You know how you pray for God to break you? I never knew just how much that meant your emotions and heart could be be literally torn in two different directions. This week, I have been experiencing this strange division of thought, both first hand and in the lives of friends. As I was praying about the whirlwind I found myself in, this idea of the Dichotomy of Glory rose up.
How glory can be found in two opposite things, at the same time.
How God can be lifted up by polarized events.
Life and Death
Yesterday, I went to the hospital to visit my friends (and co-Gate leaders) Wally and Crissy. They had just become proud parents of a sleepy (for the moment) baby boy named Liam. I walked into a room filled with family and friends of the new Mom and Dad, and gazed into their smiling, beaming faces as I shook hands and introduced myself. Then, in the faces of Wally and Crissy, I saw another dichotomy- a strange but familiar mixture of excitement and exhaustion. Every hospital room I've ever entered with the intent of congratulating new parents has held the same expression my friends held. After a long sleepless and uncomfortable night, a new joy was here. As much as they said they were exhausted and couldn't wait to sleep, I knew they would just as soon spend the next week gazing at this little miracle they could call their own.
I walked into my home, just a few minutes later, and saw Kristin sitting at the computer, tears in her eyes. Before I could tell here about what I had just seen, she informed me that another couple that we are friends with, Jay and Amanda, had just lost their baby. Jay and Amanda are also friends with Wally and Crissy, so the fact that two groups of people we know would experience the opposite ends of a similar event on the same day left us questioning: How could this be?
On one hand, God has been glorified by the miracle of birth and thankfulness of one family, but He has also been glorified by the tragedy of another. Over the last day, Amanda and Jay have been an amazing example of faith and trust in a sometimes incomprehensible God. They have turned to Him, they have trusted in Him. They have glorified Him.
No, it doesn't make sense. I rejoice with Wally and Crissy. But I grieve with Jay and Amanda. With both, we must trust God. I think another of our friends, Michelle, said it best: "Celebrating today with a dear friend for the birth of her son. Mourning today with a dear friend for the loss of her son. Two friends. Same God. I have no words."
It is at times like this where we don't know what to say. Often, I simply want to say, "I have nothing to offer but my prayers and my God. May they be sufficient."
Duty and Passion
I have a real job. It's purpose is to pay the bills to enable us to lead our church. It is not my passion, nor even an interest of mine. It is a gift of God and came just when we needed it. Over the last three years, I have built relationships, and I have done my duty. Occasionally I've done a real good job. I don't wake up excited to go to work, but I try to do the best I can at it. When I succeed at this and at sharing my life and love for Christ with my co-workers, God is glorified.
For the past month or so, I have been meeting with some guys. Four different guys, four different types of conversations, four very uplifting times for me. Because I see God working in their lives, I am being challenged in my faith. My vision for serving Christ through the Gate has awakened. My passion for His calling on my life has burned brighter, and more intense than it has since we first set out to begin this journey three years ago. I have desire to write, and want to do it more and more. I want to publish a book I've written. I want to meet more people. I want to work hard at making the Gate an entity that points to God by reaching those farthest from Him. My passion is awakened, this glorifies God.
I am now torn between glorifying God by doing a good job at my "real job" and glorifying God by pursuing the passion He sent me here for. The problem is that neither is happening the best they can because I am divided. Can I do both? I've been good at doing one real well to the detriment of the other, or doing both in a mediocre way. That doesn't glorify God.
Safety or Jump
So here I am. Torn. God can be glorified by life or death. God can be glorified by duty or passion. For me, the question is, can I glorify God by staying in the safe place, with my job, or do I have to take a leap of faith? I know of a lot of people who can balance the bi-vocational life, but can I?
The last time I took a leap of faith, a real jump, was when we moved to College Station to start the Gate. We left the safety of an established ministry for the uncertainty of a brand new bar church for college students. It has been the toughest thing I have ever done, but in many ways, through numerous relationships, I believe it may have brought more glory to God than anything else I have ever done.
I think about the glory I saw on display yesterday. The glory of a newborn child and the glory of a grieving family enveloped in the arms of Christ. I shared with them their glory: smiles for the new baby and tears for the one lost.
As C. S. Lewis said, "The load, or weight, or burden, of my neighbour's glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken." God has been breaking me. He has been humbling me, showing me that I need to rely on Him. Does that mean I leave a job for the uncertainty of scrounging together funding for the church? I don't know. I share my dichotomy of glory with you so that you have the opportunity to carry the weight of my glory- from the good or the bad- just as I have had the blessing of bearing the weight of glory of Wally and Crissy and Jay and Amanda.
It has made me see Christ more clearly this late Fall day. His glory is what matters, let us seek it together whether we find in life or death, duty or passion.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Why Scripture?
If "Why do you believe in God?" is the first key question we should ask, "Why do you believe the Bible to be true?" needs to come next.
I definitely think that this is the question that stumps most of us. See, we can defend our belief in God and even Jesus with our experiences, but we have tough time with the Scriptures. I know I do. The truth is, I believe the Bible to be true because I was raised with it.
While that may sound good enough to a lot of you, it simply is not good enough for many others.
I asked myself that question just yesterday. Suddenly, I realized my belief in the Bible as the Word of God- as opposed to the Koran or the Hindu Vedas- was based primarily on the fact that it was what I was exposed to. The question that followed was, "If I had been raised in an Islamic country and believed in God, would I not then find myself accepting the Koran as the Word of God?" The idea that we ally ourselves with the faith of the culture we are born into is a very close relative to the thought that we ally ourselves with the most readily available Sacred Text.
I confess I have not done an exhaustive study of any other Sacred Text, aside from the Bible. I have read passages and attempted to discover the context of quotes I see from time to time, but I have never even read one chapter of the Koran in its entirety. I have read a chapter or two of the Book of Mormon, and actually possess a copy at my home, so I'm doing slightly better there.
So, then, why can I truthfully say I believe the Bible to be true and these other books false, when I have not read them?
Ouch.
It does not matter that I fully trust and believe Jesus to my Savior, that God is One, that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Well, it doesn't matter to anyone but me.
That being said,I don't believe it necessary to have studied all world religions before deciding on the right one. If you believe in God, and you believe He speaks to us and guides us the truth then you CAN believe that the first book you pick up is the right one. Or you may go through many before feeling God point you to the Bible as His Word.
I don't have to read everything, to know the One thing.
But we also do not have the license to immediately dismiss that which we have no knowledge of.
Paul saw truth in the polytheistic religion of the Athenians, when he praised them for their faith in Acts 17. Throughout history, the church has 'borrowed' practices from pagan and other cultures, then transformed them to be in the image of Christ.
There are good teachings in all religions. There are good practices,even if we don't accept their vision of God. I can't say enough about how much I respect the Mormon church's teaching on the community of believers, even if I don't agree with what I have read and spoken to Mormon's about in regards to much of their doctrine. I wish we were as great at it as they are.
I guess what I'm trying to convey is: you need to seek whatever assurance you need to believe that the Bible is truth. I accept it on faith, and you to will come to a point where you will also have to accept OR reject it based on faith. You may spend years investigating (and truthfully, we must seek answers constantly in regards to why we believe what we believe about the Bible), or you simply decide. You need to learn to read it for what it is, not what you think it is- read it within the historical context, not within your biased view. ( We all have a biased view, and we all occasionally read into Scripture what we want it to say, but we must limit this as much as possible.) God's Word is living, so let it speak. Ask God to give you wisdom to understand, to see, to accept.
One more thing- be respectful of other Sacred Texts. They are loved and trusted by millions, as much or more than we love and trust our Bible. To simply shut down conversation with them because you don't agree is wrong. So is continuing the conversation just to argue. If you want them to listen to what your Sacred Text has to say, you better be willing to listen to theirs. You will not win a person by putting down their beliefs or their doctrine as idiotic, stupid or evil. There will come a time to take a stand and say that you don't agree with them, but even that can and must be done in love and compassion.
The Bible itself is a sword, sharp and cutting. Your tongue and attitude is not needed to pierce their heart.
I definitely think that this is the question that stumps most of us. See, we can defend our belief in God and even Jesus with our experiences, but we have tough time with the Scriptures. I know I do. The truth is, I believe the Bible to be true because I was raised with it.
While that may sound good enough to a lot of you, it simply is not good enough for many others.
I asked myself that question just yesterday. Suddenly, I realized my belief in the Bible as the Word of God- as opposed to the Koran or the Hindu Vedas- was based primarily on the fact that it was what I was exposed to. The question that followed was, "If I had been raised in an Islamic country and believed in God, would I not then find myself accepting the Koran as the Word of God?" The idea that we ally ourselves with the faith of the culture we are born into is a very close relative to the thought that we ally ourselves with the most readily available Sacred Text.
I confess I have not done an exhaustive study of any other Sacred Text, aside from the Bible. I have read passages and attempted to discover the context of quotes I see from time to time, but I have never even read one chapter of the Koran in its entirety. I have read a chapter or two of the Book of Mormon, and actually possess a copy at my home, so I'm doing slightly better there.
So, then, why can I truthfully say I believe the Bible to be true and these other books false, when I have not read them?
Ouch.
It does not matter that I fully trust and believe Jesus to my Savior, that God is One, that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Well, it doesn't matter to anyone but me.
That being said,I don't believe it necessary to have studied all world religions before deciding on the right one. If you believe in God, and you believe He speaks to us and guides us the truth then you CAN believe that the first book you pick up is the right one. Or you may go through many before feeling God point you to the Bible as His Word.
I don't have to read everything, to know the One thing.
But we also do not have the license to immediately dismiss that which we have no knowledge of.
Paul saw truth in the polytheistic religion of the Athenians, when he praised them for their faith in Acts 17. Throughout history, the church has 'borrowed' practices from pagan and other cultures, then transformed them to be in the image of Christ.
There are good teachings in all religions. There are good practices,even if we don't accept their vision of God. I can't say enough about how much I respect the Mormon church's teaching on the community of believers, even if I don't agree with what I have read and spoken to Mormon's about in regards to much of their doctrine. I wish we were as great at it as they are.
I guess what I'm trying to convey is: you need to seek whatever assurance you need to believe that the Bible is truth. I accept it on faith, and you to will come to a point where you will also have to accept OR reject it based on faith. You may spend years investigating (and truthfully, we must seek answers constantly in regards to why we believe what we believe about the Bible), or you simply decide. You need to learn to read it for what it is, not what you think it is- read it within the historical context, not within your biased view. ( We all have a biased view, and we all occasionally read into Scripture what we want it to say, but we must limit this as much as possible.) God's Word is living, so let it speak. Ask God to give you wisdom to understand, to see, to accept.
One more thing- be respectful of other Sacred Texts. They are loved and trusted by millions, as much or more than we love and trust our Bible. To simply shut down conversation with them because you don't agree is wrong. So is continuing the conversation just to argue. If you want them to listen to what your Sacred Text has to say, you better be willing to listen to theirs. You will not win a person by putting down their beliefs or their doctrine as idiotic, stupid or evil. There will come a time to take a stand and say that you don't agree with them, but even that can and must be done in love and compassion.
The Bible itself is a sword, sharp and cutting. Your tongue and attitude is not needed to pierce their heart.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
From the outside looking in, you can't understand it; From the inside looking out, you can't explain it.
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves.
How He Loves ( David Crowder Version)
I'm starting to take at least one day a week to listen to worship music on the drive to work. Normally, I try to pray, but I often fall into the rut of just talking to God and not listening. There is nothing wrong with sharing our heart with God, asking Him, thanking Him, sharing our problems. But like any relationship, we need it to not be one sided.
Lately, How He Loves by The David Crowder*Band has been the song that speaks to me. Really, since it came out it has profoundly affected me. When John Mark McMillan wrote it, it was written about a man who stated if he could, by dying, shake the youth of the world for Christ, so be it. And that day he was killed in car accident. Its a song about the unseen world of God touching ours. No, make that invading ours.
The excerpt I posted above is no doubt my favorite part. It speaks the answer to the question of "Why do I believe in God?" That answer is simple- I believe because I have been caught up in Him. I have been hypnotized by Christ through His grace and His love. He has blessed me unexpectedly ( the unforeseen/sloppy wet kiss line). He has caused me to be in conflict with myself, my heart does turn violently inside my chest each time I come to a decision point of choosing my way or God's.
The funny thing about these experiences of God that I've had is that they are not verifiable, at least, not scientifically so. I did not come to believe in grace because someone showed me a diagram of how it works- I believe it because I have relief when I confess my sins and because I have seen grace shown from a follower of Christ to another human being. Regardless of the differences between them. I do not believe in God's love because He sent me roses, I believe because I have known a comfort that comes as if from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. I do not believe in God's power because I can look at an inventory of His armory, but because I have seen examples of His power demonstrated in storms and fires and mountains and oceans- and in the power of His people that are able to endure.
Here at A&M there is a saying, "From the outside looking in, you can't understand it; From the inside looking out, you can't explain it." It may sound dismissive, but I think that believing in God can be the same. God doesn't make sense, He doesn't translate well to a person who doesn't know faith in Him. This is not an excuse for us to be elitist or uppity about us having a 'special knowledge.' In fact, there is no special knowledge at all, just a different relationship gained by engaging God. That is really what the Aggie quote is all about. If you want to understand the Aggie Spirit, you have to experience it by engaging it. No amount of explanation or charts or logic will truly make it clear to you. You have to be immersed in it.
If you want to understand God, you have to let the grace in His eyes draw you to redemption. You have to allow your defenses to drop, to let your guard down, to be caught up in Him. Sink in the ocean of grace to understand that He loves you so much that nothing you've done or could ever do is too much for Him to wash away. You will be so lost in the abundance of God, that any regrets you have held onto- for past mistakes or indulgences, or for failures- could not be held onto.
If you want to get to know another person, looking up their vital stats, their facts and figures won't help you. (Unless its for fantasy football, then, maybe.) Sitting down with them, allowing their conversation to wash over you, learning the way they talk, the little quirks of their personality, this is how you know them.
So when I sit in the car, letting the words of the song wash over me, letting the voice of God speak to me as He would like, then I come to know Him, and why I believe in Him.
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves.
How He Loves ( David Crowder Version)
I'm starting to take at least one day a week to listen to worship music on the drive to work. Normally, I try to pray, but I often fall into the rut of just talking to God and not listening. There is nothing wrong with sharing our heart with God, asking Him, thanking Him, sharing our problems. But like any relationship, we need it to not be one sided.
Lately, How He Loves by The David Crowder*Band has been the song that speaks to me. Really, since it came out it has profoundly affected me. When John Mark McMillan wrote it, it was written about a man who stated if he could, by dying, shake the youth of the world for Christ, so be it. And that day he was killed in car accident. Its a song about the unseen world of God touching ours. No, make that invading ours.
The excerpt I posted above is no doubt my favorite part. It speaks the answer to the question of "Why do I believe in God?" That answer is simple- I believe because I have been caught up in Him. I have been hypnotized by Christ through His grace and His love. He has blessed me unexpectedly ( the unforeseen/sloppy wet kiss line). He has caused me to be in conflict with myself, my heart does turn violently inside my chest each time I come to a decision point of choosing my way or God's.
The funny thing about these experiences of God that I've had is that they are not verifiable, at least, not scientifically so. I did not come to believe in grace because someone showed me a diagram of how it works- I believe it because I have relief when I confess my sins and because I have seen grace shown from a follower of Christ to another human being. Regardless of the differences between them. I do not believe in God's love because He sent me roses, I believe because I have known a comfort that comes as if from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. I do not believe in God's power because I can look at an inventory of His armory, but because I have seen examples of His power demonstrated in storms and fires and mountains and oceans- and in the power of His people that are able to endure.
Here at A&M there is a saying, "From the outside looking in, you can't understand it; From the inside looking out, you can't explain it." It may sound dismissive, but I think that believing in God can be the same. God doesn't make sense, He doesn't translate well to a person who doesn't know faith in Him. This is not an excuse for us to be elitist or uppity about us having a 'special knowledge.' In fact, there is no special knowledge at all, just a different relationship gained by engaging God. That is really what the Aggie quote is all about. If you want to understand the Aggie Spirit, you have to experience it by engaging it. No amount of explanation or charts or logic will truly make it clear to you. You have to be immersed in it.
If you want to understand God, you have to let the grace in His eyes draw you to redemption. You have to allow your defenses to drop, to let your guard down, to be caught up in Him. Sink in the ocean of grace to understand that He loves you so much that nothing you've done or could ever do is too much for Him to wash away. You will be so lost in the abundance of God, that any regrets you have held onto- for past mistakes or indulgences, or for failures- could not be held onto.
If you want to get to know another person, looking up their vital stats, their facts and figures won't help you. (Unless its for fantasy football, then, maybe.) Sitting down with them, allowing their conversation to wash over you, learning the way they talk, the little quirks of their personality, this is how you know them.
So when I sit in the car, letting the words of the song wash over me, letting the voice of God speak to me as He would like, then I come to know Him, and why I believe in Him.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Why God?
Warning: How you read the title of this post says a lot about where you might be spiritually.
If you read it with an implied comma between the two words, you are questioning something that is happening to you. If you read it without an implied comma, you are questioning God- His existence/character/relevance/etc. Both readings are really about the same thing:
Belief.
America, by and large, believes in God. In general, it is the Judeo-Christian God, if the numerous studies from groups like the Barna Institute are to be accepted. Most of these studies have somewhere in the neighborhood of 85% of Americans calling themselves Christians. It is almost as though we just accept that God is real because it is a part of our cultural identity. We are American therefore we are Christian, therefore we believe in God. If asked why we believe in God, we give an answer that belies this belief- "I was raised to believe in God."
This is not a response that is invalid- but it is a response that lacks maturity of belief. I would argue that most of these people who say they believe in God believe it in much the same way they were raised to believe in Santa Claus. The only difference is that at some point it becomes culturally unacceptable to believe in Santa. If there were more social repurcussions for believing in God, I bet fewer people would claim Him.
Why?
I believe it is because we fail to ask "Why(,) God?" I would bet that many of the 15% who do not call themselves Christian have asked this question, and thier answer was one in which God was not needed- or at least the Judeo-Christian God was not needed. Maybe we fear asking "Why God?" because we fear the answer is that God is like Santa Claus, and we remember the pain of that truth coming home to our heart. To learn that God is not real would be too much for us, and rather than ask hard questions, we choose to remain blissfully ignorant. Or maybe we never question "Why God?" because we are supposed to have faith and trust God. Even Jesus said, "Don't put God to the test." (Luke 4:12)
My answer to this: God can take it.
I believe God is real- He is no Santa Claus. And I believe we need to test our faith, we must determine if WE believe God is real. Faith is not always about blind submission (though there are times when we need to just take a leap of faith). We need not test God like Satan was tempting Jesus to do- "God, if you're real, do something for my benefit and my glory." But we do need to test our belief.
We do this by experience. We seek answers- from friends, family, science, religion, scripture- most importantly we need to seek answers from what we encounter. I believe God is real because of what I see of Him in nature and in the lives of those around me. I believe in God because of what I have read about Him. I believe in God because of those times when I have experienced something that has no other explanation but God.
I believe in God because of the answers I've gotten when I asked, "Why, God?"
When my father died, I asked "Why,God?" and was answered with His comfort. When the ministry has seemed fruitless, I've asked "Why, God?" and been answered with a lesson in patience. When attacked, I've asked "Why, God?" and been answered with deliverance by various means. When good has come, I've asked "Why, God?" and been answered with peace.
I've asked "Why God?" and I've asked "Why, God?" I haven't always liked the answer, or the timing of the answer, but each one has served to deepen and mature my belief. I have feared asking the question, but to be honest with myself and with God, I must ask it. We all must ask it.
So when you ask me, "Why God?" I will respond that I choose to believe in God because I have experienced Him. I have encountered Him. And following those answers in my life there has come validation from others, from Scripture, and from doctrine.
But first and foremost, I believe in God because He has believed in me enough to reveal Himself.
And He believes in you.
If you read it with an implied comma between the two words, you are questioning something that is happening to you. If you read it without an implied comma, you are questioning God- His existence/character/relevance/etc. Both readings are really about the same thing:
Belief.
America, by and large, believes in God. In general, it is the Judeo-Christian God, if the numerous studies from groups like the Barna Institute are to be accepted. Most of these studies have somewhere in the neighborhood of 85% of Americans calling themselves Christians. It is almost as though we just accept that God is real because it is a part of our cultural identity. We are American therefore we are Christian, therefore we believe in God. If asked why we believe in God, we give an answer that belies this belief- "I was raised to believe in God."
This is not a response that is invalid- but it is a response that lacks maturity of belief. I would argue that most of these people who say they believe in God believe it in much the same way they were raised to believe in Santa Claus. The only difference is that at some point it becomes culturally unacceptable to believe in Santa. If there were more social repurcussions for believing in God, I bet fewer people would claim Him.
Why?
I believe it is because we fail to ask "Why(,) God?" I would bet that many of the 15% who do not call themselves Christian have asked this question, and thier answer was one in which God was not needed- or at least the Judeo-Christian God was not needed. Maybe we fear asking "Why God?" because we fear the answer is that God is like Santa Claus, and we remember the pain of that truth coming home to our heart. To learn that God is not real would be too much for us, and rather than ask hard questions, we choose to remain blissfully ignorant. Or maybe we never question "Why God?" because we are supposed to have faith and trust God. Even Jesus said, "Don't put God to the test." (Luke 4:12)
My answer to this: God can take it.
I believe God is real- He is no Santa Claus. And I believe we need to test our faith, we must determine if WE believe God is real. Faith is not always about blind submission (though there are times when we need to just take a leap of faith). We need not test God like Satan was tempting Jesus to do- "God, if you're real, do something for my benefit and my glory." But we do need to test our belief.
We do this by experience. We seek answers- from friends, family, science, religion, scripture- most importantly we need to seek answers from what we encounter. I believe God is real because of what I see of Him in nature and in the lives of those around me. I believe in God because of what I have read about Him. I believe in God because of those times when I have experienced something that has no other explanation but God.
I believe in God because of the answers I've gotten when I asked, "Why, God?"
When my father died, I asked "Why,God?" and was answered with His comfort. When the ministry has seemed fruitless, I've asked "Why, God?" and been answered with a lesson in patience. When attacked, I've asked "Why, God?" and been answered with deliverance by various means. When good has come, I've asked "Why, God?" and been answered with peace.
I've asked "Why God?" and I've asked "Why, God?" I haven't always liked the answer, or the timing of the answer, but each one has served to deepen and mature my belief. I have feared asking the question, but to be honest with myself and with God, I must ask it. We all must ask it.
So when you ask me, "Why God?" I will respond that I choose to believe in God because I have experienced Him. I have encountered Him. And following those answers in my life there has come validation from others, from Scripture, and from doctrine.
But first and foremost, I believe in God because He has believed in me enough to reveal Himself.
And He believes in you.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Broken or Crushed
Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:
" 'The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."
-Matthew 21:42-44
Every time I see this verse used, it is used to illustrate how the supposed 'chosen' miss their opportunity to see the Messiah, so the rejected by the elite become the new Chosen. It is a cautionary tale to all of us who think we have it made that we can miss the key to it all. The Pharisees had all the knowledge, all the lineage, all the history to see the Messiah, but they missed it. They rejected Him and so missed out on the kingdom of God.
But there is something else here. Something subtle, something under the radar that I've rarely seen expounded upon. Maybe it is because it is a difficult thought, or maybe it is because it is not a 'safe' idea.
You don't encounter Jesus and survive.
Jesus says there are those who fall on this rejected capstone, and there are those on whom the capstone falls. One is broken, one is crushed. Both are destroyed.
Falling on the Stone
I take this to apply to those who come to Jesus. These people come to him, and fall on him, they trust in him and willingly worship him. It makes sense to me that the imagery Jesus uses here is one of being broken, like a pot that falls to the floor. We often talk about Jesus 'breaking our hearts' for something: a people, a sin, a tragedy. The idea of worship is about being broken. It is about realizing our failure to measure up- our pride being broken- and accepting the gift of God that makes us worthy. Worship is seeing less of me, and more of Jesus.
The thing about being broken is that we can't be put back together. We're Humpty Dumpty, broken before our king, only our king CAN rebuild us. To be broken is to be at ground zero, the starting point. What is then made from our ruin is the work of of Christ as he comes to dwell in us. TO be broken is to cease fighting against his will.
Crushed by the Stone
Other folks are found by God. They are not looking for Him, or in the case of these Pharisees, they are outright opposing Him. They push Him away, reject Him, but the power of Christ is overwhelming. He crushes us. The truth is that everyone will someday worship Christ. Every. Single. One. The only difference is if you will worship Him in His presence, or worship Him as you are separated from Him. Will you worship Him as your Savior, or as the Holy One you have realized too late?
You Can't Live
The truth is, you can't live with or without Jesus.
To know him is to give your life to him, and for him. This idea that we can't live with Jesus is not so much about us dying as it is about us letting HIM live in us. Letting our own fears and failures, our own flaws and our own prejudices die so that HE can be the guiding, driving force of our lives. Our ambitions must fall. Our plans must fail. Our vision must go dark. All in the life of Christ. If we do anything 'for Jesus' that is really for us, it is as good as dead.
No, we must live- not our lives- we must live His life, the one He marks out for us, the one He gives to us.
Let us be broken of our selves, so that He may repair us in His image.
" 'The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."
-Matthew 21:42-44
Every time I see this verse used, it is used to illustrate how the supposed 'chosen' miss their opportunity to see the Messiah, so the rejected by the elite become the new Chosen. It is a cautionary tale to all of us who think we have it made that we can miss the key to it all. The Pharisees had all the knowledge, all the lineage, all the history to see the Messiah, but they missed it. They rejected Him and so missed out on the kingdom of God.
But there is something else here. Something subtle, something under the radar that I've rarely seen expounded upon. Maybe it is because it is a difficult thought, or maybe it is because it is not a 'safe' idea.
You don't encounter Jesus and survive.
Jesus says there are those who fall on this rejected capstone, and there are those on whom the capstone falls. One is broken, one is crushed. Both are destroyed.
Falling on the Stone
I take this to apply to those who come to Jesus. These people come to him, and fall on him, they trust in him and willingly worship him. It makes sense to me that the imagery Jesus uses here is one of being broken, like a pot that falls to the floor. We often talk about Jesus 'breaking our hearts' for something: a people, a sin, a tragedy. The idea of worship is about being broken. It is about realizing our failure to measure up- our pride being broken- and accepting the gift of God that makes us worthy. Worship is seeing less of me, and more of Jesus.
The thing about being broken is that we can't be put back together. We're Humpty Dumpty, broken before our king, only our king CAN rebuild us. To be broken is to be at ground zero, the starting point. What is then made from our ruin is the work of of Christ as he comes to dwell in us. TO be broken is to cease fighting against his will.
Crushed by the Stone
Other folks are found by God. They are not looking for Him, or in the case of these Pharisees, they are outright opposing Him. They push Him away, reject Him, but the power of Christ is overwhelming. He crushes us. The truth is that everyone will someday worship Christ. Every. Single. One. The only difference is if you will worship Him in His presence, or worship Him as you are separated from Him. Will you worship Him as your Savior, or as the Holy One you have realized too late?
You Can't Live
The truth is, you can't live with or without Jesus.
To know him is to give your life to him, and for him. This idea that we can't live with Jesus is not so much about us dying as it is about us letting HIM live in us. Letting our own fears and failures, our own flaws and our own prejudices die so that HE can be the guiding, driving force of our lives. Our ambitions must fall. Our plans must fail. Our vision must go dark. All in the life of Christ. If we do anything 'for Jesus' that is really for us, it is as good as dead.
No, we must live- not our lives- we must live His life, the one He marks out for us, the one He gives to us.
Let us be broken of our selves, so that He may repair us in His image.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Doesn't Put Forth Best Effort
Yesterday, Kristin and I went to our first ever Parent/Teacher Conference. We sat and talked with the teacher about Leslie's school performance, about how we thought she was doing well, and about where she was expected to be. We got our first look at a report card, and on the back were the 'grades' for the first six weeks. It was a series of phrases, like "Respectful to others" and "Follows Directions" and stuff. We smiled, noticing that each one had a "Y" beside it, indicating that, yes, she did that. Well, each one but one. Beside the box for "Puts forth best effort," was a big fat N. Apparently, N means "Needs improvement," but to me, N means, "No she doesn't." It turns out that Leslie always turns her stuff in done, and done right, but not necessarily done to the best of her ability. She has a good deal of natural ability to do what is asked, and she coasts on that.
It was like looking in a mirror.
I was an A student all through school, and never had to study. I hit college, discovered that to stay an A student I had to study- but I could get B's and C's by coasting. If there is a short-cut to doing something, I will find it. I might go so far as to say that I am lazy, but prefer to think of myself as sub-optimally efficient.
I think we all have something, or several somethings, that we fail to put our best effort into. We focus on the end, and not the journey to the end. We want to finish, and quickly. It may be the nature of our lives these days: hectic, busy, and full. Maybe we have taken on too much, or maybe we have taken on the wrong things. The truth is, our lives seem destined for mediocrity.
Don't get me wrong, I know quite a few of the people I spend time with work very, very hard to do well at their classes and their jobs. They spend late nights and lots of money on caffeinated beverages. They are consumed with thoughts of deadlines and performance reviews and tests and comprehension. They are struggling to balance this part of their life with the relationships that make living worth it. They are struggling to give to their friends, families and God the time they deserve.
This begs the question: Are we putting out our best effort where we need to?
I am absolutely not advocating that students not study, and employees not work. But I am wondering if we are putting as much effort into our time with the ones we love as we are our textbooks? Are giving the same attention to God as we are our In Box?
How often have I run through a routine prayer, or glanced through a short chapter because I had important things to do? I know I've struggled to listen to the thoughts of my friends and family when I know that I have something else pending. The simple truth is, if we are not putting forth our best effort with our families and especially with God, it doesn't matter what grades we make or how prestigious our job is. Those we claim to love deserve our best.
Our prayers need to be more than skin deep, they need to come from a deep place, a heart place. We need to pray as if it matters- because it does. We need to realize that our prayers, even the least of them, are heard by God. We need to understand and believe that when we pray, things happen. Sick are healed, prisoners are freed, mountains are moved. And we need to give our attention to God's Word. Let it pierce us, let it burn our hearts. We need to listen to Him and heed His nudges.
Our faith has taken a mediocre tint of late. It seems rare to see someone really on fire, really passionate about Jesus. I can't help but think it is because we have let our attentions wander, and our affections have followed. While it is true we are under grace, as James tells us, our faith without works is dead. That goes for our pursuit of God.
We may know tons of scripture, we may sing the most beautiful praise songs, we can even give of our time and possesions to the poor. But all of these are poor efforts if we do not first put our BEST effort into knowing Him. Personally.
So, what about you? Do you give God the same attention, the same effort that you do getting that A, or earning that promotion, or even winning that guy/girl?
I know that I don't. But, the first step to putting forth our best effort in pursuit of God is realizing that we "Need Some Improvement," then acting on it.
It was like looking in a mirror.
I was an A student all through school, and never had to study. I hit college, discovered that to stay an A student I had to study- but I could get B's and C's by coasting. If there is a short-cut to doing something, I will find it. I might go so far as to say that I am lazy, but prefer to think of myself as sub-optimally efficient.
I think we all have something, or several somethings, that we fail to put our best effort into. We focus on the end, and not the journey to the end. We want to finish, and quickly. It may be the nature of our lives these days: hectic, busy, and full. Maybe we have taken on too much, or maybe we have taken on the wrong things. The truth is, our lives seem destined for mediocrity.
Don't get me wrong, I know quite a few of the people I spend time with work very, very hard to do well at their classes and their jobs. They spend late nights and lots of money on caffeinated beverages. They are consumed with thoughts of deadlines and performance reviews and tests and comprehension. They are struggling to balance this part of their life with the relationships that make living worth it. They are struggling to give to their friends, families and God the time they deserve.
This begs the question: Are we putting out our best effort where we need to?
I am absolutely not advocating that students not study, and employees not work. But I am wondering if we are putting as much effort into our time with the ones we love as we are our textbooks? Are giving the same attention to God as we are our In Box?
How often have I run through a routine prayer, or glanced through a short chapter because I had important things to do? I know I've struggled to listen to the thoughts of my friends and family when I know that I have something else pending. The simple truth is, if we are not putting forth our best effort with our families and especially with God, it doesn't matter what grades we make or how prestigious our job is. Those we claim to love deserve our best.
Our prayers need to be more than skin deep, they need to come from a deep place, a heart place. We need to pray as if it matters- because it does. We need to realize that our prayers, even the least of them, are heard by God. We need to understand and believe that when we pray, things happen. Sick are healed, prisoners are freed, mountains are moved. And we need to give our attention to God's Word. Let it pierce us, let it burn our hearts. We need to listen to Him and heed His nudges.
Our faith has taken a mediocre tint of late. It seems rare to see someone really on fire, really passionate about Jesus. I can't help but think it is because we have let our attentions wander, and our affections have followed. While it is true we are under grace, as James tells us, our faith without works is dead. That goes for our pursuit of God.
We may know tons of scripture, we may sing the most beautiful praise songs, we can even give of our time and possesions to the poor. But all of these are poor efforts if we do not first put our BEST effort into knowing Him. Personally.
So, what about you? Do you give God the same attention, the same effort that you do getting that A, or earning that promotion, or even winning that guy/girl?
I know that I don't. But, the first step to putting forth our best effort in pursuit of God is realizing that we "Need Some Improvement," then acting on it.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Engaging = Shared Lives
I was the youth minister at a church once when I was the only minister on staff. They brought in an interim pastor, who really only came on Sunday to preach. During this time, I learned to engage the people of the church in a new way.
I began doing funerals.
At first I was terrified. I mean, I'm saying the last official words (whatever that means) about this person, and many of them I didn't even know. So I set out to learn about them from their families. My goal was always to tell the best story about the person I could, and not lie. I wanted more than anything to see a smile from the grieving- it meant I had somehow captured the deceased person's essence for that person. But in order to get there, I had to sincerely engage those in mourning. I had to let them talk, let them open up, and I had to relate to them. I had lost people, too, and I could empathize with them. For the brief time I spent with these families, we connected. Because I connected with the family, I was able to see a picture of this person who I barely knew or knew nothing of at all. I was there the day one sweet elderly lady was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I was there as the family moved toward putting her into hospice care. I was there the morning she passed away, just hours before her final breath. And then, as I stood over her casket, I looked into the eyes of this family I had come to know. I saw their pain, their grief, but also their relief that her suffering was over.
And more than that, I felt it.
When you engage people, even if it is for a short time, there is a sharing of lives. I still remember that family, their faces, their kind words about their mother, and their smiles. I had set out to serve them in their time of need, but they served me. They showed me a valuable lesson about what it truly means to be in the family of God. They helped to mold me into who I am today.
Around this same time, I also learned a valuable lesson about what happens when we don't engage people. Our oldest daughter was going to be brought up for Baby Dedication- a sort of challenge to the church and the parents to pray for a newborn or young child. There were two families, ours and one other. Remember, I was the only minister on staff... and the interim pastor forgot our last name. And forgot my wife's name altogether. He hadn't bothered to really engage us at all. His conversations to me were more like lectures than actual chats. I found that I responded in kind, closing myself off and not caring to hear what he had to say.
The difference here, and it is important for us all to get this, is that for us to engage people- it has to be a two way street. Don't just try to pry yourself into their life, open yours to them. As you engage them, allow them to engage you.
I was reminded of this period of my life today when I read this article on Relevant's website. It is about how social media is a great tool for us as believers and how to best use it. It countered the idea that our constant status updates are narcissistic by stating that really we are sharing for the benefit of others. We are opening our lives, in hopes that they might open theirs.
That we might develop community.
That we might engage.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tech/blog/23025-why-social-media-is-good-for-us
I began doing funerals.
At first I was terrified. I mean, I'm saying the last official words (whatever that means) about this person, and many of them I didn't even know. So I set out to learn about them from their families. My goal was always to tell the best story about the person I could, and not lie. I wanted more than anything to see a smile from the grieving- it meant I had somehow captured the deceased person's essence for that person. But in order to get there, I had to sincerely engage those in mourning. I had to let them talk, let them open up, and I had to relate to them. I had lost people, too, and I could empathize with them. For the brief time I spent with these families, we connected. Because I connected with the family, I was able to see a picture of this person who I barely knew or knew nothing of at all. I was there the day one sweet elderly lady was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I was there as the family moved toward putting her into hospice care. I was there the morning she passed away, just hours before her final breath. And then, as I stood over her casket, I looked into the eyes of this family I had come to know. I saw their pain, their grief, but also their relief that her suffering was over.
And more than that, I felt it.
When you engage people, even if it is for a short time, there is a sharing of lives. I still remember that family, their faces, their kind words about their mother, and their smiles. I had set out to serve them in their time of need, but they served me. They showed me a valuable lesson about what it truly means to be in the family of God. They helped to mold me into who I am today.
Around this same time, I also learned a valuable lesson about what happens when we don't engage people. Our oldest daughter was going to be brought up for Baby Dedication- a sort of challenge to the church and the parents to pray for a newborn or young child. There were two families, ours and one other. Remember, I was the only minister on staff... and the interim pastor forgot our last name. And forgot my wife's name altogether. He hadn't bothered to really engage us at all. His conversations to me were more like lectures than actual chats. I found that I responded in kind, closing myself off and not caring to hear what he had to say.
The difference here, and it is important for us all to get this, is that for us to engage people- it has to be a two way street. Don't just try to pry yourself into their life, open yours to them. As you engage them, allow them to engage you.
I was reminded of this period of my life today when I read this article on Relevant's website. It is about how social media is a great tool for us as believers and how to best use it. It countered the idea that our constant status updates are narcissistic by stating that really we are sharing for the benefit of others. We are opening our lives, in hopes that they might open theirs.
That we might develop community.
That we might engage.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tech/blog/23025-why-social-media-is-good-for-us
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Engaging
How often has this happened to you? You're in mid conversation with someone, maybe over coffee, or in front of the TV, or just in the hall, when you reach a threshold. Do I want to continue the small talk, or do I go deeper? Is this person worth my time, or, more importantly, am I worth theirs?
We spend so much of our time skimming the surface of our relationships, and so little time getting out the scuba gear and going deep. Truth be told, not every relationship can be ocean floor deep, nor should they be. But what of the relationships that matter? Would you really want to marry someone that you only knew a few general things about, none of which were anything close to personal? Would you enter into a business deal with only the barest of details and hint of what is to come?
Some relationships must go deeper- they must be engaged. I strongly believe that the group of people you call your church needs to be a people you engage. Again, depending on the size of you church, depth can't be achieved with everyone, but there needs to be people, fellow beleivers, that know your secrets. They need to know your strengths and your weakness, your struggles and your victories. Not just so they can pray for you, but so they can celebrate with you. I can get excited when 'my team' wins the game, but when I know a person on that team, know their story, I am all the more excited.
Now, there are different levels of engagement, some folks you can tell them when you're having a tough day, some folks you can tell them the specifics, and some folks you call the second things go south.
The "It's Been a Tough Day" Group
These people are in your life, not on the periphery, but actually people you talk with and care about. You are honest with them, and you need to be. If they ask how things are, you know better than to give them a half-hearted "Fine" if they are in fact, crappy. They don't want deep details, but they care enough to pray. This is ideally where the bulk of your fellow Christ Followers will fall.
The "Specifics"
You can be brutally honest with them. You tell them exactly why your day has tanked, and the conversation is deep enough and long enough that you might want to sit down for it. These folks tend to crop up in your smaller circles, like a small group or a class. They expect and will probably ask for what is really going on with you. There is an expectation of, for lack of a better word, confrontation. You are in their life and they are in yours.
The "Callers"
Very rarely, these people come along. If they aren't there physically with you, you contact them ASAP. They are in your top five speed dial positions. They may be family, a lifelong friend, or they may just be that deep, deep connection in your life. Sadly, we most often don't have these. The level of engagement it takes to get to this depth takes a long time and it is not easy or safe to get there. You have let them so far into your life, that they know things few, if any, others know. You've risked a lot in trusting anyone this deep, and they have returned the favor.
The key to engaging others is to be willing to be open, and to be willing to wait and listen until they feel open. We desperately need deeper community within our churches, the kind of 'fellowship' that the latter verses of Acts 2 talk about. Where we, despite our differences, truly engage each other in life. We need that connection to others, and they need us.
In order to grow in faith and maturity, we need to engage each other, and we need to engage God in a similar way- but thats another post for another day.
We spend so much of our time skimming the surface of our relationships, and so little time getting out the scuba gear and going deep. Truth be told, not every relationship can be ocean floor deep, nor should they be. But what of the relationships that matter? Would you really want to marry someone that you only knew a few general things about, none of which were anything close to personal? Would you enter into a business deal with only the barest of details and hint of what is to come?
Some relationships must go deeper- they must be engaged. I strongly believe that the group of people you call your church needs to be a people you engage. Again, depending on the size of you church, depth can't be achieved with everyone, but there needs to be people, fellow beleivers, that know your secrets. They need to know your strengths and your weakness, your struggles and your victories. Not just so they can pray for you, but so they can celebrate with you. I can get excited when 'my team' wins the game, but when I know a person on that team, know their story, I am all the more excited.
Now, there are different levels of engagement, some folks you can tell them when you're having a tough day, some folks you can tell them the specifics, and some folks you call the second things go south.
The "It's Been a Tough Day" Group
These people are in your life, not on the periphery, but actually people you talk with and care about. You are honest with them, and you need to be. If they ask how things are, you know better than to give them a half-hearted "Fine" if they are in fact, crappy. They don't want deep details, but they care enough to pray. This is ideally where the bulk of your fellow Christ Followers will fall.
The "Specifics"
You can be brutally honest with them. You tell them exactly why your day has tanked, and the conversation is deep enough and long enough that you might want to sit down for it. These folks tend to crop up in your smaller circles, like a small group or a class. They expect and will probably ask for what is really going on with you. There is an expectation of, for lack of a better word, confrontation. You are in their life and they are in yours.
The "Callers"
Very rarely, these people come along. If they aren't there physically with you, you contact them ASAP. They are in your top five speed dial positions. They may be family, a lifelong friend, or they may just be that deep, deep connection in your life. Sadly, we most often don't have these. The level of engagement it takes to get to this depth takes a long time and it is not easy or safe to get there. You have let them so far into your life, that they know things few, if any, others know. You've risked a lot in trusting anyone this deep, and they have returned the favor.
The key to engaging others is to be willing to be open, and to be willing to wait and listen until they feel open. We desperately need deeper community within our churches, the kind of 'fellowship' that the latter verses of Acts 2 talk about. Where we, despite our differences, truly engage each other in life. We need that connection to others, and they need us.
In order to grow in faith and maturity, we need to engage each other, and we need to engage God in a similar way- but thats another post for another day.
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