing in little things to push off that vulnrability. But it is one of the things that made my list on the deep mysteries of God.
The rest of them might be more self explainitory, or less in need of explination, or something.
God loves us. Yes He does. No really. I mean it.
I thought it didnt need any explination but Im wrong. (The internal dialog/God speaks thing again) How many things do I do inlife to earn affection. I clean my room so my parents praise me. I get the right clothes and listen to the right music so my friends my like me. I take a girl out to dinner so I might get a peck on the cheek at the end of the night. I work hard so my boss accepts me and gives me a raise. All of my life I have had to earn my affection. Very rairly is "love" given without a reason. Its tit for tat and risk analisys. If I give them this much affection and energy, how much am I going to get back. This person didnt respond the way I wanted them to last time so im going to just hold back a little more this time.
But God does not do risk analisys.
And that way of loving is so forign to us that we ulimately do not hold to the truth that His love is permanant. And I end up working off my sins. We scoff at the middle ages, with their indulgences but I get them! Its way easier to "work off" my sins, than it is to relized that He loves me even when I don't love Him. In Him there is NO TURNING. It is amazing to see a new christian say, I found this verse and its amazing. Have you ever read it? Its John 3:16... and before he can finnish we cut him off with our quick, deadpan, un-empassioned recitation, that leaves him there with a bittler taste on his lips, his excitement like ash in his mouth, and it poisins the soul. God loves us.
Read it with a stirred up soul, empassioned for the mysteriy of God's love.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON SO THAT WHOM EVER BELIVES ON HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT WILL HAVE THE EVERLASTING LIFE!!!!
And when we believe that, and that before it, my lens starts to bring something into veiw.
I cannot remain the same in His love. He wont allow for it. Jesus is the impertinant fix-it man. I call him into do a simple job like stoping a leaking faucet and come home to major remodel, with an added story, new windows and an east wing. Theres stairs and cranes and alsorts of activities, and when confronted about how he's "ruining your house" he comes back with the line "Im just making it perfect" Of all the impertinant..... aggg......agggg.....arrrrrr. But yet isnt it the truth that when God started working on you, and when God started working on me that neither one of us saw the road ahead. Not just the exterior one of travels and homes and friends and ministry. No I mean the inward one where God broke me of pride, and anger and the one where he continues to breakme of loneliness and uncertainty. Where He's brouhgt faith and joy and hope and love to make me perfect. To make you perfect too. God changes people's lives. For the better. Because He loves us he will tell us. And all of that because God is real.
And the last one is that God hears us.
I am no "back burner" project with God. Neither are you. God doesnt have the kids you work with on the back burner, your friendships, your relationship with Him, nor your futurespouse on the back burner. God is not a "back burner" sort of God. Rather His thoughts about you are at the forfront of His mind, numbering as numerous as the grains of sand. He says "Trust me Adam, for you are in the middle of everything that I have planned for you." He says it to you, he says it to me , he says it to all of creation, even while it growns, even while it pains in the labor of the new life to come. God hears us, and changes us to love Him more, because He first loved us, speaking to us that He loves us and that He exists.
These are the deep mysteries. The ones that I will hold on to lest they get away from me.
There might be more. Maybe you can come up with a few. I dont know.
So the verse means this for me (wow, i cant believe I just wrote that. My bible intrepretation teacher would have my head if he read that): I must hold to the deep mysteries of the faith with a clear conscience. But as I've reflected and meditated on the verse, I realized that I didnt really even have a clue on what the "deep mysteries" even were. I thought, okay, "The Trinity", God as one and as three. Right. Deep mystery number one solved. Okay "Calvinism vs Arminianism" Yes... No... Neither...Um Both. Right...Deep mystery number two solved. Okay "Escatology".......
So on and so on.
If is true that my brain "solves" these "deep mysteries" why would I still need hold them with a clear conscience. Wouldnt it be true that there would be no cognitive dissodance (a phrase I picked up in psycology) and I wouldnt have to hold them I just would have them. Now you can write this off to semantics and greek translations and what ever else, but I usually hold on to something, cause I love it (like a treasured memento or a loved one) or because it threatens to get away from me (like a climber on a rock or a wild horse) And somuch of what we loved in the begining, what made our eyes sparkle like newborn children, threatens to get away from us. The deep mystery which we once embraced has been replaced by something less real, something less than God. The deep myteries that I've been abble to come up with go something like this.
God is real.
God speaks.
God does stuff.
God loves us
God has changed my life
God changes other peoples lives.
God hears us.
So in my mind, these are the things that I ignore the most, believe the least, and are probably the most true thing I can experience. How does the Pretrib,posttrib,pantrib(thank you Monty) argument compare to the simple yet profound statement that God is real.
God is real. I start there. Because its true and I miss it. If you've been reading my blog, there was one about trusting God. And I realized that as a pastor I was missing it. I was missing the growth and power of God in my life to affect personal change. Oh my ministry was doing good. I adressed problems with the proper application of scripture, personal anctidotes, and quality goofing off time to where I saw growth in others, but never really inmyself. But to others, growth and expansion in ministry IS growth with God. Or at least looks like it. When asked about how my life was going, I always talked about ministry, never what GOd was teaching me. Dont get me wrong, I prayed, I read, I led worship. But somewhere in the nooks and crannies of my brain were the beginings of the hints of wispers of doubts. "Adam, you are wasting your life. What if its not true?" And to be honest those doubts still exist. Knowing that alot of what I do and who I am and the choices Ive made SEEM to be leading me away from the things I once had and what I desire most in life. Because God is real. Of all these things, if I dont hold to that, then my life is just a sham, my ministy a jobchoice and my relationship with God, just me talking to the celing. The funny thing is that its so obvious to us we ignore it. We almost laugh out loud when someone accepts the Gospel for truth and their eyes get bright with the reality that God exists. Deep mystery ..1
God speaks. When I speak of KN or MS, you've heard me say these words "I am no mystic." You may have even thought you knew what I was saying. In one sense it is true that "magical" thinking about God gets us into all sorts of trouble. On the other hand what I was really saying is that "God doesn't speak to me" with underlieing conclusion that "God doesn't speak to them either" and ultimatly the realization hits me now that "God doesnt speak at all because He's not real." (Are you a priest that I might make you my confessor? You didnt mean to be so candid in your email, and neither did I, yet I feel compeled to write.) But God does speak. He even speaks to me, and not in the "the bible is all of God's word we need" sort of way, though that seems to be the primary way. Its not audible. Its not a voice. I've seen a vision but only one. I have dreams but I never know what they mean. The best way I can describe it is as a thought that I have that injects itself into my "inner dialoge" which usually and almost always I reject with that same inner dialog. And its not little things. Its insight into peoples lives that when spoken allows people to releace things. Its insight into the hearts and minds of the church. And as weird as it sounds it's insight into my own heart and motives and feelings. And within the last couple of months or so, there have been four or five big ones and countless small ones, where some of them I was faithful to say, and some of them I wasnt, one of which the phrase in my head was "there's no way in hell" and the other voice said "that's right because you are not destined for that place" and then somebody else stood up in our church and said the exact thing that I had been told to say. Not just the jist of the comment, but word for word the sentance I was denying in my head. I'll pause at this point for you to reconnect your brain after the shock. Im not a skitso. I dont hear voices in my head. Like I said, its my own voice, only its not. The weight and the intrusiveness of the thought is diffrent than the normal free association that goes on in my mind. I wish I could explain it better so that, you myfriend, halfway accross the world, would be excited that God speaks. Reading this over, i kinda sound like a lunie. This is the first time I have ever tried to articulate the interaction. And to write it down, even here to a friend, makes me feel kinda vulnrable and I keep writing in little things to push off that vulnrability. But it is one of the things that made my list on the deep mysteries of God.
The rest of them might be more self explainitory, or less in need of explination, or something.
God loves us. Yes He does. No really. I mean it.
I thought it didnt need any explination but Im wrong. (The internal dialog/God speaks thing again) How many things do I do inlife to earn affection. I clean my room so my parents praise me. I get the right clothes and listen to the right music so my friends my like me. I take a girl out to dinner so I might get a peck on the cheek at the end of the night. I work hard so my boss accepts me and gives me a raise. All of my life I have had to earn my affection. Very rairly is "love" given without a reason. Its tit for tat and risk analisys. If I give them this much affection and energy, how much am I going to get back. This person didnt respond the way I wanted them to last time so im going to just hold back a little more this time.
But God does not do risk analisys.
And that way of loving is so forign to us that we ulimately do not hold to the truth that His love is permanant. And I end up working off my sins. We scoff at the middle ages, with their indulgences but I get them! Its way easier to "work off" my sins, than it is to relized that He loves me even when I don't love Him. In Him there is NO TURNING. It is amazing to see a new christian say, I found this verse and its amazing. Have you ever read it? Its John 3:16... and before he can finnish we cut him off with our quick, deadpan, un-empassioned recitation, that leaves him there with a bittler taste on his lips, his excitement like ash in his mouth, and it poisins the soul. God loves us.
Read it with a stirred up soul, empassioned for the mysteriy of God's love.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON SO THAT WHOM EVER BELIVES ON HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT WILL HAVE THE EVERLASTING LIFE!!!!
And when we believe that, and that before it, my lens starts to bring something into veiw.
I cannot remain the same in His love. He wont allow for it. Jesus is the impertinant fix-it man. I call him into do a simple job like stoping a leaking faucet and come home to major remodel, with an added story, new windows and an east wing. Theres stairs and cranes and alsorts of activities, and when confronted about how he's "ruining your house" he comes back with the line "Im just making it perfect" Of all the impertinant..... aggg......agggg.....arrrrrr. But yet isnt it the truth that when God started working on you, and when God started working on me that neither one of us saw the road ahead. Not just the exterior one of travels and homes and friends and ministry. No I mean the inward one where God broke me of pride, and anger and the one where he continues to breakme of loneliness and uncertainty. Where He's brouhgt faith and joy and hope and love to make me perfect. To make you perfect too. God changes people's lives. For the better. Because He loves us he will tell us. And all of that because God is real.
And the last one is that God hears us.
I am no "back burner" project with God. Neither are you. God doesnt have the kids you work with on the back burner, your friendships, your relationship with Him, nor your futurespouse on the back burner. God is not a "back burner" sort of God. Rather His thoughts about you are at the forfront of His mind, numbering as numerous as the grains of sand. He says "Trust me Adam, for you are in the middle of everything that I have planned for you." He says it to you, he says it to me , he says it to all of creation, even while it growns, even while it pains in the labor of the new life to come. God hears us, and changes us to love Him more, because He first loved us, speaking to us that He loves us and that He exists.
These are the deep mysteries. The ones that I will hold on to lest they get away from me.
There might be more. Maybe you can come up with a few. I dont know.
February 21, 2006
Trust God
I am learning what it means to trust God.
We just went to HS winter camp and the thing that was nost impressed upon me was trust God. When I was praying in the little prayer chapel, the overwhelming thing that I heard and felt was trust God. Then as I left there was a penny right in the doorway that I picked up. I dont think it was there before but it might have been. Anyways, the point is on the top is insribed "In God we Trust". And then about a few hours later I was sitting in the back of the gym durring the worship service and I picked up a little scrap of paper that was laying right in front of me. Two words on it. Trust God. So now I am in the process of putting the "I" and the "My" back into the "We" and the "They" when I say things like trust God. Its for me first when I speak the things of God. Its for me first when Jesus tells me something. Its for me first when the Holy Spirit lays change on my heart. Its for me first, that I need to trust God. Me first, then you next...
We just went to HS winter camp and the thing that was nost impressed upon me was trust God. When I was praying in the little prayer chapel, the overwhelming thing that I heard and felt was trust God. Then as I left there was a penny right in the doorway that I picked up. I dont think it was there before but it might have been. Anyways, the point is on the top is insribed "In God we Trust". And then about a few hours later I was sitting in the back of the gym durring the worship service and I picked up a little scrap of paper that was laying right in front of me. Two words on it. Trust God. So now I am in the process of putting the "I" and the "My" back into the "We" and the "They" when I say things like trust God. Its for me first when I speak the things of God. Its for me first when Jesus tells me something. Its for me first when the Holy Spirit lays change on my heart. Its for me first, that I need to trust God. Me first, then you next...
February 14, 2006
6>80's Music
The snow as started falling as the faint sounds of 80's music plays in the background. Not the good stuff, but the songs that everybody knows the words to, but wishes they didn't like Prince's "Purple Rain" though there was some Sting and Queen that was pretty redeeming. If there was ever a place to take a girl this was the place. Ive only ever been ice skating once and it ended with stiches, so I chose to walk around with Boston, but with the snow falling, ice-skating in the park seemed picturesque. And I was thinking of our past few days together. I pray that we come back ready to rock the Lake. If nothing else, our group has fused like brothers and sisters (though we are outnumbered 3 to 1, yikes.) Like any family theres been our struggles and issues, but the group has gelled to a thick solidarity. Theres justin who is always just this side of the line, quiet Angi who we left at a mall, Erin the trooper who survived a trip to the city hospital, Boston the joymaker who seems to have the ability to but a smile on everybodies face and myself who got the group lost while walking to moody (not entirly lost but… we were on the right street just about 12 blocks down…) Im excited to see what the rest of this week will hold. The thoughts and ideas that are swimming around in everybody's head, how they will be poured out to become concrete reality. No seminar has said here is what you do to improve your church, your ministry, your small groups. Its been fairly simple, but profound. – CHANGE YOURSELF FIRST – Focus on God in your own life. Focus on who he is. And that change will radiate outward, like ripples in a still pond. Change begins here (index finger pointing at your own/my own stearnum. A. T. Elwer |
5>Hebrews 2
Salvation found… Don't drift away from your salvation "Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, least we drift away from it" From the letter to the Hebrews chapter 2 Salvation is a whole that encompasses the christan life Election- Chosen by God before the world Justification- The forgiveness of sins Sanctification- Becoming holy Glorification- After this life (As good Westlyians we'd probably add one more) Adoption- becoming the Sons and Daughters of God 2 Biblical Assurances of Salvation The Enduring Faith- "He that endures to the end..." The Fruit of that Faith So… Wake up! – Pay more attention, focus, the act of being anchored to a mooring What causes us to fall into spiritual slumber? – A list The Pursit of pleasure in its various forms as an ends to itself. That is the list Listen up! – What we have heard Clearest proof of convertion is an overwhelming love for the Gospel Keep up! – Least we drift away- a ship loosed from its moorings The Gospel Declaired by Jesus Experienced by People Confirmed by God
February 13, 2006
4>Predisposition
John 1:1-14 The living word of God vs Abstract thought The biggest problem in christianity today is the battle that is ragging of abstract thought verses the Living Word of God You see… abstract thought is just that. Abstract. It has no real substance or basis in the real world, it is ideals and perfection and clean and neat. However the Living word is messy, it rolls up its sleves and works, it has the power to change lives… John engages the both the Jewish and the Gentile with the prologue to his Gospel "In the beginning was the Word and and the Word was with God… and the Word was God… The Jewish veiw of the Word- The word does stuff. It blesses, it curses, it creates something that wasn't there before. Creation happened because of a word It's the reason Issac couldn't take back the blessing of Jacob. The word is an agnet to itself -Our words should cause more than a neutral response. They ought to create heat and passion. "Our speech should be afflicted with the nessisary power to convey our message The Greek view of the Word Brings order out of disorder. The word is the rational part of the mind- it enlightens the spirit and orders the brain Johns shocking twist "The word became flesh and dwelt among us" The mirical of the incarnation revealed What weight do our words carry. Are we like John? Analizing culture and then using our best talents to create a predispositon to hear the Gospel Maybe that's what hit me the most. It what ways am I creating a predisposition in others to hear the Gospel. Is it through the music, my attitude, my speech, my service? How can I be better used and utilized to create that predispositon Where did we loos our wonder of the incarnant God? Our Familiarity with scripture No longer moved by it. All the right notes but wheres the music We are so eaisly distracted from it. Forget your frettings and fussings- come in out of the wind Child We forget the purose and reason Simeon was watching for the Comfort of Isreal to come- a comfort to the Jews and Gentiles The woman at the well- town prostitute to town evangilist Recapturing your wonder- Absorb Jesus- Read the Gospels Be an Anna (or a samaritan woman)- Share your faith Check your self for Christlikeness. Be thirsty and drink deeply Are there those around you who cause you to be thirsty? Are you causing others to be thirsty? Drink deeply of the one who offers living water.
February 11, 2006
3>God Speaks
The Supremacy of God's Son
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
-from the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testiment
From Wednesday Morning- Dr James McDonald
- Jesus Christ the living Lord
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke.
If nothing else, let us be thankful that God speaks
He speaks little by little as we need it at many times
He speaks through the prophets, the scriptures, His Son in many ways
He did not set the Universe in order and leave it on its own
He is not silent GOD SPEAKS! AND ITS TRUTH!
There is lots of truth out there, but Gods truth will make an impact
2 2=4 is true but it wont change your life.
How does God Speak?
He speaks Personally in Christ-
in these last days he has spoken to us by his son
He speaks Powerfully in Christ
through whom (Jesus Christ/The Word) also created the world
He speaks Precicly in Christ
The exact imprint of God-the fullness of the Godhead
He speaks Profitably in Christ
He made purification for sin- He is the solution for our sin problem
He speaks Permenantly in Christ
He sat down His rest and sabbath- It is finished
in the Old Testament there was never enough provision for sins
there were no seats in the temple, but Christ sits
Believe in Him.
Seriously
Believe in Him
February 8, 2006
Intensity Well Lived
Our first day in Chicago has passed with a sudden gust of wind and the slowness of foot traffic. So much has happened today that events before lunch seem like a day or two ago and even had willy refering to them as Yesterday. There is the hustle and bustle of going to hear speakers, seeing Willy’s old stomping grounds, eating, getting coffee, and looking for places for the girls to stop and use the bathroom. But the pace crawls as we walk from place to place, taking in the city from corner to corner, with new sights to greet us at each turn. We stopped for coffee and lunch at a little café, and while we were eating and listening to some jazz, sombody noticed the presence of snow falling from the sky, which at some points of the day had turned into blustery wind-driven snow that left 2 or 3 inches of snow on the ground. Standing in the snow, I couldn’t help but smile and have a spring to my step at the joy of experiencing an actual winter. The seminars too were amazing. Today we saw two. The theme for the whole week of founder’s week is that of “God’s Word.” The first one guy read from hebrews on the whole idea that “God Speaks” and went off from there (check out the blog – God Speaks) The second guy talked about the Church as God sees it. That we ought to major in the majors- as he put it “The main thing is that the main thing remains the main thing, mainly” He also put forth a phrase > intesity well lived. I want to be intensity well lived. Im going to bed now. If you wanna check out founders week go here www.foundersweek.com and you can actually download the messages. On a side note the worship band for the evening session was an orchastra, pretty rad. Anyways Later Adam
1> The City
I cant seem to decide on music this morning. The location demands something appopriate. Something urban like some Miles Davis beat tracks, but the tinkling of George Winston is calling to me...
It was dark when we landed. The sprawling size of the city was made more apparent by the sheer numbers of lights that spread to the horizon and greeted us with a soft orange glow. But the day would have hidden the size. Riding the "L" to downtown, the lights inside the train make it all but imposible to see out the window. We reached downtown with out so much as going outside so the cold reality hit us when we went outside... its winter here. The condensation of our breath, nipped fingers and ears, and the fogging up of glasses seem to be reminders that we are not in Cali any more. In my hotel room this morning it seemed not to matter if we were in California or Chicago. A hotel room is a hotel room. Untill you draw the shades and reveil the urban landscape of scuring people and bustling cars, and concrete and trees and buildings. The archetecure here is amazing. The buildings are old by my standard, though in most parts of the world they would be considered new construction. There was a church that we saw last night that was over a hundred years old. It was made of rough hewn stone and decretive masonry with large leaded windows and the most amazing wood doors you can immagine that made me take off my glove just to touch it and feel the texture.
There is a overall buzz in our group though it seems we all are a bit tired this morning. Some of its the time zone differance and some of that is the ride on the airplane yesterday. I'm not sure that they had people of my size in mind when they were designing the seating arangements. I pray for unity and discernment for our group as tiredness lends itself to all other sorts of things, like irritability, short tempers and an overall exageration of expression and emotion. I pray for a unity of our group and an overwhelming sense of growth and expectation to outway anything else that might be happening.
The city provides this overwhelming distraction to me and I relized this morning that this town is no differnt than my own, people living out their lives, either in line with God's plan, or ultimatly set against it. There are strugles and joys living side by side and sometimes in the same momment. Its just the the stage for their lives has a much different backdrop.
So I settled on the winston and his piano. Winter into Spring.
Later All
Adam
It was dark when we landed. The sprawling size of the city was made more apparent by the sheer numbers of lights that spread to the horizon and greeted us with a soft orange glow. But the day would have hidden the size. Riding the "L" to downtown, the lights inside the train make it all but imposible to see out the window. We reached downtown with out so much as going outside so the cold reality hit us when we went outside... its winter here. The condensation of our breath, nipped fingers and ears, and the fogging up of glasses seem to be reminders that we are not in Cali any more. In my hotel room this morning it seemed not to matter if we were in California or Chicago. A hotel room is a hotel room. Untill you draw the shades and reveil the urban landscape of scuring people and bustling cars, and concrete and trees and buildings. The archetecure here is amazing. The buildings are old by my standard, though in most parts of the world they would be considered new construction. There was a church that we saw last night that was over a hundred years old. It was made of rough hewn stone and decretive masonry with large leaded windows and the most amazing wood doors you can immagine that made me take off my glove just to touch it and feel the texture.
There is a overall buzz in our group though it seems we all are a bit tired this morning. Some of its the time zone differance and some of that is the ride on the airplane yesterday. I'm not sure that they had people of my size in mind when they were designing the seating arangements. I pray for unity and discernment for our group as tiredness lends itself to all other sorts of things, like irritability, short tempers and an overall exageration of expression and emotion. I pray for a unity of our group and an overwhelming sense of growth and expectation to outway anything else that might be happening.
The city provides this overwhelming distraction to me and I relized this morning that this town is no differnt than my own, people living out their lives, either in line with God's plan, or ultimatly set against it. There are strugles and joys living side by side and sometimes in the same momment. Its just the the stage for their lives has a much different backdrop.
So I settled on the winston and his piano. Winter into Spring.
Later All
Adam
January 9, 2006
Worship
An excerpt from a letter I wrote to a friend... what are your thoughts? or your questions?
First my thoughts on worship. If i was to accuse the mainline protestant denominaions of some transgression it would be on the hows and whys of worship. Dave stanley (and Im sure youve heard it before) says that worship is a life style not an event. However hearing that, and even saying that with heartfelt sentiments doesnt make it true. The truth is that sunday mornings is an event and aside from praying for meals, God is rarley thought about much less talked about and even much less worshiped in the space between sunday morning services. (I just relized that I may rant here, being a supposed "worship leader" so please season my words with grace if I fail to do so.) I say supposed beccause for the most part, the "worship leader" in a church is the guy who can hold a guitar and carry a tune. Do not get me wrong. I love music. It stirs the soul. It helps me worship God. It takes a peice of me that is so inwardly personal and puts it out there for the world to see. But it is not worship.
So what is worship? I know most of the christian answers and I bet you do too. Its hard to put my finger on an answer. The word is used more in the old testament than the new, but it is interesting that most of the time worship= blood. "They took and cow, slaughtered it, and worshiped the Lord." You know, stuff like that. Im not sure about you...but I havent seen a cow slaughtered in a church service. (I have this image of Dave Stanley rolling up his sleeves right now... I'll stop there...). So what is the church todo? What is appropriate and what is right for worship? Ive got two avenues that I want you to think about, one that seems pretty wierd to me but has come to me as Ive been writing and the other one that you are probably more familier with but might need some re-examining (I feel like Im writing a paper for school...I just hit my theological mode)
The first train of thought is acctually more a train of questions, questions that you may come up with diffrent (read Better) ideas than my own. What was the physical act of worship in the OT? Animal sacrifice and prayer. What were the reasons for sacrificing animals? A sheding of blood to cover sins, either against God, or others or both. Any other reasons? For a remeberance and celebration for what God has done, like the feast of passover or weeks or booths. How come we don't sacrifice animals today? Read Hebrews 9 first. Christ became that sacrifice for our sins and his death on a cross completed the sytem of sacrifices. They were no longer nesisary. We'll thats good for the sin sacrifice but what about the times of celebration where animals were sacrificed, wine was drunk, music was sung and God was remembered? (Read with Robin Willams voice from dead poets society "spirts soared, women swooned, and gods were created...") Is there any christian event in the new testiment that kinda sounds like that? Jesus' passover feast with his diciples. There was bread and wine and fellowship. There was prayer and command to remember. And ultimately this again leads that event, a human sacrifice to top off the evenings events. Im not saying this to be flippant, though as I read back it sounds that way. Im saying this as a reminder that ultimately it is the sacrificial act that is worship, and namley the sacrificial act of Jesus on a cross for believers today. So back to music. What place should music hold in the worship act? I've heard worship leaders talk about mood and setting the tone, getting people to engage, and the like. I even heard a guy say that his goal for one particular set of music was to get people to cry. Bile and rubish, if you ask me (which you did...) I sing because of an overflow. Im amazed and happy so I sing. Im sad so I sing. Im longful so I sing. Feelings or emotions that produce music are probably good (I know that Monty would have something to say about feelings at this point, I may come back to it but dont hold your breath) Music that envokes emotion is bad.
This is where talking to somebody and seeing the expression of understand, or the lack there of, would come in handy. Im not saying that music that creates an emotion is bad music. Dashboard makes me sort of sad and wistful, Miles Davis makes me feel sort of relaxed and peaceful and the Supertones makes me feel like I can take on the world with God at my side. These are not bad things but they have created some thing that was not there before. Maybe. If its true that music has the ability to create a sort of false feeling, a created feeling that wasnt there before, then could it also create a feeling that we were close to God, that all the euphoria and emotional high are simply created by combining a few chordal progressions with some lyrics and a good rythem. I would say that is probably entirly posible. But... but what if (and I almost want to speak in a wisper, like this is some sort of secret) but what if those feelings were already there and all the music was doing was awakening something that was asleep, releasing something that was imprisoned. Im not sure how much emotion was involved in the Hebrews acts of worship. I dont know; I cant tell you. But I do know that emotions are empowering. Im not sure how all of this ties back into Jesus as the worship sacrifice; maybe its the pushing away of everything else or the focus that comes from singing a set of words, but the music comes from the Joy of knowing I have a savior and from the sorrow of knowing there is a depth to my sins. But is music the only way to accent our worship? No.
But our solutions are to call strange things worship. We call fellowship worship. Its good for us, I will admit, even nessisary, but Im not sure its worship (give me your thoughts...). Same with tithing. Its required by God, it reminds us of the provider and ultimatly that all is His. (I wonder if the whole "worship through tithing" suffers in our churches today because it doesnt normally envoke the same sorts of feelings and elations that the music service does...hmm a thought for another day perhaps. But there are other things which I think are worship, which brings me to my next (and much shorter) train of thought.
We are to be living sacrifices. Offering up our sacrifices, a drink offering poured apon the offering of Christ is to be our act of worship. You've heard it Im sure. Message after message. But the question I want to know is what does that practically look like. If we all become the sort of sacrifices that I hear about in messages then it is our biblical imparitive to worship God with our lives by going on a missions trip, becoming a pastor, or at least hanging out at bible college untill they kick me out. A two tiered christianity is out of the question, where the lay person subsists on the "worship" of the priests. There will be no room with God for those who dont know how to worship. (I say that off the cuff, who am I to decide who will get into heaven and for what reason) The key thing I take to heart from the book of revelation is that when all is said and done, theres going to be lots of worship going on.
So if a building that some guy built to worship God evokes feelings of worship in you, i would say examine where those feelings come from. Were they created by the inlaid Gold and silver, by the paintings and the statues, or were they already there, waiting to be opened like presents on a Christmas morn. Ive been in orthodox churches and know the sorts of feelings you are talking about. Its the same feeling I feel looking at the night sky in Joshua Tree, or sitting by the ocean at sun rise, or watching ants scurry to and fro.They awaken something in me that the church often allows to slumber... an awareness of Imanuel... an awareness of God with Us.
First my thoughts on worship. If i was to accuse the mainline protestant denominaions of some transgression it would be on the hows and whys of worship. Dave stanley (and Im sure youve heard it before) says that worship is a life style not an event. However hearing that, and even saying that with heartfelt sentiments doesnt make it true. The truth is that sunday mornings is an event and aside from praying for meals, God is rarley thought about much less talked about and even much less worshiped in the space between sunday morning services. (I just relized that I may rant here, being a supposed "worship leader" so please season my words with grace if I fail to do so.) I say supposed beccause for the most part, the "worship leader" in a church is the guy who can hold a guitar and carry a tune. Do not get me wrong. I love music. It stirs the soul. It helps me worship God. It takes a peice of me that is so inwardly personal and puts it out there for the world to see. But it is not worship.
So what is worship? I know most of the christian answers and I bet you do too. Its hard to put my finger on an answer. The word is used more in the old testament than the new, but it is interesting that most of the time worship= blood. "They took and cow, slaughtered it, and worshiped the Lord." You know, stuff like that. Im not sure about you...but I havent seen a cow slaughtered in a church service. (I have this image of Dave Stanley rolling up his sleeves right now... I'll stop there...). So what is the church todo? What is appropriate and what is right for worship? Ive got two avenues that I want you to think about, one that seems pretty wierd to me but has come to me as Ive been writing and the other one that you are probably more familier with but might need some re-examining (I feel like Im writing a paper for school...I just hit my theological mode)
The first train of thought is acctually more a train of questions, questions that you may come up with diffrent (read Better) ideas than my own. What was the physical act of worship in the OT? Animal sacrifice and prayer. What were the reasons for sacrificing animals? A sheding of blood to cover sins, either against God, or others or both. Any other reasons? For a remeberance and celebration for what God has done, like the feast of passover or weeks or booths. How come we don't sacrifice animals today? Read Hebrews 9 first. Christ became that sacrifice for our sins and his death on a cross completed the sytem of sacrifices. They were no longer nesisary. We'll thats good for the sin sacrifice but what about the times of celebration where animals were sacrificed, wine was drunk, music was sung and God was remembered? (Read with Robin Willams voice from dead poets society "spirts soared, women swooned, and gods were created...") Is there any christian event in the new testiment that kinda sounds like that? Jesus' passover feast with his diciples. There was bread and wine and fellowship. There was prayer and command to remember. And ultimately this again leads that event, a human sacrifice to top off the evenings events. Im not saying this to be flippant, though as I read back it sounds that way. Im saying this as a reminder that ultimately it is the sacrificial act that is worship, and namley the sacrificial act of Jesus on a cross for believers today. So back to music. What place should music hold in the worship act? I've heard worship leaders talk about mood and setting the tone, getting people to engage, and the like. I even heard a guy say that his goal for one particular set of music was to get people to cry. Bile and rubish, if you ask me (which you did...) I sing because of an overflow. Im amazed and happy so I sing. Im sad so I sing. Im longful so I sing. Feelings or emotions that produce music are probably good (I know that Monty would have something to say about feelings at this point, I may come back to it but dont hold your breath) Music that envokes emotion is bad.
This is where talking to somebody and seeing the expression of understand, or the lack there of, would come in handy. Im not saying that music that creates an emotion is bad music. Dashboard makes me sort of sad and wistful, Miles Davis makes me feel sort of relaxed and peaceful and the Supertones makes me feel like I can take on the world with God at my side. These are not bad things but they have created some thing that was not there before. Maybe. If its true that music has the ability to create a sort of false feeling, a created feeling that wasnt there before, then could it also create a feeling that we were close to God, that all the euphoria and emotional high are simply created by combining a few chordal progressions with some lyrics and a good rythem. I would say that is probably entirly posible. But... but what if (and I almost want to speak in a wisper, like this is some sort of secret) but what if those feelings were already there and all the music was doing was awakening something that was asleep, releasing something that was imprisoned. Im not sure how much emotion was involved in the Hebrews acts of worship. I dont know; I cant tell you. But I do know that emotions are empowering. Im not sure how all of this ties back into Jesus as the worship sacrifice; maybe its the pushing away of everything else or the focus that comes from singing a set of words, but the music comes from the Joy of knowing I have a savior and from the sorrow of knowing there is a depth to my sins. But is music the only way to accent our worship? No.
But our solutions are to call strange things worship. We call fellowship worship. Its good for us, I will admit, even nessisary, but Im not sure its worship (give me your thoughts...). Same with tithing. Its required by God, it reminds us of the provider and ultimatly that all is His. (I wonder if the whole "worship through tithing" suffers in our churches today because it doesnt normally envoke the same sorts of feelings and elations that the music service does...hmm a thought for another day perhaps. But there are other things which I think are worship, which brings me to my next (and much shorter) train of thought.
We are to be living sacrifices. Offering up our sacrifices, a drink offering poured apon the offering of Christ is to be our act of worship. You've heard it Im sure. Message after message. But the question I want to know is what does that practically look like. If we all become the sort of sacrifices that I hear about in messages then it is our biblical imparitive to worship God with our lives by going on a missions trip, becoming a pastor, or at least hanging out at bible college untill they kick me out. A two tiered christianity is out of the question, where the lay person subsists on the "worship" of the priests. There will be no room with God for those who dont know how to worship. (I say that off the cuff, who am I to decide who will get into heaven and for what reason) The key thing I take to heart from the book of revelation is that when all is said and done, theres going to be lots of worship going on.
So if a building that some guy built to worship God evokes feelings of worship in you, i would say examine where those feelings come from. Were they created by the inlaid Gold and silver, by the paintings and the statues, or were they already there, waiting to be opened like presents on a Christmas morn. Ive been in orthodox churches and know the sorts of feelings you are talking about. Its the same feeling I feel looking at the night sky in Joshua Tree, or sitting by the ocean at sun rise, or watching ants scurry to and fro.They awaken something in me that the church often allows to slumber... an awareness of Imanuel... an awareness of God with Us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)