Luke 7:37-38, 50
And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that [Jesus] was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment... And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Last Thursday my church held 24 Hours of Prayer & Fasting. I was part of the onset, up from midnight til dawn before catching an hour of sleep and going to class. Class all day, including finishing a paper, then another hourlong nap before joining those in prayer for the last five hours at the church.
That morning, I fell asleep when reading from my prayer journal laying down, and it hit me in the face. That night, when things were wrapping up, I thought I would pray for a couple more minutes. When I woke up, half and hour had gone by and I literally could not stand up. I tried so hard, I'm serious, but my legs had fallen asleep! I felt like I was in a scene straight out of Bambi...
Friday I still had a headache from lack of sleep, food, and hydration. And it was totally worth it. Sitting in that quiet chapel with good friends trickling in and out, singing, bowing, kneeling, weeping, laughing--it was pure, unadulterated Joy.
I'm serious about my Joy.
In the previous post, I mentioned that I had been brought up before the church to explain a skit that my college group does. It was "merely" a fun skit, meant for laughter. When I was done, my preacher then asked, "So there was no point?" I stepped back up to the microphone and said:
"It is a shadow of the Joy we will have in Heaven."
I mentioned previously my struggle with Pride, and this was certainly one of those moments--wishing to bask in the rays of sunshine coming from people's praise of my witty and "deep" reply. Thank God, I admitted that I stole the idea completely from C. S. Lewis. Foree had seen the skit as silly; Lewis would have replied to him like this:
"I do not think that the life of Heaven bears any analogy to play or dance in respect to frivolity... Dance and game are frivolous, unimportant things down here; for 'down here' is not their natural place. Here, they are a moment's rest from the life we were placed here to live. But in this world everything else is upside down. That which, if it could be prolonged here, would be a truancy, is likest that which in a better country is the End of ends. Joy is the serious business of Heaven."
I felt like basking in the heat from people's praise, but it was only a shadow, and it wasn't directed where it was supposed to be--toward God. Even in crediting C. S. Lewis for the idea, to my shame I did not direct people's attention to God myself; I can only hope the Spirit did. Because the things that we call "pleasures" are "shafts of the Glory" that strike our senses. God's glory IS our Joy, a Son-beam striking us until we praise and worship and adore His Most Holy Name (Romans 5:2).
That's why the woman was weeping in Luke 7. That's why she cleaned Christ's feet. That's why she anointed Him. Being in the Presence, the Glory, of the God-man, she became acutely aware of two things--His righteousness, which showed her complete brokenness, and His merciful Love, which saved and cleaned and sanctified and justified her. And she had no choice to worship Him, especially through tears.
That's the thing about Joy. It's not a happy pill. It can hurt. But it's a heart-ache that is purely God changing us from the inside out, creating His life in us that leads us into Adoration. We are saved by faith, but we adore because, when we come into contact with who God is, we have no choice. To thank Him for what He's done. To praise Him for who He is. Regardless of whatever dirt or baggage or guilt we feel in us.
"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God..."--Romans 8:15-16
The Spirit bears witness. God Himself bears witness to God that we are His, so who are we to say we are not good enough? He has lifted us up into His presence. "Heaven drew earth up into it." And so we adore.
25 February 2011
My Pride, Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation
I am shot through with Pride. Many times, I feel like I could be a modern-day Nebuchadnezzar. Not blatantly--no one speaks so straightforwardly today. Where Nebuchadnezzar told an empire to bow to his image on pain of death, I would speak degrading things about myself so that others would lift me up and tell me what's awesome about me.
It's such a quiet thing today, arrogance is, that we can ignore because we think we're DOING things that are humble, when in the end it's our heart's direction that matters.
Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind, praise God, due to that arrogance. He was not really a man anymore, living as an animal. He lost everything he had on the earth, and I can only hope God would be as merciful to me if I ever am overcome by Pride like that.
How could that be Mercy? Listen:
"At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored Him who lives forever,
for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay His hand, or say to Him, 'What have you done?'
At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendour returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are right and His ways just; and those who walk in pride He is able to humble."
And those who walk in pride He is able to humble...
Whenever I do something good or learn something worth telling (in my opinion), my narcissism leads me to fantasize about how great it would be if I were lifted up before others and they listened to what I had to say. I have had that recurring thought since elementary school.
So then last Sunday, I'm at church. They show a slideshow from a trip I had gone on, and our preacher gets up and asks the guys in one particular picture to come up front. I was one of those guys.
Foree, the preacher, says, "Now would one of you guys just explain what ya'll are doing there?" We were doing a silly skit, one we like to use for laughter and enjoyment. So I explain it to the church and get a chuckle and step back from the mic.
Then Foree says, "So there's no point to it?"
In that moment God, through surprise and a little humiliation taught me what I needed to know. In that moment God showed me that the praise my flesh had desired for so long really wouldn't fill me. That it was actually only a fleeting and relative thing and couldn't fill me.
He taught me, too, that He will lift me up when He wants and bring me down when He wants, and it will all be for His glory.
He taught me that He is the only constant, the only all-good, the only thing that could possibly lift me up and keep me there, wholly filled by Him.
"And those who walk in pride He is able to humble."
And I praise God for humbling me, as I know He will do--will have to do--for many years.
It's such a quiet thing today, arrogance is, that we can ignore because we think we're DOING things that are humble, when in the end it's our heart's direction that matters.
Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind, praise God, due to that arrogance. He was not really a man anymore, living as an animal. He lost everything he had on the earth, and I can only hope God would be as merciful to me if I ever am overcome by Pride like that.
How could that be Mercy? Listen:
"At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored Him who lives forever,
for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay His hand, or say to Him, 'What have you done?'
At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendour returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are right and His ways just; and those who walk in pride He is able to humble."
And those who walk in pride He is able to humble...
Whenever I do something good or learn something worth telling (in my opinion), my narcissism leads me to fantasize about how great it would be if I were lifted up before others and they listened to what I had to say. I have had that recurring thought since elementary school.
So then last Sunday, I'm at church. They show a slideshow from a trip I had gone on, and our preacher gets up and asks the guys in one particular picture to come up front. I was one of those guys.
Foree, the preacher, says, "Now would one of you guys just explain what ya'll are doing there?" We were doing a silly skit, one we like to use for laughter and enjoyment. So I explain it to the church and get a chuckle and step back from the mic.
Then Foree says, "So there's no point to it?"
In that moment God, through surprise and a little humiliation taught me what I needed to know. In that moment God showed me that the praise my flesh had desired for so long really wouldn't fill me. That it was actually only a fleeting and relative thing and couldn't fill me.
He taught me, too, that He will lift me up when He wants and bring me down when He wants, and it will all be for His glory.
He taught me that He is the only constant, the only all-good, the only thing that could possibly lift me up and keep me there, wholly filled by Him.
"And those who walk in pride He is able to humble."
And I praise God for humbling me, as I know He will do--will have to do--for many years.
24 February 2011
On Arrogance, Forgiveness, and the Substance of Humility
"Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last."
--Jesus Christ, Matthew 20:10-16
When you read the last verse, do you ever just hope it's true for those people that rise above you or are superior to you in some area, or have authority that they lord over you? It's a pretty human notion to wish for our version of "justice."
What this verse is saying, in context, is that God does whatever He wants.
"Our God is in the heavens; He does all the He pleases."--Psalm 115:3
Essentially, we have no intrinsic rights whatsoever in regard to the Lord Almighty, which produces fear and freedom simultaneously.
We are afraid because we want our rights. Our rights are meant to protect us, to keep others from taking from us or abusing us. We're used to dealing with sinners every day, so it's not a wholly unfounded fear.
The problem with God's sovereignty comes from our own heart, not His power, because we fail to always trust Him. The thing about God is that everything He does, or allows to happen, is for the best.
"What about Job?" you ask. "Job lost his entire estate and all of his children in the blink of an eye."
Yep. And because of how Job responded--"the Lord gives, the Lord takes away, but blessed be the Lord"--we still tell his story thousands of years later as an example of great faith. To this day and until the end of time, Job will encourage people he has never met because of the tragedy that befell him.
Job still called on God to treat him justly, however, and God merely told Job that men see merely their own place and time, but God sees the entire scope and is IN all times and therefore knows what is best for His creation. Then God restored to Job more than he had lost.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding."--Psalm 111:10
Humility, as I know it, comes from this "good understanding." It is "precision truth about one's self." It is rightly seeing God, yourself and the world around you, all in right relation to each other.
Arrogance enters in when we displace one thing or give it a higher or lower position than it deserves. It is arrogance that makes us think we can clean ourselves of our own problems. It is arrogance that says, "No, Lord, I do not want to accept your mercy; I want to punish myself for my faults and mistakes so I can feel like I earn my own righteousness."
In reality, it's God's generosity that frees us and blesses us. It is His Truth that shows us our true condition, not too high or not too low, so that we can navigate this life well.
In the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the Great Lion, Aslan, speaks to the young King Caspian: "You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve. And this is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emporers on earth. Be content."
And for when our arrogant heart wishes to condemn us: "By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything."--1 John 3:19-20
--Jesus Christ, Matthew 20:10-16
When you read the last verse, do you ever just hope it's true for those people that rise above you or are superior to you in some area, or have authority that they lord over you? It's a pretty human notion to wish for our version of "justice."
What this verse is saying, in context, is that God does whatever He wants.
"Our God is in the heavens; He does all the He pleases."--Psalm 115:3
Essentially, we have no intrinsic rights whatsoever in regard to the Lord Almighty, which produces fear and freedom simultaneously.
We are afraid because we want our rights. Our rights are meant to protect us, to keep others from taking from us or abusing us. We're used to dealing with sinners every day, so it's not a wholly unfounded fear.
The problem with God's sovereignty comes from our own heart, not His power, because we fail to always trust Him. The thing about God is that everything He does, or allows to happen, is for the best.
"What about Job?" you ask. "Job lost his entire estate and all of his children in the blink of an eye."
Yep. And because of how Job responded--"the Lord gives, the Lord takes away, but blessed be the Lord"--we still tell his story thousands of years later as an example of great faith. To this day and until the end of time, Job will encourage people he has never met because of the tragedy that befell him.
Job still called on God to treat him justly, however, and God merely told Job that men see merely their own place and time, but God sees the entire scope and is IN all times and therefore knows what is best for His creation. Then God restored to Job more than he had lost.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding."--Psalm 111:10
Humility, as I know it, comes from this "good understanding." It is "precision truth about one's self." It is rightly seeing God, yourself and the world around you, all in right relation to each other.
Arrogance enters in when we displace one thing or give it a higher or lower position than it deserves. It is arrogance that makes us think we can clean ourselves of our own problems. It is arrogance that says, "No, Lord, I do not want to accept your mercy; I want to punish myself for my faults and mistakes so I can feel like I earn my own righteousness."
In reality, it's God's generosity that frees us and blesses us. It is His Truth that shows us our true condition, not too high or not too low, so that we can navigate this life well.
In the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the Great Lion, Aslan, speaks to the young King Caspian: "You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve. And this is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emporers on earth. Be content."
And for when our arrogant heart wishes to condemn us: "By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything."--1 John 3:19-20
20 February 2011
Hershey's in my Pocket
As I sit in McAlister's, I reach into my right back pocket and notice something sticky. Like pudding. Flabbergasted, I have to lick whatever it is to find out what happened to my jeans.
What did I discover? The bite-size Hershey bar my friend gave me at church this morning has, through the day, melted and burst from its wrapper, oozing out of my pocket through the hole that all jeans seem to come with nowadays.
The irony here is that I hope to one day be like Dean Martin. No, not that Dean Martin, the one from my home church who was the kindest and most lucid man I have ever met.
He always had peppermints or gum or butterscotch for kids, but he only gave you some after you talked to him for a while. When I was younger, we always talked about Texas Longhorn athletics, as he kept up with them all even until he fell asleep for the last time.
Seriously, at 98 he knew without any announcement that it was my last Sunday at home before going to college. I had actually been avoiding him, not wanting to break his heart by telling him I was going to Texas A&M. But he caught me anyway, and so I told him, "Dean, I'm going down to College Station. I'm gonna be an Aggie."
Ya know what he says? "Well... I hear they have a good school down there, so you go get an education and come back and repent later."
NINETY-EIGHT YEARS OLD! Sweetest man ever. He cried when I did a 5th grade report on his life as a local lawyer.
So you see why I want to be like Dean. I hope to be the guy who takes interest in engaging the younger generations and then reminds them to enjoy the little things like a peppermint or chocolate. Sounds creepy, I know, but just trust me...
And now, sitting here with melted chocolate all through my pocket, I consider it a lesson for later in life: don't give the kids chocolate on a hot day; stick with butterscotch.
Most importantly, however, build the relationship.
"All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever."--Isaiah 40:6-8
Like a Hershey bar in my right back pocket, all of this will fade, even butterscotch. The part that matters is that I don't just retire and get ready to die (even metaphorically in Aggieland, since technically my class is "dead"): I move with intentional initiative to engage the younger and create more than superficial relationships with them.
Over and over again in the Scripture, the burden to initiate action is given to the elder and to the man: I am relatively the former and literally the latter, so if I have no new relationships before I leave this town then the responsibility lies on me for the absence of joy it would create. I would deny myself youthful joy, and deny them whatever nuggets of wisdom God has given me during my seeming eternity in College Station.
Regardless of how different we are in age, every single human being that I encounter is an immortal being. We will all outlast this material world.
So keep that in mind next time you get to talk to someone. Whether eight or 98, whether or not you like or dislike them, everyone has the dignity of being made by God, and we as Christ followers have the charge to regard them by what they suffer--much as we regard Christ by the cross.
What did I discover? The bite-size Hershey bar my friend gave me at church this morning has, through the day, melted and burst from its wrapper, oozing out of my pocket through the hole that all jeans seem to come with nowadays.
The irony here is that I hope to one day be like Dean Martin. No, not that Dean Martin, the one from my home church who was the kindest and most lucid man I have ever met.
He always had peppermints or gum or butterscotch for kids, but he only gave you some after you talked to him for a while. When I was younger, we always talked about Texas Longhorn athletics, as he kept up with them all even until he fell asleep for the last time.
Seriously, at 98 he knew without any announcement that it was my last Sunday at home before going to college. I had actually been avoiding him, not wanting to break his heart by telling him I was going to Texas A&M. But he caught me anyway, and so I told him, "Dean, I'm going down to College Station. I'm gonna be an Aggie."
Ya know what he says? "Well... I hear they have a good school down there, so you go get an education and come back and repent later."
NINETY-EIGHT YEARS OLD! Sweetest man ever. He cried when I did a 5th grade report on his life as a local lawyer.
So you see why I want to be like Dean. I hope to be the guy who takes interest in engaging the younger generations and then reminds them to enjoy the little things like a peppermint or chocolate. Sounds creepy, I know, but just trust me...
And now, sitting here with melted chocolate all through my pocket, I consider it a lesson for later in life: don't give the kids chocolate on a hot day; stick with butterscotch.
Most importantly, however, build the relationship.
"All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever."--Isaiah 40:6-8
Like a Hershey bar in my right back pocket, all of this will fade, even butterscotch. The part that matters is that I don't just retire and get ready to die (even metaphorically in Aggieland, since technically my class is "dead"): I move with intentional initiative to engage the younger and create more than superficial relationships with them.
Over and over again in the Scripture, the burden to initiate action is given to the elder and to the man: I am relatively the former and literally the latter, so if I have no new relationships before I leave this town then the responsibility lies on me for the absence of joy it would create. I would deny myself youthful joy, and deny them whatever nuggets of wisdom God has given me during my seeming eternity in College Station.
Regardless of how different we are in age, every single human being that I encounter is an immortal being. We will all outlast this material world.
So keep that in mind next time you get to talk to someone. Whether eight or 98, whether or not you like or dislike them, everyone has the dignity of being made by God, and we as Christ followers have the charge to regard them by what they suffer--much as we regard Christ by the cross.
08 February 2011
Sinners not Saints
In the words of Bob Dylan:
"You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed.
You're gonna have to serve somebody.
Well it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord,
But you're gonna have to serve somebody."
Yesterday proved to be a busy day getting back into the storms weathered in Hope.
Yesterday I presented the Gospel to three men. I say "men;" one was only 19, a boy--now caught in the inevitable gravity of life drawing him into manhood that comes with being engaged and (possibly) a father--who moved to Texas to escape a troubled past. His demeanor really impressed me, though. He was definitely present, aware of the world around him. Professed a work ethic that will serve him well, and that he really did not know much about the Gospel.
Neither did the other young man who grew up in a church-going family have the ability to give a concise or clear summary of the Gospel. It just reinforces the fact that we American Christians claim a Christ whose words and message we honestly don't know; we follow because we're raised to follow, and I hope to God He will use me to help remedy that. He also told me that he and his girlfriend both knew what the Bible said about sex, but, until this pregnancy "scare" as they called it, they did not think it was important. Now they both decided it was time to be more responsible with the faith they confess.
The third man was the antithesis of scared. Giddy might be the right word. Awaiting news about whether he was going to become a father for the second time, he was obviously both nervous and very excited. He said that he can afford a second child on his earnings as a researching doctoral student but no more; I wonder if they'll end up with twins this time.
Number 3 (yes, I do know his name, but confidentially!) grew up in Asia and said that he was unsure about spirituality. I have talked to men with a similar background before, and it reaffirms for me the definite weirdness of the Gospel.
Let's be honest: we believe in a God, an all-good, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, all-sustaining Creator of everything who loves His creation so much that He says His own name is "Jealous" (Exodus 34:14); we believe he not only is One Being, but three Persons, each complete in Himself, all bound together as a whole in a way I may never truly comprehend; we believe one of these Persons came to earth to become fully man while remaining fully God so that He could die--God, dying; not only that, but we believe this man, who also is God, beat death and rose from the grave and was seen by over 500 people in the next month to confirm that He really was alive; and we believe that "whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
Can it get any stranger, honestly?
And so trying to convey that entire message to a man who grew up in a culture that, in this man's own words, does not teach anything about spirituality to younger generations is quite a challenge. Have you ever given the complete message of the Gospel, from Genesis to the Cross to the Holy Spirit living in us as a promise of our eternal life in Christ, to someone that doesn't even believe he has a spirit along with his body? To someone who doesn't know what the words "Gospel" or "crucified" or "Holy Spirit" or "salvation" or "sin" even mean?
Let me tell you that not only is it tough, but it is so fulfilling, and totally worth it. It makes you really think about what it is that you believe, and why. Where those Bible verses are that support those beliefs. What logic flows from those God-breathed verses. And how to put it in simple language everyone can understand, even those who have only spoken English for the last five years.
What I found laid quite simply before me was the truth that Jesus Christ said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 3:17).
Thanks to God for that, too, because I've seen my own brokenness; it hasn't been but a few days since the last time I used someone for my own purpose.
Then, these three quite different men spoke with me--one who has always been in the Church, one who has been to church, and one who for 35 years never knew what the word "spiritual" meant. And the one most excited to hear and talk about the Gospel, who came back with his wife later that night to hear a full-on presentation of the story of Creation, was the one who'd never entered a church before.
I see more and more in my time at Hope that church attendance or other "checklist" items for Christians mean absolutely nothing if they skip the part where GOD HIMSELF CREATED US FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!
If we get that part, THEN going to church and praying and fasting and tithing and all of those other things bring life; they are structure into which the life that we find in God grows. Without that relationship, they are only rules to oppress people.
So, as Brennan Manning puts it, "the church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints." Can we please follow the example of the good people at Hope who have taught me so much about serving others? Can we bring what help and healing and joy and wisdom and support and relationship that we can while telling people about Christ, instead of just beating the latter over people's heads?
Because that is exactly what Jesus did in His ministry here on earth. All along Jesus always proclaimed His purpose and authority, but always hand in hand with the times He healed the sick and fed the hungry. He proved (and proves) His love and power and authority THROUGH His service. He did not separate the two acts; why should we?
"You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed.
You're gonna have to serve somebody.
Well it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord,
But you're gonna have to serve somebody."
Yesterday proved to be a busy day getting back into the storms weathered in Hope.
Yesterday I presented the Gospel to three men. I say "men;" one was only 19, a boy--now caught in the inevitable gravity of life drawing him into manhood that comes with being engaged and (possibly) a father--who moved to Texas to escape a troubled past. His demeanor really impressed me, though. He was definitely present, aware of the world around him. Professed a work ethic that will serve him well, and that he really did not know much about the Gospel.
Neither did the other young man who grew up in a church-going family have the ability to give a concise or clear summary of the Gospel. It just reinforces the fact that we American Christians claim a Christ whose words and message we honestly don't know; we follow because we're raised to follow, and I hope to God He will use me to help remedy that. He also told me that he and his girlfriend both knew what the Bible said about sex, but, until this pregnancy "scare" as they called it, they did not think it was important. Now they both decided it was time to be more responsible with the faith they confess.
The third man was the antithesis of scared. Giddy might be the right word. Awaiting news about whether he was going to become a father for the second time, he was obviously both nervous and very excited. He said that he can afford a second child on his earnings as a researching doctoral student but no more; I wonder if they'll end up with twins this time.
Number 3 (yes, I do know his name, but confidentially!) grew up in Asia and said that he was unsure about spirituality. I have talked to men with a similar background before, and it reaffirms for me the definite weirdness of the Gospel.
Let's be honest: we believe in a God, an all-good, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, all-sustaining Creator of everything who loves His creation so much that He says His own name is "Jealous" (Exodus 34:14); we believe he not only is One Being, but three Persons, each complete in Himself, all bound together as a whole in a way I may never truly comprehend; we believe one of these Persons came to earth to become fully man while remaining fully God so that He could die--God, dying; not only that, but we believe this man, who also is God, beat death and rose from the grave and was seen by over 500 people in the next month to confirm that He really was alive; and we believe that "whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
Can it get any stranger, honestly?
And so trying to convey that entire message to a man who grew up in a culture that, in this man's own words, does not teach anything about spirituality to younger generations is quite a challenge. Have you ever given the complete message of the Gospel, from Genesis to the Cross to the Holy Spirit living in us as a promise of our eternal life in Christ, to someone that doesn't even believe he has a spirit along with his body? To someone who doesn't know what the words "Gospel" or "crucified" or "Holy Spirit" or "salvation" or "sin" even mean?
Let me tell you that not only is it tough, but it is so fulfilling, and totally worth it. It makes you really think about what it is that you believe, and why. Where those Bible verses are that support those beliefs. What logic flows from those God-breathed verses. And how to put it in simple language everyone can understand, even those who have only spoken English for the last five years.
What I found laid quite simply before me was the truth that Jesus Christ said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 3:17).
Thanks to God for that, too, because I've seen my own brokenness; it hasn't been but a few days since the last time I used someone for my own purpose.
Then, these three quite different men spoke with me--one who has always been in the Church, one who has been to church, and one who for 35 years never knew what the word "spiritual" meant. And the one most excited to hear and talk about the Gospel, who came back with his wife later that night to hear a full-on presentation of the story of Creation, was the one who'd never entered a church before.
I see more and more in my time at Hope that church attendance or other "checklist" items for Christians mean absolutely nothing if they skip the part where GOD HIMSELF CREATED US FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!
If we get that part, THEN going to church and praying and fasting and tithing and all of those other things bring life; they are structure into which the life that we find in God grows. Without that relationship, they are only rules to oppress people.
So, as Brennan Manning puts it, "the church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints." Can we please follow the example of the good people at Hope who have taught me so much about serving others? Can we bring what help and healing and joy and wisdom and support and relationship that we can while telling people about Christ, instead of just beating the latter over people's heads?
Because that is exactly what Jesus did in His ministry here on earth. All along Jesus always proclaimed His purpose and authority, but always hand in hand with the times He healed the sick and fed the hungry. He proved (and proves) His love and power and authority THROUGH His service. He did not separate the two acts; why should we?
27 January 2011
Back at the Plate
Finally got back into volunteering yesterday.
Still way too much that I need to do with graduation looming (hopefully), but it was time. I'll get to work with different volunteers this time since our schedules have changed, but I will not be seeing Wanda anymore, the sweet retiree who handled finances for us, because "it was just time."
Randomly ran into her this morning as I went into Albertson's, and didn't recognize her at first! That ever happen to you--you see someone a couple of times a week for a few months, then after not seeing them for a while you run into that person outside of the workplace in an unexpected way and can't for the life of you remember why they look familiar? Well after almost passing her completely by, I snapped around in recognition and embraced my friend. I'll be sad not to have her encouragement at Hope, and she said she'll miss the energy and work we "young people" do.
See, Wanda lives off of that. She knows the words Paul spoke to Titus, that older women are to teach the younger. She engages the youthfulness around her because she knows that such cross-generational ties add vitality to her life, and to ours.
So I will miss her, but I do look forward to the work still to be done.
Like yesterday, Ryan and I added to the endless clutter of the attic. I get the feeling that I'll be helping organize that soon.
The happier notes of yesterday involved a couple of young women. One got her ultrasound and could not wait to show us office workers the pictures of the 6-week old baby growing inside of her. Seriously, "giddy" would be an understatement.
The other was a young girl who, although claiming Christian beliefs, wanted nothing more than to abort. I don't know the details, but I am always heartbroken for them. Not because I'm disappointed or appalled or whatever--I promise, there's no judgement on this side--but because I know that they are in pain inside. Yet those people who find themselves in that crushing situation are precisely one of the reasons Hope exists, and it warmed us in the office to hear that, seeing her ultrasound, the young girl was reconsidering.
We're not in the business of chalking up "how many people changed their minds about abortion today" at Hope. Changing minds only doesn't really help much in the grand scheme; changing hearts does, and that's the work of the Holy Spirit making the person of Jesus known. We love His love. We speak His Truth. We show in every action His Grace and Mercy. All the while, we are well aware of the words Jesus spoke in John 4:37-38--"For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
We may see someone's life change in Hope; we have. Yet we know it wasn't us who changed it, but that other people have been laboring for this one soul, and that Jesus Himself has been calling to it, as He does to all souls. We also know we may be used to plant a seed of hope that comes from Him, and that someone else will reap the joy of walking with this person into Christ Jesus.
We keep praying. We keep loving. We keep working. We keep Hoping.
"and Hope does not put us to shame, because God's Love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us."--Romans 5:5
Grace and Peace, ya'll
Still way too much that I need to do with graduation looming (hopefully), but it was time. I'll get to work with different volunteers this time since our schedules have changed, but I will not be seeing Wanda anymore, the sweet retiree who handled finances for us, because "it was just time."
Randomly ran into her this morning as I went into Albertson's, and didn't recognize her at first! That ever happen to you--you see someone a couple of times a week for a few months, then after not seeing them for a while you run into that person outside of the workplace in an unexpected way and can't for the life of you remember why they look familiar? Well after almost passing her completely by, I snapped around in recognition and embraced my friend. I'll be sad not to have her encouragement at Hope, and she said she'll miss the energy and work we "young people" do.
See, Wanda lives off of that. She knows the words Paul spoke to Titus, that older women are to teach the younger. She engages the youthfulness around her because she knows that such cross-generational ties add vitality to her life, and to ours.
So I will miss her, but I do look forward to the work still to be done.
Like yesterday, Ryan and I added to the endless clutter of the attic. I get the feeling that I'll be helping organize that soon.
The happier notes of yesterday involved a couple of young women. One got her ultrasound and could not wait to show us office workers the pictures of the 6-week old baby growing inside of her. Seriously, "giddy" would be an understatement.
The other was a young girl who, although claiming Christian beliefs, wanted nothing more than to abort. I don't know the details, but I am always heartbroken for them. Not because I'm disappointed or appalled or whatever--I promise, there's no judgement on this side--but because I know that they are in pain inside. Yet those people who find themselves in that crushing situation are precisely one of the reasons Hope exists, and it warmed us in the office to hear that, seeing her ultrasound, the young girl was reconsidering.
We're not in the business of chalking up "how many people changed their minds about abortion today" at Hope. Changing minds only doesn't really help much in the grand scheme; changing hearts does, and that's the work of the Holy Spirit making the person of Jesus known. We love His love. We speak His Truth. We show in every action His Grace and Mercy. All the while, we are well aware of the words Jesus spoke in John 4:37-38--"For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
We may see someone's life change in Hope; we have. Yet we know it wasn't us who changed it, but that other people have been laboring for this one soul, and that Jesus Himself has been calling to it, as He does to all souls. We also know we may be used to plant a seed of hope that comes from Him, and that someone else will reap the joy of walking with this person into Christ Jesus.
We keep praying. We keep loving. We keep working. We keep Hoping.
"and Hope does not put us to shame, because God's Love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us."--Romans 5:5
Grace and Peace, ya'll
07 December 2010
From the Whirlwind
Well I am no longer neglecting this blog. The time after my last blog has been full of writing papers, Thanksgiving, more papers, and final projects. Now, thankfully, my semester of work is complete.
Hope has been busy as well! As of 29 November 2010, I am now an experienced one-on-one Peer Counselor, no supervision needed. The only thing that still daunts me is paperwork.
Last Monday, there were two male partners scheduled at the same time (which happened to be the final counseling slot of the day) to come in with the women seeking free pregnancy tests and peer counseling. On this particular day I was the only male at the Center to counsel. So we went one at a time, starting with whoever walked in the door first. And let me tell you, the Lord ordained that order!
The first guy professed a strong belief in Christ, both for himself and his girlfriend. His story was a mirror of many stories found in the American Church today: they originally wanted to keep a pure relationship, failed, decided it wasn't worth fighting anymore, then reversed their decision and tried to stay pure again only to wind up at a Crisis Pregnancy Center. He was very open, willing to give his story and tell of his faith, which makes it very easy to cover the Scriptures on sexuality and purity. These guys are certainly less stressful conversations, especially since I totally understand the feeling that comes with wanting to live for Christ then finding out you really are a broken individual who is unable to control your own passions.
As Oscar Wilde said, "I can resist anything but temptation."
The realization that God had His hand in who walked through our door first hit me when I tried to talk to the second guy. At first I asked him if he wanted to come talk, he declined and said he just wanted to know what was going on. I found out what I could, which wasn't much other than his girlfriend was pregnant and abortion-minded (neither of which I disclosed to him immediately, because I believe that is up to the girlfriend), then he conceded to come back to a room and talk with me "if only not to be bored."
In respect to confidentiality, I will only say that this was a relationship where he was completely intellectual and she was very emotional. He could not understand her, and he took offense that she would even consider an abortion. The best response I could tell him was that, while having a plan and thinking situations through logically and practically is hugely important in life-changing situations such as having a child, people have a spiritual component that needs hope. Sometimes, by holding her hand or giving her a hug when she feels down, that action can reassure her that she's not alone, and that there is hope for the future. That hope can do so much more than any financial plan to help a troubled individual stand on their own two feet and press on in tough circumstances.
He told me that made sense, but that it just didn't make sense! And I have to agree with him there.
He did not believe in God--in any religion, for that matter--and even said he had been hurt by Christians in the name of Jesus before; I could do nothing but apologize, and tell him how much it breaks my heart when people take a message of Love, Grace, Mercy, and Justice, and they turn it into one of "My way or the highway" condemnation.
To be clear, yes I believe there will be people who don't go to heaven. If there were no consequences for evil action, then God would not be a just God, and therefore would be a corrupt God. I even believe that there are people who do more good than bad who will not see the "pearly gates" because sin is an action as well as a state of being without God. For those under the Cross of Christ, the Agony of that Sacrifice is our consequence borne through God's Mercy, and that gift has been offered to all people for them to accept or reject.
I told this guy that message, and that Christianity is not a "do good and go to heaven" religion; he told me he did not know that while he pondered my words. That was one thing I loved about this guy, that he would listen very respectfully to what I had to say and sincerely mull over it for what it was worth, even though I am years younger. Just a brutally honest yet totally respectful guy, and I love that.
So much more to that story that I cannot tell, and even more that I do not know. Yet I will praise God because I know He loves them and cares for them, and I will thank Him for the order He ordains for the benefit of His children.
To sum up the theme of my recent time at Hope, both with Christians struggling to remain pure and with showing the core of Christianity to those who do not know it (that we are broken, can't fix ourselves, and need Christ as a perfect sacrifice on the Cross to defeat Death and pay our debt), I found this quote the other day by Tim Lane: "You don't behave your way into sinful responses, so you can't behave your way out of sinful responses. You worship your way into sinful responses, so you must worship your way out of sinful responses."
[edit 1 April 2013: I do understand how "sinful responses" are behaved into being now; because our behavior is our worship. So still the rest remains—worship placed where it belongs is a locus necessary to cultivate Kingdom life and lifestyle.]
Meaning we combat sinful RESPONSES, not Sin itself, with worship; Jesus is the only cure for Sin itself.
Romans 5:6-13, 19-21
12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law... 19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
"sin is not counted where there is now law" = Would anyone actually want to live in a world where no one was held accountable for their actions? It will be an evil world, one purely of chaos, when Man decides no action should have consequence. So, like I said before, God must hold people accountable or else He would be a corrupt God.
"while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" = We obviously, then, cannot by way of our actions make ourselves pure or righteous, only by accepting the gift of Grace. That Grace is the price paid for our wrong and evil actions, and for bringing us back into right relation to God.
"More than that, we also rejoice in God" = Right after stating we have been saved and reconciled, the very next thing the author mentions is rejoicing in God. We worship Him in all actions because we are saved, and that will change our behavior from sinful to life-giving.
Long, I know, but it's been more than a month and I'm long-winded as it is.
More to come, so until then, here are some excellent words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
"We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or don't do, and more in light of what they suffer."
Be blessed my friends.
Hope has been busy as well! As of 29 November 2010, I am now an experienced one-on-one Peer Counselor, no supervision needed. The only thing that still daunts me is paperwork.
Last Monday, there were two male partners scheduled at the same time (which happened to be the final counseling slot of the day) to come in with the women seeking free pregnancy tests and peer counseling. On this particular day I was the only male at the Center to counsel. So we went one at a time, starting with whoever walked in the door first. And let me tell you, the Lord ordained that order!
The first guy professed a strong belief in Christ, both for himself and his girlfriend. His story was a mirror of many stories found in the American Church today: they originally wanted to keep a pure relationship, failed, decided it wasn't worth fighting anymore, then reversed their decision and tried to stay pure again only to wind up at a Crisis Pregnancy Center. He was very open, willing to give his story and tell of his faith, which makes it very easy to cover the Scriptures on sexuality and purity. These guys are certainly less stressful conversations, especially since I totally understand the feeling that comes with wanting to live for Christ then finding out you really are a broken individual who is unable to control your own passions.
As Oscar Wilde said, "I can resist anything but temptation."
The realization that God had His hand in who walked through our door first hit me when I tried to talk to the second guy. At first I asked him if he wanted to come talk, he declined and said he just wanted to know what was going on. I found out what I could, which wasn't much other than his girlfriend was pregnant and abortion-minded (neither of which I disclosed to him immediately, because I believe that is up to the girlfriend), then he conceded to come back to a room and talk with me "if only not to be bored."
In respect to confidentiality, I will only say that this was a relationship where he was completely intellectual and she was very emotional. He could not understand her, and he took offense that she would even consider an abortion. The best response I could tell him was that, while having a plan and thinking situations through logically and practically is hugely important in life-changing situations such as having a child, people have a spiritual component that needs hope. Sometimes, by holding her hand or giving her a hug when she feels down, that action can reassure her that she's not alone, and that there is hope for the future. That hope can do so much more than any financial plan to help a troubled individual stand on their own two feet and press on in tough circumstances.
He told me that made sense, but that it just didn't make sense! And I have to agree with him there.
He did not believe in God--in any religion, for that matter--and even said he had been hurt by Christians in the name of Jesus before; I could do nothing but apologize, and tell him how much it breaks my heart when people take a message of Love, Grace, Mercy, and Justice, and they turn it into one of "My way or the highway" condemnation.
To be clear, yes I believe there will be people who don't go to heaven. If there were no consequences for evil action, then God would not be a just God, and therefore would be a corrupt God. I even believe that there are people who do more good than bad who will not see the "pearly gates" because sin is an action as well as a state of being without God. For those under the Cross of Christ, the Agony of that Sacrifice is our consequence borne through God's Mercy, and that gift has been offered to all people for them to accept or reject.
I told this guy that message, and that Christianity is not a "do good and go to heaven" religion; he told me he did not know that while he pondered my words. That was one thing I loved about this guy, that he would listen very respectfully to what I had to say and sincerely mull over it for what it was worth, even though I am years younger. Just a brutally honest yet totally respectful guy, and I love that.
So much more to that story that I cannot tell, and even more that I do not know. Yet I will praise God because I know He loves them and cares for them, and I will thank Him for the order He ordains for the benefit of His children.
To sum up the theme of my recent time at Hope, both with Christians struggling to remain pure and with showing the core of Christianity to those who do not know it (that we are broken, can't fix ourselves, and need Christ as a perfect sacrifice on the Cross to defeat Death and pay our debt), I found this quote the other day by Tim Lane: "You don't behave your way into sinful responses, so you can't behave your way out of sinful responses. You worship your way into sinful responses, so you must worship your way out of sinful responses."
[edit 1 April 2013: I do understand how "sinful responses" are behaved into being now; because our behavior is our worship. So still the rest remains—worship placed where it belongs is a locus necessary to cultivate Kingdom life and lifestyle.]
Meaning we combat sinful RESPONSES, not Sin itself, with worship; Jesus is the only cure for Sin itself.
Romans 5:6-13, 19-21
"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law... 19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
"sin is not counted where there is now law" = Would anyone actually want to live in a world where no one was held accountable for their actions? It will be an evil world, one purely of chaos, when Man decides no action should have consequence. So, like I said before, God must hold people accountable or else He would be a corrupt God.
"while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" = We obviously, then, cannot by way of our actions make ourselves pure or righteous, only by accepting the gift of Grace. That Grace is the price paid for our wrong and evil actions, and for bringing us back into right relation to God.
"More than that, we also rejoice in God" = Right after stating we have been saved and reconciled, the very next thing the author mentions is rejoicing in God. We worship Him in all actions because we are saved, and that will change our behavior from sinful to life-giving.
Long, I know, but it's been more than a month and I'm long-winded as it is.
More to come, so until then, here are some excellent words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
"We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or don't do, and more in light of what they suffer."
Be blessed my friends.
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