#30 The Church
Something has been percolating in my mind recently - and that is the church. [For use in this blog I mean, "church" to be the visible gathering of believers in the institution of church - while I of course recognize that the church is an invisible body of believers scattered throughout the world.] Specifically, people's expectation of the church. What got my mind on this subject were two articles that I recently read - the first from Andrew Sullivan in Newsweek. Here is the link to that article if you are interested:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/04/01/andrew-sullivan-christianity-in-crisis.html
The other was written by Mark Galli as a response. Here is his article:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/aprilweb-only/sullivan-forget-church.html?start=8
Both of these articles got me thinking heavily. One of my biggest laments actually can be reflected in both of these articles. I get saddened by the many who expect the church to be, well, perfect. They expect that the people of the church will act above reproach in all things. They expect that the church's kindness, grace, love, and discipline will simply be obvious to all. And those that feel this way are right about one thing - the church's behavior should be that. Absolutely. Lest we forget that Paul's admonition to the Ephesians was, "be imitators of God therefore..." Jesus Himself said, "Be perfect therefore as my Heavenly Father is perfect...."
Yet, as human beings we have never met that standard. A cursory examination of the Pauline Epistles showcases that the church was beset with divisions, factions, and envy. My goodness, if you read 1st Corinthians you see that they had huge sexual immorality problems, discipline problems, and their use of the Sacrament was downright ghastly.
My point in writing all this is simply this - people abandon the institution of church because of failed expectations. Yet, I do not believe this is a good enough reason to abandon the institution of church. I simply don't. Because while we will meet sinners at church - and those sinners will sometimes act out of sin - Jesus has chosen to work through this organism. It has never failed. Through the early years, the middle ages, and yes -the 21st century - Jesus works through His church.
What do we believe happens when we go to church? We meet with God. He inhabits the praises of His people. He comes down - He comes down - and with the bread and wine enters into us through His body and blood. He forgives sins. He gives us the sweet words of absolution.
When one abandons the church, one abandons the very presence of the people where we are called to exhibit our love of neighbor [and yes, even our love for enemies]. The church is filled with people - sinners -who do dumb things. And they need forgiveness.
Should the sin of the church appall us? Absolutely. It was appalling to Paul - and even more appalling to Jesus. But should it surprise us? No. If your expectation of church is that you can meet with the Lord, praise Him, hear His Word, and receive His Sacrament, then perhaps you will not be disappointed. But if it is to find people that are so amazingly godly that you see the perfection you so desire....you will be consistently disappointed and disillusioned.
Furthermore, I have met many that gave up on the church - only to realize that being a lone ranger Christian really is no better. Furthermore, if you do leave the church and continue to evangelize, well....then maybe people will want to gather in your home. Enough gather and you'll have to get some kind of organization. Don't worry - as soon as you do that you'll get some bitterness, anger, etc....
This is not to excuse the church. She should be ashamed of her sins - repent - and receive forgiveness. I should too. And yes, so should you. Amen.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
#29 Failure. "For we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." [Romans 3:23]
Well....I have to admit something. I will not get to 40 devotionals by the time of Easter. I am at 29 - and there is only a few days left until Easter. Now, I can tell you this - I will get to forty - but it will be after Easter that I finish.
This fact, and some other things happening in my life have led me to this subject matter - failure. I must admit something to myself - I, in and of myself, am indeed a failure. Morally and otherwise. To quote the famous Apostle Paul, "I do not understand what I do...the good I want to do I do not do - no the evil I do not want to do, this I end up doing!" I speak when I should be silent. I am silent when I should speak. I find myself too often a failure.
And reading books nowadays concerning righteousness simply makes me feel all the more of a failure. I read a book the other day where a pastor was writing that he had said a swear word because something fell on his foot - and that sent him into a depressed tailspin for a week. One swear word. Now, I am not legitimizing a curse - the Bible is very clear on this subject matter. We should only speak those things that are fitting the calling we received. Yet, having said that, if one swear word sent me into a tailspin [and I rightly realize that even things thought are as guilty as those things said] ....well....then I would have crash landed a long time ago.
What I mean by this is that even the books written in Christian bookstores I find do not often address my problem. They talk about failure - and they talk about what I would consider, "minor" things. When I talk of failure I talk of pride. I talk of anger. I talk about the secret things and motions of the heart that you do not want to share with anyone. And when it comes to things like this - I am a failure. I too often find myself always looking at things and how they affect me personally instead of how they affect my neighbor. I too often find myself quantifying what I do and measuring it against what others' do. Now, I am smart enough to know how bad this is so I do not often act it out - but inwardly I know that it is there. Inwardly, I know the old man in me is simply itching to get out. Inwardly, I know I am evil. I know I am a failure. I know I can do nothing on my own.
Now, what do I do with this failure? Do I quit? Do I run? Do I hide? Do I pretend that I am a success - even when I am a failure? What do I do? I confess. I admit. I readily acknowledge. And then I lay the load of dreck that is mine and lay it at the foot of the cross.
Maundy Thursday is coming up. Good Friday is coming up. I recently put a BC cartoon on my wall detailing why they call the beating, whipping, flogging, murder of Jesus, "good" friday. They call it good because He took my place. It is not lip service from me to say I really do indeed deserve what He took. I, like the thief that hung next to Jesus on His left can readily admit, "We are receiving our punishment justly...but He is hanging innocent." I believe this - not only because the Scripture says it - but I truly feel and know that it is so. I am guilty. He is innocent. He took my place. He is good. He is victor. I am failure.
And the joy comes here - He has given me His victory. This love - this matchless love - is understood by me most when I truly get a glimpse into my soul - recognize what is truly there - and know I am forgiven - because of Good Friday. Amen.
Well....I have to admit something. I will not get to 40 devotionals by the time of Easter. I am at 29 - and there is only a few days left until Easter. Now, I can tell you this - I will get to forty - but it will be after Easter that I finish.
This fact, and some other things happening in my life have led me to this subject matter - failure. I must admit something to myself - I, in and of myself, am indeed a failure. Morally and otherwise. To quote the famous Apostle Paul, "I do not understand what I do...the good I want to do I do not do - no the evil I do not want to do, this I end up doing!" I speak when I should be silent. I am silent when I should speak. I find myself too often a failure.
And reading books nowadays concerning righteousness simply makes me feel all the more of a failure. I read a book the other day where a pastor was writing that he had said a swear word because something fell on his foot - and that sent him into a depressed tailspin for a week. One swear word. Now, I am not legitimizing a curse - the Bible is very clear on this subject matter. We should only speak those things that are fitting the calling we received. Yet, having said that, if one swear word sent me into a tailspin [and I rightly realize that even things thought are as guilty as those things said] ....well....then I would have crash landed a long time ago.
What I mean by this is that even the books written in Christian bookstores I find do not often address my problem. They talk about failure - and they talk about what I would consider, "minor" things. When I talk of failure I talk of pride. I talk of anger. I talk about the secret things and motions of the heart that you do not want to share with anyone. And when it comes to things like this - I am a failure. I too often find myself always looking at things and how they affect me personally instead of how they affect my neighbor. I too often find myself quantifying what I do and measuring it against what others' do. Now, I am smart enough to know how bad this is so I do not often act it out - but inwardly I know that it is there. Inwardly, I know the old man in me is simply itching to get out. Inwardly, I know I am evil. I know I am a failure. I know I can do nothing on my own.
Now, what do I do with this failure? Do I quit? Do I run? Do I hide? Do I pretend that I am a success - even when I am a failure? What do I do? I confess. I admit. I readily acknowledge. And then I lay the load of dreck that is mine and lay it at the foot of the cross.
Maundy Thursday is coming up. Good Friday is coming up. I recently put a BC cartoon on my wall detailing why they call the beating, whipping, flogging, murder of Jesus, "good" friday. They call it good because He took my place. It is not lip service from me to say I really do indeed deserve what He took. I, like the thief that hung next to Jesus on His left can readily admit, "We are receiving our punishment justly...but He is hanging innocent." I believe this - not only because the Scripture says it - but I truly feel and know that it is so. I am guilty. He is innocent. He took my place. He is good. He is victor. I am failure.
And the joy comes here - He has given me His victory. This love - this matchless love - is understood by me most when I truly get a glimpse into my soul - recognize what is truly there - and know I am forgiven - because of Good Friday. Amen.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
#28 Being remembered
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts. [Psalm 103:15-18]
Upon reading the Bible today I reflected upon something. There are very few people remembered. I was reading through the book of Acts - especially the later chapters - where Paul is standing before leaders of great cities making his defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And none of these historical people are known by me. If they have made an important contribution to our history, I do not recognize it. At their time they were exceptionally important - but now....we do not even remember their names.
Very few people leave significant earthly impact after they die. And even if they, in actuality, do leave significant earthly impact - most will not be recognized by the common man for leaving it. We may look back at the Romans and say, "some of what they established we still use today! My goodness, that is impressive!" But even when we say that I do not believe that we have in our minds any particular historical Roman person.
The fact is very simple - when we die, outside of perhaps those that knew us and loved us best - we are forgotten. And within a generation of our death we are almost always forgotten entirely. For example, I absolutely loved my father. Actually, since he is in glory awaiting the glorious resurrection and is sentient, awake, and worshipping the Lord...perhaps it is better said that I love my father [present tense]. Yet, he is dead. My oldest daughter, Olivia, knew my father even before he got Alzheimers. Yet, though my father had tremendous impact upon me - she will not see that. I can tell her. She can experience what my father taught me through me - but my dad will most likely not be an important historical figure in my daughter's life. She did not get enough time with him to really, "know" him. So, when me, my brother, and my sister-in-Law die - he too will be mostly forgotten. All that might remain are pictures in albums.
Adding to this thought, I have been privileged to officiate over certain military retirements as the acting chaplain for their ceremony. I have done this four times. Each of these four retirement ceremonies were, I would say, some of the best that any human person can expect. No, they were not presidential, yet they were high ranking military personnel. One was on a Navy vessel. There were speeches given. There were gifts presented. There was a reception immediately following. And then we all went home. In all four cases the next day someone else was doing their job. Chances are, right now, the work they were doing continues under the guidance of someone else...and they have mostly been forgotten.
Now, why do I bring this all up? I will tell you :) It is not to depress us - it is to remind us of what is most important. You see, according to Psalm 103 the life of mortals is like a flower - we bloom, the wind blows, and then we die. And we are not remembered. But the Lord remembers the righteous. The Lord never forgets.
One of the most touching moments in the Gospels is Jesus' encounter with one of the thieves on the cross. The one thief rebuked and reviled Christ. The other rebuked the 1st thief and looked at the Lord and simply said, "Jesus...remember me when you come into your kingdom..." And it was at this point that Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in paradise."
God remembering me. This brings me amazing comfort. I can be forgotten by family, friends, and all my work can be lost. But the Lord will remember me. The Lord cares so intimately for you and me that He has done more than throw a passing party for us - He has died for us. He has risen again for us to purchase for us an eternal future with Him. He remembers.
So be encouraged - your faith in the Lord is not in vain. He remembers. He always remembers. Amen.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts. [Psalm 103:15-18]
Upon reading the Bible today I reflected upon something. There are very few people remembered. I was reading through the book of Acts - especially the later chapters - where Paul is standing before leaders of great cities making his defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And none of these historical people are known by me. If they have made an important contribution to our history, I do not recognize it. At their time they were exceptionally important - but now....we do not even remember their names.
Very few people leave significant earthly impact after they die. And even if they, in actuality, do leave significant earthly impact - most will not be recognized by the common man for leaving it. We may look back at the Romans and say, "some of what they established we still use today! My goodness, that is impressive!" But even when we say that I do not believe that we have in our minds any particular historical Roman person.
The fact is very simple - when we die, outside of perhaps those that knew us and loved us best - we are forgotten. And within a generation of our death we are almost always forgotten entirely. For example, I absolutely loved my father. Actually, since he is in glory awaiting the glorious resurrection and is sentient, awake, and worshipping the Lord...perhaps it is better said that I love my father [present tense]. Yet, he is dead. My oldest daughter, Olivia, knew my father even before he got Alzheimers. Yet, though my father had tremendous impact upon me - she will not see that. I can tell her. She can experience what my father taught me through me - but my dad will most likely not be an important historical figure in my daughter's life. She did not get enough time with him to really, "know" him. So, when me, my brother, and my sister-in-Law die - he too will be mostly forgotten. All that might remain are pictures in albums.
Adding to this thought, I have been privileged to officiate over certain military retirements as the acting chaplain for their ceremony. I have done this four times. Each of these four retirement ceremonies were, I would say, some of the best that any human person can expect. No, they were not presidential, yet they were high ranking military personnel. One was on a Navy vessel. There were speeches given. There were gifts presented. There was a reception immediately following. And then we all went home. In all four cases the next day someone else was doing their job. Chances are, right now, the work they were doing continues under the guidance of someone else...and they have mostly been forgotten.
Now, why do I bring this all up? I will tell you :) It is not to depress us - it is to remind us of what is most important. You see, according to Psalm 103 the life of mortals is like a flower - we bloom, the wind blows, and then we die. And we are not remembered. But the Lord remembers the righteous. The Lord never forgets.
One of the most touching moments in the Gospels is Jesus' encounter with one of the thieves on the cross. The one thief rebuked and reviled Christ. The other rebuked the 1st thief and looked at the Lord and simply said, "Jesus...remember me when you come into your kingdom..." And it was at this point that Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in paradise."
God remembering me. This brings me amazing comfort. I can be forgotten by family, friends, and all my work can be lost. But the Lord will remember me. The Lord cares so intimately for you and me that He has done more than throw a passing party for us - He has died for us. He has risen again for us to purchase for us an eternal future with Him. He remembers.
So be encouraged - your faith in the Lord is not in vain. He remembers. He always remembers. Amen.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
#27 Trayvon Martin
I am going to address a subject matter that many are terribly upset about - the killing of a young 17 year old teenager by a much older neighborhood watchman. This killing took place in Florida. If you have not heard about this event then let me briefly explain.
A man carrying the last name Zimmerman was his community's neighborhood watch leader. He spotted the 17 year old walking in his neighborhood and thought he was suspicious. He followed him. The rest of the events are murky - I only know this - Trayvon is dead. He was killed at the hands of Zimmerman by a gunshot.
This is not going to be a post about the events of that night. I do not know the events of that night. This post is going to be about the aftermath of the events of that night; how the public, the media, and certain interest groups have fomented rage concerning these events.
The dead young man is black. The shooter is half white/half hispanic; and this has made a difference. The narrative being woven is one of a suspicious white man's racism causing the death of an innocent black man; and those entrusted with the calling of meting out justice - namely the police force and other authorities - have turned a blind eye to this killing and have allowed the shooter to go away free.
This narrative has caused extreme rhetoric. On the one side we have a police officer say on television, "act like a thug and die like one!" [referring to Trayvon Martin]. On the other side we have the leader's of the, "new black panther" organization put out a 10,000 dollar bounty on the shooter - taking justice in their own hands. An erroneous address of the shooter is, "Tweeted" and an innocent older couple is harassed in their home because of it. [An erroneous address was tweeted and it happened to be the address of a couple that has nothing to do with any involved party] More has happened. People are outraged. Cable talk shows are filled with discussions and racial implications. This event has been saturated all around us. People are angry. Very angry. On all sides.
And yet, I have heard nothing of how Jesus would like us to respond to this event. And make no mistake, Jesus did give us information on how to respond to this.
Now, before I go there, I want to make one thing clear. God has established government to bear the sword. [Romans 13] Those called to protect and serve in the jurisdiction of the event are called to dispose of their duties in honorable ways. Whatever governmental punitive measures must be taken must be taken. Period.
But what does Jesus tell the rest of us - those not commissioned to bring justice on this event? He says these words in Luke 6:27-36, "27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those
who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who
mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him
the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your
tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what
belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would
have them do to you. 32 "If you love those who love you, what
credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33
And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?
Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you
expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,'
expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to
them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward
will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the
ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is
merciful.
Now, I want us all to take an honest look at these words. Do they apply? I am convinced they do. Jesus gave these words to His disciples - those that know Him - and asked them to live them out. Those of us not charged by God through this government to bring justice - we are called to simply bless, love, turn the other cheek, and give. Period. Especially to those who persecute and mistreat us. This is how we show the love of God to the wicked - by dismissing their cruelties and in their place giving love.
But that is not what I see us doing. I see us as a public fomenting rage. I see us as people distrusting those that are different from us. I see us getting angrier and angrier inside. I imagine many conversations based in generalities at many kitchen tables around our country - mostly complaining - about groups of people.
I remember the Amish. On October 6th, 2006 a shooter entered an Amish school house and murdered students there - and then murdered himself. A horrific tragedy. But do you know what I find most amazing? The Amish response - and it was immediate. Genuine forgiveness to the shooter and the Amish blessed the deceased man's widow. Amazing. It was a true act of grace.
This is not what I see here. We as a community and as Christian people should be praying and helping the family of Trayvon Martin. To outlive a child is a terrible suffering - a suffering I cannot, nor do I want, to imagine. But we also need to be praying - earnestly - for Mr. Zimmerman and his family. No matter what the situation, He needs the grace of God as well.
If he is guilty, we must leave room for God's wrath. Even if those entrusted with imputing justice fail - even intentionally overlook - their duties. God will take care of this. Listen to God's Word in Romans 12:19, "Do not take revenge my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written, 'it is mine to avenge, I will repay, saith the Lord.'" I do not know all that happened on the fateful night that Trayvon was killed. But I do know one who does - and He is very fair and just in what He does. I will leave the judgment to Him. While we all wait for supreme justice, I have been commanded to love - to bless - to give - and to sacrifice for the wicked - whomever they are.
I see the devil working in this tragedy. I do not know Trayvon. I do not know Mr. Zimmerman. But I do know my neighbor. I do know the people in my church and my neighborhood. Am I allowing the emotions of something far away to effect my opinions of the people close to me? The devil does not care how you feel about Mr. Zimmerman or Trayvon- so long as it negatively effects the way you treat those that look like Mr. Zimmerman and Trayvon in your own neighborhood. That is what he wants.
We need to stop fomenting. We need to be still, know that He is God, and get busy loving our neighbor - no matter who my neighbor is. Amen.
Monday, March 26, 2012
#26 "If you are willing, you can make me clean...." [Mark 1:40]
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is Jesus' encounter with a leper in Mark 1. In Mark 1 a leper comes to Jesus and asks the question above, "if you are willing, you can make me clean." Now, why would the leper frame the question in this manner?
Because this man is used to people being unwilling to help him. According to the book of Leviticus, a leper was ostracized from the Israelite camp. It was so bad that if they were around people that were not infected with this terrible skin disease they would have to yell out, "unclean! Unclean!" They would have to warn people about their disease and alarm them about their possible infection.
I want us to imagine such a scenario for a moment. Imagine being diseased. That is bad enough. But imagine that your disease makes you, literally, untouchable. No one wants to be around you. No one wants to touch you. You cannot participate in the life of the church. As a matter of fact, you cannot even attend the festivals of the church in the God you believe in. You may believe that God Himself has forsaken you.
It is under this particular situation that this leper approaches Jesus. He asks Jesus, "if you are willing, you can make me clean..." And what does Jesus do? Well, even if you do not know the story I bet you can answer this question. Jesus will heal him, of course. But it is not the healing that amazes me the most - it is the means by which Jesus heals the man. It is recorded in v.41 of Mark 1, "moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand, and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing: be cleansed.'" Jesus could have waved His hand by the man and healed Him. Jesus could have simply spoken a word and healed him. He could have simply thought to heal him and healed him. Those are not the methods Jesus used. He reached out His hand and touched the untouchable. He put His hand right in the sore and said, "I am willing."
This touches me so much. How unwilling am I to touch the untouchable. How much fear do I have? Yet, God reached in to me and touched the untouchable. My sin is far uglier than this man's leprosy. And God reached out and touched me and saved me. He did the same for you. This is how much God loves you and me - He is willing.
What else impresses me is that the leper approached Jesus. He knew of the goodness of Jesus - and in that knowing approached Jesus. This leper did not give up on healing. There are too many of us that, because of our sin, want to hide away. We are too like Adam and Eve who hid in their sin. Approach Jesus. He is willing. Bring to Him all that you need. He loves you. Amen.
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is Jesus' encounter with a leper in Mark 1. In Mark 1 a leper comes to Jesus and asks the question above, "if you are willing, you can make me clean." Now, why would the leper frame the question in this manner?
Because this man is used to people being unwilling to help him. According to the book of Leviticus, a leper was ostracized from the Israelite camp. It was so bad that if they were around people that were not infected with this terrible skin disease they would have to yell out, "unclean! Unclean!" They would have to warn people about their disease and alarm them about their possible infection.
I want us to imagine such a scenario for a moment. Imagine being diseased. That is bad enough. But imagine that your disease makes you, literally, untouchable. No one wants to be around you. No one wants to touch you. You cannot participate in the life of the church. As a matter of fact, you cannot even attend the festivals of the church in the God you believe in. You may believe that God Himself has forsaken you.
It is under this particular situation that this leper approaches Jesus. He asks Jesus, "if you are willing, you can make me clean..." And what does Jesus do? Well, even if you do not know the story I bet you can answer this question. Jesus will heal him, of course. But it is not the healing that amazes me the most - it is the means by which Jesus heals the man. It is recorded in v.41 of Mark 1, "moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand, and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing: be cleansed.'" Jesus could have waved His hand by the man and healed Him. Jesus could have simply spoken a word and healed him. He could have simply thought to heal him and healed him. Those are not the methods Jesus used. He reached out His hand and touched the untouchable. He put His hand right in the sore and said, "I am willing."
This touches me so much. How unwilling am I to touch the untouchable. How much fear do I have? Yet, God reached in to me and touched the untouchable. My sin is far uglier than this man's leprosy. And God reached out and touched me and saved me. He did the same for you. This is how much God loves you and me - He is willing.
What else impresses me is that the leper approached Jesus. He knew of the goodness of Jesus - and in that knowing approached Jesus. This leper did not give up on healing. There are too many of us that, because of our sin, want to hide away. We are too like Adam and Eve who hid in their sin. Approach Jesus. He is willing. Bring to Him all that you need. He loves you. Amen.
Friday, March 23, 2012
#25 Suffering
I was reading C.S. Lewis today and his masterful work, "The problem of Pain." Now, I am no C.S. Lewis, but reading it really touched me. And what he was talking about was the love of God; and how this love presupposes our suffering.
Let me explain. There are images used in the Bible about God's love towards us. We have Him as the potter and we as the clay [Isaiah 29:16]. We have Him as the Shepherd and we as the sheep [John 10:11]. We have Him as the Father and us as the child [Luke 15]. We also have Him as the groom and us as the bride [Revelation 21]. Now, I want to take these four images and talk about them in relation to our suffering.
Most Christians, when they talk about the love of God, want not real, exacting love. They want a disinterested grandpa who simply wants the children, "to be happy in what they are doing." But that is not real love. Real love desires the best for the object of their love. For example, if a potter is approached by a boy that he has only a cursory relationship with, and that boy wants the potter to make a pot, the potter may oblige the boy. Yet, it will most probably not be his best work. The boy is easily pleased with a simple pot - and the potter will make it. He will make the pot, give the boy the pot, and the boy will go away happy. All is well.
Yet, if the potter wants to produce his best work, he will painstakingly make the pot. Those things that are not right in the creation of the pot will be put right. The pot will be intricate. The pot will be special. The potter will sweat in order to create it correct. All those that see his prized pot will marvel at the beauty of it all.
Yet, if the pot were sentient, I wonder what the pot would say during the molding process. At what point would the pot say, "ok...that's enough! That's good enough already!" The pot, during the process, may even question the goodness of the potter and his exacting nature.
The same might go with a puppy. [Many of our readers do not own sheep - so the puppy illustration is one that C.S. Lewis used and I like.] If the puppy had an adult human mind, the puppy may be confused about the goodness of the master. He does not let the puppy pee where it wants. He does not let the puppy play and, "nip" at the children. He may even cage the puppy from time to time. He will give the puppy shots and vet visits. But the master will also play with the puppy. [The fact that puppies do not have adult human minds is why they are so happy no matter what we do :)] Yet, the old, wise dog, who lives with the master and has seen his contemporary wild dogs die off young knows that the hard work the master put in in the beginning was worth it.
So also a son. We have all met adult children. [Those who numerically have reached adulthood and yet still often act and behave as children.] We have seen how unattractive they are in character. What good Father would want such a thing? No good father. This is why the good father both loves, and corrects and disciplines, his child.
The husband is often most critical with his wife. This is not good. Yet, I do believe I know the motivation from a Christian husband. He loves his wife more than any other girl. The petty selfishness or irritations that he may see in other women he overlooks because he cares less for them - but from his wife he wants her to be the most beautiful, most well-spoken woman there is.
In a sinful world suffering is necessary. I cannot imagine a sinful world and a loving God without it. We must be refined.
What gives me all the hope in the world is we have a suffering God - who went through it all with us - and for us. He lived on this earth. He died our sinners' death. He rose again to bring us to Him. Refine me Lord. Amen.
I was reading C.S. Lewis today and his masterful work, "The problem of Pain." Now, I am no C.S. Lewis, but reading it really touched me. And what he was talking about was the love of God; and how this love presupposes our suffering.
Let me explain. There are images used in the Bible about God's love towards us. We have Him as the potter and we as the clay [Isaiah 29:16]. We have Him as the Shepherd and we as the sheep [John 10:11]. We have Him as the Father and us as the child [Luke 15]. We also have Him as the groom and us as the bride [Revelation 21]. Now, I want to take these four images and talk about them in relation to our suffering.
Most Christians, when they talk about the love of God, want not real, exacting love. They want a disinterested grandpa who simply wants the children, "to be happy in what they are doing." But that is not real love. Real love desires the best for the object of their love. For example, if a potter is approached by a boy that he has only a cursory relationship with, and that boy wants the potter to make a pot, the potter may oblige the boy. Yet, it will most probably not be his best work. The boy is easily pleased with a simple pot - and the potter will make it. He will make the pot, give the boy the pot, and the boy will go away happy. All is well.
Yet, if the potter wants to produce his best work, he will painstakingly make the pot. Those things that are not right in the creation of the pot will be put right. The pot will be intricate. The pot will be special. The potter will sweat in order to create it correct. All those that see his prized pot will marvel at the beauty of it all.
Yet, if the pot were sentient, I wonder what the pot would say during the molding process. At what point would the pot say, "ok...that's enough! That's good enough already!" The pot, during the process, may even question the goodness of the potter and his exacting nature.
The same might go with a puppy. [Many of our readers do not own sheep - so the puppy illustration is one that C.S. Lewis used and I like.] If the puppy had an adult human mind, the puppy may be confused about the goodness of the master. He does not let the puppy pee where it wants. He does not let the puppy play and, "nip" at the children. He may even cage the puppy from time to time. He will give the puppy shots and vet visits. But the master will also play with the puppy. [The fact that puppies do not have adult human minds is why they are so happy no matter what we do :)] Yet, the old, wise dog, who lives with the master and has seen his contemporary wild dogs die off young knows that the hard work the master put in in the beginning was worth it.
So also a son. We have all met adult children. [Those who numerically have reached adulthood and yet still often act and behave as children.] We have seen how unattractive they are in character. What good Father would want such a thing? No good father. This is why the good father both loves, and corrects and disciplines, his child.
The husband is often most critical with his wife. This is not good. Yet, I do believe I know the motivation from a Christian husband. He loves his wife more than any other girl. The petty selfishness or irritations that he may see in other women he overlooks because he cares less for them - but from his wife he wants her to be the most beautiful, most well-spoken woman there is.
In a sinful world suffering is necessary. I cannot imagine a sinful world and a loving God without it. We must be refined.
What gives me all the hope in the world is we have a suffering God - who went through it all with us - and for us. He lived on this earth. He died our sinners' death. He rose again to bring us to Him. Refine me Lord. Amen.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
#24 - The world does not know. Go and make disciples of all nations....[Matthew 28:19]
I went to church tonight. As usual, Jesus was present in His Word. We sang songs. We heard the Word. We had fellowship. We also had a visiting young lady. She is a teenager. And tonight I had the opportunity to speak with her. The experience was good - and also enlightening.
You see, I still think that many Christians assume that the story of Jesus is being told to our younger generation. In many cases it is not. In many, many cases it is not.
You see, this young lady enjoyed our service very much. She commented how nice everyone was and how wonderful it was to be there. She came to church for a different reason other than to worship the Lord. The reason is not important. What is important to this story is that she came - and she did not know about the Lord.
I told her about how much God loves her. I told her about our mutual sin problem. I told her about how our sin separates us from God. I told her that this separation has dire consequences - that if not set right we would be punished for our sin. I told her about how God rectified this disastrous situation through the death of His beloved Son Jesus Christ. And then I told her that Jesus rose again from the dead to defeat death. It is at this point that she audibly laughed. She did not laugh to be rude. She did not laugh to demean this truth. She did not laugh because she wanted to mock. She laughed because she honestly thought that at this point I was joking. Basically, "ok....I got the whole someone died for me...but someone rising from the dead??? he he....." When I told her I was serious she stopped laughing and in an authentic way kind of apologized for the laugh.
You see, she had never - ever - heard about the story of Jesus. She did not know that Easter was the story of Jesus rising from the dead. The eyes are the window to the soul - and she was as authentic as anyone I have seen. She really had never heard this news. With a church on every corner, in the midst of all the airwaves, she had never heard.
I told her the good news. She said she believed what I had told her. She said she would be back. I want to follow up with her. But she is not the only one. What I have noticed is that too many of us in America assume that our neighbor knows this wonderful truth. We must stop this. The world does not know. America, in many ways, does not know. Many of the churches we assume are full of believers on Sunday are not. Many, sadly, sit half-empty. Many churches are shutting their doors. Many of the, "successful" churches no longer share the story of God's wrath towards the sinner and His grace given in Christ. The world, simply put, does not know the story of God's love in Christ.
But if you do, let me tell you, go. Go to your neighbor. Go to the person next to you at work. Go to your family member. Tell them. Tell them the story of God's wrath - and grace. Tell them how good He is. When you do, you will be surprised how many simply do not know.
It is a privilege to tell people of the love of God in Christ Jesus. Please, take that privilege seriously. Amen.
I went to church tonight. As usual, Jesus was present in His Word. We sang songs. We heard the Word. We had fellowship. We also had a visiting young lady. She is a teenager. And tonight I had the opportunity to speak with her. The experience was good - and also enlightening.
You see, I still think that many Christians assume that the story of Jesus is being told to our younger generation. In many cases it is not. In many, many cases it is not.
You see, this young lady enjoyed our service very much. She commented how nice everyone was and how wonderful it was to be there. She came to church for a different reason other than to worship the Lord. The reason is not important. What is important to this story is that she came - and she did not know about the Lord.
I told her about how much God loves her. I told her about our mutual sin problem. I told her about how our sin separates us from God. I told her that this separation has dire consequences - that if not set right we would be punished for our sin. I told her about how God rectified this disastrous situation through the death of His beloved Son Jesus Christ. And then I told her that Jesus rose again from the dead to defeat death. It is at this point that she audibly laughed. She did not laugh to be rude. She did not laugh to demean this truth. She did not laugh because she wanted to mock. She laughed because she honestly thought that at this point I was joking. Basically, "ok....I got the whole someone died for me...but someone rising from the dead??? he he....." When I told her I was serious she stopped laughing and in an authentic way kind of apologized for the laugh.
You see, she had never - ever - heard about the story of Jesus. She did not know that Easter was the story of Jesus rising from the dead. The eyes are the window to the soul - and she was as authentic as anyone I have seen. She really had never heard this news. With a church on every corner, in the midst of all the airwaves, she had never heard.
I told her the good news. She said she believed what I had told her. She said she would be back. I want to follow up with her. But she is not the only one. What I have noticed is that too many of us in America assume that our neighbor knows this wonderful truth. We must stop this. The world does not know. America, in many ways, does not know. Many of the churches we assume are full of believers on Sunday are not. Many, sadly, sit half-empty. Many churches are shutting their doors. Many of the, "successful" churches no longer share the story of God's wrath towards the sinner and His grace given in Christ. The world, simply put, does not know the story of God's love in Christ.
But if you do, let me tell you, go. Go to your neighbor. Go to the person next to you at work. Go to your family member. Tell them. Tell them the story of God's wrath - and grace. Tell them how good He is. When you do, you will be surprised how many simply do not know.
It is a privilege to tell people of the love of God in Christ Jesus. Please, take that privilege seriously. Amen.
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