We had Shorter’s graduation this past weekend. They keep getting bigger and bigger; we graduated around 450 students from our traditional and professional studies programs. This was a special graduation in several ways. It was the last graduating class from Shorter College. Our December graduates will be the first graduates from Shorter University. You can learn more about the University Celebration at the Shorter Website.
It was a special graduation for another reason; we honored Jacob Edfeldt with a posthumous degree. Jacob was quite a guy. He was born with a heart defect and had two heart-transplants, the second occurring while a student at Shorter. He came to Shorter in the fall of 2006 and immersed himself in the life of Shorter College. He was in a fraternity, he was on yearbook staff, and he helped the Admissions Office with tours for prospective students.
Jacob was liked very much on campus. His attitude and sense of humor endeared him to just about everyone. You never knew if he was having an issue with his health, he always had a great attitude. He was with me a few days before the second heart-transplant. Jacob, Scott Howard and Hannah Orr were with me and Libby Grimes at a reception for prospective students in Cumming, GA. Jacob was his usual self, cracking jokes and making the prospective students aware of how great he thought Shorter was. I didn’t learn until later from Scott and Hannah that Jacob was not feeling well that night.
He always said it was great being at Shorter because he felt like a normal college student. The truth is, Jacob was anything but normal. I think his heart condition gave him an appreciation for life and the everyday opportunities that are presented to each of us.
When we called his name at graduation on Saturday, his family came up to the stage to get the diploma with a standing ovation and tons of tears. I know it must have been incredibly difficult for them; you could see the mixture of pain, loss, pride and love on each of their faces. As a parent, I cannot understand how they deal with this great loss.
As I watched this scene unfold and saw the tears flowing from almost everyone, I was reminded of the story in Acts 9:36 when Tabitha died. Peter was summoned to see if he could help. When Peter entered the room, the Bible says that there was a group of widows standing there crying, showing him the tunics and other items of clothing that Tabitha had made for them. That verse sticks out to me every time I read it. Peter asked them all to leave and then performs the miracle to raise her from the dead. Raising her from the dead is Peter’s miracle in this text. But to me, there is another miracle that is evident. The actual life that Tabitha lived was also a miracle. She was a miracle for those women; she looked after them and cared for their needs. In a world that is so focused on “me, myself and I”, she showed love and compassion to the “least of these.”
Jacob’s life was a miracle in many ways. He survived two heart-transplants, but more importantly the way he lived his life was a miracle in the lives of everyone he encountered. He was funny, he was caring and he appreciated the people and things around him. He left a positive influence on all who met him. I hope Jacob’s family understands that the standing ovation on Saturday was testimony to the miracle that Jacob was in each of our lives. My life, for one, has been blessed because I knew Jacob Edfeldt.
I hope I will appreciate life and my loved ones better. Life is just way too short to take people for granted. I hope I can be a miracle in someone’s life like Jacob and Tabitha were in the lives of the people around them.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Born Again
I used to work with a lady who had actually died in a car wreck and was brought back to life by the EMTs en route to the hospital. She would talk about how her life changed after that. She had a sense of mortality; she said she didn’t take things for granted anymore and I could tell that she viewed each day as a gift.
Although my father never went “Code Blue”, he did have two experiences with his health that impacted him. He suffered kidney failure after dealing with diabetes for years. He was on dialysis for a while but was fortunate enough to get a kidney transplant in 1995. He was in the hospital for quite some time and really began to examine his life. A few years later, he had double pneumonia and went into a coma. He was unconscious for weeks and we really didn’t expect him to make it. He would often say that he could hear people praying for him and that he felt a presence while he laid there. Both experiences impacted how he lived his daily life and how he viewed life in general. He lived about six more years after the double pneumonia.
The story of Nicodemus in the third chapter of John obviously comes to mind when we think about “rebirth” or, in church-talk, being “born again.” Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, a leader among the Pharisees. No doubt he had become aware of who Jesus was, especially after the cleansing of the temple that occurs in Chapter 2. He comes to Jesus at night and says to him, “Rabbi, we know you are a man sent by God, or else you couldn’t do these miraculous things you’ve been doing.”
I think it is important to notice the context of the setting and the way Nicodemus phrases his statement. First, he comes to Jesus at night. Jesus is not the most popular person with Pharisees and the Romans, so Nicodemus chooses to come to Jesus under the cloak of darkness. “I don’t want to risk anything by being seen with you Jesus. It’s ok if we meet at night, right?”
Then he asks for confirmation. “We know you are a man sent from God, right. Jesus you are a man of God. I need to know before I sacrifice my career.” Like Nicodemus, we want to come to Christ on our own terms in our own time. Like Nicodemus we are afraid to commit, we are afraid to sacrifice the things that are important to us in this life.
Jesus knew this about Nicodemus. He knew Nicodemus wanted to hedge his bet. Like Nicodemus, we are afraid to trust in God and to submit to His will for our lives. Those who have not been saved often say that the time is not right, they will wait until later. Later… after they are out of school, or after they have gotten married and had a family. That’s when they plan to settle down. Or perhaps they plan on getting involved at church after their career is well underway and they are more established.
We are a nation that is afraid of sacrifice. God may us to do something we are not ready to do, or ask us to go somewhere we are not comfortable going. We are afraid of giving up control of our lives. I think that is the problem for most people. We like to be in control of our lives, the unknown often scares us. But Jesus tells Nicodemus and he tells us, “You must be born again!” What does that mean to born again? The passage says we must be born of the flesh and born of the spirit.
Born of the flesh is obviously our natural, human birth. Born of the Spirit means we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior and that the Holy Spirit has come upon us. But here is where as Christians we often stumble, we don’t fully accept the responsibilities of that new birth. I truly believe that at this time in our history, there is no message that needs to be heard more today than for us to fully understand what it means to be Born Again. I especially think that our children, youth and college age students need to hear this message.
We live in a society that is highly critical and we are constantly exposed to an onslaught of media that attempts to influence us and define our perceptions of reality. The media too often sets the agenda for political and social discourse and tries to tell us who we should be and what we should think.
Depending upon who you listen to, you are too fat or too skinny, too tall or too short, too old or too young. Your life would be better off if you would buy this product or that. You could be a winner, be happier or be more successful if you would only do thus and such.
The most popular shows on television today are the “reality shows.” We love to see the people on American Idol who can’t sing a lick or carry a tune in a bucket. We can’t wait to see who is voted off the Island on Survivor. There used to be a show called The Average Joe, it let us witness men who were less than runway model material be rejected by beautiful women, only reinforcing the notion in our society that only “pretty people” get to be happy. The Bachelor compresses the process of meeting and falling in love into 13 neat, one hour episodes. On that show, even some of those “pretty people” get rejected.
Our society thrives on magnifying the imperfections and faults of individuals. Today we allow it to define who we should be, what we should look like and what we should wear. What kind of message are we sending our kids?
To be born again in Christ means that we do not allow society to define who we are. We are not of the flesh or of this world any more. We are born of the spirit. Defining ourselves by the Word of God, seeking to be the person God wants us to be, that is what it means to be born again. We need to stop trying to keep up with the Jones or the Smiths or whoever, and start trying to be God’s people.
How does being born again change us? First, I think it changes how we see God. The Bible is a narrative of the story of God’s desire to have a relationship with His creation. From Adam and Eve to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God sought to have a relationship with humanity. Adam and Eve could not resist the temptation to be like God, to have the knowledge promised by the serpent if they would only partake of the fruit in the center of the Garden of Eden. God made a covenant with Abraham and his decedents of to be a priestly nation and to take the God’s message to the whole world. The Israelites chose to take this relationship and keep it to themselves, claiming to be special, better than anyone else. One of the frequent and recurring sins of the Israelites was their corruption of God’s laws by mixing the customs and religions of other cultures. Thinking they can worship God and Baal at the same time.
Sounds a lot like us doesn’t it. Just like Adam and Eve our society seeks to be like God. We often think we are the masters of our own destiny, in charge of our own lives. That’s what we say about successful people in our society. We are told to be self reliant, not to need anyone, to stand on our own two feet and to solve our own problems.
That works to a certain extent. We can do many things on our own. The question is, are those things really important. Is material success what we are striving for? Unfortunately too many people that our society deems as successful stumble. How often do we hear about professional athletes or media stars turning to drugs or alcohol to fill a void in their life that fame and fortune can’t fill? How often do we hear about the corporate CEO who bilks his company of millions because enough is never enough? How much money does it take to be happy? I remember an old song called “Fill My Cup, Lord”, it says like the woman at the well I was seeking for things that could not satisfy. Too many people in our society today seek for things that can’t satisfy the Spirit of God put in us at our physical birth. As creation made in His image, God’s spirit is in all of us, but if we don’t allow that Spirit to grow and flourish by connecting with the Holy Spirit, we feel a void in our lives that money, fame, materialism or chemical dependence cannot satisfy. We need to strive daily to have a relationship with God and to walk humbly in His presence. That is what satisfies us today.
Like the descendents of Abraham, we often try to live a life straddling the world and God. We covet and crave the things of the world, often above doing God’s will in our lives.
Looking at the story of God’s relationship with humanity we see a Creator never giving up on His creation. We see then and today, a people that are sinful by nature and who constantly fail. Yet, we see a loving God who allowed his only Son to be a sacrifice for all of the sins of humanity. By being born again of the Holy Spirit, we begin to see God in a new light. We seek God’s will in our lives and we seek guidance on a daily basis. How do we do this? We do this by having a relationship with God, a relationship that involves prayer and study, thought and reflection. How would your friends feel if you only called on them when you needed something? We shouldn’t treat God this way, like that drive-thru restaurant, but like a friend that we look to and trust with our very lives.
Secondly, I think we see others differently once we’ve been born again. What do we see when we look at others? Society often judges people based upon their station in life or their material possessions. Fame and power are exalted. As stated earlier, our society is also very critical. We look for the faults and weaknesses in individuals. Unfortunately, many in our society have a perverse habit of lifting themselves up by putting others down. I think often the only thing society likes better than seeing someone exceed or achieve success, is to see what will ultimately bring them down.
Once we have been born again, I think God wants us to see people through the eyes of Christ. He wants us to look at people and see the needs of their life, instead of judging them or criticizing them because of their weaknesses or faults. I think God wants us to see them for the potential and promise they have instead of looking at their failures. I think being born again means that we allow God to dispense mercy, grace and forgiveness through us.
I must confess it is a big problem for me because I have a great memory. I can remember phone numbers from 20 years ago, and I can remember everybody who ever did me wrong. Forgiving others is hard. We like to hold onto the hurt because it gives us something on others. Aren’t you glad God isn’t that way? God gives grace and forgiveness freely, if we will only believe. The scary thing is that the Bible tells us that as we judge others, we will be judged. I think we would all be better off if we could learn to see others through the eyes of Christ and give grace more freely.
Finally, I think we can begin to see ourselves differently when we are born again. Just as our culture influences how we see others, it also influences how we see ourselves. In a recent study, 60% of teenagers said they felt they were unattractive. Half the girls surveyed said they wanted to lose weight. 85% said they needed to improve in some way. Only 15% said that they were happy with whom they were. And 33% said they had a friend who had contemplated or tried to commit suicide.
Adolescence is a difficult time in a person’s life in our society. Being a young adult is not much better. I’m not really sure if it ever gets easy. We live in a time where people try to pursue an image and a lifestyle that is mostly smoke and mirrors. And sadly, even those who reach the goals of materialism and wealth are left feeling empty.
Being born of the Spirit means that we don’t judge ourselves according to the standards of the world, it means that we seek to be the people God would have us to be. Now, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t seek a healthy lifestyle or try to improve ourselves through education or stop providing for our families. It does mean that we examine our priorities in life.
Being born again means that we seek God’s will and that we give Him priority. It means that we trust Him to guide our steps and allow Him to work through us to spread His love, mercy and grace to a world that desperately needs to hear His message.
Although my father never went “Code Blue”, he did have two experiences with his health that impacted him. He suffered kidney failure after dealing with diabetes for years. He was on dialysis for a while but was fortunate enough to get a kidney transplant in 1995. He was in the hospital for quite some time and really began to examine his life. A few years later, he had double pneumonia and went into a coma. He was unconscious for weeks and we really didn’t expect him to make it. He would often say that he could hear people praying for him and that he felt a presence while he laid there. Both experiences impacted how he lived his daily life and how he viewed life in general. He lived about six more years after the double pneumonia.
The story of Nicodemus in the third chapter of John obviously comes to mind when we think about “rebirth” or, in church-talk, being “born again.” Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, a leader among the Pharisees. No doubt he had become aware of who Jesus was, especially after the cleansing of the temple that occurs in Chapter 2. He comes to Jesus at night and says to him, “Rabbi, we know you are a man sent by God, or else you couldn’t do these miraculous things you’ve been doing.”
I think it is important to notice the context of the setting and the way Nicodemus phrases his statement. First, he comes to Jesus at night. Jesus is not the most popular person with Pharisees and the Romans, so Nicodemus chooses to come to Jesus under the cloak of darkness. “I don’t want to risk anything by being seen with you Jesus. It’s ok if we meet at night, right?”
Then he asks for confirmation. “We know you are a man sent from God, right. Jesus you are a man of God. I need to know before I sacrifice my career.” Like Nicodemus, we want to come to Christ on our own terms in our own time. Like Nicodemus we are afraid to commit, we are afraid to sacrifice the things that are important to us in this life.
Jesus knew this about Nicodemus. He knew Nicodemus wanted to hedge his bet. Like Nicodemus, we are afraid to trust in God and to submit to His will for our lives. Those who have not been saved often say that the time is not right, they will wait until later. Later… after they are out of school, or after they have gotten married and had a family. That’s when they plan to settle down. Or perhaps they plan on getting involved at church after their career is well underway and they are more established.
We are a nation that is afraid of sacrifice. God may us to do something we are not ready to do, or ask us to go somewhere we are not comfortable going. We are afraid of giving up control of our lives. I think that is the problem for most people. We like to be in control of our lives, the unknown often scares us. But Jesus tells Nicodemus and he tells us, “You must be born again!” What does that mean to born again? The passage says we must be born of the flesh and born of the spirit.
Born of the flesh is obviously our natural, human birth. Born of the Spirit means we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior and that the Holy Spirit has come upon us. But here is where as Christians we often stumble, we don’t fully accept the responsibilities of that new birth. I truly believe that at this time in our history, there is no message that needs to be heard more today than for us to fully understand what it means to be Born Again. I especially think that our children, youth and college age students need to hear this message.
We live in a society that is highly critical and we are constantly exposed to an onslaught of media that attempts to influence us and define our perceptions of reality. The media too often sets the agenda for political and social discourse and tries to tell us who we should be and what we should think.
Depending upon who you listen to, you are too fat or too skinny, too tall or too short, too old or too young. Your life would be better off if you would buy this product or that. You could be a winner, be happier or be more successful if you would only do thus and such.
The most popular shows on television today are the “reality shows.” We love to see the people on American Idol who can’t sing a lick or carry a tune in a bucket. We can’t wait to see who is voted off the Island on Survivor. There used to be a show called The Average Joe, it let us witness men who were less than runway model material be rejected by beautiful women, only reinforcing the notion in our society that only “pretty people” get to be happy. The Bachelor compresses the process of meeting and falling in love into 13 neat, one hour episodes. On that show, even some of those “pretty people” get rejected.
Our society thrives on magnifying the imperfections and faults of individuals. Today we allow it to define who we should be, what we should look like and what we should wear. What kind of message are we sending our kids?
To be born again in Christ means that we do not allow society to define who we are. We are not of the flesh or of this world any more. We are born of the spirit. Defining ourselves by the Word of God, seeking to be the person God wants us to be, that is what it means to be born again. We need to stop trying to keep up with the Jones or the Smiths or whoever, and start trying to be God’s people.
How does being born again change us? First, I think it changes how we see God. The Bible is a narrative of the story of God’s desire to have a relationship with His creation. From Adam and Eve to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God sought to have a relationship with humanity. Adam and Eve could not resist the temptation to be like God, to have the knowledge promised by the serpent if they would only partake of the fruit in the center of the Garden of Eden. God made a covenant with Abraham and his decedents of to be a priestly nation and to take the God’s message to the whole world. The Israelites chose to take this relationship and keep it to themselves, claiming to be special, better than anyone else. One of the frequent and recurring sins of the Israelites was their corruption of God’s laws by mixing the customs and religions of other cultures. Thinking they can worship God and Baal at the same time.
Sounds a lot like us doesn’t it. Just like Adam and Eve our society seeks to be like God. We often think we are the masters of our own destiny, in charge of our own lives. That’s what we say about successful people in our society. We are told to be self reliant, not to need anyone, to stand on our own two feet and to solve our own problems.
That works to a certain extent. We can do many things on our own. The question is, are those things really important. Is material success what we are striving for? Unfortunately too many people that our society deems as successful stumble. How often do we hear about professional athletes or media stars turning to drugs or alcohol to fill a void in their life that fame and fortune can’t fill? How often do we hear about the corporate CEO who bilks his company of millions because enough is never enough? How much money does it take to be happy? I remember an old song called “Fill My Cup, Lord”, it says like the woman at the well I was seeking for things that could not satisfy. Too many people in our society today seek for things that can’t satisfy the Spirit of God put in us at our physical birth. As creation made in His image, God’s spirit is in all of us, but if we don’t allow that Spirit to grow and flourish by connecting with the Holy Spirit, we feel a void in our lives that money, fame, materialism or chemical dependence cannot satisfy. We need to strive daily to have a relationship with God and to walk humbly in His presence. That is what satisfies us today.
Like the descendents of Abraham, we often try to live a life straddling the world and God. We covet and crave the things of the world, often above doing God’s will in our lives.
Looking at the story of God’s relationship with humanity we see a Creator never giving up on His creation. We see then and today, a people that are sinful by nature and who constantly fail. Yet, we see a loving God who allowed his only Son to be a sacrifice for all of the sins of humanity. By being born again of the Holy Spirit, we begin to see God in a new light. We seek God’s will in our lives and we seek guidance on a daily basis. How do we do this? We do this by having a relationship with God, a relationship that involves prayer and study, thought and reflection. How would your friends feel if you only called on them when you needed something? We shouldn’t treat God this way, like that drive-thru restaurant, but like a friend that we look to and trust with our very lives.
Secondly, I think we see others differently once we’ve been born again. What do we see when we look at others? Society often judges people based upon their station in life or their material possessions. Fame and power are exalted. As stated earlier, our society is also very critical. We look for the faults and weaknesses in individuals. Unfortunately, many in our society have a perverse habit of lifting themselves up by putting others down. I think often the only thing society likes better than seeing someone exceed or achieve success, is to see what will ultimately bring them down.
Once we have been born again, I think God wants us to see people through the eyes of Christ. He wants us to look at people and see the needs of their life, instead of judging them or criticizing them because of their weaknesses or faults. I think God wants us to see them for the potential and promise they have instead of looking at their failures. I think being born again means that we allow God to dispense mercy, grace and forgiveness through us.
I must confess it is a big problem for me because I have a great memory. I can remember phone numbers from 20 years ago, and I can remember everybody who ever did me wrong. Forgiving others is hard. We like to hold onto the hurt because it gives us something on others. Aren’t you glad God isn’t that way? God gives grace and forgiveness freely, if we will only believe. The scary thing is that the Bible tells us that as we judge others, we will be judged. I think we would all be better off if we could learn to see others through the eyes of Christ and give grace more freely.
Finally, I think we can begin to see ourselves differently when we are born again. Just as our culture influences how we see others, it also influences how we see ourselves. In a recent study, 60% of teenagers said they felt they were unattractive. Half the girls surveyed said they wanted to lose weight. 85% said they needed to improve in some way. Only 15% said that they were happy with whom they were. And 33% said they had a friend who had contemplated or tried to commit suicide.
Adolescence is a difficult time in a person’s life in our society. Being a young adult is not much better. I’m not really sure if it ever gets easy. We live in a time where people try to pursue an image and a lifestyle that is mostly smoke and mirrors. And sadly, even those who reach the goals of materialism and wealth are left feeling empty.
Being born of the Spirit means that we don’t judge ourselves according to the standards of the world, it means that we seek to be the people God would have us to be. Now, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t seek a healthy lifestyle or try to improve ourselves through education or stop providing for our families. It does mean that we examine our priorities in life.
Being born again means that we seek God’s will and that we give Him priority. It means that we trust Him to guide our steps and allow Him to work through us to spread His love, mercy and grace to a world that desperately needs to hear His message.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Thirty Pieces of Silver
This is Easter Weekend. It has been a very good week, starting with Palm Sunday, a very somber Maundy Thursday service, and culminating today with a great Easter service. For some reason, Judas and the role he played in the Easter story have been on my mind since Maundy Thursday. Why did he betray Christ? We have the luxury of looking back on historical events through the lense of time. Events that confused or perplexed the participants usually come into focus as we see the bigger picture. This question is different. This is an attempt to articulate where my thoughts have gone with this question.
The idea of Messiah to a first century Jew was someone who would lead the Jewish people to greatness. Israel had been a strong and powerful nation under great kings like Saul, David and Solomon. Yet for so many generations they had suffered under the seige of the Babylonians, Assyrians and the Romans. The Messiah was to be someone who would make Israel great again. We know from John 1 that the disciples recognized Jesus as Messiah. No doubt they had ideas about their future and how it would unfold as disciples of Christ. He would lead them to greatness, and they would be leaders in the new kingdom. We see examples in Mark 10 and Luke 9 where the disciples are dreaming of the future and jockeying for position in the coming kingdom. Mark 10 mentions James and John having the discussion, Luke 9 refers to “the disicples” as having the argument about who would be the greatest. The disciples spend time with Jesus, witnessing the miracles and listening to his teachings, seeing more and more people join the group of followers. They know Jesus is the Messiah and they all have visions of what the future will hold.
Jesus, however, isn’t talking like the Messiah they envisioned. He is talking about persecution, suffering and death. He plainly told them what would happen at the hand of the elders and chief priests, but they either didn’t understand or they refused to believe it. In Matthew 16 Peter even tells Jesus that such things will never happen to him. Jesus scolds him and tells him that he is thinking of the things of man, and not the things of God. The idea of a suffering Messiah does not exist in their realm of thinking.
Then comes the entry into Jerusalem before Passover. Jesus tells two of the disciples to go into the village to get a young colt, referring to a donkey. I never understood the significance of this until a couple of years ago. Horses weren’t very common during this time. Only military leaders and rulers or the rich really had horses. If a leader rode into town on a horse, it meant that they were a conquering ruler with militaristic or nationalist ideas. If they rode a donkey, it indicated a peaceful mission. Horses were for the privileged and led leaders into battle. Donkeys were common work animals of the people.
I think Judas began to grow impatient. Jesus had articulated his ideas about his suffering and his death. Judas had a different idea. I think he realized that Jesus had a following, and that the people were looking for a leader to start the revolt and cast out the Romans. Perhaps getting arrested was the nudge that Jesus needed to get things started. Surely he would resist, he was innocent. Surely this popular leader being arrested would be enough to get the people fired up and start the fireworks!
I won’t even try to attempt to explore what happened to Judas. We know that he met a gruesome end. Matthew 27 states that he tried to return the money and eventually hanged himself. In Acts 1 Luke writes that Judas bought a field and threw himself over a cliff. Consumed with guilt, he couldn’t live with himself.
If the betrayal was an attempt to start a revolt, Judas was guilty of trying to impose his ideas and desires instead of accepting God’s will for what a Messiah should be. Looking at it in those terms is a bit uncomfortable for me, I know that I am guilty of the same thing. Like the disciples mentioned in Luke 9 and Mark 10, and like Judas, I have my own ideas of how things should unfold. Sometimes I am guilty of trying to give things a nudge by setting events into motion instead of trusting God to take care of things. Every time I choose to go to “Tarshish instead of Nineveh”, every time that I choose to worship a “golden calf”, every time I deny Christ, I am choosing to impose my will instead of accepting God’s will.
God’s will is rarely what we expect. It is humility instead of power and wealth. It is mercy instead of condemnation and judgement. It is love instead of hatred and bitterness.
We don’t understand how a Messiah could be carpenter’s son instead of a preist or a ruler’s child. We don’t understand choosing to work through prostitutes, fishermen, and sinners. We don’t understand a suffering Messiah instead of a conquering hero. As human beings, we don’t understand how sin and death can be overcome through the resurrection.
As spiritual beings we believe in the power of the risen Lord and the transformative power of God’s love. Easter shows us how grace and love trump sin and death. My prayer is that I will trust God and that I will be obedient to His will. I don’t want to sell out for thirty pieces of silver!
The idea of Messiah to a first century Jew was someone who would lead the Jewish people to greatness. Israel had been a strong and powerful nation under great kings like Saul, David and Solomon. Yet for so many generations they had suffered under the seige of the Babylonians, Assyrians and the Romans. The Messiah was to be someone who would make Israel great again. We know from John 1 that the disciples recognized Jesus as Messiah. No doubt they had ideas about their future and how it would unfold as disciples of Christ. He would lead them to greatness, and they would be leaders in the new kingdom. We see examples in Mark 10 and Luke 9 where the disciples are dreaming of the future and jockeying for position in the coming kingdom. Mark 10 mentions James and John having the discussion, Luke 9 refers to “the disicples” as having the argument about who would be the greatest. The disciples spend time with Jesus, witnessing the miracles and listening to his teachings, seeing more and more people join the group of followers. They know Jesus is the Messiah and they all have visions of what the future will hold.
Jesus, however, isn’t talking like the Messiah they envisioned. He is talking about persecution, suffering and death. He plainly told them what would happen at the hand of the elders and chief priests, but they either didn’t understand or they refused to believe it. In Matthew 16 Peter even tells Jesus that such things will never happen to him. Jesus scolds him and tells him that he is thinking of the things of man, and not the things of God. The idea of a suffering Messiah does not exist in their realm of thinking.
Then comes the entry into Jerusalem before Passover. Jesus tells two of the disciples to go into the village to get a young colt, referring to a donkey. I never understood the significance of this until a couple of years ago. Horses weren’t very common during this time. Only military leaders and rulers or the rich really had horses. If a leader rode into town on a horse, it meant that they were a conquering ruler with militaristic or nationalist ideas. If they rode a donkey, it indicated a peaceful mission. Horses were for the privileged and led leaders into battle. Donkeys were common work animals of the people.
I think Judas began to grow impatient. Jesus had articulated his ideas about his suffering and his death. Judas had a different idea. I think he realized that Jesus had a following, and that the people were looking for a leader to start the revolt and cast out the Romans. Perhaps getting arrested was the nudge that Jesus needed to get things started. Surely he would resist, he was innocent. Surely this popular leader being arrested would be enough to get the people fired up and start the fireworks!
I won’t even try to attempt to explore what happened to Judas. We know that he met a gruesome end. Matthew 27 states that he tried to return the money and eventually hanged himself. In Acts 1 Luke writes that Judas bought a field and threw himself over a cliff. Consumed with guilt, he couldn’t live with himself.
If the betrayal was an attempt to start a revolt, Judas was guilty of trying to impose his ideas and desires instead of accepting God’s will for what a Messiah should be. Looking at it in those terms is a bit uncomfortable for me, I know that I am guilty of the same thing. Like the disciples mentioned in Luke 9 and Mark 10, and like Judas, I have my own ideas of how things should unfold. Sometimes I am guilty of trying to give things a nudge by setting events into motion instead of trusting God to take care of things. Every time I choose to go to “Tarshish instead of Nineveh”, every time that I choose to worship a “golden calf”, every time I deny Christ, I am choosing to impose my will instead of accepting God’s will.
God’s will is rarely what we expect. It is humility instead of power and wealth. It is mercy instead of condemnation and judgement. It is love instead of hatred and bitterness.
We don’t understand how a Messiah could be carpenter’s son instead of a preist or a ruler’s child. We don’t understand choosing to work through prostitutes, fishermen, and sinners. We don’t understand a suffering Messiah instead of a conquering hero. As human beings, we don’t understand how sin and death can be overcome through the resurrection.
As spiritual beings we believe in the power of the risen Lord and the transformative power of God’s love. Easter shows us how grace and love trump sin and death. My prayer is that I will trust God and that I will be obedient to His will. I don’t want to sell out for thirty pieces of silver!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Barbecue, Brunswick Stew and the Prodigal Son
If you ask my daughter what’s the best thing to get at Armstrong’s Barbecue in Summerville, she would probably say it is the Brunswick stew. I think the best thing on the menu is the beef barbecue sandwich, closely followed by the cheeseburger. The food is good and the price is right. They smoke the meat all night after putting a rub and secret sauce on it, then it is sliced up and served on a toasted bun. Most restaurants chip it and then mix in the sauce. It is much less messy when it is sliced, and the sauce they use is vinegar based with peppercorns. I like my cheeseburgers with just mustard, ketchup and mayo. My wife also likes the barbecue, but she gets her cheeseburger loaded. I like mine with chips and a sweet tea, my wife and daughter get fries and diet coke. We all love Armstrong’s, we love it for different reasons and we get something different when we go there.
So what does barbecue and Brunswick stew have to do with the prodigal son? It may be a weak analogy, but the principle fits where I am going with this. We all come to God with different experiences and carrying our own unique baggage. I think the parable of the prodigal son speaks to this. The parable is found in Luke 15:11-32. If you know anything about the Bible, you know the parable of the prodigal.
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Most of the time when we hear or read this passage, we focus on the son who took the money and ran. We think about how he blew it, going out and choosing to live the wild life. We see people doing that all around us, living in the moment and ignoring the moral or ethical consequences of their actions. Then the parable tells us that he came to his senses and got right with his father. If we stop there we miss a very valuable lesson. I want to focus on the older brother; I think the he represents a lot of what is wrong with the church universal today. Too many times we want to say that people have to share our experiences or believe exactly like we do to be worthy of God’s grace. The truth is, each one of us has our own story. We come from different backgrounds and we have had different life experineces. God works differently in each of our lives, to speak to our unique needs and He approaches us in the way that will work for each of us individually. Yet some people have an attitude that everyone has to have the exact same experience and ideas, or else they are somehow different or less worthy. Here is a dose of reality: we are all unworthy!
Jesus spoke about this type of attitude in Luke 9:46-50.
46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest."
49"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."
50"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
First, the disciples were arguing about who was the most worthy. Translate that today to: “I am a better Christian than you! God loves me more because I am more holy!” Then they say, “Jesus, we saw this dude who was preaching in your name. He wasn’t one of us, so we told him to quit. Who does he think he is? He is not with us, he can’t preach in your name, that’s our job! I think we should sue!!!” Have you ever encountered that type of attitude?
Why do we feel challenged or threatened by people who have different backgrounds, ideas or experiences than we have? I think it is basically due to spiritual immaturity and insecurity. For the most part, many Christians today have a faith that is shallow. We accept Christ as our Savior, but we refuse to let Him be LORD of our life. We decide what we believe about certain issues and then we set our faith on “cruise control.” When someone expresses a belief or idea that challenges us or calls us to strengthen our relationship, we feel threatened and lash out. Nobody likes bumps in the road when you’re on “cruise control!”
Cruise control doesn’t work if you really want to have a relationship with God. I think that is one of the most wonderful aspects of the Christian faith, it is based upon a relationship with Jesus Christ. Like any relationship, you have to work at it and invest in it. If I were to take the attitude that I didn’t need to talk to my wife or listen to her anymore since we are already married, my relationship with her would suffer. You can’t stop working at a marriage, it needs constant attention if the relationship is going to deepen and survive the test of time. Strengthening my marriage makes me secure in my relationship with my wife. I don’t feel threatened when she talks to another man or when she is not in my presence. I don’t fear that our marriage is going to crumble if we have an argument. We have invested the time in our marriage and in each other, and we have worked together at growing and strengthening that relationship. My relationship with God is the same way, I need to be committed to praying, to studying and make sure to actually listen for God’s voice in my life. I need to exercise my faith by serving Him in my church and my community. Strengthening my faith makes me secure in my relationship with God and I am not threatened when someone expresses an idea or opinion that is different than mine.
I believe Jesus when he said in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I know I need to work on my relationship with Jesus Christ. I know that it is only God’s grace that allows me to have a relationship with Him through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing I have ever done will make me worthy. Fighting with other Christians doesn’t make me more worthy. Who am I to judge? Let’s rejoice that people come to know Christ and have a relationship with Him. I don’t want to get hung up on what they did before, or even the fact that we may disagree on some point of theology. We should celebrate that they have come to their senses and returned to the FATHER. We should rejoice and celebrate. Kill the fattened calf, and make sure you use Armstrong’s BBQ sauce. I think it’s the best!
So what does barbecue and Brunswick stew have to do with the prodigal son? It may be a weak analogy, but the principle fits where I am going with this. We all come to God with different experiences and carrying our own unique baggage. I think the parable of the prodigal son speaks to this. The parable is found in Luke 15:11-32. If you know anything about the Bible, you know the parable of the prodigal.
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Most of the time when we hear or read this passage, we focus on the son who took the money and ran. We think about how he blew it, going out and choosing to live the wild life. We see people doing that all around us, living in the moment and ignoring the moral or ethical consequences of their actions. Then the parable tells us that he came to his senses and got right with his father. If we stop there we miss a very valuable lesson. I want to focus on the older brother; I think the he represents a lot of what is wrong with the church universal today. Too many times we want to say that people have to share our experiences or believe exactly like we do to be worthy of God’s grace. The truth is, each one of us has our own story. We come from different backgrounds and we have had different life experineces. God works differently in each of our lives, to speak to our unique needs and He approaches us in the way that will work for each of us individually. Yet some people have an attitude that everyone has to have the exact same experience and ideas, or else they are somehow different or less worthy. Here is a dose of reality: we are all unworthy!
Jesus spoke about this type of attitude in Luke 9:46-50.
46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest."
49"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."
50"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
First, the disciples were arguing about who was the most worthy. Translate that today to: “I am a better Christian than you! God loves me more because I am more holy!” Then they say, “Jesus, we saw this dude who was preaching in your name. He wasn’t one of us, so we told him to quit. Who does he think he is? He is not with us, he can’t preach in your name, that’s our job! I think we should sue!!!” Have you ever encountered that type of attitude?
Why do we feel challenged or threatened by people who have different backgrounds, ideas or experiences than we have? I think it is basically due to spiritual immaturity and insecurity. For the most part, many Christians today have a faith that is shallow. We accept Christ as our Savior, but we refuse to let Him be LORD of our life. We decide what we believe about certain issues and then we set our faith on “cruise control.” When someone expresses a belief or idea that challenges us or calls us to strengthen our relationship, we feel threatened and lash out. Nobody likes bumps in the road when you’re on “cruise control!”
Cruise control doesn’t work if you really want to have a relationship with God. I think that is one of the most wonderful aspects of the Christian faith, it is based upon a relationship with Jesus Christ. Like any relationship, you have to work at it and invest in it. If I were to take the attitude that I didn’t need to talk to my wife or listen to her anymore since we are already married, my relationship with her would suffer. You can’t stop working at a marriage, it needs constant attention if the relationship is going to deepen and survive the test of time. Strengthening my marriage makes me secure in my relationship with my wife. I don’t feel threatened when she talks to another man or when she is not in my presence. I don’t fear that our marriage is going to crumble if we have an argument. We have invested the time in our marriage and in each other, and we have worked together at growing and strengthening that relationship. My relationship with God is the same way, I need to be committed to praying, to studying and make sure to actually listen for God’s voice in my life. I need to exercise my faith by serving Him in my church and my community. Strengthening my faith makes me secure in my relationship with God and I am not threatened when someone expresses an idea or opinion that is different than mine.
I believe Jesus when he said in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I know I need to work on my relationship with Jesus Christ. I know that it is only God’s grace that allows me to have a relationship with Him through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing I have ever done will make me worthy. Fighting with other Christians doesn’t make me more worthy. Who am I to judge? Let’s rejoice that people come to know Christ and have a relationship with Him. I don’t want to get hung up on what they did before, or even the fact that we may disagree on some point of theology. We should celebrate that they have come to their senses and returned to the FATHER. We should rejoice and celebrate. Kill the fattened calf, and make sure you use Armstrong’s BBQ sauce. I think it’s the best!
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Voice of Truth
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.6 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.7” John 14: 6-7 NRSV
There is a great amount of research out there on exactly how many times each day the average US citizen is exposed to advertising messages. The numbers range from around 500 to over 3000 exposures and includes TV, radio, billboards, print, point of sale, transit and mail. Regardless of which numbers you think are accurate, it is obvious that we are bombarded with messages telling us everything about how we should dress, what type of car we should buy, what type of mayo we should use and that we really do need a bloomin’ onion before we eat a delicious steak and baked potato from down under. Television shows and movies have also been increasing the number of product placements, prominently showing the brands of the companies that pay to have their product used by the actors for 10 seconds on screen.
New technologies and the boom of reality television have also created a convergence of media strategies that offer more opportunities for advertisers to target messages and learn more detailed information about our media consumption habits. Reality television has continued to grow in its scope and popularity and is the most successful format today. This growth has seen reality TV shift from portraying reality to actually defining reality in our society.
This onslaught of constant advertising and reality TV is troubling to me, especially when you look at the content of the messages. They all seem to be telling us that we don’t have the right look, we are not talented enough, and that we are just not good enough. “America voted, and your journey ends tonight.” “The tribe has spoken, and you have been voted off the island!” “You failed this stage of the race and you are going home.” It is as if we feed off the misery of others. Somehow our society seems to have a voyeuristic appetite for failure and rejection.
I personally think this is unhealthy. Our minds are like sponges, they absorb whatever we expose them to. If we surround ourselves with negativity or heavy doses of critical messages, we will begin to think that way. Can we expect to be confident in our abilities and have a positive outlook if we bathe in negativity?
Confession time! I fall victim to this as well. I think we all live with doubts about our abilities at some point or another. In most people it may occur in one area of their life and not be present in other areas. For a couple of years, I have really felt like God was leading me to begin to write some things down. I said in earlier blog that I really have no idea why He wants me to do this. I never thought of myself as a good writer, I always felt more confident in math and the social sciences. So it was hard for me to accept the idea that God would want me to write something.
At first I was thinking a book, but that never felt right. Then the blog idea came into my head but I kept putting it off. I told myself that no one would be interested in what I have to say or think about anything. Then this past December I was out blowing the vast quantities of leaves out of my yard and a song began to play on my iPod. Remember how cold it was this December. I had on a pair of thermals under my jeans, a polartec, a heavy jacket, gloves, earmuffs and, of course, a Shorter College hat. My earbuds were securely in place under the earmuffs and the sound quality was quite good. I was listening to my “Christian Pop” playlist. I have another playlist that has old gospel classics on it, we’re talking Florida Boys, Happy Goodmans, The Speers. Anyway, the song “Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns was playing and it was as if everything got silent when the second verse began to play. The blower noise faded out, the sting of the cold left my face and these words just forced themselves to the front of my consciousness.
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a Sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again "boy, you'll never win!
"You'll never win"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
and the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "This is for My glory!”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
It is not about what I think people want to hear. It is not about what other people may think of me. As a Christian all I should care about is being obedient to God. And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory!"
I think the Voice of Truth gets drowned out in our lives. We are so bombarded with messages from every corner of society that we don’t make time to listen to God. You wake up late and have to hit the door running to take kids to school and then go to work, run errands and fifty other responsibilities. You have worked a long hard day, taken care of things at home and then you want to crash and go to sleep. When do we make time to listen to God? I think I am guilty of treating God like a fast-food drive thru window. “Okay, God. I’ll take a “forgive me of my sins” platter, a side of blessings for me and my family, and a large cup of mercy and assistance for all my friends who are struggling right now. Could I get that in the biggie size today?”
Do I actually make time to listen? “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. The psalmist had it right. I need to put myself in a quiet place, forget about all of the things happening around me and just listen to God. I need to listen to the Voice of Truth. I believe God has something for each of us to do. How will we ever know His will for our life if we don’t stop and listen?
What is The Voice of Truth calling you to do?
There is a great amount of research out there on exactly how many times each day the average US citizen is exposed to advertising messages. The numbers range from around 500 to over 3000 exposures and includes TV, radio, billboards, print, point of sale, transit and mail. Regardless of which numbers you think are accurate, it is obvious that we are bombarded with messages telling us everything about how we should dress, what type of car we should buy, what type of mayo we should use and that we really do need a bloomin’ onion before we eat a delicious steak and baked potato from down under. Television shows and movies have also been increasing the number of product placements, prominently showing the brands of the companies that pay to have their product used by the actors for 10 seconds on screen.
New technologies and the boom of reality television have also created a convergence of media strategies that offer more opportunities for advertisers to target messages and learn more detailed information about our media consumption habits. Reality television has continued to grow in its scope and popularity and is the most successful format today. This growth has seen reality TV shift from portraying reality to actually defining reality in our society.
This onslaught of constant advertising and reality TV is troubling to me, especially when you look at the content of the messages. They all seem to be telling us that we don’t have the right look, we are not talented enough, and that we are just not good enough. “America voted, and your journey ends tonight.” “The tribe has spoken, and you have been voted off the island!” “You failed this stage of the race and you are going home.” It is as if we feed off the misery of others. Somehow our society seems to have a voyeuristic appetite for failure and rejection.
I personally think this is unhealthy. Our minds are like sponges, they absorb whatever we expose them to. If we surround ourselves with negativity or heavy doses of critical messages, we will begin to think that way. Can we expect to be confident in our abilities and have a positive outlook if we bathe in negativity?
Confession time! I fall victim to this as well. I think we all live with doubts about our abilities at some point or another. In most people it may occur in one area of their life and not be present in other areas. For a couple of years, I have really felt like God was leading me to begin to write some things down. I said in earlier blog that I really have no idea why He wants me to do this. I never thought of myself as a good writer, I always felt more confident in math and the social sciences. So it was hard for me to accept the idea that God would want me to write something.
At first I was thinking a book, but that never felt right. Then the blog idea came into my head but I kept putting it off. I told myself that no one would be interested in what I have to say or think about anything. Then this past December I was out blowing the vast quantities of leaves out of my yard and a song began to play on my iPod. Remember how cold it was this December. I had on a pair of thermals under my jeans, a polartec, a heavy jacket, gloves, earmuffs and, of course, a Shorter College hat. My earbuds were securely in place under the earmuffs and the sound quality was quite good. I was listening to my “Christian Pop” playlist. I have another playlist that has old gospel classics on it, we’re talking Florida Boys, Happy Goodmans, The Speers. Anyway, the song “Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns was playing and it was as if everything got silent when the second verse began to play. The blower noise faded out, the sting of the cold left my face and these words just forced themselves to the front of my consciousness.
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a Sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again "boy, you'll never win!
"You'll never win"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
and the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "This is for My glory!”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
It is not about what I think people want to hear. It is not about what other people may think of me. As a Christian all I should care about is being obedient to God. And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory!"
I think the Voice of Truth gets drowned out in our lives. We are so bombarded with messages from every corner of society that we don’t make time to listen to God. You wake up late and have to hit the door running to take kids to school and then go to work, run errands and fifty other responsibilities. You have worked a long hard day, taken care of things at home and then you want to crash and go to sleep. When do we make time to listen to God? I think I am guilty of treating God like a fast-food drive thru window. “Okay, God. I’ll take a “forgive me of my sins” platter, a side of blessings for me and my family, and a large cup of mercy and assistance for all my friends who are struggling right now. Could I get that in the biggie size today?”
Do I actually make time to listen? “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. The psalmist had it right. I need to put myself in a quiet place, forget about all of the things happening around me and just listen to God. I need to listen to the Voice of Truth. I believe God has something for each of us to do. How will we ever know His will for our life if we don’t stop and listen?
What is The Voice of Truth calling you to do?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
My Christian Worldview
The only thing I remember from the Introduction to Psychology course that I took in college is this, “we tend to see what we expect to see.” This aspect of social psychology helps us understand our world and the people and things in it. The older I get the more I realize that this is true in every aspect of life. It doesn’t matter if you are talking about art, business, people, relationships or puppy dogs, we will most likely see what we expect to see.
Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal wrote a book entitled “Reframing Organizations” in which they assert that most organizations fall into one of four frames or lenses through which the organization sees itself and the markets in which it operates. They assert that these frames determine what we see, how we interpret a situation and how we respond. I think this is absolutely true in our personal lives as well. We use various frames or lenses to interpret situations and individuals, and to determine how we respond accordingly. We are conditioned by our families, experiences and environments and we make assumptions based on that conditioning. Racism, stereotypes and other prejudices are all based on this idea that we will most likely see in people whatever our preconceived ideas or frames tell us we will see.
So how does this theory play into my life as a Christian? The buzzword related to this topic is “Christian worldview.” That is the frame or lens that we use a Christian to view the world, the people and events around us, and is influenced by our belief in God and His creation. So here is a shot at my Christian worldview.
I believe that God is our creator. I believe that He created the universe and everything in it. I believe He created human beings out of love and seeks to have a relationship with us. The Bible is God’s holy word and provides a wonderful history of His effort to have a relationship with His creation. I think the Bible illustrates God’s persistent efforts to teach us how we should live our lives, relate to Him and to each other. Simply telling us was not effective, as sinful human beings we blew it. I believe that He became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ in order to demonstrate who God is and how we should live. I believe Jesus was fully human, yet fully divine. We have the clearest picture into the nature of God by looking at the life of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus’ teachings were so radical to the religious establishment that they had Him crucified on a Roman cross. Death could not contain Him and I believe in the literal and physical resurrection.
I believe in the value of every human being as a unique and wonderful creation of God. Every life has worth and God has a purpose for each one of us. I believe that our souls crave to be reconnected with the spirit of God. Some people try to satisfy that craving with materialism, drugs, alcohol and other things that leave the soul wanting. I believe that “sin” is anything that keeps us from God. True happiness is found when we live a life that is in obedience to God’s will for our lives. Serving God is not limited to those in vocational ministry. I believe God calls us to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers, carpenters, business owners, farmers and a whole lot of other things. God can use us in whatever vocation we find ourselves in. I believe His church is a tapestry of individuals with unique skills and talents that He uses to achieve His will. No matter what we do, I believe He can use us and that we have a responsibility to care for each other and all of creation.
Maybe some people think that makes me a bleeding-heart tree hugger, but I also believe that God gives us abilities and talents and that we have a responsibility to use them. There are many ways that we can commit sin, and being lazy and disobedient are easy ways to do it. Apathy will get you every time.
I believe God commands me to respond when I see a need. I believe that when we as humans respond to each other with kindness and compassion, it is God’s spirit working through us. I guess that means I still believe in miracles. I believe that God is still engaged with humanity and that His ultimate will shall be realized.
This isn’t complete, but it is the core of what I believe. This has been on my mind for the last week since I heard Richard Stearns, president of World Vision speak at the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities Forum. He really challenged me to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It falls right in line with the motto of the church I attend, FBC Rome, “Seeking His heart, being His hands.” I want to try and live that out every day in my life. Maybe this will challenge you to think about your world view and the lens through which you see the world.
Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal wrote a book entitled “Reframing Organizations” in which they assert that most organizations fall into one of four frames or lenses through which the organization sees itself and the markets in which it operates. They assert that these frames determine what we see, how we interpret a situation and how we respond. I think this is absolutely true in our personal lives as well. We use various frames or lenses to interpret situations and individuals, and to determine how we respond accordingly. We are conditioned by our families, experiences and environments and we make assumptions based on that conditioning. Racism, stereotypes and other prejudices are all based on this idea that we will most likely see in people whatever our preconceived ideas or frames tell us we will see.
So how does this theory play into my life as a Christian? The buzzword related to this topic is “Christian worldview.” That is the frame or lens that we use a Christian to view the world, the people and events around us, and is influenced by our belief in God and His creation. So here is a shot at my Christian worldview.
I believe that God is our creator. I believe that He created the universe and everything in it. I believe He created human beings out of love and seeks to have a relationship with us. The Bible is God’s holy word and provides a wonderful history of His effort to have a relationship with His creation. I think the Bible illustrates God’s persistent efforts to teach us how we should live our lives, relate to Him and to each other. Simply telling us was not effective, as sinful human beings we blew it. I believe that He became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ in order to demonstrate who God is and how we should live. I believe Jesus was fully human, yet fully divine. We have the clearest picture into the nature of God by looking at the life of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus’ teachings were so radical to the religious establishment that they had Him crucified on a Roman cross. Death could not contain Him and I believe in the literal and physical resurrection.
I believe in the value of every human being as a unique and wonderful creation of God. Every life has worth and God has a purpose for each one of us. I believe that our souls crave to be reconnected with the spirit of God. Some people try to satisfy that craving with materialism, drugs, alcohol and other things that leave the soul wanting. I believe that “sin” is anything that keeps us from God. True happiness is found when we live a life that is in obedience to God’s will for our lives. Serving God is not limited to those in vocational ministry. I believe God calls us to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers, carpenters, business owners, farmers and a whole lot of other things. God can use us in whatever vocation we find ourselves in. I believe His church is a tapestry of individuals with unique skills and talents that He uses to achieve His will. No matter what we do, I believe He can use us and that we have a responsibility to care for each other and all of creation.
Maybe some people think that makes me a bleeding-heart tree hugger, but I also believe that God gives us abilities and talents and that we have a responsibility to use them. There are many ways that we can commit sin, and being lazy and disobedient are easy ways to do it. Apathy will get you every time.
I believe God commands me to respond when I see a need. I believe that when we as humans respond to each other with kindness and compassion, it is God’s spirit working through us. I guess that means I still believe in miracles. I believe that God is still engaged with humanity and that His ultimate will shall be realized.
This isn’t complete, but it is the core of what I believe. This has been on my mind for the last week since I heard Richard Stearns, president of World Vision speak at the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities Forum. He really challenged me to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It falls right in line with the motto of the church I attend, FBC Rome, “Seeking His heart, being His hands.” I want to try and live that out every day in my life. Maybe this will challenge you to think about your world view and the lens through which you see the world.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Remembering My Dad
My father died on the last Tuesday in February of 2004. It was somewhat unexpected. He had a myriad of health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney failure and a subsequent transplant. He had survived pneumonia and several other ailments over the years, there were several occasions when we were told that he probably would not survive, but he always did. He woke up that Tuesday morning and told my mom that he didn’t feel well and that he was going back to bed. He never woke up. She went in to wake him before lunch and found that he had died in his sleep.
My dad’s name was Aubey Billy Jack Head. He never used Aubey, but I thought it was neat having three names. He was born on Sand Mountain in Alabama in 1933 to Gardy and Lucy Head, and yes it is Gardy not Grady. He was one of seven children, one of his siblings died as an infant. Gardy died when my dad was about five, right about the time that my dad’s youngest brother was born. My grandmother was left to raise the kids on her own and that was no small feat during the Depression. My dad’s oldest sister had gotten married and she helped my grandmother take care of the smaller kids, and dad’s oldest brother was able to get a job to help out as well. My grandmother moved down into Fort Payne and got a job at a hotel as a cook and washing clothes to support her family.
Needless to say my dad grew up poor. The family moved from Fort Payne to Summerville, Georgia at some point because the oldest brother had gotten a job at the mill in Trion. My dad dropped out of school at 15, he lied about his age and got a job in the mill as well. He worked there until he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. Luckily for him, the treaty was signed to end the war while my dad was in basic training. He was sent to Europe and served as a driver for a general. He was fortunate enough to draw the assignment to drive Olivia de Havilland around as she was visiting the soldiers stationed in Europe in the 1950’s. For a poor boy from the south, he had many adventures and opportunities in the Army.
After he was discharged he came back to Summerville and went back to work in the mill. He met my mother in 1955. The story of how they met was always under dispute between my parents. He said that he and a friend pulled up to a local drive-in and my mom and her friend were in the car next to them. The dispute centers on whether she actually pulled the cigar out of his mouth and started smoking it. My mother denies it, he always insisted that it was true, the truth is probably somewhere in between.
They married in September of 1956. My father said they had to elope because my maternal grandmother faked a heart attack when they talked about getting married. My sister was born in 1957, my brother in 1961, and I came along in 1965. They built a house in Trion in 1961 and financed it with a VA loan. My dad stayed at the mill in Trion and spent his career there, working over 50 years all together. He was promoted several times and worked in customer service and sales. The last years of his career, he was responsible for selling the off-goods or seconds that were made. The mill produced denim mostly and he had a network of buyers that he would sell to on a regular basis. He became friends over the years with many of those customers and I remember getting graduation gifts and wedding presents from Baltimore, New York and other places from people that I had never met. I didn’t mind, however, they were always great gifts.
My dad was a smart guy despite not having much formal education. He was an avid reader and loved anything related to history. He and my mother always stressed the importance of getting an education. They never really got on to us about grades, but they wanted us to do our best. I think they both knew that a college degree would provide more opportunities for us than they ever had.
I mentioned in an earlier post that my dad had a colorful vocabulary. He cussed like a sailor and he had a temper that sat on ready at all times. He also had a big heart and sense of justice that I noticed from a very early age. My mother always took us to church, every Sunday we were there no matter what. My father never went with us. My mom said that early in their marriage my dad would go with her, but that my grandmother would give him a hard time. She was a religious woman, but her denomination worshipped on Saturday and she didn’t like the idea of him being a Sunday worshipper. After a few years he got tired of the fight and just stopped going all together.
My father was a good man. I mentioned that he had a big heart and a strong sense of justice. My sister became a teacher after college and would tell my dad about kids who needed a coat or supplies, or maybe they needed money to go on a field trip. My dad quietly gave the money to meet the need. He never wanted any recognition, but he knew what it was like to be poor and he was now in a position to help others. I learned a lot of things from my dad, but probably the most significant thing was that people matter. More than money, more than things, people and relationships matter. I saw him live that out in his life and it spoke to me more than any words ever could.
Like I said, I always knew my dad was a good man, but I was very concerned about my father’s spiritual well being. He believed in God, but he had never made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. He was always supportive of us in our faith. He was present when I was commissioned as a Summer Missionary through the Baptist Student Union in 1985, and he was there when I was ordained as a deacon in 1993. He always supported us in our faith, but he never took that step for himself. When asked why, he would always talk about the hypocrites who went to church on Sunday and lived a very non-Christian life the rest of the week. My mother would say that he couldn’t worry about anyone but himself and that he was responsible for his life, not theirs. My mother shed countless tears and spent many hours praying for my father’s health and spiritual well-being.
In 1994 my father finally made a confession of faith and became a Christian. He was in the hospital, but it certainly wasn’t the worst situation in comparison to his other many ailments. He just said that God spoke to him and that he knew it was the right thing to do. My dad was always a big guy, and the pastor of the church asked if I would help with the baptism. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Like my mother, sister and brother, I had also prayed many prayers for my father. I was more than willing to take part in this long awaited act of faith.
We all noticed a change in my dad. He cleaned up his vocabulary, he cooled his temper down, and he became very involved in his church. He began talking to his brothers about their relationship with God and told them about his experience. He became bold in his faith and we were all very thankful and aware that God does not give up on any of us.
I mentioned that my dad died on the last Tuesday of February. It was the day before Ash Wednesday that year. We had the visitation at the funeral home on the night of Ash Wednesday and several friends from my church, FBC Rome, left the Ash Wednesday service and came straight to the funeral home. Hugh Peacock, the Associate Pastor, was the first one I noticed who had the cross made of ash on his forehead. It didn’t occur to me upon first glance what it was, but as he got closer I became aware of the image on his forehead. Several others there who came to visit that night bore the sign of the cross on their forehead. Wow, what a message from God! In the midst of my pain at the loss of my earthly father, I was reminded of the gift from my Heavenly Father. I was more comforted in the fact that my dad was now at peace with my Heavenly Father.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time when the church begins to look toward the cross and the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. It marks the forty days before Easter and in many denominations is a period when people “give up” something to remind them of the sacrifice made by Christ for our sins. Some people give up chocolate, others caffeine or maybe they try to break a habit. Some years ago, my pastor suggested that we not only give something up, but that we also try to add something beneficial. He suggested to commit to more prayer or Bible study, or perhaps to commit to helping someone every day. It occurred to me this year as I thought about my dad on this anniversary of his death, that both my dad and my God have taught me a lot about relationships and how they matter. My dad cared about people and he would always help out when he knew they had a need. My God cared about His creation so much that He became flesh and chose to live among us. Through Christ we have a clearer picture into the nature of God. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Peter, do you love me?...Feed my sheep.” During this Lenten season, as I remember my dad and I try to honor my Heavenly Father, I want to commit to strengthening my relationships. I want to pay attention to people, I want to listen to them and make them know that they are special. I want to tell the people in my life that I love them and I appreciate them.
“Lord God, thank you for my dad and the life that he lived and the lessons that he taught me. Thank you for my family and the people you have placed in my life. I have felt the warmth of your love and have received so many blessings through them. Help me to be a vessel of your love, your grace and your mercy to all that I encounter. Forgive me when I fail and please continue to work in my life. In Christ holy name I pray. Amen.”
My dad’s name was Aubey Billy Jack Head. He never used Aubey, but I thought it was neat having three names. He was born on Sand Mountain in Alabama in 1933 to Gardy and Lucy Head, and yes it is Gardy not Grady. He was one of seven children, one of his siblings died as an infant. Gardy died when my dad was about five, right about the time that my dad’s youngest brother was born. My grandmother was left to raise the kids on her own and that was no small feat during the Depression. My dad’s oldest sister had gotten married and she helped my grandmother take care of the smaller kids, and dad’s oldest brother was able to get a job to help out as well. My grandmother moved down into Fort Payne and got a job at a hotel as a cook and washing clothes to support her family.
Needless to say my dad grew up poor. The family moved from Fort Payne to Summerville, Georgia at some point because the oldest brother had gotten a job at the mill in Trion. My dad dropped out of school at 15, he lied about his age and got a job in the mill as well. He worked there until he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. Luckily for him, the treaty was signed to end the war while my dad was in basic training. He was sent to Europe and served as a driver for a general. He was fortunate enough to draw the assignment to drive Olivia de Havilland around as she was visiting the soldiers stationed in Europe in the 1950’s. For a poor boy from the south, he had many adventures and opportunities in the Army.
After he was discharged he came back to Summerville and went back to work in the mill. He met my mother in 1955. The story of how they met was always under dispute between my parents. He said that he and a friend pulled up to a local drive-in and my mom and her friend were in the car next to them. The dispute centers on whether she actually pulled the cigar out of his mouth and started smoking it. My mother denies it, he always insisted that it was true, the truth is probably somewhere in between.
They married in September of 1956. My father said they had to elope because my maternal grandmother faked a heart attack when they talked about getting married. My sister was born in 1957, my brother in 1961, and I came along in 1965. They built a house in Trion in 1961 and financed it with a VA loan. My dad stayed at the mill in Trion and spent his career there, working over 50 years all together. He was promoted several times and worked in customer service and sales. The last years of his career, he was responsible for selling the off-goods or seconds that were made. The mill produced denim mostly and he had a network of buyers that he would sell to on a regular basis. He became friends over the years with many of those customers and I remember getting graduation gifts and wedding presents from Baltimore, New York and other places from people that I had never met. I didn’t mind, however, they were always great gifts.
My dad was a smart guy despite not having much formal education. He was an avid reader and loved anything related to history. He and my mother always stressed the importance of getting an education. They never really got on to us about grades, but they wanted us to do our best. I think they both knew that a college degree would provide more opportunities for us than they ever had.
I mentioned in an earlier post that my dad had a colorful vocabulary. He cussed like a sailor and he had a temper that sat on ready at all times. He also had a big heart and sense of justice that I noticed from a very early age. My mother always took us to church, every Sunday we were there no matter what. My father never went with us. My mom said that early in their marriage my dad would go with her, but that my grandmother would give him a hard time. She was a religious woman, but her denomination worshipped on Saturday and she didn’t like the idea of him being a Sunday worshipper. After a few years he got tired of the fight and just stopped going all together.
My father was a good man. I mentioned that he had a big heart and a strong sense of justice. My sister became a teacher after college and would tell my dad about kids who needed a coat or supplies, or maybe they needed money to go on a field trip. My dad quietly gave the money to meet the need. He never wanted any recognition, but he knew what it was like to be poor and he was now in a position to help others. I learned a lot of things from my dad, but probably the most significant thing was that people matter. More than money, more than things, people and relationships matter. I saw him live that out in his life and it spoke to me more than any words ever could.
Like I said, I always knew my dad was a good man, but I was very concerned about my father’s spiritual well being. He believed in God, but he had never made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. He was always supportive of us in our faith. He was present when I was commissioned as a Summer Missionary through the Baptist Student Union in 1985, and he was there when I was ordained as a deacon in 1993. He always supported us in our faith, but he never took that step for himself. When asked why, he would always talk about the hypocrites who went to church on Sunday and lived a very non-Christian life the rest of the week. My mother would say that he couldn’t worry about anyone but himself and that he was responsible for his life, not theirs. My mother shed countless tears and spent many hours praying for my father’s health and spiritual well-being.
In 1994 my father finally made a confession of faith and became a Christian. He was in the hospital, but it certainly wasn’t the worst situation in comparison to his other many ailments. He just said that God spoke to him and that he knew it was the right thing to do. My dad was always a big guy, and the pastor of the church asked if I would help with the baptism. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Like my mother, sister and brother, I had also prayed many prayers for my father. I was more than willing to take part in this long awaited act of faith.
We all noticed a change in my dad. He cleaned up his vocabulary, he cooled his temper down, and he became very involved in his church. He began talking to his brothers about their relationship with God and told them about his experience. He became bold in his faith and we were all very thankful and aware that God does not give up on any of us.
I mentioned that my dad died on the last Tuesday of February. It was the day before Ash Wednesday that year. We had the visitation at the funeral home on the night of Ash Wednesday and several friends from my church, FBC Rome, left the Ash Wednesday service and came straight to the funeral home. Hugh Peacock, the Associate Pastor, was the first one I noticed who had the cross made of ash on his forehead. It didn’t occur to me upon first glance what it was, but as he got closer I became aware of the image on his forehead. Several others there who came to visit that night bore the sign of the cross on their forehead. Wow, what a message from God! In the midst of my pain at the loss of my earthly father, I was reminded of the gift from my Heavenly Father. I was more comforted in the fact that my dad was now at peace with my Heavenly Father.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time when the church begins to look toward the cross and the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. It marks the forty days before Easter and in many denominations is a period when people “give up” something to remind them of the sacrifice made by Christ for our sins. Some people give up chocolate, others caffeine or maybe they try to break a habit. Some years ago, my pastor suggested that we not only give something up, but that we also try to add something beneficial. He suggested to commit to more prayer or Bible study, or perhaps to commit to helping someone every day. It occurred to me this year as I thought about my dad on this anniversary of his death, that both my dad and my God have taught me a lot about relationships and how they matter. My dad cared about people and he would always help out when he knew they had a need. My God cared about His creation so much that He became flesh and chose to live among us. Through Christ we have a clearer picture into the nature of God. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Peter, do you love me?...Feed my sheep.” During this Lenten season, as I remember my dad and I try to honor my Heavenly Father, I want to commit to strengthening my relationships. I want to pay attention to people, I want to listen to them and make them know that they are special. I want to tell the people in my life that I love them and I appreciate them.
“Lord God, thank you for my dad and the life that he lived and the lessons that he taught me. Thank you for my family and the people you have placed in my life. I have felt the warmth of your love and have received so many blessings through them. Help me to be a vessel of your love, your grace and your mercy to all that I encounter. Forgive me when I fail and please continue to work in my life. In Christ holy name I pray. Amen.”
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Humility
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is in Micah 6: 6-8.
6With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgressions, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
I have had this verse on my mind lately. Humility is not something we talk about very much. Our society teaches us that we are to be confident; we are masters of our own destiny! We are taught that if we work hard and believe in ourselves we can achieve anything; however, if we doubt ourselves we will surely fail. Humility is not a virtue; it is actually viewed as a weakness.
As Christians, how do we approach humility in a society that values individualism and looks upon humility as weakness? Can we be confident, successful and humble? Of course we can.
Humility in Christian terms is having a proper understanding of who we are in relation to God. On my own, I am not worthy of God’s love or the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for my sins. I cannot do anything that would make me worthy. I cannot be good enough. I cannot be kind enough. I cannot do enough acts of charity or help enough people so that I would become worthy of Christ dying for me. It is only God’s grace and love for His creation that allows me to have a relationship with Him. Keeping that perspective keeps us from becoming too enamored with our piety or our own success. It also prevents us from being judgmental of others. Uh-oh! Here we go! Really, how can I sit in judgment of others if I am not the one responsible for the grace that I experience? I have a hard enough time trying to keeping myself straight to worry about others, but it is an easy trap to fall into. We like to judge how we are doing by comparing ourselves to others around us in every aspect of our life. The key to humility is to realize that there is only one comparison that matters: in my effort to be Christ-like, I come up short every time. As long as I remember that, I don’t feel too comfortable casting stones at others.
Does humility make me a less effective teacher, businessperson, leader, lawyer or banker? Is my confidence so shaken that I am unable to be successful in anything? I don’t think so; in fact I think humility can make one more effective. If I believe that God is my creator, then I also believe that the abilities and talents that I have are gifts from God. How I use them is part of my obedience and service to God (see the parable of the talents in Matthew 25). If I have talents and abilities, then God gave them to me for a reason and I have a responsibility to use them as He is leading me. Colossians 3:23 states that “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” Take that which God has given you and make the most of it. Not that we should boast or think highly of ourselves, but that He might be glorified. Humility is not easy. I need to pray and work at my relationship with God and others in order to keep things in the proper perspective.
“Lord God, help me to walk in humility. I understand that nothing I have ever done or will ever do will make me worthy of your love, your grace, or the many blessings you have placed in my life. Help me to live a life that would be pleasing to you. Help me to not be boastful, judgmental or self-absorbed. Help me to see others through the eyes of Christ; to see the needs, the pain, and the potential of those around me. Forgive me when I fail, and continue to work in my life. In the name of Christ my savior I pray. Amen!”
6With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgressions, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
I have had this verse on my mind lately. Humility is not something we talk about very much. Our society teaches us that we are to be confident; we are masters of our own destiny! We are taught that if we work hard and believe in ourselves we can achieve anything; however, if we doubt ourselves we will surely fail. Humility is not a virtue; it is actually viewed as a weakness.
As Christians, how do we approach humility in a society that values individualism and looks upon humility as weakness? Can we be confident, successful and humble? Of course we can.
Humility in Christian terms is having a proper understanding of who we are in relation to God. On my own, I am not worthy of God’s love or the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for my sins. I cannot do anything that would make me worthy. I cannot be good enough. I cannot be kind enough. I cannot do enough acts of charity or help enough people so that I would become worthy of Christ dying for me. It is only God’s grace and love for His creation that allows me to have a relationship with Him. Keeping that perspective keeps us from becoming too enamored with our piety or our own success. It also prevents us from being judgmental of others. Uh-oh! Here we go! Really, how can I sit in judgment of others if I am not the one responsible for the grace that I experience? I have a hard enough time trying to keeping myself straight to worry about others, but it is an easy trap to fall into. We like to judge how we are doing by comparing ourselves to others around us in every aspect of our life. The key to humility is to realize that there is only one comparison that matters: in my effort to be Christ-like, I come up short every time. As long as I remember that, I don’t feel too comfortable casting stones at others.
Does humility make me a less effective teacher, businessperson, leader, lawyer or banker? Is my confidence so shaken that I am unable to be successful in anything? I don’t think so; in fact I think humility can make one more effective. If I believe that God is my creator, then I also believe that the abilities and talents that I have are gifts from God. How I use them is part of my obedience and service to God (see the parable of the talents in Matthew 25). If I have talents and abilities, then God gave them to me for a reason and I have a responsibility to use them as He is leading me. Colossians 3:23 states that “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” Take that which God has given you and make the most of it. Not that we should boast or think highly of ourselves, but that He might be glorified. Humility is not easy. I need to pray and work at my relationship with God and others in order to keep things in the proper perspective.
“Lord God, help me to walk in humility. I understand that nothing I have ever done or will ever do will make me worthy of your love, your grace, or the many blessings you have placed in my life. Help me to live a life that would be pleasing to you. Help me to not be boastful, judgmental or self-absorbed. Help me to see others through the eyes of Christ; to see the needs, the pain, and the potential of those around me. Forgive me when I fail, and continue to work in my life. In the name of Christ my savior I pray. Amen!”
Monday, February 8, 2010
God the Parent, Part 2
Have you ever heard the story about the newlyweds who were cooking their first meal together? The young bride takes out the ham they are going to cook and proceeds to cut off both ends before she puts it in the pan. The groom asks why she did this, his mother never cut off the ends of the ham. The bride replies, “Oh silly, that’s how you are supposed to cook a ham. At least that’s the way my mom did it.” Now they are still newlyweds mind you, and they really don’t want to have a fight over a ham. The bride decides to call her mom, only to hear her say that she cut off the ends because her mother always did it that way. The bride hangs up and calls her grandmother. Grandmother says “I cut the ends of the ham off because my pan was always too small!”
What does this have to do with God and being a parent? I think it is a great lesson in our responsibility to Model the Way for our children. God modeled the way for us to live our lives through the life of Jesus Christ. When we look for guidance on how we are to treat each other or how we are to relate to God, we look to Jesus for the example. How do treat others, “love your neighbor as yourself.” How do we approach the approach God in prayer, see Matthew 6 for the prayer Jesus taught the disciples to pray.
As parents we have a responsibility to model the way for our children. The moment you realize how closely your kids are watching you is a terrifying moment. I think I first realized this when my daughter was about three. She was angry about something and was trying to tell me something with her teeth clenched, her eyebrows furrowed and was using a staccato rhythm in her delivery. I was equally angry and then I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Wow, she was mimicking my behavior exactly. Throughout many aspects of her life I see glimpses of my wife and myself emerging in her personality and behavior. What do I want to teach her and model for her?
1. Loving God and serving Him is above all else.
2. Your parents and God will always love you!
3. You can’t really love anyone else until you love yourself.
4. You are an awesome person created by God for a special purpose.
5. The way we treat others speaks volumes about who we are.
6. Prayer will get you through a lot.
7. Nothing worth having comes easy.
8. Helping others is more important than collecting things.
9. You can achieve anything you set your mind to accomplish.
10. Boys can wait!! (I don’t trust boys. I used to be one and I do not want them hanging around my daughter.)
Modeling the way we live our lives was so important to God that He became flesh and lived among us. If it is that important to Him, maybe I should take it more seriously and try to be a better role model for my daughter and others around me.
That is it for this week. I will have a new post next week.
What does this have to do with God and being a parent? I think it is a great lesson in our responsibility to Model the Way for our children. God modeled the way for us to live our lives through the life of Jesus Christ. When we look for guidance on how we are to treat each other or how we are to relate to God, we look to Jesus for the example. How do treat others, “love your neighbor as yourself.” How do we approach the approach God in prayer, see Matthew 6 for the prayer Jesus taught the disciples to pray.
As parents we have a responsibility to model the way for our children. The moment you realize how closely your kids are watching you is a terrifying moment. I think I first realized this when my daughter was about three. She was angry about something and was trying to tell me something with her teeth clenched, her eyebrows furrowed and was using a staccato rhythm in her delivery. I was equally angry and then I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Wow, she was mimicking my behavior exactly. Throughout many aspects of her life I see glimpses of my wife and myself emerging in her personality and behavior. What do I want to teach her and model for her?
1. Loving God and serving Him is above all else.
2. Your parents and God will always love you!
3. You can’t really love anyone else until you love yourself.
4. You are an awesome person created by God for a special purpose.
5. The way we treat others speaks volumes about who we are.
6. Prayer will get you through a lot.
7. Nothing worth having comes easy.
8. Helping others is more important than collecting things.
9. You can achieve anything you set your mind to accomplish.
10. Boys can wait!! (I don’t trust boys. I used to be one and I do not want them hanging around my daughter.)
Modeling the way we live our lives was so important to God that He became flesh and lived among us. If it is that important to Him, maybe I should take it more seriously and try to be a better role model for my daughter and others around me.
That is it for this week. I will have a new post next week.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
God The Parent- Part 1
I distinctly remember the feeling when my wife and I left the hospital with our newborn daughter. “Are they really going to let us leave with this thing? Surely, somebody is about to stop us and ask for a certificate or a license of some sort, something that proves we have a clue on how to raise a kid! Wait, nobody stopped us! We actually made it to the car (with the newly installed infant car seat) and no one even blinked when we walked out the doors. What kind of place is this? Didn’t that doctor realize that I was clueless on how to care for a child?”
How do we learn how to raise a child? The obvious answer is that we model our behavior on our own parents. Parenting is a learned behavior, we either imitate our parents or decide what behaviors we want to avoid. I was very fortunate, my parents were great. I always felt safe and I knew that I was loved. I knew the rules, they were fairly consistent and my true needs were always met. We quickly learned the difference between a “need” and a “want”, and I must say that I had many of those “wants” met as well. My parents did believe in “whuppin’s”, however, and my dad meant business. I am not saying I didn’t deserve them, my brother and I got into quite a bit of trouble by fighting and breaking things. I frequently entertain friends by relaying stories of my childhood. We heard our parents say things like this; “If you kids are going to kill each other, I wish you would go outside and do it!” or “My gosh, I can’t even come home and sit down to dinner without having to whip somebody’s a##.” My dad had a colorful vocabulary; he became a Christian later in life and cleaned up his vocabulary by the time my daughter was born.
My wife and I have had long conversations about parenting and have tried different techniques at various stages of our daughter’s life. She is 13 now and we are heading into brand new territory. So I sit back and think about how we should continue on this parenting journey. I have recently realized that, like so many things in life, God has provided us with many great lessons on parenting by the way he has dealt with humanity throughout history and the way I see him working in the world today.
Over the next few weeks I want to explore these examples of how God models the way for us to parent our children. I want to begin by looking at the parenting traits we can see examples of through scripture and then explore some of them more deeply. This list will by no means be exhaustive; I don’t think we could do a complete list in a few weeks. It will be some of the characteristics that I think are most applicable.
The most obvious example of God’s parental characteristics is Unconditional Love. We know from John 3:16 that God loved each one of us so much that he gave his only Son to be an eternal sacrifice for our sins. There were no preconditions on this act of love, Romans 5:8 says that “…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
What would this type of love between parent and child look like? I think it would mean that we love our kids for who they are. Our love as a parent should not be based on our child meeting certain conditions. Just as God loves us even as we are sinners, we should love our kids without them having to meet a set of conditions. You don’t have to look far to see families where a parent pushes a child to play a certain sport or to be a certain way in order to receive love and affirmation. There is nothing wrong with encouraging a child to be their best, but our love should not be conditional.
Love does not have to equal approval, however. Just as God is displeased and does not approve of many of the things we do as sinful human beings, as parents we may not always approve of the choices or actions of our kids. That doesn’t mean we should stop loving our kids, however. The story of the prodigal son is a perfect example. The father does not approve of the younger sons actions, but when the son comes to his senses and returns home, dad greets him with a hug and a kiss. Just as God loves us as sinners, we should love our kids at all times.
A second characteristic of God the Parent is Guidance. One thing that is true of all kids is that they like to know the rules; they need to know what the boundaries are. Anyone with a two year-old has seen this. Two year-olds are great at testing what the boundaries are and they are just as curious about the consequences. God provided guidance to the children of Israel through the Ten Commandments and the Laws of Moses. As parents we need to provide structure and guidance for our kids. Pop cultural wisdom says that rules are restrictive and that they inhibit creativity. Kids actually like structure and want to know what the rules are. Some parents prefer to be more like a friend instead of an authority figure. Growing up is hard and kids don’t always know what is best. As parents, we should draw from our own experiences and use our judgment to help guide our children through childhood and adolescence. My child has friends, but she only has one set of parents and I need to help her by being the best parent I can possibly be. That doesn’t mean that they will always listen and act as I would like (See Unconditional love above), but my responsibility to parent doesn’t end when I get upset with her choices.
One of the best things we can do for our kids is spend time with them. That is how we build a relationship with anyone. Many of us think that we are too busy to sit down and talk with our kids, and we are especially too busy to listen. But like any relationship, giving someone face-time demonstrates how much we value that relationship. How does my daughter know that I care about her if I never give her any of my time?
Come to think of it, it is that way with God. I need to give more time to God as well. If I value my relationship with Him, I should spend time with Him. And just like with my daughter, I need to spend more time listening.
That’s it for this week. I will keep digging and praying for something more to add next week.
How do we learn how to raise a child? The obvious answer is that we model our behavior on our own parents. Parenting is a learned behavior, we either imitate our parents or decide what behaviors we want to avoid. I was very fortunate, my parents were great. I always felt safe and I knew that I was loved. I knew the rules, they were fairly consistent and my true needs were always met. We quickly learned the difference between a “need” and a “want”, and I must say that I had many of those “wants” met as well. My parents did believe in “whuppin’s”, however, and my dad meant business. I am not saying I didn’t deserve them, my brother and I got into quite a bit of trouble by fighting and breaking things. I frequently entertain friends by relaying stories of my childhood. We heard our parents say things like this; “If you kids are going to kill each other, I wish you would go outside and do it!” or “My gosh, I can’t even come home and sit down to dinner without having to whip somebody’s a##.” My dad had a colorful vocabulary; he became a Christian later in life and cleaned up his vocabulary by the time my daughter was born.
My wife and I have had long conversations about parenting and have tried different techniques at various stages of our daughter’s life. She is 13 now and we are heading into brand new territory. So I sit back and think about how we should continue on this parenting journey. I have recently realized that, like so many things in life, God has provided us with many great lessons on parenting by the way he has dealt with humanity throughout history and the way I see him working in the world today.
Over the next few weeks I want to explore these examples of how God models the way for us to parent our children. I want to begin by looking at the parenting traits we can see examples of through scripture and then explore some of them more deeply. This list will by no means be exhaustive; I don’t think we could do a complete list in a few weeks. It will be some of the characteristics that I think are most applicable.
The most obvious example of God’s parental characteristics is Unconditional Love. We know from John 3:16 that God loved each one of us so much that he gave his only Son to be an eternal sacrifice for our sins. There were no preconditions on this act of love, Romans 5:8 says that “…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
What would this type of love between parent and child look like? I think it would mean that we love our kids for who they are. Our love as a parent should not be based on our child meeting certain conditions. Just as God loves us even as we are sinners, we should love our kids without them having to meet a set of conditions. You don’t have to look far to see families where a parent pushes a child to play a certain sport or to be a certain way in order to receive love and affirmation. There is nothing wrong with encouraging a child to be their best, but our love should not be conditional.
Love does not have to equal approval, however. Just as God is displeased and does not approve of many of the things we do as sinful human beings, as parents we may not always approve of the choices or actions of our kids. That doesn’t mean we should stop loving our kids, however. The story of the prodigal son is a perfect example. The father does not approve of the younger sons actions, but when the son comes to his senses and returns home, dad greets him with a hug and a kiss. Just as God loves us as sinners, we should love our kids at all times.
A second characteristic of God the Parent is Guidance. One thing that is true of all kids is that they like to know the rules; they need to know what the boundaries are. Anyone with a two year-old has seen this. Two year-olds are great at testing what the boundaries are and they are just as curious about the consequences. God provided guidance to the children of Israel through the Ten Commandments and the Laws of Moses. As parents we need to provide structure and guidance for our kids. Pop cultural wisdom says that rules are restrictive and that they inhibit creativity. Kids actually like structure and want to know what the rules are. Some parents prefer to be more like a friend instead of an authority figure. Growing up is hard and kids don’t always know what is best. As parents, we should draw from our own experiences and use our judgment to help guide our children through childhood and adolescence. My child has friends, but she only has one set of parents and I need to help her by being the best parent I can possibly be. That doesn’t mean that they will always listen and act as I would like (See Unconditional love above), but my responsibility to parent doesn’t end when I get upset with her choices.
One of the best things we can do for our kids is spend time with them. That is how we build a relationship with anyone. Many of us think that we are too busy to sit down and talk with our kids, and we are especially too busy to listen. But like any relationship, giving someone face-time demonstrates how much we value that relationship. How does my daughter know that I care about her if I never give her any of my time?
Come to think of it, it is that way with God. I need to give more time to God as well. If I value my relationship with Him, I should spend time with Him. And just like with my daughter, I need to spend more time listening.
That’s it for this week. I will keep digging and praying for something more to add next week.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
First Things
For some time now I have felt like God has been calling me to share some thoughts and ideas with others. At first I thought this to be a crazy notion, a streak of arrogance rising up within me. As I prayed about this, however, I continued to feel that it was the right thing to do. Maybe this is a tool that can be used to glorify God in some way, maybe this is just a journal for me to think through some things...I am not really sure what it is.
This is my pledge: I will commit to write something every week until I feel lead to stop, or until my wife tells me that I am bringing shame to the family name. I promise not to be too preachy, and I will try to inject the wit and humor I think I have. (I think I am the funniest person I know!)
I don't know if anyone will actually read this, but at least I will feel like I have been obedient to my God and Savior.
John
This is my pledge: I will commit to write something every week until I feel lead to stop, or until my wife tells me that I am bringing shame to the family name. I promise not to be too preachy, and I will try to inject the wit and humor I think I have. (I think I am the funniest person I know!)
I don't know if anyone will actually read this, but at least I will feel like I have been obedient to my God and Savior.
John
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