Dispatches from Midian

New Skins

2009-05-25T09:08:00.002-04:00

Mark 2:21-22

21 "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If they do, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And people do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins."

I'm living the saga of the twenty-year-old house. Apparently, at twenty-years-old, many pieces of a house that you never think about start becoming worn and need to be replaced. A few months ago, I replaced the water pressure reduction valve; the laundry sink was next to go, followed by nearly every window in the house. Little changes can make a big difference, and the house is a more comfortable place with all of these adjustments.

Sometimes, though, you have to know when the little adjustments aren't making life any better, whatsoever. My wife's car has been a solid family auto for nine years. It still looks pretty good, and drives to my wife's place of employment safely. That said, we are starting to see the tell-tale signs that its time of service is coming to an end. The maintainence trips to the mechanic are becoming much more frequent, and the oil leaks are starting to grow. Any expense we would spend to try and correct the real problem of the car (age) would overspend the usefulness of the endeavor. It simply is time to retire the car for a new one...if we wait much longer, we won't get a good trade and the safety issue will begin to be a factor.

The Pharisees lived by tradition. Their role in Jewish society was guide, teacher, and attorney...showing the population how individual actions in life could be done within the context and guidelines of the Law. The full execution of the Law had become fairly complex, so, much like our own legal code, normal people needed expert guidance in order to navigate its waters.

We can imagine, therefore, why the Pharisees were so troubled by the parable of the wine skins. In the midst of discussions about Christ's obedience to the Law, He explains to the Pharisees that the old system of obedience, from which they drew so much of their prestige and importance to society, needed to be discarded in order to make way for a new Covenant. Christ was not discarding the Law; rather, He was dismissing the man-made complications and confusion which had been added by the lawyers and scribes. Instead of trying to repair these legal codes, Christ decides that they must be wiped away. His new wine will not fit in the old wineskins (a very clear metaphor...as new wine in old wineskins would simply explode); new wineskins must be brought to use.

The Pharisees' reaction is not unpredictable. Much like accountants learning that the nation is going to a flat tax, they see their livelihood and control fading into peril. Control can be gained over people if you subject them to a complicated system that only you understand (or, at the very least, that you understand much more than they do). In the end, this regard for "the way things are" can be perverted into a lust for control.

Mature Christians need to pay heed to the dangers of lording ritual and routine over the unchurched. Having respect for the Word of God can be perverted into exclusionary tactics. Do the least of these feel welcomed and loved? Do we have a caste system of piety in our congregations? How simple is our message of grace and faith to those who need it?

We may need to check our wineskins.....

The Holy Spirit and the Blocked Path

2009-04-25T11:53:00.004-04:00

Acts 16:6-10
6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and when they were come over against Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

You hear a lot about the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit allows some men to preach great sermons, others to cast out demons, many to make it through terrible tragedy. It provided the power needed to start the church and send the Apostles to the ends of the Earth, and it allowed those same Apostles to heal in Christ's name.

What you don't hear a lot about is the obstructionist quality of the Holy Spirit; the Spirit that forbids you from preaching well, that stops particular endeavors, and that sets us off on a path entirely not of our choosing.

In the beginning of Paul's ministry, he received many lessons in both sides of the Spirit's power. Blinded by the power of the Spirit, healed by the power of the Spirit, launched into the ministry by the Spirit, and blockaded by the same Spirit.

Paul's original destination was set to be India, perhaps to the Jewish diaspora community that would later be journeyed to by the Apostle Thomas. Paul, as we well know, was a determined, resourceful man who was willing to overcome obstacles in order to achieve the goals of the ministry. Yet, in a very matter-of-fact way, we are told that the Holy Spirit blocked this path and, much like with Jonah in the Old Testament, kept closing down options until Paul reached the place he was supposed to be.

Paul found his direction in the Spirit through trial and error. Convinced of the certainty of one path, he trudged forward only to be blocked. Instead of trying to force the issue, he reassessed his mission, went forward again, and then adjusted with the next block.

A number of churches in Midian have great trouble with the obstructionist Spirit. Huge building campaigns go awry, ministries fail to start, desired populations fail to come to church, and through all of this the belief is that the Holy Spirit must be waiting on the proper show of faith before He grants the desires of the church leadership. In some cases, faith like this is rewarded, in many other cases, true faithfulness is understanding that the power of the Holy Spirit frustrates as many desires as it fulfills, and is very much in the business of changing human direction.

Pauls inconvenience led to the conversion of the Gentile world, and the eventual conversion of the Roman Empire. His realization of the Spirit's will led to the accomplishment of great feats, even amongst his own personal frustration. When we face an obstacle in Midian, we need to keep in mind that the Spirit does not always light the path He wishes us to take; sometimes He darkens all the other paths in contention.

Forgiveness

2008-11-09T11:59:00.003-05:00

"We consider ourselves pilgrims and strangers going through this life on Earth," he said. "Our citizenship is not here on Earth."

Andrew Troyer, quoted in a piece from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is a member of an Amish community. His particular community suffered an unspeakable horror: the massacre of of 10 Amish schoolgirls by milk truck driver Charles Carl.

The Amish community, already looked at as strange by many for their particularly rigid code of self-discipline and easily-identifiable dress, gained even more incredulous looks for a quality sometimes more rare than even a horse-drawn buggy...forgiveness.

Amish families accounted for half of the seventy-five people who attended the killer's burial; and the killer's widow spoke often of the communities kindness to her and her children (including a fund which was set up specifically to help them with their needs).

The capacity of this community to not only say a phrase of forgiveness; but, actually follow through with dedicated acts of kindness, was unusual in the least. Many other communities would be spitting on the killer's grave instead of buying flowers for the widow. The Amish, though, take forgiveness very seriously.

The story of the Apostle Paul is, in many ways, a story of forgiveness. One of the greatest persecutors of Christians, and complicit with the murder of Stephen (the first Christian martyr), Paul was on the short list of greatest enemies of the faith. His life journey, which was dependent upon his acute knowledge of legal fine print, and ability to demonstrate his higher degree of righteousness than those around him, was turned on its head on the road to Damascus.

Before his trials and tribulations of his ministry really began, he had to go before the council at Jerusalem and convince the Apostles that he, the man who had participated in the murder of one of their close friends, really wanted to spread the Gospel of Christ. That, my firends, is what you call a hard sell.

What would Paul have done if he had not been given forgiveness by his fellow Christians? He probably would have continued his mission; but, with information coming to beware this possible spy, it is hard to think that his works would have been as great...or as well recorded. This speaks nothing, of course, of the forgiveness that he had already received from Christ himself. IN a moment of clarity, Paul realizes the vanity of his life, and the bankrupt treasure of false righteousness that he had been storing away for his own ruin. Its no wonder one of Paul's great themes in all of his epistles is the theme of forgiveness and unity...forgiveness was the essence of his new life.

In Midian, there is a real challenge to forgive. It becomes a harsh necessity for many to overlook things, and call that approach forgiveness; but, ignoring pain and harboring anger does not equate to the forgiveness shown by Christ. Forgiveness moves right to the pain we feel and robs it of its rage through a willful application of love. Thought hard, and demanding of committed work, loving forgiveness of those who are our enemies is the centerpiece of our lives as Christians. The only softener in our death grip on sin is the hope that mercy can prevail. Jesus forgave us freely, thought we nailed Him to a cross; and part of our salvation is the healing that His mercy has guided us to.

A powerful lesson that the Amish have reminded us of once more...

The Balancing Act

2008-07-16T17:06:00.002-04:00

Acts 18:1-4

1 After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of

Pontus

, having recently come from

Italy

with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, 3 and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. 4 And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

The big talk in Midian these days is about "work/life balance." Companies have started championing the cause, organizing several benefits to fit different lifestyles and giving discounts for healthy living. Some of this is motivated by retention, some is motivated by philosophy, a lot of it is motivated by health costs.

In a recent issue of Businessweek, there is an article about a company that has decided to fire workers who continue to smoke tobacco. According to the story, the company management and workers sat down to discuss rising health costs and determined that smokers were driving costs up disproportionately. The decision was made to compel all workers to stop smoking.

It has gotten me thinking about what the proper balance is between "work" and "life"...and why, in that ratio, we notice a separation at all. Is work not a part of our lives? We don't talk about TV/life balance, dinner/life balance, etc....

Biblically, work/life balance gets a pretty steady treatment in the New Testament...only work as much as you need to, in order to support your family and ministry. Paul is a good example of this; he continues to fund his ministry and personal needs through his particular trade (tent-making). The interesting aspect of the Acts passage above is that it paints Paul as a sort of "weekend Bible warrior," working during the week and then spending the weekend at the synagogue, trying to convert people to Christianity.

In

America

, more than Europe or most other places, there is a strong desire to find "meaning" in our employment. As I have talked with many friends and members of congregations, there are four main reasons people leave jobs: 1) money, 2) horrible boss, 3) lack of recognition, and 4) the job lacked importance or meaning. People often want to find a "vocation," which, in this case, I use to describe a life passion that you've figured out how to get paid for.

Some do find vocations....bully for them...most have a job that pays for financial responsibilities and the things that they enjoy. Some can never come to grips with this situation; they are determined to find a hidden batch of approval and/or meaning in their occupations; they climb the corporate ladder and/or spend long hours doing what they can to "get ahead." There have been a number of books written about this misappropriation of self-worth...this won't be one of them.

My personal interest is in settling into a work/life balance in which I work enough to do my part in an honest and respectable fashion; but, moves away from allowing career goals, successes, and failures to fashion my personal identity. If we are not careful, this mad rush for career affirmation can blind us to the affirmation that we really need. Henry Nouwen, the renowned spiritualist and Catholic priest, fought against this urge, himself, saying "But you have to pray. You have to listen to the voice who calls you the beloved, because otherwise you will run around begging for affirmation, for praise, for success. And then you're not free."

I don't want the first line in my obituary to be, "He was a legend in the Industry;" not that that would be a horrible statement; but, I don't think the return is worth the investment. I would prefer to be seen as a good colleague who was competent and did his part..... and I would like to see that comment at the bottom of my obituary, not at the top.

Most Christians don't even know that Paul was a tentmaker; yet, it is probably what he spent a majority of most of his weekdays doing. He was obviously good enough at it to keep earning a living; but, no one seems to greet Paul with statements like, "Hey, isn't that Paul, the King of Tents?"

Paul would have been passed over for promotion if he was working at a corporation. Paul would be the guy who "put in his 15; but didn't show up for many happy hours." Paul just isn't the guy you can count on for going "above and beyond." Paul always got "target achievment."

Work/life balance is a tricky issue in our Midian culture...it isn't just a battle for time, it's a battle for identity. We have to take a serious look at the affirmations we crave most; it tells us a lot about who we are.

More Faithful

2008-06-21T09:04:00.004-04:00

^{Phil 3:10-14

10} I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The most popular course at Harvard University is an introduction to Positive Psychology, taught by Tal Ben Shahar. Positive Psychology is a relatively new discipline (even considering the fact that Psychology, itself, is a fairly new discipline); its purpose is to take the desires of the self-help movement and put behind it the metrics and scientific analysis of actual Psychology. Tal Ben Shahar's class, plainly put, teaches Harvard students how to be happier.

Shahar's thoughts were turned into a best-selling book called Happier. In his book, Shahar makes it clear that the proper goal of someone seeking a more fulfilling life should not involve being happy, it should be focussed on being happier. "Happy," of course, is a destination that denotes a culmination of effort. Being happy means that you don't have to move past tragedies or challenges...you are a bucket of bliss. Of course, most of us aren't so happy as to not have bad days; but, no matter where we are regarding our personal world views, we can all do things to make ourselves happier.

The struggle to keep up our faith walk can be daunting. We all know just how weak we are; and we also all know people who seem to live lives of faith so effortlessly. Some times it feels like we are a novice ice skater; we get several strides together and start settling into a level of comfort...only to be brought down to the ice by a small mis-step. It's very easy to become discouraged and to "hang up the skates" for good.

Like Shahar's premise in Happier, though, perhaps what we need is a minor change in perspective. Instead of being consumed with whether or not we are truly faithful; perhaps we should understand that each moment allows us to be more faithful. It's worth acknowledging that Peter and Paul, the great apostles of the early church, never considered themselves fully mature in the faith. Both of these apostles saw the life of the believer as a walk with God, in which the humble and committed might learn and grow in faith.

Many of us in Midian can relate to the two unnamed disciples walking home to Emmaus after the crucifixion. Both spent time bemoaning the death of Christ to a stranger, speaking endlessly about what a staggering blow their lives had just taken. Of course, what neither knew was that the "stranger" that listened patiently to their grumblings was actually the risen Christ, patiently walking with the disciples, even when they had lost their way.

Becoming more faithful is not measured by distance, it's measured by humility and determination. Sometimes the greatest steps of faith come after the largest falls in our lives (something Paul knew quite a bit about). Becoming more faithful first involves accepting the gift of Christ's love and mercy, and then responding to it in thankfulness. Christ only called imperfect people to follow Him; the imperfections were not important, but the love and commitment to following Him were....and still are, today.

Keeping the Gift in the Closet

2008-06-15T16:39:00.003-04:00

^{Phil 3:7-16

7} But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in ^[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶ Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Every year I become a little bit more of a fan of PBS. Sue me, I'm getting old. What used to look like a non-stop parade of fund-raising telethons and Lawrence Welk re-runs, is now filled with programs that treat me like an adult. The news shows fully explore issues and consider each side; the documentaries make me feel like a better person after I have watched them; the music features are great experiences to have.

Part of my new fondness for PBS is generated by my love for the Antiques Roadshow. Everyone has seen it; but, for the one who may have forgotten, the Roadshow is a traveling band of connoisseurs and antique experts who tell owners about the antiques that they have had in their families for years, as well as the monetary value that each object might fetch at auction. Many folks have a few clues about the history of their pieces; several of them know exactly what type of treasure they've managed to snare. The centerpiece of the show, though, is those guests who have absolutely no clue that they are holding onto an antique of extraordinary value.

Most of these "clueless" guests know that their particular piece has been around for a long time; many know that relatives valued the piece highly. Several of them simply think that the piece is of sentimental value, and that no real tangible value could ever come of it. It is a real pleasure to watch these antique owners' jaws drop when the experts detail the thousands of dollars that their treasures are worth. "I had no idea," many say, "it was just gathering dust in my closet!"

One of the central controversies of the early Church was whether or not Gentiles needed to first become Jews before they could become Christians. The controversy came to a head at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), when it was finally decided that Gentiles did not need to first become Jews. We know however, even with this powerful statement by the Council, that the controversy continued.

Several of Paul's epistles are concerned with this controversy; the most obvious one being his letter to the church in Galatia. Paul, a Jew of the highest level of achievement..reckoned "blameless" by the Pharisees, was particularly focused on making sure Gentiles were given the Good News without a meaningless set of pre-requisites. In Philippians, Paul continues his argument, identifying those who would force Gentiles to first become Jews as "those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh."

Why was Paul so strident in his opposition to this practice? The answer is simple: Paul had a front row seat into how useless self-righteous action was in achieving the blessings of God. Paul had followed the laws of Jewish society to the letter, including persecuting members of the Christian faith. What Paul learned through his conversion was that his efforts to be perfect under the Law were pure folly, and that the only way to truly receive God's blessing was as an unmerited gift. Paul knew this to be true, because he was the poster child for it.

Paul was well-aware of the value of this unmerited gift of mercy, and that a lifetime of struggling under the yoke of the Law could never approach its intrinsic value. Paul's life became about loving others, walking humbly, and struggling to serve the will of Christ. Paul admitted that he was not perfect, and mentions throughout the epistles that God works through his weaknesses to promote the faith. These efforts and struggles were not geared towards earning God's love, they were trying to live up to the love that had already been freely given.

In Midian, most everyone has their children baptized. Some folks even drag their children to Sunday School while they are young. As they go through life, many of these children will claim to be Christians, even though their faith sits in their closets...rarely brought out, and of little significance to their daily lives.

Like the lucky few on the Antiques Roadshow, a few of those wayward Christians will have experiences which reveal the value that the long-lost gift of Christ's sacrifice has for them and those around them. Many of them will be shocked that this thing of high value was in their possession all along; they will wonder why they never did anything with it.

None of us have reached our final goals in Midian. As we get up and continue on our journey, though, the most important guidepost we have is a valuable gift that we spend the entire rest of our lives trying to live up to.

Avoiding Human Obstacles

2008-05-24T11:47:00.003-04:00

Col 2:18-19
18Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels cheat you out of the prize by rejoicing about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up for no reason by his carnal mind. 19He does not hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, which is nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God enables it.

Paul was very concerned about the recruitment of new Christians and the unity of those already in the fold. Throughout his letters, Paul meticulously upbraids wayward disciples who seek personal satisfaction instead of peace in the congregation.

The ones who caused the most disention were often ones who presented themselves as the most pious. Taking on extra discipline, they eschewed followers whose religiosity paled next to their own. Paul had absolutely no patience for such self-righteousness...even (and especially) when it was disguised as simply doing the will of God.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul warns his followers about such people, who trumpet the unmerited Grace in one sentence, and immediately follow with all of the conditions for real acceptance. In the church of Colossi, that included diet; as several who followed the kosher laws considered themselves more devout than those who did not. It also included those who had perverted humility into a badge of honor for themselves, and would silently lord over those followers who had given up less for the church.

Paul notes that different elements of the body grow at different intervals, by God's good design. He also notes that a focus on the frailties of one particular segment of the body often means that attention is diverted from the head (Christ), where it is rightly focused.

One of the challenges for churches in Midian is truly accepting salvation as a gift of Grace. Some churches require followers to progress through many steps before they can be baptized. Other churches have no such requirements before baptism; but, immediately expect perfect behavior after conversion. A focus on the weakness of other believers is as destructive, in Paul's view, as any sin of the flesh. Helping others to grow does not mean being impatient with weakness; it means providing consistent support and encouragement despite it.

Conversion should turn our attention to the head of the body. We must grow and walk on our journey with Christ in the way that God has put before us. Sometimes that will involve jerks and spurts, other times it will stall. Instead of fbecoming frustrated with our own weaknesses, though, we need to try to keep our focus on the head of the body and have faith in His continuing Grace and work in our lives. One person's walk with God will be different from another's; and that is exactly how God has planned it.

Artificially humble people, who claim to have no weaknesses, are not our friends on this journey; often, they are our greatest obstacles. We can't let their disapproval cause us to despair, or to become bitter. Focusing on the head means walking in love and mercy on our own faith journey...which is also, conveniently, the path of Christian growth.

A Difference of Opinion

2008-04-12T17:11:00.004-04:00

Like many others, I became fascinated with the Sundance Channel special, "One Punk Under God;" a documentary account of Jay Bakker (the son of former PTL leaders Jim and Tammy-Faye Bakker) and the church he founded (Revolution Church).

A good bit of the story becomes centered on how it affected Jay's church when he decided to proclaim that homosexuality is not a sin. Specifically, funding started to dry up, speaking invitations started to disappear, and several members left. Internally, he and other leaders of the church began to argue about the issue, and some tension appeared. The decision was made to "agree to disagree" on this and several other issues.

I was intrigued by the story of this community of believers (I had read Jay's book a while back), so I made my way over to the bulletin board sponsored by the church. I have been in a wonderful dialogue with the people there ever since. It is an incredible community, filled with people who have a variety of different "takes" on things, including many different opinions about homosexuality.

There is a contradiction in the church in Midian that I have been thinking about since my exposure to Revolution. That contradiction involves how we deal with differences of opinion. Most of the time, when faced with theological disagreement, we shrug it off. When was the last time a member of a church was shown the door for believing in transubstantiation? When was the last time a member of the church knew what transubstantiation actually was?

The disagreements that seem to separate the Body of Christ much more often are sins of the flesh. Drinking, dancing, fornicating, the three big "no-no's" in many fundamentalist circles, are significantly more divisive, these days, than justification controversies or canon debates.

What happens when the fornicators, drinkers, and Solid Gold dance team shows up in the front pew and refuses to leave? What happens after you tell them to "sin no more" and they "sin no less." Where in the church's life does it need to be fully accepting of different opinions on personal holiness, and when does it need to clean house?

As is probably not too surprising, this problem isn't new. In fact, well before we started sweating the "emerging church" here in Midian, the Apostle Paul was dealing with the headaches from the Church in Corinth. Much of his first epistle to the Corinthians deals with this difficult balance between accepting and rejecting; exercising good judgment, without being judgmental; rebuking with love instead of loving to rebuke.

It is a delicate balance....Grace is freely-given to all sinners (whether they are good enough to keep their sins secret or not); but, true faith is also transformative ...if the faith is not challenging you to lead a better life, can it really be the Spirit that you are responding to?

In building a Christian community in Midian, we have to keep in mind both sides of that balance....

One side of that balance is in Paul's letter to the Corinthians states in chapter 9:

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

The other side to that balance comes in chapter 13 of the same letter:

1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Keeping an even keel means guiding people to a true transformative faith with a spirit of love...and it is no easy task. It just happens to also be the single most important thing we ever do in life....

Get on the Boat

2008-04-12T17:00:00.002-04:00

Mark 4: 35-41

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

When you spend enough time with the four Gospel accounts in the Bible, you start noticing certain differences. While there certainly are differences in some story accounts, the specific differences I am talking about are the inflections and connotations that reflect differences in purpose, target audience, and author perspective. The Book of Matthew was written for the Jewish community, the Book of Luke was written for Gentiles; The Book of John was written as a theological argument, the Book of Luke was written as a historical account; the list goes on...

Something unique about the Book of Mark, the Gospel account which I have spent the most time with, is that it paints a particularly harsh picture of the disciples. Throughout the Gospel account, the disciples are seen as utterly clueless, and Jesus is portrayed as being quite annoyed with their lack of prescience.

It would be easy to dismiss the disciples' errors as the product of remarkable naiveté; they were simple people who just didn't have the most equipped of minds. While it is tempting to just say that the disciples were slow, that is clearly not the case, and not the cause of Jesus' frustration.

The disciples were, largely, composed of members of the Jewish "middle class," people who were not the heads of great households; but, were also far from being simpletons. Fishermen, carpenters, even a tax collector, were "working people," people who could make a good life for themselves if they worked hard. The literacy of the group is later testified to by the development of the scripture, and the apologies (arguments) that they would later take throughout the ancient world. Jesus was not frustrated with the disciples' lack of intelligence; He was frustrated with their insistence upon using reason and experience, to the exclusion of faith.

When particular events befall the disciples in Mark (many times throughout the Gospel), their first reaction is to ponder the normal meaning and consequences of those events against others they have lived through. When the storm rises in the passage above, the disciples reason instantly that they are going to die. This is not an ignorant projection; several of the disciples are fishermen who have seen such storms before. Jesus, during this mighty tempest, was catching a few "z's." When He is woken up, He immediately calms the storm and questions why the disciples would be afraid. The disciples, who now find themselves standing on the deck of a boat in calm waters, look like children who were scared of the boogey man until their daddy turned on the light for them.

Jesus' surprise at the disciples' defeatism continues throughout the Book of Mark (before Jesus revives the daughter of Jairus, he first asks the crowd why they are weeping for the dead child; at the feeding of the 4,000, Jesus is dumbfounded that the disciples still "do not yet understand"). If we say that Jesus' anger is at the disciples' stupidity, then we miss the point. The disciples are behaving like any sane people would (being scared when a typhoon hits their small boat, crying at a funeral for a little girl, getting flustered when they can't feed all of the guests at an event); except, of course, if such "sane" people knew that God was with them.

One of the primary lessons for the disciples is that the rules of existence change when God is with you, and when you believe that fact to be true. When God is with you and you believe it to be true, miracles occur and there is little reason to be afraid. When God is with you and you believe it to be true, then the frustrations of our own limitations as people become less important than His lack of limitations. When God is with you and you believe it to be true, tragedy can never be the final scene; death is always trumped by life in the end.

The lesson on the boat, in the book of Mark, and in the cubicles here in Midian is that amidst the frustrations and the fears of frail human existence, we must remind ourselves that God is with us. We can be rational, we can be intelligent, we can be educated; but, if we do not have faith, then we won't make it past the storm to see the calm. If we depend less on our good sense, and more on Christ's presence, then the hazards in front of us may start to seem a lot less dire.

The Long Journey

2008-03-31T08:22:00.003-04:00

1 Peter 5:6-11
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Like many people in Midian, I have lived in a lot of other places before settling here. New Jersey, New York, California, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania....all have been home to me.

When I lived in Georgia, I was eleven-years-old. I was living in a small, fairly poor, little agricultural town. I lived with my grandparents as my mother slowly succombed to cancer, and my father was off in another state trying to secure a job. It was, in several ways, the defining period of my life... the combination of the actual events, made even more intense by the age during which they occured, set a powerful mark upon my character. In may ways, I am still that eleven-year-old, in a town far away from home and friends, in a culture very different from where I grew up. But, of course, I am also a completely different person...leaving the age aside, I have been blessed with a wide variety of experiences and relationships that have further shaped me as a man.

As I sit here at this desk, peering over the woods beyond my back yard, I am struck by how long the life journey has been...and how it has changed me.

While every church-going Christian has encountered stories about Peter, I think we often forget what a long journey Peter made from his calling by Jesus, until his own crucifixion in Rome. Peter, the brash young fisherman who said exactly what was on his mind (and whos actions were always led by his emotions), turned into Peter, the Elder of the Church, a man who preached humility, peace, and getting along with others.

Arguably, while the focus of the New Testament is on Christ, there is no one we follow for a greater duration than Peter. Peter is the bold disciple who cuts off the soldier's ear, but, then retreats into the cowardice of denial the very next day. Peter, the missionary to the Jewish diaspora, is, later, the first to reach out to the Gentiles (with the baptism of Cornelius). Peter, the staunch defender of the church, turns into a supporter and brother of its greatest enemy and killer (Saul/Paul). Peter...the man who never seemed able to put two plus two together while in Jesus' company, becomes the rock on which His church is built

The first letter of Peter gives us some indication of what the first Apostle has taken away from this great journey...a life that the rest of history will view as one of the most remarkable of all time. Though Peter was given great power by the Holy Spirit, great responsibility by the Church leadership, and a special place amongst the Twelve by Christ, Himself, Peter marches into the twilight of his earthly life concerned mainly about humility and love.
I guess it can't be so surprising that a man who denied that He knew Christ mere hours after he promised not to do so, only to be forgiven by the Risen Lord three days later, would know something about the importance of humility, forgiveness, and love. On the long journey from follower to leader, Peter relays the importance of laying the stresses, strife, and false promises of the world behind in order to rest in humility with a forgiving God.

The long journey, for many of us harboring old memories in Midian, can lead us through times when we are consumed with our own weaknesses. The long journey takes through many times when we wish we could simply cast aside all of our problems and flaws, and live the life of supermen. If we are lucky, though, we end the long journey in a place where we give up regret and disappointment, in order to rest in the mercy of God.

Like Peter, a man who God Almighty called his friend, there is no escape from our own imperfections...there is only a long journey to a place where their sting is taken away by a loving Creator. Like Peter, the keeper of the keys, we must realize that God blesses the humble, and that being right is less important than showing love.
On the long journey, eventually we can leave behind our heavy baggage, if our hearts and minds are focused on the road ahead.
Journey well........

Resurrection Perspective

2008-03-25T17:46:00.004-04:00

The Road to Emmaus

13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22 “But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 “Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. 30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

No one expected the resurrection. Jesus kept quite a diverse group of disciples; you would think that one of them would figure it out. There are no "I told you so," stories in Acts; but, there are a lot of people who are shocked by God's plan...even those Jesus called His friends.

On the walk to Emmaus, the disciples that Jesus encounters are lamenting a tragic loss. Their Lord has been killed; their direction has been lost; their world is in a fog. I think it is remarkable that Jesus does not choose to reveal Himself to these two disciples at the beginning of His walk with them. Instead, He chooses to wait until they realize what is really going on. There is something about the awakening to reality that is worth waiting for. Jesus walks all the way to Emmaus with them; He goes to their home for dinner. Why was it important to be present for so long before He was revealed?

In Midian, it is not uncommon to get hung up on our situation. A lot of us are dealing with challenges and disappointments that color our views on things. We spend time praying; we cry; we talk with people we trust...but our situation doesn't leave us.

It's interesting to note that these two disciples had probably not ever been as close to Jesus, physically, as they were on this walk. Ironic that this proximity did not keep them from their mourning of the very same Lord. Their emptiness, their confusion, their discontent was not quieted by the proximity of Christ to them; but....He was still there. At the end of the passage, when the disciples realize what has been going on, their perspective changes completely. Though the historical events that they mourned were still a fact of life, their tears were dried with the understanding that He walked with them.

The resurrection perspective is not that bad things do not happen. When we go through the loss of a child, the guilt of a loved-one's injury, or the long hours of loneliness, they are not illusions...they are really there. The resurrection perspective, though, is that while history unfolds as it will, Christ still walks with us. Though He may not make Himself known, He is still interested...and He is still in charge.

Happy Easter....

The Inside Work

2008-02-26T05:40:00.003-05:00

Luke 11: 37-44

37 Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40 “You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 “But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 43 “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. 44 “Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”

My wife and I have been having renovations done on our house. Most of it has gone swimmingly; a few things have been unexpected pains. Our inconveniences are shorter than most folks doing renovations; but, they still seem to last far too long. Frankly, we are ready for it all to be over.

During the course of renovations, I was reminded of a story a friend told about working with his father as a child. My friend's father was a contractor, and during the summers away from school, my friend would tag along to the job sites. My friend was always excited to see the craft his father applied; he thought it was amazing how a house would seemingly rise from nothing into a hospitable dwelling.

Though my friend remembered many good times with his father, he also remembered a common occurrence between his father and his father's customers. Customers watching the progress of their new houses would always be amazed at how quickly the frames would take shape on their properties. From the curb, the progress of building a house would seem to rush forward at a blistering pace, until the frame and roof were completed.

"My goodness, it's almost done!" these people would say, "There's no reason you shouldn't finish ahead of schedule!"

These same people would get frustrated when the contractor relayed to them that, in fact, there was a lot work left to me done. While the outside of the house looked fully-finished to the passerby; it was, in fact, a facade. If one were to go inside the house, one would see wires strewn about and walls still open. The house would be cold from lack of a furnace, and would not have water running.

"They just don't understand," my friend's father would lament, "the outside work is easy; it's the inside work that takes the time."

Christ's admonition of the Pharisee's is that they have spent too much time minding their own window dressings, while the inside of their houses remain barren. Presenting a responsible and clean appearance, the Pharisees appeared to be heroes of the faith; people whose loyalty to the Law allowed them to live holier lives that the people they lectured. What Christ knew, however, was that their act was a facade.

In Midian, we like our lawns to be manicured; we give the evil eye to the poor neighbor who takes a week too long to bring in his Christmas decorations. Everything should be...just...so. When friends come over, we clean up....but only the rooms we expect them to visit. The family room might sparkle; but, the guest bedroom hasn't been clean for months.

Our attitudes with our houses, sometimes, are not terribly different from our spiritual lives. Focusing on those aspects which our friends and neighbors judge us on, we go through the motions of being a good person: we go to church, we dress ourselves presentably, we hang out with the right people. For many of us, though, this is a facade... our exterior lives are perfect; but, our "inside work" is in a shambles.

What Jesus tells the Pharisees is a good lesson for all of us. God is very concerned with "the inside work;" and like the master craftsmen, He will take His time and carve out of us a new creation...a beautiful home for His spirit to reside in. We need to know that this inside work is even more critical than the outside, and so order our lives that the work may take hold.

The Problem with Romans

2008-02-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

The letter from Paul to the Romans is considered by many to be his magna opus; the great systematic theology treatise of the entire Bible. Of course, it is also his longest letter, and the one where normally-compact syllogisms are expanded a bit to emphasize more specific points.
The problem for a lot of churches in Midian, is that this long-form presentation of theology is not lectionary friendly. Worship services don't span four chapters of scripture...they want one chapter of scripture (it fits in more with the rhythm of the service and doesn't lose the parishioners). Unfortunately, this is also why the Book of Romans is the most misunderstood book in the Bible; because it is most often taught in churches in a way which does not reflect its context or literary function.

There is nothing more evident in this abuse than how many churches teach the first four chapters of Romans:

Many pastors will preach sermons on the first two chapters of Romans:

Romans 1-2

Unbelief and Its Consequences

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

The Impartiality of God

1 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

The Jew Is Condemned by the Law

17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.
25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

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These first two chapters are Paul's vehicles to show the Gentiles and Jews living in Rome that God has good reason to condemn all of society. In a litany on sin, Paul goes through the excesses of society flowing from the idolatry of the masses. Paul reinforces that there will be righteous judgment for Jew and Gentile alike who have broken the Law.

In another church, though, you will never see these two chapters...instead you will see the following two:
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Romans 3-4
All the World Guilty

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
“THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS,
AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.”
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
14 “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;
15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Justification by Faith

21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Justification by Faith Evidenced in Old Testament

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,
AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
8 “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.”
9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” 19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

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In these two chapters, Paul notes that all have fallen short; but, all will be equally saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This passage is a litany on Grace, and its triumph over all things mortal. This passage is an encouragement to all that, no matter where you are, you can turn to Jesus and be saved without regard to the sins you have committed.

In Midian, though, you will rarely see these passages preached together. In one church, you will hear a litany against sinfulness; in another, you will only here of the love that God has for us. The challenge for all of us, though, is that these chapters were meant to be read together and teach us in tandem.

Without understanding the destruction of sin, and its nature as a result of idolatry, then believers miss the opportunity to grow spiritually and do well in God's sight. Without understanding Grace, though, that desire to do well becomes perverted into the sin of self glorification and, ultimately, self-loathing. Without the balance of either, both are without merit.

Part of the balance that we must achieve in Midian is not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. Working towards a better relationship with God has to be the central aspect of our lives. That means making decisions which facilitate that journey. That said, we also must know that we will never reach a point where we are not completely dependent on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our salvation. Believers need only to acknowledge the sacrifice and mastery of Christ to be welcomed back into God's home...much like the prodigal son.

Keeping a balance between avoiding sin, and accepting Grace is the point to the Book of Romans...we should be very careful of churches that want one without the other....

Keeping Clean

2008-02-07T12:55:00.000-05:00

John 8: 1-11
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

The Midian t.v. channels are filled with starlets behaving badly. You would have to be under a rock to have missed the many exposes on Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, etc... The news report came in today that Kirsten Dunst, the bouncy blond screen presence of a dozen hit films, has checked herself into rehab in the midst of an emotional meltdown.

Technology gives us an incredible sense of proximity to entertainers. Their presence fills our homes in such a fashion that the news, trivial as it might be, about their lives becomes a part of our lives. The intrusion of news about these starlets into our lives seems to force us into an opinion about them. Like many in the past spoke of the black sheep cousin that every family has, we consider the exploits of these virtual family members as an affront to our sensibilities.

Jewish society, during the time of Christ, had a palpable caste system composed of orders of cleanliness. Followers of the Law were clean, Gentiles were not. The lowest levels of cleanliness, however, were left for the sick and the sinful women. Jesus has encounters with a number of these women (the woman at the well, Mary Magdalene, and the adulterous woman spoken about in the passage above). The cleanliness of Jesus was impacted by His proximity to these unclean persons. Throughout the Gospel, when the Pharisees really wanted to convince the crowd of Christ's unworthiness, they would pull out the fact that He mingled with the unclean (tax collectors, drunks, women of ill repute).

The Pharisees cart the adulterous woman into an audience with Jesus like a dog. Daining even to speak of her in anything but the third person, the Pharisees point her out to Christ as the lowest example of uncleanliness that they could find.

"What would you do with this?" you can hear them say...their hearts balanced between contempt for the unclean and a cheeky glee for the conundrum they have placed before this teacher they all loathe.

Christ ignores them; He ignores their passioned pleas and goes off to write on the ground. Finally tiring of their banter, Christ focuses His attention on the Pharisees' hypocrisy. Strangely, given the choice to show their cleanliness and stone the adulterous woman, no one takes Christ up on His challenge. Apparently each held a sin in his heart that he was scared to let show.

When Christ is left alone with the woman, the show is over. He has no more reason to hold back his scorn of this woman whom the world finds wretched. Given the opportunity to tell the woman what He really thinks, He tells her that He does not condemn her...and to make better choices next time.

Virtually every day and every night we have this woman thrust upon us. Intruding into our privacy, we can try to ignore the voices that want to make Britney's mistakes our business; but, ultimately, we have to come to a decision in our own hearts. Will we feign a self-righteous pity for these unclean women? Will we condemn them and, therefore, announce our devotion to right behavior?

Or will we not condemn them.....will we pray for them as an equal instead of a big brother? Will we empathize with them from our own weakness, or use them to prop up our own feeble strengths?

How clean are we...really?

Making Space

2008-02-06T08:56:00.000-05:00

Matthew 26: 36-41

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

"To live a Christian life is to live in the world without being of it. It is in solitude that this inner freedom can grow. Jesus went to a lonely place to pray, that is, to grow in the awareness that all the power he had was given to him; that all the words he spoke came from his Father; and that all the works he did were not really his but the works of the One who had sent him. In the lonely place Jesus was made free to fail.
In solitude we can listen to the voice of him who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could free others, and who loved us long before we could give love to anyone.... In solitude we discover that life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared.
When you are able to create a lonely place in the middle of your actions and concerns, your successes and failures can slowly lose some of their power over you. For then your love for this world can merge with a compassionate understanding of its illusions. Then your serious engagement can merge with an unmasking smile. Then your concern for others can be more motivated by their needs than your own. In short: then you can care. Let us therefore live our lives to the fullest but let us not forget to once in a while get up long before dawn to leave the house and go to a lonely place."
-Henri Nouwen

One of the interesting aspects of Henri Nouwen's teaching, which is very relevant to me, is his confidence that accomplishing goals or tasks is rarely a way to move closer to God.

When I am feeling like a particularly lazy Christian (quite often, frankly); my first inclination is to go do something about it. Maybe take over a Sunday School; maybe go fill a missionary position locally.

The problem with this attitude is that my inclination to take on these new tasks is not a response to God's call...it is a response to my own insecurity in the faith. Volunteering for church tasks is a GREAT idea; but, should be responsive to God's will..not an effort to shore up your spiritual resume.

That said, feelings of distance from God shouldn't be shrugged off...Henri's suggestion for what to do is non-intuitive. Henri suggests that we connect more when we retreat...when we dwell in our area of weakness and allow His love to fill where we are not full.

A famous story involves the questioning of a rabbi by a nonbeliever. He asked the rabbi that, if before the universe all there was was God, then how was there any room for the universe to be created? The rabbi responded that God withdrew and made space for the universe...we were allowed to exist because God sacrificed the space for us.

Indeed, when we are looking for the faith to have more presence in our lives, we have to withdraw and sacrifice the space for it to come. So much of our culture teaches that if you are feeling bad, then you should motivate yourself to create something new.....the thought of retreating to gain more is a foreign concept.

Joe vs. the Volcano

2008-02-01T11:57:00.001-05:00

John Patrick Shanley's name has been in the news again, largely due to his success with his new Broadway play, "Dirty Story."

Shanley is a brilliant writer, who has won a number of awards for his plays and movies (including "Moonstruck."); however, whenever you hear Shanley's name mentioned, you also hear about his supposedly-failed comedy: "Joe Versus the Volcano."

I was introduced to this movie in a class in high school, and was astounded by the symbolism throughout it. The story revolves around a hypochondriac named Joe (Tom Hanks) who works in a dead-end job at a factory. After learning that he has been diagnosed with a terminal disease, he quits his job and is convinced by a billionaire to jump into a volcano for a week or two of luxury(and a manly exit to the world). While fulfilling his end of the bargain, Joe comes into contact with true love and a peace about his existence.

If you saw the movie and this plot was all you got out of it (like most people), then you probably didn't like it. It's humor is fairly dark and ironic...not a good popcorn movie. That said, if you see the movie as a Voltaire-esque collection of symbolism, then you can really start to enjoy the movie.

Much like Candide, Joe is an everyman who wanders into life-changing moments, filled with bizarre characters, and reacts to them honestly. The scene with Joe adrift on a raft, giving thanks to God for an experience with the moon, is one of the most powerful scenes I have ever seen. I am not going to give away too much about the movie...go see it yourself; but, here are several things to look out for:

The road to Joe's factory, the symbol for the factory, the lightning bolt that hits Joe's Boat, and the crooked path up the volcano are all the same shape and would seem to point to the crooked path life takes us in.
The lamp that Joe brings into his office displays the future events in the movie, including the yacht, a volcano (with the same twisting road), a large full moon, and plays the film's theme song, "Marooned Without You".
Joseph Banks was the name of Captain Cook's chief botanist on his expeditions to the South Pacific in the 18th century.
The books that Joe shows to Mr. Waturi describe the plot of the film: "Romeo and Juliet", "Robinson Crusoe", and "The Odyssey".
When Joe and DeDe leave the restaurant, there is a billboard on the left with a picture of an erupting volcano and the words "Fire in Paradise".
The four steamer trunks seem to represent the four Gospels/faith..a subtle hint towards Christian undertones
The mask worn by the Waponi who is representing the evil spirit resembles the factory where Joe used to work.
There are at least four references to losing one's soul:

in the song "Sixteen Tons" played at the start of the movie, the lyric "I sold my soul to the company store"

Joe responds to DeDe's question in the factory while inspecting his damaged shoe

Patricia's reference to being soul sick the first night on the yacht

several lines involving the Waponi's Tobi Chief such as when Joe states that he hopes the chief will not lose his Tobi (soul).

The Return of Jonah

2008-02-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

Luke 11:29-32

[29] As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. [30] For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. [31] The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. [32] The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

----------------------

As regular blog readers will know, I find a lot of meaning in the 4-chapter Book of Jonah (in the Old Testament). A lot of it has to do with my ability to identify with a man who was blessed by God, but runs away. It has a great deal to offer anyone, I suggest you pick it up when you have a moment.

As per the quoted passage from Luke, Jesus is speaking about how the faithfulness of people who are placed closest to Him often pales next to foreigners. The passage is a dire warning to the Jews, who have grown in covenant with God and have been witness to Jesus, to believe and act in faith.

The "Queen of the South" is the Queen of Sheba, who, even though she is from what is now present-day Yemen, seeks out the wisdom of Solomon and acknowledges his God as the true God. The Ninevites (the citizens of the city that Jonah visited and prophesied to) are also foreigners, yet, they repent when confronted with God's judgment.

In our church, we are starting to receive reports from many of our missionaries (a very brave Afghan missionary spoke today). Their stories are always rich with the eagerness that new converts accept the faith in. This is similar to many mainline denominations (and, for that matter, the Roman Catholic Church), where the strongest growth comes from Africa, and other third world countries.

Against that foil, the church population in America, Canada and, even more so, in Europe is dwindling. Most Americans (on the order of 90 percent will confess to being Christian; however, they never make it to church and/or know nothing about the Bible).

Christ's warning is as relevant to those in America/Europe as it was to the Pharisees in Israel/Judea; faith is not something to be taken lightly. The Ninevites, in the Book of Jonah, knew when the time had come to face up to a new life direction. Hopefully, pseudo members of churches throughout

America

Canada

, and Europe will be equally wise...

Downward Mobility

2008-02-01T11:45:00.000-05:00

". . I woke up one day with the realization that I was living in a very dark place and that the term burnout was a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death.

Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989), 10-11.

--------------------

Henri Nouwen is widely recognized as one of the greatest spiritual writers of our time. A gifted professor and Roman Catholic priest, Henri made an amazing life journey through appointments at the top academic institutions in the country, leadership in the parish, and, finally, as a caregiver at a retreat for the mentally-handicapped. Nouwen's insights along the way form a substantial body of teaching...and most of it centers around several major themes. One of these themes is the thought of "downward mobility."

Sinmply put, Nouwen argues that spiritual satisfaction coms from turning away from ambition, and focusing on spiritual connection. Henri believed strongly that his moments of greatest spiritual crisis were when he was the most dependent upon outside validation (most notably, as a Professor at Harvard) and his moments of greatest spiritual connection were as a friend and servant for his community at L'Arche Daybreak (the community for the mentally-handicapped).

Henri found his greatest level of satisfaction came from centering himself, spiritually, and then connecting with people; his great enemy was desire for temporal reward and a perceived need to "get things done." To do this, of course, you have to fight against low self esteem and dependence on others compliments/acceptance. A worthy challenge...and certainly one that Henri never felt he got perfectly correct. He does teach that the first step is creating a personal space (a lonely space) in your life where you give yourself the opportunity to listen to God and center yourself (prayer, meditation, etc...).

Of course, Henri says it much better than I do:

from: Out of Solitude

by Henri Nouwen

To live a Christian life is to live in the world without being of it. It is in solitude that this inner freedom can grow. Jesus went to a lonely place to pray, that is, to grow in the awareness that all the power he had was given to him; that all the words he spoke came from his Father; and that all the works he did were not really his but the works of the One who had sent him. In the lonely place Jesus was made free to fail.

In solitude we can listen to the voice of him who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could free others, and who loved us long before we could give love to anyone.... In solitude we discover that life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared.

When you are able to create a lonely place in the middle of your actions and concerns, your successes and failures can slowly lose some of their power over you. For then your love for this world can merge with a compassionate understanding of its illusions. Then your serious engagement can merge with an unmasking smile. Then your concern for others can be more motivated by their needs than your own. In short: then you can care. Let us therefore live our lives to the fullest but let us not forget to once in a while get up long before dawn to leave the house and go to a lonely place.

------------------------

I don't think Christians are required to leave the active life, that Christians can't be successful professionals, or that they need to become monastic. That said, I think there is an important perspective shift in "downward mobility" that certainly is backed by Christ's teachings. If we focus more on our connection to others and to God, then we build a stronger community around ourselves and rest on a firmer foundation than our "reputations" can provide.

Giving Directions

2008-01-31T10:29:00.001-05:00

2Timothy 2

²³Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴And the Lords servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, ²⁵correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, ²⁶and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

It is very tempting to get into the type of theological debates whose main purpose is to shame the opponent into some new understanding of the Bible or Christianity.

One of my favorite stories about the Church Fathers is of Augustine, who was called "the child of many tears." He received this moniker from an encounter between his mother and the great Bishop Ambrose.

Augustine, for many of his younger days, was a pagan (a Neo-Platonist). His father was also a pagan; but, his mother was a devoted Christian who desperately wanted to convert her son.

Knowing her son's love of rhetoric, she was able to convince him to go listen to Ambrose speak. After the sermon, Augustine's mother begged Ambrose to debate him until he was convinced of Christianity's truth. Ambrose replied to her that such a tactic never works; that, instead, he must come to doubt his current beliefs before he could be instructed...otherwise he would just be defensive. In closing, though, Ambrose reassured her that, "surely a child of so many tears can not be lost."

Obviously, he was not lost...Augustine went on to become one of the greatest Christian leaders in the early Church. It is important to note that the passage from Timothy at the top of this blog is, of course, also from a late convert...namely, Paul...through whose work many of the Gentile nations received the word of God.

It is a careful balancing act between representing the Christian truth, and simply being either annoying or dismissive. I know I haven't found the perfect balance (thank God Jesus saves imperfect sinners!); but, I do feel it is important that we strive not to fall into two categories:

1) Separating ourselves completely from those who are not believers...eschewing people of other faiths as friends and colleagues.

2)Refusing to say anything contrary to lies/false witness.

Like Ambrose, we must be patient and wait for questions to come. We must also deal with those questions humbly; we may have a guidebook, but, we didn't write the guidebook. We are on our faith journey as people forgiven and blessed undeservedly...we should be ready with compassion, respect, and support when others come to us for guidance.

Walk the Line

2008-01-31T10:20:00.000-05:00

Walking the line as a faithful person is incredibly difficult here in Midian; even though there are plenty of people who step forward with lots of advice on how to do so.

"The line" is the narrow path the faithful person must walk between living a life of immorality and living one of moral arrogance. It is really easy to figure out how to be on one side of the line or the other; but, standing between the two sides takes a good bit of balance and a thick skin.

On one end, there are plenty of "purists" who are more than happy to tell you that the ruin of your existence is based upon certain actions or activities that you take part in. "We saw you at that pub last night," they might tell you, "those didn't look like Christians you were mingling with." The purists believe that the favor of the Lord is based upon living a life apart from sinful actions...."you're either with us, or against us."

On the other end of the line are the people who gave up on the "straight and narrow" years ago (we can call them the "dudes"). They are quick to tell you that the purists are "hypocrites," but, pretty soon you realize that these folks have their own rules as well. "Who are you to judge anything we do?" state the dudes, "Live and let live, man...if it doesn't hurt somebody, what's wrong with it?" Most of the dudes gave up on Church a long time ago..."it's kind of a drag."

With so many purists and so many dudes out there in Midian, it can be hard to find the line in-between them. Paul's letter to the Colossians talks a little bit about that line:

Colossians 2-3
Freedom From Human Rules

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such people also go into great detail about what they have seen, and their unspiritual minds puff them up with idle notions. ¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

²⁰ Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Paul reminds the Church in Colossi to be wary of drifting off the line. The way Paul instructs people to navigate that line is to be much more concerned about desires than actions. If you note his dismissal of human rules, you note that Paul has little time for the purists who try and chain people down with impossible rules and regulations. Paul notes that the reason why they have these rules is not to please God; but, rather to justify themselves by their own actions. These folks want to make a good show of it in the public eye, even if their souls are rife with conflict.

That said, Paul does not give a free pass to the dudes, either. The overarching desire for the Christian has to be for God. If we let lust, greed, or other desires supplant our desire for God, then we have fallen off of the correct path.While other people can see our actions, God can see our hearts and souls. How our actions appear to others is of little interest to God...He is more concerned with our desire to know Him and to be His child.

Jesus freed us from a Law that was built on doing all the right things; but, He also layed a line in front of us and asked us to follow Him. That line is rarely found with our minds...it's a lot more about letting our hearts be the guides...

Knowing When to Leave

2008-01-30T08:04:00.000-05:00

Moses Given Powers

1 Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'" 2 The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff." 3 Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail"—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."
6 The LORD furthermore said to him, "Now put your hand into your bosom." So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, "Put your hand into your bosom again." So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 "If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. 9 "But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."
10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." 11 The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 "Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say." 13 But he said, "Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will."

Aaron to Be Moses' Mouthpiece

14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 "You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 16 "Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17 "You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs."
18 Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." 19 Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead." 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.

We should talk a little bit about Moses' "triumphant" departure from Midian..

walking through the desert...with a donkey...and a big stick....

If you will recall, Moses left the idealism of his youth and moved to Midian to start a family. Moses had become comfortable; he had married a woman he loved and she had given birth to two sons. Moses was part of a respectable household and was not in any danger. Life was good...even if it wasn't particularly engaging.

For a third of his life, Moses stayed in Midian...there is no reason to think that Moses believed anything different than that he would die in Midian. That was his home...why not stay there?

Then, of course, comes the burning bush...and from within it, the voice which tells Moses to leave his cushy spot in the burbs and lead a nation of people, who had previously tried to kill him, against the most powerful empire in the world.

Frankly, Moses had other plans.......

As we enter the passage from Exodus 4, we see that Moses is trying to weasel out of this assignment (can we blame him?).

"What if I tell them that I have seen God and they don't believe me?"

Pretty good question.....they probably wouldn't (actually we know they won't believe him)...

God comes back to Moses with a staff that can perform amazing signs...they will know by the miracles that God is with Moses....

Moses, however, still isn't budging.....

"But, you know I am really bad at speaking...no one is going to listen to me..."

It is at this point, that God gets a little perturbed...reminding Moses that He created speech itself, and probably has such minor problems worked out...don't you think?

So, Moses is left with a choice....a very clear choice: obey the will of God, or continue to hide out in Midian. It's a choice that many people face in the Bible, and one that different people face in different ways. Jonah, for instance, chooses to run away from the will of God...unsuccessfully. Others immediately follow God's command (Amos); most end up doing what Moses does: try to get out of it, and then go forward in faith.

Can you imagine the conversation Moses had with his wife...or his father-in-law? Moses takes his small family out from the bosom of safety and leads them (on a donkey) into the heart of danger. Moses, the man who was rejected by both Egyptian and Jew, is now going to be the most important man in history? Fat chance......

Ultimately, though, the lesson of Moses is not one of instant faith and success...it is a lesson in obeying God, and knowing the right time to make a change in his life.

When Moses had first arrived in Midian, he had to bring enormous scars from his childhood experiences. There must have been enormous temptations to try and make things better back home...even with the danger that he faced. In Egypt, Moses was a prince...a leader of men; in Midian, he was Joe Schmoe....the foreign guy down the block. That can't have been an easy transition to make.

Just as important as keeping the temptation to return in check was, it was also important to not let a comfortable lifestyle interfere with his responsibility to obey God.

And that, of course, is the challenge for a lot of us in the suburbs of Midian...not replacing the God of Abraham with the god of middle class (or upper class) comforts. Church is hard to get to when the bed is so comfortable; I want to join the bible study, but it's on at the same time as Lost; sure I could do something more meaningful, but, this pays a lot more money.

Most of us don't have a burning bush experience; but, neither are most of us called to lead an entire people out of the oppression of the most powerful empire in the world. That said, the example of Moses shouldn't be lost on us. At the proper time, God gives us the tools and the support we need to do something positive and important. Doing these tasks means interrupting the normal, and may mean the strong possibility of failing. As Moses learned, though, our limitations do not hamper God's power...and running away from our duties is not a solution (just ask Jonah...).

Our time in Midian is a blessed time, when real ministry and growth can happen; but, that does not mean that we are not faithful when it is time to leave once more.

Keep Things Simple

2008-01-29T10:01:00.001-05:00

I'm probably like a lot of Christians, in that I have a few books of the Bible that I spend a lot of time with and some that I forget about. It's not that I view any books as less important than others; but, some I am simply more familiar with and have had the time to study more in-depth. One of the things I am trying to do this year is to dive in to books that I haven't spent as much time with (The Gospel of Matthew was earlier this year....I always lean much more on Mark; later I will be focusing on 1Peter). Right now, I am really consumed with the Epistle to the Hebrews. Regardless of authoring controversies, I am struck by how concise the instruction is in this book, and how wonderfully the author puts forward a concrete and powerful version of what "faith" really is. Many will be familiar with this passage; but, it has really spoken to me over the past few days (our guest preacher used it in church yesterday) and I wanted to share (especially for those, like me, who have not encountered it in a while). The labels for the passages are, obviously, mine...:

Hebrews 12

Keeping focus on what matters

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Understanding that trials/tragedies hurt; but, also often make you stronger

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as children? It says,
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child."

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate children at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

How to live with others

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

And back to keeping your focus...
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27 The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire."

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Often I find my life is growing too complex. Even if my Outlook Calendar is bare, I am obsessed with all of the things I "need to get done." Our culture here in Midian is a frenetic one...if you aren't busy, then you are falling behind (have you mowed your lawn/trimmed your hedges this week? What about your expense reports? Did you call your family?? For goodness sake, why don't you actually do a GOOD job on your club's newsletter this time?).

For those who follow a God apart from time, though, and are travelling a path to an eternal city, the tasks that greet us every day have to be kept in perspective. While we certainly want to enjoy the journey...we can never lose sight that our travel has a defined destination. As my life becomes more and more frantic, I like to remind myself of this passage from Hebrews....it helps me to "keep it simple."

Keep your eyes on the road.....

Who is in Control Here?

2008-01-29T10:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday afternoon saw a new crime story here in my particular corner of Midian. A local commissioner was formally charged with several counts of corruption; the first part of what promises to be a much more-sweeping set of indictments from a new grand jury finding.

On the local township blog, there were cries of joy (for the enemies of said commissioner), there were wails of disdain (from the allies); but, mostly there was just disgust that our wonderful little village was in the news because of such selfishness and greed.

When government corruption rears its ugly head, it is tempting to fall into exasperation; it seems that no real authority is "in charge." With lots of people "on the take," it often seems like no one is fully grasping the reigns. This is certainly the case in Philadelphia, where the murder rate continues to climb, despite the empty promises of city officials.

While the lack of visible control is scary, I think it is more likely that our darkest moments come when the wrong people are very much in charge. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely (as the saying goes), and the pay-to-play politics in both Philadelphia and my little township are good bits of evidence to that effect. Living in the middle of this type of government malfeasance, it can get frustrating and disheartening...Who is in charge here?

On the dark day on Calvary, nearly two thousand years ago, the final grotesque scene was not witnessed by any of the twelve Apostles. There were a few women there....a soldier posting guard....a couple of thieves being killed. The disciples had headed home to cry; to bemoan the excruciating agony of being wrong, and being powerless. The feelings are well captured by the two disciples journeying towards Emmaus; frustrated by what they viewed as the end to Jesus' life, they harangue the Risen Lord, Himself, with incredulous expresions of "Don't you know what they did to our Lord?"

Crucifixion, a torture technique taken from the Persians, was the ultimate expression of government authority. If the government could nail you to a tree and watch you die, then your complaints about the government were pretty inconsequential.

Little did they know, that the cross which was meant to assert man's authority would be used by God to exercise His authority. In the midst of the painful and evil actions of man, God is able to continue His rule, and shape the situation to His ultimate Glory.

The lesson of the cross is that man's motives and actions are bound in imperfection and sin; but, even though the pain, evil, and darkness of that sin is all around us, God is still Lord. As Easter people, despite the bad appearances, we know who really is in control here.

Dinner Amongst the Dysfunctional

2008-01-29T09:58:00.000-05:00

When Jesus sat for his last meal, He chose to sit with an odd group of friends. There was His best friend, whom Jesus knew would deny him multiple times in His hour of need...there was his "friend" who would turn him over to his enemies, and then there were the others...who would simply fade away when the most important events in His life were occuring.

Yet, to this odd group of non-performers, Jesus breaks His body and spills His blood. There is no record of the Apostles grasping the meaning from the table...one can almost see them nodding in benign appreciation for teachings that just flew right over their heads.

Imagine the sense of regret that Peter and all of the rest of the disciples felt when they realized how important that last dinner really was. Imagine the chagrin when they realized that the "body and blood" that looked so much like wine and bread during that dinner were, actually, the symbolic Truth from God, Himself. Imagine how stupid each one felt when they realized that the forewarnings of suffering were not just metaphorical...they were a narration that would see full embodiment in the next 24 hours.

Before Warren Zevon, the unusual but gifted songsmith who penned "Werewolves of London," passed a few years ago, he made an appearance on a late night talk show. The host asked Zevon if he had learned any great lessons as someone who knew his passing (from terminal cancer) would come at any moment. Zevon grinned and stated, " I've learned to enjoy every sandwich."

One of the lessons from the Last Supper is that we, like the Apostles, need to learn to "enjoy every sandwich." Because our appreciation of meaning is often imperfect, we need to take a chance and assign meaning to moments we might ordinarily take for granted. The spark of the Divine can often touch us when we least expect it.....we should be ready to celebrate it when it arrives.

The second lesson is that, even when we miss that moment of meaning....and when the lack of recognition pains us and embarrasses us later, we need to understand that meaning has not left us...even if the moment has.

We are Easter people....even when we forget to appreciate all the blessings in our midst, meaning comes to find us in the sacrifice and victory of our Savior.

Enjoy your dinner....and look to the cross....

Simplify, Simplify!

2008-01-29T09:56:00.000-05:00

"[16] I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to "glorify God and enjoy him forever."[17] Still we live meanly, like ants; though the fable tells us that we were long ago changed into men; like pygmies we fight with cranes; it is error upon error, and clout upon clout, and our best virtue has for its occasion a superfluous and evitable wretchedness. Our life is frittered away by detail. An honest man has hardly need to count more than his ten fingers, or in extreme cases he may add his ten toes, and lump the rest. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail. In the midst of this chopping sea of civilized life, such are the clouds and storms and quicksands and thousand-and-one items to be allowed for, that a man has to live, if he would not founder and go to the bottom and not make his port at all, by dead reckoning, and he must be a great calculator indeed who succeeds. Simplify, simplify. Instead of three meals a day, if it be necessary eat but one; instead of a hundred dishes, five; and reduce other things in proportion. Our life is like a German Confederacy,made up of petty states, with its boundary forever fluctuating, so that even a German cannot tell you how it is bounded at any moment."
-Thoreau, Walden

My office is shaping up nicely. I now have enough bookshelves that there aren't binders and books strewn raggedly across the floor (at least on my better days). There are a couple of Ikea chairs to relax in and a pretty diverse bit of art to reflect upon. What I don't have...and never will have...are curtains and/or blinds. Two windows take up about 2/3 of the back wall of my office, and when you look through them, the view is mainly trees and a valley. My backyard backs into town-owned woodlands...not a hearty reserve, mind you, but, my rear neighbors are pushed a good bit back.

The birds have started to return to our woods, again...there is a stunning variety of them (I see no less than ten varieties of bird each day). Yesterday's prize was a red-headed woodpecker who went about the business of bug-hunting about 20 yards away from me. Every year, my wife and I get new friends from the animal kingdom (last year was a groundhog, who, unfortunately couldn't predict spring worth a darn); this year we have a new friend....a hawk.

I have seen hawks from a distance; and have even seen a few behind cages; but, this was a completely different experience. It swooped down from out of nowhere and perched on a short limb no more than ten yards away from my window. It stayed there for quite a bit of time and seemed undeterred by my gawking. It was a beautiful animal...one of the more majestic I have seen...and quite large. An earlier man might have taken such an event as some sort of sign; it certainly was the highlight of my week.

For many people, Thoreau's Walden is the property of environmentalists...people who love camping and hate corporations. I certainly had read from the collection; but, I had never read it straight through... until recently. While there certainly are messages for the more strident in their beliefs, I think there is a very important message for those of us in the Midian suburbs. Beyond just a desperate love of nature, Thoreau embraces intellectual focus and simplicity. To Thoreau, our SUVs aren't really the issue...it's our need to have them, and to drive them at 70 miles per hour. Thoreau is not appalled at our houses; he's saddened by our need to have the latest gadget as soon as it comes out. Thoreau is against our materialism; but, even more so, he is against the life of monotony that such greed compels us to adopt. If we must have things, we must always work for those things. There are so many distractions, and so little time for the contemplation, intellectual curiosity, and spiritual connection that life is really all about.

Thoreau saw this monotony in his own life, and he made a radical adjustment. Maybe such radicalism isn't in line with where our roads lead us; but, I do think we should pay attention to this voice from the wilderness. Being vigilant about time for meditation, contemplation, or simply taking a walk (not a run...a WALK) may very well be the first step we take in order to reconnect with God and ourselves. We love our "Outlook calendars" and day planners here in Midian; but, sometimes we need to remind ourselves that retreat is not just a "once a year" thing; it is an essential part of daily living.